Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Barclay and arrogance

Alfie

Sun, 15 Sept 2019 17:43:46 +1200

Ex National MP Todd Barclay spotted recently
Parsons Green, London
Photo: Scoop @ Mountain Scene

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 14:22:27 +1300

international business affairs secretary for the .Too Corporation
he'll fit in well at their subsidiary Tools Int'l
they specialize in feats of clay...

Alfie

Thu, 23 Nov 2017 10:28:51 +1300

The arrogant Barclay is back in Queenstown. That'll finally give the cops a chance to interview him over those charges which we must remember carry a penalty of more than two years in jail. I'm sure he'll be doing the right thing and fronting up to the QT Police station…

Joe Wylie

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 19:00:45 +1300

“Blimey, thought Kelvin, what an eye-to-face ratio. When you want to say something delicate, you don't want that eye-to-face ratio staring up at you. Big eyes, like a child's or a baby seal's; the physiognomy of innocence--looking at Archie Jones is like looking at something that expects to be clubbed…

Paul Campbell

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 18:10:36 +1300

I think he got away with it because he refused to talk to the cops, and the cops likely felt that because of his connections they couldn't force the issue – then of course he pissed off overseas

Alfie

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 18:05:48 +1300

Todd Barclay has got away with it again. By turning it into a he said/she said situation? Or maybe by offering a reasonable alibi? Nope. By simply refusing to talk to the cops. Again.

Police have now closed the case as they have insufficient evidence. No warrants were executed and…

Alfie

Thu, 14 Sept 2017 08:59:59 +1200

The discredited Dipton II is heading off to the UK, where nobody will recognise him. The Herald reports that he's "seeking employment opportunities".

andin

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 12:43:52 +1200

One of those attached to the wall breathalysers perhaps in the little boys room.
Ya know for after those long lunches at Bellamy's.
They'd be more piss than pot.

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 09:58:15 +1200

Guess who just got back today
the boy is back in town!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/95070348/todd-barclays-arrived-at-work-nice-and-early-on-his-first-day-back-at-parliament
and an unrelated aside:
Every now and then Parliament should have random workplace drug tests, they are, after all, operating the 'heavy machinery' of governance...
...and perhaps they should keep log-books of hours spent, and on what…

nzlemming

Sun, 23 Jul 2017 10:02:26 +1200

Braunias is a national treasure

Alfie

Sat, 22 Jul 2017 17:54:23 +1200

Steve Braunias: The Secret Diary of Todd Barclay

Sacha

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 13:56:58 +1200

Which sort of ignores the sworn statement provided by the Prime Minister, doesn't it.

English carefully avoided saying that Barclay was not present in the office at the time of the recordings, so his statement does not prove all the elements of the crime were present and chargeable.

As you…

nzlemming

Thu, 20 Jul 2017 11:58:46 +1200

I suspect the PCA supported the police decision on the basis that there was no available evidence to charge the MP with committing the crime. That's only credible if they both decided his confession could not be used in court as evidence. If their legal advisors gave them this opinion,…

Alfie

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 22:39:15 +1200

Dennis Frank

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 20:14:35 +1200

Could just be incompetence, but don't forget Labour is part of our establishment. They've spent a century co-creating our governance structure with National. Their traditional function makes them part of the problem, not part of the solution.

I suspect the PCA supported the police decision on the basis that there…

Alfie

Wed, 19 Jul 2017 10:57:37 +1200

Winnie is questioning the independence of the Independent Police Conduct Authority following their decision not to pursue a complaint about the Todd Barclay investigation.

"There's not one law for the National Party and one for everyone else."

"Don't forget the principal word in their name is independent," he said

Hmmm.…

nzlemming

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 19:32:10 +1200

National Party MP Todd Barclay resurfaces with a smile . . . and to some social media banter

Alfie

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 13:16:50 +1200

Amazingly, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has decided not to pursue a complaint into the Barclay affair "after being satisfied there was no misconduct or neglect by police."

That means we'll never find out whether there was any political interference involved in the Police's apparent inability to locate Barclay for…

Ian Dalziel

Mon, 17 Jul 2017 09:15:24 +1200

why do these Hobbits plague me so…?

An aside: I have to say that Barclay is not a great ad for the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law alumni...

Ian Dalziel

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 15:49:52 +1200

but instead of sending him on his way they’ve turned him into some sort of super-beneficiary. Paula Benefit must be proud of young Todd.
meditators need mediators…
Well Bennett is too busy opening gun clubs in rural idylls – though she describes it as a business – albeit one on…

Alfie

Sun, 16 Jul 2017 11:21:17 +1200

While (one of) National's former tobacco lobbyists maintains he's working hard for his electorate, a Stuff investigation tells a completely different story.

Our reporters on the ground have documented Barclay's electorate work since June 21. He has not returned to Parliament, he did not turn up to the National Party…

Katharine Moody

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 22:06:42 +1200

How could anyone vote for these scum? Here's hoping the party faithful in the electorate give them the same treatment they did in Northland.

Alfie

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 09:29:40 +1200

The Nat's dirty tricks team has swung in behind Barclay, with both the PM's office and and Parliamentary Services accusing Fairfax reporters of "intimidating and threatening behaviour" at the Gore electorate office.

...it was alleged Kelly and her cameraman "barged" into Barclay's office and harassed and intimidated staff – even…

Ian Dalziel

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:45:31 +1200

Puff Daddy...
Missing-in-action Todd Barclay
Why a young man of his qualities and propensities may do well to pursue prospects overseas, such as...
Africa
and
America
even
Washington DC
soon there'll be Mars...

