Am I the only person this morning who finds Helen’s denials this morning deeply ironic.
Miss Clark, now head of the United Nations Development Programme, told Radio New Zealand the allegation was wrong.
“I am absolutely incensed at the suggestion that some Defence Ministry personnel seem to have made to various diplomats that there was any connection between my support for sending engineers to do humanitarian work in Iraq with the interests of Fonterra, I mean this is simply preposterous.”
Cabinet responded to a call from the UN for states to help in Iraq and she has no recollection of Dr Cullen making such a comment.
“Absolutely nothing. I read this stuff on the website last night with incredulity. I can’t even remember any suggestion of Michael Cullen even raising it. What I know is that after the UN Security Council resolution that said `would you come and help member states in Iraq’ we looked at what we could do.”
Well, it’s entirely possible that she’s telling the truth – she didn’t send them “with the interests of Fonterra”, she sent them with the interests of herself. It was observed by friends of mine that throughout Helen’s tenure that she made many decisions to curry favour with the UN, and UN members especially when such actions where of little or no value to this country.
At the time, I was somewhat skeptical. But as they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Now, the irony there is that many left wing bloggers are spluttering that we had officials who were working for a foreign power, when their job was working in the interests of New Zealand.
I would point out that one of those was sitting at the head of the cabinet table.
Something should go here, maybe later. 