Glenn: Peters came to me, and Labour knew

Winston Peters asked me for money and I told Labour all about it, expat billionaire Owen Glenn told Parliament's privileges committee this afternoon.

Mr Glenn detailed to the committee how he donated $100,000 to Mr Peters' Tauranga electoral petition legal challenge in late 2005 after being approached by the NZ First leader.

His testimony today directly contradicts Mr Peters' earlier statements that the contribution came without his knowledge.

The Monaco-based magnate said he recalled his first meeting with Mr Peters was on Friday August 12, 2005. He said Mr Peters asked to meet him.

"We arranged to meet in Sydney before the Bledisloe Cup match the next day. I do not recall meeting him before that date."

He said he met Mr Peters at his hotel at 3pm. Mr Glenn's executive assistant Laura Ede was also present.

He told the committee he spent an informative hour meeting with Mr Peters, during which time he outlined his views about encouraging business start-ups, and the use of tax incentives.

NZ First's needs for financial support were not discussed at this meeting.

Mr Glenn said that shortly after that, Mr Peters' adviser Roger McClay followed up with a letter requesting funding for NZ First. Mr Glenn said he declined this approach.

Mr Glenn then outlined the sequence of events, according to his records, leading to Mr Peters' approach for assistance.

He said his office email records showed Mr Peters or a NZ First representative contacted his office in late November 2005. The records did not detail the topic of that correspondence.

"I was next approached by Mr Peters in a personal call from him to me while I was in Sydney in the early part of December 2005. My records show that Mr Peters left a message on my telephone answer service on December 5, 2005."

Again, records did not detail the topic of the call.

He said at some point over the "next few days" he would have returned Mr Peters' call. However, he could not find a record of that call.

"It may be that he called me again or that I used another telephone service. In this call, Mr Peters raised with me his need for financial assistance with his legal costs incurred in the Tauranga election petion petition.

"I was generally aware of the petition, and of the relationship that NZ First had formed with Labour.

"I am absolutely certain the request for assistance came to me from Mr Peters himself. I was asked by him to consider assisting him with the legal costs and expenses. I agreed to consider making such a contribution."

Mr Glenn also tabled a list of exhibits for the committee, including more than 10 emails.

LABOUR PRESIDENT IN THE PICTURE

Mr Glenn said before he responded to Mr Peters he was in contact with Labour Party president Mike Williams.

He wanted to ensure donating to Mr Peters would not be seen by Labour as "unhelpful to its own interests", because Labour was his "primary interest".

He said he was told by Mr Williams that Labour did not object to him helping Mr Peters. He believed that conversation happened during a brunch with the Labour Party president in Sydney on 14 December 2005.

Mr Glenn told the committee he called Mr Peters later that day to tell the NZ First leader he would contribute.

Mr Peters had initially told him he needed to raise $70,000 but "it became clear to me in the conversation that in fact he needed more than that figure," Mr Glenn said.

"I offered to contribute $100,000 towards these legal costs."

He said Mr Peters said his lawyer would send the details for an account to deposit the donation into.

"He further requested that any such donation be kept confidential."

Immediately after that call he received an email from Mr Peters' lawyer Brian Henry, which referred to the conversation with his client and provided bank account details for remittance. This email was dated Wednesday December 14, 2005.

The email read: "Further to your discussion with my client at 1:30 NZT I provide my bank details ..."

Mr Glenn said he gave payment instructions on December 19, 2005.

"I would never have agreed to make the donation without Mr Peters' direct and personal request, and without checking with Mr Williams that such support would be acceptable to the Labour Party," he told the committee.

"My motivation in offering the support to Mr Peters was to support the Labour Government. I do not have any recollection of discussing the request of Mr Peters with Mr Henry."

Mr Glenn said he met Prime Minister Helen Clark at her request in February 2008 when they both attended the opening of the new Auckland University Business School building named after him.

"In a private and personal discussion with Ms Clark I told her that I had made a donation to Mr Peters for his legal costs. I also told her of my conversation with the Labour Party's president Mike Williams before I agreed to make that donation back in 2005."

GLENN NOT 'CONFUSED' OR 'LIAR'

Bolstering Mr Glenn's version of events, horse trainer Paul Moroney provided an affidavit confirming that he heard Mr Peters thanking Mr Glenn for the donation at the Karaka horse sales in 2006.

Mr Peters has previously maintained he and Mr Glenn spoke at the 2007 sales, but Mr Glenn said he was in Europe that year.

Wrapping up his evidence, Mr Glenn said he took no pleasure from having to deal with the matters.

"I am aware that members of parliament who are members of this committee have questioned the authenticity of the letters that I have written. I am also aware that it has been said that I am 'confused’ and 'a liar'.

"These remarks are damaging to my reputation. These comments are wrong, as the documents I have produced show," Mr Glenn said.

The hearing finished at 4.40pm.

CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS

Mr Glenn and Mr Peters have previously given different accounts of who solicited the $100,000 donation.

Mr Glenn said Mr Peters personally solicited the donation in a phone call, whereas Mr Peters said he never asked Mr Glenn for the money. Mr Peters said the money was solicited in a phone call from his lawyer Brian Henry.

Mr Glenn said before the meeting he had come to New Zealand to clear his name.

"I'm just here to clear my name, that's all ... I just want to get rid of it and get on with my life."

Mr Peters is scheduled to appear before the committee tomorrow.

He stood down from his Foreign Affairs and Racing portfolios last month when the Serious Fraud Office announced it was conducting an investigation into NZ First donations from the Spencer Trust.

Mr Peters is also facing investigations from the Electoral Commission and the Police.

The privileges committee is expected to consider the issue of whether the $100,000 donation should have been declared under Electoral Act requirements.

In his two previous written statements to the committee Mr Glenn insisted the request for money was made by Mr Peters – not Mr Peters' lawyer Brian Henry, as both Mr Peters and Mr Henry claim.

Mr Henry has refused to name the middleman who he says put him in touch with Mr Glenn, but has denied it was Mr Peters or Mr Williams.

- © Fairfax NZ News