Jones affair – politics not always simple

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, May 23rd, 2012 - 227 comments
Categories: Ethics, im/migration, Shane Jones - Tags:

Perhaps a little bored with the multiple National / ACT self-inflicted fiascos, the media (and the braying right-wing blogs of course) have been bleeding plenty of ink over Shane Jones’ actions in granting citizenship to a decidedly dodgy Chinese immigrant. Jones hasn’t really put his side of the story – until last night:

MP told immigrant would be ‘jailed and executed’

Labour MP Shane Jones has revealed why he allowed Chinese immigrant Yong Ming Yan, charged with making false statements to gain citizenship, to stay in New Zealand. …

As a minister, Mr Jones signed off on Yong Ming Yan’s application to become a New Zealand citizen, despite officials telling him not to. “I was told the execution of this man…that he would be executed…which is the reason the officials gave for him not wanting to go back to China.”

Mr Jones said declining it would have been like signing a death warrant. Mr Jones says he was told that Mr Yan would be “jailed, executed and his organs harvested” if he was sent back to China. “That to me comprised grounds for a humanitarian decision,” Mr Jones says.

He confirmed those were the words used to describe the situation. “When a Government official in a minister’s office says such a thing so graphic that I actually wrote it down.” …

Mr Jones says he would be happy for any investigation to take place into his role in this matter.

I’m glad Jones is open to an investigation. That’s the right course of action, and if he is found to have acted unethically he should go. But those who are prematurely calling for Jones’ head, and trying to turn the situation into an attack on Shearer, should now take some time out to consider their own actions. They should ask themselves if they, in Jones’ position, would have taken action that they honestly believed would condemn a man to death.

Politics is not always simple.

Update: Part of a post from NRT:

Shane Jones made the right decision

… Under those circumstances there’s a clear humanitarian case. So clear, in fact, that it would be unlawful to remove Liu from the country. We don’t extradite people to execution. We don’t deport them to it either. Any Minister in Jones’ position would have made exactly the same decision. And if not, the courts would have made it for them.

227 comments on “Jones affair – politics not always simple ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. TheContrarian 1
    23 May 2012 at 9:43 am

    “would have taken action that they honestly believed would condemn a man to death.” Normally such things would end in asylum not in granting citizenship.

    • Deano 1.1
      23 May 2012 at 10:30 am

      what do you think asylum is? The person has to have some legal status in this country ie residency or citizenship. Refugees who get asylum become residents or citizens. There’s no such status as ‘asylum recipient’

  2. alwyn 2
    23 May 2012 at 9:53 am

    He was being asked to give the guy citizenship.
    He wasn’t being asked to order him to be deported back to China.
    That has got to be the feeblest arguement yet.

    • Colonial Viper 2.1
      23 May 2012 at 11:18 am

      What weird logic. However, it reads like you do agree with Jones’ decision that the Chinese national should be granted rights to stay in NZ?

      • gareth 2.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:53 am

        If there was credible information indicating execution then yes he should have been allowed to stay.
        But I cannot understand why (with all the red flags) he was given citizenship and a NZ passport.
        Surely as he already had permanent residency that would be sufficient. Certainly it seems strange the Shane Jones signed off extremely quickly followed by an equally quick ceremony with labour mps present.
        How he got residency in the first place is a whole different question.
        It all seems a bit smelly to me…..

      • alwyn 2.1.2
        23 May 2012 at 12:43 pm

        I most certainly don’t agree with Jones’ decision to grant him citizenship if that was his reason.
        The guy had, thanks to Cunnliffe in, I think, 2002, a residency permit. He wasn’t going to be kicked out of the country. There was no likelihood of him being sent back to China to be executed anyway. We don’t allow extradition where the person could face capital punishment.
        We also have him claiming that he would get citizenship and that he was going to take his MP friends back to China with him. Hardly likely if he was going to be killed don’t you think?
        What I think Jones was doing was paying off on the promises made to Liu (or whatever his name really is) by Labour party fundraisers who owed him big-time. I would be curious where the orders to Jones came from. I don’t think he did it just because Dover, a man on the way out of Parliament, asked him to.

        • Pascal's bookie 2.1.2.1
          23 May 2012 at 1:09 pm

          I don’t think anyone has mentioned extradition.

          the claim about going back to China is an odd bit of big noting. When was it made?

          Was it during the time Immigration were investigating him with a view to chucking him out of the country?

  3. Jeremy Harris 3
    23 May 2012 at 10:02 am

    Why would officials be recommending not granting him citizenship if they reasonably believed he was “going to be executed and his organs harvested”?

    It doesn’t make sense.

    • Sam Hall 3.1
      23 May 2012 at 11:38 am

      I am intrigued by the practice of the Chinese to execute and harvest the organs of corrupt businessman and Party members

  4. tsmithfield 4
    23 May 2012 at 10:08 am

    There appears to have been some seriously dodgy shit that has gone on here, and I am not sure that it stops with Jones. I won’t bother what repeating what has already been covered extensively on other blogs. However, even a generous reading of the facts that have come out raises serious questions about what has gone on in this process.

    • bbfloyd 4.1
      23 May 2012 at 11:59 am

      the only “dodgy shit” going on here is TS reading with one eye shut… it’s ruining his depth perception….

      the trolls are desperate.. the trolls are desperate…. the trolls are desperate….

  5. Pascal's bookie 5
    23 May 2012 at 10:14 am

    It always fascinates me when people put on their harrumphing hats say that something “raises serious questions that need to be answered”, and then go all quite about what these serious questions actually are.

    ‘It’s all just a bit murky, a bit suspect like, it’s the vibe of the thing.’

    I’m seeing a bit of this. dark murmerings. Utterances of concern.

    Anyone laid a complaint with the rozzers yet? The auditor general?

    If not, Why the fuck not?

    If the guy’s a crook, get him gone, right?

  6. Jackal 6
    23 May 2012 at 10:16 am

    A diversionary storm in a teacup if you ask me. Although an investigation is warranted.

  7. tsmithfield 7
    23 May 2012 at 10:17 am

    How about this article for a start.

    The high-ranking officials were stunned when then Cabinet minister Shane Jones approved the application one day after getting his file. They were certain Yong Ming Yan, also known as Bill Liu, who had been red-flagged by Interpol, stood little chance.

    But Yan leaned back in his chair, with his arms behind his head, and said he was 99 per cent confident he would get citizenship, the court was told yesterday.

    “He said he had a lot of support from members of Parliament … he was going to take them to China,” Internal Affairs case officer Olele Johannes Gambo said.

    Notice in the quote above that Yan was confident he was going to get citizenship due to support from members of parliament, and he was going to take them to China.

    So, contrary to what Jones has claimed, Yan didn’t seem particularly worried about getting executed in China, or having his organs harvested because, according to him, he was planning a trip back there.

    • grumpy 7.1
      23 May 2012 at 10:23 am

      ….and…….didn’t he actually go back to China in the interim??? So much for fear of execution.

    • Jackal 7.2
      23 May 2012 at 10:29 am

      What the article fails to make clear is that Yan made the statement sometime before he got residency in 2008, Yan did not make that statement in the court hearing as the article implies. There is also the fact that Jones was likely to have had the file for over a month, which would make the Fairfax article untruthful.

      Yan might not have been worried about being chopped up for his organs while also giving information that was relayed to Jones that said he was in danger. In that case Yan would be a liar… and who exactly is it again who is on trial for making false statements on his application?

