A Messy Business

Festering Corruption?

Radio NZ has carried the following strange report: 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters directed Antarctica New Zealand to give two highly-prized spots on a trip to the icy continent to two women closely linked to one of South East Asia’s richest families.  Bee Lin Chew and her daughter Su Arn Kwek, who are dual Malaysian-New Zealand citizens, travelled to Scott Base, at taxpayer expense, in February after Antarctica New Zealand scrambled to make room for them at the insistence of Peters’ office.

Emails released under the Official Information Act show Antarctica New Zealand pushing back at the request to include Chew and Kwek, as only one spot was available and that was supposed to be for a government minister.  Tax payer-funded Antarctica New Zealand initially warned that science programmes or essential staff may have to be cut to make room for the women. But it ultimately managed to fulfil the request without disruption to the programme and in line with the “firmly held” views from Peters’ office.

In an interview on the doorstep of one of the two homes she owns on Auckland’s exclusive Paritai Drive, Bee Lin Chew said she was a good friend of Peters and his partner Jan Trotman.

 So we are left with one of the most senior ministers of the Government "giving" free rides to mates.  Either Winston Peters is tone deaf, or there is some issues of deeper corruption in play.  At best it is a very, very bad "look".  The upshot?  Respect for the NZ Government erodes more and more. 

Jacinda Ardern Becomes A Puppy Of New Zealand First

Ardern Now Inept and Compromised

"I See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Touch No Evil"

Jacinda Ardern is daily proving herself to be pathetically powerless to deal with Winston Peters and his political party, NZ First.  Her powerlessness is of her own wish and moment.  It has exposed her as a thoroughgoing, self-imposed weakling. 

Here is John Armstrong's take:

The Prime Minister’s adoption of a "do nothing" stratagem which has her turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the chaos which otherwise goes by the name of "New Zealand First" is both reprehensible and indefensible.

Above all — and perhaps most intolerable of all — Ardern’s insistence that the constant and never changing diet of trials, tribulations and troubles afflicting Labour’s coalition partner have nothing to do with her and are for New Zealand First and New Zealand First alone to rectify amounts to an abdication on her part of the responsibilities that come with occupancy of the highest office in the land.

Ardern’s apologists argue that the Prime Minister’s silence over the past two weeks when questioned about the furore that erupted over New Zealand First’s handling of financial donations — and more specifically what happened to funds channelled through the clearing house of the New Zealand First Foundation — was motivated by her wish not to be dragged into what has been a raging political bushfire.

Sure, it is understandable that Ardern wants to put some distance between her party and Peters’ outfit in the countdown to September’s general election.  Sure, it is understandable that she do that without compromising the stability of her governing Administration in the interim.  Her imposing a "hear no evil, see no evil" blanket ban on her saying anything at all about Peters’ behaviour and that of his party is quite remarkable, however.

It is also foolhardy.

Plain Speaking By Oliver Cromwell

Truths and Verities

In New Zealand we have been afflicted with a politician who is well passed his "use by" date.  Winston Peters clings to political power and influence with a never-ebbing passion.  One of the major political parties (National) recently announced that they would not contemplate working with Peters to form a coalition because (in its view) Peters is fundamentally dishonest.  He cannot be trusted.  

One commentator in a local blog said National's stand reminded him of Oliver Cromwell's dismissal of the Rump Parliament.

'It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice.

Ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government.

Ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess?

Ye have no more religion than my horse. Gold is your God. Which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices?

Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation. You were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance.

Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do.

I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place.

Go, get you out! Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors.

In the name of God, go.'

One may hope Winston Peters takes note.  But it would be a hope forlorn.  Where is Oliver Cromwell when he is needed?

Government Instability Growing Like a Mushroom

If Winston Goes Down, Jacinda Goes With Him


Mike Hosking
NZ Herald


Do you think the Prime Minister understands the trouble her party and Government is in?  The answers to the Peters problem, the drama around the New Zealand First Foundation, would seem to indicate not. It's not her business, she is claiming. Which technically is true, but irrelevant.

No, she shouldn't be poking her nose into New Zealand First affairs, but surely it defies all common sense that she can't see that Winston's troubles are her troubles, and vice versa.

