John Key’s legacy of lies

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, March 22nd, 2017 - 25 comments
Categories: brand key, john key - Tags: ,

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And so it ends – the parliamentary career of the most dishonest Prime Minister New Zealand has ever had. That is John Key’s legacy.

John Key’s lying started long before he entered politics; it just never stopped. The responsibility of being elected to represent New Zealanders, attempting to dignify the privilege of leadership, or even portraying the characteristics required to be accurately described as “honourable” were beyond John Key. Rather, for him, politics and the nurturing of a healthy society was just the same as running a business: keep the shareholders happy, put the boot into the workers, and fleece the punters. Its hardly surprising that since John Key’s premiership New Zealand citizens are now openly referred to as “customers” by National Ltd™ MPs, especially by Key’s replacement, Blinglish.

How John Key was able to serve as Prime Minister for as long as he did defies logic. It seems to come down to the simple fact that most voters, regardless of any evidence to the contrary, actually trusted him to do a good job. That trust was fabricated by a sophisticated, perpetual, orchestrated litany of lies. A sad aspect of that conclusion is the role played by the MSM as an enabler. It wasn’t until the last few months of John Key’s premiership that any serious examination in the MSM was made of how New Zealand, and indeed the world, has now entered a post-truth epoch. Even then, local “journalists” were parroting overseas reports despite having a major vanguard for it right before their very eyes.

Its not like the MSM didn’t have plenty of early warning. A prominent feature of John Key’s lying is that when he’s in trouble, the lies appear in clusters. What might have started as a silly brain-fart gets challenged so, in typical sociopathic CEO behaviour (cf: Donald Trump), John Key doubles down.

Here’s an example going back to 2011 which probably started with a brain-fart but ended with what is perhaps John Key’s most despicable lie . . .

. . . see that last one? Guess what John Key claimed he was so upset about – the death of a New Zealand soldier serving in Afghanistan. This from a Prime Minister who subsequently failed to attend the funeral of another New Zealand soldier so he could have a “family holiday”. (In fact, the real reason John Key shot through on his contrived holiday was to avoid a significant piece of fall-out from his malfeasance around the GCSB matters.)

Given Nicky Hager’s latest revelations concerning John Key’s complicity in a war crime, that last lie of that particular cluster, if at all possible, becomes even more repugnant. Its also abundantly apparent now that more John Key lies will be exposed as time goes on. Such is his legacy.

 

 

25 comments on “John Key’s legacy of lies ”

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  1. Keith 1
    22 March 2017 at 9:11 am

    I realise the BMW issue is just a small example of many but you could add to that intrigue of blatant lying denials regarding the BMW’s a golden example of how Nationals donors enhance and in that case enhanced their chances of feathering their own nests by entering into a shadowy business relationship with the party. And I suggest, to this day that is how you win contracts with this integrity-less National government!

    Back then long time BMW dealer Bob McMillan was found to have donated $50K to National in 2010, that obviously is one we know of. And fuck me if BMW didn’t win the sweepstakes after that. Yes the donation connection was denied but really, are we all dumb fuck village idiots? Maybe we are!

    https://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/tag/national/

    And Frank backs it up with references from various sources.

    • dukeofurl 1.1
      22 March 2017 at 12:26 pm

      That ‘donation’ from the BMW dealer was far more interesting. he was what the Americans call a ‘bundler’, someone who gets well wishers together and solicits donations which are then grouped together under the bundlers name.
      The restaurateur Tony Astle in Parnell did the same thing. Likely others are doing the same, especially if its a smallish company with a large donation
      eg
      New Zealand National Party $32,000
      14 February 2017 M.F. Management Ltd
      Level 4, 4 Graham Street
      Auckland
      New Zealand National Party $40,000
      18 November 2016 Transaction Services Limited
      Level 20, 188 Quay Street
      Auckland
      New Zealand National Party $41,945
      7 November 2016
      Stoneyridge Vineyard
      80 Onetangi Road
      Waiheke Island

      or if you go back a way
      New Zealand National Party $50,000
      5 September 2014
      ALPHA Laboratories (NZ) Limited
      48 Crooks Road
      This would be an Exclusive Brethren bundler

      Conversely , when the Hamilton based Days gave $500K and $750k to Colin Craigs party before the last election. Colin Craig had to be destroyed as they were considered to be donors for Act/National.

