Minister: Visit 'good thing to do'

Internal Affairs Minister Richard Worth said yesterday he visited the Sikh taxi driver, Jamil Sandhu, whose turban was ripped off in an attack on Saturday night because he saw it as "a good thing to do".

Dr Worth said he had worked closely with the Indian community for nine years and knew that unprovoked attacks and law and order generally were a huge issue.

"This is a community that I have hugely worked for and I incredibly believe in and I have made a commitment towards. And I just saw that as a good thing to do."

Labour MP Pete Hodgson has accused Dr Worth of misjudgment in visiting the taxi driver when he also knew the father of one of the young men in the taxi that night who have been questioned by the police.

"Dr Worth has already displayed a complete lack of judgment when he failed to be upfront about a business trip to India where he abused his diplomatic passport privileges and ministerial title, and now his behaviour is once again raising questions."

But a spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that "based on the information we have, we have no issue with Dr Worth visiting a member of the Indian community to offer support - something he has been doing for years".

Dr Worth said yesterday that he "faintly" knew Ross Munro, the father of rugby player Simon Munro who was a passenger in the taxi, but that had nothing to do with his visit and he had not spoken to him.

Dr Worth said he went in a personal capacity at the suggestion of Bhavdeep Dhillon - a former co-director in New Zealand Aviation - whom he believed knew the Sandhus.

He had not introduced himself as Minister of Internal Affairs.

However, Mrs Manmeet Sandhu said last night that Dr Worth had introduced himself as the Minister of Internal Affairs and that they did not know Mr Dhillon.

She had also been visited by Police Minister Judith Collins which she understood because they lived in her Papakura electorate.

She said Dr Worth "mostly talked about his trip to India".

The family has not heard from the police since Tuesday night.

Mrs Sandhu said police told the family one of the men had admitted throwing the punch and one to taking the turban. Three of the four are rugby players.