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A former New Zealand First staff member branded a "paedophile" in Parliament last week is demanding an apology from the MP responsible, after more mud-slinging over the secretive Spencer Trust.
Rex Widerstrom, who last week alleged the trust was a slush fund for Winston Peters' legal battles, has written to NZ First MP Ron Mark challenging him to repeat the underage sex claim outside Parliament - or at least have "the guts" to apologise.
Widerstrom has also claimed it was "a bit rich" of Mark to make such an allegation when the MP had a conviction for unlawful sex with a 15-year-old. In 2001, it emerged that Mark had been convicted 30 years ago of unlawful sex with a minor. He was fined $150.
During heated debate at question time in the House last week over donations to NZ First, Mark accused Widerstrom of being a "paedophile". Mark yesterday declined to comment.
Last week, Widerstrom waded into the debate over the Spencer Trust, claiming it was established as a fund for Peters' various legal battles. Yesterday he stood by that claim, and challenged Peters to disprove his allegation.
"But I don't think that deserves the level of smear that has been thrown back at me," he said, adding it was "the height of hypocrisy" for Mark to be "shrieking paedophile" when the MP had a conviction for underage sex.
Five years ago Widerstrom was extradited to Perth to face 14 charges over a 14-year-old police claimed he contacted through the internet. The charges were later dropped.
Widerstrom said the allegations were a fabrication and a result of the girl in question facing psychological and family pressures.
He said he had no issue with NZ First having a trust to handle donations for Peters' legal battles, but could not believe there was such secrecy around it.
He reiterated that when he worked for NZ First between 1993 and 1996 there was discussion in the office about the Spencer Trust, and he specifically recalled in 1995 a donation of $50,000 going to the trust from millionaire Sir Robert Jones.
To date, Peters has refused to to answer specific questions about the trust or what happened to a donation of $25,000 Sir Robert made to the trust in 2005.
Peters' brother Wayne administers the trust and last week attempted to discredit Widerstrom's claims by saying the first involvement he had with NZ First was in 1996 during the coalition talks, months after Widerstrom had left the party.
However, Widerstrom said yesterday there had definitely been discussions during his time with NZ First about "money, the trust and Wayne looking after it".
Peters' spokesman, Frank Perry, said Peters would not be commenting on Widerstrom's claims.
