NZPA on Winston’s contradictions
NZPA have done an excellent job detailing how Winston couldn’t even keep to the one line, last night. Very good research on their part to go through the transcripts and recordings. They say:
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters last night gave several different positions on the crucial phone call and email at the centre of the conflict between he and billionaire Owen Glenn’s testimony….
Mr Peters’ responses
1. He said money was not discussed in the call and he did not recollect Mr Glenn asking for Mr Henry’s bank details, but conceded the latter was possible.
“That’s the only logical conclusion that one can come to. That he (Glenn) asked for the details and that’s why it is mentioned in the email.”
He said it was “fair” to presume Mr Henry was talking about him when he referred to “my client” in his email.
2. At another point he said he believed Mr Henry’s reference may have related to another client who had solicited the donation in an earlier call.
“Mr Henry … in his last evidence to you points out that the person involved in the set up of Mr Glenn making this donation was not Winston Peters. That’s the light in which you should see that email. That’s the only conclusion I can come to.”
But he appeared to contradict that by arguing it was Mr Henry who initially solicited the donation from Mr Glenn.
“I believe now that Mr Henry had called him on 5th of December to solicit the funds.”
Mr Henry himself has in letters to the committee — most recently three days ago, before the full email was revealed — asserted the client referred to in the email is not Mr Peters.
3. Mr Peters also said the email did not refer to his conversation with Mr Glenn as it referred to a call made at 1.30, whereas Mr Glenn’s six-minute call to him started at 1.26.
This is why people who were there labeled it pathetic. It was grasping for straws.
Mind you looking at Labour in the House today attacking Owen Glenn and agreeing with Winston, I have to say I think Helen may be now moving to keep Peters on.