The Press annoyed at being lied to

The Press devotes an article to how they were lied to by Tim Barnett.  It’s pretty black & white:

Asked on Tuesday about a tip to a reporter that he would announce the following day that he would no longer stand in Christchurch Central, Barnett had said there was no truth to the claim.

“I’m intending to stand. I haven’t actually been nominated yet, but I’m intending to stand,” he said then. Confronted with his denial on Tuesday of plans not to stand again, Barnett said he had been trying to protect his electorate staff from hearing the news through the media.

“The first people I’m going to tell are going to be those people who have worked long and hard for me in the electorate,” he said.

First of all I doubt his staff were surprised.  It has been widely speculated for a year or so that Tim would stand down.  You never lie to the media – you just sidestep.  Tim should have just said something like “If there is an announcement tomorrow, then I’m not going to make it today” or “I’m not going to engage in speculation”.

But even worse, Tim goes on to say:

Barnett said his reply might have been different if The Press “had a better relationship with (Labour’s) Christchurch MPs”.

Good God.  So you justify a lie on the grounds you don’t like the newspaper in question.

He denied he had lied because he was still considering staying on as a list MP.

When confronted with a transcript in which the journalist clearly asked about his plans to stand in Christchurch Central, he said: “OK, well, I mean, I answered it as though it was standing for Parliament again.”

And now it gets worse.  It wasn’t a lie – I just answered a different question to the one I was asked is the defence.

Tim’s normally much much smarter than this.   He’s let himself down.