What is that word that starts with “C” and ends with “orruption”?

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, May 26th, 2024 - 46 comments
Categories: act, bill english, corruption, david seymour, national, nz first, Politics, same old national, Shane Jones - Tags:

The past fortnight has seen a number of breaking stories each of which raises concerns about the motivations and goals of this Government. It makes you wonder whether the pursuit of self interest is an embedded feature as opposed to a bug.

Each story of itself should be the subject of intense review. And at least with some of them I suspect that they will continue to unravel as more details emerge.

First up National’s New Plymouth MP David MacLeod managed to *forget* $178,000 in donations. He must have misunderstood the part of the return that says that donations include “any money, goods or services that are donated to a candidate, or a person on the candidate’s behalf, for use in the candidate’s campaign for election”. His defence, that he thought that donations only applied to those received during the campaign year should not normally have legs although he did manage not to include a $10,000 donation that had been made during that period. A defence of gross incompetence may work and avoid a finding that he engaged in a corrupt practice. This is a story however that will continue to be subject to scrutiny and I am pretty sure there will be a police investigation.

There are three burning questions. MacLeod said that he only spent $22,826.51 on campaign expenses. What did he spend the remaining $184,835.49 on? And if he gave the money to Head Office will they file an amended return of donations? And did he give a heads up about the Fast Track Projects Bill to Phil Brown, someone whose donation was originally hidden from view and someone who has a significant interest in Trans-Tasman Resources, an entity that withdrew its application for approval to mine the Taranaki seabed and which is on the list of entities that have been invited to submit a fast track approval application.

A hidden significant donation from someone with interests in a company seeking fast track approval to do something they have previously failed to get consent for do not engender confidence that our system is free from undue influence.

Then there was the appointment of an Act MP with significant links to big pharma to a special role involving Pharmac. David Fisher at the Herald has reported (premium link) that Act MP Todd Stephenson has been appointed to a special role representing Pharmac’s new government minister who is David Seymour.

He has significant investments in pharmaceutical and biotech companies according to the recently released Parliamentary Pecuniary Register.

The issue was subject to some robust debate in Parliament this week. From Hansard:

Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Will he maintain the standards that New Zealanders expect of their Government and stand down Mr Stephenson from his role, or is he unwilling to challenge David Seymour’s exploitation of a loophole which allows a pharmaceutical industry plant to assist the Minister responsible for Pharmac?

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: No, I think there is a—

Hon Peeni Henare: Well, he’s not here for the arts! [Laughter]

SPEAKER: All right. OK, that’s enough—we’ll hear the answer in silence.

Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: There is an answer to that questioner, which is that we reject the premises on which the question is based. But let’s go further here. That questioner now made an allegation and without any evidence, any proof, in this House, and is defaming someone without any care for her responsibility.

Big Pharma hates Pharmac. Someone with such clear interests and links should not be allowed near Pharmac.

Then there was the unusual circumstances relating to National allocating $24 million to Gumboot Friday. From Radio New Zealand:

The chairperson of I Am Hope, which has received millions in government funding, donated thousands to the National Party ahead of the last two general elections.

On Wednesday, the coalition government pledged $24 million over four years to the charity’s initiative, Gumboot Friday.

National committed to the funding boost as part of its coalition agreement with New Zealand First.

Public records show the chairperson of I Am Hope, Naomi Ballantyne, donated thousands to the National Party in recent years.

In 2020, she donated $20,600 to National’s campaign. Ahead of last year’s election, she made three separate payments totalling $6,840.

Ballantyne only became chair of the charity earlier this year, months after the coalition agreement had been signed.

The funding is not contestible and what will be cut to pay it remains unclear. The Government’s justification, that every dollar invested returns $5.70 comes from Impact Lab, a company co-founded and chaired by ex-PM Bill English.

And to add to the sense of unease it was disclosed that Bill English’s fee of $500,000 for his report to be used to gut Kainga Ora would be paid for out of funds set aside for the provision of transitional housing places.

Get that? Funds set aside for temporary accommodation for individuals and whānau who don’t have anywhere to live and urgently need a place to stay is being used to reduce social housing.

Because it does not matter how angry Chris Bishop gets. The Government’s proposal for 1,500 new social houses represents a cut on what has happened previously.

And no review of dodgy behaviour would be complete without a reference to Shane Jones.

Last week it was reported that Jones had an undeclared dinner with Barry Bragg who is the deputy chair of the coal mining company Stevenson Group. Bragg subsequently wrote asking that the Te Kuha coal project be included in the list of projects seeking listing in the fast track legislation.

