john key

Unbelievable

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:49 am, June 4th, 2010 - 4 comments

John Key is responsible for enforcing the Cabinet Manual on members of his Cabinet, including himself. And that manual includes very specific provisions about pecuniary interests and conflicts. The idea that he is not responsible for this is as unbelievable as it is unacceptable.

Funnily enough, it really was about trust

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:47 pm, June 2nd, 2010 - 39 comments

I am ruling out selling Kiwibank at any point in the future/Asset sales are on the table for a second term
We won’t be raising GST/We’re raising GST
My trust is so blind I have no idea what’s in it/Owning a vineyard is great fun
Anyone else seeing a pattern?

Armstrong column: Nats and polling

Written By: Dancr - Date published: 10:00 am, June 1st, 2010 - 35 comments

John Armstrong in today’s NZHerald asks whether the love affair with Key is over: After an 18-month dream run during which National had polled consistently above 50 per cent – and as high as 57 per cent – Sunday’s poll may be viewed as a watershed and the end (finally) of the honeymoon with voters. But that may be too simplistic.

Espiner: Key trust not blind

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 1:45 pm, May 31st, 2010 - 39 comments

Colin Espiner sums up Highwater-gate very well: “Basically it comes down to this: [John Key] said he didn’t know he had shares in Highwater when he really did.” No-one’s alleging Key had conspiracy meetings in smokey rooms with alcohol magnates. That’s a ridiculous misdirection being run by Kevin Taylor. This is about the blind trust and how Key handled the conflicts of interest arising from his knowledge of his shareholdings.

Hey! Mr Tally Man…

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 10:20 am, May 29th, 2010 - 33 comments

Comments by former All Black and Rugby World Cup “Ambassador”  Andy Haden that alledge the Canterbury Crusaders have a limit on the number of “darkies” they have in their team have created more headaches for Key. After carefully reaffirming his love for the red-neck rump of voters with distasteful comments about Tuhoe – Key’s now faced with the […]

The records show Key-Whitechapel link

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:42 pm, May 27th, 2010 - 53 comments

John Key’s been lying long enough to know not to tell a porky that’s instantly falsifiable. So, I was gobsmacked to see him on TV1 saying he had never heard of Whitechapel, the company that owns his shares as a holding vehicle for his ‘blind’ trust, Aldgate. Because at that moment I was looking at the online records of him giving those shares to Whitechapel.

NZ Sharemarket plummeting

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:52 pm, May 21st, 2010 - 9 comments

John Key’s “Don’t Be Jealous” Budget has done little to stop the European contagion from ravaging our sharemarket – at time of writing down 2.4% and still falling. The NZX company itself has dropped more than 5%, leading other significant losses by Fletcher Building, Sky City, and Contact Energy. Telecom is now down to an historic […]

Hooten has “loose lips” syndrome as well

Written By: lprent - Date published: 5:27 pm, May 17th, 2010 - 26 comments

It is always amusing listening to Matthew Hooten being a spinster on politics. But it was rather ironic for him to be in a conversation about John Key’s “loose lips” on NatRad this morning. He talked about this site posting conspiracy theories, but he was talking about a post at Tumeke and attributing to us.

“Loose lips” appear to be rife amongst the right-wing politicians and political commentators these days.

No answers on the tough questions

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 9:48 am, May 17th, 2010 - 20 comments

Hmm, so another bad, bad week for the directionless Key Government. Lucky a major newspaper steps in with a chance to make the PM look cute and adorable. It’s pretty telling that National Party pollster David Farrar chose to highlight a joke question from Valerie Vili and a joke answer; the answers to real questions are amazingly weak.

Key was sending a message to Tuhoe

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 7:45 am, May 15th, 2010 - 99 comments

Make no mistake, John Key’s comment about Tuhoe cannibalism was no accident, it was no joke, and it certainly was not ‘self-deprecating’. Key didn’t just happen to accidentally make a comment that appeals to a deep-seated prejudice that is still current among redneck Pakeha and wedges our society in two. It was a message to Tuhoe

Joke? Or deliberate insult?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 12:07 pm, May 13th, 2010 - 158 comments

There appears to have been a recent and sudden shift in the attitude of John Key and the National party towards Maori. Marty Mars has drawn my attention with a ballistic comment to the latest insulting and distasteful ‘joke’ by John Key about the Tuhoe.

Update: His ‘joke’ has now gone international. Our clueless Tourism Minister has just ‘lifted’ our profile abroad. Thanks John…

Garner sez ‘take the fight to Key’

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 9:02 am, May 13th, 2010 - 15 comments

Phil Goff has put some good solid (if rather moderate) left-wing substance on the table in his pre-budget speech yesterday. Duncan Garner says that was the right move, but wonders if Labour now needs to focus on the questions surrounding John Key. Garner says in the wake of several questionable moves Key’s integrity is now on the line and Labour should exploit it.

PM’s Technical Advisory

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 9:31 am, May 9th, 2010 - 12 comments

Prime Minister John Key has released a multimedia demonstration prepared by his Technical Advisory Panel to explain why, despite election ‘promises’, New Zealand will not be getting ultra-fast broadband any time soon under National. Yes folks, like John Key’s Magical Cycleway To Salvation, there are a myriad of previously unconsidered reasons why we just can’t […]

From bad to worse for workers

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 2:18 pm, May 4th, 2010 - 11 comments

While John’s off playing soldiers, things are getting worse and worse for Kiwi workers. Wages are falling for the first time in a decade. The average hourly wage was $25.80 when National came to power. Now, it’s $25.30. I had hoped unemployment would start falling about now but the signs are discouraging. Only unionised workers able to protect themselves from the storm.