A fatal blunder
John Key has called it “mind blowing stupidity” and he is possibly being generous. What on earth was Damien O’Connor thinking when he brought a suspended prison officer out on tour with the Parliamentary rugby team (who won the parliamentary world cup again – well done team).
O’Connor is not a stupid man. He has struggled with Corrections, but that portfolio needs a more experienced Minister. But how on earth did neither he nor his staff think there wouldn’t be an issue in having a suspended prison officer fly overseas with and play rugby with the Minister of Corrections.
It does not matter if Jim Morgan is finally cleared or not. I hope he is. But how can there be confidence in the investigation into him now. What would you think if you were a mid level manager in the Department of Corrections investigating Morgan, and you saw he was off playing rugby in France with the Minister. I mean, really.
O’Connor’s blunder is unfair to Morgan as well as his Department.
Clark is yet to permanently assign the portfolios of David Benson-Pope. Surely this makes a full reshuffle look more and more likely. O’Connor must now be very likely to be sacked, along with Burton and Barker.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
DPF
So what are the “rules” associated with playing for the Parliament team?
What would one do if they knew of other players along for the ride who are not current employees of Parliament or the public service ?
Also interesting to note that Jim’s wife is also along for the trip. One must wonder what is going on when people think nothing of breaking the rules for a tax payer funded junket…. Guess the exampkle is set from the top so why not follow suit and lodge your snout firmly in the trough.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
It is almost akin to Clint Rickard being selected to play for the Police Rugby Team on an international tour though that wouldn’t be as bad…. Annette would have trouble touring as a loosehead prop…Like other taxpayers I wonder who besides Dr. Cullen is paying for the Parliamentary junket. Didn’t O’Connor display a similar level of competence and integrity in his last portfolio IMMIGRATION!
September 9th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Not the best call but somehow i don’t see this one as a big issue.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
The parliamentary team is not taxpayer funded. They get sponsorship for their costs. And spouses of staff have always been welcome members – the key issue here is that once Morgan was suspended from his job, O’Connor should have realised it was inappropriate to still socialise with him, let alone go on tour with him.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I think she has publicly said there will be a reshuffle with some new faces. Who cares really, I am not that interested in the deck chairs on the titanic being rearraged.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Damian, It is with regret that Heather has decided that in the interest of slowing down poll droop we have decided that even though we OK’ed you taking him on this trip now that the public have found out what happened you must resign and please do it before Tuesday morning as with question time coming up we think that the pollsters wont view this favourably if you stay on as a minister.
Heather said that you could become a minster again one day but Davie Benson in Hedges is waiting to get reinstated first he is more creative than you.
p.s. At all costs do let on we knew because you wont get back if that gets out and all press enquiries to you office will now be handled by Heather directly.
September 9th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Titanic listing slightly further– Deck chairs slipping.
September 9th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
What’s Rick Barker being doing that warrants his dismissal?
[DPF: Let's say just general lack of performance, and holding others back.]
September 9th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
Its not worth taking the heat off the EFB for this issue. Klark would be grateful. This is small potatoes and also risks generating sympathy for Labour.
September 9th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Enjoy the hypocrisy David.
You have no problems with national MPs touring
alongside this chap as they collect their salary ?.
So you would agree that both Clarke and Key should call their MPs home to do the work that
they are paid to do ?.
Or do we owe it to MPs to pay them while they
junket ?.
[What the fuck are you on about? I've never raised an issue about salaries of those on the rugby trip. All I've said is the Minister of Corrections should not be touring around with a suspended prison guard. And those MPs who take part on the team normally make no secret of it to their constituents who elect them, and re-elect them. I think most Kiwis are not so petty as to begrudge a few days off to play in the parliamentary world cup.]
September 9th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
John Key has called it “mind blowing stupidity”!
I call it “mind blowing stupidity” in that John Key isn’t leading a march on Parliament demonstrating against the EFB. I liken it to shooting peas at an armour plated rhinoceros?
September 9th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Frank, have you emailed JK about their EFB [non]response? john.key@national.org.nz
[DPF: Jesus some of you have no idea. JK devoted an entire speech to the National Press Club on just the topic of the EFB. His office has alerted every community group in NZ to it. He or his colleagues have asked (I think) at least two questions a day every day on it. I'm not saying they couldn't be doing more, but to label what they have done as a non response is mad. They have press releases out every day on it.]
