Did Glenn bail out Winston?
There have long been rumours that Owen Glenn bailed out the NZ First Party with the $158,000 they owe (and still owe) the taxpayer. When I referred to the rumours on ZB yesterday even Larry sounded nervous, but I made it very clear that there is no proof at all that Glenn has donated to them, but likewise it has never been denied and Glenn is on the record as having donated to more than one party.
Audrey Young’s blog post today is potentially explosive. She reveals that NZ First did receive a large donation in December last year:
Jones told the Herald this morning the sum was between $10,000 and $100,000.” but added: “It is probably closer to $100,000.”
This it seems was an anonymous donation, made a few days before the Electoral Finance Act came in. NZ First has railed against anon donations, voted for a law to stop them, while banking a huge one themselves.
If Owen Glenn is the donor, and nothing short of a on the record denial is satisfactory now, then this casts a whole new light on it. The scenario you have is Winston being wined and dined by the man who has saved his party from financial ruin, while pledging to work to get him a Government appointment as Honorary Consul.
Audrey Young also thinks Glenn should have to now deny on the record whether or not he is the man the Maori Party referred to:
It is hard to get through to Glenn to ask him directly – and while we are at it, to ask him whether he was the wealthy Labour backer living overseas who, according to Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia, offered the Maori Party $250,000 at the last election to go with Labour.
Indeed.
Dail Jones says he has no idea where they money came from. He says he even asked the bank to trace it but they refused. Did he ask Winston if he knows?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
David, interesting question. Tell me, did you give National its $2m in secret donations? The public has a right to know.
[DPF: In what year? Regardless the answer is no - very happy to reveal. Generally I donate from $100 to $500. Oh yes I also got conned into one of those $500 dinners in 2005 and I suspect the bastards will try and sell me a ticket this year also.]
February 20th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Tane you really are a fuckwit. David, it is now game on. The skirmishing is over. Look out for a VERY early election.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Tane.
Do you not see the hypocrisy in railing against anonymous donations in parliament while pocketing possibly up to a 6 figure sum anonymously?
Or do you just not see hypocrisy in general?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Adolf, not going to happen. Helen knows she’s a long way back in the polls and going to the country right now is a short campaign to oblivion. Her only hope is to hold on till the last possible day and hope that Labour can overtake National.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Tane, interesting question. Tell me, to what extent is the Standard paid for – either directly or via donations of services at less than commercial rates – by the Labour party? And by the EPMU?
The public has a right to know.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
does this mean peters has become a ‘baubler’..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 20th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
From memory, Mrs Turia said the person concerned lived in Sydney. Mr Glenn lives in Sydney (some of the time).
February 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
Oh, I don’t know about that, virtualmark. What happens when Greens, Maori Party, Dunny, Tiler Field and Winston’s deserters all decide there’s more political mileage in forcing an early election by jumping ship?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
and national criticising anonymous donations..?
whoar..!
eh..?
(‘waitemata trust’..?..anyone..?
and has keys’ contribution to national been laundered through one of nationals’ ‘trusts’..?
or has he just not given any..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
phil(whoar.co.nz
February 20th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
And from Audrey’s article: “Jones said he had discovered the donation in the party’s bank account in December and asked the bank where it had come from but it said it could not tell him.”
If you believe that, you’ll believe anything.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Sorry but the longer she “hangs on” the worse it is going to get. The public have already made up it’s mind and resents this totalatarian regime. The longer they hang on the deeper the resentment. Time for a change. the public also know that only a party vote for National will achieve this and will not waste votes on third party losers. MMP will die as well, thank goodness.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
That’s very good phil!! You mean that well know feathered creature of the bush, the Grey Baubler? The one with the raucus cry, often heard just before the evening ration of Glenn Fiddlich?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
All I would like to know if whether Tane agrees that Owen Glenn should reveal if he is the donor to NZ First.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
philu: You are right that there may be something a bit hypocritical about Natonal now criticising anonymous donations. But surely it is even more hypocritical to have attacked them as strongly as the Labour Party has over so many months and years, while always being in receipt of them, and then continuing to lie about its donation/loan from Glenn as recently as New Years Day – the very day the EFA came into force.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
This is getting beyond a joke and no amount of infantile behaviour in parliament by King, or false equivalents from discredited labour party stooge bloggers will mitigate it.
Whilst the NZ constitution was being changed, under urgency and against popular and learned opinion, Clark and Peters were engaging in the very behaviour that they so self rightously railed against and provided as justification for such draconian legislation.
