National’s Todd Barclay problem

Written By: - Date published: 8:24 am, June 20th, 2017 - 113 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, bill english, john key, national, Politics, same old national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Generally National has in recent years been really disciplined.  There have only been occasional shows of born to rule behaviour and any indiscretions that have occurred have been dealt with quickly and tidied up.

One problem area for them though that has resurfaced involves young Todd Barclay and problems caused by his clear belief that he was a cut above the rest.

I described some of the background in this post:

Wee Todd has been involved in an employee dispute. This is not a good place for a National MP. Such is their contempt for workers rights that if they ever get involved in a dispute they always stuff it up. The combination of thinking that you are a cut above the rest and that employees should have no rights means that you make legal mistakes every time.

Long serving local Parliamentary Services staffer Glenys Dickson resigned about a month ago. I get the impression she was National’s version of many good people I know who work for MPs, who provide a contact point for ordinary people with problems concerning Government Departments and act as a local contact between people and MPs who are too busy and time constrained to do the face to face stuff. The work is really important. So many of the issues transcend politics and just require a competent and humane approach. People just want help.  Competence and understanding rather than ideology are important.

Dickson’s resignation has obviously caused something of a crisis in the local National Party.  Electorate chair Stuart Davie has resigned and has described his position as being untenable.  And a second staff member has also resigned.  National Party members believe that the matter deserves further investigation.

The cause of Dickson’s resignation or at least the last straw may be a secret recording.  And there may be major repercussions.  There is a police investigation under way into the allegation.  From the Herald:

A police spokesman would not confirm whether a complaint had been laid, saying he could not comment on individual cases.

But it is understood that at least two current or previous employees in Mr Barclay’s electorate office have been approached by police.

The police involvement is believed to be related to allegations that the first-term MP made a secret recording of a staff member.

What offence could the police be investigating?  Well secret recordings may breach Section 216B of the Crimes Act.  The section says:

… every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally intercepts any private communication by means of an interception device.”

At the time John Key was relaxed.  Again from the post:

And how has John Key responded to this allegation of lawless activity by one of his MPs?  He is relaxed.  Again from the Herald:

Prime Minister John Key backed Mr Barclay this week, saying that he had seen no evidence that he had done anything wrong.

Mr Key said he had spoken to the MP.

The police did investigate but were stymied in their investigation.  After promising to “cooperate fully” Todd lawyered up and said nothing.  How the English language can change dramatically … No charge was laid.

Unfortunately for National details have now become public about the efforts made to deal with issues surrounding Todd Barclay’s problem.  Melanie Reid at Newsroom has published this article.  Read it in full.  It is a cracker.

She interviewed Glennys Dickinson who has chosen to now speak out.  Clearly she has no doubt that the surreptitious bugging occurred, even though Barclay has denied it.  She described a strained relationship where Barclay used to regularly shout at her.

Problems for the Government posed by the contents of the article include:

  • Barclay denied to others that he had ever “tapped a phone” whereas it appears the bugging may have occurred by a different method, the use of a dictaphone.
  • There are texts from Bill English confirming that he knew about the bugging during the time of the police investigation.
  • A payout to Dickinson was made from the Prime Minister’s parliamentary budget.  The payout was larger than usual because of the breach of privacy.
  • John Key denied that he had been formally briefed even though the payment from his budget had been made.
  • A National Board member tried to persuade Dickinson to withdraw her complaint.

Some of the details are recorded in an unredacted Police document that Newsroom obtained.  You have to question why it was redacted for the original release.  This information should be released so that our democracy can function properly.

And you have to wonder why no search warrants were ever executed by the police.  Or why a prosecution based on what Bill English knew was not considered.

The Government will no doubt holding emergency meetings concerning these disclosures.  Often the cover up is more damaging than the original offence.

Updates (r0b):

https://twitter.com/MacFinlay/status/876910971100332032

https://twitter.com/DavidSlack/status/876888890480578563

113 comments on “National’s Todd Barclay problem ”

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  1. One Anonymous Bloke 1
    20 June 2017 at 8:40 am

    you have to wonder why no search warrants were ever executed by the police

    …especially when you consider that this was not just Dickson’s privacy that this centrist crim breached, but everyone else he recorded in her office.