September 9th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
[What the fuck are you on about? I’ve never raised an issue about salaries of those on the rugby trip. All I’ve said is the Minister of Corrections should not be touring around with a suspended prison guard. And those MPs who take part on the team normally make no secret of it to their constituents who elect them, and re-elect them. I think most Kiwis are not so petty as to begrudge a few days off to play in the parliamentary world cup.]
Not okay for the minister, but it is okay for MPs who could be sitting on select commitees
dealing with prison matters ?.
You seem rather blase about taxpayers money, they get plenty of holiday time without
needing more paid time off.
I see no damn difference between this and a
Hip-hop tour, both are a waste of money.
Oh, any list MPs on the junket who do not face
their electorates.
[DPF: Again you miss the point. The MPs did not know he was suspended. Only the Minister knew. And as most MPs work 60_ hour weeks no I am not going to whine about taking a week off during a recess to play rugby. ]
September 9th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
This is just another signal to us that these thieves believe they are untouchable. His wife works for O’Connor as well and is the team manager on tour. Her official status as team manager probably secured her a free trip as well.
Clarke will not sack this bumbling fucktard because it will just look reactionary and she is now completely under siege (in her own mind) that showing any sign of admitting mistakes is beyond her.
Just as well our military are not like Fijis or we may have bigger problems than rugby trips at taxpayers expense for suspended civil servants. Surely the deposed govt in Fiji could not have been worse than this shower of shit.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
DPF – The public are largely oblivious to the EFB!! Trust me, I’ve asked people and they are simply suprised when I tell them about it! The chattering and lobbying and questions in parliament are yawn-inspiring to ‘ordinary’ voters, as is this blog (sorry!) Key needs to stand up on this as it could be an era-definging stance and put him in the public mind as the one with the balls to stand up to the politbureau.
I repeat – If I were advising Key on a strategic level I’d suggest that National should use some of their election cash to go on the tv with this and get some billboards out there. Take out some full-page ads. Go on the offensive and expose the other side for what it is. It’s possible they won’t be able to spend their cash anyway next year if this thing goes through. Pummel the beach-defences with the big stuff before you send the troops in!!!
.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
And it was an outstanding speech. The worrying thing for me is that *every* person I talk to about the bill was unaware of the significance of it and expresses dismay at the lack of public visibility. Perhaps it’s personal complacency [frog in pot syndrome] or a deliberatly low profile by the MSM. Most probably it’s a bit of both.
On topic, D O’C has blundered but i’m not sure it’ll deliver too much of a blow to labour. After all they’ve set the bar rather high in terms of quality cock-up’s.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Lee c.
Is having Nat MPs on the same junket as the minister not a problem ?.
Or do we expect less from MPs who are not
ministers ?.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
At least they won.
September 9th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I’m not sure it’s such a big deal, O’Connor had hoped to recuse himself from any percieved conflict by asking Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove to take over ministerial responsibility for the investigation. You might also note that Jim Morgan’s wife who manages the parliamentary rugby team is also O’Connor’s senior private secretary at Parliament. No doubt we can assume that her professional independence is unquestionable unlike that of the unfortunate Madeliene Setchell.
September 9th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
LeeC: “Go on the offensive and expose the other side for what it is.” You wish.
Unlikely to happen. You see in this case exposing the other side exposes John Key to the same sort of exposure. I’m sure there’s a “gentleman’s” agreement that no one in any party does anything, but mouth off. So rant and rave to your heart’s content – “put on a show” and in the long run it’s merely “Full of sound and fury signifying nothing” and all is forgotten next day because of breaking news.
Do nothing to upset the status quo, but first make sure you have the police in your pocket.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
MR O”Connor the ruler of the FERAL INBREEDS the witch pm words to discribe the west coast, RIGHT BACK IN THE FIRST HARD LABOUR TERM, the feral is comming to the surface in this corrupt king of the coast , ,hey damien the feral inbreeds. have noticed your corruption, TAKING A SUSPENDED PRISION OFFICER FOR A JUNKET OVERSEAS, to play rugby and dosnt his wife work for you, ,the stench is raising, does the corruption ever stop in this leftist communist party,PS the pm was almost licking bum with the red chinese presi for the free trade agreement , look forward to chinese workers taking our jobs here in GODS OWN ,as payment for the witchy pms dream, the first free trade agreement with a slave labour dictatorship
September 9th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Given the hue and cry over the Setchell Affair, and then discovering the wife of the suspended officer works in the office of the relevant minister….
