Lockwood Smith MP
National Party Immigration Spokesman

12 June 2008

Cosgrove must come clean on immigration

National Party Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith says Clayton Cosgrove should come clean about what he was told about the Oughton report into illegal decision making within the Immigration Service.

"Mr Cosgrove has never revealed what his chief executive actually said about the damning Oughton report, relating to allegations that he and his predecessor David Cunliffe knew about for months.

"The question is straight forward. What exactly was the Immigration Minister told when he was briefed about the Oughton report in December?

"Clearly, it was serious enough for his Chief Executive to have consulted Crown Law about reopening the file on Mary-Anne Thompson and wider policy issues within the Immigration Service's Pacific branch.

"Neither Mr Cosgrove nor David Cunliffe have ever revealed what they were actually told by their chief executives. It's time they did."

Dr Smith says Mr Cosgrove does not need to wait for the Auditor General's report to be released before revealing what he was told by his chief executive in December, and what he said in reply.

"In the interests of openness and transparency, Mr Cosgrove can answer for the public a simple question. What exactly was he told, and what exactly did he say?"

ENDS

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