Lee's comments cap horror week for National

Dear oh dear oh dear. Can things get any worse for National this week? There have been so many cock-ups it's hard to know where to start.

It's as though the Government training manual only lasted to the end of April.

Prime Minister John Key's announcement today that his Govt will spend $50 million over the next three years on the cycleway completely contradicts what Finance Minister Bill English said on national television on April 5.

"We won't be spending $50 million on it this year or next year or the year after," English said at the time.

Key said this morning: "It is my great pleasure to announce today that the Budget will allocate $50 million over three years for the New Zealand cycleway project...."

Little wonder English resorted to humour yesterday when he said: "In the next few days, the Prime Minister will show exactly who is boss."

The most charitable interpretation is that English meant that $50 million would not be spent in any single year but that is stretching it. It sounds much more like Key won the argument.

National's Mt Albert by-election candidate Melissa Lee's ridiculous comments at candidates' meeting last night about the motorway allowing the criminals from South Auckland to bypass Mt Albert will not be forgotten.

Jenny Shipley was never allowed to forget her comment in parliamentary debate about closing the gaps and crime in 2000 that Pacific Islanders "climb in the window of other New Zealanders at night. It's not only Maori".

Herald columnist Tapu Misa was writing about it only in October last year.

Lee's comments have derailed National's campaign, perhaps more than Waterview - the decision to can the tunnel was made back in February.

Lee refused to resile from her comments this morning in an interview with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB - clearly before somebody rang her advising her she must apologise.

Even then it was one of those half-hearted apologies - if anyone took offence.

Manukau's seasoned Mayor Len Brown appeared with her on Morning Report when she gave the apology and was pretty gracious.

Lee is showing her inexperience in politics and campaigning. Given her own experience with stereotyping - for example Simon Collins's article last week about the pharmacist who would not be voting for her because she is Asian - you would expect a bit better.

The Government invited trouble on itself on Tuesday when it appointed the polarising Christine Rankin to the Families Commission, which has had an interesting sequel.

The response of Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia on Tuesday was negative.

"I possibly would have thought of somebody else. I'm surprised that anybody who supports the use of force on children would then be on the Families Commission," she told reporters.

It transpired that Turia was not only at the cabinet committee that made the appointment, she made no comment about it.

She has since changed her position to publicly support the Rankin appointment, her press secretary has confirmed and is accepting "collective responsibility."

"You will be aware that once Cabinet makes a decision, all ministers must support it regardless of their personal views.

"Minister Turia was unable to use the 'agree to disagree' provisions in the cabinet manual because she is on the cabinet committee that recommended the appointment."

There is a bright note for John Key today, however. He spent 15 minutes on the phone with US President Barack Obama this morning and is holding a press conference in Auckland soon to talk about it.

The other thing Key can console himself with is the fact that while this may be his worst week as PM so far, it is nowhere near as bad as in Britain where his friend Conservative leader David Cameron has had to put up revelations that his MPs have charged the taxpayer for the cost of chandeliers, swimming pool maintenance and cleaning the moat!

- Audrey Young