Freedom New Zealand

Winston Peters last night admitted he received a donation from billionaire expatriate Owen Glenn - after repeatedly denying the story for a week.

The New Zealand First leader said he found out about the $100,000 donation only at 5pm yesterday when his lawyer, Brian Henry, told him.

The money was used to help pay the legal bills that followed an election petition Mr Peters launched after the 2005 election.

Since last Saturday, when the Weekend Herald published an email in which the Mr Glenn said he had given money to NZ First, Mr Peters has angrily denied the allegation.

He called for the resignation of Herald editor Tim Murphy and political editor Audrey Young.

"Here's the deal," Mr Peters said. "The editor of the New Zealand Herald and the Herald journalist Audrey Young can see NZ First's accounts and talk to our independent auditors, but when they find nothing I want them to apologise to the public and resign. We have to have some accountability right now. It's a case of put up or shut up."

The story was a "scandalous piece of journalism, indolence and sloth".

Last night, Mr Peters said Mr Henry had "broken policy" to tell him the source of contributions to his legal fees.

"Until today I've been unaware of the source of all donations for legal expenses and I have cause to be very grateful to Mr Glenn for his very generous contribution."

Mr Peters said that since 1991 he had been involved in 14 legal actions, partly funded through donations, and Mr Henry had "a firm policy" of not disclosing the source of donations.

"Mr Henry decided, due to publicity over the past weekend in respect to Mr Glenn, that he should break this policy and inform me that Mr Glenn had donated in 2006 a sum in the order of $100,000 towards the legal costs of the Tauranga electoral petition."

Mr Glenn did not make the donation to NZ First, he said.

This week, Mr Peters gave Helen Clark an assurance the magnate had not donated any money to the party.

Last night, he said: "I told the Prime Minister what I then knew, and today I have told her what I have learnt."

The row over the donation broke out in February, after Mr Glenn said he had given money to parties other than Labour. There was intense speculation NZ First was one of them.

The Foreign Minister produced a large "NO" sign at a press conference soon after questions of a donation to his party arose. The issue was reignited when the Herald published the email from Mr Glenn to his spokesman in New Zealand, Steve Fisher.

It said: "Steve - are you saying I should deny giving a donation to NZ First?? When I did??"

In reply, Mr Fisher told Mr Glenn not to contradict Mr Peters.

Last night, Mr Henry said: "It wasn't until the media started going crazy during this week, and in particular saying Mr Glenn sent the email, that I decided it was time to tell him [Mr Peters]."

- Source

A brick was thrown through the window of a Green Party office in Auckland last night, the party's co-leader Russel Norman says.

Dr Norman told NZPA party staffers arrived this morning at the New North Rd office in the suburb of Sandringham to find the window smashed by a brick after an overnight attack.

He said staff would continue to work at the office and the party would not be intimidated by the attack, which was meant as a protest at the Greens' support for the Electoral Finance Act, which opponents say will cramp free speech.

He said People Power, the same group who threw a brick at Prime Minister Helen Clark's electorate office on New Year's Eve, had claimed responsibility.

"The Green Party will continue to stand up for free and fair elections in spite of this campaign of intimidation being run by some opponents of the Electoral Finance Act," he said.

"Those who attack the offices of democratically elected officials in an attempt to intimidate them are attacking democracy itself."

Dr Norman said the Greens had supported the spending cap on election campaigns in the Act because it did not want power concentrated in the hands of the wealthy. It stood by that view.

- Source

New Zealand used to be 'A quiet little place, used to be dependant
without foreign trade, money. It used to be without the Americanization
theme such, as Gangsta-Rap culture, NewMarket wasn't trying to be one of
the main strips of LA/Hollywood, Christchurch actually seemed like a
English place or small city. But things changed, the government never
really helped a great deal of people, it was a business like any other,
people out to get rich by whatever means and if possible quickly. Now,
well it appears that the government still won't help if at all, but if
you complain about it well, you apparently breaking the law by being
anti-governmental, anti-party like, it's like all the parties and people
whom supported this law I speak of (which is infact close to breaking
the law for just bad mouthing it) appear not to care about the people
there elected by, in which they should represent. As I said, it's a
business, you don't have the freedom of speech really in New Zealand
anymore, even if it's factual or opinion, the government doesn't like
criticism, so things don't get fixed and there's no freedom nor democracy.

