Wealthy donors match $150,000 in small donations to Labour

Phillip Mills, founder of Les Mills International, was one of two wealthy donors to Labour this month. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Two longstanding supporters of the Labour Party matched $150,000 worth of small donations, adding to Labour’s war chest ahead of this year’s general election.

Former Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard and Les Mills International founder Phillip Mills stumped up with $100,000 and $50,000 respectively following a donation drive from Labour last week.

It was promised a “small group of passionate Labour Party supporters” had agreed to match every dollar donated from Wednesday last week to Wednesday this week with a maximum of $150,000.

“Your matched donation could help to train double the number of volunteers, buy double the number of hoardings and leaflets, and reach double the number of Kiwis with our positive campaign messages,” an email from Labour campaign manager Hayden Munro said.

Hubbard’s and Mills’ donations were declared yesterday online on the Electoral Commission website.

They were the latest in 11 donations above $20,000 to political parties declared in May.

Labour received one other large-scale donation this month, almost $34,000 from Wellington-based artist Karl Maughan.

Artist Karl Maughan (right) in his studio with model Blair from N Model Management wearing his print on Stolen Girlfriends Club garments. Photo / Babiche Martens

The Green Party was donated $100,000 by the estate of Betty Harris - who had been a party member since 1999 and died in January 2018.

Winston Peters’ NZ First received three separate donations totalling $120,000, adding to the $216,162 the party had already attracted this year.

Two donations of $50,000 were made by John Bayley, chairman of real estate company Bayleys.

The second was declared as from AJR Finance Limited. According to the Companies Office, Andrew Ritchie was its sole director.

The remaining $20,000 was seemingly donated by Auckland property investor Dave Muller.

Property developers appear to have taken a liking to NZ First - rich-listers Trevor Farmer and Mark Wyborn gave $50,000 each to Peters’ party after donating to National and Act last year.

Last year, both men gave money to the National Party - Farmer contributing $100,000 and Wyborn $50,000.

The Act Party had received double that from Farmer in the past two years, receiving $200,000. Wyborn had also given Act $50,000 last year on top of an earlier $50,000 in 2021.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has received some sizeable donations this month. Photo / Alex Burton

However, it appeared to be the first time the pair have donated to NZ First.

Act only had one large donation this month, which was relatively low given the party had attracted almost $1 million in donations over $20,000 this year.

The singular May donation came from Auckland’s Michael Reid, described as a rich-lister by the Herald in 2019, for $50,000.

Freedoms New Zealand and Vision New Zealand, respectively led by Destiny Church’s Brian and Hannah Tamaki, both received their first major donations of the year this month.

Auckland’s Warwick and Averil Norman gave $23,000 to Freedoms NZ, while Raewyn Bhana donated $25,000 to Vision NZ.