English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 21 February 2007. Volume:637;Page:7536. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Leader—National) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Did she receive a letter dated 3 August 2005 from Mr Keith Williams in relation to Taito Phillip Field and was that letter considered by the Ingram inquiry? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes that letter was received in my office. It was addressed to me and to the Minister of Immigration and was considered by the Ingram inquiry. 
Hon Bill English 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm that Mr Phil Goff’s personal explanation yesterday to the House confirms the facts set out in that letter that along with other Ministers he met two people at Mr Field’s house in Samoa in about July 2005? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I was not here yesterday for the personal explanation and I have not been apprised of what was said in the House. 
Hon Bill English 
: Did she see a story published in the  
New Zealand Herald  
and appearing on Television One in September 2005 alleging that an immigrant applying for a work visa through Mr Field had done unpaid work on his house in Samoa and would she expect that Mr Goff was aware of this same story in the  
New Zealand Herald  
referring to people working on Phillip Field’s house? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: It is the normal practice in the course of an election campaign to read the headlines in the  
New Zealand Herald 
 and if it was a headline I am sure it was read. 
Hon Bill English 
: Did Mr Goff at any stage since the publication of that story talk to her about his meeting with people at Phillip Field’s house in Samoa or is it the case that he has not raised the matter with her at all? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The particular angle that the member is pursuing has been knocked around in this House before. I understand that Mr Goff had no idea that workers somehow connected to Mr Field’s electorate practice were working on that house. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Can the Prime Minister confirm that no allegation is made on page 32 of the Ingram report—or anywhere in that report—about my having any knowledge that was inappropriate and furthermore that Mr Ingram QC described the claims made by the said Mr Williams as entirely implausible? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I accept entirely the information in the member’s question. On this side of the House I trust my colleagues; Mr English does not. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the House please come to order. Does Mr Hide have a point of order or is he seeking to ask a question? 
Rodney Hide 
: I thought I might ask my one question now. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is fine. 
Rodney Hide 
: In respect of her trust in her colleagues and the Taito Phillip Field affair does she stand by her statement that Taito Phillip Field’s behaviour was “unethical” and “immoral” and given that her Government now rests on the word of her former colleague—who was not fit by her own light to be in her caucus—as to what business he is up to what does that say about her Government that she is relying on the vote of someone whom she has declared to be unethical and immoral? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I in no way resile from the statement I made. I do believe that the people of Mangere who voted for a member to support Labour policy are entitled to have that counted. 
Hon Bill English 
: Has Phil Goff ever discussed with the Prime Minister the fact that he visited Phillip Field’s house in Samoa met people who fitted— 
Taito Phillip Field 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. Only a few minutes ago it was pointed out to Mr Bill English that my name is Taito Phillip Field. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is true. 
Taito Phillip Field 
: He continues to ignore what is required of him in this House. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the member please address the member correctly. 
Hon Bill English 
: My apologies to the member. Can the Minister tell the House when if ever the Hon Phil Goff spoke to her about the fact that he had visited Taito Phillip Field’s house in Samoa and met people there who were doing the tiling—people who exactly met the descriptions published in several media stories in September 2000? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have been well aware from the time this matter was first raised that Mr Goff and others visited a colleague’s house. Mr Goff had no idea there was any personal connection between those people working at that house and Mr Field. 
Hon Bill English 
: Is the Prime Minister now trying to tell the House that Mr Goff still does not know that there was some connection between the people he met and what Taito Phillip Field was up to; and would she expect that a senior Cabinet Minister having been to the house having read the stories and having been part of the discussions about the Ingram inquiry never raised the matter with her or explained his own role? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I suggest the member get his hearing checked. I have been aware from the outset that Mr Goff visited that house. I am also aware that Mr Goff is now well aware—as I am and the whole House is—of the contents of the Ingram inquiry which brought out clearly the relationship between the tiler and Mr Field. 
Taito Phillip Field 
: Can I ask the Prime Minister whether she is aware that Mr Keith Williams at the time he approached me did not disclose to me that he was illegally employing Mr Sunan Siriwan; that by his own admission Mr Williams is an unrepentant unreformed alcoholic and is a witness entirely without credibility; and that he attempted to use his letter of 3 August 2005 as a form of blackmail prior to an election? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I am aware that the member believes that to be the case. I have no independent verification that it is the case. 
Hon Bill English 
: When did the Prime Minister herself first become aware that an unusually large number of visa applications funnelled through Taito Phillip Field were being approved by the then Associate Minister of Immigration? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: The numbers being approved or processed by the then Associate Minister of Immigration were not known to me until the matter started to come into the public arena and Ministers were preparing for questions on it.