Richard Prebble’s The Letter
The Letter Monday, 4 August
CAUGHT FIBBING Immigration Minister Dalziel is in trouble. After an editorial criticising the Immigration spokesman Ian
Smith for failing to provide information about the Algerian suspected terrorist, Ahmed Zaoui, he sent his colleagues
this email explanation:
“I was let down badly. Everyone had agreed to lie in unison, but all the others caved in and I was the only one left
singing the original song.”
Smith’s email can only refer to the Minister who made the original statements to the media. The Service denied to the
Ombudsman that the email ever existed. Dalziel has asked the head of the Labour Department, under who the Immigration
Service operates, to hold an inquiry. It is a whitewash, as a civil servant will never criticise the Minister or their
own administration. Immigration officials leaked the email to get back at Dalziel for saying in parliament (11 October
2000) -
“I cannot take responsibility for something about which I have been misinformed. I was misinformed by the Immigration
Service.” What goes around comes around.
WHAT’S LABOUR HIDING? ACT, National and the Greens have all carefully checked the citizenship status of their MPs and
are confident none has broken the electoral law. Duynhoven was asked to name the MPs he claims may have breached the
Electoral Act. He refused. The suspicion is there is a Labour MP who has, contrary to the Electoral Act, applied for a
foreign passport. If it is only Mr Duynhoven then the government’s retrospective bill to declare him still an MP will
only refer to him. If there are other MPs who should be expelled from parliament, the amendment will suspend section 55
of the Act for this parliament. While being expelled from parliament would be embarrassing for Duynhoven, as a
constituency MP he can stand again in a by-election. Not so for a list MP. Such an MP is out, and replaced by the next
person on the list. So if the MP concerned was Dr Cullen (who firmly claims he has let his Br
NICK SMITH’S CASE MPs across parliament are concerned over Nick Smith’s case. The Solicitor-General is prosecuting the
MP and TV3 over comments Smith made about a Family Court case concerning a constituent. Family Court cases are secret.
In this case Smith attempted to get around the secrecy by withholding details and it was the Chief Family Court judge
who issued the details. If convicted, Smith will be expelled from parliament.
National notes how Labour is willing to pass retrospective legislation for one of its own MPs who did an act to help
himself but has done nothing for Nick Smith who was helping a constituent.
RATES REVOLT Auckland local body politicians have complained for years that ratepayers were blaming councils for rate
rises that were the responsibility of the ARC whose levies had to be passed on in the rates. The new local body
legislation means for the first time the ARC is rating independently and some face 600% rate increases. The ARC is in
the grip of politically correct planners who have committed the ARC to a passenger rail scheme. The rail scheme will
cost billions and carry no more than 6% of all transport journeys.
A private member’s bill by Rodney Hide, proposes that where a council intends a rate increase greater than the rate of
inflation, the ratepayers can request a poll. If Labour fails to support ACT’s bill, then it can no longer say “rate
increases are for the local people to decide”.
WINSTON’S RISE Mr Peters cannot believe his luck. He has said nothing about the foreshore and seabed issue for fear of
alienating his Maori constituency yet sees his poll rating raise him into second position. National has made a huge
effort on the issue only to remain stationary.
The answer is to be found in Prof John Vowles' exit poll of 5,000 voters last election. Prof Vowles asked them which
party has the best policies on certain issues. Voters, for example, agree ACT has the best policies on tax and law and
order. On Maori issues, 82% of all voters think Peters has the best policies. Voters don’t know what NZ First’s policies
are on the foreshore but they are sure that Peters “could fix it”.
THE ECONOMY The economy continues to grow. While the forestry sector has fallen out of bed - too much wood and too low
prices - even at the lower milk price, dairying is profitable.
The Kiwi has appreciated 18% against the US dollar in the last year whereas the rise against the Aussie is only 2% and
the Kiwi has fallen against the Euro by 3%. Annual GDP growth to March was 4.3%. Lower interest rates have seen
confidence restoring. But a note of caution: the Aussie economy seems to have stalled and the jury is out on whether the
US economy is about to grow again.
GRAND COALITION At ACT’s Wellington Regional Conference, National MP Murray McCully made a thoughtful speech about the
need for the centre-right to have expressed to the voters a clear coalition strategy. He pointed out “First we need to
win more constituency seats... The centre-left parties hold 46 constituencies and the centre-right, 21...we must
substantially increase our hold on regional NZ...Co-operation between National and ACT in this regard has, in the past
been too little, and almost irresponsibly late.”
ACT’s President, Catherine Judd, floated the idea in her speech of all the parties on the centre-right agreeing in
marginal seats to endorse a single candidate. The speeches are on http://www.act.org.nz/regconference.
MORE REVENUE Since Labour took office the number of minor offence notices being issued, from parking to speeding fines,
has increased by 66% to $300 million a year that’s a fine of $78.50 per person.