Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:15580] 
8.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Has he ordered the New Zealand Immigration Service to secure a passport for failed Iranian refugee seeker Bahareh Moradi from the Iranian Embassy or a visa from the Fijian Embassy; if so have any of these documents been obtained? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 No. For the member’s information I am advised that in this case as it is a refused entry neither a passport nor a visa is required to remove the individual. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What evidence does the Minister have that the Moradi family have claimed conversion to Christianity as part of what the authorities now say is “an elaborate and meticulously crafted web of lies” and what reaction has the Minister got to those findings? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: As the member would know it is not appropriate to go into individual cases in any great detail. I have indeed seen speculation in respect of the conversion to Christianity. I would note that it is on the public record that in the Moradi case the refugee status branch declined the claim the Refugee Status Appeals Authority declined the claim the High Court refused to intervene in the removal and the Associate Minister of Immigration on application declined to intervene. We are currently in the process of ascertaining the whereabouts of Ms Moradi so that the removal can take place. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister confirm that this woman’s brother who is also claiming a conversion to Christianity and being at risk of being penalised back in Iran nevertheless took a direct flight back to Iran on five occasions between September 2003 and September 2005; and does he think as the Minister that an MP who has pushed this case should use his best offices to assist the department when a failed refugee applicant runs amok or goes to ground? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I think the first part of the question is in order but the second part is not. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. With respect I think the Minister would like to know that there are 120 members of Parliament here who would seek to help his officers as part of their responsibilities and duties. That is my question here and I do not see how that could possibly be out of order. I want to know whether it is Government policy to invite advice from members of Parliament that might constructively help them in any given case. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Framed in that way it is appropriate. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: In the case of the Moradi family I cannot go into the detail about speculative claims that are made. I can inform the member that the two members of her family who were accepted as legitimate refuges went through the robust clearance process. In respect of his second question I am not responsible for the actions of members. However I would hope that if any member in this House had information pertaining to an absconding immigrant they would provide it. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Like Dr Coleman? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: The only thing I could say in respect of Dr Coleman is that he may well be able to assist as I am advised that he has some expertise in smoking people out. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That was inappropriate. 
Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: Would it be tenable for the Minister of Immigration to remain in his post if he did not agree with Government policy on these immigration matters being discussed and has the Minister heard any reports of Ministers who disagree with major Government policies relating to their portfolios? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. With the greatest respect I know that Dr Coleman is a new member but he cannot just get up and shoot an arrow into the air not knowing where it might land and call that a related parliamentary question. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. Many arrows that are shot go nowhere here. There is no ministerial responsibility. If the member wishes to ask another supplementary— 
Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: Point of order— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No I have ruled on the point of order; it is too late. If the member wants to ask a supplementary question that relates to the question that is fine but there must be ministerial responsibility. 
Keith Locke 
: I seek leave to table items from the draft Iranian penal law showing that execution is the penalty for Christian converts. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I would like to inform the House that Winston Peters has raised his 14th point of order during question time this week. He had 18 points of order during question time last week. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: This is starting to trifle with the House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave—which will be part of the numbers that that young amateur MP just read out—to table evidence to suggest that what Mr Locke has just said is demonstrably wrong and has been so for the last 10 years. 
Document not tabled.