    Is there time for National to replace the crim before the election?

    • dukeofurl 1.1
      20 June 2017 at 8:50 am

      Can a employment settlement from a Crown agency be done when there has been a crime committed ? Surely the police could have got hold of the details of the financial agreement.
      A private employer who has overstepped the mark from employment wrong doing to a breach of the crimes act might be able to pay money to make it go away, but the PMs office ?
      The waffle about ‘insufficent evidence’ when he hasnt been cooperating with the Police and is an MP is political dynamite

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 8:53 am

        Easy to say there’s no evidence when you refuse to look for any.

        The payout was to compensate Dickson, but what about all the other victims of Barclay’s offending?

        • Anne 1.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 10:27 am

          Easy to say there’s no evidence when you refuse to look for any.

          You have hit the nail on the head OAB.

          What happened to Glenys Dickson happened to me 25 years ago. In my case it went well beyond ‘eaves-dropping’. It began with a series of false accusations from a jealous person who wanted to get me into trouble. As time progressed it escalated into all out warfare by certain senior members of a well known government agency (the former Meteorological Service now called MetService Ltd) and eventually included some personnel on a Defence Force base. I approached the management of the Met. Service and the PSA – and several well placed government officials – for assistance. I got none. Finally I went to the Police. They interviewed me once but asked no pertinent questions. As far as I know they conducted no interviews of anyone.

          Because of the sensitive areas involved (one of the the chief protagonists was a former American ex-Marine) the story was shoveled with a large broom under a very large carpet. No compensation for me – not even an apology.

          I suspect its a story that has been repeated time and again in one form or another but if you don’t have the right contacts, then you receive no justice.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 11:16 am

            It’s coming clear that corruption is Modus Operandi for the upper echelons of our government service.

            Time we did something about that.

            • Stuart Munro 1.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2017 at 1:36 pm

              It would be very interesting to see an audit of Cabinet Club – with all those squillions in their slush fund they still buy off those they’ve oppressed with public money. So where did all that secret money go?

  2. adam 2
    20 June 2017 at 8:46 am

    This is what happens when groups like the sensible sentencing trust push their idiocy. They want to take us back to the dark ages in justice, where the rich and well to do pay their way out of trouble, whist the rest of us suckers get punished by the law to the utmost.

    People say we have two laws in this country, I think this case and pike river prove we do. One for rich pricks, and another for the rest of us.

    • infused 2.1
      20 June 2017 at 8:50 am

      The police could have pushed this if they wanted to. I bet this is a case of ‘can’t be fucked’.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 8:54 am

        Well you have to make excuses somehow, otherwise your cognitive dissonance won’t go away.

        • infused 2.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 9:00 am

          After dealing with police for a number of years, I know how fucking useless they are.

          • adam 2.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 9:07 am

            So the Tory line is – Under fund the police, then call them names. OK seems ideologically constant I suppose…

      • Robert Glennie 2.1.2
        20 June 2017 at 10:33 am

        Or – and just a thought – were subtly pressured into not doing so.

        If they can try wiretapping, subtly trying to pervert the course of justice is not beyond their ability either.

        A deft (few) payment/s to shut a few people up.

        It might be incidents like this that are why there do not seem to be formal impeachment laws for corrupt politicians on our books – it would mean their careers can be ended in ways other than outright handcuffs, retirement, death or losing an election.

        • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2.1
          20 June 2017 at 11:19 am

          It might be incidents like this that are why there do not seem to be formal impeachment laws for corrupt politicians on our books – it would mean their careers can be ended in ways other than outright handcuffs, retirement, death or losing an election.

          QFT

          Just how well will Key’s ‘Sir’ look when it’s taken off him because of the crimes he seems to have committed or colluded to cover up?

      • Anne 2.1.3
        20 June 2017 at 11:01 am

        The police could have pushed this if they wanted to. I bet this is a case of ‘can’t be fucked’.

        When it involves politics its more to do with the police running for cover.

        • adam 2.1.3.1
          20 June 2017 at 11:46 am

          Other wise the Tories will cut their funding again, or keep their wages below inflation. Oh wait, they already have kept their wages effectively frozen.

