To the National Party:
We note recent controversy concerning the donation of a substantial amount of money by Earl Hagaman and the subsequent awarding of the management contract for the Niue resort to his company. The $7.5 million award for improvements to the resort in the next year only heightens the murkiness of the arrangement. Clearly a strategy to deal with reputational risks is all important.
Can we repeat what Matthew Hooton said about the Minister responsible Murray McCully. If he organised a sausage sizzle for local hospice, he’d find a way to do it corruptly. He is a well known control freak and micro manager who has all but destroyed the quality of New Zealand’s aid program by insisting that aid to the Pacific follows commercial imperatives.
We are pleased that our advice concerning the handling of any scandal which hits the Government is still being followed. Any scandal should be responded to by claiming it is all Labour’s fault and/or Labour does it too. If this line is not available then Andrew Little’s handling should be criticised and presented as further evidence that he is struggling, even if his performance is perfectly adequate. We sense increasing despair and hostility amongst the public with National’s performance. As long as a perception can be created that changing support will have no effect then support for your party will remain, even if it is very soft.
We are also pleased at main stream media’s willingness to keep repeating our attack lines. Tracy Watkins, Claire Trevett, and Rodney Hide amongst others have criticised Little for not presenting any proof even though in most western democracies the timing of the donation and the awarding of the contract should have attracted an immediate investigation by the authorities. And the Government pollster is also following our instructions to the letter.
But the issue presents considerable risk and a public inquiry into the matter must be avoided at all costs. We have no faith that Murray McCully has not interfered in the process and are concerned at what a proper inquiry will establish.
Our invoice will follow in due course.
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress