I suppose by now Owen Glenn is sitting in the Koru Lounge awaiting the boarding call of his flight out of town. He might permit himself a small smile of satisfaction for a job well done.
For Cyclone Glenn leaves behind him a trail of destruction and devastation that makes Bola look like a gentle breeze. In less than 24 hours he has eviscerated the reputations of Winston Peters and Mike Williams, shamed the Labour Party, and has likely brought about both the sacking of a minister of the Crown and the naming of an election date.
The Prime Minister herself has not escaped either, having her own word questioned by Glenn at the privileges committee hearing yesterday, when the billionaire said Helen Clark was aware of his donation to Peters before February this year.
And if yesterday's privileges committee hearing was bad, today's press conference in Auckland was far, far worse. Helen Clark was "self-serving'', Peters wasn't fit to be a minister, Williams was "a fabricator of veracity'' and Michael Cullen "a bully''.
Not only must Peters' word now be questioned, but Williams' too. Glenn says he discussed Peters' money with Williams in detail. Williams says he didn't mention it. Who do you believe?
It was clear a steamed-up Glenn had come to New Zealand with a purpose. It was payback time for the parties that had treated him like dirt. Happy to take his money and be his friend when it suited them, Labour and NZ First then dropped him like a stone when it became necessary to do so. No wonder Glenn told Williams to take a running jump off his yacht when he turned up asking for more money.
When all of this is over, an objective and calm reflection on the Glenn/Peters affair may well conclude that big money and politics in New Zealand simply don't mix. Perhaps state funding really is the best idea after all.
I thought Clark suffered a rare pasting in Parliament this afternoon, with National leader John Key finally getting on a roll and managing to land a few punches on the Prime Minister: "The reason she has never sacked Winston Peters is because she is up to her eyeballs in this and what happened yesterday was that the truth jetted into town.''
It was a great line - so good he repeated it at least three more times. It's a pity National didn't follow this up with a more sustained assault rather than reverting to business-as-usual questions. But Key was right, however; Clark is up to her neck in this fiasco and it's plain she's had enough.
She is now using the word "disturbing'' to characterise Glenn's evidence to the privileges committee, and it's becoming clear that bar a miracle at tonight's rematch of the committee, when Peters gets the chance to have his say, he is going to be given his marching orders - possibly as soon as tomorrow.
I reckon if she does sack Peters she will call the election date as well. It would be a good way of brushing the ongoing fiasco off the front pages and cutting Peters and his party loose. Not that she'll need to do that - NZ First will be furious if she sacks Peters before the privileges committee reports back and its agreement with Labour will be toast.
That won't bother Clark - the last time she needs NZ First's votes is later today, when the Emissions Trading Scheme has its third and final reading.
But NZ First will have a point. Clark has long championed Peters' right to due process and natural justice. Sacking him half-way through the hearing would be a bit like the judge at a murder trial telling the defence that she's heard enough - just take him out the back and hang him.
But politics doesn't really operate like a court - even at the privileges committee, supposedly one of the highest courts in the land. Politics is neither as orderly as a court nor as fair. And it's becoming obvious that Peters' right to natural justice exists only as long as it is politically expedient for Clark to allow it.
There's no question she is running out of time. Peters is an albatross around her neck and if she doesn't cut the strings soon she will sink along with him.
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As far back as February this year, the right was running around denigrating Owen Glenn - Investigate Magazine, Kiwiblog - which overflowed into the MSM. Hence the cautious distance bewteen Clark and Glenn at the Business School opening.
Now, Colin has forgotten all about that, and sucks up the new line that Glenn is "truth" jetting into town. From the same sources who denigrated him when it suited them.
There's an unparliamentary word for that.
Colin
The last thing we need is state funding of political parties. More transparency yes, but state funding no. State funding would always be weighted in favour of the major political parties, and make it virtually impossible for smaller parties, no matter how well they represented the people of New Zealand, from getting a fair hearing.
