It’s the putting right that counts

Danya Levy at Stuff reports:

Prime Minister John Key has admitted he initially mishandled suspicions of spying by Israeli backpackers, saying: “sometimes you don’t get it perfectly right in the first moment”.

This is what I said in my Herald column – Key doesn’t always get it right, but he does have a very rare trait for Prime Ministers in that he will acknowledge when he could have done better. And that is why Kiwis like him.

However, Labour leader Phil Goff says Mr Key has got it wrong again – this time in his comments about the massacre in Norway – and has accused the prime minister of “mouthing off” without checking his facts first.

Oh this is crap. The mydeology blog has covered this issue well:

If you go to the Whitehouse, the comments by Obama and Key were:

OBAMA: I do want to also just make note — we were just discussing the fact that there has been a bombing in Oslo, Norway, as well as a shooting there.  We don’t have information yet, but I wanted to personally extend my condolences to the people of Norway.  And it’s a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring.  And so we have to work cooperatively together both on intelligence and in terms of prevention of these kinds of horrible attacks. 

I remember fondly my visit to Oslo and how warmly the people of Norway treated me.  And so our hearts go out to them, and we’ll provide any support we can to them as they investigate these occurrences.

KEY: Similarly, I echo your sympathies and concern for that situation in Norway.  If it is an act of global terrorism, I think what it shows is no country, large or small, is immune from that risk.  And that’s why New Zealand plays its part in Afghanistan as we try and join others like the United States in making the world a safer place.

Key clearly speaks conditionally. The whole thing is a beat up.

Also I would point out that an extreme Islamist group did claim responsibility for the attacks, before the gunman and bomber was identified.