Alfie

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 09:52:19 +1200

Missing-in-action Todd Barclay has finally raised his head above the parapet, but only to chuck insults at the Clutha District Council. He reckons the Council should have sent a representative to a meeting he had organised with Paula Bennett in late June — even though Barclay himself failed to turn…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 09:32:52 +1200

Value for taxpayer money? Nah.
Of course one would have to worry that National might have already had promotional election material printed with Barclay featured, c'est dommage...
That'll come out of their own coffers, or 'coughers' in 'Big Baccy' Barclay's case

Alfie

Wed, 12 Jul 2017 08:40:14 +1200

By keeping his job until the election, Barclay stands to make another forty grand of taxpayer money. Meanwhile there's no sign of him in parliament or at any official functions in his electorate. Value for taxpayer money? Nah.

Sacha

Sun, 09 Jul 2017 16:01:59 +1200

ah, that's right. class act.

nzlemming

Sat, 08 Jul 2017 00:21:09 +1200

Am I right in remembering that she ran interference for Veitch?

Sacha

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 21:11:32 +1200

Investigation unfolds:

Police are now investigating National Party board member Glenda Hughes over her role in the Todd Barclay saga, Newshub has learned.

Alfie

Fri, 07 Jul 2017 13:58:34 +1200

In case you were wondering what Todd Barclay is up to these days, the answer is not much. Fairfax reports that he's not attending functions or returning phone calls. However on Monday afternoon they found him at the Pig and Whistle pub in Queenstown.

Taxpayers are handing over around eighty…

Alfie

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 13:33:55 +1200

An unnamed person has filed a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority regarding police handling of the original Barclay investigation.

Dennis Frank

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 15:07:24 +1200

Good question, with no apparent easy answers (no to your second & third questions).

Since the harm done is bringing parliament into disrepute, a rule that triggers an immediate parliamentary debate on whether an MP has done so could be an effective sanction – with a sufficiently high activation threshold to…

Ben Austin

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 20:53:14 +1200

One party rule change I would propose is asking all candidates to confirm that they have not paid or otherwise obtained consultancy services in order to assist or otherwise obtain selection as a candidate. I don't ever want to vote for a candidate who has felt it necessary to pay…

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:06:10 +1200

What would *you* change?

Allow party leaders to replace MPs at will – so that all the MPs were in office at the leaders favour?
Allow the Speaker to remove MPs at will – similarly, especially as the Speaker is nominated by the ruling party?
An MP can get tried…

Kumara Republic

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 04:33:47 +1200

When the structure of our government allows a member of parliament to retain their seat after breaking the law and lying to their local party colleagues to deny having done so, and lying to the media about what they told the Parliamentary Service, there's something fundamentally rotten in our democracy.…

nzlemming

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 18:52:51 +1200

I feel bereft that there is no Barclay revelation on Newsroom today :-(

nzlemming

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 15:36:50 +1200

whose interests were served by keeping him in the fold?

Perhaps, by the time they realised this, the Nats needed his vote in the house more than they needed to be decent human beings who abide by the law?

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 06:38:11 +1200

And the beat goes on…
Reading that piece makes ya wonder why they kept Barclay on, what were the 'good' reasons and what were the 'real' reasons – I can't see any 'good' reasons myself – the guy was clearly not MP material, so whose interests were served by keeping…

BenWilson

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 16:35:43 +1200

Of course, the electorate may have their reasons to elect a highly dishonourable candidate

Is there any other way to explain the election of Trump?

Rich of Observationz

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:44:31 +1200

The whole business of being an MP relies on the member being honourable

Absent that, they need to get re-elected every three years. Of course, the electorate may have their reasons to elect a highly dishonourable candidate (wanting to pollute rivers and cover mountainsides with subdivisions, for instance).

nzlemming

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:38:03 +1200

And the beat goes on...
https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/27/36207/officials-heard-barclay-tapes

which kind of dents my theory that PS were totally hands off the tapes. I'll be very interested to see whether anyone from PS made a statement to Police. They should have, IMHO.

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:50:21 +1200

Evidential breadth test?
Police have reopened their investigation into Barclay.
So the Newsroom newsroom can expect a raid some time soon then?

Alfie

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 11:34:20 +1200

Police have reopened their investigation into Barclay. Hopefully they'll put somebody competent in charge this time.

Katharine Moody

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 00:41:18 +1200

And then there's the Mike Sabin resignation... and interestingly, the plumb job he landed shortly thereafter – well, he ain't there no more:

Former Northland MP Mike Sabin was appointed chief executive of Carrington Estate in April last year. He is no longer at the resort.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503402&objectid=11792585

nzlemming

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 23:09:16 +1200

While the allegations that ended his political career were never proven, they achieved their purpose without having to proceed that far.

That was a tough one. While I lost no time in waving the prick goodbye, I did have a problem with how it played. But still, that's the theoretical…

Joe Wylie

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 22:35:24 +1200

If you had a process for dismissing members on allegation of wrongdoing, it would be chaos with allegations being made every 5 minutes.
Richard Worth's exit seems an interesting example of how the Nats have handled such things. Word at the time was that his real crime was to presume…

nzlemming

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 21:58:14 +1200

The problem there is about where to draw the line. Constitutionally, a seat member is representing his constituents. S/he may or may not be a member of a party – independents have, I believe, been elected on occasion, though neither often nor recently. Members have jumped their waka to become…

Dennis Frank

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 18:55:12 +1200

A change of government makes the problem seem irrelevant, doesn't solve it. When the structure of our government allows a member of parliament to retain their seat after breaking the law and lying to their local party colleagues to deny having done so, and lying to the media about what…

BenWilson

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:33:08 +1200

My concern is the extent to which the public interest is being served by our governmental structure, and if it isn’t (which appears proven in this case), then what law change or constitutional reform do we need to fix the problem.