Jones claimed that the dinner was not included in his ministerial diary because it was very much a last-minute thing.

It then transpired that there were two other attendees, Bathurst Resources chief executive Richard Tacon and Federation Mining vice president Simon Delander. Bathurst is New Zealand’s biggest coal miner, and Federation Mining is developing the Snowy River gold mine near Ikamatua, on the West Coast. Bathurst funded an independent candidate for the West Coast at the last election and his presence appears to have caused Damian O’Connor to lose the seat.

Jones claimed that the whole incident was a cock up. He would have been more correct in saying that it involved multiple cock ups and a failure to disclose that there were three attendees when he was first rumbled. This presumes that there was no element of deception involved which on the face of it appears to be unlikely.

Former Broadcasting Minister Clare Curran was hounded out of Cabinet because of two undisclosed meetings with Radio NZ’s head of content Carol Hirschfeld and entrepreneur Derek Handley.

The stakes with Jones involving huge projects that could cause extreme environmental devastation are much higher.

There is a quickly developing stench about this Government. Hidden donations, uncontested funding for organisations led by a donor, reports prepared by a former National MP to justify this funding and the gutting of social housing, and hidden dinners involving a potential decision making Minister and heads of organisations that are then invited to submit fast track applications.

And the defence offered is essentially this is a series of cock ups.

Maybe the Government is well intentioned but incompetent. Or maybe its role is to represent its sponsors. And it is not skilled enough to hide what is increasingly clear.

46 comments on “What is that word that starts with “C” and ends with “orruption”? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. KJT 1
    26 May 2024 at 11:52 am

    There was a meme going around that US politicians wear their sponser logos on their jackets, like race car drivers.

    It should be compulsory for right wing MP's.

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    26 May 2024 at 12:26 pm

    Maybe the Government is well intentioned but incompetent. Or maybe its role is to represent its sponsors. And it is not skilled enough to hide what is increasingly clear.

    Well could be that you are being very charitable : ) !

    Another take (which I think you are with already ) is, plainly speaking : They don't give a flying fuck about other views, consequences, ramifications…..etc,etc, et al.

    Profit, before People (encompassing Environment) shall be the beginning, and end .

    Lets Fight back !

  3. AB 3
    26 May 2024 at 12:28 pm

    I'm tempted to say it's astonishing how these stories are disappeared from the media so quickly, while every transgression (often minor ones involving stupid personal conduct) by leftish politicians is dragged out for weeks until a scalp is obtained. But it's not astonishing, it's entirely expected. NACT represents the highly profitable (for some) alignment of state and private power – and it has many cheerleaders..

    • ianmac 3.1
      26 May 2024 at 12:39 pm

      Yes AB. Baffling how so little is posted on MSM. Where are those opinionated "journalists" who were so ready over the last few years to blow up the perception of bad stuff from the previous Government? Just one of the items listed by Micky should have provided enough copy for a week or two.

    • joe90 3.2
      26 May 2024 at 8:05 pm

      stories are disappeared from the media

      Nothing's forever…

      We found that 25% of all the pages we collected from 2013 through 2023 were no longer accessible as of October 2023. This figure is the sum of two different types of broken pages: 16% of pages are individually inaccessible but come from an otherwise functional root-level domain; the other 9% are inaccessible because their entire root domain is no longer functional.

      Not surprisingly, the older snapshots in our collection had the largest share of inaccessible links. Of the pages collected from the 2013 snapshot, 38% were no longer accessible in 2023. But even for pages collected in the 2021 snapshot, about one-in-five were no longer accessible just two years later.

      https://www.pewresearch.org/data-labs/2024/05/17/when-online-content-disappears/

    • Anne 3.3
      27 May 2024 at 11:18 am

      I'm tempted to say it's astonishing how these stories are disappeared from the media so quickly…

      In some cases they don't even make it into news bulletins, or they appear as brief items devoid of detail so the audience is no wiser.

      One of the main culprits is TV1 news. From my perspective their reportage on controversial political issues is appalling. There are often no Labour responses present [yet the responses exist because I pick them up online] so the one eyed review remains unchallenged. It has happened so often that I am starting to suspect it is a deliberate strategy.

      I wonder sometimes whether this corrupt govt. is holding a metaphorical axe to their heads as a warning they might end up like Newshub if they don't play ball.

