THE CHANGELING

We have been waiting for the Bill Liu court case to come up. Keeping Stock has good roundup here

And we have covered the issue in depth in the past.

Definitely a story to watch.

HEY LABOUR, BILL LIU GOTCHA.

Well well , it seems some of our old snouts have been leaking to Whaleoil over at Gotcha. He has the Blog of the week here with some interesting information on Bill Liu.

We have covered this story often over the last year. We always reckoned it had serious legs and whales blog adds some more pieces to the puzzle.

We think there is a serious possibility that this story will outrank Philip Fields on the scandal scale.

MONDAY FUNDAY

Well you here some good stories when you are on tour as we currently are. You also see some pretty interesting things. More on that later.

However, some pertinent questions of the day.

How long will it take before Ralston becomes the must read blog for everyone in the media.

Who made the decision to put Key on Letterman?

Whats up with the Bill Liu scandal?

Can someone please draw a map of all Crown Land ( including DOC estate ) that does not have a high conservation value?


And finally a joke.

A woman gets rushed to hospital with a heart attack and on the operating table she has a near death experience. She see the light in the distance and there stands God.
"Bugger me" she says. "I'm dead."
"Nah sorry" says God, "you are not. I have decided that you aren't ready to come and join us in heaven yet."
" Really! How long have I got? she asks.

"Oh, 43 years and 62 days" says God..

The woman soon regains consciousness.

And she decides that she is going to make the rest of her life the best it can be.
So she books herself in to the clinic and spa next door and gets a facelift, tummy tuck, full liposuction, teeth whitened, butt and tit lift. She gets her hair done and new nails. finally she is ready to leave. She walks out the door and heads across the crossing and gets wiped out by a bus.

She finds herself back in heaven .

"Shit God," she says -" you bloody lied to me! you said I had 43 years and 62 days to live. "

"You did," said God.

"So what happened?" the woman asked.


"I didn't recognise you....."

BILL LIU - WHO ARE YOU?

This morning the Herald harks with the voice of an avenging angel as it reports on the curious case of Bill Liu ,the man with one face but many names.

We have covered this story often after it first saw the light of day in Investigate Magazine.

We are interested that Jones, who is central to this story because he signed off Lius passport as this extract from an earlier story in the Herald indicates, is not mentioned until the tail end paragraphs of today's Herald story. What does that mean?

Mr Cunliffe would not discuss the case when approached by the Herald before the election but later, under the Official Information Act, the Department of Labour released to the Herald the following passage from Mr Cunliffe's decision: "I have decided that the most appropriate route for this case at this time is for it to continue to be assessed by BSG [Border Security Group - includes fraud and compliance units] as a potential prosecution file. I do not discount the possibility of reconsidering it in the future."

A source close to Mr Cunliffe told the Herald that the minister had erred on the side of natural justice for Mr Liu but was "somewhat surprised" when Mr Jones (delegating for the Internal Affairs minister of the time, Rick Barker), granted Mr Liu citizenship without first discussing it with Mr Cunliffe.

So maybe there are some legal threats floating around. Anyway we reckon that this story still has quite a bit to play out yet.

All very fishy really.......

crystal balls

Well if everyone else is doing it we will too.

Our predictions for 2009 are:

Annette King will leave the Labour Party but the exit wont be pretty. The leftys in the lefty party dont like her. And we have heard from more than one quarter that there is a smelly skeleton somewhere.

One of the Maori Party will fall from grace.

The Immigration passport for donation scandal will seriously damage Shane Jones political future.

The international financial crisis will continue to deepen and the tsunami will hit about May.

The Urewera Terror Raids court cases will show that New Zealand has a very nasty core of seriously weird and dangerous individuals.

BIG QUESTIONS OF THE WEEK

1)Remember the story that appeared in the Herald a couple of days after the election, that never really got legs because Key stitched together a govt faster than a Hong Kong Tailor can stitch together a suit, about the $100k that Vela gave both NZ First and Labour ?Well what we want to know is who is going to keep a track on what Winston does with it?

2) We know there are at least 4 more interviews with grumpy scampi skippers - when are they going to end up on U Tube?

