Is John Key on the skids?

Written By: - Date published: 4:25 pm, December 3rd, 2014 - 85 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, Andrew Little, election 2014, john key, labour, national, national/act government, Politics, same old national - Tags:

Dirty Politics is gradually having its effect.  Key’s teflon coating is now well and truly scratched and the rust is showing through.

The right continue to claim that the election result showed that Dirty Politics had no effect and that National’s return to power was a vindication and proof that Dirty Politics was nothing more than a left wing attempted smear. I disagree with their analysis.  The clear impression I have is that National won because too many thought that Labour at the time was far too messy and not deserving of support.

The trouble for National is that the media were the first to be affected and the effect is now becoming pronounced.  I saw it in the initial tweets following the release of dirty politics where reporters said discretely but clearly how they now understood how they had been gazumped in so many stories by Cameron Slater.

A friend of mine described how stand ups involving John Key during the election campaign became more and more farcical.  The reporters knew he was lying, he knew they knew he was lying, but he continued with the scripted response that there was nothing to see and that the left do it as well.

Then the Gwyn report provided official verification that Key’s office and the SIS were involved in the smearing of an opposition leader during an election campaign using information that was not correct.

The attempt by the Government to blur the result by the simultaneous release of the Chisholm in one respect only made things worse.  Although Judith Collins was exonerated Cameron Slater was shown to be someone prone to embellishment and the distortion of the truth.

Meanwhile post election Andrew Little has taken over as Labour leader, the caucus has united behind him and he is beginning to shine.

The media has now turned on John Key.  Read any recent article by John Armstrong or Fran O’Sullivan if you need proof of this.  And they are treating Little well.

It seems clear to me that National is now rattled.  If you need proof then watch this video from question time today where Megan Woods makes him very uncomfortable with some simple yet well designed questions.  John Key was forced to admit that he had not asked to see draft Whaleoil blogs written by Ede. You have to wonder why. What is really evident however is that Key looks like someone under supreme pressure. And his attempt at a joke as well as a further mention of the Standard is not laughed at by anyone on the Government benches. The silence was palpable. Everyone could see that he was dying out there.

Key has also had a very unfortunate fact released thanks to some good work by the Greens. He visits three times as many decile 9 and 10 schools as decile one and two schools. Ouch.

And the porkie count is climbing as these tweets from Andrea Vance confirm.

85 comments on “Is John Key on the skids? ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Heather 1
    3 December 2014 at 4:34 pm

    The House of Cards has stopped crumbling, it has now started falling. You can see by the faces of the National bench that some are wishing for this to be over, their forced laughter is easy to see.
    Andrew Little and his team are doing an excellent job, as are the Greens in finally bringing this matter to a conclusion and hopefully soon, we will return to a fair and just democratic society where our Prime Minister is not ruled by a disgusting blogger.

    • Kevin 1.1
      3 December 2014 at 9:23 pm

      And who won the award for Best Blog for the third consecutive time??? No mention of the standard??? Oh dear…

      • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1
        3 December 2014 at 10:22 pm

        Who gives a fuck.

        Oh, wait, you’re just trying to distract from your leaders lies.

  2. Graeme 2
    3 December 2014 at 4:48 pm

    Great slant by you Micky Savage but have you ever thought that National and others are totally bored with the whole issue?
    Why do you think the left lost the last election? Get out in the real world and listen to real New Zealanders – the ones that voted National back into Parliament with 47% not the 24% that voted Labour and the 10% that voted Greens. They have their agenda and it proved to be a losing one, Pursuing that agenda now will further consign the left to another 3 years in opposition.

    • minarch 2.1
      3 December 2014 at 4:56 pm

      smells like someone (brain) farted in here

      Open a window first if your going to drop stinkers like that Graeme

    • NZJester 2.2
      3 December 2014 at 5:45 pm

      Only about a third of eligible voters in New Zealand actually voted for National.

      National and its coalition partners actually do not have the support of the majority of New Zealanders at all!

      • Crowchild 2.2.1
        5 December 2014 at 12:20 pm

        If only a third of eligible voters voted for National, then what does that say about support levels for Labour/Greens?

        If Len Brown can claim a mandate in Auckland, then National most certainly can. If people don’t want to participate in the electoral process, then so be it. The left lost badly, and will continue to do so until they start coming out with policies in the areas that most NZers care about – jobs, taxation, health and education.

    • Tom Jackson 2.3
      3 December 2014 at 7:29 pm

      Get out in the real world and listen to real New Zealanders.

      Sorry, I find standing in dung and listening to bleating gets boring very quickly.

    • Jones 2.4
      3 December 2014 at 8:06 pm

      Umm… I’m a real New Zealander, and I very much care. John Key is a shyster and has been scamming New Zealand from the moment he stepped foot back in this country… finally, it’s starting to show. But what else do you expect from a forex trader, especially one as “successful” as him…? They’re non-productive intermediaries that don’t add any value to society.

    • The Other Mike 2.5
      3 December 2014 at 8:54 pm

      Diversion 101: how to avoid any engagement with the actual point of the OP.

      0/10 – epic FAIL

      • Paul 2.5.1
        3 December 2014 at 8:58 pm

        These right wingers are desperate to get off topic, yet they keep on saying this topic is boring for NZers.
        Why aren’t they encouraging us to talk about this then?

    • Murray Rawshark 2.6
      3 December 2014 at 11:38 pm

      “National and others are totally bored with the whole issue?”

      We’re not here to entertain National. They’ve already got their own clown.

    • framu 2.7
      4 December 2014 at 8:11 am

      lets not be to hard on graeme and kevin aye?

      after all, it must be hard to find the words to say or either to thick to notice or to corrupt to care when voting for people who lie to them

    • DoublePlusGood 2.8
      4 December 2014 at 12:08 pm

      So you’re totally fine with the Prime Minister lying to the NZ public, engaging in corruption, and failing to take accountability for his actions?
      How do you function in life with such low standards?

  3. minarch 3
    3 December 2014 at 4:52 pm

    The hinges are holding though

    someones need to throw a brick through the window !

  4. peter h 4
    3 December 2014 at 5:23 pm

    Well Graeme
    WE care, and when you get your head out of the bucket,and the sand out of your ears,we are going to keep letting you know, your man is a disgrace, this is new Zealand,in case you care.

  5. Chooky 5
    3 December 2014 at 5:32 pm

    looks like John key is getting rattled by the Standard as well…certainly taking notice of it

    • tc 5.1
      3 December 2014 at 6:56 pm

      Probably got told Lprent ripped scotty a new one over the attempted smear and crawled back under his rock with barely a whimper so that didn’t go as planned.

      His besties texty buddy cammy would be encouraging him probably too.

    • Tom Jackson 5.2
      3 December 2014 at 9:35 pm

      Who does he think posts here.

      I think that Colonial Viper is really Phil Goff and was only pretending to be that chiropractor dude from Dunedin (or was that some other poster).

  6. CnrJoe 6
    3 December 2014 at 5:49 pm

    Real New Zealanders Graeme? Hello;-)

  7. music4menz 7
    3 December 2014 at 5:54 pm

    I would suggest that ‘the silence was palpable’ not because no-one found The Standard joke unfunny but because, the government, like the majority of the NZ public, are tired of the Opposition trying to make pointless capital over the PM’s links to Slater. NZ ers are bored to death over this dead horse which refuses to run! Megan Woods was simply putting everyone to sleep.

    • felix 7.1
      3 December 2014 at 6:39 pm

      If you really believed that then you’d be encouraging us to continue, not begging us to stop.

    • tc 7.2
      3 December 2014 at 6:47 pm

      Theres that ‘majority’ porky again, along with the ‘we’ve moved on’ line which is the real cause of boredom lately. We need better wing nuts please try harder.

      That silence is the sound of Key being hoisted onto his own petard of lies and deception and worms turning tend to have an element of stealth about them.

      Stay tuned the best is yet to come.

    • Andrea 7.3
      3 December 2014 at 7:07 pm

      music4menz: Two out of three! Well done, you!

      Hear no evil. See no evil.

      But that last one seems to be a problem,.. And there’s you ‘speaking for’ the majority of the NZ public. Hmm.

      Not ‘tired of’. Just waking up to – a long long day in politics.

      P.S. Most people on this blog like the details and nuance. And have long memories. Very useful for politics devotees. Or politicians.

    • lprent 7.4
      3 December 2014 at 8:29 pm

      Get used to it. Several years of questions to come I’d say. Cameron Slater, the arsehole blogger – it’d almost be a shame to drive him out of blogging his crap.

    • Lloyd 7.5
      3 December 2014 at 10:04 pm

      Wasn’t this the same argument that Richard Nixon’s supporters trotted out before he was impeached?

    • North 7.6
      4 December 2014 at 7:30 am

      That’s right Musicmz – when the PM’s ‘joke’ is a howler the entire National Party justs sits there mum looking apprehensive. “Fuck, what shit’s he gonna drop now ?” – that’s how you tell a pearler of a funny – watch your team – fidgety and apprehensive. Notable that the simpleton Hek Yeah Parata in the General Debate yesterday had to make a special point about how united they all are behind TheGodKey.

      How scintillating and rapier-like is “Muppet !” for God’s Sake. An attention challenged 13 year old could do better.

  8. adam 8
    3 December 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Funny how the PM sounded just like a MP from labour, who said the same thing about pseudonyms, and attacked me a few weeks back.

    Well Mr PM I don’t get paid the big bikkies like you buddy. Oh and I never lie. So I think I’m entitled to have a wee bit of privacy here on the standard.

    If you analyze my writing style, you may just know who I am, but then again – I’m not holding my breath Key has read any of the submissions on the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill.

    Or is just me, because the Muppet Scott Campbell – lied about the standard, and badly – it really looks desperate when any Tory MP’s mentions the standard now. It’s been a long line of really pitiful attacks, that are all lies and fubar spin.

    • weka 8.1
      3 December 2014 at 9:33 pm

      “Funny how the PM sounded just like a MP from labour, who said the same thing about pseudonyms, and attacked me a few weeks back.”

      Who was that?

      “Or is just me, because the Muppet Scott Campbell – lied about the standard, and badly – it really looks desperate when any Tory MP’s mentions the standard now. It’s been a long line of really pitiful attacks, that are all lies and fubar spin.”

      I think if they could make that one work they would have by now. When the Slater/Key txts were published and the media analysed them line by line, I don’t think anyone said anything about the reference to ts. Presumable because unlike the other references in the txts, the one about the standard had no meaning.

      Mind you, Patrick Gower was complaining on twitter today that people on ts are nasty and write nasty things (parts of blogs are good). It’s the Pagani created meme, where they take criticism so personally that their arguments lose any logic. He seems incapable of understanding the difference between overt rudeness/criticism and Dirty Politics. But I am curious to see if Gower runs ‘the standard does it too’ line more seriously. As far as I can tell, there is one guest post from 4 years ago that may have been written by someone that worked for the Labour party. Neither Gower nor Campbell are willing to link though, which in itself is telling.

      • Tom Jackson 8.1.1
        3 December 2014 at 9:39 pm

        I guess this is the Crosby Textor line: repeat falsehoods about The Standard long enough so that “low information voters” (their euphemism for thick people) believe it.

      • adam 8.1.2
        4 December 2014 at 10:23 am

        “Who was that?”

        Clare Curran – and it was to do with the TPP protest/march.

      • David H 8.1.3
        4 December 2014 at 1:44 pm

        Maybe it’s time to have some more fun at Patrick (I make it up) Gowers expense.

  9. whateva next? 9
    3 December 2014 at 6:36 pm

    Slater is unlikely to reveal what he has on Key, he is enjoying his perceived sense of power. Once he reveals he will be nothing, and he couldn’t bear that. If someone else reveals, than Slater will go squealing no doubt, desperate not to be left out.

  10. Jenny Kirk 10
    3 December 2014 at 6:49 pm

    Is ShonKey going to have to make another personal statement in The House tonight correcting his answer to Megan Woods ? ?

    • mickysavage 10.1
      3 December 2014 at 8:36 pm

      Interestingly Jenny it appears that Key may be right and his office has done all sorts of stuff over the past three years to move Ede on. The subject of a future blog post …

      • Jenny Kirk 10.1.1
        3 December 2014 at 8:49 pm

        Darn it, Micky. I was wanting to see another embarrassment in the House from ShonKey …..

  11. philj 11
    3 December 2014 at 8:04 pm

    JK just gave TS the greatest complement. Keep telling it folks as the Right and mighty are reading it. Small but powerful. Where do you think the msm ( lower case intentional) get their intelligence? Hi DF, having a nice day?

  12. Chooky 12
    3 December 2014 at 8:10 pm

    when John Key does talk …or rather jeers…..in the house at the Opposition … Russel Norman and Andrew Little …it reminded me of someone who used to talk the same way….someone slurry…and then i remembered !

    …..John Key talks like Piggy Muldoon in his LAST WEEKS as Prime Minister !

    • Jenny Kirk 12.1
      3 December 2014 at 8:51 pm

      We can only hope, Chooky. It won’t happen – its nearly Christmas, summertime, everyone goes on holiday . Shonkey is just waiting it out ….. and next year, things will all be rosy again for him (maybe ) !

      • Chooky 12.1.1
        4 December 2014 at 8:48 am

        maybe he will take a restock over his holidays in Hawaii and realise things are only going to get worse for him and his reputation….and for the sake of his lovely family bow out gracefully …instead of being pushed out in disgrace over a long period

  13. Jones 13
    3 December 2014 at 8:16 pm

    Go Megan Woods!! Key was in such a hurry to rush through those answers he could barely get the words out of his mouth.

    “…Ede hasn’t actualy worked for me in my capacity as PM for over three years.” Cue sharp intake of breath… we all know that tell by now.

    Key’s grumpy face is looking more like Muldoon by the day.

    • mickysavage 13.1
      3 December 2014 at 8:39 pm

      Megan did really well. The secret is keep your questions direct and simple and listen to the answer.

      If you watch the body language from the clip Megan was in total control and Key looked like he did not want to be there …

      • weka 13.1.1
        3 December 2014 at 9:06 pm

        So good to see Labour doing well 🙂

        Bill English’s face was worth watching too.

        • mickysavage 13.1.1.1
          3 December 2014 at 9:14 pm

          Yep. The body language in the clip is outstanding. Key was stuttering and looking down and he looked really nervous. Megan on the other hand was staring at him and working out what he was saying and how it related to reality.

          Letting Megan quiz him is a really good tactic. She is very competent but is ranked number 13. She has a Phd in New Zealand history and business and community history but the subtext is that if she is embarrassing Key then he is in big trouble because there are at least 12 others who could do the same if not better.

        • adam 13.1.1.2
          3 December 2014 at 9:19 pm

          OH thanks for that Weka, English looks almost depressed.

  14. Andrew Welsh 14
    3 December 2014 at 9:57 pm

    Ironic that The Standard uses an ex tabloid gutter press journo like Andrea Vance, to somehow add credibility to the opinion piece by including her tweets.

    • Anne 14.1
      3 December 2014 at 10:43 pm

      Well, if Andrea Vance is an ex tabloid gutter press journo what does that make Cameron Slater? 😯

    • Murray Rawshark 14.2
      4 December 2014 at 12:22 am

      Is she lying? I don’t think so.

    • Colonial Rawshark 14.3
      4 December 2014 at 12:50 am

      Hey Andrew Welsh, apart from character assassination, do you have anything useful, insightful or factual to add to the discussion?

    • tricle up 14.4
      4 December 2014 at 1:15 am

      Andrew i have no problem with Andrea s reporting i don’t doubt she has the ability to see the wood for the trees . This nonsense goes without merit i think you have created an image and have not discovered anything, free thinkers are to be admired Andrew, meet the natural world and get over it..

      • Jones 14.4.1
        4 December 2014 at 6:52 am

        I get the impression there is a lot more that Andrea would like to say but may be commercially constrained from doing so. She has been one of the more vocal critics of John Key in the msm.

  15. A Voter 15
    3 December 2014 at 11:58 pm

    Why doesnt Key get it
    We all hate unprincipled people in power who are created by their deluded sense that the majority of voters actually still believe in them as being of value to the country

  16. Murray Rawshark 16
    4 December 2014 at 12:27 am

    Key’s tactic of smearing TS at every opportunity will probably get a lot of non readers to have a look. What they’ll see is mostly a group of passionate people arguing their views on how we can make a better country. They’ll see a rebuttal of right wing lies and vigorous political debate that doesn’t exist elsewhere. They’ll also see a few RWNJ underbridge dwellers and a daily hijacking of Open Mike in the interests of veganism.

    I hope most of what we do here is a positive experience for them.

    • Crashcart 16.1
      4 December 2014 at 8:40 am

      There is a hell of a lot of truth to this. I was born and raised in a National voting home. My first few elecetions I voted National. I had fully drunk the cool aid. Then one day after first getting into reading these blog things I was on Kiwiblog there was a link to something on the Standard. I came over and read it.

      The intelligent discussion here was such a stark contrast to the bigotry and racisim you find at Kiwiblog and Wholeoil that I felt embarressed. I wouldn’t say I instantly flopped to the left but as I read more considered and in depth analysis of what is happening in politics in NZ I have definately swapped alegience. To the point where I am that guy at work that people know if they spout off one of those NACT line I will challenge them on the facts of it.

      The more NACT’s, Slater/DPF, and the media mention TS teh better it is for Kiwis.

      • ankerawshark 16.1.1
        4 December 2014 at 9:32 am

        I had become a little apolitical over the years, (busy with career, family, I know no excuse). I guess I thought I knew what was happening in NZ. Then I started reading the Standard. I now don’t trust the msm at all and I know I am getting good intelligent sources of news on this blog site.

        So a big thank you to John Key. Thanks for putting the Standard in the public domain more. Free advertising for us! Marvellous. The one thing he has done for NZ.

  17. dave 17
    4 December 2014 at 6:42 am

    the standard is getting alot of advertiseing from national that can only be good for readers the left needs it own media out let and standard is the closest thing we have i would like to see to expand in the video reports and articals that main stream media wont touch

  18. philj 18
    4 December 2014 at 9:08 am

    Yes. An independent and unbiased media is needed in NZ. The left need to highlight this in the msm. haha

  19. Clemgeopin 19
    4 December 2014 at 9:13 am

    Key has definitely lost people’s trust or respect now. I think more and more people and the MSM are realising what some of us already knew a while back, that he is full of it, cunning, untrustworthy and will end up doing lots of damage to New Zealand. Regarding the question, ‘Is John Key on the skids?’, I will eagerly await the next few media polls.

  20. Manuka AOR 20
    4 December 2014 at 9:22 am

    In that video clip, JK openly admits that Ede “Was working for me” three years ago.

    He does not say, eg, ” working for my office,”
    or ‘Doing some sort of work in the parliament buildings”,
    but “working for me”.

    So, what was Mr Ede’s specified role while “working for JK”?
    What was the reach and what were the limits to that role?
    Is JK “comfortable” with the way in which Mr Ede fulfilled that role?

    One other question: Was Mr Ede working for JK the PM of ALL NZers?
    Or was he working for JK in one of JK’s other roles?
    And if he was working for JK in one of JK’s other roles than PM, was Mr Ede’s “work for JK” being funded by the NZ taxpayer?

  21. sir pat 21
    4 December 2014 at 12:59 pm

    must be said that the govt is looking more and more like that puppet movie……team america…. fuck yeah…….”commander we have destroyed the terrorist” {singular}….oh and Paris…..oops.
    Brownlee can be thunderfart er bird two

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