Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
Member of Parliament for Northland
14 MAY 2016

Police Minister Has Immediate Opportunity to Back up Her Words

When Parliament sits again on May 24 the government will be able to use a New Zealand First bill to show their commitment to combatting corruption, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland Member of Parliament, Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Police Minister Judith Collins announced in London while attending the Anti-Corruption Summit that the government is looking at having a public register of company ownership that includes foreign beneficiaries.

"In New Zealand Ms Collins' government has spent years denying the need for a register, but now Ms Collins has had a remarkable change of heart to satisfy an international gathering. She is also attempting to justify her taxpayer-funded trip to Britain to attend talks on corruption, an evil that National has been claiming is not linked to foreigners buying NZ assets and foreign money being stashed here in trusts.

“New Zealand First has been attacked for years by National for saying foreign ownership has gone too far and calling for a register.

"We already have a bill to establish a comprehensive foreign ownership register ready and waiting introduction to Parliament – the Land Transfer (Foreign Ownership of Land Register) Amendment Bill.

“New Zealand First challenges Ms Collins and the government to take up this bill when the House resumes.

“British PM David Cameron said before the summit any overseas company buying property or bidding for government contracts in the UK would have to sign up to a new public register before the deal could go through.

“Was Ms Collins just keeping in step with Mr Cameron and once she gets back to New Zealand will forget what she announced in London?

“New Zealand First is not opposed to genuine foreign investment when it is clearly beneficial to the New Zealand economy.

“Unfortunately, what is happening is foreign buyers are mostly snapping up existing assets in a simple transfer from a New Zealander to a foreign owner,” Mr Peters says.

The New Zealand First Bill includes land, houses, buildings and all property - residential, industrial and commercial.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/legislation/proposed-bills/51HOH_MEMBILL127_1/land-transfer-foreign-ownership-of-land-register-amendment

ENDS

© Scoop Media