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The political saga surrounding the billionaire Labour donor Owen
Glenn has taken a bizarre new turn.
One of New Zealand' foremost entertainers, Sir Howard Morrison,
claims the tycoon offered him big money to stand for parliament.
And questions have been raised over just who else Glenn has given
money to.
"Because we got on so well, he actually offered me a million
dollars to stand as a member of parliament as an independent. I
turned him down," says Sir Howard.
More and more is emerging about Glenn's impact on New Zealand
politics.
It is known he gave a $500,000 donation and a $100,000 interest
free loan to Labour and that he was in this year's honours list and
is being considered for the position of Honorary Consul to
Monaco.
That appointment is now in the hands of the Foreign Minister and
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, whose party, it has been
alleged, was also given money by Glenn.
Peters denies ever receiving any money from Glenn. The party will
lodge its funding return soon but might not put this matter to
rest.
"There may be one anonymous donation in it but it will be anonymous so I don't know where it came from. That's the meaning of anonymous isn't it?" says Dail Jones, NZ First MP and President.
The money was used to help New Zealand First pay back the
$170,000 the Auditor General ruled was unlawfully spent on
advertising last election.
Jones says the party still has to work out how much that donation
was. He says it was between $10,000 and $100,000.
"When the money came in I went to the bank and I said 'Where has
this come from?' And they pushed all the buttons and wheels and
such like and they couldn't tell me," says Jones.
And Glenn would not tell ONE News either.
A PR firm acting for the billionaire says he is refusing to
comment.
However, Peters says what Jones has said about the anonymous donation is completely wrong.
Speaking from South Africa, Peters says he is astonished his own party president would make those. comments. Peters says Glenn has never donated money to New Zealand First.
