0 Tweet of the Day - 15 May 2014

It's hardly surprising. With the revelations yesterday about Winston Peters' equine interests, and his performance in the House the day before that people started talking on Twitter:

Jimbo's place? Oh; they must mean this Jimbo's!

Seriously though, It's been a pretty rough days for Mr Peters. The Winston First's bluff was called by John Key, his smoking gum failed to fire and he has been possibly exposed as a serial pecuniary interest abuser; let's not forget the Owen Glenn donation and Mr Peters' censuring by Parliament in 2008. He looks a shadow of his former formidable self, and perhaps being put out to pasture, as he claims that Bellazeel has been, for "years" is not the worst option for him. 

It surely beats petfood!

0 Another conflict of interest?

Winston Peters may not have been an MP prior to the 2011 General Election. But he certainly was a party leader campaigning for re-election. Which makes this an interesting story:

Royal Flight was the omen bet for Saturday's Francolin Stakes at Riverton.
The matriarch of Royal Flight's illustrious maternal line is Francolin, who was owned by the late Dave Tweedie, a past president of the Riverton Racing Club.
Royal Flight gave Wingatui apprentice Toni Direen an important win in Saturday's $20,000 fillies and mares' event. Direen works for trainers Brian and Shane Anderton who intend to start Royal Flight at the $45,000 Great Easter Stakes at Riccarton on May 7.
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters was on course and had a wager on Royal Flight. Mr Peters was invited to the Riverton Easter races by a Southlander he met at the Karaka yearling sales. Mr Peters, who couldn't recall the name of the Southlander, said he would make two more visits to Southland before the New Zealand general election in November.
He addressed members and supporters of New Zealand First in Invercargill on Saturday morning.
Mr Peters would not reveal details of his party's racing policy.
However, he did say: ''Owners and the punters have to be looked after. Owners are investors and they have to get a better deal (in racing).'' 

Was Winston Peters one of a syndicate of owners of Bellazeel when he made representations for better treatment of racehorse owners?

Given that the horse sold at Karaka in January 2010, and as at 5.30pm yesterday Peters was still listed as an owner, we'd say the answer to that is a resounding "Yes".

Mr Peters of course, would have a different view of things. But would you trust him to give an honest and unequivocal answer?

0 How could Winston forget Bellazeel

Winston Peters' "smoking gun" yesterday was a suggestion that Judith Collins might have filed an incomplete Pecuniary Interest return.

But now his arch-nemesis Brendan Horan has suggested that the Winston First leader might have his own Pecuniary Interest issue. He has put out this presser:

It’s time for Winston Peters to come clean

Wednesday, 14 May 2014, 2:14 pm
Press Release: Brendan Horan MP

Independent MP Brendan Horan says Winston Peters must come clean about his own pecuniary interests and his own use of taxpayer money before making spurious allegations against other people.
The 5 year old bay mare Bellazeel is owned by Mr Peters and others, and has a successful racing career. So far in the 2013/14 season from seven starts, the horse has had two wins and a third place, earning prize-money of $20,175. Mr Peters has conspicuously failed to declare the horse in his pecuniary interests return.
“Mr Peters needs to take an honest look in the mirror. He is a prime example of why our Parliament needs to be subject to the Official Information Act,” Mr Horan says.
Brendan Horan says he is also concerned that the New Zealand First Leader could be misusing taxpayer funds. “I am concerned at reports I am hearing regarding overseas junkets, use of contractors and consultants, and other serious mis-spending. Certainly Mr Peters refuses to follow normal practice and report to his caucus on how the Leaders Budget - some $2.5 million in the current Parliament - is being used. I challenge him to open the books so that taxpayers can be sure the money is being used only for proper purposes.
“Real parties are open with their MPs about what funding is being used for and allow them to bid for funding for projects. That doesn’t happen in Winston’s party where Mr Peters like Smaug secretively guards the budget as if it was his own personal treasure," said Brendan Horan.
Ends 

We did our own little piece of research, and Googled Bellazeel. And here's what we found at the very first result the Google search threw up:

Perhaps Brendan Horan has got Winston Peters, former Racing Minister mixed up with some other Winston Peters. But we don't think so.

Mr Peters is denying owning the horse, claiming that he has sold his interest in it. Even if that is the case, there's the issue of whether or not he owned Bellazeel in 2013, the period for which the latest Pecuniary Interest register applies.

This is terribly embarrassing for Winston Peters; facing an accusation identical to that for which he demands the Prime Minister sack Judith Collins. It's a terrible own goal.

It does however solve the mystery of the absence of a smoking gun yesterday. Bellazeel ate it!


UPDATE: The media scrum gathered around Winston Peters after Question Time this afternoon. Have a listen to this raw audio, as Peters tells misleading story after porkie after untruth.

And here's what's on Racing NZ's website as at 5.30pm this evening; after Winston supposedly talked to the boss there. It clearly shows Winston Peters as an owner of Bellazeel.

As for the breeder, Miss D Ho; draw your own conclusions!