Bad Smells Keep Hanging Around

Can Someone Please Get To the Bottom Of All This

It would appear that the NZ First leader, Winston Peters is a serial offender when it comes to (other people's) money.  

Here is the latest, according to Stuff:

Almost half a million dollars in political donations appear to have been hidden inside a secret slush fund controlled by a coterie of Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters' trusted advisers.

The secretive New Zealand First Foundation collected donations from wealthy donors and used the money to finance election campaigns, pay for an MP's legal advice, advertising, fund a $5000 day at the Wellington races and even pay an IRD bill.

A New Zealand First spokesperson said on Monday the foundation had been in existence across several election cycles. "There has never been any suggestion that it is anything other than lawful," she said.  Records uncovered in a Stuff investigation show a complex web that appears to be designed to hide donations to the NZ First Party via The New Zealand First Foundation.

Hiding donations is a big no-no.
  One of the reasons why transparency is essential  when large donations are made to a political party is the risk of a quid pro quo.  The probable or likely quid pro quo in New Zealand is that large monied interests donating to the NZ First Foundation end up receiving special favours from the government of the day (which under our MMP system is made up in part by the NZ First political party). 

Donors to the foundation include food manufacturers, racing interests, forestry owners and wealthy property developers.

Efforts have been made by party officials to find out details of the foundation and some say they were removed from the party when they challenged Peters or Henry about finances. There is now a conga line of NZ First Party officials who say they have been forced out of the party. 

Something seems rotten in the state of Denmark in the South Pacific.