McCully caught up in conflict of interest claims

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McCully accused of conflict of interest

3News NZ

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has been caught up in what Labour claims is a conflict of interest over a business deal.

It's all to do with Mr McCully's hiring of a National Party supporter for an international shipping role.

Peter Kiely is a true-blue National man, a high-powered Auckland lawyer who can count the Prime Minister as one of his friends.

In 2009, he was appointed by another long-time friend, Mr McCully, as director of shipping company Pacific Forum Lines.

It was a public company that's since been privatised. Mr Kiely oversaw the sale, and now Labour is questioning his interests in another company that was bidding to buy it.

“Was it appropriate for Mr Kiely to have been a shareholder in Sofrana and not disclosed that information to his minister?” asks Labour MP Phil Goff.

The Companies Register shows Mr Kiely was a shareholder in Sofrana from 2008 until he pulled out in August this year.

“That is clearly an apparent conflict of interest,” says Mr Goff.

But Mr McCully says the shares were non-beneficial and he was holding them for someone else, so there was no need to declare a conflict of interest.

“If the member wants to besmirch people's reputations, he should be extremely careful doing so inside the House,” says Mr McCully.

The Foreign Affairs Minister has since put out a press release calling Mr Goff's accusations reckless, cowardly and wrong.

He's demanding an apology for Mr Kiely, but Mr Goff says absolutely not – it doesn't have to be financial to be a conflict of interest.

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Comments

17/02/2013 6:31:37 p.m.

jan.. wrote:

I supposed Mr McCully have shares in the the trade double dealing business under the carpet that comes first before Principal. Sign off your post moron.

6/12/2012 10:52:14 a.m.

Greg wrote:

Its called party politics of course they are going to look after themselves,.
But then our country isnt corrupt, now theres a big TUI billboard, I hope they send me a prize.

6/12/2012 10:29:38 a.m.

Jonathan wrote:

What about all the union cronies of Labour that it appointed to SOE's and government bodies. These people wouldn't get on the board of private companies with the skill set. Cronyism needs to stop with all political parties.

6/12/2012 9:03:45 a.m.

Mike wrote:

according to Kathy GCSB has cameras everywhere, including in the toilets for some pics from inside the bowl area ...

High security is to keep people out and Kathy doesn't know security. Reality is cameras are used to watch coming/going, and are monitored by security staff. While cleared for the security work those security staff wont have the clearance for anything top secret or even govt briefings etc, ie there are no cameras for everything as having this would be a big security risk and GCSB isn't that stuppid.

Take your local Pak-n-Sav or local bank - they will have cameras watching people work, as they dont deal with high security, and the higher security, the less monitoring. Is there a recording of Keys last talk with Obama? That was high security, and no recording our end.

6/12/2012 7:40:19 a.m.

Kathy wrote:

You mean the recording at the GCSB that John Key had destroyed illegally Eddie?. A spy agency records everything on its premises 24 hours a day in every single room as they are scared of being infiltrated by other spy agencies. The fact that the tape existed is plain for those who can think for themselves. Would a spy agency have its entire building wired, the answer is of course yes, so therefore there was a recording.. labour was just stupid enough to mention it before they got it. And Key's blatant calling out of David Shearer can only be attributed to the fact that Key knew the recording had been destroyed (illegally).

6/12/2012 12:33:47 a.m.

marcus wrote:

Just like the PM wanting to mine the conservation estate without declaring he owned shares in a mining company,its National all over starting from the top.Cronyism,dodgy deals,golden handshakes and many memory lapses this is a government that is failing the NZ people. Furthermore it makes one wonder who actually was behind the lockout of the wharfies last year.

5/12/2012 7:03:23 p.m.

eddie wrote:

OK Mr Goff, If certain...say it outside the house, typical Labour no evidence...Just like Peters he smears all in the house but will not repeat outside it...typical left tactics...cowards with no evidence...hoohumm, where's the tape Shearer lol

5/12/2012 6:48:24 p.m.

Mike wrote:

Mr Goff is absolutely right in saying that a conflict of interest need not show a financial profit or an apparent loss for anyone or entity to be deemed a corrupt act. It only needs to be an undue conflict of interest. Because the effects may be political, environmental, legislative, regulatory, schematic and so on that can have a greater detrimental effect upon us all.

5/12/2012 6:40:04 p.m.

samantha wrote:

this conflict of interest in which mc cully gave his long time friend the job , brings in john key who also bought shares in the company that was in competition with state run shipping company, the three of these men are looking murky with shares and conflict of interest and all friends over many years. key will say he has a manager but this is very smelly and the PM must stand down if he had these shares as his connection is established.

5/12/2012 6:37:52 p.m.

samantha wrote:

this conflict of interest in which mc cully gave his long time friend the job , brings in john key who also bought shares in the company that was in competition with state run shipping company, the three of these men are looking murky with shares and conflict of interest and all friends over many years. key will say he has a manager but this is very smelly and the PM must stand down if he had these shares as his connection is established.