A whole lotta nothing

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, November 20th, 2009 - 14 comments
Categories: john key, national/act government - Tags:

In a speech to National Party members yesterday John Key read out a list of everything the government has done in the last year. Talk about weak, when the public disgruntlement with this do-nothing govenment has reached a level where they’re resorting to ‘not even, we’ve done heaps’. Audrey Young reports the list ran to nine pages but no-one has seen fit to reproduce it. Which makes me suspect it goes something like this:

– passed tax cuts under urgency
– National cycleway from Cape Reinga to the Bluff employing 3,700 people announced
– Richard Worth’s first strike
– Richard Worth’s second strike
– Richard Worth’s third strike
– repealed tax cuts under urgency
– National cycleway now series of ‘great rides’
– Bill English’s first strike
– stand up comedy
– Bill English’s second strike
– $3 million for a 40km cycleway that was being built anyway

Look. The fact is that governments do a hell of a lot all the time. Multitudes of boring technical changes to statutes, regulations, and rules need to be signed off each year. That they could only fill nine pages with that stuff after one year is incredible. It means that Key’s government has only done about 10 things per minister. And the public is clearly not happy, judging by the public response to Key’s piece in the Dompost yesterday (Stuff just let a bunch more comments through moderation – ouch).

Meanwhile, Young notes that Parliament wrapped up at 6pm yesterday. That means another three hours of standard sitting time were lost (but the cost was still incurred) because this shambolic do-nothing government didn’t have any legislation to pass. A similar amount was lost on Wednesday. But don’t worry, they’re going into Urgency (at considerable cost) next week to pass the ETS.

14 comments on “A whole lotta nothing ”

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  1. Bethany 1
    20 November 2009 at 1:20 pm

    I thought they always finished at 6pm on Thursdays? Evening (7.30-10) sitting is only on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    20 November 2009 at 1:23 pm

    Both links go to the same place.

  3. JD 3
    20 November 2009 at 1:25 pm

    “Talk about weak, when the public disgruntlement with this do-nothing govenment has reached a level where they’re resorting to ‘not even, we’ve done heaps'”

    So what polls were you referring to?

    • Craig Glen Eden 3.1
      20 November 2009 at 2:09 pm

      The Author didn’t mention any polls JD

      “And the public is clearly not happy, judging by the public response to Key’s piece in the Dompost yesterday (Stuff just let a bunch more comments through moderation ouch).”

      Another National Party Line runner trips over before they even start.

      Hey JD congrats in getting rid of the Insert region here section before you posted your comment!

  4. Mike 4
    20 November 2009 at 2:08 pm

    Indeed Bethany – they do only go till 6pm on Thursdays. Marty G is showing the same amount of research and intelligence that goes into all his posts.

    • snoozer 4.1
      20 November 2009 at 2:27 pm

      yeah, it’s true they only go till six on Thursdays, but they did run out of legislation on Wednesday, and it’s not the first time.

      Also, Mike, “Marty G is showing the same amount of research and intelligence that goes into all his posts” What a dick. You see all those graphs and stuff Marty produces.

      It discredits you entirely when you say things like that which are easily falsifiable. Not that you had any crediblity to begin with, just a deep shapeless anger at the centre of your soul.

  5. tc 5
    20 November 2009 at 2:59 pm

    If you think about banking hours…….NACT are overworked

  6. The Baron 6
    20 November 2009 at 4:15 pm

    And the public “CLEARLY” are not happy… I wonder whats a more credible measure of public opinion…

    1. Comment page on the Dom Post website, which (with a sample size of less than 60) is able to be unduly skewed.
    2. Opinion polls, which are telling the same story they have told all year.

    Other things that the public CLEARLY believe in based on that benchmark:

    1. The Loch Nest Monster
    2. Raelians
    3. The healing power of tobasco sauce

    You write better stuff when youre not being such a Labour fan boi, Marty. Don’t let that stop you playing to the crowd tho eh.

  7. gobsmacked 7
    20 November 2009 at 4:49 pm

    Well, if National keep losing support at this rate, Key will have problems sooner than you think.

    http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2009/4437/

    People aren’t stupid. They don’t love Labour/Greens, but they are starting to see through Noddy Nothing.

  8. randominanity 8
    20 November 2009 at 7:18 pm

    It wasn’t Government legislation they ran out of on Wednesday – it was Members’ Bills.

  9. illuminatedtiger 9
    20 November 2009 at 10:31 pm

    Don’t worry New Zealand! Everything’s gonna be alllllright because ShonKey is feeling sooo relaxed right now.

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