She is tainted by association. Let us not forget that Winston has always been questionable company. From the early days with the Bolger-Shipley government, to the trouble with Clark that appears frighteningly similar over a decade later. If you hang with New Zealand First - at its very best, it's a colourful ride.  At its worst, it's the end of your government come election time.

The New Zealand First foundation, at first read, looks to have a tremendous number of questions to answer.

The Whiff of Corruption On Its Way To Becoming a Stench

A Wine Box, a Deep Throat and a Dumpster

The trail that led to the NZ First donations scandal

[The following article appeared in Stuff, November 24, 2019]

Matt Shand
Stuff

The winebox containing NZ First Foundation documents was next to a dumpster filled with used nappies from a nearby daycare. Or, at least it was supposed to be. There were no boxes in sight. No other options. Time to dig through.

For the past six hours "Deep Throat" figures had been sending me directions from random phone numbers to where the documents could be found. The information had already been uncovered, people wanted to talk, but hard evidence - the documentation - was key.

For the past few hours calls had come in from random numbers giving locations with little context. "The Square Hamilton," the voice would say and hang up. Then call back with another suburb or landmark. After walking around making many people suspicious of a creeper another call arrives. "The shop on (redacted) street. Another call. Another suburb. "Dumpster. Closed lid. Go now". Having never spoken to these people before it was all on good faith.

There were two dumpsters that matched.

"I See No Evil; I Hear No Evil"

Jacinda Ardern Faces Litmus Test Over Winston Peters

Political donations appear to have been hidden inside a secret slush fund controlled by a coterie of Winston Peters' trusted advisers.

Duncan Garner
STUFF


. . . The questions surrounding Winston Peters and NZ First will force the prime minister to make a call on whether they've breached electoral law. And that could lead to an early elections, says Duncan Garner.

In 2008 it was a donations scandal that rocked Peters and, by association, Helen Clark. I was there. It was disastrous.  Clark tried to wash her hands of it, claiming she had no ties to Peters, but he provided her with the numbers to be the PM, and Clark and Labour were dragged down daily by the constant leaks and information that challenged Peters and his ability to tell the truth.

Truth is Labour suffered by association after Peters denied receiving a $100,000 donation from the expat Kiwi transport and logistics billionaire Owen Glenn.  Peters said, at the time, the $100,000 was given to his lawyer, Brian Henry, to cover legal fees. He said Henry did not tell him about it, and that it did not need to be declared.

Henry told Parliament's privilege committee that the money was paid directly to cover a legal debt, and did not need to be declared. During a Serious Fraud Office investigation into the same donation controversy, Henry also gave evidence.  Glenn contradicted Peters' statement, testifying before Parliament's privileges committee at the time that Peters had solicited the donation and that he knew about it.

And here we go again.

We Have Been Here Before

Pay To Play

Other people's money and Winston Peters seem to be joined at the hip.  Once again, it appears that Peters has being playing a shady game when it comes to donations made to his political party.  The basic theme is reported to be large donations given to a trust, which then parcels out money to fund the Peters political party.  Only a select few know where the money has come from.

Is this a serious problem?  Yes, particularly if the large secret donations are coming from people and organizations with an interest in certain law changes or policies which the donor will benefit from.  It could well turn out to be a massive "Pay to Play" rort.


Danyl Mclauchlan  writing in The Spinoff  explains how the scheme appears to work and what are its likely political consequences.

The NZ First Donations Scandal is Very Serious

It won't Let Jacinda Ardern Hide

Danyl Mclauchlan | Contributing writer


It’s happening.

During its time in government New Zealand First has fundraised aggressively. They’ve also taken very strong policy stands on behalf of specific industries and companies. But no specific donations have been declared; instead the party has been funded by loans from the New Zealand First Foundation, a mysterious entity run by two of Winston Peters’ most trusted advisers.

Those advisers are his lawyer Brian Henry, and Doug Woolerton, a former New Zealand First MP who now runs a Hamilton based lobbying company called “The Lobbyist”, which advertises the provision of “all ancillary services such as media strategies, speeches, drafting changes for legislation, submissions to select committees and personal introductions when appropriate”.

And now Waikato Times reporter Matt Shand has what almost every investigative journalist in the country has been sniffing around for: leaked records from the New Zealand First Foundation. His story on Stuff reports that the foundation has been accepting party political donations and paying for electoral expenses in a way that appears designed to avoid transparency or oversight.

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.

