Armstrong on Goff
John Armstrong writes:
You know it is a cold day in hell when Phil Goff declines an invitation to speak on the radio.
Few politicians more overtly hunger for media coverage than the Labour leader. So Goff’s no-show on yesterday’s Morning Report has to be seen as an admission that the Richard Worth affair has ended up biting him.
The week started with Key very much on the back foot, so it reminds us how apt that saying about how long a week is in politics is.
Goff essentially used Choudary as a vehicle to attack Key. That would have been fine had Choudary’s identity not become public. But it was inevitable it would. Goff’s case was undermined by the huge discrepancy between the image he painted of Choudary and the reality.
He intimated she was some low-level Labour Party member who had become confused and traumatised by Worth’s alleged advances. The actual person is highly active in the party with enough self-confidence to seek nomination to become a candidate for Parliament and tell Worth firmly where to go.
Armstrong is not the only journalist who thinks that Goff painted a misleading picture of Choudary.
It is that disjunction which belies Goff’s claim to have been “totally upfront”. Quite why he thought the gap between image and reality was not a problem will be severely taxing the minds of his colleagues.
And Key actually made a couple of stupid mistakes which should have allowed this to be a clear victory for Labour – but Goff blundered.
Meanwhile, questions have been mounting about why, if Goff was alarmed by Worth’s alleged behaviour, it took him so long to alert the Prime Minister to what Worth was doing.
Also why Choudary talked to Goff long before Choudary says the texts turned allegedly inappropriate.
None of this absolves Worth.
Absolutely. Even if it was a “honey trap” (and personally I am not convinced it was – mainly because it was so incompetently managed), one should know better than to fall for it.
A properly functioning democracy would see such allegations put in front of an independent inquiry post haste. That is where Goff should have focused his attention.
Well the allegation that Worth promised board appointments in exchange for a relationship is arguably a criminal act – the same sort of act that Taito Philip Field is in court for.
Goff and Choudary could take their allegations to the Police to have them fully investigated. The Police may be able to retrieve the deleted text messages.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Philin Goof is poked…
June 12th, 2009 at 10:12 am
It sounds as if a member of the Labour Party came to Goff for help and advice about inappropriate advances from an MP and his instant reaction was to ask “Now, how can I manipulate her for maximum political advantage?”
June 12th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Does anyone seriously think Goff wants all the texts to be made public?
June 12th, 2009 at 10:20 am
The good news is that John Armstrong gets it.
The bad news is that the vultures are circling above Phil Goff.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Worth may be able to claim Goff’s scalp instead of the other way round
June 12th, 2009 at 10:30 am
DPF, I agree that I don’t think this was a honey trap set up by Goff. However I have not ruled out that it might be a honey trap set up by Choudary. Maybe Anderson should ask
When was the first contacts between Choudary and Worth – specifics please
Who instigated these contacts and for what purpose
Did the instigator expect to exert some leverage over the other party (let’s say because of that persons high contacts within the legal profession including the judiciary) or was it that the instigator just wanted a leg-over
When did Worth become aware of the Choudary past and when did he become aware of the impending court case
How many contacts between Choudary and Worth were made prior to November and for what purpose
Was Goff fooled into becoming involved if Choudary became aware that things were not going as planned – a woman scorned/used etc
Is Goff a manipulative fool or is he just a fool
Let’s get the true facts out.
As usual Worth was a fool for getting involved with this and the loss of trust and confidence in him by the PM deserved his sacking and is the only reason the PM needs to give.
Worth cannot salvage his political reputation (he had continually undermined this in the past few years) but it is now time to salvage his personal reputation. To do this he needs to stop thinking like a lawyer and start thinking with some common sense. He should come clean and spell out exactly what occurred (an affidavit would be nice answering the questions above) and he should acknowledge he was a fool. And he should resign from Parliament. A sad end to someone who could have offered so much but let his ego and libido get in the way.
DPF, I am looking forward to your timeline.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Philin Goof is poked…
Has anybody poked Phil Goff on Facebook recently?
June 12th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Poor Goff
If he talks it is part of a conspiracy to set up a “honey pot” and trap Worth, although it is clear that Worth was going to trap himself without any help.
If he does not talk it is further evidence of some sort of conspiracy.
So he is damned if he does and damned if he does not.
I wish the same effort was put into ascertaining the truth about Worth’s behaviour.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:58 am
I love this, Fool Goff has scored one of the most spectacular own goals in political history.
June 12th, 2009 at 10:59 am
So you’d happily give money to Choudry for her to act as your immigration agent mickey?
June 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
or perhaps you couldl wish that the same effort was put into ascertaining the truth about Phillip Field’s behaviour before the 2005 election? Spare us your faux outrage please.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Even the EPMU & Labour party Standard has gone all silent on the Worth affair.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:08 am
“Even the EPMU & Labour party Standard has gone all silent on the Worth affair.”
Labour’s heavies are leaving Goff to face the music. I have sympathy for Goff but the rest of the male Labour front bench are acting with all the intelligence and finesse of a Springbok forward pack.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Mickey, the damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t scenario is just what Key faced when the Worth business flared up initially (by this I mean when the Korean woman’s complaint first surfaced).
Everyone wanted Key to make statements and take a position immediately, a week was too long for him to be allowed to take stock, why did he take so long, he must be sexist, he’s slippery John etc etc.
Goff is now experiencing the spotlight on him, and this is going to be a litmus test. He dished it out, can he take it back?
The hounds have got the scent Mickey, will Goff go to ground or stand and face the pack?
June 12th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Mickey is right, bugger all effort was put into chasing Worth. He was on a minimum of evidence dumped without a second thought. Goof however is going to stand by his woman regardless of what comes out about her.
You don’t actually understand irony at all do you mickey.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:15 am
BB
“Even the EPMU & Labour party Standard has gone all silent on the Worth affair.”
Have a look at this
http://www.thestandard.org.nz/media-irresponsible-to-name-her/
And a further 80 comments …
You guys ought to be thankful that this has taken the spotlight off Melissa Lee. Or is that the intention?
June 12th, 2009 at 11:21 am
micky – it is precisely because of dodgy “immigration agents” such as the Choudarys that the former government made the decision to require their licensing. I worked as an Immigration Consultant for a period in the late 1990′s, and I saw and heard some horror stories.
As far as Worth’s behaviour towards Mrs Choudary goes, it is looking more exemplary by the day – especially now that the “see-through sari” myth has been debunked. That’s not to say that Worth has not been guilty of gross stupidity, which he clearly has. And as far as Goff goes, he deserves all the scorn that is being poured on him. After all, he is the one making allegations against Richard Worth which he (Goff) has been unable to substantiate. He must be glad that the Mt Albert by-election is tomorrow, and not next week, such is the rate at which his chooks are coming home to roost.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:23 am
A transcript of a telephone conversation between a “strikingly good-looking Indian lady” and a Worthless MP has emerged in which can clearly be heard the breathless words: “I got the prick!”
June 12th, 2009 at 11:27 am
micky – who really cares about Mt albert by-election? It is the safest Labour seat in the country and will be for foreseeable future. Labour will get Shearer into Parliament where he will be neutered by the party apparatus about the same time they roll Goff.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Micky – as Brian Smaller said, who cares about the by-election.
It will be great sport having a new Labour MP onboard, who is on record as saying that crime is caused by recent immigrants, especially Pacific Islanders etc. Those brain-dead quotes are going to come back to haunt Shearer and the Labour Party!
June 12th, 2009 at 11:40 am
I still regard this as a victory for Labour. Sure Goff comes out of this looking the right prat – but only to those within the beltway. the real damage to Key’s previously untarnished reputation has been done well before that, and to a much wider public audience. It had all become a tired and outdated storm in a teacup – those beyond the beltway had moved on – by the time Goff’s general idiocy became exposed. that’s my feeling based on real life encounters, but I guess the public polling will provide a better picture on this…
And even if Goff does come across more widely as the absolute dickhead in this sorry saga, it must be remembered in the greater general strategy that he is a temporary leader until someone else steps up that can carry an election (Goff could not even before this debacle). So, Goff ends Key’s honeymoon in whatever way possible, steps aside (or more likely is rolled) in order to promote someone who is perceived as untarnished by Labour’s past dodgy politics – still a Labour victory…
victory in the strategic sense, I hasten to add, not the ethical or moral one…
June 12th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I should also add that I think that the damage done to Key is grossly unwarranted – but that is the nature of Labour politicking, where the ends justify any means…
June 12th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Sam, I think most “beyond the beltway” moved on about the point Worth was sacked…this has all been an exercise in political point-scoring beyond that , with most of the country talking about aircraft falling out of the sky, David Bain and swine flu.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Sam,
You’re dreaming.
The picture that has been coming out through the media over the last few days has been that this is an orchestrated honey-trap gone wrong.
