John Key's lies - the bigger picture

Exposing the reality behind John Key's denials

“Prime Minister John Key is defending his role in the appointment of Ian Fletcher as director of the Government Communications Security Bureau.

“Mr Key told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that despite ringing Mr Fletcher to tell him about the job, proper process had been followed in the appointment.”

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager looks a bit more deeply at this - 

See also John Campbell's interview -

Former GCSB head Sir Bruce Ferguson speaks out..

The PM has such bad amnesia he really needs some help for his condition.

Key 'had forgotten' call to Fletcher

TV3,

3 April, 2013

Prime Minister John Key has explained why he gave different stories about the hiring of GCSB boss Ian Fletcher, saying he simply forgot how it actually happened.

Mr Key admitted this morning that he was the one who had called Mr Fletcher and told him about the job, not State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie like he told reporters last week.

"I'd forgotten that [phone call] at that particular time," he says. "I don't remember everything that happened in 2010. I went back through all the files and all the records."

Mr Fletcher, a childhood friend of Mr Key, was hired at the beginning of last year to head the Government Communications Security Bureau. He was the only one to be interviewed.

His appointment came only after Mr Rennie went to Mr Key and told him the four people initially short-listed for the role were not good enough and a better person was needed.

"[Mr Rennie] said 'you'd better put your thinking cap on' and we discussed Ian Fletcher and we discussed another name that was there […] and I said 'I'll contact these two people'.

"So I contacted them and sent them off to the State Services Commissioner," he says.

The initial phone call wasn't a job offer, Mr Key says, it was merely informing him of the position.

"I rang him and said 'look, I think you might be interested and if you are interested, you should go and speak to Martin Weevers who is the head of Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and see whether that job interests you'".

Mr Key never mentioned these details last week, saying the only role he played in Mr Fletcher's appointment was that Mr Rennie had come to him with a recommendation.

"The State Services Commissioner made the recommendation, they interviewed him, he hired him," he said.

Mr Key rejects criticisms that he was nepotistic towards an old family friend, and is adamant Mr Fletcher was the best person for the job.

"He isn't some bunny I pulled out of my hat. This guy is a very successful civil servant."