Thursday theorisin’

• Zetetic
• 15 years ago
• Categories: corruption, john key

Great quote from Gordon Campbell: “Faced with the dying embers of the Richard Worth scandal at his press conference John Key reached for gasoline”

By being secretive, Key has given members of the media a huge incentive to be the first to find out the secret and publish it. Journalists and media outlets get their kudos from their ability to break news. So now the race is on to be the first to get the scoop. Will it be one of the two TV titans, Espiner or Garner? Will it be an up and comer like former crime reporter Patrick Gower, who has a nose for these things? Will it be one of the old hands, Small, Watkins, or Young (not Armstrong obviously) showing that print media still has it? Or will it (shock, horror) be one of those bloody bloggers put the dino-media to shame. Everyone’s got a theory about Key’s secret:

• It was just immorality and Key doesn’t want to make that high standard public – Espiner
• Worth lied to Key (about what?) – Watkins
• It was Worth’s conduct (whatever that means) – Henry

and from around the ‘sphere:

• Worth refused to sign an affidavit declaring no wrongdoing.
• Worth had made dodgy appointments
• Worth had more undisclosed business interests
• Worth misused Parliamentary funds

Problem is none of those theories explain why Key won’t tell us now. Is there something deeper, something that would seriously damage Key? Some kind of blackmail? Or is Key just an arrogant, secretive dope? I may vote RAM but I’m no conspiracy theorist. I reckon he’s just an arrogant, secretive dope.

A few routes of inquiry for scoop-hunters:

• Why can’t Key tell us the watered-down version he told his cabinet and caucus?
• What appointments did Worth make as minister?
• What expenses did he claim?
• There are now at least 60 people who have at least the basic facts. Might one of them drop some hints?
• Did Worth have any more hidden business interests?