Ummmmmm…
Greens say $150,000 donation to National from Chinese owned, NZ-based, company is ‘deeply alarming’
The Greens are renewing calls for an overhaul of New Zealand’s electoral donation laws following the “deeply alarming” revelation of a $150,000 donation to National from a Chinese owned, New Zealand-based, company.
“This is another example of powerful vested interests tipping big money into the coffers of the National Party,” Green Party Electoral spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman said this morning.
“This can be dangerous and we’ve seen this play out badly for democracy globally.”
This morning, the Herald revealed that in 2016, National received a $150,000 donation through a NZ-registered, but Chinese owned, company Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry NZ (IMRHINZ).
That company is owned by billionaire racing mogul Lang Lin, who met with then Foreign-Affairs Minister Todd McClay who former National MP Jami-Lee Ross is accusing of facilitating the donation.
Ross said the donation was “the most obvious example from the last election, where a foreign individual was able to make a donation to a political party using a company. If we don’t make the right decision now we’re wasting our time”.
…so the Trade Minister, Todd McClay takes a huge political donation from a foreign donor through a shell company while that Trade Minister was on official business in 2016 at the G20 trade ministers’ meetings?
How come this story isn’t leading every news bulletin?
Isn’t this a dangerous escalation of influence by China over our largest Political Party and doesn’t it beg the question, is the National Party just a front for Chinese interests?
Ex National MPs Jenny Shipley, Don Brash, Ruth Richardson and Chris Tremain are Director’s of the China Construction Bank, Judith Collins had interaction with Chinese Officials to help her husbands Chinese Company, Oravida gain more Chinese money and former MP Maurice Williamson’s love affair with Donghua Liu saw him become Liu’s personal handyman when doing up Liu’s batch and pressing the Police to drop domestic violence charges.
MP Jian Yang beside National leader Bill English and with ‘Blue Dragons’ supporters at a party policy launch. Photo: Tim Murphy
Let’s not forget the allegations of a Chinese spy inside the National Party caucus, or that the the ‘Blue Dragons’ are one of the largest factions now inside the National Party or that a Chinese Businessman recently inquired about getting two Chinese candidates onto the National Party list after making a $100 000 donation.
National’s 9 years in power were built upon selling as much cheap milk powder to China and foreign speculation in the domestic property market, so when National make policy, are they answering to Wellington or Beijing?
If only this story garnered as much attention as Celebrity fucking Island.
+1000, corruption is everywhere. Other countries do not allow political donations from overseas, in NZ we do, and also give so many a free NZ passport to boot, so they can donate, as Kiwi citizens and create a little Mainland China run allies in the Pacific, become the breadbasket to China and strip NZ natural resources that are given away for free like sand and water, and the Kiwi politicians who take the money, are paid handsomely.
I don’t have a problem with some overseas investment. But the current façadism of practically every company in NZ being run and owed by overseas interests is alarming and it is also being masked by the ease of becoming a NZ citizen so quickly. (11 days for Thiel and less than 5 years for the average drugs dealer ).
I agree that overseas donations should be banned.
But the problem is I suspect Labour also gets donations, even if a lot less so than National, but nevertheless Labour may also be hit. Hence there is not much will to change the law.
Let’s see if Labour changes the law. If they don’t, then you are probably right.
In my view electoral donations ought to be banned outright. But will this govt or any govt do it? I know where my money would be were I a betting man.
+1000 electoral donations ought to be banned outright!
Well the Pacific Leaders Forum (or what ever they’re calling themselves now after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison got frowned at for being a nice conservitive) should survive in my opinion.
What ever you think of New Zealand’s Pacific Reset it should be our first intention to manage the Chinese and American Relationship so that for one thing we do not contribute to rising tensions from our South Pacific Block.
The Pacific Leaders Forums is a relatively small block with out Australia. But with out Australia we are very concerned with equity, social and human rights and climate change and so on.
There has been two great miracles in the world. One miracle is the fact that China elevated hundreds of millions from poverty into some sort of middle class so they can live a happy existence or what ever. The other miracle is the Post War Golden Age of the welfare state.
In 2001 no one thought that a war was possible and then it did happen. We are in the same situation. In the lead up to WW1 and WW2 there was tremendous developments, woman got the vote, science bloomed and incomes grew, the same happened with Windows95 we got a great period of change and then war. We are once again bring about this change today.
