Navy

Labour would have stripped Worth of portfolio – Goff – Internal Affairs Minister Richard Worth would have been stripped of his portfolio over the conflict of interest controversy if he had been a Labour MP, Opposition leader Phil Goff says. Dr Worth visited India and spoke in his ministerial… [NZ Herald Politics]

Oh hardy har-har, Phil Goff reckons he would have sacked Richard Worth. has he forgotten the Winston Peters side trip to Las Vegas. Phil Goff has no integrity on this matter. I’d listen more to Jim Anderton calling for his sacking that the temporary leader of the opposition.

Now personally I would sack Richard Worth anyway. But not for his supposed conflict of interest. More for his embarrassment of his leader and for giving the impression of impropiety.

I would also sack Richard Worth because given his answers in the house today it is apparent that he was facilitated thru Immigration and Customs in New Zealand by MinServices which is hardly the actions of someone travelling on his own ticket. This is exactly why I called repeatedly for Winston to be sacked.

I have seen cabinet ministers of National and Labour governments that were travelling on their own ticket queue like the rest of us…it is clear that Richard Worth did no such thing. It matters not a jot that Worth paid for his fare himself, it is appearances that matter and from all the information coming to light it would seem that appearances are very different from mr Worth’s version of events.

That in my book is enough to sack him.

Today the DomPost has revealed that Winston’s taxpayer funded hired muscle, Tommy Gear, is the man who attempted to heavy Te Ururoa Flavell into supporting Winston at the Privileges Committee.

Bribes, kickbacks, hired muscle, trips to las Vegas, visits to Rome, nickname of Luigi, NZ First certainly looks and acts like La Cosa Nostra.

She took her time but we have finally got some answers to Rodney’s questions about Winston’s junket to the money laundering capital of the world Las Vegas.

Question: What was the Minister’s itinerary and what was the cost broken down by flights and accommodation and other expenses for his trip to Europe in April and May last year for the Anzac Day commemorations and European Union Business as described in the Herald on Sunday 14 September 2008 and what were the places visited each day?

Minister: Rt Hon Helen Clark

Date Lodged:15/09/2008

Answer Text: An itinerary for the travel is attached. Airfares for the Minister and accompanying party were $57,357 and other costs, including accommodation, were $36,656.70.

Question: Did the Minister pay directly for his flight from Berlin to Las Vegas for the Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather fight and then to return to his official itinerary as described in the Herald on Sunday 14 September 2008 or did he reimburse either Ministerial Travel or Foreign Affairs; if so, when was the reimbursement made?

Minister: Rt Hon Helen Clark

Date Lodged:15/09/2008

Answer Text: I am advised that no reimbursement was made to Ministerial Services nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as neither agency paid for the flights referred to.

Oh dear, but Winston has said to reporters that he repaid it, looks like another pork pie from Winston Raymond peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode. Questions still remain over who actually did pay for his junket. We now know it wasn’t Winston.

Question: Did the Rt Hon Winston Peters upon appointment as a Minister out the worksheet of questions about financial interests as set out in clause 2.58(a) of the Cabinet Manual, and if not, why not?

Minister: Rt Hon Helen Clark

Date Lodged:03/09/2008

Answer Text: Mr Peters was appointed in October 2005. Following his appointment Mr Peters, like the other new Ministers, met with the former Secretary of the Cabinet to discuss his financial interests.

The worksheet referred to in paragraph 2.58(a) of the Cabinet Manual 2008 was developed following the establishment of the revised Ministers’ interests regime in December 2006. In accordance with the regime, all Ministers received the worksheet in June 2007 and May 2008. It was also provided on appointment to all Ministers appointed since the regime was established.

All Ministers then returned an acknowledgement form stating that they had considered their personal interests in light of their ministerial responsibilities, and had sought advice where they identified any potential conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest.

Oh dear! Will the man ever stop lying.

The blogosphere goes where the MSM fear to tread.

My good mate Adolf raises some very good points about conflict of interest and LAQC’s and trusts, and now Ian Wishart at TBR.cc is also asking questions.

Meanwhile as other boggers hold the government to account on other matters I note that the Prime Minister is late in replying to Rodney Hides written questions about Winston’s little junkey to Las Vegas. It seems that this government doesn’t think the rules that it expects others to comply with don’t apply to them.

In breaking news, the Government, under urgency, has re-introduced the “You can walk over anybodies land for free” bill. This wasn’t even on the order paper. National should add this egregious attack on private property rights to the list of bills to be repealed in the first 90 days.

Hide and Peters box clever – Winston Peters and Rodney Hide are embroiled in a new slugfest – this time over who paid for a trip that the Foreign Affairs Minister made to a glitzy world-title boxing fight in Las Vegas. Act leader Rodney Hide has raised what… [NZ Herald Politics]

It seems that the blogs were extremely well informed.

From the HoS article this morning it seems that the answers to my questions are as follows;

1. How much is an airfare between Berlin and Las Vegas? $10,000 + or – $5000
2. Who paid for it? Probably Mfat
3. When was that paid back? Show us the receipts Winston
4. Since when did Mfat have diplomatic missions in Las Vegas anyway? They don’t, it was a personal jaunt
5. How much is a night at the MGM Grand? Between US$499 and US$1500
6. Who paid for that? Possibly George Calvert but he is laying low in Fiji.
7. How much were the tickets at the boxing match? $100 – $2500
8. Who paid for that? Possibly George Calvert but he is laying low in Fiji.
9. What on earth does a Christchurch cleaner know about all of this? Quite a lot but he won’t talk.
10. Why is he hiding in Fiji? Everyone associated with Winston is lying low right now.
11. Did he really get paid back immediately? Well, Winston says so and we all know we can take his word for it don’t we.
12. Why does racing, boxing, rugby league and fishing always come up? Strange isn’t it?
13. Who played golf at Titirangi on 2/07/2006?
14. Which Mfat diplomatic members play golf?
15. Did an Allblack great overhear the post match conversation?
16. Is this the reason why Helen won’t/can’t sack Winston?
17. Where will the documents be to counter these rather puzzling questions? Exactly, I wonder where the documents are? Should be rather straight forward to clear up, probably only take about three minutes.

