The unfortunate case of the Overseas Investment Office handling of the purchase of a Taranaki Farm
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8:15 am, May 4th, 2016 - 39 comments
Categories: david cunliffe, jobs, national, overseas investment, Politics, same old national -
Tags: louise upston, Mossack Fonseca
They say in politics that a news story is good for the opposition/bad for the Government if it hits the media cycle two days in a row. If it appears for a third or a fourth day then it is a crisis and urgent action is required. The most extreme form of action is to throw a Minister or MP under a bus. If it is a public servant then the Government still thinks it is manageable but only just.
The unfortunate tale of the Taranaki Farm bought by a Mossack Fonseca company on behalf of a couple of Argentinian businessmen is still hitting the headlines a week after the story broke. First there was the fact that Mossack Fonseca was involved in the purchase of a farm. Then there was the unfortunate detail that the beneficial owners had criminal convictions for polluting an Argentinian river with carcinogenic material. Then questions were asked about how they could have possibly passed the good character test. The decision was made by Minister Louise Upston so obviously someone somewhere stuffed up.
The report to the Minister about the purchase is full of words but remarkably empty of content. A couple of things stand out. The document suggests that $2 million is being invested although this may be for further development. With a $4 million mortgage the amount of tax that will be paid is not high. The economic benefit is said to be the creation of 1.5, repeat 1.5 jobs.
The report refers to the checks that had been made to ascertain if the purchasers were really people of good character. It states “[w]e have also conducted relevant internet searches for relevant adverse information on those individuals and have found nothing relevant”.
It seems that this particular passage may not have been, how do you say, correct and makes you wonder at the quality of decision making by the OIO and also highlights repeated attempts to minimise what has happened here.
Originally the OIO said that it was satisfied with the process that it had taken in relation to the application. Then it decided to review matters because of the release of the “new” information. Then an independent inquiry was announced. Finally late yesterday the OIO apologised to the Government and said that a “robust inquiry” would be conducted. From media reports the OIO has acknowledged that it knew about the polluting conviction but did not include it in the advice to the Minister. Clearly some hapless public servant is in the process of being thrown under the bus.
It is not going to get easy for National. Not only will they have to explain how this misrepresentation was made but they will also have to explain how over 98% of all OIO applications are granted. You really get the feeling that a lot of rubber stamping may be going on and you have to wonder if the quality of many of the reports accompanying these applications is being compromised by a doctrine that thought that money coming in from overseas was a good thing.
But the really unfortunate fact is that the Taranaki farm has a stream on it. Someone of good character wanting to buy a property with a stream should not have convictions for dumping toxic material into the stream.
Louise Upston has said the mistake is a one off. David Cunliffe has stated he has other examples of companies that should have failed the good character test being granted OIO approval. This could get interesting …
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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. ...1 week 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
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- 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
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- 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
- Release: Winston Peters must apologise
The Deputy Prime Minister should apologise to the public servant he named and blamed for something they did not do, and for misusing the rules of Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...10 hours ago - Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...10 hours ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...11 hours ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...11 hours ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...12 hours ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...13 hours ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...14 hours ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...14 hours ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...15 hours ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...16 hours ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...19 hours ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...1 day ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...2 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...2 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...2 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...2 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...2 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...2 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...2 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...2 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...2 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...2 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
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- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...3 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...3 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...3 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...3 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...3 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...4 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...4 days ago
- Minister to consider 7AA select committee report
