HELLO AND GOODBYE

Which "political advisor" used the phrase Ava atque vale on his correspondence?












Ave atque Vale

Through many countries and over many seas
I have come, Brother, to these melancholy rites,
to show this final honour to the dead,
and speak (to what purpose?) to your silent ashes,
since now fate takes you, even you, from me.
Oh, Brother, ripped away from me so cruelly,
now at least take these last offerings, blessed
by the tradition of our parents, gifts to the dead.
Accept, by custom, what a brother’s tears drown,
and, for eternity, Brother, ‘Hail and Farewell’.

Gaius Valerius Catullus

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RON MARK TO SEEK CARTERTON MAYORALTY

Yip, it was all over the Wairarapa Times Age yesterday - only in the hardy copy.
Ron Mark has plenty of political nous but we lost a bit of respect for him when he continued to back Winston to the last.

If he has signalled his intention to seek the Carterton Mayoralty this early it does mean one thing - NZ First is dead and buried.

WINSTONS LAST DESPERATE FLIGHT OF FANCY AND ITS NOT IN A CHOPPER.

We here at Roarprawn are lost for words... Winston has just issued this media release

Helicopter Used For Travel During Campaign
Rt Hon Winston Peters says New Zealand First has used
helicopters for travel during two election campaigns – but not for campaigning itself.
Mr Peters said that the way a question was framed on Agenda
yesterday implied that he had used a helicopter to campaign from, which of course was ridiculous because of the physical impossibility of speaking to crowds in a noisy gale.
“We used a helicopter to travel and I do not deny that, but to suggest that I somehow stood at the door of a flying helicopter shouting at voters is preposterous. “We were campaigning – not deerstalking.
“This is just another media sideshow to divert voters from the real issues they face,” said Mr Peters.

He's mad.

FAO AND BIGGER FISH

Wellington Hive does a good job of joining the dots this morning in light of the Peter Dunne expose.
We agree, more questions need to be asked about Winstons visit to the FAO on his way to watching boxing in Las Vegas - a trip we reckon he didn't pay for.

Peters now is a PROVEN liar. With pictures. We cannot believe a thing he says or has said in the past. Not that WE ever did but too often he has been given the benefit of the doubt by the media and the general public and we wonder how long his own MP's will stand by him now.

And Helen continues to back a bone fide liar. - Well thats going to be a government you can trust - not.

WINNIE GONE???

I never like counting my chickens before they hatch but I am sure I can hear them pecking at their shells after TVNZ's poll tonight has Winston on 28% electorate and 5% party vote in Tauranga...

We hope we here at Roarprawn can hold our collective breaths till next Saturday night.

TVNZ Tauranga poll results

OO ARRGH !

Well we said this story in the Herald was coming, at midnite last night. The interesting thing is that NZ First MP's are not used to speaking out ( nor are they allowed to) so the fact that they are saying anything at all means that these MP's are thinking about their own integrity and futures in light of the latest revelations.

PETERS FACES MUTINOUS CREW

Winnies done for - his sycophants have decided enough is enough. The Herald on Sunday is expected to roll out a story this morning on calamity inside NZ First in the wake of the revelations by the Dom Post's Phil Kitchin

RACING GETS SOME OVERDUE SCRUTINY

We have been wanting to see this for a while - a good analysis of what Winston has done for Racing. And it takes Kiwiblog to do it. Well done.

It puts the Dom Post Winston expose into context.

PRAWNS SWIM IN CHAMAPGNE.

Today is the day Roarprawn and Bustedblonde hoped would come. We got word late last night that Phil Kitchin was to break the Winston - Vela donation scandal wide open. We posted the picture of Euminedes at midnight.

There is nothing in the stories that surprises us. We knew all along what had happened, we just never had enough documentation.

Years ago, one of the Prawns had a conversation with Philip Vela about working with politicians and making sure that they did their best for the Seafood industry.
Velas comments were chilling.
He said simply - "Dont worry about Winston - I own him."

We never forgot it and, as the years past , like so many others, we saw Winston for what he was - corrupt.

Congratulations to Phil Kitchin .

Now I just hope that every branch of Grey Power get out there and says to its members to think very carefully before they vote.
Our country is largely corruption free and if Winston is not returned to parliament it will remain so.

Read the the full stories here

WINSTON NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET

We woke to hear Winston on Radio NZ saying he was vindicated after the Electoral Commission said there was no offence committed by NZF in relation to 2007 donation returns

But it appears that NZF has not filed all donations for previous years and the police are still investigating.

In a summary of a withheld decision, the commission said donations made to the party in 2005, 2006 and 2007 were not included in New Zealand First's returns of donations.

The commission says it is withholding the full decision for now to avoid potential prejudice to the continuing police investigation.

The commission also found the ACT Party should have disclosed it was provided with rent-free office space by Sir Robert Jones for a number of years before 2005.

So we wait for the full report and the results of the police investigation

LOYALTY A SCARCE COMMODITY IN NZ FIRST

Dough Wollerton has obviously had enough of Winstons lies and deception -he told an audience last night that the Privileges Committe hearing was " embarrassing" we couldn't agree more. We thought that Doug may have had some integrity - a flicker of it was evident last night. Read here for what he said in NBR

NEVER LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Queen bee has a very interesting post on Las vegas - Helen Clark has tried to shut this down. It wont be. Read here

WINSTON IS LYING ABOUT DAIL

No surprises really. But I don't think there is a single NZ'er who would believe that Winston had nothing to do with the party list.

