KEY POINTS:
New Zealand First has been embarrassed again over its attempts to avoid repaying taxpayers the $157,934 it unlawfully spent last election.
Having decided to give the money to charity - Starship Foundation - only to have it returned, it decided to split the money up among nine charities
that would not return it.
Only one just has.
The Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand was sent $10,000 last Friday. The cheque was returned in the post this week.
It is easy to see why it gave the money. New Zealand First has just released the email from the chief executive, Kate Russell, sent to New Zealand First leader back in December asking for a donation.
"Believe me when I say that if the donation came to my charity - we would NOT turn it down," she says.
Here is her full email. The emphasis is hers:
Dear Mr Peters,
I represent the Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand. I have been watching with interest the media reports of your attempt to donate NZ First's money to the Starship Foundation and their subsequent rejection of same.
Can I PLEASE assure you, when considering which charity to give this money to - to consider those charities, like mine, that do not receive any Government funding and are perhaps, less well known and less well supported than other larger charities. It would be very easy for you to go down the road of choosing a charity that is 'popular' right now such as Starship or Child Cancer, but consider this: Cystic Fibrosis's budget per annum is just $500k - your donation would make a HUGE difference to our charity and would go toward helping a group of people who currently are very poorly served by their government.
Believe me when I say that if the donation came to my charity - we would NOT turn it down.
Kindest regards
Kate Russell
Chief Executive
Cystic Fibrosis Association of New Zealand.
Russell is in Europe and is not answering calls.
The person staffing the phone at the organisation's HQ confirmed the money has been returned but won't say why or who made the decision.
Newstalk ZB is reporting that the board chairperson Jane Drumm returned the donation and has an interview with her.
I was tempted to feel a smidgen of sympathy for New Zealand First, given the contents of the letter. But I have resisted temptation.
Peters dreamed up a stunt that he believed would inoculate himself from criticism - who wants to bag groups like Cystic Fibrosis Association?
Yet all he done is draw more attention to a stunt that has backfired.
He has dragged yet another charity into the midst of a political row. This money was always going to be contentious and tainted in the view of some because so many people believe it rightly belongs with taxpayers.
He sought to keep the charities a secret from the public, knowing that news is anything someone doesn't want you to know, especially something a politician doesn't want you to know.
Speaker Margaret Wilson has agreed to keep his secret. She knows which groups have received which money but says it Peters' secret for him to disclose - or words to that effect.
It is time for someone to do the right thing.
