“Big Dad” told me to lie

The depositions hearing for former Labour Minister Taito Philip Field, or “Big Dad” continues. The Herald reports:

A Thai overstayer who tiled MP Taito Phillip Field’s house in Samoa says Field gave him 1000 tala ($553) after asking him to lie to police about the work he had done for him.

Sunan Siriwan, who referred to Field twice as “Big Dad”, told the Manukau District Court through an interpreter yesterday that “almost everything” he said to a lawyer appointed to investigate the case was untrue.

He said Field told him, while driving in a car in Samoa in or around December 2005, that he had “a problem” in New Zealand and that he should tell the police that he did not work for the MP.

“He told me at that time that you are not working at my place, and he also said to me, ‘Don’t tell the police that you and I met’,” Mr Siriwan said.

He said Field asked him the next morning if he had money, and Mr Siriwan replied that he did.

“Then he gave me 1000 tala, which he has never given me that much before,” Mr Siriwan told the court. “I did not understand why he gave me so much money.”

Hmmn, is this a multi-choice test?

He said he worked mostly seven days a week for eight to 10 hours a day. In return, he was paid “expenses”.

“Some weeks I got 100 tala ($55), other weeks 150 to 200 tala ($83-$110),” he said.

Labour’s commitment to strong wages – except for their slave labour working for under $2 an hour.

He said that about three months after he arrived in Samoa, he received a letter from Field about a work permit in New Zealand. Shortly afterwards, two other Thai men, Kaew and Yao, arrived from New Zealand “to do gib-stopping for Big Dad”.

Such a charming nickname, yet so apt.