0 We can't help but wonder...

We were sent a link earlier this morning by an alert reader. It was to a story in the NZ Herald in May 2005, and concerned former Labour list contender Steven Ching, about whom we blogged yesterday.

And this bit stuck out:

So we can't help but wonder; is the Raymond Huo referred to in this story as Steven Ching's lawyer the same Raymond Huo who became a Labour List MP at the 2008 General Election?

Then we saw DPF's post from  last night:

A statement from Steven Ching:

1. Today (June 26,2014) the NZ Herald’s report regarding me was incorrect. The Journalist Jared Savage didn’t consult with me before making the story. I don’t know who had made Mr.Liu to buy the wine and book for Labour Party. I reserve my right to sue the NZ Herald.
2. To my best knowledge I didn’t took Mr.Liu to Labour New Lynn Office seeking  support for his immigration case. It’s better to ask Mr.Henry Mao of MMW Consulting (group) who was his agent in NZ to clarify this matter. He may know who had helped Mr.Liu to donate funds to Labour Party.
3. After 2005  I was no longer a candidate for Labour, So It’s better to ask Mr.Raymond Huo or Ms.Susan Zhu to understand any details of Chinese community fundraising function.
4. In April,2007 I was invited to attend a fundraising party as a guest only. I was no longer an organizer for Labour to raise any funds after 2005 election.

This is interesting. Ching says Susan Zhu is the one to ask about fundraising from the Chinese community. Ms Zhu is a lawyer working for Presland & Co. Yes that Presland – the one who set up David Cunliffe’s secret trust for him.

That Raymond Huo and Susan Zhu have been publicly identified by Steven Ching as being fundraisers for Labour from the Chinese community is indeed interesting. That Ms Zhu works for Greg Presland, who set up David Cunliffe's secret trust to which anonymous donations were made begs the obvious question. Has today brought us a step closer to finding the source of David Cunliffe's anonymous donations?

People will continue to speculate about who Mr Cunliffe's anonymous backers were until the cows come home. Of course, David Cunliffe could end the speculation by telling the country who wanted him to be leader so much that they dug into their hip pockets.

Will he do that? Probably not. Will we continue to ask questions? What do you think? The ball is in Mr Cunliffe's court.

0 We can't help but wonder...

This Donghua Liu business raises more questions than have been answered to date. It's an absolute bugger's muddle, and it reflects appallingly on the Labour Party.

So we can't help but wonder; if we were a donor or bought something at a Labour Party fundraiser we'd now be worried the money got pocketed or spent elsewhere and never made it to the party. 

We really think Labour members should be calling for an internal Party inquiry to check the legitimacy and integrity of the donor & fundraising process and this should be underway and completed before the House lifts for the term on 31st July so that the Labour Party can hold their head high as they enter the campaign proper.

0 We can't help but wonder...

It's been an interesting week in left-wing politics. The Internet and Mana Parties have merged to become MegaMana. Laila Harra, former Labour Party member, New Labour and Alliance MP, Green Party staffer and trade unionist has been appointed leader of the Internet Party, and will be at #3 on the MegaMana list.

Take a look at MegaMana's Top Four; Hone Harawira, Laila Harre, Annette Sykes and John Minto; they're all not just from the political Left, but the extreme Left. Quite how they fit alongside their moneybags "founder" and "visionary" and his four million bucks (more on that later in the day) is anyone's guess. It would seen that even hard-core left wingers have their price, and Dotcom is paying it.

And then we hear that Willie Jackson has categorically ruled out standing for Labour in Tamaki Makaurau, but has NOT ruled out standing in the same electorate for MegaMana. It's a veritable Alliance Party reunion!

So we can't help but wonder; who's next? Is the door of the political crypt about to be rolled open, and Jim Anderton dusted off and wheeled out? Alamein Kopu is no longer with us, but there are still the likes of Frank Grover, Pam Corkery, Sandra Lee and Phillida Bunkle (to name but four) who could be recruited to fatten the ranks. After all, Dotcom has promised to pay their salaries, and the Left loves Other People's Money!

The Internet Party is supposed to be forward-looking and visionary, but Laila Harre's speech yesterday took us back to the past. If that's where MegaMana wants to mire itself, then dredging up recycled politicians from a generation ago is the perfect starting point.

0 We can't help but wonder...

We avoid David Cunliffe on Breakfast TV whenever possible. But we heard him this morning pontificating on Judith Collins. He was wondering why, if she was being sent off on stress leave, it wasn't happening immediately.

So we can't help but wonder; what sort of righteous indignation would we have heard from David Cunliffe this morning had the Prime Minister indeed sent Judith Collins home for a few days yesterday? 

You can just imagine it, can't you; David Cunliffe, on his high horse, complaining that Judith Collins was being hidden away by John Key, and that the Government was trying to dodge the issue.

