Aug 1, 2008

Hallucinogenic herb legal to use in NZ; Peters sees poll conspiracy

These are just two of the headlines in today's Dominion Post.

On the second item Martin Kay reports the following:

Winston Peters has dismissed fresh questions about big donations to NZ First as moronic and part of a conspiracy to force an early election.
Mr Peters faced questions yesterday from Opposition MPs for the first time since Dominion Post revelations about NZ First funding, including the disclosure that property magnate Sir Robert Jones wanted to know what happened to $25,000 he gave to the party in 2005 that was banked in the Spencer Trust and not declared.
But Mr Peters again refused to give direct answers, instead turning his sights on ACT leader Rodney Hide, who has asked the Serious Fraud Office to investigate NZ First's finances.
"Mr Hide and a number of people in the media ... have been going on about this matter for two weeks, and they have ended up with doughnuts, because they have not got any of the facts ...
"We know what they are trying to do - get rid of us before the election and, in fact, have a snap election now."