The government has been asked to explain the inconsistency between the decision in Kim Dotcom’s residency application (which was granted) and his application to buy more than five hectares of New Zealand land (which was denied). Some might say that Jonathan Coleman should have paid more attention when he was advised by Immigration NZ of their decision to waive the good character requirements for Mr Dotcom’s Investor Plus residency application. Others might say that alarm bells should have rung when Ministers Maurice Williamson and Simon Power overturned the decision by the OIO to enable Mr Dotcom to purchase properties in New Zealand because he didn’t meet the good character test.
John Key says it’s an “anomaly” and he’s looking into that. Okay.
But here we see Key telling us in this video that the first time he’d heard of Kim Dotcom (who lives in John Key’s electorate) was when the Solicitor General advised him of the pending raid the night before.
However, some of his constituents, who live on the same road as Kim Dotcom say they contacted John Key’s Huapai office several times to complain about the dangerous driving of Kim’s mates on their road and to express concerns about his residency and the OIO approval. Another neighbour of Mr Dotcom’s requested a meeting with John Key to discuss his concerns, but got absolutely nowhere. They’re a bit confused about John Key’s response. Either their concerns weren’t passed on, or they were ignored.
I know our Prime Minister’s a busy and important man, but he also has responsibilities to his constituents and they were entitled to expect his interest.
Sometimes paying attention matters, even when you are the Prime Minister.
Labour should far more attention on the dubious case for extraditing Mr Dotcom, and the raid on his property, than on whether the PM knew Mr Dotcom was living in the Helensville electorate and drives like a hoon.
The government oversees all that and the head of the government is Key, therefore Darien is right!
So if I get this right, next time I see a case of dangerous driving anywhere, let alone on the street I live in or irrespective of whether this person is currently talked about in the media – I should contact the PM not the police.
Darien, why didnt they come to you for assistance? didnt you stand in that electorate? Surely you can then raise this in your campaign in 2014 when trying to unseat the prime minister?
So let’s talk Bill Liu if you want to talk about residency shall we?
Smart use of the conditional there, indiana, “If I get this right.”
Note Darien’s post had two reasons for contacting the local MP and PM. You selectively chose one, and thereby got it wrong. Was this post about who to contact about hoon driving or something else?
Darien- let’s say especially, not even, and expect it of our next Labour Prime Minister?
John Key is the local MP. It’s his job to pay attention to constituents.
@rjs131 I knew you would say something like that. You always do.
Darien – a good example of why no minister, especially the PM, should be an electorate MP. Electorate MP’s should look after their constituents and list MP’s should run the country.
Residency is notoriously difficult to achieve for those who come from the Asian regions of the world (unless they have lots of money). This is true whoever has been in government, if you have ever had anything to do with NZIS. There is almost a default position of anyone from those regions is a liar and cheat until they prove otherwise to our satisfaction (unless they have millions of dollars to bring with them).
If I read the comments in this thread to date correctly, either people are saying it was fine when Labour let in ratbags and so it’s fine now or labour did a bad thing so it’s ok for national to do the bad thing too?
@ Ivy:
+1
I don’t know why you’re taking this position, Darien. This is what Winston Peters was elected to do. He’s so-o-o-o-o-o much better at it than anyone else and he’s up for it.
Why don’t you ask whether John Key’s new friends in the US entertainment industry, or any of their agents, thought to tell him that they were going to terrorise his constituent, his constituent’s heavily pregnant wife and their family in their own home and ruin his constituent’s business instead ?
If he asks, you can tell him that the hobbit-hating geeks want to know.
There’s a lot at stake here. Aided by the NZ Police Service, the FBI has acted with unprecedented aggression. Google, Youtube and the future of cloud computing will all be affected by the outcome of this case.
Darien I agree with your approach in only attacking the various immigration inconsistencies. The ‘Investor Plus’ residency category is a cynical wave-through policy designed to assist very wealthy would be immigrants, while ordinary families are often denied residence or even split up for no good reason. The substantive issue of the MegaUpload arrests is one to keep away from for now. The business models for the music industry are changing as artists and listeners fight for control and the Multi Nationals hate it. It is a complicated issue and one which will have winners and losers.
Cactus Kate, missed the story about an armed police raid on Mr Liu’s house. Then again the right decision could have been made and we have someone who is contributing to this country and wants to live here. Unlike someone I can think of.
Maybe Dotcom did some tiling for someone?
Why are you picking on this guy anyway? I see, he’s annoyed Labour’s mates in the US media corporations by offering artists a way to sell direct to consumers.
Labour has proven its thoughts on the rights of citizens versus MPAA/RIAA, and continue to make things harder for us with laws like the S92a.
James you have forgotten it was Warner Bros who came here and got $40 mill from John Key for their struggling movie making business and now dont want the public to see it for free on megaupload.
There is all ready a way for artists to sell direct to the public , itunes is one of many where you p.a.y. Megaupload not in the business of passing on royalties for artists
What this New Zealander would like to know about Mr Dotcom’s residency was whether it was granted solely in order to facilitate his extradition, which may not have been possible from his other places of residence or on his other passports.
In other words, was NZ acting to US orders in granting the residency? They have after all been recording his electronic communications for up to five years.
Who knew what, when? And who was taking orders from whom?
And why was John Key, according to him, out of the loop?
What has happened to the Bill Liu immigration case ?
Assume the Police still reviewing ?
Why is it such an anomaly that there can be two different good character tests for two different applications?
I’m quite pleased there isn’t one standard slathered across everything. I don’t have a problem with him living here, just because he had past convictions (which, by the way were already wiped by Germany, the country they were handed down in), which were not for violent, sexual or drugs offences either.
His spending and investment was obviously good for the economy. But that doesn’t mean I think he should be allowed to do (and buy) anything he wants. Of course there should be different types of good character test, and therefore different outcomes.
@ghostwhowalksnz: January 30, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Megaupload may not have been in the business of passing on royalties for artists, but they were definitely positioning themselves to do that and to pass advertising revenues on to artists.
See here:
http://www.geek.com/articles/news/universal-illegitimately-yanks-megaupload-song-from-youtube-20111212/
Universal Studios are thought to have ghost written the indictment against Megaupload, hence the retaliatory hack attack from Anonymous.
Of course, the indictment itself describes a successful business model which raises the question: why didn’t the entertainment industry go into direct competition with Megaupload?
Huginn, you say they were ‘positioning themselves’ to pay the artists. yeah right.
As for the Universal pulling the song from youtube, this sort of thing seems to happen all the time. Not all songs/ videos by an artist are owned by the various studios and they tend to jump in first before they go viral. But it works both ways and there is a lot that is posted that has someone elses copyright. Of course plenty, that isnt original material is left there and google gives them a cut of the money. ie use someones elses song with pictures of cats dancing.
I dont know about Universal ‘ghosting the indictment’ as the US justice sytem relies on a Federal grand jury to to this, which acts as a sort of guided investigation. The reason for doing so in Alexandria, which is a suburb of Washington DC, is that Megauploads hosting service ( Carpathia) is located nearby. This all so indicates the whole case is run at the highest levels of the FBI and Justice department and not some sharp prosecutor in Arkansas
He hasn’t actually been convicted of anything yet, his website is used by lots of legitimate companies in a similar way to Dropbox, strange fella but still innocent.
Balance is trolling. Stop or be banned. Trevor
I have a rich prick who lives down the road from me, rides a Harley for fun and rattles the the whole neighbourhood. Who should I complain to under this new Labour policy? My National MP? My Labour loser candidate? You? My NZ First list MP (God help us). What is your point?
Go on moderate me.
I shan’t moderate you. But will warn you. Clare
sigh… i suppose it’s time for someone to point out that so far, the fact that, once again johnny “sparkle” has been sprung either lying outright, or has been exposed as a useless electorate mp….(something that surprises no-one. he wasn’t given the seat for that stuff)
he has a staff at his office in helensville….as do all electorate mp’s… are we to assume they either ignored the inquiries, and requests….. or did “sparkles” just ignore the messages from his office?
from the petulant tone of some of the more prickly comments, i am assuming there is an understanding of just how exposed “sparkles” is becoming when it comes to displaying at best, sloppy management… at worst,lazyness and arrogance….compounded by a tendency to resort to lies rather too readily….
it’s not going to make for glowing reports in the history books…. never mind… he will probably just shrug his shoulders (in that neat way he has of letting people know he’s out of his depth),and buy the house next to chaunceys, and they can reminisce together about when they ran the world…
Mr Dotcom guilty? I must have missed the completed extradition and trial.
This post is not about Dotcoms arrest or charges, innocence or guilt. Please read it a bit more carefully.
Nice to know where Labour’s loyalties lie: Support the US media corps, attack the citizens. Yep, why have our own laws, let the States tell us what to do.
deleted. Extremely offensive not to mention libellous. Do that again and you are banned. Darien