Better late than never

Written By: - Date published: 7:12 am, May 16th, 2012 - 27 comments
Categories: john key, Media, uncategorized - Tags: , ,

His policies (such that they are) aren’t working, his government is now being questioned, his economy is stuck in the doldrums, so naturally Key is looking for someone to blame:

Key: Media ‘aggressive and hostile’ toward Govt

Mr Key on Newstalk ZB this morning responded to a query that he seemed “over it” and lacked the passion of his first term. He told listeners that the media are in a “more aggressive and hostile mood” toward him and his Government.

“I’m not that bent out of shape about it, I expected that,” he says. “Pressure comes more on Governments because the media become more antagonistic. I don’t mean it as a complaint, I’m not moaning about it, it’s just a statement of fact.” …

Mr Key also took aim at the tabloidisation of the New Zealand Herald and how its new editorial arrangement had an effect on political news. “The Herald has turned more tabloid and they won’t like that I’m saying that, but it’s absolutely statement of fact.

No, The Herald didn’t like it one bit: “Herald editor-in-chief Tim Murphy, via Twitter, dismissed Mr Key’s comments as “a 2nd term thing”.

Many pundits link the mood change in the media to Key’s attack on various outlets over the teapot tape, and his subsequent hounding of reporter Bradley Ambrose. Maybe that is the case, but if so “the media” need to ask themselves why they didn’t react to Key’s similar attack on the Bay Report and Greg Robertson (the journalist in the middle of the “love to see wages drop” story).

Better late than never I guess. But just imagine if the 4th estate had woken up in 2008 – we might have been spared a second term of this abominable government.

27 comments on “Better late than never ”

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  1. North 1
    16 May 2012 at 7:39 am

    So Key’s fallen out with his whore……..how sad.

    Would we have our children behave like this entitled little dick ?

    • aerobubble 1.1
      16 May 2012 at 1:02 pm

      Farm prices have been carrying the economy, Key falsely believed that his policy were helping, whereas in actuality they have been shoring up the bottom of the deep dark hole in the ground.

      Isn’t it obvious that Key’s crew are freaks. When they live in a world where the only citizens that matter are those paying high taxes, the debtor classes who haven’t gotten rich enough to pay no tax and are sitting on our NZ debt. No matter how hard Key tries to swap the risk to the retired and those with savings, while reducing the burden on the debtor class, he just can’t kick start the economy.

      Someone please tell these idiot freaks that you can’t reward the debtor classes who dealt to the NZ economy a huge wasteland of debt (comparable with Greece!) and then expect intelligent skills NZers to stick around and carry them. Why should someone with good fiscal priorities subsidize high income tax paying debt ridden idiots.

      Helping them to diversify their debt into state assets, what a reeking turd of an idea.

      Key is a economic dwarf freak.

  2. Carol 2
    16 May 2012 at 7:39 am

    Well, it’s more the NZ Herald that Key has alienated, not so much all news media. This morning one of the top stories on Stuff was about Conservative Party leader Craig, in another media attempt to create a viable partner for National in the future. Meanwhile the 2 top stories on the NZ Herald site are to do with apparent extravagant spending by some government ministers, on overseas trips:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10806191

    The screws may be tightening on the diplomats’ budget, but the ministers who go overseas most frequently aren’t feeling the pinch, judging from the most recent credit card releases.

    The latest release of ministerial credit card details – covering the first three months of this year – show taxpayers have paid to wash Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman’s underwear in Brussels, for Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s party at Trader Jacks in the Cook Islands, and for $300 cabin bags and $490 laundry bills for Trade Minister Tim Groser’s staff.

    And under that is a further drip feed from Team Dotcom, this time alleging that Banksie asked for funds for his Act Epsom electorate campaign in return for political favours from Banks and possibly also John Key.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10806194

    Kim Dotcom’s head of security told his boss that John Banks asked for a political donation and said he would be a “very good friend” once he was back in Parliament, according to an email
    […]
    According to Mr Tempero’s email, Mr Banks said “once in government” he “would have the power to do something about it”.

    Mr Tempero said Mr Banks had suggested a personal meeting between the Prime Minister and the bodyguard. He said it would give the opportunity to explain Dotcom’s current and future efforts for New Zealand and “Banks thinks the PM will intervene”.

    In an emailed statement, Mr Banks confirmed asking for money.

