Will Owen be called?
The Dom Post reports that the Privileges Committee is initially calling Winston Peters and Brian Henry to testify.
I am somewhat surprised by this. Winston, by his own words, says he knew nothing about the donation/gift, so I don’t know what value there will be from questions to him.
Surely the most important things is to first establish the facts around the donation – who was the cheque from, who was it made out to, what was it intended for, what account was it paid into etc. Once you have the facts then it would be more useful, in my opinion, to seek explanations.
Rodney Hide is worried that Owen Glenn may not be asked to testify. I can’t imagine how the Committee could expect to have any credibility if they do not invite Mr Glenn to testify, so I’m not that worried. I am sure they will issue appropriate invitations in due course.
August 8th, 2008 at 6:53 am
All will be revealed in Good Time!
Well in a normal Country anyway!
August 8th, 2008 at 7:09 am
They’ll drag it out as long as possible to try and disrupt any disruption to the liaboring election campaign – oops I mean it’ll be an unbiased investigation looking out for the sanctity of gummint, HA ha, sad really isnt it?
August 8th, 2008 at 7:27 am
“I am somewhat surprised by this. Winston, by his own words, says he knew nothing about the donation/gift, so I don’t know what value there will be from questions to him.”
Perhaps to avoid having them testify during the election campaign ?
August 8th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Unless the Committee has the power to compel witnesses to attend, I very much doubt we will see Owen Glenn anywhere near New Zealand for a long time to come.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:39 am
Neither Labour nor National are interested in getting to the bottom of the NZ First funding scandal. Labour because Winston props them up. National because they would like Winston to prop them up.
That’s the corruption of MMP.
There’s nothing of value to be learned from Peters and Henry. If they had an explanation — or were prepared to give one — they would have by now. Henry thinks the Privilieges Committee wll be fun. They have concocted a story and will stick to it.
The Speaker has instructed the Committee to get the facts. They need to talk to Glenn and also Steve Fisher, the pr guy who was advising Glenn not to admit funding NZ First, and they should demand the financial records.
The entire country thinks the “cash for counselships” stinks. Parliament, like Helen Clark, looks set to be satisfied with Winston’s word, something the country now knows can’t be relied on.
We all need to be assisting Simon Bridges in Tauranga, making sure that Winston’s not matyred by this and sinks below the five percent, and appoint an Independent Anti-Corruption Commission post election to investigate NZ First’s funding including the secret Spencer Trust.
NZ politics needs a clean-out and sunlight is the best disinfectant.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:42 am
the, wet, slap with, bus, a, ticket,wrist, on
August 8th, 2008 at 7:50 am
dead right Rodney.
Winnie the Pooh needs to be removed from NZ politics and placed into an environment more suited to his skill set – Fiji.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Telling lies in court leads to jail. Is that true of the privileges committee?
August 8th, 2008 at 8:02 am
mwha ha hah aha ha ha, cough cough. Let me gaffa tape up my splitting sides.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Rodney.
At the last election I was a member of the Act party because I believed that Act was the only party to truly encompass all that I held dear for me and my family.
After the disappointment of that election I let my membership lapse due to the fact that because of Acts poor showing we were pushing it uphill and wasting votes to get rid of the Labour lot. National should be the way to go in future.
Not anymore.
I will again back you, Roger and the rest of the team to start to make politics in this country honest again.
This issue for John Key of going soft on Winston Peters in case he needs him after November sickens me.
The old saying of ‘Cheats never prosper’ is hard to promote to my young teenage children who even now are politically aware. They ask how does he get away with it?
August 8th, 2008 at 8:27 am
I’d be a little reticent at calling Key soft because he wont join in the Winnie bashing. Jk, I think is staying away from those types of issues as shit sticks if you are anywhere near the splatter zone. Keep away and stay on message where it matters. The end goal is getting rid of Hulun and Mikhael. Winnie is a distraction.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Rodney is right of course. However, this could be Key’s finest hour by drawing a line in the sand and giving the message to all NZ’rs, that corruption in politics (which permeates right down to the criminal sector at street level), will not be tolerated from this moment on. By doing so, he would be setting a path to improve the very fabric of society, and laying a foundation so that we might all work together to make this country a better place in which to live.
The road to economic prosperity, also demands that indivduals act ethically and with principles.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Expat
It may be that he is very smart and not soft. However I have been reading this blog site for ages listening to criticism of Helen and Michael laying aside their principles and true agenda purely to either get or retain the treasury benches.
