New doubts about Auditor's spending report

[Skyryder]

Seems that the advide that was given all parties on election spending law was wrong.

Pity this arsehole could not admit his cockup earlier. If I was Hellen I'd fire the cunt with all the incompetance and grief he has caused.

When the Auditor General reported to Parliament in October he attached, with the report, the legal opinion of Terrance Arnold QC, Solicitor General, dated 19 April 2006.

"Accordingly I and other MPs assumed that the Auditor General had undertaken his inquiry based on that legal advice.

"However it now emerges that the Auditor General in fact based his earlier June 2005 report (which asked Parliamentary parties to take care when advertising in the pre-election period) on legal advice provided from his own office.

"When asked whether he made it clear to parties in his report that he had received legal advice, that some of the expenditure in the 2005 election could be unlawful, the Auditor General conceded that he had not stated that.

Skyryder

[MisterD]

Ok, so the AG gets legal advice from someone within his own department (I guess they probably have "local" legal expertise) and on that basis thinks some of the parties' behavour is a bit dodgy and tells them to be careful, because he's going to be looking closely at it.

Anyone have a problem with that? I don't.

Post-election, he goes to the SG for his opinion and does his full report based on that, concluding that Helen & Co are thieves until they change the law to mean that they aren't after all.

Fine by me, except the Labour party should have been prosecuted.

[Skyryder]

Ok, so the AG gets legal advice from someone within his own department (I guess they probably have "local" legal expertise) and on that basis thinks some of the parties' behavour is a bit dodgy and tells them to be careful, because he's going to be looking closely at it.

Anyone have a problem with that? I don't.

Post-election, he goes to the SG for his opinion and does his full report based on that, concluding that Helen & Co are thieves until they change the law to mean that they aren't after all.

Fine by me, except the Labour party should have been prosecuted.

Guess you messed this. It's crucial.


"When asked whether he made it clear to parties in his report that he (Auditor General) had received legal advice, that some of the expenditure in the 2005 election could be unlawful, the Auditor General conceded that he had not stated that."

The parties believed that they were acting within the law. There was no "intent" to defraud or break the law. Big difference from being corrupt, as National and ACT so often stated.

Skyryder

[MisterD]

See your point, but regardless, if a policeman tells you he thinks you've been doing something dodgy and he's going to be keeping an eye on you in future you've got to expect that he either a)knows his law or b)is being advised by someone who does.

How anyone could seriously think the pledge card was not electioneering is beyond me, but hey, I've only got a degree in Physics so I clearly don't have the mental horsepower of a history lecturer...

[Skyryder]

See your point, but regardless, if a policeman tells you he thinks you've been doing something dodgy and he's going to be keeping an eye on you in future you've got to expect that he either a)knows his law or b)is being advised by someone who does.

That could be bordering on harassement. It's a shady area, but if I was constantly being watched on the basis of what some law enforcement officer 'thinks' I'd be asking for an explanation through my solicitor.

Skyryder

[Finn]

If I was Hellen I'd fire the cunt with all the incompetance and grief he has caused.

If they made these pricks accountable and you were Helen, then you'd have your arse fired too for gross incompetence.

[Skyryder]

If they made these pricks accountable and you were Helen, then you'd have your arse fired too for gross incompetence.

Incompetence is an opinion. Corruption is not. Both the Nats and ACT have stated that Clark is corrupt. This was on the basis of the AG guidlines for election spending to the parties prior to the election.

"When asked whether he made it clear to parties in his report that he had received legal advice, that some of the expenditure in the 2005 election could be unlawful, the Auditor General conceded that he had not stated that.

Finn you paint yourself as a smart cookie on here. Why do you dissapoint yourself?? as per usual.

Skyryder

[Finn]

Incompetence is an opinion. Corruption is not. Both the Nats and ACT have stated that Clark is corrupt. This was on the basis of the AG guidlines for election spending to the parties prior to the election.

"When asked whether he made it clear to parties in his report that he had received legal advice, that some of the expenditure in the 2005 election could be unlawful, the Auditor General conceded that he had not stated that.

Finn you paint yourself as a smart cookie on here. Why do you dissapoint yourself?? as per usual.

Skyryder

I don't understand how a grown man can be so passionately in love with HC. What's wrong with you exactly? Given up on life? Gay? On the gravy trail?

The boys not right.

[The_Dover]

I think that Skyryder IS helen clark.

It's the only plausible explanation.

[Lou Girardin]

Whatever they believed the rules were, the fact is that they cynically used OUR money for electioneering to a degree far greater than any other party. Power corrupts.

[Skyryder]

Whatever they believed the rules were, the fact is that they cynically used OUR money for electioneering to a degree far greater than any other party. Power corrupts.

Lack of power corrupts more. Read The Hollow Men. Interesting, no matter what side of the political specrum you reside in.


Skyryder

[Lou Girardin]

Lack of power corrupts more. Read The Hollow Men. Interesting, no matter what side of the political specrum you reside in.


Skyryder

I didn't see much sign of corruption in what I know of the book. Just normal political duplicity exascerbated by Brash's Mr Magoo political style.
I'm sure a book about Labour's dealings would be at least as damning.

[Skyryder]

I didn't see much sign of corruption in what I know of the book. Just normal political duplicity exascerbated by Brash's Mr Magoo political style.
I'm sure a book about Labour's dealings would be at least as damning.

Guess you must have missed the connection between National and the Racing lobby. But then have you read it in its entirety?

Corruption is not necressarily one act of dishonesty but many to acheive a purpose. It may be to benifit ones self or a series of dishonest actions by many officials so that an organisation may benifit from the said dishonesty. It just seems a bit rich that National was running a campagne based on lies, deciept, etc. and at the same time claiming that Clark and her govenment were corrupt. It was repeated so often that it became accepted by many without any proof or conviction. I think one of the many changes you will see with Key as leader of the Nats, that this corruption tag will dissapear. Key will not allow any charges to be leveled at him unessarly in Parliment from Hagers book.

Skyryder

[Lou Girardin]

Guess you must have missed the connection between National and the Racing lobby. But then have you read it in its entirety?

No I haven't. But I do note that Winnie got into Govt and immediately got legislation passed in the Racing lobbies favour.

[Skyryder]

No I haven't. But I do note that Winnie got into Govt and immediately got legislation passed in the Racing lobbies favour.

New Zealand First has had a long pro racing industry lobby so it comes as no surprise that Winston used his new found powers to help them.

National put in place a policie that would remove an anomlie in the gambling industry. For years casinos and other forms of gambling had only paid a fraction of the tax that the racing industry was required to pay. National would have removed the anomaly. They had no sooner put in place this policy and announced it at the Te Rapapa race course in Hamilton when at the same meeting Rob McAnulty told the racing industry to block vote for NZ First. From what you have told me and bits from the book it seems that Winnie did a deal with the racing industry. Reading in between the lines Winnie was streets ahead of both Labour and the Nats.

Skyryder

PS Lou Regardless of political views the Hollow Men is worth a read, even if only from the library. The far right are still well entrenched in National. Without thier money the Nats do not have a hope in hell of winning any election. Watch Labour put in place legislation to prevent third party donations to the amounts that the far right give National.