‘Deja vu for politics and the IRD’

Today’s proceedings at Question Time in Parliament on the IRD’s treatment of foreign trusts show that the National Party has learned nothing, says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“When I made allegations about the IRD’s illegal behaviour with respect to the Winebox allegations the IRD flatly denied that was a fact and the National Party did their utmost to cover up countless cases of fraud on our revenue.

Many of countless personalities are back at it again.

“We launched the Winebox inquiry using the misinterpretation of the Magnum transaction, and then went on to other transactions, all of which, after long parliamentary and legal proceedings, were proved to be correct.

“John Nash was the IRD officer put in charge of investigating the Magnum transaction and he found no illegality. Worse still, he had to admit at the Winebox inquiry that a minister was giving an assurance of investigations having been commenced one month before they actually did.

“The same John Nash is now in charge of investigating the effect of the Panama Papers on New Zealand’s reputation for being a tax haven. He has already said that our laws are a world leading model and that of the 12,000 transactions investigated there have been few problems.

“Ministers likewise have given assurances that all is well with our law when Treasury and MBIE have said otherwise as have serious international commentators and tax experts.

“Today’s proceedings in parliament today were a disgrace with ministers allowed to say anything and everything to involve themselves in a cover up just like they did back in the Winebox days.

“Back then, Bill English was a senior minister, Treasury trained, and then, as now, knew and knows all about this fraudulent behaviour.

“New Zealand First wishes to make it very clear that no amount of deceit, obfuscation and bullying is going to deter us from our public duty.

“More and more information is coming to us as we speak and if all sections of the present administration and their appointees even dream they are going to win this battle they should wake up and apologise.

“All sections of the public, including National voters, deserve far better than this.

“How someone who showed such incompetence in the Winebox inquiry should now be trusted to properly conduct this present inquiry is simply beyond me,” Mr Peters said.

ENDS

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