GUEST BLOG: Te Reo Putake – #CrookedBillary
Frankly, I don’t give a toss about what recreational pursuits Todd Barclay has indulged in over his time as a Parliamentarian. It’s no big deal.
It’s hardly a secret that generations of past MP’s drank themselves legless most sitting days. That was fine back in the day.
Rob Muldoon famously called a snap election while pissed as a parrot. One of his Cabinet Ministers claimed to have been assaulted while walking home from Parliament and the joke at the time was the Police were looking for three men: Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Johnny Walker.
These days, Parliament is a relatively sober workplace. MP’s are just as likely to be found in the gym as they are in Bellamy’s.
The issue is not whether Barclay was putting the high into Otago High Country or rooting like a Ranfurly rabbit.
The question is this: What did Bill English know?
If he knew about the drugs and sex allegations, why did he hide them? Why didn’t he get on the front foot and deal with Barclay as ruthlessly as his predecessor the Smiling Assassin John Key would have done?
Is the truth that rather than deal with an even trickier issue than the illegal tape recording, our PM bottled it and instead chose silence because of the potential damage in election year?
If he knew Barclay was committing crimes, even relatively harmless matters such as using recreational drugs, why did Bill English say nothing?
Is it time for the hashtag #CrookedBillary?
Te Reo Putake – Socialist, vegetarian, contrarian and footballer, Te Reo Putake was until recently the wittiest, most engaging and most infuriating writer at The Standard Blog where he was banned during their latest identity politics purge. TRP intends to continue battling for the battlers and kicking against the pricks in real life and here at the Daily Blog.
Also when making Bilious accountable, let’s not forget Natz dark rogue John Key either. As PM at the time of the goings on of this sordid business, he should be facing the music as well! He was there in the top job after all, keeping Barclay in Parliament.
Makes me wonder now why Key suddenly walked, six months before this issue was fully exposed by Melanie Reid and Newsroom! He cannot be allowed to escape his responsibility here!
What record is kept for the PM slush fund that paid out the top-up for the Dickson settlement?
Does the PM at the time have to sign off payments made from this fund or is he “not responsible” for any of those payments?
Or maybe Key was wearing a different hat at the time.
Is it possible to obtain details through OIA?