Ron Mark
Spokesperson for Police
27 NOVEMBER 2014
New Zealand First to Seek Urgent Debate on Philip Smith Debacle
New Zealand First is to ask the Rt Hon David Carter to reconsider its request for an urgent debate on the Philip Smith
debacle, following yesterday’s request being turned down due to a Ministerial review.
“The public cannot wait for a Ministerial review that could report in a year’s time,” says Ron Mark, New Zealand First’s
Police spokesperson and a Wairarapa based Member of Parliament.
“The constituents I speak to want this aired, this is what they want accountability and answers about.
“This is why New Zealand First wrote to the speaker yesterday asking for an urgent debate and we have again written
today because Smith’s escape has blown open any pretence of joined up government.
“It also exposes serious flaws in national security that could be exploited by foreign fighters, the subject of a Bill
that the government wants to put in place by 12 December.
“So how many gaffes will it take to ensure Parliament gets to debate the Smith fiasco? I mean, which Minister hasn’t
been implicated in this mess?
“Just today the public has learned that Smith has ripped off taxpayers again by successfully claiming tens of thousands
of dollars in living allowances from inside prison.
“This implicates the so-called Minster Joyce, twice over as both the Minister for Tertiary Education and Minister for
Economic Development, since Smith was also a Director of a company he ran from behind bars after getting qualified.
“It seems you can commit any heinous crime and become a director so long as you aren’t a bankrupt. That’s not common
sense, it’s barking mad.
“Smith then used his business to rip off Inland Revenue and you can’t blame the new Minister Todd McLay but boy does it
drop former Minister Peter Dunne into the doggy do.
“Peter’s ‘Dunne’ Revenue from 2005 until his 2013 sacking, which came as no surprise considering he missed Smith’s 2012
sentencing for ripping off IRD to the tune of $47,565. Smith was ordered to pay it back at $50 a week but that would
have taken him until 2031.
“The best commentary of this debacle – that being the best word to describe this horrible version of Catch Me if You Can
– came in the NBR’s headline: ‘You’d trust these people with your kids?’
“That mocking tone in the National Business Review blows open any claims that this is a joined up government.
“Today, the cost of the much vaunted Customs led Joint Border Management System ballooned to over $100 million yet a
serious convict could skip the country after declaring $10,200 in cash to Customs officials.
“If you are a retiree or owe some parking fines they’ll nab you at the border but murdering paedophiles can skip the
country. This would be a comedy except its reality.
“There are serious questions we need from the Ministers responsible for Inland Revenue, Tertiary Education, Internal
Affairs, Customs, Economic Development and or course, Corrections.
“We need a debate now and we need answers and accountability,” says Mr Mark.
“Maybe we need to remind the Prime Minister of the sign on President Truman’s desk; ‘The buck stops here,’ or in the
case of New Zealand, it stops where Prime Minister?”
ENDS