Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:631;Page:3421] 
6.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does he have confidence in the decision making of Immigration New Zealand offices around the world; if so why? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Associate Minister of Immigration) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Immigration 
: Yes but as with any large organisation there is always room for improvement. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is he satisfied that a father of two foreign fee-paying secondary school students in New Zealand should be issued with a work permit through the Immigration New Zealand office in Korea having been declined such a work permit on two occasions by the Immigration New Zealand office in Auckland; if so why? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Every application is treated on its merits. For instance people who cannot obtain a permit in New Zealand may then obtain a visa offshore if their circumstances have changed. People can make further applications and if their circumstances have changed then those applications will be treated individually. The member will know of course that I am not permitted to speak about individual cases. If he has evidence that he can provide to me I am quite happy to investigate it. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Why would a father of two foreign fee-paying secondary school students be granted a work permit through the Immigration New Zealand office in Korea that states he could work for “any employer” in “any position” when the manager of international students at the secondary school involved was told by the Immigration New Zealand office in Auckland that the man “did not qualify in any way and would definitely not be getting a work permit”? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: As I have just told the member he will be aware that I am not permitted to speak about individual cases. Each case is treated on a case by case basis in respect of individual circumstances. I invite the member to bring to my attention any information he has and I will have the matter investigated. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What is the Government doing to ensure high-quality and consistent immigration decision-making? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: In April this year the Government launched the discussion document on the review of the Immigration Act. The review is part of a wider programme that will lead firstly to a new legislative foundation; secondly a new policy framework; and thirdly a new integrated service delivery model. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Why would he blame the recipient of such a work permit who incidentally cannot speak a word of English for being part of a scam when both the Immigration New Zealand operations manual and its website have made it very clear that since the special guardian visa was introduced variations to those temporary visas—such as the granting of a work permit—had to comply with work visa and permit policy provisions in New Zealand? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I apologise for being shrill. As I have said to the member every application is determined on a case by case basis according to individual circumstances. If he has information of wrongdoing or potential wrongdoing I am quite happy if he gives it to me to have it investigated. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is he concerned that the mother of three foreign fee-paying students should have gained a residence permit through the London office of Immigration New Zealand when the woman was previously in New Zealand on a guardian visa has now returned to Nigeria to join her husband and has no intention of living in New Zealand yet through the granting of the residence visa by the London office now has three children qualifying as domestic students in New Zealand? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: For the benefit of the member again I say that if he has information of wrongdoing and he gives it to me I will have it investigated. Every case is treated on its merits on a case by case basis. If the member delivers to me the information I will have it investigated. 
Peter Brown 
: Does the Minister acknowledge that there are several flaws both in our immigration legislation and in our systems and will he acknowledge also that the agreement for a review which was negotiated between New Zealand First and the Labour Government will address many if not all of these flaws? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I acknowledge both those points. That is why as I said to the honourable member previously we have announced a review and a discussion document. The review is part of a wider programme that will lead to a new legislative foundation a new policy framework and a new integrated service delivery model. I acknowledge the member’s two points. Of course we can do better and that is why we are having a review of the Act. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Why did he state on Tuesday this week that he had seen no evidence that applications that had been declined in New Zealand had been granted offshore when his department was advised some time ago that a person whom the Auckland office had said would definitely not get a work permit had attained a permit through the Korean office to work for “any employer” in “any position”—or does his department not trust him with that kind of information? 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: I will not repeat the answer about the individual case; the member I think by now is aware of that. It is possible for people who have been declined work permits in New Zealand to gain them when they reapply offshore if their individual circumstances have changed because all cases are treated on their individual merits. If the member has evidence of wrongdoing he can give it to me and I will investigate it.