Minister apologises for husband

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Embarrassed Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel has apologised on behalf of her husband, lawyer Rob Davidson, after he heckled National list MP Pansy Wong at an immigration meeting.

Ms Dalziel was forced to defend Mr Davidson after Mrs Wong and her supporters complained that his remarks were racist.

He also was accused yesterday of making an obscene gesture during the meeting and of stamping on the toes of a member of the audience with whom he had a disagreement.

Observers say Mr Davidson, who was with his wife at the Sunday forum, heckled Mrs Wong and other speakers, including Act leader Richard Prebble and National MP Don Brash.

The Auckland meeting was held to debate recent immigration policy changes.

When Mrs Wong said she doubted she would have passed the tougher English language test when she arrived in 1974, Mr Davidson interjected to the effect that that would have been a good thing.

When Act supporter Gerald Trass told him to pipe down, Mr Davidson made a gesture at him.

As Ms Dalziel and her husband were leaving the venue, Mr Trass followed them and accused Mr Davidson of deliberately stamping on his toes as he was leaving.

Ms Dalziel hurried away with her husband, an observer said.

Yesterday, the minister said she had not seen her husband stamp on anyone's feet, but added: "If he did, he is sorry for that as well.

"There was no racist connotation in anything that he said."

Mrs Wong said she believed that in the context of the meeting the comments were hurtful and racist.

She said she made an allowance for Mr Davidson at the beginning as the spouse of a minister who was under pressure.

But she found his behaviour "very offensive".

"I certainly don't think it is very befitting for a minister's partner, no matter how concerned he was for his spouse."

Ms Dalziel and Prime Minister Helen Clark insisted yesterday that his comments suggesting it would have been a good thing if Mrs Wong had failed an English language test to get into New Zealand were not racist.

They had been aimed at Mrs Wong as a National MP, not an Asian.

"He made a political interjection during the course of the meeting and he is sorry for that," Ms Dalziel told the Herald.

Helen Clark defended him too: "There is no way on earth that Rob Davidson would be making racist comments," she said.

But when pressed about the appropriateness of it, she said: "I am really not going to accept responsibility for the spouses of members.

"I have enough trouble accepting responsibility for my own."

Ms Dalziel said later that "if he stood on anyone's toes, physically or metaphorically, then he is sorry, and that is the end of the matter".

Ms Dalziel married Mr Davidson in 2000.

Mr Davidson, a motorcycle enthusiast, features in the latest AA magazine on a Harley-Davidson with his wife behind him.

A former Engineers' Union official, he was one of New Zealand Cricket's negotiators in its latest pay dispute with players.

The Christchurch Press reported that before qualifying as a lawyer, he acquired a string of convictions as a rebellious young man.

The offences included disorderly behaviour, wilful damage, burglary, assault and insulting language.

Mr Davidson could not be contacted yesterday.