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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Labour campaign distraction not going to end well

Millionaire businessman Donghua Liu has hired a high-profile Queen's Counsel to deal with any legal action from the Labour Party

Oh Dear, now it is legal teams at 20 paces, nothing like hiring a QC for keeping such matters in the news.

Earlier this week, the Labour Party leader said he was looking for an apology and looking at his "options"

Mr Cunliffe said the clarification vindicated the position taken by Labour to "challenge him and those reporting on the claim to produce the evidence"

Looking for utu does not make the fact that there have been dodgy donation transactions.  Labour would have done well to take the hit and shut up, but their main man, possibly the only one in the Party, has taken to digging a deeper hole.

This is mere opening shots of the election campaign, a well aimed incendiary distracting Labour.  And irrespective of validity, mud sticks, while both sides of the political divide appear to have been less than transparent with accounting for donations.  The sooner that all donations have to be openly accounted for, removing any question of corruption, the better for NZ politics, but that is another issue.

Labour Party general secretary Tim Barnett confirmed that a lawyer for the party had contacted Liu's legal counsel but was yet to receive a substantive reply

Mr Davison ... confirmed a letter from Labour's lawyer had been considered and responded to.

"Now we are waiting for a response."

Already agreeing to disagree after opening exchanges. More popcorn needed as we await the next lobbed missile.

This will not end well for some.  I suspect the donor will not be harmed as he will have records to divulge via a legal team, drip feeding them during the campaign. 

Again, Labour will remain in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.


3 comments:

Keeping Stock said...

He does indeed have documents PM, and photographs, as Savage notes in his piece. Rick Barker might not be enjoying his breakfast this morning.

Anonymous said...

but what a fool to donate to them anyway.
Such ungrateful takers and wasters.
I feel sorry for Liu, most of all, for wasting good money.
Cunliffe should be kissing his arse, not asking for an apology.
It's good fun though!!
I suspect their current donations will be swiftly drying up.

PM of NZ said...

"I suspect their current donations will be swiftly drying up"

Yes Anon, donors will be needed to fund a Labour QC, as well as getting elected. After all "Labour's lawyer" (probably a well known lefty from Glen Eden) obviously isn't currently cutting the mustard. But Mr Liu isn't taking chances.

KS, I'm sure some Labour MP's will be looking forward to reliving auction nights of recent past as the Liu QC drip feeds incriminating pix. No doubt in colour too! Must be all true.