Just saw the interview with Winston Peters on CloseUp on TVNZ and I can’t believe what I just witnessed.

(Download the interview here: TVNZ CloseUp - 20080924 )

The man is completely unrepentant and didn’t give a single straight answer to any question. In fact, he came across as trying to bully Mark Sainsbury into letting him just have a free reign platform to espouse his propaganda.

Mr Sainsbury did well under the circumstances, but I do not think he was the right person to perform the interview. In fact, I think that maybe a certain morning host should have given Mr Peters the same treatment he gave Mr Key this morning. No wait. That wouldn’t help his beloved Labour so maybe not.

Winston cannot be allowed to return to Parliament. He is as despicable as they get now. His reputation is now of a man who will do anything at all to hold on to any form of power he can, regardless of whether it damages his own reputation or even that of the country. Funnily enough, much like a certain 3 term Prime Minister that is doing anything she can, regardless of how dirty, cheap and untoward, to get a 4th term.

I have seen on blogs, including Kiwiblog, Mr Peters likened to Mr Mugabe of Zimbabwe. I have to say, the association between the two is now becoming very apt. As DPF said, it is a good thing all of Winston’s supporters are too old to go raiding farms.

In all the swirling allegations we’ve seen in recent weeks and months, I have to say that John Key has come out of it all as a very good example of how a politician should be *expected* to behave. His refusal to lower himself to Labours level, his immediate condemnation of Winston’s behaviour when it became blatantly apparent he was lying and his up front, honest and immediate facing up to the public over the nasty allegations Labour has tried to use to diffuse the Winston circus has been exemplary and should be applauded by all in this country.

What should be asked of Dr Cullen is whether the Labour Party intends to pay back the tax payer money spent by their staff to try and dig up dirt on John Key, or even declare it as an election expense in their own filings.

Then to learn last night that Labour ministers were trying to pressure and bully the minor parties in to voting against the censure of Winston Peters… How can they possibly expect people to take this supposed campaign of “Trust” seriously? It is a farce and a joke and not a single person I have spoken with since the announcement thinks they can trust the Labour Party or Helen Clark.

Labours refusal to take any action against Winston Peters, and their absolutely abhorrent attempts to portray the Privileges Committee as being politicised and biased just shows that they cannot be trusted in any case. Not even when 1 of those Partys has a Minister of the Labour Government in it, and the other has stood by Labour through the entire last 3 years with Confidence and Supply, even at the cost of their own reputation in some cases.

We live in a country where the legal system and the rule of Parliament has always been based on a majority rules. Even the legal court system that once required a unanimous decision now works on a majority rules system thanks to this current Government. That the Government should now ignore the findings of a majority and instead attempt to discredit all those involved as being biased or attempting to gain political points just shows that they cannot stand the law of the land unless it suits their own needs.

Maybe Winston Peters should retire to the position of Ambassodor to Zimbabwe and Helen Clark can have Myanmar. Two countries in which the philosophy of the ruling Government seems to mirror their own.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Too long has Labour and Winston Peters held the baubles of office. Now those baubles have become Precious to them.

Update ~21:00: Just added the link to the MP4 of the interview and also to the Close Up page for todays show.