People protested, the police took photo's and video taped it, like they
normally do with protests. It seems to me that people are going to need
to wake up, wake up on the facts: (Written so any Joe Bloggs could read
and understand)

The parties all in parliament (the dictators palace should we call it?)
will not help nor really care.
-Crime is high; More violent crimes than ever, more murders than ever, a
drive-by shooting in fact has occured.
-Prices are high; housing, food, petrol, water, these are the basics of
life these days.
-Pushing anyone off Unemployment benefits onto other benefits to make
the statistics look great, but in fact they still don't have jobs.
-High rate of job losses, more migration to New Zealand, the government
calls this 'Out cry for skilled workers', which shunts our people down
the toilet, remember, it's business!
-The Freedom of Speech is dead. It costs to speak basically or you need
to register your personal details, so everyone knows who you are and can
target you, including the government of course, they know where to send
the fine to or there agents/police.
-Tax is ridiculous all around.
-Making a bit money of Trademe, lawn-mowing, window washing etc to
survive this nightmare, sorry you need to pay IRD some more tax or else
be fined/arrested.
-New Zealand in a recent survey, worst place to live - no value for
money severely ripped off, ok to travel for a short period.
-Government scandals and fraud etc. They still have there jobs or an
influential position of power.
-More and more Kiwi's leaving bound oversea's commonly Australia
-All Banks, including the Reserve bank of N.Z, raising interest rates,
credit cards, loans, mortgages - all dodgy monetary policy and reflects
like the U.S is controlling our people via the bankers plans and policies.
-To add the drop out of finance companies, just going down the toilet.

These above problems effect us all in some way or another.
Try and find a party with real solutions for these major problems!

Originally Written by Red Pill.

Concept of this in it's entire or partiality state, may NOT be used by
any political party for gain or policy or advertising; without my
explicit consent as a human being, directly and in writing with proof.

A brick was thrown at Prime Minister Helen Clark’s Auckland office early today in a protest against the Electoral Finance Act.

The attack at the Mt Albert electoral office happened around 12.30am, with the offender seen disappearing on a scooter immediately afterwards.

The window was cracked but not broken.

An email from a lobby group, People Power, claimed the brick was thrown in protest against the Electoral Finance Act, which came into force today.

People Power describes itself as a stand alone, non-politically affiliated citizens lobby group that wants to see democracy returned through the repealing of the Act. {What about coverage from the main stream about all the other groups and people, if a BCIR type consensus was done independently -which is a pipedream, I think we would find Helen thrown out of office, not that I like John Key or anything}

The new law {find the true definition of statue, act and bill} has caused heated debate {debate, under-stated, how about thousands of protests all of the country at various time by various groups & individuals}, with opponents claiming it is a restriction on free speech in election years. A general election must be held by November 15 this year.

Police northern communications spokesman Inspector Ian Brooker said a woman who witnessed the attack possibly prevented further damage through her actions.

The woman, a local resident, had been watching midnight fireworks when she noticed a cat wandering near the office at about 12.30am. Knowing that a neighbour had lost their cat, she went to have a closer look. {Obviously this so called woman does not know much about any bigger picture}

At the same time she noticed a person on a motor scooter, who had a short time earlier ridden up the road, stopped and thrown a brick at the window of the electorate office.

“As she went closer to try to get the registration number of the scooter, she was attacked by the cat and screamed. Both the cat and the motor scooter rider were alarmed and left at speed,” Mr Brooker said.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, called police and supplied them with descriptions of the offender and his scooter.

It is the second time the Prime Minister’s Electoral Office has been targeted by vandals. Right-wing activist Tim Selwyn took to the office with an axe in November 2004. {I wouldn’t exactly call Timothy Selwyn a right winger, then again it say’s activist, if he did so now he would be probably a terrorist suspect}

He was later jailed for willful damage, publishing a seditious statement about the act and fraud.

- Source
{cited edits by me}

It appears the axe attack by (awhile back)
Timothy Selwyn on socialist dictator Clark was quite justifiable as in
it's historical event, however the sedition laws were looked at being
removed, but the new Electoral finance bill, with the new Terrorism
laws and firearms law on top of the Telecommunications and SIS Act and
to add with police funding and weapons used by police, very much make a
patriot act martial law system visible and clearly present.
Thousands and more protested over the bullshit terror raids & electoral bill.
Adding to the oppressive regime;
that any media are not allowed to film in parliament to get information accurately, so any thing that
happens in parliament is not the needs of the people of New Zealand, nor will we know much about what they say and act to do.

This is not just a land and Maori protest, this is all our freedoms, seeing a
Vet war ex-solider protesting with medals (for a war financed by
bankers on both sides of the public front as with any wars) protesting
must say this government will be overthrown in the not too distant
future.

Our dictator doesn't ask for consent with government
representation like the Soviet Union, Mr Key will do much the same but
in the model of an American Bush rather a communist style.

