National’s Gas and Oil man forgets to declare $178000 – why it’s not malicious

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
39
1514

National MP ‘mistakenly’ failed to declare $178k in donations

National MP David MacLeod has been stood down from his select committee roles after failing to properly declare nearly $180,000 in donations to his electoral campaign.

David MacLeod is widely seen as National’s oil and gas man. His job as the MP for New Plymouth is to bring back gas and oil exploration and we know he has real power because in barely months of being announced as the National Party candidate he gained hundreds of thousands in donations.

Donations he didn’t go onto declare.

Here’s why this isn’t malicious.

- Sponsor Promotion -

His mistake is probably exactly that – a mistake. I say that because National, ACT and NZF are so expert at soliciting donations for legislative changes within the existing rules that there is no reason whatsoever to cheat or trick anyone.

The horrific truth is that current legal system has so many loopholes to exploit by the Right that they don’t need deceit.

Where MacLeod will be embarrassing National is the highlighting of how venal he is as a vassal for oil and gas…

Fast track committee not undermined by MP’s donation – National

The National Party insists there has been no conflict of interest in David MacLeod’s chairing the committee considering the contentious fast-track bill.

The New Plymouth MP received $10,000 from a donor with shares in a company hoping to benefit from the legislation.

MacLeod was yesterday stood down from his role as chair of Parliament’s Environment Select Committee for failing to properly declare donations to his election campaign.

Phil Brown — a New Plymouth businessman with substantial shares in seabed mining company — donated $10,000 to MacLeod.

Trans-Tasman Resources mining project wants to mine ironsands off the coast of Taranaki and hoped to get the green light under the Fast-track Approvals Bill, once it is passed into law.

The legislation is being considered by the Environment Select Committee, which MacLeod has chaired since December.

…this is why National are angry, it’s important to keep the sleepy hobbits of muddle NuZilind out of the picture when it comes to fast tracking powers that are feeding their venal vested interests and what MacLeod’s fuck up has done is remind sleepy hobbits they are being manipulated for National Party donors.

Some on the right will claim this is no different from the Left being reliant on Union money for donations, but Unions want better work conditions for everyone and better pay for everyone, Union interests are altruistic where as Right wing donor interests are utterly selfish and focused on breaking environmental safeguards.

What should outrage people isn’t that he forgot to declare, but that this buying of our democracy for corporate polluter interests is all legal in the first place!

MacLeod should face legal action for not declaring his donations, but the way our democracy has been manipulated by big donors should stun and outrage you well beyond his sloppiness.

Unfortunately you are all still too bitter that Jacinda had the temerity of saving 20 000 lives to admit that you fucked up by voting National and allowing these corporate interests dictate policy.

This is all on you as National voters now.

 

Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.

If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media.

39 COMMENTS

      • You seem to have missed Stephen’s criticism of zionist ownership of Yank pollies. Unless the dryness of your response slid beneath me or you have learnt, like all of us, the last 7 months.

  2. Hey, if Labour had dealt with the donations issue within their last two terms (SIX YEARS) it couldn’t have been used in the last election.

    Let’s blame Labour voters, too.

    Well we’re at it let’s consider the whole rigged system. With an electorate not much more engaged in democracy than a chicken at a buffet, and media not much better than gravy to help said chicken be less dry, we live in a nearly feudal system. With laws imported from another country & case law written by unaccountable judges and committees. Bah.

