Smith Lockwood: General Debate 
Smith Lockwood: General Debate 
[Volume:632;Page:4210] 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
: 
 This is the Ingram report. This is the disgrace. Helen Clark Prime Minister says that this report finishes the issues around Taito Phillip Field. That shows the new low to which Labour has sunk because this is an extraordinary story of the exploitation of vulnerable people. I have never seen a report like it. It outlines the systematic exploitation of vulnerable new immigrants. Five Thai immigrants were working for nothing on a house in Samoa for Mr Field. Seven Thai people—five of them assisted by Mr Field—were working on a house of Mr Field’s for nothing here in Wellington. Unknown numbers of Thai immigrants assisted by Taito Phillip Field worked on a house of his in Church Street Auckland. That is a disgraceful disgusting exploitation of vulnerable people by Labour and Helen Clark says that is OK. Helen Clark says that it is OK for members of her Government to exploit— 
Hon Mark Burton 
: Calm yourself. 
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH 
: Minister Burton says that I should calm myself. He thinks it is OK for his colleagues to exploit some of the most vulnerable people in this country. That is a disgrace. It is an indictment on Helen Clark Prime Minister if she says it is all OK. 
What Noel Ingram had to say about Taito Phillip Field is interesting. He says: “As to Mr Field at this point in the report it is sufficient that I note that at all times he was co-operative in terms of making himself available …”. He did not say he was cooperative in terms of telling the truth. Ingram could have said that but no he said only that Mr Field was cooperative in terms of making himself available and providing documents. He went on to say: “I am concerned by the unsatisfactory nature of the explanations provided to me by Mr Field in relation to that painting.” Those are powerful words from a Queen’s Counsel. He said that Taito Phillip Field was cooperative in terms of making himself available but he was concerned about the honesty of what Phillip Field had to say. 
I remind the House that the key players in this saga are Mr Siriwan and a Ms Phanngarm. Siriwan had been illegally in this country for 8 years as this saga unfolded. He had been refused refugee status and was working illegally. Ms Phanngarm had been illegally in the country for 5 years. She was declined refugee status on four separate occasions and deported from this country. 
There are some really serious questions. Why did the Associate Minister the Hon Damien O’Connor cave in on such a clear case where work visas should not have been issued where someone had been breaking the law for so long? Noel Ingram looked at this issue very carefully. He looked at the issue of whether the Hon Damien O’Connor had any idea that this Mr Siriwan was working without pay for that matter for Taito Phillip Field as Taito Phillip Field was twisting Damien O’Connor’s arm very strongly. The report makes it very clear that the New Zealand Immigration Service knew. It had clear information that Siriwan was working on Taito Phillip Field’s house in Samoa and the service knew that Phillip Field was making representations in respect of that person. 
Let me make it very clear that I do not question Damien O’Connor’s integrity but there are questions to be answered as to what went on. It is alleged that Damien O’Connor’s private secretary had been told prior to Damien O’Connor giving the exception to policy direction for Siriwan about Siriwan working for Phillip Field. What is even more curious is that the Minister the Hon Paul Swain had met with Siriwan in Samoa and knew what was going on.