Power Play: Calls for another look at the rules for party political donations are a cop-out.
The charges against Labour are the third set of charges related to party political donations in recent times, Jane Patterson writes.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The latest charges to be laid by the Serious Fraud Office are a reflection on the players, not the system.
This is the third set of charges related to party political donations in recent times; there are also cases linked to National and New Zealand First before the courts.
These latest ones relate to a $34,840 donation made to the Labour Party in March 2017. There are 12 charges against six individuals: a social worker, a solicitor, two businessmen, a public servant and a site manager. They re not being named for now as they may seek name suppression.
Another SFO prosecution, involving donations to the National Party, is due to go to trial in September 13 May 2021
Former MP Jami-Lee Ross and a trio of businessmen were charged in January last year with obtaining by deception.
And two people charged by the SFO over allegations of improper political donations involving the New Zealand First Foundation have interim name suppression.
Serious Fraud Office charges six people in Labour Party donations case
12 May, 2021 11:18 PM
4 minutes to read
Serious Fraud Office director Julie Read. Photo / Greg Bowker
The Serious Fraud Office has filed charges after an investigation into donations made to the Labour Party in 2017.
The criminal charges are against six people in relation to a donation made to the Labour Party and were filed yesterday in the Auckland District Court. The defendants are entitled to seek name suppression therefore the SFO will not be naming any defendants until any name suppression issues have been resolved, the SFO said in a statement.
Nothing says “trustworthy” like spam
On Thursday 6 May, studentville was bombarded with flyers full of bullshit about the Covid vaccine. The flyers could be found on Castle Street, George Street, and Queen Street.
They were created by the anti-vax group “Voices for Freedom”, founded by three “passionate Kiwi mums” who want to “amplify the often-silenced voices who dare speak up.” Critic Te Arohi would like to apologise to their children for having such outspoken parents, assuming that those children weren t killed by an entirely preventable disease before the age of ten.
The group somehow managed to purchase, print, and distribute approximately two million flyers across the country at an estimated cost of $60,000. That’s a lot of money to decide not to donate to, say, a medical charity or a school board. Voices for Freedom definitely puts the children first.