Mallard Trevor: Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill — In Committee 
Mallard Trevor: Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:658;Page:6931] 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
: 
 I wonder why the Government has decided to bring this up. We went out with this legislation as we went into the adjournment. We had a long discussion about politically exposed people. We had quite a lot of focus at that time on Bill English and I am sure that there will be more focus on Bill English as we work our way through not only the interpretation but also the rest of this legislation. 
Since that time Melissa Lee has become a politically exposed person as well. I will be interested to know as will my colleagues who sat on the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee whether Melissa Lee was there under the original interpretation of the legislation. I think that the Government has moved in a smart way to try to exclude her from this Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill through the amendments made by the select committee and I am not very happy with some of my colleagues on this side of the Chamber who let the Government get away with it. I want to know from the Minister in the chair the Hon Simon Power why those changes were made. 
I think that we need to look at paragraph (c) of the definition of “politically exposed person” in the interpretation clause clause 4. The paragraph states “having regard to information that is public or readily available—(i) any individual who is known to have joint beneficial ownership of a legal entity or legal arrangement or any other close relationship with a person referred to …”. So I wonder whom that would refer to. I wonder whether the bill as introduced would refer to the circumstances of Bill English and whether he has a beneficial interest albeit a beneficial interest that is discretionary. It is a discretionary beneficial interest that Bill English has in this area. I want to know whether that was something that the Minister carefully considered as he worked through this bill and the amendments that were put to him. 
Did the issue concern the discretionary beneficial interest that Bill English had in the additional funding that he was getting from the taxpayer over and above what he was entitled to as someone who is normally resident in Wellington? Was the reason this bill was narrowed an attempt to take Bill English out of it? If the discretionary beneficial interest that Bill English had was not the reason for the narrowing of the bill then I want to know what was. If it was not to cover up the rorts to stop the money being laundered through trusts in a way to hide it then what was the reason for the change? We have heard nothing about that from members opposite. 
I also want to know about the Melissa Lee situation and about the money that was going through not a trust but a company. In the bill as introduced that member would have come under paragraph (d) of the definition of “politically exposed person” but that provision has been cut out by the select committee. I want to know why Melissa Lee has been protected in that way. Why was it that this money that Melissa Lee has known about since July or 12 June— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: June. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Since 12 June Melissa Lee has known that she has ripped money off the taxpayer. She has known this for 4 months but did not pay it back. She had that additional money in her laundry for 4 months. I am not suggesting that she was laundering money for terrorism but what was she laundering money for? Why was she keeping it hidden from the public view? Why was she not fronting up? 
I want to know whether Melissa Lee has declared an interest in this bill. Has Bill English declared an interest in this bill? Bill English is certainly caught under the definition of “politically exposed person” in the bill as introduced. He is someone who is politically exposed. He is very very politically exposed—partly to us but mainly to members opposite.