    He said: “I do recall raising the issue of donating to the Act Party with Mr Dotcom’s staff … I was subsequently advised by one of his staff that Mr Dotcom said ‘to go get f****d as your Government has caused me too much trouble’ or something along those lines.”

    In that last statement is it referring to Dotcom being refused applications to the government for purchasing property, or to some possible government complicity in his arrest on behalf of the FBI and US authorities?

  3. Tiger Mountain 3
    16 May 2012 at 7:51 am

    NZ’s very own Scrooge McDuck is getting testy. The media love in is fading a bit now.

  4. DH 4
    16 May 2012 at 8:17 am

    A cynic might suggest it’s more like the owners of the Herald didn’t get what they expected from their donations to the National party.

    This comment from Key looks pretty dishonest;

    “New Zealand had made strides to close the gap between rich and poor, with an 11 per cent increase in after-tax wages since National was elected.”

    Well yes, tax cuts do tend to increase after-tax wages. For lower income earners around half of that 11 per cent was from the tax cut (people on $38k got a 5.6% increase in take-home pay). And the GST increase, which I doubt he’s including in his ‘after-tax wages’, would take it all away again.

  5. Carol 5
    16 May 2012 at 8:28 am

    But as bomber asks, the MSM is still not making front page news of evidence of keys gangster politics, and manipulations of NZ laws to favour overseas banksters:

    http://www.tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/most-important-nz-political-news-story.html

    …let’s get this straight. Key resisted the advice of officials and forged ahead with a private meeting with corporate giants yet was still being told it would cost us millions in taxes, wouldn’t return the profits promised AND breach international tax treaties?

    Who the hell else ever gets away with this sort of behavior as a Prime Minister?

    He’s not the Trader in Chief, he’s the Prime Minister, cutting deals with massive corporates and then getting angry at officials because they are not going along with this farce should be front page news…
    […]
    The level with which Key has pathologically gone about personally implementing half arsed ideas that benefit the wealthy shows Key isn’t doing a ‘Chairman-of-the-Board’ style political leadership, he is exhibiting all the moral initiative of a pirate addicted to winning plunder.

  6. Tigger 6
    16 May 2012 at 8:30 am

    I’ll consider believing him when he stops all his sweetheart interviews. The Radio Network especially.

  7. Pete George 7
    16 May 2012 at 8:59 am

    This is media beatup absurdity. After overegging a “National civil war” last week, talking up a “row” over Labour leadership over the weekend, now we have a few simple statements that are hard to dispute being promoted by media as some major hissy fit – when it’s the reports and posts that are doing all theover the top hissing.

    It’s looking more like Granny Herald, drama queen.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      16 May 2012 at 10:05 am

      And PG runs in to defend the PDs master.

      • tc 7.1.1
        16 May 2012 at 10:18 am

        Yes the MSM are a bunch of shock jocks but at least it’s spraying both sides of the house for a change.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 7.2
      16 May 2012 at 10:15 am

      Its the way of politics- the politicians say carefully calibrated statements to mean one thing , but leave wriggle room for deniability.
      But no one is believing Key wasnt orchestrating an attack on the media. The set interview with the fawning Smith, and Key gets going into the Herald without prompting.

      • Colonial Viper 7.2.1
        16 May 2012 at 12:23 pm

        And all this following on from the Ambrose tea tapes/police news room raids saga.

  8. Bored 8
    16 May 2012 at 10:46 am

    In the broken economy of NZ all focus goes onto Johnnygrad where the strategic goal is in sight…one more push through the political detritus and victory is within grasp..the money and shares in the state assets for the elite of the bankster state. Keys gamble to blitz his foes whilst the sun shines on his polls looks certain, but there are a couple of minor stumbling points. The resistance is digging in and stiffening, and the propaganda ministry cant convince the people any more…some are turning hostile. The snow is beginning to fall, signalling the freeze to come. One more push before the weak flanking cover of Banks and Dunne are over run by a massed attack…….elsewhere the forces are marshaling against Key and the neo lib storm troopers. There can be no ultimate victory, history repeats.

    • prism 8.1
      16 May 2012 at 10:54 am

      Bored – Great book, when’s the movie coming out? Sounds like a real tale twister, exciting drama and please with a happy ending that the audience would enjoy.

