Former National Party MP Marilyn Waring wrote in the introduction to The Hollow Men:
I must admit to a sense of anticipated despair about the treatment [the book] might receive… The focus may be on looking for and condemning the leakers as opposed to scrutinising an appallingly mendacious political campaign.
This has been precisely the approach the National Party have encouraged. Bill English was back for act ii last night. While he was doing his best to avoid answering questions about the involvement of shadowy spin doctors Crosby/Textor the Nat’s spin machine was flat out, desperately aiming to position National as the innocent victims of dastardly “computer hackers”.
The mainstream media seem only too happily led down this path, though you’ll remember that the Police eliminated the suggestion that an external computer hacker had breached Parliamentary computer security back in April – essentially confirming suspicions that this allegation was yet another diversion by National.
I doubt there are any within the National caucus who actually believe thier own spin. Hager has been as good as his word from last October: So little has changed in National under Key, he remarked, it’s ‘quite likely that my work over the next year will be watching the politics and trying to pick up the same threads again. I’m not sure yet but if i get the right sources and get some solid information that might be what i do.’
I wonder how long it’ll be before someone challenges Key’s assertion that he’s not using the same advisors as Brash did now that we know the truth. No doubt Key’s response is being frantically spun this very minute.
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