How to avoid answering questions

If anyone ever wants a guide as to how to avoid answering questions, have a look at this article where the Dominion Post puts 10 detailed questions to Helen Clark, and she avoids giving anything close to an answer to all 10 of them.

Ask her should the prcoedures be changes, and her response is not to answer the question but to say “Ministers take great care when considering and issuing directives”.

Ask her “Given Dr Ingram’s finding that Thai tiler Sunan Siriwan tiled Mr Field’s Samoa house for free while Mr Field was making ministerial representations on his behalf, should Mr Field ensure he is paid for the work?” and she responds “The Ingram report raised issues of judgment which are now being worked through with Mr Field.”

So the Prime Minister of New Zealand will not even say that one of her MPs should pay immigrants who are indebted to him, for work they perform.