#Sheepgate – The Compensation payment for the claim that did not exist
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10:22 am, July 4th, 2016 - 27 comments
Categories: john key, national, same old national, trade -
Tags: matthew hooton, murray mccully, saudi arabia, sheepgate
The Nation has been doing some digging into #Sheepgate and last weekend broadcast the results. There were some findings that if confirmed should result in McCully’s cabinet career being ended. Not to mention a potential Privileges Hearing to decide if he has misled Parliament.
Here at the Standard the issue has received a lot of attention. Just search sheepgate to see how the controversy has developed.
To recount a rich Saudi businessman became upset when New Zealand stopped live sheep exports following a particularly disastrous ship trip during which four thousand sheep died. National made noises as if the ban would be reversed but then resiled from this. To assuage the rich Saudi businessman’s feelings a total of $11.5 million of taxpayer’s money has been or is being paid. The sums include a “compensation but not a compensation” payment which was designed to keep the lawyers away from it and which incorporated a payment to the Saudi businessman for intellectual property for hosting New Zealand sheep on a New Zealand designed farm. The rest included the construction of a model farm in the middle of the Saudi desert and plane tickets for 900 sheep, most of which died after landing.
It seems clear the payment was essentially a facilitation payment to get the Saudi’s to sign a free trade agreement. Not only is this on the face of it corrupt, but it has so far failed so it is also clear evidence of incompetence.
The revelations on the Nation are astounding.
The showcase agrihub in the middle of a Saudi desert is that accessible that a cameraman sent there by TV3 was trespassed from the site and then received a visit by local police who confiscated his camera cards. Showcases are normally not so secretive.
The Auditor General is involved and has been researching the matter since August last year. Apparently the investigation is ongoing and a conclusion is not due soon. It is hard to understand why it should take so long.
Tim Watkin at Pundit has summarised the disclosures made on the Nation:
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Sheikh Hamood’s business partner George Assaf says, contrary to McCully’s claims and his cabinet paper in 2013, that they never had the ambition or appetite to sue the New Zealand government.
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Despite confirmation from John Key even [this weekend] that his government has never considered resuming live sheep exports, MFAT documents show McCully was asking officials about how and when live sheep exports could be restarted. Specifically, he was investigating the possibility of a shipment in late 2015 of 45,000 sheep to Saudi Arabia.
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Assaf says the planeload of 900 sheep sent to Saudi in 2014 was “a trial shipment before one day they decide to take a bigger shipment by sea”.
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McCully, Hamood and Assaf discussed the possibility of creating a satellite farm in Ethiopia, using official development assistance funds.
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And an MFAT document includes an action point: to develop a “scientific trial” that would involve a shipment of sheep, based on a suggestion by Hamood.
If it has been determined that there was no actual credible legal threat, and this appears to be more and more likely, then McCully must go. If he was aiming to resume live sheep exports and did not inform the Prime Minister or Cabinet then he should go. If he was going to use development assistance funds to try and stitch up a private deal with a Saudi businessman to facilitate a free trade agreement with Saudi Arabia then he should go.
The Auditor General must proceed with haste with the completion of the report into this matter. As Matthew Hooton has said there are worrying issues about whether this is evidence of incompetence or corruption. Or both.
27 comments on “#Sheepgate – The Compensation payment for the claim that did not exist ”
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- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...1 week ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...1 week ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...1 week ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
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- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
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- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...2 weeks ago
- Record number of submissions received on granny flat proposal
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Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Rebecca Guthrie as a District Court Judge. Judge Guthrie was admitted to the bar in 1997 following her graduation from the University of Canterbury in 1996 (LLB, BA). She commenced her legal career in Hastings in 1997 before moving to London in ...54 minutes ago
- Appointments strengthen Predator Free 2050
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- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
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- Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
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- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
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- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
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- First arrests made under gang patch ban
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- Better support for victims of sexual violence
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- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
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- MSA pilot participant update
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- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
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- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
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- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
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- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
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- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
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- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
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- Health survey results to help drive change
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- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
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- New diplomatic appointments
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- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
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- Red Tape Tipline goes live
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- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
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- Police stats show promising change
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- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
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- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
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- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
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- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
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- Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury
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corruption.
i think we should be now be past the ‘incompetence’ meme, they are not incompetent, they are corrupt to the core.
I would rather go for the last option; that National are both corrupt and incompetent. The interesting thing is that their lies are starting to be investigated by post-Campbell TV3. Maybe Weldon leaving has something to do with that?
But, while incompetent, they are stutteringly bad at corruption.
Which is a good thing, when you think about it.
tell it like it is henwy …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AX0XDHF3M60 no coowuption anyweah
They backed a business man with dubious claims to royal connections, or backed the wrong prince to succeed
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/who-will-be-the-next-king-of-saudi-arabia
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/saudi-payment-illegal-in-other-countries-2015062419#axzz4DO6ugv9u
this begs another case to be investigated:
Its incredulous that IRD needed a extra 205 million dollars to make Keys pet project of zero rated tax company structures somehow compliant with EU laws.
All for a business profiting a few lawyers and accountants to 23 million dollars.
The Government could also bring forward a second tranche of anti-money laundering measures. Mr Key said while it was possible there were rogue trust companies, they had to meet laws, include money laundering laws, and Inland Revenue was recently given $205 million for compliance.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11636261
In America would this be a legal case for racketeering, to convict corrupt politicians?