  4. Adrian 4
    26 May 2024 at 1:23 pm

    My concern or suspicion is a biggie. How is it that after years, likely more than a decade on a VPs salary of soap ( very fitting ) selling, say $350/ $500k US, Luxon appears to have NO identifiable US assets declared

    It beggars belief that at a time in the US post GFC when substantial houses among just one of many asset groups going cheap, that the property owning loving PM did not scoop up a few.

    Is he hiding something ? Or has he just forgotten ?

    • Belladonna 4.1
      26 May 2024 at 1:31 pm

      I seriously doubt that the US IRS would be missing this.
      Much more likely that he decided that having to be involved with the US tax system was a bridge too far in terms of ROI – and invested his money elsewhere.
      It would be hard to be a loser in the NZ property market over the last 15 years.

      • bwaghorn 4.1.1
        26 May 2024 at 1:36 pm

        It would be hard to be a loser in the NZ property market over the last 15 years.

        Unless you're a low income renter.

        • Belladonna 4.1.1.1
          26 May 2024 at 7:13 pm

          Well, yes. But I don't think that Luxon is a renter – he's a landlord.

  5. Adrian 5
    26 May 2024 at 2:59 pm

    In reply to Bella, I’m just suggesting somebody a lot more clever than I should start looking for the money. Houses were much much cheaper in the US than here and so were a bargain in those days and very few here even guessed at how our property market would go stratospheric and he hasn’t shown a terribly high capacity for intelligence so far so clairvoyance must be expecting too much of him. But it didn’t need even be houses and I’m assuming he didn’t expect to be coming back here anytime soon so it’s invested somewhere and just like Hitlers gold the money must be somewhere. Remember seriously arrogant sociopaths never expect to be caught .

    • Belladonna 5.1
      27 May 2024 at 12:34 pm

      So you simultaneously believe that he doesn't have high intelligence – and that he is managing to outwit the US IRS (not to mention the NZ IRD, and the parliamentary register of interests). That's a fair degree of cognitive whiplash, you have going on.

      I don't hold an opinion one way or the other, over whether he *previously* owned US houses. But I'm pretty darn certain that if he did, he divested himself of them, before taking up NZ politics (and probably when he returned to NZ – no one wants to deal with the IRS if they don't have to)

      I think that any MP by now understands that you list all of your assets in the register – given the spectacular career implosions resulting from failure to do so.

      The seriously arrogant sociopaths would include Michael Wood, in your definition, then.

  6. Ad 6
    26 May 2024 at 5:01 pm

    Can't wait for the Select Committee hearings.

  7. Mike the Lefty 7
    26 May 2024 at 7:06 pm

    I think it all comes down to ideology.

    In New Zealand, it has got to the point where people EXPECT that the right wing parties are corrupt to some degree so it has become normalized.

    After all, right wing ideology is all about material gain, making money – preferably lots of it and at someone else's expense.

    So what better way to make a bit more mula than to practice a bit of corruption on the side, nothing too drastic or obvious for the most part – we aren't Indonesia or Russia, you know. It goes hand-in-hand with dirty politics.

    Steven Joyce said it himself some years ago when accused of practicing dirty politics " business as usual".

    It is business as usual to the political right to indulge in a bit of nefarious money grubbing on the side. They have done it so long that they no longer think of it as corruption, that's just an invention of the left.

    But when someone from the left gets similarly caught out, all hell breaks loose. A double standard here – we think of corruption on the right as business as usual but the end of life as we know it when it happens on the left. The left are expected to behave impeccably at all times – especially the Greens.

    Perhaps we should forgive the NACTZ – they can't help it, its in their blood. (sarcasm).

    • alwyn 7.1
      26 May 2024 at 7:36 pm

      ""people EXPECT that the right wing parties

      And how do you come to this conclusion? I imagine that your evidence is something like "All my friends agree with me. Personally I would favour the view, from the evidence of our last Government, that all left wingers are idiots. I can't prove it of course but neither can you about your wild proposition.

      • Mike the Lefty 7.1.1
        27 May 2024 at 6:08 am

        Just based on a long life and experience with all kinds of politicians from the early 70s.

        If you are talking about idiots in politics that is a completely different question with probably a completely different answer.

  8. Obtrectator 8
    26 May 2024 at 7:55 pm

    Corruption is everywhere, all the time. It's a sad fact that, provided there are enough people benefiting from it, it never really gets rooted out. Now and then someone overdoes it and tries to take too much out of the pot. They are then ruthlessly dealt with, the process accompanied by much wringing of hands and pious exclamations of horror, so that the system can be seen to be purifying itself (but then it carries on as before). If it can be a lefty who cops it, so much the better, but "they" will happily sacrifice one of their own if they're seen as dispensable and another scapegoat is considered necessary.

