Open Mike 06/11/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 6th, 2017 - 70 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

70 comments on “Open Mike 06/11/2017 ”

  1. Gristle 1

    Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties?

    Some posts and discussions have had a lot of thought and effort gone into them, but also are flavoured with originality and appear to be worthy of further investigation. (Others not some much.)

    Does anybody have examples where something written here on The Standard has been picked up by a political party? Is it even an objective of the site to be an influencer?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1

      Clare Curran suggested squatters’ rights as a solution to homelessness 🙂

      • David Mac 1.1.1

        Clare has since changed her stance. She came home from holiday to discover 2 families living in her place…..I’m kiddin…..sort of.

    • OnceWasTim 1.2

      I can’t point to anything specific @Gristle, but there have been several things where policies ‘coincide’ with posts and comments written.
      Ditto TDB.

      And now on a related issue:
      Jacinder Adhern will not approach the PNG Government over Manus Island.
      I wonder how it would be if the PNG government were to approach the NZ government – possibly as (say) a French Government initiative offering limited placements in Noumea, Papeete ?

      • Wayne 1.2.1

        I am pretty certain that the various governments will not do this. They would all know that this would be hugely disruptive on the various bilateral relationships. Any deal will have the involvement of Australia.

        The PM has already shown she intends to work with Australia on this issue, not go outside them. The bilateral relationship between NZ and Australian is way too important for the situation of the Manus island refugees to dictate how it runs. Not that Standardnistas seem to agree with that.

        I note that there are already three new camps that have been built for the refugees with full support, (accommodation, food etc). Australia has paid, or will pay $150 million for this. The refugees say they will not be safe, but presumably extra security can be arranged.

        I suspect that the refugees are using the current opportunity to get maximum publicity, especially in New Zealand, to get an early removal from Manus. But if that doesn’t succeed, which is not looking likely, then I imagine they will go to the new camps.

    • Stunned mullet 1.3

      While I have little faith in any political parties or politicians I don’t think any of them are daft enough to take their policy lead from political blogs which represent only a few very politically motivated wonks.

      • OnceWasTim 1.3.1

        I was waiting for a comment or two from Dishonourable members of the ‘electronic opposition’. We might even expect the gNats to start to see accusations in parliament from those very powerful Honourable opposition members – policy taken from “that far left Laboour blog The Standard, and a bunch of commies from TDB”. All the while when they continue to take advice from Koiwoiblog and the Tax Payers Union

        • Stunned Mullet 1.3.1.1

          If government ministers take their policy lead from the Daily blog, Whaleoil, The Standard or Kiwiblog we’re all well fucked.

          • OnceWasTim 1.3.1.1.1

            so you think elected politicians along with their advisors are incapable of weeding out what are effectively submissions with accompanying evidence from a variety of sources, from chaff and bluster? I know there’s little faith in politicians, but its a far better system than most other alternatives.
            I prefer the various processes to be as transparent as possible and available to public scrutiny – and venues such as this, or select committees, or advocacy groups who publish their policies all try to do that.
            Far better than secretive little deals between politicians and individuals with card access to the parliamentary precincts.

      • Descendant Of Sssmith 1.3.2

        That’s a bit like saying nobody should bother submitting to select committees cause it won’t change anything.

        I did complain about the labour party having state housing for life and the 8 hour working day 40 hour working week on the frontage of their website as if they actually believed in these things.

        I did notice they disappeared shortly after. Likely co-incidence but what a bunch of wankers abusing what the Labour Party used to believe in and deliver vs the right wing policies they believe in now.

        • OnceWasTim 1.3.2.1

          No it’s not at all. All methods are legitimate. Submissions to select committees, visits to electorate offices, comments on posts/blogs (for that broad spectrum drench – ‘The Left’: TS, TDB and No Right Turn as examples), Worker Advocacy Groups, and you know who for ‘The Right’

      • Gristle 1.3.3

        Most policy leads come “politically motivated wonks,” it’s just that the wonks are their wonks. Taking a lead from a political blog is quite different from using a political blog to be the major/only source of policy ideas.

