Judith Collins MP National Party Welfare Spokeswoman

Paul Hutchison MP National Party Health Spokesman

28 July 2005

Collins and Hutchison lodge privileges complaints

National Party Welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins and Health spokesman Paul Hutchison today lodged privileges complaints with Speaker Margaret Wilson, alleging that Ruth Dyson deliberately misled Parliament over the detail of a Child, Youth and Family case.

Both complaints relate to the same case, involving three children who had been placed in the care of a CYF caregiver who allegedly went on to sexually abuse one of the children.

Ms Dyson said in Parliament yesterday that concerns had not been raised about the safety of their children while in the care of the caregiver.

However, a letter dated 16 December 2004 from CYF stated that the placement of the children had "... met with some resistance from the maternal family".

In addition, a letter from Dr Hutchison to CYF, dated 29 November 2004, also clearly stated that the family had concerns about the caregiver whom their three children had been placed with.

"As the Minister in charge of CYF, and having already instigated a full review of this case, Ms Dyson must have known that what she said yesterday to the House was grossly misleading," say the MPs.

They have asked Margaret Wilson to consider forwarding the issue to the Privileges Committee for its consideration.

ENDS

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