Gay MP and cabinet minister Chris Carter has come to the aid of Auckland's embattled Pride Centre with a personal gift of $1,500 to cover the organisation's rent for a month. Alleged fraud by a person associated with the Centre has seen its finances wiped out and large debts unknowingly incurred. Carter had been approached to enquire about Lottery Grants Board funding for the Centre before the alleged fraud was discovered, and after learning that funding would not be available at least until the end of March he offered to help tide things over, according to a Pride Centre spokesperson. Following yesterday's revelations of fraud allegations on GayNZ.com about the Centre's crisis Carter has confirmed that his offer still stands. The MP says he hopes it will buy the organisation time to come to terms with its situation which sees it some $30,000 out of pocket and its chairperson Edward Bennett financially ruined. For legal reasons the alleged fraudster cannot yet be named but Up! Newspaper believes the same person has also left them financially "screwed". Police are currently investigating the Pride Centre case and the person at the focus of the allegations remains unable to be contacted.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Thursday, 18th March 2004 - 12:00pm