The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED)

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 27th, 2016 - 79 comments
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Yep, its that time again when readers are reminded of some of the lies John Key told in the lead-up to and in the seven years since his National Ltd™ came to power.  No doubt there will be a bunch more lies to be added later today when John Key presents his “State Of The Nation” address and, in doing so, further bolsters his legacy as the most dishonest Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had. So, from the top . . .

John-Key-leather-chair-DimPost.wordpress.com_

 

  1. I promise to always be honest
  2. I will not be hiring Crosby/Textor
  3. The Government I lead will be a Government of good standards.
  4. we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs
  5. we are not going to cut working for families
  6. I firmly believe in climate change and always have
  7. We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.
  8. National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges
  9. National Ltd™ will increase the number of front line police officers by 600 before the end of 2011
  10. there is no truth in Nicky Hager’s book “The Hollowmen”
  11. I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics
  12. If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it
  13. I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour
  14. Tranzrail shares
  15. I did not mislead the House (1)
  16. Lord Ashcroft
  17. National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq
  18. Standard & Poors credit downgrade
  19. the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt
  20. I did not mislead the House (2)
  21. I didn’t say I want wages to drop
  22. I can’t remember why I voted against increasing the minimum wage
  23. lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase unemployment
  24. the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.
  25. the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs
  26. no I have never heard of Whitechapel
  27. I won’t raise GST
  28. people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST
  29. the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase
  30. the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government
  31. no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine
  32. I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine
  33. I did not mislead the House (3)
  34. capping, not cutting the public service
  35. raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs
  36. north of $50 a week
  37. privatisation won’t significantly help the economy
  38. wave goodbye to higher taxes, not your loved ones
  39. I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London
  40. Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal
  41. Kiwisaver
  42. National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector
  43. tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing
  44. New Zealand does not have a debt problem
  45. New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting
  46. the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™ government
  47. It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy
  48. National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria
  49. the price of goods and services has risen by 6 percent since the last election, while the after-tax average wage has actually gone up by 16 percent
  50. no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them
  51. our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight
  52. the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns
  53. the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii
  54. I did not mislead the House (4)
  55. oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire
  56. New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?
  57. 10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake
  58. 14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast
  59. our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally
  60. we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations
  61. any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral
  62. New Zealand has grown for eight of the last nine quarters”
  63. National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract
  64. we will be back in surplus by 2014-15
  65. Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction
  66. unemployment is starting to fall
  67. we have created 60,000 jobs
  68. we have created 45,000 jobs
  69. the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs
  70. I don’t know if I own a vineyard
  71. no, I did not mislead the House (5)
  72. the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport
  73. the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs
  74. I voted to keep the drinking age at 20
  75. New Zealand is 100% Pure
  76. I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year
  77. baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support
  78. the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me
  79. I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs
  80. even though four of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.
  81. even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue
  82. even though I personally signed papers discussing the matter, I still didn’t have a clue
  83. Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault
  84. ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset
  85. I did not describe David Beckam as thick as batshit
  86. I did not mislead the House (6)
  87. the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit
  88. “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs
  89. we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service
  90. I did not mislead the House (7)
  91. I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place
  92. I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978
  93. I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for
  94. reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing
  95. Labour left the economy in poor shape
  96. forecasts show unemployment will fall
  97. we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27
  98. Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining
  99. I have not had any meetings with Media Works
  100. our [NZ’s] terms of trade remain high
  101. the TPPA is an example of democracy
  102. the TPPA will still have to be ratified by Parliament
  103. National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals
  104. New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013
  105. overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own
  106. overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow
  107. National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years
  108. there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only
  109. selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies
  110. the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs
  111. all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally
  112. my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal
  113. I did not mislead the House (8)
  114. I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009
  115. I have no record of the 12 November 2009 email from Treasury advising that the SkyCity deal was dodgy and needed to be referred to the Auditor General
