Scoop Political Editor Gordon Campbell Writes: John Banks is in the firing line, and his time is running out. The initial response of toughing it out – to claim innocence of any illegality, to fuzz the details and hope it will blow over – hasn’t worked. The details of the closeness of the relationship with Kim Dotcom keep on pouring out and have served to make the “I can’t remember” memory loss look somewhat less than entirely genuine. There is now a haze of circumstantial evidence of apparent collusion, even if no smoking gun of illegal behaviour has yet emerged. The perception is one of unethical behaviour rather than illegal behaviour, but unfortunately for Banks, there is still a requirement - even among politicians, who could hardly sink lower in the public’s estimation – of a certain semblance of ethical behaviour. While it may be an arbitrary process, there is need from time to time, for certain egregious offenders to be ritually sacrificed. If Banks does resign it may be a far, far better thing than he has ever done before. More >>
Earlier Gordon Campbell on this breaking story: On Monday's PM's Press Conference: Wherein John Key says unethical conduct by Ministers is OK, On The John Banks Kim Dotcom Saga (Video link above from ParliamentToday.co.nz)
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