Don't let the bastard go

c Trace 2008

Amongst all the recent political news of those close to Labour bugging the opposition National Party conference, Ruth Dyson advocating for multiple partner relationships and having the State financially support them, ACC rorts and The labour Party frothing at the mouth over John Key and his Party's policy to make welfare a much less rosy alternative , we seem to have all let one Winston Peters head out of the noose.

This slippery little bugger has had a few problems with secret donations to him or his political party from big business going astray and political corruption likely over donations made from the Vela racing family and Peters as minister of racing passing favourable tax laws to enrich his benefactors.

The worst seems to be over for him, and if all he gets is bad press inches from his underhanded backroom deals and lies, this country and its political masters should be well ashamed if they let him get away. Again.

I guess we cannot expect much from a group of people who would pass a retrospective law to make legal something they did illegally or indeed set their own pay rates and employment conditions.

We really need to hold this little prick to account though. To let him get away with it means the new low that he would set for politics will be limboed under by some other polly in the future.

Winston Peters payola scandal @ Political Animal

Dompost reels in another Peter's Payment

Winston isn't a conspiracy theorist: Yeah right!

Winston Peters lost in Wonderland

Winston Circus hangover continues

Discretion was the essential part of Vela Donation

Winston Peter's Glenn donation scandal: But wait, there is more!

Peter's hangs himself in February Paul Henry Interview

Peter's admits lying about Glenn donation

Winston's silence is telling

Labour gets tangled in Peter's lies

Leaked Glenn Email

Winston got secret donations from Owen Glenn

The Owen Glenn Story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note

c Political Animal 2008

Dom Post reels in another Peter's payment

It just keep getting worse for the hapless, corrupt and corrosive old pensioner Winston Peters.

The forth, or is it fifth, secret cash payment to Peters or his party, New Zealand First, has been uncovered by the Dom Post this morning.

Once again Peter's denies and his own voters and the rest of us cannot trust an individual running for office until things are explained. But the baubled one wont.

Just goes to prove, when one is holier than though over stopping others from getting donations for running elections, in relation to the Electoral Finance Act that Peters trumpeted from his squeaky clean pulpit, one gets hoisted on ones own cross.

And he could have been Prime Minister.

Another NZ First donation revealed

By PHIL KITCHIN and MARTIN KAY - The Dominion Post Wednesday, 06 August 2008

Winston Peters rebuffs our interview request Video

Winston Peters' credibility is in further doubt, with new claims emerging that NZ First accepted donations from a Simunovich account.

The NZ First leader has publicly stated that the party did not receive money from Simunovich Fisheries, a heavyweight fisheries company.

But a well-placed NZ First source has told The Dominion Post that the party banked at least one cheque bearing the Simunovich name.

The latest revelation heaps more pressure on Mr Peters to answer questions about allegations around NZ First's political donations.

It came as he was referred to Parliament's privileges committee to face questions about a $100,000 donation to his legal bills from expatriate shipping billionaire Owen Glenn, which was not declared in the MPs' register of pecuniary interests.

Continued


Related Political Animal reading

Winston isn't a conspiracy theorist: Yeah right!
Winston Peters lost in Wonderland
Winston Circus hangover continues
Discretion was the essential part of Vela Donation
Winston Peter's Glenn donation scandal: But wait, there is more!
Peter's hangs himself in February Paul Henry Interview
Peter's admits lying about Glenn donation
Winston's silence is telling
Labour gets tangled in Peter's lies
Leaked Glenn Email
Winston got secret donations from Owen Glenn
The Owen Glenn Story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note

c Political Animal 2008

Winston Peters lost in Wonderland

Rodney Hide (left) and Winston Peters.

• Peters addresses allegations in Parliament today
  

Winston Peters used a couple of quotes from Alice In Wonderland in his members speech less than an hour ago.

One quote he used was directed at journalists and politicians from the National Party and its central meaning goes something like this:

If you don't know what you are talking about shut your mouth.
Winston Peters, July 30 2008

I would counter that with another quote from Alice in Wonderland, made by Alice herself. It is a direct quote:

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"
Alice

While we are quoting Alice in Wonderland, It is clear that Winston Peters has been taking his response to serious accusations of corruption, bribery and secret donations from a fairy tale.

In his members speech today he attacked the media, opposition politicians, and went into great detail. When asked where donations to his party went though-why secret donations were not declared, who they came from and what was done for the donors to get the donations, Winnie the Pooh is deathly silent.

Peters clearly lives in a world where up is down, down is up, black is white, white is black and secret donations to an individual or party are not really donations but gifts of little consequence.