      Until we know the facts of the matter, all your speculation looks pretty stupid really!

    • rosy 7.3
      23 May 2012 at 10:15 pm

      The dates in that article don’t match the dates on the files that investigate magazine [sorry about the source] seems to have gotten hold of…

      http://www.investigatemagazine.com/jonesfile.pdf

      The article says the files went to Jones May – the DIA document recommending declining citizenship is dated July. Is it the same file? I’m confused.

  8. mickysavage 8
    23 May 2012 at 10:25 am

    Can I make a generalised plea that will benefit all parties and prevent any sort of murky dealing from happening.
     
    Let’s have state funding for political parties.  No private donations, no favours, no undue influence by individuals.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 8.1
      23 May 2012 at 10:46 am

      +100

      Do you think we should compensate the National Party’s owners for the loss of their property?

      • Socialist Paddy 8.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:02 am

        As soon as they compensate the New Zealand people for 80 years of pillage and theft.

    • higherstandard 8.2
      23 May 2012 at 10:56 am

      Oh fuck off, the public fund the vast amount of cost for these fuck wits at present through parliamentary largesse for secretaries, analysts and assorted other hacks.

      As long as all donations above a nominal value are transparent who gives a flying fuck.

      • mickysavage 8.2.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:01 am

        As long as all donations above a nominal value are transparent who gives a flying fuck

        • mickysavage 8.2.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 11:28 am

          Oops editor lost some text.  I meant to say …
           
          As long as all donations above a nominal value are transparent who gives a flying fuck
           
          Anyone with a concern about the health of their democracy.

          • higherstandard 8.2.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 11:56 am

            So how will this work ?

            We currently fund these turds during the election campaign based on the number of MPs, if you’re wanting to increase this funding by how much … why do they need more money ?

            • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 2:32 pm

              I don’t see MS saying that funding should be increased.

          • Adolph Koshler 8.2.1.1.2
            23 May 2012 at 7:23 pm

            I am, how many more MPs have to go to prison before we can put a stop to the complete arrogance of these people over immigration. First Philip Field and now Jones, when will the corruption stop. There needs to be a complete investigation into the behavior of the Immigration department and all respective ministers regardless of political party.

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.2
        23 May 2012 at 11:21 am

        Yeah public funding of political parties. And limit donations from legal entities and persons to $200 each per party per election year.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2.1
          23 May 2012 at 2:35 pm

          Legal entities shouldn’t be allowed to make donations at all.

          • higherstandard 8.2.2.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 2:37 pm

            Trade Unions ?

            • McFlock 8.2.2.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 2:53 pm

              Included. Just as long as corporations, anonymous trusts and loud rich pricks have to play be the same rules.

            • KJT 8.2.2.1.1.2
              23 May 2012 at 3:03 pm

              Non democratic entities not allowed to make donations?

              • Draco T Bastard …
                23 May 2012 at 4:08 pm

                Gets too wishy washy. Just watch as the boards of major corporations say that they’re a democratic entity and thus should be allowed to donate in the name of the corporation.

            • Draco T Bastard 8.2.2.1.1.3
              23 May 2012 at 4:07 pm

              Are a legal entity and thus would not be allowed to make donations. Of course, nothing stopping the unions from discussing which would be the best party from their POV and recommending that the individuals make a donation to that party. Nor is there anything preventing the union from running their own political campaign.

              • higherstandard …
                23 May 2012 at 4:10 pm

                So you’re against Presland’s proposal ?

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  23 May 2012 at 6:31 pm

                  Nope, I actually think that political parties should be government funded with the exact same funding.

            • mickysavage 8.2.2.1.1.4
              23 May 2012 at 10:07 pm

              Trade Unions ?

              Yep.  Only in RWNJ land do some think that the Service and Food Workers Union have the same resources as Fletcher Challenge, Sky City, Telecom, Todd Corporation …

              • higherstandard …
                24 May 2012 at 7:11 am

                So let me get this right in your funding utopia individuals can’t donate, neither can private companies but it’s OK for unions to do so…….. partisan much Greg ?

      • felix 8.2.3
        24 May 2012 at 1:40 am

        “Oh fuck off, the public fund the vast amount of cost for these fuck wits at present”

        So what’s the problem then?

        • higherstandard 8.2.3.1
          24 May 2012 at 7:12 am

          None, apart from Greg wanting to tap the public for a top up and only being interested in skewing the rules to suit his usual partisan hackery.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8.3
      23 May 2012 at 2:41 pm

      Last time the state funded Jones he spent it all on porn.

      • KJT 8.3.1
        23 May 2012 at 5:27 pm

        So what. He was paying it back before he was asked.

        As the saying goes: “there are two types of people, there’s wankers and there’s liars”.

        Meanwhile. When are Banks and Brash going to be indited for financial fraud?
        A polite term for a white collar bank robber.

        • Jared 8.3.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 10:01 pm

          Financial Fraud? You mean Electoral Fraud right?

          • Carol 8.3.1.1.1
            24 May 2012 at 9:33 am

            No, it’s related to Banks and Brash’s business dealings for a company where other directors have been charged with fraud.

      • Frank Macskasy 8.3.2
        24 May 2012 at 9:26 am

        What – ALL of it?! Millions of dollars on porn?? Wow – what a stud!!

  9. The Baron 9
    23 May 2012 at 10:46 am

    Right, so Jones acted on an unsubstantiated claim from the benefactor, that in no way has any bearing on immigration processes. Nothing in this post touches on the allegations of what Labour got in return. Pretty selective treatment of the story.

    Rob, your post smacks of “its AOK when my team does it”. Partisan fanboi-ery is just so, so lame.

    But positive questions time: Why do we need Ministerial involvement in immigration cases? Why can this not be left to Immigration without oversight – let the officials do their job according to the relevant legislation; and let the pollies set the relevant legislation?

    The only reason I can see for political interferance here is to allow for favours to be done. Why would we want that, regardless of which govt is doing it?

    • Pascal's bookie 9.1
      23 May 2012 at 10:55 am

      Laid a complaint with the police?

      Anyone?

      Why not?

      • higherstandard 9.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:00 am

        Has anyone done that with Banks yet ?

        Personally I think they’re both dodgy.

        • Jackal 9.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 11:03 am

          Yes! I think there are three complaints that have been laid and the Police are investigating.

        • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1.2
          23 May 2012 at 11:04 am

          Yep, they are. Google

          police investigating john banks

          for details.

          • higherstandard 9.1.1.2.1
            23 May 2012 at 11:07 am

            I have a recollection they are from that moon bat Penny Bright, shouldn’t Labour or someone like the electoral commission do it ?

            • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1.2.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 11:28 am

              This sort of thing you mean?

              Mallard wrote to Auckland Council’s chief electoral officer, Bruce Thomas, yesterday asking him to investigate.

              “Transparency around election donations is a major protection against corruption in the New Zealand political system,” said Mallard.

              Thomas said he referred the matter to police as required when a written complaint is received.

              Yeah, someone should get on to that.

              • higherstandard …
                23 May 2012 at 11:46 am

                So the moon bat and the duck who continues to dodge being served……. fuck between the two major parties and the other leeches no wonder the public have long since given up on the politicians.

            • Adolph Koshler 9.1.1.2.1.2
              23 May 2012 at 8:28 pm

              No one would believe Penny Bright. There needs to be a proper complaint made.

