Harry Duynhoven

Pedro Gower (I do the nicknames, no-one else) has posted that Andrew “Two-Hats” Little is about to stand for selection in New Plymouth as a carpet-bagger candidate.

Labour high-flyer and union boss Andrew Little will launch his Parliamentary career by standing in the New Plymouth electorate.

Nominations open today, and 3 News has learned Little will put his name forward – confirmed by top-level sources in the Labour hierarchy.

Of course there is a selection process to follow, but Little is the Labour Party President. Make no mistake: he will win the candidacy.

I’m not sure sure that Three Hats can win the selection. Labour MPs I have spoken to don’t seem too enamoured with Three Hats. Certainly Annette King and Trevor Mallard aren’t big fans as they have refused to relinquish their seats to enable Three Hats to get into parliament. The talk around Labour too, is that Three Hats hasn’t delivered in the fund-raising stakes either, something both main parties seem to have a problem with.

It seems that companies that were previously scared into giving cash to Labour through Mike Williams bully-boy tactics aren’t that scared of Three hats though confusion does reign juast as to what he is seeing them about. Is it about his union pals as leader of the nations biggest union or fundraising for Labour.

It does beg the question, and something likely to be tested in a court next election, are the EPMU really a third party of the industrial wing of the Labour Party? If the EPMU boss is also the boss of Labour and a Labour candidate there does seem to be a real credibility issue on the separation of third parties, particularly those affiliated to and voting for candidates inside Labour

Even if Andrew Little does manage to get selected he will still need a high list placing to get into parliament because he has no chance of winning New Plymouth. That electorate was only Labour through Harry Duynhoven, who was a hard working and popular MP, though when the tide went out and with boundary changes that still couldn’t save him. Jonathan Young has been working diligently to cement his place as local MP and a carpet-bagger from Wellington will struggle even if he is the Labour Party president.

Well, my site has taken a hammering since posting the infamous secret scampi video. Now by way of a backrounder here is some filler information that tells you why this video is so explosive. It is from Hansard and the debate on Scampi. When you read this you can see why Winston Raymond peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode is going to be squirmingthat the video has now seen the light of day. You would also do well to read Question 5 from the other day as well.

Hon KEN SHIRLEY (ACT): On 16 October 2001 Winston Peters, the leader of the New Zealand First Party, issued a press release. It was titled: “Gross incompetence in fisheries. Heads need to roll.” He was calling for a dismissal of the chief executive of the Ministry of Fisheries, and he claimed that the ministry was guilty of gross incompetence, faulty allocation of scampi quota, wanton disregard for due process, and unlawful treatment of fishers. He called on the Minister of Fisheries to invoke an immediate inquiry. He said that the allocation of scampi was to be taken away from the ministry, as it could not be trusted. Those were very serious allegations, and some even called them reckless. It was classic Winston Peters innuendo.

Six months later, on 24 April 2002, in the general debate-this very debate we are having now-Winston Peters lambasted the Minister of Fisheries for not taking action. He accused the Ministry of Fisheries of condoning corruption, aiding and abetting corruption, and involving itself in that corruption. Winston Peters said: “I will produce evidence that the ministry knowingly condoned that corruption.” He went on further to say: “In the next few weeks I intend to demonstrate with voluminous evidence and affidavits why this ministry should be removed from its job and the Serious Fraud Office asked, belatedly, to do its job.”

Eventually, a parliamentary inquiry into the scampi allegations was instigated by the Primary Production Committee, following a very high-profile Assignment programme that screened on television. One would have expected Winston Peters, having made those allegations, to rejoice at having got that inquiry but, oh no, he gave not a whisper, not a murmur. He quickly replaced Doug Woolerton, the permanent New Zealand First member on that select committee, and then spent his time focusing on narrowing and closing the terms of reference for the committee. It was all, one would say, rather curious.

The Primary Production Committee sat for several months, consumed an enormous amount of Parliament’s time, and reported on 2 December 2003. Winston Peters produced no evidence to support the reckless allegations he had made, and he certainly did not table the “voluminous evidence” he had promised. He was as quiet as a lamb, with barely a whisper.

Last night on television further allegations were made, and reference was made to a sworn affidavit. The functioning of this Parliament and its processes was raised, and the programme focused on a former member of this House-perhaps one of the most unsavoury members who has passed through this House-a Mr Ross Meurant.

It seems that a former member of Parliament, Ross Meurant, was engaged by Simunovich Fisheries as an adviser and lobbyist. Concurrent with that, of course-and a lot of people do not realise this-Mr Meurant was also hired by the New Zealand First Party and was on its payroll; actually, on the taxpayers’ payroll through the Parliamentary Service.

We were told that Mr Meurant attended several meetings, together with principals of Simunovich Fisheries. Mr Meurant’s former partner of some 9 years, Yvonne Theresa Dossetter, swears that Ross Meurant met at the Simunovich’s olive farm following the infamous Kermadec restaurant meal, and the proposal was put that the payment of $300,000 to Meurant would be a good investment for the Simunovich business. It is alleged that the deed was done, and that the money would be available from an Australian bank account. Subsequently, it is alleged that Mr Meurant boasted to Yvonne Dosseter, who has sworn an affidavit, that the money was paid, and that Meurant indeed had it in a brown paper bag.
This is an extremely serious allegation, and it brings into question in the public’s mind the functioning of our representative democracy. What we have to realise is that Winston Peters was in there with him.

I present for you the Glock 18. These guys have the coolest job. I wonder if they want a NZ stringer?