  116. there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal
  117. SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins
  118. any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process
  119. Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land
  120. I did not mislead the House (9)
  121. this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity
  122. I did not mislead the House (10)
  123. the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal
  124. I did not mislead the House (11)
  125. the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal
  126. I did not mislead the House (12)
  127. I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal
  128. the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001
  129. Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation
  130. the construction of the new SkyCity convention centre will not cost taxpayers or ratepayers a cent with SkyCity meeting the full project costs in return for some concessions from the Government
  131. there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something
  132. David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River
  133. Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment
  134. National will not be using $100 million from the sale of Mighty River Power shares to bail out Solid Energy
  135. fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues
  136. no frontline positions will be lost at DOC
  137. Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job
  138. I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher
  139. I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position
  140. I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher
  141. I haven’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time.
  142. I did not mislead the House (13)
  143. I have no reason to doubt at this stage that Peter Dunne did not leak the GCSB report
  144. I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number
  145. the new legislation narrows the scope of the GCSB
  146. the GCSB has been prevented from carrying out its functions because of the law governing its functions
  147. because the opposition is opposed the GCSB law amendments, parliamentary urgency is required
  148. the increasing number of cyber intrusions which I can’t detail or discuss prove that the GCSB laws need to be extended to protect private enterprise
  149. it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police
  150. National Ltd™ is not explanding the activities of the GCSB with this new law
  151. cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destruction held on New Zealand computers
  152. the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear
  153. it totally incorrect that the Government effectively through GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders
  154. we self identified that there was a problem with the GCSB spying on Kim Dotcom
  155. the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident
  156. The advice I have had in 4 years as a Minister is that in no way ever has there been an indication of unlawful spying
  157. the Ministerial Warrant signed by Bill English did not cover anything up
  158. I wasn’t briefed about the raid on Kim Dotcom’s home.
  159. first I heard I heard about Kim Dotcom was on 19 January 2012
  160. first I heard about the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was in 17 September 2012
  161. I did not mislead the House (14)
  162. I won’t be discussing Kim Dotcom during my Hollywood visit.
  163. The Human Rights Commission couldn’t get its submission on the GCSB legislation in on time.
  164. it would cost too much to for the police and SIS to carry out the spying on New Zealanders that this new legislation will permit
  165. critics of the GCSB legislation, including the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, and the Privacy Commission, are all uninformed
  166. no, I did not mislead the House (15)
  167. I do not know how Mr Henry is conducting the Inquiry
  168. no, I did not mislead the House (16)
  169. the Henry Inquiry had permission to view Ministers’ emails
  170. no, I did not mislead the House (??)
  171. we do not spy on journalists
  172. the passing of phone records to the Henry Inquiry was an error on the part of a contractor
  173. I wasn’t aware that my own Chief of Staff was instructing Parliamentary Services to hand over information concerning journalist Andrea Vance
  174. National Ltd™ has never tried to impinge on the role of the media
  175. I had nothing to do with information on a journalist being handed over to the inquiry into the leaking of the GCSB report
  176. the terms of the inquiry made it clear to everyone that it was only the phone records of parliamentary staff and ministers that were to be provided
  177. I have the utmost respect for the media and the role it plays in New Zealand’s democracy
  178. the Henry Inquiry did not access a journalist’s building-access records
  179. the Henry Inquiry did not ask for phone and email records
  180. no, I did not mislead the House (17)
  181. the Greens are opposed to the GCSB and the SIS even existing
  182. the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because there are al-Qaeda terrorists in New Zealand
  183. the GCSB is not sharing meta-data with the NSA
  184. John Minto is in the Green Party
  185. the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because of the terrorist threat, even though official reports released over my signature say there is no risk and the SIS has the matter in hand
  186. the GCSB Bill does not give the GCSB the power to look at the content of communications as part of its cyber-security functions
  187. no, I did not mislead the House (18)
  188. Edward Snowden hacked into the NSA data base to obtain the documents which show details of the GCSB setting up a mass surveillance system
  189. I will release documents which show that an operation to provide mass surveillance data only ever made it to the business plan stage.
  190. Ummm . . . now that people are paying attention, the programme got underway but I stopped in in March 2013 or, askshully, it might have been September 2013.
  191. Kim Dotcom is paying Glenn Greenwald to come to New Zealand
  192. There’s no ambiguity. No middle ground. I’m right and Glenn Greenwald is wrong,
  193. I’ll resign if the GCSB conducts mass surveillance
  194. there never has been any mass surveillance and New Zealand has not gathered mass information and provided it to international agencies.
  195. The GCSB does not have the physical capability to carry out mass surveillance
  196. New Zealand has not gathered mass information and provided it to international agencies.”
  197. there will be no mining on Conservation land in the Corromandel
  198. no, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea
  199. New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps
  200. I did not mislead the house (19)
  201. I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it
  202. I am honest and upfront
  203. the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand
  204. you can’t hide if yuu’re Prime Minister
  205. an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy
  206. the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.
  207. I did not mislead the House (20)
