Anniversary-gate?

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, October 8th, 2009 - 12 comments
Categories: uncategorized - Tags:

The Standard would like to wish Mrs Mavis Lawson many happy returns on her 100th birthday yesterday.

We also had a chuckle when we read this from today’s Herald:

When Papatoetoe resident Mavis Lawson turned 100 on Tuesday she got the standard birthday card from the Queen but, rather puzzlingly, she also received a card from Prime Minister John Key congratulating her on her “100th wedding anniversary”.

The card, which had a picture of Mr Key on the front, had a typed message inside wishing her well on her 100th wedding anniversary. Under this was what appeared to be a hand-written note from Mr Key, saying: “I hope you had a happy time celebrating this very special day.”

It went on to say:

It is unclear how the slip-up happened – but the cards do not cross Mr Key’s desk at all. They are automatically generated after a friend or relative applies with the Department of Internal Affairs for a congratulatory message.

Handwritten, signed, but did not cross his desk? Automatically generated? Anniversary-gate anyone?

12 comments on “Anniversary-gate? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. roger nome 1
    8 October 2009 at 9:57 am

    heh – if this had occurred under the 5th Labour Government no doubt there would be cries of “anniversary-gate” from the kiwiblog crowd and their like. I just don’t seem to be able to muster the faux-outrage though…

  2. Tammy Gordon 2
    8 October 2009 at 10:03 am

    I think you’ll find the big difference here is that John’s example will not be subject to a shrill and hysterical chorus from the country’s fourth estate. Instead they will say we’ll he can’t possible personally sign every little thing that crosses his desk.

  3. the sprout 3
    8 October 2009 at 10:33 am

    such attention to detail.
    i wonder what else leaves his office with his signature on it that nobody bothers to check?

  4. Craig Glen Eden 4
    8 October 2009 at 10:46 am

    Like his leadership really, all just pretend activity, he’s the Claytons PM.

  5. Steve 5
    8 October 2009 at 10:52 am

    I do hope nobody is impersonating John Key.
    I mean who would do such a thing, and what would they possibly gain?…
    Then again I could be wrong ….

  6. IrishBill 6
    8 October 2009 at 11:17 am

    The reason this doesn’t end in the same shrill chorus is that there isn’t an echo chamber dedicated to pushing this kind of clap-trap day in day out until it finally gets picked up by the media.

    The reason the Nat’s and their supporters had to run “scandals” like the speeding and painting “gates” was that they had nothing credible to run against the government with.

    The Left don’t need to dedicate all that money and time to trivial stuff like this because we have big serious issues to run against the government such as their appalling cuts to education or their plans to mine in national parks or their attacks on work rights or their climate change failure.

    “Anniversary-gate” would have had acres of dollars, dozens of Farrar posts and involved more PR legwork than you could shake a stick at if Helen had been caught out like this because the right had nothing of substance to offer in opposition. Just as they have nothing of substance to offer in government.

    • Craig Glen Eden 6.1
      8 October 2009 at 11:44 am

      You make some really good points IB, while its fun to have a poke at Key and his cabinet as they provide such good material, they have actually done very little in order to progress NZers lot.

      Workers rights have been eroded and they have done nothing to help small employers/ businesses.

      • Lanthanide 6.1.1
        8 October 2009 at 12:49 pm

        “Workers rights have been eroded and they have done nothing to help small employers/ businesses.”

        Well, the primary way in which workers rights were eroded actually *was* a help to small employers and businesses – the 90 day fire-at-will bill. Also capping kiwisaver at 2% instead of 4% for employer contributions. Apparently there were some GST changes or other fiddling around the margins that came out of the “do-fest” jobs summit but is taking a while to get enacted.

  7. Tigger 7
    8 October 2009 at 12:43 pm

    Mr Key is far too busy with the cycleway and his holiday schedule to sign his own cards!

  8. ben 8
    8 October 2009 at 9:34 pm

    Tag this post under “desperate”

  9. Christopher Nimmo 9
    8 October 2009 at 11:29 pm

    This is why we need to preserve the monarchy.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.