Lester Gray is using National MP Nick Smith to continue his wonky jihad against NZ First and now they are wanting to use parliamentary processes to try and destroy the party that Gray used to be the president of. Nick Smith seems intent on provoking the substantial lawsuit that is hanging over his head by continuing his own jihad against NZ First.
The former president and treasurer of the New Zealand First Party, Lester Gray and Colin Forster, want to appear before the justice committee to reveal what they know about the party’s donations.
“We want to shed some light on the inappropriate internal workings of the party that seemingly aren’t monitored or controlled by electoral law,” the pair said in a joint letter to the committee.
“Our major concern is that the party affairs have effectively been taken over by the caucus [despite] public comments saying the opposite.”
The justice committee will tomorrow decide whether to allow them to appear or not.
Audrey Young from a Newspaper
Word has it that NZ First are relishing Lester Gray and Colin Forster trying this on.
We have it on good authority that some of the likely questions the select committee may ask will be as follows:
1. Why did Gray resign rather than go through the judicial process over his bullying of other party members?
2. Why is Forster complaining now? Is it because he was voted out of his position by the party?
3. What has NZ First done to support those bullied by Gray?
4. Why won’t Gray & Forster face NZ First MPs in a select committee?
5. What is Gray’s mental health condition and why did he request NZ First not comment on it, and does he believe that he should be questioned about it now he has demonstrated he is fit to appear before the select committee?
They don’t seem to have thought this through. Labour and the Greens will hammer hell out of them at the select committee even if NZ First does not have any MPs present. Those questions may prove rather detrimental to any barrow they are trying to push.
It certainly looks like Nick Smith is becoming as shifty as the Democrats and Adam Schiff with their abuse of process with the failing impeachment proceedings in the US.
Using secret appearances and confidential hearings seems to be the National party’s only strategy when it comes to ensuring that they are left with no potential partners after the next election.
Then again the committee may use the processes to enquire about National’s own foundations and how they conduct themselves with donations. This is all likely to backfire badly on National, and Nick Smith in particular.
