Did Phil Goff lie on Radio Live today?
I was telephoned today by a person who chatted on talkback with Phil Goff today. Goff said on talkback this afternoon that back in November he did not know Neelam Choudary's husband was facing fraud charges for an immigration scam. He did not know about the scam. After Richard Worth texted Choudary on November 26, Goff advised her that it would be prudent to take support person to her meeting with Richard Worth at Sylvia Park Cafe.When asked why on air, Goff refused to provide a clear answer.
Perhaps, as this person told me, it may well have been because there were legal ramifications to the discussion if it was related to Choudary's husband's court case the following week.
If that was the discussion Goff had with Choudary and/or he was aware of the court case, Goff obviously knew of the charges. But Goff said today he did not know of the charges at that time. Yet he would surely have known Choudary was candidate for Botany prior to the election. Other Labour people appeared to know of the charges, as a well-connected and key Labour Party member writing for the Standard says:
I suspect the husband’s conviction was a reason she wasn’t chosen for Botany, a seat Labour would never win anyway....of course the local Labour party would have known that this woman’s husband was [facing fraud charges] when they chose the candidate.So why did Goff claim today that he didn't?
If Goff did know about the scam or was told by Choudary prior to the November meeting, and the talkback discussion today is how it was relayed to me, there is only one conclusion: Goff is lying.
Given that Worth had only been appointed a minister the week prior to the November 26, he would hardly be in the position to appoint advisors - and then offer people board positions over the telephone.
It's time Goff came clean about his naive and strikingly attractive "migrant to this country" and declare what he knows because he has all the markings of a pimp.
update: Listen to the audio of the interview