5. Dr the Hon LOCKWOOD SMITH (National—Rodney) Link to this
to the Minister of Immigration
Does he have confidence in the Immigration Service; if not, why not?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Minister of Immigration) Link to this
Yes; it is a hard-working and conscientious department.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
Is it correct that a Mr Jameel ur-Rehman, client No. 27540653, came to New Zealand on false documentation, and does he represent one of the 596 identity-fraud cases identified by the Auditor-General as of February this year?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It is, with great respect to the member opposite, always regrettable when members pose a generic question and then follow it up with a case-specific supplementary question. However, in view of the recent publication of an article on this case, I can give the member some information. I understand that the information in the relevant article in Investigate magazine came from one unsubstantiated source. At this stage I am advised that New Zealand law enforcement agencies have not been able to support any of the allegations made in the article. I am in the process of receiving and considering briefs from Department of Labour officials on this matter. There is an investigation under way but early indications are that the information is unsubstantiated and may be malicious in nature.
Russell Fairbrother Link to this
Can the Minister advise on the individual number of case decisions that the Immigration Service in New Zealand makes?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I am advised that approximately 4 million border crossings into New Zealand are made annually and, in addition, in the 2006-07 year nearly half a million individual case decisions were made by immigration officers. In any such system not every decision will be perfect; however, I am satisfied that where errors in judgment or system failures occur, the department actively seeks to address those. The Immigration Business Transformation programme is looking to strengthen both systems and procedures, and will go a long way towards future-proofing immigration processes. It is a shame to see the Opposition attempting to derail these significant changes by the manufactured politics of individual cases.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
Why is Mr Rehman still in New Zealand when his cousin, who arrived under similar circumstances, has already been deported, and when Immigration New Zealand has evidence that Mr Rehman supports terrorist organisations and received military training at a terrorist base near the Afghan border?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member is correct. The gentleman’s cousin, a Mr Anwar, was removed from New Zealand after refusing to answer questions posed to him by the Immigration Service. I am advised that Mr Rehman, however, did answer the questions posed to him. However, I have asked for a further report on this case.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
Why does Mr Rehman still have a work permit when Immigration New Zealand has irrefutable evidence that Jameel ur-Rehman obtained his work permit for New Zealand using a false document?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
It would be a great disappointment to the House if the member opposite determined what was irrefutable from Investigate magazine.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
Why is Mr Rehman still in New Zealand when Immigration New Zealand has evidence he sent money back to a brother directly involved in a terrorist organisation—an offence under New Zealand’s Terrorism Suppression Act?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
I repeat that although I have called for a further report on this case, I am advised that to date the only evidence that has been made available to either the Department of Labour or other relevant agencies comes from one unsubstantiated source, a source who had a personal grievance against the person named in the article, and who had lost a case against that person under the Employment Relations Authority.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
How many of the other 596 identity-fraud cases identified by the Auditor-General involve people with highly suspect backgrounds like Mr Rehman?
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE Link to this
The member opposite just keeps digging. If he is taking the definition of “highly suspect” from one Ian Wishart, he is violating an important principle of our common law that a gentleman, wherever he comes from, or whatever his name sounds like, is innocent until proven guilty.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
I seek leave to table the statutory declaration of Jarved Chaudhry, director, of Hamilton, where he—
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Could I just seek your guidance as to what the statutory declaration was about?
Madam SPEAKERNo, the Standing Orders state that the document should be identified, and I think you did clearly identify what it was. You may seek leave of the House if you wish to make a statement to that effect; there is nothing to prevent you from doing that.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Under the Standing Orders you are meant to allow a member to identify what a document is actually about. Now certainly I had no intention of reading the document, but this is impossible; the statutory declaration could have been one stating that this person had evidence that the Speaker of the Parliament was involved in all sorts of activities. Now, it did not, but you are not to know that because you did not allow me to identify what the statutory declaration was about.
No, I do not think I need any assistance, but I thank the member. Tabling a document is not to be an opportunity to make a statement. The rules are quite clear that, as long as the document is identified—not necessarily the content of it but the document—then that is sufficient. The member kindly did that for the House, and there was no objection to it being tabled.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
I seek leave to table the statutory declaration of a student of Hamilton, where he outlines the involvement of Mr Rehman in terrorist organisations.
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith Link to this
I seek leave to table the statutory declaration of a further student from Hamilton, where he details the family’s involvement of Mr Rehman—
Peter Brown