And Winston gets his attack wrong
July 30th, 2008 at 10:00 am by David FarrarWinston has been attacking the media for several weeks alleging they have their facst wrong, the Herald editor and political editor should resign in disgrace etc.
So you would think Winston would be careful when he accuses others of wrong-doing. But no displaying the same wrongness he accuses the media of, he targeted Craig Foss:
Mr Peters attacked National MP Craig Foss, tabling Companies Office records in which Mr Foss was listed as owning 2,524,750 shares in Cynotech Holdings.
Mr Peters questioned why Mr Foss’ shareholding was not listed in the Register of Pecuniary Interests in which all MPs are required to declare their financial interests.
Hmmn, well this could be an issue. But …..
In a statement to Parliament, Mr Foss, said the shares were registered in the name of the Foss Family Trust, and this was included in his disclosure of interests.
He also tabled a statement from the share registry confirming the trust had owned the shares – worth about $423,000 at yesterday’s prices – since April 2003.
So if we use Winston’s own rhetoric, shouldn’t he apologise and resign as he kept demanding the Herald do? I suppose the difference is the Herald story was true.
Peters also targeted former Green MP Ian Ewen-Street:
Mr Peters, who has come under hard questioning from the Green Party over the donations, also brought up the case of former Green MP Ian Ewen-Street and his partner Sue Grey.
In 2003, Mr Ewen-Street stood down from a select committee inquiry into the scampi industry, citing potential conflict of interest after he began a relationship with Ms Grey, who was a lawyer appearing before it.
Yesterday, Mr Peters described it as “improper behaviour”.
Now on this issue, Peters is correct that it was improper behaviour. I said so at the time:
I’m shocked that Green MP Ian Ewen-Street absents himself from hearing evidence on the Scampi inquiry due to a conflict of interest, yet took part in the final deliberations.
Considering the conflict of interest was that Ewen-Street was rogering the lawyer for one of the parties, I’m amazed he felt he could take any part at all in the deliberations.
But two wrongs do not make a right. The actions of Ewen-Street in 2004 do not mean Peters can do what he likes in 2008.
Related posts:
- So much for principled Green MPs
- Winston declares Spencer Trust donation
- Another secret trust fund!
- The Greens Super Fund
July 30th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Winston and Labour have now accused Key, Smith and Foss of impropriety here, and got it wrong on all three, although Key was skating a bit close to the edge there.
As for Ewan-Street, well, everybody knows the Greens are pure. Although EW’s method of inculcating Green philosophy seems a little unconventional.
JC
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Isn’t Ewen-Street the one who went to National?
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:40 am
So if we use Winston’s own rhetoric, shouldn’t he apologise and resign as he kept demanding the Herald do?
Well, Foss should get his spine out of hock and lay a Privileges complaint against Peters. Since, after all, he stood up in the House yesterday and made a claim about another Member that just wasn’t true — and one, I’d go further and say, he could reasonably be expected to know wasn’t true.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Winston is displaying the typical bully syndrome, the pupil has been well taught by his master. He has finally fully succumbed to the dark side.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:48 am
How would Peters know about these shares?
Does this mean that Peters can find out about my share holdings? I hate to think how.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Winston is of course right to ‘complain’ about members using family trusts to hide their wealth. Oooops, silly me … I forgot about Peter Brown’s (Deputy NZF Leader in name) PA & LM Brown Family Trust and that’s just for starters.
It’s entirely predictable for a cornered bully to come out swinging wildly and falling flat on his face but I would love to read the cable traffic from the various High Commissions and Embassies in Wellington to their home countries about WP and his ‘stability’.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Wreck – shareholdings are public information: http://www.companies.govt.nz/cms
And DPF, this is a somewhat ironic mistype:
“Winston has been attacking the media for several weeks alleging they have their *facst* wrong…”
An insertion of an ‘I’ in the correct place would produce interesting discussion I am sure!
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 11:08 am
“Foss should get his spine out of hock and lay a Privileges complaint against Peters.” I agree with this and it would be a perfectly legitimate way to encourage the public to see through the attempted smoke-screen from Winston ‘The Ego’ Peters. Peters is just laying down the law to the teaboy to teach the old hands a lesson, but as often is the case, he is inaccurate, underhand and lacking conscience.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 11:16 am
When I heard Winnie’s accusations about Craig Foss on the news last night I immediately thought “I bet the shares are held by a trust, and Craig Foss is just listed because he’s the trustee”. That’s such an elementary thing that surely Winston must have known that’d likely be the case.
So it seems clear to me that his bluster is purely an attempt to misdirect attention away from his own misdeeds, rather than raise a serious concern. I’m with Craig Ranapia, Foss should lay a Privileges complaint.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Luigi is a trolley case hes flipped and its time we all told him that hes straight jacket padded cell material.
