So much for acting properly

After a brief spell of doing the right thing and acting properly in having David Parker resign, just a few days later incredibly the PM is backtracking and saying he could be back in Cabinet, even as Attorney-General within a week.

Now as the NZ Herald reports, there was absolutely no suggestion when he resigned that this was just a stand-down while an investigation occured. In fact she said she would have sacked him if he had not resigned. So this is a massive flip-flop.

Parker had admitted he broke the law, as an MP, numerous times. Regardless of whether the Companies Office prosecutes this is grounds for resignation. Now no-one ever said he could never return to Cabinet but hell to change a resignation to a stand-down is just shabby and unethical desperation.

And Clark has now greatly increased the significance of the decision of the Companies Office with regard to prosecution. If they now decide not to prosecute, which leads to an immediate return for Parker, the sense of Labour Ministers being above the law will be reinforced.