Andrew Williams appeared with Mike Hosking tonight on Close Up defending his position over the rumoured late night texts. It’s one of those situations of either you believe him, or you don’t. Each side seemed to have evidence that supported their own claims.

Everyone except John Key. Interviewed on Breakfast he appeared as vague as he always does when trying to evade specific questioning. He adopts exactly the tone he did when he “couldn’t remember having an opinion about the Springbok Tour of 1981”. All I can see is a man squirming and looking uncomfortable and evasive.

Williams has evidence that he only texted John Key at 12.16pm (two months ago) just after the house rose from urgency – so presumably John Key was awake at the time. But then Williams disingenuously claimed that he ‘couldn’t recall’ sending a text at 3.30am and that if he had it was longer than 4 months ago – which seems beside the point.

At the end of the interview Williams claimed this was all an ACT conspiracy to discredit him and to push the Super City – a shoot the messenger scenario. Maybe he’s right. Williams certainly has the knife out for Rodney Hide asking, under the OIA, for records on the actual meetings that took place while Hide was away with his girlfriend. Turns out there were not many.

This saga will continue until Andrew Williams is out of a job – which may be sooner rather than later.