It is not clear how the Government settled on the amounts to pay Mr Al Khalaf. Another concern is while Cabinet was told by Mr McCully Mr Al Khalaf could sue the Government for up to $30 million, there was no assessment by officials on the substance of the legal risk. Mr McCully first entered Parliament in 1987 and served in a variety of portfolios between 1990 and 1999. Predictably, the Opposition parties have called for Mr McCully to stand down, something he will not be forced to do by Mr Key or anyone else. While Mr McCully is not guilty of corruption, there is an ethical dilemma Mr Key must face around whether he is completely happy with taxpayers’ money being used to try to move a free trade agreement along.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 03, 2016 17:10 UTC