    • @ just some troll. ( Well, if you say so. )
      I have to ask; where the Hell have you been for the last 40 or more years? Don’t you know that the Labour you mention above isn’t that, right? It isn’t Labour. It isn’t what was Labour before roger douglas. Roger douglas infiltrated Labour as its two term finance minister and only ‘came out’ to destroy David Lange along with Old Labour then in a bold move of arrogance went off to have fascist ACT babies with a fucking creep called derek quigly and one of those diseased babies is called david seymour. Now here’s the kicker as some like to say.
      The National Party was formed by the coagulation of two lessor parties back in 1936.
      Wikipedia:
      ” National formed in 1936 through amalgamation of conservative and liberal parties, Reform and United respectively, and subsequently became New Zealand’s second-oldest extant political party.[9] ”
      That was 88 years ago. 88 years ago a hatchling criminal underworld united to defraud farmer money and has been wasting our time and money since then. However, the fat useless fucks never saw that there internettery thing ga majigery coming and now I can write this and this can go straight to you which must be an “Oh Fuck! ” moment for the Natzo’s and their kling-ons The ACT Party, NZ First and the weird Frog Man’s Tax Payer’s Union party, probably better explained as being the burblings of a head injured far right all bought and paid for RNZ journalist. National. Labour. ACT. Taxpayers Union. Maori Party and until recently, The Green party are all the original, alpha daddy neo-liberal parties Evil death babies mumbling “greed is good, greed is good. The National Party controls the money-narrative. Not humanitarianism. Not good intentions. Not a means of solidarity but money and that’s why a small rich country’s fucked.
      Did you not know that? You might also find this interesting.
      Prime Video
      The Men Who Stole The World
      They’re bankers, traders, investment funds executives. They forgot all about morality to make money. The entire world had to suffer the consequences of their actions. They impoverished countries, drove millions of workers into unemployment, and contributed to the rise in extremism. So who are they? And, after the 2008 crisis, were the real culprits condemned? Could there be another?
      https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0O2TMP9GSQBYXL4R3CPXCOUF44/ref=atv_dp_share_r_em_69b91017ac204
      That greedy fucking rat above is one of the many and that brings me to my earnest fear. To hide their grimy 88 year old crime spree the dirty natzo’s will be flat out trying to launder their past crimes by selling us to the American Military Industrial complex. Oh look!
      RNZ.
      ‘War in space: US assesses NZ’s ability to quickly launch satellites’
      https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/517559/war-in-space-us-assesses-nz-s-ability-to-quickly-launch-satellites
      Here they come. Da-da dum-dum da-dum….!
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terminator

      • Good, hopefully Russia can send a Kinzhal hypersonic missile & blast that nest of treacherous fucking Natzo’s in the Beehive!

    • Hey JST, HOW THE FUCKING HELL DO YOU BLAME THIS ON LABOUR.
      This bloke should have known the rules his electorate staff and committee should have known the rules.
      If ignorance of the law is not a defence this guy should be in deep shit.
      However he will spend the donated money that was not spent on campaigning on some high profile KC at get off.
      This will be sorted before police lay charges by someone pulling the chain of the commissioner and the Crown Solicitor.
      So the end result will be nothing to see here.
      Big question for me is how much did he spend on his campaign and were those spendings hidden as well.
      You blaming Labour is like blaming your mother for something you did in your early twenties when you should have known better.

      • It’s all in his name Uncle Tom. There is no intellect and never will be.

      • It’s all in his name Uncle Tom. There is no intellect and never will be.

  3. ” MacLeod should face legal action for not declaring his donations, but the way our democracy has been manipulated by big donors should stun and outrage you well beyond his sloppiness ”

    Labour could have used its majority and time in opposition to create legislation to eliminate big money influence in our politics.

    Ardern even had the temerity to say she would lead the most transparent government ever so by making that statement she knew there were serious issues around money for influence but Labour like National are captured and in Labours case by the consultants it hired.

    Helen Clark recognized the problem in 2005 and began moving to address the situation around state funding for political parties but simply did not have the support.

    In the last term of government, the opportunity was missed. Now it’s becoming clear the price many of us are paying for their inept management.

  4. Prosecutors will have to prove intent, did Macleod try to conceal and deceive for pecuniary gain. Is he…the bag man.

  5. I’m very happy with the rapid progress of the Prime Minister Luxon lead Coalition.
    They are doing things,Labour didn’t do anything constructive because didn’t know what to do.

    • I’m not very happy with the rapid progress of the Prime Minister Luxon lead Coalition.
      They are not doing things as Labour did, the Coalition of Chaos can’t do anything constructive because they don’t know what to do.

      There FIFY Bob the troll bot

    • Bob they are proving they are every bit as stupid. If we conclude this wasn’t malicious then it’s certainly incompetent. National must have known about this amount of money.

      By the way you never graced us with your explanation of why National used gross debt rather than net. How about proving your self proclaimed genius?

