Lockwood Smith MP
National Party Immigration Spokesman
13 May 2008
Immigration resignation sparks more questions
National Party Immigration spokesman Lockwood Smith says the resignation of Immigration Service boss Mary-Anne Thompson
does not signal ‘closure’, as the department says.
“The resignation of Dr Thompson serves to reinforce the seriousness of the allegations that were levelled at top
managers. Labour has still not answered key questions in relation to those allegations, and the subsequent departmental
cover-up.
“Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove needs to say when he first found out about the allegations against Dr Thompson
and the subsequent Oughton inquiry. His predecessor, David Cunliffe, should answer the same questions.
“The Minister’s first instinct was to dismiss the issue as an operational matter. That only served to underline
perceptions of a shabby cover-up.
“The reality is that the first inquiry implicated other managers, and revealed a culture where staff have come under
pressure to approve immigration applications that fall outside the rules.
“And even though a wider State Services Commission inquiry is now under way, Ministers have never released the terms of
reference, never revealed the likely timeframe, and never offered any assurances about a full public release of its
findings.
“Unless Ministers openly and transparently deal with all the questions that the Oughton report raised, and publicly
declare their own involvement, confidence in the Immigration Service will still be compromised.”
ENDS