About
Contact
Advertise

Facebook
Twitter

August 10, 2005 2:47pm by David Farrar

The changing story

Dave at Big News has a wonderful post on the changing story of the motorcade. A must read.

Share this:

Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Reddit
WhatsApp
More

Pinterest
Print
Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading…

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Comment6

Uncategorised
Labour

Related Stories

I fell for it!
The Opening of Forest Charter School (Orewa)
TVNZ Cost Cutting

Comments (6)

Login to comment or vote

tim barclay

The Judges findings on this will be very interesting indeed, but I suspect there will be nothing about the PM in his ruling.
0 0
Report
August 10, 2005 5:56pm
Russell Brown

I know I’m up against it here, especially in this forum, but the story hasn’t changed nearly as much as Dave suggests. The decision on whether to try for the 4.50 flight: Clark and her press secretary. The decision on whether it was possible in the local conditions: local police. That’s what the court has heard.

And I’ve been astonished that no media organisation has asked even the most basic question about officer (and thus defendant) Simon Vincent’s vivid “smiling and enjoying the ride” evidence. Constable Vincent made his detailed (and rather helpful to his own case) observations of the PM’s mood and work habits via the rear-view mirror of his police car, in front of the PM’s car, travelling at (by his own admission) 130-180kmh. Assuming someone’s paying some heed to the two-second rule, that’s a distance between the cars of, say, 100m. So he’s not just a policeman, he’s bloody superman.

In retrospect, should Clark have called off the dash? Obviously. But if witness accounts of conduct of the motorcade are accurate (and they conflict with evidence from the officers in some respects), then the police officers in charge were risking the lives not only of members of the public but also of the Prime Minister – pretty much the opposite of their job. And Clark doesn’t seem the sort to knowingly risk her own life.

I agree with Tim: the judge’s comments will be very interesting, but he won’t bag Clark.

Cheers,
RB
0 0
Report
August 11, 2005 6:15am
Gooner

RB said:

“Constable Vincent made his detailed (and rather helpful to his own case) observations of the PM’s mood and work habits via the rear-view mirror of his police car, in front of the PM’s car, travelling at (by his own admission) 130-180kmh. Assuming someone’s paying some heed to the two-second rule, that’s a distance between the cars of, say, 100m. So he’s not just a policeman, he’s bloody superman.”

You’re not up against it with me on this point Russell. It sounded absurd to me too. Judges aren’t silly. That ‘evidence’ has to be open to criticism.
0 0
Report
August 11, 2005 10:19am
David Farrar

The PMs convoy does not heed the two second rule generally. In fact they design it so no car can get between the PM’s car and the other cars. I’ve been in the police car and they stay very close to the main car. Mind you at 170 km/hr I doubt many other cars are in danger of keeping up 🙂

I’ve never held the view that Clark has ultimate responsibility. I just object to the fact that she has not once lifted a finger to support the drivers who were working for her. And that she keeps claiming she had no idea about the speed which is patently impossible.

WHat should have happened is the Officers were reprimanded (not charged), the guidelines changed for future, and all involved apologise. Then end of story.
0 0
Report
August 11, 2005 10:39am
anon

Russell, One of the allegations made was that the vehicles were following too close, ie less than the 2-second rule…

A highway patrol officer passed by the motorcade testified that “The speed was such that it didn’t worry me… my only concern was they were probably travelling too close for the speed of the vehicles.”

He estimated there was no more than five metres between them.

from the timaru Herald
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/0,2106,3373795a6010,00.html

But I think the media are only running this trial as “news” for a giggle. Does anyone really care anymore

About the only good thing to come out of the case, is that DPS and the police now actually have some rules and procedures for this type of event, It seems it had all been very ad-hoc before.
0 0
Report
August 11, 2005 10:44am
Craig Ranapia

Well, what really pisses me off is the idea that “New Zealand’s first citizen” is above the law because s/he can’t possibly be late for an appointment. Just try running that defence when you put your foot to the floor because you don’t want to be late to work and watch the sympathy flow. It would get zero sympathy from a cop on traffic duty, and even less from a court.

Apropos of nothing, perhaps anyone who wants to treat the speed issue as irrelevant might like to disclose how many funerals they’ve been to for the victims of speed related car accidents.

Never mind. When a Ministerial driver kills someone, perhaps we’ll all give a shit then.
0 0
Report
August 11, 2005 11:11am

« The bigotry of Christian Heritage

Economic Trouble Ahead? »

Donations

You can now donate to Kiwiblog

Exclusive content from DPF on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Never miss a post

Email Address

Join 13K other subscribers

Highlights

Target achieved II
Good progress on attendance
Health Target 5 – elective treatments
Health Target 4 – Specialist appointments

Top Stories

General Debate 03 June 2026
Another British policing scandal
A win for democracy
General Debate 04 June 2026
Democrat says lock up the Jews
Meet the Greens - ACC
$600k on a website for a building!
General Debate 02 June 2026
Of course GP wait times will skyrocket under Labour
Set housing outcomes not outputs

Recent Posts

General Debate 04 June 2026 4 June 2026
Meet the Greens – ACC 4 June 2026
Democrat says lock up the Jews 3 June 2026
Another British policing scandal 3 June 2026
General Debate 03 June 2026 3 June 2026
A win for democracy 3 June 2026
$600k on a website for a building! 2 June 2026
Set housing outcomes not outputs 2 June 2026
General Debate 02 June 2026 2 June 2026
Of course GP wait times will skyrocket under Labour 2 June 2026
Which language should be used first? 1 June 2026
The SNP thief 1 June 2026

Recent Comments

General Debate 04 June 2026
waikatosinger
General Debate 04 June 2026
Ghost
$600k on a website for a building!
Jethrod
Meet the Greens – ACC
Ghost
General Debate 04 June 2026
Ghost
Meet the Greens – ACC
pdm
General Debate 04 June 2026
RoboRob
General Debate 04 June 2026
RoboRob
Meet the Greens – ACC
anonymouse
Meet the Greens – ACC
Taieri
Meet the Greens – ACC
Grizz
General Debate 04 June 2026
RoboRob
Meet the Greens – ACC
RoboRob
Democrat says lock up the Jews
Bullion
Meet the Greens – ACC
Boy Geoff

Links

"The principal view of human laws is, or ought always to be, to explain, protect, and enforce such rights as are absolute, which in themselves are few and simple."
Not PC
It Is Not Often I Look At Emmerson’s Cartoons.
No Minister
My Opening Statement for the UATX Caplan-Jones Immigration Rematch
Utopia
Woman of the day
Hompaddock
The irony of El Niño peaking over NZ as Government kills Ministry of Environment and does secret deals with Big Polluters
The Daily Blog
Open Mike 04/06/2026
The Standard
Playing with numbers.
Kiwipolitico
A lot of fuss about a simple Bill – its purpose (to make English an official language) is spelled out in 22 words
Point of Order
A crime
No Right Turn
Another non-tariff barrier
Offsetting Behaviour
Rugby Premiership Predictions for Round 18
Stats Chat
Budget 2026
NZCPR
UK Conversion Therapy Ban, Digital ID, Rallies, Elections
Bob McCoskrie's McBlog
A central banker’s fiction
Croaking Cassandra
THE WORKING FROM HOME RACKET BY PUBLIC SERVANTS
No Punches Pulled (Bob Jones)
Tory Whanau may have to sell Wellington mayoralty to make ends meet
The Civilian
The Accidental Engagement
Imperator Fish
Legal Beagle: Election '23: The Special Votes
Public Address
Get Vaccinated Tomorrow Or Shut Your Pie Hole
Cactus Kate
Making this movie might have been a mistake
Liam Hehir
Why I am retiring from political blogging
Kiwi FireWalker

[email protected]

PO Box 12270, Thorndon, Wellington 6144

Facebook
Twitter
FourSquare
Instagram
LinkedIn
Google+

© 2003-2026 David Farrar

Archives
Disclosure Statement
Editorial Policy
Privacy Policy
Complaints Policy
Comments Policy

Design by cre8d

%d