Dr Nick Smith Slams Winston's Scampi U-Turn

Comment on the Scampi Saga by Hon Dr Nick Smith MP for Nelson and National Party spokesperson for the environment to PortFocus.

Their have been no winners in the Scampi inquiry. The Ministry of fisheries has looked incompetent and Politicians have looked incapable of holding a proper inquiry. Key questions in the scampi saga still have not been answered and the public have been left with a bad smell about the fishing industry.

What we need is for the Fishing Industry to partake in good and honest corporate practice and to avoid cosy relations with Ministry of Fisheries officials that may look improper.

The Ministry of Fisheries must lift their game so that the industry and members of the public can have confidence that its operations are beyond reproach.Politicians must also lift their game and be conscientious of making strong accusations that they can not sustain. There is no question that Winston Peter's reputation has taken a hammering over this scampi saga. This is not because of what he said but because of the massive U turn he made over his allegations. Mr. Peters went into the house and said that their was a huge problem in the scampi industry and in the Ministry and then suddenly made a enormous U-turn changing his mind and saying their was no corruption at all.

This is what hurt Winston Peter's reputation.

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