Spin Slater Spin

mickysavage
10 years ago
Categories: Judith Collins, national, same old national, you couldn't make this shit up
Tags: cameron slater, maurice williamson, Oravida

Cameron Slater is having a tough time. There is that particular police investigation which is ongoing. I suspect that the Police will be keen to discover how Slater did come into possession of Matt Blomfield’s hard drive. And Judith Collins’ Ministerial career is under increasing pressure as more and more revelations about that private dinner are released.

You have to wonder about National’s normally slick handling of the media. Admitting that Collins’ office had asked for a briefing from MFAT before that private dinner the same day that it was confirmed that Oravida had given National a $30,000 gift just before Christmas last year only amplified the impression that something dodgy has been going on.

So Cameron Slater has come to the rescue by asking questions about the actions of Labour’s Ross Robertson. Collins was reported in this morning’s Herald as claiming that representations by MPs to Ministers on police matters are not unusual. She refers to an incident where Robertson mentioned to her that his daughter who is a Police Officer and an aspiring Olympic ~~writer~~ runner wanted leave so that she could train more. The approach seems completely innocent.

But Slater in typical style is going to town on the issue. As at the time of writing he has posted two posts on the story and says that more are in the pipeline.

For Cameron’s information this is why trying to suggest that the two incidents are comparable is complete and utter bollocks:

Maurice Williamson at the time that he was a Minister of the Crown asked the police to review the prosecution of a person who was not a constituent and who was a large donor to the National Party.
Section 4.14 of the Cabinet Manual states “[f]ollowing a long-established principle, Ministers do not involve themselves in deciding whether a person should be prosecuted, or on what charge.”
Williamson was clearly in breach of this requirement and deserves to have been sacked.
By way of contrast Robertson merely asked about leave entitlements for his daughter who was a police officer. The context suggested that it was just an informal question.

All that I can ask of Cameron is that he keeps digging. Because he is so seriously off target on this one that his continued efforts will be hilarious to watch.

Update: And now Collins and Slater seem to be threatening a Journalist who allegedly spoke to her about a family member who may have been in trouble with the police. This is crazy not only because it will upset the media but because journalists are not Ministers of the Crown and not bound by the obligation not to interfere.

Update2: And it appears that Collins was talking about Katie Bradford. And it appears that John Key is not amused. According to TVOne:

Asked if it was appropriate for Ms Collins to name a Press Gallery member in this way, Mr Key said: “Well I think that would be the wrong place for her to be in if that’s the case and I’ll raise the matter with her.”

Mr Key says in his view the National Party has a good, constructive working relationship with the media.

“That’s also what’s important for ministers,” he added.

“I’ll make sure I remind every minister and every MP that’s the sort of relationship we want to have with the media.”

Mr Key said: “The media have got a job to do and we’ve got a job to do and that’s where it should start and finish.”