Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
General Debate
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Hansard
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In the House
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John Key
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Kim Dotcom
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Mark Mitchell
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Parliamentary privilege
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Threats
Serious allegations have been made against Kim Dotcom in Parliament this afternoon.
Speaking in the General Debate, and under parliamentary privilege, Rodney MP Mark Mitchell recounted an incident which occurred at a function he attended last year. Here's what Mr Mitchell had to say:
Mr Speaker,I stand in this house today to make a statement.Late last year my family had been at a property in my electorate where my stepson had been testing his rally car in preparation for competing in his father’s memorial rally.Later that evening my wife Peggy and I attended a barbeque at the same property.While there I was confronted by Mr Kim Dotcom who was also a guest.I could only describe the conversation as chilling, direct threats were made by Mr Dotcom towards our Prime Minister. He stated that he could and would destroy the Prime Minister and that he already had Members of our Parliament working with him to achieve this.We left immediately, because I have had many years of dealing with and being exposed to violent and intimidatory people I didn’t immediately recognise the seriousness of the situation.But sadly in our vehicle with my wife it was obvious that she was shaken and the nature of the threats had frightened her.I didn’t believe Mr Dotcoms claims that Members of our New Zealand Parliament were actively collaborating with him.A good opposition’s job is to challenge the Government, to ensure that Ministers remain laser focused on their portfolio’s, to challenge policy ideas and try to present an alternate Government.I watched in amazement as it became apparent that members of parliament were collaborating with Mr Dotcom at his Mansion in Coatesville.I felt that a sinister corner had been turned for the first time in our country’s history when Opposition parties appear to have given up challenging our Prime Minister through debate and Policy ideas and have instead turned to assisting Mr Dotcom in his mission to destroy our Prime Minister.Every time one of the opposition MPs drove into the Dotcom mansion they were driving past people and being served by people who were scared, who hadn’t been paid, who were struggling to support their own families. Imagine what they were thinking when they saw our country’s political leaders bowing down to that same person. Where could they turn for help when the country’s Political leaders appeared to be in the back pocket of Mr Dotcom.Is it true that Mr Dotcom tasked Labour with further development of a IT policy he had been working on?Is it true that Mr Norman leader of the Green Party was tasked with challenging his extradition to the United States?Is it true that Mr Peters was given questions by Mr Dotcom to bring to the house to attack the Prime Minister?I’ve now had time to reflect on the abusive behaviour of Mr Dotcom at the function I attended in my electorate late last year.The violence of the threats towards our Prime Minister have not left me and today I felt it was important to place these matters on the record of this house.I believe the people of this country are beginning to question the real motives of Mr Dotcom.From my own experience he is a man who uses threats and intimidation on people to get what he wants.I wait to see what the next instruction or order given from the Dotcom Mansion is to members of this house?
These are very serious allegations that go right to the heart of New Zealand's parliamentary democracy. Similar allegations have been made in the blogosphere, but for the first time, Herr Dotcom's attempts to subvert democracy have been placed on Hansard. They will remain on the journal of the House forever.
These are allegations which simply must be addressed and confronted. If Dotcom has indeed made specific threats about the Prime Minister, or for that matter any person they should be investigated thoroughly. We do not doubt Dotcom's capacity to carry threats through.
And if Members of Parliament have conspired with Dotcom to intervene in the course of the justice system and to help him follow through on his threat to "destroy the Prime Minister", that would send shock-waves through the political system.
If the allegations made by Mark Mitchell are not true, let those against whom they were made, including Kim Dotcom deny them. If there are no denials forthcoming, we can only assume that something very rotten is going on in New Zealand politics, and that our misgivings about Dotcom's entry into the New Zealand political system are well founded.
UPDATE: Courtesy of In the House, here is the video clip of Mark Mitchell's speech:
