Highly Confidential. Do not circulate

From: hsimpson
To: hclark; mcullen; phodgeson
cc: mwillians; kisung

This remains a rough draft with furthur details to follow. Any comments welcome.

1. Continue to make pointless stupid mistakes esp when we are just starting to claw our way back in the polls. Mistakes that alienate the press and keep our relationship with them as poisonous and disfunctional as possible are ideal.

2. Assure ourselves that these mistakes are ‘beltway issues’ that the public will not care about and refuse to take responsibilty for them. Assume that the media and the opposition will oblige us here by not drawing attention to our blunders.

3. React with fury when the media and opposition draw attention to our blunders. Assure ourselves that even though the mistake is now front page news it is still a beltway issue.

4. Carry out internal polling and discover that the mistake is not a beltway issue and that it effects negatively on polling. Continue to refuse any culpabilty anyway because backing down now means those bastards in the National Party win, and refusing to do our jobs properly because of meaningless political point scoring is what responsible government is all about.

5. Continue to nose-dive in the polls.

6. ????

7. Victory!

Although the details of some stages have yet to be finalised I have great faith in this course of action. Your thoughts please.

Juche!

Heather.

I haven’t yet heard a journalist ask DPB: “At what point did you express your disappointment to Hurring?”

In case you need to catch up on anything, basically, as a country, we’re screwed. That about sums it up.

I would have initiated a full inquiry for each of these things, when they first came to my attention;

* Complaints by 14 year old girls that he was entering the camp ground showers (more than once)
* Complaints that he lined 14 year old girls up in their nighties and shone a torch on them.
* Stuffing a tennis ball into a students mouth and slapping a student.
* Investigate claims he was involved in sordid stuff with animals and under aged girls
* Apparently getting involved in a sacking for political reasons.

How much can the lefty supporters take, what new low will the left sink to so they can protect one of their own.

It’s a disgrace – such serious claims by so many people and not one single formal inquiry. Helen said it’s OK – just like she did with taito Field – should we move on now ?

I think he should go too. I believe his attempts to blame Stephen Hurring are most unfair, as Ministers should be responsible for the actions of staff in their own office.

I don’t think Labour can be wholly blamed for the move towards politicisation of the public service. It started with the State Sector Act which National did not substantially amend. I regard the appointment of Christine Rankin by National as policy related politicisation – she got the job because she supported work for the dole.

I hope to get some time to do a post on this tonight.

Joe

[DPF:Joe - National did not appoint Rankin. The SSC did. I would be interested to hear how you think the 1988 State Sector Act politicised things - most commentators cite it as a world leading act for having a neutral public service]

Surely ‘party hack’ is a bit rough – Selma is really just repeating the same arguments as the fair-minded, non-partisan Radio new Zealand political editor

[DPF: Yes that has been noticed, to put it mildly. Maybe he has to support Hurring as they are both EPMU officers! I just hope when National is in Govt I don't get as badly affected by the same disease of blind loyalty. I know it will happen to some degree, but I hope I can escape with the mildest strain]

The more rational members of Labour clearly think likewise.

I think the key issue is that Hugh Logan did not fulfil his responsibilities under the public servant code of conduct and ensure the issue was managed appropriately – ie shifting Ms Setchell was not the right answer to a potential conflict, it was clumsy and unprofessional.

“Isnt it more clear. Both Helen and DPB said they would have made the same call as the staff member.”

Which is one of the lesser understood parts of this whole saga.

That is that a Government Department’s communications strategy, policy and activities are so secret and politically sensitive that it would be a problem if any part of it became known to to those members of the Parliament who don’t happen to be in favour of those in power.

Since when did OUR Government become so much of a secret to the general public and so politicised that a Government Department becomes more a part of a political party than an arm of Government?

Bad management decisions can sometimes be expected but this is an absolute outrage that needs to be questioned for what it really is – the political capture of Government in all its ugliness. Yes, arms of government are required to implement a political party’s policy, yeas state employees will be instructed to do things that offend their own political (and possibly other) sensitivities but this goes waaaaay past the acceptable IMHO.

It is fascinating to see the differences between the principled left and the party hacks who would defend the Government even if it set the Parliament on fire and blamed it on a communist.