Searing response from Lani Hagaman to insinuations.
Labour leader Andrew Little has intimated there is a link between a $101,000 contribution made by Hagaman to the National Party in 2014 which was followed by the awarding of a management contract to operate Niue’s Matavai Resort.
“New Zealand money, which was earmarked as aid for the island nation, has instead been given to upgrade a resort run by a National party donor. That’s now what Kiwi families want their hard-earned money going to,” he said.
Prime Minister John Key said he is not in the slightest concerned about Little’s request for an investigation into the matter. Earl Hagaman is the 91-year-old American expatriate owner of the Scenic Hotels group and Lani Hagaman is his wife, with whom he shares three children.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has vigorously denied any connection between the donation and the Niue’s Matavai Resort contract.
“Absolutely none whatsoever, and I can tell you I had no involvement in the appointment process conducted purely by the trustees and the commercial management they appointed,”
A Niue tourism property trust was responsible for finding a company to run the resort, and Mr McCully appointed its trustees.
Earl is still active in his Scenic Hotels Group while Lani acts as executive director and looks after the detailed running of the chain stretching from Paihia in the far north, to Gore and Queenstown in the deep south and two international Scenic Hotels in Tonga and Niue.
Lani has responded that she has no qualms with the Auditor-General undertaking an investigation.
“We are not interested in being Mr Little’s political football. These nasty and unfounded allegations need to stop and I would urge Andrew Little to stop wasting tax payer money on trying to promote his own political party and eg