What’s been revealed today by David Fisher is truly extraordinary…
John Key’s secret flag donor luncheon
Prime Minister John Key was the star guest at a private fundraising lunch for the Change the Flag lobby group in a last-ditch bid to raise cash from wealthy Chinese donors who supported a flag change.
The exclusive meeting with no more than six donors took place in a private room of an Auckland Chinese restaurant. Other guests included National Party president Peter Goodfellow, Cabinet minister Nikki Kaye and National MP Dr Jian Yang.
Funds raised at the February 18 lunch allowed the lobby group to fund a last-minute push for votes, including a pamphlet to 500,000 homes just days before voting started on March 3.
After all the mainstream media pundits claimed Key was not hurt politically by the loss of his vanity project.
After Key pretended he didn’t care and tried to claim it wasn’t his vanity project.
After Key was beaten, we now find out that Key WAS involved heavily with the flag change and that his secret meeting with Chinese donors was to get the money to fund a last minute 500 000 pamphlet drop.
This is outrageous.
Key’s lied about how involved he was in the flag project.
Key’s meeting Chinese donors in secret to make decisions about our flag that have not been made public. The Chinese may well hate the Union Jack, but trying to influence what happens on New Zealand’s flag is interference in our domestic affairs.
This latest outbreak of political pus comes in the wake of the smell of infection that has surrounded NZ from the Panama Papers. We have become a Tax Haven generating money for Lawyers and allowing organised crime and the wealthy elites avoid scrutiny. All of this has erupted under Key’s watch despite being specifically warned several times over several years that he was trading our reputation for the benefit of the 1%.
A lot of people seemed to think Kim Dotcom was trying to buy an election in 2014 and turned against him for that. Kim wasn’t trying to buy an election, he was a rich man wronged and he wanted to hurt Key. Using personal appearances to fund a political pet project that would rebrand our entire country using money from rich foreign interests is however the very power of wealth that buys elections.
I don’t think this latest evidence of abuse of political power by Key will be so easily shrugged off.
It’s not because it’s the most compelling evidence of his abuses of power. The mass surveillance lies, the Dirty Politics scandal, the ramming through of Parliament laws he wants all of these and so many more are stronger evidence, but this people can grasp.
People loved their flag, and knowing Key met to secretly fund a campaign to get rid of it even in the last dying moments of the campaign will insult many and nothing moves polls like a voter scorned.
Wonder who the 6 donors were.
Wonder if one was Donghua Liu.
Wonder if it was to help Oravida buy up Ashburton’s water.
Yes, it does make me wonder.
Especially the Oravida part.
The past PM has very strong links to the Ashburton area and would be in the know all the way up to her neck.
Well, (pun intended) you have to ask
What is disquieting about this sorry episode in the Great Key Legacy Project is that the National Party was quite prepared to cynically use members of the Chinese community as a source of funding in their determination to rebrand New Zealand. That Holden and, presumably, Key were prepared to argue that the NZ flag be changed because the targeted Chinese donors had an antipathy to the Union Jack demonstrates to all how corrupt, how cynical, how morally and ethically shallow the whole flag exercise was as well as being an indictment on the National Party operatives involved.
I love your articles Martin, keep us thinking, keep us aware, keep our eyes open. I for one don’t necessarily love our flag, in fact I think it is time for a change. I would love to see a flag that represents the majority, who we are as a nation, our most important values (Im thinking manaakitanga /Whanaungatanga but there are so many more that are relevant), one that holds up with pride our iwi., and maybe even goes some way to right our gross historical wrongs. But I voted against a change, because if we, the people, the tax paying majority, do not have a real voice in the process I will not support it.
Shocking. Also Key is using Chinese money and that is ultimately going to come out and go against Chinese in public opinion. Meanwhile Teflon Key, walks off pretending ‘he had nothing to do with the flag change campaign or the design of the new flag’, even though grubbing for money to get it through. Good luck with that one!
Grow up
wake up!
You grow up Steve, and grow some principles while you are at it. You must have a criminal mentality to condone John key’s abuses of power.
Manipulation Deceit and Money where Key is involved only means one thing
CORRUPTION, and sadly people know this and seem to agree there is nothing wrong with it
He will buy and manipulate the 2017 general election to get the real legacy that he wants
And he will do it with big money, Chinese included
Martyn we have sadly many more years of the one party state to endure and the longer it goes on the more NZ will go backwards
Its the right wing bonfire Helen Clark warned about in 2008 and no one is rushing to put out the flames
Well Martyn, if the wealthy Chinese are buying influence with our Government already and over the removing of the Union Jack off our flag, think what this means in the future, we haven’t a hope of any democracy remaining in this country. What I cannot understand is why we let this sort of bribery and corruption try and plants roots here, why do people have to make a shit of a mess in their own country of origin and then come here and start to do the same? We struggle as it is to keep this country clean and green ad corruption free with the present government we have without these new immigrants joining in. It’s time the PM stepped down.
The Chinese may well hate the Union Jack, but trying to influence what happens on New Zealand’s flag is interference in our domestic affairs.”
Yes this is now becoming an underside of dark Nactional policy that the Government is prepared to erode our society using foreign money to change our ideology any way key wants .
He is a subversive behaviour the traitor who waits eager and ready to sell us at his whim to the highest bidder for his own gain and enslave us all for entity.
He must go now next year.
He wont because he is loved by 47% and they vote and are the true believers,and its our own countrymen and woman who vote for more and more
Go Figure !
Preferably sooner
So what!?
Key met business people (who happen to be Chinese) to get funding for the side of the campaign he favoured. Big whoop.
A poor article full of faux outrage.
@Awanderer. Troll alert !!!
Martin ,, Fantastic piece !! on behalf of your country we thank you !! I know for a fact this even has the staunchest Tories gritting their teeth with indignation over this ,, the Key Zeppelin is loosing air pressure, good shoot .
TREASON on FJK’s part! Buying favours to destroy NZ’s sovereignty is treachery against the nation’s people!
What did these wealthy Chinese get in return for their donations? You can’t tell me, they paid up for their love of FJK!
What was the pay off?
And were all six donors NZ permanent residents and/or NZ citizens?
Or were they secretly flown in from overseas for the occasion?
Why was FJK so desperate to get his flag across the line?
And finally, this traitor has to go, come hell or high water! He is becoming a liability to NZ! We have to rid ourselves of this master of the dark arts. He’s a monster!
What I want to know Martyn,is how true your story is,and where you got your information from?Having been involved in the media for some decades,I never take anyones word for it anymore without the proof!Just saying…..
Chanel, Martyn provided a link to the story upon which he based his blogpost. Here is the link, again: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11619417
Sir
The British started WWI & WWII. Fact
I support NZ becoming a Republic
I support a new flag
I do not support Key’s methods
I did not support the alternative flag
The black corner was just plain wrong
Question. Is Key a Chinese Communist?
Don’t think so!
Key shows all the symptoms of being a neo liberal capitalist however he also has many of the symptoms of those totalitarian governments people insist on labelling communist( rather than Stalinist). For example addiction to spying, executive decision making and now fear of the people.
Poor us if only we could find a way out of this mess.
Is Key a Chinese commie? No
He’s a capitalist. Everyone’s money is the same colour to Key. No matter where it comes from.
I’d like to believe that this will hurt Key politically but I’ve seen him walk away scott free (in that classic smarmy Key way) from so many potentially fatal political scrapes in the last 6 years that I don’t hold hope anymore. At the last election we had Snowden no less address the country on illegal spying that Key promised he would step down over if it was proved (and it WAS proved) and not only did he brush it off, he was voted in again by an ignorant public who vote based on whether they would drink a beer with a guy or not.
When I was growing up here in NZ I thought we were blessed, that we were the most caring and compassionate country in the world. It’s been more than I can bear at times to see the ugly selfishness and knee jerk ignorance that it has turned in to.
My hope is that we can one day return to the country that cared for all of it’ citizens and treated them with respect. Where people helped others without expecting anything in return – except the knowledge that when they needed help it would be given. One day….
Frankie
Lol just look at how capitalistic the Chinese communists really are Brian.
Most people are signed off mentally, either they are too busy running after the daily challenges to meet, trying to meet their errands, try to prove they still deserve their job, or they are busy back stabbing their neighbour or work “mate”.
The rest of the time they are signed off due to alcohol and drug influence, wanting to escape from the daily shit of a rat race, like here in the lost soul city called Auckland.
So they will perhaps see that headline story on the Herald, but take little note, who cares about a flag, Chinese influence and what else there is, all that matters is the rugby, the party of the night, the big escape and recipe to forget it all.
Most have signed off long ago, they may tweet each other nonsense, meet in chat rooms on social media, compare the size of their genitals and do little else that matters.
This country has long been lost as it sold its soul to the devil, and one incorporation of that one is one John Key, the dodgey PM we have.
Truth is that we long have sold out to Mainland Chinese interests, that is under Mr Key. I have heard furious comments from Chinese and other Asians from places like Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and so, who strongly disapprove of the NZ government’s line to favour Mainland Chinese business interests, as they view it as unfair treatment of other more traditional allies of New Zealand.
