Knuckle Heads still have teeth

 

John Key is running scared,

his bravado style of bull-shit and jelly beans is going to be replaced by a true GCSB style of put it in writing…but the real question remains unanswered…did he lie? About Ian Fletcher, about Kim Dotcom, I’ll leave you to decide but to me he seems to be like a kid throwing a tantrum when he has been found with his fingers in the cookie jar…His so-called interview with Radio Live says it all…and clearly indicates a lack of understanding just what democracy is all about.  

Prime Minister John Key says he will no longer answer questions about his actions without warning, following controversy over his role in the appointment of spy boss Ian Fletcher.

During an interview on Radio Live, Key described those reporting on the story as ''knuckle heads'' and said he would change his approach to answering questions both in Parliament and to the media.

Key has faced accusations of ''brain fade'' after recalling that he called Fletcher, a childhood friend, to ask if he was interested in the role of director-general of GCSB.

In Parliament on March 27, when asked of his role in Fletcher's appointment, Key said:

''His appointment was made by the State Services Commissioner''.

He later said that he could not remember any particular meetings with Fletcher since their school days.

''I am sure I may well have done so.''

Today Key said his answer was;

"absolutely correct" on the appointment but he accepted that he had not recalled the phone call seeking Fletcher's interest in the job and took responsibility for the lapse.

Denying accusations that he had lied by omission, he said

he had only had ''15 seconds, with no warning, on a process that happened 18 months ago'' and he should have taken time to research the answer.

''What I should have done, and what I will be doing in the future, is saying, well, the member needs to put that down to me in writing, and I'll be doing that to the journalists as well,'' Key said.

''Coz if you want perfection of everything I have done, two, three, four, five years ago, I will get you all that information for you, but I'll get you the whole lot and give it to you,'' he said.

The attacks by Labour were ''low rent politics'', which he accepted was ''the game'' but it would prompt a change in his style.

''But forearmed is forewarned. I'm changing too.''

Key said his contact with Fletcher had been a

''nothing phone call'' of less than two minutes and that he had spent more time thinking about the other person he had in mind for the job, who he has declined to name.

Radio interview ends:

In many respects I feel sorry for poor John, ever since his cup of tea with the crook from Epsom his trusty friend and memory loss expert ex Auckland Mayor and one time Minister of Police John Banks, John Key’s memory fades have grown bigger and bigger with each passing month. I think he has now and at long last realised that John Banks advice over that cup of tea was extremely negative. 

But there are serious elements to John Key’s behaviour over the shoulder tapping of Ian Fletcher and it may well have been in contravention of the UN Convention against Corruption [General assembly resolution 58/4 31^st October 2003]: NZ was among the first to sign up to this convention but as yet we have yet to ratify it in Parliament. Because of the Prime Ministers present behaviour it may well never be ratified.

Article 7 on page ten says [in part] “Each State shell, and where appropriate and in accordance with the fundamental principles of its legal system, endeavour to adopt, maintain and strengthen systems for the recruitment, hiring, retention [of staff] etc…

And in [a] it says that they are based on principles of efficiency, transparency and objective criteria such as merit, equity and aptitude;

 So now we can all watch National self destruct over the next little while...