19 May 2004

NZ opposition MP wants Fiji blacklist made public

4:34 pm on 19 May 2004

A New Zealand opposition MP says the Government should release the names of all the people on its Fiji blacklist.

The list was set up as part of sanctions against those involved in the coup four years ago today.

Those included on the list, which is not publicly available, are barred from entering New Zealand.

It's not known how effective the policy has been as the New Zealand government has declined to give details.

But the National Party's immigration spokesman, Wayne Mapp, says the list is necessary and he supports it, but who is included should be public information.

"I'll be following up on this, firstly as to who's on the list now and secondly the processes that are undertaken so that people can so to speak get off the list. I don't think we would ever take the view as a country that a person damned is damned literally for life; they need to be able to have the ability to show that they've learnt."

Wayne Mapp says the list should be reviewed annually.