Who gives a fuck who donated to National!
This is about rank hypocrisy and deception for self political gain. It is truly disturbing that even rabid lefties can’t see this
February 20th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Of course Owen Glenn should tell us if he donated to NZ First and how much, and if he offered to donate to the Maori party (on terms).
trouble is, can we believe what any of these people ‘say’ without a paper trail?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
I don’t know why you’re so skeptical, George. Happens to me all the time, except in reverse. Why, about six times last month, I looked at my bank statement, and wondered where my money had gone. I called up my bank, and they didn’t know, either.
So it’s perfectly reasonable that somebody could pop a hundred grand in New Zealand First’s bank account, and nobody would know about it.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Tane(Annette) has her work cut out for her here.
Chief apologist for both Helen and Winnie the Poo, Tane will be spinning like a top to try and keep a lid on all of this – all to try and prop up the corrupt Labour/NZ First government… and to keep Tane in paid employment!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Bauble Hollows? Hollow Baubles? Winston’s hollow baubles? Aaaaagh there are so many possible permutations!
Does anyone think that there is a charity out there know that will take Winstons $158k now? Has he paid back the money yet? I certainly havn’t heard if he’s given it away to any other organisation and, knowing his prediliction for garnering personal acclaim under the media spotlight, you can fairly bet there would have been a song and dance if he had.
Pay it back Winston! Plus the interest outstanding, please. Try a bank this time rather than Owen Glenn for funding, huh?
Jeez that guy and his party wind me up.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
It would be interesting to know the full extent of Owen Glenn’s involvement in NZ politics.
I for one would love to know why an individual, resident for a substantial time in the worlds best known tax haven, seems to be playing high stakes poker with the NZ electoral system?
Was he the businessman who tried to bribe the Maori party to go into coalition with the party of his choice? What is his motivation? how far is he prepared to go?
It is one thing to support a party financially. It is quite another to make that support conditional on certain policies. This is the sort of conduct that National has been accused of for some time. Is the first provable instance of such conduct going to be from Labours highest profile backer?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
These are fascinating questions.
If Owen Glenn was the “anonymous” donor to New Zealand First, was the donation made on the condition that New Zealand First back Labour at the next election?
Because if that is the case, then perhaps it is Winston’s hidden agenda that Helen should start publicly revealing.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
There is nothing more true in the world than …
1. what goes around comes around.
2. you reap what you sow.
3. karma.
I truly hope with all my heart that Clark and Winston Bjeikle-Peterson now reap the whirlwind they have sown. Winston especially has the world’s largest hurricane just about to pop the hinges on its closet.
Maybe thats why wellington is known as a windy place. So many whirlwinds being reaped.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Yes, sltyrty. Mr Glen is starting to make the gentlemen from the Exclusive Brethren look exceedingly tame.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
ooooo IP.
I hadn’t quite made that connection. These are good questions that won’t be answered as long as Margaret Wilson is speaker!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I thought Winston had stated long before December 2007 ” the $158k is all safely on deposit”
February 20th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Who gave the donor the bank account number?
February 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I’m very much hoping this proves to be true. Because Winston’s contingent of wrinklies are probably the group in NZ who are most likely to be upset at the provision of gongs for money. They care about these things.
This could be the thing that means Winston is finally out of parliament. That would make a huge difference to the electoral math.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
This explains why the money is being given to a charity. Presumably Owen or Winston gets the tax benefit. it get murkier and murkier.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
What ever the reality of this situation, the general perception of it is that it stinks to high heaven with corruption, politicians and political parties being bought off in exchange for honours and favours.
The only way I can see that this stench can possibly be extinguished is for a full and independent enquiry into this scandal and I hope that if this Government is not willing to order such and enquiry that the next one will.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
tim, I’ve never believed the theories about tax deductions. Firstly, I thought political donations were tax deductable anyway, so why would it need to go to a charity? Next, Owen Glenn doesn’t pay any tax (remember, rich prick lives in Monaco), so getting a tax deduction isn’t really useful to him. And I don’t see any plausible mechanism whereby Winston ends up with a tax credit from the party.
I’ve seen the theory around on this site on and off, and I’ve never seen any credible explanation of how it would work – I think that people who don’t understand tax are suggesting it. I haven’t seen any of the lawyer or tax type folks who are around here comment on it, I was assuming that they were ignoring the theory on the basis that it was patently absurd.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
It’s time that Dunne and the Greens started to ask serious questions about the behviour of this government and its chief poodle.
