Hon. Dr Lockwood Smith MP
National Party Immigration Spokesman

25 July 2006

Immigration Minister ducks bullets on Field

National Party Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith says the Labour Government has “stooped to a new low” with its efforts to avoid accountability over the Taito Phillip Field fiasco.

“The Immigration Minister, David Cunliffe, is now refusing to answer legitimate questions about warning notes and telephone calls by Immigration Department staff to the Minister’s office.

“Those messages focused on the fact that Thai overstayers, who were later given visas on special Ministerial direction, were working for Taito Phillip Field while he was advocating on their behalf.

“What happened to those written and verbal warnings and why were they ignored? What did Mr Field say to Damien O’Connor to overturn the wisdom of the department in what were long-running immigration cases?

“They are among the many unanswered questions around the report into Mr Field’s behaviour.

“The Government is now blatantly stonewalling attempts to find out more about Mr Field’s dealings, and seeking to protect other Ministers who played a part in this affair.

“Labour’s silence will only fuel the public’s perception that Labour is guilty of nothing more than a shabby cover-up for naked political purposes,” says Dr Smith.

ENDS

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