        As an aside, what is it you find in political parties or politicians that cause you to have little faith in them?

    • Incognito 1.4

      Interesting questions but I think it might be more fruitful to ask individual posters & commenters why they do what they’re doing here on TS and with what expectations or goals, if any. There’s the small nitty-gritty stuff and there’s the larger picture …

      No Man Is an Island

      John Donne – 1624

      • Ant 1.4.1

        Donne’s majestic poem is exemplified today as we all find ourselves affected,willingly or not in the trials of the world (and a few triumphs) through hyper-efficient news dissemination.

        Unlike a few decades ago we currently stifle in a seething miasma of ideas instantly and widely disseminated via social media . Each thought/observation tossed into the pool finds its home with the like-minded to await endorsement or amplification. Tweeting and re-tweeting, posting and reposting we add to the tangle and it is at once challenging and unnerving.

        Greenwald observes “…..journalists… endorse factually false claims that quickly spread and become viral, entrenched into narratives, and thus can never be adequately corrected. Its space constraints mean that tweeted headlines or tiny summaries of reporting are often assumed to be true with no critical analysis of their accuracy,”

        ehttps://theintercept.com/2017/11/05/four-viral-claims-spread-by-journalists-on-twitter-in-the-last-week-alone-that-are-false/asily spread”

        As someone observed “you cannot un-ring the bell” First impressions last.

        Essential to post our thoughts to enrich the cognitive climate (noosphere) in the belief that good ideas that are seasonally apt will germinate, capture the imagination of the like-minded and spread to outcompete those aligned with degenerative capitalism.

        Action is also required, as has been said ‘more than believing in the change you want to see, or even expounding it, we have to be the change

        • Gabby 1.4.1.1

          You’re arguing for decisive intervention in the nature of the government of the nations from which these unfortunate young men were forced to flee, I take it.

          • Ant 1.4.1.1.1

            No, that’s forcing the change.

            I had more in mind being proactive participating in our new government’s socialistically oriented initiatives.
            Taking practical steps that epitomize optimal climate change life style.
            Participating in forums where negatives such as ‘attack politics’ are replaced by acknowledging good ideas and praising them.
            Being “relentlessly positive” as a mantra that will keep us focused on the best we can become.

        • Incognito 1.4.1.2

          Great comment(s)!

          Where do ideas come from, where do they originate? In the collective unconscious perhaps?

          Why do some ideas resonate? For example, neoliberalism felt good, it sounded good, but did it truly resonate with our whole being? I think it did not; it was a fad, a tempting and seductive one, but one nonetheless.

          In this context, I think it is very important that politicians look outside their own ‘zones of comfort & familiarity’. They need to tap into the ‘wisdom of the crowd’. Our 120 MPs or the 63 who are ‘more or less’ in Government won’t have the time or intellectual & spiritual reach of the ‘crowd’ and will thus be exposed to only a limited range of ideas. This is not an intrinsically bad thing but it slows down progress and human evolution. Of course, politicians are under constant pressure to choose between binaries, which locks the mind into certain mind-set. Instead of diverging they need to learn to converge, we all do …

    • Ad 1.5

      More interesting to ask the reverse:

      Who here largely spins on behalf of this government?

    • DH 1.6

      “Have discussions or posts on The Standard influenced political parties? ”

      I’d say yes. The David Cunliffe episode was heavily influenced by this publication.

      Generally I’m of the view that if you say something that makes sense others might adopt it, and if it’s babble they’ll reject it. I would think numerous seeds have been sown on this ground.

    • mickysavage 1.7

      I reckon the Standard has had a major effect on both leadership contests and provides a good insight into what lefties are thinking. It is not so much the posts themselves but the discussion of the posts where often the really interesting ideas come from.

      • greywarshark 1.7.1

        mickysavage
        First come the posts! And we are eternally grateful to the authors for sticking in there at the top with their thoughtful and sourced writing.