              • Pascal's bookie …
                24 May 2012 at 6:28 am

                Like from, say, Auckland Council’s chief electoral officer, Bruce Thomas?

                Done.

        • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.3
          23 May 2012 at 2:39 pm

          Yep, Penny Bright has laid at least two and there are others.

      • The Baron 9.1.2
        23 May 2012 at 11:17 am

        Why not? Don’t give that much of a fuck and its not my job. I’m still allowed to comment on a blog though right?

        The whole “tell the cops” comeback is really lame, PB.

        • Pascal's bookie 9.1.2.1
          23 May 2012 at 11:25 am

          Really?

          You give enough of a fuck to comment about it, saying iit’s all very murky, and implying outright corruption.

          Never said you can’t comment.

          I’m just curious as to why there haven’t been any complaints lodged with anyone, by anyone; seeing so many poeple think it’s a big enough deal to be talking about.

          Sorry if that curiousity offends you Baron.

    • Jackal 9.2
      23 May 2012 at 10:57 am

      Because of people like Mary Anne Thompson. I think Ministerial oversight is appropriate, being that they are meant to be representatives of the public and the public often has a different opinion to what Immigration believes.

      Rob, your post smacks of “its AOK when my team does it”.

      I don’t think so. In comparison John Banks is under investigation by the Police for serious issues that have corroborating evidence. Jones is not and there is as yet no evidence of wrongdoing. All politicians should be held to the same high standard.

      • higherstandard 9.2.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:03 am

        That is some of the weakest cak you’ve ever posted, which is saying something.

        • Jackal 9.2.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 11:08 am

          Which part? The fact that Banks is under investigation by the Police while Jones isn’t or that I think Immigration should not be an autonomous organisation… or that I think all politicians should adhere and be accountable to the same principles and rules? All pretty reasonable assertions if you ask me.

          • higherstandard 9.2.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 11:51 am

            The fact that you use MA Thompson to make a smear of incompetence or possibly corruption in relation to the advice supplied in this case.

            The fact that Banks is under investigation by the police while Jones isn’t may be down to mere timing both are dodgy items.

            • Jackal 9.2.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 12:08 pm

              So let me get this right… There is presently no clear cut evidence of Shane Jones’ wrongdoing and John Key thinks he should be stood down, while John Banks stinks so much he would make a turd smell good and he gets to waft around the place?

              Such things might be down to timing, but yet again it might be down to evidence of wrongdoing. As there is no real evidence of wrongdoing by Jones, nobody has made a police complaint. If people truly think Jones is corrupt, they should do the right thing and make a Police complaint. Put your moralistic pontifications where your mouths are.

              I supplied a reason for why Immigration shouldn’t be autonomous. I haven’t seen their advice in relation to this matter or implied that it might be incompetent or corrupt… so what are you on about HS?

              • higherstandard …
                23 May 2012 at 12:24 pm

                Banks is still there because he is ACT and they need the numbers, he’ll be found not guilty by the police because our legislation surrounding anonymous donations and the like are laughable and more so at local body level.

                Shane Jones is still there because Shearer and his troops are still cogitating and waiting to see which way the wind blows. In terms of granting citizenship to any person I think it is a very slippery slope to be ignoring the advice of the Ministry or to be allowing any MP to be lobbying the Minister.

                • Jackal …
                  23 May 2012 at 1:46 pm

                  There’s nothing wrong with the legislation. It’s clear and precise for anybody who bothers to read it. The problem is that Banks chose not to adhere to it and it appears that he offered political favours when he got back into power in exchange for cash.

              • grumpy …
                23 May 2012 at 12:33 pm

                Banks was only a private citizen standing for Mayor of Auckland.

                Jones was a Minister of the Crown, acting within his portfolio.

              • Frank Macskasy …
                24 May 2012 at 9:30 am

                At least Shane Jones has a better memory and can recall situations four years ago.

                Banks couldn’t recall a helicopter flight, to one of Auckland’s biggest mansions, to meet a rather large German web entrepreneur with a thing for red sportscars…

                Yeah, right.:-D

        • bbfloyd 9.2.1.2
          23 May 2012 at 12:46 pm

          and resorting to abuse every time your own non existent arguments are shot to bits isn’t weak … little one? young TS …. do you ever actually listen to yourself? try it sometime.. you might be surprised at how silly you sound in real life…

      • The Baron 9.2.2
        23 May 2012 at 11:13 am

        I forgot about M.A.T., but still think immigration can be done better than allowing one official/poli unfettered ability to override things. Here’s one such suggestion – a cross parliamentary oversight panel has to approve exceptions to officials advice?

        I couldn’t care less about this whole JB vs MJ “who is worse” angle. In my book both are shits. Are you happy now? Polies on both sides sell us out, but still time for us to choose which one we like best based on our pre-determined political alignment.What a fucking wicked day it is.

    • r0b 9.3
      23 May 2012 at 11:12 am

      Rob, your post smacks of “its AOK when my team does it”.

      You mean the part where I said: “I’m glad Jones is open to an investigation. That’s the right course of action, and if he is found to have acted unethically he should go.” ??

      • The Baron 9.3.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:19 am

        I genuinely didn’t think you’d agree with me here anyway – fanbois always argue they ain’t fanbois after all – but sure, if that’s your balance then good luck with that.

  10. Bored 10
    23 May 2012 at 11:09 am

    It was all too easy for the hypocritical Key to have a go at Shane Jones. Lets just contrast the two:

    Jones as minister over rules his public servant advisors because he is faced with the possibility that sending a man back to China might (note might, no proof but a fair chance) result in the man being shot. He did not take the risk, life was probably adjudged to be more precious than “rules”. Humanity at the risk of being wrong prevailed.

    Key as PM was prevailed upon by Sri Lanka refugees who genuinely feared for their lives in a war zone. Key said no, hid behind the rules, preferring to gamble that these people would survive. No compassion ruled here despite the example NZ showed of allowing entry to his mother, a Jew whom Hitler would have gladly exterminated.

    Key and humanitarianism? Make your own minds up.

  11. tsmithfield 11
    23 May 2012 at 11:21 am

    And this article?

    Mr Phillips – also known as Shane Te Pou – told the court that he met Yan at a Labour Party fundraiser in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour in March 2005 that he helped organise.

    He chatted with Yan for no more than 15 minutes and later invited him to join other guests for dinner and drinks.A few weeks later, Mr Phillips met Yan and his partner Vienna Yu at their penthouse apartment in the Metropolis tower, before having dinner together at a restaurant.

    At that meal, the topic of citizenship was discussed and Mr Phillips offered to help Yan obtain citizenship for a fee of $10,000 – half to be paid as a deposit. Asked by David Jones why he offered to help, Mr Phillips said Yan was a “man of success”.

    I can stand corrected, but as I understand it, Phillips has close ties to Labour and to Jone’s office.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      23 May 2012 at 11:27 am

      Shane Te Pou is damn dodgy.

      • tsmithfield 11.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 11:43 am

        Yeah. Personally, I am not convinced that Jones is the source of any corruption, if it in fact it had occurred. If there has been corruption, it might well have occurred further down the food chain. Perhaps various MP’s have been spun a line here, and conned into supporting Yan.

        • bbfloyd 11.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 12:50 pm

          nice bit of backpedalling there TS…. something finally broke through the crust….

  12. prism 12
    23 May 2012 at 11:29 am

    It’s all good media beatup stuff. Reminds me of an olde songe – from mudcat.org
    THE JONES BOY
    Manny Kurtz/Victor Mizzy
    As sung by the Mills Brothers with Sy Oliver and his Orchestra, Decca 28945, circa 1953?
    The whole town’s talkin’ about the Jones boy,
    The Jones boy, the Jones boy.
    The whole town’s talkin’ about the Jones boy.
    He acts mighty peculiar now.

    The whole town’s sayin’ he was a good boy,
    A nice boy, a swell boy.
    The whole town’s sayin’ he’s not a well boy.
    He just isn’t the same somehow.

    I hope he does keep his standing – I thought he would be a swell boy and be in the new Labour lineup when they (whoever?) get stuck in and do it.

    • Sam Hall 12.1
      23 May 2012 at 11:44 am

      If ever their was a man likely to perpetuate the cultural practice of “consuming” your mana, it is this man, and that Solomon

  13. Enough is Enough 13
    23 May 2012 at 11:47 am

    This is bad and Shearer should be front footing it rather than defending Jones.

    Saying Jones followed due process is missing the point. The Nats followed due process with Crafar. It was the wrong decision there and one they will thrown out of office for.

    Labour could get on the absolute moral high ground here and contrast themselves with Key/Banks. Instead they are using the same defensive techniques which makes the ‘scandal’ drag on.

    Losing Jones would be no loss to the labour movement. Kick him to the curb, show we are above the Nats dodge and run tactics and kill the story.

    Did the party, and some commentators from here learn, nothing with Peters the saga? Perception carries weight in politics. Learn that fundamental lesson please.

  14. Blue 14
    23 May 2012 at 12:02 pm

    As I understand it, the facts on the table when Shane Jones made his decision were thus:

    The guy in question looked pretty dodgy, but all the allegations against him were unproven. There were strong official submissions that the man was likely to be tortured and killed if he was returned to China, and he had a wife and kids.

    Shane Jones decided to err on the side of humanity because of the lack of evidence.

    The only reason I can see that this has become an issue is because someone alleged that Jones made the decision overnight (whereas he claims he had the file for a month before making the decision) and that the guy gave money to Labour (and there is no evidence that Shane Jones knew anything about that). And because it’s Shane Jones and he will never live down the porn movie expenses bill. Easy to make him look dodgy.

    As far as I can see, Shane Jones has no case to answer.

    • tsmithfield 14.1
      23 May 2012 at 12:05 pm

      But didn’t he already have residency which entitled him to stay anyway? Why would granting citizenship be necessary to achieve this goal? Surely amnesty would have been the way to go if that was a concern.

      • tsmithfield 14.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 12:09 pm

        I meant asylum above, not amnesty, but can’t edit my comments for some reason.

        As I said above, I don’t necessarily believe that Jones has acted improperly, but that he and other MP’s may well have been spun a line by individuals lower down in the food chain.

        Afterall, as I commented earlier, it doesn’t look like Yan was particularly worried about going back to China because, according to him, he was planning a trip back there.

  15. gareth 15
    23 May 2012 at 12:12 pm

    I may well have this wrong but….
    Banks is in the gun for not declaring his donations, not lobbying govt officials in an attempt to get Dotcom residency/citizenship/permission to buy the mansion. It seems there was enough murk surrounding him that Simon Power? refused to sign off.

    Jones signed off on a guy that is seemingly just as murky as Dotcom after been lobbied by people with connections to himself namely Dover Samuels and Shane Te Pou. It appears that they received considerable sums of money to ‘grease the wheels’
    Now that’s not a lot different to how immigration consultants work. Some of which are former govt officials who know how the system works.

    So the only thing I can see that’s happened is Shane Jones has allowed his judgement to be clouded by his associates who were beneficiaries of Yong Ming Yans generosity. Not illegal but it does have a whiff off citizenship for sale….

    • tsmithfield 15.1
      23 May 2012 at 12:20 pm

      I was right in my comment above:

      Yan already had permanent residency. So why did he need citizenship to protect him from the nefarious Chinese? It wasn’t like he was going to get shipped back or anything. So what Jones says doesn’t add up.

      And what was with the citizenship ceremony that was held at the request of Dover Samuels? Is that normal for people who get citizenship?

      • TheContrarian 15.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 12:33 pm

        My wife is from South Africa and her brother recently got citizenship – no party with Labour for him. 

        • Jackal 15.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 2:03 pm

          You mean he didn’t attend the ceremony (party) given to all successful applicants? According to the rules, you have to swear to obey the laws of New Zealand etc before you can become a citizen. I guess your brother in law isn’t a real New Zealand citizen then The Comedian. Lol!

        • Adolph Koshler 15.1.1.2
          23 May 2012 at 7:29 pm

          To get a party with one of the Political party’s you have to donate significant donations to their cause.

    • Pascal's bookie 15.2
      23 May 2012 at 12:25 pm

      Not illegal but it does have a whiff off citizenship for sale….

      If you like that you also might like our immigration policy.

  16. David C 16
    23 May 2012 at 1:04 pm

    Fron Stuff..

    “Mr Jones admitted he knew there were questions about Yan’s identity. “I certainly know that there was a live issue as to whether or not this man is who he says he was … there was always a mystery … Those were allegations.”

    So Jones signs off on it within a day, no questions asked.

    Jones is fucked.

    • Ross 16.1
      23 May 2012 at 1:27 pm

      Jones was apparently given the file on July 14 and citizenship approved on August 6. By my calculations, that is more than one day.

      http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/shane-jones-has-leaders-support/1388850/

      • David C 16.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 1:38 pm

        According to the Dom Post…

        “According to evidence presented to the High Court in Auckland last week, Mr Jones was told in 2008 that Yan was the subject of Interpol Red Notices based on arrest warrants issued in China and that the Internal Affairs Department did not know who he was because he had two passports, two names and two birth dates. Yet Mr Jones approved his application one day after receiving his file.”

        • TheContrarian 16.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 1:42 pm

          Fact is it shouldn’t have been approved – one day or not.

          • David C 16.1.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 1:58 pm

            So when Geoff May, Secretary for Internal Affairs, reccomends that the application be declined, as he does not meet the good character test, based on the facts that the applicant runs under 3 different names and passports, is subject to an interpol red notice and arrest warrant, is accused of fraud for 10,000,000 RNB in China and is currently being invesigated for NZ immigration fraud these things shouldnt have made Jones go ummmmm….

            But nah, Dover said he is a good bastard so I will sign off on it!

            • Jackal 16.1.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 2:11 pm

              Funny! I can’t seem to find a quote by Jones saying Yan is a “good bastard”. You wouldn’t be making stuff up now would you David C? Jones did say that he made the decision on humanitarian grounds… you know, the bit where an Internal Affairs official told him that Yan would be arrested, convicted, executed, and his organs harvested if he was sent back to China.

              • David C …
                23 May 2012 at 2:16 pm

                Jackal, would you like to show me a shred of proof of this claim?

                “the bit where an Internal Affairs official told him that Yan would be arrested, convicted, executed, and his organs harvested if he was sent back to China.”

                because I think it is total utter bullshit.

                • Jackal …
                  23 May 2012 at 2:23 pm

                  The note hasn’t been released to the public yet… so your question is a straw-man. Clearly what Jones has said is infinitely more believable than what you’re reporting he said David C. Good bastard… Don’t make me laugh!

                  • David C …
                    23 May 2012 at 2:42 pm

                    so did Internal Affairs “tell him” or was there a note? which one?
                    any such note certanly wasnt attached to the recomendation to decline along with all the other relevant documents, which it would have been if it existed, which it doesnt.

                    No one was trying to send him back and even if the Chinese did ask for him we would have gotten an assurance that the death denalty would not be applied.

                    as I said, total utter bullshit.

                    • Jackal …
                      23 May 2012 at 2:59 pm

                      The old absence of proof categorically means it doesn’t exist trick… come on David C, this is not preschool… and what are you asking me straw-men questions for that I cannot possibly answer? You know what is really balderdash around here, is all your speculation based on nothing but imagination.

                    • David C …
                      23 May 2012 at 4:21 pm

                      Jackal, the report from Internal Affairs specifically adresses the (lack of) humanitarian grounds to grant citizenship and recomends to decline.

                      So once again I say, its total utter bullshit.

                    • Jackal …
                      23 May 2012 at 4:57 pm

                      What? It was recommended that he be declined for not meeting the Good Character as defined by section 8 (1)(c) of the Citizens Act 1977 (PDF) assessment because of the allegations made by the Chinese government.

                      Keep in mind that China is a country where thousands of people go missing every year and the justice system is very harsh. Yan has no convictions btw and it’s likely he did have grounds to fear for his life.

                      Internal Affairs did not consider humanitarian grounds in declining his application at all, while Jones did when he approved it. So WTF David C?

              • David C …
                23 May 2012 at 2:18 pm

                http://www.investigatemagazine.com/jonesfile.pdf

                The papers that show the recomendation to decline.

                • Bored …
                  23 May 2012 at 3:08 pm

                  How interesting Dave C. Had a good read. Now read this re Chinese capital crimes.
                  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China

                  So reading the document it appears clear that by the letter of the regulations Yan was ineligible for residency UNLESS over ruled by the Minister at his discretion.

                  There are three letters attached, two from fellow Labour MPs and one from a National MP stating that they think the man should stay as he has demonstrated good nature and good deeds within his community.

                  Put yourself in Jones shoes: you know about the Chinese legal system and penalties. You have letters from three MPs supporting Yan. And you are aware that if Mr Yan gets shot you are going to get scrutinised big time. Might you err toward caution? Might you also not want to have blood on your hands? Might you not consider the impact upon the Chinese business community and their willingness to invest in NZ?

                  I reckon Jones was in a no win position and did what he thought best. For that National and its trolls are running a witch hunt as smoke screen for the criminal activities of John Banks because to enable the larcenous rort of NZs assets Key needs his vote.

                  • David C …
                    23 May 2012 at 3:30 pm

                    Bored, you totally lost me.

                    He already had permanant residency, he had been here since 2001.

                    What he did not have was a NZ passport.
                    Why did he get one? given that he is clearly unfit.

                    • David C …
                      23 May 2012 at 3:34 pm

                      and nah no smoke screen to save Banks. He is a short arsed dickhead I hope he gets the arse.

                      There is however a witchhunt to get rid of Jones 🙂 and he will take Shearer with him.

                      and when Crusher kicks Chicken Littles and Yellow Ducks arses that will be 4 gone for good.

                      Yippeee !

                    • Jackal …
                      23 May 2012 at 3:40 pm

                      Your imagination is getting the better of you again David C.

                    • Bored …
                      23 May 2012 at 3:46 pm

                      Go back to school and do some English comprehension.

                    • felix …
                      23 May 2012 at 3:52 pm

                      Lolz if there’s no smokescreen then why would tsmithfield be posting all day on it? He only ever turns up when the govt need some covering fire.

                    • Adolph Koshler …
                      23 May 2012 at 8:26 pm

                      We know why he got a passport. Because Jones took notes, lots and lots of notes. They all had famous kiwi faces on them.

              • Inventory2 …
                23 May 2012 at 7:54 pm

                Did the Internal Affairs official tell Jones that Jackal, or did the IA official tell Jones that Liu had said that? There’s a whole world of difference.

                But it ought not have mattered anyway, as Liu was already a NZ permanent resident, so the question of him being deported to China hadn’t even eventuated.

              • David C …
                23 May 2012 at 9:03 pm

                Jackal, you should read what I actually wrote.

                but Dover didnt say “he is a good bastard” (I was paraphrasing somewhat) but he did actually say” He is a bloody good bloke”

            • Ross 16.1.1.1.1.2
              23 May 2012 at 4:05 pm

              I prefer that Ministers make their own decisions rather than leave it to unelected officials. I don’t recall voting for Geoff May. Or are you suggesting that we should get rid of every MP and leave it to officials to implement policy?

              • David C …
                23 May 2012 at 9:08 pm

                Ross, you think an MP has the time to do a due and dilligant investigation of his/her own into every trivial thing? ever heard of deligation? isnt that why we have staff? to do stuff for us? write reports, sumarise and recomend?

                and IF Jones has weighty evidence that goes agaisnt the Ministrys recomendation where the fuck is it?

  17. Adrian 17
    23 May 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Is’nt Yan’s wife and children NZ’ers ? Can you imagine the shitfight now if he was sent back, and shot because he fucked off someone like.. oh,say, one of those Chinese Government arseholes who is trying really hard to disguise exactly who is buying up stuff like the Crafer farms?
    And who in the ministry is spreading the lie about the “one day” thing? Somebody who owes more to Chinese Govt pressure than to his/her own country?

    • TheContrarian 17.1
      23 May 2012 at 1:50 pm

      “Can you imagine the shitfight now if he was sent back, and shot because he fucked off someone like.. oh,say, one of those Chinese Government arseholes who is trying really hard to disguise exactly who is buying up stuff like the Crafer farms?”

      You mean one of those people in China he defrauded for millions of dollars? And do you think a guy worried about being shot in China would plainly speak about going back to China? No, no, this whole getting shot in China thing is a red herring

  18. r0b 18
    23 May 2012 at 2:00 pm

    See update added to the post.

    • Chris 18.1
      23 May 2012 at 2:05 pm

      That doesn’t answer the part about how he was already allowed to stay in NZ as a permenant resident. Why did he need citizenship to protect him from the death penalty?

      • happynz 18.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 4:13 pm

        OK, just thinking out loud here…Yes, even if he had permanent residency he was still a Chinese citizen. As China does not recognise dual nationality, upon taking the oath of New Zealand citizenship he in effect renounced his Chinese citizenship, thus giving him more security of a sort being here in New Zealand as a citizen rather than a permanent resident.

        • Chris 18.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 4:54 pm

          Security from what? It’s already been shown we don’t extradite anyone if they will be executed.

          • Pascal's bookie 18.1.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 5:11 pm

            Just asking, but seeing this seems to be such an important point, what protection does permanent residency actually confer? same as citizenship? or quite a bit less?

            Weren’t immigration digging to see if they could chuck him out?

            • Chris 18.1.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 7:06 pm

              From the links provided above NZ will not extradite any person if they have or may be sentenced to death – this includes anyone not just citizens (citizens are specifically mentioned for other things). So no extra protection

              • Pascal's bookie …
                23 May 2012 at 7:20 pm

                Yeah, I get that. But extradition isn’t what I’m wondering about. Immigration were looking into him weren’t they?

