Multi-millionaire businessman now backs National

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Multi-millionaire businessman now backs National

3News NZ

Owen Glenn is concerned for the country's future wealth

Owen Glenn is concerned for the country's future wealth

Businessman Owen Glenn says he plans to donate a $100 million to youth and education in New Zealand, but it comes with one condition.

The man who donated half a million dollars to the Labour Party prior to the 2005 general election says he is now back the National Party.

Mr Glenn says the money would be invested from primary school through to tertiary education, and beyond to help New Zealand market its products and services overseas.

He says is worried about the way forward for New Zealand when it comes to growing the country's wealth.

The 71-year-old worries that our politicians could be bereft of ideas and meaningful policies and he also worries that New Zealanders are lacking vitality and get-up-and-go.

The ex-pat entrepreneur who once lived in a state house in South Auckland has made a fortune, ranking sixth equal in this year's NBR Rich List.

He has also given millions to Kiwi causes, from the Christchurch quake recovery fund to university business school education.

Now ahead of the November election he is working hard to encourage New Zealanders to lift their game.

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Comments

19/11/2011 2:22:26 p.m.

Nomi wrote:

This kind of people, don’t just give away money! He knows if Nats get on top, he is going to make double that money in golden deals and set up opportunities.

8/09/2011 2:34:07 p.m.

Irascible wrote:

Glenn's attitude is typical of those who, given that Key is re-elected and sells the country to overseas companies, would control the Board of Managers and CEO that would remain as a symbolic remanent of a nation's government. Translated. "Here's some money but unless you do as I / we say, even if it is damaging to the society living in our business zone, it isn't available. Why should we trust Owen Glenn and his bully boy attitudes... he is no real benefactor merely an ego looking for self aggrandisement in a small pond. He should joing Key, the member for Hawaai, in permanent residence in Hawaii.

7/09/2011 11:33:25 a.m.

Sam wrote:

New Zealand Is NOT for sale!!!

6/09/2011 10:10:07 p.m.

luke wrote:

why should that man have a bigger say than you and i just becuse of his money that is not democracy .and is it all good now because he is backing the nats ? what a joke . last election the media played him as labours secret sinister banker . talk about double standards you people have .

6/09/2011 4:45:48 p.m.

cherie wrote:

Not much point throwing money at a party wirth no policy. Mr Glenn can see the logic in National's ideas and see flaws in Labours. And Mudi grau where did you get your facts about our wonderful, exciting and very clever PM from?

5/09/2011 10:21:13 p.m.

Proud 1 wrote:

Is this the same Glen fella because of whom Winston Peters was kept out of Parliament? If so, why is National accepting the money? Double standards. Nats are out to sell the country and have started with assets. The only only one who could keep a government honest is Winston. Bring him back. I will.

5/09/2011 10:15:30 p.m.

Chargone wrote:

Wiseacre: ayup.
'course, personally i'm not a huge fan of 'democracy' (that is, the nonsense that is representative democracy. my only problem with Actual democracy is that, like a number of other ideologies, it doesn't scale well beyond the village level.) either.

that said, i Am a fan of good governance... they don't like that either...

TANYA: thing to remember: TVNZ (and thus one news) are controlled by whoever is the government at the time (maybe not directly, but no one's going to endanger their paycheque, right?). tv3 (and thus three news) are controlled mostly by American corporate interests.

which basically means that when national's in power you don't get much in the way of opposition to what they do in the media. National's agenda favours corporate america. *shrugs* that alone should torpedo their elecction chances. unfortunately a combination of foolish tradition and the democracy-breaking concept of 'strategic voting' mean people vote for them anyay.


Clarke's last line there may seem a touch extream or dramatic, bu left unchecked, that's exactly where national's policy is heading. labour has issues. national Does Noot Fix those issues. it just adds more.

also: bloody laggy comment system makes spell checking anything longer than a couple of hundred words pretty much impossible unless one remembers to write their comment out in a word processor and copy it over <_<

5/09/2011 10:15:25 p.m.

Chargone wrote:

Wiseacre: ayup. 'course, personally i'm not a huge fan of 'democracy' (that is, the nonsense that is representative democracy. my only problem with Actual democracy is that, like a number of other ideologies, it doesn't scale well beyond the village level.) either. that said, i Am a fan of good governance... they don't like that either... TANYA: thing to remember: TVNZ (and thus one news) are controlled by whoever is the government at the time (maybe not directly, but no one's going to endanger their paycheque, right?). tv3 (and thus three news) are controlled mostly by American corporate interests. which basically means that when national's in power you don't get much in the way of opposition to what they do in the media. National's agenda favours corporate america. *shrugs* that alone should torpedo their elecction chances. unfortunately a combination of foolish tradition and the democracy-breaking concept of 'strategic voting' mean people vote for them anyay. Clarke's last line there may seem a touch extream or dramatic, bu left unchecked, that's exactly where national's policy is heading. labour has issues. national Does Noot Fix those issues. it just adds more. also: bloody laggy comment system makes spell checking anything longer than a couple of hundred words pretty much impossible unless one remembers to write their comment out in a word processor and copy it over <_<

5/09/2011 5:51:48 p.m.

Clarke wrote:

@Johnmillan Actually there has been an extreme shortage of state housing for 4-5 decades now. Housing in the Hutt Valley and other areas in the 1950's was primarily built to house ex soldiers... World War 2 vets particularly. you have areas like Naenae, Taita, Avalon that are primarily state housing areas.. the housing in these areas was desgined for returning soldiers... it wasnt based on need but on reward for service. Others who werent returning veterans struggled and continue to struggle to get into state housing even today, there are many elderly people that have been in their houses in those areas for up to 40 years. As soon as state housing became a reality, there became an instant shortage in availability. John Key doesnt know poverty, John Key doesnt have a heart, in fact alot of John Keys policies will see people left homeless or dead.

5/09/2011 11:08:26 a.m.

Johnmillan wrote:

Mudi Grau,the point I was making,Key said he was bought up in a state house,Now he was born in 1960 and state houses started to get built in 1950,so by the time he was born State housing had been going on for 10 years,now if his parents were rich enough then,how did they qualify for a state house.at the same time in the 1950S the dutch settlers arrive in their droves and they had a camp set up around Raumati,also other parts of the country.At that time there was only five of us school kids had to travel by bus from Raumati to Paekakariki every day, then the dutch arrived the bus was so loaded with kids,some had too stand all the way to school.but housing was a plenty then,Porirua,Pukerua Bay,then The Hutt valley was well established then,so there was no shortage of state and private housing in the 1960s.