        Then we commenters can build on that, sliding pieces in or out, making additions, questioning strength of argument, likely scenario for each idea posited, looking to the heart of the matter, like a complicated puzzle box.

      • Anne 1.7.2

        Agreed ms. In the past I have had one or two Labour politicians start conversations based on something they have seen on TS. Some Labour pollies even commented here until they were driven away by hostile responses. I was one of them during the course of the leadership wars a few years ago which is something I now regret. But in the heat of the moment when emotions are running high……

      • OnceWasTim 1.7.3

        Agreed.
        I noticed over the years, comments and responses from both Darrien Fenton and Clare Curran.
        Similarly, TDB has contributions from various advocacy groups and people connected with political parties across Labour, Greens and NZ1 – even MP and Mana.
        The ‘Right’ have equivalents, but I’d say they’re generally more secretive and operate with other opaque means of influence over policy.
        I quite like it that The Penguin, The Sloth, and others are running their agendas openly on other public platforms (NZHearald, Stuff, 7 Blunt, Shock Jock Radio, et al), and blogs. It’s a shame we have to wait for the shady deals and cronyism to gradually leak out – drip drip drip. Though the obvious ‘rightie’ commenters on here can be a total piss off at times – almost to the point of seeing who is ‘on or off shift’ at various times – they kind of expose themselves. (Sometimes it’s bloody obvious when you look at linguistic style, or the things that get their knickers in a twist – they emerge almost on queue. Sometimes one can even smell the fear).

        • garibaldi 1.7.3.1

          One thing for sure is that TS has had no effect on Wayne. He still comes on TV speaking as if he’s a National cabinet minister.

          • Incognito 1.7.3.1.1

            A well-grounded media training and deep-rooted habits perhaps? Wayne should not be our yardstick.

    • Muttonbird 1.8

      Just today Fran O said “the commentariat” had been vocal in their criticism of JA not making a firm statement on Manus after meeting with Turnbull. Presumably The Standard is a significant part of “the commentariat”.

    • David Mac 1.9

      Hell yeah. Politicians read this site and Farrar’s to stick a finger in the air. They’ll look at Cam’s site to see where the lobby $ is being spent and Martyn’s to see what the fringe are whacking on about.

      I’d say stuff directed at Jacinda and Bill in blogs that I’d never say face to face. In the real world I’m a sycophant.

      Does the vibe in blogs ever get carried over into policy? As much as anybody setting that policy will deny it, of course what they read and see has an influence on their decisions.

      As much as we like to think otherwise, ultimately we make all of our decisions emotionally.

      When I consider why I buy the toilet cleaner I do, I have no better justification than ‘I love that little duck guy.’

      • David Mac 1.9.1

        There was a time not so long ago that politicians kept a finger on our nation’s pulse via newspapers. In search of relevance the modern newspaper has become the go to reference if you’re wondering how the Kardashians got such large bottoms.

      • Carolyn_nth 1.9.2

        Actually I buy toilet based on the experience I’ve had of how well they did the job in the past… and I buy duck stuff because I can get the top off easily with my hands, rather than having to get out the pliers, hold the bottle between my feet and struggle with it – which is my experience with most other toilet cleaners –

        so it’s a rational decision.

        • David Mac 1.9.2.1

          Rubbish, you buy Harpic because your Mother did.

          We all like to think that we’re smart enough to think as you describe but we don’t. We lean towards where our hearts lie.

          • greywarshark 1.9.2.1.1

            Too true David Mac. And amusing. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, who is allowed to?

  2. Gristle 2

    Thanks for the lead. I see that you and Weka have pushed this in the past. Are you aware if Claire Curren picked this approach up from here?

  3. Ad 3

    Worth looking at Q&A Ardern v Dann.

    Ardern is clear she will pick one or two industries per year and negotiate big wage increases across a whole industry.

    Bus drivers was an example.

    Harriet Gale at Greater Auckland covers it today.

    All power to this PM. Great job so far.

  4. vto 4

    a correction to an old saying;

    If you’re not a socialist by the age of 20 then you haven’t got a heart..

    If you’re not a capitalist by the age of 30 then you haven’t got a brain..

    If you’re not a socialist again by the age of 40 then you haven’t got a heart or a brain.

    • OnceWasTim 4.1

      “If you’re not a socialist by the age of 20 then you haven’t got a heart..
      If you’re not a capitalist by the age of 30 then you haven’t got a brain..
      If you’re not a socialist again by the age of 40 then you haven’t got a heart or a brain.”

      So what the hell do you reckon went wrong with Chris Finlayson? (I think he has both a heart and a brain, but he’s way past his mid-life crisis)
      Bolger and McKinnon are probably busy, still reconsidering their position and their ‘faith’.
      And as that old ‘joke’ goes … English is still wondering what caused all his kids – especially after some treasury official couldn’t give him an answer.

  5. eco maori 5

    Well I no that I said that I would like to see movies on NZ land wars but as I look around our world and see what could happen I change my mind . We could write/make movies about Maori being the first exporters or having some of the first cars many good stories that show OUR mana fuck WAR ,
    You no that I said I was assistant manager of a 5000 cow farm well it was not just me.
    I had 13 of my iwi /people working with me my wife daughters sons and other family members and we smashed it the farm was running better than it ever had . This other out fit took over the sharemilking and decided that the Maori were not good enough to manage the farm . But they need me to run farm during the dry season I should have looked for another farm for us they paid us a flight down south to keep me there showed me some of there farms down south . And because I had so many people on the farm I stayed. The idiot new manager change all the systems on the farm he changed our feed plan for the cows . He burnt through all the cows rations that were budget to last 2 months in 3 weeks he made me effluent man of course we had a couple of Hongi’s by now as I coud see he was fucking things up our hard work he decided it was best to give me my space. I got a nother job and left thats a whole new story .This new manager gave some one whom I would not have give a job as assistant he was not very skilled my job six month later LOL. And because this outfit let its prejudice opinion make there choices for them and decided to hire someone with all the paper knowledge but his practical skills and people skills were lacking/ shit.
    They end up going broke cost them $20. million and more so you see people being raciest cost OUR country Billions open your eyes and hire the right people for the job.
    I expected me and my sons to be managing a farm each by now I no they have the skills to do this. But some people have thrown a spanner in my familys future shitting on OUR good name and put us in hardship .
    Now with Lawn’s Grass is like any other plant you can train IT to grow slow or feed it to grow fast If you want it to grow slow you cut it short and you can stress it ie scalp it and it will slow down so scalp it in spring and lift the cut when it dries up as in my option my clients want a green clean lawn .So if you want to mow 3 to 4 weeks scalp your lawn and mow it again in five days this will stress it and slow the growth. You see the best skills on can have is observation and growing grass is one of the mains skills a farmer needs Yes Jack you are right lawn is not good for our enviroment it is a luxury not many people around OUR world can afford. See I told you Jacinda Is Intelligent. P.S I’v got a move that’s going to make them shit the bed. Kia Kaha

    • Descendant Of Sssmith 5.1

      “being racist cost OUR country Billions open your eyes and hire the right people for the job”

      Couldn’t agree more. Racist employers simply suck.

  6. Carolyn_nth 6

    Panama Papers Mk2: AKA the Paradise Papers, is a breaking story from the International Consortium of Journalists, in collaboration with some MSM organisations int he UK, US and Germany. It is a leak of papers relating to offshore trusts related to the corporation Appleby, now called Estera.

    The Guardian has several articles on it today, including “What are the Paradise Papers”.

    The ICoJ has much on it, including this article.

    NZ is not mentioned in anything I have read so far. But Cook islands, Samoa, and Oceana get mentions.

    The ICoJ article linked above says this:

    The leaked cache of documents includes more than half a million files from Asiaciti Trust, a family-run offshore specialist that is headquartered in Singapore and has satellite offices from Samoa in the South Pacific to Nevis in the Caribbean.

    It didn’t take me long to find this document, from the Managing Director – Trust Services for the Asiaciti Trust Group, who claims to be a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand and a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

    https://www.parliament.nz/resource/0000059335

    It’s a submission to the proposed changes in 2007, to Trusstee laws.

    NZ Business directory for this trust group.

    The New Zealand Herald has a 2016 article on such trusts, and has a brief mention of Asiaciti

    Whitney was one of a handful of small firms and barristers, along with Cone Marshall, John W. Hart, OliverShaw, Anchor Trustees and Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, who subsequently met with the then Revenue Minister Todd McClay on December 18, 2014.

    I’m sure David Fisher and Matt Nippert will be on it.

    • amirite 6.1

      New Zealand is donkey deep in it, thanks to John Key
      Paradise Papers: Link to firm that sued murdered Malta journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia http://www.afr.com/news/policy/tax/paradise-papers-link-to-firm-that-sued-murdered-malta-journalist-daphne-caruana-galizia-20171105-gzf1v0#ixzz4xbmZKQyR

      • Carolyn_nth 6.1.1

        Thanks. I can’t access that link without subscribing. What does it have to do with John Key?

        I am trying to find when the Paradise Papers were released to the German newspaper. All I can find is that the leaked documents contain material from 1950-2016.

        I was trying to see if there is a link between the leaking of the Paradise Papers, and John key’s surprise resignation at the end of 2016.

        It seems that after the Paradise Papers were leaked, various news organisations and ICoJ started to investigate them, and are now going public.

        • amirite 6.1.1.1

          I don’t know why that link is not working, it’s opens up for me and I’m not a subscriber but anyway
          This bit here:
          Leaked documents from the Asiaciti trust group in Singapore show inquiries by Henley & Partners, which runs a business migration program for the government of Malta, about setting up asset protection trusts in the Cook Islands which would thwart attempts by creditors for restitution.

          (…)

          The files raise questions about the loose oversight role that New Zealand’s government holds over the Cook Islands, a year after the Panama Papers forced changes in how New Zealand foreign trusts operate.

          Former Allens Arthur Robinson lawyer James McConvill reported after a 2010 marketing trip for Appleby to Auckland and Wellington that law firms told him that then Prime Minister John Key was leading measures to promote New Zealand as an offshore hub through foreign trusts, which pay no tax on earnings outside New Zealand.

          “Apparently the New Zealand Prime Minister is personally pushing the proposal, and it is expected to come into effect in 2011,” Mr McConvill reported. “In numerous meetings I was told that this proposal, if implemented, could lead to a lot of work for Appleby and other offshore firms.”

          Cooks Island residents also hold New Zealand citizenship, but Rarotonga​ runs its own foreign policy.

          The Cook Islands was the first country to enact an asset protection law in 1989, under which foreign creditors are barred from challenging the assets of a trust after a waiting period of one to two years. “

          • amirite 6.1.1.1.1

            Cont’d
            Adrian Taylor of Asiaciti told Mr Kalin that “the maximum time limitation period in respect of creditor ‘fraudulent transfer’ actions is two years from the date of transfer of assets into the trust. In some cases that period may be as little as 12 months.”

            Mr Kalin replied: “I will be in touch or may refer the client directly to you. His name is Mr Karkukly from Chicago.”

            No further details are available. However, the following day Mr Taylor referred to Mr Kalin in an email exchange with a lawyer with Texas law firm Cantey Hanger.

            The US lawyer responded: “I spoke to Chris no more than 30 minutes ago. I know exactly why he is asking about Cook Island entities. I know so because he told me and asked me about it.

            “I think it is a great opportunity for Asiaciti, assuming your business sources in Switzerland do not catch wind of it.”

            US records indicate only one family named Karkukly lived in Chicago at the time, with several family members involved in setting up a remittance business.

            One of these, Ahmad Karkukly, a loans officer with Countrywide Home Loans Inc, was subsequently jailed for his part in a $US17.2 million mortgage fraud which was uncovered in December 2006.

