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Standard Scoop: Key exposed again on secret shares and Tranzrail
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 pm, October 26th, 2008 - 145 comments
When the Tranzrail shares came to light, Key was asked whether he had any other undisclosed shares entailing a conflict of interest. He said he didn’t. That was not true. National Party Leader John Key failed to disclose his conflict of interest arising from his share holding in Fletcher Challenge Forests while using his privileges […]
On moral mandates
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, October 26th, 2008 - 69 comments
So, let me get this straight. The Right says that the minor parties have to support a National-led government if National gets more votes than Labour. Even if a National government would go against everything a party stands for, even if it is a complete betrayal of the people who voted for them, minor parties […]
Video: Election campaign, 22 Oct
Written By: - Date published: 5:34 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 19 comments
Observations of the campaign trails from TV3’s Ali Ikram…. Not sure what I think of those “bleeps” on the John Key excerpt…
Clark winning in the style stakes
Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, October 22nd, 2008 - 34 comments
And now for something fluffy. That’s right, the fashion stakes count in the election as well. According to one stylist National leader John Key needs to update his style. Stephanie Rumble, a top New Zealand stylist says: “he hasn’t changed his appearance much since the election campaign started, but that Key’s look is very smart, […]
Scratch a Tory…
Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, October 22nd, 2008 - 40 comments
…and you still reveal a bigot, it seems. Here is National’s Immigration spokesperson, Lockwood Smith, (he who likes to swallow dead fish) on taking more Asian seasonal worker migrants instead of Polynesians: “There are some skills in the vineyard that some people are perhaps better at, for example some of the pruning … some of […]
Highly principled statements
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, October 21st, 2008 - 16 comments
Yesterday, Bill ‘do whatever it takes to win’ English was out trying to assuage Kiwis fears of National’s secret agenda (which his recorded remarks helped ignite). He praised Labour’s achievements but said it was time for more positive leadership. In other words, ‘don’t worry, we’re just like Labour but John smiles a lot, oh and […]
John vs John
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, October 21st, 2008 - 53 comments
Labour’s new television ad is up on Youtube and I’m pleased to see it’s actually pretty bloody good. They’ve managed to draw attention to one of John’s many flipflops, this one on Kiwisaver, in a way that uses humour and sticks to the facts and thereby avoids the nastiness often associated with negative campaigning. It’s […]
New posters/leaflets
Written By: - Date published: 6:19 pm, October 20th, 2008 - 66 comments
I have to say, these are my favourite so far. There are some talented people out there. There’s eight versions of this new one on the Campaign Hub, each with an example of Key flipping-flopping Keep getting them out there guys. The people deserve to know.
Guest post: The clever dealer?
Written By: - Date published: 5:58 am, October 18th, 2008 - 48 comments
Many people laud John Key’s experience in the business world, and say that the smiling assassin’s ability to play hard-ball when required means he will be an excellent prime minister. So why, during talks with the Maori Party, did Key drop a National ‘bottom line’ that would be a strong card to play? As evidenced […]
Tranzrail eyes
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, October 17th, 2008 - 23 comments
It’s possible to win a battle but, in doing so, lose the war. Like most commentators, I thought Key came off best from the debate on Tuesday. It was a good format for him to parrot his lines, all he had to do is deliver them well. As he said himself, 2 years of training […]
What exactly did Mr Key say?
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, October 17th, 2008 - 50 comments
We see this morning that: John Key concedes he has privately indicated to the Maori Party that National’s policy to abolish the Maori seats would not stand in the way of doing a deal with the party post-election. What did Mr Key say in that debate again? Shane Taurima: ” Pita Sharples said that you told him […]
Pita falls for the lines – but not for long
Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, October 16th, 2008 - 97 comments
I have some sympathy for Dr PIta Sharples over the fallout of Mr Key’s promises. He’s clearly been left high and dry by Mr Key, his would-be coalition partner. According to the Maori Party’s chief of staff we now find: …that Mr Key was clear in the meeting that National’s position could be put on the backburner. […]
Telling lies
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, October 16th, 2008 - 9 comments
With the wit we’ve come to expect, 08wire has Key up on his many lies during the Tuesday debate. To my surprise, TV One didn’t bother doing fact checking even during their tedious hour-long run-down after the debate, whereas we were fact checking live on The Standard. I wish TV One would be our CNN […]
Key vs Sharples, who do you believe?
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, October 16th, 2008 - 71 comments
On September 28, Key released National’s policy on the Maori seats. It is unequivocal (if light on the details): “At the conclusion of the settlement of historic Treaty claims, National will begin a constitutional process to abolish the Maori seats. National wishes to see all New Zealanders on the same electoral roll.” Pretty clear. The […]
Where were you then (and do you care?)
