The BFD | Ardern’s Masterful Mendacity

A compulsive obfuscator and consummate, incorrigible liar is our prime minister, we all know that, but Monday’s effort on the Mallard debacle was gold-medal standard, truly world-class, a masterpiece in mendacity. She hit the truth out of the park. Bravo PM!

Listen from 07:25

Interviewed on Red Radio’s Morning Report by Suzy Ferguson, ostensibly about the Ihumatao land-grab, Ferguson changed furrow to dig into the Speaker’s self-serving hot potato rules-change (actually ‘Speakers Directions’) issue.

Ferguson:

“Cost to the taxpayer fairly high on all of this and I see reporting on it that, aah, damages and settlements from the public purse, like in this one, have to be signed off by various people including – the leader; you did that?”

Ardern:

Lie 1, a double-banger, or Whopper

“No, no.

Lie 2

That is not the case, ah, what we have is an arrangement for, uhm,

Obfuscation 1

ministers, ah, where in the course of their duties, and this is a long-standing arrangement, so

Obfuscation 2

we had a case recently with the past Minister of Defence who was covered for his costs in appearing for Operation Burnham, uhm, there’s, there’s, a number of examples where,

Obfuscation 3

if in the course of your duties as a minister, uhm, you require legal representation as a result that that is covered.

Obfuscation 4

The decision for the speaker to be treated in that way was a decision taken by the Deputy Speaker, ah, National MP Anne Tolley, on the advice of the Solicitor General, because it needed to be independent of the Speaker.”

Ferguson:

“Ok, and so that was, was Anne Tolley the only person who did sign off on this?”

Ardern:

Lie 3

“That’s my understanding, but th, look, again, uhm, that’s because of course the Speaker recruses, ah, recused himself from making that decision, that needs to be separate. The next person best placed to do that, was as I understand it, the Deputy Speaker, so no,

Lie 4

I’ve not been involved in that.”

Whew! That’s some heavy-duty lying right there, thousands of words could (and should) be written pulling Ardern’s fibs to pieces, this is a very important issue, but you readers are all smart people so a picture will suffice:

Never mind the rottenness of the rule changes burdening us all with total financial liability for each and every MP’s irresponsible utterings. The only thing that’s truly pertinent in light of Ardern’s magnificent lies is the ‘check’ on the system, under the new rules or old, where the approval of the Speaker (or Deputy, in this case), the Chief Executive (of Parliamentary Services) and “the relevant party leader” are all required, after considering “the extent to which the liability for the legal costs arises from the member’s personal wrongdoing or impropriety.”

So: just who is “the relevant party leader” for tricky Trevor Mallard?