Head Prefect transfixed by Winston Peter's baubles

Helen Clark has stated today that the return of Winston Peters to his portfolios is "unlikely" but she is unwilling to sack him either.

This leaves him, her and us all in some sort of twilight zone type political no mans land, where Peters is neither here nor there but he still receives his taxpayer funded baubles.

Clark believes that the privileges committee hearing into his acceptance of $100,000 from Owen Glenn is "politically biased" and that National Party members had already made their minds up to Peter's guilt or otherwise:

The Prime Minister said the committee investigation had become politicised.

"This process has become so politicised, that it's clear that some MPs went into that committee having made up their mind before they had heard a single piece of evidence," she said.

"I think that members have to be very careful not to go beyond the evidence to draw conclusions which are fundamentally politically motivated."

Helen Clark said the process had been "tainted from the outset" and for that reason she was unlikely to be forced into a decision over Winston Peters this week.

NZ Herald

The Privileges Committee is of course made up in equal parts from the parties in the house so any perceived bias on Clark's part is effectively cancelled out by the committee members and their political affiliations.

What is very interesting is that Helen Clark will not make a decision to cut Peters completely free in the face of proven lies on Peter's part and 3 separate investigations into his donation history. 

Clark's position here looks bad . She looks every bit the possum caught in Winston Peters big brown political headlights and will not move in the face of political pressure from opposition parties, overwhelming public pressure to see Peters sacked and even from insiders within her own party.

Clark's part in the Owen Glenn donation saga is still up for question, she has lied and obfuscated the truth over this matter and it doesn't look like we are going to get anywhere near the truth at all.

The Privileges Committee is due to come out with their decision on Peters tonight and it would defy logic and all the evidence placed before it to come down in Peter's favour but the ironic thing is that because of political bias from Clark's representatives on the Committee, Peters is likely to walk free, when he should be in leg irons in Mt Eden Prison.

c Political Animal 2008

Helen Clark uses the Nuclear Option

"I am not a crook"

Richard Nixon 1973


I don't slow down and gawk when passing a car wreck and look away at carnage on news footage.
I will make an exception for the Winston Peters/Helen Clark/ Owen Glenn Payola scandal because it is highly satisfactory to me to see the train wreck of a Labour Government crumble before my very eyes.

Labour say they don't want nuclear power in New Zealand but the nuclear option was used on the public today when she revealed that she is donkey deep, smack in the middle of the Peters/Glenn donation scandal.

Helen Clark knew back in February that Peters had received $100,000 from Owen Glenn because Glenn told Clark that when he came to New Zealand on Government business in February 2008.

She has been watching on the sidelines for 6 months.

She has seen his denials, watched his performances in New Zealand and attempts overseas to bring democracy to Fiji and relied on his support in the house to pass important legislation, that changes New Zealanders' lives-the latest legislation the economy crushing Emissions Trading Bill.

She had a chance to bring this to a head 6 months ago, she had the evidence but because she wanted to protect herself politically, so chose to say nothing.

She came out today with the H Bomb simply because any further evidence from Glenn to the Privileges Committee next Thursday would have put Clark in a very difficult decision.

This afternoon Labour has also called Owen Glenn "confused" about his recollection of events regarding the money that Winston Peters asked Glenn for, even though it is Peters whose lies have been clearly exposed.

Glenn has been one of Labour's biggest donors and has given them a total of $600,000 over the last 3 years, $100,000 of it was denied by the Labour Party president earlier this year , Mike Williams, and he and his party were therefore embroiled in a similar donation scandal earlier this year.

Critiquing your major donor isn't a good look or smart, especially when he probably has evidence that will bring down the Labour support partner Winston Peter's NZ First.

Clark in effect has covered up for her Minister Winston Peters and now her thin veil of respectability has been completely demolished.

This isn't the first time Clark's credibility has been exposed and it wont be the last.

New Zealanders need and deserve more than the banana republic that we have become.

Clark must now call an early election and let the people decide if they forgive her for her latest cover-up.


Related Political Animal reading

Clarks credibility now see-through
Clarks rudeness to Owen Glenn plumbs new depths
Snouts in the trough bent out of shape
The Owen Glenn story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note
Labour Party Election funding murky at best

c Political Animal 2008

Helen Clarks thin credibility now see-through

What is left of Helen Clark's credibility is being sorely tested on her stance over the Winston Peters payola scandal.

In the face of more overwhelming evidence that Peters has lied over accepting money from Owen Glenn and various other sources, Helen maintains the banana republic status quo.

She is hanging onto power with a tenuous grip and using Peters vote and support for confidence and supply so her Labour Party can pass the Emissions Trading Bill.

It makes John Key's move yesterday to distance himself from Peters a political coup that is mainly reserved for the more experienced hacks in the Labour Party junta.

c Political Animal 2008