The Tinetti debate

Reading the Hansard of the debate about Education Minister Jan Tinetti misleading Parliament, it becomes apparent how flimsy her claims are. Key aspects are:

• She thought she didn’t need to correct her statement to the House because so long as she thought the answer was correct when she gave it, she didn’t need to correct the answer even after finding out it was incorrect. Could you imagine trying that in a school exam – I know the answer is wrong, but I believed it was right at the time, so it is right!
• Tinetti claims that between January 2023 and 21 February 2023, when her staff were in regular contact with the Ministry of Education and in contact with the Office of the Prime Minister, including the Deputy Chief of Staff and a senior adviser, she had no knowledge at all of that activity going on
• She knew the Deputy Secretary of Education had told select committee he was really keen to get it out this side of Christmas, and she never ever wondered or inquired why it was not released until 21 February
• That when she twice told media on 21 February term 3 attendance data would be released that same day, she didn’t actually know it would be released that day, but flaked a lucky guess
• Tinetti also claimed that one factor in not correcting her answer was because there were no further questions on the attendance data, but that is because MPs at the time took her at her word that she had not delayed it. So her defence to not correcting a lie, is that as the lie worked, it didn’t need correction!

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