Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:627;Page:21963] 
7.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: How many files categorised A B and C if any were investigated by the special team set up within the New Zealand Immigration Service and described by him on 3 May 2005 and how many files remain unresolved within each category? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 The special team set up within Immigration New Zealand which I described on 3 May 2005 is known as the immigration profiling group and does not categorise files by A B and C. The fraud and investigation unit in an attempt to clear a backlog of cases in June does categorise files by A B and C. I would be grateful if the member could clarify which one he is referring to. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My point of order is very clear and it is this. The A B and C files are categories he is very much aware of which are to do with a unit he set up especially for that purpose and he has had 4 hours to answer the details of this question. He knows full well the moment I use the phrase “A B and C categories” which group I am talking about. But he was the one who made reference to them on 3 May. Can I just have an answer in respect of the section that is handling the A B and C files which is patently transparent from the question? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Speaking to the point of order I say that specific reference in the question is to a description of a unit established on 3 May 2005. That was as I said the immigration profiling group which does not categorise by A B and C. I have two answers here and I am asking the member to clarify which one he wants because it is not clear from his question. I cannot help it if he does not ask the question correctly. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank both members. I think this might be resolved if the Rt Hon Winston Peters could re-ask the question. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: The group handling the A B and C files—is that clear enough? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The group handling the A B and C files which was not described by me on 3 May 2005 has looked at approximately 749 files. Of those 23 A files 76 B files and one C file require further consideration. 
Dianne Yates 
: What is the role of the immigration profiling group? [ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry. The supplementary question the member asked was not really a supplementary question; it was a clarification. I take the point then— 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The supplementary question relates to the group that I specifically— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry there is a misunderstanding here. I called Dianne Yates when I should have called the Rt Hon Winston Peters. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why were 18 or all of the people who were engaged in those investigations on the A B and C files—which found that 23 76 and one of those files are no longer being investigated and are still gathering dust—hired as part of a special team and employed by the Immigration Service and then disbanded at the end of the financial year; how did that happen and why did it happen? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Firstly those files are not just gathering dust. As I said if the member had listened carefully they are under further investigation. The reason why that operation occurred in June was that additional funding was left over from the Immigration Service. They decided to clear the backlog and had the funding for that 1 month. They significantly cleared the backlog so now I think only about 10 percent of the cases are outstanding. That is a significant effort brought about by good operational policy by the Immigration Service. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Supplementary question Dianne Yates. 
Dianne Yates 
: I think my question has been answered. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister tell me when we have brought in tens and tens of thousands of immigrants—and under his administration as many as 58000 in 1 year—that the total number the group has been required to investigate since September 11 is 749; and now that we have become witness to the fact that the 18 special investigators all of whom were high-placed police officers or former police officers are now no longer doing their job who on earth is doing the job to secure this country particularly after the events in London? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The member is clearly confused. The people— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Ha ha! 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The member is because he is asking two things. He does not know what he is talking about. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. With the greatest respect if anybody has been confused about immigration it is he and his previous Minister—and in fact his whole Government. So perhaps he could get up and answer the question and not try to be clever which is very unbecoming for him. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Thank you. I ask the Minister to address the question. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Let me try to deal with it slowly. The immigration profiling group is the group that has been established to look specifically at issues surrounding post - September 11 2001. That comprises a number of specialist immigration people. It was established a few months ago. It is doing thoroughly good work and it is specifically looking at people from high-risk countries and people whom we would consider to be undesirable in New Zealand. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What about the group mentioned in the paper I have? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: That is that group over there—a special group looking at that. The group the member is talking about was contracted to try to deal with the backlog of cases under the category of fraud. Those are things like marriage scams and people telling porkies to the Immigration Service. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: They’re still going on. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The two things are different. I am happy to give the member a little lesson about it afterwards.