Confirming duplicity

The comments released by the government today confirm Don Brash's duplicity over nuclear ships. He's been telling the New Zealand public one thing, and the Americans another:

Dr (Lockwood) Smith explained the current study being done by the National Party. If the study came to the same conclusion as it did in 1992, then National would look seriously at the nuclear legislation...

It was here that Dr Brash made the throw-away comment 'If the National Party was in government today, we would get rid of the nuclear propulsion section today - by lunchtime, even.

Which makes his sudden "memory loss" when asked about it highly convenient.

Also in the category of people who try desperately to hide their unpopular opinions is Lockwood Smith. Linda Clark interviewed him on Nine Till Noon the other morning about National's nuclear review, and at the end asked him for his personal opinion on the desirability of nuclear ship visits. He didn't have one, didn't want to talk about it, and said that that wasn't the issue. All of which made him appear rather two-faced...