By Patrick Gower
The questioning about ACT Party Leader John Banks' anonymous donations fired up in Parliament today, with the opposition saying Prime Minister John Key's continued support of Mr Banks places them on a different planet – “Planet Key”.
“They concluded no charges,” says Mr Banks. “We've moved on.”
The ACT Party leader just wants to move on from those so-called "anonymous" donations. He didn't want to stop and talk about the 126-page police report, and we also asked John Key whether he'd read it yet, to which he responded “no”.
“Is this a new don't-read, read-don't-care defence on Planet Key,” says Greens co-leader Metiria Turei.
“I would expect people on such a place to comply with the law, and that's what Mr Banks did,” says Mr Key.
The police report carries evidence that Mr Banks knew of the donations from Kim Dotcom and SkyCity but declared them anonymous – evidence like a sworn statement from Kim Dotcom's commercial lawyer Greg Towers.
He contacted Mr Banks, asking for his help to get Dotcom a new mattress in Mt Eden Prison to help with a bad back, and says on February 8 this year Mr Banks phoned him.
"John Banks said as much as he wished to publicly support Kim, that may backfire on Kim if it became known about the election support," it reads.
The opposition wants Mr Banks sacked as a minister, and Mr Key won't do it.
“I'm taking the member at his word,” he says.
For the opposition, John Banks is the gift that keeps on giving. There will be many more questions, and the pressure will remain on Mr Banks to release his statement to police publicly. After all, Mr Banks did say he had nothing to fear and nothing to hide.
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