Barry Soper: ZB senior political correspondent on the Public Service Commission investigating Te Pati Māori's alleged misuse of data

The Government has called on the Public Service Commission to investigate claims of misuse of election data.

Te Pati Māori's been accused of copying information obtained during Covid vaccination drives, and for enrolling people for last year's census, and using it persuade people to vote for them in the 2023 election.

ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says the allegations against Te Pati Māori cut to the heart of democracy in New Zealand.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thirteen away from five Barries. So for seeing your political
correspondence with us.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Barry, Hello, good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Here's the Public Service Commission, the right agency to do
this inquiry into the allegations around the Marti Party.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
Well, yes, I think from a government perspective it is
don't forget. You've got the Police, the Privacy Commissioner, other
agencies like Stats New Zealand, the MSD and even more
looking at this issue now, both concerning the censors and
the immunization for COVID. So the Prime Minister says the
public has got to have confidence in the electoral system

(00:33):
and the information they provide in confidence areas.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
The inquiry will cover all relevant government agencies, including Crown entities,
and this inquiry will run concurrently to the investigations run
by the agencies and will not compromise the processes or
the investigations that the Police and Privacy Commissioner already have underway.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
Here'll be further.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Announcements this week on the terms of reference, the timing
for the inquiry as well as the independent reviewer who
will lead the process. I just say New Zealanders must
have confidence that the data they provide to government agencies
or others acting on their behalf is used appropriately in
a subject to adequate protections.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Yeah, so you know he wasted no time in getting back,
didn't he. He said, we'll wait to see when he
was in the Pacific, He'll wait to see what happens
with these other inquiries. But he's decided that, Look, the
issue is big, It's an enormous issue, and so it
really has to be put.

Speaker 5 (01:27):
Tois allegations like this cut to the heart of our confidency. Yeah,
cuts to the heart of our confidence in elected members
as well. Right, So, lest interests also to clear this up,
what do you make of the Chinese premiere arriving here
on Thursday?

Speaker 4 (01:41):
Well, can we blame is.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
The little period where they didn't turn up and visit
us at all between twenty seventeen and now. Is that
because of their attitude towards Labor or is that more
because of the relationship that they had with Australia.

Speaker 6 (01:54):
No.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
I think it probably had a lot to do with
the relationship they had with the government.

Speaker 4 (01:59):
Because there were very little visits.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
On a trade mission perspective to China when Labor was
in power, and they see that New Zealand is now
serious We've had a few ministers up there with trade missions.
Todd McLay was standing alongside Chris Luxen and basically he's
the Premier. Lee is coming here. But he said there

(02:25):
will be a number of announcements on Thursday and Friday.
So clearly the announcements have already been worked out between
the Chinese and the New Zealand government. Well, of course
it always works that way, so expect that on Thursday
and Friday, and then at the weekend the Prime Minister's
off to Japan. Everyone's traveling at the moment pretty expensive

(02:48):
on the old tax bar, but we've got to get
out there or a tiny country.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
At the bottom of the Pacific.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
So he's leading a thirty five member trade mission to
Tokyo and he'll be there next week. And I think
that's a good thing for New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
A bit of a coup for the ACTS Party to
get Paul Henry speak, don't you think.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Well, yeah, it came at you know what they call
a change maker's rally. Those that attended it paid fifty
bucks ahead to go to it here in Auckland and
they got a pretty good turnout. Of course, no ACT
event now would be complete without a poke at National
because they want to see themselves as being totally independent

(03:28):
of the National led government. What David Seymour said that
our allies and government have said they get that'd get
faster decisions if they didn't need to consult ACT. But
he said they don't only need fast decisions, they need
better decisions. So there's your poke at National. Well, if
you listen to their guests, guest speaker Paul Henry, he

(03:50):
left them no doubt as to where his loyalties lay,
not that National, not that we had any confusion because
he once stood for the National Party. But with ACT,
he says, they're not afraid of change, even if it
means upsetting a few voters.

Speaker 6 (04:05):
I think this country is deeply in the shit, and
I think the options to leverage ourselves out of the
shit are becoming increasingly limited, largely because the people willing
and capable of doing it are few, and most importantly
because so many good people just cringe inside and say

(04:28):
nothing as matches are lit to incinerate more of New Zealand,
which we used to stand for, which used to be
important when people globally used to look at this country
in envy. I believe act could be the last cab
on the ramp heading in the right direction.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
Yeah, well the you.

Speaker 2 (04:50):
Go his hand up.

Speaker 5 (04:52):
Jeez, I missed that man from our stories and our
air waves, don't you.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
I think he got carried away with the Indian minister
dick shit because now that you.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
Don't need to revisit that because on that actually and
it would largely exonerate Paul Henry. He just really quickly
is and I don't need it in great detail because
I have just outlaid the case right. But it's not
a crime for him if he lives in carpety. And
why can I to have a flat in Wellington? Is it?

Speaker 4 (05:18):
No? No, of course it's not.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
He owned the flat in Wellington seven hundred bucks a week.

Speaker 6 (05:22):
Ye.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
The taxpayer is paying for it because he's letting it
to himself.

Speaker 1 (05:26):
Which everybody does.

Speaker 6 (05:27):
Well.

Speaker 2 (05:28):
This is though he's in commuting distance. If you look
at the inland revenue, no, inland revenue defines.

Speaker 4 (05:35):
Well, can I just say what the official.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Mine is before anything that's reasonable?

Speaker 2 (05:41):
Can I just say what the official line is? Inland revenue?
The charges our tax as they say, between fifty and
eighty kilometers for.

Speaker 4 (05:50):
Each leg of the journey.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Is commuting distant, and many people in the carpety commute
to Wellington, so he's if you're like double dipping it away.
He's got a house and why can I a very
nice one apparent in a nice flat and Wellington. Now
he's getting.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Star at night.

Speaker 2 (06:09):
Oh hither, I mean a lot of backbenches. And I
heard you say that. Start drive after seven and eight
in the.

Speaker 1 (06:17):
Morning when they have meetings. Oh, for goodness, I'm tunning
off your mic by Barry Soaper seven away from five.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
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