Look at the recent TV3 coverage for goodness sake. Listen to talkback.
June 12th, 2009 at 11:52 am
George – I’d say slightly after – given this is key’s first real ‘perceived’ error (given Guyon’s ambush), and you know how we kiwis love to tear down the tall poppy…
tk – in that case my second paragraph still applies, although I doubt that either talkback or tv3′s reporting accurately describes the more general buy-in to the situation…
June 12th, 2009 at 11:57 am
…or more importantly, changes that all important first impression
June 12th, 2009 at 11:58 am
“micky – who really cares about Mt albert by-election?”
I do – shearer will bring some good strong centre right beliefs to the house
June 12th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
“shearer will bring some good strong centre right beliefs to the house”
Heh – perhaps we could swap him for John Key then
June 12th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Sweet.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
“So, Goff ends Key’s honeymoon in whatever way possible, steps aside (or more likely is rolled) in order to promote someone who is perceived as untarnished by Labour’s past dodgy politics”
Sam, it will be a cold day in hell before they find such a person in the Labour party.
June 12th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Memo to Mr Goff.
You SEND in a stalking horse, you don’t RIDE it in!!
June 12th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I wish the same effort was put into ascertaining the truth about Worth’s behaviour.
I wish someone would find out if Worth actually offered Choudary a job at that first cafe meeting. Perhaps that may shed light on that truth.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
This has now become a real political fight between John Key and Phil Goff with Choudrey and Worth the pawns in this battle. I am a little concerned that the Prime Minister seems to want to move on but Goff is on the ropes over this and Key should move in for the Kill.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Murray M – note ‘perceived’ as opposed to actual…
tvb – in my view it is much to Key’s credit that he isn’t descending into the gutter. This is actually one of the reasons for his popularity – the fact that he gets on with business rather than indulging in cheap politicking…
June 12th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
DPF, picking up on your comments about Richard Worth at the very end …
If Richard Worth is found to have had an unwise involvement with Choudary and/or the as-yet-undisclosed Korean woman then I think he has quite rightly been stood down as a Minister and kicked back to the back-benches. And I suspect he is facing far more hostile punishment from Mrs Worth.
If Richard Worth is found to have promised Government appointments and baubles in return for those unwise relationships then he should be kicked out of the National caucus and Police should be encouraged to lay formal charges.
June 12th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Poor Phil Goof.
Cunliffe and Street must be revelling in it – couldn’t have timed it better if they tried – will keep.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Fillin Goof is going to be on Radio Live after 2pm – should be interesting.
Trevor Mallard – noticed you had commented on another thread so you’re obviously hanging around. Any comments on your mate, or have you got a BBQ date on the weekend???
June 12th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
shady – Mallard’s going to be BBQ’ing all those chickens of Phil Goff’s that have come home to roost in the last few days
June 12th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
They say being in government compromises you, but I wonder if David Farrar has any real idea the damage he is doing to his own reputation in regurgitating the misogynystic nonsense that he is?
June 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
tvb – nah, I reckon JK needs to give him just enough time to stagger to his feet before Taito’s Thailer hits him square in the chops…
June 12th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Tom, Napoleon once said “Never interrupt an opponent when he is making a mistake.”
The actions of Farrar and his Ilk in the last few days is reminding everyone of the real nature of the Right. They are not a nice bunch.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Tom, Sonic, I think you’ll find your mate Phil isn’t looking so hot right now. I’ll give you that some on here are way over the top, but then the stranded isn’t exactly known for reasoned rhetoric in the comment section either.
I’m not sure what it is in what DPF has said that you find to be misogynistic. Perhaps you could enlighten us. So far as I can tell at the moment the definition from the left is “any questioning of someone who happens to be female, even if they are making quite serious allegations and their evidence doesn’t really stack up.” Where I thought the definition of misogynistic was “hatred (or contempt) of women or girls.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny
Not sure where DPF is hating women or girls in general. He is questioning the evidence and statements made by one particular person, who happens to be a women. I’m not sure that is evidence at all that he hates women in general.
Of course, I’m now in the situation of wrestling a pig in mud, right? And you’re enjoying it, right?
