Goff impressive in Native Affairs debate

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 pm, October 24th, 2011 - 22 comments
Categories: john key, phil goff, tv - Tags: ,

The first leaders debate took place on Native Affairs tonight. Key and Goff were interviewed by Julian Wilcox. Key was lacklustre – if New Zealanders were  finding it tough to make ends meet it was all down to global circumstance, nothing to do with him. Goff by contrast was impressive – blew that argument apart with the observation that it was the choices Key’s government made inside New Zealand that mattered. Those at the bottom got a pittance from National’s tax cuts, while those at the top did very well. One could see why Key does not like being face to face with an incisive interviewer.

Then it was the turn of the other party leaders – Sharples, Peters, Turei and Harawira. There was a quite a coalescence of views, on Rena and oil exploration, opposition to asset sales, support for jobs and a fresh ideas for a new approach to the economy and the environment, with Sharples the least impressive.

The video is not yet up on the website but will no doubt be so soon. If this first appearance is anything to go by, the debates will be very interesting. We could see the odds shift, just like they did last night.

[Eddie: Video now up at above link]

22 comments on “Goff impressive in Native Affairs debate ”

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  1. seeker 1
    24 October 2011 at 11:52 pm

    I bet key hates this. Back to the grind after the RWC and the celeb.photo shots he loves so much as he is so smiley.
    On October 30th 2009 Key told a group of reporters on a news item-“Politics is much harder than you think…” Duh! I remember this as I jotted it on my calendar. I thought it was very telling!
    Hope Goff wipes the floor with Key after what he has done to this country. Turei is great too.

  2. Lanthanide 2
    25 October 2011 at 12:24 am

    A leaders debate where 4 out of the 6 leaders are Maori.

    Maybe we won’t need the Maori seats for too much longer. Turia was going on about the “browning of New Zealand” a while ago.

    • marty mars 2.1
      25 October 2011 at 12:35 am

      Sharp observation – I really hope those seats don’t become a political football.

    • just saying 2.2
      25 October 2011 at 7:18 am

      A leaders debate where 4 out of the 6 leaders are Maori.

      Thank you for that Lanthanide.
      It gives me a warm feeling. For all of our bigotry and between-group hostilitites* there are some good resasons to believe there is enough goodwill and open-mindedness here for us to move towards being more humanitarian and ethical as radical change is foisted upon us.
      Hope so.

      *too often deliberately seized on and whipped-up by vested interests.

  3. tc 3
    25 October 2011 at 12:38 am

    Maori TV yet again leads the way and shows what the public are missing with a showbiz TVNZ, bet their debates are as unfulfilling as their content is and I wonder if he’ll get a coro st question from the handlebar or is one of the glimmer twins hosting.

  4. tc 4
    25 October 2011 at 12:38 am

    Maori TV yet again leads the way and shows what the public are missing with a showbiz TVNZ, bet their debates are as unfulfilling as their content is and I wonder if he’ll get a coro st question from the handlebar or is one of the glimmer twins hosting.

  5. McFlock 5
    25 October 2011 at 1:55 am

    Bear in mind key was probably hungover after all the hobb-nobbing he did last night. No doubt he’ll have long-suffering media tutors trying to give the disinterested prince some pointers for the campaign trail.

  6. happynz 6
    25 October 2011 at 6:06 am

    Bear in mind key was probably hungover after all the hobb-nobbing he did last night.

    The interviewer mentioned that both Key’s and Goff’s segments were recorded late last week.

    Key didn’t bring anything new to the table. It was the same old ‘Not my fault, that’s out of my control, dodge dodge dodge…’ Another batch of weak sauce served up by Key.

    • McFlock 6.1
      25 October 2011 at 1:01 pm

      Oh good. Didn’t watch it myself, but nice to know he was genuinely not up to the task. Proves they haven’t learned their lesson 🙂

  7. felix 7
    25 October 2011 at 7:42 am

    Anyone know when this will be online?

  8. ianmac 8
    25 October 2011 at 9:18 am

    It was interesting to listen to Winston on the later discussion. Nailed many of the points that have often been aired on this site. Hone not so impressive. Well worth a look.
    Imagine the Leaders debate on TV1 on 31 Oct. An impressive interviewer is Mark? Ha!

    • Puddleglum 8.1
      25 October 2011 at 9:59 am

      I was also reflecting on any residual effect – and how it could be exploited politically – of the RWC victory by the All Blacks.

      A starter for 10: Which New Zealand political party –

      a. has spent, like the All Blacks, years in the ‘wilderness’
      b. Is unashamedly patriotic and nationalistic
      c. has a name that, spookily, matches the RWC result
      d. has a colour that, less spookily, happens to be all black? 

      Worked into the rhetoric well, Winston could make more hay out of the RWC victory than Key. Now, that would be a real judo throw. 

  9. thejackal 9
    25 October 2011 at 11:50 am

    I would expect the MSM to continue the feel good RWC win as long as they can to give Key as many smile and wave opportunities without any substance as possible.

    The debate was great! What I found most interesting was that the smaller parties agreed with each other on most topics.

    Sharples was obviously embarrassed by the Maori parties liaison with the Natz when trying to explain how great a few breadcrumbs from the table are… more like begging like a dog. Now the Moari party are claiming they stand for the people again… I don’t trust them. It was the Maori party that allowed the new foreshore and seabed bill to pass giving access to the oil companies en mass. They went completely against what they campaigned for last election.

    Winston was particularly effective in his rhetoric, dismantling National’s policy failures without remorse. He highlighted that the government stayed asleep for days and took eight days before they even found out who the owner of the Rena is. He raised the issue that there is a levy that all industries pay to fund an oil spill response. I wonder what National has been spending those taxes on then? The fact that National has no economical plan, is sure to gain NZ First some ground.

    Turei gave a good balance to the grumpy panel instilling some cohesion and gaining more ground on National’s policy failures. It’s obvious that the Greens plan is the best in town. She succinctly rounded up the sentiment of the panel re tax reform and equality but looked slightly nervous and rehearsed on the coalition question. That and the 1080 decision are the sticking points for me.

    Hone was perhaps a bit stoic and biting to pick up many supporters, although he also destroyed National’s improper governance. The comparison between the $40 million cost for having our soldiers in Afghanistan and feeding the starving children in New Zealand was particularly poignant. But who gives a fuck if Sarkozy et al supports what you say Hone. Get real man.

    Key was a joke and Julian gave him another hospital pass re his global environment excuse and lack of an oil spill response. Key said that the beaches were cleaned up, while many were cleaning oil off rocks down the coast when the interview was made. The Mount and Papamoa beaches aren’t the only ones affected… idiot! The prime minister looked like he stank.

    Goff had a lot of good things to say but his awkwardness didn’t deliver the message conclusively. Ruling a coalition partner out that has many similar goals is silly! What was the reasoning behind it again? The problem with the main party leaders not being in the main debate is that he wasn’t able to answer the lie that he’s leaving politics after the election. Join the debate Goff, leave the honkey out on his own.

  10. Craig Glen Eden 10
    25 October 2011 at 2:40 pm

    Key as ever making every excuse for failing to deliver but said like the door to door salesman that he is . Goff continues to say all the right things awkwardly. Message to Phil you have to do better.

  11. Draco T Bastard 11
    25 October 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Well, at the beginning of the interview Jonkey admits that it’s the workers who take the risks and not the capitalists. He quite plainly said that in a recession the workers are always worse off than the rich so it would seem plain that the workers need the risk payments and not the capitalists.

    • Craig Glen Eden 11.1
      25 October 2011 at 3:46 pm

      Yeah low paid workers are more effected so in tough times he gives the money to to the richer people in society. Hell yes why wouldnt you? (dripping with sarcasm) But but Im a really nice guy so unlike my uncaring mates in ACT we didnt alter working for families.

      Gee thanks John what a guy?

  12. hoom 12
    26 October 2011 at 12:40 am

    Great interviewer, I really have to get around to watching Maori TV more often.
     
    Key is such a douche.
    Why don’t we have basic resources for dealing with an extremely predictable event: a moderately sized container ship hitting a rock near one of our main ports???
    ‘Oh are you suggesting that we should stop all coastal shipping*?’
    No, just wondering why we don’t have the basic setup for what is really a very minor spill, especially after Deepwater Horizon that happened during your term…
     
    * Of course that is essentially National policy: More motorways & bigger trucks means less coastal shipping.
     
    Like him or not Peters is a great speaker.
     
    The coat on Turei had me humming one of the naughty versions of ‘do your ears hang low’…
     
    I really want to like Hone but he just doesn’t quite manage to put out contiguous sentences.
    Comes across a bit comedy, which is really sad because we desperately need another good far left voice in the public debate.

  13. Ari 13
    26 October 2011 at 1:04 am

    Calling two interviews with Goff and Key a debate is a bit generous, but the panel with the minor party leaders was excellent.

  14. felix 14
    26 October 2011 at 1:05 am

    Jeez, was that it for the leaders of the main parties? One very, very short solo interview each?

    Is that what passes for a “debate” now?

    Is that the only way Key will appear? Is he scared to face Goff?

    edit: snap Ari! And yeah the minor parties’ debate was good.

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