PM accepts it was a “mistake”

Someone should sell Helen the Golden Gate Bridge. NZPA quotes here:

Prime Minister Helen Clark says she accepts NZ First made a mistake when it apparently broke donations law but there is no reason to strip its leader Winston Peters of his ministerial benefits.

All baubles and no work!

She was not considering sacking Mr Peters over the legal point.

“No, because this has happened at the level of party administration. I wouldn’t expect to be held accountable for some sort of mistake at the Labour Party head office.”

The party administration had never ever heard of the Spencer Trust. The President and Deputy Leader had never heard of it. Only Winston and his staff knew about it.

Neither he nor the party explained another $25,000 banked four days later on August 22 2005.

Also just a mistake I am sure.

Miss Clark said she was taking NZ First’s explanation at face value: “They’re a small party with a rather amateur organisation, these things can happen.”

Helen will accept any explanation from WInston, no matter how outrageous, how contradictory or how desperate it is. If he claimed the moon was green, she would say that it is an honest mistake.