          • Anne 2.1.3.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 4:42 pm

            Spot on. And it’s not just the police who are/were running scared of this govt. Remember the former Director of the SIS, Warren Tucker supplied the oily one with highly confidential information (wrong info as it turned out) about Phil Goff. Cost Goff the 2011 election. It was at a time when Key and Slater were hand in glove.

      • b waghorn 2.1.4
        20 June 2017 at 12:21 pm

        I bet it was a case of a senior Nat friendly cop learning on the troops to not try to hard

  3. Tamati Tautuhi 3
    20 June 2017 at 8:53 am

    One rule for the rich one rule for the poor, got to get more of those darkies in the SERCO Jails especially the ones smoking joints and those little darkies stealing pinky bars from the 4 Squares ?

  4. mary_a 4
    20 June 2017 at 8:58 am

    To re elect this dark odious National government is to encourage corrupt and criminal activity, as this issue clearly demonstrates!

  5. ianmac 5
    20 June 2017 at 9:19 am

    English clearly lied. The documents are proof.
    Which journalist is willing to ask English if he lied?
    “You wrote this Mr English. You said this Mr English. Did you lie Mr English?”

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1
      20 June 2017 at 9:39 am

      Don’t even give him that much.

      “Why did you lie, Mr. English?”
      “You bore false witness and damaged the reputation of a woman you had worked with for seventeen years, Mr. English. Are you a low life coward much?”

      • marty mars 5.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 10:58 am

        How does lying fit wiith your values? What else have you lied about Prime Minister? Why did you try to cover up this?

        • Sacha 5.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 1:36 pm

          How many Hail Marys to soothe your soul this time, Billyboy?

          • mary_a 5.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 2:48 pm

            @ Sacha (5.1.1.1) … well he can confess his sins (and I’d say there are plenty of them, most against the people of NZ) anytime he likes. Then his soul will be cleansed and he can leave the confession box, as pure as the driven snow, ready and able to sin again!

            I say that with the greatest of respect to all the good decent Catholics out there and I believe there are many.

      • Robert Guyton 5.1.2
        20 June 2017 at 6:57 pm

        I know Glenys. She’s honest and true and was a fierce supporter and, I thought, close friend of Bill English when she was his staffer in Gore. This is appalling.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.2.1
          20 June 2017 at 7:15 pm

          Sociopaths don’t have friends: they have victims. Unless you can think of a charitable explanation for what Bill English has done.

  6. John 6
    20 June 2017 at 9:25 am

    One law for MP’s and one law for the rest of us. Wont matter to little Toddy as he is in a safe seat and has a job for life at the taxpayers expense. Protected by a rich and powerful party. It really stinks
    National MP’s have a history of this type of behaviour
    Shane Reti in the Northland By election as an example
    Alfred Ngaro as another and there are others but just can’t rememnber the detail. I’m sure a good journalist could list them all over the last nine years

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1
      20 June 2017 at 11:23 am

      National MP’s have a history of this type of behaviour

      And if we had the laws and a police force that didn’t cower and cover their crimes we’d be able to throw them in jail as they deserve.

      Wonder if the National Party would even survive it. As you say, such corruption seems to be modus operandi for them.

  7. Ad 7
    20 June 2017 at 9:26 am

    With a 13,500 majority Southland has him for multiple terms.

    Glwnys Dickson sounds like a true public servant. 17 years for Bill English. I’ve known a few staffers like that. They are like the real Social Welfare department of old. Awesome people irrespective of Party affiliation. She’s showing real courage speaking out like this.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1
      20 June 2017 at 9:41 am

      Oh, I don’t know about that. This criminal offending could and should cost Mr. Barclay his seat.

      He recorded constituents as well as employees, and how typical of the National Party that this is their focus: by compensating one victim they thought they could avoid their responsibility to all the others.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 7.2
      20 June 2017 at 9:52 am

      …on reflection it seems a bit churlish not to agree with your remarks about Glenys Dickson.

    • Cinny 7.3
      20 June 2017 at 10:43 am

      Brave lady who worked so hard supporting her local MP. Brave of her to come forward, especially after learning both herself and her family have been threatened as a result of what happened re Barclay.

      Good work Melaine Reid and Newsroom on your reporting. A very informative 30 min reveal

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/19/34825/the-politician-the-police-the-payout

    • greg 7.4
      20 June 2017 at 6:48 pm

      how does a little wanker like his Barclay creep get to wreak lives of decent people like
      Glwnys Dickson boy this government must go English has to resign .

