Labour Will Pay the Money Back
Michael Cullen has just confirmed, during this afternoon’s question time, that Labour will pay back the money they misappropriated.
UPDATE: Labour’s press release.
Now it’s time to get on with the apologies and the firings of those responsible. As the Speaker notes in her report, paying the money back doesn’t make its spending any less illegal.
Interesting to note that the Prime Minister is not in the House, letting Michael Cullen take the heat as so often happens when there’s trouble in the air.
October 12th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
So shes at home writing her guitly plea then?
October 12th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Bernard, if ‘validating’ legislation is passed, how does that effect your lawsuit?
October 12th, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Relevant Libz press release
October 12th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Will you drop the legal action now?
October 12th, 2006 at 4:11 pm
Why?????
This sews the damn case up.
October 12th, 2006 at 4:17 pm
If these bastards manage to get validating legislation through they will always be able to turn back and say it was all a big misunderstanding. It wasn’t and a positive Darnton V Clark verdict will emphasise the fact.
October 12th, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Heather Simpson made me do it. It was all her idea.
October 12th, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Duncan - if validating legislation is passed then the expenditure is/was lawful and Darnton’s case seeking a declaration that it was unlawful will fail.
October 13th, 2006 at 1:47 am
Well I think enormous kudos for Bernard for being one of the major forces bringing this to a head - it has become politically impossible for Labour not to pay it back - the heartland has spoken and it is not impressed. Clark now simply will hope that it will go away and attention is diverted into reform of electoral funding that benefits Labour predominantly.
Validating legislation will need to be passed in advance of the court decision for the case to “fail”. The big question is who will back validating legislation, as it would seem to be a political disaster.
October 13th, 2006 at 5:55 am
So now the Auditor General, Solicitor General, Chief Electoral Office, and even the speaker have said that the labour party and government is CORRUPT and ILLIGITIMATE.
the court case does not stop until they are in jail. simple as that
October 13th, 2006 at 9:09 am
libertyscott - I understand National have said they will support validating legislation (they’ll probably get their GST snafu fixed at the same time).
The bigger question is can Labour? If the validating legislation acts to prevent criminal charges against certain Labour MPs (perhaps as many as most of them) then those MPs may be prevented from voting because of the conflict of interest.