Gutless!

Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, August 19th, 2014 - 114 comments
Categories: accountability, brand key, john key, Judith Collins, leadership - Tags:

Key’s giving Collins a “last  last” chance! After she’s outed an innocent public servant to an amoral blogger. Duncan Garner said it six months ago about Oravida: “John Key won’t like this, but by Helen Clark’s standards he looks weak.” That’s too generous – by anybody’s standards he looks weak. He’s no leader.

It was interesting to see that Bill English has distanced himself from Collins, and made it clear both that he would not countenance that behaviour and also that it was Key’s decision and responsibility.

English was pretty scathing about Collins in the Hollow Men as well. In a letter to Brash (page 146) he discussed two presentations that Collins made to the caucus, one on health policy and one on family.

“I thought the health presentation at caucus was awful,” he wrote, “and I am told Judith’s family presentation was worse. I am not one the caucus complains to, except for today, so it must have been pretty bad.”There are a few lessons here,” he said. Brash’s strategy team had been “pushing Judith Collins as a star’ but she was a second year MP ‘pushed beyond her capacity into a hard portfolio’ and ‘with an unfortunately high estimation of her won competence.” Collins, ‘with apparent backing from the top’ had ‘spent too much time cultivating the media herself and believing the resultant publicity. She will find it hard to recover her credibility in caucus where she has been  a tough critic of her colleagues behind the scenes and they know it.”

I’d say at the moment her credibility in caucus, and the country,  is well below zero. The way things are going, John Key’s is heading there too. Particularly since Key and Collins both say Collins didn’t give Slater Simon Pleasants’ name

Update: Email here – name, job title and phone numbers including mobile (Thanks Whaledump)

Gossip

114 comments on “Gutless! ”

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  1. Tracey 1
    19 August 2014 at 3:54 pm

    Double Dipton, the man who brought us a surplus by creative accounting and shafting chchch is scrambling for moral high ground!!?!

    John key says judith didnt give over the public servant name…

    Someone should blow up the email to billboard size and follow Key around all day. Then a journo can ask him

    ” now that you have seen the email…”

    • Thinker 1.1
      19 August 2014 at 6:38 pm

      But, with my eyes shut, I haven’t seen the email, so I have no way of knowing the truth – I mean of seeing anything other than Judith’s assurances, which I have seen, so naturally I accept them unresevedly.

      And, because Hager’s a left wing – sorry, make that SCREAMING left wing idealogue, all those kiwi mums and dads are sure to agree with me that I shouldn’t look at the email. They know they can trust my judgement.

      Ah, yes. Good old kiwi mums & dads. Come on and vote old Teflon John back into power, and everything’ll be just like the old times. I’ll meet up with ACT in a Newmarket coffee shop. We’ll both share a big pot of tea, then the rest of the country gets our trickle-down for the next 3 years. Economics, that is.

      Funny, where’s everybody gone? What’s changed?

      • Tracey 1.1.1
        20 August 2014 at 7:16 am

        Have you seen any calls on front pages for collins or key to resign? I havent. Herald said cunliffe should go for a 13 year old letter…

  2. geoff 2
    19 August 2014 at 3:56 pm

    So when the National party inevitably have to excise the Collins/Slater tumour, which side of the knife will Key be on?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1
      19 August 2014 at 4:07 pm

      Key is the tumour, Collins and Slater are the years of substance abuse that caused the cancer.

  3. Ant 3
    19 August 2014 at 4:00 pm

    At the end of the day™ they would have been better off autoclaving Ede, Slater, and Collins.

    Glad to see they are still hellbent trying to hang tough. 😀

    Glad to see karmic justice is still meted out.

  4. Tom Jackson 4
    19 August 2014 at 4:00 pm

    Anyone want to guess what she’s got on him? Broom cupboard snog?

    • fambo 4.1
      19 August 2014 at 4:07 pm

      A beautifully restored Third Reich swizzle stick – (apologies to The Tubes)

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.2
      19 August 2014 at 4:08 pm

      The money. Follow the money. My guess.

      A PM can take it as read,
      When he lays his head on his bed,
      That all that swamp Kauri,
      Will not go to mauri,
      But ‘vida and Judith instead.

      • miravox 4.2.1
        19 August 2014 at 9:45 pm

        +1 I reckon he advised her to do business over dinner too. It’s his style.

      • Paul Campbell 4.2.2
        19 August 2014 at 10:57 pm

        I’ve been playing the same game today, here’s my contribution:

        Hager, his book about Whale Oil
        Shows how our government can spoil
        As the dirt starts to heap
        Key starts to reap
        His huge smelly heap of night soil

        Key, in parliament a debater
        Hangs out with that Cameron Slater
        Who thinks it’s a breeze
        To spread on the sleaze,
        But ends up just being a hater

        There once was a whale run amok
        Whose bile load of mail was snuck
        To a writer of note
        Just prior to our vote
        Now the nats can all take a flying

        It started with just one word “feral”
        That pissed off a hacker, now there’ll
        Be emails each day
        Dripping away
        John Key’s job now’s in peril

        • Paul Campbell 4.2.2.1
          19 August 2014 at 11:10 pm

          a couple more:

          John Key must think we all are suckers
          Judith’s not ‘last’ ‘fore he chucks her
          But he already said ‘last’
          Not so long in the past
          It’s time we vote out all those

          It seems that we all were naive
          That the Nats would never deceive
          Now truth’s to the fore
          So don’t let the door
          Hit your arse as you leave

    • NickS 4.3
      19 August 2014 at 4:12 pm

      It’ll probably come to light after the election if National loose, as the knives come out in the struggle for the leadership.

    • Tel 4.4
      19 August 2014 at 4:12 pm

      A picture of him without his rug?

    • McFlock 4.5
      19 August 2014 at 4:56 pm

      she’s the one stopping it being a no contest run between Mr Didn’tFixIt and blinglish to oust dunnokeyo. And collins does have a lot of admirers in that group of tories who “mistake callous” stupidity for “bravery and strength”.

      At the moment blinglish can sneak through the split vote between the two, so sort of stops either from taking the first stab at Keysar. If crushless is thrown into the cold, Mr DnF has a clear advantage over all other contenders I can think of (although folk are welcome to extol the merits of parata or bridges lol).

    • Pete 4.6
      19 August 2014 at 5:35 pm

      I wonder if she’s ever served as Key’s tax solicitor.

    • Liberal Realist 4.7
      19 August 2014 at 6:51 pm

      My bet is Collins has more than enough information on Key to bring him down with her, hence why Key is ‘standing by her’ to the end. Collins would have threatened Key with ‘double down’ payback.

    • disturbed 4.8
      20 August 2014 at 8:02 am

      Tom – what’s Collins got on Key maybe a broom cupboard snog!

      Nah, maybe he’s fleeced the taxpayer again somewhere or hedged investments on “Government inside knowledge” eh.
      He is acting and sounding more and more like a guilty man like Nixon was. Carbon copy.
      It’s more his known mode, he is blinded by money only.

      Yuck my skin crawls with the though snog.

      Tom, shit mate, excuse me I have to go and throw up.

  5. emergency mike 5
    19 August 2014 at 4:06 pm

    “Mr Key said he could only take Ms Collins’ word that she only leaked private information such as public servant Simon Pleasants’ numbers and not his name.

    “I think there are some details there which I think it is unwise of a minister to pass on,” but he said it did not change the basic point that she was very strongly of the view that she did not leak the name, just the numbers.

    Other than the unwise move of sharing private information, Mr Key generally trusted Ms Collins’ judgement.”

    My emphasis.

    Hey journos: Key has gone full retard. Our justice minister has told him that she leaked private information to lowlife scum attack blogger for hire. ‘Unwise’ but that’s cool, coz it’s all a smear campaign.

    I liked Collins’ last line to the journo at the airport yesterday, something like, “I didn’t leak his name, I just told Slater his title. His name is attached to his title.” (Paraphrasing from memory.)

    Yeah, like a mafia boss who is telling you he didn’t pass on a message his his hitman to take out Dr X, he was just letting the hitman know that this guy was a doctor. Now if that hitman then went out and killed X the next day, well, that’s nothing to do with me capiche?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1
      19 August 2014 at 4:14 pm

      Key forgot to check Whaledump before he took the lying Justice Minister at her word.

      • Peter 5.1.1
        19 August 2014 at 4:24 pm

        Perhaps she goes after the next Whaledump!

        • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1.1
          19 August 2014 at 4:33 pm

          He says she gave Pleasant’s official title not his name. Whaledump made a liar of him before he spoke.

          • marty mars 5.1.1.1.1
            19 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

            Exactly – this is getting ridiculous, beyond farcical – getting close to the time when the people will rise up in righteous anger against this liar.

    • Tracey 5.2
      19 August 2014 at 4:34 pm

      So hager is wrong, the person who has the emails is wrong…

      So much for the higher ethical standards of the cabinet manual…

      Mr Key once said this about ministers who find themselves amidst contradictory information. Remember Collins has bith admitted and later denied leaking the name. Back in August 2008

      “Mr Key asked Miss Clark in Parliament whether she would be sacking or standing Mr Peters down as a minister following his clearly contradictory statements…In politics you have to do what’s right,” Mr Key said.

    • Rosie 5.3
      19 August 2014 at 4:39 pm

      ” Key has gone full retard.”

      Ain’t that the truth.

      Our government has gone rogue on it’s citizens with a full blown retard at the helm. Anything is possible. God help us.

  6. You_Fool 6
    19 August 2014 at 4:09 pm

    Really going for higher ethical standards by this national government! I am glad John Key is such an upstanding guy….

  7. Penny Bright 7
    19 August 2014 at 4:16 pm

    Give me a break – how weak, gutless and squeamish is Prime Minister John Key?

    Why does Prime Minister John Key not SEEK TRUTH FROM FACTS and double-check the dribble Minister of Justice Judith Collins is feeding him, rather than trust the ‘word’ of the (proven) untrustworthy, and continue to defend the indefensible?

    If Prime Minister John Key still apparently has confidence in HIS Minister of ‘Justice’ Judith Collins – then how on earth can the voting public have confidence in HIM?

    I guess that’s the best the public can expect from a Prime Minister who has his ‘moral compass’ stuck on Wall Street?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311222

    Nikki Preston Nikki Preston is a Herald reporter based in Hamilton.

    Judith Collins on her last chance – Key

    2:50 PM Tuesday Aug 19, 2014

    Election 2014 NZ Government NZ National Party… Politics Whaledump
    Justice Minister Judith Collins.

    Judith Collins’ decision to leak information to blogger Cameron Slater was “unwise” and she is now on her last chance, Prime Minister John Key says.

    Speaking before the anniversary celebrations of the Maori King’s coronation outside Turangawaewae in Ngaruawahia, Mr Key said he could only take Ms Collins’ word that she only leaked private information such as public servant Simon Pleasants’ numbers and not his name.

    “I think there are some details there which I think it is unwise of a minister to pass on,” but he said it did not change the basic point that she was very strongly of the view that she did not leak the name, just the numbers.

    Other than the unwise move of sharing private information, Mr Key generally trusted Ms Collins’ judgement.

    It is now the second time Ms Collins has been put on notice that she was on a final chance after failing to mention a dinner she had with the heads of Oravida during a trip to China.

    Mr Key said that was still in place and denied she was now on her “last last” chance. …..

    Penny Bright

  8. Clarence 8
    19 August 2014 at 4:16 pm

    Will Collins go and take Key with her? Is Bill history?

    • Jenk 8.1
      19 August 2014 at 9:14 pm

      Nope – Blingish aint history – he’s making sure he comes out on top ! Isn’t that obvious ?

      • SpaceMonkey 8.1.1
        20 August 2014 at 8:23 am

        I think at this stage it’s a scramble for dry land and a wait-and-see who’s still standing at the end of it. This will reverberate long after the election, regardless of who’s the Government.

  9. Kiwiri 9
    19 August 2014 at 4:27 pm

    Why is Key continuing to support so many of the wrongdoings by Collins?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1
      19 August 2014 at 4:35 pm

      The money. It’s the only explanation left that has sufficient weight. I still haven’t figured out which money. That said, my lactose intolerance isn’t physical.

      • anker 9.1.1
        19 August 2014 at 5:46 pm

        Best hunch, that if Key sacks Judith, she will take Key down with her. Perhaps dob him in with some sort of proof as being part of the the Whale Oil dirty politics……………….nothing to loose now, if I am going down your coming with me, look no hands!!

        • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.1
          19 August 2014 at 5:58 pm

          Too much money is at stake. How much is the Oravida Kauri worth, for example? Or those windblown trees on the West Coast?

          Purely hypothetically, if I were ethically flexible and I saw that a government had offered itself up for sale* I’d get some decent hooks into a Minister or two then butcher them if they didn’t comply. Government contracts come pre-laundered.

          *Sky City.

        • Puddleglum 9.1.1.2
          19 August 2014 at 6:28 pm

          What’s the phrase? ‘Give back double’?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1.1.2.1
            19 August 2014 at 6:37 pm

            Collins’ poor choice of henchmen (Slater, puleeze!) indicates her political capital is mostly pants.

    • fender 9.2
      19 August 2014 at 5:12 pm

      Maybe because she has so much dirt on him that he will back her rather than give her a chance to knife him..

      • Rosie 9.2.1
        19 August 2014 at 5:16 pm

        A possibility?

        • Kiwiri 9.2.1.1
          19 August 2014 at 5:25 pm

          It would be truly awful for a Prime Minister to be under a kind of blackmail by a Cabinet Minister.

          Very important that someone saves the PM from the hold that Collins has on him.
          Boag to the rescue?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 9.2.1.1.1
            19 August 2014 at 6:20 pm

            The blackmail has to implicate the Party before it has any hold on the Prime Minister. Key isn’t some poor victim in this. He’s the gatekeeper.

            • Kiwiri 9.2.1.1.1.1
              19 August 2014 at 6:28 pm

              Oh, yeah. Had forgotten he has been collecting blackmail in his top drawer.

            • geoff 9.2.1.1.1.2
              19 August 2014 at 8:32 pm

              What if, for example, Key had committed adultery and Collins/Slater had proof they could use to attack his family? The book shows that Slater specialises in this so it’s not outside the realms of possibility.

              This could be a case of Key the ‘gatekeeper’ whose pet Frankenstein has turned on him and gotten out of his control.

              • Roy …
                20 August 2014 at 11:52 am

                I’m not convinced that Key cares that much about his family. It would not be typical of a personality-disordered person, and I think Key is both a narcissist and a sociopath (and co-morbidity is more common than not in the personality disorders). I think it’s got to be something that hits him personally, or involves money. A lot of money.

  10. Rosie 10
    19 August 2014 at 4:33 pm

    Un- F-ing -believable. After just finishing the chapter on Collins, I’m almost dizzy with the news that Collins hasn’t been made to resign. What does it take these days to get a Minister to resign? Murder?

    Silly Arron Gilmore resigned for being a jerk yet Collins get to stay as a Minister not only for using her Ministerial position to advance her partner’s business interests and lie to the public and her government about it but is the source of a series of leaks of private information with the very deliberate intention to harm other parties. (see also Bronwyn Pullar in Chapter two)

    That she is not held accountable for passing on Simon Pleasants’ info to Slater on the wild and incorrect assumption that he was the one to be the whistleblower on English’s double dipping, with the expectation that such info would ruin him, is beyond belief. This info in Slater’s hands resulted in death threats against Pleasants’ which the Police spoke to Slater about, as we all know.

    How can Key so casually dismiss such a serious and calculated allegation?! (rhetorical question, lol)

  11. Tracey 11
    19 August 2014 at 4:37 pm

    National Party Leader John Key says Winston Peters would be unacceptable as a Minister in a government led by him unless Mr Peters can provide a credible explanation on the Owen Glenn saga.

    “Labour Party donor Owen Glenn’s letter to the Privileges Committee completely contradicts Winston Peters’ version of events about the substantial $100,000 donation made by Mr Glenn to Mr Peters’ legal costs.

    “Mr Glenn’s letter represents a direct challenge to Mr Peters’ credibility, from the only other person in the world in a position to know the facts.

    “From Parliament’s point of view, the Privileges Committee provides an appropriate vehicle to resolve the points of conflict and to hold individuals to account. But from the Prime Minister’s and the Government’s point of view, that is not enough.

    “Governments and Ministers must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament and, ultimately, the public. Faced with today’s revelations, it is no longer acceptable for Mr Peters to offer bluster and insults where simple, courteous, honest answers are required.

    “It is no longer acceptable or credible for Helen Clark to assert a facade of confidence in her Foreign Affairs Minister and to fail to ask the plain questions of him that she has a duty to the public to ask.

    “Faced with today’s revelations, Helen Clark must stand Mr Peters down as a Minister. That is what I would do if I were Prime Minister. Helen Clark has stood Ministers from Labour down for much less .

    “Unless he can provide a credible explanation about this serious issue, he should be unacceptable to Helen Clark as a Minister in her Labour-led Government.

    “Mr Peters will be unacceptable as a Minister in a government led by me unless he can provide a credible explanation.”

    Right Honourable John Key – August 2008 – National Party Press Release (emphasis my own and to highlight, again, the difference between this and his stance on many including Mr Banks AND Ms Collins)

    • Rosie 11.1
      19 August 2014 at 4:49 pm

      Excellent pots and kettles example Tracey.

      Where are all those Nat supporters who smuggly supported their leader for this stance back in ’08? Do they still stand with their leader who is incapable of firing his Minister who can not “provide a credible explanation” for her appalling and unethical behaviour?

    • emergency mike 11.2
      19 August 2014 at 6:11 pm

      Oh yes John Key knows what high ethical standards are. And he knows when to demand them from his opponents. But apply them to himself? Why the fuck would he do something dumb like that?

    • Chris 11.3
      19 August 2014 at 7:13 pm

      Winston wasn’t IN the Labour Government – so not Helen’s job to stand him down.

    • miravox 11.4
      19 August 2014 at 9:39 pm

      Yep. Key can’t bring Peters/Glenn/Clark up again either – historical and he won’t want to be quoted on it.

      This would get funnier (if SlaterCollins wasn’t such a disgustingly serious business) by the minute if a journalist started quoting this stuff back at him.

    • Bearded Git 11.5
      19 August 2014 at 9:58 pm

      @Tracey.

      Marvellous work! The MSM should be reminded of this.

  12. Terry Bond 12
    19 August 2014 at 4:39 pm

    Is this the last chance;
    or,
    the last, last chance;
    or
    the last, last, last, but maybe, the not quite, last chance.

    • Anne 12.1
      19 August 2014 at 6:43 pm

      It’s the last, last chance.

      The last, last last, but maybe, the not quite, last chance has been saved for the next whaledump.

      And then the last, last, last, but maybe, the not quite, but nearly quite, last chance will come into force.

      And after that he’s hoping like hell that will be the end of the dumps.

  13. Dont worry. Be happy 13
    19 August 2014 at 4:51 pm

    Look, insulting Key by calling him a “retard” is disgusting. People with intellectual disabilities do not deserve that odious comparison.

    • McFlock 13.1
      19 August 2014 at 5:12 pm

      Ye-es, in that the follow up just calling key a “full blown retard” I think missed the reference to Tropic Thunder. Which spends most of its time ripping shit out of method actors, directors, the hollywood system etc. Think “Apocalypse Now” meets “An Alan Smithee Film”.

      • Rosie 13.1.1
        19 August 2014 at 5:24 pm

        Lol. I did see Tropic Thunder on Christmas Day in 2008 but don’t remember a single thing about “full blown retard”, possibly due to my festive state.

        And Don’t worry, Be happy, what I find more insulting is that American literature STILL refers to those with intellectual disabilities as “retarded”. This is an outdated and cruel term. Appropriately used in reference to the P.M however.

      • SpaceMonkey 13.1.2
        20 August 2014 at 8:28 am

        Yeah, brilliant… “never go full retard”… and “I never break character until I’ve done the DVD commentary”… priceless. Robert Downey Jr FTW.

    • emergency mike 13.2
      19 August 2014 at 6:44 pm

      I was indeed referencing Tropic Thunder implying he is losing the plot, rather than calling him a retard. Otherwise I agree with your comment.

    • Delia 13.3
      20 August 2014 at 9:54 am

      Exactly and as the mother of an intellectually disabled son I am sick of coming onto left wing sites and finding retard this and retard that. I thought better of the left, evidently I am deluded.

      • r0b 13.3.1
        20 August 2014 at 10:05 am

        As someone who did volunteer work with the intellectually disabled I’m none to fond of it either. I’ll try and step on it in moderation if I notice it from now on. In the mean time, please don’t write off progressive politics because of the words of a few!

  14. infused 14
    19 August 2014 at 4:56 pm

    So not having read the book, but reading what everyone else is saying, wasn’t that particular persons name already in the public arena?

    • Bastables 14.1
      19 August 2014 at 5:29 pm

      No Pleasants name was not in the public arena in connection with non existent leaks to the Labour party until Collins gave it to Slater to use in baseless accusations.

      But keep arguing theoreticals, that have nothing to do with the examples like Lier Key. Makes it easier to identify the filth.

    • Hanswurst 14.2
      19 August 2014 at 5:39 pm

      Most of our names are in the phone book, meaning that they are technically “in the public arena”. That doesn’t generally lead to death threats. Jason Ede’s name was definitely already in the public arena, but his conduct as reported in Dirty Politics has changed people’s perception of him, led to his going into hiding, and forced the prime minister to defend his actions on a daily basis. Similarly, if covertly, Ms. Collins’ email appears to have been a catalyst for attacks on Mr. Pleasants. Going by the PM’s own accumulated statements, the key difference appears to be that Mr. Ede did at the very least commit much of what is alleged, whereas the dearth of evidence ini Mr. Pleasants’ case would lend weight to the conclusion that he didn’t.

      • Tracey 14.2.1
        20 August 2014 at 7:35 am

        Yes. That logic follows if keys previous statements were not permitted to disappear as if never uttered

    • wtl 14.3
      19 August 2014 at 5:59 pm

      E-mail from Collins to Slater dated 6 Oct 2009. First mention of Pleasants name on Whaleoil blog was Oct 7, 2009 (easy enough to find, I’m not linking to that creep).

      …reading what everyone else is saying…

      Obviously ‘everyone’ you have been listening to is badly informed. Maybe you should get a copy of the book and read it yourself?

    • emergency mike 14.4
      19 August 2014 at 6:18 pm

      If you mean that Simon Pleasants made no secret of that fact that his name was Simon Pleasants, then yes dufus, his name was in the ‘public arena’.

    • Tracey 14.5
      20 August 2014 at 7:23 am

      No. That was Collins first lie.

    • Tracey 14.6
      20 August 2014 at 7:37 am

      If true, slater could have just googled, dontchathink? By now evidence of it being in the public domain would have come forward dontchathink.

  15. MrSmith 15
    19 August 2014 at 5:06 pm

    English drawing a line in the sand, and so the fun begins, civil war should be about to break out in the National party as more and more members read this book.

    I have just handed my copy of Hager’s book to a local National party member and advised him to have a shower after reading it, I have 2 more on order to hand out, as have plenty of good tory friends with families, that will be disgusted with the behavior and goings on.

  16. Hami Shearlie 16
    19 August 2014 at 5:46 pm

    I’ve been noticing the strange absence of Bill English since last week – We’ve seen Gerry and Joyce standing behind Key, but not English – He’s the Deputy Prime Minister and yet, he’s been invisible!! Don’t blame him, even though I don’t like him, this grubby behaviour is not something I would attribute to him. He’s no fan of Collins! Mind you in saying that, I would not have thought the ex Nat MP Katherine Rich would have been mixed up in all this either – We have been told that some people have been blackmailed by Whaleoil – I wonder if she is one of these people?

  17. Glenn 17
    19 August 2014 at 5:54 pm

    James Robins has an interesting opinion piece on Yahoo’s homepage that is well worth reading. It ends with…..

    All of these rebuttals have been sneering, scornful, and snarling, thus vindicating and validating Hager’s polemics. Utter contempt for even basic accountability is ever-present: a form of tribalism not far divorced from that of a third world country, and certainly not what we should expect from a mature democracy.

    The details of muckraking and shame-faced attack politics, and the government’s reaction to being caught out, ought to offend the deepest sensibilities of the New Zealand public.

    Hager is right when he predicts in the conclusion of Dirty Politics that “this was not going to be an election of policy, vision, or scrutinising the government’s record.”

    https://nz.news.yahoo.com/opinion/post/-/blog/24742721/dirty-politics-before-our-eyes/

    • Murray Olsen 17.1
      20 August 2014 at 5:14 am

      “Utter contempt for even basic accountability is ever-present: a form of tribalism not far divorced from that of a third world country, and certainly not what we should expect from a mature democracy.”

      We are a third world country. We sell commodities that we do not set the price for. We take orders from a foreign capital. We have desperate poverty and a worsening level of inequality. We have a resurgence of third world diseases. We have corrupt politicians.

      We will not be a mature democracy until we have a means of holding the government to account. For too long we’ve thought it can’t happen in Godzone, with the only reason seemingly being that we speak English. Time to put things right.

  18. vto 18
    19 August 2014 at 6:39 pm

    English is the worst of the lot

    Fuck English.

    They are all the same

  19. Dialey 19
    19 August 2014 at 6:46 pm

    He may be gutless, but he never loses an opportunity to score a low punch. Every interview he repeats the mantra of left wing smear campaign. So far no journos have really called him on that. Where’s the proof that lefties burned the effigy for example, or are defacing billboards.

    • emergency mike 19.1
      19 August 2014 at 7:10 pm

      Lefties?! Run for your life!

      You’re in danger of buying into the very propaganda language that you are questioning by using that word like that. Try “Where’s the proof any coordination or connection to a political party?”

      The only baseless conspiracy theorist seems to be John Key. Oh and all the other figures implicated who are chanting the same baseless conspiracy theory mantra. Almost like they agreed to… Oh noes now I’m a conspiracy theorist. Not baseless tho.

      • You_Fool 19.1.1
        20 August 2014 at 8:23 am

        The “connection” is the fact that the Internet Party had a rally where KDC was on stage and the crowd started chanting, so in JK’s eyes this means everything from now on is some vast left wing conspiracy because KDC

    • Hanswurst 19.2
      19 August 2014 at 10:05 pm

      They’re probably righties that have been “stolen” by the left. Or have just lent themselves voluntarily. Or something.

  20. felix 20
    19 August 2014 at 6:52 pm

    So what’s the relevance of the email to “patrick”?

  21. meconism 21
    19 August 2014 at 6:53 pm

    Mr and Mrs. Slater must be so proud.

  22. TeWhareWhero 22
    19 August 2014 at 6:56 pm

    Yahoo NZ news poll today:

    “Do you think Judith Collins should resign over revelations she allegedly gave a job to a blogger’s informant?”

    Yes, this was her last chance
    56% (6941)

    No, she has done nothing wrong
    40% (5037)

    I don’t know
    4% (500)

    Odd that it doesn’t refer to her conduct in relation to the civil servant but a very interesting result in light of the one on Hager’s book the other day. I have had no reply from YahooNZ to my request for information about how they manage their news polls and whether people can vote multiple times.

  23. Hami Shearlie 23
    19 August 2014 at 7:25 pm

    I imagine that right about now, Meteria Turei (and who could blame her) would love to say to Judith Collins, “Who’s the sensitive little sausage now?”

  24. TeWhareWhero 24
    19 August 2014 at 7:25 pm

    Picture this: someone behaves badly at work, bringing their employer into serious disrepute. It’s a serious offence but the union succeeds in getting the management to issue a verbal warning. The person repeats the behaviour and gets a final written warning – any further bad conduct will result in summary dismissal.

    Then management discovers even worse behaviour which had occurred prior to the final warning. The union official representing the member of staff tries to argue that, as that behaviour had predated the final warning, the person should not be sacked.

    What do you think the outcome would be?

    In the meantime I think they’ve upped Key’s beta-blocker dosage as he seems a bit more in control of his emotions and on script. But he is coming across as more slippery and insincere than ever.

    • Blue 24.1
      19 August 2014 at 9:00 pm

      In the meantime I think they’ve upped Key’s beta-blocker dosage as he seems a bit more in control of his emotions and on script. But he is coming across as more slippery and insincere than ever.

      They have probably replaced him with a robot. The real Key is probably bound and gagged in a dark room somewhere as punishment for his slurring, disorganised and embarrassing media interviews of late.

      You’d only need to program in a few lines. ‘Left-wing conspiracy theorist’, ‘smear campaign’, ‘very historical’ and ‘I don’t have any details on that’.

  25. North 25
    19 August 2014 at 9:34 pm

    “Gutless !” ? Nah. Joke !

    There comes a critical point. When ‘laughing stock’ springs to mind. And “who the fuck are you tryin’ to kid mate ?”

    Key looks SO effete in this. Like……the nastiest piece of work in New Zealand politics…….the bully who weeps…….owns him ?

    Wow !

  26. Redzone 26
    19 August 2014 at 9:44 pm

    Key sack her!

    No actually don’t…Do us all a favour and give her yet another ‘last’ warning and look even more pathetic. Keep trying to defend the undefendable. It will help the polls and fuel this some more.

    Collins clearly has so much shit on you she will take you down if you do… Ok sack her then!

    As Collins’s CPF (close personal friend) slater would say its a ‘pay back’ double. What goes around…

    Whale dump what’s next? This is one hell of a teaser campaign…

    A year of scandal in a week! Like some sort of political morality purge. Long overdue and actually bloody sad that it’s got to this.

  27. Alistair Connor 27
    19 August 2014 at 10:44 pm

    Not fired her yet eh… You’ve got to think that Key believes that we’ve already seen the worst of the material regarding Collins. i.e. he’s taken her aside and asked her “is there anything more that might come out?” and that she’s answered “No, that’s all there is”.

    Come on Whaledumper… the suspense is killing us!

    • Tracey 27.1
      20 August 2014 at 7:44 am

      Its looking like he knew all about her work for slater, thats why hes not sacing her. He will only sack her for cobduct he wasnt complicit.

  29. Tracey 29
    20 August 2014 at 7:44 am

    Ede was spoted going into beehive with a security card. Has anyone seen him come out?

  30. SPC 30
    20 August 2014 at 8:34 am

    John Key’s sort of found himself snookered.

    He is moving to the position of conceding that the offence by Collins would have been serious enough to end her career if it had occurred after the final warning (because this is the circumstance) – but not acting because the offence took place earlier.

    The sooner he concedes this the sooner he can move on.

  31. Mjoy 31
    20 August 2014 at 4:23 pm

    From Judith Collin’s maiden speech- August 2002.

    ” Mr Speaker, There is a form of poverty in this country. But it has little to do with poverty in a monetary sense. The poverty of which I speak is a poverty of responsibility. A poverty of courage, a poverty of truth, a poverty of love, a poverty of faith.

    And that brings me to my final point.

    I stand for the dignity of the individual. I believe in God and I believe that every human being is created with free will to do either good or evil.”

    Dignity, responsibility, courage and truth! These are the things that Judith Stands for, Yeah right!

  32. Disabled Liberation Aotearoa NZ DLANZ 32
    21 August 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Good article Mike..

    Integrity is important with an upcoming election and John Key and his ‘mob’ are ”Gutless” when they leave Civil Servants out in the cold.

    Not uncommon, but I think its time for a big change……Keep smiling

    Doug Hay – Cordinator