Dirty politics – the South is revolted

Written By: - Date published: 7:08 am, August 22nd, 2014 - 38 comments
Categories: accountability, brand key, john key, Media, uncategorized - Tags: , , ,

Editorial comment from the Deep South condemns Key’s dirty politics in the strongest possible language.

The Southland Times:

Consequential questions

If those persistently high polls have been giving the impression that John Key can walk on water, the first post-Hager poll will show whether he can walk on sewage. …

Certainly the initial, seemingly airy rebuff that the public will see through all this and won’t care is looking like a perilous approach. In particular, attention must turn to the charge that blogger Cameron Slater was tipped off by the Prime Minister’s office to seek SIS documentation that embarrassed former Labour Leader Phil Goff. …

The Otago Daily Times:

Cleansing process needed

Justice Minister Judith Collins has become a liability to Prime Minister John Key, the Government and more widely, and disturbingly, the country.

How a Minister of Justice, entrusted with upholding the highest standards in the land, can lower her own personal standards to feed confidential personal information about a civil servant to a right-wing blogger – knowing full-well the consequences of her actions – is beyond most right-minded people.

Mr Key should sack Ms Collins now, but will not take that action. The reason he will not sack her is, of course, because the election is a month away and to remove the Justice Minister now will give further oxygen to an issue he has already handled badly. …

The only evidence this issue can be judged on is what is front and centre, and currently that is the material in Nicky Hager’s book. At first, Mr Key dismissed the claims as a left-wing conspiracy. Even before the book was released, Mr Key was besmirching the reputation of Mr Hager. And while Mr Hager may be seen as to the left of New Zealand’s political spectrum, that does not negate the evidence he has produced in this book. …

Is this what the country’s democracy has become? Personal attacks, led by a minister and fed through blogger conduits (which operate without the standards applied to traditional journalism)? …

Perhaps these views – far from the Wellington “beltway” – are rather more representative of ordinary Kiwis than Key’s self-serving pronouncements. And for further forthright comment – this time from a most unexpected source – here’s Claire Trevett:

No tabloid tactics – except in politics

Back in 2011 Prime Minister John Key stood before the media and said “there is no place in this country for News of the World-type tactics”. … It now appears that what he meant was while there was no place for tabloid tactics by the media, there was plenty of space for them by his own office, a minister and a handpicked selection of bloggers. …

Her [Collins] attempts to poison the opposition by colluding with Slater over stories, passing on details of public servants, and the immoderate language used in their communications have resulted in a spectacular own goal. She has poisoned herself.

Sewerage. Poison. Dirty politics. People see it for what it is.

38 comments on “Dirty politics – the South is revolted ”

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  1. cogito 1
    22 August 2014 at 7:35 am

    Dirty politics will never lead to a brighter future.

  2. Dont worry. Be happy 2
    22 August 2014 at 7:44 am

    And the current Prime Minister baled up by a distraught earthquake survivor in a shopping mall in ChCh….plus some random old man who observed “You’re just a wee guy arent you?” according to a Vernon Small tweet. John Key must be counting the sleeps till the Pike River and then the First Earthquake anniversaries. So many ferals, so many heart broken women screaming at him. Time for a Tony Soprano panic attack? You know when the PM comes over pale, faint and sweaty.

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      22 August 2014 at 8:28 am

      Hmm, I just realised that the September 4 anniversary is right before the election…

  3. Weepus beard 3
    22 August 2014 at 8:14 am

    And this.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/election-2014/313315/key-back-foot-christchurch?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

    “I’ll shove you out of the way … you’re just part of the scummy media,”

    – John Key, 21/08/14

  4. tricledrown 4
    22 August 2014 at 8:17 am

    The only place in the place with more jobs is CHCH !
    What is Nationals economic development is more earthquakes

  5. Dont worry. Be happy 5
    22 August 2014 at 8:30 am

    Two female members of the media!

    And who even uses this word “scummy” these days anyway? Whale oil, his buddy Batnagar and now the PM. As you associate so you aquire.

