Our dishonest Prime Minister

Last night's Campbell Live piece on the GCSB was an important reminder of the extent to which John Key has lied to us over his role in the appointment of Ian Fletcher. First Key claimed that the appointment was made by SSC, then when confronted with evidence that it wasn't, he claimed that he hadn't had any contact with his old friend. Then, as more facts emerged, he gradually admitted that he had met Fletcher, then that he had asked him to apply for the job. Today, under further questioning, he's been forced to admit that his office organised those meetings, but he is still claiming that he had not discussed the role with him before the appointment. Those lies are now looking increasingly untenable. But above it all is the question: why lie at all? What is the Prime Minister trying to hide here? If he's so sure that the appointment was his to make (to paraphrase his explanation in the House today) and that he could therefore do whatever he liked, why didn't he just say so from the beginning rather than string together an increasingly implausible series of lies?

What's also looking doubtful is Key's claim never to have heard of Kim Dotcom until the actual raids. Last night, Campbell Live revealed a secret meeting between Key, Fletcher, and the GCSB just two days before GCSB surveillance on Dotcom began. And we're somehow expected to believe that the GCSB didn't brief their Minister on a key upcoming operation. Yeah right. Even Key now seems to admit that its implausible, retreating to not being sure that he wasn't briefed. Which is a very convenient hole in his memory.

Given his repeated lies, nothing Key says on this issue can be trusted. Instead, every statement must be assumed to be another self-serving lie aimed at covering up his actions in light of the latest revelations. The PM has form on this - remember his gradual revelations on his TranzRail shares as it became apparent how much the media knew? But we deserve better than this from our PM.