Banks to stand again

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, May 13th, 2013 - 28 comments
Categories: accountability, act, john banks, law - Tags: ,

John Banks has announced that he will stand in Epsom again at the next election. That is, of course, always assuming that he doesn’t get chucked out of Parliament first:

banks-in-the-dockI haven’t committed any offence’: ACT leader

Banks faces a charge of filing a false electoral return following his failed 2010 bid for the Auckland City mayoralty.

In court today [last Wednesday], Banks’ lawyer, David Jones QC indicated his client would defend the charge because the prosecution was flawed.

Banks was forced to stand in the dock during proceedings and was not allowed to formally enter his not-guilty plea to the charge until a plea inquiry hearing on May 30.

I wonder if Key will extend Banks a symbolic cup of tea this time. I wonder if the good burghers of Epsom can stomach voting for him again if Key does. Probably, and probably – I don’t see any of the parties involved suddenly growing scruples. Or on the other hand, maybe this image of Banks in the dock will finally finish off the shambling remains of ACT. Better late than never.

28 comments on “Banks to stand again ”

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  1. karol 1
    13 May 2013 at 10:02 am

    Turei has outlined how Banks is tied to the Nat government in their plans for the “wholesale” privatising education over the next few decades:

    ACT leader John Banks confirmed on TVNZ’s Q and A that the price of Act’s support for another National-led Government would be commitment to “private provision of education”….

    “Mr Banks today confirmed that 4 or 5 charter schools will be established next year, and 50 or 60 in the next decade meaning millions of education dollars will be given to private companies to establish schools that will experiment with our most disadvantaged kids.

    “The Act/National Government is dead set on an education system where the quality of school your child goes to depends on how much you are able to spend on it.

    “The so called choice they are offering poor kids with charter schools is one that wealthy parents wouldn’t touch with a barge poll.

    I guess whether Epsom re-elects Banks (aside from whether he gets chucked out of parliament for legal reasons), depends on how many Epsomites support the privatisation of education. Although I suspect many of them won;t care.

    • rosy 1.1
      13 May 2013 at 8:17 pm

      “price of Act’s support for another National-led Government would be commitment to “private provision of education”

      Truer is ACT is fronting for National’s policy to privatise education, ACT is not going to bring down a National government. End of story.

      National knows there is no electoral appetite for privatising education and with ACT so grossly unpopular National is able to force ACT’s unconditional support and could tell Banks to get back on that cabbage boat re privatisation of anything. But won’t, meaning it’s National policy too.

  2. vto 2
    13 May 2013 at 10:31 am

    Banks sentences don’t make sense when he speaks.

    He is now another joh bjeikle-peterson

  3. ianmac 3
    13 May 2013 at 10:39 am

    But still. Should Mr Banks stand again in Epson it would be unthinkable for the people to re-elect him given his aroma. So it would occupy the last act of ACT unless, (unless Mr Boscowan stood instead?)

  4. freedom 4
    13 May 2013 at 10:48 am

    “John Banks has announced that we will stand in Epsom ”

    someone want to fix the typo? [r0b: fixed ta]

    It is a regular albeit small annoyance, that we are all occasionally guilty of, and it rarely causes major disruption. Sometimes the gaffs make for brilliantly amusing misunderstandings. But, there are often calls from these pages for the papers to try harder, especially the Herald on-line edition. Last week was a shocker, almost every article had at least one glaring error and most often in the first sentence. I rarely see a printed version of the papers, so have no idea how they look.

    Perhaps leading by example is a good idea? As an artist there is one thing I understand better than many, pay attention to the details and the big picture takes care of itself. I too will try harder to present words without errors, but I understand, we are only human after all.

  5. Elizabeth Bourchier 5
    13 May 2013 at 11:40 am

    Will Labour run an above-the-line campaign asking supporters to “hold their nose” and vote National?
    It has to be EXPLICIT.
    The campaign run for Parker in 2008 was the wrong campaign.
    Me thinks the Dunedin Wanderer was actually hoping to win!

    • Rich 5.1
      13 May 2013 at 12:30 pm

      National might withdraw their candidate if that happened, although they can only do this before nominations close.

  6. Professor Longhair 6
    13 May 2013 at 11:42 am

    CRIMINAL.

  7. prism 7
    13 May 2013 at 11:59 am

    A good reason to have a ban after serving three terms at most and two terms consecutively.
    Also an upper age limit. Otherwise we may see the unedifying spectacle that Italy has been faced with ancients like Giorgio Napolitano.
    Apr 29, 2013 – He is the first Italian president to ever serve a second term and at the age of 87 …

    wikipedia – on Italian presidents.
    The median age of accession is roughly 71 years and 3 months,
    The longest-lived president was Sandro Pertini, who died at the age of 93 years, 152 days. Oscar Luigi Scalfaro was the second longest-lived, only 9 days short of Pertini. The shortest-lived president was Antonio Segni, who died at the age of 81 years, 303 days.

    In a whole country that they got landed with a conniving leader like Berlusconi, with the connivance of many representatives also, it shows a failure in their system when the only alternative is to turn to near-death people, whether they are on monkey glands or not.

    • freedom 7.1
      13 May 2013 at 12:48 pm

      ” A good reason to have a ban after serving three terms at most and two terms consecutively.”

      For a PM maybe, but an MP? that is a nonsensical idea! How would anyone gain the necessary [influence] to become a Minister? ( apart from buying it like Key did of course)

    • Lanthanide 7.2
      13 May 2013 at 5:38 pm

      By instituting such a rule, you’re also ruling out decent politicians, like Helen Clark.

      Similar to the US, where the 2-term limit on Presidents has given rise to “lame-duck administrations”, which is both positive and negative.

  8. McFlock 8
    13 May 2013 at 12:19 pm

    So he’s announced he’ll be standing in Epsom.

    What does the Epsom branch of ACT think about the plan? Just because he’s the only ACT mp doesn’t mean he’s the only person in the party.

    I’m sure they’re all behind him 100%, and some might not even be holding knives, but aren’t these things normally decided by parties rather than memos drafted in the dock?

  10. jaymam 10
    13 May 2013 at 2:31 pm

    I think that’s a lovely picture of Banks and deserves to be stuck over whatever picture he decides to use on billboards in future.

  11. Tamati 11
    13 May 2013 at 2:46 pm

    Aye, the biggest hurdle for Banks will be gaining the support of the Act party to run again. The good people of Epsom may be frustrated over having this crook as an MP, but they’ll take that over a Capital Gains tax on their batches any day.

    Reackon, Boscanwen or that young David guy might try steal the nomination.

    • Arfamo 11.1
      13 May 2013 at 2:52 pm

      It’d depend on who’s the highest bidder wouldn’t it?

      • jaymam 11.1.1
        13 May 2013 at 4:05 pm

        Brash has got access to the most money, and he’s got nothing to do these days.
        Has he ever stood in an electorate and won? Maybe Epsom is his big chance!

  12. Morrissey 12
    13 May 2013 at 5:00 pm

    Banks is a crook.

  13. Penny Bright 13
    13 May 2013 at 6:40 pm

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/aaron-gilmore-resigns-ck-139984

    #16 by Penny Bright 8 hours ago

    ‘Arrogant’ Gilmore is resigning from Parliament.

    When is Prime Minister John Key going to stand down as a minister defendant John Banks?

  15. BrucetheMoose 15
    13 May 2013 at 10:50 pm

    Looks reasonably content in the dock. Probably more at home behind some bars I feel.

  16. Tracey 16
    14 May 2013 at 5:04 pm

    His mailout arrived today…. it’s about principles and the rich getting richer and more of the things they want.