Peters dismisses claims of Dotcom donation

Winston Peters is dismissing claims he too received a donation from Kim Dotcom.

ACT leader John Banks has been accused of knowingly accepting a $50,000 donation and declaring it as anonymous when he was campaigning for the Auckland mayoralty in 2010.

Blogger Cameron Slater's alleged Mr Peters got a donation too, which the NZ First leader says is rubbish.

"This is the kind of allegation that that lazy, idle, indolent commentator Whale Oil makes about a number of people including me and New Zealand First and it's totally baseless."

He says Whale Oil should be sued, but he can't be bothered doing it.

And opposition parties will have a ball in the debating chamber today.

Political editor Barry Soper says John Banks' links with Kim Dotcom will likely see the Prime Minister face a barrage of questions when Parliament resumes.

"They'll be asking his role in all of this, whether he's protecting John Banks because he obviously needs his support in Parliament, it's critical, particularly with the asset sales legislation going through.

"He'll be asked questions about the legality of John Banks saying that he knows nothing about the donations made by Dotcom to his mayoral election campaign."

Barry Soper says the opposition will also have a go at John Banks.

Meanwhile the Minister of Land Information Maurice Williamson has admitted Mr Banks lobbied him over a property purchase in Coatesville.

He says Mr Banks called him to advocate on behalf of Kim Dotcom with regards to the Overseas Investment Office application to buy the $30 million mansion.

It's understood Mr Williamson initially approved the application in April last year, but it was later rejected by the Associate Finance Minister Simon Power and Mr Williamson then followed suit.

Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson says he was never told by Mr Banks, nor did he ask, if Dotcom had made a political donation.

He says at the time Mr Banks was advocating as a member of the general public.

"He just phoned me up and said, Kim Dotcom had been a very good friend to Auckland City, he told me that Kim Dotcom had funded a very large fireworks display for Auckland City and he hoped we would give it favourable consideration."

Mr Williamson says he made it clear at the time matters didn't work that way and a clear statutory process had to be followed.

Mr Banks is refusing to comment.

He says everything on the issue that needs to be said, has been said.

The Prime Minister continues to stand by John Banks, but he's adding a note of caution.

John Key says if Kim Dotcom can prove Mr Banks rang and thanked him for the $50,000 the ACT leader declared as anonymous, then the consequences would be obvious.

"I think they're pretty self explanatory, that would be that Mr Banks has lied to my office. No minister can enjoy my confidence if they lie to me, but there's no evidence to prove that."

Mr Key says Mr Banks was free to lobby on Mr Dotcom's behalf.

"It's absolutely appropriate for people to lobby ministers, it happens all of the time. At the time that he did it, he wasn't even an MP or a minister so that's again totally fine, no real issues there. As we can see it wasn't successful anyway."

Labour leader David Shearer says it's becoming clear Mr Bank's relationship with Kim Dotcom is more than what he originally let on.

"It's raising all sorts of questions about his answers to the most basic of questions around his relationship with Kim Dotcom and therefore whether he knew that the donations were in fact from an anonymous donor or in fact Kim Dotcom himself."

Photo: NZ Herald