New allegation of pay-for-help disputed by Field's lawyer

Taito Phillip Field

Taito Phillip Field's lawyer is rejecting a new allegation that the MP sought cash from a man who came to his Mangere electorate office in 1994 as "scurrilous".

Lawyer Simativa Perese said Mr Field was the MP for Otara at the time, and so did not have an electorate office in Mangere.

The man who made the declaration - revealed by National MP Lockwood Smith in Parliament this week - claims Mr Field asked for cash at his Mangere office.

Yesterday, Dr Smith said he knew about the anomaly when he read the declaration out, but had not questioned the man about it and believed it to be a "small detail".

Mr Perese said this reflected badly on Dr Smith, as he had used parliamentary privilege to highlight the allegation, despite knowing it to be "factually inaccurate".

Dr Smith refused to name the man who made the allegation, but the Dominion Post yesterday identified him as Barry Nash.

Mr Perese said the name was not known to Mr Field, who returned from Samoa on Tuesday night.

The Herald understands Mr Nash had a different name when he claims he approached Mr Field seeking his help, but cannot disclose his original name for legal reasons.

Mr Nash said in the declaration he had approached Mr Field in his Mangere office seeking help to keep his wife, declared an overstayer, in New Zealand.

"When I met Mr Field in his Mangere office I spoke to him about an immigration matter. He told me it would have to be done in the Samoan way and I recall he mentioned the term 'fa'alavelave'.

"But he told me the more money I could find, the better the outcome would be in the long run. I was unable to give him any money because I had nothing."

Mr Perese said he found it difficult to understand how Dr Smith could read out a declaration he knew contained errors.

Dr Smith said "I have made no allegations. What I have done is provide Parliament with the details of a statutory declaration."

Asked if the fact that Mr Field did not have a Mangere office at the time cast doubts on the declaration, Dr Smith said, "Compared with the substance he is claiming, it does not appear to be a big issue".

The man was not an Aucklander and he believed it would have been easy for him to become confused over where the electorate office was.

Mr Nash could not be contacted yesterday.

* Fa'alavelave is an event, often a wedding, funeral or birthday, at which gifts of cash are expected to be made to the hosts.