INDEPENDENT NEWS

PM's Presser Audio: Richard Worth & Super Auckland

Published: Mon 30 Mar 2009 07:16 PM
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Presser – The Richard Worth Affair
By Spike Mountjoy


Click to enlarge
Today the Prime Minister said he had given Richard Worth "a bollocking" over a potential conflict of interest during his recent private trip to India as chair of the India Trade Group. While in India Worth oversaw the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Southern Institute of Technology and an Indian Aviation club. Worth is Director of NZ Aviation, which is in a joint venture with SIT to attract Indian student pilots to the school. On the same trip Worth delivered a speech in his capacity as the Minister of Internal Affairs extolling the virtues of NZ as a destination for student pilots.
Key said subsequent to their conversation Worth had resigned as a director and shareholder of NZ Aviation and also as chair of the India Trade Group. See below for the notification Worth provided Key before his trip, which fails to mention a potential conflict of interest.
The future of Auckland governance was also discussed. Local Government Minister Rodney Hide attended today's cabinet meeting where there was "a wide ranging debate" about the recent Royal Commission Report. Key said a decision regarding Auckland governance will be announced after the next cabinet meeting on April 6.
In other matters Key said he would be prepared to make a law change if state owned enterprise Air NZ and staff couldn't resolve the differences the company says may lead to the suspension of several domestic routes. Here's Air NZ's View of the dispute.
See below for the Richard Worth's letter to the Prime Minister.
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Presser 30/03/09


Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge
******
Scoop Launches Audio and Video Podcast Feed
http://www.scoop.co.nz/feeds/podcast/index.rss
Copy this url & paste it into your podcast software's 'subscribe to podcast' field (usually within the advanced menu)
Need free podcasting software? Check out:
Juice open source cross platform application(formerly ipodder) or the popular Apple itunes cross platform application.
ENDS

Next in Comment

US Lessons For New Zealand’s Health System: Profiteering, Hospital Adverse Events And Patient Outcomes
By: Ian Powell
Israel’s Argument At The Hague: We Are Incapable Of Genocide
By: Binoy Kampmark
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media