Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:633;Page:5196] 
4.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Which specific offices teams or sections of the New Zealand Immigration Service or the wider Department of Labour was he referring to yesterday when he told the House that information regarding the involvement of Thai nationals with Taito Phillip Field was passed on “through to the operational arms of the department.”? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 The relevant sections were the department’s border security group and service international group. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is it correct that the director of the Pacific division received information on 4 May 2005 about Thai nationals working for free on Taito Phillip Field’s house in Samoa in return for work visas in New Zealand and what did the director of the Pacific division do with that information? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes because he is a member of the department’s service international group. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Does he confirm as he told the House yesterday that the Pacific division received further information emailed by the Apia branch manager Mr James Dalmer dated 10 May 2005 spelling out the fact that Thais were working for no pay on Taito Phillip Field’s house in Samoa; and precisely what did the Pacific division do with that information? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes and the director of the Pacific division recalls that he attempted to pass it on to the Minister’s private secretary. However the Ingram report concludes that in all likelihood it was not passed to the Minister. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is it correct that the director of the Pacific division received still further information on 27 May 2005 about the involvement of Taito Phillip Field’s ministerial office in the cases of Mr Siriwan and Ms Phanngarm; and what did the director of the Pacific division do with that further information? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes and I believe I have already answered exactly the same question on 24 August 2006. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: Is it correct that the team leader of the short-term overstayers compliance team and the team leader of the failed refugee compliance team both received information on 27 May 2005 that Taito Phillip Field’s ministerial office had requested the amount of the removal costs for Ms Phanngarm and that Mr Siriwan was living with Ms Phanngarm in Samoa; and what did those team leaders do with that information? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Yes they are part of the divisions to which I referred yesterday and earlier in this question and yes they assumed that the director of the Pacific division was conveying that information to the Minister’s office so far as we can tell from the Ingram report. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: In relation to the Minister’s telling the House yesterday—and repeated today—that the manager of the Pacific division had attempted to pass through to the Minister’s office the information received from the immigration intelligence unit on 9 June about the involvement of Taito Phillip Field with Mr Siriwan and Ms Phanngarm in Samoa how and on what date was that attempt made by the manager of the Pacific division? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: As I have previously said the department has accepted that its procedures could have been strengthened; in particular the information in question was not placed in the usual system that supported the Associate Minister’s decision making.