David Shearer –
Two weeks ago, I wrote in these pages about what is now popular as the ‘Saudi Sheep Scandal.’
Since then, the story has become even worse.
We seem to have killed 75% of the first generation of lambs born on our ‘model farm’ in the Saudi Arabian desert.
That is tragic in itself, and bad for New Zealand.
Damaging reputation
It undermines our hard-won reputation for farming excellence. Piles of dead lambs in the desert is not the picture of New Zealand’s farming expertise that we want, springing to mind with the words ‘Kiwi agricultural hub.’
It undermines our good record on Animal Welfare. The world has now seen a bizarre and inhumane situation develop on our watch.
It also undermines New Zealand’s fine reputation for honest dealing.
We are consistently rated Number One Least Corrupt Nation in the world on the Transparency International Perception Index.
Other countries spend a huge amount of time and money trying to stamp out corruption, and would give anything for a reputation like ours. Yet our government seems content to fritter it away.
An embarrassment
It is entirely predictable that this Saudi Sheep situation has become an embarrassment.
When our government decided to try and pay a businessman half a world away to get a free trade deal in his territory, they should have known to expect the unexpected.
When they flew 900 pregnant ewes to Saudi Arabia on Singapore Airlines to pacify disgruntled businessman Hamood Ali Al Khalaf as part of what most people see as an $11million bribe, they should have known it would end in tears.
First they tried to do it in secret. Then they tried to blame others. Now they are blaming a sandstorm in the Saudi Arabian desert for their mistakes.
Hopefully next time, they will remember that secret deals of this nature are not the Kiwi way, and if you play with fire, you are likely to get burned.
David Shearer is Member of Parliament elected from Mt Albert Constituency in Auckland and is Labour Party’s Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Consumer Affairs.
