From Frogblog –
The Greens have been criticised by Prime Minister John Key, who said, ‘The Greens call for an inquiry on virtually anything.’
The remark prompted immediate calls from the Green Party for an inquiry, which would focus on why the Greens call for so many inquiries. According to a spokesperson for the Green Party it would focus on why the Greens insisted on holding the government to account and whether it was appropriate behaviour for an opposition party to oppose the government and inquire into its activities.
The Green Party announced it would convene a working group to determine the make-up of the inquiry committee, which would then report to the national executive before December. Once the gender-balanced committee was selected its first task would be to draft its terms of reference. Those would be ready sometime in the new year and the committee would report its draft by July.
The committee will not be headed by Paula Rebstock or Dame Margaret Bazley.
Sources within the Green Party predicted that the inquiry would probably be a whitewash, with its recommendations ignored. A subsequent inquiry into why the inquiry was ignored was likely. The Green Party would not approach Margaret Bazley or Paula Rebstock to lead the subsequent inquiry.
The statement by John Key prompting the inquiry was in response to the call for an inquiry into the police raid on Kim Dotcom’s mansion, which the High Court ruled illegal.
“It’s sort of the boy who cried wolf a few too many times I think,” Mr Key said, rejecting the request.
The Green Party has previously obtained inquiries into such matters as the ACC privacy breach, fracking, the Sky City Convention Centre deal, the wrongful release of striking workers’ details, SAS prison transfers, and the price of milk.
They were also considering an inquiry into whether the Prime Minister or any of his senior Cabinet Ministers were wolves, explaining, “every time the Green Party cries wolf it turns out there is one.”
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