‘MFAT – putting sexual abusers first’ just doesn’t have a pleasant ring to it does it folks?
The jaw dropping incompetence of MFAT to effectively protect and look after Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail by getting him out of the country is so much more extraordinary because while MFAT was publicly demanding a waiver to keep Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail here to face charges, they were privately assuring the Malaysians that we didn’t really mean that…
In official talks between New Zealand and Malaysian officials, MFAT clearly stated that it wanted Malaysia to waive immunity for Ismail so he could face the charges in New Zealand.
Government released the official correspondence yesterday to confirm this.
But MFAT also engaged in a series of unofficial discussions, which led to this stance becoming more “ambiguous” for Malaysian officials.
Malaysia appeared to conclude from the informal talks that New Zealand was happy for the diplomat to return home and be court martialled instead of facing the charges in New Zealand – contrary to Mr Key’s public statement.
…how the hell can the public have any faith in MFAT when they are caught out telling us one thing in public while privately saying something completely different?
In all of this, the woman who has been attacked seems to be the last person MFAT cared about, and that should cause rage in a post roast club NZ. Time and time and time again we see the rights of the person sexually assaulted coming in last.
Heads should roll over this MFAT fiasco.
Does anyone think that this is really MFAT’s fault? Smacks of them being told to let him leave and the government hoping that this would never be made public.
@ Tom: “Smacks of them being told to let him leave and the government hoping that this would never be made public.”
It sure does look like that. Given that McCully’s a notorious micro-manager of his portfolios, it’s wildly implausible for anyone to claim that he didn’t know about it. I’ll believe that when I see incontrovertible evidence of it.
Heads will roll. The “mid-level” MFAT staff member’s and McCully’s in East Coast Bays. This conveniently opens the way for the potential government’s future coalition partner, the homophobic and misogynistic Mr Craig.
Call me a cynic, but that was exactly what I came here to say. By making McCully an undesirable choice, and his successor an unknown, they can steer the vote towards Craig without it looking like a deliberate ploy. Handy, given that Key had been witholding comment on the matter for weeks, and had also known about the rape case for weeks. A little too perfect to be a coincidence.
Gee there are some evil minds around, kinda my thoughts as well
@ Weepu’s beard – yep of the same mind here too.
And it’s very noticeable that John Key has stepped back from this issue now!
@ Weepu’s Beard: “Heads will roll. The “mid-level” MFAT staff member’s and McCully’s in East Coast Bays. This conveniently opens the way for the potential government’s future coalition partner, the homophobic and misogynistic Mr Craig.”
Somebody in this household said exactly this yesterday. While the idea that this was planned – as some people are suggesting – is too devious to be quite credible, there’s no doubt that the Crosby Textorites will have instantly grasped the political implications of a situation which has dropped a solution to the Craig dilemma into their laps like a ripe plum.
Diplomacy just lost a whole bunch of points here.
In the process of polishing a turd like Key, most of the surroundings get covered in shite. So it is with MFAT and McCully.
Trying to milk a scandal. Can you hear Mr Mccully hinting at vacating his seat!!
Anyway, pssstttt…Mr Peters is a very good friend of Mr Bob Jones. They belong to that rich secret club so, I thought every one should know…
If the victim were John Key’s daughter would things have been handled in the same way?
You have to smell a filthy big rat when Key front foots things early on.
If we are to follow Patrick Gowers’ analysis and then judgement of the David Cunliffe, Liu set up, then John Key has lied and his party should be strongly considering their options as to whether he should continue as leader.
According to Gower it’s not good enough to say you weren’t given all the information, or that you were given the wrong information.
With Labour it was portrayed as yet another big ‘gaffe’ by Cunliffe and they were in deep, deep trouble.
With National, blame was on McCully who then supposedly apologised to Key, who then in turn blames a staff member, whose excuse was that ‘the situation was complicated.’ I mean, this is farcical.
Was Key inculcated. Of course not!
Gowers’ strongest words for this major incompetent cock up.
“This looks a bit embarrassing for the government.”
Consistency in reporting? I don’t think so!
In all the Gower reports I have seen pertaining to this affair I have not hear the “lie” word mentioned once. One thing is for sure, when Paddy gets up he’ll be covered in fleas.
Is this timebomb you were talking about “Bomber”?
Its just so typical of this disgusting National government.
Why would anyone expect anything else!
Opinion.
Looks like all left-wingers will have to vote for him to forestall the coronation of Craig.
“In all of this, the woman who has been attacked seems to be the last person MFAT cared about, and that should cause rage in a post roast club NZ. Time and time and time again we see the rights of the person sexually assaulted coming in last.”
In all media coverage on MSM I’ve read so far about this, your comment here stands out as the only clear comment on the woman involved. The rest? Politics.
Plenty of salacious headlines with “sex” in them.
Plenty of discussion about MFAT being dysfunctional, plenty of comment about poor communication with McCully.
Almost no discussion of the attitudes towards sexual assault which encourage this dismissal of victims. Almost no discussion of the message this saga sends to NZ women.
One would think they just don’t give a damn about actual people.
If there’s dysfunction at MFAT, it’s because McCully’s made it that way. The biggest dysfunction is in his relationship with his ministry. If the relationship were better, he would have been better informed about what was going on.
I note we’re not being told what level the staff member was who made this mistake. If they were junior, then they were likely overworked and undersupported. If they were senior, it’s more about the toxic relationship McCully has with the staff.
Murray is an extremely capable, been there – done that, politician. He is the widest of wide boys in the National Party, well perhaps a fraction narrower than Key but nonetheless he’s up there.
His vulture like talents for sniffing out the political corpse of Shane Jones was par excellence and the work behind the scenes to take up some of the underfunded MFAT budget to one up Labour, that so gave John Key his jollies, was nothing short of a plot from a best selling thriller or so John Armstrong would probably think. The rest of us may think in terms of slimy, cynical and rotten to the core for all participants concerned.
Which is probably why MFAT dropped the ball. When their minister long ceased to take responsibility with a casual hands off approach, and they knew it, and worse used/s their department as a game maybe they said fuck you too!
Sadly in this game and despite all the rhetoric, the victim lies forgotten.
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