Minister for Children Karen Chhour will consider the recommendations made by the Social Services and Community Committee in its report back to Parliament on the Oranga Tamariki (Repeal of Section 7AA) Amendment Bill. “I want to thank the people who made submissions and those who appeared before the committee in ...4 days ago
- Defence Minister to attend ASEAN meeting
Defence Minister Judith Collins will this week attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Vientiane, Laos. “We need to take every opportunity to engage with our international partners, given the increasingly unstable geo-political situation,” Ms Collins says. “New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to this ...4 days ago
- Launching the White Ribbon Ride
The Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, was on hand to wish riders well at the start of the North Island leg of the White Ribbon Ride in Whakatāne this morning. The ride helps mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ...4 days ago
- Construction to begin on next stage of Papakura to Drury
Construction on the next stage of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project will begin early next month, with the contract for works awarded to Fulton Hogan, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. "SH1 Papakura to Drury is a key project that will drive economic growth and productivity, reduce congestion, and enable people ...6 days ago
- NZ signs trade deal with Costa Rica, Iceland and Switzerland
Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has signed a pioneering trade agreement that prioritises New Zealand’s sustainable exports at a ceremony during APEC in Peru today. “The Agreement on Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), between Costa Rica, Iceland, and Switzerland was concluded in July of this year and opens up significant ...6 days ago
- Government and iwi work together on aquaculture
Five new Aquaculture Settlement Areas will help ensure Ngāi Tahu shares in the opportunities aquaculture offers for Southland’s economy, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. “The Aquaculture Settlement Areas (ASAs) I’m announcing today set aside space so the Crown and Ngāi Tahu can assess their potential for aquaculture development. ...6 days ago
- Government launches review to ensure electricity market is fit-for-purpose
The terms of reference for a review of the performance of the electricity market have been released. The review, initiated by the Coalition Government during the power crisis in winter will look at whether current regulations and market design support economic growth and access to reliable and affordable electricity, Energy Minister ...7 days ago
- Speech to Social Investment Hui: Jack and his whānau need our help
Kia ora koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai, piki mai. Ki te mihi atu ahau, ki te manwhenua nei, Te Atiawa, Ngāti toa rangatira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Thank you, Andy, for your introduction. Let me acknowledge you as the new Chief Executive of the Social Investment ...7 days ago
- Minister of State for Trade heads to Brisbane for PACER Plus meeting
Minister of State for Trade Nicola Grigg has travelled to Australia to attend the PACER Plus Ministers Meeting in Brisbane. “Trade plays a critical role in driving employment, economic growth, and improving the standards of living in the Pacific Region. The Government is strongly committed to supporting Pacific Island countries ...7 days ago
- Proposals to modernise conservation released
Toitū te taiao – Our environment endures The Government is consulting on proposals to modernise New Zealand’s conservation management system, aiming to protect relevant natural areas while supporting sustainable growth in tourism and regional economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. “Today, the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai is ...7 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Marles plays a defensive bat on nuclear as the government rushes to get though la...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Richard Marles is an ambitious man who hasn’t given up the dream of one day reaching the top job. But, despite being deputy prime minister, his profile is much lower than that of Treasurer Jim ...3 hours ago - NEW POLL: Kiwis Overwhelmingly Support MPs’ Expenses Transparency Law Change
62% of respondents support the extension of the OIA to cover MPs’ spending, compared to just 13% opposed and 24% were unsure. ...5 hours ago - The House: Meanwhile, a week of passing law
The political week has been packed with worthy distractions, but all week Parliament has focused on passing new laws. Here are the highlights. ...5 hours ago - The biggest difference between Hīkoi mō te Tiriti and past hīkoi: More support from non-Māori
Analysis - The diversity of voices during the hīkoi was noticeable - from tangata moana to young immigrants to elderly Pākehā from the South Island. ...6 hours ago
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Women’s Rights Party Co-leader Jill Ovens says the Ministry has put New Zealand children at risk by continuing to allow “off-label” prescribing of puberty blockers at far higher rates than other similar countries. ...8 hours ago
- Police Minister adamant he wasn’t aware of gang members training at gun clubs
That is despite two papers from police that raised the matter with him. ...8 hours ago
- Shorten declares himself ‘a proud moderate’, saying Australians ‘in the middle’ shouldn’t ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Bill Shorten has declared himself “a proud moderate” in a valedictory speech declaring parliament has the responsibility to ensure the extremes of left and right do not set the terms of political debate. Shorten, ...9 hours ago
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- Government accused of betraying Kiwis’ trust over lack of consultation on live exports
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- A new stage adaptation of Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs is a delightful homage to theatrical storytelli...
