John “Parselmouth” Key

Written By: - Date published: 4:42 pm, October 4th, 2007 - 9 comments
Categories: john key - Tags:

slytherin_low.jpgJohn Key’s new line is that he was answering a different question to the one everyone heard him asked on RNZ yesterday.

Three times in this latest bFM interview Key claims that he was answering a question on the invasion.

This is his new line and boy can he stick to the script. This whole interview bears a striking resemblence to the 2005 Duncan Garner interview with Brash over the war in Iraq. Perhaps we’re seeing more of Murray McCully’s dark arts?

HAVOC: Um, and what a morning for you John. What on earth were you saying, what on earth were you thinking with you, with your “frankly the war in Iraq is over”.

KEY: Oh well I was never suggesting that there isn’t a conflict and it’s not ongoing. I was asked a question specifically about the invasion.

HAVOC: Well I thought it was more to do with the um the fact that Iraq was not mentioned in your ah, in your discussion document.

KEY: Yeah the question was in relation to the invasion though…

HAVOC: Surely, surely having spent that much time doing, doing well with those people and especially in Washington and the, the US New Zealand partnership forum that sort of thing you must have, you must be well aware of the absolute gaffe that you’ve made with this about the Iraq thing.

KEY: No, the ah, you know, the position’s quite clear. I was asked a specific question in relation to the invasion – I answered it.

For the record, here’s what he was actually asked:

PRESENTER: You say National will seek an early opportunity to move the US bilateral relationship forward on areas of common interest. Do I take it then you didn’t mention Iraq because that’s not an area where we’ve got common interest.

KEY: We certainly don’t have a common interest in Iraq and um I mean frankly ah, you know, the war in Iraq is, is over. I mean the war was over in a very short period of time. You’ve now got a situation where the main coalition forces are looking to withdraw their efforts out of Iraq and they’ve made it clear as an incoming National government and as future Prime Minister of New Zealand I would not commit troops to Iraq.

John Key. Disingenuous? Slippery with the truth? Deaf? You decide.

9 comments on “John “Parselmouth” Key ”

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  1. gobsmacked 1
    4 October 2007 at 5:01 pm

    If the political reporters have any brains, they would now ask John Key two questions (and just to be helpful, because he does get confused, they could even let him go away and think about it, and give his answer in a statement later):

    1. On what date did the war (conventional war, invasion, whatever) end?

    2. On what date did National’s support for the war (invasion, whatever) end?

  2. ahod 2
    4 October 2007 at 10:56 pm

    I’ve got no problem with believing that he’s answering a different question. Every interview I see him in he is never able to give a straight answer to the posed question. So his admitting this is a huge step in his ‘coming out’ to the nation. Now we can finally see him for what he is; a smiling liar who wouldn’t last a day as Prime Minister. Especially since he can’t handle being the leader of the Opposition!

  3. emmess 3
    5 October 2007 at 10:05 pm

    The only ones being disengious are you lefties
    You know very well what he meant
    Either that or your completely thick
    But it nothing new I suppose given the crap that roll out of the mouth of the PM that we are expected to swallow

  4. Pascal 4
    6 October 2007 at 12:20 pm

    Let me check this quickly, please.

    The war in Iraq is over. If it is, John Key’s comments were correct.

    If it is not, Helen Clark has sent New Zealand troops into the ongoing war in Iraq.

    Which one of the two is it?

    To me it seems fairly evident that John Key was referring to the invasion and initial subjugation of Iraq. He was not referring to the subsequent reconstruction and (poor) management of security with insurrection.

    In that light, again, he is correct. If you do say that the war is ongoing, then the Prime Minister is responsible for sending our soldiers into Iraq. An act which I am sure you will join me in condemning and requesting that Helen Clark immediately withdraw them.

    No?

  5. all_your_base 5
    6 October 2007 at 5:49 pm

    This shouldn’t be allowed to degenerate into a war of semantics. What Key said was deeply disrespectful of the ongoing suffering in Iraq and deeply ignorant of the reality of the situation there. Regardless of what he now thinks he may have meant he should apologise – before his comments become any more of an international embarrassment.

  6. ziuzou 6
    6 October 2007 at 10:45 pm

    Semantics aside, Key has unveiled an unsavoury aspect of his political judgement. He has proven that he in complete denial of how NZ and/or the world really exists. His comments are not flippant, they are a result of his lazy and insensitive thinking.

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