Independent views By Brendan Horan

Last column I reported that the most common complaint that constituents bring into our office is with ACC. Positive feedback from that article has encouraged me to share some additional issues that we manage on behalf of constituents.

This will enable a better appreciation and understanding as to how an MP can work for you and the issues we manage on behalf of constituents. I am very fortunate to have highly qualified and skilled personnel that can assist with most matters.
While I work at a national level in Parliament I will this week focus on my work locally and in a later article share with you some of the questions I ask in the house on behalf of Tauranga.
My first story is about reported institutional bullying from the collections department at the local court. In short: an eight and a half months pregnant woman resented at our office reporting significant distress given the treatment she received from a court staff member.

She is a student at the downtown Polytechnic campus, a part of town notorious for lack of parking, heavy restrictions and monitoring.

As she has a young child to deliver into care, while studying she has to use her car, she has a significant number of parking fines. With the courts she agreed to automatic deductions from her benefit.

We were informed that a particular over enthusiastic staff member decided to cancel the agreement and insisted on a full and final payment, along with a number of what we agreed were inappropriate threats. Attempts to manage the complaint were hampered due to the court staff failing to return calls. Because of the urgency of the situation and to avoid her car being wrongly sold at auction we forwarded the issue to the Minister of Courts office, and Chester Burrows, and resolution was managed within 24 hours. This story demonstrates how MPs and Parliamentary Services do work together to resolve community issues.

Story two regards an issue with an arranged marriage.

Prior to telling the story I would like to be clear that abuse and in particular to women and children is something I will not tolerate, and there are many horrific cases in the public domain.

This story as reported to me is interesting and concerning as it has proven credibility. The constituent was NZ born but agreed to an arranged marriage which sadly for him turned into an extremely nasty experience and one he shares hoping others will not suffer the same fate.

Laws that are designed as a shield should not be used as a sword. His experience is one where his arranged marriage was used as an entry permit, he reported a deliberated strategy where domestic abuse was unfairly claimed, and where advocates working for his arranged wife were well skilled and knowledgeable about due process, restraining orders etc. These people assisted her to gain permanent residence abusing the serious charge of domestic abuse.

He feels the victim in this situation as he suffered real distress, institutional victimisation and hardship from unfair and untrue allegations.

Facebook.com/Brendan.horan.336 twitter.com/brendanhoran or Phone Brendan on 574 0253.