By Winston Peters
Prime Minister John Key must have known about Kim Dotcom prior to the day before the January 2012 police raid on his mansion in Mr Key’s own Helensville electorate. That is the opinion of New Zealand First.
Senior Government Ministers knew of Dotcom months before that date; so did Mr Key’s electorate office, so did the Police.
Now Mr Key has admitted in response to a written question from us that staff at his Beehive office were explicitly told of Dotcom in July last year.
But still Mr Key maintains that he wasn’t even aware of Dotcom until January this year. We don’t believe him.
In our view, it is just a matter of time before the Prime Minister is caught out in a web of deceit.
What the National Party faces is factional fighting as they scramble to find anything resembling an accountable leader.
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English is an obvious choice and is most likely involved in secretive negotiations behind closed doors – National’s preferred modus operandi on many issues – with Steven Joyce to be the new deputy.
Judith “Crusher” Collins has been touted as National’s next leader, but her eye is off the ball as she fights a defamation court battle against two Labour MPs.
They could always bring back Nick Smith but they would first need to severely restrict his access to Ministerial letterheads.
The trouble facing National is that they have relied on public indifference to Mr Key’s ‘aw shucks, it’ll be right’ attitude.
It is now dawning on New Zealanders that Mr Key is interested in being Prime Minister for all the wrong reasons.
He wants the photo opportunities with celebrities and world leaders but isn’t interested in carrying out his Ministerial responsibility to oversee the Government Communications Security Bureau.
He is happy to inflict policies on the country which benefit his junk bond-dealing buddies but hurt ordinary New Zealanders.
At long last the media and the public are waking up and seeing the real John Key.
Winston Peters is the leader of New Zealand First