Some members of Auckland’s elite Northern Club want Philip Polkinghorne, a member since 1993, to be blackballed.
Northern Club president Dr Arthur Morris would not be drawn on the process or likely outcome, only revealing that the club would deal with it privately.
The retired eye surgeon, 71, was acquitted in September of murdering his wife Pauline Hanna, after an eight-week trial at Auckland’s High Court, which is across the road from the club.
Hanna, a Counties-Manukau Health procurement executive, 63, was found dead in their Remuera mansion, on Easter Monday, 2021.
A female King’s Counsel (KC) and long-standing member of the club claims Polkinghorne’s continued membership would lower the reputation of the club and he should be told to go if he hasn’t been already.
She told the Herald Polkinghorne has breached rule 43 of the club, which states “If any member behaves either in or out of the Clubhouse in a manner detrimental to the interests of the Club, the Committee shall be entitled to resolve to render such member liable to expulsion”.
“I think Polkinghorne has behaved in a manner detrimental to the interests of the club,” she said.
“Also, the evidence at the trial indicated he is not a suitable person to be a member.”
The trial heard evidence from the Crown that Polkinghorne was leading a double life, spending nearly $300,000 on sex workers including his former mistress Madison Ashton, and using methamphetamine.
On the first day of the trial the retired eye surgeon pleaded guilty to methamphetamine charges relating to 37.7 grams of meth seized by police from his Upland Rd Remuera house and a P pipe found under his bed.
The KC said if the ophthalmologist walked into the club, he would be snubbed, and she would leave.
“I’m sure people would stand up and walk out if he comes in. I don’t want to have dinner with someone like him.
“If he is still a member he should be told, ‘You are not welcome here, we are cancelling your membership’. Pleading guilty to methamphetamine charges are enough and even if he is discharged without conviction his conduct outside the club means he is not a suitable member.”
She said the private club is architecturally beautiful, the staff are welcoming and greet members by name.
“It’s a great place to socialise with people of similar interests and across several industries including the military. They host fabulous functions, and you can stay at sister clubs around the world, which is great.”
Jim Farmer KC told the Herald he had just become a partner at Russell McVeagh when he joined the Northern Club in 1975. He agrees Polkinghorne should not continue to be a member based on his drug convictions.
“It’s tricky. Basically I agree that he shouldn’t be a member. There will be a process before he is expelled but he has the right to be heard.”
He admitted possession of methamphetamine, which carries a maximum punishment of six months imprisonment, and possession of a methamphetamine pipe, which is punishable by up to one year in prison.
The charges were not allowed to be reported after Hanna’s death, but suppression lapsed with the admission of guilt.
His lawyers have asked for his methamphetamine-related charges to be withheld so they can consider whether to seek a discharge without conviction.
Two Northern Club board members, Fletcher Pilditch KC and Jourdan Griffin, a property lawyer, declined to comment about whether Polkinghorne should be kicked out of the club.
Dr Arthur Morris, the current president also declined to respond to questions from the Herald about whether Polkinghorne should remain a member given his drug convictions, or whether he has breached rule 43.
“The club will deal with that but we don’t make any public comment about what we will or won’t do. This is a private matter,” Morris said.
The Northern Club began as a gentlemen’s club in 1869 and opened its doors to women in 1990. According to its website, it has more than 2000 members from the professional and business communities. The website claims admittance is not based on gender, wealth or ancestry.
The Herald understands the annual membership fee is $1890 plus voluntary levies of about $800.
The nomination process takes about three months. Candidates require a proposer, seconder and three supporters who are all members of the club.
A businessman who believes Polkinghorne is an “embarrassment” to the club told the Herald the nomination process is a “palaver”.
“You get nominated and then your name gets circulated to existing members and goes onto a notice board, people can reject your membership, but I’ve never heard of that happening.
“They are trying to be modern by enticing 21 to 38-year-olds to join with upcoming events like a Coldplay concert, a Wilderness Feast and celebration of Winston Churchill’s 150th birthday.
He believes Polkinghorne should resign rather than wait to be ejected.
“His conviction for Class A drugs possession should be enough. The details of his infidelity, drug-taking and obsession with sex workers would almost certainly disqualify him from membership if he were applying to join now.
“If they don’t boot him out, I reckon they could lose a few members,” the businessman said.
Michael Barnett, the former head of Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said the values of the club shouldn’t be compromised.
“If people with knighthoods have done something wrong, they put their hands up and step down. His drug admission and the values the Northern Club represents shouldn’t be compromised; he shouldn’t be there.”
Carolyne Meng-Yee is an Auckland-based investigative journalist who won Best Documentary at the Voyager Media Awards in 2022. She worked for the Herald on Sunday from 2007-2011 and rejoined the Herald in 2016 after working as an award-winning current affairs producer at TVNZ’s 60 Minutes, 20/20 and Sunday.
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