Opposition snookered over Field

Taito Phillip Field

The National Party's attempts to get a further inquiry into the actions of Labour MP Taito Phillip Field may yet face more frustration from Parliament's rules.

National last week saw its attempt to get Mr Field's actions referred to the Privileges Committee rejected, and it is now hoping to secure a select committee inquiry into matters raised in the report of Auckland QC Noel Ingram.

But while Act and the Greens have also advocated the need for a select committee inquiry, Parliament's Standing Orders specifically prevent a committee from inquiring into or making findings on allegations of crime.

National has already accused Mr Field of breaking numerous laws in the areas of employment and taxation.

In Parliament they have also accused him of corrupt activities, which is an offence under the Crimes Act.

One Standing Order prevents any committee besides privileges from looking into the private conduct of any MP except with leave of the House.

Any MP could block this from occurring.

National has been frustrated in its efforts so far to get a further inquiry into Mr Field's actions, which were detailed in a corruption inquiry conducted by Dr Ingram. While Mr Field was cleared of any conflict between his private interests and his role as a minister, Dr Ingram's report raised questions about the use of would-be migrants to do lowly paid jobs on the MP's properties.

In a previous Parliament, Labour MPs on the finance select committee held an inquiry into the robustness of the tax system and evasion.

The inquiry turned into a less-than-subtle attempt to make political capital out of Act MP Rodney Hide speaking at an investment seminar which was associated with fraud and tax evasion. At the time, observers said the lines of questioning often appeared to breach standing orders.

In the end, the inquiry petered out.

In the Field case, National could seek to form a general inquiry about something such as immigration visas and try to make inferences to Mr Field, but it appears its best hope could still be on an outside agency taking up their complaints.

Labour's senior whip Tim Barnett met with Mr Field and his three electorate staff on Saturday in Mangere to discuss concerns raised in the Ingram report.

Mr Barnett said after the meeting that he believed Mr Field "has greater awareness" of the ways in which actions of MPs can be perceived following the Ingram report.

In future, Mr Field "will be more aware of the unforeseen consequences of his actions, including the role in which he is offering help to people", Mr Barnett said.

The practice of lafo - a tradition involving accepting money in exchange for help - was discussed and Mr Barnett said there had been improvements in Mr Field's office regarding the record-keeping of lafo.

Lafo received in the office was now at "a very modest level", Mr Barnett said.

It was also now encouraged that if a gift was given it should be non-monetary rather than cash.

There had also been a "significant increase" in the number of people seeking help at the office who were told to approach the Immigration Service directly, he said.