Helen Clark Ordered Rankin’s Sacking

Wednesday 9th May 2001 Richard Prebble Media Release -- Other

The ACT Party believes the real reason the Prime Minister is refusing to answer questions on the merger of WINZ and the Ministry of Social Policy - and other Ministers are covering up for her - is because it’s the Prime Minister who ordered that Mrs Rankin not be re-appointed.

“If the facts came out, it would show that this massive re-organisation, affecting thousands of civil servants, is a vindictive action just to dismiss one person,” ACT leader Richard Prebble said.

“We believe the Prime Minister is also reluctant to answer questions because it will show she did not act in good faith with respect to Mrs Rankin, as is required under Labour’s own employment laws” Mr Prebble said.

ACT on Monday wrote to the Employment Court seeking clarification of an in-chambers court ruling which Ministers have used as an excuse not to answer Opposition questions on the merger of WINZ and the Ministry of Social Policy.

“The reply from the registrar makes it clear that this was a private ruling of the court and applied only to Mrs CK Rankin and the State Services Commissioner. It was never intended to be made public,” Mr Prebble said.

“It’s clear from the court’s reply that the Prime Minister’s claim that she can’t give any details of her role, are incorrect.”

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>