Report Relies on Amnesia in Unison - McCully

National MP Murray McCully has condemned the report of the Secretary of Labour into the "lie in unison" memorandum as "the whitewash of the century."

He says the report finds that 300 people received the original memorandum, yet officials had "amnesia in unison" when the Ombudsman asked to see it.

"The report leaves very serious questions still unanswered," says Mr McCully.

"The Secretary of Labour's report says the 'lie in unison' memorandum was attached to a media log which was distributed to around 300 people, including the senior management of the Immigration Service.

"The fact that no repercussions resulted from the receipt of the memorandum tells us a very great deal about the culture at large in that organisation.

"Predictably, the Secretary of Labour is silent on whether the Minister or her staff received the communication.

"The Secretary of Labour reports to the Minister of Immigration and signs an annual purchase agreement with her.

"He was never the appropriate person to look into a matter in which one of his own Ministers is involved.

"The report blames poor processes and misunderstandings for the fact that the general manager of the Immigration Service gave a completely false response to the Ombudsman who was pursuing formal enquiries under the Official Information Act.

"Yet the request from the National Party had been refined to refer to 'the daily media logs and associated commentary or remarks.'

The Secretary of Labour is asking us to believe that the recipients of the explosive memorandum had amnesia in unison when responding the Ombudsman's enquiries.

"I have said from the outset that an in-house inquiry would satisfy no one in light of the seriousness of the issues which have been raised.

"The Report which has been released today is an insult to both the Parliament and the public," says Mr McCully.

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