Greens try again to move Field censure motion

The Green Party will on Thursday make another attempt to introduce a motion calling for a public censure of MP Taito Phillip Field.

Mr Field yesterday apologised for the first time after a nine-month investigation into his dealings with Thais seeking immigration visa assistance.

The Ingram Report cleared him of a conflict of interest as a minister but raised questions about his judgment as an MP.

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons approached Labour at the weekend to seek support for her motion calling for a public censure.

Labour agreed, and Ms Fitzsimons said that by yesterday morning she believed she had the support of all parties, after National leader Don Brash had indicated he would support the plan.

However, National - which has been calling for a select committee inquiry into Mr Field's business dealings - later refused to support the motion, which required unanimous support.

A select committee inquiry into the matters raised in the Ingram Report would have provided National with a significant vehicle with which to keep the issue alive.

But announcing their intention to move the motion yesterday, the Greens said it was hard to see what an inquiry could add to the conclusions of the report "incomplete as they are".

National's deputy leader Gerry Brownlee argued that the Greens and Labour had collaborated in an attempt to shut the issue down, and the party blocked the motion.

"Unfortunately MPs were denied the opportunity to restore the integrity of the House when the National Party blocked our motion," Ms Fitzsimons said today.

"If we want to restore the public's confidence, Parliament must be allowed to express its concern now and lay a platform for setting the standards expected of MPs in future."

Ms Fitzsimons claimed responsibility for the fact that Mr Field made an apology.

"If it had not been for the pressure put on them (Labour) by the Greens, there would never have been an apology of any form and this issue would have continued to be a damaging game of political tennis," she said.

- NZPA / NZHERALD