  8. saveNZ 8
    20 June 2017 at 10:01 am

    First we have the Natz MP, saying they would rather be on the harbour, now it turns out other National MP’s just stand up their constituents….

    “Dickson, who has spoken for the first time since she resigned in February last year, told Newsroom that working with Barclay became problematic not long after he was elected at the end of 2014.
    “He shouted at me and other staff and blamed us for things that weren’t our fault. But it was mainly the way he dealt with other people, especially older constituents that upset me. He just didn’t seem to have time for them.”
    She says if Barclay cancelled engagements or was late to scheduled events he blamed it on things that didn’t ring true.
    “He would say, ‘oh Google isn’t working or I had a flat tyre’.”
    Dickson says the final straw for her came in November 2015. Barclay was supposed to attend the prizegiving ceremony at the Telford Agricultural institute in Balclutha but cancelled at the last minute.
    He was the guest of honour but had stayed in Queenstown where the previous evening he had been attending a function and according to people who were present, the MP was in good spirits.
    Later, Barclay reportedly told people he had been in hospital and had a medical certificate.”

    • dukeofurl 8.1
      20 June 2017 at 11:17 am

      ” the previous evening he had been attending a function and according to people who were present, the MP was in good spirits.” and got pissed!
      later told people he had been in hospital and had a medical certificate.”

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 11:26 am

        Yep, was thinking the same. If he was in hospital it probably would have been for alcohol poisoning.

        • dukeofurl 8.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 12:50 pm

          Or could be champagne for 2 in his hotel room afterwards ?

          • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 12:58 pm

            Well, I certainly wouldn’t put it past a National MP to try and fob off a hotel receipt as a medical certificate 😈

  9. Stuff The Politicians 9
    20 June 2017 at 10:01 am

    Barclay fits well in this lying Government.
    He will feel right at home.

  10. Bearded Git 10
    20 June 2017 at 10:19 am

    It is the video at the top here (best stuff is after 3 minutes) that means that Barclay has to resign:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93858209/government-gives-secret-payment-to-former-employee-glenys-dickson-over-secret-recording

    Bill English and John Key knew all about Barclay’s lies. They were complicit in trying to cover up the fact that Barclay had recorded Dickson but lied about this. They had to shut Dickson up hence the need for a large pay out to Dickson that came from the PM’s office no less.

    But then after 9 long years we all know that Key and English are proven liars.

  11. Adrian Thornton 11
    20 June 2017 at 10:24 am

    It’s great to get these occasional little reminders… that most National politicians have no moral compass, and lie with disconcerting ease.
    I notice too that Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman where public supporters of his reelection to his seat, and of course they would have been well aware of his crime and despicable treatment of faithful longtime National employees….but then I don’t think anyone would be surprised to see these two terrible people supporting the burgeoning career of another low life politician like themselves.

    • patricia bremner 11.1
      20 June 2017 at 3:40 pm

      Adrian, you are so right. That poor lady had no support except from Mr. Davie, who comes out as a genuine man.

  12. roy cartland 12
    20 June 2017 at 10:42 am

    Hard to feel sorry for any of them, they were quite happy to dismiss Dirty Politics, as that happened to others.

    • marty mars 12.1
      20 June 2017 at 11:05 am

      Yep. This is the gnat machine that is destroying this country isnt it? These are voters who keep them in power and allow them to continue their work of dismantling everything we hold dear, aren’t they?
      They persist in increasing homelessness, hopelessness, suicide rates, and inequality, don’t they?

  13. Draco T Bastard 13
    20 June 2017 at 11:11 am

    Everything I’m reading there indicates that the National Party, especially it’s head honchos, and Parliamentary Services all colluded in the cover up of a crime instead of having it prosecuted as needed.

    Those people who participated in this cover up now need to be prosecuted and thrown in jail.

    • dv 13.1
      20 June 2017 at 11:20 am

      Andrew Geddis is interesting on this
      https://www.pundit.co.nz/content/its-not-the-crime-its-the-coverup

      But having read and internalised those cautionary words, let’s then move on to note the Crimes Act 1961, s.116:

      116 Conspiring to defeat justice

      Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who conspires to obstruct, prevent, pervert, or defeat the course of justice in New Zealand or the course of justice in an overseas jurisdiction.

