"Rodney Hide put his political credibility on the line last night...

...by backing MP David Garrett after he admitted stealing a dead baby's identity to obtain a false passport."

Or so said a journalist in a NZ newspaper a couple of days ago.
Does this mean that Hyde has forfeited that on-the-line credibility (in the light of his more recent decision to withdraw his backing and throw Garrett to the wolves),* becoming politically irrelevant so journalists in NZ newspapers will no longer bother publishing his statements to the press?**

HA HA HA.

* In my day we didn't have busses to throw people under.

** "Political credibility" here does not have the obvious meaning of "respect from the New Zealand electorate", what with 95% of voters at the last election deciding against voting for Hide's ACT party. Not to mention his unfathomable decision to opt out of politics for a season in order to feature in Dancing with the Stars. Or the whole regrettable business of "populist opponent of perks for politicians caught taking advantage of travel perks". Or the more recent headlines when he purloined a classified document about NZ defense forces from the desk of the Associate Minister for Defense, with the explanation that he was entitled to it because she was a member of his party.

As for David Garrett himself, it is difficult to know where to start. There is something self-destructive about devoting his parliamentary career to decrying the leniency of judges and the iniquities of name suppression, and to pushing through a "six balls in an over" "Three Strikes and You're Out" law that is founded on the principle that offenders do not reform after an initial offense; when the only reason he was in Parliament in the first place was that he had persuaded a judge to grant him leniency and suppress his name on the basis that he had reformed. It is as if he was daring the world to catch him out.

When he was caught in 2005 for acquiring a fraudulent passport by assuming a dead baby's identity, his plea to the judge that his mental condition was fragile (so publication of his name would cause him undue hardship) does at least suggest a degree of insight into his condition.

You get used to the idea that when foxes enter Parliament, they will gravitate to the position of Minister for Henhouses. It seems strange, though, for one to build his entire career around reminding voters about vulpine propensities and to put so much effort into passing stronger anti-fox legislation.¹

UPDATE:
In further evidence of Hide's post-credibility status, the NZ Herald is still publishing his bullshit this morning:

"If I came to the conclusion that it was in the best interests of the Act Party I would step aside."

We are used to politicians making non-apologies ("I am sorry if anyone was offended by my words") but this is the first time I've heard a non-resignation offer.

In comments, S McG stoops to the level of attacking Rodney Hide's personal appearance:

"The slow-motion crime spree of
The Turtle cannot be stopped!"

Riddled is above such attacks and I could not possibly comment on the resemblance between David Garrett himself and a rained-on bantam rooster.

¹ See also the recent admission from Steven Joyce (Minister for Clamping Down on Traffic Offenses) that he knows whereof he speaks.