If Dunne and Fitzsimmons had any credibility they should issue a “please explain now” to the government.
We should be emailing them and asking them to explain to their electorate how they can prop up such rank deception and hypocrisy
February 20th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
The entertainment continues -Go Owen Glenn you liddle beaudie…
February 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
One is finding it very very hard to refrain from that oldie but goodie.
The New Zealand Parliament………. the best money can buy.
Yes I know but in the circumstances I plead for forgiveness.
Afterall in the space of barely a week we have now established what most had feared Our politicans are bought by the highest bidder. We should not and cannot trust anyone of them until they are proven to be not corrupted.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
PaulL, I’m not a taxation expert but try this on for size. I think you’re right in that there would be no benefit for Glenn ass he is not a NZ tax payer. However there would be a huge benefit for Peters if Glenn gifted him the money from Monaco and Peter’s himself donated it to a charity. why you could almost make a donation of $100k stretch into $158k by the time you got your rebate of 39c in the dollar back.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Labour is now proving; who needs enemies with friends like these?
February 20th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Meant to be: Labour is now proving the phrase…
February 20th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’m not sure why anyone thinks Glenn has to do anything but i would think that if National was in the frame this time for a donation from Glenn, then that has all but disappeared.
Mind you that will be ok as the rumours suggest that streams of anonymous donations came in before the EFB
February 20th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
If donations are made anonymously how can those who have made them influence anything – unless of course you meet for breakfast at the World Cup…
February 20th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Tane Tutae and Crazy John Dalley remind me of those fights they had late at night on SKY Sport where one fat braindead boxer would come out, throw a couple of weak punches, but then remain on their feet for three rounds while the other bloke smashed the shit out of them.
Give up now lefties, before you suffer permanent physical damage – I mean, you’re brains are already clearly scrambled.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
When is a reporter more like a human appendix – you know, an evolutionary quirk which now has little function, and which may go sceptic at any time? Well it has to be when you have opinion pieces of John Armstrong’s calibre:
“Anyone who knows what makes Clark tick knows she is far too clever and far too cautious ever to trap herself into making such promises of patronage.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10493210
It is getting to the stage when, if Labour embarrasses itself, you can almost rely on Armstrong to spin it as positively for ‘The Party’ as possible. But this offering was only lacking canned laughter. Not only was his insight into Clark’s political wisdom shown up today with another of her now trademark flip-flops, his article wasn’t even vaguely in line with the editorial of his own newspaper.
Let’s float a few opinions of our own;
Owen Glenn bankrolled Labour and NZ First.
he makes a few loud and embarrassing pronouncements to let Helen and Winston he wants payback.
They need to shut him up.
He gets bought off with Honorary Consulate of Monaco
Ergo – The Labour Party and NZ First are Owen Glenn’s Bitches.
http://monkeyswithtypewriter.blogspot.com/
February 20th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
your brains.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
it all stinks alright. and i delight in the pain it causes for this govt because I do not like them and their policies (mostly) and never have.
Problem is – aren’t all politicians and parties tarred with the same brush?
And doesn’t this again expose a fundamental flaw in the functioning of our island community? i.e. power rests in the wrong place
February 20th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
The words I can’t get out of my mind are ‘Whitlam and the Iraqi loans affair.’ The parallels are remarkable except silly old Gough never actually got his hands on any of the dough.
I reckon our GG will be nervously studying today’s events carefully.
PS Of course all that happened before Tane was born.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
or rather, rests too heavily in the wrong place. it needs to be spread wider – the power that is
February 20th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
COuld it be that Labour paid the 100,000 interest free loan straight into NZFirst’s account? The timing would suggest it is the same money sloshing around Labour and its poodle.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
no..it’s the ‘silver-tipped baubler’..
known for its’ forked tongue..
and reptilian ‘smile’..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 20th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
I disagree, Lee.
Helen Clark is far too smart to agree to cash for honours, or cash for honorary appointments, or even cash to have your gong presented by the Queen in London, as opposed to being presented by the Governor-General in Wellington.
Wouldn’t put it past the people around her, though.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Jesus. This is the kind of crap the Electoral Finance Act SHOULD have sorted out – wealthy people living overseas, causing havoc within our peaceful democracy.
To borrow a Cullenism, possibly a reverse-Cullinism, if Owenn Glenn likes New Zealand political parties so much, maybe he should come back here and pay some tax?
