Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:614;Page:10707] 
3.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Immigration 
: Is she confident that immigrants granted permanent residency in this country will not be a future burden on our health system; if so why? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL (Minister of Immigration) 
: 
 No no more than I can guarantee that any person born in New Zealand will not be a future burden on the health system. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Has the Minister read a letter by Dr Andrew Montgomery in the  
New Zealand Herald  
of 13 December 
in which he states: “Immigration Service medicals have long been regarded as a complete joke by doctors … I came to the conclusion years ago that we either have the healthiest bunch of migrants on the planet or many are lying. There is no requirement to check for hepatitis viruses or HIV nor is there any requirement to look for surrogate indicators such as liver function tests—all basic stuff.”; does she not think she has a responsibility to the New Zealand taxpayer to ensure that we do not import such people with such conditions into our country? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: No I have not seen that letter. Some of the information he has referred to is incorrect besides which the policy he has referred to is the one that was in place when the member was the Deputy Prime Minister. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a fact that the Government has constantly changed its immigration policy. It cannot be the same policy that was in place when we were in Government—and we did not have a hopeless Minister of Immigration. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That was not a point of order. 
Dianne Yates 
: What has the Minister done to review all aspects of immigration health-screening and related policies? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: The Immigration Service has undertaken a comprehensive review of immigration health and disability screening policy. Final decisions are due to be taken very soon and announcements will be made after that. One of the reasons that this review has taken so long and why we are still applying the policy we inherited is that such a comprehensive review has not been undertaken before. I note that Tuariki John Delamere in an article in the  
Otago Daily Times 
 stated: “Not once during the two years that I sat in the New Zealand First caucus and not once during the two years we sat in the Cabinet together—” 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: “—do I recall Winston Peters ever raising immigration as an issue of concern.” 
Mr SPEAKER 
: When I call a point of order the member sits down. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I intend to table that article in order to put the truth of the matter to the House. However nothing in that article relates to the medical condition of immigrants. That is why it is wide of the question I originally asked her. It is the usual diversion—which she has a penchant for doing. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister think it is fair to try to liken New Zealand – born citizens of this country and their medical conditions to those whom she as the Minister of Immigration imports; will she refer herself to Dr Andrew Montgomery’s words when he states: “Perhaps the Prime Minister would like to intervene and reject the applications of at least 8 percent of migrants who will based on the known epidemiology of those viruses in Africa Eastern Europe and Asia certainly be carriers of hepatitis B or HIV.” and when will she be responsible as the Minister in terms of who she brings into this country? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: That member is well aware that I have a table of statistics that show that HIV infection from Africa was at its highest rate in 1998 and he knows perfectly well that that occurred while he was the Deputy Prime Minister. I have the statistics here and I am happy to table them in the House. But I think that member needs to be aware that there is a range of conditions that can end up in serious problems for the health system—for example some people who drink end up with cirrhosis of the liver and some people who smoke end up with emphysema. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thought that the last part of the Minister’s comments was not in the best interests— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: That’s OK. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member might think it is OK but I am the Speaker not him. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What’s coming next? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will decide that not him. I would like the Minister to withdraw the last two sentences of her answer. 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I withdraw. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In respect of health checks for people coming to this country does the Minister pay any regard to those who are taking Valium because they cannot handle stress and go nuts frequently when they have positions of responsibility—yes or no? 
Hon LIANNE DALZIEL 
: I know perfectly well what that member is trying to refer to but I think that the important thing he needs to remember is that that there are rules that existed when he was the Deputy Prime Minister and he did nothing about them. This Government is about to make substantial changes to health and disability screening policy and just as with all the other changes we have made to immigration policy there will be a reduced cost to New Zealand’s health system as a result.