A group of former workers at Manurewa Marae said private data from census forms was photocopied and entered into a database they believe was then used to target voters in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate.
How did anyone think this was even remotely acceptable?
Kinda weird that the PM is announcing an inquiry, that he gets to influence the terms of reference to, into an opposition party? Especially seeing the police are already investigating.
The timing could be seen as politically convenient, but not really strange that the PM is announcing the inquiry. But to be fair with the track record of the political shit that this government likes to step in, any time could be seen as politically continent.
If the PM became aware of this kind of abuse of power; and didn’t want an inquiry; I would be far more worried.
But there may be nothing here also, we have to remember that the PM didn’t find this out. Someone told him about it, they put their personal spin on the news. An inquiry is the appropriate response, Luxon says
but given the “seriousness” of the circumstances, it was important for facts to be established and independent oversight of the whole picture of government agency actions.
This seems to be the appropriate response; depending on how he delivered it.
Not really, this is a pretty shocking abuse of power if true, and he is the leader of the government.
I don’t think it was surprise about there being an inquiry, but at the appearance of one party getting to decide which other parties are jnvestigated.
But like you say, I don’t think this is unusual as he is the leader of the government and they don’t have input in the outcome. Like a CEO finding out about serious internal protocol breaches and hiring a consulting firm to investigate, it doesn’t indicate malice just that inaction would be worse.
I dunno. On the face of it, yes, it seems weird. But the commission is independent. It seems to me the same as if a company had an issue raised and got a consultant in to investigate.
