New Citizens Party meets in Beijing

Party meets in Beijing to discuss Botany
A new political party linked to the businessman behind a failed Chinese bid for the Crafar dairy farms says it will contest the Botany byelection.

Jack Chen, who claims to be the force behind Natural Dairy NZ's bid for the farms, met key leaders of the fledgling New Citizen Party in Beijing last week to discuss plans for its future.

The byelection, which follows the resignation of former Cabinet minister Pansy Wong from Parliament, has been set for March 5.

Why is the New Citizens Party meeting in Beijing? This doesn't really help quash the criticism that the New Citizens Party is really a political vehicle being influenced by China.

We have seen an increasingly aggressive China threatening us into not attending the Nobel Peace Prize and bullying us into not meeting the Dalai Lama while the Crafar Farm fiasco has impressed few.

It will be interesting to see what policy the New Citizens Party hope to implement with their new 6 MPS.