Now there’s a suggestion the Prime Minister Helen Clark could be called to appear before the Privileges Committee to discuss what she knew of the donation to New Zealand First by billionaire Owen Glenn.
Peters resigned as foreign affairs minister on Friday over allegations that political donations were not used for their intended purpose.
Clark said there was a discrepancy between what she was told by Glenn and Peters’ early denials, but she’s leaving the issue to the Serious Fraud Office.
“In the event, Glenn has been very clear that he did not donate to New Zealand First, he did not make a personal donation to Peters. What he did was pay money into a lawyer’s account,” said Clark.
“That’s the way it was structured and you have it on Peters’ word again — and this word has been given many, many times — that it wasn’t until the 18th of July that he knew that the lawyer had received that money.”
Clark is under mounting pressure to set an election date.
Peters, who is also being investigated by the parliament’s privileges committee over a $70,000, has denied claims that his New Zealand First party, which supports Clark’s Labor administration, failed to declare a series of donations.
However, contradictory statements on the donations have threatened to undermine confidence in Clark, whose party trails the resurgent National party under John Key ahead of an election that must be held by Nov. 15.
Key said last week that Peters would have no role in a National party-led government, and attacked Clark for failing to sack him.
Labor failed to win enough votes to govern in its own right after the 2005 elections and made agreements with minor parties, including NZ First and the Greens, to form a government.
Clark, who after nine years in office is seeking a fourth term as prime minister, dismissed suggestions that she faces the biggest challenge of her political career as Labor prepares for a bruising campaign.
“I have been involved in general election campaigns for 36 years. This is by no means the toughest at all,” Clark told the Financial Times in an interview. “This is an election where we are coming up to nine years in government, but there are not a lot of people who want change.”
