What is unprecedented in Ross-Bridges fiasco? Electoral donation fraud, abusing fellow MPs, or Chinese-money!
The current Ross-Bridges fiasco which has gained international headlines raises another important question – what is so unprecedented about this saga?
Dirty politics? The moral compass of politicians? National’s ruthless funding machinery? Or the brazenness and precision surrounded around China’s money?
National Party and Simon Bridges will lament in a dark space with embarrassment for some time, with the possibility of the latter’s political ambitions cut short.
New Zealanders will lament around issues of dirty politics and deteriorating moral compass of those who practice politics and enjoy access to power.
New Zealand’s current international coverage will also gradually recede, once global media’s interest in the story fades.
However what is also likely to fade from public memory and - which is problematic for New Zealand - is how brazenly and audaciously China’s money is playing up at different levels of NZ politics, possibly sapping our national strength.
Ever since New Zealand had become the first developed western country to forge a Free Trade Alliance (FTA) with China, New Zealand’s collective will and international reputation of “doing the right thing” has dramatically eroded, if not compromised yet, especially for China.
The rest of the countries are still stonewalled with NZ’s intent of “doing the right thing” when it comes to negotiating and supporting genuine democratic aspirations of other countries in bilateral and international negotiations.
A case in point is while NZ continues to sidestep India on negotiations on Free Trade Agreement on the pretext of “high-quality” agreement, whereas their political players often visit China on personal sponsorship of Chinese millionaires often compromising with the “high-quality” essence of a democracy.
The most astounding, and worrisome revelation from Jamie-Lee Ross’ taped conversation with Simon Bridges was the brazenness with which potential Chinese MP’s were seemingly given “rite of passage” to NZ’s parliament riding on $100,000 thrown by Chinese millionaire Zhang Yikun.
A growing number of experts are red-flagging the rising stealth of Chinese money, especially at the highest level of decision making of sovereign nations.
University of Canterbury Professor and well-known China expert, Anne-Marie Brady, has been making a strong voice against the rising Chinese influence in New Zealand through her various writings, especially in her paper Magic Weapons.
Expressing disappointment on the deplorable comments made by the two leaders in a private conversation on the Indian MPs, the High Commissioner of India in New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted, “Shocking attitude. Highly inconsistent with NZ values. Hopefully an aberration. India and Indians respect and admire this country and its people. Not everything is up for sale. Running a country is different from managing David Jones.”
Probably it is high-time that NZ’s media and the public, to acknowledge the problem of free-wheeling Chinese money within the country’s political system as an unprecedented outcome of the current Ross-Bridges fiasco, more than anything else.
The current Ross-Bridges fiasco which has gained international headlines raises another important question – what is so unprecedented about this saga?
Dirty politics? The moral compass of politicians? National’s ruthless funding machinery? Or the brazenness and precision surrounded around China’s...
The current Ross-Bridges fiasco which has gained international headlines raises another important question – what is so unprecedented about this saga?
Dirty politics? The moral compass of politicians? National’s ruthless funding machinery? Or the brazenness and precision surrounded around China’s money?
National Party and Simon Bridges will lament in a dark space with embarrassment for some time, with the possibility of the latter’s political ambitions cut short.
New Zealanders will lament around issues of dirty politics and deteriorating moral compass of those who practice politics and enjoy access to power.
New Zealand’s current international coverage will also gradually recede, once global media’s interest in the story fades.
However what is also likely to fade from public memory and - which is problematic for New Zealand - is how brazenly and audaciously China’s money is playing up at different levels of NZ politics, possibly sapping our national strength.
Ever since New Zealand had become the first developed western country to forge a Free Trade Alliance (FTA) with China, New Zealand’s collective will and international reputation of “doing the right thing” has dramatically eroded, if not compromised yet, especially for China.
The rest of the countries are still stonewalled with NZ’s intent of “doing the right thing” when it comes to negotiating and supporting genuine democratic aspirations of other countries in bilateral and international negotiations.
A case in point is while NZ continues to sidestep India on negotiations on Free Trade Agreement on the pretext of “high-quality” agreement, whereas their political players often visit China on personal sponsorship of Chinese millionaires often compromising with the “high-quality” essence of a democracy.
The most astounding, and worrisome revelation from Jamie-Lee Ross’ taped conversation with Simon Bridges was the brazenness with which potential Chinese MP’s were seemingly given “rite of passage” to NZ’s parliament riding on $100,000 thrown by Chinese millionaire Zhang Yikun.
A growing number of experts are red-flagging the rising stealth of Chinese money, especially at the highest level of decision making of sovereign nations.
University of Canterbury Professor and well-known China expert, Anne-Marie Brady, has been making a strong voice against the rising Chinese influence in New Zealand through her various writings, especially in her paper Magic Weapons.
Expressing disappointment on the deplorable comments made by the two leaders in a private conversation on the Indian MPs, the High Commissioner of India in New Zealand, Sanjiv Kohli, tweeted, “Shocking attitude. Highly inconsistent with NZ values. Hopefully an aberration. India and Indians respect and admire this country and its people. Not everything is up for sale. Running a country is different from managing David Jones.”
Probably it is high-time that NZ’s media and the public, to acknowledge the problem of free-wheeling Chinese money within the country’s political system as an unprecedented outcome of the current Ross-Bridges fiasco, more than anything else.
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