Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, May 13th, 2008 - 70 comments
Categories: john key -
Tags: credibility, questions
I’ve just watched the first Question Time in 3 weeks.
After 3 weeks’ recess and lots of potentially juicy material to use, here I was expecting the Leader of Nats to come down to the House and stick the knife into Labour. But instead… what we got was a extraordinarily limp performance by John Key.
He still relies almost totally on questions pre-written on little cards by his advisors, meaning he can’t think on his feet and change his line of questioning based on the answers he is getting, as English can. His attacks fall flat when he returns to the script. This is really just as bad as Brash. His one trick (at least one that Brash could never pull off) is his predictable, pre-rehearsed, snarky one-liner for the media.
Today was particularly bad. I’d be embarrassed if I were Bill English. He stuttered, he was clearly just reading his questions, I thought his lines of attack were weak, then he sat down.
One more thought: Key has no credibility to speak as if he knows what the average Kiwi family is going through with higher fuel and food prices – ha, he’s just got off a plane from Hawaii after spending a good deal of the 3 week Parliamentary recess at his new holiday mansion in Maui. A tough life.
This is the guy who wants to be our PM because, well, just because. At least he took his Hawaiian shirt off before coming into the House.
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Scoopit!
Yet, despite being that bad (in your Opinion), a majority of Kiwis still prefer him to be Prime Minister than that subhuman creature we have now.
Says a lot about Aunty Helen doesn’t it.
It says a lot about you that you refer to her as ‘sub-human’.
Lift your language, this isn’t Kiwiblog.
And climbing the peaks of the world and Scandinavian skiing vacations are something the average kiwi does? You guys actually used to have something decent to say but these days it’s getting pretty pathetic mate…
Brett- too far.
Dr.No- it’s pretty rich for John Key to claim he’s champion of the struggling Kiwi battler when he’s living in a mansion and casually swanning off to Hawaii for his holidays. Good on him for doing well and all but I’d rather he didn’t patronise us with his predictable focus grouped lines.
“Key has no credibility to speak as if he knows what the average Kiwi family is going through”
Why? Because he has been successful under his own steam. How much does Helen know about family life?
Key is family man and good on him looking after his family and ensuring they are financially set up for life.
Brett you fucktard. I read you lot with your women-hating and I can’t help but think you’re a bunch of repressed freaks. I recall your type from highschool. I imagine you’re still an acned little oik that no woman in her right mind would come near. Why the fu*k don’t you head back to your little cirlejerk site where you and the other sexless freaks can carry on giving each other greasy little handjobs while banging on with fetid breath about how you’d like to fu*k Carmin Electra. Honestly? freaks like you are so scared of women I almost feel sorry for you.
[Sod that's not helpful. You've already been warned.]
Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Take a look at your own language regarding Key and other right wing politicians.
Bu
No one here has referred to Key and other right wing politicians as ‘sub-human’ or anything approaching it Brett. That is the language of genocide.
Can any politician – earning at least $113500 and usually with at least three personal staff – claim to be in touch with the concerns of average New Zealanders using your standard Sparkie?
What about union leaders who from what I understand are rather well remunerated?
Robinsod:
Take some deep breathes, I didn’t call her subhuman because of her looks or cause she is a woman, (that is such a typical left wing attack)
My comments had nothing to do with her being a woman, just like my comments against Turia has nothing to do with her being a Maori, its the Policies that make me sick to my stomach.
I called her that because of her lies and her policies that have taken cash out of the hands of people all around NewZealand, I call her that, because she thinks she has the right to tell people how to think, what to eat, or how to talk.
I call her that because of her bigoted polices, not because of her Gender, why cant those on the left get that? People on the right couldn’t care less if a Politician is a woman or a man or if they a Maori or if they are a Pakeha, or if they are Straight or Gay.
Its too bad that all those on the left see.
PS: Im not a fan of Carmen Electra!
Just as a sidebar, I find it kind of interesting that you are adopting the same rhetoric as Cameron Slater. He – or one of his sidekicks, it’s unclear – did a post a while back claiming that John Minto couldn’t legitimately criticise the value of property rights or advocate for the poor because he lives in a substantial Auckland villa with an attached flat.
Now you’re saying someone who leads what is undoubtedly the middle class party can’t legitimately express middle class concerns because he happens to own an apartment in Hawaii. Perhaps Slater should start blogging here.
Ted, union officials (not to mention leaders) are paid well below market rates for the work they do. You can argue, as many on the right do, that they should work for minimum wage or something approaching it, but given the punishing work union officials do it would be neither fair nor practical.
I can’t say I watch much of what happens in the House, other than the occasionaly snippet on the news. Who would be the best speaker these days? Who are the best orators?
Tane:
genocide???
Yeppers, get a grip.
No the Language of Genocide, is a bunch of peace activists telling me the day after 9/11 that “If you bomb the USA, you rid the world of its problems”
Only someone from the left can be that sick.
Tane, I think you’ve avoided the substance of my comment.
The point is that union leaders don’t earn the same amount as the people they represent but they can still represent them adequately. Would you agree with this proposition?
Ted – your sidebar. I’ve worked with John Minto and he’s someone who has spent his life working with ordinary New Zealanders struggling on low wages. He may have a decent income himself (a $500,000 house in Auckland hardly qualifies as rich) but I have no doubt he knows what it’s like on the breadline. John Key has never done anything for working people. He has no idea other than what his focus groups tell him to say and no real policy to lift anyone out of poverty.
Brett – I’ve checked out your blog. You’re part of that strange little subculture of lonely angry losers. Your type are better off staying at Whale’s place than coming here. Sorry bro, but that’s just the natural order of things…
Ted – I think you mean “Just as an aside”. “Just as a sidebar” makes no sense. I thought you were supposed to be an educated tory…
Didn’t Key come from a fairly normal to tough background as a kid with the family in State Housing – surely this combined with his business success puts him in a position to see things from several angles.
The point is that union leaders don’t earn the same amount as the people they represent but they can still represent them adequately. Would you agree with this proposition?
Union officials frequently earn less than their members. You seem to have the strange idea that union members are all on low incomes.
Didn’t Key come from a fairly normal to tough background as a kid with the family in State Housing – surely this combined with his business success puts him in a position to see things from several angles.
He’s from a wealthy background but lived in a state house for a few years after his father died before the money came through. The rest is just PR.
I don’t actually care where Key came from or where he goes on holiday. My concern is that his party consistently pushes policies that hurt the majority of Kiwis while rewarding an elite few and I see no change from that.
Not that keen on this post veering into the Hawaii envy stuff myself but hey, it’s not my blog…
“John Key has never done anything for working people.”
Isn’t this a limited way of viewing people though? I mean, does that mean Helen Clark cannot relate to people who work in the private sector? Or who have children of their own?
Brett what’s the point of this discussion? You’ve been caught out for trying to de-humanise someone that carries a lot of respect in this country, and people are understandably offended.
Imagine if I went over to K-blog and called John Key a “sub-human” – If I wasn’t banned on the spot I would recieve stream after stream of bile and abuse. Take it on the chin and move on. Otherwise you’re just making this thread all about you, and how interesting is that for everyone else?
James
That is as bizarre as saying Helen Clark is gay and her marriage to Peter Davis is just PR.
Robinson:
What was angry about my blog?
I have done many positive posts about Gordon Ramsay, Ricky Gervais, Garth Brooks, the NewZealand cricket team, I have also done posts about funny signs and Jason Gunn and Tbag from Prison break?
My blog is very positive in Nature.
How am I, a lonely angry loser?
Isn’t this a limited way of viewing people though? I mean, does that mean Helen Clark cannot relate to people who work in the private sector? Or who have children of their own?
John Key claims to be the champion of working people and to be deeply in touch with their needs. I’m simply pointing out he’s done nothing for working people except promise to remove their rights. Judge people by their actions not their spin.
Tane, I could be wrong but I feel safe in saying that Laila Harre for example earns more than most NDU members. The EPMU and PSA are exceptions but I’d guess the same applies to UNITE!, the SWFU and the RMTU (these are the only unions that come to mind).
Sod, great response bro – you really tore me to shreds. I’m pretty confident that my comment was auxiliary to an earlier comment and presented additional material so I’ll stick with just a sidebar.
That is as bizarre as saying Helen Clark is gay and her marriage to Peter Davis is just PR.
Helen Clark herself has admitted she married Peter Davis because she was told she had to do so to be electable. I have no doubt their relationship is genuine.
You can’t deny John Key has parlayed his brief stay in a state house into a PR exercise aimed at softening National’s image after the Brash years.
Labour might point out that Key’s policies will hurt ordinary Kiwis… but then he’s that guy from a state house isn’t he?
Brett – if you want psychoanalysis then I suggest you pay for it.
Jeez these lonely angry types will stick to you even if you abuse them – any kind of attention is better than none I guess…
HS – he has a point mate, I mean Key’s crew have basically promised nothing for workers except a tax cut and having a few of their rights taken off them…
Roger:
The point is, those on the left can throw as much as mud as they like, but get upset and give false accusations against anyone who doesn’t put Aunty Helen on a Pedestal.
My comments on Clark, was because of her Policies. But as usual the leftys took it as a post against woman.
Um Ted, you really should look that “sidebar” thing up properly. As for your Laila argument? I’d just give it up now bro.
Brah:
1. A short, often boxed auxiliary news story that is printed alongside a longer article and that typically presents additional, contrasting, or late-breaking news.
Robinson:
Stick to mud slinging and personal abuse, just like your party of choice.
I rather vote for party that sticks with policies that will help the people of this country.
I rather vote for party that sticks with policies that will help the people of this country.
Brett’s voting Green. Well done Brett.
[captcha: smoke Governments]
Ted. I’m not sure what your point is. I don’t think what you earn precludes you from representing people on lower incomes, though there is a danger you can become out of touch if you’re not careful. Union leaders are not immune from this, which is why I support democratic unionism where members rather than leaders control their union. As I say, I’m still not sure what your point is.