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- Archives NZ, National Library to cut 27 roles
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"I can't see this lasting unless they have a budget to lock fullas up in jail which I think is absolutely stupid, really it's ludicrous," Ngavii Pekapo, who set up a Mongrel Mob chapter 54 years ago, says. ...10 hours ago
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Government documents show ACT leader David Seymour told the government he was "dissatisfied" with a cost-benefit analysis. ...10 hours ago
- National’s Erica Stanford allegedly calls Labour’s Jan Tinetti a ‘stupid bitchR...
The Education Minister has apologised in Parliament for her remark. ...10 hours ago
- Labour backs new Police Commissioner – but warns against routine arming
The alternative to policing by consent would be a police state, which New Zealanders don't want, the party says. ...11 hours ago
- Youth on boot camp pilot re-offended five weeks after release
Children's Minister Karen Chhour said while it was disappointing, it would naïve to think none of the participants would lapse. ...12 hours ago
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The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Pass the popcorn.
maybe invest in popcorn futures?
“This could get (even more) interesting …
I may be wrong, but I think I heard on the radio that the official responsible for signing off the shonky brothers’ application no longer works for the OIO. Which is convenient for scapegoat/bus throwing purposes.
some curious journalist could track down that now unemployed official and ask some questions?
yeah, nah nah not gonna happen ey?
I suspect they are still in the public service somewhere, Sabine. Either a genuine promotion or job change prior to this debacle coming out or a sideways shift to ensure damage limitation in recent days. Either way, if the person concerned is still on the payroll, they can effectively be kept from scrutiny.
Mind you, it’s probably not down to an individual. It looks like the OIO was just a rubber stamp for investment and no real effort to weed out the unsuitable was ever made on any application.
I don’t blame the individuals as they usually don’t have the decision making power. They compile the data, present it, and are then told what to do with it and how to present it.
the bucket stops with the minister, but then heck if it the lady on the picture, that department is shit outta luck, cause that tart is a Minister because she is useless, not despite it.
And yes the OIO is a rubber stamp. Foreign investment is good for the corrupt entity that is this current National Party and National Party led government.
have followed the activities of the OIO for years via CAFCA (Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa) and it has long been apparent that there is only one type of rubber stamp in the OIO office cupboard, it reads “Approved Immediately old chap” and is next to a stack of legal business cards issued to successful applicants so they can contact the NZ Trust Industry
crony capitalism as practiced by this Nat govt. is becoming hard to ignore, even to those that perform extraordinary exercises in semantics and subterranean levels of denial
bring on 9 May when the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
https://www.icij.org is due to release a searchable data base of 200,000 ”offshore entities”
+100..this jonkey nact government is corrupt in so many ways
Although probably true I’m sure that you’ll find that the OIO was operating just as badly under the previous Labour led government.
The real problem is the ideology that says we should sell everything as fast as we can and that ideology seems to be common to, Labour, National and the OIO.
To true, just like all the CEO,s in the State Service.
They just go around and around.
Same old faces with little ability.
They’ll have about the same ability as anyone else. A large part of the problem is that we expect them to be better and that they come to believe that they’re better. The inevitable result of this is pure disaster.
some curious journalist could track down that now unemployed official and ask some questions?
yeah, nah nah not gonna happen ey?
So do we take it that the extent of the OIO’s checking up on the applicant’s good character is simply to Google them?
why yes, that sure beats having to bring a police certificate from each country in which you may have resided for six month and over, at your own cost of course.
I was wondering that too; Micky implies that is the case by quoting only that part of the document. I expect (hope?) that is just one small part of their background checks.
Well, the purchasers apparently lied about not having an overseas conviction.
They therefore now fail the “good Character” test, so the required government/OIO action is obvious: Simply take the farm back off them . . . .
Oh, I forgot . . . . this government is led by a compulsive liar.
