Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Brendan Horan
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David Carter
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NZ First
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Parliamentary Services
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The Speaker
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Winston First
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Winston Peters
Winston Peters and his party are under investigation by Parliament's Speaker for the second time this month; the Herald reports:
Parliament's Speaker David Carter has confirmed he is investigating whether NZ First misused taxpayer funding by paying for software used to seek votes and raise cash for the party.
Former NZ First MP Brendan Horan yesterday claimed claimed NZ First had spent as much as $20,000 in parliamentary funding from Winston Peters' leader's budget to develop and operate "taxpayer-funded software for party political purposes such as campaigning and fundraising".
He made an complaint to Mr Carter, who early this afternoon confirmed the matter was under investigation.
Mr Horan also said yesterday that NZ First parliamentary staff were working on running the Vanguard software during the election year.
"This is a clear breach of Parliamentary Service guidelines.
"I call on the leader of the party to open his leader's budget accounts to the scrutiny of the Speaker first and then the public of New Zealand."
Rules for parliamentary funding are intended to ensure the money is not used for party political purposes and the Parliamentary Service rules of conduct state that parliamentary staff, must, in the course of their work "avoid electioneering, political party business (i.e. acting for the non-parliamentary branch of the party, such as political party administration, fundraising or campaign related activities), and other actions that are party political in nature".
Mr Horan said the public had "a right to know what their money is being used for and whether it is being used legally", and last night confirmed he had lodged a complaint with Speaker David Carter.
We commend Brendan Horan for doing the right thing here. He made his point, then did exactly as he said he would, and made a formal complaint to the Speaker. An investigation into Winston First's use of taxpayer funds is now underway.
Contrast this with Winston Peters' modus operandi; threats, unsubstantiated allegations, smears and promises of revelations which never come. The Winston Peters of 2014 is a pale shadow of the Peters, even of the mid-2000's. He is living on borrowed parliamentary time.
That Speaker David Carter has deemed Horan's complaint as worthy of investigation is a victory for the "independent List MP". Here's hoping that he has got all his ducks in a row, and that the allegations he made yesterday are supported by stronger evidence that Peters' "smoking gun".
