John Key loses moral compass over Collins

John Key has lost his moral compass over Judith Collins’ involvement with Cameron Slater and lost touch with New Zealanders’ sense of right and wrong, Labour MP Grant Robertson says.

“Whoever is Prime Minister there are expectations they will not allow the power they have in their office to be used for the sort of purposes revealed in Dirty Politics. This extends to their ministers.

“The Prime Minister gave Judith Collins her last warning over Oravida. It appears that was an empty threat.

“From leaking information about a public servant to Cameron Slater, her discussions with him about confidential matters regarding Bronwyn Pullar, to appointing a Slater crony to a position for which he had no qualifications, Dirty Politics is full of last warnings for John Key to use.

“Judith Collins claims the information about Simon Pleasants she provided to Slater was public information – it was not. She only received that information about his job because she is a minister.

“She must have been aware of what Slater had planned to unleash on Mr Pleasants. This raises significant issues over her judgment, ethics and suitability to be a Minister.

“She knows that if she had concerns over a public servant’s behaviour, which in this case there is no evidence of, there are proper processes to follow. She should have gone to the chief executive or the State Services Commission. Going to Slater was simply an attempt to divert and demean an innocent person.

“Emails released today also confirm that Mrs Collins and Slater were discussing the Bronwyn Pullar affair, despite Mrs Collins recent denials. This was confidential information she had as ACC Minister that should never have been passed on.

“And last night it was revealed that Aaron Bhatnagar, a central figure in breaching Labour’s website with Cameron Slater, was appointed by Mrs Collins to the Board of the Real Estate Agents’ Authority, a role for which he had no qualifications

“John Key’s moral compass has gone walkabout. If he does not sack Judith Collins it is clear to New Zealanders that he condones and supports this poisonous approach to politics, which is exactly what New Zealanders don’t want,” Grant Robertson said.

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