Key has been the main traitor, but that is his streak, to make a deal, no matter what, to favour certain interests he may be connected with.
Add the old National Party stalwart of Shipley, Bolger (NZ is part of Asia) and so forth, and the treason becomes more wide spread and serious.
I would have loved a new flag, but also a new system, a republic, independent from the traditional Motherland, but all Key was busy with was window dressing and gaining favours with some new friends on the block.
The political and business elite of this country are all true traitors and should be put before a court for high treason for betraying and selling out the economic and social and cultural interests of both Pakeha and Maori New Zealand.
We are a country now, that is in Auckland, that is not recognisable anymore, we are foreigners in our own land, servants and enforced mercenaries. I can live with some diversity and cultural enlightenment, Pasifica, Maori and also Asian, but when we sell our homes to multimillionaires from overseas, and deny our own a chance to even get into their own homes, we are selling out our country.
Shame on this crap situation and system, Key has proved he is a prime traitor, who should be sent off the islands here, to go to Hawaii, denied citizenship so he never returns.
I have met many from various migrant communities. I just wonder, just wonder, what would NZers think, if the Japanese or German community exerted the same kind of influence on our PM? It would be all hell break loose, the former enemies daring to interfere in NZ affairs. But when it comes to the Chinese, given honest past failures by NZ (poll tax), the government and PM bend over backwards to accommodate them.
It is time to treat ALL migrants the same, no matter whether they come from China, Somalia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, UK, Vietnam, Europe or any other place, thank you.
I am sick of some getting preference, even our government blocking protests, when it comes to powerful trading partners, who do not even obey the law and human rights.
IT’S CORRUPTION .
….And TREASON.
It just shows what people like Key will stoop to in order to subvert the process to get what they want.
Asking the chinese for money to fund the Key flag change because they have sympathy with the Government wanting to remove the union jack from our flag because of recent history with the british controlling Hong Kong and the chinese resentment around that issue is manipulation of the highest order.
Playing on chinese resentments and using that as exscuse to ask for money to remove part of their adopted nations flag to suit the current PM is funded interference in a nations affairs.
New Zealanders would never dare to try and do the same in China, it would not be tolerated just as interfering in the last referendum for independence for Scotland.
This was an internal issue for New Zealanders and money being used in this way subverts the outcome and a fair democratic result for our country
You are right Martyn we should be ANGRY.
Bert on David Cunliffe’s article made an an excellent point that I would like to post here. Hope you don’t mind Bert.
BERT says:
APRIL 9, 2016 AT 5:54 PM
“So Key goes to a Chinese restaurant and gets $100, 000 in Chinese donations that enable pro new flag pamphlets to be distributed around Auckland.
Two things:
1. No wonder the gap for the new flag closed on the old flag
2. National certainly seem to be appealing to those with Chinese sounding names( of course this has nothing to do with foreign investors buying property in Auckland)”
My pleasure Words.
Your FaceBook login isn’t working… why have it if it isn’t? Could it be that you want to censor replies before they are seen? I’ll bet you ANYTHING this comment won;t ever be approved… prove me wrong…
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This is bullshit…. I hate the guy, but if its a secret meeting, then chances are it never happened, and they used (count them) THREE question marks…. its admitting they KNOW its bullshit but they want you to believe it… it does nothing for their credibility… further, I haven’t read the bullshit, but did they mention that by law, Key is obliged to respect the decision of the referendum, and why the **** would he want to destroy his party for all time by doing this? They KNOW its bullshit but you KNOW people will believe anything….
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Why does the left have to employ the tactics of CaMORON Slater???? There isn’t any need for it… not with what was revealed in the Panama papers…..
How can we see a copy of the leaflet?
The same way one decides whether Key is guilty of having money in hidden trusts. Just believe what he tells you and don’t ask for Key to open his books, as he has already stated, he has no intention of doing so. Nothing to hide and nothing to fear.
In regard to gaining a copy of the pamphlet, I’m trying to track one down from my relatives in Auckland but have been told they were only issued to certain boundaries in Auckland.
So Holden brought up the fuckin’ Boxer Rebellion to sell them on flag change? Really? Because if I recall, that was an example of a local elite courting foreigners with money and turning a blind eye to injustice and exploitation in return for subaltern/facilitator status for themselves, resulting in an uprising against both. Sounds a bit like…
“I don’t think this latest evidence of abuse of political power by Key will be so easily shrugged off. ”
It never fails to amaze me what voters forget from one week to the next, let alone one election to the next.
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