State funding of politicians is bad enough without funding the Mike Williams of this world. Remember, we need to be reducing the role of the State in New Zealand, not increasing it.
Its clear Helen Clark is an unmitigated liar and has mislead New Zealand . She has taken politics to a new low...down into a sewer. Shame on you Helen Clark.
At least we can all see Labour for what they really are.
I am at a loss as to why Clark didn't innoculate Labour and herself from this earlier. Even on the most generous interpretation there is no way that she did not know that Winston was probably telling lies (or that her chief donor was suddenly untrustworthy) from February 2008. Yet she let this matter lurch on and seems to have sunk political capital into protecting Peters (the coming polls will tell us how much fallout they have suffered) and if nothing else has lost Labour's biggest benefactor (indeed, I suspect the biggest donator in NZ politics). Seems to be one hell of a price to pay for a rogue like Peters.
As an aside Colin - what is it about National and a reluctance to attack? Labour do it shamelessly (Slippery Key) and from far shakier ground (who overspent using taxpayers money again?) and well but National seem to think that logic and measured debate will get them through.
Colin, couldn't the albatross just fly away and take her with him? We wouldn't shoot, honest!
Or perhaps you were thinking of a millstone? That would sink a lot better.
Really Owen Glenn didnt tell us anything we didn't already know wrt Clark, Peters, Williams and Cullen
It was just such a pleasure hearing it from an 'Honourable Gentleman'
I like Owen Glenn's observation that Clark is self serving - this for me sums up the hypocracy of this govenment.
Clark and her sycophants bang on about serving the people, but in reality its only about serving the selfish power interests of few left wing intellectuals that comprise the labour party.
I've long felt that Helen and her henchmen have perpetuated a massive con job on the people of NZ, and most particularly those that have voted for them. Owen Glenn's experience exposes the con for all to see.
I suppose now he'll simply become just another 'rich prick', to quote Cullen
National and John Key haven't gone after Clark too hard because they know that the manner of Peters' departure will be the defining factor in this. If he resigns, takes full responsibility, will that hurt Labour? If Clark sacks him having displayed pretty decent ethics in an impossible situation, will that hurt Labour?
How soon will the media and electorate focus on the next side show, and will policy get a look in before the election? I hope so, because <a href="http://www.labour.org.nz/features/22052008_Feature_budget_2008:_fair_economy,_strong_future.html" rel="nofollow">on policy</a> Labour deliver.
Jennifer, get a grip, Labour are in a bit of a stink at the moment because it is fair to say that it appears that they have been not been forthcoming with the truth.
What possible motivation would Owen Glenn have to fly all this way back here just to drop people (who he still says "are good people"), in it - he is no motivation not to tell the honest truth and protect his reputation. Perhaps your beloved leader is infact telling porkies? He has been totally hung out to dry by everyone in NZ politics he personally supported. It is treatment like this that is the reason why so many wealthy New Zealanders turn their back on this country. He just happened to receive the more personal treatment from his so-called mates.
I love his call on Cullen, "It's very worrying to think he could run the country one day." Totally agree, perhaps Dr Cullen can go back home to England and hook up with his New Labour buddies.
Totally dismayed by NZ politics at the moment. There are so many issues that this country needs to address yet we appear to have a bunch of spoilt children fighting over the crayons. Does anyone know if MPs that are found guilty of disabling conduct, fraud etc are eligible for their various perks (flights, pensions etc) in the future? Would hate to think that the taxpayer has to continue to stump up for this after such an event.
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"Glenn says he discussed Peters’ money with Williams in detail. Williams says he didn’t mention it. Who do you believe?"
I believe OG, but of course MW has to deny it. To admit to this is to admit that HC has known about the donation for years, not months. What I can't believe is that she has the audacity to bang on about WP's rights and the course of natural justice etc - as if she is the paragon of virtue and morality - when it sounds like she is planning to cut him loose after she gets what she needs from him; support for the ETS.