June 12th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Tom, Sonic, i think DPF’s audience a) don’t consider ourselves to be misogynistic (BTW – you should look up the definition, you’re actually incorrect in your usage) and b) are supportive in general of DPF’s viewpoints – that’s why we’re here. I don’t see how it can be damaging to his reputation to maintain his points of view. In other words I think DPF has a better grasp of this reality than you do, the people who read his comments are either a) already of a similar viewpoint or b) lefty trolls. The lefty trolls already have their minds made up, they just come here because they’re dissatisfied with the blogs of their own side. To be fair I nearly followed a link to the standard-standard someone posted (think it was Mickey) but stopped myself in time as I don’t want to give them the benefit of my traffic. It is one of the things that stands Kiwiblog above the rest, that DPF lets anyone comment within pretty open guidelines. It is also how he makes a living out of the blog, since he gets high traffic volumes which increases his advertising revenue
(check out http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/0903/March09_ScoopRatecard_web.pdf )
I was tempted not to point out to you the irony that lefty trolls are supporting Kiwiblog, but then I also like to point out how stupid you are.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I really would love to see Goff and Mallard arm wrestle.
Think Mallard would get his retaliation in first, by jumping him from behind however.
Oh hang on a minute………….!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Methinks its time to convene the Citizens Committee for Truth and Retribution with of course GD in the Chair and to summon Mr Goff and Mrs Choudray to appear before said Committee and on pain of death tell what they knew and when they knew it.
After all those would have governed ( Mr Goff) and those who sought to govern ( Mrs Choudray owe a duty to the citizens to explain their actions Again on pain of death
June 12th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
At this point in time I am just lost in admiration of our friend RightNow. Who needs Archimedes when RightNow can describe a circle so perfectly??
June 12th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Isn’t Phil Goff a Goof. A loud goof the other day but a silent goof today – apart from the sound of sucking eggs. Where’s Trevor Mallard, he hasn’t commented here today, Is he off buying some more eggs? Or is he busy buying chickens to get some eggs laid for later and intends to use the chickens for the BBQ. Or is he busy doing a Tau Henare on Goff?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Right Now, on a day when David’s best chum has a post entitled, “Mrs Choudary may have been pimped out by Mr Goff.” you think the moral high ground lies on your side?
Paul, I think the above answers your question as well.
How much lower can you guys go?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
>>They say being in government compromises you, but I wonder if David Farrar has any real idea the damage he is doing to his own reputation in regurgitating the misogynystic nonsense that he is?
Ummm hello
Does the name Christine Rankin ring any bells?
Or do you leftist dipshits think the public has a memory of no more than three weeks?
June 12th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
sonic. You personally attacked DPF as by misogynistic. As evidence, you are pointing to something WhaleOil did. Leaving aside that what Whale actually did still doesn’t meet the definition of misogynistic.
How about you try answering the question asked instead of diverting onto another topic. You called DPF misogynistic, what exactly is it that he did that you think is misogynistic, and why do you think that meets the definition of the word? Or, you could just admit you were wrong and apologise. I’m sure DPF will be gracious.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Sonic, wake up and smell the coffee, you sound so self righteous….. You dont think you grubby little lefties wouldnt kick someone when they are down!!!!
Give me strength….
June 12th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Semmens – thanks for your admiration, not that I need it. In spite of being labelled misogynistic by you (as I am part of the Kiwiblog audience) I actually like women, in fact there are several that I love, including my wife and daughter. I get enough love and admiration from my family to neither need nor want your admiration or approval. I only like pointing out your inadequate logic.
sonic – lefty troll with no valid argument.
June 12th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
In response to a question put to him by a caller on Radiolive with Willie and John Tamahere at 2.56 pm this afternoon, the Hon. Phil Goff confirmed that at the time he advised his Labour party Indian friend Neelam Choudary to take someone along with her to her first ever meeting with Hon. Dr Richard Worth on 26 November 2008, he (Goff) knew “NOTHING” about the serious criminal charges her husband Kumar Akkineni Choudary was facing at the time, involving multiple immigration scams. (Kumar Choudary was convicted in the Auckland District Court just days later in the first week of December 2008 of “elaborate immigration scams” NZ Herald 8/12/08).
Consider the Time-line: Mr Goff says Neelam first met Dr Worth during the election campaign when he (Goff) was still a Minister and that it was Dr Worth who organised the meeting with Neelam Choudary on 26 November. Dr Worth was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs on 19 November 2009. New Ministers receive reports to the incoming government from their departments detailing vacant Board positions and some time later, after due consideration, set about processes to ensure that nominations are called for etc.
Is it really conceivable that Dr Worth was so desperate to get Mrs Choudary – a known “Labour party activist” – appointed as an Ethnic Affairs advisor as Mr Goff claims – that he arranged to have a meeting with her just days after he was appointed Minister – for this purpose? Mr Goff would have us believe that Dr Worth’s real agenda was to offer her a job for romantic favours.
