NRT: A Poor Choice

Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, May 6th, 2016 - 26 comments
Categories: corruption, Judith Collins, national - Tags: , , , ,

I/S at No Right Turn


A poor choice

David Cameron is holding an anti-corruption summit in London next week, aimed at “step[ping] up global action to expose, punish and drive out corruption in all walks of life”. New Zealand’s representative to this summit? Apparently its Judith Collins:

This would be the same Judith Collins dubbed the “Minister of Corruption” over her dodgy Oravida dealings. Is John Key taking the piss, or did he take the title literally as an endorsement rather than a disqualification? Or did they just view the summit as an opportunity for someone to get a free taxpayer-funded holiday to London, and it was Collins’ turn at the trough? Either way, its a perfect sign of just how little National cares about corruption, tax evasion and international money-laundering, and how unlikely we are to see any real progress on tax cheating from them.

26 comments on “NRT: A Poor Choice ”

  1. save NZ 1

    Unbelievable!

    Although since Cameron has been outed in the panama papers, maybe not surprising.

    At least he showed his tax returns, something John Key is tellingly very reluctant to do.

    The foxes guarding the hen house strikes again.

  2. Draco T Bastard 2

    Probably the only choice. National obviously need to know what steps are going to be implemented to combat fraud and corruption so they sent their most experienced person in such things to find out.

  3. TC 3

    nothing like rubbing kiwis noses in it nact style

  4. Richard Christie 4

    Paula Bennett looking after climate change, Judith Collins on anti-corruption , tax haven promoting lawyers conducting inquiries into tax havens etc

    If anything, the Nats are consistent.

    (Or could be a case of getting all those overseas holiday jaunts in, – sorry – family business promotional tours in, because it’s shaping up to be their final term in office.)

    • Mosa 4.1

      They will get a fourth term after the vote in September 2017 because kiwis don’t care and John is like an old family friend who makes them feel better when he pops round with the grog and meat for the barbie and laughs at their jokes.

      • AmaKiwi 4.1.1

        @ Mosa

        “They will get a fourth term”

        Read/listen to Chomsky on Radio NZ Nine to Noon. If that level of rage erupts here, the Nats will be dog tucker.

  5. Lanthanide 5

    Remedial lessons for Collins.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 5.1

      Perhaps Judith Collins might have a better idea of what constitutes corruption after this summit.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 5.2

      Perhaps Judith Collins might have a better idea of what constitutes corruption after this summit.

  6. toad 6

    Just wondering if:

    a) Collins’ husband will be accompanying her; and

    b) They will be dropping in for a glass of milk at one of his companies somewhere in Europe; and

    c) They will be having dinner with an un-named senior European border official.

  7. whateva next? 7

    and, are we surprised?

  8. weka 8

    They take the piss every chance they can get.

  9. newsense 9

    Good news if David Shearer would like to cast himself as a solid anti-corruption campaigner. That’s a good solid opposition role.

    The other two things he’s sort of done- play the international UN-type statesman card and things like support Key’s flag have been ok and not so great respectively.

    But there is a lot of anti-corruption to be done. It’s a weak spot for the Nats. He’s got a bit of that honest charity internationalist reputation, but this adds a specific, local and strong attack to that.

    Constant attacks on the competency of the government on all fronts: Kelvin on prisons and deportations, Cunliffe on trusts and the Panama papers, Shearer on corruption, Shaw on climate change credits, Little on greed and selfishness (as character flaws- implied comparison between state-house boy Key asleep at the wheel on housing and the safe, dry housing whatever), Twyford on housing (though drop the racism ffs, there’s plenty of targets to pin things on here)….
    others can step up- these are just hits I’ve noticed that have landed recently.

    Anyway- if Labour is going to be in opposition it is heartening to see it begin to warm to its task of opposition.

  10. Booker 10

    I wouldn’t be surprised if “anti-corruption summit” is just a front, and she’s really over there to meet and greet for some secret interest. Really, if that transpired, I wouldn’t be surprised. Disappointed, yes. Surprised? No.

  11. Chromophore 11

    A long way for Judith to travel with all that baggage.

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