      And then let’s consider R v Dewar (HC Hamilton CRI-2005-019-3213, 21 June 2007) at [38]–[39]:

      An attempt to obstruct the course of justice may also occur where the defendant discourages a potential complainant from pursuing allegations of wrong-doing.

      And then let’s imagine this scenario: a gang member makes an complaint to the police that another gang member has stolen some of her property. One of the gang’s leaders then comes to the complainant’s home and tells her that her complaint makes the gang look bad, that it’s causing friction between the membership and that if the accused gets convicted and jailed it will hurt the gang in its future battles with rival gangs … so she might want to withdraw the complaint as it would be difficult for her and her family if she doesn’t.

      What do we think the police should do if they are made aware that such a conversation has taken place? And why does it change things if instead of a gang leader, we instead have a claim that a member of a political party board is involved?

      • reason 13.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 9:49 pm

        well made and relevant point dv ….. bound to be ignored by our Nact friendly media.

  14. Whispering Kate 14
    20 June 2017 at 11:21 am

    The police are as much to blame for this cover up – appeasing to the government and not doing their job. So they had their budget threatened if they proceeded – I have no idea if this happened but the Government have skin in the game for this sort of thing. The police for once should have stood up to them and called their bluff and done the job they were paid to do. Nobody seems to the have the moral fortitude and guts to do what is right these days and the police let themselves down when this sort of event happens.

    Recording people’s conversations without a warrant is a crime – the whole episode stinks.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.1
      20 June 2017 at 11:31 am

      Nobody seems to the have the moral fortitude and guts to do what is right these days and the police let themselves down when this sort of event happens.

      And the police wonder why nobody outside of the National Party trusts them.

      • marty mars 14.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 1:11 pm

        Rubbish. They are just people and they have all the foibles of people. You’d ring them in a second if you needed to.

        • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 1:24 pm

          Last time I rang them I considered it for 10 minutes first.
          Last time my car was broken into I didn’t contact them for a week and even then it was only because the insurance company insisted.
          When I was mugged the police got involved only because the hospital had a legal requirement to report the incident.

          I’ve had dealings with the police from both sides of the law and my first response isn’t to call the police.

          • McFlock 14.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 1:41 pm

            That’s a bit more extreme than most people, but it does highlight one problem with US policing that an ex-yank mate of mine reckons he sees emerging here: almost no interaction with the cops will improve your day.

            It used to be that a lot of the time, an interaction with the police would be after your day got shitty, but they might mitigate it in some way: catch the guy, give you a lift home, whatever.

            Now they’re unlikely to catch anyone, and in the case of traffic crashes they could well end up giving you a ticket, especially if you make a song and dance about it. Much better to keep any contact as brief as possible and get on with your day. Search and Rescue is about the only exception I can think of, and even then it’ll be local volunteers rather than the cops who find you most of the time.

            • marty mars 14.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2017 at 1:46 pm

              Could be a city issue. In the country we know them, play squash with them and in my role liase and natter to them often.

              • McFlock …
                20 June 2017 at 1:51 pm

                Well, for example a friend spun on some ice out in central Otago, called the towie but just reported it to the local station in case somebody saw the car in the ditch and a kerfuffle ensued. Just informed them out of courtesy. They did the driver for “failing to stay in correct lane”. When called on it being a bit of a dick move, the cop escalated it to “dangerous driving”. Lawyer managed to get it back down to original ticket, but it just left a really shitty taste in my friend’s mouth.

                • marty mars …
                  20 June 2017 at 2:00 pm

                  Tough one. No doubt some real shit cops out there – nevertheless more than gnats trust them as draco opined.

                  • McFlock …
                    20 June 2017 at 2:06 pm

                    Oh, definitely. Dealt with one or two good ‘uns professionally as well.

                    I think part of it is that the training encourages binary thinking (crime/no crime. Put incident in correct tick-box), and there’s such a pressure these days on building up the stats. The cop was probably quite chuffed he got a traffic activity sitting at the front desk.

                    The classic one I saw years ago was in downtown dunedin – there were two officers in the car, so while one did the ticket for running a red light, the other stopped half a dozen cars passing by and asked to see DLs. No ticket, just each driver dug out their license and was told to go on their way. Obviously the traffic enforcement numbers were down that month.

                    • weka …
                      20 June 2017 at 2:18 pm

                      I also live in the country. Police are involved in SAR and other non-crime emergencies. It makes a difference when you know they do shit like saving lives or finding bodies.

                      Have to say they seriously dropped the ball in Gore though, and that also needs looking at.

    • adam 14.2
      20 June 2017 at 11:53 am

      There is a difference between the police on the ground doing there job, and the Brass who make these political decisions. I think Whispering Kate this is a Brass/Management decision which stinks to high heaven, it can’t be put at the feet of the local police.

      Although I agree with Draco T Bastard that the decisions of police management, affect how we view the police overall. But we should remember there is a distinction.

      • Draco T Bastard 14.2.1
        20 June 2017 at 12:31 pm

        Those in the police management used to be on the streets/frontline as well. As such I believe we can treat this covering up of crime for politicians as just part of the police culture.

        Especially as it only seems to happen for National.

        • adam 14.2.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 1:42 pm

          I think a quite a few cops would like to see a big shake up at head office, and their political crap. Maybe if the next government has a spine, it would do that shake up.

          But yeah, not going to happen. So in the mean time, the police on the streets face repercussions of the doggy politics from on high.

      • Whispering Kate 14.2.2
        20 June 2017 at 2:06 pm

        I never said it was the police on the ground – its bloody obvious Adam that it is a “brass/management” decision from the heads of the police departments. The poor sod on the ground is way out of this area of “expertise” with Government.

        For brass/management It all comes down to considering your life-time pension when you retire and the loss of your retirement comfort, the probability of loss of job as these positions are government appointed. The days of the civil service separated from government and left to do their jobs is a far off dream. It will be very interesting what will come of all this – my musings on this – darned nothing – just business as usual.

    • mary_a 14.3
      20 June 2017 at 3:08 pm

      @ Whispering Kate (14) … Agree. This issue is bad.

      So if a likely crime(s) has been committed, will the police act on behalf of their corrupt masters Natz by turning a blind eye, or work for us the people, in arresting the culprits, bringing them to account?

      Surely the Governor General should be able to intervene if criminal activity by a government as well as a government agency (NZ Police) is suspected, particularly a deceitful PM, covering up and lying about his knowledge of who informed him of the secret recording and then retracting this statement, the same day, by suddenly remembering it was (none other than) Todd Barclay himself who told him! It’s this behaviour which is emerging as being as bad as, if not worse than the offence itself of secretly recording a staff member, without her knowledge or consent!

  15. Kevin 15
    20 June 2017 at 11:53 am

    For Mel Reid to get an un-redacted copy of the police files shows someone at police is not happy with the way this has been covered up.

    • dukeofurl 15.1
      20 June 2017 at 12:48 pm

      seems likely to be the former electorate branch Chairman who has done utu here and got the paperwork

      • Kevin 15.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 12:59 pm

        Good point. Looking forward to the demise of this little fucker.

      • weka 15.1.2
        20 June 2017 at 1:22 pm

        How would the Chairman have access to the unredacted files?

        • dukeofurl 15.1.2.1
          20 June 2017 at 1:37 pm

          he was part of the investigation , and the police had his phone for forensic analysis.
          The chair and the staff member seem to be working hand in hand, they likely have known each other for long period.
          Everybody cooperated with police except Todd Barclay

  16. mauī 16
    20 June 2017 at 1:26 pm

    I can’t recall who told me that my colleague was illicitly recording their staff in my old office.

    Nope, can’t recall.

    And the payout for it? Yeah we had to double dip into the PM’s special kitty to keep everyone happy, but I can’t recall who told me that either.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 16.1
      20 June 2017 at 1:40 pm

      From the Newsroom story linked in the OP:

      Dickson’s un-redacted police statement obtained by Newsroom reveals English told her Barclay had “recorded conversations” of her discussing Barclay. “Bill apparently told Todd he didn’t want to listen to this rubbish.”

      My bold.

      Looks like Double Dipton has been lying about his lies.

