Coming to the Aid of the Party

Barry Brill, National Party candidate for Kapiti is taking proceedings against TV1's Tonight at Nine for implying, among other things, that he had anything to do with the $100 a ticket raffle-cum dinner organised by persons seemingly unknown on behalf of the Capital Club (now defunct).

His action is one of many opposing the implication that the National Party had anything to do with the dinner. Party President G. Chapman has issued a statement that denied that the Party had anything to do with the dinner. And reports in the Dominion and the Sunday Times have failed to find any real evidence for National Party involvement.

Yet the membership of the Capital Club was by all accounts almost entirely made up by members of the National Party who came from Waikanae to Island Bay. The silence surrounding this dinner is also unaccountable unless one assumes the National Party is behind it - not a hard guess from a name like the 'Capital Club.' The majority of the dinner is reported as being composed of members of the Young Nationals. Also present was a founding member of Pol-link and members of the various campaign committees for the Wellington region's National Party candidates.

Also present at the do was a section of people associated with the land speculation and rent-racketeering business. A real estate agent won second prize. Pat Rippon, a millionaire land speculator and landlord, (He is President of the Wellington Property Investors Association) was identified as being one of the organisers. Bob Jones, another millionaire known for his far right ideology bought more than one ticket but didn't turn up.

Pat Rippon is an interesting case. Identified as an organiser Pat is also thought to be Chief fund-raiser for the Island Bay electorate campaign committee for the National Party candidate, Bill Nathan. It would seem unlikely in a year of all-out effort among the National Party towards winning the elections that Pat would be devoting his considerable fund-raising skills to concerns other than his Party.

Also membership of the National Party would not have deterred anyone, especially Pat Rippon from organising the Capital Club do. National Party fund-raisers were apparently told at the start of the year that the Party didn't have to worry how they got their money as long as they didn't get caught. The intense secrecy that has surrounded this dinner while other dinners of a similar nature have been organised quite openly seems to indicate that [unclear: fand-raisers] are taking this advice to heart.

Again the non-appearance of the proceeds of the dinner (estimated at $9,500) indicates National Party complicity. Salient has had several reports indicating that money is in the bank account of a prominent member of the National Party.

But the Capital Club dinner has had other effects.

Last Sunday's Sunday Times earned stories of Labour Party and Catholic fund-raising dinners of an exactly similar nature to the Capital Club do - no doubt partly as a backlash to exposures of the Capital Club.

In fact, if you can afford between $50-$100 a go then all you need is to know the right people. Fund-raising activities like the Capital Club have been going for quite a while. Unfortunately petty political point making seems to have put paid to these little marvels for a while but ingenious people with money will no doubt think of new schemes of a similar nature. Police are still investigating the affair so someday soon (if National's contacts among the police force don't ensure otherwise) a prosecution will be brought. One wonders if it will be before or after November......

Bruce Robinso