Key is still maintaining with vehemence , that Phil Goff is to blame !
Gambling for a FTA is what its all about, and they continue to bet on a failed prospect.
What is Gambling?
Gambling consists of making a bet on the outcome of some event. Bets may be placed on horse races, sports contests, or games of chance such as dice, cards, bingo, lottery, slot machines, or roulette. Bets usually consist of money or other assets which are won or lost depending on whether a correct or an incorrect prediction is made. The prospect of winning a large jackpot sometimes motivates people to take unusual financial risks and may lead to gambling addiction
http://www.scientificpsychic.com/workbook/gambling.html
And wasn’t that “satellite farm” in a third country just a paperwork facilitator enabling New Zealand to export live sheep under one guise, as breeding ewes, knowing fully well that the third country would immediately onsell them as an (illegal here) live sheep export for slaughter?
Looks like it’s not only money we’re laundering, it’s quadrupeds.
National’s New Zealand, the dirty washing machine of the South Pacific.
Does Murray know something we don’t know? Like the rich Saudi is really the go to guy for ISIS, and Murray is doing his bit to protect NZ? Or like it really is like James Bond film and no one is sure who the bad guys are (though it probably is spectre) ? Murray knows that to keep everyone safe he must hand over the sheep, and the money? Murray knows, oh Murray knows.
Poor attempts at satire aside, If Murray knows or does not know why he has handed over cash and sheep I think Murray is done. How many times can a Minister make mistakes in this government? It must be a new record for incompetence! And for a minister to publicly shows his stupidity – new record as well?!?!
Personally, I hope the nats keep him, he goes a long way to show just how bloody awful they are, how stupid they are, and how shocking inept at the business of government this fifth nation government has truly become.
But of course the govt will cover it up like they always do because they are all as corrupt as each other. If they want to be buddy-buddies with evil arab regimes they should sell up and go live with them. Start by sending McCully over on a sheep transport the same as the sheep he sent.
The whole thing a costly exercise in graft and sucking up to the Saudis to which we should not have had a bar of .
The cost of this ill thought folly is absolutely treasonous to this nation and to anybody who can add 2+2 must feel absolutely had at this whole concept of farming
You want sheep you arabs buy our meat or AI progeny straws and cut the crap
This piece of political stupidity is beyond excuse or rectification and all the idiots who bought into this should be taken to account but as usual Key will gloss it up with another billion dollar false smile of borrowing and government responsibility will be waived with the intelligence of one – a sheep vote
I wonder how much B____ made facilitating the deal…
For reasons of commercial sensitivity and National’s security there will be no further information released about this matter.
Key will never dare to sack McCully, the master of dark forces in the National Party. He knows far too much. Not known as Machiavellian for nothing. Besides, he’s a great pal of the odious Boag.
It appears to be incompetent corruption and as such McCully needs to go to jail for it and the receivers of it made persona non grata in NZ. Make it so that they can’t do business ever again in NZ.
good luck with that,
The principle of collective responsibility underpins the system of Cabinet government. It reflects democratic principle: the House expresses its confidence in the collective whole of government, rather than in individual Ministers. Similarly, the Governor-General, in acting on ministerial advice, needs to be confident that individual Ministers represent official government policy. In all areas of their work, therefore, Ministers represent and implement government policy.
http://www.cabinetmanual.cabinetoffice.govt.nz/5.11#5.22
so not individually legally responsible,
but they sure accept royal titles quickly enough when the retire!
True but if a single member has acted inappropriately they can be removed – see privileges committee actions. If a single member has committed a crime (unfortunately corruption doesn’t appear to be a crime in NZ) then that single MP can go to jail and, of course, be removed from parliament.
People who are not of ‘good character’ can be prevented from owning business and land in NZ under present law.
We wouldnt know if they had committed a crime because NZ establishment cover it up, opps judicary,
The New Zealand high court judge who is to chair the independent inquiry into child sex abuse has said she has no links to the establishment, telling MPs: “We don’t have such a thing in my country.”
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/11/justice-lowell-goddard-establishment-links-child-abuse-inquiry-truth-reconciliation
=Prominent, oh wait, hmm,
Move along nothing to see here, Mc Cully has done no wrong & will keep his job.
“McCully, Hamood and Assaf discussed the possibility of creating a satellite farm in Ethiopia, using official development assistance funds.” Stealing in any other language except NZ.
Well the Saudi one was a epic fail, 2/3s of the lambs died in a dust storm,
in the rest didnt get used for breeding stock just ended up on the dinner plate.
Great way to treat a expensive delivery of mutton…
What McCully did in most countries of the world is called a bribe and results in prison time.
yet mor lies from the key govenment , How much more dose the rest of NZ need to be shown before action is taken to stop the rot
Who’s Munter McMutton’s sheepfarmer friend/creditor/potential banker?
For 11 million they could’ve refitted a ship so that transported animals were not distressed. I could’ve been a cabinet minister, but I wasn’t stupid enough.
Mmmmm…….that McCully’s a piece of dodgy shit ain’t he ?
National is in it’s Third term defense-mode. They’ll never sack McCully, even if he was filmed shagging one of those sheep before sending it off to Saudi Arabia to die a pitiful death in a godforsaken desert.
Phil Heatley was sacked for what, a couple of $79 bottles of wine put on his ministerial credit card?
McCully wastes $11.5 million of our money and keeps his job.
The difference is that Heatley had the misfortune to screw up in the wrong term.