  6. Colonial Viper 6
    22 August 2014 at 8:53 am

    People down this way are taking a lot of notice of what is happening up in Wellington at the moment, and with Hager’s book. Especially National supporters who thought that the nice, easy going, mildly old fashioned, polite conservative types were the ones still largely in charge of their party. Shock horror it is not the case.

    • vto 6.1
      22 August 2014 at 9:03 am

      Yep, now the National Party is populated by types generated by the neoliberal me-me-me greed era. People such as;

      Cameron Slater
      David Farrar
      Jason Ede
      Aaron Gilmore
      John Key

      it is all rather ugly

      But at least that ugliness has attracted itself to itself leaving the balance of the population free from that ugliness as it all concentrates itself in the National and Act parties.

    • swordfish 6.2
      22 August 2014 at 9:11 am

      “People down this way…”

      Mind you, there’s not all that many Tories in Dunedin, CV. The most Left-leaning of all our cities (we Wellingtonians are a fairly close second, mind).

      • Pete 6.2.1
        22 August 2014 at 9:21 am

        The Nats won a plurality of the party vote in Dunedin South in 2011, picking up 14,163. Labour picked up 12,326 and the Greens 4,798.

        • swordfish 6.2.1.1
          22 August 2014 at 10:05 am

          True. But in both Dunedin as a whole and (as your figures hint at) even in Dunedin South itself (the less Left-leaning of the two seats), the Left still predominated over the Right. And by a significant margin in the City as a whole. Well to the Left of the rest of the Country.

          Which is, no doubt, why the people of Dunedin have come in for such a sustained economic attack from the present government. As we’ve seen over the last week, retribution is their middle name.

  7. disturbed 7
    22 August 2014 at 9:06 am

    Nat’s use any disaster for their own insidious political gain and will use the economic activity generated by the Earthquake as a shinning example of our financial recovery, how sick is that.

    Another example is our HB rail washout from another nature disaster event.

    In that instance they have spent buckets of money disproving (falsely) that the Gisborne Napier rail service was not worth saving anyway for their own ends to back their trucking mates who pour buckets of money into their election fund. (Gisborne Council proved as community funded BERL report did that rail was viable)
    Now National wants to pull up the rail and use it as another piece of Key cycleway while farmers growers & industries all want rail?

    These are issues the opposition must get out clear messages to and make points to the electorates that Auckland is not the centre of the universe the provinces that generate all the exports are thank you, Mr Key.

  8. StainlessSteel 8
    22 August 2014 at 9:09 am

    Fire the freaky lot of them , we’re tired of the cheek

    As they holiday their lives away our futures look bleak

    As our country’s burning down you want POOR people to pay for it

    Ask us to defend you, we’ve got nothing to say for it……

    Kicking at the gates like we think we’re on the guest list

    We’re told to wait – too late, we’re getting restless

    The crowd is swelling as they’re smelling the thrill

    There’s dancing in the rubble and there’s trouble at the mill

    There’s warning of the storming, news of the resistance

    The peasants are revolting, advancing from the distance

    There’s panic and there’s anarchy and breaking the rules

    They’re making fake money and they’re taking the jewels

    All without a fuss, the coup will be victorious

    The banners will wave, proclaiming annus glorious !!!

  9. Pete 9
    22 August 2014 at 9:18 am

    Dunedin Public Libraries have 33 holds placed on Dirty Politics. Christchurch City Libraries has 65 holds. People are paying attention.

    • cogito 9.1
      22 August 2014 at 9:33 am

      Just as long as they make their voices (i.e. votes) heard on 20th Sept.

      I do wonder, however, re how many soft National votes will migrate to eg Colin Craig….

      • yeshe 9.1.1
        22 August 2014 at 10:36 am

        well, Mr CrayCray’s name is mentioned once by Lusk/Slater to be approached as a possible client in the latest whaledump this morning. I’d like to ask Craig if he became a client as it is but one mention so far.

