Embattled Field fails to face Labour colleagues

Embattled MP Labour Taito Phillip Field failed to turn up for a Labour caucus meeting this morning.

Yesterday Prime Minister Helen Clark toughened her stance against Mr Field and said she had sacked him as a minister and now it was up to the Labour Party to decide his future as an MP.

But she had little to say on the issue this morning.

"I answered 37 questions on it yesterday afternoon. I must have answered several hundred in the course of the last few weeks. I really haven't got anything to add," Helen Clark told waiting journalists.

She had not talked to Mr Field today and it was up to him whether he made a statement to Parliament today, spoke to the media or his colleagues.

Helen Clark said she had not talked to the Labour party president Mike Williams about Mr Field and his Labour party membership.

Despite his problems in Wellington, Mr Field has considerable support in Mangere and he should stay, his electorate committee vice-chairman said today.

Selio Solomon said that despite damage to Mr Field's reputation over his dealings with immigrants seeking to come to New Zealand he should remain an MP.

He told National Radio today: "Taito's got a lot of support in Mangere. He's done a lot of great work and I guess we feel he should carry on."

A report by Noel Ingram QC cleared Mr Field of conflict of interest as a minister but raised other questions about his judgment and left some allegations unresolved.

Mr Solomon said the report exonerated Mr Field. "I think we should just bury it and just move on and get him to do what he does best in serving the people."

He was "a bit surprised" by Helen Clark's position following new and renewed allegations over the weekend and the indication that she wanted him to resign.

Mr Solomon said Mangere was an important electorate for Labour.

"There's a lot of support in Mangere... that loyalty should also be repaid," he said.

Mr Field had told the electorate committee he had made errors of judgment but he wanted to continue serving the people. Mr Solomon said Mr Field had explained his actions.

He suggested some evidence against Mr Field may have been concocted, some other claims were based on information taken out of context, and not all witnesses were credible.

Mr Solomon said Mr Field may at some point take defamation action.

"It's taken a big strain on him. I think he and his family have struggled and also the community has struggled," he said.

- NZPA