The RNZ Curran timeline

The Herald has a copy of the timeline from the Radio NZ Chair, Dick Griffin. It is rather interesting.

Some key points:

• 22 March – Minister’s office rang Griffin to tell him that there were questions in the House and they did not want RNZ to comment. Only then did he find out that the meeting was pre-arranged. The staff were focused entirely on whether the Minister had misled the House and seem oblivious to the significance of Radio NZ having misled the Select Committee.
• 24 March- Griffin phoned Curran to tell her what he had learnt. She was defensive and kept insisting she could talk to anyone she wants. Very interesting that she really has no idea of the Cabinet Manual or that Ministers can’t go behind Chairs and CEOs backs.
• 26 March – Griffin informed the Minister, the Select Committee Chair and the PM’s Chief of Staff of what had happened.
• 27 March – Griffin informed Melissa Lee three minutes before the public press release

There was somewhat ridiculous behaviour by certain Labour MPs who said that Griffin had colluded with National because he told Melissa Lee about the resignation three minutes before the public release. They really made dicks of themselves.

Griffin acted entirely properly informing the Minister and even the PM’s Chief of Staff the day before. The phone call to Melissa Lee a few minutes before the release was common courtesy that you don’t want an MP to find out you inadvertently lied in response to their question through a media release.

Griffin refused to release the Minister’s voice mail message to the committee. But the committee may require its release. If so, it could be very interesting to see whether the PM’s insistence that Curran did not try to persuade Griffin not to appear is borne out by her message.