    • like paying the boys out of housing funds so they can fuck over first home buyers who are finally getting into their own homes .At the same time giving billions to land lords .If thats progress we are well and truley fucked

    • “They are doing things”

      Like scrapping assistance for first-home buyers. Like killing off what is left of the Kiwi Dream of living in an egalitarian property-owning democracy. A seventy percent home ownership rate is too high says the CEO. Landlordism reigns.

      And Bob when are you paying back your free tertiary education and the cheap government mortgage you used to buy your first home?

  6. MacLeod is either ignorant or arrogant. The most startling aspect to this sordid affair is the bland assurance that there is no conflict of interest. The spin is that it’s perfectly normal for politicians to receive donations from people who are going to receive benefit from the decisions those politicians make. This is the new version of transparency. You pay your money and you get what you want.

    • Labour get support from unions in the same way as National get theirs from businesses and individuals what is the difference.
      The plus from this scenario is the mistake was picked up,and report on by the National Party so proving we have a very open parliament.
      I note Luxon has reacted straight away and stood their MP down in stark contrast to the Greens .

        • The left are supposed to be kind and caring but you and your mates want a mistake made as a teenager to follow the person for the rest of his life. I wonder what skeletons you have buried your are you perfect in every way.

      • Trevor do you actually always believe what you write? How you can compare union organisations to rich self interested people is beyond me. Sure unions have some bad apples but their very existence is not based on me me me.

  7. There are questions to be asked someone said on radio NZ this morning. Where did the money go? Are they allowed to – like they are in the US – keep it and use it to pay for anything they like? That’s how Trump’s legal bills are being paid apparently. Or are they supposed to donate it to a party fund of some sort? Christmas piss up? Genuine questions – I haven’t got a fucking clue.

  9. Labour get support from unions in the same way as National get theirs from businesses and individuals what is the difference.
    The plus from this scenario is the mistake was picked up,and report on by the National Party so proving we have a very open parliament.
    I note Luxon has reacted straight away and stood their MP down in stark contrast to the Greens .

    • Yes Trevor,
      So what’s your point in trotting out this old Chestnut.
      Unions are providing a service to their members.
      National Party MPs are supposed to provide a service to the country but it seems there view of what country means is limited to those that donate.
      Act is on the gravy train as well, MP Advising Seymour on Pharmacy has business interests in the Pharmaceutical industry.
      Latest on Nats, funding for Bill English inquiry was funded up to $500000 from emergency housing fund. How fucking ethical is that. Stealing from the poor to pay your mates to write a report to fit the question.

  10. Untill the electoral commision has control of ALL campain spending we will be subject to more corruption.Each electorate should have a set amount to spend on campaining which is divided equally between all candidates .No other money can be donated to parties from private people or business .That way there is no way for lobby groups of rich pricks to buy MPs without it being transparent .

  11. Thank god this govt has an oil and gas man. Labour has fuck all. Sorry, I’m wrong…Labour has Chippie. There you go lefties, rejoice!

    • Keep trolling Sour Kraut, your Humpty Dumpty leader will have a great fall.

    • There is no rejoicing while the levels of corruption are increasing with no consequences.

      ” That stench you’re smelling? It’s corruption. And it seems to taint everything this government does.
      This is not how kiwis think our government should work. And if National can’t kick their corruption habit, we need to start sticking them in jail.

      ” In their coalition agreement with NZ First, the National Party agreed to provide $24 million in funding to the charity “I Am Hope / Gumboot Friday”. Why were they so eager to do so? Because their chair was a National donor, their CEO was the son of a National MP who had wanted to become a National candidate, and they had paid a former National PM for the “independent” assessment used to pimp their service ”

      https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2024/05/more-national-corruption.html

  12. Martyn – Not a good look…Darleen Tana is also getting looked at for her campaigning as well…

  13. in the sense that all nz pollies are for sale there is no conflict of interest….the corrupt act corruptly well there’s a novelty

  14. The left are supposed to be kind and caring but you and your mates want a mistake made as a teenager to follow the person for the rest of his life. I wonder what skeletons you have buried your are you perfect in every way.

    • Trevor yes we are kind and caring and we don’t approve of anyone being beaten up with a bed leg especially someone who has been elected to parliament who is being paid by my tax dollars. Yes Trevor maybe some of us have done things we regret however we don’t put ourselves on pedestals and get elected to parliament pretending to be on a law and order ticket blaming Labour as soft on crime.

Comments are closed.