The QE2 covenant, the Mining Company and the donation to NZ First
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8:53 am, June 1st, 2024 - 18 comments
Categories: corruption, election 2023, elections, nz first, political parties, Politics -
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Radio New Zealand has broken the jaw dropping and astounding story that shows why the Fast Track Projects Bill is potentially so corrupting to the body politic and why there has to be electoral law reform to stop corporations from buying influence.
From Farah Hancock at RNZ:
A NZ First donor wants Fast Track legislation to free up permanently protected land for quarrying.
J Swap, a company involved in quarrying, wants land protected under QEII covenants to be available to quarry. It donated $11,000 to NZ First in December, after the coalition was formed.
It also gave $5000 to NZ First’s Shane Jones in August 2023 and $3000 to National’s David MacLeod in September 2023.
So lets put this in bulletpoints:
- J Swap donated $5,000 Shane Jones
- It also donated $3,000 to David Macleod he who forgot to declare $178,000 in electorate donations.
- It gave NZ First $11,000 in December last year. And you have to wonder who would give a political party a significant sum of money three months AFTER the general election.
- It lodges a submission saying that QEII land should be subject to the Fast Track Projects Bill.
- It has been involved in litigation over an extended period of time attempting to remove a QEII covenant from land its owns so that it can quarry some pristine land.
If the bill is amended to cover QEII covenanted land there will be major questions to ask.
And while we are on the subject of donations NZ First has received a number of significant sums of money since the election. Like these:
- DV Chiscolm who gave $50,000 during November.
- Hero Ltd who gave $50,000 on December 12.
- Cosgrove & Partners who gave $6,000 in December.
- A Krukziener (this guy?) who gave $19,999 in December. I wonder why he could not make it a round $20,000?
- The Houghton Family Trust who gave $10,000.69 on October 24.
- Garry Robertson who gave $11,750 in November.
- Scott Bright who gave $6,750 in December.
- Or how about Business NZ who gave $6,000 in December.
These are donors who did not give before election day. It would be interesting to understand their motivation.
Clearly the Government is preparing a wind back. Changes to remove the power of Ministers to grant or change decisions would be a start. And at least a nodding acknowledgment that protection of the environment should be a consideration.
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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
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You are reading far too much into these facts. I'm sure there is a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation somewhere but it hasn't emerged yet.
And anyway, all politicians on the Treasury benches are people of the highest integrity who act at all times in the best interests of the New Zealand people, instead of favouring commercial interests.
I'll have to keep this comment short cos I'm having a lot of trouble with flying pigs in my neighbourhood.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
They seem to be nice…
/
We are responsible
We take responsibility for our actions and their impact on the environment, communities, and society, striving to minimise any negative effects and actively contribute to positive change.
https://jswap.co.nz/culture-and-values/
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127604465/p-wars-blasting-at-quarry-blamed-for-partly-destroying-ancient-village
fark… that photo could be the poster boys for Fast Track Positive Change ! : (
Of course in their minds "positive change" IS about blasting old rubbish to extract money.
I wonder who wrote that culture and values BS . In saying that, its pretty standard for a lot of companies. Just like Greenwashing….
fatty liver with your gammon….
A fine pair of fat bastards.
Back in the day as a small sub contractor on some very large developments this kind of shit was common. And sadly…the scumbags were mostly untouchable. And still are.
Certainly a lot of Tradies/creditors were fucked over.
Looking at who is hitching their wagons to the NActFirst Fast Track…would give most decent people fear.
If anyone thinks favours from Shane Jones can be 'bought' for $5,000 then front up with double the money and ask him to refuse the 'fast track' consent …..
You're okay with
policy for salebribery?Not me who hints that such tiny amounts can 'buy' favours from Shane Jones …
Hey! Even Nicola Willis fronted up with $1.2 BILLION! (and the previous incumbent $1.5 Billion …)
We know that, from time-to-time, J Swap find themselves in various "kinds of binds".
So, how much money it would take for the Minister for Resources to ‘disrupt’ a particular ‘bind’ by adding some QEII covenant land to the Fast Track Bill?
You're suggesting that $5,000 isn't enough, and I agree – that’s an absolute pittance, what with inflation and all. Jones will have a higher threshold – how high is a matter for speculation now, but time may tell.
Ah, what a tangled web we weave…
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/02/shane-jones-concerned-new-zealand-first-donors-will-be-put-off-in-election-year.html
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/02/23/nz-first-fisheries-donations-laid-bare/
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/quarry-connected-to-55000-donation-to-nz-first-and-shane-jones-approached-over-fast-track/B4C5CLZGKBGJTDNFCTL4FB6CTE/
https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/06/political-donations-people-power-no-match-for-big-business/
MS here is a link for J Swap story
Sure exposes their Culture and Values ……
Shane Jones, distinguished Labour Party alumnus.
Only to people like you…..
Jones was a Labour MP.
Who national bought with a cushy number, he showed where he really belongs
Jones (and the deputy PM) are Luxon's headache now – it must be "Hell in there!"
Shane Jones's gungho attitude towards rules is studiously ignored by Luxon and National because they couldn't do anything about it even if they wanted to, and they probably don't. If they kick up a stink then Winston will start threatening to bring the government down and both he and Seymour know that the Nats will do almost anything to avoid that.