A TEASER - THE MEURANT CHRONICLES

Its August 1999 - A bitter winter chills the National Party as they face the prospect of losing the looming election.

Ross Meurant is working for Philip Vela. Vela is one of the great pioneers of the New Zealand Deep Sea Fishery - he is a big man who likes getting his own way fast. He is a heavy weight in the Fishing Industry Association the FIA - the big quota owners of the industry. The FIA was to have been dissolved with the formation of the inclusive Seafood Industry Council ( Seafic.) However they don't and for a while there is an internal war within the Seafood industry for power.

Meurant, employed specifically to get traction on some big ticket policy items for Vela reports on his progress each week. We have copies of those reports and screeds of other correspondence on a number of issues, about fishing, tax, the Rodney district council and other stuff like the insiders guide to NZ First. More on that soon.

The job Meurant was tasked to do for Vela was what became known as the " UN fish issue" a crap piece of legislation that put New Zealand flagged vessels at a disadvantage. Seafic was lobbying on the same issue.

So Meurant lobbied , as he was paid to do for Vela - the Leader of United NZ Peter Dunne to vote against the bill and the contentious UN clause.

Dunne, on the 16th of August 1999 states the Meurant position in a press release and calls on the government to " think again" on the bill.

However, Meurant gets sidetracked and instead of just lobbying politicians on the issue he takes a crack at a couple of the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council senior staff. In an effort to curry favour, he tells his boss he is going to discredit some of the Seafic staff knowing it will be music to Vela's ears.

From the Meurant report dated 22 August 1999

"In respect of my feeding a "scare" into the system i.e making it known that I have material on both ( John) Valentine ( the then CE of Seafic) and (Tony ) Craig (the then head of policy and strategy) relating to their competence and integrity respectively, this is just to remind them they don't have all the muskets. A calculated initiative you might speculate, but I don't have anything to lose. "

His final note at the end of the report is this:

Note: I appreciate it is not my money I am dealing with when I make suggestions such as follows but I do believe that there is much merit in providing Peter Dunne with $5000 towards his election campaign fund. It would be helpful for me on Wednesday if I were in a position to advise him that a donation had been approved.

Who said politician was not a dirty word!

Dunne was paid the $5000 in October 1999. Despite putting out the press release he eventually voted for the bill.

Dunne denied being paid for policy to both to the Dominion and in this curious interview he did with local journalism students on the issue.

For the record we worked with both Valentine and Craig. They are both highly competent and men of integrity.

Is there more? - yes.

COMING SOON.... EXCLUSIVE - THE MEURANT CHRONICLES

We have had a pretty laid back weekend. Our knee is buggered. So we have been resting up - hoping that it might get a bit better but an operation is looking increasingly likely.

However we have been busy. We have been reading the Meurant Chronicles.

Late last week - in time honoured form we received a parcel of documents.

Euminedes perhaps?

Essentially they are the reports and emails of Ross Meurant while he was employed by Vela fishing at the same time he was employed by Winston Peters.

They are illuminating , sometimes funny, occasionally revealing and often outrageous.

They also mark what we believe were the last days of the worst years of the seafood industry.

They are the documents that Phil Kitchin used as the basis of his expose on Winston Peters a story that broke in the Dominion a couple of days before the election in 2008 on November 1.

Anyway in the next few weeks we are going to release them. As we should - in the name of transparency and openness and history - they relate to the late 1990's and the 2000's.

So everyone can read them and draw their own conclusions.

They will keep political junkies happy for days.

And don't worry - the documents are safe.. very safe.

MEURANT A FINE ONE TO TALK

We think that Meurant has had some sort of religious experience. Today he feels qualified to take a poke at the police over the shooting of a bystander in the wake of the pursuit of of a gunman in Auckland. We hope they poke back. The accidental shooting of innnocent bystander, Halatau Naitoko, is probably the worse thing that could happen to any policeman. The situation is still confused and the inquiry will take some time to complete. Meurant may know a lot about the law but its debatable if he understands the notion of justice and he like the rest of the country should stand aside and let due process take its course.
It seems nothing has changed really. He is still a big noting tosser.

MEURANT IN TOWN

We have had it confirmed that Ross Meurant is back in NZ. We wonder who he is talking to? We wonder who wants to talk to him? We wonder who is considering employing protection?

EPIPHANY

We had a "piffany" at 3am this morning. Amazing what a few bottles of Pinot Noir can do to the head cogs.
Nicky Hager has a mission , should he choose to accept it. It is to investigate Winston Peters, Hoki, and Scampi quota allocations and Ross Meurant. It just makes sense. We know that he has contacts deep within the ranks of NZ spookdom so he should be able to get to the bottom of what really went on, who paid what to who and why, and why we have two fisheries that are not looking all that flash sustainability wise.

ROARPRAWN DROWNED OUT BY CALLS FOR HOKI/SCAMPI INQUIRY

Wellington Hive and Kiwi blog are both calling for An Anti - Corruption Commission to be set up with one of the first tasks being to investigate Scampi and Hoki and Meurant and all the rest of the corrupt bribing buggers involved.

We could not agree more and we hope that Rodney Hide stays staunch on this issue.

EUMENIDES

We love helicopters ands we are still giggling over the fact that it was one that stopped the red tide in its tracks. It was Eumenides providing the documented proof of the relationship between Peters, Meurant and the Velas in the form of a helicopter that was the final nail in the Axis coffin. It was Peters denial of the use of that helicopter and the subsequent pictures of the said helicopters that resonated with voters who finally realised their political god had clay feet. Peters was Clarks last hope and Eumenides last furious stroke smote him down and took her with him.

We think that Eumenides should be in the New Years Honours list for services to the nation.

And if you think that Vela is left wing - think again - the $200,000 he donated to the Axis that was Peters and Clark was just play money. And he loves playing.

POLICE DECISION NO SURPRISE

But kiwiblog puts it into perspective.

Winston is still a corrupt creep.

A LITTLE SCAMPI TELLS US THERE IS MORE ON WINNIE IN THE DOM TOMORROW

MONDAY QUIZZ

What links Winston Peters, Ross Meurant, Hoki, Scampi, and the KGB?

And by the way does anyone know Ian Clark?


If you have any suggestions email bustedblonde@gmail.com.

DID VELA "OWN" MORE THAN ONE MP?

Apparently. According to Stuff this morning Mr Dunne was a recipient of Velas largesse - What is really disturbing is Mr Dunnes selective memory. We remember the events pretty well. It was a very interesting time. We learnt a lot.
And it appears that Winstons memory is as holey as swiss cheese as well. We find it amazing that anyone can forget about flying in an helicopter and as Peter Talleys helicopter is pretty flash it would be pretty hard to forget flying in it. Or Velas chopper which had lovely leather seats in it - BB never forgot flying in Velas helicopter. We know him as a very generous man with a wonderful wine cellar and a lovely wee boat. Oh look! the Herald has a pic of the chopper! Maybe that will help Winston remember.

We also agree with the Greens - there is a need for an inquiry.

And we have been asked to moderate our language here at RoarPrawn by the Old Tassy devil - so we will - but we want to ask one more question - Where they bloody hell is the SFO?????

And we havent forgotten Hoki and a wee few bits and pieces which will no doubt see the light of day this week. We have just been a bit busy gardening and perusing old documents. Trouble is when they fade a bit they are hard to read. And there is just sooo many of them.

Ka Kite Ano BB

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.

HEY YOU TRICKY CREEP , WINSTON - THERE 'S MORE TO COME

The Timeline in the Dom Post is well worth a read and we are pretty sure there is more to come early next week as well. Other journalists are tracking down old contacts to see whast they can find as well. One of the questions we now want answered is what the hell is the SFO going to do about it? Surely now they must investigate.And whats all this we keep hearing about section 103 ??? What does it mean for Winston?
And more to the point this has serious implications for Clark. - The last vestiges of her integrity rest on what she will now do with Winston in light of the latest allegations.

FARRAR ASKS SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT WINSTON

Busted blonde et al have places to go today - gardens to dig, documents to read.
So , if you want to know how serious the latest Winston - policy for donation scandal is - Read Kiwiblog here

And the Hive here

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

UNEMPLOYMENT AND DEATH OF A RESTAURANT

We gave a heads up on the possibility that there were some ugly unemployment stats for Wellington a couple of weeks ago -

And today Stuff carried the bad news - there are a few empty chairs dotted around the office blocks these days - and more are expected.

But this was the really bad news of the day

The prawns have spent many a lingering lunch at Copita being well looked after by owner and expert sommelier Stephen Morris. Award winning chef Janet Grey was one of the best - elegant food with substance.

Our favourite dish was Arancini Balls - little smokey rice balls - that were unequalled anywhere in the Capital.

Janets expertise and passion in the kitchen is only matched by her knowledge and passion for rugby. We regulars are hoping she will pop up somewhere else in the city - we will follow her.

I remember seeing a certain Mr Meurant and a certain TV executive there in the middle of the scampi scandal. And my last evening drinks there was with some of the power brokers in Maoridom.

So Steve and Janet , thanks for the good times and good luck for the future. And yes, when you get back on your feet again we promise to keep the noise down....