3) How long will it be before we see the results on the inquiry into the Immigration /shane Jones/ Bill Liu passport for donation allegations?

4) Will there be any good stories being written after National has poached all the good journalists?

5) How many Ministers told Department CE's that their briefings to incoming Ministers were crap?

6) Which Wellington property developer has skiddy undies as the defaults on various transactions start to pile up?

7) Which PR company is so desperate to curry favour with its clients that its offering one hour " one on one insider briefings" to CE's for free even though they were Labour pets and have F***k all contacts in National?

8) How many massive government departments comms teams went through "restructuring" in the last 6 months and renamed some of their staff as information management or knowledge management, or other such weasel terms in an effort to hide them from any National departmental review?

9) Why were a bunch of Maori getting out of a Crown Car on the Wharf last Thursday when there was no Minister around? If it was good enough for Dame Whina to walk why can't they ?

10) Who wasn't at St Johns Bar on Friday Night Basking in the sun and does this mean that the " Drycleaners ( Dockside where you go to get a Suit) finally has some serious Friday night competition as the place to be seen and pick up a lazy shag on Friday night?


and yes big questions of the week will be a regular feature - feel free to send us contributions - bustedblonde@gmail.com

IS IT THE IMMIGRATION DONATION SCANDAL THATS PRECIPITATING THIS?

MIKE WILLIAMS TIPPED TO RESIGN THIS WEEK. This from stuff

Best story of the week.

WISHART HAS THE HARD COPY ON SHANE JONES SCANDAL

We always knew that there was something in the immigration scandal swirling around Shane Jones that Ian Wishart broke on his new online news paper TGIF. during the election. Our seafood contacts told us there was some crap that wasn't tidy, the day before the story broke and Clark launched an inquiry into the affair to shut it down fast during the election. Then Jones was named as number 12 by Goff - not a real vote of confidence for someone who was once tipped to be the first Maori PM.

TGIF has forwarded Roarprawn a preview of their online edition. Wishart has the goods.

We reckon this has the potential to end Jones career.

SHANE JONES AT 12???

Shane's lack of elevation in the latest line up of Labour's shadow cabinet has the Kumara vine all a twitter. He was once seen as the great brown hope. but he remains mired at number 12.
He did himself no favours over the shower issue either and three years on the opposition benches will bore him shitless.
We also wonder if his lack of elevation past number 12 has anything to do with TGIF tonight and more on the immigration scandal. Of all the stories that Wishart has done - this is the one that has the most legs.

HIVE SAYS WASHINGTON FOR CLARK

We think that this would be an inspired move. She is a lefty, hes a lefty and we know how comfortable she is around Maori - Just ask Tariana. So she wont have any problem dealing with Obama.

And whats this? Jones up to his old tricks - the wily dali maori boy is doing the numbers - no surprise there, anyone of the Maori intelligensia will tell you that backroom politics is Jones forte.
And remember we still have the Bill Liu scandal to play out yet as well.

It is going to be an interesting week.

Shane Jones and Dover in deep poop.

There is more than a faint odour of "fish de rotten" around the Bill Liu/ Shane Jones , Dover Samuels story. The Herald has picked up on Wisharts expose which makes for interesting reading you can get here at TGIF

We knew the story had legs when fishing sources rang us the night the story broke and said there was merit in further investigation.

There are links to NZ's trade in live fish we understand as well.

So expect much much more from this story over the next couple of weeks...

SO THE LIU SCANDAL IS A FISHY AFFAIR.

The Herald on Sunday reported this morning that Liu is well known to fishing interests - so it is more than fair to expect Shane Jones had some knowledge of him as well. We have been told as much already.

So we find out that Liu has donated to the Labour Party and he has been granted citizenship and residency by a Minister who may well have known him who granted the privileges against the advice of immigration services.

Now thats not tidy.

More from the Herald

A millionare businessman wanted by authorities in China - and who has been granted New Zealand citizenship - donated money to a Labour Party campaign fund.

The Herald on Sunday understands Yang Liu donated $5000 to Cabinet minister Chris Carter's Te Atatu electorate committee before the last election. Wagering a bob each way, he also met National's John Key and donated another $5000 to that party.

