Good news me, bad news you

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, October 31st, 2013 - 14 comments
Categories: election 2014, john banks, john key, Media, peter dunne, spin - Tags:

Clare Trevett details in today’s Herald how Key has taken to bringing Ministers with good news to his Monday news conferences “to lambast the media with good news about the progress being made in a certain area.”

Making use of the captive audience at the press conference is a sign Prime Minister John Key is starting the campaign already and attempting to forestall any momentum Labour might build up. It is, more critically, a bid to try to stop perception taking root that his Government is descending into lethargy as it nears the end of a second term.

Sources tell me that the “good news only” tactic goes well beyond the Monday presser. Ministerial staff run a filter across all portfolio announcements: if they are good news, the Minister gets to make the announcement. If its not such good news, the job goes to the Departmental head.

The really good news is that the tactic is not fooling the media as the government descends into lethargy and worse. The final word to Trevett:

Then again, two of National’s own coalition partners – John Banks and Peter Dunne – are doing enough to damage National’s chances of winning the next election without Labour needing to lift a finger. Being forced into resigning your ministerial posts and then throwing a tanty because no road to redemption is set out is not a good start to audition to be Good News Minister.

14 comments on “Good news me, bad news you ”

  1. Puckish Rogue 1

    The swine, the audacity of it all! How dare he highlight the many good things under National!!

    • Ad 1.1

      If Labour Ministers did not do the same I would fire them for incompetence

    • framu 1.2

      seems your quite happy with, not just entry level spin, but the fact that the govt seems to think they can get away with such blatant games

      sure labour would probably do it to – but does that mean we cant point and laugh?

      • Puckish Rogue 1.2.1

        but does that mean we cant point and laugh?

        – Fair call

        • framu 1.2.1.1

          in fact pointing and laughing should become part of the ceremony of any govt being sworn in

          we could even have a box in the house where anyone can have a turn on any given day

        • alwyn 1.2.1.2

          Just as Rogue Trooper, in the next entry below, said he had made a dreadful typo when he used “mind” instead of “might” I thought your use of “cant” instead of “can’t” might have been a typo.
          However given the definition of “cant” is “Talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something” I think that it isn’t a typo at all.
          Oh God, please let me not have made a typo in this.
          Hey, only joking.

  2. Rogue Trooper 2

    appears to be some pork-barrels rolling out of the trough…Transmission Gully…Monorail…
    although, there is consideration to lower the EBA limit so that mind wind the partiers up.

    • Rogue Trooper 2.1

      that is a dreadful typo – might wind the partiers up.

    • Ad 2.2

      Roll out the Simpson’s Monorail song right back at them.

      Remember Brownlee’s coded quip about it in The House during the CRL debate in about April this year?

      • Jim Nald 2.2.1

        “I give you – the Springfield Monorail …”

        • Jim Nald 2.2.1.1

          Miss Hoover:
          I hear those things are awfully loud.

          Lyle Lanley:
          It glides as softly as a cloud.

          Apu:
          Is there a chance the track could bend?

          Lyle Lanley:
          Not on your life, my Hindu friend.

          Barney Gumble:
          What about us brain-dead slobs? (*Note – listen carefully: sounds like “Warner Brothers brain-dead slobs”)

          Lyle Lanley:
          You’ll be given cushy jobs.

          Grampa Simpson:
          Were you sent here by the devil?

          Lyle Lanley:
          No, good sir, I’m on the level.

          Chief Wiggum:
          The ring came off my pudding can.

          Lyle Lanley;
          Take my pen knife, my good man.

          I swear, it’s Springfield’s only choice!
          Throw up your hands and raise your voice!

          All:
          Monorail…

          Lyle Lanley:
          What’s it called?

          Monorail…

          Once again!

          MONORAIL!

          Marge:
          But Main Street’s still all cracked and broken.

          Bart:
          Sorry, Mom, the mob has spoken!

  3. Tracey 3

    Was john banks effectively appealing the decision to prosecute, again, was good news or bad news.
    CT leader John Banks will contest the decision to prosecute him for electoral fraud in the High Court in a one-day hearing on November 27″

    Puck

    as long as they tell the truth I have no problem with it but it will be pr driven spin like all politicians.

    None of us will be any wiser but their crosby textor memes will be dispersed anyway

  4. Tracey 4

    Is it new for pm press conference to involves other than the pm on a regular basis?

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