Dubai and Goff

Fran O’Sullivan covers the latest in the Dubai bid for Auckland Airport.  I suspect she is right that the Dubai Government would have been stunned to have had no less a person that the Overseas Trade Minister denounce the proposed purchase.  Subtleties such as whether he was speaking as a local MP do not wash.

Regardless of whether or not one thinks the bid should or should not be approved, I think most people would recognise the importance of having a Trade Minister who doesn’t offend our trading and investment partners. Goff should never have made that speech, and it is a shame he put his desire to increase support amongst the left faction in Labour over his job as Trade Minister.

He should have got a backbencher or even another Minister to  make the speech which he made.