A partial list of current scandals

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, June 18th, 2015 - 64 comments
Categories: accountability, national - Tags: , , ,

For those of you who are keeping score at home, these are just the current ones (that we know about):

Nick Smith – Auckland housing and cold hearted on state housing deaths.

Murray McCully – Saudi sheep bribe.

Bill English – Mismanagement of the economy.

Judith Collins – Defending the illegal export of kauri logs (her husband’s company again).

Steven Joyce – Crazy spending at MBIE.

Te Ururoa Flavell – Political interference at Maori TV.

Hekia Parata – Failure to govern Kohanga Reo.

John Key – Lied about Labour’s role in Saudi sheep deal.

John Key – All of the above.

64 comments on “A partial list of current scandals ”

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  1. lprent 1
    18 June 2015 at 9:08 am

    It is pretty freaky how hopelessly incompetent the ministers in this current government are. Even more weird is how many disgraced and failed ministers and MPs it has generated.

    I guess that the intakes that National and other parties did from 2005 onwards were selected from inferior sources.

    Certainly their previous cohort with English/Smith weren’t very good either, and it appears that most of the useful ones left early.

    • Tracey 1.1
      18 June 2015 at 9:16 am

      and they poll 50%…

      I cannot imagine such a litany of disasterous governance under Clark being as unscathed as this lot…

      And no, I haven’t forgotten their problem children…

      Lynn did you see that quote from English in 2014 when he was Housing Minister? The one where he says to get the land for the new housing they need to get permission from Iwi first? Reading this issue this past week or more its like he never said it… But he did.

      “English said he expected the Government to be in position to begin selling houses in the first quarter of 2015, although in many areas consultation with Iwi groups would have to be completed before any sales could be made given the land was subject to Treaty of Waitangi clauses granting Iwi Right of First Refusal (RFR) when Crown land is sold.’”

      http://www.hivenews.co.nz/articles/721-english-pushing-ahead-with-housing-nz-reforms

      • Rosie 1.1.1
        18 June 2015 at 10:51 am

        The above partial list of current scandals is almost an exact mirror of the points for discussion on the Scoop report this morning on Radio Active with Alistair Thompson and Grant Robertson.

        Not all topics covered but it sounded like an endurance race getting through what they did cover: Nick Smith/housing crisis, Saudi Sheep deal and high death rate of lambs (apparently 75%), Judith Collins/kauri logs, Stephen Joyce/MBIE, John Key/lies about Labour’s role in Saudi sheep trade, aaaaand back to the point you raise above, and have done so previously, about Nick Smiths statement about land earmarked for social housing being subject to TOW clauses, and Iwi’s first right of refusal.

        I’m sorry I didn’t catch the full discussion about this, was flitting in and out, getting ready for the day but Alistair Thompson had a definite air of WTF in his voice when he raised it. Grant Robertson responded by saying things get very confusing, complex and odd quite quickly when Nick Smith is involved.
        Both he and Grant Robertson mentioned what an appalling lack of good faith the govt had demonstrated towards Iwi and they agreed the govt could be skating on thin ice with this – they are more optimistic about the govt’s legal position than they should be.

    • Anne 1.2
      18 June 2015 at 5:22 pm

      I guess that the intakes that National and other parties did from 2005 onwards were selected from inferior sources.

      Its because its not what you know and how competent you might be that counts with the Tories. Its who you know and whether you come from a sufficiently moneyed background that is all important.

  2. sabine 2
    18 June 2015 at 9:14 am

    they are very very competend at enriching themselves at the cost of the taxpayer.

    We have to stop calling them incompetend, they are not. We also need to understand and accept that these people are not in Politics to advance this country or better it for all citizens, but to advance their own causes and to better themselves and their offspring.

    Once we come to peace with this reality we might be able to change something.

    The other day someone linked to the Q$A with Andrew Little. The last questions to be answered by JK he started like….I can say thisor that but what I can say….and the opposition laughed and hollered.
    They should have been silent, icy silence and just look at him. Let him say what he can say and then use it against him every single time.
    Btw. JK never answered that question, the holloring and the laughing gave him a way out.