Doubtless Peters Now Wishes He Had Stayed Mum

Integrity Shot to Pieces

The following piece by Tim Murphy reflects upon a court case long in the making and waiting.  It is parochial insofar as it deals with New Zealand political actors.  No-one outside our shores could be the slightest bit interested.  But here, in NZ it is a significant matter.

Winston Peters (presently the country's deputy Prime Minister) has for years told lies.  At least that is what it emerging in a current court case.  Peters is claiming damages for certain actions taken against him (by word and deed).  The claims are emerging from the swamp as having no credibility. 

Tim Murphy, co-editor of Newsroom, has been writing about the court case.  We will cut to the chase and allow him to lead us down the vacuous winding paths taken by Peters to a Bridge-Too-Far. 

Words Matter to These Civil Servants, Mr Peters

Tim Murphy
Newsroom

Journalists and opposing politicians seldom have the opportunity to precisely fact-check - with access to his documents - claims made by Winston Peters. But one government department has done it.

A Winston Peters interview on RNZ in August 2017 has featured repeatedly in his High Court privacy case.

Peters had denied, to RNZ, a report by Newsroom that he was billed $18,000 by the Ministry of Social Development for the seven-year overpayment, in an interview that also ran in a story on the Stuff website on August 28, 2017.

The MP said he repaid "way less" than $18,000 and then said it again:

"To say I repaid $18,000 is demonstrably false."

It was a claim that was near impossible for RNZ, Stuff or anyone else to explore one way or the other, given the privacy issues involved between the two parties.

But the Ministry of Social Development knew the right answer.  And when Peters sued the ministry, with its chief executive, the State Services Commissioner and two former National cabinet ministers, over the leak of his superannuation issue, the ministry had its chance to fact-check him.

Fact-check it did.

Courage, Honour and Integrity Required

Toxic Mr Peters

A recent column by Damien Grant put a finger upon a poisonous boil suppurating upon New Zealand's body politic.  That boil is Winston Peters.  Grant calls for the leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges to finish Peters' political career once and for all.

Firstly, some history on Peters:

The New Zealand parliament first sat in 1854. Winston Peters became an MP via a court case in 1979.  His malign spirit has been present for a quarter of our Parliaments' 165 years and he was pivotal in the formation of three governments, in 1996, 2005 and 2017.  For too long this man has held the country hostage to his incomparable ego and threatens to, once again, hold the balance of power after next year's election. . . .

In his forty years in office or on its fringes Winston can claim three achievements. The Super Gold Card, where taxpayers' money is re-directed to wealthy retirees. The pointless Wine Box inquiry that succeeded in proving that some firms were legally reducing their tax by using the Cook Islands as a tax haven. He also read a nice speech at Gallipoli in 2008.

Everything else has been toxic. He was sacked from cabinet by both Jim Bolger and Jenny Shipley. He stood down as Helen Clark's Foreign Minister over the Owen Glenn debacle. 

If the leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges seeks office on the Treasury Benches via offering a coalition arrangement with NZ First, he will do great damage to his own party.

No Hard Yards Here

The Plaudits Prime Minister

Political folk left, right, and centre are scratching their heads trying to understand the NZ Prime Minister's ditching of her personally promoted hobby horse--the imposition of a capital gains tax.

It was always known that her key coalition partner, NZ First opposed the introduction of the new tax.  But the leader of NZ First, Winston Peters has proven malleable and much less strident when the baubles of office and political power are festooning his suit jacket.  So we assume Peters was up for compromising on the capital gains tax.

But PM Jacinda Ardern pulled the plug on capital gains tax without the appearance of any political infighting or argy-bargy.  At the very least she could have put that particular dog's breakfast to the electorate, seen it go down to defeat (assuming Winston Peters continued to oppose it), and emerge with her integrity intact.

But it appears that she unilaterally pulled the plug on her own "must-have" as if she had a loss of nerve.  The activist left wing of the Labour Party is furious.  She had called for its loyal support and when it was given, she left it high and dry, up the creek, without a paddle.  Captain Ardern capitulated, not with a bang, but with a whimper.

How can this be explained?  Not easily, to be sure.

Petering Out

Winston Peters' Career-defining Mess in Turkey

Mike Hosking
NZ Herald

Fantastic with the compassion, not so good with the politics. How big of a gaffe, how big a mistake has this Government made with Turkey?

