Wouldn't it be nice to have government Minister's we could actually trust? Instead, a climate of disinformation has become the norm over the last nine long years of a National led government.
Journalists have had to fight tooth and nail to get at the truth. Even the Official Information Act has often proved ineffective against the unrepentant dishonesty many National party MPs practice on a daily basis.
Saudi sheep deal: MFAT didn't provide legal advice on lawsuit risk
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not provide legal advice to the government on the risk of being sued by a disgruntled Saudi Arabian businessman, documents reveal.
The admission that no legal advice on the lawsuit threat ever existed directly contradicts comments in 2015 by then-Foreign Minister Murray McCully that the ministry had taken advice on the issue.
This means the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, blatantly lied to the House of Representatives when he claimed there was legal advice from MFAT about a threat that the government would be sued.
Here's the video showing McCully lying during question time.
In the mean time there should be a proper inquiry into Murray McCully's dishonesty. Trying to mislead parliament and the public about why he was gifting $11.5 million to a foreign businessman clearly precludes him from further government work. Although just a symbolic gesture now that he isn't standing again, McCully should be sacked for his dishonesty.
But unfortunately the Prime Minister won’t do that, because Bill English doesn’t have a backbone to speak of.