    It is on purpose, by default, and they are very very competend at mismanaging the country.

    • vaughan little 2.1
      18 June 2015 at 9:44 am

      i love it when people mis-spell incompetent.

      • weka 2.1.1
        18 June 2015 at 9:56 am

        or misspell ;-p

        • adam 2.1.1.1
          18 June 2015 at 12:59 pm

          Hey when you can’t see the difference between any of the vowels when you write them it makes spelling difficult. My family spent years to get me to be able to spell. It’s odd I see them fine when I read, but spelling – I have to memorise the shape of each word. I was lucky that a therapist at Massey University said she could get me to spell. I can see words as shapes to spell – one reason I love standard fonts on web pages – if lynn changed the font here – my spelling would fall over. Oddly, when I read, I see the letters. So most of the time when I reread what I write, I can fix my spelling. To all the people who pick on people with spelling difficulties.

          spilling mey priva prevlega er thet yie fiil sopirir buceisa yie cin spill.

    • Hanswurst 2.2
      18 June 2015 at 9:54 am

      They are in a situation (read: media environment) in which their competence or otherwise is politically all but irrelevant, since the aims of those in government and of those reporting the government’s actions are largely in accord with one another.

    • John Shears 2.3
      18 June 2015 at 11:10 am

      Yes I heard that exchange and thought there should have been a point of order or supplementary question.

    • saveNZ 2.4
      18 June 2015 at 3:55 pm

      +1 Sabine!

      Not incompetence, an agenda.

      The only one in opposition who knows whats going on, is Winston.

      Get with it, Greens and Labour, there are greater things at risk here than just damp homes and poverty. Go a bit deeper for Gods sake, start tackling the MASTER AGENDA. Stop complaining about symptoms and start trying to tackle the source and make the links between all the terrible things going on and statistics and be effective to get them into a sound byte of dirty despicable deeds.

  3. T Chris 3
    18 June 2015 at 10:21 am

    And yet they still poll at nearly 50%

    And think it would be more productive for Labour to concentrate on why they are polling so low and why Little is as low as Winston Peters

  4. heather 4
    18 June 2015 at 10:27 am

    The list is endless
    I think you forgot Anne Tolley and her closure of Relationship Services, 7000 files files still lying unattended to.
    Also the proposed introduction of Social Bonds, we pay our taxes are as a community are entitled to the provision of social services, we do not expect these to provided by Serco or the like.

    • adam 4.1
      18 June 2015 at 1:03 pm

      I wondering why Tolley was left of the list as well.

      I agree the bonded system is a death in care crisis just waiting to happen. Serco, have such a great track recorded on deaths in custody – who would have thought it.

  5. maui 5
    18 June 2015 at 10:35 am

    I just googled National Party scandal to try and remember some more. What about Maurice Williamson defecting to Act? Could just be a slow burning scandal.

    • Matthew Hooton 5.1
      18 June 2015 at 10:55 am

      Maurice Williamson thinking about defecting to Act is not a scandal. It has been BaU for 20 years.

    • mary_a 5.2
      18 June 2015 at 1:22 pm

      @ maui # (5) – and let’s not forget Maurice Williamson’s involvement (read attempted interference) in the Dongua Liu case, by “advising” police of Liu’s financial position!

      Speaking of which, it’s interesting to note Liu got off charges connected to the assault of his partner and her mother, through lack of evidence and witnesses.

      Then there’s John Banks not having to face charges re his mayoral electoral campaign donations scandal!

      My point in the two latter instances is this. Both Liu and Banks had fairly close NatzKEY connections!

  6. Ad 6
    18 June 2015 at 10:45 am

    Gradually accelerating corrosion through Ministerial incompetence is the best chance of changing government. Nothing will dislodge Key, except more crap Ministerial decisions.

    I predict more stories coming from:
    – the economy, through dairy-driven rural stress
    – trade, through failure to deliver multi-party deals
    – health, as further Health Boards crack and crumble
    – electricity, as line renewal charges bite
    – housing, the gift that keeps on giving

    The really competent Ministers like Bennett will survive, Brownlee will rise again as Christchurch re-launches, Bridges and Kaye will rise further, but as LPrent points out above, the loss of Power and Ryall is really showing. They have a very long and vulnerable cabinet and caucus tail.

