Clark takes no action on Field
January 30th, 2007 at 4:28 pm by David FarrarOne has to ask, what exactly does it take for Helen Clark to take action against an MP. I thought Taito Phillip Field’s announcement he would no longer co-operate with the Police was a golden opportunity for Clark to dismiss him from Caucus.
But no she keeps accepting his proxy vote, and he keeps getting paid.
Yesterday’s Dominion Post called for Clark to act, saying “Set the albatross free”. They say:
New Zealand has a reputation as one of the few countries in the world in which politicians and officials cannot routinely be bought. Mr Field should be doing his utmost to preserve that reputation. Instead, he is hindering police attempts to establish the truth of what occurred. That should not be tolerated by the prime minister or his Labour colleagues, who have already suspended him – on full pay – from the Labour caucus.
Neither Miss Clark nor the Labour Party has the power to sack the Mangere MP, but Mr Field’s colleagues do have the power to kick him permanently out of their caucus to demonstrate that they find his conduct unacceptable. That is what they should do, not just because it is the right thing but because it is in their own interests.
Oh and when Clark was told of Field being sued by the Thai tiler for unpaid wages and asked to comment, she laughed on radio. Very sympathetic to the exploited she is.
Related posts:
- “Field was unethical”
- Clark refuses to act on Field
- Field to continue on full pay
- Police plan to charge Field with 14 counts of bribery
January 30th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
This is increasingly Muldoonist – “I’ll do what I want and you can’t stop me.”
She believes so strongly in her own moral superiority that she can justify any action to stay in power.
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
John Key told you why today:-
Vote:For me, politics is not about the pursuit of power for the sake of it. Unlike some, I won’t measure the success or failure of my political career by the number of years I hold office.
January 30th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I would employ taito field as a factory cleaner,if i could but he,(opps that seems raciest but my tilers might not like being under. this toady),HE might be to much of a texter NOT a worker ,SLIME always comes to the top ,but it can be scimmed of and thrown away, helen hasnt learnt yet??
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Likely to be a quite carefully thought out strategy for this on the 9th floor – provided Labour cuts him away far enough in advance of the election (say around candidate selection time…), they reckon they can avoid the worst damage while securing his vote as long as possible.
Vote:I just wish we had police prosecutors in Wgtn with the guts to press charges. It would be wonderful to see TPF dragged to court while still a member of the caucus.
January 30th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Oh and when Clark was told of Field being sued by the Thai tiler for unpaid wages and asked to comment, she laughed on radio. Very sympathetic to the exploited she is.
I’ve noticed that’s usually the time we see the most personality from her: when she’s in a tight squeeze. Her most rosy open smiles are almost always when she’s reacting to damaging information. Oh, and also when she won the election. (ugh)
We should have a body language expert like on Fox News to analyse this. It goes in the same category of Al Gore and John Kerry’s awkwardness and fakeness, Hillary Clinton’s wide-eyed fakeness, and Bill Clinton’s lip biting and fake delivery.
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
David,
Stop being so disingenuous, you know perfectly well what it takes for Helen Clark to move against anybody.
You must be:
a) Causing her grief ; and
b) Not in a position to lose her majority in the house
She has no moral position and no respect for the westminster tradition of resignation. Had she either of those, she wouldn’t be an MP herself let alone PM.
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 10:40 pm
“But no she keeps accepting his proxy vote, and he keeps getting paid.”
And where is the Herald Field rort story? Brash was vilified for receiving his salary after he *announced* his retirement, never mind that he carries on working until he does actually retire.
This Field matter is an utter disgrace. I’d love a rather large can of Slug Slam. Just for the brown ones understand.
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
“I would employ taito field as a …. cleaner”
Pant-Slut-Boy does a better job apparently iwikiwi, if you’re into that sort of thing;).
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
“I would employ taito field as a …. cleaner”
Panty-Slut-Boy does a better job apparently iwikiwi, if you’re into that sort of thing;).
Vote:January 30th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Panty slut boy is upset on cyfswatch ..haha …getting his lawyers up and going ….interesting times …..maybe he could use taito field’s lawyer …haha
What a circus !!!
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 12:02 am
What a shower of shit this Labour crowd is.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 6:03 am
Of course she won’t move against him – he’s her majority. (Remember shipley relying on Kopu – this is similar but worse.)
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 6:35 am
Tight”0″ will be quoting damaging extracts from his little black book of secrets if H1 moves against him.
He knows lots of stuff and can name names.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 9:33 am
But isnt it a delicious irony that the PM has to endure the barbs about her powerlessness in this matter when she takes such pride in projecting an all command all control persona.Like all bullies who have no guts or spine but use their position power as a weapon against others she will get her just deserts and I for one cant wait to be there when it happens. May she live in interesting times.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 10:33 am
He is one smart islander , SMART ,gets thousands a week , got the warted one wrapped around his piggy boss hogg finger, laughing all the way to westpac or whoever he puts the bribes and we and she cannot, get rid of this corrupt coconut (a smart one,)
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 10:54 am
If Clark sacks Field before he’s even been charged, let alone found guilty of anything she becomes vulnerable to charges of racism – after all, she’s hung on to other MP’s (notably Benson-Pope) while they were being investigated by the police. One suspects that DPF would be the first to gleefully point this out if she were stupid enough to take his advice.
I suspect she has a signed but undated letter of resignation from Field which will be accepted shortly after the police decide to charge him.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 11:30 am
Im the first to admit at times im thick or honest,or nieve(OLD),but after reading about DBP as the panty slut boy on chyswatch, a 58yo is rapidly coming up to speed fast.You posters make sence, MORE POWER TO POSTERS AND BLOGGERS
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Danyl M … what you are saying is that ‘real politik’ prevails. Nevermind that ‘She’ has labelled his behaviour as unethical … its the vote that matters.
And in the process her personal integrity is forever destroyed.
All power corrupts and absolute power …..
My Dad is turning in his grave as he sees the depths to which the Party he gave so much has sunk.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 12:42 pm
I note that today in the Herald Clark has been reported as coming out criticising Field and saying he is unlikely to get the Mangere selection again:
“Helen Clark has taken another swipe at Taito Phillip Field, saying he and his lawyers should “obviously” be working with the police on the inquiry they are conducting into him.
And she has taken her strongest line yet on his chances of being reselected by Labour in his Mangere seat, saying it’s extremely unlikely.”
The article is here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10421673
And anyone who is suspended from their job pending the outcome of investigation is entitled to be paid. Donna Awatere Huata was.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 1:41 pm
This, of course, has nothing to do with what Helen Clark knows about Field.
Its ALL about what she thinks he knows about HER.
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 1:56 pm Vote:
January 31st, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Tune in tomorrow when Ross finds out there’s no Santa Claus.
And don’t miss next weeks episode when Tips reveals more of his theory about the involvement of Clark and Field in the hijacking of the United 93 flight on 9/11 . . .
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Danyl … do yourself the service of looking critically the whole posting rather than selective editing to make a (silly) point …
Sad that you are defending the situation where the PM is happy to continue to rely on the vote of a person she deems as unethical.
Consider the possible outcomes ….
1. The Police decide to press charges and TPF is found guilty. Depending on the nature of the charges and the sentence TPF may automatically forfeit his seat. Comment …
unlikely but good outcome for Labour.
2. Charges laid and found guilty. Does not meet the threshold for forfeiture. TPF resigns. Good outcome for Labour but likely only if you believe in Santa Claus. That is not the TPF (PI) way.
3. Charges laid and found guilty. Does not meet the threshold for forfeiture. Labour expells TPF. Goes feral. Comment … possible. Labour rids itself of albatross but left reliant on Greens. NZF goes (more) feral.
4. Charges laid and found not guity. Labour expels TPF. Comment … negative outcomes for Labour (see above). Obivious question … why did’t you act sooner?
5. Charges laid and found not guilty. TPF resigns. Comment … unlikely, see 2 above (with bells on).
6. Charges not laid. TPF resigns. Comment
… unlikely, see 2 above (with very loud bells on).
7. Charges not laid. Labour expells TPF.
Comment … see 3 and 4 above.
8. Charges not laid. TPF back in Labour caucus. Comment … surely they can’t be that stupid.
My whole point is that from the outset Labour tried the King Canute approach. Unfortunately (for them) the situation spun out of control to the point where they are now between a rock and a hard place.
A position entirely of their own making
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Why aren’t Labour’s Mangere voters as disgusted by Clark’s behaviour towards Field as I am? Mangere voters…whooooooo?…anybody home? knock…knock…So we are a south pacific country?Does this mean that we officially accommodate the worst aspects of post-colonisation.Yep..as long as it is politically expedient.Ah Jeez…
Vote:January 31st, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Mara, possibly those disgusted Mangere voters are hanging out with the perturbed Epsom voters who were dismayed at their MP’s performance on Dancing with the stars?
Vote:July 7th, 2007 at 12:36 am
nxmteb lwrgfqcs vgqofbus hsocwpaiv jkcfiost vjnophlwy qbte
Vote: