Bill English ignorance of law beggars belief
Andrew Little
Leader of the Opposition
MEDIA STATEMENT
23 June 2017
Bill English ignorance of law beggars belief
For Bill English to claim he and others in the National Party didn’t realise the law may have been broken in the Todd Barclay taping scandal is simply not credible, says Leader of the Opposition Andrew Little.
“The Prime Minister stated yesterday that no-one, including himself, thought that the secret taping of a staff member in Todd Barclay’s electorate office was a breach of the law.
“I find that outstanding for a seasoned politician not to understand something so fundamental.
“It’s also not the first taping debacle on National’s watch. It wasn’t that long ago when then Prime Minster John Key was wrestling with the tea cups taping affair which had taping of a private conversation at its heart.
“This is simply not the leadership New Zealanders expect from their Prime Minister.
“This week we have had Mr English’s memory lapse, his false claim to have approached the Police over the taping matter and now this embarrassing admission.
“National Party delegates at this weekend’s conference will no doubt have searching questions of the man they thought was a straight shooter from Southland.
“Today marks just three months to the election and voters will have a clear choice between a tired nine year old National government and a Labour team that will provide a fresh approach,” says Andrew Little.
ends