Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Smith Lockwood: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:634;Page:5490] 
3.  
Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Does he stand by his statement on Tuesday 12 September that he has reviewed the immigration matters covered in the Ingram report? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Yes. As I said then a number of immigration matters are covered in the Ingram report which I have read on a number of occasions. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: When reviewing the immigration matters covered in the Ingram report what information did he find had been provided to the Ingram inquiry by Ross Robertson MP regarding the involvement of Taito Phillip Field with Thai national Mr Sunan Siriwan in Samoa? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: I would prefer to take that question on notice and reply to the member when I have checked the report further. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: If the Minister had in fact reviewed the immigration matters what steps has he taken to ascertain why Ross Robertson MP did not volunteer information to the Ingram inquiry yet in August 2006 he freely offered information to the  
New Zealand Herald  
that he had socialised with both Taito Phillip Field and Mr Siriwan in Samoa in March 2005 and that he had the impression Mr Siriwan was working for Mr Field? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: It has been previously traversed in this House that a number of MPs briefly visited Mr Field’s home in Samoa and saw several Thai immigrants but did not have extensive conversations with them and were not briefed on their immigration status. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: When reviewing the immigration matters involved what steps did he take to ascertain why Ross Robertson MP withheld information from the Ingram inquiry on Taito Phillip Field’s involvement with Mr Siriwan in Samoa given that after confirming to the  
New Zealand Herald  
that he had the impression Mr Siriwan was working for Mr Taito Phillip Field in March 2005 Mr Robertson refused to deny that Taito Phillip Field told him that Mr Siriwan was working for him? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Before the Minister replies I just note that the Minister is responsible for immigration matters but he is not responsible for the procedures and the taking of evidence in the inquiry. But I ask the Minister to address the question. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Further to your point I am responsible for neither the conduct of the Ingram inquiry nor the conduct of Ross Robertson MP—not that I have any doubts as to his integrity. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: If the Minister has read the Ingram report several times as he has told this House can he confirm that Taito Phillip Field denied there was any arrangement for Mr Siriwan to work on his house in Samoa as reported in paragraph 77 of the Ingram report and that Mr Field’s evidence to the Ingram inquiry as recorded in paragraph 115 was that he was unaware of any financial support given to Mr Siriwan until June 2005 and that Ross Robertson MP held that information—which was materially relevant to the truth of Mr Field’s representations—yet refused to volunteer it to the Ingram inquiry? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: It is a longstanding convention that there is no such thing as proof by repeated assertion. Mr Robertson’s actions are not the responsibility of the Minister of Immigration nor is the conduct of the Ingram inquiry. 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: What does it say about the administration of the immigration portfolio under Labour when the Associate Minister’s private secretary makes four conflicting statements to the Ingram inquiry as to whether the Associate Minister knew of Taito Phillip Field’s involvement with Thai nationals in Samoa prior to making his decision on their cases and that a senior Labour member of Parliament refused to volunteer information he held to that same inquiry? 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Clearly members of this House are as bored with the member’s repeated questions— 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not the point. Would the Minister please be seated. Would the Minister please address the question. I thought I had made it clear that answers and questions should be given directly without these asides. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: Madam Speaker my apologies for the previous comment which I withdraw. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I would have thought that a remark like that should be both withdrawn and apologised for. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I am sorry Mr Mapp; I have dealt with the matter. 
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE 
: If it assists progress of the House in the previous sentence I both apologised and withdrew but the member may not have been listening. As we have already established Mr Ross Robertson is not the responsibility of the Minister of Immigration. The administration of the department it has already been established could have been improved in the sense that information should have been provided in a demonstrable way to the then Associate Minister which it was not.