Garth George: Immediate exit the only Worthy option

If Richard Worth has any brains - and there is a suggestion that those he has reside elsewhere than in his skull - he should resign from the National Party caucus and Parliament forthwith.

Heaven knows John Key and his National-led Government have enough on their plate without being sidetracked by the indiscretions of a sexagenarian spare part, which is essentially what backbenchers are in any government.

It doesn't matter one whit whether Dr Worth did or did not use his position to get women to lie down for him, the mere suggestion is enough to justify his dismissal from his minor portfolios.

It's not as if this is the first time Dr Worth has blotted his copybook. He has been an embarrassment to the Government almost from the time he was appointed to ministerial posts which were, significantly, outside Cabinet.

There was a kerfuffle about his Indian business dealings and the apparent misuse of his position to promote deals in which he was financially involved; there have been questions about his Korean business dealings, too.

There was his unwise visit to a crime victim, although he knew the family of one alleged assailant; and the trip to Egypt during which he decided to go camel-riding instead of attending a Maori Battalion memorial service.

And on top of all that, there is the high-society Glucina v Saunders defamation case in which he has been called as a witness.

All this shows an almost total lack of political nous, and Mr Key has been more than patient with Dr Worth's behaviour.

His early resignation from Parliament would quickly relieve the Prime Minister of the embarrassment he has caused and cut off at the knees Opposition Leader Phil Goff and his perpetual pin-pricking.

Mr Goff's behaviour in this whole affair stinks to high heaven. For a man who kept the allegations against Dr Worth quiet for months after he received them to accuse Mr Key of taking too long to resolve the matter is a piece of hypocrisy that, even in a politician, is breathtaking.

Timing, they say, is everything and I presume the struggling Labour Party leader figured it was best to let the Budget and its reaction run its course before he struck.

I recall there was a suggestion months ago that Dr Worth would be tapped on the shoulder to become Speaker. Fortunately that didn't happen, and not because the MP couldn't have done the job, but because the last person we want in the Speaker's chair is another lawyer.

The affable and down-to-earth Lockwood Smith, another sexagenarian, with his farming background, 25 years as an MP and minister and an encyclopaedic knowledge of Parliament and its machinations, has been a breath of fresh air in the House after the dour reign of Margaret Wilson.

The other distraction that is causing the Government and the Opposition to take their eyes off the ball is the Mt Albert byelection which, fortunately for us all, will be decided on Saturday.

Labour will win hands down. Anyone who ever thought otherwise needs a big lesson in political reality, for the aura of St Helen will take many years to fade.

But the thing that puzzles me is why the four main political parties have been making such a big deal of it. It is, in the political scheme of things, a matter of irrelevancy.

Deep down, I think, National, the Greens and Act have always known that they haven't a snowball's show in hell of taking Mt Albert. Why else would they each put forward a candidate who is already in Parliament as a list MP, against a long-time Labour stalwart who has a tremendously impressive CV?

The only answer I can come up with for National and the Greens is that they saw the byelection as a chance to give two of their list MPs hands-on experience of the hurly-burly of an election campaign, which might sharpen their skills in the House.

But the maladroit Melissa Lee seems to have failed that test abysmally for Mr Key and National; and Greens co-leader Russel Norman has simply used the non-event to push the party line and raise his profile.

That doesn't explain why Act put up John Boscawen, for he has already contested an election (Epsom) and has wide experience in managing campaigns. Did they really think they might pick up another seat? Surely not.

According to her biographical notes on the National Party website, Ms Lee's interest in politics started at an early age when she campaigned for class president in Grade I at school. Fair enough, but it's time she realised she's a big girl now.

And postscript on Richard Worth: in 2002 he was appointed Honorary Akela (Great Lone Wolf) of the Girl Scouts Korea. Prophetic, eh?