“Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”

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Pinocchio Peters - Mike Moreu 15 July 2008

Truly Winston Peters is Pinocchio. Today Tim Hume reports, in an article in The Sunday Star Times on how Peters continues to bluster, obfuscate and generally squirm his way around the issue of the payment by Owen Glenn to his lawyer.

The article in it’s headline indicates the stance Peters is taking, blaming the media. Tim Hume commences the article with:-

AN UNBOWED and belligerent Winston Peters continued to attack the media yesterday and denied he had misled the public over an expatriate billionaire’s $100,000 contribution to his legal bills.

Adam is reminded of the quip by Mandy Rice-Davies, a bit player in the Profumo affair. Rice-Davies, when giving evidence at the trial of Stephen Davis, responded to the prosecuting counsel pointing out that Lord Astor denied having an affair or having even met her, replied,

“Well, he would, wouldn’t he?”

This quip has passed into general usage. (Tangentially, Adam would note that Profumo’s downfall was brought about not so much because of his marital indiscretion as to his having misled the House of Commons.)

The report goes on:-

“Not one cent went to New Zealand First, not one cent went to me,” he told reporters at New Zealand First’s 15th anniversary convention at Auckland’s Alexandra Park.

“A donation was made to a legal case, which is a massive difference to what you’re trying to say.”

Semantically it is possible that a case could be made that not one cent went to NZ First, though questions remain over the money trail.

Adam thinks that it might be useful to ponder the question over whether or not NZ First would have benefited, in effect, from Mr Glenn’s largesse if Mr Peters litigation had been successful.

In regard to the question as to whether Peters received the money, Adam accepts that the money was paid to the lawyer and not to Peters. Thus again semantically correct. Let us not forget that Peters is a lawyer.

Where Adam takes issue is with the impression which Peters thus creates of not receiving any benefit.

To Adam’s mind Peters benefited from this payment as he did not have to pay his legal bills himself. Therefore, Adam considers this is equivalent to Peters receiving the money and then paying the lawyer.

Rodney Hide on TVNZ’s Agenda programme this morning raised concerns over this and whether laws had been breached.

Peters then renewed his attacks on the media:-

He angrily renewed his attack on the New Zealand Herald, which last week published emails revealing the donation. “They got all the facts wrong, and I still say they should apologise to New Zealand First and the public and do their duty and resign.”

Adam does not agree that the Herald was wrong in substance. In fact with the admission by Peters the whole area of political funding has become even murkier. Adam thinks that Peters at the very least is being hypocritical given comments he has made in the past about political funding and transparency.

These disclosures raise critical questions concerning the governance process within NZ First, which need to be dispelled. Adam intends to comment on some of these at a later date.

What Adam found very disappointing were the comments attributed in the report to NZ First members at the conference:-

While many of the delegates expressed surprise at the admission the donation had been received, after such emphatic denials from Peters, his support appeared undiminished.

“He convinced me and I think he probably convinced the majority here,” said Peter McCormack, a television technician who has been a party member for six years.

“Maybe when he was saying `no, no, no’, in his own mind he was right, until yesterday. Mind you, I would side with Winston even if he was wrong.”

George McLean, the party’s 82-year-old committee chair in Helensville, said Winston was “as straight as a bullet”.

Party treasurer Brent Catchpole said Peters’ account of the donation was credible.

“New Zealand First had no involvement with the petition that money was for. It was a petition brought by Winston as a member of parliament.”

Adam can scarcely credit such remarks being made given the available information.

Though it would appear that the following quotation, attributed to Abraham Lincoln, still applies:-

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

Let us hope that at the coming general election it is the final phrase that applies in respect of Winston Peters.

No to Peters

Scoopit!