The Prime Minister's office has confirmed to TGIF Edition that Helen Clark did not give approval for Foreign Minister Winston Peters' side trip to Las Vegas to attend a boxing match last year.
Peters was supposed to have been flying from Berlin to Singapore on official business, but took a detour to see a title fight in the US.
The Cabinet Manual requires the Prime Minister to approve such detours, but the PM's chief press secretary Kathryn Street has confirmed, "The Prime Minister didn't know about the trip until two Fridays ago, so the short answer is no, she didn't approve it".
The Cabinet manual is a constitution convention. If it is not followed there are no sanctions.The Cabinet Office officials responsible for working with the Manual are responsible to the Prime Minister and the Governor-General for its content, for applying its guidance to particular fact situations, and for policy related to the Manual. SO Helen Clark can do what she likes as if she does not follow the cabinet manual there is not much anyone can do about it.
Winston did not follow the Cabinet manual guidelines - Helen Clark doesnt care - or as she would say "diddums"
Posted by: dave | September 15, 2008 at 01:42 PM
What an absolute bloody joke... how much more of this BS are we going to have to take from Clark and her corrupt sidekick??
Posted by: mark luck | September 15, 2008 at 02:44 PM
It's all about trust.
Helen is a liar.
You can trust her to lie.
Posted by: Rick | September 16, 2008 at 07:09 AM
To answer the question - no. We're all so looking forward to it that it has been predicted about a dozen times over the last few months, and every time we're denied our schadenfreude. But no. The only way this will happen is if firing Winston has a net benefit over the poop storm he'll unleash as a result, and that doesn't seem likely.
Posted by: belt | September 16, 2008 at 08:06 AM
It would be in best interests of Winston Peters if he broke free from the Govt going into the election campaign.
That way he could campaign as a genuine 3rd party without concerns about collective responsibility of Cabinet. For this reason I can see no possibility of him rejoining Cabinet.
It is really hilarious to see all the anti-Helen-Clark fans saying what she needs to do. Memo to the fundamentalists - you are not actually in her target group!!
Posted by: peter | September 16, 2008 at 07:31 PM
...you are not actually in her target group!!
True, and she's losing so who cares.
Posted by: John Boy | September 18, 2008 at 01:47 PM
The hounds in parliament are fixated on cornering Peters. I have come to the conclusion that were any political party to be scrutinised for not allegedly declaring a donation they are likely to be just where Peters finds himself to be. Others are very likely to not have really considered or to be confused about operating a separate trust which receives donations, which either stays in the trust or is then passed on as being a party fund. It was lawful for Peters to receive the 100 K in December 2005 and due to the time lapse, no further action can be taken on it not being declared. It is not an offence to say "NO". Parliament needs to relegislate on political party trusts and political party funds because the issue of party trusts/funding is just going to jam up the house when it sits.
Let the voter decide Peters fate.
Posted by: Treetop | September 22, 2008 at 02:57 PM