PM denies fundraiser breached any rules

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern maintains a Labour Party fundraiser did not breach Cabinet manual rules, despite billing the event as a post-Budget speech with the finance minister.

On Wednesday night Grant Robertson was the guest speaker at a Labour Party fundraising event at the exclusive Wellington Club to about 40 people. A night later he made another speech at the Northern Club, at which one person said about 100 people attended.

Both events advertised a ticket price of $600 a person.

Although Labour Party president Nigel Haworth insisted Robertson was not at either event in a ministerial capacity, the invite sent to hundreds of businesses and lobbyists described the event as a post-Budget speech by the finance minister.

‘‘You are cordially invited to join me at a private post-Budget dinner with the Finance Minister, Hon Grant Robertson MP.’’

After refusing to comment at all on Thursday, Ardern’s office confirmed it had sought advice from the Cabinet Office on the matter yesterday.

‘‘The conclusion of the advice is that while it is preferable if ministers are described in invitations to these events in their party political terms, it is not required or a breach of the rules,’’ a spokesman said.

The rules anticipate ‘‘that ministers can and will attend political fundraisers, and there is no explicit guidance in the manual as to how they should be described on those occasions’’.

National leader Simon Bridges said the wording of the invitation made it appear Robertson was not at the event in a private capacity.

‘‘On the face of that invitation, it looks clear that Mr Robertson has attended as minister of finance, not just as a Member of Parliament. ‘‘That may well be a breach of the Cabinet manual and I think the prime minister needs to explain.’’

The Cabinet manual states: ‘‘Holding ministerial office is regarded as a fulltime occupation and is remunerated as such. Accordingly . . . accepting additional payment for doing anything that could be regarded as a ministerial function is not permissible.’’

National endured many questions over its fundraising meetings. Called ‘‘Cabinet club’’, the party is believed to have held dozens of meetings where subscribers were promised meetings with ministers in small groups.

Bridges said he was ‘‘certainly not aware’’ of any instances where the National Party had never referred to MPs by their ministerial positions in invitations to Cabinet club events.

‘‘[Labour] had a very clear position on it and understood the rules [in Opposition],’’ Bridges said.

On Thursday Haworth insisted Robertson was there as a party member, adding that the two events were part of a series of events Labour was planning.

‘‘No, no, he wasn’t there [as finance minister]. He was there, invited by me, as a senior member of the party,’’ Haworth said.

‘‘This is an absolutely important issue that you must understand, now, obviously, for it to be reported absolutely clearly. As president of the party I am able to invite any senior members of the party to functions as a member of the party.’’

In a short email, Haworth maintained the events were normal, the same as other parties had done.

‘‘This event was no different from what all political parties have done on many occasions for decades.’’

He claimed the event did not breach any rules.

‘‘This fundraiser was completely above board. It did not breach any donation or Cabinet manual rules,’’ Haworth said. As party president he has no role in determining breaches of Cabinet rules.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said she had registered a concern with Labour and wanted assurances that the events did not represent cash-for-access.

‘‘We don’t think it’s a good look. The Greens would not do this ourselves, a high-end fundraiser that I guess hangs on access to a minister present.’’

While fundraising was essential for all parties, the Green Party said it had focused on events which were affordable to most of its constituency.

‘‘We’ve long pushed to get big money out of politics, so this is not something the Greens would do.’’

Davidson said there appeared to be ‘‘a slight difference’’ to National’s Cabinet club, a high-end subscription membership which guaranteed access to Cabinet ministers.

‘‘No, no, he wasn’t there [as finance minister]. He was there . . . as a senior member of the party.’’ Labour Party president Nigel Haworth