            Henley & Partners declined to comment. Its position is that it has never had any involvement whatsoever in the Cook Islands. Asiaciti did not comment.

            Henley Trust, which changed its name to Athos Group last year, provides corporate and trust services but had no legal connection with Henley & Partners, the firm maintains.

            In December 2012 H&P Trust Company (Switzerland) AG wrote to Asiaciti’s Cook Islands office to introduce Dmitry Fadeev, a Singapore-based Russian who earned $US37 million in a $US1.4 billion sale of Russia’s largest juicing company to Pepsico in 2008.

            The enclosed letter was on Henley & Partners stationery and used a Henleyglobal.com email address.

            Asiaciti set up the Sakama Trust for Fadeev, to hold 7 million shares in Eagle Holdings Ltd of Anguilla and millions of shares in Panama companies Vinson International SA and Byzantium Global SA.

            Henley & Partners also appears in the Appleby files, which show the firm was forced to repay $US468,150 in a legal action by Russian Otkritie Securities over a $US150 million fraud by its London traders.

            Ruslan Pinaev, one of the Otkritie traders involved with the fraud had paid Henley $US492,118. Mr Kalin declined to answer if the payment was for a citizenship application.

            The Asiaciti files show numerous clients – property developers, doctors, dentists, fund managers – who noted that all income was reported to tax offices.

            Kenneth Whitney, the lawyer for former NZ PM John Key, in 2007 set up Catamount Holdings Trust for New York investment banker Neil Winward, formerly of Dresdner Kleinwort.

            In other cases, Asiaciti offered a mortgage scheme where clients could in effect lend money to themselves from offshore accounts, and claim interest payments as deductions.

            Other Asiaciti trust clients in the Cook Islands include:

            Gary A Denkberg, who set up two trusts, and is facing charges of defrauding elderly people in the US of $US30 million.

            The family of Kazakhstan senior official Serik Burkitbayev, one-time adviser to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was convicted of corruption in 2009.

            Kevin Trudeau, imprisoned for fraud in the US in January over a long-running series of marketing frauds.

            Arturo Rafael Frieri Gallo, whose lawyer explained why his name in Italian documents was different from Colombian documents. Italian authorities opened an investigation on him in 2014 in relation to suspected tax evasion of €331 million.

            A $US25 million trust for Eduardo Langoria, whose family would later be embroiled in a bitter dispute over the estate of Mexican businessman Eduardo Langoria Senior.

            And Kevin W Wessel, who the California District Court ruled “intentionally misrepresented and concealed important facts as part of a fraudulent asset protection scheme” in which clients deposited more than $US6.3 million in what they believed was a Swedish bank called The Alps.

            New York lawyer Marie Kaiser-Napoli set up a Cook Island trust in November 2015 called the MEKN 2008 Family Trust, listing its purpose as “to provide a degree of protection from long-term inflation”.

            Her husband Paul Napoli and law partner Marc Bern had won hundreds of millions of dollars from class actions for 9/11 responders and others, before their partnership dissolved in a bitterly acrimonious series of lawsuits in 2014 against Bern and Paul’s former mistress.

            In 2014, while Israeli real estate developer Moti Zisser was battling attempts by banks to force him into bankruptcy over debt of $US700 million, his son David set up the Cottian trust in the Cook Islands.

            At the time David Zisser’s lawyer, Ram Jeanne, said his business “has never had any connection to Motti Zisser, and any attempt to link David Zisser’s business to Motti Zisser has no connection with reality”.

            Read more: http://www.afr.com/news/policy/tax/paradise-papers-link-to-firm-that-sued-murdered-malta-journalist-daphne-caruana-galizia-20171105-gzf1v0#ixzz4xd8XZaTD
            Follow us: @FinancialReview on Twitter | financialreview on Facebook

            • Carolyn_nth 6.1.1.1.1.1

              What’s the connection between Asiaciti and Key’s lawyer Whitney? -The above quote looks like they’re connected, but I don’t understand how.