  208. Aaron Gilmour was <a href= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHlarcvmR7U&feature=youtu.be> one of a number of people in a group who were badly behaved
  209. the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation
  210. National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral
  211. I did not mislead the House (21)
  212. the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year
  213. Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.
  214. Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election
  215. it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.
  216. the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.
  217. police training for next year has not been cancelled
  218. National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service
  219. The Crown’s dividend stream from the Meridians, the Mighty Rivers of the world is large and there is no motivation to sell assets; actually we’re about creating assets not selling assets.”
  220. National believes employment law should treat all parties fairly. It should . . . Protect employees and employers.
  221. I am not trying to tackle such issues in a “fearful” way ahead of the next election
  222. Wellington City is dying.
  223. National Ltd™ has been working on a number of things with New Zealand First on a number of things one of which has a financial component but I can’t talk about it
  224. the best way to get growth in the economy is to reduce public debt
  225. New Zealand mum and dad investors will be our number one priority in the allocation of Mighty River shares
  226. we won’t let “cowboy” oil exploration companies operate here in New Zealand
  227. the Green Party is racist by not allowing Chinese residents in New Zealand to buy a house
  228. the Labour Party is promising a four-bedroom house in Auckland for $300,000
  229. the food in schools programme is in the 2013 budget
  230. the meat exports are being held up in China because of issues in relation to the Chinese looking to trace counterfeit meat
  231. its notoriously difficult to win three elections in a row
  232. I am deeply concerned about every child in New Zealand who is in poverty
  233. there is no manufacturing crisis in New Zealand
  234. the government’s exposure to MediaWorks’ going into receivership is reasonably limited
  235. the money from the sale of state assets will not be used to prop up Solid Energy
  236. I don’t see a place for a Winston Peters-led New Zealand First in a government that I lead. It’s not a matter of political convenience, it’s a matter of political principle.
  237. The vast majority of the buildings in Christchurch came through the earthquakes in good shape
  238. the commemoration of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War will not be used to bolster trade talks
  239. third generation Chinese New Zealanders will be required to present their passport before buying a house under the Labour government
  240. the Labour housing policy is an attempt by David Shearer to save his leadership
  241. the Labour housing policy is in breach of free trade agreements
  242. only 2% of the proceeds of the sale of Mighty River will be spent on the sales process
  243. David Cunliffe is lying to you
  244. Labour wants to nationalise the super market industry
  245. The government will engage in no further negotiations with Rio Tinto
  246. Without a government subsidy of hundreds of millions of dollars Chorus will go broke
  247. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
  248. the justice system is already adequate for handling situations involving new evidence
  249. my Minister Nick Smith was not aware of the content of the leaked draft submission on the Ruataniwha situation until 17 September
  250. New Zealand First will nationalise a host of industries and businesses
  251. I have no responsibility for the statements I make
  252. Mark Mitchell was just gossiping at a cocktail party when he tipped Webster off about Len Brown’s affair
  253. it was a lack of external analysis and accountability which put Solid Energy into its debt crisis
  254. the Commerce Commission misinterpreted the law when deciding the price for access to the Chorus copper infrastructure
  255. no analyist predicted that the cost of access to the copper infrastructure would go down
  256. there has been only one problem with oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
  257. If it was my vote, it would be no pay increases for Mps
  258. Greenpeace are just scare mongering about any oil leaks off the New Zealand coast
  259. For every election for the last five elections , we have had royal visitors to New Zealand.
  260. No decision has been made on the timing of the sale of Air New Zealand shares
  261. its not true that in New Zealand the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer
  262. This summer is the most active season ever for oil and gas exploration, with the industry spending up to $750 million. At the same time, the Government is strengthening the regulations that govern drilling, particularly in deep water.
  263. Labour is trying to mislead people about eligibility for Best Start because they don’t get the payment while they also get paid parental leave.
  264. A mountain of evidence shows that the quality of teaching – inside the classroom – is the biggest influence on kids’ achievement
  265. Governor General Jerry Mateparae has been jostled while walking onto Te Tii Marae at Waitangi .
  266. Cameron Slater, who I speak to regularly and who told me about Winston meeting Kim Dot Com, has got absolutely nothing to do with the National Party.
  267. Cameron Slater rang me
  268. What I do know is that when this Government came in, there were predictions that unemployment would rise to over 10 percent.
  269. The Cabinet Office had cleared Judith Collins of a conflict of interest
  270. The golf tournament in which I played the chairman of Oravida was for charity.
  271. The Cabinet Office has cleared Collins of a conflict of interest after it translated comments on Oravida’s website which stated that she had praised its products
  272. My Justice Minister, Judith Collins, didn’t lie to Parliament, she just didn’t understand the question.
  273. The [MFAT] paperwork shows right through this that not only did the Minister have a very busy programme, all on judicial and justice issues, but, secondly, all the way through it talks about a private dinner.
  274. No, I did not mislead parliament. (??)
  275. No, I did not mislead the House(??)
  276. The Unions decide the leadership of the Labour Party and picked David Cunliffe
  277. Unions give the Labour Party millions of dollars a year
  278. The economic mess inherited by the Abbott government in Australia can be likened to the economic mess inherited by National Ltd™ when it came into office in 2008.
  279. National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour
  280. National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour in 2008
  281. No, I did not mislead the House(??)
  282. Twelve percent of New Zealand households pay 76 percent of all net tax in New Zealand
  283. Natinal Ltd™ ignored the plight of babies living in the poorest famililies because there is other assistance available
  284. the Malaysian government declined to waive diplomatic immunity for the man charged with burglary and attempted rape
  285. the UN officials visiting down south are focussing on sustainable agriculture
  286. I would apologise to the woman if I knew who she was