But no; that's not the case at all. Judith Collins will front up in Parliament this afternoon and again tomorrow, and take whatever muck is thrown at her by Mr Cunliffe, Grant Robertson and Winston Peters. She will also be subject to the normal hectoring interjections from the likes of Clayton Cosgrove, Trevor Mallard and Annette King. And we reckon she will give as good as she gets.

There's one aspect though we will place money on. Today's Question Time will be robust, and David Carter's patience will be tested. We would be surprised if there are not ejections from the House today, given how high feelings are running.

And as for Mr Cunliffe; is he ever going to disclose the identity of those who donated anonymously to his leadership campaign via a secret trust, and if not, as they say at Question Time, why not?

0 We can't help but wonder...

Labour's candidate in Pakuranga is a psychologist. And Barry Kirker has offered a professional opinion in this presser:

Barry Kirker
Labour candidate for Pakuranga
2 May, 2014
Media Statement on Maurice Williamson
Pakuranga residents expect and deserve more from their elected Member of Parliament, Labour’s candidate for Pakuranga Barry Kirker says.
“National MP Maurice Williamson has failed the people of Pakuranga.
“Taking care of their friends has become standard practise for ministers in the National-led Government. Maurice Williamson’s lack of judgement follows falls from grace from his colleagues including Pansy Wong, Richard Worth, Judith Collins, John Banks and Nick Smith.
“Those who donate to the National Party appear to get special treatment from Government ministers. This is not a trend I want to see occurring in New Zealand.
“Sadly many local people I have spoken to are not surprised by Maurice Williamson’s actions. He has a reputation for questionable judgment and character.
“Locals are also concerned Maurice Williamson has been taking the electorate for granted and pursing his own personal interests.
“In my experience as a psychologist, people who have serious lapses of judgement such as this, have often engaged in similar questionable behaviour before they were caught out.
“I am running a campaign based on the need for new face in Pakuranga, integrity of character, putting people before profits, equal treatment for everyone in the electorate and transparency in Government.
“A Labour government will represent all of society, not just the wealthy,” Barry Kirker says.

Politicians are indeed complex beings, and analyzing them is probably a challenge for even the best psychologist. But given that Mr Kirker has delivered his considered professional opinion on Maurice Williamson, we can't help but wonder what he makes of other politicians.

For example, what does he make of David Cunliffe's demands that everyone else but him have to be transparent about donations when Mr Cunliffe accepted anonymous donations last year via a secret trust. Is this indicative of "similar questionable behaviour" before he was caught out? And what does he make of Trevor Mallard's bullying and innuendo, and his homophobic interjections in Parliament? 

What is Mr Kirker's professional opinion on Metiria Turei, and her claims of racism or sexism whenever she is criticised? What does he make of Hone Harawira supposedly standing up for poor people, then cuddling up to a German billionaire? 

We could even wonder about how Mr Kirker might view Winston Peters, but that is probably beyond the capability of any psychologist! But we do look forward to Barry Kirker producing the examples of Maurice Williamson's "questionable judgment and character" that he alleges. 

After all, a candidate promising "integrity of character" wouldn't make baseless, opportunistic smears now, would he?

0 We can't help but wonder...

Rajan Prasad, one of Labour's hidden talents got himself noticed yesterday. Questioning the decision to give a special work visa to Nigella Lawson, despite her admited drug use, he expressed thoughts on drug use that might be better kept to himself; check this out:

Mr Prasad said as a general rule he did not believe people who abused drugs should be allowed in to New Zealand but there should be discretion to allow it in special circumstances.

So we can't help but wonder; given that Green Party co-leader Russel Norman admitted (very freely) on The Nation the other week that he had used cannabis at some past time, is Dr Prasad saying that the man David Cunliffe might need in order to form a government ought never have been allowed to immigrate to New Zealand?

We're not big on people who use illegal drugs either. But we would suggest that Dr Prasad talk to his colleague Darien Fenton, a self-confessed recovered heroin addict about the power of second chances.


Right; see you later. We have a plane to catch!

0 We can't help but wonder...

The Labour Party has announced a bold, innovative policy this morning . You can read all about it here.

One of the features of the policy is that trucks will not be allowed to pass slower-moving vehicles by moving out into the fast lane. Have they really thought this through?

But what we can't help but wonder is this; given that Labour is the party of stopping people from doing things, will this policy be christened the #vanban?

0 We can't help but wonder...

Kim Dotcom is doing a sales pitch to the Mana Party today. After that the party faithful will vote on whether to move forward into some sort of unprincipled alliance with Dotcom and his Internet party which as yet has no candidates, no policy and no hope.

So we can't help but wonder; laying aside the issue of Dotcom's wealth, his poor treatment of staff, and the fact that he's facing criminal charges in the USA, will Mana embrace him. And we also can't help but wonder how the likes of Annette Sykes, Sue Bradford, Missy Harrison, Angeline Greensill, Val Irwin and Sharon Stevens, all Mana candidates in 2011 will feel about jumping into political bed with a man who is alleged to have run this website:

Is the Mana Party a party of principle, or a party of convenience provided the price is right? It's judgment day folks.