Field: Charges won't affect plans for new party

Taito Phillip Field with his lawyer Satiu Simativa Perese today. Photo / Dean Purcell

Former Labour MP Taito Phillip Field says bribery charges he faces will not change his plans to form a new political party.

Mr Field resigned from Labour this year when the party moved to expel him after he indicated he would stand against it at the next election.

Suggestions surfaced soon after he would form a new party called the Pacific Party and focus on the large Pacific Islands support he had in his seat in Mangere, south Auckland.

At a media conference in his lawyers' chambers in the Auckland suburb of Ponsonby he said the process of setting up the new political party would not stop.

"We will continue with those plans."

He said some of the blame for the decision to lay charges should rest with Mr Ingram who failed to investigate some matters.

He said the time it had taken for the Ingram report and the police investigation was "grossly unfair" and had placed enormous stress on him and his family.

Mr Field said it was "business as usual" after the police announcement.

Too slow

Prime Minister Helen Clark is fighting back at claims the Labour Party was too slow dealing with Philip Field.

Police have announced they want to bring 14 charges against the embattled Mangere MP over allegations he offered immigration help in return for free labour.

National's Lockwood Smith believes Helen Clark made a huge error of judgement when she initially defended Mr Field, saying he was guilty of no more than trying to be helpful.

He says she rubbished whistle-blower Keith Williams and what he had to say when it now seems quite clear he was telling the truth.

The Prime Minister would not comment on Mr Field remaining in Parliament in the meantime.

Miss Clark says the Noel Ingram Report looked into the allegations as quickly as was prudent, and the results were clearly damning. She says the remaining issue was whether Mr Field's behaviour was unethical or illegal.

National's deputy leader, Bill English, reminded Parliament that Miss Clark had once defended her former MP by saying "I think the only thing he is probably guilty of is trying to be helpful to someone".