                Didn’t Cunliffe tell them to’ keep digging’ or some such, because they hadn’t come up with enough for him to revoke residency or whatever?

                • Andrew Geddis …
                  23 May 2012 at 7:29 pm

                  If the fear genuinely was that his residency was going to be removed (and hence his right to stay in NZ ended), then it seems a bit odd to upgrade his status to full citizen.
                  I mean, how would that be justified? “There is a risk we might decide you are not deserving of permanent residence and so get deported back to China … so I’ll say you are deserving enough to be a full citizen of the country.” A bit odd, no?

                  • Pascal's bookie …
                    23 May 2012 at 7:47 pm

                    Yeah, it’s odd, & am not trying to defend Jones from, whatever it is people are not quite getting around alledging he did, I’m just wondering if permanent residency isn’t the same thing as citizenship, which is what people seem to be saying. So there might well have been reasons he’d want the latter.

                    • Andrew Geddis …
                      23 May 2012 at 8:25 pm

                      Oh, I’m sure there are reasons why he (Yan) would want citizenship in NZ – the passport is nice, etc. The question is, why would Jones want to give it to him? And the argument “to save him being kicked out of NZ to face a grisly death in China” just doesn’t seem a very good one … as lots of people have said, permanent residency already means you can’t be “kicked out”, and the avenue for avoiding deportation if that residency is revoked (for any reason) is asylum – not citizenship. So – yeah … something doesn’t match up.

                      That said, maybe Jones really just thought that the Immigration officials were being pricks to Yan and, rather than leave him at their (perceived) mercy, decided to take him out of their hands. But even if this was the case, I don’t think that’s an excuse Jones could put up … “I let Mr Yan stay to show those pesky officials who really runs things round here” … because it turned out to be a pretty bad call (and hence would make his judgment look pretty weak).

    • TheContrarian 18.2
      23 May 2012 at 2:05 pm

      But didn’t he also say he was going back to China himself? Seems somebody has got something wrong somewhere 

    • David C 18.3
      23 May 2012 at 2:07 pm

      yeah r0b? so what?

      Who was trying to throw him out? he had been in the country since 2001 (apart from when he was flitting back and forth to China to do deals)

      • Jackal 18.3.1
        23 May 2012 at 2:37 pm

        What are you guys whinging at r0b for?

        Chris: Somebody is liable for deportation if their refugee and/or protection status is cancelled. Gaining New Zealand citizenship would have stopped this from occurring.

        TheContrarian: There appears to be a big difference between what Yan told officials on various occasions… hence the trial.

        David C: Being that People who are found to have committed immigration fraud can become liable for deportation, the real question is will he be sent back to China if there’s any chance that he will be killed?

        • KJT 18.3.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 2:59 pm

          Apart from anything else, I do not think we should be extraditing people to anywhere they are risking torture, kangaroo courts or the death penalty.

          Straight out human rights issue.

          • tsmithfield 18.3.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 3:06 pm

            He was a permanent resident prior to getting citizenship. The only way he could get back to China was by buying a ticket and heading back by his own free choice.

        • David C 18.3.1.2
          23 May 2012 at 3:02 pm

          well given that he was trying to board a plane out of the country when he was arrested he seems to lack any fear of going back home huh?

        • Chris 18.3.1.3
          23 May 2012 at 3:11 pm

          Except if there was a reasonable suspicion that he would be put to death we would not have deported/extradited him as shown by the links from NRT.

          Citizenship didn’t change anything in this regard.

  19. David C 19
    23 May 2012 at 2:14 pm

    and since he was accused of fraud in China (for quite a sum) shouldnt we have been putting him on a plane to face a court? (after assuranced of no death penalty of course)

    But no…Jones just gives it the big tick.

  20. Fortran 20
    23 May 2012 at 2:15 pm

    An independant (Non Political) enquiry is required as there is a nasty smell around this.
    A QC or similar could be appointed.
    The smell has to be disbursed asap otherwise it will permeate and get stronger.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 20.1
      23 May 2012 at 2:21 pm

      Police complaint still not forthcoming from the chorous of whingers.

      Police investigations still ongoing into John Banks.

      Piss-weak attempt at diversion much?

      • TheContrarian 20.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 2:26 pm

        What does Banks have to do with this? This is about Shane Jones, not Banks. 

        • Kotahi Tane Huna 20.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 2:46 pm

          Do you believe that? How delightfully naive.

          • TheContrarian 20.1.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 2:49 pm

            Your comment implies people on this page, which included me, were trying to divert from Banks. No one is discussing Banks and I for one hope Banks is tossed from parliament. 

        • Jackal 20.1.1.2
          23 May 2012 at 2:48 pm

          Sheesh! John Key made it about John Banks by calling Shearer a hypocrite for not standing Jones down. Do you need everything explained to you The Doctrinarian?

      • Inventory2 20.1.2
        23 May 2012 at 7:56 pm

        Police investigations are still ongoing for Labour Justice spokesman Charles Chauvel as well. Should HE be stood down too? After all, the allegation against him is a breach of the Electoral Act, and that’s right in the ballpark of the Justice spokesman.

        • felix 20.1.2.1
          23 May 2012 at 8:05 pm

          According to John Key police investigations don’t carry much weight. Don’t think he’s ever stood someone down due to a police investigation, has he?

          I imagine he could always just get another policeman to give him an alternate summary of facts anyhow.

          • Inventory2 20.1.2.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 8:48 pm

            Richard Worth?

            • Pascal's bookie 20.1.2.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 9:00 pm

              Nope. Worth was stood down for literally unspeakable acts. Key wouldn’t tell us what vile deed led to him losing confidence in Worth, but I seem to recall him saying it wasn’t the police investigation.

            • felix 20.1.2.1.1.2
              23 May 2012 at 9:07 pm

              Nope. Key refuses to say why he sacked Worth.

  21. gobsmacked 21
    23 May 2012 at 2:50 pm

    I suspect Jones fronted up to the media yesterday after holding his head in his hands while he listened to David Shearer bumbling his way through Jones’ defence in various interviews on Monday (some online now I think – Checkpoint, Newstalk ZB, Radio Live etc).

    The original strategy was correct: it’s a case before the courts, await the verdict, then Jones answers all questions. Fair enough.

    Unfortunately Jones’ leader only made matters worse, giving a half-baked defence (“you’ll have to ask Shane about that” – so naturally the media did).

    Jones can explain himself well enough. His leader can’t. That’s Labour’s problem, right there.

    • tsmithfield 21.1
      23 May 2012 at 3:03 pm

      He hasn’t explained himself though. As has been pointed out by a number of contributors above, the humanitarian explanation was a load of crock.

      Jones explanation suggests that if he hadn’t approved citizenship then Yan would have been shipped back to China for execution and organ extraction. However, Yan already had permanent residency, so there was no possibility of extradition back to China in any event. So there was no humanitarian reason for Jones to approve residency.

  22. Bored 22
    23 May 2012 at 3:14 pm

    TS you really are a Nact troll running a witch hunt as smoke screen for the criminal activities of John Banks whose vote is needed to enable the larcenous rort of NZs assets by Key. Worse you have no compassion, given the chance you would present the man as donated organs. Or maybe not, its too easy to hold the gun, I doubt if you would have the guts to pull the trigger.

