My wife can keep a secret, I'm not so sure about the people she tells.
This is one of my farmer's favourite witticisms but he says it in jest because he knows that he can trust me.
That trust is important in any relationship, a lesson on which I gave a teenager years ago.
Something had happened at school about which she wanted to know more. I said I'd phone a friend who was a teacher to find out.
The teacher filled me in and asked me not to tell anyone else.
I relayed this to the young person who said, "if you tell me I won't tell anyone else."
My response to that was: " I've been trusted to keep what I've been told a secret. If I tell you when I've been told to keep it to myself, you won't be able to trust me not to tell anyone something you tell me in confidence?"
It's about trust and Stuart Nash abused the trust of his Cabinet colleagues when he disclosed their deliberations.
His caucus is keen to ensure he shoulders all the blame but the issue raises serious questions about trust in the government's culture around official information, in particular that of the Prime Minister's office.
If one Minister couldn't be trusted to comply with the Official Information Act, and the Prime Minister's Office was complicit in the non-compliance, not once but three times, can we trust that there are not more examples from Nash or other Ministers when what ought to have been disclosed was not?
There's another question of trust around Nash.
If he can't be trusted with cabinet confidentiality, can he be trusted with that of his constituents?
MPs are privy to a lot of personal and confidential information from people who seek their help.
How confident will the people of Napier be that their MP will keep confidential what they say in confidence?
They are justified in asking whether an MP who had loose lips with Cabinet deliberations, can be trusted with their private problems?
Napier has more than enough to deal with in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
They need an MP they can trust and they are justified in doubting the one they've got.
They don't need a by-election but if Nash waits until April 15 to announce his resignation there will be no need for one and Napier will get a buddy-MP until October when they can vote for one they can trust.
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