Written By: - Date published: 11:38 pm, October 15th, 2008 - 94 comments
Lots of comments continue over the leaders debate. One of the bits that made it through the usual dinner time madness in my household was the section on the Springbok tour. It reminded me of this video clip. In it, Key was all over the place, before adopting that favourite technique, tell everyone what they […]
A matter of trust
Written By: - Date published: 11:56 am, October 15th, 2008 - 42 comments
The Youtube debate was a bit of a let down to me because TV1 chose to play the least penetrating questions, allowing the leaders to pretty much stick to their stock answers. The only question that really broke through the pre-prepared stuff was Shane Taurima’s query about whether it is true that, as Pita Sharples […]
Lying to win
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, October 14th, 2008 - 65 comments
A narrow victory for Key in tonight’s TV1/Youtube debate. A forum where he could repeat his tired slogans to his heart’s content suited him. No-one could pull him up on his lies, except Clark who, inexplicably, failed to do so. And when Clark spoke, Key just yelled his lines over the top of her. That […]
Video: TV3 on Key’s campaign day 2
Written By: - Date published: 4:52 pm, October 14th, 2008 - Comments Off on Video: TV3 on Key’s campaign day 2
Media coverage of the campaign is coming thick and fast – a helpful reader pointed out this excerpt from TV3 on Key’s day yesterday.
Every reason for Key to blitz debate tonight
Written By: - Date published: 2:34 pm, October 14th, 2008 - 20 comments
It is still possible to follow the news without encountering politics at every turn – but it’s getting harder. And the journalists are sitting alongside the leaders watching every step along the way. So far we see Otago Uni students giving Helen Clark a “rock star welcome“, with the ODT saying: The Prime Minister was […]
Down with literacy
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, October 14th, 2008 - 45 comments
A crusade on illiteracy, surely. Um, I’m not sure we want to entrust these guys with improving language skills. [Update: true to form, the people in the sector don’t know what the hell National is talking about. Teachers say National seems to be taking about some vague reporting system, not more resources to actually improve […]
The problem for National in fewer than 100 words
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 14th, 2008 - 14 comments
OK – they are not my words. I could do it – but then again I really liked what Gordon Campbell wrote: The financial meltdown poses a basic identity problem for National, the instinctive champion of de-regulation and market solutions. That’s a bit of a problem right now, given that Europe and the US are […]
‘Give me warning next time’, Key whimpers
Written By: - Date published: 4:08 pm, October 13th, 2008 - 44 comments
While Key was blathering on about who-cares-what yesterday, Clark announced a radical and forward-looking economic stimulus package. Now, Key is having a cry over Clark not notifying him beforehand of the deposit insurance scheme. As if the Prime Minister needs to seek the approval of an opposition party before setting government policy. Key whines that monetary […]
Labour takes bull by the horns, Nats left standing
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, October 13th, 2008 - 25 comments
One of the first rules of politics is don’t set yourself up to be snookered; don’t position yourself in a way that your opposition can and will undercut, don’t run attack lines that your opposition can and will invalidate. National has repeatedly done this. They ran on tax cuts as their sole platform when it […]
John’s cheese
Written By: - Date published: 9:03 am, October 12th, 2008 - 16 comments
For the many of you who won’t know, Tory boys David Farrar and Cameron Slater have been driving around the country interviewing MPs and youtubing the results. They did John Key in Rotorua the other day and the result is telling: What particularly interested me was Key’s response to DPF’s question (at 1’45”) about what […]
From the jaws of victory
Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, October 11th, 2008 - 19 comments
My sources tell me Key has a big surprise planned for National’s campaign launch tomorrow. In a break with tradition, Key will not be telling supporters about his plans for “a Labour government I lead”. Instead, he will not be telling them about his plans for a National government. Seriously though, National needs the next […]
Video: The Joker
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 11th, 2008 - 22 comments
Spotted by an eagle eyed reader. Fancy leaving the running of our economy up to the Joker? Seems like the economic risks/challenges ahead have proved a creative inspiration….
What happens if Nats gut Kiwisaver?
Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, October 10th, 2008 - 23 comments
I was going to write about the economic effects of taking money out of Kiwisaver and spending it on tax cuts but this youtube video with South Park characters does the job and is much more fun: (hattip: Labour’s ‘Campaign Trail‘ blog)
Johnnie’s choice
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 10th, 2008 - 17 comments
With the second English secret agenda tape out, John Key was asked whether he was worried about whether he had been caught on a tape. His answer: “oh, look, who knows” That’s a weak answer. A strong answer would be along the lines of ‘I’m not worried if there is a tape of me because […]
Standard Scoop: Key gives poor another booting
Written By: - Date published: 2:35 pm, October 9th, 2008 - 24 comments
No, I’m not talking about National’s tax cuts, which would hit the poorest Kiwis in the pocket – John Key doesn’t seem to be content at just that. We have received an exclusive audio recording of Mr Key’s performance at the Helensville debate on Monday. When housing was an all-important issue earlier this year Mr […]
Small change
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 am, October 9th, 2008 - 56 comments
That was going to be the title of my first post on National’s tax-cut plan but then it turned out National’s plan would actually make about 1 million taxpayers worse off compared to Labour’s cuts (all figures derived from the Budget and National’s tax policy). That 1 million comprises approx 650,000, including nearly all super-annuitants, […]
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