Filibustering

Written By: - Date published: 2:51 pm, March 9th, 2014 - 14 comments
Categories: spin - Tags:

The recent distractions over funding and trusts etc are just that, filibusters. Key/National are working very hard to emphasise this sideshow stuff. If they can just keeeep talking until the election they figure they’ll have the election in the bag. They will do absolutely anything in their powers to keep the focus off the substantive problems. The very last thing that National wants is for there to be rigorous public discussion about topics like the cost of housing, child poverty, inequality or under employment…these are but a few of the 500lb gorillas in the room for National.

On the odd occasion when the media has picked up on the magnitude of a big issue, eg GCSB, Key was under the spotlight and he was sweating. Remember when he was changing his story every 5 minutes? Remember when he stormed out of a press conference? Remember when he couldn’t remember?

He certainly doesn’t want anything like that to happen in the lead up to the election so we have seen a steady stream of light-weight dross from National such as Flag changes and focussing on Labour leadership and trusts etc. Even Collins taking a hit over Oravida is actually a good thing for National because it is a beltway issue that won’t really lose them votes but takes up space in the news which potentially could have been filled with a much more difficult story for National.

I’m looking forward to the time when the media spotlight inevitably does go back to the things that actually matter to the electorate because, when it comes to those matters, National has absolutely no answers.

14 comments on “Filibustering ”

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  1. Skinny 1
    9 March 2014 at 3:31 pm

    We need to remind people why they should fear a third term National Government. While spin merchants like Hooton try con the public that National are a centralistic lot and are now heading Left, don’t believe a word of it.

    Quietly they going about the business of recruiting a new breed of neo-liberal psychopaths to their ranks of MP’s, even pushing some out who don’t have the stomach to really deal to Kiwi’s next term should they win. Others who try stick around are being thrown out and replaced by stronger right ideological driven people. Just ask Gerry ‘pork pie’ Brownlee who’s losing his mate Paul Foster-Bell, who failed to win the ‘plum’ Whangarei seat candidacy, after retiring trougher Phil Heatley goes. Insiders say Foster-Bell don’t met the new ‘right-wing’ criteria so won’t get back on the list. Meanwhile right of centre (snake oil speak for hard right) Shane Reti gets in.

    Anyone prepared to enlighten us on other right-wingers being recruited by Goodfellow-National.

    • RedLogix 1.1
      9 March 2014 at 4:03 pm

      Same over in Aussie.

      Some of the speeches being made by Liberal MP’s in the Senate would shame our ACT whimps. One of them was openly saying that he was quite happy for whole industries to be shut down if it destroyed the unions. This had to happen because Australian wages were far too high and needed to be slashed in order to compete with Asia.

      The sad part is that in one sense he is correct. Within a few decades there will be no well paid full-time jobs left in the world as we know them.

      Here’s an interesting read that parallels BLiP’s infamous list making:

      http://sallymcmanus.net/abbotts-wreckage/

      • Skinny 1.1.1
        9 March 2014 at 5:12 pm

        I am watching Australian politics with great concern. Labor getting rid of Gillard was a aggressive MSM attack, Rineharts takeover of their media giant played a large part. This is why we must hammer them here, should they continue the obvious bias. The Aussie unions have high density and will fight back militantly to preserve their worker rights. I will join them in unity should the call come. There is plenty we can do to hold up the supply chain, not a problem 🙂

      • geoff 1.1.2
        9 March 2014 at 5:15 pm

        @ RL

        Within a few decades there will be no well paid full-time jobs left in the world as we know them.

        I presume you mean due to advances in technology?

  2. marty mars 2
    9 March 2014 at 3:37 pm

    A future statement we are likely to hear this year

    “I have no recollection of remembering whether I remembered that but I may have misremembered it and therefore my remembering was a false remembering and not actually misremembering, unless by misremembering you mean remembering falsely which i have no recollection of. Ummm what was the question again?”

  3. blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 3
    9 March 2014 at 5:42 pm

    Spot on Geoff, short & sweet and absolutely spot on.

  4. karol 4
    9 March 2014 at 6:39 pm

    Yep. Agree entirely, geoff.

    This is something the left needs to keep focusing on – the issues that effect Kiwis, especially those on low to middle incomes.

    • geoff 4.1
      9 March 2014 at 7:35 pm

      Exactly, karol.

      But it is clear that these basic problems are insurmountable for National, they have nothing.
      And, of course, circumstances like 20% under employment and low wages are features of the economy which they consider proud achievements as they praise NZ’s flexible labour market (what a sickening phrase).

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