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The gifts Jacinda Ardern received last year revealed

Author
Jason Walls, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 9 May 2019, 4:58PM
The gifts received by the PM and other ministers have been revealed. (Photo / NZ Herald)
The gifts received by the PM and other ministers have been revealed. (Photo / NZ Herald)

The gifts Jacinda Ardern received last year revealed

Author
Jason Walls, NZ Herald,
Publish Date
Thu, 9 May 2019, 4:58PM

Two signed photos of the Queen and Prince Philip, a purse from the President of Indonesia and a Sevres ceramic ornament from France's President were among the gifts Jacinda Ardern received last year.

The PM also loaned an item – presumably an outfit – from London-based Kiwi designer Emilia Wickstead.

The register of pecuniary interests – which shows all the gifts MPs have received over the last year, as well as a list of their assets – was released this afternoon.

Three Cabinet Ministers and one MP were gifted tickets to rugby games last year by Chinese tech company Huawei, according to the register.

But the tickets for at least two of the MPs were bought after the issues with Huawei's bid to help build New Zealand's 5G network came to light.

In November last year, the GCSB decided to exclude Huawei from rolling out its 5G network in New Zealand.

The register also showed that Police Minister Stuart Nash, Minister of Maori Development Nanaia Mahuta and Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis were all given tickets to the matches by Huawei last year.

Labour MP Kiri Allan received two tickets from the tech firm to see the All Blacks, as well as food and beverages for a game in Wellington.

Mahuta received tickets to see the Warriors vs the Raiders, as well as hospitality, while Nash and Davis got tickets to see the All Blacks.

No MPs disclosed hospitality or gifts from Huawei in 2018 or 2017.

Speaking to media, Mahuta said she had "nothing to hide".

Asked if it was appropriate to accept the tickets, she said she received them after Huawei's 5G bid was rejected last year.

However, she would not say if she would accept the ticket if they were offered to her now.

"I will declare every ticket that I have accepted … it's prospective," she said after being asked multiple times, refusing to answer the question.

Allan said she also got the tickets before the issue with Huawei in New Zealand began last year.

Asked if she would accept them now, she said: "I don't think I'll necessarily not accept them now – but it would have given me more pause to reflect".

She said she had had conversations with her colleagues at the time as to whether or not it was appropriate, but they all said it was okay.

In the 2016 register, National MP Chris Bishop listed a visit to the Huawei headquarters in Shenzen, China, for which Huawei paid for business class flights and accommodation as well as tickets to the Hong Kong Sevens.

Meanwhile, the register shows Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received a number of gifts last year.

These include two signed photos of the Queen and Prince Philip, a purse from the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, and a Sevres ceramic ornament from President of France Emmanuel Macron.

She was also loaned an item – presumably an outfit – from London-based Kiwi designer Emilia Wickstead.

Minister of Social Development Carmel Sepuloni, who got married in Fiji last November, declared the gift of two flower-girl dresses from Mena.

Act leader David Seymour declared his appearance fee from MediaWorks for Dancing with the Stars, adding he had donated it in full to Kidsline.

Justice Minister Andrew Little declared in his discharged debts legal fees to Oakley Moran for representation in defamation proceedings – paid from costs awarded to member.

That was for the Lani Hagaman defamation suit.

 

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