Key a dim bulb

Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, May 17th, 2010 - 42 comments
Categories: International, john key, maori party - Tags: , ,

Well, our PM is now an international laughing stock. Check out this nomination by the San Francisco Examiner (hat tip schrodigerscat):

Dim bulb of the week
John Key

What: The prime Minister of New Zealand made a crass cannibalism joke about an indigenous tribe.

Say what? Key was forced to apologize to the Tuhoe people after a tourism conference in which Key quipped that if he had been eating with the Tuhoe, ‘I would have been the dinner.’

Fallout: The Tuhoes are already at odds with the government over claims on land, and a Tuhoe spokesman says the joke was unbecoming and that relations are getting worse by the day.

Speaking of “getting worse by the day”, Key is sure to be making heaps of new friends by calling Tuhoe liars:

Tuhoe were never promised Te Urewera – Key

Tuhoe were never promised ownership of Te Urewera National Park as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement, Prime Minister John Key said this morning.

Stop being a weasel John. After 18 months of negotiations the deal was all ready to go:

Pens, speeches ready for Tuhoe park deal

Commemorative pens were ready for Tuhoe leaders and Government ministers to sign an agreement in principle before the prime minister dropped a bombshell on the deal last week. Tuhoe chief negotiator Tamati Kruger said somewhere between 20 and 50 of the pens were made by the Crown to mark what was expected to be a celebration last Friday.

Tuhoe had expected to sign an agreement in principle (AIP) over its Treaty of Waitangi settlement claim in a ceremony at Waimana, south of Whakatane. However, last Monday, Prime Minister John Key said the Tuhoe bid for sole ownership of Te Urewera National Park was unacceptable. His announcement put Tuhoe into turmoil and prompted an angry response from the Government’s support partner, the Maori Party.

Mr Kruger said the pens’ existence was proof an AIP was imminent and that the Crown and Tuhoe had agreed on the national park’s return to Tuhoe. They were inscribed: “Tuhoe-Crown Agreement in Principle Waimana 2010.”

Tuhoe are angry at this betrayal, and trying to rewrite history now isn’t going to help. Dim bulb doesn’t even begin to describe the mess that Key is making of this…

42 comments on “Key a dim bulb ”

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  1. HitchensFan 1
    17 May 2010 at 3:34 pm

    Excellent. Let the name stick.

  2. Bright Red 2
    17 May 2010 at 3:44 pm

    oh dear, that’s embarrassing.

  3. Akldnut 3
    17 May 2010 at 4:02 pm

    hehe – not the brightest light in the stardome

  4. rod 4
    17 May 2010 at 4:05 pm

    I’m beginning to feel another Prime Ministerial flip flop coming on.

    • the sprout 4.1
      17 May 2010 at 7:37 pm

      let’s hope he flops right out of the job

      i’d say some of Key’s Cabinet will be beginning to wonder how secure their jobs are going to be under his “leadership”

  5. tc 5
    17 May 2010 at 5:07 pm

    Like the Blackadder episode screened friday where he bemoans going to the annual butler turn as he has to wear the ” stupidest master” hat…..we know how he feels.

  6. Fisiani 6
    17 May 2010 at 5:14 pm

    And his popularity as Prime Minister continues to soar.
    Keep harping on and banging away.
    You are doing a great job.
    Who knows perhaps you can get his approval rating up to 70%

    • Mac1 6.1
      17 May 2010 at 6:02 pm

      Fisiani: “And his popularity continues to soar.”

      Got a poll citation for that or is this your opinion?

    • The Voice of Reason 6.2
      17 May 2010 at 6:06 pm

      I said 18 months ago that Key would stay popular, but his Government wouldn’t. Have a closer look at the polls, pal. 18 more months of this regular slippage in support and Phil Goff will be leading the next Government.

      And before you have a crack at Goff’s approval ratings, have a think about this; Goff will slowly gain approval by under promising and over delivering. The Dim One has done the opposite, breaking most of his election promises and delivering nothing but diversions and division. One term, Fisiana, one term.

      • Lanthanide 6.2.1
        17 May 2010 at 6:25 pm

        I’ve said this elsewhere before, but I can’t help but think National’s “no asset sales in the first term” catchphrase that helped them secure victory in the last election will likewise damper their lustre in the next election.

