New Zealand Parliamentary Debate

General Debate [4433]

rates, changing provisional tax dates, and reducing fringe benefit tax rates. We have increased research and development investment already by 65 percent since 1999, and we are increasing that investment by a further 100 million over the next 4 years. That is in addition to the stimulation that will be caused to research and development through the tax credits proposed in this business review.

These are very important changes that will stimulate the business sector and help transform New Zealand's economy.

Hon TONY RYALL( National-Bay of Plenty):

I want to join with my fellow members of the National Party who have stood today to express their concern about the Government's atrocious handling of the Taito Phillip Field allegations, and about the considerable stench of corruption that now hangs over this Government. It is a Government that has been prepared to ignore the very clear facts of this case: that a Minister used his position not only to get an advantage for himself and his family but in a way that was a clear breach of the rules of ministerial conflict of interest. Similarly, it is, in many ways, a corrupt practice to be seeking to benefit directly in return for favours.

I draw the House's attention to a number of emails that suggest the previous Associate Minister of Immigration, Damien O'Connor, knows a lot more than he is letting on. Those issues go very close to that Minister, and they go extremely close to his office. I want the House to note these comments from the Ingram report. The report states that O'Connor told him that he did not know of allegations that Mr Field had Thai people living in, and working on Mr Field's house in Samoa at the time he made that decision. We have to test what information is around that remark to indicate that there might be something alternative.

We know from Ingram's own report that the public servant Mr Dalmer-someone who has no reason to be forgetful or frugal with the truth-said he telephoned the senior private secretary of the Minister, a Ms Scotland, and discussed with her the contents of a number of pieces of information that had been sent to the intelligence unit. Mr Tavita's telephone records were given to the inquiry, and they revealed there had been a 5- minute telephone discussion on Ms Scotland's direct dial number on 9 June. Ms Scotland said she did not recall being told the information in a 5- minute telephone conversation. Further, we know that even though Ms Scotland, the Minister's private secretary, said she believed she first became aware of the allegations during a phone call from Murray Gardiner, it is clear that she said that after discussion with Mr Gardiner she went straight into Mr O'Connor's office and advised him of the details of the conversation. He expressed concern and was not aware of this information.... But Ms Scotland remains confused about when she had that conversation.

Here, I think, is a very important piece of information that goes to the heart of who is motivated to tell the truth in this case. This is what the public servant Dalmer said: Mr Dalmer spoke with Ms Scotland on 28 June 2005, being 27 June 2005 in Samoa. Members should remember that this is a public servant who took notes of his conversation with the Minister's closest political aide. His notes of this conversation state: Knowledge of Thai cases-knows that Taito has had these people working for him-Damian sic knew that before he made the decision-tight labour market has been a factor.... That is what Dalmer noted after his conversation. They are notes of what the Minister's closest political aide is reported to have said: Knowledge of Thai cases-knows that Taito has had these people working for him-Damian sic knew that before he made the decision-tight labour market has been a factor....

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER( H V Ross Robertson)

: Please use members' full names.