Guess who’s coming to dinner – questions about Key’s $165 000 fund raisers

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keychampagne2

 

On this mornings Patrick Gower Hour of Power, the Prime Minister was forced to admit to some fund raising dinners and why those 21 at these fund raising dinners are all anonymous. After flogging David Cunliffe for not announcing two anonymous donors in his leadership race, and after lying about Kim Dotcom being a donor and after Michelle Boag falsely insinuated that Unite donated to Cunliffe’s leadership bid which was why Matt was appointed, after all of those shrill screams of Cunliffe’s hypocrisy , we now hear about Key’s fund raising dinners and suddenly the need for transparency evaporates.

Hiding $165 000 in donations via dinner fundraisers? Tricky.

Claiming Cunliffe is a hypocrite for not naming two donors while Key knows the identities of the 21 at his fundraiser dinner and won’t name them himself? Tricky.

Tricky, Tricky, Tricky.

 

 

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Cue Run DMC

 

 

What Key is being questioned over is a 2010 fundraiser at Antoine’s restaurant. Tickets cost $5000 each and it was all those CEO and high profile NZers who benefitted so richly from Key’s tax cuts. It allowed those paying to effectively fund National anonymously. Cunliffe wasn’t aware of who put money into his Trust, Key would have seen the 21 who had paid because he was having dinner with them.

 

So Key knew who was  donating, Cunliffe didn’t.

 

Cunliffe has announced all those who donated, except two who have asked to remain anonymous. In those two cases, Cunliffe has refunded their donations.
So, Key should check if those who were there are happy to publicly announce it, and if not, he should pay back their donations.

 

And what about the 2011 dinner that netted $60 000 for the Prime Minister? What about that dinner? Who was at that dinner? The same people who are benefitting directly from tax cuts? Who are at theses chummy dinners with the Prime Minister where backs are slapped and deals and favours done?

 

Key has said of Cunliffe that he had to be transparent over the donations ‘‘or he’s going to be guilty of being labelled as having a secret agenda which none of us can verify one way or another’’. Well Mr Key, by your very own words, don’t you have to reveal who your donors were and if they aren’t prepared to be named, do as Cunliffe has done and pay back the donations?

 

Not so tricky now, eh John?

23 COMMENTS

  1. To quote Run DMC: “Tinted windows don’t mean nothing, they know who’s inside.” Well I think the tint is well and truly wearing off John Key. This interview gave the public another chance to see through the cracks in the veneer…. not so squeaky clean now, Mr Teflon John.

    • Interesting. What Fran is saying about John Key is word for word what National party voters were saying (and quite deservedly) about Helen Clark not so long ago

  2. Having read this article it would appear JK leads everyone else in the tricky stakes, just as he does in the polls.

  3. Thanks for this info Martyn.

    Just one question. Why isn’t msm taking the guts out of these John Key donation fundraisers, just as they have been doing recently to everything David Cunliffe says and does?

  4. This may have backfired badly on Key. Voters may now view both parties with scepticism, meaning that smaller Parties (Greens and NZF) will benefit from disaffected voters.

      • Seriously, this article is desperate.

        The guts of it is there is an argument as to whether Cunliffe actually went to a property an associate was buying and his wife was dealing with.

        Oh my God the world is ending. Stop the presses.

        This garbage only adds fuel to the fire that there is a National Party directed witch hunt in progress in the vain hope that DC has a pointy hat or broomstick hidden somewhere.

      • intrinsicvalue

        What exactly is wrong here? I believe you should explain it as you are the one who thinks the article is worth linking to.

        C’mon, you are the one with “..and then there’s this .. ” all sinister overtones and shadowy trilbys. Did you read the article or just wet yourself over the headline?

        Six months before the Labour leadership even was a topic, a guy helped a mate, who was based over seas, to buy a house. Oh my god the horror! What is worse is this dude’s wife, a lawyer, helped with legal stuff. Mon dieu how do these people live with themselves? Imagine giving an opinion on a property to a friend and have your wife use her professional qualifications to do professional things.

        What is more embarrassing then the Editor’s decision to run the story is RWNJs like you getting all excited by it. Are you that much of a pavlov’s dog that granny only has to hold up a can of sawdust and you think its filet mignon?

        • They’re trying to build a picture of Cunliffe as ‘rich’. So ipso facto he can’t be genuine in his championing of leftwing causes such as poverty and inequality.

          It actually tells you a lot about those doing the smearing – as they believe a well-off person can’t have imagination and empathy. In the end, the smearers are just describing themselves and their own sociopathy.

      • Captain Bradbury: “Mr Sulu! The Intrinsic Romulan is attempting to raise his Deflection Shield! Can we knock it down?”

        Mr Sulu: “Piece of piss, Captain!”

        *ext view: stock footage, USS Collective Enterprise fires non-violent phasers*

        *ext view: Romulan Intrinsic ship goes down in flames*

        Captain Bradbury: “Gotcha!”

        Mr Sulu: (Turns to Bradbury) “Shall I have Transporter Room lock on and beam over survivors?”

        Captain Bradbury: “Yeah. Beam him directly into the Brig with that Ferengi, Gosman.”

        *off screen*

        Rumulan Intrinsic: “Nooooooooooooo!!! Anything but that!!! He never shuts-the-f**k-up!!”

        Captain Bradbury and First Officer Manning LOL together. Fade out. Close credits.

        The galaxy is safe from the predatory Washington Empire and it’s minions, yet again. At least for another week…

  5. Another good blog pointing out the hypocrisy of DonKey and his brand of merry asses, let’s just hope that it has opened they eyes of the undecided (and decided). I honestly think that it is the young vote that is going to count so I hope Labour has someone who can cover that. It worked for Obama.

  6. And not a word about it in the Herald!

    But: “Labour leader David Cunliffe helped with the purchase of a $4 million beach retreat” on the online front page, plus a few other opposition related headlines that can lead to negative conclusions.

    Nothing about Key and his donations. As if it does not exist.

    This is beyond fair-and-balanced, this is like a party-organ in a dictatorship.

    • The Herald is a party organ for National. In a small country with informal networks it works this way. Silly Il Duce uniforms are so last century.

      • But I’m sure Brownlee would quite like one anyway. Some of Goering’s old ones might almost fit.

  7. a question that should be put to the PM in the House:

    Were any of the fundraising dinners the reason the PM has been absent from Parliament?

  8. Besides the fact that this was a Nat Party event and as such the level of disclosure is $15,000 doesn’t seem to interest you. You with all your political experience would surely know this, but then you can’t let the facts get in the way of a good beat up story.

  9. 20 odd very anonymous donors attend a fund raising dinner for the National Party to dine with John Key the great honest straight up man himself, pay their 5 grand a piece and somehow in all the murk the restaurant becomes the donor. Well I never!

    Does this place have industrial top loading washing machines and gas burning dryers fanned by the flames of hell as part of the fittings or what?

    Must take my laundry there, could be great value for money.

  10. Don’t worry everyone.Paul Henry,that fantastic in depth reporter will be all over this scam.He will be asking John Key who he really is ?,and what he really stands for?I then expect a full 5 minute tirade of bile to spew forth about Keys’ lack of authenticity,morals, judgement and ability.All in the interest of balanced journalism you understand.
    Enjoyed the’ Next Article’-Review of ‘The Nation’.

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