    • TheContrarian 22.1
      23 May 2012 at 3:28 pm

      That’s pretty cool Bored. Expect that it has been pointed out several times that the humanitarian example is decidedly fishy and it is pretty convenient for someone to cry humanitarian grounds to avoid having to face charges of fraud in a foreign country.

      Which you accept a murderer into NZ who might face the chair in Texas (hyperbolic I know)   

      • tsmithfield 22.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 3:32 pm

        Yeah, stop being such a drama queen, Bored. If Jones was motivated by humanitarian concerns, the only decision he needed to make was not to revoke residency. There was absolutely no need to approve citizenship. The explanation that Jones has given is BS, pure and simple.

      • KJT 22.1.2
        23 May 2012 at 3:51 pm

        As the innocence project in the States showed, most of the black men facing the chair in Texas were probably wrongfully convicted. So. Yes.

  23. captain hook 23
    23 May 2012 at 3:39 pm

    Shane Jones may not be an oily greasy national party type poltician but he is a real man.
    Not some sort of sleazy smarmy creep that the national party specialises in.

    • higherstandard 23.1
      23 May 2012 at 3:41 pm

      Outstanding parody post.

    • Inverness 23.2
      23 May 2012 at 5:13 pm

      Sleazy smarmy creep?
      You mean the type who while on the taxpayer pay roll uses tax payer money to fund his jackoff movies?

      thats not sleazy at all , certainly from a lefties point of view

    • Adolph Koshler 23.3
      23 May 2012 at 9:38 pm

      Do you mean a real man watches porn while god knows what else on public Government business, using taxpayers money and then take bribes all the while negating the advice of the professional non political government immigration departmental professionals.

      You sir and I have a different opinion of a Real man.

      • Pascal's bookie 23.3.1
        23 May 2012 at 9:43 pm

        “takes bribes” Gosh, another one that’ll be on the phone to the police I’d imagine.

  24. felix 24
    23 May 2012 at 4:03 pm

    Why would anyone want to defend Shane Jones and John Banks?

  25. captain hook 25
    23 May 2012 at 4:42 pm

    peace on you bro!

  26. We Live in Hope 26
    23 May 2012 at 4:49 pm

    Labour need this like a hole in the head right now. Is this Jones saga going to overshadow the Budget announcement and divert the media’s limited attention away from critical debates that are needed on areas of cuts to education, health etc.

  27. Pascal's bookie 27
    23 May 2012 at 5:13 pm

    Well he’s been stood down anyway.

    So hopefully now the AG is investigating, after someone finally got around to asking, we’ll find out what the hell is going on without all the political smake and mirrors and PMs calling people hypocrits and whatnot.

    • Carol 27.1
      23 May 2012 at 5:22 pm

      Shearer will be on CheckPoint, RNZ just after 5.30pm.

      Good move by Shearer. Key still hasn’t stood down Banks from the cabinet.

      • gobsmacked 27.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 5:27 pm

        He was on Checkpoint on Monday explaining why he HADN’T stood Jones down.

        FFS, it’s Politics 101. Work out where it’s going, then do it. Or don’t do it. But either way, don’t give your opponents a free hit for three days.

        • gobsmacked 27.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 5:43 pm

          Heard today’s interview just now. Mary Wilson had him for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

          Shearer hasn’t got it, and so we just have to sit and wait for months while Labour work that out. Christ.

  28. Jackal 28
    23 May 2012 at 5:19 pm

    Shane Jones stood down

    Labour have called in the auditor general to investigate in the Bill Liu case and stood MP Shane Jones down.

    Jones knew there were serious questions over the true identity of Chinese millionaire Yong Ming Yan, also known as Bill Liu, when he gave him a New Zealand passport.

    The news of Jones’ stand down came late this afternoon.

  29. gobsmacked 29
    23 May 2012 at 5:23 pm

    The political advantage in standing Jones down was there for the taking, a few days ago.

    There’s not much to be had now. Seriously, who’s running this show?

  30. Barry 30
    23 May 2012 at 5:32 pm

    I was giving Shane Jones the benefit of the doubt until he opened his mouth.

    He was not asking for asylum. Fear of persecution or execution is not grounds for giving citizenship, nor is it a reason for ignoring criminality in decision making.

    If Jones is telling the truth then he was conned big time.

    Please let’s have an investigation. It has to be a government initiated report from a QC or some other independent party. I agree with Shearer that there is no reason to damn Jones yet, but he needs to get it all out in the public and then cut him loose if it is warranted.

  31. ianmac 31
    23 May 2012 at 5:39 pm

    Labour Party leader David Shearer has asked the Auditor General to investigate Shane Jones’ handling of the citizenship application of Chinese businessman William Yan in 2008 and stood him down while the inquiry takes place.

    In the Herald just now.
    A great move as it puts Key/Banks back on the spot.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10807904

    • sweetd 31.1
      23 May 2012 at 6:26 pm

      The AG request is to look at the process, not the decision. Its the inquiry you have when you don’t want an inquiry.

      • Pascal's bookie 31.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 6:43 pm

        maybe someone should seek to broaden the enquiry then.

        What’s stopping them?

        I’m keen to get to the bottom of it all.

        Where’s the government?

        Can’t they launch an enquiry of some sort?

    • Herodotus 31.2
      23 May 2012 at 6:59 pm

      ianmac disagree- all it does is display that Shearer has changed his opinion based on public perception. Nothing has changed from when Shearer went eye to eye with Jones and got his assurances.
      As time goes one more questions are raised than answered. For me what official said “Mr Jones says he was told that Mr Yan would be “jailed, executed and his organs harvested” if he was sent back to China.”
      “That to me comprised grounds for a humanitarian decision,” Mr Jones says.(Sourced from The Jackal)
      So what was this danger, and if so why was it reported -“He (Yan) said he had a lot of support from members of Parliament … He was going to take them to China.”
      Not the actions you would think was appropriate if your body parts were wanted by the Chinese govt?
      Another case of a side show distraction conceived by labour and mismanaged by a changing their position when National are exposed (This time re the Budget).

    • Adolph Koshler 31.3
      23 May 2012 at 7:53 pm

      Hoooray, That makes corruption go away. Lets all hide our head in the sand, it never happend.

      I hope Shearer is being honest here and not playing silly games. An investigation needs to begin now to find out who is involved.

  32. Vicky32 32
    23 May 2012 at 5:59 pm

    <bookmarking>

  33. David C 33
    23 May 2012 at 6:13 pm

    Well Shearer gets one point for integrity, one more than Helen ever got.

    • David C 33.1
      23 May 2012 at 6:26 pm

      Silent T has cut Jones adrift!

      “I’m not aware of the grounds Mr Jones considered,” he says. “That’s a matter for Mr Jones.”

      tooo funny.

  34. Roflcopter 34
    23 May 2012 at 6:34 pm

    The terms of reference Shearer is talking about are a crock of shit.

    Noone is debating the process, I’m sure he followed it 100%. The issue is the murkiness surrounding the decision to go against all advice and grant Liu citizenship.

    All Labour are doing is dragging out the inevitable to try and hide a few other skeletons in the closet in this whole affair.

    Go right ahead, and make sure you’ve got plenty of popcorn handy, coz this is bound to get better.

    • tsmithfield 34.1
      23 May 2012 at 6:38 pm

      I agree. It also allows them to shut down questions on the issue on the basis that “the auditor general is inquiring into it”.