The donations were made shortly after Liu, also known as Bill Liu, applied for New Zealand citizenship.

MPs from both parties - Dover Samuels and Pansy Wong - wrote supporting his citizenship application.

And two months ago, Associate Immigration Minister Shane Jones approved Liu's citizenship application - believed to be against advice of officials. The Internal Affairs Department is still investigating the possibility of immigration fraud that could result in Liu being prosecuted or losing citizenship and residency.

The citizenship approval had been delayed since 2005 while Internal Affairs officials asked questions of Liu about his multiple names, passports, dates of birth and companies.

In a letter leaked to TGIF Edition journalist Ian Wishart, department official Johannes Gambo asked Liu to substantiate his "good character", given his outstanding arrest warrant in China.

According to Australian authorities, Yan was wanted in China for alleged embezzlement, then travelled to Australia on a number of occasions, first as Yongming Yan, then as Yang Liu.

He was later charged with operating bank accounts under a false name and in November 2006, the Supreme Court of New South Wales ordered Liu to forfeit more than $3.3 million.

The money was later repatriated to the Republic of China, according to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions of Australia in October last year.

At this time, Liu was a New Zealand permanent resident and had been since 2002. He lives in a plush Metropolis apartment worth $2.4m, according to a 2005 valuation, and also bought a $5m waterfront property in Bayswater in 2006.

Liu employs 30 people at his popular Chinese restaurant, Jade Terrace in Manukau, which has hosted election fundraising dinners for Labour candidate Raymond Huo, National's Pansy Wong and, yesterday, Act's Kenneth Wang. He has also been involved in seafood exports with Talleys, Sealord and Sanford.

Dover Samuels is still standing by his man saying Liu is no friend of the Chinese Govt.

An inquiry is the only way to add clarity to this issue .

YANG LIU ROW GOES WIDER - SPOTLIGHT ON SHANE JONES

TVNZ has highlighted the involvement of Shane Jones in this affair - it doesn't surprise the Prawns.

Remember this is what its about

The guts of the story is that Yang Liu has a few passports and lots of money and may have donated to the Labour party and has already been prosecuted in Australia for money offences.

He was granted residency and citizenship by Labour

It appears that the Labour party have frequent fundraising parties at Jade Restaurant in Auckland. ( bloody good restaurant by the way )

A Labour candidate Raymond Huo thought Yang was a bit shifty.

Barker has issued a press release saying an investigation is underway into Yang Liu.

Shane Jones in involved as filled in for Barker because he had a conflict of interest.

And Dover Samuels is up to eyeballs in the scandal.

Seems that everyone visiting Roarprawn today has been using the search words Shane Jones, Yang Liu and immigration.

Bugger all were interested in Rick Barker

And we asked the question around the fishing link between Jones and Liu as well.
The PM has just been interviewed by Guyon Espiner and she says that Jones got advice not to grant the application for Liu and that he did not advise her of the issue.
Which is Helen Clark speak for " You're in deep shit and I'm really pissed off boyo"

And it appears that the Nats MP Pansy Wong was also supportive of his application. So what - she wasn't a Minister and didn't counter the advice of her officials.

Jones isn't taking calls - very odd for the Nga Puhi boy. But his friends will tell you he doesn't like fronting if he is in the crap.

We are glad that an inquiry has been launched - its a murky story and it needs to be sorted.

WISHARTS IMMIGRATION SCANDAL SPOOKS GOVERNMENT

TGIF
has a interesting yarn about an immigrant who seems to have more identities than I have had paua patties.

The guts of the story is that Yang Liu has a few passports and lots of money and may have donated to the Labour partyand has already been prosecuted in Australia for money offences.

It appears that the Labour party have frequent fundraising parties at Jade Restaurant in Auckland. ( bloody good restuarant by the way )

A Labour candidate Raymond Huo thought Yang was a bit shifty.

Barker has issued a press release saying an investigation is underway into Yang Liu.

Shane Jones in involved as filled in for Barker because he had a conflict of interest.

And Dover Samuels is up to eyeballs in the scandal.


From TGIF

The businessman goes in this country by the

name Yang (Bill) Liu. Property records reveal he

lives in a plush Metropolis apartment in central

Auckland with a 2005 valuation of $2.4 million.

