PM's spin doctor has colourful - and x-rated - turn of phrase
Labour’s Pete Hodgson is raising hackles with his allegation that Cabinet minister Pansy Wong improperly used her ministerial title to support one of her husband’s business deals.
Radio NZ reported this afternoon that the Prime Minister’s chief press secretary Kevin Taylor had told reporters that Mr Hodgson was a "f...wit".
Mr Hodgson said today that he was entitled to call the government to account and that the insult might reflect tension in the PM’s office.
“We will continue to do this in Opposition, no matter what adjective comes my way,” he said.
“That’s our job and they need to get used to it, because the whole idea of an open democracy is to put a government under continual scrutiny.”
Ms Wong listed her profession as ‘Minister of the NZ government’ when she signed as a witness for a deed of variation on a deal between Chinese-based Lianyungang Supreme Hovercraft and Pacific Hovercraft New Zealand.
Mrs Wong's husband, Sammy Wong, is listed as a director of the Chinese company. The couple were together on a private trip in January when the deed of variation was signed.
Prime Minister John Key has said that Ms Wong had followed Cabinet rules “perfectly correctly and done nothing wrong” by listing her full profession.
But Mr Hodgson said today that Mr Key's interpretation was “simply wrong”.
“I’ve got the transcript, I’ve read the remarks, it’s intended to mislead,” he told reporters.
“Of course you’re supposed to put down your occupation where it says ‘occupation’... you don’t have to put down ‘minister of the NZ government’.”
“The whole idea of the Cabinet manual is to point out that sometimes you are a minister, sometimes you are an MP, and she should have put down MP.”
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, on behalf of the Prime Minister, told Parliament today that Ms Wong had not acted deliberately to further her husband's interests when she signed the deed.
He said that Mr Hodgson's allegations were "disgraceful" and "just another example of the smear campaign that the nasty Labour party runs".
Mr Taylor, asked by NBR to confirm his reported use of an expletive to describe Mr Hodgson, said that he had northing to say.
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Comments and questions13
F...wit is a noun, Pete.
If Ms Wong was merely a witness to a document, then this claim by Hodgson is a joke.
By the time it gets to the point of a witness signing a contract, the deal has long been negotiated and finalised. What she listed as her occupation is meaningless. Does anyone know why you are required to record this piece of trivia?
Pete Hodgson totally deserves to be labelled in such a way.
He is a muck raker of the first order - his achievements while in politics amount to little more than a series of pathetic, desperate attempts to dig dirt on those who are actually getting something meaningful done with their lives.
He tried to have a go at John Key over his 'blind trusts' a while back, all came to nothing.
Pete, no-one cares, find something of substance to focus your attention on. Meanwhile, looking forward to your retirement next year....
National will be well pleased with the "calibre" of this comment - it just goes to show how desperate Labour are to try and get any/some traction on something to make National appear "bad" so they can appear "good" by contrast.
"because the whole idea of an open democracy is to put a government under continual scrutiny.”
What a bunch of hypocrites!
Hodgson should remember the NZ public suffered 9 long years of Labour’s BS, spin and complete nonsense when it comes to “open democracy”
Remember – speed gate, painter gate, Winnie Peters gate, and changing the law retrospectively so Labour wouldn’t need to prosecute itself for theft to the tune of almost $900K when it attempted to unlawfully rig an election.
Has Labour paid the $900K back to the tax payers yet??
Excuse me while I scoff at your comments and wonder if your food ever taste’s like BS – because I know why it would!
Does Labour have an army of DPB's and "disabled" all on the country tit to dig for dirt? Or are their lackies recruited over 9 years in government services continuing to leak on demand?
Where was Pete and his high moral courage when Helen was signing paintings she didn't create. Pete, you need to earn the right to question others' moral character by first displaying your own. In this case - (to use NCEA parlance) NOT ACHIEVED.
Imagine a comment from a lightweight such as him, AN INSIGNIFICANT little runt who is so mean spirited that even animals wouldnt let themselves be treated by him.Now he has visited himself on the nation,same negitave result.
Accuracy and honesty is not a crime!
I know a lot more similar terms to describe this guy that cannot be printed.
Taylor is obviously on the right path but in my opinion he should not be so PC. Give him the lot next time.
Way off beam there Pete. Go and find something useful to moan about.
Hodgson may be wrong, but we still have a chow using her position for material gain
Pete Hodgson was Chris Carter's biggest cheerleader, so what does ithat say about his judgement??
In those weasally words much used by Clark and her devotees (including Hodgson himself recently) - it was "inappropriate" to claim that Wong was doing anything untoward but very "appropriate" that he was a called a fkwt
I presume that were Hodgson to put down his occupation in a declaration, it would be something along the lines of "worthless parasite".