Now that’s a loyal secretary
May 27th, 2010 at 6:00 am by David FarrarI just noticed on the Elections website that Labour have just declared a donation of $25,000 under the continous disclosure regime.
What is a bit interesting is that it comes from Mike Smith, who stood down last year as their long serving general secretary.
Normally when you retire from a job, the employer gives you a golden handshake. Not often the retiring employee donates $25,000 to their former employer.
It is possible the donation is on behalf of others. The law has a bit of a flaw in it, with a donation over $20,000 having to be declared immediately, but any contributors to the donation only get declared annually. We’ll find out by 30 April 2011 when the 2010 returns are due.
Note I am not suggesting any impropriety on anyone’s part. I’m all in favour of people donating to parties they support.
May 27th, 2010 at 7:07 am
Hard to imagine that would ever happen in the Commercial World. – Hmmmmmm.
What to think?
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 7:45 am
Most of us are employed by organisations with a revenue stream that isn’t dependent on donations – to try and draw any conclusions about this is scraping the bottom of the barrel, but I guess it’s trying to divert attention from what’s going on with “blind” trusts.
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Fortunately labour no longer have the police under their control . . . this will make them behave a little more carefully at least.
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 7:58 am
Is that right wreck1080, so we can expect police to cough up and give us the bully on various international incidents that occurred under the Klark regime? Yeah right, the corruption runs deep. Honesty is a foreign word in policing circles.
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 8:09 am
What’s going on with blind trusts then Mike G? Something, or is it just the product of Pete “Gollum” Hodgson’s over-active mind?
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 9:02 am
…and posting this isn’t an attempt to detract from the John Key vineyard investment beatup. Noooooooooo….
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 9:27 am
“I just noticed”
Translation: Someone from Head Office called.
“What is a bit interesting”
Translation: Oh god, quick look over here, not over there, no no, not the winery, here, labour bad, bad, bad, what trust? labour bad.
[DPF: Your paranoia is wonderful. I actually wrote the post on the donation before the TV3 story aired. And no one alerted me to it. I scan the electoral commission website every few weeks to check the donations registers. If you look back at y work, I have blogged on pretty much every donation disclosure of the last few years]
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 10:27 am
DPF>>> I’m all in favour of people donating to parties they support.
So we also be seeing your donation to the National party by 30 April 2011 when the 2010 returns are due then also.
$20.000+ to the party you support is not much DPF.
Vote:May 27th, 2010 at 11:14 am
“Your paranoia is wonderful”
Keeps me on my toes DPF!
I just had to make a few comments as I remember numerous mentions of Clark and the suffix ‘gate’ on issues very reminiscent of this “blind” trust issue. Playing with fire and all that.
Vote:Anyway its good to see some transparency of donations, noticed that National haven’t made many declarations, nothing since the August 2008 Road Transport Trust one (that was money well spent it seems). Would like to see much stricter and lower level donations declared, you have supported that as well I think.
May 27th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
“I’m not saying that this is true, I am merely asking the question, to get you to think about it.”
Vote:Jeez your as bad as Glenn Beck.