Look, to be honest I don’t tend to watch Newshub Nation, their panel is always disappointing and underwhelming, but if Rebecca Wright is going to continue interviewing people, I have to make an effort and tune in because sweet Jesus Christ she destroyed David Seymour this weekend in an interview so excruciating you should probably take time to watch it for the pure sadistic glee of seeing Seymour stumped for the first time since I’ve watched him as a politician.
He wants to use the IRD to go after the gangs, which is fine and dandy but as Wright righteously pointed out, asking Gang members to fill in a form for the tax man or else is kinda like telling Donald Trump not to eat KFC, like sure, you can ask, but Donald won’t listen, and neither will the gangs!
To be fair to David, the point he was trying to make is the State use the IRD harshly against law abiding citizens, why shouldn’t they be used against criminals, but Rebecca’s point stands, if you are an average Gang member, you aren’t going to be filling in your taxes annually!
This is a problem because the issue at hand is incredibly dangerous.
The 501 syndicates source their meth from South American cartels, they are prepared to use counter intelligence tactics totally outside the sophistication of the NZ Police, if we allow these organised crime syndicates to start seeing NZ as a legitimate market for meth we are fucked because their corrosive corruption is utterly beyond our capacity to counter.
What David should be pushing for is a specific branch of the Serious Fraud Office who deal forensically with the gangs connected to South American cartels – Call it the ‘Serious Organised Financial Crime’ unit and go after the assets and bank accounts of these gangs and use the vast extra powers the SFO has for serious fraud.
We need better solutions than Politicians of all stripes are currently pushing.
Tough day at the office for David, great interview by Rebecca.
I’m watching next weekend.
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To be fair to David, he’s a nobody, never has been, never will be. This was all about grandstanding, trying to be relevant when other political parties are sucking oxygen from the media.
If he is serious, can I suggest he visit a few gangs with his idea rather than knocking on Epsom doors?
Yes Seymour came across as a complete numpty…full of his own puffery …. out of his depth when up against a mind as sharp and as experienced as Rebecca Wright’s.
He used to patsy questions from Hosking and the like…
All cock a hoop when taking cheap potshots at people, but as soon as any pressure goes on him to actually explain himself and have his stupid ideas dissected and drilled down into he folds like a pack of cards..
And to think he might be a deal breaker at the next election… God help us!!
ACT’s new Gang Policy a “Research project by ACT”.
Great new slogan for 2023 election.
“Where do you get your wealth from gangs?
Rich people ruin lives by not paying tax.
Gangs ruin lives by not paying tax.
Rich people are gangs with ties, good accountants and having ACT protecting them.
Yes why do they spend so little going after the rich people gangs with clever accountants. This is where they could bring in billions.
I am not opposed to people being asked and investigated for having flashy cars, whilst declaring very little. But ‘the gangs’ as they are called are a tiny number of people and there are lots of others out there who aren’t payhing their dues.
Tax evasion is how they took down Al Capone in the end.
I found the interviewer to be obtuse at best. Kiwi viewers see though these sort of tactics. David did well keeping his cool.
David was the drawcard here; people clicked or stayed tuned-in for him, in spite of it being on NewsHub Nation. People’s prejudices towards NewsHub Nation were yet again shown to be justified.
Now, going after gang money using the IRD gives me pause, as it could easily turn into the total disposition of the already struggling. Is the justice system ready to provide justice to those wrongfully accused OR will it tie people up in red-tap and legal-fees for years? Dose everybody in NZ need an accountant these days?
Unfortunately we do NOT have the answers to these questions because IMO State-Funded-Media like NewsHub Nation are ideologically ‘woke’ and seemingly don’t want to conduct serious interviews with opposition leaders.
The way State Media like RNZ, Channel-1 [whatever, don’t own a tv] and NewsHub Nation treat Act is just appalling.. he’s very gracious to keep accepting their invites. Ironically the current government is very reluctant to be interviewed, expect by the patsy-press.
I believe what I have said above to be true, though I appreciate others others will see things differently. I hope this comment makes it through moderation.
Rebecca proved that she is a loyal Labour shill. Why shouldn’t we use the IRD to fight illegal earnings, isn’t that their raison d’etre? Start with the bosses and work your way down, stupid to think that you would ask hundreds of gang members to fill in a form. Rebecca argument seemed to be that gangs are criminal so there’s nothing you can do, just get used to it.
David felt really sorry for the wealthy being put to such hardship having to fill in a form about their wealth. The boy is a stooge. Think I know what old mate Willy was saying about him.
What an embarrassing interview — for Rebecca Wright. Does she (and her producers) have no idea of well-known history?
Clearly they don’t know what put Al Capone in jail for 11 years. It was a conviction for tax evasion — after he had boasted, ‘They can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money’.
How could Wright be allowed to make such a complete tit of herself?
She didn’t but you have.
I find Rebecca Wright very pleasant to listen to
I find Rebecca Wright extremely pleasant to listen to.
Never saw the Wright v Seymour interview but from what some fellow commenters are saying in regards to using the IRD for seizing illegal assets particularly from gang related drug sales then go for broke, after all IRD spent up large to the tune of over 1 billion a couple of years ago upgrading there systems so should have the capability to implement something.
Could potentially be a shining example of how user pay’s works.
DS again showing his rich boy ignorance.
the gangs, in particular, the MCs, start off as a social club and fund raise legally. the trust buys motorbikes, and eventually land. so going after the gangs as a criminal enterprise would be pointless, as every cent in the trust is accounted for. going after individuals would be easier and more successful. of course though, getting a gang member convicted for 5 years on tax evasion and seizing assets doesnt seem like a great win. after all they’ll be out after a third of their time served, cause non violent crime and all… or let the police do their job and get them for various other crimes like importation, drugs for supply, firearms and send them away for 15 years. oh yeah and seizure of assets.
you’d think that DS would be able to get briefings on how gangs operate, or perhaps he has and is using this as some sort of beat up on IRD for daring to ask his donors where they are hiding their money. either way Rebecca Wright went way to easy on his disingenuous bull shit.
I didn’t think this was a good interview at all. Rebecca wasn’t interested in hearing out the policy. She wanted to label it a research project. I thought David held his own fine.
Money is what keeps the drug trade going (that and addiction).
If this policy is good enough for the rich pricks, why not the gangs. The only other option we have is to throw these people in jail.
Epsom twerker, mummy’s boy, gifted a career by the natzos–need more be said?
No you nailed it.
How does anyone think you can or should ‘tax’ illegal gains, no one is going to declare earnings from illicit trading. Surely if it’s illegal it needs to be seized in full, not taxed at 33% and that power already exists.
To me ACT have demonstrated how out-of-touch they are with the real world.
Rimmer(Seymour) is a character not of the real world. He tried to stop state housing in Epsom, so obviously lives in an alternative universe, where there is only state housing in the commoners suburbs.
“Funny the gangs not paying their fair share of tax” – this from a party opposed to a CGT, wealth tax or estate tax.
PS Confiscating assets acquired via criminal activity is not taxation.
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