  9. Ad 9
    26 May 2024 at 8:34 pm

    There's a fudgy liberal line between "engagement" and "co-deciding", both of which deliberately influence government decisions.

    Ardern could and should have saved Curran and chose to let her swing. It was pathetic to watch.

    All government departments and their ministers do it. All of them.

    The right do the same but bring cash as well. Which is fine if declared.

    IMHO it's only a problem when not declared.

    • Patricia Bremner 9.1
      26 May 2024 at 9:02 pm

      "In my opinion it (big money) is not a problem until it is not declared."

      Which is fine Ad, until only the rich can participate in the narrow type of purchased Democracy.

      Maori have lost funding for their customary rights cases, which are costly, as the hoops are many and the Court time expensive.

      Sadly, biased Ministers approve or remove the funding according to their agenda.

      There are many ways to corrupt the system and slow justice is no justice, and sea bed mining beckons doesn't it Shane?

      We need Government Funding of Elections, and no funds from Lobbyists.

      • Ad 9.1.1
        27 May 2024 at 8:31 am

        Alternatively we need parties that can work in common interest with business, because that's what keeps us employed.

        There is no way our tax dollars should be funding political parties by state taxation. Parties we oppose would benefit from money we earn.

        • Patricia Bremner 9.1.1.1
          27 May 2024 at 11:23 am

          Funny Ad how "Business expects different rights to all others", yet tries to say they are democratic. They are part of the greed cycle, and use their purchasing power to buy influence. Excess banking supermarket and landlord profits causing sway.

          Your point about employment. We have just seen the biggest employer being forced to shed 4500* workers, with huge downstream effects on associated employment and tax take, to the point Niccola Willis is crying poor while exacerbating the position.

          We taxpayers supply money to do many other things for equity, why not for political parties, and eliminate the huge weight of the lobby money on the scales?

          Then perhaps we would get more "working together", rather than garnering money and influence from abroad. (Atlas anyone?)

        • mac1 9.1.1.2
          27 May 2024 at 11:44 am

          Speaking philosophically, there is a role for parties that we might individually oppose in our system. Their role is to keep their opposition honest with their questioning and their challenges. Even the party I prefer (which was hijacked back in FPP days.)

          I would feel unhappy with even my preferred party being in unchallenged power, as the unprincipled would move in to first share and then take over power within that party.

          That was what FPP was like. Two big parties that were coalitions where people who did not share some basic ideals came in and took power.

          Just look at where politicians went, after MMP came in, having left their 'original' party- the so-called 'waka-jumpers'.

          At least where they went, and some are in politics still, means they and their policies and beliefs are more apparent and able to be opposed.

          Who are these policians now? Shane Jones, Winston Peters. Who were former waka jumping MPs- Anderton, Ross, Douglas, Quigley. Dunne, Shirley, and others.

          Under MMP at least we can see where the current craziness comes from in this latest coalition.

          Ad, you also say that parties need to be able to work in common interest with 'business'.

          However, business is not a single entity with common ideals. My father was a Labour supporting, small business man, a corner grocer, whose living was usurped by large corporations- there was a huge difference in practice, morality, and social benefit between the two versions of 'business.'

          "Common interest' is your key word, and mine also, but what they are and how they are served is way under threat now.

          It's why we need strong parties now, with large memberships, that might keep the politicians and their policies in line with our common interest, rather than be susceptible to corruption, sociopaths and crazies……

        • Incognito 9.1.1.3
          27 May 2024 at 6:14 pm

          I’m assuming that the comment wasn’t 100% serious.

          Anyway, political parties already receive state (public) funding.

          The Independent Electoral Review Panel devoted a good 60 pages (a whole Chapter) to Political Finance in its report. https://www.justice.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Publications/Independent-Electoral-Review-Final-Report-November-2023.pdf

          In summary, the Panel recommended a tweaking of the current mix of private and state funding. Specifically, it recommended on pg. 357/358:

          R75. Increasing state funding by:

          1. providing registered political parties with per-vote funding on a sliding scale
          2. providing registered political parties with base funding of $15,000 per year
          3. providing tax credits for people who make donations of up to $1,000 per year
          4. establishing a new fund – Te Pūtea Whakangāwari Kōrero ā-Tiriti / Treaty Facilitation Fund – to facilitate political party and candidate engagement with Māori communities
          5. expanding the purpose of the Election Access Fund to include applications by political parties to meet accessibility needs in their campaigns
          6. establishing an independent fiscal institution to provide costings of registered political party policies at their request.
          • Ad 9.1.1.3.1
            27 May 2024 at 7:16 pm

            Honestly they should get nothing. Not one $.

