Charities are lining up to take New Zealand First's money, says leader Winston Peters, in the wake of Starship Foundation's rejection of its "donation".
Peters has attacked the media - particularly the New Zealand Herald - after the party was told its $158,000 donation to Starship wasn't wanted
because the intent was not genuine.
The donation came after Auditor-General Kevin Brady found NZ First had spent $158,000 unlawfully in the 2005 election - out of $1.17 million unlawful spending by all parties.
Politicians have since passed a law that validated their actions, but most parties have paid the money back.
Peters announced the donation as a means of covering NZ First's share of the unlawfully spent cash, only to have it thrown back, with opposition politicians criticising him for a "stunt".
A stinging editorial in the NZ Herald accused Peters of giving away "public money". The NZ First board was considering its next move and its decision was to be announced at 2pm today.
Peters said the rejection came after "fuss" by "minions of foreign-owned interests", referring to the country's main newspaper owners, APN - publishers of the NZ Herald and the Herald on Sunday - and Fairfax.
"It's all very well for a bunch of chardonnay-drinking, pinky-finger-lifting elitists to come up with their view. It's the ultimate in elitist arrogance. There is no politics in this."
