PM may reinstate Parker to Cabinet

David Parker

Prime Minister Helen Clark indicated she will reinstate David Parker to the Cabinet immediately if the Companies Office does not charge him over false declarations he made.

She cited natural justice. That is in contrast to her attitude last week when she suggested that if Mr Parker had not resigned all of his portfolios, she would have sacked him.

"It probably would have come to that but it didn't need to. He's an honourable person and that's the step he's taken," she said last Tuesday.

Mr Parker resigned as Attorney-General last Monday after undisputed revelations in Investigate magazine that he had filed several annual returns to the Companies Office for Queens Park Mews Ltd that said all three shareholders had unanimously agreed not to have the company accounts audited.

In fact, one shareholder, estranged former business partner Russell Hyslop, had not been consulted.

Both Mr Parker and Helen Clark said on Monday that he should go as the Government's top legal officer but keep his other portfolios.

The following morning he resigned from the transport, energy and climate change portfolios as well, after it was clear to Mr Parker that Helen Clark had changed her mind and could not justify having a different standard applying to different portfolios.

She announced his complete resignation on her way to the Labour caucus. There was no suggestion he was standing aside temporarily until the outcome of the Companies Office inquiries.

But at her post-Cabinet press conference yesterday, Helen Clark turned what had been acknowledgments of "mistakes" at the very least by Mr Parker into "allegations".

And she indicated that if he were not charged by the Companies Office for filing false returns, she would have him back immediately.

"If this set of allegations doesn't stack up then it would not be natural justice to deny Mr Parker a place."

She even hinted he might be reinstated as Attorney-General if he did not face charges.