Auckland politics a "Dirty despicable game"

Failed Auckland Mayoral candidate, John Palino, has left the country ahead of allegations that he tried to force his successful opponent, Len Brown, to stand down by revealing details of Mr Brown's extra marital affair with a Chinese woman.
The woman, Bevan Chaung, told TV3's "The Nation" in a statement that she had two meetings last weekend with Mr Palino where he proposed she sign an affidavit detailing the affair.
She claimed Mr Palino would then get right wing blogger Cameron "Whaleoil" Slater to show the affidavit to Mr Brown who would resign claiming heart problems.
Ms Chaung said Mr Palino told her the affidavit would then be kept secret.
But on "The Nation" Mr Slater denied he had any knowledge of the plan.
Mr Slater said he had been tipped off about the story which he broke on his blog last Wednesday by Mr Luigi Wewegee.
Mr Wewegee was a campaign aide of Mr Palino.
Ms Chaung, who also had a sexual relationship with Mr Wewegee said he was working for Mr Palino because he owed him money.
She has supplied "The Nation" with over 90 pages of text messages between herself and Mr Wewegee in many of which he tries to persuade her to go public with her affair with Mr Brown.
On the Monday after the election reminded him that she needed to work to get money.
He replied that problem would be solved if she went public.
Mr Slater told "The Nation" that the "Women's Day" had offered $5000 for her story but it made that offer on the Wednesday, two days after her text exchange with Mr Wewegee.
Mr Slater argued that Auckland politics was "a dirty disgusting despicable game".
"It involves dirty disgusting despicable people at all levels," he said.
"And to have this high and mighty belief that New Zealand politics is clean, it isn't."