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 .

Meurant, Tuna, Split Croatia

Ross Meurant is still in the fish business - he has a close association with a farmed Tuna operation near Split Croatia.





Did he use the $2 million he was paid by some fishing interests for " special operations" to buy himself a lucrative part of this action?

And who is the " Fireman."

Hoki - bad men, ugly fish - big story.. Meurant comes in from the cold

This mornings revelation by ace reporter Phil Kitchin is music to the prawns... Meurant has the goods on a lot of powerful people.

And he is right Hoki was the first scandal - and Winston has his fingers covered in fishguts on this one as well.


So what is the Hoki story?

Well its about a corrupt fisheries officer, tender documents and South Island fishing interests...

You will read more about it over the next few days

This from Stuff

the prawns comments in red

I am not avoiding SFO, says Meurant
Ross Meurant, a former adviser to NZ First leader Winston Peters, has broken his silence and says he is willing to speak to the Serious Fraud Office about the Winston Peters affair when he returns from overseas.

We hope that the SFO is on on a plane this morning.

Mr Meurant was NZ First's donations bagman from 1999 to 2004, and collected substantial donations from the Vela family, high-powered fishing and racing operators.
Those donations and a $25,000 donation from Sir Robert Jones to the formerly secretive Spencer Trust are under scrutiny by the SFO inquiry into Mr Peters.

In a written statement to The Dominion Post, Mr Meurant said he was breaking his silence "to refute categorically any innuendo that I am avoiding the SFO to protect Winston Peters and/or fish industry magnates" he was associated with.

Glad to hear that he isnt willing to protect any scumbags anymore ... Good on you Ross.

The former National Party MP and police inspector - who was second in charge of the Red Squad during the 1981 Springbok tour - also alleges he received a "menacing threat" by a "powerful fishing industry figure" while advising Mr Peters.

No sympathy for Meurant here - he threatened me and many many others in the Seafood industry.

Mr Meurant resigned from his advisory role when it was revealed he was in a business relationship with Simunovich Fisheries while advising Mr Peters for a 2003 parliamentary select committee inquiry into scampi quota allocation.

Well bugger me - I wonder who helped orchestrate that? :-)

His statement appears to have been prompted by ACT leader Rodney Hide's statement on Saturday that the SFO inquiry would not be credible if Mr Meurant was not interviewed.
He said Mr Meurant was "pivotal to any investigation of donations, particularly from the Velas and fishing and racing industries".

Absolutely

Mr Meurant said he was only speaking about the affair because "Mr Hide and you have unnecessarily dragged me into the debate and by innuendo will cause some to question my integrity".

Well Ross the only way you can retain any integrity is to tell the truth and soon.

He said he had not been avoiding the SFO but had been in Morocco and Eastern Europe on business and to comply with his tax status.

What is it with these guys and their tax status?

"When I return to New Zealand I will meet with the SFO if they wish to speak to me, but there will be no public discourse by me should that event transpire."

As it should be - we are sure the SFO will tell all in good time -
He said Mr Hide's attack was ironic because he claimed to have been at a meeting with Mr Hide and a "fish industry magnate" when there were discussions about a donation to ACT.

Yip that would be true.
And Mr Hide's "crusade" over fish-industry donations was a "little rich" because if the ACT leader was "really interested in corrupt behaviour in the fishing industry", he should focus on a submission Mr Meurant had prepared for Mr Peters during the scampi inquiry.

Yes Rodney and I have discussed this as length. And at the time he just refsued to believe that the corruption allegations had any substance... We had big arguements about it at the time. I also know that in the last few weeks he has personally apologised to the scampi rebels for not believing them.

The submission alleged corruption and mismanagement occurred as hoki quota was introduced, and cost New Zealand "conservatively $1 billion", Mr Meurant said.
"During preparation of the document I received a direct and menacing threat from a powerful fish industry figure: `I'm warning you. Leave hoki alone'," Mr Meurant alleged the person said.

Well I wonder who that is...... and yes we really do know...

He was disappointed that in spite of Mr Peters "promising" to "root out corruption in the fish industry" when he tabled the document, Mr Peters "appears to have failed to make good this pledge".

Someone will be sweating buckets in the South Island this morning - Telecom is gonna make a fortune...

He said Mr Hide had access to the "damning submission" for five years but had done nothing about it.
"Which may put into perspective this burst of enthusiasm just before elections."

See above
Mr Hide said yesterday he believed Mr Meurant's testimony would be so significant that the SFO should "fly to see him if tax reasons are slowing him from coming back".
"This is the best news yet," Mr Hide said.

Yes Bustedblonde feels good today as well...