NZ POLITICS DAILY: Does communism offer an answer to NZ's Crafar Farms dilemma?
For one businessman, a Chinese communist-style prohibition on buying land holds the answer to New Zealand's dilemma over foreign investment in farmland.
Does communism have the answer to New Zealand’s dilemma over foreign investment in farmland? A New Zealand businessman in China made a suggestion over the weekend that the New Zealand Government should adopt the Chinese policy of leaseholding farm land instead of selling it – read the transcript of the Q + A interview with David Mahon here or watch the interview here. This idea has even gained the support of the anti-Crafar sale group, Save the Farms – see: Businessman wants NZ land leased, not sold.
The idea is also endorsed by Tim Watkin in his blogpost, Foreign ownership - time to learn from other countries. After surveying how a number of other countries deal with the issue of foreign investment in farmland, Watkin concludes that nationalisation and leasehold – albeit with farms acquired via the market – might be ‘a middle-ground between the rubber-stamping the Overseas Investment Office currently engages in and the complete ban the Greens and New Zealand First support’. But in terms of the immediate question of whether the National Government should sell the Crafar farms to Shanghai Pengxin, Watkin says, ‘Of course it should; and it will. As the law stands, it's right and proper’.
The David Mahon interview was also useful for the refutation of the common objection to the Crafar sale that says we should not sell land to Chinese investors, because the Chinese Government doesn’t allow New Zealand investors to buy land there. Mahon explained that, in fact, the Chinese Government doesn’t allow anyone to buy land. Another misconception put to rest is the idea that we risk becoming ‘tenants in our own land’. As I explained on Q + A, this is a ridiculous slogan because, in terms of productive assets, New Zealanders are already ‘tenants in our own country’ in that something like 99% of us don’t own significant business assets – see the transcript of the panel discussion on David Mahon interview.
There’s a continued focus today on the relationship between money and politics, with the release by the Electoral Commission of the 2011 election candidate donation disclosures (very well covered by Claire Trevett’s article, Who bankrolled MPs' campaigns). The most interesting disclosures appear to involve Pita Sharples and Shane Jones. Joshua Hitchcock asks further questions about these in his blogpost, Campaign Donations Revealed especially this one: ‘First, why did Sealord Group donate $10,000 to Shane Jones’ failed Tamaki Makaurau campaign? Shane Jones is the former Chair of Te Ohu Kai Moana, the same organisation which owns 50% of Sealord and is responsible for managing Māori fisheries on behalf of, and in conjunction with, Iwi. It is not a good look for the commercial arm of Te Ohu Kai Moana to be getting involved in Māori politics. The Labour Party have been busy accusing the Government of cronyism these past few months, it is an inconsistent argument to run when Shane Jones is taking money from his former commercial and professional mates running Sealord and Te Ohu Kai Moana’.
Money, politics, and influence are also being discussed in relation to Green MP Holly Walker’s private members bill that seeks to regulate lobbyists – see Kate Chapman’s Greens' bill rips veil off lobbying and Claire Trevett’s Long time lobbyist lobbies against lobby law. It’s an apt debate at a time of heightened discussion about cronyism, especially with regard to the Government’s proposed SkyCity casino deal. Fran O’Sullivan is particularly scathing of this deal in her column, SkyCity centre deal smacks of cronyism. Not only does she say that the deal with SkyCity ‘verges on being immoral and smacks of crony capitalism’, she adds that it is a ‘sweetheart deal’, ‘iniquitous’, and that it amounts to ‘cheque-book legislation’. Blogger Cathy Odgers has written a series of posts in response to this vein of criticism – see: SkyCity PR Inept - Bring on the SBW! Part I, Part II, and Part III.
The Greens are obviously benefiting from leading the opposition to issues such as the SkyCity deal, the Crafar farm sale, and even the ACC scandal. The latest Roy Morgan opinion poll puts the party on a remarkable 17% support (their 5% increase possibly being related to the 5% loss by National) and this is discussed by John Hartevelt in Greens thriving despite lack of influence on Nats. He suggests that the party is now shifting in a more radical direction, especially with the arrival of ex-Alliance cabinet minister Laila Harre as the Greens’ Auckland leader. Similarly, Chris Trotter sees the employment of Harre as very significant – see: Harre move lays down Greens' test for Labour. The consensus seems to be that Harre will push the Greens leftward, and this will increase the pressure on Labour in the competition for traditional working class voters. This is an argument that Matt McCarten also makes in his column, Labour losing sight of its working class roots, and he warns Labour that it could become eclipsed by this party on the rise.
Meanwhile the plight of the National Party is discussed in John Roughan’s column, National defies the pundits, as well as in The Nation’s examination of the shake-up within National – video. National’s rising star, Simon Bridges, is profiled in Audrey Young’s Young, bright and aiming for the top and The Nation’s Political star Simon Bridges discusses his future.
The state sector – and the Government’s reforms – are in the news a lot at the moment and are the subject of analysis by John Armstrong (Commission fiddles while its cred burn), Tracy Watkins (A very serious state of affairs), and Keith Ng (Some of My Best Friends are Consultants). Armstrong says that the State Services Commission has become more of a lapdog than a watchdog, Watkins has a detailed discussion of Murray McCully and the Mfat reforms, and Ng discusses the role of consultants in the reform process. The following items also reflect the degree of scrutiny being applied to the state sector: Claire Trevett’s State house agency spends big on travel, John Hartevelt’s Thousands spent on whanau gatherings, and Neil Reid’s MPs question top-heavy pay scale at TVNZ.
Other important or interesting political items today include the following:
• Kate Chapman reports that Labour’s private member bill to extend paid parental leave might have a parliamentary majority in Government on the spot with parental leave.
• David Beatson calls for a debate, and clarity, over the future of public service television in Putting the Public Service TV Pot back on the boil.
• The latest on the Affco industrial dispute is detailed in James Ihaka and Simon Collins’ Meatworkers in lockout battle.
• The situation of Christchurch’s red-zone refuseniks is examined in Ben Heather’s Red-zoners in dire straits – families.
• Colin James asks whether, post-global financial crisis, capitalism and capitalists can have a moral purpose – see: Companies, grow some fit morals.
• The New Zealand Herald has compiled their list of NZ’s Twitter top 50 – see: Part I and Part II. Politico tweeps include: Claire Trevett (@CTrevettNZH), Patrick Gower (@patrickgowernz), Felix Marwick (@felixmarwick), Gareth Morgan (@garethmorgannz), Toby Manhire (@toby_etc), David Slack (@DavidSlack), John Campbell (@JohnJCampbell), Liam Dann (@liamdann), and Robyn Malcolm (@robynmalcolm).
Bryce Edwards
NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@nzpoliticsdaily.co.nz )
Today’s content
All items are contained in the attached PDF. Below are the links to the items online.
Foreign investment
Tim Watkin (Pundit): Foreign ownership - time to learn from other countries
Local Bodies: Crafar Farm Sale Threatens Sovereignty
Newswire: Crafar decision 'could hurt China trade'
Nellie Tuck (TV3): Businessman wants NZ land leased, not sold
SkyCity deal
Fran O’Sullivan (Herald): SkyCity centre deal smacks of cronyism
Warwick Rasmussen (Manawatu Standard): Editorial: Downside ignored in pokies deal
Nelson Mail: Editorial - Poking needed into gaming setup
Kathryn Powley (Herald): Skycity gamblers all at sea
Cathy Odgers (Cactus Kate): SkyCity PR Inept - Bring on the SBW! Part I
Cathy Odgers (Cactus Kate): SkyCity PR Inept - Bring on the SBW! Part II
Cathy Odgers (Cactus Kate): SkyCity PR Inept - Bring on the SBW! Part III
The Standard: Both sides of Joyce’s dirty deal bad for NZ
ACC scandal
Jane Clifton (Listener): The importance of Lady Collins
David Cohen (NBR): Leave courts out of public debate
John Gibb (ODT): Dunedin lawyer wants ACC inquiry
Karl du Fresne (Dom Post): ACC plot thickens but no-one can tell us what's going on
The Standard: Nat Civil War: Collins faction turns on Key
The Standard: Crushed Collins, the most over-rated minister of all?
Opinion polls, National, Greens, and Labour
John Hartevelt (Stuff): Greens thriving despite lack of influence on Nats
Chris Trotter (Press): Harre move lays down Greens' test for Labour
Matt McCarten (Herald): Labour losing sight of its working class roots
Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim Post): Two polls
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): On polls and the move to the Greens
Greg Presland (Waitakere News): National's decline begins
Local Bodies: Easter Poll and New Beginnings?
The Standard: Nat Civil War: The perils of monolithism
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): What National losing 4% means
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): What National losing 4% Means, Ctd
Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): What National losing 4% Means, Ctd
Rob Hosking (NBR): What are you prepared to die for?
John Roughan (Herald): National defies the pundits
Robert Winter (Idle Thoughts): The tide has turned against Mr Key and his mates
Simon Bridges
Audrey Young (Herald): Young, bright and aiming for the top
State sector
John Armstrong (Herald): Commission fiddles while its cred burn
Keith Ng (On Point): Some of My Best Friends are Consultants
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): A very serious state of affairs
Gerald McGhie (Herald): A simplistic reduction of Mfat will solve nothing
David Beatson (Pundit): Putting the Public Service TV Pot back on the boil
Dan Parker (TV3): Government cost-cutting measures cram the workspace
Claire Trevett (Herald): State house agency spends big on travel
John Hartevelt (Stuff): Thousands spent on whanau gatherings
Dave Armstrong (Dom Post): It's time for performance pay for police dogs
Neil Reid (SST): MPs question top-heavy pay scale at TVNZ
Lobbying bill
Kate Chapman (Stuff): Greens' bill rips veil off lobbying
Claire Trevett (Herald): Long time lobbyist lobbies against lobby law
Political funding
Claire Trevett (Herald): Who bankrolled MPs' campaigns
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Electorate Campaign Returns
Joshua Hitchcock (Maori Law and Politics): Campaign Donations Revealed
Treaty settlement
Yvonne Tahana (Herald): Government close to $1b Treaty settlement threshold
Yvonne Tahana (Herald): Ngai Tahu not waiting around
Geoff Cumming (Herald): Whose land is it anyway?
Geoff Cumming (Herald): Naval base sale known a year ago, says Mapp
Local Government
Daniel Adams (Stuff): Council reforms needs public backing - new minister
Dion Tuuta (Taranaki Daily News): Measuring cost - and value - of local input
Gerrard Eckhoff (ODT): Local government plans 'window-dressing'
Law and order
Adam Dudding (SST): Releasing the Beast
Adam Dudding (SST): Nats rush to keep worst sex offenders in jail
Greg Presland (Waitakere News): Crusher Collins intends to wreck the rule of law
Ben Clark (The Standard): Participate: a better criminal trial?
NZ in Afghanistan
Stuart McMillan (NBR): SAS signals changing NZ role
Vicki Waterhouse (Stuff): Soldiers' focus on job ahead
Vicki Waterhouse and Charles Anderson (Stuff): Soldiers depart as one returns
Eric Roy (The Southland Times): Little issues sometimes really count
Economy
John Hartevelt (Stuff): Impact of 2010 tax switch unknown
Timaru Herald: Editorial: Who's up for a cash job?
Shane Cowlishaw (Stuff): Push to recover student loans grows
Colin James (ODT): Companies, grow some fit morals
Tamsyn Parker (Herald): 78,000 putting Kiwisaver on hold
Brian Gaynor (Herald): Markets picking up but danger still lurks
Herald: No legs for merging dollars
Brian Fallow (Herald): Wood could fuel our future
Owen Hembry (Herald): Farmers growing wary of Fonterra plans
Rob Hosking (NBR): IMF sprinkles happy dust on New Zealand economy
Industrial disputes
James Ihaka and Simon Collins (Herald): Meatworkers in lockout battle
Newswire: Rest home workers call off strike
Daryl Hutchison (TV3): Beginning of the end for Ports of Auckland?
Herald: Pizza boy paid $4.50 an hour
Christchurch rebuild
Michele Hewitson (Herald): Michele Hewitson interview: Roger Sutton
Ben Heather (Stuff): Govt pays to keep quake dump going
Ben Heather (Stuff): Red-zoners in dire straits - families
Sam Sachdeva (Stuff): $1b gap in Christchurch cover
Paid parental leave
Kate Chapman (Stuff): Government on the spot with parental leave
Danya Levy (Stuff): Paid parental leave extension backed
Newswire: Bill to extend parental leave drawn
Cathy Odgens (Cactus Kate): Paid Parental Madness
Yvonne Tahana (Herald): Time home with family 'should be valued'
Easter trading
Clio Francis (Stuff): Shops caught breaching trading law
Gordon Brown (Taranaki Daily News): Of loopy trading laws and lawyers' largesse
Other (the items below are contained in the attached PDF)
Danya Levy (Stuff): Concern for New Zealand-bound asylum-seekers
Tracy Watkins (Dom Post): Political Week: What odds on these resurrections?
Rodney Hide (NBR): Political principle lost in a circus run by monkeys
Graeme Edgeler (Legal Beagle): MMP Review #3: The Submission
Paloma Migone (Stuff): NZ's welfare hot spots revealed
Greg Presland (Waitakere News): Can Len Brown rehabilitate his Mayoralty?
Jennifer Van Beynen (Herald): Former National MP's appeal dismissed
Herald: NZ’s Twitter top 50 – Part I
Herald: NZ's Twitter top 50 - Part ll
Geoff Palmer (Stuff): Hacking democracy: why Bender is great
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Internet Voting
Kate Chapman (Stuff): New privacy laws not safe enough, say pundits
Herald: Tributes flow for Sir Peter Tapsell
Claire Trevett (Herald): Passport fees a rip off, says Peters
David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Only took him seven years
Jared Savage and Newstalk ZB (Herald): Peters condemns benefit bungle
TVNZ: Charter schools a mystery for many
Deborah Coddington (Herald): Few changes for women, time for a change for me
Herald: Editorial – School deals leave a sour taste
Tracy Watkins (Stuff): Extra pay rise for cops in jeopardy
3 News online staff: Australian businessman describes Kiwis as 'retarded'
Neville Bennett (NBR): Clever Finns put Kiwis to shame
Ian Leckie (Dom Post): Performance pay talk for teachers is flawed
Marika Hill (Stuff): Schools blind to bright Maori
Herald: Unstitching the cosy details
Susan Edmunds and Cherie Howie (Herald): Costs a drain on family purses
John Drinnan (Herald): Ex-travel boss tipped as new TVNZ head
Neil Reid (Stuff): Council will give fracking go-ahead
Listener: Fracking: give us the facts
Brook Sabin (3 News): Local Maori vow to stop turbines in Kaipara
Michael Field (Stuff): Sea Shepherd targets NZ over Maui's Dolphin
Ian Steward (Stuff): Crime doubles close to liquor outlets
3 News: New airline penalties to increase safety
Jessica Sutton (Stuff): Regions ranked for work-life mix
Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): King wants second look at big savings
3 News: 5000 cancel unemployment benefit
The Scribbler (NBR): Keep calm and carry on – yeah right
Brook Sabin (3 News): Controversial book claims Greek arrived before Maori
Bryce Edwards
Wed, 11 Apr 2012
Wed, 11 Apr 2012
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NZ POLITICS DAILY: Does communism offer an answer to NZ's Crafar Farms dilemma?
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