Clark Caught

Transcripts over at Scoop reveal the extent of the PM and her department's enquiries regarding former Minister David Parker at the highest level of the Companies Office. MED and PM Dept CEO's talking with Companies Office CEO about Parker absolutely stinks.

Rt Hon HELEN CLARK: Mr Parker has, of course, kept in touch with the leadership of the Labour Party. There has, I understand, been communication from the Companies Office to the head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet about the pace of the inquiry. I do not want to comment on what may have occurred in those conversations, but I am satisfied that Mr Parker is keeping his leadership in the loop

Keeping the leadership in the loop - you bet!

Hon Bill English: Can I take the Prime Minister’s statement to the House today as confirmation of rumours and allegations that personnel from her department contacted an officer of the Companies Office last week, and that that officer of the Companies Office provided written advice on the Companies Office view of Mr Parker’s declaration; and does she regard that as appropriate behaviour for a member of the Prime Minister’s department and for a statutory officer responsible for making a decision about whether to prosecute a senior member of her Government?

etc etc

The pervasion of Labour Party political pressure throughout the Public Services gets murkier and murkier. Is there no department that she and her cronies have not subborned?

David Farrar reports that Ian Wishart has been informed the MED and Companies Office lawyers are attempting to show that as Hyslop was bankrupt he was not actually a shareholder - pinhead, dance I say.

And, in any event if that is the case the lawful agent for the bankrupt was the Official Assignee - as Parker knows because he had communed with him previously on this precise matter AND the Assignee had signed the neccessary papers. Parker made a conscionable and conscious decision to avoid getting the necessary shareholder resolutions.

David Farrar also reports that it was after the high level intervention of her Department with the Companies Offfice that she performed her U-turn and then openly speculated Parker would be cleared and if so would come back as a Minister.