Ex-pat billionaire biggest donor to Labour Party

Owen Glenn

For five months, the 9th of the month was pretty exciting for Labour, party president Mike Williams says.

That's when $100,000 was direct credited each month into the party's account by expatriate billionaire Owen Glenn.

Mr Glenn has been revealed as the Labour Party's biggest donor after contributing $500,000 to the party cause.

The contributions amounted to $200,000 last year and $300,000 this year.

Mr Williams told NZPA that Mr Glenn, who has English parents, came to New Zealand when he was about six years old.

He left Mt Roskill Grammar School at 15, went along to Air New Zealand, which was then called Teal, saying he was interested in travel and got a job in its cargo bay.

"Fast forward 50 years, he now owns one of the biggest logistics companies on Earth."

Mr Glenn had not lived in New Zealand since the 1960s but visited here a lot.

Most donations to political parties are kept anonymous but Mr Glenn had chosen not to keep his donation secret.

He was not making donations to other political parties, Mr Williams said.

The Sydney-based billionaire had made the donation because he believed Prime Minister Helen Clark and her policies were good for his home country, Mr Williams said.

He had met Miss Clark a couple of times and "likes what's happening in New Zealand". His decision to donate the money followed a speech she gave in Sydney last year.

The money was "nice to have" as he had to raise about $2m this year to help Labour fight the election campaign, Mr Williams said.

Earlier this year, Mr Glenn gave $7.5m to Auckland University's business school. A building is being named after him.

- NZPA