Remember John Key’s secret plan to stop Japan’s whaling by allowing them to catch whales.
His plan was promoted in and adopted by an IWC committee chaired by his representative Geoff Palmer.
The outrage was heard around the world.
McCully has finally seen which way the wind is blowing and has slammed Key’s plan.
ummm… Sir Geoffrey is an Ex Labour PM..
The moment the Japanese stated they wanted to trade and still kill the endangered species the deal would have been off
stephensmikm, an ex Labour PM under John Key’s marching orders.
or just being a good all round neutral NZer – he’s head of alot of things including the Law Society – and they are a pretty smart bunch of chaps
Good that McCully has woken up
I doubt McCully has “woken up”, this is just another NAT-Spin where the good cop bad cop routine gets played. McCully turns NZ into a pro-whaling country yet at least stops the Japs killing endangered Fin Whales and comes off looking like the hero… *yawn*
@ stephensmikm, I guess you could consider Geoffrey Palmer a completely neutral party (wait – didn’t you just identify him as Labour affiliated?) if you think that John Key has given him leeway to act as he sees fit in this matter. Otherwise, he’s pretty much following directions, no?
@ loota
If he’s working for both sides that’s neutral in my books…he didn’t get his way with the provocation issue but there wasn’t much debate over that aye?
@salsy
the fin whale will be hunted under any IWC agreement, minimum 50 and that’s IF the IWC let’s them trade whale meat internationally so expect it to be around 100-150 and as for minkes likewise 440 is their lowest so expect it to be around the 520-530 mark
Approximatly in minute 15-17 minutes into this audio file with sir Geoffrey, he claims that it is “entirly, completly, and utterly wrong” and does “not think it’s acceptable for officials – loyal officials- to be impuned in that way” also “what has been said about them is entirly incorrect and they can’t answer for themselves”
http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/audio/1004/McCully_and_Palmer__Whaling.mp3
So, perhaps it was sir Geoffrey Palmers plan all along, not keys? Or is SIr Geoffrey lying?
–
“the process hasn’t altered since the government has changed”
- Sir geoffrey Palmer
It was not Labour’s goal to lower expectations about what we were trying to achieve in the process.
But then lowering expectations and failing to deliver is the hallmark of this government.
@Salsy – oops, sorry
, I was tipsy when I wrote that. So you’re right. 
I used to think Palmer was great, but with this and the alcohol suggestions
…
Sorry just have to say, that audio link – win! Now even spud can’t agree with trevor :O that’s saying a lot! :O
*that it was nationals plan
McCully has been the one leading the whaling debacle and didnt get Key an Oval Office meeting in his last trip.
I can see McCully being on the way out.
Its best to get rid of your ‘frenemies’ while you are still on top rather than wait till its too late.
Anyway I am quite sure that McCulley has backed off this because polling has shown that people were and are opposed to the suggestion. Its called sticking to your principles. Oops!
And remember that months ago, it was Mr Key who said that he had an amazing plan to save the whale!
Hmmmm, has McCully backed off, or is the “hook” his reference to not in “Antarctica”? Not sure, just putting it out there.
Get rid of McCully? They better be nice to him cos that man knows where more bodies are buried than anyone!