Foreign Billionaire funds Labour

One could only imagine the outcry if it was revealed a billionaire who has not lived in NZ for 40 years, had donated half a million to National.

Labour would be demanding to know what has been promised in exchange, and that it is evidence of the party putting the interests of foreign billionaires over that of ordinary NZers.

However as he gave $500,000 to Labour, then that is okay.

I presume it is the Owen Glenn whose company paid $800,000 to settle a case brought by the US Federal Maritime Commission Bureau of Enforcement.

Just to be clear, I have absolutely no problems with large donations to political parties, and Mr Glenn has very generously given to many good causes over the years.

However I have no doubt that if the only difference in the story was the donation was to National, not Labour, then the first paragraph would be:

“There has been wide-spread condemnation of the revelation that a billionaire who has not lived in NZ for 40 years has been funding the National Party with the largest donation in electoral history. Mr Glenn, who was prosecuted by US authorities and paid $800,000 in a settlement, had previously made secret donations, but they now stand revealed. In the US people can not donate more than $2,000 to a party, and donations from foreigners are banned. The donation scandal has led to calls for similar restrictions in NZ …… “