Quite often a simple change of government will do…

nzlemming

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 15:30:14 +1200

I'd finger Eagleson for that. Can't imagine Key would want to be involved – plausible deniability as well as below his sense of pay grade.

Probably. I don't know who was authorised to access the Leader's Fund.

Rich of Observationz

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 13:43:55 +1200

I'm not saying that the police don't improperly inform people of the progress of investigations, but that they often shouldn't.

Katharine Moody

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 12:59:20 +1200

So how did Bill English know the investigation had been closed I wonder – was it just from the media reporting that it had – or did Todd Barclay or the then PM or the Party hierarchy inform him, I wonder?

Rich of Observationz

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 11:25:54 +1200

MPs don't have superiors (in their capacity as MPs). And it's improper for the police to inform people of their interaction with a witness/suspect in order to pressurise that person.

Katharine Moody

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 10:26:52 +1200

He keeps saying that the police investigated it and chose not to prosecute – therefore he was satisfied the matter had been dealt with by the appropriate authorities. Conveniently leaving out the fact that Todd refused to front up to them.

One would assume that someone within the police would…

Sacha

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 09:48:02 +1200

The PM squirms like a twisty turny thing this morning with both Hilary Barry and Suzie Ferguson. Wonder what regular TVNZ-watching voters make of that first clip?

Dennis Frank

Mon, 26 Jun 2017 07:57:19 +1200

Thanks for the in-depth clarification. Very helpful. My concern is the extent to which the public interest is being served by our governmental structure, and if it isn't (which appears proven in this case), then what law change or constitutional reform do we need to fix the problem.

Sacha

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 23:10:44 +1200

All indications are that the PM ordered the cover up and supplementary payment for Joyce Dickson's silence.

I'd finger Eagleson for that. Can't imagine Key would want to be involved – plausible deniability as well as below his sense of pay grade.

Sacha

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 23:05:59 +1200

they requested parliament.nz as a second level domain name because they felt they did not fit under govt.nz. And I had no real reason not to give it to them.

So that was your doing. I get a constitutional reminder every time I get it wrong. #onya

Katharine Moody

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 19:15:21 +1200

All indications are that the PM ordered the cover up and supplementary payment for Joyce Dickson’s silence.

Yes, it has John Key's way of operating all over it. The fact that he had no respect for our institutions of governance or for our constitutional laws, instruments and conventions was one…

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:59:44 +1200

The idea of them servicing the public/being ‘public servants’ doesn’t have much meaning in law to my knowledge.

Correct. It's a misunderstanding that has been fostered by successive governments along the lines of "We're from the government, we're here to help". :-D

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:58:19 +1200

Simplest fix is to make parliamentary services covered by the OIA.

Legally speaking, that's problematic. Official information is information received or generated by the Government of the day. Parliament is constitutionally separate. I would not want to see a situation arise where Parliament is subject to the wishes of the…

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:54:59 +1200

All you could want to know about what public servants should and should not do is here at the SSC who I note are now using "State Servants" as a role name. The UK Civil Service is the model, and it was set up under the Public Service Act 1912…

Sacha

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:30:38 +1200

Simplest fix is to make parliamentary services covered by the OIA.

Katharine Moody

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 18:06:36 +1200

My understanding is that Parliamentary Services are there to service the Parliamentary branch of government (the legislature), not the Executive branch of government (the Ministers and Cabinet). Public servants who work within Departments serve the Executive branch of government (in other words, the CEOs and staff are responsible to a…

Dennis Frank

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 16:35:04 +1200

Yeah but the thing that isn't there is what I'm getting at. They were actually called public servants originally to propound the delusion that left/right governments operate to serve the public (rather than their own interests). Or do you have some other rationale for the name??

So are you saying…

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 16:20:35 +1200

Actually, public servants are required to serve the Government of the day. Your bias has you reading things that aren't there.

Dennis Frank

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 15:59:02 +1200

Hmm. Your case for the PS seems plausible. Public servants aren't actually contracted to serve the public, right? I mean there's no clause in the employment contract they sign that requires them to do so. They just do so to the extent that they feel like it.

So I presume…

BenWilson

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 15:57:07 +1200

Cripes. Newsroom has really played this out nicely.

Sacha

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 15:39:37 +1200

Newsroom has letters showing how deeply the Nat party board was involved in the cover-up.

