Today’s Worthy News
First Audrey Young reveals that the deleted texts are being sought:
The Auckland Indian woman who has accused MP Richard Worth of sending vulgar messages to her is trying to retrieve some deleted messages from Vodafone. …
One of the deleted text messages is alleged to be advising the woman where to buy a particular see-through garment in Hyderabad in India, where she was visiting last December.
Mr Goff said last night the woman yesterday requested the texts from Vodafone and had been told that after three months, only the police could request them. Vodafone did not return calls to verify what a customer’s rights are.
This sounds like an admission that there is no evidence amongst the non deleted texts, and may explain why they are refusing to hand them over.
Mr Key disputed Mr Goff’s claim that in their May 6 conversation, that Mr Key had said he had heard rumours before about Dr Worth and that was why he had not been made Speaker.
Mr Goff’s file note of the conversation states: “Key indicated he had heard rumours before the election – reason why Worth had not been made Speaker. Had raised it directly with Worth who had denied it …”‘
The file note is headed 6 May 2009, 9.45 – 9.55pm. Mr Key said “That can’t be right because I got off the plane at 10pm.”
Goff has been shaky on many of the details – such as the e-mails that never were etc, and looks like he even has the time wrong.
And as to the probability that the PM would tell the Leader of the Opposition that he did not make someone Speaker because of rumours about women – well it isn’t high.
John Armstrong writes:
There, surely, could be a way found for Key to have a squiz at the texts without him or Goff imposing conditions the other will not accept.
Key has imposed no conditions except that they be shown to his COS first. Goff is advising the woman very badly by insisting that she not hand them over until the PM meets with both her and him. This is akin to a Police complainant going to a Police station, saying they have a complaint, but refusing to provide details until they meet with the Police Commissioner personally.
Labour has no reason to compromise. It suits Goff to drag things out. He will be delighted that questions on Worth’s past and future consumed most of the Prime Minster’s weekly press conference yesterday.
Why would Labour be in a hurry to hand over the text messages and phone logs allegedly showing Worth’s calls when they are of assistance only to Key?
Labour is playing a bigger game here – one that is really all about pulling a popular prime minister off his perch and making him look and behave like just another politician.
Armstrong has it right. This is now totally about politics – not about helping the woman complainant.
You have to say that as a sexual harrassment advocate or advisor, Goff is not going to be your first choice in future. Look at the record:
- You approach him days after the alleged harrasment starts. He doesn’t even advise you to keep the messages, or make notes at the time of the phone calls.
- He doesn’t give you any advice on how to get the harassment to stop, Amazingly he lets you endure 100 unwelcome phone calls and text messages over three months, without telling you how to get them to stop.
- He waits three months until after the last message to then raise the issue.
- In raising the issue, he doesn’t ask for copies of any of the messages, does nothing to compile a bullet proof case. He just makes a phone call.
- When the other party”s boss comes back in a week saying no action can be taken as it is denied, you accept this and do nothing.
- When it then goes public, he mixes up key details.
- He then labels the complainant as “strikingly attractive”
- He advises the complainant that she should bring him along as a support person to a meeting – so it is all about him, not her.
- He advises the complainant not to hand over the text messages, despite having complained previously they were not asked for
Whatever job Goff will be doing after politics, it won’t be as a sexual harrassment counsellor or advisor!