He joined Crazy as a member of the mentally deranged. Actually they suit each other. Both twisted unprincipled sad examples of the human species
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 11:36 am
The actions of a bully: abuse the accuser, lie, abuse some more, blame others and accuse others of doing the same. Are we really such a sad country that there are enough people to vote this arrogant self-obsessed hypocrite into Parliament?
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Save yourself time David, just post something when Winstone gets it right.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Yes, but, the shares would be under the Foss family trust right? So, how did they come up with the fact the he owned the shares personally?
I own shares in a bundled portfolio rather than directly held. I suppose in my case it would not be possible to see this ownership.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
wreck1080
Vote:The shares are (like real estate similarly held) registered in the joint names of the Trustees. AFAIK a Trust is not a legal “person” so the Trustees hold assets in their name in Trust for the beneficiaries.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
dont be too harsh on Ian Ewan Street – he did make an honest woman of the brief he shagged. And he stayed on to deliberate the scampi stuff because he knew what winston was up to and he tried to counter it. Street supported the scampi minor players – thats how he got to know the lawyer so well and was privy to mucy of what winston was up to. So yip I can see why you could think his independence was in question but the reality was he, better than anyone, knew how shonky Winston was and he stayed on board to try and offer the alternative view.
street didnt get paid for his support – winnie did.
or maybe the spencer trust did, Ross Meurant certainly did, and tommy gear probably did as well!
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Tango man has laid a complaint with the SFO. Post up at my place.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Were Ian Ewan-Street and the lawyer in question both single when the relationship began? If so, is it not erroneous to be describing the matter as an “Affair” as Winston did yesterday?
After all, an “Affair” sounds so much more tasty than a relationship that was otherwise above board and makes for a much better soundbite on the 6pm news, even if the choice of words is tantamount to misleading parliament.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
In this morning’s Herald Rudman writes:
“Has there been anything more unedifying than Wellington landlord Sir Moneybags Jones dragging himself around the media bleating on about the $175,000 he’s doled out over the years to his old buddy Winston Peters. He’s grumping on about the fate of the last $25,000, which, he says, he agreed to one alcohol-lubricated night three years ago in order to make the politician go away.
It’s been like looking through the windows of the Sunset Home for the Befuddled as two creaky inmates squabble about who bought the last round, 20 years before. As though anyone else cares. As they bluster away on the box, one prays for a nurse aid from Shortland Street to bustle in from the adjacent channel to wipe the dribble from their chins – then tape up their lips.”
Now if I wrote that I would be dragged before the Human Rights Commission for Ageism.
Vote:Rudman’s arrogance makes Winston look humble – and in everything he writes.
He is one of these people who adopts a belief mainly so he can express his superiority to everyone else. Like Philu and his vegetarianism. I don’t think he cares about animals at all but loves to stand on the moral high ground – which is actually a pile of dung. Same for Rudman.
July 30th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
DPF said: Considering the conflict of interest was that Ewen-Street was rogering the lawyer for one of the parties, I’m amazed he felt he could take any part at all in the deliberations.
My understanding, DPF, is that Ian Ewen-Street is now a member of the National Party.
Maybe that’s what rogering a lawyer who represents one of the submitters to a Select Committee you are sitting on does to people!!!
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
You make it sound like veganism is a piece of cake Owen, heh.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
wreck,
Vote:Section 92 of the companies act 1993 prohibits a named trust from being recorded on the register as the owner of a parcel of shares in a company. So what happens is that the names of the trustees of a trust are recorded on the register as owning the shares jointly. If a company is the trustee of the shares then it is recorded on the register as owner.
I would have thought that Mr Peters as a former lawyer would have remembered something that basic.
July 30th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Owen
Rudmans a waste of oxygen and always has been hes 20th century and should be treated as such. Ignore him
the issue that the MSM have ignored is the ethical and moral dimension Peters and Clark have both frothed on for years and years about how bloody up right they are.
BULLSHIT
In this matter and in so many before they both fail the ethics and moral test.
Peters for he has done Clark for what she has NOT done.
When oh when we will see a debate on this issue Good governance is founded on good ethics and good morals backed by a good legal code.
Alas for the past 20 plus years NZ has been slipping further and furtehr away from this concept lead by pollies.
In fact this is the only area that pollies have lead in the past 20 plus years.
None have provided a vision None have provided a good ethical and moral compass for the citizens to follow.
Vote:July 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
He he, thanks, today I learnt a little more about NZ equity laws. Nice!!
I doubt Peters does the digging, he probably has a legion of mini-winnies digging up enemy dirt.
Vote: