What was English up to with his Barclay text storm?

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, August 2nd, 2017 - 43 comments
Categories: bill english - Tags: , ,

WTF is this? Winston to PM: I know about your text messages to Todd Barclay staffer

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has accused the Prime Minister of sending hundreds of text messages to the woman who complained to police about National MP Todd Barclay.

“Why did he send over 450 text messages to Glenys Dickson, many early in the morning and late at night, in the 12 months before she resigned on 7 February 2016?” Peters asked.

English declined to comment, saying the matter was one for which he had no ministerial responsibility.

“If he had no responsibility as he says, why did he send Glenys Dickson 31 text messages in the days immediately before her resignation?” Peters asked.

“Why does he say he has nothing further to add, because Glenys Dickson received 22 text messages on the 6th of February, the day before she resigned. And a further 26 text messages in the six days after she resigned. Why didn’t he add that when the media asked him what he knew about it?”

English is in this mess up to his eyeballs.

Asked if he knew the contents of the text messages, Peters said “you will have to wait, won’t you”.

43 comments on “What was English up to with his Barclay text storm? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Paul Campbell 1
    2 August 2017 at 9:00 am

    It seems to me it’s quite obvious that texting at all hours he was trying to harass her into something like quitting, or maybe to get her to keep her mouth shut about Barclay’s behaviour

    Remember that just because Peters can’t ask the question in parliament doesn’t mean that journalists can’t ask the exact same question, and expect an answer, when sitting down with English in the run up to the election – go for it Paddy.

    • Gabby 1.1
      2 August 2017 at 11:00 am

      I’m sure he was urging her to hang in there, and that he knew where the Toddger lives and would sort the bugger out by having a chat with his mum’n’dad.

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    2 August 2017 at 9:03 am

    Swapping swede recipes? Yarning about sheep? Anguishing over their wayward love-child, Todd?

  3. The decrypter 3
    2 August 2017 at 9:08 am

    Must be something big. I notice that the tories have engineered Jacinda into the mix now,- as a distraction?

    • Marcus Morris 3.1
      2 August 2017 at 9:35 am

      Are you serious or a visitor from Kiwi Blog – they are claiming that the “left” is blaming MSM and the Tories for Andrew Little’s resignation – absolute hogwash of course and a denigration of Andrew Little’s undisputed integrity.

  4. Robert Guyton 4
    2 August 2017 at 9:11 am

    In any case, ask Simon Lusk.

  5. ianmac 5
    2 August 2017 at 9:13 am

    Maybe Bill was closer to Glenys than was thought. Oh dear.

  6. Cinny 6
    2 August 2017 at 9:15 am

    What was on the tapes Todd?

    Why exactly were you tapping Glynis?

    Todd you and I both know it wasn’t a staffing issue.

    Was their a senior female political figure involved? Was there? Tell us about it Todd…

    Bill why have you been lying and covering it up, bullying and trying to silence media? Paying hush money… mhmm we both know it’s a major scandal, and after a good month in the media it’s still not going away anytime soon. The public deserve to know the truth.

    Todd, you and I also both know that the reason why you were tapping Glynis and the contents of the tapes are far more shocking than making a secret recording.

    Looking forward to the public being able to learn more. And huge up’s to NZ1st for keeping on top of this.

    That’s a large volume of texts to be sending an ex staff member Bill, tried to hide it, but what a fail.

    NZ is a small place, did you really think you were all going to get away with it? Really?

  7. The decrypter 7
    2 August 2017 at 9:20 am

    Oh please do tell,- someone. As my hairdresser keeps saying to me.-I don’t repeat gossip, so listen carefully as i’ll only tell you once.

  8. Tamati Tautuhi 8
    2 August 2017 at 9:24 am

    Peculiar behaviour by a PM ?

  9. David Mac 9
    2 August 2017 at 10:22 am

    Listening to Bill English in the Hive over the last few weeks it seems telling the truth about the Barclay affair is outside Bill’s area of responsibility.

    • greywarshark 9.1
      2 August 2017 at 1:24 pm

      Please don’t start using ‘The Hive’ derogatorively? of just short for Beehive – it is now the name used by Scoop for their citizen driven focus group on important topics to us.

  10. ianmac 10
    2 August 2017 at 10:26 am

    Knowing Winston and watching Bill’s response to his questions I would suspect that there will be more to come. After all Winston can ask the questions with the facts exposed and though Bill can avoid answering, the Pandora box is open. Must look for Question Time today.

    • David Mac 10.1
      2 August 2017 at 10:31 am

      I think Bill will continue dancing on the head of a pin. “I have no parliamentary responsibility” etc. The fireworks stand a better chance of being ignited if the texts Winston has fall off the end of his desk and into the MSM’s pocket.

