Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:648;Page:17324] 
9.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: What was irregular about the circumstances in which family members of Mary Anne Thompson obtained residence? 
Hon SHANE JONES (Associate Minister of Immigration) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Immigration 
: These matters are being addressed in the various investigations that are currently under way. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Was the Minister of Immigration around the time these irregularities occurred—a Minister who assured the House that he “runs the show” to use his own words and is on top of things—aware of any of these irregularities? 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. That particular quote is well known to members of the House and was made by the Minister of Health in his capacity as Minister of Health. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Yes I recall it that way. I ask the member to rephrase the question. I do not think that comment probably added anything to the question. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Was the Minister of Immigration around the time these irregularities occurred—the Minister who is currently the Minister of Health—aware of any of these irregularities? 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Obviously all of these perplexing events will be swept up in the State Services Commission’s inquiry. As has already been noted in the House the former Minister was briefed on such matters in the context of a staff performance matter. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Why did the Minister of Immigration around the time these irregularities occurred consider the fact that legitimate applications from Kiribati citizens were being declined because of apparently unlawful decisions in his department to be an employment performance matter? 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: These machinations that Dr Smith refers to no doubt will be addressed in great detail in the multiple number of reviews and if he just goes on taihoa he too will have it revealed to him. The Minister of the time was briefed— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Just answer the question. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: I say to Mr Smith this issue unlike himself is not inert and I ask him to give us a fair go. The Minister was briefed in the context of it being a staff performance issue. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: How could the Minister at the time the Hon David Cunliffe—who claims to always be in control of things—consider the fact that staff regularly felt obliged to record “as instructed by” when processing applications because of the frequency with which Government immigration policy was being breached and why did the Hon David Cunliffe consider that to be a staff performance or employment matter? 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Of course two reviews are of particular importance. The terms of reference dealing with the Auditor-General’s department will be investigating what if anything Ministers said at various points in this process; and secondly the State Services Commission will uncover all the various decisions that were made either irregularly or in other wrongful forms. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Can the Minister confirm that for over a year the Minister of Immigration at the time knew of these irregularities involving the former head of the Immigration Service but turned a blind eye to them by not asking any further questions about apparently unlawful activity within his own department? 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: This is the third attempt to address the questions put forward by Lockwood—although one thinks of deadwood. The man— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is unnecessary—absolutely unnecessary. Would the Minister please just address the question. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: The former Minister received a briefing in the context of a staff performance issue. He chose not to intrude beyond that statutory line defining the difference between the bureaucracy and the responsible Minister.