You can put any spin on this you like, but it is still going to come up shit for Labour!
September 9th, 2007 at 7:09 pm
RB
I completely agree O’Connor’s a gonner,–Next please!!!
But stay on message the EFB is draconian.
It is unparalleled in NZ history for a incumbent government to bring in such constitutional mutation without a mandate from the people.
And Lee C,
Agree here to the general public haven’t got any clue how bad this is.
There should be bill boards, advertising and the Nats should hire out halls and organise public meetings in every main centre to Nuke this scandalous legislation.
Common National get your military uniforms on and go to battle for the freedom of NZ. Don’t rest on the polls they are fickle at the best of times and it will only help if you really spell out to mainstream NZ what is happening here.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
krazykiwi: I haven’t emailed John Key on the EFB. I am in the wings waiting to see if anything other than words comes from him.
He has received prima facie evidence from me along with most MPs (Some emails did not get through, and a couple of MPs don’t have emails). of allegations that police investigating complaints of breaches of the Electoral Act, allegedly perverted the course of justice.
I don’t see him reacting to allegations lodged with the Police Commissioner (Of which he has a copy) of misappropriation of HELEN’S LEADERS FUNDS.
September 9th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
NZ is a small town ….an agreeable personality will take you far, but you also get unsophisticated pollies as part of the deal.
That this clown thought it either didn’t matter or the information was secure speaks volumes.
September 9th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Hmm, Hone goes walkabout in Australia, and
there is a hell of a lot of ranting about him wasting taxpayer money.
Fifteen MPs go on a junket to watch the rugby in
the NH. and sod all is said.
Different rules for some ?.
[DPF: Hone's problem was that he was on a select committee funded trip. If he merely paid his own way over from the beginning, then no issue. Just as Keith Locke has done with APEC]
September 9th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
I want to see Key and other party leaders do something honourable and challenging. All the party leaders should all denounce donations where the donor is unwilling to be publicly identified. They should also publicly commit not to use parliamentary funding for any electoral activities (including travel, etc). Regardless of the legislative imperatives, a bit of honourable leadership would go a long way in restoring public confidence in politicians.
September 9th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
grumpy I agree about what you said about HOne, and actually am not really that excited about who goes on what junket to tell the truth. My issue at the mo is the EFB. That is all I’m interested in at the mo, so thanks for the comment but it ain’t got no legs with me. ps I’m not a jew-gassing nazi, but that Iranian guy? turns out he was lying after all!!
September 9th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
As I seem to hold the floor…. It could be argued that Key has in his lap the major factor that could define him as potential leader of the country. Many leaders have had greatness thrust upon them because of a single critical issue which has galvanised a country behind them. Surely this has to rank as one of those? I mean, what more is he waiting for? What is the big issue that he feels is just around the corner that justifies a game of ‘wait-and-see’? Surely the Goverment must be starting to think they can get away with ANYTHING before the opposition bares its teeth and starts to get clever! If National want to win the next election, they have to at some time begin to appeal to the voters. They have to put pressure on those who vote for the minor parties, and expose what their MPs are doing. They have to use the media and advertise their wares. Why are they waiting for labour to ‘call’ the election? National should ‘call’ the election! By waiting for Labour they are admitting to the country that they don’t have the balls to make a decision, and that on some level, Labour have the psychological higher ground for ruling. National should go on the front foot. They should enrol cross-party support, they should declare that they are ‘running’ for office, and they should start the band-wagon now.
I think the national Party should use this issue to publicise their opposition to it. Labour complain that national are light on policy… surely the policy of opposing this bill and informing the public what is going on is a good one to start with. Then we can start looking at what they have to offer for economic, health, defence, education, law and order and race-relations.
If Key and co sit back, this issue will float by. Then, come election year, Labour will have all the means at their disposal to buy, scare, villlify and rort the next election. On a political level, if they win it, then they will have won it fair and square, because the OPPOSITION LET THEM.
So, what’s it to be?
September 9th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
LeeC: You hit the nail on the head. You have sounded the Clarion call: Into the valley of Death rode the 600. You have displayed all the leadership qualities sadly missing in any of the so called Opposition parties. Key should be calling for an election tomorrow. We saw Brownlee’s pathetic no confidence point of order attempt. We want it for real.
