Parker pays price of Clark's lack of political capital
Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at 9:59 AM | Permalink
Helen Clark's once legendry judgement seems to have deserted her. The strange claim by Clark yesterday following the second part of David Parker's two-part resignation that she would have asked for his resignation from all portfolios had he not offered it, is incompatible with her earlier comments to media that she supported him continuing in his ministerial role even though he had stood down as Attorney General.
Today's NZ Herald editorial notes Parker was a causality of Clark spending all her political capital on David Benson-Pope:
Through most of her premiership Helen Clark has been too ready to cast ministers to the wolves, often before any offence was established. She was beginning to display more strength, perhaps unwisely, in her refusal to sack David Benson-Pope over a misleading statement to Parliament. Mr Parker appears to have paid the price for the pressure she has felt from the Benson-Pope business and the prima facie case of election mis-spending, which the police have decided not to prosecute.
A sentiment echoed by NZ Herald columnist John Armstrong:
No-one is going to admit it, but Mr Parker is also the fall guy for Mr Benson-Pope's mistakes and Labour's blushes over election spending.
But the editorial goes further, stating that Clark made the wrong decision in both cases:
The Prime Minister has made the the wrong decision in both the Benson-Pope and Parker decisions. One minister deserved to go, the other did not. Mr Parker's resignation as Attorney-General was the suitable and sufficient penalty for his misdemeanour. As a young and "exceptionally able" person, the Government could not afford to lose him.
Parker trying to spin resignation by claiming threshold for behaviour now so high, no-one will want to become an MP. Bollocks.
More thoughts and links from David Farrar.
Today's NZ Herald editorial notes Parker was a causality of Clark spending all her political capital on David Benson-Pope:
Through most of her premiership Helen Clark has been too ready to cast ministers to the wolves, often before any offence was established. She was beginning to display more strength, perhaps unwisely, in her refusal to sack David Benson-Pope over a misleading statement to Parliament. Mr Parker appears to have paid the price for the pressure she has felt from the Benson-Pope business and the prima facie case of election mis-spending, which the police have decided not to prosecute.
A sentiment echoed by NZ Herald columnist John Armstrong:
No-one is going to admit it, but Mr Parker is also the fall guy for Mr Benson-Pope's mistakes and Labour's blushes over election spending.
But the editorial goes further, stating that Clark made the wrong decision in both cases:
The Prime Minister has made the the wrong decision in both the Benson-Pope and Parker decisions. One minister deserved to go, the other did not. Mr Parker's resignation as Attorney-General was the suitable and sufficient penalty for his misdemeanour. As a young and "exceptionally able" person, the Government could not afford to lose him.
Parker trying to spin resignation by claiming threshold for behaviour now so high, no-one will want to become an MP. Bollocks.
More thoughts and links from David Farrar.
