Fiji student worker must go — Mr Gill

Press, 4 March 1978, Page 21

Fiji student worker must go — Mr Gill

Parliamentary reporter

A Fijian student, James vlovick, had come to New Zealand as a student, “and t is in this same capacity hat he must leave on March 9,” the Minister of Immigraion (Mr Giil) said. The Minister was commenting on reports , on Mr[ Movick’s efforts to remain in New Zealand after the expiry of his student permit. Mr Movick had applied for a special work permit to remain in New Zealand in 1978 to cam’ out his duties as the international vicepresident of the New Zealand Tniversitv Students’ Association. That application has been refused by Mr Gill because of what he called Mr Movick’s poor academic record. The Victoria University council this week refused to support Mr Movick’s attempts to remain in New Zealand, but said it disapproved of the university’s having to supply students’ academic records'to Government departments, and of those records’ being passed from one department to another. “Mr Morvick made a poor fist of things as a student, attained no qualifications, then sought to extend his stay here as a working, temporary migrant,” said Mr Gill. “He came to New Zealand

as a Government-sponsored student in 1975 to study for a law degree. After two years, his academic record was such that his study award was terminated on the recommendation of the Fiji Government.

At that point, in accordance with the award conditions, he would normally have been required to return to Fiji, said Mr Gill. However, he had been allowed to stay in New Zealand during 1977 as a private student and to change his course of study from Taw to political science. “His studies again had an unsatisfactory outcome and, also during 1977, Mr Movick was elected to, and accepted, the position of international vice-president of the N.Z.U.S.A.

“This is a full-time, paid proposition and Mt Movick [ thereby contravened' a con- \ dition of his student permit which allows, apart from [ studying, only summer ; vacation work. Full-time employment is prohibited. It ; was in order to continue ir ! this working capacity that ■ Mr Movick sought and was ' refused a work permit.” Mr Gill said that, as Min- ' ister of Immigration, he had not sought and would not wish to become involved in the internal workings of the N.Z.U.S.A. Part of his Ministerial responsibility, however, was Ho decide whether persons,

other than New Zealand | citizens, should enter or re-' main in New Zealand. “Mr Movick came here as , a student and now wishes to , stay here as a paid employee of the N.Z.U.5.A..” said Mt . Gill. “No organisation. , whether of students. ‘ workers, employers, or others, can reasonably exjpect to have an unfettered , I right to elect or appoint an ( [overseas resident to a<< I position in New Zealand.” The Minister said that, far' from being unsympathetic to I, the idea of an overseas stud- L ent’s occupying a paid posi-L tion with the N.Z.U.S.A.. he|. had recently approved a proposal making that possible in future. The requisite permit j would only be issued, however, to a university student with a satisfactory academic] performance. Had the] scheme already applied. Mr] Movick’s academic record!' would have precluded his ob-[ taining a permit.

The Minister said Mr Movick was required to leave New Zealand because his student permit had expired. There was, as yet, no question of deportation, Mr Gill said, and he cautioned against the inappropriate use of a word with such emotive overtones.

The N.Z.U.S.A. and the Victoria University Students’ Association have asked for a meeting with Mr Gill at 11 a.m. todav.