It seems that there may be rather more undeclared donations and pecuniary interest in the murky and sordib life of Winston Raymond Peters, 63 List MP of no fixed abode. Of course Winston could clear all this up in about three minutes if would just show us the receipts from the repayments dated immediately after the trip.

I suppose then, that if other documents surfaced that showed the repayments were a couple of weeks ago then that would look really rather suspiscious wouldn’t it?

Tonight the blogs are all a buzz with talk about Berlin, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Titirangi. Titirangi? Yes Titirangi may well prove the key to all the cuddling that is going on between Winston Raymond Peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode and Helen Clark.

Some of the picture will be revealed tomorrow but before then how about some questions;

1. How much is an airfare between Berlin and Las Vegas?
2. Who paid for it?
3. When was that paid back?
4. Since when did Mfat have diplomatic missions in Las Vegas anyway?
5. How much is a night at the MGM Grand?
6. Who paid for that?
7. How much were the tickets at the boxing match?
8. Who paid for that?
9. What on earth does a Christchurch cleaner know about all of this?
10. Why is he hiding in Fiji?
11. Did he really get paid back immediately?
12. Why does racing, boxing, rugby league and fishing always come up?
13. Who played golf at Titirangi on 2/07/2006?
14. Which Mfat diplomatic members play golf?
15. Did an Allblack great overhear the post match conversation?
16. Is this the reason why Helen won’t/can’t sack Winston?
17. Where will the documents be to counter these rather puzzling questions?

Some of these questions and other may well be answered tomorrow, or not as the case may be.

What is becoming very apparent with the bizarre and crooked life of Winston Raymond Peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode is that seems to be several strings in this tangled web of corruption and graft.

Let us leave aside the donations saga for a moment and look at the interesting connections that keep arising about the murky underworld of boxing and WRP, 63, LMPONFA.

Previously on this blog and on Roar Prawn we have mentioned the strange goings on linked with one Johnny Glozier and WRP, 63, LMPONFA and some side trips to Las Vegas to watch boxing. (More to come on that later)

Today Roar Prawn again makes the link between boxing and WRP, 63, LMPONFA connection with the interesting financial activities of Marco Marinkovich (am I the only one who thinks that Winston has much too many friends whose surnames end in “ich”).

Now some more connections for you that you may find interesting;

1. Marco Marinkovich was the Trust Chariman of Yellow Ribbon Trust which was shut down by Jim Anderton.

2. The Yellow Ribbon Trust was linked to boxing and poker machines as a source of funding through Dean Lonergan – As an aside Eric Watson and Mark Hotchin (Hanover Finance issues) are tied up with rugby league (NZ Warriors) and boxing!!

3. Keith Pittman (now deceased) Board member New Zealand Rugby League March 2002 to July 2006 – was CEO of the Yellow Ribbon Trust at the time it was shut down, his resignation coincided with media attention relating to DIA investigation into the Actives Trust.

4. The issue around Keith Pittman was that he became an informant for DIA in the case against Actives Trust in August 2004 the same month that DIA produced a report on investigation into “two Wellington businessmen” and alleged pokie machine fraud that also investigated NZRL links with the two Wellington businessmen. This case went to trial but was disbanded by Judge Behrens one week into a three week trial due to the state of the DIA evidence. Court documents were then suppressed for 5 years!!

6. Keith Pittman was found in the Actives Trust Court documents to have benefited himself by $130,000.

So yesterday WRP, 63, LMPONFA added another loose thread for us to pull on and when we pull on it we find that there are even more loose threads, murky dealings, and large sums of money changing hands. I wonder what will happen when we pull on the loose threads associated with Rugby league where they may end up?

MFAT sources have advised WOBH have advised that Winston Raymond Peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode has refunded the taxpayer for the cost of last years highly suspicious side trip to Las Vegas where WRP, 63, LMPONFA went to watch a boxing match his friend and associate Johnny Glozier, a former drug dealer, organised for him

WOBH wants to know;

1. When was the money refunded?
2. Was it after Roar Prawn and WOBH revealed the suspicious trip?
3. Who paid for it actually?

Queen Bee has some interesting questions for the Privileges Committee and the Serious Fraud Office with respect to the dodgy dealings of Winston Raymond Peters, 63, List MP of no fixed abode.

Did Winston Peters meet with Owen Glenn or any associates of Owen Glenn on travel to the US or Europe in 2007?

Why did Winston Peters visit Las Vegas on a trip overseas in 2007?

Who paid for the cost of travel to and accommodation, food and entertainment in Las Vegas during this trip?

Who accompanied Mr Peters while in Las Vegas?

Who did Mr Peters accept hospitality from during this visit to Las Vegas?

Why were staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told not to mention any details of this particular trip outside the Ministry?

Did Mr Peters meet with anyone associated with the boxing, or gambling industries in Las Vegas while in Las Vegas?

Busted Blonde also has some interesting associations or non-associations with WRP, 63, LMPONFA. It seems that a grat many people with intimate knowledge of the dodgy and shadowy underworld life of WRP, 63, LMPONFA are coming forward.