According to official certificate of title records, Yang

Liu paid cash in 2002 – there is no mortgage registered

against the property.

Records show Liu also owns a property in the

Auckland suburb of Bayswater for which he paid

$5 million early last year – again, in cash.

“Yongming Yan, a citizen of the People’s Republic

of China, was wanted by law enforcement authorities

of China for alleged large-scale misappropriation

and embezzlement offences committed in

China. Yan travelled to Australia on a number of

occasions, first as Yan, and later under the name

‘Yang Liu’.

“On these later occasions Yan is alleged to have

produced a Chinese passport in the name ‘Yang

Liu’, and failed to advise Australian immigration

officials that he had previously travelled to and

entered Australia in the name ‘Yongming Yan’.

TGIF says that the Commonwealth Department of Prosecutions DPP in Australia seized over $3M and gave it back to China.

And that all this happened while he was here in NZ as a permanent resident.

“I personally know Mr Liu,” begins Samuels, naming

Liu’s partner and “two young children” before

continuing:

“Mr Liu has Permanent Residence and has lived

in Auckland for six years or more. During the years

that I have known him he has demonstrated to be

a caring father and husband, with humility and

generosity of spirit.

“It is my understanding and confirmed by many

New Zealand Chinese, that Bill is a decent law abiding

person and would make a model New Zealand

citizen. I agree with them.

“Mr Liu is well known for his public profile, his advocacy

of open democracy, social justice and Human

Rights,” waxed Dover Samuels, “the same principles

that make us proud to be New Zealanders.”

Then, in the only clue that Samuels knew of

darker allegations swirling around his protégé Yang

Liu, he wrote, “Unfortunately, there are those who

think otherwise.

Immigration officials suggested to Liu that he had a problem because he had been red flagged by Interpol

They suggested that one option was to get the Minister to sort it.


TGIFs " informant" says that Liu claimed to have donated to the Labour party at Jade House.

Our informant added tonight: “This is not the

first one. The fact is that Mr Liu is unable to meet

the “good character requirement” of the Citizenship

Act. He was only approved because he is a big donor

to the Labour party. He was also given an urgent

ceremony. This is worse than Philip Taito Field’s

story. You do not give a New Zealand passport to

dodgy people without a reason.”

Liu’s citizenship application was fast-tracked,

according to DIA sources: “Mr. Liu got his citizenship

on 11 August 2008 at a private ceremony in

Wellington officiated by Dover Samuels.”

Rick Barker was particularly evasive when questioned on the fact he was at a fundraiser at Jade

We asked Barker whether it was wise for a Minister

in his position to be hosting fundraisers within immigrant

communities whose members could require him

to determine their immigration status later.

“Can I come back to you on that?” Barker initially

responded.

And Shane Jones doesnt want to talk about this issue either, We wonder with Mr Liu's involvement in fisheries, that Jones may know Mr Liu as well.

And late last night Barker issued a press release - this from the ODT

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has flagged an investigation into the possibility of immigration fraud in the case of the granting of residency and citizenship to Auckland man Yang Liu.

Mr Barker made the statement last night in response to questions from the media about the circumstances in which Mr Liu, also known as Bill Liu, was granted residency and citizenship. .......

In Mr Liu's case, a decision was made by another minister and a general delegation to Mr Jones was in place.

There was an ongoing investigation into "the possibility of immigration fraud in this case", Mr Barker said.

He did not want to jeopardise this process and there would be no further comment from ministers, he said.

Mr Samuels said Mr Liu was a friend of his and had been in New Zealand for seven years.

There had been procrastination in giving Mr Liu citizenship, he said.

"He had a falling out with the Chinese Government.

''He's pro-democracy, some sort of supporter of Falun Gong, and he protested against this Chinese regime in New York.

''They're after him.

"His wife is a New Zealand citizen, his children are New Zealanders, he's never broken the law here, and I wrote a letter of support to the minister considering his application for citizenship."

Mr Samuels said his understanding was that the successful citizenship bid had "got up the nose" of Internal Affairs officials

So it looks like an interesting yarn and the evasiveness of Jones and Barker is not going to do them any favours.