      • Keith 1.1.1
        22 March 2017 at 12:54 pm

        Nice list.

        Obviously none of these “organisations” are wanting to better democracy now are they? Rather their donations of which I am sure there are many repeats, are intended to buy favours. The National Party is for sale and their donors know it. And if those favours are not returned then their connections will hear about how National failed to deliver. That is bad for business all round.

        Thing is business can buy those favours from the NZ Government and have clout, us individuals do not. This collegiate approach to daily life is all good and well when it’s business but when its labour organising itself into a similar collective that is very bad. Its all about flexibility and individualism then.

        Could the homeless have a whip around and pay off the National Party to do something about social housing or tenancy laws or rent prices, or the good people of Kaikohe whack a large deposit in the local Nat bank account to curry favour with the relevant minster so they can have some/any police for their area? In both cases the answer would be no, because quite simply, donations aside there is no quid pro quo money making ventures for the National Party and its MP’s and close associate’s.

        No wonder National were so vehemently opposed to any form of transparency for party donations during the last years of the last Labour government.

  2. mickysavage 2
    22 March 2017 at 10:03 am

    Welcome back BLiP!

    I thought of you when I heard Key give this interview last night.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/327144/key-bows-out-with-no-regrets

    He was at his evasive best and included a couple of real doozies about how he might give some of his ongoing annuity to charity and he also never used the cars and I thought WTF?

    • tc 2.1
      22 March 2017 at 10:50 am

      Diffusion and deflection mickey.

      The opposition needs to stick to the big ticket items like housing, health, education, water, power prices etc.

      Let what remains of jornalism in the msm pursue this to recover whats left of its shredded reputation as its not the only skeleton in shonkys cabinet.

  3. Cynical jester 3
    22 March 2017 at 10:48 am

    As a political comic i sometimes miss him because he was my favorite punching bag and so many good jokes are now useless.

    However, I have thought for a long time that there were many similarities between key and trump especially with the lying they both get angry agitated and make up nonsense about their oponents.

    Lets not forget journalists who didn’t paint lovely pictures of key were called “silly, conspiracy theorists, trying to get ratings, or leftys” some he wouldn’t do interviews with and some he’d even use his connections to get rid of there’s a lot of similarities.

    • tc 3.1
      22 March 2017 at 10:55 am

      Brownlee, smith, bridges, guy and woodhouse alone provide ample material.

      Shonky hogged the stage but the lesser lights, and I mean dim, supply plenty of comedy gold.

      You just have to look harder as the hollowmen are well aware how idiotic they come across so they keep them off the stage if possible.

    • BLiP 3.2
      22 March 2017 at 11:00 am

      ‘

      Yeah, I noticed the similarity between John Key and Donald Trump during the US election. Its almost as if the Crosby/Textor types used John Key as a test run to both measure how much dishonesty a society and its MSM can tolerate and how important it is that the candidate be framed as a business success and political outsider. After the John Key Experiment we now know the answer: lots and lots. Another lesson that seems to have been learned is the need to undermine the MSM, although it has been doing a good job of that all on its own. The calculated flooding of social media with fake news seems to be the MSM’s coup de grâce.

      • Cynical jester 3.2.1
        22 March 2017 at 6:37 pm

        Agreed, undermining the media is essential to these pathological liars and have a few cronies in there who will always take your side and almist exclusively deal with them.

        National aren’t above the racist sexist politics either, Don Brash and Early Key had “ditch the bitch” and crazed torys screaming at helen homophobia during the debates.

        I’ve been rereading the hollow men fascinating to read now.

  4. Adrian Thornton 4
    22 March 2017 at 11:33 am

    Good article here, I completely agree that MSM media has been negligent in it’s reportage on Key.
    Although it cuts both ways, National radio has actually been having Brent Budowsky from The Hill (outed by Wiki as being in the bag for Clinton) on to talk about Trump and the media.
    http://magafeed.com/wikileaks-15-john-podesta-on-brent-budowsky-to-you-only-brent-budowsky-leftie-with-no-following/
    It must also be remembered that our dysfunctional MSM is only on par with nearly all so liberal MSM like The Guardian, The Observer The New York Times, The Washington Post etc who have shown over the previous 12 months that they would rather have an extreme Right wing neo liberal project in power than give any sort of progressive agenda even a little air to breath it’s ideas.

