Court proceedings are covered by privilege.

I'm sure privilege would extend in such circumstances, otherwise Ministers would be dragged into court everytime someone was upset with what they said in the House.

And what would be the downside of that, exactly? As I don't enjoy a near blanket immunity from defamation, I'll just say there are…

Ministers might need to give evidence

Can MPs be compelled to repeat statements made in the House under parliamentary privaledge in court?

David Lange, of course, famously despised him and opposed him getting the nomination

I had thought (with little understanding why, but still) that Lange had opposed Field's nomination for 'his' Mangere in 1996. Field first entering Parliament under FPP as the member for Otara the previous election.

this prosecution is…

Massive call.

And complete bollocks. He's losing his mind.

Field was on his way out quite some time ago; he was removed as a minister as soon as there was an opportunity, and the leadership jumped at the chance of expelling him from caucus without appearance to deny him natural…

I wouldn't be in the least srurprised if Police prosecutors were very careful about, shall we say, embarassing the folks who (effectively) are going to have to go into the next Budget round and argue about how big a slice of the pie gets labelled VOTE POLICE. And…

As for it's accuracy that's another matter. I'm not sure NZ has got quite that conspiratorial just yet. I'm positive there'd be plenty of people within the Police who'd have a quiet word in a friendly journo's ear if politicians were putting the squeeze on them…

at the same time as National is bagging Clark for not rushing to the police the day after the story broke, Act's two MPs are alleging a conspiracy to influence the police in favour of prosecuting the MP because Clark wanted to see him dealt to.

Not just Act. Bill…

Though I must emphasise the word "almost".

Interviewing Brian Tamaki is always an interesting experience

From Russel Fairbrother:

This is a report that Mr Field can wave around as a tribute to his integrity, and it suggests he will continue to be a profitable and good member of the House.

After the Ingram report was released, Michael Cullen continued to say __"After all, the fundamental fault Mr Field committed was to work too hard on behalf of the…

why do politicians feel necessary to downplay or ignore their Christianity in the public arena? Perhaps it is because they know the electorate/nation won't have a bar of it?

Because they at least sense that the electorate knows that, after country music and patriotism, religion is the third-to-last refuge of…

Oh and Brian, if NZ really was a Christian based nation why do politicians feel necessary to downplay or ignore their Christianity in the public arena? Perhaps it is because they…

That suggests multiple instances – though we'll have to wait until a Court hearing to know more. Even Simativa Perese seemed surprised at the number according to the way he's been quoted.

Still if it…

Yes, and let's hear from some of the immigrants who came to this country to get as far away…

Fortunately a lot of the blighters wear towels on their heads, which helps. The…

Also I note Section 103 states it's an offence to both accept and offer a bribe. Isn't it interesting that the police only want to lay charges against Field and no-one else?

Well, maybe the people 'offerring' the bribe weren't so much 'offerring' them as having a cap waved in…

It might be that whilst Field knew that the help with tiling his house amounted to a corrupt payment the tiler did not.

For instance: a corrupt overseas policeman stops you on the road…

Bishop Brian Tamaki says members of other faiths should enter New Zealand on the basis they are entering a Christian country and have to conform to certain standards.

Oh, my aching Indignation Gland...

Amen to that!! Especially if he takes his mate Brian the Bish with him, ideally to somewhere very, very, very,very far away.

__ Destiny Church is calling for restrictions on the religious practices of non-Christian faiths.

Bishop Brian…

I suspect his martyrdom or lack thereof will come down to whether he tries to play the "it's my culture!" card, as he did early on, and how much traction that gets him with Polynesian voters.

I don't have any comment on the validity of that card, though I'd be…

Also I note Section 103 states it's an offence to both accept and offer a bribe. Isn't it interesting that the police only want to lay charges against Field and no-one else?

Can we assume from that the Crown has offered immunity in exchange for testimony? I'll be interested to…

I'm sure that's the 'depends on what the definition of is is' argument various parties will try and run in the months ahead. But to risk getting all Pollyanna-ish here, I think MPs of all stripes and their staff take their ethical responsibilities to their constituents a wee bit…

but it doesn't seem to have occurred to Field.

I suspect his martyrdom or lack thereof will come down to whether he tries to play the "it's my culture!" card, as he did early on, and how much traction that gets him with Polynesian voters.

If the alleged corruption is small scale or at least morally ambiguous and this goes to court it risks making Field into a martyr of sorts, sort of what happened to Pauline Hanson a couple of years back I believe.

Which would be ironic, because I'm personally in no doubt…

Can you imagine what will happen if he goes to Court in election year? You can all but guarantee there will be intense scrutiny of his political activities and that means there'll be a fair chance the actions…

Could the Taito Phillip Field thing just be over, sometime?

Well, we could declare the thread closed now.

Hey, I'd be happy if Noel Ingram, QC would get a few very public apologies for the vocal and hideously unfair ballocking he got from all sides.

As for the rest of it, I await with interest to see what's…