I made a 'pig's ear' of it says Wintringham

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

A repentant State Services Commissioner, Michael Wintringham, says he "made a pig's ear" of his testimony at the Christine Rankin case in the Employment Court.

He regretted the impression that had been created, he told MPs on the Government select committee at Parliament yesterday.

His explanation was in response to his telling the court on Monday that not only had he avoided answering a journalist's question about Mrs Rankin's employment, but saying: "I would also take that line before a parliamentary select committee too."

Mr Wintringham said yesterday he had been in his 9th hour of cross-examination in the case.

"It is not an environment in which the most felicitous phrasing is always used."

He said he may have "made something of a pig's ear of my response on that occasion."

"I have always placed absolute value on the absolute integrity of public servants [appearing] before the institutions of Parliament ... I have behaved with integrity myself, and will continue to do so."

He had been trying to say that if the press asked him for detail over an employment matter, he would reply truthfully, as he did at select committees, but would attempt "not to drop my responsible minister into it."

"And I will avoid where possible breaching the personal privacy of the individuals concerned.

"I was attempting to do no more or less than that. A combination of a rather ham-fisted response and a particular interpretation by news reports gave an impression which I regret."

National's Gerry Brownlee asked if he would withhold information he felt would embarrass the minister.

Mr Wintringham: "If you ask me a direct question I would respond truthfully. From time to time [what] I might ask is the forbearance of the committee, if I felt that that was in particular breaching the personal privacy of a chief executive."

Mrs Rankin, whose contract as Work and Income chief executive ended yesterday, is suing Mr Wintringham for $818,000, for his failure to reappoint her.

Mr Wintringham appeared with State Service Minister Trevor Mallard before the committee, which was examining the commission's performance.

Mr Mallard suggested one of the reasons Mr Wintringham had not reappointed Mrs Rankin was because he had been "monitoring Beehive explosions."

Mr Mallard became heated when Mr Brownlee raised the issue of whether the State Sector Act overrode the Employment Relations Act 2000.

Mr Mallard said that went to the core of the court case.

Mr Brownlee asked if Mr Wintringham's defence in the case meant the Government was not bound by its own cornerstone Employment Relations Act 2000.

Mr Mallard: "For goodness' sake. That's an outrageous question given what's before the court and if Mr Wintringham thought about answering it, I'd direct him not to."

Mr Brownlee: " ... It's a perfectly legitimate question."

Mr Mallard: "It's a piece of petty grandstanding from a petty grandstander."