    • yeshe 9.2
      22 August 2014 at 10:33 am

      haven’t they heard of the electronic library systems that permit legal downloads / Is that you Pete George ? You could help them sort it so the good voters can read before the election after all.

      • Pete 9.2.1
        22 August 2014 at 11:37 am

        FFS, I have to deal with this a couple of times a month. I am not Pete George. I’m fucking tired of having my political leanings questioned because that guy has been so prolific and has tainted the rest of Pete-kind.

        By trade I am a librarian, I am very familiar with downloads (edit – the licences libraries buy mean that downloadable copies are virtual library books – only one patron can download per licence at a time).I’m a supporter of unions – even being a delegate for a few years. I personally bought Dirty Politics on Kindle and then in hard copy when I saw it available in the shops. I thought the number of holds would be an interesting metric beyond just the sales figure of 15,000 hard copies.

        • mickysavage 9.2.1.1
          22 August 2014 at 11:39 am

          I can vouch that Pete is definitely not Pete George. Apart from living in the same area he has nothing in common with PG!

          • yeshe 9.2.1.1.1
            22 August 2014 at 12:01 pm

            thx Pete and Micky .. sorry for confusing you with someone whom most of us would wish not to be confused with. my sincere apologies.

            and FFS, as you say, maybe change your name by adding something to it if it’s happening so regularly ? just a thought ffs

            😀

          • David H 9.2.1.1.2
            22 August 2014 at 12:24 pm

            Oh dear.

            Then I too am sorry for thinking he was the same Pete as that other Troll, that came in and shat all over the carpet, without so much as a by your leave. Sorry Pete.

            Edit: Mind you I do wonder what Pete fact checker extraordinaire George makes of all this from the Book?

            • lprent 9.2.1.1.2.1
              22 August 2014 at 2:08 pm

              Last time I looked, he thought it was all my fault and then started on the other authors. He is rather obsessional old fool. 😈

              I was thinking about responding on kiwiblog and/or whaleoil. Based on past performances it’d be like lobbing a Pete George grenade into the comments of whatever post I did it in… grin

        • minarch 9.2.1.2
          22 August 2014 at 11:43 am

          ive met some pretty dodgy petes in my time 🙂

          • swordfish 9.2.1.2.1
            22 August 2014 at 11:59 am

            The Petes are revolting (in more ways than one).

            • fdx 9.2.1.2.1.1
              22 August 2014 at 6:44 pm

              There was a period in from 1950s to well into the 60s where a new born baby boy in NZ had about a 50% chance of being called either Peter or John.
              So all you Petes and Peters have something to be grateful about.

  10. Kiwiri 10
    22 August 2014 at 10:09 am

    Good to see the papers in the South having and reflecting integrity.

    The “Hawaii excuse” from John Key is wearing thin. Not credible at all.

    What other spade will John Key use next to dig an even deeper political hole for himself and Collins?

  11. Sable 11
    22 August 2014 at 10:32 am

    Agree with most of this aside from the so called standards that “apply” to mainstream journalism….don’t make me laugh…..

    The reality is many MSM clowns helped enable this poisoned government and now they are moaning and groaning when its turned out to be just what they should have predicted…

  12. Papa Tuanuku 12
    22 August 2014 at 1:08 pm

    Beyer calls for apology from PM over CHCH and Greymouth:

  13. Kevin Welsh 13
    22 August 2014 at 1:36 pm

    It is almost like Key’s every move has been anticipated and the next day something more comes out to disprove what he said the day before.

  14. Rosie 14
    22 August 2014 at 3:19 pm

    Excellent editorials from the South. I’ve been wondering how different types of Nat supporters will be reacting to the revelations in Hagar’s book and how many will read it.

    There’s bound to be the more traditional socially conservative type that despite their blinkered views will have a strong sense of what is morally acceptable and defensible, a bit of the old Kiwi “aw that’s not on” attitude.

    Those editorials will hopefully reach those types of voters and provoke them into thinking about the Party they believe in and how distant that view is from the reality. They could feel quite betrayed and consider for the first time about taking their vote elsewhere.