Minister confident safety concerns of Karel Sroubek's ex-wife taken care of

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says the Government has taken all appropriate steps to look after the safety concerns of Karel Sroubek's estranged wife, including reviewing the case that led to a new deportation notice.

His comments follow the release of a recording of a phone call between Sroubek and his estranged wife in which Sroubek appears to be desperate and talks about sending around "someone to talk" to her.

"Seriously, do you want me to do something stupid? Do you want me to send somebody to talk to you because you are doing crazy stuff?" Sroubek shouts to his ex-partner in the recording.

She released snippets of the recording, made on May 3, through the National Party today.

It was in response to a letter that Sroubek had written to the Herald claiming that he had never threatened her, nor had he pressured her to write a letter to support for his immigration case.

The letter was a strong influence in Lees-Galloway's original decision to grant residency to Sroubek in September, a decision he has since overturned.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed during Question Time today that she was made aware about fears for the estranged wife's personal safety at the end of October.

She said she immediately told Lees-Galloway, who launched the Immigration NZ review of Sroubek's file the following day that eventually led to him reversing his decision to grant residency.

Following Question Time, Lees-Galloway said that the information from Ardern triggered the Immigration NZ review and a response to ensure that her safety concerns were responded to.

Part of that was taken care of by Police Minister Stuart Nash, who had been asked to consider the woman's safety by National's justice spokesman Mark Mitchell.

Police then put a safety plan in place for the woman.

"I'm very confident that upon receipt of that information, all parts of the Government have responded appropriately," Lees-Galloway said.

National Party leader Simon Bridges said that the recording clearly showed that Sroubek had threatened the estranged wife, even though Sroubek says in the recording that he is not making threats.

"That's what the words are, it's pretty clear ... 'Sending someone around' is one of those statements [that] are threats," Bridges said.

He said the Government had not been forthcoming on who had lobbied on Sroubek's behalf, and noted that Ardern was still refusing to release the content of a text she received from Richie Hardcore commending the Sroubek decision.

"There's two words that go together - cover-up. And frankly that's what we're seeing all the way along here," Bridges said.

"There'll be more on this next year, I've got no doubt. We'll get closer to the bottom of this sorry, saga."

During Question Time today, National deputy leader Paula Bennett sought to pin down Ardern about statements that Winston Peters had made about the estranged wife on Ardern's behalf.

Speaking about the estranged wife's support letter for Sroubek and then later withdrawing her support, Peters had said: "She asserted one thing when the process was in place—again, falsely—and said something else today."

Ardern said that Peters may not have known what she had done with respect to the estranged wife's safety when he gave his answer.

Question Time became testy when Bridges asked Ardern, again, to release the contents of the text message from Hardcore, and she answered by calling him "simple".

"I've had no conversations with Mr Hardcore on this case, nor would it have been appropriate ... I had no involvement in this case, no knowledge of it until it was in the public domain, and the member very well knows that the Minister himself made the decision one afternoon, with officials in the room, after no conversations with any other members of Parliament. It's quite simple, Simon."

The comment was considered unparliamentary and Ardern withdrew and apologised.