      • ianmac 10.1.1
        2 August 2017 at 10:47 am

        But you do see that by asking the questions, and knowing that Bill won’t answer doesn’t matter? The facts are “out there.” Damage done and by not giving an innocent explanation just deepens the curiosity. Winston knows that.

        • David Mac 10.1.1.1
          2 August 2017 at 10:56 am

          Yes, creates stewing intrigue for the few that follow politics closely. For it to create cut through impact it’ll need to manifest into a few days of sensational headlines. I can see strategic value in Winston keeping that powder dry for now.

    • greywarshark 10.2
      2 August 2017 at 1:21 pm

      Ianmac
      Yes please let us know what is happening. Got to try to keep up with all this – like meercats.

  11. greywarshark 11
    2 August 2017 at 10:37 am

    beansprout wrote a good piece on this. Glenys had been in the Gore office for 17 years, so why should she be picked on like this? She must have had a close working relationship with Bill English over the years, and he must have thought she should ease the young ‘Turk’ into his old electorate.

    Beansprout mentions the tendency we NZrs have to be determined to get our own way, with passive violence which results in bullying, which incidentally the comment states, we are second in the list of nations studied for this unpleasant behaviour.

    Glenys Dickson was a very well respected employee, serving Parliament and MP Bill English as an electorate agent in Gore for 17 years. She was known to be principled and caring and did much to help those in the electorate, no matter what their political leanings or backgrounds. She was a strong supporter of the Blue Greens and cared deeply about the declining quality of the Mataura River.

    The fact that Glenys was subjected to shouting and regular dressing downs by the new MP shows extreme arrogance on his part and a lack of respect for someone who knew much more about the electorate that he was supposed to serve than he did. The secret taping of her conversations on a dictaphone was an illegal offence and should have resulted in a criminal conviction. Barclay abused his position as an MP by refusing to cooperate with the police which resulted in the case being closed through lack of evidence.

    Even after the large financial settlement, to buy Dickson’s confidentiality, she was still subjected to bullying from Barclay’s team. She relates in an interview that someone rang to warn her that she would not be welcome at Todd’s 2017 selection meeting. To ensure that she would stay away, the caller ended with a sinister reference to her son’s partner (a “pretty little thing”), implying a threat of harm.
    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2017/06/todd-barclay-exposes-national-party-as.html

    • Cinny 11.1
      2 August 2017 at 2:33 pm

      Glenys is a lovely lady, so well thought of in her local community that she is now an elected member of the Gore District Council. 3rd highest polling candidate I might add.

      What happened to her is freaking disgusting no matter which party one supports.

      $100k is a lot of money

      Media need to ask, what was on the tapes and why was Todd recording to start with, because it’s not just an ’employment dispute’.

  12. marty mars 12
    2 August 2017 at 11:02 am

    Lead item on radionz at 11.

    Bill is going down!

  13. Gabby 13
    2 August 2017 at 11:12 am

    Hard to imagine that misplaced money isn’t somewhere in this. Do wonder if there’s a direct Southland Trust shenanigans connexion.

  14. Psych nurse 14
    2 August 2017 at 12:32 pm

    Surely the Natz wont need new election billboards 6 weeks out from an election, please dont release Bill and Paula bombs at the same time.

  15. NZJester 15
    2 August 2017 at 1:42 pm

    How ever you look at what happened it is a bit of a crack into the hidden world of the infighting between different National Party factions. A world where money is used to hush things up to keep it out of the press normally.

  16. Gabby 16
    2 August 2017 at 1:57 pm

    No Toddger questions for Bingles today.

  17. Cemetery Jones 17
    3 August 2017 at 11:34 am

    So nobody’s putting their money on time-lapse dick pics documenting progress towards arousal?