February 20th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Latest from Audrey Young:
UPDATE 4.35pm: Owen Glenn this afternoon has strongly hinted that he gave New Zealand First the large anonymous donation that appeared in its bank account in December.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/blog/story.cfm?c_id=1501219&objectid=10493529&pnum=2
February 20th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
“Jones said he had discovered the donation in the party’s bank account in December and asked the bank where it had come from but it said it could not tell him.”
fuck off dail.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Buggerlugs. You’ve got to remember John Key has not even got in the ring yet.
He is just the cocky young guy standing outside the ropes trying like hell to drum up enough courage to get in the ring and let his hands do the talking.
Remember Ali and the “Rope a Dope” well JK is not Ali.
Watch the boys (Jk) every time he speaks he gives his terrorised state away.
Bring on round 12. Is he fit enough to last the distance.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
“gives his terrorised state away”?
He may not even have to get in the ring. His opponents are furiously punching themselves in the head as we speak.
February 20th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
who’s the chick that carries the round number card between each round?
I know .. Rodney!
February 20th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
damocles: Nice. He is deliberately destroying NZ First, and for 100K it is well worth it. Pretty everyone on this site could agree with that!!
February 20th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
I am absolutely aghast at the idea that someone would try to bribe the Maori Party to go with Labour (obviously this would have to be someone from the left!)
It is a sad and slippery path this Labour Party is on.
I see this as completely different from anonymous donations. This is corruption
February 20th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
If they get away with this, imagine the pledge card this year:
“Join Labour, pay $500,000 and become Minister for the Rugby World Cup! Pay just $10,000 and run Womens Affairs!”
February 20th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
To get into a Labour cabinet one needs support from the party caucus – they vote on this.
In the USA most of their ambassadors get appointed after donating money to the campaign of the President.
[DPF: In theory - I don't think any of the names put up by the Leader have been turned down in the last 20 years]
February 20th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
SPC – why don’t you just give up. You are sounding more shrill, more pathetic, more ridiculous by the hour.
Let’s just hope that, at some point, you realise that you are covering for a pack of thieving, lying, hypocritical scumbags.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
The GG has no role unless Labour loses a confidence vote then things will get interesting.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Duxton. Sorry, are you talking about Nationals shady anonymous donations?
Still to be reveiled, wait for it stop the press what has Nicky Hager still got hiding for a rainy day.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
John Dalley … you conveniently forget about Labour’s ‘shady’ anonymous donations and … wait for it … secret donations from Trusts – although I will concede, all perfectly legal under the law of the day … your point?????
February 20th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Duxton
Are you just going to make personal attracks when I make points you find inconsistent with your own political line?
February 20th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Ross Miller
The dim-bulb Labour apologists seem to think that it’s OK to receive anonymous donations as long as you were not the party that received the most. I think their principals are only based on “Labour good – National bad”.
Now it’s OK for Labout to follow the letter of the law with their funding but the EB’s following the letter of the law was wrong. Go figure – how to make yourself look like a complete retard – support Labour and claim that National are unfit for govt then in the next breath say it’s OK that Labour did all the things that are not acceptable for National because Labour were not the only ones doing them. Just laughable.
February 20th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Operating under the rules that existed is not the same as supporting the rules.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
SPC … your point and to whom was it directed???????????
I don’t agree with the 100k speed limit but I have to abide with it (unless of course I am the Prime Minister going to a rugby match that I don’t really like anyway)
February 20th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Ross
As a rule, posts are in response to the opener, or to the general tenor of the debate, or to the above post. In this case, burt’s post about what Labour’s apparent double take on the issue. While all spin each issue somewhat, and thus burt’s comment about Labour has relevance, it can be balanced by perspective. Which is, opposition to the rules allowing anonymous donations, is not the same as refusing to take them, when rules allow this.
My point is obvious. And I think relevant to this issue.
February 20th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Dail Jones
Tell the bank to turn up the deposit slip.
If that does not help ask the bank for the account number of the cheque that was deposited. Then ask the bank the cheque was drawn upon to give you the account holder’s name, as you think it was deposited in error and you want to return the money.
Under no circumstances try to insult my intelligence with that sort of stupid comment that was you were quoted with.
The NZ banking system is the best in the world, and the information that Dail Jones says was unavailable is quite readily available. To be fair to Dail, the banks dislike handing that sort of information out to retards.
February 20th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
No i didn’t Ross, I made mention in another post that Labour as well should not be using secret donations.
Keep it open, and you really don’t need to have maximum donations.
If an Individual or Business/Group does donate large amounts, the public can make there own minds up on the implications of any large amounts.