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John Key chickens out of #panamapapers interview

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, May 9th, 2016 - 37 comments

This morning John Key refused to be interviewed on Radio New Zealand after learning that they intended to ask him questions about the Panama Papers.  And some elements of the media are for some strange reason trying to say there is nothing to see because he personally has not been implicated.

Sprung! New Panama Papers dump confirm NZ is a tax haven

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, May 9th, 2016 - 277 comments

A new release of Panama papers absolutely confirms New Zealand is a tax haven says Nicky Hager. And ironically, it is because of New Zealand’s squeaky clean reputation that tens of thousands of foreigners have come flooding here.
Rather than actually dealing with the issue, John Key is using his old classics “nothing to see here” coupled with “Labour did it too”, “nicky hager is a conspiracy nut”, and “wait for the (Shewan) whitewash enquiry” defenses.

Panama Papers whistleblower cites Pacific isles, NZ, for good reasons

Written By: - Date published: 6:37 pm, May 8th, 2016 - 23 comments

Jurgen Mossack told Field his business involved people “trying to avoid paying taxes in their home countries” – crucially “avoidance”, “unlike evasion”, is within the law.

John, Ken and Mark might have had much better weeks

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 pm, May 7th, 2016 - 14 comments

“I did a little yelp of joy…like an excited puppy,” wrote Farrier, the former Newsworthy presenter at TV3, on hearing of Weldon’s resignation

Why was John Key singled out by Panama Papers hacker?

Written By: - Date published: 1:03 pm, May 7th, 2016 - 169 comments

Why, out of all the rotten, corrupt and unprincipled nations of the earth, did the Panama Papers hacker single out New Zealand’s John Key for special mention?

Panama leaker’s statement singles out John Key

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, May 7th, 2016 - 162 comments

Over night the Panama Papers leaker “John Doe” released a “manifesto”.

In it he/she mentioned just one national leader by name, singling out our very own John Key, for his “curious silence”…

Another Panama dump on NZ links

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, May 6th, 2016 - 80 comments

Australia’s Financial Review has just published more details of NZ’s starring role as tax haven in the Panama Papers.

Update: Claims that Key’s lawyer never dealt with Mossack Fonseca seem to be – untrue.

NRT: A Poor Choice

Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, May 6th, 2016 - 26 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on the irony of sending Judith “Minister of Corruption” Collins to an an anti-corruption summit in London next week.

UK Council Elections; A Referendum on Corbyn?

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, May 6th, 2016 - 49 comments

Voting in the UK council, mayoral and assembly elections has just closed. The first results are coming in and there appears to be a big protest vote. In Scotland, the question is who will come second, Labour or the Tories. In London, Sadiq Khan was a shoo in for mayor until Ken Livingstone had a brain fart. In Wales, the Greens and UKIP are hoping to make significant gains.

Ultimately, all eyes are on Jeremy Corbyn. This is make or break for the Labour leader.

Peters vs Carter

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, May 6th, 2016 - 17 comments

Winston Peters is already wielding his kingmaker powers. If National roll over over, I wonder what else Peters can get out of them over the next few months?

Oooops !

Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, May 5th, 2016 - 47 comments

More from the lying liar that lies.

Key’s sloppy trust

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, May 5th, 2016 - 7 comments

An editorial in The Herald today keeps the pressure on Key. Meanwhile his “lawyer” can’t be happy, and Key hits peak condescension.

A week is a long time in politics

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, May 5th, 2016 - 17 comments

Over the past week the Government has gone from “there is no problem with the Overseas Investment Office” to announcing an urgent review and a staffing boost to make sure that approvals of foreign purchases of land are being properly processed.

Little’s Healthy Homes Bill passes first reading

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 5th, 2016 - 22 comments

Last night Andrew Little’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill passed it’s first reading. Bravo to Andrew Little, Labour, The Greens, NZF, The Maori Party, and Peter Dunne, who voted in support.

Little’s Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill up today

Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, May 4th, 2016 - 29 comments

And this time it might get through.

Key and McClay sorting out their lines

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, May 4th, 2016 - 16 comments

On the nobbled IRD tax haven review Key has been sorting out his lines. Then he had to feed McClay his. The concept of just telling the truth probably never occured to either of them.

The wheels on the bus go round and round

Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, May 3rd, 2016 - 18 comments

Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus – Part 2.

Key chucks his “lawyer” under a bus

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, May 2nd, 2016 - 125 comments

Key has form on lying, you’d hope that his “lawyer” does not.

Tax haven questions for National

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, May 2nd, 2016 - 36 comments

The weekend saw the pressure stay on National over our tax haven status, and the role Key might have played in protecting it.

Dunne concerned about “extremely damaging” tax haven label – years too late

Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, May 1st, 2016 - 52 comments

Peter Dunne is concerned about the ‘extremely damaging’ tax haven label. Guyon Espiner points out that he used to call it ‘legitimate tax avoidance’.

Labour’s strong week – National and land sales to foreigners

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 30th, 2016 - 63 comments

Labour had a strong week this week with the disclosure of individuals behind a Mossack Fonseca related entity had criminal convictions for environmental damage forcing the OIO to review its original decision.   Grant Robertson has correctly called for a full inquiry into the circumstances relating to the Government stopping a review of the Foreign Trust regime.  And Phil Twyford has persuaded the OAG to rule that Housing New Zealand’s handling of parts of the housing sale process were sub standard.

Key’s Blind Trust vs Our Blind Faith

Written By: - Date published: 4:19 pm, April 29th, 2016 - 29 comments

So Key’s lawyer reckons the PM directly requested that trust industry leaders lobby the Revenue Minister. On the other hand, PM DunnoKeyo reckons he did no such thing. That leaves some really big questions …

Grant Robertson: Full independent inquiry needed to save New Zealand’s reputation

Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, April 29th, 2016 - 35 comments

Grant Robertson is calling for a full inquiry into circumstances surrounding the Government’s 2015 decision not to review the country’s foreign tax rules.

Mossack Fonseca bites National on the arse

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, April 29th, 2016 - 348 comments

John Key is facing some problems describing how a Mossack Fonseca company ended up owning a New Zealand farm and how after his lawyer asked the Government not to change the rules surrounding foreign trusts the Government moved to make sure that no rule change would occur.

Little just visited NZ troops in Iraq

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, April 28th, 2016 - 11 comments

“Opposition Leader Andrew Little has visited New Zealand troops at Camp Taji, Iraq. Mr Little also met with Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled Al-Obedih and senior military officials from the Coalition forces in Iraq. He now heads to Jordan to see the unfolding refugee crisis first hand.”

Herald editorial nails Government over climate change inaction

Written By: - Date published: 7:49 am, April 28th, 2016 - 31 comments

The Herald castigated the Government over its inaction over climate change in an editorial released this morning.

Key’s land tax – too weak

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, April 28th, 2016 - 76 comments

Reaction to Key’s land tax has been luke warm at best, with strong calls for more effective action. Labour is promising “a ‘tidal wave’ of big housing reforms”…

Emmerson on the land tax

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, April 27th, 2016 - 38 comments

Emmerson land tax

The poll shift and the flag fiasco

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, April 27th, 2016 - 37 comments

A straight 3.5% swap National to NZF looks to me like the impact of the flag fiasco.

Latest Roy Morgan poll result: National support plunges

Written By: - Date published: 6:48 pm, April 26th, 2016 - 329 comments

The latest Roy Morgan poll results and National’s support has plunged.

Key prepares to backflip on Auckland housing

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, April 26th, 2016 - 126 comments

John Key is preparing the ground for a reversal on National’s refusal to do anything about Auckland’s housing crisis.