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    The day after being sworn in the new cabinet met yesterday, to enjoy their honeymoon phase. You remember, that period after a new government takes power where the country, and the media, are optimistic about them, because they haven’t had a chance to stuff anything about yet.Sadly the nuptials complete ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • As Cabinet revs up, building plans go on hold
    Wellington Council hoardings proclaim its preparations for population growth, but around the country councils are putting things on hold in the absence of clear funding pathways for infrastructure, and despite exploding migrant numbers. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Cabinet meets in earnest today to consider the new Government’s 100-day ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • National takes over infrastructure
    Though New Zealand First may have had ambitions to run the infrastructure portfolios, National would seem to have ended up firmly in control of them.  POLITIK has obtained a private memo to members of Infrastructure NZ yesterday, which shows that the peak organisation for infrastructure sees  National MPs Chris ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • At a glance – Evidence for global warming
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Who’s Driving The Right-Wing Bus?
    Who’s At The Wheel? The electorate’s message, as aggregated in the polling booths on 14 October, turned out to be a conservative political agenda stronger than anything New Zealand has seen in five decades. In 1975, Bill Rowling was run over by just one bus, with Rob Muldoon at the wheel. In ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Sanity break
    Cheers to reader Deane for this quote from Breakfast TV today:Chloe Swarbrick to Brook van Velden re the coalition agreement: “... an unhinged grab-bag of hot takes from your drunk uncle at Christmas”Cheers also to actual Prime Minister of a country Christopher Luxon for dorking up his swearing-in vows.But that's enough ...
    More than a fieldingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • National’s murderous smoking policy
    One of the big underlying problems in our political system is the prevalence of short-term thinking, most usually seen in the periodic massive infrastructure failures at a local government level caused by them skimping on maintenance to Keep Rates Low. But the new government has given us a new example, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • NZ has a chance to rise again as our new government gets spending under control
    New Zealand has  a chance  to  rise  again. Under the  previous  government, the  number of New Zealanders below the poverty line was increasing  year by year. The Luxon-led government  must reverse that trend – and set about stabilising  the  pillars  of the economy. After the  mismanagement  of the outgoing government created   huge ...
    Point of OrderBy tutere44
    7 days ago

  • KARL DU FRESNE: Media and the new government
    Two articles by Karl du Fresne bring media coverage of the new government into considerations.  He writes –    Tuesday, November 28, 2023 The left-wing media needed a line of attack, and they found one The left-wing media pack wasted no time identifying the new government’s weakest point. Seething over ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • PHILIP CRUMP:  Team of rivals – a CEO approach to government leadership
    The work begins Philip Crump wrote this article ahead of the new government being sworn in yesterday – Later today the new National-led coalition government will be sworn in, and the hard work begins. At the core of government will be three men – each a leader ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Black Friday
    As everyone who watches television or is on the mailing list for any of our major stores will confirm, “Black Friday” has become the longest running commercial extravaganza and celebration in our history. Although its origins are obscure (presumably dreamt up by American salesmen a few years ago), it has ...
    Bryan GouldBy Bryan Gould
    7 days ago

  • In Defense of the Media.
    Yesterday the Ministers in the next government were sworn in by our Governor General. A day of tradition and ceremony, of decorum and respect. Usually.But yesterday Winston Peters, the incoming Deputy Prime Minister, and Foreign Minister, of our nation used it, as he did with the signing of the coalition ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Top 10 news links at 10 am for Tuesday, Nov 28
    Nicola Willis’ first move was ‘spilling the tea’ on what she called the ‘sobering’ state of the nation’s books, but she had better be able to back that up in the HYEFU. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of top 10 news links elsewhere at 10 am ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • PT use up but fare increases coming
    Yesterday Auckland Transport were celebrating, as the most recent Sunday was the busiest Sunday they’ve ever had. That’s a great outcome and I’m sure the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago

  • The very opposite of social investment
    Nicola Willis (in blue) at the signing of the coalition agreement, before being sworn in as both Finance Minister and Social Investment Minister. National’s plan to unwind anti-smoking measures will benefit her in the first role, but how does it stack up from a social investment viewpoint? Photo: Lynn Grieveson ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Giving Tuesday
    For the first time "in history" we decided to jump on the "Giving Tuesday" bandwagon in order to make you aware of the options you have to contribute to our work! Projects supported by Skeptical Science Inc. Skeptical Science Skeptical Science is an all-volunteer organization but ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Let's open the books with Nicotine Willis
    Let’s say it’s 1984,and there's a dreary little nation at the bottom of the Pacific whose name rhymes with New Zealand,and they've just had an election.Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, will you look at the state of these books we’ve opened,cries the incoming government, will you look at all this mountain ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago

  • Climate Change: Stopping oil
    National is promising to bring back offshore oil and gas drilling. Naturally, the Greens have organised a petition campaign to try and stop them. You should sign it - every little bit helps, and as the struggle over mining conservation land showed, even National can be deterred if enough people ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago

  • Don’t accept Human Rights Commission reading of data on Treaty partnership – read the survey fin...
    Wellington is braced for a “massive impact’ from the new government’s cutting public service jobs, The Post somewhat grimly reported today. Expectations of an economic and social jolt are based on the National-Act coalition agreement to cut public service numbers in each government agency in a cost-trimming exercise  “informed by” head ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Further humanitarian support for Gaza, the West Bank and Israel
    The Government is contributing a further $5 million to support the response to urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel, bringing New Zealand’s total contribution to the humanitarian response so far to $10 million. “New Zealand is deeply saddened by the loss of civilian life and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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