Dear Sir,

One of the key questions of the MacLean case: who was it who leaked the MacLean and Peniston affidavits to the media? Who had something to gain? It's a fair bet it wasn't one of the Cabinet ministers named in those documents.

Mr McLean, who will likely have to answer questions on oath at some stage, is also unlikely to have exposed himself in that way.

A few days ago, ZBM named the wife of a prominent PLP politician as the leaker. This lady, as I understand it, told a Supreme Court clerk that she was a party to the case and, on the strength of that statement, was given copies of the documents. She wasn't a party to the case, of course, and the office of the Supreme Court is now investigating to see if wrongdoing was done. I imagine the Bar Council will be interested in the outcome of that probe!

But the point is that if it was the wife of a PLP politician who leaked the documents, then the whole story takes on a very nasty political flavour.

What was it former premier Ewart Brown told the party in his Labour Day speech? “I am calling for an organised effort to take back the government — starting right now! Right here! We cannot afford to wait three more years for an election.”

His suggestion was that the PLP could do that through a sustained programme of disinformation and criticism of the OBA Government. Perhaps they could. They're certainly trying hard enough.

But getting caught leaking documents? I'll bet he's wishing his party wasn't such a collection of meatheads!

PICKLE