          • Carolyn_nth 6.1.1.1.2

            OK. Thanks. I see most mainstream media in NZ are also mentioning the Asiaciti Trust Group. Probably too soon to find a direct link to tax evasion in NZ.

            However, there were various concerns expressed in NZ MSM about the Asiaciti Trust connection in relation to the Panama Papers.

            eg: the RNZ Panama Papers investigation group reported in May 2016:

            A controversial and disgraced prominent Brazilian politician accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes used a New Zealand company as part of a complex arrangement to hide his wealth in secret bank accounts.

            The New Zealand link is PVCI New Zealand Trust, set up in July 2008 by a Panamanian company of the same name.

            Its registered address was New Zealand-based offshore services firm Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, with three directors – Uruguayan lawyer, Luis Maria Pineyrua Pittaluga, and Argentine, Jorge Haiek Reggiardo, and Auckland based Sam Ruha of Asiaciti.

            After PVCI NZ’s early role in setting up the Singapore companies used to hide Cunha’s alleged gains from graft, it seems to have been largely dormant. Its only New Zealand based link – director Sam Ruha, resigned in 2011.

            Asiaciti did not respond to emails asking for comment.

            New Zealand Companies Office records show PVCI moved its registered office to Auckland based law firm Cone Marshall in July 2014, and Geoffrey Cone became a director in November 2015 – a few months after Cunha had been indicted.
            Cone and Marshall partner Geoffrey Cone

            Cone and Marshall partner Geoffrey Cone Photo: Supplied: PCC + Co.

            Both Asiaciti Trust and Cone Marshall were among several firms who lobbied the government in 2014 over fears the trust industry would be shut down by Inland Revenue (IRD).

            And Matt Nippert at NZ Herald was looking at Asiaciti, in relation to the Panama Papers, and a response from an OIA query made by Nippert. In June 2017, Nippert reported:

            An official report has highlighted concerns New Zealand’s charitable sector may be misused to evade tax or launder money after three local charities holding $140 million run by Swiss lawyers refused to disclose to investigators who they acted for.

            An Internal Affairs Charities Service investigation dubbed “Operation Timepiece” into the New Zealand-registered Mulligan, Shepherd and Birdy Charitable Trusts found while some donations were made locally to Starship and Plunket, the vast majority of its distributions – almost $5m since 2012 – were directed offshore to a related Swiss entity called Fondation Eagle.

            The New Zealand connection is the Queen St-based Asiaciti Trust, which provided an office address and directors – Lauren Willis, Megan Wu and Kevin Taylor – for the three trustee companies governing the charities.

            Willis, the managing director of Asiaciti Trust New Zealand, said repeatedly in response to questions this week: “I can’t really comment, because this is bound by client confidentiality.”

            There’s a lot more detail about this at the Nippert link.

            But, I am pretty sure, Nippert and other NZ journos, will be looking very closely at leaks from Asiaciti in the Paradise Papers – look forward to Nippert’s article on this.

  7. eco maori 7

    Yes there are better moves to improve our environmental foot print .
    $ 5000 subsidy on secondhand electric car’s and no rego fees . This will also slow the demand of fule and should make OUR fuel companys more honest and we don’t need to buy new as there are plenty of secondhand cars coming to nz now. get these cars to go through a signture range check and they must only have 30.000 klm on the clock.
    Many thing that we can change one Idea I had was to use Mother Nature I.E gravity desgin all cars to shut down and still be safe and automatically free wheel down hill heaps of fuel efficiency to be gained there in my opinion I’M still Loyal to Gull fuel staitions for supporting OUR new coalition government buy dropping there prices on the day they got the reins of POWER. Ka pai

    • James 7.1

      “Gravity design” is already here. Eco mode in a BMW disengages the driveshaft down hill.

    • Venezia 8.1

      I was not in NZ in the pre-election period so missed these news items. They reflect a Minister of health who just did not have the welfare of the population in his sights. Like other Cabinet Ministers in the last nine years, he did not do his job and not only that, dealt in spinning the facts convenient to their ideology. In effect, they were exercising their power for their own career advancement and that of their lobbyists and political funders. Coleman’s continuing arrogance about the facts of the state of the health care system as they developed in NZ is a sad inditement of National’s record in office.

  8. For those that like action – climate love – a monhly newspaper for Nelson Tasman first one out now – around sustainability and low carbon futures. Bought to you by Charlotte Squire who created happyzine.co nz. Check out the Facebook page for submitting stories or for advertising.

  9. Pete 10

    Simon bridges in the news today:

    “National MP and shadow leader of the house Simon Bridges said it was normal for places on select committees to be roughly equivalent to the size of Parliament, or around 120 MPs.”

    “It’s a really alarming erosion of the Opposition’s democratic rights in our Parliament like we have never seen before. It is an unprecedented situation.” [Bridges said]

    Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 10.1

      Philip Lyth @philiplyth

      Simon Bridges crying foul over changes to select cites? In Aug, he was Minister moving the motion for the change.”

    • tracey 10.2

      Hilarious to hear he and his party suddenly care about democratic rights, govt transparency, fairness. Wait til one of them rails about breaches of Privacy!

      ” Maybe he should build 10 bridges and get over himself.” LOL

    • Foreign waka 10.3

      It was an elegant move to block any undemocratic and some might even say treasonous moves by the National Party. That a former prime minister is sinking so low with the comments he made, I am certain that, if he continues with his undignified and shameful display, he will be ousted within 6 months.

  10. savenz 12

    Copywrite infringement was not even a crime in NZ which was the supposed reason for this Hollywood raid with armed defenders, Helicopters and FBI.

    Dotcoms Announce Settlement of Lawsuit Against NZ Police

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/11/04/dotcoms-announce-settlement-of-lawsuit-against-nz-police/?utm_content=bufferad378&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

  11. james 14

    So Jacinda has delivered on her promise of extending paid parental leave.

    Whilst originally was against it – This is something that I agree that Labour got right and National’s arguments didnt make as much ‘real life’ logic as Labours

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/11/jacinda-ardern-commits-to-extending-paid-parental-leave-by-a-month.html

    • Descendant Of Sssmith 14.1

      Now if only they could pay decent non-judgemental non-obligational amounts to raise their children to those predominantly Maori mothers, many of whom don’t have another partners income to fall back on, as they do to those predominantly European mothers who either have a good paying job prior to having their baby or a husbands income.

      Plus all the others on benefits as well.

      Just bring back completely non-judgemental universal family benefit for fucks sake and stop playing one set of parents off against the other.

  12. Descendant Of Sssmith 15

    More revelations about where the rich and powerful hide their money.

    http://digg.com/2017/paradise-papers-explainer

    A good long history as well which I think adds much more value.

    “The papers cover the period from 1950 to 2016.”

    Pity they don’t have the details of those who were tossing money into SCF in those last few weeks before bailout + interest.

  13. North 16

    A rather strained fit by Paul Thomas. ‘Winston the Muldoonist’.
    http://www.noted.co.nz/currently/politics/the-last-muldoonist-has-his-final-stand-in-government/

    The entire National Party of the day were Muldoonists……were he reincarnated with his excesses thrown behind the trickle-down lie the present lot would be again. ‘Born-To-Rule’ pricks.

  14. I once played this over the phone to my octogenarian mother ,… as I wanted to get her opinion on what she thought ,… she thought it was ‘ energetic ‘ … quite a good song ,… then I told her who it was that both wrote it and also the group that sang it…

    She was quite composed and conciliatory ,… considering the outcry and the stigma attached,… I guess she is quite the social thinker,… anyways ,… I think this is a good study in human sociology… to really get into the nitty gritty…

    “Get On Home” sung by members of the Manson Family – YouTube
    Video for charles manson get on home you tube▶ 3:31
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4bSgeYaAaw

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T15:14:11+00:00