john key

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I Fought the Law

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 pm, April 28th, 2015 - 148 comments

A quick look at the legalities of Ponytailgate as it affects the worker, the cafe, the NZ Herald and the PM. There could be court, tribunal and commission hearings that drag on for months, with potential big financial and political implications for the players.

Casual harassment

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, April 28th, 2015 - 89 comments

It was all a bit of fun. Have we become so casual about harassment?

Last Week Tonight on Key

Written By: - Date published: 6:25 pm, April 27th, 2015 - 70 comments

last-week-oliver-on-key

The waitress the bloggers and the main stream media

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, April 27th, 2015 - 150 comments

The Ponygate story provides a fascinating example of the use of social media to break a story.  The simple lesson is to tell a story without a political agenda.  And the response from the right shows a level of disarray progressives can take heart from.

#casualjohn

Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, April 27th, 2015 - 32 comments

Since when was harassing a waitress “casual”? John Key’s “excuse” blew up all over Twitter last night…

A Friend first, and a Boss second, probably an Entertainer third.

Written By: - Date published: 1:56 pm, April 26th, 2015 - 44 comments

“I’m a friendly guy that likes to interact with the public. I do like to have a bit of a laugh and I’m probably the most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had.”

John Key’s week has turned from drama to farce. David Brent looks good next to this clown.

Our “casual” PM

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 26th, 2015 - 145 comments

creepy-key

Pull the other one… ponytails, minimisation and male privilege

Written By: - Date published: 5:48 pm, April 25th, 2015 - 407 comments

From pulling ponytails to police minimisation, there is a deep problem in our country with attitudes towards women and to sexual violence.

Pillock of the week

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, April 24th, 2015 - 48 comments

Although John Key clearly wins the award this week for unbecoming insensitive and bizarre behaviour there is a media figure who did their best to provide him with competition.  And it is not Rachel Glucina.

Abusive and creepy

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, April 24th, 2015 - 274 comments

Of all the ways Key could have shot his leadership and his legacy in the foot – this really was the stupidest.

Image from Emmerson in The Herald – definitive.

Chaos and Mayhem at the Herald

Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, April 23rd, 2015 - 140 comments

The Herald has responded to criticism of its role in publishing the identity of the victim of John Key’s creepy behaviour by publishing, at this stage, three different responses.  What is going on?

National Council of Women open letter to John Key

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, April 23rd, 2015 - 28 comments

The text of an open letter from the National Council of Women to John Key about his treatment of waitresses.

International laughing stock

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, April 23rd, 2015 - 72 comments

John Key has finally achieved the world fame he has clearly always wanted, but not in a good way. Here’s a roundup of the international coverage of his harassment.

Reaction to harassed waitress story

Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, April 22nd, 2015 - 183 comments

Some of the reaction from Twitter.

My Little Ponytail

Written By: - Date published: 9:49 am, April 22nd, 2015 - 407 comments

A really strange story has appeared on The Daily Blog. It claims to be a first person account of PM John Key regularly physically harrassing a staff member in his local cafe over the summer. While it may be much ado about nothing, the Prime Minister really should tell NZ his side of the story. Or resign if it’s true.

Update: It’s true. Key’s office has confirmed the harassment.

Parsing John Key

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, April 21st, 2015 - 32 comments

John Key’s recent public response to the news of the likely interception of Chinese diplomatic communications resemble those of a used car salesman rather than those of a New Zealand Prime Minister.

But they do it too …

Written By: - Date published: 2:53 pm, April 19th, 2015 - 23 comments

With revelations that New Zealand has potentially been involved in the interception of Chinese diplomatic communications the questions arise did John Key know about it and did he authorise the activity.

Let Campbell Live entertain you

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, April 18th, 2015 - 35 comments

John Campbell is engaged in the most marvellous fightback in trying to save Campbell Live.  But you have to wonder why he is not on a State Channel with robust protection for quality journalism.

Key announces new schools – again

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, April 17th, 2015 - 35 comments

At least two of the four new schools that John Key recently announced had been announced previously.  And it appears that one of them has had its concrete foundations already poured.

Ten Bridges Too Far

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, April 17th, 2015 - 18 comments

With Crosby Textor by his side, John Key has since learned to employ all manner of specialist PR techniques including ad homs, blame-shifting, distraction,  use of Dirty Politics proxies to defuse the situation, and false equivalence, all woven together in an intricately performed semantic shuffle designed to  provide wiggle room for when he does get caught.

Key’s pre-budget falls flat

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, April 15th, 2015 - 8 comments

Key’s attempts to drum up enthusiasm for this year’s upcoming budget have fallen absolutely flat. And as usual, promised funding actually represents an ongoing cut in real terms.

Burn the Cabinet Manual

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, April 15th, 2015 - 54 comments

Key won’t take any action over Simon Bridges’ clear breach (excellent work by Rob Salmond at Polity) of the Cabinet Manual. So, might as well burn the thing, at least for the remainder of this government’s term. Key has no intention of being held to account, or holding his ministers to account, by or for anything at all.

The difference between a surplus and landing a 747 on a pinhead

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, April 14th, 2015 - 16 comments

John Key’s latest pronouncement is that achieving a budget surplus is as difficult as landing a 747 on a pinhead.  Michael Cullen must be a super airline pilot if this is the case.

Key’s surplus excuses

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, April 14th, 2015 - 69 comments

Apparently this budget surplus that the Nats have been going on about for the last 6 years is an “artificial” target that is “like trying to land a 747 on a pin head”.

Who is Miranda Devine?

Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, April 13th, 2015 - 46 comments

Miranda Devine is the person who recently wrote a really obsequious article on John Key in the Daily Telegraph where she described him as one of the best Conservative Prime Ministers in the world.  But a reading of her other published material suggests that caution should be applied before applying too much weight to her opinions.

A police investigation – Part One

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 12th, 2015 - 84 comments

There’s nothing particularly wrong with Bryce Edwards’ article except that it ignores how National Ltd™ Police Ministers have successively sat by and done nothing in response to the on-going police failings.

The magical disappearing surplus

Written By: - Date published: 10:36 am, April 11th, 2015 - 67 comments

John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year.  Looks like they are going to fail.

O’Sullivan on Campbell, Weldon and Key

Written By: - Date published: 8:39 am, April 11th, 2015 - 140 comments

So it’s not just loonie leftie bloggers noting the political element to the attack on Campbell Live.

If you can’t afford children…

Written By: - Date published: 7:58 am, April 10th, 2015 - 186 comments

affording-children-key

What is happening in the National Party?

Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, April 8th, 2015 - 172 comments

Trouble is brewing in National’s ranks. In a series of recent tweets occasional Standard commenter Matthew Hooton outlines his reasons for now opposing John Key’s Government.

Dollar Parity

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, April 7th, 2015 - 309 comments

As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests.  No such luck in Aotearoa …

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