Q + A

Episode 3

Kim Dotcom

Interviewed by Rachel Smalley

KIM DOTCOM – Internet Party Founder

The Mana Party is anti-establishment right. I am anti-establishment. It doesn’t matter that I have money and I have wealth because of my entrepreneurial intellect right. I am just as anti-establishment as the

RACHEL But the Mana Party also would look at issues, the disproportionate number of Maori in jails: child poverty: the disproportionate number of Maori children who fail in schools.

KIM What's really important here, the Internet Party's not about me, just one guy, I'm just the incubator, I'm starting this thing.

RACHEL But it wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for you.

KIM Of course, but somebody starts something and it doesn’t mean because something happens to me that it will not move forward you know. This party has been set up for the New Zealand youth, for entrepreneurs, for tax heavy people, for people who care about their privacy and their freedoms, to make it their tool to fight against some things that are simply wrong in New Zealand.

RACHEL What attracted you to Hone Harawira, other than being anti-establishment?

KIM Well I think that Hone is definitely an interesting character, and I only had one meeting with him, so I wouldn’t talk about attraction, but I think that it's important for the Internet Party to have the right alliances in order to make sure that we get into parliament. And the most important thing for the Internet Party is that our policies are going to have weight in this election, and that we are going to get into parliament to execute these .

RACHEL People would say why would you have given money then to John Banks? Who sits on the far right?

KIM And you know it's not about him being right or anything like that. What he told me is that he is pro internet, that he thinks New Zealand is on a one track by just relying on cow milk and growing grass. So I bought into that, I bought into the story of being a pro internet politician. Right, and that's all it is.

Q+A 2014 Episode 3 2

KIM DOTCOM

RACHEL So how much then does it cost to keep something like this running,?

KIM I don’t really want to go into that details about that, you know that’s private.

RACHEL Yeah I get that, but you know every politician ….

KIM How much do you spend every month on expenses?

RACHEL But then I'm not trying to be in parliament, that’s the difference.

KIM Even people in parliament don’t need to share all their private financial dealings, right, this is private. You're asking me how much it would cost to run this place. I don’t think that matters!

RACHEL You are a wanted man in America, you know politics is about trust. Why should New Zealanders trust you?

KIM Well first of all look at the case. I mean it's a novel case. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I'm being alleged to be a pirate when it's not me committing any piracy, its third parties that are using a tool that I have provided right.

RACHEL There are those who say you're a crook, and you’ve facilitated it

KIM Well, but those who say that are not properly educated about the case.

RACHEL Is that what this is about, building up a profile? So you rallying up support so when America rolls in, the big bad Americans that the country would rally behind you?

KIM No, and let me tell you why, and let me also tell you one thing. I was actually quite unhappy when some politicians suggested that they might interfere with the judicial process right. If a court ultimately finds that I should be extradited, I don’t want any political interference. Alright? I'm not asking for that. And it's not about the extradition case. I will win that because the law is on our side. This party has nothing to do with that.

RACHEL I want to ask you just quickly some shotgun yes or no questions.

Which New Zealand politician do you admire?

KIM I like David Shearer, he is a statesman.

RACHEL And also he failed in his role as a leader.

KIM Yes, but I like him because he is a statesman. He did not go into the mud ring like everybody else you know, he is a decent man.

Q+A 2014 Episode 3 3

KIM DOTCOM

RACHEL Do you believe in a welfare state?

KIM DOTCOM Yes, definitely

RACHEL Regulation or de-regulation?

KIM de-regulation

RACHEL Should the rich pay a higher tax rate?

Kim Yes

RACHEL Should our health system be free?

KIM yes

RACHEL Would you decriminalise marijuana?

KIM Yes

RACHEL Do you know what it's like to be poor?

KIM I know very much what it's like to be poor.

RACHEL When have you been poor?

KIM Well my father was an alcoholic, and when I was a child he used to beat us up, and my mother was working three jobs just to feed us, just to keep us going. I was living in a small apartment building that people would probably consider a slum, if you saw where we lived in Germany, and when I was a kid I often had to eat toast with sugar, or toast with ketchup, that was my food. So I know what it means to be poor, I know what it means to struggle and to be hungry.

RACHEL And our extended interview with Dotcom will be on line after the show,
go to our webpage www.tvnz.com.nz/q+a

Ends

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