  287. My government has led the charge on the transperancy of MPs’ spending
  288. Only 1 percent of New Zealand farm land is in foreign ownership
  289. Internet Mana put together the video depicting a burning effigy of me.
  290. Under National Ltd™ the prison population has gone down.
  291. National Ltd™ has been nowwhere near the Labour party computer system
  292. The OIA request to the SIS about Phil Goff’s briefing on the Isreali spies had nothing to do with my office.
  293. National Ltd™ talks to the blogs exactly the same way we talk to the MSM
  294. The allegations in Nicky Hager’s book are all wrong.
  295. Nicky Hager has got nothing to prove any of the allegations.
  296. All this stuff in “Dirty Politics” is coming from the left.
  297. National Ltd™ is not using blogs as attack sites any more than anyone would do
  298. The release of “Dirty Politics” is part of a coordinated attack from the left because it is unable to win the discussion on the issues that matter.
  299. Very little of the book “Diry Politics” is about me.
  300. Most of the assumptions and allegations made by Nicky Hager in “Dirty Politics” are dissolving before his eyes.
  301. All of Nicky Hager’s allegations are unravelling.
  302. Nicky Hager didn’t check the facts before publishing “Dirty Politics
  303. When National came into office the economy was in tatters.
  304. Over the last year an extra 84,000 jobs were created.
  305. In our party we believe in supporting families.
  306. The Greens have two co-leaders who want to be co-deputy-prime ministers in some kind of bizarre job-sharing experiment.
  307. “Internet-Mana put the burning efigy video together
  308. No one other than Cameron Slater asked for the SIS document confirming that Phil Goff had been breifed on the Israeli spies in Christchurch.
  309. I wasn’t informed that the SIS was going to release the information about the Israeli spies in Christchurch to Cameron Slater.
  310. Under Labour, family homes held in a trust will attract the Capital Gains Trust
  311. More than 300,000 New Zealanders have their homes held in a trust
  312. New Zealand already has a Capital Gains Tax
  313. 2014 Election
  314. There will be no New Zealand military intervention in Iraq, barring an unlikely United Nations Security Council mission
  315. There will be no more asset sales
  316. David Seymour did not ask for a Ministerial position with the National Party
  317. The New Zealand military personnel are just attending a regular ordinary meeting in the United States (x 13 times)
  318. New Zealand is not involved in any coalition to fight in the Middle East
  319. It is not currently illegal for someone to fight overseas for a terrorist group
  320. When it comes to requests for official information, my ministers always act within the law.
  321. I have never called or texted Cameron Slater in my capacity as Prime Minister
  322. No, I did not mislead the House. (??)
  323. I did not admit to having abused the OIA process.
  324. I did not mislead the House(??)
  325. The Gwynn Report into the handling of OIA requests by the SIS completely exonerated me
  326. Its not true that the process I put in place for the SIS reporting to me was politicised
  327. The review into Judith Collins has got nothing to do with the release of information to Cameron Slater
  328. My office had nothing to do with the release of information to Cameron Slater
  329. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
  330. I can’t remember all the phone texts I exchanged except when I say I can
  331. I did not engage in an exchange of text messages with Cameron Slater, I just acknowledged one unsolicited message from him
  332. The DPMC head attended the Roger Sutton PR conference because his department is taking over Cera next year.
  333. New Zealand was one of the very few countries in the world that were settled peacefully.
  334. I was being asked a specific question about the Chisholm report when I said I had had not contact with Cameron Slater
  335. No, I did not mislead the House
  336. When the particular question was asked there was quite a lot of noise in the house and so I only heard the first bit.
  337. I have not been in contact with Cameron Slater ahead of the release of Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn’s report into the SIS’s role in Slater’s 2011 political attack on former Labour Leader Phil Goff.
  338. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
  339. The number of children in those low decile schools which I have visited who actually require lunch is the odd one or two
  340. The Greens are responsible for the rise in income equality within New Zealand
  341. I don’t want to overly concern or frighten people about the threat of a terrorist action in New Zealand.
  342. Labour is promoting a separatist approach to dealing with the Treaty of Waitangi which could result in Northland becoming an independent republic
  343. The owner of Oravida, Stone Shi, won a round of golf with me after he placed the winning bid at a charity auction
  344. I didn’t know until late January 2015 that Mike Sabin was facing family issues which may lead to his resignation
  345. My meeting with Donghua Liu was not a Cabinet Club meeting, oh, hang on, yes it was, oh, maybe it wasn’t
  346. Labour did not seek a Parliamentary vote when sending SAS troops into Afghanistan on a combat mission and didn’t even tell New Zealand they were going
  347. When I said “the price of The Club” I meant “The Club” was all the 62 nations in the US-led coalition of troops to fight in Iraq
  348. New Zealanders gave National Ltd™ a two year mandate to send troops into Iraq as part of the US-led coalition
  349. News about repairing bridges in Northland is just the standard release of policy
  350. Nicky Hager and Kim Dotcom prevented National Ltd™ from announcing the decision to upgrade ten bridges in Northland.
  351. New Zealand gas emissions have not increased since I became Prime Minister
  352. If you think about iTunes, if you download a song and it’s $1.29, there’s no reason the GST shouldn’t apply to that. In reality, GST would be 2 cents
  353. The timing of the release of information about GCSB spying on Tim Grocer’s WTO rivals was deliberate and all part of a particular agenda by Nicky Hager and some others
  354. Major roading projects and the free trade deal with Korea will be at risk if Winston Peters wins the Northland election
  355. It was my office, not the police, which was the first to be told about the 1080 infant formula blackmail threat.
  356. There is no housing crisis in Auckland
  357. I promise that “metadata” will be defined in legislation
  358. You are allowed to use the resources of the officials during an election in terms of what would be Government policy
  359. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
  360. As long as Simon Bridges didn’t get any policy advice from his officials about developing the “10 bridges for your vote!” bribe, then there’s no possible problem under the Cabinet Manual.
  361. Labour did the same thing as Bridges when it used “officials actually in my opinion actually” to get policy advice as they did in the 2008 campaign with deposit guarantees, but they actually maybe they shouldn’t have done it”
  362. I assumed that all ten bridges up for double-laning in Northland were justified on a cost benefit analysis
  363. Claims the GCSB was planning to hack into a data link run by the Chinese embassy are unproven.
