When is a lie not a lie? When the PM says so!

It's all true...it really is!

Place: Prime Ministers media briefing:

Question: Did Standard and Poors tell you that a down grade of NZ’s credit rating would take place if there was a change of government?

Answer: That’s correct.

Question: So what you told Parliament during question time was correct?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Why then has Standard and Poors publicly stated they did no such thing?

Answer: I’mmm…I’m not sure.

Question: Why then did you say what you did?

Answer: No comment…no…are there any other questions…

Two hours later…

PM states that he was sent an email that implied that Standard and Poors said that a down grade was likely if a change of Government took place. When asked who send the email he declined to comment. Standard and Poors stated that they never sent such an email. Others also stated that they never sent such an email. He was asked once again who sent the email and he replied, the sender was reliable, but he wouldn’t reveal just who it was.

Assumption: PM was telling porkies or his memory or his PR team had let him down…you decide.

Key later conceded the comments he used in Parliament were based on hearsay. “I’m relying on the person who wrote the email. They invited me to use it. I’m telling you it’s not a random comment I made up.” He would not identify his source. The decision to release the email with the senders name blacked out comes after Goff accused Key of misleading Parliament with the comments, an offence which can lead to embarrassment through hearings and censure by Parliament’s powerful Privileges Committee. The Mana Party wrote.

“Instead of scaremongering about a new government the Prime Minister should come clean and admit his poor economic mismanagement is to blame for the credit downgrade. NZ is tired of a Prime Minister who won't front up on the hard issues of economic credibility but is happy to talk about his cat or Coronation Street timeslots on Radio Live!

So when is a lie not a lie? Was the PM telling porkies…you tell me? So far this week we’ve had the Ministers of Education, Defence, Environment and the PM all caught-out telling what could be called porkies, is it possible that porkies are a new and dangerous virus sweeping through the government. Can one be vaccinated against such a dangerous, possibly fatal community disease?