    I guess after so completely exposing themselves as being staunch defenders for the neo liberal status quo ;re Sanders and Corbyn, they now have as much to lose as the humiliated, redundant and now toothless establishment Democrats.

    Yes the sooner citizens on the progressive Left fully realize that these ‘Liberal’ news sources are the Trojan horse that divides us, the sooner we can organize together to break the strangle hold of this Neo Liberal train wreck.

    The editors of The Guardian and these other Liberal MSM sources are a more dangerous enemy and do more damage to The Left than any Right wing politician.

    • Once was Tim now no longer 4.1
      22 March 2017 at 1:50 pm

      “Good article here, I completely agree that MSM media has been negligent in it’s reportage on Key.”
      Of course it has. I get the feeling though that a few of the neo-liberal bag-ladies and gents in what was once a 4th Estate are beginning to realise they’ve been sprung, and are now worrying about their future and credibility.
      (Not that she’s a bag lady), but I suspect even Kathryn Ryan is beginning to question the coolaid, and is beginning to think about alternatives to TINA.
      RNZ been under constant threat, and not just because of under-funding.
      And many of our actual journalists find themselves constantly battling against the tide, whether they’re part of the +hr=E bullshit empire, or part of what Ralston constantly used to refer to as ‘State TV’ (right up until the time it began to feed him). Funnily enough, Ralston is now parading himself on the RNZ The Wireless website as a voice of experience.
      You mention Brownlee, smith, bridges, guy and woodhouse – in the political sphere. Not exactly the Brains of Britain – despite Smith’s opinion of himself. (Actually Smith’s mouthing the other day: “I did them the courtesy of [hosting] them in my office” shows just what he thinks of himself, forgetting that he is actually an elected representative).
      There are a similar number in the msm (as opposed to the 4th Estate). Some of them have their little protoges as well. Garners Gowers O’Briens – and lets not even start on bizz ‘journalists’

      • Once was Tim now no longer 4.1.1
        22 March 2017 at 3:46 pm

        Actually, I just read Ralston on ‘The Wireless’ reminiscing.
        “I asked [Canwest CEO Izzy Asper] what he was going to do for news and current affairs. He said “you just fill the bits of black between the ads”. He didn’t have a great commitment to quality programming.”
        Very true Bill, and you’ve been doing it ever since. (filling the bits of black)

        • Adrian Thornton 4.1.1.1
          22 March 2017 at 3:58 pm

          Yes MSM seem to be doing an amazing job of making itself more redundant with each passing day.

          • Once was Tim now no longer 4.1.1.1.1
            22 March 2017 at 4:39 pm

            Indeed. Ralston could become the new (improved) pok face of the ‘Goodnight Kiwi’ – half way up a KauKau microwave dish hopping into bed in fuzzy wuzzy warmth, when even all those infomercials become totally irrelevant and the government’s ‘dividend’ diminishes further.
            He’d even could have a Fran Wilde and one or two others on board in the dish – just to prove he’s really a fun sorta guy.
            Christ! at a pinch – even Brian and Jude might swing by for a visit

  5. Tracey 5
    22 March 2017 at 1:24 pm

    Is this book the facilitator of Key stepping down? I mean Key would know what Hager was doing after all his work was taken in the police raid, wouldnt he? But why would this break down the 50% love affair with him?

    • adam 5.1
      22 March 2017 at 2:32 pm

      Name a suburb in Auckland you can walk without seeing homeless and beggars. Look at the empty food banks, listen to what real people are saying.

      I was on the train the other night, and having a conversation with my partner about the lie of inflation, then people jumped into the conversation with examples. Food size packages being the one that was most common. I was shocked that people would just join in. Happy, but shocked, normally you can hear a pin drop on our trains.

      Also debt is gone beyond crazy for most people. The overwhelming majority of poor are working poor. The majority of the people I’m directing to food banks are working two jobs (both of which pay piss poor wages).

      The wheels are coming off, trump may have been a good thing for NZ. Because key looks like trump. Key acted like trump. Key kept a failed economic model rolling on, and it has stopped working for the majority, and is working for fewer and fewer members of this society.

      Oh and middle class white kids have woken up to the fact they ant going to be middle class for much longer.

      • Keith 5.1.1
        22 March 2017 at 3:00 pm

        If we are to accept the latest poll 47% of National voters + ACT + Dunne + The Maori Party do not care less. That voting block have not budged despite the inreasingly obvious damage caused by those parties attitude to running this country.

        The left have that sobering thought to contend with.

        • adam 5.1.1.1
          22 March 2017 at 3:30 pm

          Not at all. We vote out governments, we don’t elect them. People realize this, national are done.

          Using polls as propaganda Keith won’t wash with me, espically when you add the whole concern troll tag. You’d think we ant seen it before. Try something new, because it is as tired, as it is lame.

          • Keith 5.1.1.1.1
            22 March 2017 at 4:20 pm

            Read all my comments, I have no time for this government.

            The poll might be correct, that’s what I’m saying. Then what?

            3 elections the polls have been accurate. But saying I’m happy about it, I’m not. So if this poll is correct what do we do?

            I despair at the short sighted voters in NZ as much as I despair at those who won’t vote. What will it take to change their minds?

            • adam 5.1.1.1.1.1
              22 March 2017 at 5:09 pm

              A social democrat party might just do it.

              But we don’t have any of those so I’m not sure.

        • Adrian Thornton 5.1.1.2
          22 March 2017 at 3:48 pm

          Yeh well as I said at the Clive Labour meeting with Little etc, until Labour can have the courage to uncouple itself from the centre ( and it’s neo liberal past) and thus allow itself the freedom to form policies that directly appeal to workers, renters the disenfranchised etc they are going to go pretty much nowhere, sharing the same fate of most centrist ‘left’ parties in the western left..humiliating oblivion.

          I mean if Little had the courage to be the leader NZ is waiting for, the person who actually comes out and says what everybody instinctively knows, NZ is living in a unsustainable fantasy, AKL housing being the flashing beacon of this truth, and that he was the leader with a party that had the long term vision to see the country pass through this looming disaster, then he could free himself from the centre, and would probably still retain 25-30% of the votes from that demographic… then double down hard on the the missing million, students renters minimum wage workers etc pick up 15-20% there…suddenly a Labour Party with an actual mandate from the people…..ah the stuff of dreams.

          But no the strategists of the Labour are as inept as the polls plainly show.

          But then again Labour is bound by it’s neo liberal economic underpinnings, so I guess I am being a bit harsh on the strategists, they can only work with what they have got, which don’t seem to be that much.

          Too bad because, after meeting Little and having a robust discussion, I came away thinking he is a pretty authentic guy..but in the politics of progressive change it is only action that count…words are cheap.

  6. bwaghorn 6
    22 March 2017 at 2:22 pm

    Did you ad , ”my leaving has nothing to do with a coming scandal ”

  7. adam 7
    22 March 2017 at 2:41 pm

    I think the lie that will be remembered about key the most. The lie about inflation. That is what people will remember. That the government lied about inflation.

    People are not stupid, they know small packages (weights) for goods at the same price, is inflation. They know fruit and vegetables are way more expensive than 9 years ago. They get that house prices are inflation, they also understand that wages have been stagnant whilst this has been going on.

    They might not be able to get their heads around how the policy of austerity works to fleece them, so the rich can parasitically feed their greed. But I think most people are slowly getting that the economic system is deeply flawed.

  8. Glenn 8
    22 March 2017 at 4:07 pm

    John Key fades away as legacy begins to harden.

    Opinion – John Key remained a popular prime minister by never committing to anything, but leaves behind a backlog of neglect and deferred decisions, writes Finlay Macdonald.

    “Unfortunately, his instinct for slow (or no) change – which we should also concede frustrated the far right as much as the left, though for different reasons – has bequeathed a backlog of neglect and deferred decisions. From housing to water quality, there’s a sense that not even Key could have smiled his way successfully through the next political cycle.”

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/327190/john-key-fades-away,-as-legacy-begins-to-harden

    RNZ has a couple of articles today about flawed neo-liberalism and inequality.