Roche Denise: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoche Denise: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 04 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4338. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.DENISE ROCHE (Green) to the Minister of Immigration: Will he increase New Zealand’s annual refugee quota from the current 750; if not why not?Hon CRAIG FOSS (Acting Minister of Immigration): The Government reviews the refugee quota programme every 3 years. That is coming up again early next year at which time the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Immigration will make a recommendation to Cabinet. We are firmly focused on improving the settlement outcomes for those refugees who do come to New Zealand. New Zealand is one of only 26 countries that resettles refugees referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and our programme is recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a model of best international practice.Denise Roche: Is the Minister embarrassed that New Zealand is 87th in the world per capita for refugee intake and that this Government has accepted fewer than 5000 refugees in total from all the refugee categories since National came to power 6 years ago?Hon CRAIG FOSS: No. In fact I am proud that our programme is recognised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as one of the best in practice internationally.Denise Roche: I seek leave to table a document prepared by my office today that shows the number of refugees accepted by New Zealand split into categories between 2009 and 2014. The information originally came from the Parliamentary Library.Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is probably of marginal value but the House can decide. Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Was that an objective view of somebody’s sincere submission to the House?Mr SPEAKER: Order! If the member is going to test my patience he will get the opportunity to be leaving the place early. [Interruption] Order! Let me explain again for the benefit of the member. The purpose of tabling a document is not to make a political point; it is to further inform the members. On that occasion I think I would have been wiser not to have put the leave in the first place. It was an attempt by the member to reinforce a point she had made in the question that she had asked. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. At the end of the day when the leave is put it is over to the House as to whether it accepts that particular document. On this occasion no one saw fit to object. It has been tabled.Denise Roche: Are Amnesty International the Human Rights Commission the New Zealand Red Cross and the Refugee Council wrong when they call for the Government to do more and increase our refugee quota which has not increased in 28 years?Hon CRAIG FOSS: Yes I do note that it has not changed for quite some time across many Governments some supported by that particular party. I do respect the views of those various organisations but once again I refer to New Zealand’s programme as being recognised as an example of best practice. I also note that yes the numbers are very important but what is also important is the quality of resettlement in our country and the activity and work that many agencies and NGOs are doing to make sure that refugees are able to move in and be part of the New Zealand community as much as possible given some of the challenges many of them face.Denise Roche: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s comments this week that not being able to help all 50 million refugees around the world is an excuse not to increase our quota which would make an enormous difference to the lives of those individuals we allow to settle here?Hon CRAIG FOSS: As I noted in my substantive answer the quota—the nominal number of 750—is up for review next year. I do note in fact that if we add in asylum seekers and families then actually that number is around 1100 in recent years. I do agree with the Prime Minister on behalf of the Minister.