June 19, 2014
Donations price of political system
Former Labour MP Dover Samuels says people should be focusing on what’s good for the country’s future rather than trying to turn political donations into an election issue.
Labour leader David Cunliffe is under fire over whether the party received a donation from Chinese businessman Donghua Liu.
Mr Liu also donated large sums to the National Party, and MP Maurice Williamson was forced to resign from Cabinet when it emerged he had lobbied on Mr Liu’s behalf for changes to immigration law.
Mr Samuels says raising money was a fact of political life, and the alternative is public funding of political parties.
"I’ve attended many of those fundraising exercises, dinners and events and auctions, and quite frankly if you asked me who was there, I wouldn’t remember," he says.
Dover Samuels says he also accepts that Mr Cunliffe can’t remember writing to Immigration 11 years ago inquiring about progress on Mr Liu’s residency application, and he believes he still has the support of caucus.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH DOVER SAMUELS CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTkyODU=
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd