Wayne Mapp MP
National Party Industrial Relations Spokesman

13 August 2006

Mapp to seek review of lightweight response on Field

National Party Industrial Relations spokesman Wayne Mapp is calling on the Labour Department to review its lightweight response to questions raised about the employment relationship between Taito Phillip Field and immigrant workers.

“I wasn’t asking the Department to give me their opinion on the Ingram report, I was asking the Department to take a more thorough look at the employment relationship.

“Noel Ingram’s report advocates a closer inspection of aspects of the Field case, but the Labour Department appears to have bowed to Helen Clark’s demand that no further investigations should take place.

“Helen Clark obviously needs to make it clear that her public defence of Mr Field should not be interpreted by government agencies as a message that they shouldn’t conduct proper inquiries where legitimate complaints have been made.

“Anything less, would paint a very grim picture about the state of our democracy.”

Dr Mapp says he plans to write to the Labour Department asking for a review of the decision not to go beyond the Ingram report. He says he’ll also raise the specific concerns of Dr Ingram about the authenticity of invoices.

“It is the Department’s job to investigate serious allegations such as those against Mr Field. They are a matter of considerable public interest.”

Dr Ingram said he was 'concerned by the unsatisfactory nature of the explanation provided by Mr Field', and that Mr Field gave three different stories on each of the three times he was questioned.

“To my mind, this invites further scrutiny. It certainly doesn’t suggest that all questions are answered and the matter resolved,” says Dr Mapp.

ENDS

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