And with that, he was gone ...

Just in time for the lunchtime news bulletins too. Wonder How Hugh Logan and Ian Rennie's presser is going down with the PSA? Got to admit that in Setchell's position, it would go down like the proberbial stein of cold sick listening to…

Ironically it looks like losing him his job

I'd respectfully suggest Benson-Pope (and the Prime Minister) might find losing his ministerial warrant a damn sight more agreeable than a lengthy complaint being laid with the Privileges Committee that he stood up at Question Time and lied his arse off. I'd…

I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.

And try to do it without sulking, snarling…

I listened to today's exchange live on the radio. What's intriguing is that B-P volunteered the "new" information. It wasn't another slip of the tongue.

Actually he was told to say it by the PM. She became aware of the comment last night and directed him to be more open…

You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately… Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!

Presumably he knows there's more to come from other sources and he'd rather drip-feed it himself. A few days late to switch tactics though.

Oh, it's a dumb tactic period:Brian Edwards (a professional 'media trainer') explains why here (around 15.20 in).

Presumably he knows there's more to come from other sources and he'd rather drip-feed it himself. A few days late to switch tactics though.

For all the good you are doing etc, go.

Some departments do have ideological positions on what sort of policies are best. But at the end of the day, it is their job to knuckle under to the Minister and do as they are told. And they do. Despite the scaremongering (and I know Labour was…

One of the benefits of a politically neutral public service is that they faithfully serve the government of the day...

Which, to get really nuts, might include a civil servant playing the devil's advocate or proffering some free and frank advice the Minister of the day doesn't really want to…

What I am suggesting is that a government is elected with a set of policies and is entitled to use the public service to implement those policies.

And they do. One of the benefits of a politically neutral public service is that they faithfully serve the government of the day…

As I say, 49 of them on the government side. Including first-termers and those on the way out. Against how many "policy-level" public servants? A thousand?

Che, I'm not suggesting that the vast majority of delivery-side public servants should be politically appointed.…

we would do well to have a layer of a few hundred people on "single parliament" contracts.

i'm a only a reader in this debate, but need a clarification.

rich, are you suggesting political appointments over merit-based ones?

and to which party should they be affiliated? the largest government party,…

I contend it would be hard to separate my professionalism from my intimate's influence from the other pillow.

And if you said that to me in a job interview for anything, I'd thank you for your time and promptly shred your cv. And from the other side of the table,…

I'd suggest that without going down the US route of making all senior PS political appointees, we would do well to have a layer of a few hundred people on "single parliament" contracts.

We already have such people. They're called MPs.

But seriously, why would we want to? We worked…

Notwithstanding who Joanna Black and Jane Clifton are married to, I'd consider…

There are only 49 government MPs to choose ministers from, and 28 actual ministers (including 2 from minority parties). With, I would guess, several hundred high level public servants, this doesn't provide much political control – and we do expect the government to be accountable for the execution…

I do feel sorry ofr Ms Setchell (and her partner).

NZ is tiny, especially when you get into these circles. There…

I think “who does this person know?” is not nearly as good a test as: “does this person look as though they will respect their obligation not to disclose information?”

Well, certainly. At the risk of sounding like a total jerk-off, the blog/media scene in this country isn't quite incestuous…

I agree with you, but it's sure understandable considering the amount of snide (and distasteful) chipping she and Jane Clifton get because of who they happen to be in relationships with

The National Party's take on current issues is spoken too often by the Listener these days. The first I…

the world no longer looks like an episode of Father Knows Best, if it ever really did. It certainly isn't The Stepford Wives.

if we're talking tv, the world actually looks like this

Why should DBP be gone

Because he is accountable (Oh I forgot !)

Ok, he is a liability

Why should DBP be gone, Neil?

Ministerial responsibility. If Labour had reacted less defensively then I'd give them the benefit of the doubt but they just look peeved that anyone should disagree with their judgement.

I'd probably be easily convinced that Setchell's appointment was inappropriate but the way Labour has…

Fair point, and I certainly won't defend what is very far from Wyatt's finest moment. But I'm confident Clark would (quite justifiably) go nuclear if John Key blithely opined at a press conference her husband should never have been appointed to this post, because of a potential conflict…

I think “who does this person know?” is…

But I think Joanne Black is a bit over the top in claiming: "It is unnerving to learn that simply on the basis of my husband’s occupation, I might be barred from holding many (or any) of the country’s 190,000 public service jobs."

I agree with you, but it's sure…

But I think Joanne Black is a bit over the top in claiming: "It is unnerving to learn that simply on the basis of my…

Why wasn't the whole thing made confidential & avoid the media ruckus?

Not quite sure what you mean here, Michael, because Setchell herself isn't talking – and I think it's reasonable to suspect there's a cheque with a gagging clause attached. But since when was the executive and civil service beyond…

DBP should be gone but he'll stay because Labour has such a slender hold on power. They tippy-toed around Phillip Field for quite some time for the same reason. And then…

That did occur to me: those are two very senior comms jobs likely to be in political conflict (Boston quite frankly declared that it would have been inappropriate in his view).

Hum... I must catch that when it goes live on the RNZ website, but on the basis of your…

It's the first thing I would have done and, for the life of me, I can't comprehend why…

Setchell Harassment can happen on school camps when the setchell harasser bursts in on underage girls in various states of undress repeatedly.

What Are the Effects of Setchell Harassment?
The effects of Setchell harassment could include the following:

Emotional Effects: extreme anger

Well, I'm definitely getting that, and I haven't even been Satchelly harassed.

This threatens the whole idea of a politically neutral public service, appointed and advanced on merit rather than…