OIO approval process is a sham

"New Zealanders who think that the OIO approval process is needed should look at the record." said ACT Leader Jamie Whyte

"The requirement that the sale must provide a benefit to New Zealand greater than occurs when a New Zealander buys a farm is usually met by the owners with a symbolic gesture of tree planting or a similar beads and blanket type gesture to any Maoris who claim a spiritual link to the land.

"The process is also open to abuse by Government Ministers and has been. In return for granting approval for Sheng Peng to purchase the Crafer Farms, the Government required them to contract the Government’s own farming company Landcorp to sharemilk the farms. This meant private sharemilkers were put off the farms in a move that is anti-competitive, at least, and corrupt practice at worst.

"Foreign ownership seems only ever to be a problem when the buyers are Chinese. Fletcher Residential is prominent in the purchase of land for housing development. Fletcher Residential is a foreign owned company. The profits from developing this land are taken offshore yet because it is not to China no one has raised any concerns.

"Having to go through the sham process of the OIO puts more cost on Fletcher Residential for no benefit and ends up costing New Zealand home buyers.

"The Government and thinking people know that foreign investment is a good thing and the OIO process seeks to give the impression that some restrictions to it apply. The reality is quite different.

"ACT wants more honesty in the process, and has called for the removal of restrictions on land sales to foreigners. They serve no purpose, other than give false comfort to xenophobes." said Jamie Whyte

ENDS

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