    • Capn Insano 6.1
      18 June 2015 at 10:56 am

      How has Bennett been competent?

      • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1
        18 June 2015 at 12:03 pm

        She’s run big difficult portfolios for years, and come through with nary a scandal. One to watch out for.

        • Capn Insano 6.1.1.1
          18 June 2015 at 12:09 pm

          I see. I was thinking about any WINZ-related issues.

          • Colonial Rawshark 6.1.1.1.1
            18 June 2015 at 12:14 pm

            A big organisation with lots of unhappy staff and lots of unhappy “clients.” Yet she has kept a lid on it all this time.

            • Hateatea 6.1.1.1.1.1
              18 June 2015 at 7:11 pm

              No, she didn’t. She released confidential information about beneficiaries who were denied training incentive allowance to complete their studies even though that was what she used to obtain her own tertiary qualification when she was a sole parent.

              The turnover of staff in CYF is also attributable, at least in part, to her regime. Of course, Tolley is keeping up the pressure on MSD.

          • saveNZ 6.1.1.1.2
            18 June 2015 at 3:57 pm

            What about the deaths of 2 WINZ officers? Surely murder is a scandal?

            Or is that part of the new regime of collateral damage in social services as the masses arm themselves to get a bed?

    • Tracey 6.2
      18 June 2015 at 11:12 am

      …Over time, every position in the hierarchy will be filled by someone who is not competent enough to carry out his or her new duties.

      The Peter Principle was first observed by Dr. Laurence J. Peter and published in his book “The Peter Principle” in 1968. Dr. Peter also states that a promotion to the higher-ranking job position may not necessarily reveal the employee’s incompetence, but rather the new position may require different skills the employee does not possess. Dr. Peter sums up the Peter Principle with the saying: “the cream rises until it sours.” The Peter Principal can be a problem for businesses which can be solved through continued education. Even with proper employee training, the Peter Principal predicts the employee will eventually get to a position where they are incompetent because of further promotion.

      Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/peter-principle.asp#ixzz3dMdDdmFV

      • Colonial Rawshark 6.2.1
        18 June 2015 at 12:04 pm

        So will this happen to Labour first or to National first.

        • Tracey 6.2.1.1
          18 June 2015 at 12:17 pm

          It’s already happened to Labour and National is well underway…

          • Colonial Rawshark 6.2.1.1.1
            18 June 2015 at 12:29 pm

            sounds more than plausible

            • Tracey 6.2.1.1.1.1
              18 June 2015 at 12:33 pm

              for two different reasons…

              Labour Party dont all agree they stand for
              National Party is built on the very narrow foundation of financial self interest – money first and last –

              • AmaKiwi …
                18 June 2015 at 11:28 pm

                Tracey wrote, “National Party is built on the very narrow foundation of financial self interest – money first and last –”

                I think it is POWER before money. National MPs have not been caught stealing from the pubic purse. They use power to steal from the public purse and “legally transfer” it to “their own kind.”

                One could say it is the same thing. But I think when they lift their glasses for a toast at the end of the day it is more like, “Today we stole some more public property and gave it to our rich mates.”

                I think their goal is to shrink the size of government to virtually nothing.

                • Tracey …
                  19 June 2015 at 11:11 am

                  There is always quid pro quo… it’s not always obvious until they leave politics.

                  Shipley went to Chairships (Mainzeal, Oravida, Financial Services Council (The council, which represents investment and life insurance companies, )), Clark went to United Nations.

          • dukeofurl 6.2.1.1.2
            18 June 2015 at 12:41 pm

            happened to Green MP Graham Kennedy

            “…decision to turn a decades‑long diplomatic career into a political one was not taken lightly. But sitting in UN headquarters in New York in January 2005….”

            Rose to the top…. soured and jumped to Greens and now is simply out of his depth.

