According to the Sunday Star-Times police are likely to charge Taito Philip Field in the next two weeks with violating the Immigration Act and with Corruption. The latter could carry a penalty of up to fourteen years in prison if in his role as a minister, or seven years if done as an MP.
It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. And hopefully, this will give the Labour caucus the chance they need to evict Field from their party for good. They never needed his vote - the Greens' abstention guaranteed that - but merely being associated with him is pure political poison.
OK, call me absolutely cynical but do you think these 'political sources' (and who are they?) have done Field a favour? Sure, I wouldn't waste a crocodile tear on the man if he was charged; but there's also part of me that feels very uncomfortable about the idea that someone (whether within the Police, Crown Law or - dare I say it - the Beehive) is selectively leaking about an ongoing Police investigation for God only knows what political ends. And if I'm feeling a grain of sympathy for the man, I shudder to think who is going buy it if Field wants to paint himself as a martyr to a racist witch-hunt.
ReplyDeletepaint himself as a martyr to a racist witch-hunt
ReplyDeleteFor the effectiveness of this approach see Muralitharan, Muttiah.
The cry of "racism" is a highly effective distraction, which never grows old, despite years of rule-breaking.
Craig - it is clear from the report that neither Police nor Crown Law is the source. It says clearly "political sources in the capital". That means someone in Parliament or the Beehive. It could have been National trying to get the story going again, but then it is difficult to believe they would be a credible source on the investigation. It is more likely that Clark is up to her old (Doone-gate) tricks again.
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