Worth stands down

Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, June 3rd, 2009 - 11 comments
Categories: spin - Tags:

Richard Worth has stood down for “personal reasons”. Of course he will have been pushed.

My guess is that the PM will say some nice things about him on the record while off the record Kevin Taylor will be making it very clear this is a decisive move from a strong Prime Minister who of course can’t tolerate the kind of behaviour but also won’t attack his ex-minister while he’s down (nice man that he is).

Doing it now the scandals have died down a bit ensures that the story get headlines for a day or two at most. Doing it back when the scandals were breaking would have left the media feeling like they had taken a scalp and given them the urge to gloat provide thorough analysis for a week or two.

Update: what a fiasco, it seems that Kevin hasn’t provided the off the record briefing. Or the media are refusing to run the OTR line in order to push Key to put it on the record. Here’s a tip boys, when your frontman is playing along with the “personal reasons” line someone has to give the gallery a “but inside sources say Worth was pushed” tip or you’ll look weak.

Update 2: Rumours of a police investigation are surfacing. I retract my advice. They are going to struggle to save face over this no matter what they do. How interesting.

11 comments on “Worth stands down ”

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  1. Jasper 1
    3 June 2009 at 10:01 am

    Yeah, no more Worth-less!

    Cam Calder next on the list.

    Right behind him: Stephen Franks.

    *shudder*

    It will be interesting to see how this is spinned amongst the MSM. I forsee a hindsight based post from Espiner soon.

  2. Tigger 2
    3 June 2009 at 10:06 am

    He’s only down as a Minister though, right, not out of Parliament.

    Interesting timing here – he resigns just as the whole ‘openness’ over expenses comes into play. Methinks Mr Worth may have some dodgy expenses that will look icky when they come to light – far better to be a lowly MP and not a Minister when that particular crap hits the fan…

  3. insider 3
    3 June 2009 at 10:11 am

    or he’s been caught playing away from home. Isn’t that the usual code for “personal reasons” and no further comment lines?

    • IrishBill 3.1
      3 June 2009 at 10:21 am

      Perhaps in the 70’s but you’d have to be spectacularly caught nowadays (bondage flick on youtube, something not quite legal) for that to be a sacking offense.

      Also I’ve not heard the slightest whisper of a scandal of that nature or cover-up. This is just a PR-controlled amputation.

      • gobsmacked 3.1.1
        3 June 2009 at 10:31 am

        If somebody resigns for “personal reasons”, that should mean because of family problems, ill health etc.

        I strongly believe that Ministers’ private lives are none of our business. But if they resign for political reasons, and hide it under a cloak of “personal reasons”, then they invite further scrutiny.

        Worse, they devalue the language. They make it harder for the next person who genuinely does have private and legitimate reasons to step down.

    • Pascal's bookie 3.2
      3 June 2009 at 10:23 am

      I dunno, it’s funny wording…

      Prime Minister John Key said Dr Worth’s ministerial responsibilities had been temporarily transferred to Maurice Williamson and he would permanently reallocate them in “the near future”.

      He said Dr Worth had advised him “of some private matters in respect of which he felt it appropriate that he should resign as a Minister.”

      “I will not be making further comment on the matters he has advised me about.”

      Key word, appropriate

      • RedLogix 3.2.1
        3 June 2009 at 11:06 am

        Interesting. Positively begs for some old fashioned dirt-digging. And sad/tragic at the same time. All those long years as faithful party carpet-bagger, he finally gets his butt into a Ministerial limo… and it only lasts six months.

        As you say PB, funny wording. Implies to my mind some new matter, or at least new information, that both Worth and Key are pretty keen to keep under wraps.

  4. Mr Magoo 4
    3 June 2009 at 10:13 am

    I totally agree, my bet is that he was already out. (before reading your post) Scratching the dodgy bugger when the scab was still raw would have caused problems.

    As per usual, the overly PR sensitive national party waited a while then sacked him.

    Most media wil likely play along and let him slide out quietly with little more than a mention.

  5. gingercrush 5
    3 June 2009 at 11:01 am

    National MP Richard Worth quit as a minister because of a criminal matter, Prime Minister John Key confirmed this morning, saying if he had not resigned he would have been sacked.

    • Jasper 5.1
      3 June 2009 at 11:02 am

      This just in GC

      POLICE STATEMENT ON ALLEGATION AGAINST AN MP
      New Zealand Police National News Release
      10:50am 3 June 2009
      http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release.html?id=5150
      ——————————————————————————————-

      An allegation has been made against a sitting member of Parliament. Wellington police are conducting a preliminary investigation into this matter.

      Ends

      • gobsmacked 5.1.1
        3 June 2009 at 11:05 am

        I hope some MP asks a simple question in the House:

        “Does the Prime Minister believe the police should investigate ‘personal matters’?”