Scoop Audio: PM Talks About Boorish Behaviour 'N' Telecom
The Prime Minister hunts out another probing question at the regular post cabinet press conference
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Initially the press gallery were intent on devouring the potential scandal of the leaked cabinet paper regarding the
unbundling of the local loop. Halfway through the weekly verbal interaction between the Prime Minister and the gallery
another important matter of state transfixed onlookers in the Legislative Council Chamber – was Judith Collins a victim
of boorishness or had she inflicted boorishness during a visit to a CYFS facility?
According to a National Party press release Ms Collins seemed to have taken exception to the Prime Minister's version of
her haka disaster at CYS Manurewa facility:
National Party MP Judith Collins has refuted claims by Prime Minister Helen Clark’s that she was rude during a haka at
the Manurewa CYF facility.
“The haka was conducted as social services select committee chair Georgina Beyer and I led the committee into the
building,” says Ms Collins.
“I did not walk through a haka, and I was not rude in any way. Helen Clark has been lied to and she’s now repeating the
lie.
“I will be writing to the Prime Minister today seeking an apology for the false comments she has made this morning to
Newstalk ZB about the behaviour of myself and my colleagues.
A member of the fourth estate attempted vainly to extricate an apology from the PM to the allegedly put-upon Ms Collins
– instead the Prime Minister gave the version of events she appeared to believe was the 'Gods honest truth' of what
happened that fateful day.
In the Prime Minister's version of events Ms Collins had walked onto the Marae in boots, showed indifference to the haka
being performed - a haka that had been practised for some weeks by quite possibly emotionally fragile youths.
Listen to the PM's version of what happened at the CYF's Manurewa facility
Click here to download file(mp3)
Read National MP Judith Collins version of events
Listen to the rest of the PM's press conference
Click here to download file (mp3)
ENDS