Any Political Party espousing your strategy would have a landslide victory tomorrow. We have had a gutsful of canting politicians. Just honesty and accountability as a requirement.
Where do I join up?
September 9th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Off topic … National has led the charge against the EFB supported by …. no-one. ACT/WinstonFirst/ United/Maori/Progressive have all kept silent because Helen had bought them off. By all means kick but in kicking National you are scoring an own goal.
On topic … Damien O’C is just another mistake in a long list of mistakes … B-P, Dalziel; Mallard; Samuels; Dyson; Barker; Burdon; Pettis; ‘strategist’ Hodgson; Field; Hawkins; Hobbs … all ‘brilliant’ individuals representing the best that Labour has to offer.
No wonder the couintry continues to slip down the OECD rankings.
September 9th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Congrats Frank on your simply brilliant grasp of how Parliament works … John Key can call as much as he likes for an election to be held tomorrow and it just won’t happen simply because National does not have the numbers to force it.
As I said in a previous post “Helen has brought off the minor parties”.
You call Brownlie’s attempt to force a vote of no confidence pathetic. Well dumbo, it takes just one MP to object and one did and thats it.
So can I take it that you advocate the assumption of power by ‘illiegitimate means?
Jesus wept. Intelligent analysis and debate just went out the window … Helen would be proud of you.
September 9th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
“All the party leaders should all denounce donations where the donor is unwilling to be publicly identified.”
Why the hell should they.????
For chrissake, one should not be prevented from making anonymous donations if that is what one wishes. There is not the slightest thing wrong with it. Knowing the hate and barbarity the left are capable of, one could well imagine why some donors may prefer to remain anonymous.
September 9th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Ross Miller: I know extremely well how parliament works. Sew up the police and you can get away with attempted murder.
EFB presents a golden opportunity to voice opposition to an era of corruption culminating in this dishonest Bill. The action has to start somewhere and somehow. It requires passion which is lacking in this lack lustre opposition.
Read LeeC’s summary again,
September 9th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
“the hate and barbarity the left are capable of” Brilliant! Unlike Capt. Talking Points’ usual posting, that one’s not from a iwanttobeanncoulterslovebitch.com download. That’s straight from the How to Write Comedy guide.
September 10th, 2007 at 12:07 am
<i>DBF said: His office has alerted every community group in NZ to it. </i>
DPF – you don’t get away with inaccuracies just because you’re speaking in hyperbole. None of the community groups I’m involved with got any message from John Key on this issue.
[DPF: Sigh okay only to 500 head offices of known community groups]
September 10th, 2007 at 6:29 am
Ross by ‘call’, I mean on a PR level, like stir things up and make it apparent that waiting ofr Helen to really call it is simply playing the game based on her strategy. Possibly naive, but jeez, this lot are appearing so wet that you could hang them out to dry!
September 10th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Getting back to O’Connor.
Can’t he just see the morality and ethics of what he has been involved in. Passing the problem off to cosgrove doesn’t remove him from the issue. It is his department that is being hounded over corruption. You don’t go off on holiday with one of the people being investigated irrespective as to who is carrying the can.
It is messy and he has an appalling lack of judgement if he thinks that any decent NZer sees it any other way.
It probably says a lot about his decision making and judgement on other issues within his portfolios.
As for the Parliamentary Rugby Team. Perhaps a misrepresentation of the facts. It seems that some involved are not parliamentarians. I guess it is a bit like Shane Howarths grandmother making him eleigble for Wales until someone checked him out and oh dear she wasn’t.
Congratulations on their performance though.
September 10th, 2007 at 11:43 am
“DPF – you don’t get away with inaccuracies just because you’re speaking in hyperbole. None of the community groups I’m involved with got any message from John Key on this issue.
[DPF: Sigh okay only to 500 head offices of known community groups]
”
Hold on there DPF, I think cathi is pulling your dangler – for starters lets hear what community groups she is involved with. My guess is she will have to quickly google a few to look credible.
September 10th, 2007 at 2:35 pm
The EFB has not got the highest profile. I have discussed it with people I work with and ALL of them are horrified when they hear of the extent that Labour wish to go to.
We need to do all we can to raise the profile of this legislation among as many people as possible as soon as possible.
September 10th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
So, any ideas?