‘Bizarre’ dine-and-dosh
Convicted developer bankrolls Ma¯ori Party election campaign Co-leader Marama Fox goes to dinner with millionaire and his partner Party takes $20,000 despite concern about domestic violence charges
A controversial political donor put on a ‘‘happy family’’ show with the partner he was accused of assaulting, to persuade a political leader to take a $20,000 donation.
Donghua Liu’s $200,000-plus in donations to Labour and National previously sparked a cash-for-favours scandal. His donations have embarrassed former Labour leader David Cunliffe, prime minister John Key, and several ministers and MPs. And National minister Maurice Williamson was forced to quit after he tried to intervene in a police inquiry into allegations of domestic violence, committed against Liu’s partner and her mother.
Now, the Ma¯ori Party is revealed to have accepted a $20,000 donation from Liu, just three weeks out from last year’s election as it tried desperately to avoid being ousted from power.
Liu has a murky record: convictions for building offences, more charges last year for damaging a heritage site, and he had admitted assaulting his partner and her mother in 2013. Those charges were eventually dropped after he withdrew his guilty pleas and the two women unexpectedly withdrew their police statements; one left the country just as the matter was going to trial.
Ma¯ori Party co-leader Marama Fox, who is carving out a new post-politics media career including Dancing with the Stars, revealed to the Sunday Star-Times that she had dinner with the millionaire property developer and his family at their $6.4 million Remuera home.
Her acceptance of the donation and dinner date has been described as ‘‘bizarre and naive’’ by one political insider.
Liu had said he was interested in working with the party and the TaniwhaDragon Group, an association that encourages business partnerships between Ma¯ori and Chinese.
The developer has numerous projects around Auckland, many of which require resource consent approval or buy-in from the community. And Fox agreed: ‘‘Building relationships with the people who want to share our borders I think is a good place to start.’’
Fox said she wanted to meet his partner because of the 2013 assault charges, and accepted an invitation. ‘‘It was a get-toknow-you dinner,’’ she said.
‘‘I had heard of this man’s colourful history and I wondered why he was interested in donating to our party.
‘‘I enjoyed his company. We had a good time together. I felt comfortable that this was a happy family.’’
She then decided that she would not oppose the donation because she believed in second chances.
New Ma¯ori Party president Che Wilson distanced himself from the donation, saying the decision was made before his appointment in February.
‘‘For me now, things will be different,’’ he said. ‘‘We will be making conscious decisions as we go forward on whether we take money from people like him or not.’’
He did agree, though, that it was right for Fox to visit before deciding.
Former Alliance president and fundraiser Matt McCarten said the visit was ‘‘bizarre’’.
‘‘Every politician who has touched him has been damaged,’’ he said. ‘‘I am stunned at her naivety. I have never heard of anything as bizarre as this.’’
Former Labour Party president Mike Williams said he was not surprised that the Ma¯ori Party took the cash, because they were having ‘‘terrible trouble raising money’’. But he would not have done it.
Last night, Liu’s business partner Di Guan said Liu was in China, and wanted to speak with his lawyers before commenting. However, a woman at Liu’s Remuera home said he was elsewhere in Auckland.
I have never heard of anything as bizarre as this.
Matt McCarten, former Alliance fundraiser