  364. When it comes to the GCSB you’ve got a bunch of people who’ve been out there propagating information that’s actually been proven to be incorrect.
  365. When I gave her the two bottles of wine, the cafe worker thanked me for that and said ‘that’s all fine, no drama'”.
  366. At the Hip Group’s coffee shop we have lots of fun and games, there’s always lots of practical jokes and things.
  367. I will talk to the King of Saudi Arabia about women’s rights including the right to vote
  368. House prices rose faster under Labour
  369. The $1,000 kick-start for new KiwiSaver members will remain as it is now
  370. There will be no new taxes
  371. Over the next two years we are going to create 150,000 new jobs
  372. The average wage will move from $55,000 to $62,000
  373. We spent $11.5 million for a Saudi Arabian to set up a farm in order to avoid potential legal claims
  374. Andrew Little has been set up by Annette King and Phil Goff
  375. The problem requiring the $11.5 million bribe was caused by Labour’s previous Minister of Trade, Phil Goff
  376. No, I did not mislead the House (???)
  377. I was not aware of any potential legal action by the Saudis involved in the live sheep trade.
  378. Labour was looking to make the same sort of deal with the Saudis and knew all about the possibility of legal action.
  379. Details in cabinet papers confirming what I’ve said about Labour have been redacted by officials.
  380. Signifcantly reducing New Zealand’s green-house gas emissions would be disastrous for the economy
  381. We don’t have to give iwi first right of refusal on the Auckland land the government intends for private housing development
  382. No decisions have yet been made about future housing developments on specific pieces of land
  383. Nick Smith Smith was helpfully providing journalists with a “conceptual” view of the amount of vacant land in Auckland, not necessarily places where houses might be built.
  384. Between 3000 and 4000 refugees were welcomed into New Zealand every year once the family reunification scheme was taken into account.
  385. New Zealand is sixth in the world when it comes to accepting in UNHCR refugees.
  386. Australia takes in 20,000 refugees a year and has been doing so for a long time.(2)
  387. Milk is more expensive in the UK than it is in New Zealand
  388. Milk powder prices won’t stay down for long
  389. Formal advice from the Inland Revenue Department states that the removal of the $1,000 kickstart contribution will not make a blind bit of difference to the number of people who join KiwiSaver
  390. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
  391. I never said that a whole month of Maori language would make people bored.
  392. I would never give an answer with “an intention to embarrass someone or make someone upset”
  393. Yes, my team of crack ministers are going to give Mr Al-Khalaf $11 million or whatever it is, but he’s putting in $80 million
  394. National Ltd™ has been way more transparent than any other Government that’s been around
  395. Treasury was consulted about the details of the Saudi sheep farm deal
  396. the Saudi sheep farm deal was for the purchase of services, intellectual property, and a network of contacts
  397. When asked by Radio New Zealand about what exact services, intellectual property, and contacts New Zealand gained from the deal I answered the questions absolutely but Susie Fergusson didn’t want to hear that the whole issue was Labour’s fault
  398. The problem which led up to the Saudi sheep farm deal was caused by Labour.
  399. The Saudi sheep farm deal was never about compensation even though I said earlier it was because Labour left the government liable for a claim for compensation
  400. Labour misled the Saudi investors about the live sheep trade
  401. No, I did not mislead the House. (??)
  402. There was no suggestion made to a Saudi businessman that he could sue the New Zealand Government
  403. Protesters against TPPA are misinformed and only about one-third of them are genuine
  404. There isn’t a single Canadian on this planet who would want to change their flag back to the old one
  405. Changing the flag will deliver billions of dollars to the New Zealand economy
  406. Maurice Williamson wasn’t acting in his capacity as a member of parliament when he made his series of disgusting jokes
  407. My government’s target of reducing 100% Pure Clean Green New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions to 11 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 is not inadequate.
  408. New Zealand cannot take any more refugees until we have sorted out the process and had a look at housing stock.
  409. National will set up two recreational fishing parks, one in the Haukraki and another in Marlborough sounds
  410. If the “Red Peak” design does not get on the ballot paper the sole person responsible for that is Andrew Little
  411. New Zealand doesn’t need a policy on dealing with climate change refugees because that’s not an issue we are going to need to deal with in the next year or two
  412. “To accept any other flag … we would have to change the law, and we’re not going back to Parliament to change the law.” John Key Sep 7.
  413. Assets bought out of the < a href= http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/281741/pm-accused-of-breaking-election-promise> Future Investment Fund</a> will be long-lived, here in New Zealand, and owned by the Crown on behalf of all taxpayers
  414. I promise to spend $1 billion on health, $1 billion on schools and $400 million on irrigation from the proceeds of asset sales.
  415. As the personal who signs off on sending troops to Iraq I feel very intimately involved with this operation. I take personal responsibility.
  416. I did not know about the report into the conditions at Taji prior to my arrival there even though the report was released on 30 September
  417. It was the Overseas Investment Office which refused permission for Shanghai Pengxin to buy Lochinver Station
  418. My office and I both obey the word and the spirit of the OIA law
  419. Labour prefers to protect the interests of rapists and child molesters rather than those of ordinary New Zealanders
  420. New Zealand citizens detained on Christmas Island are there voluntarily
  421. New Zealanders held on Christmas Island include murderers and rapists
  422. “The question about broader detainees.”
  423. Australia and New Zealand share common values, including a strong commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
  424. Labour wants to fly the Christmas Island detainees back to NZ’
  425. I’ve never been asked to apologise for saying the opposition supports rapists and murderers
  426. I’m making sure New Zealanders are protected’
  427. With regard to emission from agriculture and our high level of renewable electricity generation, New Zealand faces unique domestic challenges in reducing its emissions,”
  428. Judith Collins was completely cleared by an independent inquiry
  429. A major contributor to the fact that there are so many children living in poverty is because their parents are using drugs
  430. The reason there is poverty in New Zealand is due to people not working
  431. The science around climate change predictions is doubtful
  432. The TPP has to go through our Parliament has to be ratified by our Parliament and has to bear scrutiny
  433. Not a single part of TPP cuts across the Treaty of Waitangi

