Fallout in the row over political donations to NZ First could widen as billionaire expat Owen Glenn prepares to front up to Parliament's privileges committee tomorrow with crucial evidence.
His appearance is likely to spark questions over who knew what, including whether there were discussions with anyone in Labour over whether he should help out NZ First.
Mr Glenn's $100,000 donation to Winston Peters has been in the spotlight since the NZ First leader was forced to admit the money was paid into his legal fund, after earlier emphatic denials.
After referring to an e-mail and a phone call between himself and the NZ First leader in a letter to the committee last week, Mr Glenn is likely to be asked to produce records supporting his recollection that it was Mr Peters who solicited the donation, not his lawyer, Brian Henry, as Mr Peters claims.
Phone records would turn up the heat on Mr Peters when he returns to give evidence on Wednesday in support of his evidence that he did not know about the 2005 donation till Mr Henry told him in July.
But Mr Glenn is also likely to be grilled on whether anyone else was involved in the discussions over making a donation to support Mr Peters' 2005 electoral petition in Tauranga.
And indeed, it is that last paragraph which could be the eye of Cyclone Owen. And it is that last paragraph that raises many questions. Who brokered the deal between NZ First and Glenn? Is it true that Mike Williams recently visited Glenn on his yacht? Is it true that Williams got an irate phone call from the PM while visiting Glenn on his yacht, and left hurriedly? And is is true that William's request for a further donation from Glenn was met with a two-worded answer, the second word being "off"?
Batten down the hatches folks - this storm could get nasty!
7 comments:
I wonder which lifeboats will be sunk on Tuesday, and whether there will be a change of captain in some of those still afloat after the election?
We shall see, homepaddock...
But, are you really saying Peters is centre-left?
He's spent around half of his adult life (even now) in the National Party, served as a National cabinet minister in a National Government, dog whistles racists, and now, we discover, tries to cover up funding from big business with secret trusts. All classic right-wing stuff.
Peters is whatever will get him the best baubles.
jafapete - Peters is self-centred rather than centre left or centre right.
He probably opted for National so that he wouldn't be treated as a houseboy in any Cabinet.
The attributes he displays that you consider classic right wing qualities, are less typical than "the end justifies the means" attribute of the left. Peters seems to have taken on that mantle, so he typifies the worst of the left and the right.
JP - it was me that made the centre-left analogy so don't beat up on Homepaddock!!
Seriously though, the article from Tracy Watlins was about damage beyond the realms of NZ First, which as you note JP has sat on the fence, and generally gone to the right.
And while you allege that attempts to "cover up funding from big business with secret trusts" is "classic right-wing stuff", Labour has shown that it is a fast learner!
But, are you really saying Peters is centre-left?
actually Peters is hard-left.
as is National under John Key.
so they're quite a good fit, really...
the only centre-left party in NZ is ACT.
the rest are basically versions of the hard-left (National, UF), extreme left (Labour, Progressives), and proto-communist (Greens, Maori)
The UK labour party is clearly to the Right of ACT on most policies, as is the US democrats.
So Here's the question that will be asked tomorrow (just before Rodney toddles down to the police station to indict labour for bribery, fraud, and corruption)
Who suggestion Glenn split is $1M into $2500K for Labour, $250K for NZF, and $250K for the Maori Party
supplementaries:
* is he pleased with what he got for his money?
* when the Maori Party said "no", how much did he give to the Greens?
* is he happy helping Labour corruptly buy 2005 election
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