A New Meaning for "Multi-Culturalism?"

At the investiture with Governor-General Patsy Reddy. pn138 Also -- Academic warns about  Chinese influence in our elections. ________ Alex Braae in The Bulletin thinks Jamie-Lee Ross's secretly recorded tapes raise "huge questions for National" not because they broke the law or proved Simon Bridges breached the Electoral Act by not disclosing a large donation —which they didn't— but because of ethical and other issues.  The tapes prove Bridges knew about the donation from multi-millionaire Yikun Zhang, who National had nominated for the Order of Merit.   Braae thought the recording was "incredibly damaging for the integrity of both Ross and Bridges, and the National Party as a whole." One of the things discussed was the possible candidacy of a working colleague of Yikun Zhang, which leads one to ask if this is what was being asked for  in return for the donation? Is National now courting rich Chinese to fund its campaigns? Ross expressed the view that "Two Chinese would be more valuable than two Indians." They then went on to discuss which List MPs could be pushed out to make space for others. A not very edifying conversation all round. -- ACW

Related. "Jami-Lee Ross's deeply ugly practice of taping could still snare Simon Bridges:"
Jane Clifton. The NZ Listener, 18 October 2018