      • mickysavage 16.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 1:48 pm

        Wow so this would suggest Todd may have gone to Bill with the recordings and made him listen to them. Sounds logical. Bill would have been there as a senior figure.

        This is getting out of control for National. I almost feel sorry for Bill …

        • weka 16.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 3:09 pm

          I don’t. He sold out his old school conservative credibility a long time ago and chose the neoliberal dirty politics path. He’s been trying to play it both ways for a long time and now it’s crunch time. He deserves everything he’s about to get.

          • mickysavage 16.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 3:26 pm

            *almost* 😀

            • Carolyn_nth 16.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2017 at 3:30 pm

              Is it too soon to say, “Good afternoon PM Bennett”?

            • weka 16.1.1.1.1.2
              20 June 2017 at 5:55 pm

              😀

              The schadenfreude is strong on this one. I get tempted to feel sorry for them, then I think about the stress they’re experiencing compared to the stress they’ve been inflicting on many many others and I get over it.

          • Wensleydale 16.1.1.1.2
            20 June 2017 at 3:28 pm

            Perhaps he should phone Theresa May. They could commiserate together over their ailing fortunes and soon to be deceased careers.

      • WILD KATIPO 16.1.2
        20 June 2017 at 2:42 pm

        ‘ There are texts from Bill English confirming that he knew about the bugging during the time of the police investigation. ‘

        …………………………………………………………..

        This one caught my eye in particular, as Bill English was usually quite studious in keeping out of contentious issues ( by design as plan B if something happened to Key ? ) and in the background…

        Seems Bully Beef has already been caught up with three John Key era cover ups and fully backed those shady deals – Operation Burnham , Pike River and now this ….

        Meh . Hes a liar from away back… why am I kidding myself ?

        • WILD KATIPO 16.1.2.1
          20 June 2017 at 2:55 pm

          And now… we get the classic John Key , John Banks ‘ I cant recall, I cant remember’ line trotted out when caught in an indefensible position.

          Why be soft on these liars?

          Is it because they have become familiar faces that add some modicum of comfort – like the characters on Coronation Street ?

          These people are ruthless.

          They deserve no quarter or clemency for their lies.

    • dukeofurl 16.2
      20 June 2017 at 1:41 pm

      Watch some ‘fresh red meat’ be tossed out of the beehive to keep their base happy and divert attention away from this……

      well maybe not the red meat they had in mind Key and Groser using the GCSB for employment purposes. Its obvious to me Fletcher was put up to it by Key- that was part of the whole mantra of ‘having his own man’ in the job.

  17. Ovid 17
    20 June 2017 at 2:16 pm

    If this guy had been a list MP he would have been kicked to the curb like Aaron Gilmore in 2008. The thing is Clutha-Southland is probably the safest seat in the country for National and I’m surprised they didn’t just quietly deselect him for September.

  18. WILD KATIPO 18
    20 June 2017 at 3:01 pm

    The text that English sent on February 21 last year makes a statement of fact in response to a text from Davie who said Barclay had denied the taping allegations and asking English if it was true.

    English: “He left a dictaphone running that picked up all conversations in the office. Just the office end of phone conversations. The settlement was larger than normal because of the privacy breach.”

    Asked by Davie is that was the end of the matter, English texted: “Yes. He and Glenys bound by confidentially. Glenys settlement large to avoid potential legal action. Had to be part paid by prime minister’s budget. Everyone unhappy.”

    Audrey Young
    By: Audrey Young
    Political editor, NZ Herald
    6/20/2017

    • weka 18.1
      20 June 2017 at 3:06 pm

      You can’t sign away statutory rights, so I doubt the confidentiality agreement means much at this point.

      • WILD KATIPO 18.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 3:26 pm

        Good point and I wondered that myself. Principle being, that private company’s often have ‘ confidentiality agreements’ themselves… and that in no way supersedes the law unless directly in accordance with the law for some reason.

        • weka 18.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 3:35 pm

          I assume this is why Dickson was able to talk to Reid. National Party lawyers would have known this so they were relying on threats to Dickson and family to keep her shut up. She’s been incredibly brave in this I think, and principled.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1.1.1.1
            20 June 2017 at 7:46 pm

            Sorry to be cynical: I question how “principled” you can be to serve a man like Double Dipton for so many years.

