Labour-Green agreement lets Field off hook [audio report]

Elements of Taito Phillip Field's apology were grudging. Picture / Mark Mitchell

Taito Phillip Field appears to have escaped a political inquiry into his business dealings after a deal between Labour and the Green Party.

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

His apology followed talks between the Green Party and Labour, which saw the Greens withdraw their support for a select committee inquiry into the Mangere MP's actions.

Police and the Labour Department are still considering complaints laid with them against Mr Field, but yesterday's move means he has escaped any formal parliamentary probe.

Elements of yesterday's apology were grudging, with selective references to the findings of the inquiry by Noel Ingram, QC.

The MP also suggested some concerns could have been a result of the way the findings were reported. But he acknowledged the awkward situation he had put his Labour colleagues in.

National vowed to pursue the issue in the House, at the same time putting the heat on Speaker Margaret Wilson with an orchestrated display of unruly behaviour.

She took a deliberately lenient approach before finally ejecting two of its MPs, first Brian Connell and then Tau Henare, who claimed his colleague had not interjected as claimed by the Speaker.

On his way out, he labelled her ruling "bloody appalling".

National rejected as inadequate the terms offered by Leader of the House Michael Cullen to debate Don Brash's motion of no confidence in Ms Wilson today. It was lodged last week after she turned down a request for the matter to go to the privileges select committee.

Such a motion expires after five days, but deputy leader Gerry Brownlee said the National Party would continue to lodge new ones.

Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons approached Labour at the weekend to seek its support for a public motion of censure for Mr Field, followed by an apology.

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

But National, smarting about the Greens' perceived about-turn, refused to support the motion, which required unanimous support.

Prime Minister Helen Clark claimed later that Mr Brownlee had overruled Dr Brash.

Mr Brownlee argued that the Greens and Labour had collaborated in an attempt to shut the issue down.

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 Ms Fitzsimons said although she had at first favoured such an inquiry, it would be so limited by standing orders "it is hard to see what it could add to the conclusions of the Ingram report, incomplete as they are". The committee "cannot force witnesses to appear and cannot require an MP to resign or apologise".

Mr Field, denied the right to make a personal statement in the House, later issued one.

It said: "I accept wholeheartedly the New Zealand parliamentary principle of not accepting any consideration from constituents on whose behalf members are advocating and I accept that members of this House have been concerned by some inferences which may have been drawn from reporting of the Ingram report."

Although much of the evidence in the report was "untested" and some inferences being drawn were inaccurate, "I can understand the disquiet felt by colleagues".

Mr Field claimed Dr Ingram had made it clear he [the MP] did not "knowingly seek personal benefit from my relationship with my constituents". This is despite a number of questions raised in the report which could suggest otherwise.

"However," Mr Field continued, "I accept that issues raised in the report have brought the principle of not accepting any consideration from constituents on whose behalf members are advocating into question."

He understood he had to change his behaviour.




WE ARE SORRY - THE LABOUR WAY

TAITO PHILLIP FIELD (YESTERDAY)
On the Noel Ingram report which raised questions about whether the MP got cheap labour in exchange for providing immigration assistance:

"I accept that issues raised in the report have brought the principle of not accepting any consideration from constituents on whose behalf members are advocating into question."

(Oxford Dictionary definition of consideration: compensation, reward)

JOHN TAMIHERE (2005)
On criticising his colleagues in an Investigate Magazine interview which he said he didn't know was being recorded:

"I have dropped the ball badly and made the biggest mistake of my life. I want to express my sorrow for the feelings I've hurt."

HELEN CLARK (2003)
On suggesting the Iraq war might not have happened if Al Gore had been elected US President:
"I intended no offence and I apologise for the offence which it has obviously created."

TREVOR MALLARD (2002)
On suggesting remedies open to him involving the International Rugby Board's decision that Australia would host all games in the 2003 World Cup might "involve Heinekens in particularly uncomfortable places":

"Of course I'm sorry I made the comment. It's not a ministerial thing to do."