But is it not possible that the first meeting between Neelam Choudary and Dr Worth was set up at HER request, rather than Dr Worth’s, to discuss matters relating to the immigration/passport scam charges her husband was facing in the Court?
Why exactly did Goff advise her to take someone with her if it was Dr Worth who initiated the meeting to merely discuss a Board position on offer? Mr Goff has failed to explain his elaborate involvement in the pre-meeting advice, the lengthy post-meeting monitoring, collating, cataloguing, collecting and compilation of multiple so-called sleazy phone texts from Dr Worth to his “strikingly attractive” Labour party friend.
Is it not reasonable for the New Zealand public to assume that Mrs Choudary may have sought advice from her friend Mr Goff (in his role as Minister) about the charges her husband faced and then been advised by him to see Dr Worth as he was the incoming Minister of Internal Affairs with responsibilities relating to passports, work visas etc (the subject of the criminal charges)? But of course we cannot take this view because Mr Goff says he knew “nothing about the plight of Mrs Choudary’s husband prior to the meeting on 26 November 2008.
Some are suggesting that in effect Goff was the “pimp” who set up the Choudary-Worth ‘relationship’ and milked the ‘scandal’ and claimed ‘sleaze phone texts’ for all they were worth. No such evidence has yet been put to the Prime Minister of “text sleaze”
Some say Dr Richard Worth is very unlikely to have been looking to make appointment to any Boards or appoint advisors at this early stage – having only just been appointed a Minister. He had only recently been briefed by the relevant Departments about such Board vacancies. For example, the Deputy Chief Censor’s position which expired on 28 September 2008 was notified to him in mid-November 2008 by way of a Report to the Incoming Minister by the Department of Internal Affairs. And no process has yet been completed re any reappointment or replacement of the incumbent Nicola McCully. Two positions on the Film and Literature Board of Review (president Ms Claudia Elliott and ordinary board member) expired on 31 March 2009 and no announcement has yet been made by the Minister’s Office.
Have Neelam Choudary and Phil Goff told the truth about the purpose of the first meeting between Dr Worth and Mrs Choudary? Dr Worth is saying nothing at present until the Police investigation is completed on another matter involving a woman.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Correction: Of course Dr Worth was appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs on 19 November 2008
June 12th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Worth is gone – resigned from Parliament – who is next on the list??
June 12th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I note that sonic has gone very quiet after his posting frenzy.
If I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, I’d say it is Friday arvo, he probably went to get a beer.
If I used history as a judge, I’d say he is following his usual modus operandi. Spread a bit of shit around, and then run as soon as you’re called on it. Only to turn up on another thread tomorrow or next week making the same allegations, and batting away any suggestion that we’ve already had this argument and he was flat out wrong. I guess it’s hard work being a troll.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Two posts over an hour is a “frenzy” fancy that!
I was waiting for one of you defend ““Mrs Choudary may have been pimped out by Mr Goff.” The silence speaks volumes
June 12th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
sonic. You were waiting for one of us to address a question you asked after I asked mine? How about we answer questions in the order they were asked.
Noting, of course, that my question relates to something that you personally said. You’re asking me to defend something that WhaleOil said – not sure why I’d want to do that.
June 12th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
useless speculation of the day:
Perhaps Worth, as an incoming Minister, became quickly aware of Choundry’s tawdry immigration-related dealings and sought to leverage his position, so to speak, in a number of tawdry ways…?
June 12th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
typical deflection tactics, firstly from Armstrong (No Suprises) and then DPF.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Got an opinion on it then Paul?
June 12th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Sonic. I’m not going to answer your question about Whale. If you’re interested, go ask him. Are you going to back up your allegation here that DPF has done something that could be defined as misogyny, are you going to continue to dissemble and deflect, or are you going to admit that you were wrong? It isn’t all that hard.
June 13th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Spot The Bullshit Competition – From Phil Goff’s appearance on Breakfast on 4 June:
This morning Labour leader Phil Goff told TV1’s Breakfast that he had approached John Key four to six weeks ago concerning what appeared to be a sex for favours approach Dr Worth had made to a Labour party member, half his age and married.
Mr Goff says the allegations were verifiable, and had emails and call logs of inappropriate communications, which included sordid holiday invitations and requests involving see-through clothing.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/worth-scandal-brings-goff-back-relevance-103291