Jul 23, 2008

Even John Armstrong Thinks Peters May Have To Resign

This from this morning's Herald

It does not yet qualify as a full-blown scandal. It is still some way off being a full-scale crisis. But the overwhelming feeling around Parliament yesterday was of things teetering on the brink, that Winston Peters - for all his formidable survival instincts - risks drowning in the sheer volume of allegations and unanswered questions now raining down on him.
In his absence - he is in Singapore - the Prime Minister is doing her level best to help him while carefully quarantining Labour from suffering collateral damage through its association with NZ First as her Government's support partner.
But much more of this and Peters may yet have to step down as a minister and relinquish his Foreign Affairs portfolio.
It may not come to that. The Prime Minister will willingly soak up a lot more taunts from National about her protecting Peters before reluctantly cutting him loose.
Nevertheless, the rapid turn of events had questions being asked of her yesterday as to whether Peters can viably carry on as Foreign Minister given the serious nature of the allegations against him and with his credibility simultaneously melting at such a horrific rate.