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 15:33:59 +1200

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/06/bill-english-admits-todd-barclay-offered-to-play-secret-recordings.html

nzlemming

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 13:35:25 +1200

They've made a complete hash of it. A new MP can dispose of the staff in their electorate office without reason, just because they don't feel confident in them. Barclay didn't do that though. He wanted to score over Dickson and have her fired for disloyal comments. So he recorded…

Dennis Frank

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 10:52:21 +1200

Blinglish keeps trying to frame the scandal as an employment dispute. Does this frame really separate it from the Nats, as he keeps suggesting? Notice how careful he has been to avoid specifying the complainant's employer. Notice how most of our media have yet to hone in on this crux…

Rob Stowell

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 10:42:23 +1200

Melanie Reid on RNZ – good rundown on the details and more on the state of journalism. Go newsroom!

linger

Sun, 25 Jun 2017 10:03:53 +1200

Brings to mind the classic Bulwer-Lytton contest entry:The sun oozed over the horizon, shoved aside darkness, crept along the greensward, and, with sickly fingers, pushed through the castle window, revealing the pillaged princess, hand at throat, crown asunder, gaping in frenzied horror at the sated, sodden amphibian lying beside her,…

Sacha

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 22:13:04 +1200

I will forever treasure her wailing "you lied!" in any case.

nzlemming

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 21:35:31 +1200

Audrey Young is truly the worm that turned at the moment. Remains to be seen if she lasts the distance.

Sacha

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 21:23:51 +1200

Only if folks in Aotearoa tolerate their parliament being brought into disrepute

It has worked for this crowd for nigh on 9 years.

When his colleagues get a whiff of this likelihood, they'll force him to hit the eject button.

You think they have not already factored that into their…

Dennis Frank

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 19:58:17 +1200

Yeah but our media don't seem to have quite got their heads around the implications of the situation yet. The media reported Parliamentary Services denying that Barclay had informed them of something when he had already told the media he had told PS. Thus, official proof that Barclay is a…

Sacha

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 18:30:35 +1200

RNZ's Focus on Politics (15 mins) includes the compelling raw audio from the successive media standups as English and Barclay lied their way into trouble and burned some bridges. You can hear Audrey Young losing the faith in real-time. Quite a gob-smacking day for the press gallery.

Sacha

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 18:27:10 +1200

Another Newsroom follow-up notes this fiasco wasn't part of the Nats' re-election plan.

Sacha

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 18:26:01 +1200

Jane Clifton paints some of the local factional colour.

Moz

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 18:03:17 +1200

‘Radical’ and ‘hard-left’ are not so much ways of describing the policies; they are meant, I think, to exclude them from the conversation.

You can perhaps see this most clearly with The Greens. They're described as "far left" ridiculously often even though their policies vary from (European) centre-right to vaguely…

Rob Stowell

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 16:00:06 +1200

A centre-left government led by Andrew Little and James Shaw is likely to be a repeat of Helen Clark’s policies of saying the right thing and being a good manager of capitalism. That doesn’t address the fundamental issues of declining living standards and increasingly precarious career prospects.
With respect to…

Dennis Frank

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 15:36:07 +1200

Typo: punish, not publish!

Dennis Frank

Sat, 24 Jun 2017 13:42:23 +1200

Western political theory has been based on democracy for three centuries, whereas western political practice has been based on organised lying for much longer. Machiavelli 1.01 ... so relevance of the media kerfuffle lies in the fact that voters only ever publish disorganised lying.

Both parties scoring own goals have…

Sacha

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:32:46 +1200

and possibly some threats

apparently by an ex-cop and PR guru who is a member of the Nat party board, no doubt in a careful fashion.

william blake

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 18:08:40 +1200

As the protege of English, Collins, Bennett et.al. Barclay must have talked about recording or taping his staff with someone with knowledge of the law. So it would be reasonable to assume that someone in the office was committing a crime to warrant such a drastic measure, why else expose…

BenWilson

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 17:55:30 +1200

I'm sure the legal advice that English got before making his statement knew whether it was likely to be legal. I'm frankly surprised that English is making such an obvious hash of this, compounding lie upon lie. He'll get in more trouble over that than the original offense and even…

Rob Stowell

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 15:21:48 +1200

Yeah – the entire defence is a load of waffling bs.
‘only the electorate selection committee’ – what a thin, pathetic joke. i bet none of them were present when barclay was told he had to go.
‘in the hands of the police’ – indeed, it was. and barclay, probably…

Hilary Stace

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 13:03:26 +1200

Claiming ignorance of the law doesn't work for anyone else.

Paul Campbell

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:27:49 +1200

to be fair is conceivable, but highly unlikely, that he was out of the house on each and every one of those days and had someone exercise his proxy, but if you believe that I have this bridge ....

Paul Campbell

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 11:21:28 +1200

Oh for heaven’s sake – since Bill English has been in parliament he’s voted on changes to section 216B of the Crimes Act in 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2012 – how can he possibly claim he doesn’t know it exists?

Unless of course that is he regularly votes…

Sacha

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 10:49:23 +1200

English is claiming *nobody* involved knew Barclay's recording was illegal. Yet the Nats used their PM's fund to topup Dickson's payout to avoid legal action over privacy, as English himself said in his txt to the electorate chair. Liar.

Katharine Moody

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 10:43:18 +1200

I was so – 'surely they're not going to try that line' – that I went looking for the article;

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11880729

And it's even more disingenuous than saying Barclay was ignorant of the law – Bill English is saying HE was ignorant too!!!!

Speaking to media in Auckland, English said…

Soon Lee

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 09:36:05 +1200

The Bradley Ambrose "taping" happened in 2011, Barclay recorded Glenys Dickson in 2015.

I do not find the "he didn't know it's illegal" excuse believable.

Paul Campbell

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 09:22:10 +1200

So English is reported in today's paper as trying to excuse Barclay with "he didn't know it's illegal" of course for us plebs "ignorance of the law is no excuse" ....

However if you become an MP surely the first thing you do is sit down and wade through the…

Ianmac

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 19:43:00 +1200

John Campbell interviews Bill English at a visit today. John's repeated point was "If it was OK for Barclay to continue last year, what makes it necessary for him to resign now? What changed?" Clip is 7minutes long.
Bill's broad grin becomes lost in his growing frown.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201848531/pm-rejects-national-cover-up-allegation-over-todd-barclay

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 11:04:24 +1200

MP Todd Barclay goes but PM Bill English still trying to find his footing*
I'd suggest looking for it in his mouth...

*http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/93943187/mp-goes-but-english-still-trying-to-find-his-footing

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 10:03:23 +1200

I decided not to call them Tories for a bit of variation.
...and like the GOP, National are 'the elephant in the room'!
Or is that 'in the house'?

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:58:39 +1200

And to form, The Herald is on top of the real estate story in it!
Barclay has recently accrued fresh outgoings with the $721,000 purchase of a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Arrowtown.

Well it does clearly show how this Government is helping young people into their first homes... and probably…

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:55:56 +1200

Todd Barclay and his $80,000 exit package from Parliament – but what will he do for the money?
Allowing him to stay on basically endorses his actions.
Or at least minimises the 'punishment' he richly deserves
Just as Theresa May thinks she can have her cake and eat it too…

BenWilson

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:38:51 +1200

I decided not to call them Tories for a bit of variation.

Ian Dalziel

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:26:05 +1200

Hopefully this sort of stuff can't be helping National either:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/editorials/93937010/editorial-spies-should-not-help-a-politicians-bid-for-a-job-at-the-wto

Rich of Observationz

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 09:13:01 +1200

GOP?

BenWilson

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 08:57:13 +1200

The oddest bit about this whole scandal is how unnecessary it is.

Not sure about that. It seems that the evaluations of GOP invulnerability are inflated, and they still have to do all the message managing etc, that every other party must. They could clearly see damage from it. But…

Paul Campbell

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 08:34:02 +1200

well in some sense it's a good thing, the guy obviously has a character flaw that doesn't make for being a good MP – he also has the safest seat in parliament, he could have been there for 40 years

Tom Semmens

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:14:01 +1200

The oddest bit about this whole scandal is how unnecessary it is. All English/Barclay had to do was blame it on the uncertain decision making of the still raw youth of the none the less talented tyro, tossled his hair, apologised profusely to all and sundry, and moved on and…

Tom Semmens

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 07:05:30 +1200

They could have stood a convicted murderer there and got in with a handy majority.

Oh come now, surely it would depend on who they murdered.

Katharine Moody

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 22:00:49 +1200

Todd Barclay and his $80,000 exit package from Parliament – but what will he do for the money?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11880280

And to form, The Herald is on top of the real estate story in it!

Barclay has recently accrued fresh outgoings with the $721,000 purchase of a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in…

Dave Howell

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 22:00:45 +1200

The low-bandwidth site http://mobile.nzherald.co.nz (as distinct from m.nzherald.co.nz or www.nzherald.co.nz) keeps working beautifully though. No ads, no vids, just the text and the odd image.

kw

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 21:47:16 +1200

The new NZH doesn't work very well on my mobile either – kept trying to open things I didn't give a toss about. So not sure what it's good for. But I do the sudoku.

Katharine Moody

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 21:36:57 +1200

Hope it leads on the 6 o’clock news.

And it did – on TVOne anyway – both WP and AL in question time.

And an opinion piece on circling wagons from Tracy Watkins;

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/93943187/mp-goes-but-english-still-trying-to-find-his-footing

william blake

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 15:25:29 +1200

"I don't think of itself it is damaging. These sorts of issues arise commonly in politics, and this one has been dealt with I think pretty decisively. Principally because of the decision by Mr Barclay to stand down." Bill English.

Yes, no, no, er yes.

Katharine Moody

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:35:50 +1200

Tadpole dispensed with – now for the lying toad who masterminded the cover-up…

They’re gone too. Oh, hang on…who are we talking about?

Yippie, Winston Peters just asked lying toad II (yes I appreciate that lying toad I is gone) in Parliament why he hasn’t resigned over the cover-up.

Hope…

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:33:51 +1200

A party nomination is in the gift of a party, subject nominally to its rules.
Being elected an MP is a personal office and lasts until the next election, or until one of various events including conviction for a moderately serious crime occur.

Parties have in the past been able…

Dinah Dunavan

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:10:31 +1200

They could have stood a convicted murderer there and got in with a handy majority.
National could have stood a pro-green candidate and got in with a handy majority. But instead they chose a weasily tobacco lobbyist. Doesn't say much for the Clutha-Southland electorate committees does it.

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:03:29 +1200

I'm curious: In what world is "I'm not contesting the next election" the same as standing down?

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:00:24 +1200

A Soper piece which ends with

Hah, you suffered so that I didn't have to! I read it on Twitter.

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:59:15 +1200

Tadpole dispensed with – now for the lying toad who masterminded the cover-up…

They're gone too. Oh, hang on...who are we talking about?

simon g

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:51:29 +1200

The question I'd like to hear from Little (or Shaw, Turei, whoever):

"Is Todd Barclay fit to be an MP or not?"

Forget all the parentheses and mini-speeches, just ask directly. Carter will rule it out of order, so just get up and ask exactly the same question again. Worst…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:48:29 +1200

I highly recommend AutoMute.
Done – thanks for that, I was worried my Chrome may have been too old...

