So, what would happen?

Referring to this story, what would happen if Rodney Hide was to resign from Parliament, and Winston Peters was to win the subsequent by-election as NZ First leader?

Winston Peters gets cleared by the SFO

Breaking News (updated 6:45pm )
This has recently broken. It was lawbreaking, but it wasn't fraud. The Serious Fraud Office has cleared New Zealand First of any fraudulent activity.But Helen Clark said tonight that he won't get his portfolios back because other inquiries were still being carried out and the election was close.

The SFO has been investigating the donations given by Sir Robert Jones and the Vela Family to the Spencer Trust, which then ended up with New Zealand First.

The SFO says its investigation has found no fraud, but other laws may have been broken. The issues raised are now matters for other agencies to address.

Peters had said it would take "about five minutes" to exonerate his party. He wasn't exactly exonerated but should be pretty pleased. He said the while SFO investigation was a waste of time.

My advice to the SFO is to go and find some real crooks in the dying days of their organization, which was set up in 1990 to fight serious white collar crime – a task it has failed miserably at.

The only complainant in this sorry episode was a sad little man in a yellow coat, so desperate for attention he used a tawdry stunt to tie up the resources of an agency that should have been investigating serious corporate crime.

Now, lets see Peters discuss Police resources in the same light given its penchant for ticketing speedsters on isolated roads to ensure that quotas are attained while people get mugged, murdered and robbed. Perhaps he'd like to comment on Miss Clark's statement that he wasn't going to get his portfolios back because the election is close.

Next story: Media win's contempt case brought by Solicitor General

Peters to sue Dominion Post

Winston Peters is going to sue over reports this week that he got money from a wealthy family to pay his legal bills.

I wonder which family will pay this bill - and whether Peters will comply with the Cabinet Manual this time.

Also, the Prime Minister has given her lawyers something else to do.Wonder if she'll go to Crown Law who will tell her what she wants to hear not what she should hear? Clark says says allegations about Mr Peters' handling of political donations do not stop him from performing his ministerial responsibilities - but then Tony Veitch's assault didn't stop him from performing his broadcasting responsibilities either - he was arguably better at his job than Peters is at his - and Helen Clark was pretty happy to see him gone.

Think Winston Peters is dodgy: Helen Clark says you can complain

Well, after this morning's revelation that New Zealand First got multiple donations from the same family - all under the $10,000 declaration limit - my first thought was if they were from the same people. If so, then NZ First must declare these donations publicly. They didn't.

Luckily, Helen Clark said

if people had concerns they should complain to appropriate authorities; such as the Auditor-General, registrar of pecuniary interests Dame Margaret Bazley, or Inland Revenue.

Now I'm not one for complaining, but as Helen said I could, I thought I'd ring the Auditor General. The Office said they hadn't received a complaint. I said I'd like to lodge an official complaint if that was alright - even if I would be the first.

Problem was, it wasn't alright. The person to complain to wasn't there to receive the complaint and so I asked if I could complain that the person who I was supposed to complain to wasn't there to be complained to. I wasn't even allowed to do that. So I rung the PMs office. I have no idea why I got put through to Maryan Street's partner, but after laughing at my lack of complaining ability she said there was nothing I could do except write in and complain.

No wonder the Auditor General's Office hasn't received any complaints about Winston Peters indiscretions. They're not taking any.

(... half an hour later...) I got a call from a woman from the A/G's office. She said that if they were to take any complaints they won't even investigate them until they have looked into whether they feel they think it is worth investigating. And I was told today they're not even willing to look in to seeing whether it is worth investigating at the moment.

And I wasn't able to complain about that, either. Typical

Later

There's plenty happening at the moment in the world of NZ First that is not putting NZ first. Like what appears to be some $9995 cheques written to ensure they were not declared, as they were under the $10,000 declaration limit. Cheques that appeared to be banked by someone else. Winston perhaps?

More this afternoon. Had less than five hours sleep last night and I have parenting responsibilities now.

Did Owen Glenn donate to New Zealand First?

It appears so, even after proven liar - and Labour Party President - Mike Williams authoritatively said he didn't..This e-mail exchange between Mr Glenn and PR man Steve Fisher, managing director of Baldwin Boyle, occurred in February this year when the Monaco-based businessman was visiting New Zealand to open the Owen G. Glenn building at the Auckland University Business School.At a press conference at the time Mr Peters said "it is a downright lie to claim by innuendo that any money came to New Zealand First from Owen Glenn."

Steve Fisher: Our plan worked well. There is nothing new about you in here Owen. Note that Winston says you have never made a donation to NZ First, so at all costs you must stick to that line. It was definitely the right thing to do to deny the Maori party offer as well.

Owen Glenn: Steve - are you saying I should deny giving a donation to NZ First?? When I did?

Steve Fisher: No, just stick to the line of referring stuff to NZ First. What I'm saying is we don't want to contradict Winston.

NZ First has committed a corrupt practice by declaring a nil donation return if it has received a donation of $10,000 from anyone. Helen Clark will most probably not want to comment on this and say that this blatant lie is either a genuine mistake or it is boring. Why? Because, that's what Labour supporters do.They think that corruption is boring if its supporters are undertaking this corruption and front page news if its opponents are so much as rumoured by childless ministers to be committing legalities they themselves are unable to do - such as not working long hours over the school holidays as they want to spend time with their kids.

Winstons post election plans

Winston Peters, after the election, wants to work with the party with the most seats. He has since come out and said that he will work with the party the voters tell him to.

If he gets in, that is.

On current polling it`s unlikely he will have to make that choice. One wonders what he`ll do if the left get more seats than the right, but National get more seats than Labour - would he side with the right, and if so would it make any difference?