This week’s roasting is for Julie Anne Genter and her secret letter.
Blockhead was puzzled by the story:
Why didn’t Twyford tell Genter to get lost, that the proposal was unacceptable etc. As the senior minister where was his “wisdom” and leadership? What was going on in the background, that he just folded? Or is he just so incompetent he couldn’t see the implications?
If Twyford was the recipient of the letter, then the copy in his possession is still “official information”. Why not seek a copy from his office? The letter relates to his transport portfolio.
Frank n Further commented that:
This “you don’t need to know”, or “it’s not in the public interest” case makes me question why we allow citizens of foreign countries to be Members of Parliament in NZ.
When they hide behind secrecy, how can we be certain that they are working in the best interests of NZ rather than the best interests of that other country that they are a citizen of?
Genter, in particular, should be aware of the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people”.
There is no doubt that Genter is governing in NZ “of the people”.
But as she is a foreign national, albeit with dual NZ citizenship, can we really say that “by the people” is accurate? In this case, is it rather “by a foreign national”?
Similarly with “for the people”. With her penchant for secrecy, can we be certain that Genter holds the interests of NZ people above those of the foreign power that she is a citizen of?
I for one am uncomfortable that a foreign national, working in secrecy, is responsible for creating and enacting the laws of NZ. Further, I do not think that having a foreign national in our parliament, particularly as a Minister of the Crown, is truely “government of the people, by the people, for the people”
Carlo Retucci was philosophical about the whole mess saying:
Let JAG continue to do stupid things and then get caught out on it… as each month goes by and more is revealed about what we already know about JAG as being a secretive, deceptive,
disingenuous and coniving toxic left wing looney socialist who is actively destroying our democratic society – she thinks she’s smart, intelligent, persuasive and even concerned about our environment, but, she’s been caught and no matter how much explanation she may make in the future, her performance as an MP will be recorded in the history books for what it is.