Nick Smith has called a press conference for 1.45pm today. He has no option but to announce his resignation.
The question now is why John Key didn’t take decisive action earlier. He promised to set high standards for his ministers, yet yesterday he was claiming Smith had done nothing wrong.
As late as this morning Keywas reported as saying if he sacked every Minister who made an error of judgement he wouldn’t have many left. Hardly a way to show his confidence in his own team…
Jeez, sounds like Key has a pretty motley crew to work with.
Just how incompetent are some of those people ??
He’s Gone !! 1 down….
You could write a book on all the lapses of judgement by Nick Smith.
Who else has had judges rule that their court evidence was ‘lacking’ and been found in contempt by a Panel of High Court judges.
Going, going, GONE
It will be interesting where and how they use him next.
@John W , I really don’t know what you would do with him, he has hardly been a “shining star” at any portfolio he has held.
@Ghost –
Wow! 
Well he always in Nelson in a landslide so he is set up for life there
How much more sleaze and coruption will the public stand from this lot/I think there will be more ,have we heard the last of the Brash and Banks scandal and has not Shipley’s name been bandied around regarding farm sales to China?
Labour should demand that Smith resigns from parliament ,At least wong had the courage to do just that.Key has lost control , I wonder how much longer he is going to smile and wave
A good apology speeh though.
Gone before lunchtime.
Don’t care who knocks them down, there’s plenty ready to grind them up when they fall.
Keep ‘em coming
Just 6 words – Taito Philip Field. People in glasshouses……..
Actually more words – Dover Samuels, Trevor Mallard, Ruth Dyson ……
Hurt much?
.
Off for a cold shower….now he’s got all the time in the world for those 18 litres/min showers he loved speaking about. Good riddance!
When the diversion failed, and the cover up leaked, only then did he go, as it ate its way toward Key. And he expects to be congratulated?
Trevor and Ruth are awesome!
!!!!
Nick Smith has finally let his supporters down in a way that is harder to forgive. Defamation case ($270,000 paid by the taxpayer through Parliamentary Services); contempt of court case; all sorts of intemperate behaviour – all have been forgiven. This time it is corruption, plain and simple. No return.
And he would still comfortably beat you in Nelson.
Would he Ginger he hasn’t the intestinal fortitude to try it like the rest of you tory’s
I was hoping that Dr Smith would go as a political point, but now that he has gone, I think it is a bit sad on a human level. I have no doubt that his intentions have always been honorable even when we thought he was wrong or misleading or a bit frantic.
Hard luck in a tough forum.
Yesterday Judith Collins was laughing at Labour speakers during the snap debate about Dr Smith, ridiculing them for calling for accountability. That I hope will come to haunt the mean-spirited Judith Collins. What goes around…
@ Ianmac, talk around town suggests there are some serious questions to be posed around Collins’ involvement in the demise of Smith, that could wipe that smile from her face.
An apology followed by a request for an enquiry to clear his name…
Perhaps another case of sorry I was caught not sorry for what I did.
Nick Smith has had a chequered career judgment-wise. As had Richard Worth. The PM knew about both of these histories and still made appointment to Cabinet and Junior Minister. His judgment is not turning out to be too great either.
The point is not that the previous government didnt have people with bad judgment (Field and Mallard among them) it’s that Key campaigned long and hard on having higher standards than his predecessor. he shouldn’t have appointed Worth or Smith in the first place and remember he didn’t sack Worth when he misused his status on a business trip to India… his “resignation” came later for the sexual matters
To Aimee – you can rest easy, many people, including Labour supporters also want accountability and integrity from Labour MPs and Ministers too.
Anyone want to bet on who wins in a fight for leadership between Collins and Joyce? I assume Joyce has the inside running BUT it would be a bloody fight I think.
Judith Collins – The softer, female equivalent of maggie thatcher
Ok, can someone link to the letters on the net ? ASll I have is the four in http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6619548/Friend-sorry-Nick-Smith-lost-jobs , but can’t work out which one is the problem one.
I think David Farrar over at Kiwiblog has summed this up very well. I think Labour need to be very careful here in throwing stones least you be reminded in wider circles of the way Labour and your previous leader acted in defending Philip Field and also Winston Peters – both who were very corrupt and had substantial personal benefit.
Nick Smith has paid a very heavy price for what he did – and correctly so. I personally do not feel that he did anything so wrong – but rather was stupid and Naive. I also find it rich that Labour say Key did not actr fast enough. This was all done and dusted in 48 hours. The two above dragged on and on which Clark desperate to shut both down.