      • Ad 6.2.2
        18 June 2015 at 1:50 pm

        GDP current quarter at .2% growth will send a shockwave through Cabinet, together with nearly a full cent drop in the dollar today.

        The dude Key really needs to run the ruler over is Joyce:
        his MBIE super-Ministry has simply not delivered a visible difference for the economy, its Safety legislation is close to death, its RMA reforms buried for another term, its irrigation+dairy plan just stinking around their necks.
        Plus he lost an unloseable by-election up north.

        Joyce needs the hard ruler run over his performance review.

        • linda 6.2.2.1
          18 June 2015 at 7:56 pm

          dude key has squandered the breathing room we had from the gfc to make necessary structural changes and investment for the future and we told you so in 2011 ,2014 life in new Zealand is about to get very hard and a lot people have already hit the wall

      • Johan 6.2.3
        19 June 2015 at 9:35 am

        Why is everyone pointing fingers at National or Labour politician concerning their competency level? Do these people actually make party policy? I don’t think so, they all rely on their advisors for direction. eg Nick Smith is just not very good at projecting himself, he fails when more spin and cunning is needed, unlike John Key. We all know a former Labour leader who fits in the Nick Smith mould, who to everyone has no leadership qualities.

  7. Sable 7
    18 June 2015 at 11:11 am

    Ah but will the public ever get to hear the whole story beyond sites like this one? If I were a betting man…..

  8. meconism 8
    18 June 2015 at 12:23 pm

    and don’t forget, Mike Sabin,

    • saveNZ 8.1
      18 June 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Mike Sabin = Scum

      The Nats are even turning of themselves with dirty politics.

      No Nat seat is now safe from some interloper wanting to get into politics to enrich themselves and take (dear I say) more deserving Nats places.

      • saveNZ 8.1.1
        18 June 2015 at 4:02 pm

        Sorry I was thinking of Sabins Scum mate, Mark Mitchell and how he got into the MP seat.

  10. Tracey 10
    18 June 2015 at 4:48 pm

    speaking of Williamson it seems he doesnt like being treated how he and his former cabinet colleagues treat the rest of us…

    http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/69501535/Simon-Bridges-attacked-by-Maurice-Williamson-over-Auckland-transport-woes

  11. emergency mike 11
    18 June 2015 at 5:16 pm

    I have a theory that National has decided to go ‘all in’ on scandals. Key has decided to pump a new National party scandal every week, blame each one on Laaaabour, and hope that the sheer number of scandals, resignations, and sackings causes the public to become to confused to attribute any meaning nor incompetence to it. It might be working.

    • maui 11.1
      18 June 2015 at 5:58 pm

      Maybe this is what they learned from the Dirty Politics scandal last election. Even during the worst scandal that gets thrown at them the people will rally behind them. Does seem a little risky in conventional politics, but maybe this is a dawn of a new scandal packed era.

    • sckiwireddevil 11.2
      18 June 2015 at 9:56 pm

      Agree. They know we are too passive to protest. They will continue to test the waters. They have crossed the line in the sand, pun intended, and we have no response. They know this. How far can they go? How far will they take us? Will it all end in tears? …….nah, they will still stay fuckwits, are they will still fuck us up, cause that is what they do……Enough.

  12. Jevon 12
    18 June 2015 at 6:22 pm

    What about a certain ex National MP on trial for [r0b: deleted]?

  13. Hateatea 13
    18 June 2015 at 7:12 pm

    What about the 10 Northland bridges?

  14. linda 14
    18 June 2015 at 8:22 pm

    i think this music is very appropriate for national government

  15. RedBaronCV 15
    18 June 2015 at 8:25 pm

    What about the push to “improve the broadband rollout ” by just allowing private companies to dig up private land without notice and lay cables anywhere they like. On the back of a few anecdotes Nact are proposing just this – supposedly lack of land owner consent is inhibiting 5% of dwellings being hooked up. But there is no substance backing up the need for this change , and is it going to be extended to other types of cabling, power lines etc – so it becomes a back door way of undermining the RMA.
    Where are the complaining farmers because once this stuff is down then access has to be given forever & a day for maintenance.