Wouldn’t/shouldn’t the OIO check back with the country of origin for convictions.
dv – Absolutely.
Despite overwhelming public disapproval, this Big Brother fascist government took unto themselves the power to spy on every aspect of your life and mine.
But when they don’t want to uncover any bad news about rich foreign investors buying up our farms, they use an internet search to vet them instead of asking the proper police authorities about their criminal convictions.
Hypocrisy to perfection!
well, if the purchasers were only regular immigrants into NZ their residence permit by now would be revoked and they would be on a plane to where ever they came from?
Oh hang on, they only poisoned a river, all good then, the only people that we kick out are the ones that may have had a conviction for possesion and use of weed.
Poisoning a river is such a corporate white collar crime. Nothing much to see here.
“if the purchasers were only regular immigrants into NZ their residence permit by now would be revoked”
But exceptions will be made for those making donations to a certain political party.
Anyway no-one owns water so they didn’t really damage anything…..
Fraud in my book?
Keep it up. Drip feed the OIO farce until the Mossack Fonseca database comes online on the 9th, and then with any luck the fun really starts.
Who cares who the officials involved were – the Minister carries the can, or would if right wingers exhibited any shred of personal responsibility.
That minister is bus material like smarmy sammy was.
Some interesting facts here vis-a-vis the OIO:
http://canterbury.cyberplace.org.nz/community/CAFCA/key-facts.html
To: Wyndham
, The data presented by CAFCA is shocking. No wonder Louise just rubber stamped all foreign requests. She was on the mission of Key and English to flog our country off. Massive amount of New Zealand wealth has been passed onto Foreigners.
How could Louise regard herself as A New Zealander, She is a cheap shallow dangerous underminer of NZ.
Keeping up with the research that CAFCA does is pretty much mandatory. They’re the only ones who show just how bad foreign ‘investment’ is.
C’mon folks this is the brighter future making our waterways glow, just take a nose peg.
Trust good old Cunnles to come up with the goods. Why oh why did we not vote him in again? Because some reports said some MPs “didn’t like” him?
God we’re pathetic, what an opportunity missed!
“Trust good old Cunnles to come up with the goods”
At this point all he has done is take a leaf out of the Winston Peters “I have proof, but you will have to find it yourself” playbook.
Clever politics, but it certainly doesn’t mean he has “come up with the goods”.
“Why oh why did we not vote him in again?” Because if you do like this style of politics you are better off voting for the guy that does it better than anyone, Uncle Winny.
I would expect the OIO to get in touch with the authorities of the country that the offshore owner comes from and not just google them. Hell, I just googled the Auckland mayoral candidates and for a few of them I got so many different results there’s no way I could determine which person of that name was running for mayor.
I’d say that that was pretty much guaranteed.
I truly hope so as it will increase pressure to ban offshore ownership. Not that NZers ever wanted to allow offshore ownership – that was only ever the politicians.
Is that stream wadeable?
The governments new standard for pollution.
Australia seems to take a somewhat tougher line on these sorts of things. . .
http://m.dw.com/en/australia-thwarts-sale-of-its-largest-cattle-farm-to-china/a-19224022
Interesting to see the coverage of it in the German press, too.
AND the have introduce a 40% tax on profit shifted out of aussie by google apple etc
It’s a shame to see that they’re continuing the idiocy of taxing profit, but you can’t win them all, I suppose.
There’s another 2% to Winston right there.
“Do I look like a rubber stamp?”
For Louise Upston – this question works like a charm on bureaucrats, please learn it for use when asked to sign off OIO approvals in future.
If we aren’t talking about the government or state run services, than any publicity is good publicity though isn’t it? I would love for my car finance company to get a bit of mention in the newspapers for helping people, but you can never control what the media will say about you. And of course you don’t want people to think that you’ve got bad or unhygienic service standards though!
Nothing has changed in NZ since the old Maori Land Court days, all those records went up in smoke, I wonder why that was? Same shit different day?