2nd Owen Glenn Letter

The second letter from Owen Glenn refuting Winston Peters claims in the media and a written reply to Glenn's first letter of explanation over the Peters $100,000 donations.

The three letters have been submitted to the Privileges Committee as evidence.

Glenn here reiterates his initial letter and makes clear the unreliable claims made by Peters over dates, an appearance at a race meeting and the people involved.

Glenn will give evidence in person to the Privileges Committee on Tuesday but it is likely Peters lawyer, Peter Williams and Peters himself will try and disrupt the hearing as much as possible as they did this morning.

Mr Simon Power MP
Chairperson
Privileges Committee
House of Representatives
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON

27th August, 2008

Dear Mr Power

RE: Complaint concerning my donation to Rt Hon Winston Peters MP

I refer to my letter of 19 August and to the reply to it of Rt Hon Mr Winston Peters MP dated 26 August.

First, I confirm that the letter sent to you on 19 August was from me, but was unsigned because of the difficulty I had at the time with the location of a fax machine. The Clerk of the house was asked whether a signed copy was needed. This was not responded to. I attach with this letter a signed copy of the letter of 19 August, to tidy that aspect up accordingly.

Second, I would like to affirm to you the correctness of what I have said to you in my letter of 19 August, and to comment on some of the observations that Rt Hon Mr Peters has made in his letter to you of 26 August.

(a) I gave the authority for the payment instructions to be made on 20 December 2005 to Mr BP Henry's account. Mr Henry supplied the ASB bank account details in an email from him addressed to me on Wednesday 14 December 2005. That email from Mr Henry refers to an earlier telephone conversation between me and a person Mr Henry refers to as "my client" that same day. My recollection is that I was called by Mr Peters to seek financial assistance for his electoral petition challenge. I agreed to that request because I understood that it would be of assistance to the Labour party, which had the confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First at the time we spoke. I do not recall that I had any conversation with Mr Henry about my donation. There is absolutely no doubt that the request came to me from Mr Peters, I would not have made the donation on any other basis through any intermediary. I did not do so.

(b) I believe that I first met Mr Peters at 3pm in Sydney on Friday 12 August at the Four Seasons Hotel. My personal assistant was with me at the meeting. I have no recollection of meeting him at an earlier time but it is possible.

(c) I was not at the Karaka sales in early 2007, I was at the sales in early 2006. I believe that the statement I made to you in my letter of 19 August is factually accurate.

I am happy to respond to any further questions from you, if that would be helpful.

Yours faithfully,

Owen G. Glenn

Related Political Animal reading

Ist Owen Glenn Letter to Privileges Committee

Winston Peters Letter to Privileges Committee

c Political Animal 2008