The Empire Strikes Back

When your own actions are so indefensible, the only course of action is to try to shift the focus. Clark has done this by attacking former Commissioner Doone and claiming the substance of the SST story was correct, even if key facts were not.

What the PM does not seem to understand, is it is not a decision of Doone vs Clark. Just because he was wrong in what he did, does not mean she was right in what she did. People can regard it as quite appropriate he stood down, but equally inappropriate that Clark confirmed false information, leaked cabinet papers and covered up.

Clark should have simply refused to comment to the SST as the matter was of the gravest importance, and too important to play politics with. Under no circumstances should she be reading extracts of a draft PCA report to a journalists, before the PCA has released it.