As described by John Armstrong in today's NZ Herald
To a large extent that is because all eyes remain riveted on the unfolding political horror story that is NZ First.
In a few short weeks, the party has gone from being seen as the paragon of virtue on political donations to being subject to possible prosecution by the Serious Fraud Office and the police.
Peters' blanket denials of anything being amiss have been exposed as worthless. They have been replaced with excuses for failing to handle things by the book, which veer between the incredible and the pathetic.
Take the failure in 2006 to declare to the Electoral Commission the $50,000 donation from the Spencer Trust. This is now being put down to human error.
Had the donation been disclosed, however, then questions would have been immediately asked about the Spencer Trust.
Once it had been revealed as the same sort of mechanism that National has used to channel donations and hide their source, Peters would have been rubbished - just as he is being now and deservedly - but much earlier.
Compounding this disaster is the privileges committee inquiry which has become the political equivalent of a high-stakes poker game between Peters and wealthy expatriate Owen Glenn, with both putting their reputations on the line.
Only one of them can be telling the truth.
We know who it is! Unfortunately Armstrong hedges his bets.
