Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4203] 
11.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does her Ministry permit immigrants of working age to enter New Zealand without the prospect of jobs; if so why? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Yes. The only categories that require an ongoing job offer for residence to be granted are adult children and siblings and the family quota categories of the family-sponsored stream; the Samoan quota and Pacific access categories of the international humanitarian stream; as well as the work to residence programme covering the talent visa and the priority applications list under the skilled business stream. The general skills category introduced in 1991 is based on employability criteria rather than actual employment. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why then is immigration continuing when jobs are not available for migrants due to racism in New Zealand as claimed by her colleague the Minister for Economic Development in the  
Dominion Post 
 of 12 March and when will she call a halt to the strain on New Zealand taxpayers’ money admitted by Mr Anderton when he said that many of them—he was talking about $1.5 million being granted to them—were unemployed migrants unable to get work because of racism and further that grants were taking people off welfare and putting them into good jobs; when are we going to deal with New Zealand— 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I have not seen the article. I have no idea what the member is talking about. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: You haven’t seen the article? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: No. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Well get up in the morning and go and read the newspaper. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will stand withdraw and apologise for that comment. That is a personal and rude comment to make in this House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You did not stop her from claiming to have no knowledge of a critical area within her portfolio just a few days ago. She made that objection. She said she had not read the newspaper and I said to her that she should get up in the morning and read the newspaper. What was objectionable about that? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am just saying that making the comment once I might be prepared to overlook. Further than once is going too far. I have made that judgment and that is where the matter rests. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This Minister made derogatory comments earlier in this House about my colleague Pansy Wong saying that she was not doing her job properly and you said that was OK. I find it totally inconsistent that Mr Peters makes a light comment about the Minister’s habits in the morning and suddenly that is out of order. I simply ask for some consistency in your rulings. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is probably fair enough and I apologise. 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I cannot answer the specific question because I have not read the article concerned. I can say that the rate of emergency benefit uptake in the general skills category under this Government has reduced significantly. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What changes has the Government introduced since 1999 to reduce the risk of recent migrants taking up emergency benefits? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: On 1 October 2001 we introduced a 3-year residence requirement for wider family-sponsored migration coupled with a statutory declaration that enforces the obligation to meet the cost of family-sponsored migrants for 2 years after their arrival. This Government did that. 
Pansy Wong 
: Does the Minister accept the research commissioned by her own ministry that concluded that the net financial gain from New Zealanders born overseas for the year 2002 is $1.7 billion which would have led to more job prospects; if so why did she then raise the level of English language requirement which will reduce the number of Asian migrants in particular and lessen the financial gain.? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: The standard or level of 5 in the International English Language Testing System which has been increased to 6.5 is for the principal applicant in the general skills category only. It applies only to people who are tertiary qualified to claim residence under that category and I am getting sick and tired of people who are misrepresenting the basis of the policy change which is all about qualified skilled jobs for qualified skilled migrants. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How many Maori MPs from the Labour Party have visited her office complaining about the use of taxpayers’ money for foreigners when hundreds of thousands of Maoris are left on the economic scrap heap and who were those Maori MPs? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: As Minister of Immigration I have met with the entire Government Maori caucus. Not one other Maori member of Parliament has raised it with me. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. First of all I am a Maori member. The Minister should wash her mouth out. I seek leave to table the  
Dominion Post  
article “Politics and News” of 12 March this year in which— 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: You took a long time to get out of bed! 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Yes but at least I wasn’t under the bed like you were. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: A little bit of jocularity was in order but the Minister will now stand withdraw and apologise. 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table this  
Dominion Post  
article of 12 March under the headline “Anderton defends $1.5 million grant”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. With the greatest respect the junior whip said there was an objection. I was chastised— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member will please be seated. As the member knows any member can take objection. That is what leave means and that is where the matter ends. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I understand that Mr Speaker but I am relating to the fact that I was chastised for telling the Minister to get out bed and read the article. I have now endeavoured to show it to her and that is the reaction. I think I am owed an apology. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sorry but that is irrelevant to the question that was put to the House.