But boy what a silly move - we here at the roarprawn are now back on the scampi trail.

And the Hoki Trail, and bank accounts in California and people who had name suppression.

Winston was very silly to to that to Dail - too many people liked him, and its seems that its the last straw for some of Winstons closer confidantes..

The emails are coming in - people want to talk .

MY MY - DAIL JONES DUMPING HAS UPSET A FEW PEOPLE

We know Dail is a good bastard and we went out to dinner to come back and find a few emails saying as much ..

I am sure that the main stream media will be asking Dail a few questions . I hope he feels safe enough to talk to them.

WINNIE TELLING PORKIES

Winston has been using his blog to explain that he doesn put up lots of billboard because they get vandalised. He is right, they do, because everyone thinks he is lying tosser but the other reason we hear is, that his campaign team in Tauranga has collapsed.

WINSTON THE XENOPHOBIC BLOWFLY

Some stunning Winston quotes

"There is a significant percentage of Asians in Auckland. That's my view. If you don't like it, vote for another party and let race relations go into chaos." - Peters, in 2005.

"We have now reached the point where you can wander down Queen Street in Auckland and wonder if you are still in New Zealand or some other country." - Peters announcing "flying squads" to search for potentially risky immigrants.
"The government's lax immigration laws are changing the face of our country forever. At this rate, it won't take long for New Zealand to be unrecognisable." - In a statement headlined "New Zealand -- The Last Asian Colony".
"We are being dragged into the status of an Asian colony and it is time that New Zealanders were placed first in their own country." - In July 2004, following a government decision to increase the number of new migrants in the coming year.

I don't think many Asians will vote Winston - the leopard hasn't changed his spots

"Even Muslim Arab countries have lists of Muslims they will not allow in because of the risk they pose to security, and because of the political baggage they bring with them, and their 'unique' methods of dealing with political opposition to their cause. But New Zealand lets these people in and even gives them housing, health and governmental blessing." - In May 2002, on Muslim immigration.

what can you say ?

"Atrocities are carried out on the dogs by these sadists in order to release more adrenaline in the dogs' bodies, thereby creating a more potent and flavoured meat. This abused flesh is highly valued as an aphrodisiac by these ghouls." - Peters warning about the export of dogs to some Asian countries in 2000.

that is my favourite


"Frankly, all this immigration (to New Zealand), wholesale as it is and unparalleled anywhere in the world, has not closed the skills gap, has not increased our export base, has not increased our wealth." - In 2003.

He never really got economics


Others on Peters
"Winston Peters is the blow fly of New Zealand politics."- Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen on the propensity of Mr Peters to wallow in political refuse.


Cullen , for once, gets it right

GREEN PARTY HAS BEST LITTLE LAUNCH

Winston sweated buckets during his campaign launch - What is worrying him?

And he reportedly didn't stay around to press the flesh of his faithful liver spotted voters either.

But the Greens were all class - they know where they are at and are the only mini party registering any interest with voters( Not quite true Maori vote strategically for the Maori Party )

and it was helped by having Outrageous Fortune star Robyn Malcom to add some panache to the launch

WINSTON FINDS MORE MONEY

NBR has just filed this

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters received an additional donation from the Spencer Trust in the past three years, his party says.

A majority of MPs voted last week to endorse a recommendation from Parliament's privileges committee that Mr Peters file amended returns for 2006, 2007 and 2008 within a week.

That was after it found he misled Parliament by failing to declare a $100,000 donation to his legal fees from expatriate billionaire Owen Glenn in December 2005.

A spokesman for Mr Peters today said he had met the deadline and had filed new returns, which included another donation from the Spencer Trust.

We can only wonder who this was from and how much and has he still declared all of it?????

Wit from the Deep South

VERY good cartoon from Southland Times Chicane aka - Mark Winter. He is a good bastard ... dabbled in local politics in Southland - and an award winning cartoonist.

We are in for a shit fight today -

Hooton says that Labour are intent on muddying the waters over the Peters corruption scandal and will attempt to run the line that glen funded National.

here is an excerpt

Clark/Peters Axis to accuse Glenn of funding National
Stand by for more insane spin out of the Beehive today, following up Michael Cullen’s ridiculous claim that John Key was in some way responsible for the world financial meltdown and Helen Clark’s disgusting performance yesterday trying to link Key to 60 body bags.
Today, I’m told by people with close links to the Beehive spin machine, the Clark/Peters, Labour First Axis will claim that Owen Glenn has been secretly funding that National Party and that National has then “hidden” these “donations” by failing to declare them to the Electoral Commission. Peters wants to appear before the Privileges Committee in public to make this claim. Clark hopes it will generate sufficient doubt to smear National and avoid her having to fire Peters, who it now seems clear has something on her or her government, preventing her from acting, as Bill English has alleged.
The basis of this latest lunatic spin, according to those I have spoken with, is that $40,000 of the $100,000, that Owen Glenn paid on Peters’ request to his lawyer Brian Henry, was then paid to the National Party or a trust associated with the National Party to pay the $40,000 court-costs ordered against Peters as a result of the court finding there was no merit in Peters’ case in Peters v Clarkson


and for more go here