Cloak and daggers

Matt Shand at Stuff reports:

The winebox containing NZ First Foundation documents was next to a dumpster filled with used nappies from a nearby daycare. Or, at least it was supposed to be. There were no boxes in sight. No other options. Time to dig through.

For the past six hours “Deep Throat” figures had been sending me directions from random phone numbers to where the documents could be found. The information had already been uncovered, people wanted to talk, but hard evidence – the documentation – was key.

For the past few hours calls had come in from random numbers giving locations with little context. “The Square Hamilton,” the voice would say and hang up. Then call back with another suburb or landmark. After walking around making many people suspicious of a creeper another call arrives. “The shop on (redacted) street. Another call. Another suburb. “Dumpster. Closed lid. Go now”. Having never spoken to these people before it was all on good faith.

There were two dumpsters that matched. Neither in line of sight of each other. Left or right. Right was chosen. Wrong choice. Random callers on the phone should learn to be more specific. “Deep Throat” had turned into “sore throat” as there was nothing there. No wine box. Just a dumpster full of nappies.

Before concluding it was the greatest prank ever pulled there was one more check to make. The dumpster was near a preschool. Did they happen to see a box of papers dumped there? They had. It seems they had retrieved it for use as scap paper for the kids. With a bit of fast talking the wine box was finally secure.

It’s like the plot of a spy movie, or where someone is in the mafia and decides to try and get out.

Forgetting the rigmarole of finally getting hard proof, the information should be publicly available. It is beyond a lack of transparency. I feel it is a lack of basic honesty. For Peters the documents potentially betray his voters, the donors who back the party, his candidates, his MPs and democracy.

There are so many people left bloodied on the path behind him that a resistance started to form and say enough is enough. 

And these are people who were loyal to him, until they realised loyalty is one way with Winston.

New ports, dredging, slipways, a mussel-processing plant in Marlborough, a $5.7 million grant to protect Manuka honey’s trademark, money to plant trees and all manner of activity are funded by the PGF. Knowing what we do now, about NZ First Foundation donations, there are legitimate questions to be asked about the decision making process.

And this is why Jacinda Ardern can’t dodge this as nothing to do with her. Basically what the journalists is asking is whether or not the Government is corrupt. Do donations to NZ First influence grants from a fund, where Ministers make the decisions.