Back to Alice.


"What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?"
Alice

Helen Clark should be asking for more from Peters but continues to live in Wonderland herself. She simply wants to stay in power.

This leaves the public asking themselves when they will get answer from Winston Peters and Helen Clark. It leaves us all feeling:

"Curiouser and curiouser!"
Alice

The last word though should be left to the Mock Turtle from Alice In Wonderland, for it sums up our collective thinking to Winston Peters and his denial of corruption in the face of clear evidence and his repetition of an attack mantra upon his accusers.

"What is the use of repeating all that stuff, if you don't explain it as you go on? It's by far the most confusing thing I ever heard!"
The Mock Turtle



Related Political Animal reading

Winston Circus hangover continues
Discretion was the essential part of Vela Donation
Winston Peter's Glenn donation scandal: But wait, there is more!
Peter's hangs himself in February Paul Henry Interview
Peter's admits lying about Glenn donation
Winston's silence is telling
Labour gets tangled in Peter's lies
Leaked Glenn Email
Winston got secret donations from Owen Glenn
The Owen Glenn Story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note

c Political Animal 2008

The Winston Circus hangover continues

Winston Peters

Peters faces questions over donations in Parliament

"This whole affair is a shameful episode of dirty politics."

Winston Peters July 29 2008


You bet it is, but it is Winston Peters that has made the scandal over his secret donations "shameful" and "dirty".

In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, that Peters has in fact accepted secret donations from wealthy backers, this Minister has fudged the whole issue and wiggled out of the crapper by obfuscation, omission of fact and legalese. Everything but the truth.

Peters has lied. That is clear to most, except the Prime Minister, who has given her full backing to to him so she and her Labour Party can keep their last grip on power, which is quickly slipping from their fingers.

In Parliament today Peters continued the circus and came out against National's Craig Foss for having a conflict of interest owning shares and Greens co-leader Russel Norman for having an affair. Vintage Peters.

He refused to clear up the mounting accusations made against him.

The minority Labour government would topple if Peters was sacked for his failure to clear up his corrupt actions and Clarks already tattered reputation for her own law breaking and lies is further stretched because of her support for her Foreign Minister.

Corruption like this would lead to the sacking of most individuals in private employment situations.

It appears once again though that politicians, especially those from the left, are exceptions to this accepted rule.

Related Political Animal reading

Discretion was the essential part of Vela Donation
Winston Peter's Glenn donation scandal: But wait, there is more!
Peter's hangs himself in February Paul Henry Interview
Peter's admits lying about Glenn donation
Winston's silence is telling
Labour gets tangled in Peter's lies
Leaked Glenn Email
Winston got secret donations from Owen Glenn
The Owen Glenn Story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note

c Political Animal 2008

Labour gets tangled in Peter's lies

The New Zealand public all know Winston Peters has got where he has today by stretching the truth. For goodness sake he is a lawyer /politician, it is ingrained in him to lie.

The latest truth expansion lies in the big story of the week, Peter's secret donations from Owen Glenn and his denial that he got these donations, after it was revealed in the NZ Herald over the weekend, in leaked emails from NZ First PR man to Owen Glenn, that they keep secret the money given to Peters by Glenn.

Winston Peters is in a very important position in the Labour Government, as Foreign Minister. If the New Zealand public cant get the truth about the Owen Glenn donations to NZ First then we cant trust him on important issues surrounding his position as part of the Labour Government.

Helen Clark's position is a tenuous one at best. Her party relies upon support from NZ First to stay in power. If one of her "insiders", in Peter's, has an issue over honesty, then what remains of her integrity(sorry to use the "I" word) is sorely stretched to breaking point.

Now we have seen the Prime Minister lie many times before, after all she has made it the centre piece of her Labour Party administration for the last 9 years. To allow Peters to drift in the wind(to Fiji this week) over the secret donations made to NZ First by Owen Glenn simply smacks of hypocrisy and is morally corrupt at best.

Considering Ms Clark and her Party passed their Electoral Finance Act last year to stop what they said were secret large foreign money donations "buying elections" then Clark must make her move on the top poddle and its party.

Clark does have a wee problem on the Glenn front though. Their Party accepted donations from him before and after the 2005 election and their party president Mike Williams lied about it earlier this year.

We deserve the truth from our Prime Minister and Winston Peters. We are simply not getting it.

Related Political Animal Reading

Leaked Glenn Email
Winston got secret donations from Owen Glenn
Labour Party Election funding murky at best
Electoral Finance Bill: The purpose is clear
The Owen Glenn Story: Singing the same tune but hitting a bum note

c Political Animal 2008