Not Happy John

Rodney Hide has the latest on the John Tamihere saga. Go have a look.

Tamihere, as you all know, stepped down on full pay on Friday while the tax issue is sorted out regarding his $195,000 payment from the Waipareira Trust. Tamihere was boss of the trust before becoming an MP.
He is so busy he hasn’t updated his weblog. Why is it that Labour Cabinet Ministers are the ones stepping aside or having their warrants withdrawn (Dalziel, Dyson etc) Did this happen under National when it was in Government? Donna Awatere-Huata comes the closest to dodginess - and of course there's the painting Helen Clark signed but did not paint.

Tamihere has said "one has to do the honorable thing when part of the Labour Government" - referring to "his" decision to step aside. But he only stepped aside after Helen Clark rang and left a message on his cellphone telling him to do so. I don’t call that stepping aside, more like being pushed aside. The "honorable thing" is doing what the boss says.

Hide has Tamihere's tax return and his electoral return. Hide comments:

"There are problems. It doesn’t record as a donation the $18,648 that Waipareira Trust paid for his electoral expenses. Advertising paid for by the Trust is not recorded as goods in kind. Oops.
I know the Trust paid for it. I have their financial records"

Here is his Parliamentary return declaring nil assets But Tamihere didn't mention his landcrusier insurance bill of $2,252.


John is not happy. Neither is Helen. It’s a pity he can't create nothappyjohn.com Someone else has done it already SMH journalist Margo Kingston has even written a book on it, as part of her campaign against John Howard.

Why doesn't the Herald's Garth George or Act's Rodney Hide do a Not Happy Helen site.

I`m sure they would have plenty to say.


It has been revealed that Tamihere will oppose the Foreshore and Seabed Legislation. The article was written by his former press secretary, Helen Bain, who wasn't happy that a reply to her OIA request regarding Cabinet Minister's speeding tickets was leaked to other media so she couldnt get the scoop.

But does it really matter what Tamihere thinks now? It seems that he will not only be sacked from Cabinet, but possibly Parliament. This could create huge concerns for the Government if it loses it's majority.