Taito Phillip Field
September 28th, 2005 at 4:22 pm by David FarrarAaron Bhatnagar has good coverage of the latest on the dedicated MP for Mangere. It has been amusing to see some on the left defend his previous actions on grounds of cultural sensitivity. I look forward to seeing which culture supports you using your position as an MP to make a $135,000 profit out of a family which came to you in need.
I think there is no longer a question that he will not be reappointed to a Ministerial position. Clark is not stupid. But the real issue is should he resign as an MP? His actions in hiring someone for $1.20 an hour, illegally paying his wife and then ripping off constituents with housing problems all relate to his work as an MP, not as a Minister.
Labour should not be allowed to get away with saying
Related posts:
- Te Papa honours Taito Phillip Field
- The conduct of Taito Phillip Field
- Will Taito Phillip Field jump?
- Taito Phillip Field
September 28th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
Labour does not have the final say on this of course. It is the minor support parties that should be made to see where they stand on this. It should be referred to the Privileges Committee and if Margaret Wilson blocks it then it is open for National to move a vote of no confidence in her and we will see how the support parties deal with that. I just think National should play its hand very very aggressively on this because Field’s conduct is so blatant even on the facts he has admitted.
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 5:01 pm
Why is Mr Field’s name prefaced by the word “Taito”?Is this an appellation recognised in NZ and if so,why?Yeah yeah we all love a scandal,but it will be interesting to see how far Comrade Clark extends her hand of “cultural inclusion” in this particular case.
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 6:27 pm
What really annoys me is that the overwhelming majority of MPs and their staff respect the rules, and ethical norms, around how they interact with constituents – many of whom, it goes without saying, are under extreme stress.
Even if Field is proved to have done nothing illegal, I think there will be plenty of us on all sides of the political spectrum who have to question the reliability of his ethical and political compass.
And, FWIW, I find it obnoxious if not outright racist to hear the usual suspects (mostly white, BTW) opine that Field’s alleged exploitation is just “the Pacific way” of doing things.
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 8:26 pm
Well at least it gives the right something to crow about, being that they can’t do that with their policy.
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 8:40 pm
“Taito” is a Samoan chiefly title. Others include “Luamanuvao”, as in Luamanuvao Winnie Laban (Labour’s Mana MP) and “Fepulea’i”, as in Fepulea’i Ulua’ipou-O-Malo Aiono (National’s unsuccessful Manurewa candidate).
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 9:05 pm
OK. What do you reckon is going to be the outcome:
a) Helen Clark conducts a quick inquiry, finds Taito is as dodgy as her, stands him down from his ministerial post, hides him in the back bench until the voters forget the reason why he’s there and them returns him to cabinet in time for the next election;
b) The QC conducting the inquiry forwards the information to the Police, who hands it to the Serious Fraud Office, Taito is arrested, Labour passes legislation to boot Taito out of Parliament, Taito is found guilty a week before the next election and Labour loses in a landslide;
c) Helen Clark gets Chris Carter to dig dirt on Taito
Vote:September 28th, 2005 at 9:15 pm
Richard,
Why do we have to use Samoan chiefly titles when Helen won’t let us use knighthoods?
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 8:04 am
You are allowed to use your knighthood, should you have one. New Zealand just doesn’t award them anymore.
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 10:10 am
I don’t think Phillip Field or the other ministers that passed any of the relevant documents through, have anything to worry about as Helen Clark has set the bar with regard to what legal plane politicians can operate comfortably at, and if this is the case then by all means Phillip field can continue building his property empire, just think in a few years they can change the name from Mangare to something like Taitofield. But seriously if the people that run our country can’t abide by the laws that govern the rest of us (ethically or morally) then we are in serious trouble.
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 11:13 am
What a corrupt little third world government we have No ethics No morals No accountibility A Prime Minister who has confessed to criminal activities Three Ministers under investigation for criminal activities What a great example they set to the citizerns
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 11:20 am
This whole episode worsens by the day. All it shows is that he has a very poor lack of judgement and clearly no concept of conflict of interest. It will be interesting to see what the QC comes back with. I suspect it will be a slap on the hand with a wet bus ticket and back to business as usual.
It is quite funny that Rodney is putting the pressure on UF and NZFirst as I seem to recall he had a few immigration issues himself last year with helping a gentleman to establish a book store in Auckland.
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 12:20 pm
Is it a lack of judgement on Fields part, or the ruthlessness with which these people think they can get away with, we now live in an era where the full impact of Frau Clarks social engineering is starting to take full effect. The entire country had an oppertunity to put a stop to this sort of crap, but no they carry on in their bubble, thinking that it will come right on its own, as a Kiwi I’ve had a guts full of being branded a Racist because of the colour of my skin, being branded a capialist because I’ve worked hard to own my own home. Then you get people of the Quality of Clark, Field, Capil, Awatere Huaata need I say more, not only as I said do they think they opperate on a plane above the rest of us, but if they do get caught they have the right to ask for legal aid, lets be totally honest who is shafting who here.
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 12:22 pm
In fact I am really uncomfortable with MPs helping anyone to immigrate here. The only exception I would make are for expatriates, but any person who wants to live in NZ (Student Visa, Work Permit, Citizenship etc) should not expect any help from our MP’s until they have Permanent Residency or Full Citizenship. MP’s are paid by New Zealanders and should help only New Zealanders. My advice to Philip and Rodney is that if they want to help non-residents with immigration then they should resign from parliament and become an immigration consultant.
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 1:24 pm
And how many of these people are here thanks to Feild getting them into the country!!
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3427487a10,00.html
Vote:September 29th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
I have on occasion defended Winston or at least not supported the vilification of him on this forum, but I find his silence on this matter deafening. Why are the media not seeking him out for comment. To be consistent he should be raising cain. I also think Don BRASH should at least be promising a full and comprehensive enquiry if he should win the election.
Vote:September 30th, 2005 at 1:04 pm
Very well put David. Quite apart from the immigration side of all this, I was incredulous to see that this MP had used his position to rip off a constituent in need over the issue of the house sale. The issue is not whether this was legal, but whether Field acted morally and with integrity with respect to this family. He did not and he needs to go.
Vote:I lived in Kenya for nine years and I saw this sort of stuff on a daily basis there from those elected to serve and from civil servants. Corruption of this sort is entrenched in government throughout the African continent. This story disturbs me deeply in light of my experiences there and charts NZ’s continued slide down the slippery slope to third world status.
Resign immediately Mr. Minister.
September 30th, 2005 at 3:45 pm
Perhaps he thought his title read “Thaito” ?
Not good behaviour, and the cultural difference argument doesn’t cut it.
I suppose if youhold dual citizenship using a foreign title is ok, but I can’t see how it is appropriate for a NZ citizen to use a title from a foreign government, or how a NZ MP can legitimately hold dual citizenship (if any do)
Vote: