Jamie Ensor: NZ Herald political reporter discusses this weeks' local politics

NZ Herald political reporter Jamie Ensor joins Francesca Rudkin to review this weeks' top local politics stories.

Is it normal for the taxpayers to pay for the legal advice the government received during COVID?

Will New Zealand follow suit with Australia and remove the Iranian ambassador following recent anti-semitic attacks?

And what does the Government's new Business Investor Visa do for foreign investors?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Time to talk local politics now and I'm joined by
New Zealand Herald political reporter Jamie ens Or.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
Good morning, Jamie, good morning, How are you good?

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Thank you? So the takespayers had to stump up seventy
thousand dollars for the likes of just Sinder Adirn and
Chris Hopkins to get legal advice as part of this
COVID inquiry. Should we be outraged or is this just
normal procedure?

Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yes, a long story short, it is pretty normal. But
I think in this case Kiwis will be interested to
know the costs. You know, this has been a very
high profile case and there was some polling showing New
Zealanders disagreed with the former minister's decisions not to voluntarily
appear publicly before the Royal Commission. But it is very routine.
You know, former ministers are indemnified for the actions that

(00:54):
they take during their time in office. It's also something
that has to be approved by whoever is in power
at the time, So the current Attorney General would have
had to have given the green light to these illegal
expenses being paid for. So there was about seventy one
thousand dollars spent on jesindro A Durn, Chris Hopkins, Grant
Robertson and as Shavero and the illegal representation. There's also
about three hundred and sixty thousand dollars on legal expenses

(01:17):
for Crown Law and advice to government departments. Now, a
spokesperson for Dames Jasinda Ardun did send me a statement
and it made the point that it was the current
government that set up this inquiry and set the terms
for it. She tried to use the same legal representatives
as others to keep those legal costs down. And as
I said, there have been other cases in the past.

(01:38):
You know, you think back to Speaker Triuba Mallard in
twenty twenty two he trespassed Winston Peters from Parliament and
there's a bit of a legal fight about that and
that cost us about fifty thousand dollars in legal fees.
So there have been other instances like this.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
I think Winston Peters sued David Carter at one point
too as well, which I think and I think next Smith,
I mean, I can think of a few instances.

Speaker 3 (01:59):
Paula Bennett and Antolin was caught up in one of
Winston Peters superannuation cases.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yes, okay, won't say word there. Moving on, the Australian
Intelligence Service revealed this week that they have concluded that
the Iranian regimes the Revolutionary Guard has funded and directed
at least two anti Semitic attacks on Ozzie. Sorry, what
was Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peter's response? Is this a
concern for us? Do we have any reason to follow suit?

Speaker 3 (02:24):
So? Our government's been fairly strong in condemning Iran's actions,
saying that state sponsored attacks like this design to so
discorder are completely unacceptable. So, at least in terms of rhetoric,
the government's been very strong in condemning this sort of thing.
But we yet to see any tangible steps taken in response.
You know, Prime Minister Christoph Luxan on Friday appeared to

(02:45):
suggest it was probably unlikely that the Iranian ambassador to
New Zealand would be expelled. You think back to twenty
twenty two when Russia invaded Ukraine. We didn't expel the
Russian ambassador then because we wanted to keep those avenues
of dialogue open and it seems like a similar view
is being taken with this situation. A senior official at

(03:05):
the Ministery ofeignaf Fears did go and speak with the
Ambassador of Iran this week and made very clear that
these actions were very serious and we're to be condemned
in the strongest terms. In terms of designating the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard as the terrorist group, like Australia is seeking
to do, Prime Mister Cristal Bluckxen says that's a pretty
complex process, but he has asked for some advice on

(03:27):
it and he did note that earlier this term he
did designate her mass as a terrorist organization.

Speaker 2 (03:33):
Jamie, I know that you have been all over the
new Business Investor visa which was announced this week. What
did you think of the categories and the money criteria.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, certainly bringing the threshold down a little bit more.
But the important thing with this particular visa that's been
announced this week is it's looking to create investments into
existing businesses. You know, some business owners are looking to
retire or looking to sell off, but because there's not
you know, maybe the capital here in New Zealand for
others to buy into those businesses. We do have to
look offshore. But the big conversation that all these different

(04:05):
types of business that the government has announced or made
twext to, the big conversation that is sparking is about
foreigner's ability to buy property here. That's seen as a
big baronet barrier to foreigners coming to New Zealand, and
it's pretty hard to buy property unless you're a citizen
or a resident of New Zealand. But we are expecting
an announcement on that very shortly, potentially within the next

(04:26):
few days, and there is thought that some of those
rules are going to be listened to make New Zealand
more attractive to those rich investors offshore.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
Oh, would be good to get this out. I'm sort
of sick and tired of us having to ask for
this information. Hey, thank you so much, Jamie. Always good
to catch up with you. That was Jamie ensa or
New Zealand Herald Political reporter.

Speaker 1 (04:45):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca RUDGN, listen
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