Comments on: The Standard Week: 17-24 October

By: Ianmac

Ianmac — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:15:03 +0000

So far Helen has not sacked Winston. He has done nothing illegal. John Key had in effect sacked Winston before he was tried. Judgement? Who quoted elsewhere “Lets hang him but in the morning we’ll have a trial.” Actually guilty or not I would back a leader who was fair enough to wait for due process before taking action.
John Key- Peters guilty before trial
John Key- demand precipitate action re global crisis
John Key- demand precipitate action re bank guarantee before details are known
John Key -demand precipitate action re Maori Seat abandon
John Key- demand precipitate action forbidding partnership with NZF
John Key- demand precipitate action approving Herceptin over the heads of the medical professionals.
Not a good record for a would-be PM?

By: Tim Ellis

Tim Ellis — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:51:11 +0000

Oddly enough, that’s exactly what Righties said last time. Hello three years later

After the 2005 election, r0b, I didn’t think it would last. This might sound partisan, but I underestimated how desperate Helen Clark was to hold onto power. I never contemplated, and I don’t think the Left contemplated, how much she would be prepared to put up with from Winston, particularly in the last year, to maintain her chances until this time.

I think Clark learned a lot from the National-Winston meltdown from 1997-1999. If you lose your major coalition partner, you have NO chance of winning the next election.

Clark was certainly more motivated to hold onto power for three years than Brash was to gain power after the election. I personally think that Brash’s heart just wasn’t into the idea of managing a relationship with Winston. In retrospect, it was foolish for National to hope that Labour wouldn’t cobble it together. That thinking was based on idealism, borne from New Zealand’s earlier experiences with MMP. Pragmatism suggests that if somebody really, really wants to be Prime Minister, they will put a lot aside to achieve it.

I think this election Key is as hungry as Clark is. This is what makes this election so interesting.

It would be wishful thinking for Key to think, if Clark was in striking distance of forming an agreement with the Left, however unlikely the coalition arrangements might appear, that she wouldn’t manage it, and that it wouldn’t last. I doubt he thinks otherwise.

I think this election really is do or die for Key and Clark.

By: randal

randal — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:41:36 +0000

of course there is credit crisis but somehow people always find the money for food and food is in hot demand and willget hotter as stocks are drawn down over the northern winter. the lower dollar will make sure that exporters get their moneys worth too!

By: gobsmacked

gobsmacked — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 04:21:54 +0000

Update on National’s Woodhouse (aka Son of Clarkson):

After making his remarks about short skirts, he added: “”Better not print that’.

He has now apologised for his comments.

By: Johnty Rhodes

Johnty Rhodes — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:42:32 +0000

Randal, it’s going to be a long nothern winter, things will not get sorted in 6 months, it will be a bout a year. Don’t you understand there is a credit crisis at all? This is not going to change in the next 6 months greatly.

By: gobsmacked

gobsmacked — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:24:07 +0000

We can add one more group to the list of voters SP mentions in the post – women. Another day, another Nat-gaffe: today we present …

Bob Clarkson … the sequel!

National’s Dunedin North candidate and number 49 on the list, Michael Woodhouse said in the Otago University students’ magazine *Critic*, “I love spring around here, it’s bloody fantastic, the skirts were never this short in my day.”

Katherine Rich was not available for comment.

By: randal

randal — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:59:41 +0000

what a load of tripe. the economy has been running at close to full capacity right up to the “global economic crisis” and it looks set to get going as afain soon as the northern winter is over.
stop selling the country short. thats almost crooked practice.
every country will always have a residual of unemployed to stop making the new zealand case an exception unless you have sort of “FINAL SOLUTION” you should be boosting new zealand not putting it down.

By: John Stevens

John Stevens — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:14:30 +0000

Randal – the people who do not work and are a drain on society also know that the Labour Party has their interests at heart and is the only party to vote for. Plus the Greens of course. The oxygen thieves and useless vote Labour/Greens, that is why the country is a mess. The productives will keep them going.

NZ sux is not wot I reckon, but it could be a whole lot better with a direction that promotes growth, not slowing growth as the left are doing at an alarming rate at present.

By: randal

randal — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:51:09 +0000

the new zealnd sux crew at work again.
New Zealand is perfectly placed to take advantage of any uptick in world conditions.
world food stocks are down to 35 days and demand is liable to pick up after the northern winter.
Funny how the tories keep selling the country short and blaming the government but it wont work.
the people in this country that actually do the work know that the Labour Party has their interests at heart and is the only party to vote for.

By: the sprout

the sprout — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:50:18 +0000

“if Labour manage to put a coalition together this time, its pretty evident that its going to turn to custard”

yeah right sean, wouldn’t be nearly as stable as a National-Maori party coalition.

By: r0b

r0b — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:50:15 +0000

Add those numbers up and you get some impressive figures of how many people are sucking the fresh cream from the state’s teat.

A comment that is every bit as charming as it is rational.

if Labour manage to put a coalition together this time, its pretty evident that its going to turn to custard, especially with the next 3 years having a pretty terrible economic outlook.

Oddly enough, that’s exactly what Righties said last time. Hello three years later…

By: John Stevens

John Stevens — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:44:21 +0000

Sean – I agree on that myself. The serphent will destroy the NZ economy with their over taxation and distribution to non productive causes.

The latest RM poll suggests the MP will decide again.

Nat – 43
Act – 3.5 = 46.5

LAB – 32
Gr – 11.5 = 43.5

NZF – 4.5

By: sean

sean — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:31:02 +0000

Add those numbers up and you get some impressive figures of how many people are sucking the fresh cream from the state’s teat.

An unrelated point that you guys probably would discredit – if Labour manage to put a coalition together this time, its pretty evident that its going to turn to custard, especially with the next 3 years having a pretty terrible economic outlook.

That will most likely hand National a landslide majority victory in the next election where they will be able to cram whatever they want through. I’d think that’s a far worse proposition for you lefties than National winning this current election.