Jenny Shipley has just held a press conference to announce that she has sacked Tuariki Delamere who – as Minister of Immigration had signed some authorities involving the investment of Chinese funds in Maori Land – she said it would not be appropriate to allow more than one law to operate.

Delamere had approved a scheme involving discounted immigration benefits for investing $400,000 in Maori Land or $600,000 in Maori business.

RNZ reporter Stephen Harris asked the PM if it was a political stunt.

“That’s an issue you should to put to him” – Mr Delamere – the PM replied.

Harris reported that Delamere had only been sacked from Cabinet as Immigration Minister. In response to a question the PM denied she had done it to look strong.

Mr Delamere is presently on a plane flying out of Rotorua.

Before he left he talked to RNZ reporter Chris Wikira.

He told Wikira he had refused to rescind the authorities of two groups of immigrant investors.

The investors did not have enough money to gain the extra points towards their immigration applications by investing $1 million, .

“ I was asked if I was prepared to agree to lower levels of investment in Maori land and businesses,” Delamere said. “ The PM asked me to rescind those letters. I refused to do so”.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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