      • Bored 8.1.1
        16 May 2012 at 11:17 am

        We all know there was victory in the winter, the real key on the Eastern Front was a summer victory… the lesson is bring the bastards onto even terms, trap their best in a dog fight then throw in the reserves and keep them off balance. And remember that these bastards have engaged in a scorched earth policy with our assets and living standards for the benefit of the few, there can be no prisoners and no mercy.

  9. Fortran 9
    16 May 2012 at 11:10 am

    Herald’s circulation continuing to drop.
    With today’s front page over ministerial underpants whilst travelling on business – what next – I shudder to think – resurrect Tuku’s underpants as a comparison.

  10. captain hook 10
    16 May 2012 at 12:11 pm

    I guess bogie and hooton never told him this would happen.

  11. Tom Gould 11
    16 May 2012 at 12:15 pm

    Key’s strategy of being ‘besties’ with journos and spinning them false hope and half-truths was always a short term approach that would fail at some stage. It’s amazing he has kept it up for as long as he did. But the ‘blame game’ is up and the ‘diversions’ and ‘scapegoating’ no longer bite. Turns out he is just another greedy careerist Tory politician screwing the scrum for his mates.

    • aerobubble 11.1
      16 May 2012 at 1:10 pm

      Key policies start in red neck US and the best oppositional arguments to them are canvased from the US polis. Then Key’s think tank easily reshapes the policy declaring that the counter-points to the policy are actual outcomes when the policy is implemented. Look today at how only paying for 27.5 kids per class will actually create a better education system – according to National, when its obvious to everyone that it means a cut in teacher numbers.

      Key is a liar, the last stench from the neo-liberal party party,

      • ianmac 11.1.1
        16 May 2012 at 4:18 pm

        And of course “a better education system” will be hard to measure and even then not for another 5 or 10 years. And the harder job for teachers will mean narrowing the focus of teachers in order to survive. Notice aero how Parata dodged the “cutting front-line staff ” question on 9 to Noon this morning? Parata is as dodgy as Tolley or Key.

        • deuto 11.1.1.1
          16 May 2012 at 8:03 pm

          Parata did the same on Checkpoint tonight (that is, refused time and time again to answer Mary’s question as to the numbers of teachers who would lose their jobs). It was actually quite amusing in a perverse way with both of them digging their toes in and refusing to give an inch. It was almost a “Kim Hill” moment if you ever heard one or two of her more famous political interviews years ago.

          • Te Reo Putake 11.1.1.1.1
            16 May 2012 at 8:12 pm

            I heard her call Parata ‘evasive’ when the interview finished. Strong language for an RNZ employee, but utterly accurate.

  12. Pete George 12
    16 May 2012 at 4:45 pm

    Some more facts just being stated (this time by Bill Ralston):

    Wednesday’s Herald front page was a classic “Gotcha!” story and a superb illustration of the sensationalism practiced recently by the paper. His comments were no more an “attack” than what Dr Brian Edwards and I have been saying on the media panel on TV3’s The Nation on Sunday mornings over the past couple of weeks.

    To reassure the Herald’s Shane Currie and Tim murphy, and the delicate flowers at Fairfax, I am not “attacking” or “slamming” them. Like Key, I’m just stating facts.

    The media’s role is often to be “hostile, aggressive and antagonistic” to governments and politicians when they merit it. That comes with the job of being the “Fourth Estate”. I was once so hostile, aggressive and antagonistic” that Prime Minister Jim Bolger banned me from his press conferences.

    It is the media’s job to apply scrutiny, to critique, and to commentate on events and individuals. It is just a shame that it cannot stand it when others do the same to them.

    Message to Media: Stop being so pathetically thin-skinned and get on with the job.

    http://www.janetwilson.co.nz/2012/05/409/#more-409

    Making the point that the media have been doing the whinging on this story, not Key.

    • North 12.1
      17 May 2012 at 8:19 am

      With no disrespect to Bill Ralston or Janet Wilson…….weren’t one or both of them deeply involved, commissioned by the National Party, something to do with media training for Key in the leadup to the election ?

      Pete George’s reliance on Bill Ralston’s view of matters is really reliance on the view of somebody too close to Key to be regarded as authoritative or clear viewed. It’s spokesman for Key stuff.

      You gotta be careful with your apologism Pete George.

  13. jingyang 13
    16 May 2012 at 5:58 pm

    Of course John Key can blame the media for his current situation – if the media hadn’t been such a bunch of fou fou lapdogs in
    2011, the Nats wouldn’t have been re-elected, and Key wouldn’t be PM – QED.

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