Decision on Taito Phillip Field announced at 10 am
The Police will announce their decision on whether to charge Taito Phillip Field at 10 am. I’m in a conference until around 1 pm NZST so suggest people check out the comments thread for what the decision was.
I’ve long maintained that I thought the actions of Field were highly unethical and disgraceful in his role as an MP, but that this does not necessarily mean he broke the law.
As an example it would be totally legal and ethical for a private citizen such as me to help people with immigration problems and work out a deal in exchange where they do some free work on one of my houses.
Now if it is an MP, it becomes at a minimum highly unethical, people there is a long standing public expectation that MPs help constituents without charging them for services. That is why they get a salary. But is it necessarily illegal? I haven’t thought so. But I wait the announcement with great interest.
The media speculation is that Field will be charged. But we’ll know for sure at 10 am.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:17 am
You want help in the comments thread, and then have comment approval turned on … intereresting.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:21 am
maybe it was the links I had.
Anyway. He’s been charged. Or rather, the police will seek leave from the High Court to charge him.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:01 am
“Mr Field is expected to oppose the police application.”
How? By bribing the the High Court judge with a cheap tiling job?
May 24th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
The thing that struck me about this was the timing…why suddenly after so long have the police finally made up their minds?
Could it be that Taito is no longer a Labour MP, and Labour is getting shakey thanks to the defection of the United First MP?
It’s funny how it’s never in the public interest to prosecute Labour MPs, but is always in the public interest to prosecute opposition MPs.
The police should be prosecuting primae facie cases and letting the courts decide, regardless of an MPs affiliation.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Where art thou Sonic, phillipjohn, toms, Ben Wilson, phil u, Red Rag, Sam Dixon ?
May 24th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Is Hulun being charged for telling porkies again ?
May 25th, 2007 at 4:04 am
Good job. About time.