Curran Clare: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCurran Clare: General Debate[Sitting date: 15 May 2013. Volume:690;Page:9949. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South): How can the New Zealand public be expected to believe when such a big deal as the Skycity deal is announced by the Prime Minister on television on a Monday morning and a few minutes later the Minister for Economic Development briefs the media who trumpet the deal that the very basis of that deal—the footprint on which it is being built: the land and the ownership of the land—is not complete? The deal on part of that land which was announced for this big project on Monday has not been done. The land is owned by another organisation Television New Zealand (TVNZ) which says that it has not been approached. If you want to look at this picture I have here of the new design you will see that a critical part of that building that is integral to its design is actually owned at the moment by another organisation. It is like signing a deal to buy a whole house from someone who owns only a bit of it.Skycity is not silly. It would not be signing a deal to invest $402 million in a new casino with lots of sweeteners chucked in to make it worth its while if it was not sure that it had the land to do it with. The Government may be sneaky underhand and even downright corrupt but it is not silly. It wants the casino built and it is not going to let anything get in the way of that. But I took TVNZ at its word when I was told last night that it had not been contacted about this issue which was backed up by its public relations person. It was reported in the media yesterday that TVNZ had not beencontacted about selling this land. TVNZ is saying that publicly. Somebody is not telling the truth.In February when TVNZ appeared before the Commerce Committee it insisted—four times it insisted—that there were no discussions with the Government or Skycity about it getting access to or selling that land. Under intense questioning TVNZ eventually revealed: “Oh wait a minute but we have engaged an architect to have a look at the building and what the options might be for the future.” But apart from a very brief conversation admitted to by the chair of TVNZ with the broadcasting Minister some time last year in which the Minister denied knowing anything about the issue both the chair and the chief executive officer of TVNZ denied that they had been approached about this issue.Contrast this with what John Key had said on the very day TVNZ appeared before the select committee. He put three statements on the record saying that there were discussions in train and that it was all going ahead. But—surprise surprise—the very next day he said that he was happy to accept the assurances from TVNZ that no approach had been made. It was all very fishy. And yet we see now from the Deputy Auditor-General’s report that Skycity had indeed been in discussions with the Government about acquiring that land. Somebody is not being upfront. Somebody is not telling the truth. There are two options here: either Skycity knew and the Government knew but somebody forgot to talk to TVNZ or somebody is not telling the truth.So let us have a look at who is on the board of TVNZ. Mr Barrie Saunders—he is the co-founder of Saunders Unsworth. He is a former editor of theNational Business Reviewand guess what? His business partner Mark Unsworth is Skycity’s lobbyist. Guess who else is on the board. Mr Richard Long—Mr Richard Long who spent 2 years working as chief of staff in the National leader’s office. Both men are very cosy with the Government. Both men are very cosy with National Ministers.I put it to you that it is simply unthinkable that the Government would have announced a deal with Skycity to build a $402 million casino and convention centre with fanfare and huge concessions and with it nodding and agreeing if it had not sewn up the land. Yet TVNZ insists that it has not been approached. Who has shaken on this deal? Who are the shadowy figures in the background? Who is paying for the land? Is it Skycity or is it a sweetheart deal with the Government trading the land for a new casino and convention centre? What say has TVNZ had? This is prime inner-city land. If there is a price being paid who gets the money: TVNZ or the Government via a special dividend?