Cameron stepped right in to political storm

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Thu, 02 Feb 2012 7:33a.m.

James Cameron has bought two farms in the Wairarapa

James Cameron has bought two farms in the Wairarapa

Sales of New Zealand land to foreigners are in the headlines again with Hollywood director James Cameron the latest to purchase 1000 hectares of New Zealand land.

It has got politicians into yet another debate.

The Immigration Office says all Cameron wants to do is live in New Zealand with his family indefinitely and be a dairy farmer, but he has walked right into a 'Hollywood-meets-politics' storm.

Meanwhile, New Zealand First's Winston Peters keeps pushing a de-facto position as the opposition having still not elected a deputy from all his new MPs.

Patrick Gower joins Firstline from Wellington.

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Comments

02 Feb 2012 01:32p.m.

JD wrote:

Winston Peters, the Pauline Hanson of New Zealand politics. Just loved his comment on a talk back show this morning, 'The sale to Cameron is a knock to all average New Zealand families, denying them the opportunity to buy such properties'. Yes Winston, my average family are really miffed at missing the chance to buy this $20 million dollar property, guess I'll have to keep shopping around.

02 Feb 2012 01:30p.m.

cherie wrote:

Have the people against this sale read all of the facts or just listened to the beat up by the media. This is a great deal for NZ. Even Fed farmers are happy about it just like with the Crafar farm sale. The benifits from that are enormous. Farm schools, profit staying in Nz etc. Where is the down side. The government can take back land when ever it wants from anyone in this country. No one actually owns their land outright the govt can take it when and if it wants to. They did it to a guy who had an island and they got it back and he lost his money that he put up. Downside? No

02 Feb 2012 12:50p.m.

Alex wrote:

Foreign ownership of land is a total red herring. If you're worried about profits going overseas, that happens regardless of whether a New Zealander or anyone else owns it - profits will be reinvested where it is most profitable to do so, in New Zealand or anywhere else in the world. We don't need to worry about foreigners; the rich - New Zealander and foreign alike - have already stolen everything from us. They're the ones who deserve the people's wrath.

02 Feb 2012 11:09a.m.

Jill wrote:

Wake up you bunch racists. If he really want to stay here, he can always get residency and he won't be a foreigner anymore, but obvious he has no intention to do that. To all these super rich, NZ is only a play land for their holidays, they buy land so they don't need to play expensive rents. They will resell them with no hesitation to make huge profit. They live overseas most of the time and pay no tax. They get rich by exploiting workers with low wages (remember how the film industry threaten to pull out when nz actors want a fair wages?). Racism make you really stupid.

02 Feb 2012 09:19a.m.

katrina wrote:

Oh Winston pull your head in. He is the type of person we want coming to New Zealand. He brings with him money, he is going to live here not just invest like the Chinese and then syphon the money out. He is an environmental conscience. and he will help generate income and employment in the movie industry. At least he won't end up living on welfare.

02 Feb 2012 09:09a.m.

Jacko wrote:

Their is a difference though. He wants to move here with his family and actually live on the property, and he is stimulating the local economy with giving Weta digital projects and providing jobs on his farm also. He is also not from some communist state which goes against pretty much all of our political views and freedoms. so i don't really see what the problem is.

02 Feb 2012 08:20a.m.

aiden wrote:

excellent to see cameron buying land here, i am sure peter's and the scum left will bitch and moan, but they know perfectly well without foreign investment we will collapse like a greek nightmare

02 Feb 2012 08:20a.m.

Mike wrote:

When was the last time Winston milked cows?

Every step of the way we have NZ politicians attacking NZ export earners, then they complain when those export earners want to get out for a more restful life. If you want NZ farms to stay in NZ hands the first thing you could do is stop putting the knives into our farmers! This would make farming more attractive and more NZ'rs would want to go farming which would also raise the price making it less of a bargain to overseas investments.

Crafar Farms sale didn't happen overnight. It took over 2 years of the media hounding till they had a guts full and decided/forced to sell. Want to blame anyone for the sale of the Crafar farms - Blame the media!

Take our pig farming. Sow crates are only a tiny part of pig farming yet the media took to pig farmers like they were comitting mass murder with no regard of even if the didn't use sow crates!

If you have an issue with farming practice, we have strict laws in NZ which are some of the toughest in the world which allows intervention and prosecution where cruelty is occuring. Use those laws, report any offences to the proper aurthorities.

If you want to stop foreign ownership of NZ land, donate some money to support such action. Put your money where your mouth is. Winston wont donate a cent as he is all mouth.