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Brand Key, a do nothing Government & the hidden agenda

Guest post — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:37:44 +0000

A number of terms are bandied about to describe both John Key and the John Key Government. Using such terms and trying to reconcile their seeming contradictions can prove confusing. Indeed, from time to time we have seen such confusion manifest itself on this blog amongst the right wing who argue how Key can indeed have a ‘hidden agenda’ whilst simultaneously being ‘smile and wave’ or ‘clueless’ and ‘doing nothing’.

Economic cycle

Zetetic — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:52:20 +0000

Prime Minister John Key has reacted to growing fears that the world is slipping into a second round of financial crisis and recession before it has recovered from the first one by boldly opening a 180km cycleway through the King Country. Part of a $50m cycleway project, it is expected to boost the economy by $5-$20 quadrillion, according to the PM.

Caption contest

The Standard — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 01:25:44 +0000

If you're pissed off about how much you're paying to fly your to LA PM to eat pavs, you're just envious.

Key to spit dummy if voters reject him

Eddie — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:51:03 +0000

We've always said that John Key was only in politics for his personal reward. He just wants to have 'PM of NZ' on his CV. He just wants to go around smiling and waving at people who know who he is because of the office he holds. Now, he's admitted as much by telling the Herald he'll quit politics if we don't re-elect him.

Winning the game

Guest post — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 00:20:22 +0000

John Key deserves the award for Politician of the Year. But it's not quite the honour Armstrong thinks it is. The Left wants a government to deliver results for the people's health, wealth, family, safety, education, employment prospects etc. That's why the Left is so critical of Key. He plays the 'politician' game well but does nothing meaningful.

Doing nothin’: The gap with Australia

Marty G — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 23:00:06 +0000

September Quarter unemployment numbers are out today. It will be an indictment on National if there is not a good sized drop. So how is this government doing on its flagship policy of closing the gap with Australia by 2025? No Right Turn has been trying to find out what work they're doing to achieve that goal. Answer: Nothing.

NZ gets a shake-down

Zetetic — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:37:12 +0000

From 1999 t0 2009, the economy grew by $8 billion a year. It's so bad now the Prime Minister hands over $33 million and our sovereignty as soon as foreign capital says 'boo'. Which international corporate will shake us down next? Maybe if the Nats had a plan for the economy. Then we could stand on our own feet. But they're asleep at the wheel.

Do Nothing Key desperate to claim credit for something

Marty G — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:18 +0000

The Nats are trying to take credit for the fact that annual inflation in the year to September was the lowest since 2004. What exactly did they do? Dig into the numbers and the cause of the lower inflation is a weak global economy, not National. Already, inflation is climbing, 1.1% this quarter, and will break 5% next year thanks to the GST hike.

Doing nothing as dole numbers rise

Marty G — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:15:17 +0000

It was a year ago that Paula Bennett first declared victory over rising unemployment. Since then, John Key has been working his economic strategy hard: high-fiving every schoolgirl he can find, playing with spiders, announcing and re-annoucing literally tens of kilometres of cycleway, smiling and waving till it hurts. But dole numbers are rising.

Nat’s lacking serious economic plan

Eddie — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:47:32 +0000

In his 'Key Notes' this week, John Key claims that sending a handful of the business elite overseas to get MBAs will boost the economy. Seriously, 350,000 jobless Kiwis and the plan Key is bragging about is a million dollars worth of subsidies for the business elite as the solution to our woes? What a sick joke this government is. And it's being played by the rich on the rest of us.

From bad to worse for workers

Marty G — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:18:20 +0000

While John's off playing soldiers, things are getting worse and worse for Kiwi workers. Wages are falling for the first time in a decade. The average hourly wage was $25.80 when National came to power. Now, it's $25.30. I had hoped unemployment would start falling about now but the signs are discouraging. Only unionised workers able to protect themselves from the storm.

Glorified holiday for Bennett

Marty G — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:23:08 +0000

There are 276,000 jobless Kiwis. The seasonally-adjusted trend on dole numbers is still on the rise. Many other people fall through the gaps and are unable to get public assistance in their time of need. What better time for the Minister for Social Development to bugger off for five weeks?

Recentralisation? A whole lotta nothing

Marty G — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:16:50 +0000

During the neoliberal revolution, the 4th Labour Government and the Nats decided to break up the big ministries into lots of little ministries and autonomous agencies. The idea was that the ministries were like big lumbering dinosaurs that suffered inefficiencies of scale. Smaller bodies would be more nimble, better able to adapt and change, and ...

The 59,000 failures of John Phillip Key

Marty G — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:31:41 +0000

Nearly a year ago, John Key, shaken by the first whispers of disquiet over his government’s month-long holiday at the height of an economic crisis (whispers that would later grow into cries of ‘Do Nothing’ Key), decided to hold the Prime Minister’s Jobs Summit. This would not be a talk-fest, it would be a ‘do-fest’ ...

Do nothing and loving it

Zetetic — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:26:13 +0000

Saw this in the new culture/humour page in the Dom: Glad to see the “do-nothing PM” as Rodney Hide called John Key doing plenty of late. Take the past fortnight for example; there’s been the barbecue and beer with Prince William, photo ops with punters at the Wellington races, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony and practice ...