      • Herodotus 6.2.2
        17 May 2010 at 6:26 pm

        Phil had better get some real policies. In lieu of GST increasing to 15%, giving $1 week to those on under $56K. As people realise the empty tokenism of this guesture which has I think already happened. Supporting protection for landlords with generous tax deductions which some of his supporters are attempting to justify Phils position. For me it is supporting Phil because they disagree with Nat. Not because Phils reasoning is good, just that if he is voicing opposition to Nat then we have to support him, how will Lab progress with this blinded devotion to the casue, who cares if the patient dies, we had his best interest at heart !!!

  7. MikeySmokes 7
    17 May 2010 at 6:24 pm

    Who cares what some poofs in pooftown think about our Prime Minister?

    • MikeG 7.1
      17 May 2010 at 6:30 pm

      Getting ‘straight’ to the point I see MikeyS.

    • The Voice of Reason 7.2
      17 May 2010 at 6:43 pm

      Well, he is the Minister of Tourism, Mikey and the pink dollar is pretty important to that part of our economy. Oh, one other thing … self loathing disguised as homophobia has it’s own site; whale something or other, as I recall.

    • gobsmacked 7.3
      17 May 2010 at 6:56 pm

      Oh dear, MikeySmokes. I know the Minister of Treaty Negotiations isn’t very popular among you National supporters, but that’s a bit over the top.

  8. Tanya 8
    17 May 2010 at 7:08 pm

    Key is not dim, even if he is Left. I got the joke and at least the man has a funny bone. You can’t say anything in NZ anymore, the PCness is ridiculous, and very one way.

    • Zorr 8.1
      17 May 2010 at 7:26 pm

      Joe Blow in a pub making the same joke as our PM did: no issue.

      Our PM making a racially charged joke at a public appearance: we have every right to be pissed.

      Whether we voted for him or not, this man represents our country and I would prefer to not be consistently hanging my head in shame at some of the crap he says. This has nothing to do with “PCness” but everything to do with the kind of intelligence, decency and integrity that should be expected from a person holding the highest office.

    • The Voice of Reason 8.2
      17 May 2010 at 7:29 pm

      We’ve all got the joke, Tanya. We’ve got him for another year and a half. I guess you’re some sort of sad Randian righty if you think he’s left. Centre right is closer to it, though leading a right wing party. And the problem with his ‘joke’ is not whether it was funny, it’s whether it’s appropriate. Clearly not, given the circ’s.

      • Anne 8.2.1
        17 May 2010 at 7:41 pm

        Said The Voice of Reason:
        “We’ve all got the joke, Tanya. We’ve got him for another year and a half.”

        Yes, we all got the joke Tanya. So did the rest of the world and they were gobsmacked at the
        puerility of it… especially coming from our prime minister. Cringe stuff.

    • gobsmacked 8.3
      17 May 2010 at 7:40 pm

      “You can’t say anything in NZ any more”

      He did. You just did. Who can’t?

      Oh, you mean “you can’t say something and be immune from criticism”. Yeah, there is that. Damn freedom of speech, alive and well in New Zealand.

    • Pascal's bookie 8.4
      17 May 2010 at 7:42 pm

      Tanya, the thing that made the joke offensive was the timing. Which is everything in comedy. But I’m not surprised the content didn’t offend you, afterall, ritualistic cannibalism has played a central role in the history of worship for the followers of the dead god on a stick.

    • HitchensFan 8.5
      18 May 2010 at 10:54 am

      der. We all got the *joke*. And funny or not (it wasn’t), the world is laughing at the fact our PRIME MINISTER said it. Got that?

      Nothing to do with PC-ness. If my Dad said it I’d just turn a blind eye and attribute it to his W(h)naganui redneck upbringing.

      But the Prime Minister??? On what possible level could he have thought it was appropriate???

      He’s an effing joke alright. We’re all agreed on that.

  9. fatty 9
    17 May 2010 at 7:08 pm

    MikeySmokes, do you care what 1.3 billion people from the fastest growing economy in the world think of us?
    http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/new-zealand/2010/05/16/256755/New-Zealand.htm

  10. Len 10
    17 May 2010 at 7:26 pm

    Absolute plonker and an embarrassment to us all but even more so those naive enough to have voted for him in the first place.