In the midst of last week Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan injected himself into Christchurch in an egregious way. Across the Tasman, Aussie PM Scott Morrison was ropeable and hauled the ambassador in and, when given an explanation, like it was for domestic consumption, he didn't believe and said so.

We, on the other hand, seemed to avail ourselves of a nicely placed op-ed piece in the Washington Post written by Erdogan's henchman designed to appease the gullible. We were one of the gullible. Meantime he carried on at his rallies stirring the pot by playing excerpts from the mosque gunman's livestream.

Our Prime Minister, immersed in Christchurch and its grief, dismissed the outrage by suggesting Winston Peters was on his way to Turkey via Indonesia, and he would deal with it. It was suggested Peters may not even get to see Erdogan, but nevertheless the message would be delivered and matters would be sorted out.

The good news was Peters did get to the see the President - but then astonishingly did not raise the matter with him. He said he didn't need to because the whole thing was sorted and Erdogan wasn't "doing that anymore". And yet half an hour later that's exactly what he did. We had more footage, and more vitriol.  Peters, even more astonishingly, denied Ardern had ever said what Ardern had said. How do we explain this? An abject failing of a diplomatic mission and complete denial of reality?

Winston Peters About To Ask PM Ardern to Bring Him Tea in His Office

The Sorry Day the Labour Party Gave Itself an Uppercut


Duncan Garner
Stuff


OPINION: It's the simple little things in politics that tell you everything you need to know.

A complex scandal with too many moving parts equals switch off. An easy one and the paying public get it.

When John Key ruled out working with Winston Peters, it was clear what he meant.

When David Cunliffe dribbled a pathetic "I'm sorry for being a man" from the corner of his mouth, we all collectively sighed, thinking some people can't be saved from themselves. But we got it.

However, this latest brainfart takes the cake and a second serving.   Labour has been rolled on an industrial scale over what appears to be the trivial matter of what to call this government.  But don't be fooled, names aren't trivial, and what people call you can reveal so much.

So can you believe this?

Labour is Snookered

Winston Peters is NZ's Actual Prime Minister

Below is veteran columnist, John Armstrong's take on New Zealand's unfolding constitutional revolution.  We suspect that he has failed to grasp fully the political pressures, on the one hand, and the de facto changes to NZ's constitution, on the other. 

 Labour Has Been Outsmarted and Outmanoeuvred

John Armstrong
One News

Don’t listen to those who dismiss the current muscle-flexing by Winston Peters as nothing more than the standard fare of MMP politics.  It is anything but.

Were there a handbook covering the mechanics of forming and running a coalition government, the New Zealand First leader would currently be writing a new chapter—one which would be without a happy ending for Jacinda Ardern, her coalition managers and the rest of the Labour Party.  The latter should be worried — very worried.

It is the ongoing conundrum of multi-party governments that minor parties which behave themselves and keep their heads down have almost without exception have had their heads lopped off come election-time.  Peters seems to be experimenting with the notion that minor parties which are far less polite get noticed by voters rather than being suffocated.

If that is not enough to give Labour grief, Peters appears to be engaged in trying to pull off what would amount to a massive shift in power within the coalition.  Forget cracks about cracks appearing in the coalition’s facade.  Peters, for one, will not be going anywhere. . . .

Peters now has the dream job of foreign minister. Yet, he also remains an absolutely pivotal figure in domestic politics.  With regard to the latter, it is obvious there been a major shift in New Zealand First strategy.

The Velvet Revolution

Yes, Prime Minister

Down under we are witnessing the strangest thing.  Over the last few months we have had a major constitutional change--a velvet revolution, one may say.  The NZ Prime Minister has morphed from being the leader of the governing parliamentary majority, and, therefore, of the country.  Without fanfare or notice, her office has evolved  into being that of the "constitutional leader", much more akin to the Constitutional Monarchy in the UK.

She is the leader de jure, whilst the office of leader de facto has gone to someone else.  We now have a "throne" and a "leader behind the throne"--at least that is how it seems.  This development is unparalleled in our democracy.  Jacinda Ardern has become a figurehead like George VI, whilst the Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters has become like Winston Churchill. 