As always, any link-testing (some of them are getting a bit old and unreliable) and/or additions are more than welcome.

79 comments on “The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED) ”

  1. Ad 1

    Prime Ministets are evaluated more by what they do than what they don’t do.

    Key has made sure what he says is increasinly trivia bar set pieces, but what his government changes has effect.

    Not supporting him at all, but you will see today what I mean.

    • weka 1.1

      The biggest problem we have today is that everything is filtered through the MSM. We literally have no way of knowing how people will perceive or respond.

      • Ad 1.1.1

        That’s less true than ever.
        The MSM is weakening very fast, and Key himself is our most directly accessible PM.

        • weka 1.1.1.1

          All things are relative I guess (in terms of accessability). You implied above that we will see something today, care to say what it is?

          When you say PMs are more evaluted by what they do than what they don’t do, who is doing the evaluating?

          I’m asking these questions in the context of the post.

        • Tautuhi 1.1.1.2

          The other parties in NZ do not have access to MSM and are often misreported by compliant commentators.

  2. risildowgtn 2

    666

  3. Gangnam Style 3

    “New Zealand was settled peacefully” was that there? Thats an overwhelming list of lies, though a good resource to link to. Also in the print version of the ODT last week he said something like “Everything National have done has been proven to be correct”, It was from the Sunday Herald but the online version is different to the one I read. But this “…followed by a road-trip with his wife, Bronagh, from Los Angeles to San Francisco.” I would even doubt the veracity of that cute little story.

  4. frednz 4

    This is an incredible list. What indeed is going on with the man that has apparently been so popular ….

    It’s not doing any good hiding this list inside this website, needs to be distributed far and wide !!

    There are lots and lots of people unhappy with the state of NZ but they all complain to each other on blog sites and face book groups that the wider public never ever see – instead they are brainwashed by msm.

    • shorts 4.1

      if its the case with the previous lists this list will surface in many different places, over and over again and time and time again as is the way with things on the net

      however no matter what currently the mainstream media dominate the public discourse on how well the public perceive the govt to be doing – thats reflected in polls and the previous two elections, a large chunk of the public are willingly ignorant and quite happy with the status quo

      we seem to live in an age where with good media handling any scandal can be survived by a “popular” (powerful) man – cameron and key are testament to this (pigs and ponytails). Hopefully this won’t be the case for too long as the consequences for our nation and species are getting really really serious if we don’t enact real change

      saying all that the opposition (labour) could do a shitload (understatement) more to present a valid alternative

  5. cogito 5

    Key will dish out as many lies as kiwis are prepared to lap up.

    “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
    Matthew 7: 13.

  6. David H 6

    32 Lies today!

  7. Thank you BLiP, What a wonderful compilation! Will link to it from my blog with gratitude for the awesome job you keep doing!

      • Anne 7.1.1

        How about sending a copy of your ‘list’ to Bryce Edwards? I don’t read his political column on a regular basis because I’m sick of the inherent bias in what – and who -he chooses to highlight and his fence-sitting.

        However it would be interesting to see what he did with it – if anything.

  8. Atiawa 8

    October 22, 2015 John Key had this to say in the Taranaki Daily News when last visiting the province.
    ” This summer is expected to be the biggest season in prospecting we’ve seen around NZ. These oil companies take a very long term view in determining where their supplies are.”

    Regardless of your views on oil & gas exploration, his statement was a blatant lie. The summer of 2015/16 was never going to be a busy one for “prospecting”.
    It seems like only yesterday that his government were using the province as their provincial flag bearer for creating the conditions for economic growth, i.e. high milk prices, oil exports returns were in the top five overseas earnings.
    Oh dear, how the mighty have fallen.

    • lol

      good work BLiP as usual

      my guess for the lie count today is 18

    • mac! 9.2

      Thanks, BLiP, for the tally-keeping. What worries me about all this, is that many do not care. For instance, I listened to a RNZ vox pop survey yesterday on the TPPA. Most had no idea what the TPPA was.

      The other lesson I had reinforced with your video of Key above- that the camera lies, as well. As with the vox pop, it’s all in the hands of the editor as to the truth or otherwise.

      • BLiP 9.2.1

        FIRST – its not my video. I stole it off someone on Twitter.

        And, yeah, the level of deliberate, almost belligerent, ignorance about the goings on of John Key and his National Ltd™ neoliberal thugs is amazing. I can’t understand it. My latest theory is that there are lots of reasons but one of the main ones is that National Ltd™ voters cannot or will not accept that they have been duped. I think its too embarrassing for them. The other reason is that, so far as I can tell, you could probably just squeeze a Zigzag paper between National™ and Labour policies; “they’re all liars and useless, better the devil you know”, and all that.

        • Rosie 9.2.1.1

          Lols, it’s in the Cassette Boy vein. Now many will surely be familiar with Cameron’s conference rap:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBumQHPAeU

          With our PM, we have plenty of material to hand over to Cassette Boy to create a similar video. Cameron and Key, are after all cut from the same CT cloth, right down to the samey sort of sloganeering, It would be very easy material for them to work with.

          As for the reasonings behind the inertia of voters to accept Key and co’s state of affairs I would agree with this:

          “My latest theory is that there are lots of reasons but one of the main ones is that National Ltd™ voters cannot or will not accept that they have been duped. I think its too embarrassing for them.”

          Just looking at my immediate and extended family, that’s the truth of it. They’ve gone from fawning praise for Key, to embarrassed silence over the years. There really is an air of “don’t mention the war”. If I do mention anything political the atmosphere gets really tense with silent defensiveness. Very interesting to watch the changed behaviour.

          • cogito 9.2.1.1.1

            @ Rosie

            What do they think of Winston?

            • Rosie 9.2.1.1.1.1

              What do the family think of Winston? They don’t think. They are still in an FPP mindset and see just two flavours, red and blue.

              They have been born and will die being Nat supporters so their minds are set like concrete. Voting NZ First wouldn’t even occur to them despite their discomfort with Key. It would be a radical act for them to vote for a minor party, as their party vote, because they don’t yet understand MMP. To sum up, they vote, they don’t think.

              I do hope other Nat supporters with a bit more mental flexibility and curiosity may consider NZ First though. They have quite a bit to offer the conservative voter.

        • mac1 9.2.1.2

          The first reason I prefer. There is a known phenomenon that voters like to have chosen the winner. From that, it follows that few like to admit that they were wrong with their choice.

          Unless they’re angry at being betrayed, sold out, or conned.