            • weka 18.1.1.1.1.1
              20 June 2017 at 7:48 pm

              You think she’s doing this for revenge?

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                21 June 2017 at 7:35 am

                Loyalty to the National Party is hardly an admirable trait.

                Put it this way: has she contacted any of the other victims of Barclay’s crimes to inform them and allow them to decide whether to take the matter further? It doesn’t look like it, or why haven’t they been offered compensation too?

                She apparently took money in a settlement that involved a confidentiality agreement, knowing that a crime had been committed.

                Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that she elected to answer Newsroom’s questions, it’s just a bit early to be declaring her a saint.

      • mpledger 18.1.2
        21 June 2017 at 10:46 am

        If Barclay was bound by the confidentiality agreement then surely all his “no, I didn’t” comments broke confidentiality anyway,

  19. weka 19
    20 June 2017 at 3:05 pm

    Barclay lying again to the media this morning,

    https://t.co/DQJiye27Dg

  20. David Mac 20
    20 June 2017 at 3:05 pm

    Little will get a 20 second sound-bite to present his thoughts on this matter. 1 or 2 sentences, that’s about the attention span of Joe Public.

    How to reveal something sensational without being sensationalistic? There is a possible theme in: “This goes beyond fibbing, it’s illegal, criminal.” But how to shape it into a statement that plucks heartstrings, prompts people that voted for JK to consider ‘Gee, that is pretty bent Bill.

      • WILD KATIPO 20.1.1
        20 June 2017 at 3:33 pm

        Sheesh… all very honorable, courteous and full of integrity ,…

        However,… I prefer the ‘ Blood and Guts’ Paton approach to dealing with treacherous lying shitters. Take no prisoners and give them nothing , take them nowwheres… why do we have such a contrived ‘ decency ‘ among the NZ political circuit when people are literally dying, living on the streets and in cars and impoverished because of these lying born to rule scumsucking bastards ?!!?

        Why be soft on the pricks ?!!!

        Maybe its because a cooler head would say ‘ wait and see ‘…. I presume. Some wisdom in that I guess.

        • David Mac 20.1.1.1
          20 June 2017 at 3:55 pm

          Yeah WK, I think there’s some merit in your last line and Little’s approach at this stage. Best to avoid all potential egg on face. English and Barclay are squirming quite nicely all on their todds.

          Ta for the link weka, I’ve not seen the row of interviews before.

          I’m looking forward to Shane Jones’ smarmy rhetoric in the house again. He’d press…

          “I’ve written a letter to Mr English and I invite all new Zealanders to post him a similar one. I’ve requested he forward me the $20,000 he said he would give me back in 2007. Bill English obviously has both amnesia and a money-tree.”

        • Tamati Tautuhi 20.1.1.2
          21 June 2017 at 4:17 am

          Bill English and Todd Barclay were born to rule both had six silver spoons in their mouths at birth ?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 20.1.2
        20 June 2017 at 7:39 pm

        His appeal to personal responsibility will certainly induce cognitive dissonance in centrists, which can hardly be a bad thing 🙂

  21. Brigid 21
    20 June 2017 at 3:46 pm

    What I want to know is; are any of the opposition members going to do anything about this?

  22. Ad 22
    20 June 2017 at 5:22 pm

    The upcoming Lions Tour matches and Americas Cup racing should be enough to run the cover on this without English having to do anything.

  23. Tamati Tautuhi 23
    21 June 2017 at 4:15 am

    I trust there wasn’t any political interference in the Police Investigation especially after the Police behaviour in the the Nicky Hagar Investigation ?

  24. Tanz 24
    23 June 2017 at 9:00 pm

    No post about students from overseas working for Labour?…all gangbusters re Barclay…hmm….selective news.

    • Robert Guyton 24.1
      23 June 2017 at 9:07 pm

      That’s ’cause, Tanz, BARCLAY!!! What a fail for National! Us Lefties would be mugs to let the Barclay Debacle pass without a good poke, don’cha’think?
      Imagine it, a Labour MP, forced to resign in disgrace – you’d be in, boots and all, right??
      So, leave out the faux anguish, Tanzy. Your team just got wiped.

    • Ed 24.2
      23 June 2017 at 9:23 pm

      Troll

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