I think we managed WW2 pretty well with all things considered but if a World Wr happened today I think it will be pure catastrophe.
How do we the people make this a subject that is discussed on main stream media every night until the next election? If kiwis cant see this for what it is then were all buggered……
I can’t wait to see how Jacinda handles the inevitable Chinese military occupation of Hong Kong. If China doubles down after taking over Hong Kong and invades Taiwan, what would she say? When everyone else globally is condemning Chinese actions and threatening to or literally putting sanctions on China, what will NZ’s response be when our economy and standard of living is based around keeping China happy? Remember NZ doesn’t mean an iota to China in the grand scheme of things – they will boycott everything they import if we raise a fist… can we do the same to them?
“When everyone else globally is condemning Chinese actions and threatening to or literally putting sanctions on China, what will NZ’s response”
Who is ‘everyone else’? Its only Western countries squawking about Hong Kong.
For instance consider Xinjiang —just 22 Western countries condemned China, 37 countries from all over the globe including Muslim countries, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East supported China. So who is the ‘world’
In terms of ‘invading’ Hong Kong, how can a country invade itself? For your information Hong Kong already has around 10000 PLA troops stationed there, I believe. The first troops arrived 1 July 1997
Now back to the donations, so what? Businessman and rich people donate to political parties. Its the same all over the world. Not saying its right, but that’s just the way things are.
Nothing illegal has happened. If NZ is so much against these types of donations, just ban donations from overseas donors.
But there does not seem to be much interest in doing this —probably because all parties receive donations, even if some more than others.
Placing New Zealand in between China and America is a dangerous game indeed and a whole bunch of fresh faced idealistic newbies are finding out just how dangerous it really is.
You beat me to it MARK, how on earth can a country invade itself? Presumably the general belief in the west is that Hong Kong was a bastion of democracy in the region,and not a part of China conquered by the british empire during there attempts to enslave that country with there filthy opium.
https://www.scmp.com/article/974360/opium-war-or-how-hong-kong-began
“The World” to a large proportion of N Zilda’s with there direct from cnn news is envisaged as predominately pale, others such as Afghani’s Libyans Iranians Venezuelans etc. are just considered canon fodder for our bestest us buddies (all in the name of FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY of course.) Never are these people depicted by western repeaters as having families children jobs aspirations etc.
Mark will be there clapping with approval when China decides to annex NZ in the interests of regional security. Doesn’t seem to give half a shit for human rights or democracy
Band donations outright and create a more level playing field
100% agree Michelle.
Ban this loophole exploited by the Nasty Natz and lets ban the Natz while we are at it.
…..If only.
Bridges justified it by saying “those are the rules”. Ethically and morally bankrupt is Bridges. Probably why he’ll never get above 5% and probably why 95% just can’t take him seriously other than parked cars.
What you wont read in the NZ media !!!
So is the National Party just a front for Chinese interests ?
What you wont read in the Chinese media.
Is the Communist party of China just a front for Kiwi interests ?
In the lead up to the 2017 General Election the NZ National Party held an auction for funding raising. Not one cent from that fundraising went to say helping the poor, the homeless etc of New Zealand. Nope… in stead it went towards the National Party coffers in the hope of being re-elected into government for another term of destruction upon the NZ masses i.e the low incomes NZers that Bill English claimed are living beyond their means and MUST experience financial cutbacks.
I am certain most of those at the auction and bidded were Chinese or Asian. There was probably not one poor NZer at the auction. The auction was filled with wealthy Chinese and perhaps hoped bidding at an auction would give them a step in the door for political favours from the NZ National Party.
It has been proven there are a considerable number of multi-millionaires in China and the NZ National Party will always court whomever has enough money to give to them. We well know National would never court the poor unless there is an election at stake and all of a sudden National pretend they care about us lowly and low income working New Zealanders.
Out of all this I am getting the impression Todd McClay isn’t being entirely truthful with the arrangement or deals made. Something money-hungry by National went on and we are unlikely to hear McClay admit that the deal was as bad as a former ANZ employee buying a property in Omaha in 2017.
Only the Aoteaoa Liberatin will save this non-nation of No Zealand from the neo-colonial Chinese dictatorship that is alive and well in both the Transnational Capital and Wage Slave Labour Parties…
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