Posts by Angus Robertson
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If Ian wants to be believed, David, he needs to start providing evidence, rather than publishing allegations, and assuming they're true.
He names his sources, if this is to be played out in the public arena these sources will be vilified. Who is going to participate in the tarring and feathering of the (potentially) next Louise Nicholas(s), because they happen to have been written up by Wishart?
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Robert
Somehow I doubt if they will. Key has been at pains to pull his party away from the right wing lunatic fringe and this strategy is starting to pay off big time personaly for him in the polls.
You might be right, but that still leaves Winston, Dunne, Turia and Hide who are not so good in the polls. Especially Hide who officially is trying to cull off some National and Winston votes.
Also National is unlikely to because like you say it does not need to - its polls are up. And for the practical reason that National members would likely be affected by a taint of corruption of the past 25 years as they were governing for several of them.
To misquote Che:
potentially sees [national] creating a rod with which to be whipped...
But even giving it to the small parties and hoping that nothing is found is a risk that does not need to be taken. Set a royal commission on a 2 or 3 year mandate for a full and total investigation of the facts (results after the election), National will likely aquiesce to this as well (see above) and it will be Labour driving it to Labours credit.
To misquote Che again (apologies):
it also costs hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars, makes people more suspicious, [takes a long time]
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Labour has been "dead in the water" as a result of Investigate exposes quite a few times now.
This is occuring as Labour is slipping in the polls and is a golden chance to be a statesman.
Investigate is anti-Labour, there isn't really a better and more convincing opportunity to be a statesman than to reach out to those who despise you. Look at Mr Key seeking & getting accomodation with Sue Bradford. Look at the polls before and after.
If there was corruption going on then Investigate has 25 years of dirt (less however many years National was in power) to trawl through. This has legs, should not be let to run. Stopping it by complying with Wisharts wish is as likely the most effective solution and makes it a Labour Party initiative.
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This needs to brought fully into the open.
Suggest give Ian Wishart what he wishes for. A full Royal Commission type enquiry would be a good cathartic thing. Similar enquiries in Queensland and NSW uncovered bad stuff, but were ultimately good things to have happen. And the government that did it were seen as the new brooms, the governments that refused it were seen as corrupt.
If police corruption of the nature Investigate claims - bribery, sexual assualt, child prostitution, protection rackets, drug supply, menacing - did/do exist or do not exist it is a good thing to have a full investigation. Any investigation will likely show that police culture was continous through both National & Labour governments, so National will not gain traction from it.
But if this does not happen then Labour is dead in water. Any less will be seen as more business as usual by the government (which Labour happens to be) and people will vote against the government. If Labour refuses to act then tarnish sticks and all John Key needs to propose is a independent investigation and he looks like a saint.