Here are a couple of examples.  The titular PM (Jacinda Ardern) announces that the Government will pursue its ambition to double New Zealand's annual refugee quotas.  The de facto PM (Winston Peters) says it will not.  A few days later, the titular PM mumbles her consent, having taken the advice of the de facto PM.

When Will NZ's Political Gadfly Depart?

The Great Deceiver

Last week radio host Mike Hoskings argued that the first soundings of the death knell had been heard within NZ First.  Its self-important, gadfly leader, Winston Peters has betrayed the useful idiots who voted for them, says Hoskings.  

I'll say this about your New Zealand First voter: they're straight up and down.

I am receiving large levels of correspondence, and I am not the only one, from people saying they are embarrassed or ashamed that they voted New Zealand First.  They feel duped, ripped off, if not hoodwinked.  And it's the foreign aid package that's tipped them over the edge.

The Grand Volte-Face

Suddenly It's Not the Gummint's Fault

The "new" New Zealand government is just a day or so old and already we are finding ourselves laughing at the coalition of losers.  (Actually, that's an apt phrase to represent the ersatz mob of cobblers now purporting to govern the country.)

Winston Peters has spoken in apocalyptic terms of the devastation under which our country allegedly labours.  He has presented himself as the Saviour.  He has tossed out a thousand policies (elsewhere known as whisky befuddled brainwaves) to prevent the alleged looming apocalypse.  He stood forth as the proud man with the mantle of "National Saviour".  He won seven percent of the vote in our recent general election.  Yes, you read that right. Just seven percent.

Now he will be the de facto Prime Minister, our Machiavelli behind the throne as it were.

A Sad Indictment of Us All

Larceny of Mental Incompetence?

As far as the great affairs of mankind go, this story represents a raging storm in Thumbelina's teacup.  In New Zealand, a  Member of Parliament Winston Peters has excelled at playing the electorate with a tawdry collection of truths, half truth, and full blooded lies.  He has done so for years.  Most now treat him with cynical contempt.

In the midst of the present election in New Zealand, Peters has fallen on unexpected hard times.  He has been caught out by a "leak" which confirms over payment of a state benefit.  Peters insists it was a mistake which he has now corrected, with a full refund to the authorities.  Now his ire has turned upon the mysterious leaker.  It is beyond doubt that someone spoke in a "wink, wink, nod, nod" manner to a journalist.  He is a Deep Throat.  The journalist is guarding his source.

What led the government welfare agency to overpay Mr Peters?  It was incorrect information supplied by Mr Peters to the agency.  He either lied (or made a mistake) so as to get more money.

Shelob's Descendants

The Shamelessness of A Charlatan

It is a truism in most Western democracies.  Politicians are regarded as pretty much the scum of the earth.  Rarely do politicians manage to rise above the popular paradigm of being power-hungry, ambitious, and self-serving fools.  Every so often a politician does rise higher in the public's mind.  It is so exceptional that it is rated a remarkable achievement.

One reason for this is only indirectly the fault of politicians as a class.  The fact is that most folk in the West have a belief in the State (or government) as a demi-god.  In the secularist religion, the State is the entity or power which can solve all problems, set all things to right, and usher in the Millennium.  When government fails to meet expectations, the voter becomes cynical and angry.  He feels manipulated and lied to. Which is actually not far from the truth.  For politicians will constantly play upon the people's general belief that politicians are semi-divinised servants of the demi-god.  Politicians will overstate their abilities.  They exaggerate the powers of the State.  They promise what they can never deliver.  Their declarations of heaven about to break out on earth are willingly and gullibly received.

In New Zealand we have a populist politician who has been on the fringes of governments' powers for decades.  Winston Peters is the fools' politician.

A Man of Principle

A Politician Not For Turning

Most politicians are seen as venal and self-serving.  They will do anything, say anything to get their name and their "brand" in the public's mind.  But not the mercurial Winston Peters.  Here is a politician of different stamp, not only with deep convictions, but one willing to pursue and investigate wrongs, exposing the corruption and evil actions of his own class. 

We have long admired his campaign against selling 8,000 hectares of (not-so-prime-farmland-at-the-time) to Chinese company Shanghai Pengxin last year. Land is precious to New Zealand, argues Mr Peters.  We should not be selling it off to foreigners.  Peters has the evidence to prove his point.  He has personally tramped over every hectare of the Shanghai Pengxin farms at not inconsiderable personal cost.  He has seen what has happened to the land.