It's such a SNAFU that the apologies are flying. Here's a link to the Herald article where John Key apologises to Kim Dotcom, and here's a quote taken directly from the article:
"Of course I apologise to Mr Dotcom, and I apologise to New Zealanders."I've added emphasis to the quote because I am a New Zealander, the apology is in part to me and it leads me to a very important question - where does the buck stop?
The PM's role, because the PM is almost without exception responsible for oversight of national security, is to ensure proper oversight. It's time to stop blaming the staff, the police and the spooks. It's time for a resignation.
Madonna - Confessions On A Dance Floor, 2006
Russel Norman's description of the Prime Minister's responsibilities is worth listening to, at least he understands what they are. The current Prime Minister seems to rely on an ignorance excuses responsibility philosophy, which just doesn't cut it when you're leading a country of 4.5 million people.
ReplyDeleteSome recently asked me whether the Greens would continue with the co-leadership model if they won an election as the dominant party. When you consider the cockup with the GCSB, having two people with oversight responsibility makes sense.
I'm with you on that. An ignorance excuses responsibility philosophy doesn't cut it when you are leading a dog, much less a country.
DeleteThe co-leadership thing has gained acceptance and I think it could work in government. It will be interesting to see which happens first, the Greens winning an election as the largest party, or Labour adopting the co-leadership model.