Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Immigration): The main requirements
for the employees of relocating businesses category are that
the applicant must be a key employee of a business that is relocating
to New Zealand, and that the relocation of the business must
be supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The policy
intent of this is to work in the interests of New Zealanders.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: What investigations did the New Zealand
Immigration Service undertake when it allowed the residency approval
of a Mr Jim Peron, the director and establisher of the Institute
for Liberal Values, who set up an Auckland porn shop under the
guise of a bookshop; and did the investigations reveal Mr Peron's
links with the North American Man/Boy Love Association, known
as 'NAMBLA'?
Hon PAUL SWAIN: I am not aware of the full extent of the investigations
that the Immigration Service would have made. Clearly, investigations
would have had to be made as part of any approval process under
the immigration system. I would happy to make further investigations
on the member's behalf and get back to him when the information
is available.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Does the Minister agree that allowing
people to enter New Zealand under a business category that enables
them to use New Zealand as a platform to promote their extreme
political propaganda and contaminate minds with explicit pornography
is of no benefit to New Zealand whatsoever and, further, puts
our children in grave danger of sexual predators; if not, why
not?
Hon PAUL SWAIN: If a person wanted to come to New Zealand and
was guilty of the things the member said, that would not be acceptable
to New Zealand or to New Zealanders.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: Was the Minister aware that this same
individual had his work visa cancelled in South Africa, supposedly
a Third World country, because of the dubious nature of his business
activities; and why would New Zealand, supposedly a First World
country, allow this man to run a bookshop and pornography outlet
in Auckland, notwithstanding that this paedophile's sponsorship
form was endorsed by a member of this Parliament?
Hon PAUL SWAIN: I am not aware of all those facts as the member
has portrayed them. I am keen to make further investigation,
but obviously it would be of concern if a member of Parliament
knew all that information about someone and continued to promote
that person's gaining access to New Zealand.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to table several documents:
firstly, an email linking a member of this Parliament who was
actively working on Mr Peron's application to enter the country;
secondly, a website for the Institute of Liberal Values, of which
a member of Parliament is a member; thirdly, Mr Peron's declined
application to the Residence Appeal Authority, including the
parts where he lied about the true nature of his business activities;
and, fourthly, an email linking Mr Peron with the North American
Man/Boy Love Association.
Leave granted.
Rodney Hide: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. Just so
there is no doubt, I think the member is referring to me. I want
to make it plain to this House that-
Madam SPEAKER: Mr Hide, are you requesting leave to make a personal
explanation?
Rodney Hide: I am seeking your guidance.
Madam SPEAKER: I suggest you seek leave to make a personal explanation.
Rodney Hide: I am raising a point of order to seek your guidance
first.
Madam SPEAKER: I need to know whether that is what you are doing
before I can rule on the point of order; otherwise, you are out
of order.
Rodney Hide: I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My point
of order is a request for your advice on what to do when a homophobic
member of Parliament attacks someone simply because that person
happens to be a friend of an MP. This man runs a legitimate bookshop-and
this has been investigated by journalists-and the allegations
against him have been found to be without foundation. Jim Peron
has turned up at the National Party conference and sold books
and he has turned up at the ACT party conference and sold books.
He is an upright New Zealander, and I consider it to be an outrage
that people are trying to score cheap political points by attacking
someone simply because he is gay.
Rt Hon Winston Peters: That in no way was that a point of order.
Worst still, Mr Hide made an allegation about me that should
have been stopped at the time he made it. However, it gives me
the opportunity to say that the ACT party, which claims to have
a paedophile list, has left one of its main friends off it.
Madam SPEAKER: Having listened to the points of order, I say
that that was not a point of order.
