Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:648;Page:17250] 
12.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Did the former head of the Immigration Service Mary Anne Thompson seek visa waivers for family members in April 2005? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Yes. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is it correct that Mary Anne Thompson’s effort to secure visa waivers for family members in April 2005 was the second such time she had sought visa waivers for family members and that in December 2004 she wrote to staff seeking visa waivers for family members and guaranteeing that they would return to Kiribati saying: “We would like them to stay with us for three months for a significant family function and then return to their families”? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I am advised that in April 2005 the deputy secretary approached branch managers by email and acted in a way to shall we say facilitate if you will and that those and the other matters the member raises are and will be I assume the subject of a number of inquiries that he is aware of. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Can the Minister confirm that the visa waivers granted to family members of Mary Anne Thompson in December 2004 were granted as exceptions to policy because they did not meet policy requirements—namely either being British citizens United Nations personnel or from a listed visa-free country—and the visa waivers therefore were granted only because of Ms Thompson’s guarantee that she would ensure they would return home at the end of the 3-month period? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I do not have the detail directly pertaining to those matters to confirm that but they will be matters as the member has described that are the subject of a number of inquiries. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: On what basis were family members of Mary Anne Thompson issued work permits if they came to New Zealand on visa waivers granted as an exception to policy on a guarantee from Mary Anne Thompson that they would be returning to Kiribati after a significant family function had been held? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: As the member has alluded to visa waivers are granted to people who require a visa. For instance to board a plane to travel to New Zealand visa waivers will be granted from time to time to allow persons to travel without a visa being held. Once a person has been granted such a waiver and arrives at the airport in New Zealand he or she will be granted a permit upon application. Upon completion of an arrival card the waiver basically turns a visa-required person into a visa-free person. Visas are usually given only in special circumstances—a number of which the member alluded to—including emergency humanitarian travel health etc. Waivers cannot be extended and once the person arrives at the border the waiver ceases. Again the issues the member raises—and I will not pre-empt the three or four inquiries that are currently under way—will be dealt with and the appropriateness or lack of it will be dealt with by those inquiries. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Did those family members all return home as guaranteed by Mary Anne Thompson; if not under what policy did any of them acquire work permits? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: The advice I have about the two members in respect of the 2005 issue are that they remained in New Zealand. As to the appropriateness and the detail surrounding the actions of Ms Thompson in relation to that those will be the subject of the inquiries.