Wait, what? 2 dodgy $100k National Party donations now under investigation? How a measly $10m per year would save NZ Democracy
How corrupt is the National Party? Why twice as corrupt as we originally suspected…
Not one, but two $100k donations to National in court
The Serious Fraud Office prosecution of four people over donations to the National Party involves not one but two $100,000 donations – in June 2017 and June 2018.
Court charging documents released to the media by order of Auckland District Court Judge Edwin Paul today show that three of the four defendants – whose names are suppressed ahead of a hearing next week – each face two joint charges of deception over a sum of $100,000 donated to National in 2017 and $100,050 donated to the party in 2018. The maximum penalty if convicted on the charge is seven years’ imprisonment.
The fourth person is charged jointly with the others only over the second $100,050 donation – but also faces one charge of providing misleading information to the SFO.
…well, well, well. Someone has been very naughty.
National can scream about NZ First all they like, but this was money being donated to them that’s being investigated.
Look, I’ll be the one to say it seeing as everyone else is too frightened to say it, if we want to eliminate influence in our political system, then just publicly fund the Political Parties!
In terms of the total cost of Government, the amounts the Political Parties raise is miniscule.
Publicly funding political parties based in part on the result they gain plus a component based on how they are polling removes the power of wealth from influencing the Political process. Seeing as our political system is riddled with corporate and private interests, removing that ability to influence forces Politicians to actually rule on behalf of the citizens rather than on the behalf of who is paying them.
The reason the establishment don’t want publicly funded Parties is because they can’t bloody buy them then!
Look at how lacklustre our response to the Climate Crisis is, those polluting interests will be paying Politicians money to stop any real change right up until the fires scorch us from the face of the planet!
Screw writing new donations laws, or enforcing the joke ones we have now – they don’t work! We need public funding of political parties NOW to stop those with wealth from influencing our policy!
A contestable $10m a year fund would cover all this. Why aren’t we simply removing these interests from the process altogether for such a small price to pay for our Democracy?
Where is Guyon Espiner on this?
who cares?
But but .. it’s nothing to do with Simon or National, as he keeps bleating!
Agee with publicly funding political parties. Gives a fairly even playing field then. Buying politicians through donations, does not favour NZ in general, just a few selfish and very greedy people!
Guilty by association and in theft matters the receiver is deemed worse and more culpable than the thief. Seems like more double standards. I will say this again ‘the law is an arrrrrse’ and who best does it serve, the rich and powerful. What happened to us all being equal in the eyes of the law, whose eyes?
The most corrupt thing is that the government won’t change the rules and publicly fund elections because they are all benefiting from donors with agendas and even with the deliberate wide open legal holes in declaring donations, some get greedier still(hello NZ First).
It’s legalized corruption.
Exactly. Why isn’t there more focus on why nothing ever changes.
They are all as corrupt as fuck.
I would love to know how much money gets transferred into offshore Swiss bank accounts, or whatever country is the latest fad for the corrupts people who rule the world for their own benefit.
Yes, yes and yes !!!! and now please.
Corrupt polotitions, will always find a way to beat the system. Then gain a knight hood or other honors.
Arise Sir John Key.
From the herald…”National’s deputy leader Paula Bennett said this was not good enough and Ardern needed to sack Peters immediately.”
So therefore if we are to hold National to the same standards, Bennett should be asking Bridges to be sacked immediately.
Holding national to the same standards yeah right ! When both paula and ann have breached peoples privacy or aren’t beneficiaries people ?
Agree with your pithy comment bert. Simon is claiming he knew nothing about this – then why did he make Jamie Lee Ross a political enemy? The rest of us heard Jamie and were expecting something like this. Who do you think you are kidding Simon?
Exactly Janio,now tell me this. When Bridges was interviewed on this by T.V reporters Barry Soper could be seen with a microphone in front of Bridges face, yet this morning’s Herald reads from Soper…
“Soper: Winston Peters and a crazy little thing called accountability”
Yesterday both he and his partner HDP Allan wrote columns on Peters.
I say to Soper, where is your accountability in holding Bridges to the same standard?
I can only see one of two answers, either Bridges has you in his back pocket or you have a person dislike/vendetta of Peters. Either way massively unprofessional.
When in doubt (of being elected) take them out (your opposition) and that is what national are busy doing to both the Greens and NZ First.
https://www.interest.co.nz/news/103719/three-four-people-facing-sfo-charges-over-200k-donations-made-national-party-revealed