I also had to laugh at the idea of DPF starting his own party, all that
will do is support the Nats (check his past out) and give the Nat's any
votes required for a coalition victory in the election, also obtaining
DPF blog fan's as voters. So maybe DPF's blog, much like mine and
others will be illegal after Jan 1st 2008.

John Key from National nor any other mainstream political party (media included) are going to help us. This
would make me be arrested after January 1st 2008, if it was 1200A.D or
so I would be killed for offending and attacking the (oppressive) King
or Queen, remember the film Braveheart?

A friend of mine from overseas who watches non-mainstream media events
and stories, assumes N.Z (NaZi) nows stands for national socialism in
german.


The people and I mean all New Zealander's, whether born here, male,
female, young, old, Maori or not, this is the time to revolt, rebel and
to arm and educate ourselves to overthrow this oppression and greater
oppression to come.

IT IS TIME!

“This website will be illegal after January 1, 2008."

The Government’s Electoral Finance, Bill currently before Parliament, strips you of your right to criticise the Government, other parties, MPs and policies you don’t like.

The Bill has been described by several lawyers as a serious breach of the Bill of Rights. The Human Rights Commission has labeled the Bill as an infringement of human rights, that will discourage participation in the election process and suppress freedom of expression.

Despite this, the parties that voted for it – Labour, NZ First, Greens and United Future – won’t give a commitment to stop it.

Please help us Kill the Bill – while we still can.

We have launched the Free Speech Coalition. We want it to be a focal point for all individuals and organizations opposed to the Electoral Finance Bill. From it you can find out about all the ways in which this law will prevent free speech – it will regulate e-mails, websites, protest marches, placards, posters, newspaper ads – basically everything that mentions a political issue.

We plan to run an ad campaign. Our ads will educate New Zealanders about this Government’s unprecedented assault on our cherished freedom of speech.

Read the rest of this at http://www.killthebill.org.nz

Demonstrators will march down Queen St in Auckland today to protest at
the Electoral Finance Bill.

Organiser John Boscawen has called for people to assemble outside the
Auckland Town Hall at 10am, to set off for Queen Elizabeth Square at
10.30am.

Members of the legal profession who join the march have been asked to
wear their black robes. Other professions or trades are invited to wear
appropriate uniforms. Members of migrant communities are asked to carry
their home country's flags. Civic leaders, local councillors and members
of Parliament are also invited.

The bill will limit the ability of groups other than political parties
to spend money pushing election messages.

To note that Exceltium Limited MD Matthew Hooton made a submission in regards to the Electoral Finance Bill, in which we have a copy of dated 7th September 2007, in which after giving his introduction of whom he is and so on, he says 'there is no case for legislation which cracks down on free speech to the extent this Bill proposes'. This can't be guaranteed as a 100% opposition to the EFB.

Parliamentary Services says public money can be used to pay for work done by political consultants and advisers - as long as it is aimed at making MPs better at their jobs rather than electioneering.

The issue of public funding for political parties' consultants has been under scrutiny after author Nicky Hager revealed National was using controversial Australian strategists and market researchers Crosby Textor. National and John Key lately have trying to push privatization (ACC an example) in a latent form especially from Australian and Banking links.

Hager also revealed it was likely National was using its parliamentary budget to cover at least some of Crosby Textor's bill.

Labour has confirmed it uses public funds to pay for some of its voter research, although it is not known whether public funding also pays for other advisers contracted to the party.

A spokesman for Parliamentary Services said if MPs employed advisers or undertook research whose advice helped them do their job better it would be included as long as that person was not paid for electioneering.

Around this time the idea of restricting what the media film in Parliament was pondered on, the Auckland Council putting forward restrictions on billboard advertising in the CBD and pressure left that on the TGA Act from the government onto the EFB.

Auckland-based corporate and public affairs consultancy, Exceltium Ltd, has announced the appointment of a new senior consultant, Emilie Isaacs, who has joined the company from US government relations firm Williams & Associates, based in Phoenix, Arizona.

A British citizen, Ms Isaacs has wide-ranging experience in policy, advocacy, communications and grassroots campaigning both in the UK and in the US at county, state and federal level, working with clients in the healthcare, pharmaceutical, banking and finance, hospitality and law enforcement sectors. She holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from the University of Oxford. In 2004, she was a regional organiser in Oregon for the Republican Party's successful Victory '04 campaign.

Exceltium Managing Director Matthew Hooton says that, with the changing political climate in New Zealand, Exceltium is planning for further growth in one of its core streams of business, achieving policy change. Mr Hooton says that Ms Isaacs' international perspective would be valuable in ensuring the company continued to offer clients New Zealand's most innovative public affairs strategies.

- Partial Source, Scoop

Original posted @ 11/06/08, updated 19/07/08.