Little love for Dotcom and Internet Party

Kim Dotcom (left) and Laila Harre, leader of the Internet Party. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The presence of Kim Dotcom in New Zealand has not gone over well with our senior business leaders. Not a single CEO thought the internet Party's founder and visionary was a healthy influence on New Zealand politics, with a sole vote for "unsure" preventing a clean sweep.

John Barnett, CEO of South Pacific Pictures called Dotcom's internet party "an absolute low point in New Zealand politics". He said Dotcom was "a man with a criminal record who pays little or no tax in New Zealand and uses ill gotten gains to promote a personal agenda designed to influence legal outcomes. Compare the outcry when Chinese or US billionaires with suspect backgrounds try to achieve New Zealand citizenship."

Dotcom has thrown weight behind the internet party, bankrolling it to the tune of $3 million and putting former Alliance Cabinet Minister Laila Harre on the payroll. One CEO said the party stitching together an alliance with Mana was "the biggest rort on our electoral system I've seen."

Erica Crawford, CEO of Loveblock Wines said "Kim Dotcom plays fast and loose with democracy for his own self satisfaction, revenge or whatever it is the fool is trying to achieve."

Ninety-seven per cent of CEO respondents believed Dotcom has bankrolled the political party to advance policies that are in his private interest, with a mere five CEOs buying the altruistic rhetoric of how Dotcom's party will advance New Zealand into the digital age.

One finance sector boss claimed, "Dotcom is laughing at the New Zealand public ... he is saying you people are so dumb with your MMP, watch me use it to achieve my objectives at your cost.

"No other country in the world would put up with this."

Xero CEO Rod Drury took umbrage with Dotcom earlier in the year, calling his presence in New Zealand and the election "a big sideshow". The quote drew a vitriolic response from Dotcom in a series of tweets. Drury told the Herald survey "By mentioning him he's gone and bagged myself and New Zealand's most successful internet company that's creating jobs. It demonstrates it's not about building successful internet companies from New Zealand, it's all about Kim Dotcom."