          The “Don’t vote, it only encourages them” meme has been around for a long time- since 1999 at least, when I heard it often. This is a view that gives the Right some advantage, since those right-leaning voters will generally always vote, as they know that politics, and its attendant power, does matter.

          “They’re all the same” is a variant of this. I don’t believe in the zig-zag paper. There is a lot of difference between the major parties. Labour is yet to update and articulate its policies, but general positions are different from National on many issues. I know many on the Left believe otherwise.

          It does suit the Right to have this view promulgated. Obviously, though, the more Left the Labour Party, the more it is differentiated from National, but the more the centrist voter is deterred. After eight years in opposition, Labour has had few chances to actually act on its beliefs as different as they are to National’s.

          Where I come from, water quality is an issue in the south of this electorate. The Labour position at elections that I know about was that government money should be addressing this basic human necessity and right. At the moment, after
          eight years of National, and a change of MP, nothing has happened. Too big for local bodies, especially when ECAN was neutered undemocratically- another big point of difference, surely.

          That’s at one electorate level.

          At national levels there are more big differences to be expounded- troops overseas, unemployment, student debt and cost of education, taxation, health, foreign involvement in our economy, the TPPA, housing both for the State and private sectors………….

  9. fisiani 10

    The list verges well into the hysterical.
    blip obviously does not know what constitutes a lie.
    It follows the tradition of attacking Honest John Key and trying to make mud stick. Keep on compiling a list. Let me help you and give you a few from later today.
    It’s nice to talk to you (LIE)
    My government will help the poor with biggest benefit rise in a generation (LIE)
    I had a good break and feel refreshed (LIE)
    We have lots of exciting reforms to undertake this year (LIE)
    we want to make it easier for people to buy a home (LIE)
    Our troops are doing a good job in Iraq (LIE)
    blah blah blah….

    • marty mars 10.1

      lol fi – now you’re getting into the swing of things

    • cogito 10.2

      perhaps he could LIE down and expire.

    • framu 10.3

      well, some of yours are just opinions, some are slogans

      but this one

      “My government will help the poor with biggest benefit rise in a generation (LIE)”

      is actually a lie- as its a rise in the base benefit with claw backs in the top ups

      cheers fisi

      • Expat 10.3.1

        framu

        Fisi is an ardent JK supporter, shares the same habits, hence the lies (BS).

        Don’t for get the fact that the ratio of benefits to applicants has gone down to 18% along with reducing the number of registered unemployed to 250k by changing eligibility rules.
        They may pay slightly more, but to a hell of lot less recipients, but fisi or jk won’t tell you that.

    • reason 10.4

      Excellent list Blip ……………. first time readers are always shocked by how much John Key lies ……………

      It’s common knowledge that he lies ……. with less than one quarter of New Zealand now believing he is honest……

      Fairfax-Ipsos August 2013–Leader Trust–Fully believe John Key ?: Yes 24%,

      But most of the large majority of NZers who know Key is dishonest would be shocked at just how much he lies …………………….

      Definitely the most dishonest PM we have ever had ……….

  10. Mosa 11

    An appalling list of deceptions but not surprising Mr Key so well regarded and a genuine all round great bloke would tell the man or woman on the street that the sky was orange and they would look up and see exactly that. I always had the misconception that if u misled parliament it was a serious offence obviously not as he can lie get caught out and rush back and retract his statement to the house and all is forgiven his arrogance and contempt is horrifying. At least Richard Nixons crimes were exposed by people wanting and demanding the truth and a high standard of ethics that they believed should be exercised at all times how standards have changed .New Zealanders will eventually end their love affair but it will be too late.

    • rob 11.1

      alias, I think it is already too late. this currently run b/shitting,fascist govt have slowly been selling this country out and importing their own voters in to look after then.

  11. Rosie 12

    Congratulations on fine work BLiP. Is it really 433 so far? Thats a lot of porkies even for a leader whose default setting is deception. I hear the sound of a lot of air being sucked through his teeth.

    • Jones 12.1

      Yep… that sound is one of his tells…

    • Heather Grimwood 12.2

      To Rosie at 12 : The sucking – in – of- air- between- teeth particularly noticeable in parliamentary broadcasts has long concerned me.

  12. Crashcart 13

    I honestly wonder if this is one of the biggest mistakes, those who want to see National lose, make. I am by no means a fan of this government but I can’t help but think they learnt a lesson in their 9 years of opposition that the current opposition has not.

    For the first two terms of the Clarke period National would try and attack her personally. Be it paintings, getting to rugby games or the not so direct rumours about her sexuality and marriage. None of this worked. Labour remained high in the polls. It wasn’t until the 3rd term where they switched and started attacking Labour as a whole and painting the entire party. This was seen with Light bulbs, shower heads and the whole Nanny State meme.

    Why did this change work. Because most of the population has a negative impression of politicians as a whole. When you try and paint one as bad it is in relation to what is perceived as every one being bad. More than this people think of politics as being a bunch of kids misbehaving in parliament like they are in the school ground. Any attacks on each other outside of the house seem to be extensions of this and so not really important.

    However if you paint a party as a group who will interfere in your life and impact on your rights well then you will start to get a turn in attitude. National learnt this.

    So what do we see from current opposition. Attempts to try and paint a guy who seems like a normal decent sort of guy as evil. The most that is ever achieved is people think he is as bad as any other politician. Even if a truly huge scandal was to land, National could cut him loose, blame him as a solo bad person, and replace him with the next one in line. Continue to sell the message of steady as she goes and we won’t mess with you.

    I suppose in summery I think more focus needs to go on negative impacts to the populace rather than why all the current government are such bad people. Yes John Key has told a lot of lies in his time. I think the last 7 years has shown that trying to yell this is not effective.

