Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Brendan Horan
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Hoist by his own petard
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NZ First
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Utu
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Winston First
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Winston Peters
Brendan Horan's time in Parliament may be ticking down. But he seems determined to use what time he has left to extract utu for his summary sacking last year by Winston Peters; the Herald reports:
Rogue ex-New Zealand First MP Brendan Horan has made fresh allegations that his former boss, Winston Peters, is breaking parliamentary rules by having taxpayer-funded staff working on party business.
Speaker David Carter is currently investigating claims by Mr Horan that the party's taxpayer-funded Vanguard constituency management software is being used by the party to seek votes and raise cash.
Parliament's rules forbid the use of funding intended to support MPs and political leaders' parliamentary activities for party political activities.
Today, Mr Horan produced internal NZ First documents dealing with the party's move to raise funds via a regular direct debit facility for members.
He said NZ First 2013 board minutes "make it clear" the scheme was being run from Parliament by the party's director of operations Apirana Dawson whose salary is paid by Parliamentary Service.
"One really has to question what Parliamentary staff are doing being involved in raising money and trying to get votes for a political party when their job is obviously towards Parliamentary Service", Mr Horan said this afternoon.
Asked whether he understood that Parliamentary Service paid all of Mr Dawson's salary or that he received some pay from the party, Mr Horan said he didn't know.
"That's one of the questions that's fair to be raised."
Mr Horan's latest attack comes after he raised questions around Mr Peters' interest in a race horse which was not declared in the MPs' Register of Pecuniary Interests, and allegations of bullying of staff by another NZ First MP.
A spokeswoman for NZ First Leader Winston Peters said he would not comment on Mr Horan's latest allegations.
And whilst Mr Horan insists that this isn't personal, he is also less than complimentary about the Winston First leader:
Mr Horan told reporters he wasn't attempting to destroy Mr Peters' political career; neither was he engaging in a personal vendetta.
"I'm not out to destroy anybody. I despise the act of hypocrisy, I despise the act of bullying and I'm standing up against the biggest bully in Parliament. What I'd like to see happen here is the rules are followed, that the hypocrisy ends in this Parliament and we get on with the important business of trying to do what MPs do, which is supposed to be helping people and making the economy grow."
It's quite probable that NZ First will give the Speaker an assurance that no taxpayer money has been misused, and because the Speaker is obliged to take MP's at their word, he will be unable to do anything. But that should not be Winston Peters' prime concern.
Someone from within the party organisation has loose lips, and is feeding Brendan Horan with information to embarrass Peters and his party. Someone is telling Horan where the bodies are buried, and once the media get the scent of a story, they will be in regular contact with Horan for the next instalment.
Ironically, Horan has learned something from his time in the Peters party where he was originally the Master's Apprentice. Is Winston Peters going to be hoist by his own petard?