      However, I disagree on the issue of process, because I think Jones might well come unstuck there.

      If the only reason he approved citizenship was due to his humanitarian concerns about Yan or whatever his name is, being shipped back to China, executed and harvested for organs, then all Jones needed to do was to continue his residency status. There was no need whatsoever to take the extra step of approving citizenship. I am sure the auditor general will grasp this in an instant.

      • Inventory2 34.1.1
        23 May 2012 at 7:59 pm

        Absolutely right tsmithfield. Yan/Liu was already a permanent resident of NZ, and would have to have had his residence revoked and be served with a Removal Order before shipping him back to China would even have been contemplated.

        • felix 34.1.1.1
          23 May 2012 at 8:08 pm

          What exactly stands in the way of having one’s residence revoked?

          • Inventory2 34.1.1.1.1
            23 May 2012 at 8:22 pm

            Lengthy court proceedings Felix. By the time the revokation and the Removal Order were contested, appealed then appealed to a higher court, it would be easy to see several years pass by.

            • felix 34.1.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2012 at 8:52 pm

              So time.

              But apart from the time it takes, what actually materially stops one’s residency being revoked?

          • David C 34.1.1.1.2
            23 May 2012 at 8:26 pm

            well felix, it looks like a fundraiser or two and a contribution to an MP or two will stand in the way of having residency revoked.

          • tsmithfield 34.1.1.1.3
            23 May 2012 at 8:29 pm

            A quite acceptable way for Jones to have handled it would be to have made a decision along the lines of:

            1. There are a number of aspects to this application that concern me sufficiently so as not to approve citizenship.
            2. On the other hand, I am concerned about issues raised about Yan’s safety should he be deported to China should his residency be revoked.
            3. Therefore my decision is to decline citizenship at this stage, but to also indicate that no application to revoke residency will be considered until I am satisfied that Yan will be safe should he be deported to China.

      • twisted hive 34.1.2
        23 May 2012 at 8:11 pm

        You’re right tsmithfield in that it allows Shearer to shut down questions about Jones.

        But it also opens Shearer himself right up for questions.

        What did he know when?
        Why didn’t he stand Jones earlier?
        What specific information caused him to elevate the problem to the AG?
        Isn’t the AG move an admission of failure of his own leadership skills?

        On top of that, you’ve got to wonder what Labour were thinking handing the government a dead fish to slap them around with – an admission, or at least perception of admission, of serious misconduct – the day before the budget?

  35. Adolph Koshler 35
    23 May 2012 at 7:32 pm

    This selling citizenship for cash is disgraceful we are now no different than third world countries where backhanders and payoffs are compulsory.

    No wonder people are taking off overseas. What happened to the honest Kiwi! Very sad indeed.

  36. Adolph Koshler 36
    23 May 2012 at 8:35 pm

    Good old Rick Barker is a good mate eh! Passed it on to Shane Jones to do the dodgy work, apparently he knew this guy too well. He must be laughing all the way to the bank. I think there are quite a few mixed up in this corruption.

    The truth needs to come out.

  37. Hulun Phallis 37
    23 May 2012 at 8:38 pm

    IrishBill: Banned for good for being a dullard.

    • prism 37.1
      23 May 2012 at 8:44 pm

      What a strange pseudonym. What does it mean? Are you a conspiracy theorist? Questions probably without answers.

      [lprent: I means that one of my unfavorite trolls has escaped into the site. I will hunt him down later and eject him back to his lonely self-abuse. Looks like Irish already killed the comment. I’ll add his portal to the bans. ]

    • Pascal's bookie 37.2
      23 May 2012 at 8:58 pm

      haha—>” treason”.

      Good one.

      Obviously, as a patriot, you’ll be doing something about that right?

      What sort of person would suspect treason and not go the police, at the very least?

  38. Georgecom 38
    23 May 2012 at 8:58 pm

    Shearer called for Banks to be stood down and investigated.
    Key refused.
    The jones issue blew up.
    Shearer said he backed the process Jones took, if not the decision made.
    Key said it was a hypocritical position.
    Shearer has now stood Jones down and called for an investigation.

    Question: Will Mister Key do the same with John Banks?

    hypocrisy?

    • Pascal's bookie 38.1
      23 May 2012 at 9:02 pm

      Scott Yorke has highlighted how similar the cases are:

      http://www.imperatorfish.com/2012/05/yes-this-is-just-same.html

    • David C 38.2
      23 May 2012 at 9:21 pm

      hypocricy? nope not a bit.

      Banks was a private indivual that did some advocacy on behalf of Dotcom. Banks had no power over the outcome.
      Jones was a Minister and made a bizzzare call to grant a person accused of fraud in 2 countries citizenship after a letter from his mate Dover. How much $$ was paid is unclear.

      Feild is doing time for the same thing isnt he?

      • mickysavage 38.2.1
        23 May 2012 at 9:51 pm

        What difference is there that Banks was a “private individual”?  And in any event wasn’t he the Mayor of Auckland at the time?

      • Georgecom 38.2.2
        24 May 2012 at 12:27 pm

        Shearer called for Banks to be stood down and investigated.
        Key refused.
        The jones issue blew up.
        Shearer said he backed the process Jones took, if not the decision made.
        Key said it was a hypocritical position.
        Shearer has now stood Jones down and called for an investigation.

        Question: Will Mister Key do the same with John Banks?

  39. David C 39
    23 May 2012 at 9:10 pm

    Three months later, bank accounts he held in Australia were frozen and in June 2007, $4m was sent to the Chinese Government. Yan was not convicted of any offence – he agreed to the repatriation without an admission of liability – but allegations swirling around him were so serious immigration officials suggested his permanent residency be revoked.

    It just gets better….

  40. Adolph Koshler 40
    23 May 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Who was the Labour party fundraiser at the time, they must know where all this money was coming from?

  41. mickysavage 41
    23 May 2012 at 9:48 pm

    Gee the right wingers are like pigs in muck over this.  I look forward to them enjoying the Banks scandal that is brewing away ready to erupt …

  42. Jester 42
    24 May 2012 at 12:40 am

    “… Under those circumstances there’s a clear humanitarian case. So clear, in fact, that it would be unlawful to remove Liu from the country. We don’t extradite people to execution. We don’t deport them to it either. Any Minister in Jones’ position would have made exactly the same decision. And if not, the courts would have made it for them.”

    Um, we may need to rethink that train of thought.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/343543/Christian-refugee-sent-back-to-Iran

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/351966/Torture-possible-in-Iran

  43. Adam 43
    24 May 2012 at 1:24 am

    Since when have contributors to this site had such faith in the veracity of officials? These guys are standing on their hind legs in court making statements about what Liu/Yan said to them four years ago (which they didn’t think to minute at the time or hand over to the defence during discovery). They are making allegations about the conduct of a former minister who has not been called as a defendant or a witness, which on simple factual matters like timing turn out to be bollocks. And they have been leaking to Wishart from day one in an effort to pressure/punish said minister. And the Chinese have failed to pursue this supposed major fraud case. Don’t you think something fails the sniff test?

  44. chris73 44
    24 May 2012 at 6:53 am

    Move along, nothing to see here, he was just guilty of being helpful etc etc

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 hours ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 hours ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 hours ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 hours ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    8 hours ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    8 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    10 hours ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    Skeptical Science
    23 hours ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    1 day ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago

  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-13T05:55:08+00:00