Bad start for Nats’ campaign
The election date was only announced on Tuesday, but the campaign was underway in earnest yesterday with twin political disasters for the National Party.
First the party lost a key point of campaigning difference to Labour – infrastructure – as Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced Labour will build, in a modified form, most of National’s proposed roading projects.
Then National lost a second big line of attack against the Government: The NZ First Foundation and allegations against it, after four people were charged by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in relation to the donations to the National Party that MP Jami-Lee Ross complained to police about in a chaotic series of events in late-2018. Neither the National Party, nor leader Simon Bridges have been charged.
‘‘This was always just a vendetta by a disgruntled former MP,’’ Bridges said in a brief statement yesterday afternoon. Bridges has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Ross was contacted for comment but could not be reached.
The SFO has been investigating the allegedly dodgy donation since March last year, when police referred it to them. Despite Bridges telling media the matter was a vendetta, the SFO clearly thinks there was something to the mess, given it is now criminally charging four unknown people.
Bridges and party secretary Greg Hamilton are not among those four, but having the phrase ‘‘criminal charges’’ anywhere near a party’s donations is not a good look – particularly when it is keen to prosecute a case against another party’s alleged electoral malfeasance.
The Government’s infrastructure package, which put political daylight between Labour and the Greens through big new spending on roading projects, also revealed the new grey eminence behind the Labour’s economic growth strategy: Grant Robertson. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed that all ministers with responsibilities to deliver parts of the ‘‘Upgrade New Zealand’’ programme will report directly to him.
233 days to go.
The Serious Fraud Office is filing criminal charges against four people in relation to donations to the National Party.
But party leader Simon Bridges says neither he nor the party has been charged.
The four are scheduled to appear in the Auckland District Court on February 25.
‘‘The Serious Fraud Office filed criminal charges today against four people in relation to donations paid into a National Party electorate bank account,’’ the office said.
The complaint against the National Party and Bridges was referred to the Serious Fraud Office by the police in March last year.
Police received the original complaint from former National MP Jami-Lee Ross in October 2018, during his explosive departure from the party.
Ross alleged Bridges asked him to break up a $100,000 donation from a wealthy Chinese donor into smaller chunks to get it under the $15,000 donation threshold in the Electoral Act.
He provided police with a recording of a secretly-recorded conversation between him and Bridges where a $100,000 donation was discussed.
Bridges has repeatedly denied any allegation of wrongdoing.
In March last year, he told media the complaint was a matter for the National Party and he expected it to co-operate.
Yesterday, Bridges said he and his party secretary had not been charged. ‘‘I have always maintained I had nothing to do with the donations. As I have always said, the allegations against both myself and the party were baseless and false. This was always just a vendetta by a disgruntled former MP.’’
Party general manager Greg Hamilton said the party was keen to put the matter behind it and was confident in its processes.
Ross has been contacted for comment.