            I don't mind paying for election staff and machinery and vote advertising about where to vote, but for the rest of it – including those recommendations except maybe (e) – they should be funded by donors.

            The rest is just fingers on the scale.

            • ghostwhowalksnz 9.1.1.3.1.1
              28 May 2024 at 11:15 am

              Thats myopic. Just means that National ACT and NZ first will wallow in corporate money ( they already do) and Labour Greens and TPM will get peanuts.

              Even MPs support staff essentially work on their MPs profile in media and community events.

              Ministers have an office full of people to push their party and ministers agenda- they cant 'campaign' but its still soft campaigning which is far more effective anyway

              • Belladonna …
                28 May 2024 at 11:58 am

                Even MPs support staff essentially work on their MPs profile in media and community events.

                Even though this is strictly forbidden? IIRC, that was one of Sharma's complaints, that his staff were tasked to work on party business, rather than the electorate work they should have been doing.

        • SPC 9.1.1.4
          27 May 2024 at 6:27 pm

          Even the USA has a measure to limit the power of money – matching funds.

  10. SPC 10
    26 May 2024 at 11:31 pm

    Some would say it is based on

    The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism (& How It Came to Control Your Life) by George Monbiot.

    A war of society as something people are part of as equals,

    • SPC 10.1
      27 May 2024 at 12:32 am

      A classic of the kind.

      A Bill re-introducing 90-day no-cause terminations for periodic tenancies has passed its first reading this week.

      Bishop said: "There are going to be scumbag landlords out there, fully appreciate that. And they should have the law thrown at them.

      Words not backed by anything the government is doing.

      "I think it is a pro-landlord and a pro-tenant policy. I think it will lead to more landlords entering the market and ultimately that's a good thing for tenants," Bishop said.

      Increasing the share of property owned by landlords does not mean security of affordable tenure.

      But officials weren't so sure.

      One paper prepared by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said that, "while the benefit to landlords is clear, the degree to which this option will improve rental supply is uncertain".

      "This option will also significantly reduce tenants' actual and perceived security of tenure."

      Obviously, but such advisors may not last long under this government though.

      But Sue Harrison, president of the New Zealand Property Investors Federation, said good tenants shouldn't need to worry.

      "[Landlords] are not going to get rid of good tenants. There is no way that's what's going to happen. It is going to be the people who is causing them serious stress and issues."

      They can do that with fault. No fault evictions can occur to anyone whenever a landlord wants to test the market for how much of an increase in rent they can get.

      The legislation also reduces the notice period landlords and tenants must give when ending periodic tenancies

      Of course it does.

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/05/concern-government-policy-will-make-renting-more-insecure.html

      • Mike the Lefty 10.1.1
        27 May 2024 at 1:40 pm

        This bill is National's payment for massive support and donations by landlords' groups for the previous election.

  11. John 11
    27 May 2024 at 9:49 am

    Great to see we now have a Government that does things.

    [A troll never changes its spots, i.e., you haven’t learned anything from your last foray in the sin bin. I stand by my 100-day plan for you, bye-bye – Incognito]

  12. John 12
    27 May 2024 at 10:03 am

    No things that are good for all New Zealanders.

    • Patricia Bremner 12.1
      27 May 2024 at 11:03 am

      Wow what huge hubris!!, In your opinion John?

      Which does not mean a thing to "All New Zealandersdevil"

    • Jimmy 12.2
      27 May 2024 at 3:03 pm

      I don't think ALL NZ'ers will see what the government is doing as good for them. But they are doing what a majority of voters voted for.

  13. Reality 13
    27 May 2024 at 11:14 am

    John, "things that are good for all New Zealanders"? What is "good" about David Seymour saying "good" when commenting on all the public sector job losses? People who have mortgages, rent to pay, children to care for. That is to quote just one aspect of this government's Thatcherism. Such cold, inhuman lack of concern by this government for the effect on people's lives with their policies. While landlords are going to get billions, Bill English $500,000 for a report. Luxon wanting $56,000 to live in his own apartment because he is "entitled to his entitlements". The mind truly boggles.

  14. tWig 14
    27 May 2024 at 3:48 pm

    Where's traveller when you want a right-wing think tank POV from them? Noticeably quiet at this post.

  15. thinker 15
    27 May 2024 at 6:34 pm

    Good article, but it misses and important point…

    …we are only into May of the first year of office.

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