Sep 9, 2008

Glenn Testimony Now Up On Stuff

Read it here

We have some quotes

He said his office email records showed Mr Peters or a NZ First representative contacted his office in late November 2005. The records did not detail the topic of that correspondence.
"I was next approached by Mr Peters in a personal call from him to me while I was in Sydney in the early part of December 2005. My records show that Mr Peters left a message on my telephone answer service on December 5, 2005."
Again, records did not detail the topic of the call.
He said at some point over the "next few days" he would have returned Mr Peters' call. However, he could not find a record of that call.
"It may be that he called me again or that I used another telephone service. In this call, Mr Peters raised with me his need for financial assistance with his legal costs incurred in the Tauranga election petion petition.
"I was generally aware of the petition, and of the relationship that NZ First had formed with Labour.
"I am absolutely certain the request for assistance came to me from Mr Peters himself. I was asked by him to consider assisting him with the legal costs and expenses. I agreed to consider making such a contribution."
He said before he responded to Mr Peters he was in contact with Labour Party president Mike Williams.
He wanted to ensure donating to Mr Peters would not be seen by Labour as "unhelpful to its own interests", because Labour was his "primary interest".
He said he was told by Mr Williams that Labour did not object to him helping Mr Peters. He believed that conversation happened during a brunch with the Labour Party president in Sydney on 14 December 2005.
Mr Glenn told the committee he called Mr Peters later that day to tell the NZ First leader he would contribute.
Mr Peters had initially told him he needed to raise $70,000 but "it became clear to me in the conversation that in fact he needed more than that figure," Mr Glenn said.
"I offered to contribute $100,000 towards these legal costs."
He said Mr Peters said his lawyer would send the details for an account to deposit the donation into.
"He further requested that any such donation be kept confidential."
Immediately after that call he received an email from Mr Peters' lawyer Brian Henry, which referred to the conversation with his client and provided bank account details for remittance. This email was dated Wednesday December 14, 2005.
Mr Glenn said he gave payment instructions on December 19, 2005.
"I would never have agreed to make the donation without Mr Peters' direct and personal request, and without checking with Mr Williams that such support would be acceptable to the Labour Party," he told the committee.
"My motivation in offering the support to Mr Peters was to support the Labour Government. I do not have any recollection of discussing the request of Mr Peters with Mr Henry."