Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:13543] 
1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Is he confident that the New Zealand Immigration Service is working collaboratively with other Government departments to ensure illegal immigrants are identified and subsequently removed from New Zealand? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 Generally yes. However I am currently reviewing the Immigration Act in order among other things to improve the collaboration and the removal process generally. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why then after I told this House 4 months ago about a man well-known to the Immigration Service Saied Ghanbari an Iranian illegal immigrant who has had trespass orders and a protection order placed on him for violent abusive and threatening behaviour who is an alleged P user who has had a deportation order on him since June 2003 and who subsequently has had a removal order placed on him is that man still here? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: He has all those orders out on him. The reason why he is still here is part of the review that I am going to be conducting. I am not happy with the procedure that is in place and am looking to tighten it up. 
Mark Peck 
: Would the Minister care to tell immigrants like myself and Peter Brown what the new initiatives are that the Immigration Service is planning to institute with other agencies? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The New Zealand Immigration Service and the New Zealand Police are developing a memorandum of understanding that among other things will formalise communication between the two agencies and give the police access to a round-the-clock facility to check the immigration status of for example drivers who are stopped for offending. In addition the recent Corrections Act allows for the use of information matching to identify people in the custody of the Department of Corrections who are subject to removal deportation and permanent revocation. I note that New Zealand First voted against that particular legislation. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister try to give a specific answer to the following question: can he explain to the House how this dangerous illegal immigrant who has a removal order placed on him and is known to both the police and the Immigration Service has been able to start his own business to con the Takapuna branch of the Inland Revenue Department into doing his bookkeeping for him and to evade any child maintenance obligations to his child who is supported by our taxpayer-funded domestic purposes benefit; is this his idea of the Immigration Service working collaboratively with other Government departments? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No it is not. The reality is though that I imagine that there are a number of potential appeals and review procedures under way. That is the point partly of doing this review. My view is that a clearer message has to go out that if people are due to leave the country because they have abused New Zealand law or the rules of the Immigration Service they should go immediately. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. A Minister is required when giving an answer to say what he knows and no more than that. To talk about imagining things to be the case is an extreme case of disregard for the importance of accuracy and certainty in respect of answers. I cannot find that satisfactory in this House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. I thought the Minister addressed the question. He gave some information. He is entitled to do so. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: How can the Minister boast that in the latest Budget more than $62 million will be spent over the next 4 years on practical measures to help migrants refugees and their families make a greater contribution to the economy and society when he cannot even remove years later dangerous immigrant fraudsters handed to him on a platter like Saied Ghanbari who is still happily residing somewhere in west Auckland; and when will he start being responsible for his new portfolio? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Firstly I can boast because it is a good idea and secondly I shall look into the matter further.