PM John Key gets ejected from Parliament after cheeking the Greens (and Greenpeace)
Key had thrown Greenpeace at Labour and the Greens after it was discovered the organisation appeared on the Panama Papers database along with other charitable organisations.
It seems the reference is a sham and Key knows that. But the more Greenpeace complains, the deeper Key has dug his heels in, saying it only proves his point that merely being on the Panama Papers database doesn't prove wrongdoing.
That somewhat underplays the stream of revelations about drug lords and fugitives linked to New Zealand through trusts and so-called look through companies, as revealed by the Panama Papers.
But the Greenpeace row will muddy the waters. Mission accomplished?
The extent to which New Zealand, which appears almost 61,000 times in the documents, has been promoted by Mossack Fonseca, to Latin American clients especially, as an ideal tax-free place to park money in offshore trusts or companies, thanks to limited disclosure requirements as well as political and legal stability - putting NZ at the heart of the Panama money-go-round".
The central figure in New Zealand was identified as Roger Thompson, Mossack Fonseca's agent here, who crops up in 4560 documents. Thompson responds to questions about his role here. Documents also appear to challenge the prime minister's assertion that his personal lawyer, Ken Whitney, had no dealings with Mossack Fonseca. The PM rejected the allegations, saying any association was "tenuous".
He said New Zealand is more implicated regarding foreign trusts used for hiding away wealth while the Cook Islands is used more for asset protection.
Mr Rasmussen said the foreign trusts industry is a tiny industry in the Cook Islands compared to others.
"I would say that maybe about ten years ago the Cook Islands complied to all the restrictions that were placed upon countries like the Cook Islands that were delving into that sort of industry."
But Mr Key says the Cook Islands accusations may no longer be relevant, with tax loopholes now tied up.
"Prior to 1988 there were issues with New Zealanders avoiding their tax by having a structure in the Cook Islands. In 1988 that all closed down and subsequently there has been no issues," says Mr Key.
Our Prime Minister, for reasons never fully explained, has long wanted New Zealand to act as a financial services hub, like Switzerland or Ireland.
Like those countries, we have a stable legal and political regime, and a tax regime with a massive loophole that allows people from overseas to store their money here virtually invisibly.
Despite many stories over the years that New Zealand Trusts were being used as tax havens, the Government has repeatedly refused to do anything about it, and in fact, stopped the IRD looking further into this regime only recently after being lobbied by Trust industry figures.
Which in any other language is corruption, plain and simple.
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