The State Services Commissioner is "not in a position to report" anything on the Telescum leak at this stage - not expecting a full report for at least a month. Helen is tight-lipped. But is she worried about the possibility of a mole operating right under her nose? "I expect that they will be quite apprehensive at this stage..."
Not a very exciting week at the Post-Cabinet Press Conference. Helen was asked what response she'll make to Judith Collins' letter of complaint over her comments on radio this morning about the whole powhiri affair. Helen: "None."
She's good at those one-liners.
The affair's turned into a bit of she-said-she-said, with Collins claiming that she was scalded for insisting on sitting at the front during a powhiri, while Clark says that Collins was being rebuked for being rude by chatting and turning her back while a haka was being performed to welcome her.
So was she being Rosa Parks, or just a bit of a punk?
At the press conference today, it was revealed that CYFS (who organised the visit), along with many other government departments, actually have standing orders from their respective ministers for women to be allowed to sit at the front at powhiri ceremonies. It's not a government-wide policy, but a matter for individual ministers, but apparently it's pretty widespread - something that snuck in after the whole Josie Bullock affair without anyone (outside of the civil services?) noticing.