The head of the Immigration Service has quit in the wake of a ONE News investigation.
Mary-Anne Thompson was found to have helped family come to New Zealand for a holiday, then get residency against her department's own rules.
One News revealed she had used her position to help get her nephew Kauri Katikemoa and his family into New Zealand from the tiny Pacific island of Kiribati.
Katikemoa admitted Thompson organised his visa but said he did not know how she did that.
ONE News discovered that Thompson personally escorted relatives from Kiribati into New Zealand. And then another official approved residency applications, again against department policy.
When the application to give her relatives residency was questioned by staff the order apparently given by a senior Immigration official was: "Put it in the system, there are slots available."
The application was questioned because it was received several months late and because tacked to it was a hand-written note from Thompson.
The Department of Labour had carried out an investigation into the incident and cleared her of any wrongdoing. But the State Services Commission is now investigating.
Thompson had been a high flying public servant, holding jobs in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet before signing up as head of the Immigration Service four years ago.
She got into difficulty after ONE News pushed for answers about her conduct.
On Tuesday, Thompson had gone to ground and was not answering the door of her home.
The Department of Labour has confirmed she has worked her last day and her severance package includes three months' pay.
Department head Christopher Blake would not be interviewed about her sudden departure but in a statement says she resigned as Deputy Secretary, Workforce "in the interests of the department and wider public service."
Last month ONE News confronted him about her behaviour.
"I just want to emphasise that the deputy secretary has done nothing wrong here," he said at the time.
This is grim news for the government, which on Tuesday was forced to reveal they have known about Thompson's behaviour for over a year.
The Minister of Immigration at the time, David Cunliffe, says it wasn't his role to take action.
Cunliffe was asked if he has any knowledge of Thompson's dealings with her family.
"These matters are matters for the chief executive and this is a matter under the governance of another minister," he says.
As for Katikemoa, he's still packing frozen food at a New World
supermarket. The Department of Labour says he can stay, even though
rules were broken to get him residency, and it has also cost his
aunt her job.
