Will the OAG investigation cover the use of Pansy Wong’s electorate office address for ‘Shipley & Wong Ltd’?

15 April 2011

Yesterday I rang the Office of the Auditor-General and asked whether or not the scope of their investigation into Sammy Wong’s travel expenses was going to extend to the use of (ex) National Party MP Pansy Wong’s electorate office (735 Chapel Rd, Botany), as the business address of Shipley & Wong Ltd.

( At that time, on 11 June 2010,  former National Party Prime Minister Jenny Shipley was a 50% shareholder of Shipley & Wong Ltd, and her husband Burton Ross Shipley was a Director – along with Sammy Wong, Pansy Wong’s husband.)

Nicola White from the OAG confirmed that the office was aware of my concerns and my previous correspondence, and that they were ‘looking into issues associated with the matter’.

So – presumably the answer is ‘yes’?

(Following is the correspondence to which Nicola White is referring):

19 February 2011

Press Release: Penny Bright Independent candidate Botany by-election:

‘Politically explosive’ Public Meeting on central government corruption and privatisation’ Sunday 20 February 3-5pm Tangaroa College

Latest developments in the Pansy Wong scandal:

“The Communications Advisor for the Office of the Auditor-General confirmed yesterday that it had not yet decided  whether or not to investigate the use of Pansy Wong’s electorate office address as the business address of Shipley & Wong Ltd,” says ‘Anti-Corruption campaigner’, Penny Bright, Independent candidate in the Botany by-election.

“Has the current National Government Prime Minister John Key, been responsible for helping to cover-up arguably corrupt conduct which involves former National Party Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who is a 50% shareholder in Shipley and Wong Ltd?”

(SHIPLEY & WONG – Companies Office Number: 1245430)

“Does Prime Minister John Key know of and approve of the registered company address of SHIPLEY & WONG LTD, changing to 735 Chapel Rd, Botany, on 11 June 2010, at a time that former National Party Prime Minister Jenny Shipley was a 50% shareholder, and her husband Burton Ross Shipley was a Director – along with Sammy Wong, Pansy Wong’s husband?

735 Chapel Rd Botany, being the address, at that time,  of Pansy Wong’s electorate office?”

“How is it that neither then current National Party MP (Pansy Wong) , or her husband; or a former National Party Prime Minister (Jenny Shipley) , or her husband, knew that this was wrong, and effectively constituted ‘misuse of public office for private gain’?  How ‘dodgy’ is that?”

“Why don’t New Zealand MPs have a ‘Code of Conduct’ with sanctions for breaches thereof?”

“Why isn’t the Office of the Auditor-General investigating? What’s the hold-up?”

“Why isn’t the Office of the Auditor-General proposing a ‘Code of Conduct for MPs as part of  the ‘systems solution’ for this problem?”

“Isn’t it time NZ had an ‘Independent Commission Against Corruption’ to help set up systems to enable genuine transparency and prevent corruption?”,

Ms Bright concludes.”

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NBR: ‘Sammy Wong being investigated’ – Will the OAG investigate the use of Pansy Wong’s electorate office as the business address of Shipley & Wong Ltd?

www.nbr.co.nz/article/sammy-wong-being-investigated-nn-90743

Sammy Wong being investigated

UPDATED :Labour says the Prime Minister should tell KiwiRail to defer any decisions on who will win the bid to build electric trains for Auckland until the investigation into Sammy Wong is complete.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard said the Prime Minister’s admission that he was aware the Auditor General’s Office had begun an inquiry including into a possible link between Sammy Wong, China North Rail and KiwiRail meant that any decisions on this matter should be deferred until the inquiry was complete.

Mr Mallard said KiwiRail is poised to make a decision shortly on who will win the tender for the Auckland trains. China North Rail is believed to be one of the shortlisted bidders.

“John Key cannot claim that the Auckland EMU decision is an operational matter for KiwiRail, when the Office of the Auditor General is already investigating links between a tenderer and Sammy Wong,” he said.

Prime Minister John Key today confirmed Sammy Wong, the husband of former National MP Pansy Wong, is being investigated by the Auditor-General.

Mrs Wong announced her resignation from Parliament in December after admitting her husband was involved in a business deal on a taxpayer-subsidised trip they made to China in 2008, which is against parliamentary rules.

No other evidence of misuse was found but questions continued to be raised and Mrs Wong said National did not need the distraction.

Answering questions from Labour MP Trevor Mallard in Parliament today, Mr Key confirmed the Auditor-General was looking into Mr Wong.

“I was informally advised that the Audit Office was going to have a look at Sammy Wong some time ago,” he said.

Mr Mallard then tabled a letter from fellow Labour MP Pete Hodgson to Auditor-General Lyn Provost requesting an investigation into Mr Wong, along with a response from the office saying it would proceed with an investigation.

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MY COMMENT:  (14 April 2011)

Misuse of public office for private gain = CORRUPTION.

What has Simon Power done about ensuring NZ’s legislative framework is sufficient for NZ to be able to ratify the UN Convention against Corruption?

Is THAT why he’s leaving?

Because NZ’s corruption REALITY is being revealed, and it most certainly doesn’t match the ‘perception’ that NZ is the least corrupt country in the world?

Are we going to now see the Chinese business links of ex-National Party Prime Minister Jenny Shipley, who was 50% shareholder of Shipley &Wong Ltd, at the time that business address was changed to that of (ex) National MP Pansy Wong’s electorate office?

I asked the OAG if they were going to investigate this matter back in February 2011. It appears that they now are.

Looking forward to the recommendation from the OAG that one of the ‘systems’ changes required is an enforceable ‘Code of Conduct’ for NZ MPs.

Penny Bright
https://waterpressure.wordpress.com

PETROBRAS UPDATE: Steve Abel from Greenpeace reports:

Dear Penny,

We all want prosperity for New Zealand.  But deep sea oil drilling is not going to bring us that.

The Government has gone to extraordinary lengths, on behalf of international oil giant Petrobras, to support exploration in our treasured waters.

They have called in the military to try and stop our peaceful protest flotilla.

They claim New Zealand must pursue deep sea oil because it will bring economic benefits.

We say that New Zealand’s future depends not on fossil fuels, but on us capitalizing on our clean, green reputation, on the ingenuity of our people, and on pioneering solutions for a sustainable future.

New Zealander of the year, Paul Callaghan, and economics commentator, Rod Oram, agree.

Royalties from oil and gas are a tiny fraction of the New Zealand economy, representing less than 0.3 per cent of GDP.

Tourism, by contrast, brings in over $20 billion annually to the economy.  A recent report estimated that our clean technology sector could grow to be worth up to NZ$22 billion.

By permitting deep sea oil exploration, the Government risks everything that our economy and our identity are built on.

A large oil spill would devastate our beaches, marine environment, fisheries and international image – just as it did to the coastal communities in the US Gulf of Mexico last year. That disaster has cost $US26 billion and counting (or rising).

When we have so many better options for building a sustainable and prosperous future, deep sea oil is just not worth the risk.

That’s why Greenpeace, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and our other allies in the flotilla are committed to peacefully expressing our opposition.

And right now your support means a great deal.

Please send a message of support to the flotilla activists here.

Please get involved in the activities happening around the country to remember the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Please help us get the message out that deep sea oil drilling is not the answer to our future economic success – it is the exact opposite.

Steve Abel
Climate Campaigner
Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand