Feb 29, 2008

Is This Man Fit To Be In Our Parliament?

Thanks to the NZ Herald we have this:

JUST FOR THE RECORD
NZ First leader Winston Peters on whether billionaire Owen Glenndonated to the party:
Q: Has [Glenn] ever offered you money?
A: "No."


Have you ever asked for it?
"Oh, get lost, Barry."

Have you ever asked for it?
"We don't go and ask anybody for money. That's a fact."

Has he ever loaned you money?
"In those two nos you get a third no if you put your mind to it."

On his relationship with Owen Glenn:
"I know Mr Glenn because he owned a famous race horse. That's how I met him. We had a discussion on a whole range of things, including his latest investment in NZ education.
On the question of Monaco, did he express an interest? "Yes he did." [And what did you tell him?] "I'm afraid we have a process."

On whether he offered Mr Glenn the position of NZ consul in Monaco."We are not going to be climbing on the horse before we've got it saddled up. The first thing we have to do is decide whether we need a consul in Monaco or not. We are not ruling anybody in or out. Let's see who might be interested post us making a decision."

On the mystery sum of money NZ First president Dail Jones found in the party's account last December:"We have a treasurer in the party and he says it's a consolidation of amounts around the party. He should know. One can get confused when you look at documentation and perhaps he [Mr Jones] should have spoken to the treasurer."

Where the $158,000 came from to "repay" NZ First's unlawful spend at the last election:"We've had anonymous donations at $10, and $20, and $50 for a long, long time because some people used to think - and it's an attitude that still permeates New Zealand as a democracy - that one day the communists might take over and they will be all in the firing line."