Radio NZ Morning Report partial transcript
Corin:
More now on NZ’s spy agency saying they know of troubling political donations across the political spectrum. The agency has told MPs they expect greater transparency around political donations but warn a ban on foreign money would be no silver bullet.
This follows revelations that in 2016 the National Party received a donation of $150,000 from a company owned by a Chinese billionaire.
National Party leader Simon Bridges is on the line. Morena.
Simon:
Kia ora.
Corin:
Can you explain why NZ’s democracy has benefitted from taking foreign donations at all from any foreigners, full stop?
Simon:
Ah well look, I’m open to change and we’ve got a select committee process that’s working through this, and if it sees that there are changes to ensure there’s less foreign donations that’s certainly right.
I think there is a distinction to be drawn though, between um someone who maybe ah ah not a New Zealand resident or a citizen who um is in NZ, who has a connection here, and the issue of foreign powers and influence, and it’s the latter of course, that we really do want to get to and as I say, we are open to changes.
Corin:
Sure. But just to come back to my question – is there… what is the benefit to NZ of any foreigner donating to our political process?
Simon:
Well there may not be a don… a benefit. I mean it may be that we want to have changes…
Corin:
So, why did the National Party accept that donation?
Simon:
Well it was a NZ company. There were no conflicts, we disclosed it fully. It seems to me it’s pretty straight forward.
Now this is a slightly different issue than the one you just raised because, you know, if there are changes here that the select committee recommends let’s look at them with an open mind. I would say though it’s no, as the ah ah security agencies have said, silver bullet and I…
Corin:
Sure, sure and I’ll get to that, but a NZ company sure, but you knew that this was a foreign donation.
Simon:
Well it’s a NZ company and the reality is if you’ve got ah ah a situation where we’ve… what are we going to do, say there’s only a percentage of international directors allowed or a percentage of shareholders? I’m simply trying to make the point earlier and to continue it on now, that this is no free lunch – there is no silver bullet here but I. I… as I say, the select committee is working through it, let’s keep an open mind about where we…
Corin:
So… so in future would you take a similar donation or would you be open to… you are saying you will support a change that would prevent this type of donation? And the issue here is that it was a very big donation.
Simon:
Well I don’t see any issue whatsoever with the donation of $150,000 that has been in the media. It was straightforward. It was disclosed a couple of years ago, it was a NZ company and there were no conflicts. As I say though, as a select committee works through this, if they think there are changes required let’s keep an open mind, but I did make the point to you and I make it again, let’s not pretend this is a free lunch, it will be I think a somewhat complex issue given, you know, what are we going to say – international directors no longer allowed, ah shareholders offshore no longer allowed? And I make this point to you, Corin, I believe we want individuals and companies ah to… to… donate, to see this as something that they should be doing in NZ. I don’t want ah the scenario that I think Labour and Greens are driving pretty hard at, and that is state funding of political parties (indistinct)…
Corin:
Do you have any concern… you say this is not a new story ah and that it was all transparent etc but we didn’t know that ah the trade minister at the time was involved in this donation…
Simon:
You say that like there’s something sinister…
Corin:
I’m not saying it is something sinister at all. But that is the facts that Matt Nippert from the NZ Herald has established and that Todd McLay has himself said – he was in the room when there was a phone call – so I’m just asking, we didn’t know that.
Simon:
Sure.
Corin:
Is there an issue there? Do you have any issue with that?
Simon:
No, I don’t. There’s no conflicts, there’s nothing there at all to be concerned about. The situation where Todd McLay met with this gentleman ah as a minister with officials there and then some years later, he met with him again.