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:46:20 +1200

At no point does he actually say he’s leaving, here, nor does he acknowledge that he’s done something he should not have
His "I don’t want the issues that are important to Clutha-Southland and all of New Zealand to be distracted by an employment dispute." tries desperately to point elsewhere,…

izogi

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:41:47 +1200

...and I notice that the Herald's new site annoyingly now has autoplay on videos, thanks for nothing NZME.

If you're using Chrome then I highly recommend AutoMute. (It's possible to white-list sites you visit lots and trust.) There are probably similar add-ins for other browsers.

nzlemming

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:40:15 +1200

Barclay's statement (according to Stuff)
THE STATEMENT IN FULL

I got into politics because I was inspired by the people I worked for, Bill English, Gerry Brownlee and Hekia Parata. I wanted the opportunity to make my contribution too.

It was the proudest moment of my life to have been…

Katharine Moody

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:38:46 +1200

And … Todd’s gone.

That is, he will stay on till the election but will not content Clutha-Southland for the National Party.

Tadpole dispensed with – now for the lying toad who masterminded the cover-up...

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:36:33 +1200

If you don’t want videos at all, Adblock Plus will sort them out.
I'd rather have the choice of deciding whether I want to watch it or not, rather than having to physically opt out every time.
Though I might look into the Adblock option if I get to breaking…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:33:32 +1200

And … Todd’s gone.
That is, he will stay on till the election but will not contend Clutha-Southland for the National Party.
So it's the soft-exit, then...

nzlemming

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:33:21 +1200

A Soper piece

Thanks, Ian

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:32:27 +1200

So basically the PM *can* effectively "sack a National MP who's become a liability", even if they get to work out their notice for the next few months?

Alfie

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:31:44 +1200

...and I notice that the Herald's new site annoyingly now has autoplay on videos, thanks for nothing NZME.

Thankfully I haven't been back to the Herald since they launched their mobile-only, Women's Weekly clone of a redesign.

Bill English to make an announcement on Barclay's future at 2pm.

nzlemming

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:30:23 +1200

The smokescreen of "I can't comment – it's an employment matter" as a reason for National MPs to duck questions seems to assume that, while Dickson is the employee, Barclay is the employer, or stands as the employer-surrogate. He really doesn't. Parliamentary Services is the employer of electorate staff, apart…

Russell Brown

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:29:13 +1200

And … Todd’s gone.

That is, he will stay on till the election but will not content Clutha-Southland for the National Party.

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:24:14 +1200

If you don't want videos at all, Adblock Plus will sort them out.

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:21:39 +1200

Where did you get that from
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11879788
A Soper piece which ends with:
Perhaps they'd like to have a look at the case again, given information that the recordings didn't come from a dictaphone left lying around, as had been claimed, it 's said to have come from CCTV camera surreptitiously…

Rich of Observationz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:16:24 +1200

The thing is, it's currently unlikely that we'll get a non-National government that doesn't have NZ First in it, who I abhor more than National.

And currently, we have a constrained, fairly liberal right-wing government, by global (or any) standards.

A centre-left government led by Andrew Little and James Shaw…

nzlemming

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:10:54 +1200

Sounds like there may also be video recordings, according to Barry Soper. Professionally installed CCTV, no less.

Where did you get that from, Ben?

nzlemming

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:04:13 +1200

At one stage I used to see David Farrar socially, but it was difficult to maintain the pretence of civility in the presence of his forthright political assumptions. Viz, less that he was a craven National lackey, more that he overtly assumed that everyone in the group was an amoral…

Moz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:56:28 +1200

how can you hold these people to account if something like this happens?

It's very difficult and that's the point. With professional socialites like MPs it's superficially easier because they're either practicing being effortlessly interested and nice, or they already do so out of habit. One effect of that is…

Sacha

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:55:39 +1200

Privacy Commissioner may become involved.

maxy

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:44:58 +1200

But this story does also demonstrate the limitations of relying on Gallery staff for political reporting. It was the Otago Daily Times reporter Eileen Goodwin (working in cooperation with the Herald's David Fisher) who broke the story of Barclay's refusal to cooperate with police more than a year ago, and…

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:27:38 +1200

National supporters (however wavering) will be all too ready to believe that, because their chosen party members have been caught lying, that means all politicians lie, therefore they may as well continue voting National.

Most will, yes. But some small number may feel that they don't like this National party,…

Moz

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:23:43 +1200

It's worth looking at the various investigatory bodies around the world. One handy term is Independent Commission Against Corruption. NSW has one and it periodically makes findings that end up with politicians and their associates facing criminal charges. For that reason Australia doesn't have a federal one because [[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-26/ian-macfarlane-appointed-to-run-queensland-mining-lobby/7876942|the corruption…

linger

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:05:46 +1200

I'm less sure. National supporters (however wavering) will be all too ready to believe that, because their chosen party members have been caught lying, that means all politicians lie, therefore they may as well continue voting National.
It's only the lukewarm Left supporters that might be influenced, and only towards…

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:53:58 +1200

let alone messages about how she has more integrity as an alternative to Todd Barclay.

