Concern over Minister and Crafar farm sale

Opponents of a planned sale of 16 dairy farms to a Chinese company are calling for Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson to stand aside from deciding the bid after he said concerns about foreign ownership were often driven by racism.

Greens co-leader Russel Norman said Mr Williamson's comments suggested he had already made up his mind on whether he would allow the sale of the Crafar Farms to Natural Dairy to proceed if it was signed off by the Overseas Investment Office.

He said Mr Williamson should play no part in determining the sale, and advised that any decision in favour of the Natural Dairy bid could now be subjected to judicial review if he was involved.

"He clearly doesn't have an open mind about it. He's decided that those who are opposed to foreign investment are racists. It wouldn't matter so much if he wasn't the decision-maker," Dr Norman said.

But Prime Minister John Key is brushing off criticism of Mr Williamson's comments, saying they were "reasonably flippant".

"Maurice is known for having a strong sense of humour and I think it was on display yesterday. I think the main point he is making is the variety of reasons people might have to resist foreign investment.

"My own view is that we have to be careful around foreign investment. There are certain aspects where it can play an important role and bring economic growth, but as I've said on numerous occasions recently, I don't think the wholesale selling of productive land to foreigners is in our best interests, irrelevant of whatever countries they come from."

Mr Williamson told a Massey University small business conference on Thursday that opposition to overseas investment was usually linked to the ethnicity of the buyer.

"What's a foreigner? A lot of it's more to do with racism. If you look different, you're a foreigner, but if you come from the other side of the world, from Scotland, then you're not."

Labour leader Phil Goff said the comments were "way off mark". "This isn't about racism, it's about owning our own future. It's about keeping New Zealand in New Zealand hands."

He said Labour's decision to veto the sale of Auckland International Airport to a Canadian pension fund was not because of the nationality of the buyer, but to keep a strategic asset in New Zealand.

Mr Williamson could not be contacted.

- © Fairfax NZ News