Pressure on Turia to name 'wealthy donor' [+audio]

Tariana Turia

The Maori Party's revelation that a wealthy donor offered it $250,000 to side with Labour has rebounded on the party, which is now under intense pressure to name the person involved.

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia yesterday gave fresh details of the alleged attempt to get her party to back Labour after the election.

She told Radio New Zealand that the offer of money was made through an intermediary whom the party knew "very well".

Labour Party president Mike Williams said today that the mystery would-be donor is not Owen Glenn, the ex-pat millionaire who has given donations to Labour.

Mr Williams phoned Mr Glenn in London this morning and he says he did not offer the Maori Party any money and has never even heard of Mrs Turia.

Mrs Turia said the intermediary spoke to the party twice about the offer and she understood the donor was a very wealthy man who did not live in New Zealand and who gave donations to Labour.

The intermediary met the donor on a boat or yacht, Mrs Turia said.

The Maori Party refused the offer despite "desperately" needing the money because accepting it would have gone against everything the party stood for, Mrs Turia said.

Mrs Turia had mentioned the offer of the "strings attached" donation during a radio interview almost a month ago. When the Herald followed the story up then, the Maori Party opted not to discuss it further.

But yesterday's details and media coverage have put pressure on the party to name the man.

Mrs Turia yesterday declined to give a name, and Maori Party president Whatarangi Winiata said he did not know the person's identity.

Labour Party president Mike Williams said he had "utterly no knowledge" of the offer.

"It's against the law," he said.

"She should name a name."

National Party leader Don Brash also called on the Maori Party to reveal the man's identity.

"Light needs to be cast on this issue as soon as possible to preserve the integrity of, and confidence in, our democratic process."

Dr Brash called on Labour to get to the bottom of the claims of vote-buying.

Other political parties spoken to by the Herald yesterday said they had never encountered a similar offer.

United Future president Graeme Reeves said the offer was "outrageous".

New Zealand First president Dail Jones acknowledged that pressure could sometimes come on political figures to do certain things, but said he had never heard of anything like what the Maori Party claimed.

Mr Jones said members of the Exclusive Brethren had come to see him in Albany around July last year and said they wanted his party to support the US and its efforts overseas.

"I said we support what's happening in Afghanistan, but we couldn't support what's happening in Iraq. They got a bit upset about that."

Mr Jones said the discussions ended when they decided to "agree to disagree".

Talks never got to the stage of any offers of help or donations.

"We'd love to get donations in excess of $10,000, but don't seem to have too much luck," he said.

The Maori Party said yesterday that the $250,000 donation was not the only one it turned down last year.

Mrs Turia said the party also refused to take $10,000 from SkyCity - a donation many other parties accepted - because it was aware of the effects of gambling on Maori people.

Additional reporting: NEWSTALK ZB