Clark says Thai tiler unlikely to get visa

Helen Clark

Helen Clark would be "surprised" if the Thai tiler at the centre of the Taito Phillip Field affair is granted a new work visa for New Zealand.

The Prime Minister said that if former Associate Immigration Minister Damien O'Connor had known more about the case than he did, he would not have intervened to let Sunan Siriwan and his partner to apply for work permits - which have now lapsed.

It was not clear if this was a sideswipe at Mr O'Connor, Mr Field or both.

Mr Siriwan and his partner appeared on TVNZ's Sunday programme pleading to return to New Zealand.

His lawyer, Olinda Woodroffe, said Mr Field had promised them New Zealand work visas in exchange for tiling his house in Samoa.

This contradicted what Mr Siriwan told the Ingram inquiry into the affair, but Ms Woodroffe said that evidence had been given "under duress" after Mr Siriwan had been told what to say by Mr Field.

Mr Siriwan told Sunday the Mangere MP asked the couple not to follow through with visa applications after Mr O'Connor had issued a directive permitting them to, because there was political trouble over the issue. The directive has now expired.

The Immigration Service has refused to comment on whether applications for new work permits might be approved.

But Helen Clark said she would be "surprised" if they were.

"You've got to realise that this case has been going for almost 10 years, since Mr Siriwan arrived in New Zealand on a visitor's visa on January 1997."

He had been declined refugee status and had made numerous attempts through ministers and other avenues to remain before approaching Mr Field and was due to be deported when he left for Samoa.

When it was pointed out that Mr O'Connor knew all this history, but had issued a favourable directive citing labour shortages, Helen Clark said: "He took into account there was a New Zealand child, but had he known the extent to which Mr Field was helping the two, it's extremely doubtful he would have made the decision."

Mr Field told Mr O'Connor that Mr Siriwan had a New Zealand-born child, but did not tell him the child had already left the country with his mother.

Mr Siriwan says he is living in poverty in Samoa. But when asked if he and his partner were victims of Mr Field's misdemeanours and should be given another chance, Helen Clark said: "Absolutely not. They have had full consideration by the New Zealand system going back to 1997."

The previous directive had been "rendered irrelevant by what has been disclosed since that time."

Helen Clark said there was now a clear conflict between what Mr Siriwan and Mr Field had said and it was a matter for police to resolve.

Keith Williams, the New Zealand builder who initially accompanied Mr Siriwan to Samoa, yesterday echoed the Thai family's fears that it would be "dangerous" to stay in Samoa after speaking out against the Fields. He said Mr Siriwan must be brought to New Zealand to be interviewed by police, free from pressure and interference.