Report on Field remains in limbo

Taito Phillip Field

A long-delayed report on alleged conflicts of interest involving Labour MP Taito Phillip Field is still at least a month away.

Auckland QC Dr Noel Ingram was appointed on September 21, four days after the general election, to inquire into allegations made during the election campaign involving a Thai overstayer, Sunan Siriwan, who tiled Mr Field's house in Samoa while Mr Field applied for an immigration permit for him to return to New Zealand.

The inquiry later extended to allegations that another Thai overstayer painted four houses for Mr Field in Auckland and a claim by a South Auckland family that Mr Field bought their house, which they risked losing in a mortgage sale, and sold it 16 months later at a profit of $136,000.

Dr Ingram's report was initially due on October 4.

Questioned about the report this week, a spokesman for Prime Minister Helen Clark, David Lewis, at first said it was not expected before February.

He rang back and said: "We have no real expectation of when it will be delivered. We are just waiting for the final report. It will be delivered when he [Dr Ingram] has completed it."

Mr Lewis said there was no change to the Government's position that it would not pay for witnesses' legal costs in the inquiry.

Auckland builder Keith Williams, who went to Samoa with Mr Siriwan last March, said he would not give evidence unless the inquiry paid for him to have a lawyer present.

Immigration consultant Tim Spooner, who was consulted by Mr Siriwan before the Thai tiler went to Mr Field, said he was asked to give evidence on January 24. He will not need a lawyer.

Former National Party Mangere candidate Sylvia Taylor said she was told that Mr Field himself would also be interviewed this month.