    • BM 13.1

      It strikes me more as impotent frustration than any sort of strategy.

    • cogito 13.2

      “guy who seems like a normal decent sort of guy”

      LOL.

      • Crashcart 13.2.1

        That a great counter argument. Are you suggesting that he has not been successful at presenting an every day sort of guy persona?

        • cogito 13.2.1.1

          Adopting a persona and being that type of person are two quite different things…. just like a Chinese Rolex is different from a real one….

          • Jones 13.2.1.1.1

            Agree but you don’t have to be the person, just appear to be the person.

            And National already have a response to any criticism aimed at them… “but Labour did it too!”

    • Expat 13.3

      @Crashcart

      Agree with what you’re saying, but the media was a lot more balanced then, now it’s the mouthpeice for the govt, it’s hard for any one with an opposing view to gain any traction as you well know, there aren’t many around today (reporters critical of the govt).

  13. Mosa 14

    On I forgot to add a thankyou you to blip for keeping us informed.

    • seeker 14.1

      Exactly Mosa. We must not close our eyes and ears, and BLiP helps us to be aware of the staggering mound of lies the Prime Minister of New Zealand has uttered. Thankyou BLiP, stirling work.

      I think r0b was unfortunate’y spot on when he wrote in his post on January 25th about post reality based politics regarding Donald Trump and described Key as “another herald of this brave new world”

      “Donald Trump Says He ‘Could Shoot Somebody’ and Not Lose Voters.

      “They say I have the most loyal people — did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.” he said. “It’s like incredible.” …”

      Yes, it is incredible. And given the crap that Trump has put out there – all the while increasing his lead – it doesn’t even seem impossible…….

      Trump knows that he has gone beyond an old fashioned reality-based politics of consequences and accountability, and that his supporters are so “loyal” that they will lap up anything. I think that John Key is another herald of this brave new world. ….”

      A world devoid of truth, how hideous. (my words).

      (Apologies, have forgotten how to enter gigantic quotation marks which would have made this comment clearer, will try and relearn for future.)

  14. savenz 15

    People are waking up and realising Key is a joke and the Natz are dangerous. The National strategy (which seems to be working so far) is to tie up the opposition in trivia and small projects with an onslaught of extreme changes, so that there is confusion and no massive co ordinated attack on the National party by opposition parties that reaches the public or dents them in any real way.

  15. mary_a 16

    Well done BLIP and many thanks for reminding us of the fraudulent despot we have as our leader.

    With what’s coming up in the immediate future you will be able to build on your stock pile of FJK lies.

    TPPA signing
    Final flag referendum
    “prominent NZer’s court case coming up in April

    Lies will be spewing from FJK’s mouth thick and fast within the next three months. You will be extremely busy.

  16. righty right 17

    john key lies because he has to. new Zealand is a house of cards that depends on john keys lieing powers to keep the ship afloat

  17. fisiani 18

    So not a single one of Blips slurs have turned out to be a lie. Such a waste of time.

    • Wensleydale 18.1

      A bit like you trolling this blog every day of your wretched excuse for a life.

      [lprent: Incorrect at two levels. If he was trolling then he’d be banned, I’m not exactly pleasant about that behaviour. Having a different opinion isn’t trolling, and when anyone’s behaviour steps over the line I or one of the other moderators would have a tendency to ban. ]

  18. righty right 19

    a lie can become the truth therefore it isn’t a lie any longer and vast majority zealanders are one with john key

  19. reason 20

    the biggest MINORITY vote for Key/Nats ………………..

    His high dishonesty ratings are a ticking bomb for the Nats .

    Looks at how the people of Northland punished the Nats and Key for the lies they were told, causing their recent Sabin by-election ……………

  20. justsomeguy 21

    #208 link needs fixing

  21. Smilin 22

    My barrow aint big enough to carry all that around but if i give it ago the photo might be as famous as the one from the 30’s illustrating inflation of a worthless currency
    Prediction of $70 US a barrel for oil this time next year, hows he goin to lie his way out of that one

  22. weka 23

    Good to have the update, and thanks for all the work BLiP. A bit of feedback, the huge list of categories is distracting and creates unnecessary scrolling. It makes the front page today look esp bad.

  23. Smilin 24

    The biggest problem with the Key govt is that they have continue their party’s agenda to destroy the power of the unions started by Bolgers govt and Roger Douglas
    Also their stated aim to rid the country of socialism and communism as a founding principle of their party
    All their politics is has that in it no matter what time of the day they front up
    If any one sees that as democratic they got to be FITH

  24. Ian 25

    Key has Helen ,Goff ,and Shearer on side now. It’s a whitewash guys. You have failed.

    • Paul 25.1

      Goff is leaving the National politics.
      Clark is not even in the country.

      Whitewash?? What nonsense.

  25. grunta 26

    What a load of shit this list is lol

  26. GiveMeStrength 27

    WOW amazing work BLiP,

    M head is just spinning. We’ve come a long way from the original list, and I’m beginning to wonder if we need to empty sewage tank soon.

    Someone call in the kaka waka.

  27. Leon 28

    John Key says the majority of New Zealanders want the TPPA signed. This is a big fat lie because over 50% said no. Roughly 30% said yes and the rest don’t care on the poles.

  28. Draco T Bastard 29

    Key’s biggest lie of all: his 1991 statement to the Equiticorp inquiry

    John Key, did you lie to the Serious Fraud Office?

    Considering the list of his documented lies, probably.

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    It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just show a minimal amount of flux in public support for the various parties in ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 hours ago
  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 hours ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    7 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    10 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    24 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
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