Helen Clark hangs Police out to dry
Helen Clark hangs Police out to dry
"Helen Clark is hanging the Police out to dry by declaring she had nothing to do with her speeding motorcade," says National Party Police spokesman Tony Ryall.
The Prime Minister's three-vehicle convoy drove at high speed for 209 kilometres between Waimate and Christchurch so that she could catch a flight in time to attend the Bledisloe Cup match in Wellington.
"The Government has cracked down on ordinary people's speeding through a record number of traffic tickets. People will be angry that the Prime Minster appears immune.
"Why didn't the Prime Minister tell her driver to slow down when her motorcade apparently shot along the highway at a reported 140km an hour?
"It is really quite hard to accept the Prime Minister's claim that she did not know how fast her motorcade was going, and no one in New Zealand believes Helen Clark has passive passenger syndrome.
"Why won't the Prime Minister take responsibility for her inaction?
"She is taking the public for fools. Who does she think she is, Vladimir Putin speeding to the Kremlin?
"While it appears the Police broke the law, Helen Clark was in the car and was more than capable of cautioning her driver.
"I have no doubt that the Police were just trying to help Helen Clark meet her recreational engagements. But now that things have turned sour, she won't back them up.
"The Prime Minister should take
responsibility for this affair," says Mr Ryall.