Wake Up Winston

“The New Zealand First leader should wake up and smell the coffee because he’s obviously losing his memory,” Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said.

A bizarre statement issued by Winston Peters today accused the government of using loopholes in the law as an excuse for failing to ensure illegal migrants are removed. He specifically pointed to the example of an Afghan man who was being detained for removal and who was released from custody, due to a loophole in the law, just days before the alleged attempted murder of an Auckland woman. He said that the case made mockery of New Zealand's judicial system and the government needed to get tough.

“It’s a worry when the NZ First leader can’t even remember as far back as last week, otherwise he would recall that this government acted quickly and decisively to close the legislative loophole that was in fact inherited from the previous administration,” Lianne Dalziel said.

“And what’s more, NZ First voted for the amendment that closed the loophole,” said Lianne Dalziel.

“And then today in the House, Winston Peters accused me of not amending the law to prevent a Deportation Review Tribunal (DRT) decision from taking effect, when the same law applied when he was the Deputy Prime Minister,” she said.

“The DRT is an independent body and I cannot comment on the decisions it makes. The Tribunal quashed the deportation order I signed, which it has the power to do. I have sought advice as to whether the decision can be appealed and I am expecting Crown Law advice on this matter by the end of next week.

“I also note that the individual concerned became a New Zealand resident when Mr Peters was the Deputy Prime Minister, however, no government can be blamed for events that subsequently occur, although I note Mr Peters is quick to blame the government of the day as long as it’s not a government he was a part of,” Lianne Dalziel said.

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