Priveleges Committee's light censure redefines Helen Clark's meaning of "trust"

The report into the Privileges Committee hearing into Owen Glenn's $100,000 donation to Winston Peters has just been released and it looks like Kiwis are going to be whitewashed by Labour and its political bed mates, again:

The privileges committee has recommended Winston Peters be censured for "knowingly providing false or misleading information on a return of pecuniary interests".

In its report the committee said it found no evidence that Mr Peters made an "honest attempt" to find out whether any donations had been received before making his return in February 2006, despite his knowledge of his arrangement with Mr Henry (Peters' lawyer Brian Henry) and the likelihood of donations being received towards his costs.

The report recommended that, within seven days of the House ordering him to do so, Peters be ordered to file amended returns for 2006, 2007 and 2008 to include "all debts, gifts and payments in kind that he has not previously registered".

The report went on to say that the majority of committee members believed Mr Peters "had some knowledge of the $100,000 donation".The report said a majority of committee members believed Mr Peters had committed "a contempt".

NZ Herald

It looks like Peters is going to get hit over the knuckles with a wet bus ticket even though the majority of the Privelges Committee believed Peters had "committed a contempt" because it doesn't appear he is going to suffer ANY substantial penalty for lying to Parliament about whether he got the donation and then lying to the committee, breaking electoral law by not declaring the Glenn donation, and compounding the whole sordid mess by making up stories as the saga unfolded.

The light finding is basically due to the representatives on the Privileges Committee from Labour ,The Maori Party and The Green Party not finding the compelling evidence furnished by Owen Glenn valid over the fabrications of Winston Peters and his lawyer Brian Henry.

Most Kiwis lay on Glenn's side because Winston's story is, well, made up.

It just goes to show when the Prime Minister said last week that "the election was going to be about trust", little did we know is that it excluded her from her own description because she clearly cannot be trusted.

Of course we know Helen Clark has lied over her own involvement in the Owen Glenn/Peters donation scandal so it is in her and her parties interest for the finding from the Privileges Committee to come down the way it has.

Gag me with a spoon, because I think I am going to be sick.

c Political Animal 2008