Taito Phillip Field

Taito Phillip Hans Field (26 September 1952 – 23 September 2021) was a Samoan-born New Zealand trade unionist and politician.

However, on 21 February, he voted against the Labour Party on Green MP Sue Bradford's Members' Bill to amend Section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961 (see Child Discipline Act 2007).

He worked for the New Zealand Treasury in the 1970s and then as a union official for the Hotel, Hospital & Restaurant Union and the Service Workers Union (now E tū).

Born in Apia, the capital of what was then the Territory of Western Samoa, he gained the name of Taito, the matai (paramount chief) title of the village of Manase on Savai'i, Samoa, in 1975.

He was of Samoan, Cook Island, German, English, and Jewish ancestry.

He was a pioneering figure for Pasifika New Zealanders while in the Labour Party.

In 1990 he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

He had stood for Otara in 1990 to replace Colin Moyle who was retiring, but with the swing against Labour in 1990 he was defeated by Trevor Rogers of the National Party.

A Member of Parliament (MP) for South Auckland electorates from 1993 to 2008, Field was the first New Zealand MP of Pasifika descent.

Field first became a Member of Parliament when elected by the South Auckland seat of Otara in the 1993 election.

In 1996 he was elected as MP for Mangere, succeeding David Lange.

He was appointed parliamentary under-secretary for Pacific island affairs, social services and justice in 2002.

He was a minister outside Cabinet in a Labour-led government from 2003 to 2005.

He held the position of Minister outside Cabinet, with the portfolios of Associate Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, and Associate Minister for Justice, from 2003 until he was stood down in 2005.

In the September 2005 general election, Field won a majority of more than 16,000 over his nearest opponent, Clem Simich of the National Party.

This was the largest majority in any electorate seat in New Zealand.

In October 2005, Field lost his ministerial posts following controversies around allegations that he had improperly used his influence as an MP to receive material gain.

In particular, it was alleged that he had used his position as a Member of Parliament to obtain a work permit for a non-resident who had worked as a tiler at reduced hourly rates on his home in Samoa.

It was also alleged that Field had used his position to obtain a discounted price for a property deal he had constructed with low-income welfare beneficiaries in his electorate.

An inquiry cleared him of any conflict of interest, but did criticise his judgement over the events.

Further allegations of improper behaviour were made by the Television New Zealand Sunday programme on 27 August 2006, which led to Prime Minister Helen Clark saying that Field should reconsider his future as an MP.

Police launched an investigation the following day into claims that Field had benefited from helping people with immigration applications.

Field was put on indefinite paid leave from Parliament by the Labour Party.

After Field made comments to the media that he might run against the Labour Party in a future election, steps were taken on 13 February 2007 by Labour to expel Field from the party.

On 14 February 2007, Field was formally expelled from the parliamentary caucus of the Labour Party.

This was announced by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Margaret Wilson.

To forestall moves to expel him from the Labour Party altogether, Field resigned on 16 February 2007, returning to Parliament as an independent, but promising to support the Government's legislative programme.

In April 2007 Field told The Sunday Star-Times he would form a new political party based on family values.

Field cited opposition to Sue Bradford's Bill to remove the defence for child discipline as an example of a "groundswell of Christian people" and stated "There is a vacuum, there is room for a political party... people are looking for a new vehicle."

Field also had meetings with Richard Lewis, leader of Destiny Church political party Destiny New Zealand, over a possible alliance.

On 24 May 2007, police announced that they would seek the leave of the High Court to lay corruption charges against Field (a necessary procedural step when such charges are laid in New Zealand).

The offence, corruption and bribery of a member of Parliament, carries a maximum sentence of 7 years' imprisonment.

If Field was convicted while still a member, his Parliamentary seat would have been vacated.

At a press conference following the police announcement, Field asserted his innocence of the charges and expressed his intention to fight both the laying of the charges at the leave hearing, and any charges that might result from the police application.

On 5 October 2007 the High Court ruled that the police could lay corruption charges against Field.

Following charges of bribery and perverting the course of justice, Field was defeated in the 2008 New Zealand general election.

In January 2008, Field moved to register the New Zealand Pacific Party.

In the 2008 New Zealand general election, Field lost his seat to incoming new Labour MP William Sio by 7126 votes.

The New Zealand Pacific Party won 0.37% of party votes cast, well below the 5% threshold needed to gain list representation, so won no seats in Parliament.

He was found guilty on some of the charges in August 2009 and was sentenced to six years jail in October 2009.