It appears John Key and the Nats may be doing the same thing.
The only party it appears to have been consistent throughout has been Act.
If the shoe was on the other foot and John Key was in the bong for doing what Winston appears to have done-Man the hounds would be after him something cruel.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:03 am
It is obvious that the only political friends of Winston Peters are Helen Clark and John Key.
I find it hard to believe how New Zealand can be cowered by the actions of this person.
Shame.
August 8th, 2008 at 9:12 am
I too am beginning to seriously think we need to have a party that doesn’t try to straddle the political centre point (of a compass rather than a line) and establishes some free market, capital driven, minimalist government philosophies on which to base its appeal. Sadly, the National Party cannot claim that space these days, and, as said above, seems ready to abandon principle for power. I think I must consider carefully where my part vote goes this election (Ohariu Belmont is not a place to ponder too long where your electorate vote goes – as Obama will one day say – OUT damned hairdo! Sadly, he won’t get his way either – the Hilary show is just starting folks!)
August 8th, 2008 at 9:13 am
You can just imagine the vested interests at work within the PC…as they work out their terms of reference. Some of those discussions would be priceless. Where’s a hidden microphone when you need one!
I agree with DPF – it’s inconceivable that any truth can be established without Glenn being invited to testify. I wonder if he can ask to testify even if he’s not invited?
August 8th, 2008 at 9:36 am
the most delicious result would be for winston to appear first and perjure himself
and for this to be exposed in broad daylight by subsequent witnesses
the terms of reference include an ‘anything else’ clause so the committee is not constrained
although I think your prediction yersterday about an early election to sweep it all under the carpet is much more likely
August 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
The Labour-led govt will make sure he’s looked after. Just like Benson-Pope & Taito Field. As long as Winston never utters the words “No deal with Labour” he’s free to do whatever he wants. If it all starts to turn ugly the best interests of the Labour party will make sure he’s fine.
Bananas anyone?
August 8th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Gavin – Your right on the money Winston & Henry have the opportunity to perjure themselves or prevaricate whihc would be seen as having something to hide. The wagons have circled the indians, let the shooting begin.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Rodney Hide suggests:
If someone can provide a billet and a small stipend I have some free time and a megaphone, not to mention a good memory dating all the way back to 1993
Gilbert Myles and I worked on a Bill which had several strands to it, all aimed at accountable and open government. It included an independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards modelled on the UK. A vast amount of research went into it, to ensure that the measures which were proposed worked effectively and could be defended in debate (thanks to that research I can now say I’ve chatted to a Baroness, though I could never quite erase from my mind the thought that Snoopy may be about to come over the horizon on his kennel…)
Anyway, after I’d left and Gilbert was told in Taliban-like fashion that any further contact with me would result in him being stoned to death, he actually paid someone to compile the research into a comprehensive Private Members Bill.
He then took it to the NZ First caucus, who agreed that it was just what the Party’s Fundamental Principles demanded, that it was probably one of the best-researched and constructed Bills they’d seen, that it’d definitely tighten up the laws surrounding Parliamentary standards and MPs’ behaviour… and refused to let him enter it in the ballot.
August 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I wonder if Bob Jones could be called to give evidence of similar facts and behaviour.
August 8th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
This is a pre determined event It looks like a pre determined event It smells like pre determined event Students of good governance know this is a pre determined event
The participants all have a vested interest in an certain outcome regardless of any evidence presented.
My colleagues in Australia are laughing at our governance We are being compared unfavourably to Fiji
Thats right folks The Ozzies now view us as no better than a regime that we all laugh about.
Rex A Socialist governemnt would never let a Commission see the light of day the Nats might but only if ACT pushed the issue real hard and had the position to do so.
NZ is just dropping so far behind in the good governance stakes, The really sad thing is the PRC have either adopted or are looking to adopt corporate governance legislation and regulation that cant even get off the ground in NZ yet many here are still stuck in the mindset that the Chinese are all crooks.
Well folks that was then and this is now. The PRC are looking to clean up their act fast and then they will insist on any trading partners having at least as good if not better standards.
Its called risk management when a large entity looks to deal with a small entity and want to minimise its risk by insisting on good standards.
Our poliies and civil servants are still stuck in the old mind set and so they will be scratching their bums when NZ companies miss out on business and be wondering why.
So sad.
August 8th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Antiques-collectables/Other/auction-170049907.htm have a look at this . just too funny for words