The Green Party is surmising the Overseas Investment Office will deliberately wait until the Christmas holidays, when most Kiwis are distracted by the festive season, to make its announcement about the sale of the 16 Crafar Farms.

Chinese company, Shanghai Pengxin, applied to buy the Crafar Farms in April, and the OIO has still not announced a decision.

OIO manager, Annelies McClure, has previously told Country99TV that the OIO had requested further information from Shanghai Pengxin’s subsidiary, and that this has caused a delay.

Ms McClure says while the OIO aims to make its judgements within 70 working days, this is just a timeframe – not a target. 

But Green –co-leader Russel Norman is speculating the OIO will make its announcement during the Christmas holiday season, in order to stifle public debate and criticism on what he says is a critically important issue.    

Mr Norman says foreigners should not be able to buy New Zealand land.