I don't think it's a particularly easy thing to go messaging about. "Never caught with hand in till". "Never illegally recorded constituents and colleagues", etc, are not really things you put on your CV. They're…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:53:46 +1200

I liked the photo accompanying this article:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93908848/backbench-mps-stand-by-barclay-ministers-less-solid
The caption should read:
__Soon to have more time on his hands, Todd Barclay and John Key consider getting their old band , The Village Idiots, back together again, pictured here with their new police compliance vehicle – great for riding roughshod…

Dave Waugh

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:49:31 +1200

"Don't go Full Nixon on staffers, stonewall Police investigations, monster complainants into going away and keeping quiet, then lie your arse off about all of it"

Sounds like standard tobacco company procedure TBH?

Craig Ranapia

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:44:15 +1200

Shouldn't parties be explaining to voters how they're going to make it so their MPs and Ministers can't get away with the kind of stuff that Barclay's being accused of?

Thing is: If MPs and Ministers want to be shot of staffers, Parliamentary & Ministerial Services and the State Services Commission…

Katharine Moody

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:30:54 +1200

At the risk of bringing up a tired question (sorry!), how do people think Labour is doing with its response to this, given it’s the primary opposition party and the election’s approaching?

It is interesting to read the press releases from Labour and NZ First to get a handle on…

izogi

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 11:19:14 +1200

That's why when it comes to governing others, we came up with them pesky checks and balances

Absolutely. What I'd really like to hear, but also really wanted to hear in 2014, is Labour's view on the current checks and balances, how they're failing (assuming it thinks they are) and…

andin

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:48:26 +1200

all politicians are untrustworthy.

Most/all of humanity has that gene.
That's why when it comes to governing others, we came up with them pesky checks and balances

Joe Wylie

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:43:45 +1200

Shouldn't parties be explaining to voters how they're going to make it so their MPs and Ministers can't get away with the kind of stuff that Barclay's being accused of?
I don't recall too much of that during the long, slow and often faltering pursuit of "Taito" Philip Field. There…

izogi

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 10:21:25 +1200

At the risk of bringing up a tired question (sorry!), how do people think Labour is doing with its response to this, given it's the primary opposition party and the election's approaching?

I've just listened to Andrew Little's stint on Morning Report (from 6m30s), where he was given a good…

Craig Ranapia

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 09:56:28 +1200

Just in case things aren't surreal enough for your taste, Fresh allegations Todd Barclay invented complaints against the staff member he secretly recorded

"I had received complaints about the conduct of a staff member from members of the public and I referred the matter to Parliamentary Services," Mr Barclay told…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 09:42:20 +1200

Tory dick's dictatory behaviour....
" Barclay had confided he left a dictaphone running in his electorate office, recording his staff."*
What gets me is that he then had to listen back to the recordings in real time to discover content, how many days, weeks did he record for, even just…

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 09:14:29 +1200

Sounds like there may also be video recordings, according to Barry Soper. Professionally installed CCTV, no less.

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:58:56 +1200

National has a constitution and processes around candidate selection and de-selection.

I'm sure it does, but I bet it doesn't have a constitution that says that high up party members can't go and pretty much tell Barclay directly that he should piss off quick smart before he does any more…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:44:20 +1200

reward the original source with our linkylove instead
Good call.

BenWilson

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:40:18 +1200

Yes, they put themselves on the map yesterday. Textbook playing of the PM, although I feel like JK would have probably not have looked like quite such a stunned mullet when getting the initial questions that required lies.

But then again, when you are caught red handed doing something like…

Craig Ranapia

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:36:13 +1200

Why is [he] being allowed to remain?

Because as David Slack (not exactly a water-carrier for this government or National) just pointed out on Morning Report, because National has a constitution and processes around candidate selection and de-selection. And Bill English is no more able to unilaterally sack a duly…

Sacha

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:25:00 +1200

so let's reward the original source with our linkylove instead: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/20/35010/allegations-barclay-invented-complaints

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 08:08:13 +1200

...and still it comes
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93905944/allegations-barclay-invented-complaints

I hope Fairfax is paying Newsroom for doing such excellent work for Stuff to link to...

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 07:11:05 +1200

Baby of the house on board...
...is taking a looong time to flatten out his stressful 'steep learning curve' it seems...
from May 11 2015:
National's youngest MP is steering clear of social media for a while.
Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay, 24, has had a steep learning curve since he…

Ian Dalziel

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 06:22:27 +1200

funky...
skunky scungy
dusky musky
right-of-centre scent of
… Lusk. Get Lusky!
...or
'Join the Civet Service
and see the whirled....'

nzlemming

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 23:44:14 +1200

Cray cray extends to our old friend Colin Craig. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/93899563/rachel-macgregor-countersues-colin-craig-for-defamation

linger

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 23:22:50 +1200

a strong whiff of Simon LuskWhy wait to get the
skunky scungy
dusky musky
right-of-centre scent of
… Lusk. Get Lusky!

… S’gotta be better than Lynx, anyway …

Russell Brown

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 22:26:10 +1200

factional horse trading

seems to underlie this Barclay debacle

Exactly! How that jumped up toff got the nod in the first place is the real mystery.

I get a strong whiff of Simon Lusk in all this. He's been fond of bragging about the twentysomethings he's grooming for power.

And…

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:41:53 +1200

crazy!
Things are looking gnarly for Barclays all over it seems...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/93900575/british-bank-barclays-criminally-charged-over-21b-qatar-fundraising

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:17:18 +1200

Roget's Gallery

outstanding #onya

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:12:17 +1200

His diction flattens right out when he’s fibbing.
Just heard him (English) saying that 'the police fully investigated it and it was completed' – you can almost hear the 'air quotes' on "completed".
More convenient semantics...
a regular Roget's Gallery!

Tom Semmens

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:07:18 +1200

factional horse trading

seems to underlie this Barclay debacle

Exactly! How that jumped up toff got the nod in the first place is the real mystery.

Martin Brown

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:03:00 +1200

Doesn't he have some GCSB responsibility as well? That works.

Bill Eaton

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:56:48 +1200

national.org.nz/toddbarclay has him as Deputy Chair, Law and Order Select Committee but parliament.nz does not. I guess the latter is correct – in more than one way – but now I am wondering when the "correction" happened.

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:43:01 +1200

factional horse trading

seems to underlie this Barclay debacle
#debarclay

Dave Waugh

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:28:03 +1200

So why is Barclay hanging in, potentially raining down more damage on his party and leader? Why is [he] being allowed to remain?

I don't know, but I'm just going to nip down the supermarket and get more popcorn..... This looks like it's going to get quite entertaining! :-D

Tom Semmens

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:24:26 +1200

A tone deaf government who are walking blindfolded and still no traction from the opposition :)

Labour’s caucus is full of political deadbeats and no hopers who are just happy to be in the best paid job they are ever likely to have. They owe their jobs to factional horse…

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:13:28 +1200

Media producer Tim Watkin on today's revelations.

Suddenly, remarkably, English had exposed Barclay as a liar. Not just a one-off liar today but, to the best of English's knowledge, it now seemed as if all the denials Barclay had made in public over the past year had been "misleading".

When…

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 20:08:58 +1200

are there bodies buried in Dipton?

good question

Dave Waugh

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:45:47 +1200

They don't take well to being thoroughly scooped by their ex-editor.

Hell hath no snark like a newspaper scorned.

Katharine Moody

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:33:55 +1200

does he manage the bags-of-cash drops from the tobacco companies?

Well that was my first pick – and that was when he first got picked.

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:28:17 +1200

I had to comb through The Harold online twice before finding a one-line slug on this story
They don't take well to being thoroughly scooped by their ex-editor.

linger

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:27:03 +1200

… But With A Lot Of Practice, It Gets Easier To Spread Bullshit.

Paul Campbell

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:26:40 +1200

I'm still wondering why Barclay wasn't kicked out a year ago? and why he wasn't kicked out today? he's a nothing, a kid with no real-world experience, in the safest National seat in the country, are there bodies buried in Dipton? does he manage the bags-of-cash drops from the tobacco…

Katharine Moody

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:22:44 +1200

On the fact that BE first had brain fade (this morning) and then went back and checked (this afternoon) he said this:

"As a result of the questions this morning, I said that I had made a statement to police and I would go back and check it. I've gone…

Martin Brown

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 19:07:32 +1200

Wow. I had to comb through The Harold online twice before finding a one-line slug on this story in the side column, which referred only to Barclay's statement.

Jason Kemp

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:59:31 +1200

Lets hope some of that comes out in public :)

Katharine Moody

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:26:32 +1200

Not bloody likely. They’ll find a way of letting National off the hook, one way or another.

Andrew Little did a remarkably good job in Question Time today in Parliament. The Speaker was prepared – interrupted one of Andrew's supplementaries on it – and Andrew managed to come back with…

Nick Russell

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:18:26 +1200

Yeah. One reason the Government has become so utterly tone deaf and arrogant (cf Alfred Ngaro and Nicky Wagner) is because the Opposition is letting them get away with it. It wasn't always like this. Ask Aaron Gilmore.

simon g

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:16:44 +1200

I watched Barclay's statement (not in fact a press conference, no questions taken) live on Checkpoint just now. The money shot was the reaction of the reporters (Soper, Audrey Young etc), roughly translated as "You gotta be kidding me!".

Jason Kemp

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:12:37 +1200

A tone deaf government who are walking blindfolded and still no traction from the opposition :)

Nick Russell

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:05:05 +1200

Now if only Labour could stop throwing themselves under the bus

Not bloody likely. They'll find a way of letting National off the hook, one way or another.

nzlemming

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:03:55 +1200

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/201848214/national-mp-todd-barclay-s-future-hanging-in-balance

Nick Russell

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:01:19 +1200

Nope. Looks like he is going to try to tough it out.

Pass the popcorn...

Jason Kemp

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 18:00:49 +1200

Now if only Labour could stop throwing themselves under the bus this is a gift for them in them in the lead up to elections. In longer term narrative the wheels are falling off National everywhere.

Perhaps one more swamp Kauri story might help and whatever did happen to that…

Sacha

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:46:32 +1200

From that latest Newsroom story:

In a statement today, Police’s Investigations Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Barclay.

“The investigation is now considered closed. If any new information is brought to the attention of police then that information will be assessed by the investigating officers…

simon g

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:45:22 +1200

Todd Barclay about to make statement to media.

Pawn lost, king protected?

Ian Dalziel

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:39:07 +1200

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/93890917/if-barclay-goes-the-government-loses-its-leverage-over-minor-parties

Russell Brown

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:28:22 +1200

And this just serves to highlight how incredibly important investigative journalism still is in this country.

Great comment Mandy, thank you for making it.

nzlemming

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:13:02 +1200

As Matthew Poole points out on Facebook:
So much rage over the blatant double-standard the police displayed with Todd Barclay compared with Bradley Ambrose.

WaterDragon

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 17:12:28 +1200

Wheels falling off the trolley now and no mistake. Bill is casting him adrift and Checkpoint is onto the scent. Loud sound of doo-doos hitting wotsits