  11. Jenny 11
    17 May 2010 at 9:05 pm

    What other denigrating stereotypes does John Key think, would make good after dinner jokes?

    Will we be hearing jokes from Key about Chinese eating cats?

    Or jokes about Jewish people being avaricious?

    Or jokes about the Irish being stupid?

    I don’t think so, because John Key is not in conflict with any of these groups.

    John Key is not a dim bulb. According to reports, Key’s comment was scripted. In this case, John Key is making a calculated insult.

    The purpose of making a joke based on any of the above stereotypes is to denigrate and belittle the group the joke is aimed at.

    Key is not dim, he is just plain nasty.

  12. Tanya 12
    17 May 2010 at 9:06 pm

    Yes, but Hone can say what he likes, can’t he? Key is as left as left can be. He might as well lead Labour, if they’d have him. No sense of humour at all, from the left, as usual. Holier than thau.

    • Armchair Critic 12.1
      17 May 2010 at 9:18 pm

      “No sense of humour at all, from the left, as usual.”
      I’ve been wondering whether John Key is the joke. Still waiting for him to deliberately say something funny.

    • The Voice of Reason 12.2
      17 May 2010 at 9:18 pm

      You’re new here, huh? Hone got royally dealt to on this site for his racist comments. And calling Key a lefty just makes you sound so stoopid, Tanya. I liked ‘holier than thau’ though. Is that some sort of Ubermensch joke?

  13. gobsmacked 13
    17 May 2010 at 10:25 pm

    There is now open conflict between Ministers (Turia, Sharples) and Prime Minister.

    http://waatea.blogspot.com/2010/05/bad-faith-act-threatens-treaty-policy.html

    This is by far the worst episode in the relationship, or the government generally. Reason: previous disagreements have been about policy. Everyone agreed what was being done, they just had divergent views on it. “Agree to disagree”.

    But when they can’t even agree what has happened – when there are different versions of the truth itself – then it becomes a question of integrity. Key has essentially said his Ministers have got it wrong (at his post-cabinet press conference today). Turia and Sharples are sticking to their story.

    Something’s gotta give.

    • the pinkpostman 13.1
      18 May 2010 at 3:55 pm

      Well I hope so GS, Surely Tariana Turia will tell Key to stuff his agreement after this latests insult. It would be interesting to hear from the rank and file Maori people .
      I wonder how many of the Maori voters who voted Maori Party have been completely turned off?
      The sad thing about it all is that the Maori Party should have been an assett to Maori and the political Left. A Labour / Maori Party /Greens would have been superb. Hopefully art the next election ?

  14. Ianmac 14
    17 May 2010 at 11:03 pm

    I keep on hearing that it was believed that there was an agreement. Surely there was something in writing? Otherwise what would the flash pens be used for?

  15. Jenny 15
    18 May 2010 at 7:56 am

    The fact that Key was moved to make his crass statement about Tuhoe wanting to eat him, reveals that he must have known that he was in the wrong. Otherwise why would he think that Tuhoe had any reason to be angry with him.

    And that Key rather than Tuhoe are telling porkies here.

  16. Anne 16
    18 May 2010 at 9:47 am

    Precisely Jenny.
    I hope someone will eventually go back through the media and parliamentary records and list every proven lie he has told since he became the leader of the Nats.

  17. James John 17
    18 May 2010 at 10:35 am

    It’s okay to tell the joke in one setting, where the audience you’re telling it to could find humour in it, but then to head off to front a totally different audience in a totally different setting and pull the exact same joke, with a high probability that it would not be taken with the same sense of humour?… has anyone seen my bag of tomatoes?
    what a mess.
    this thing’s either one for the “constituency” post-masterton or the donkey’s had an ass moment.

  18. jen 18
    18 May 2010 at 4:27 pm

    Jenny, I agree that John Key is nasty and probably hardly dim at all. His joke was not in any sense “self deprecating” no matter how many times he says it was

  19. Rodel 19
    19 May 2010 at 10:48 pm

    I think our PM had a Letterman fame flashback- It’s about the same sort of humour one expects from that kind of show.Deprecating but not ‘self ‘deprecating.

    For intelligent humour bring back Dr Michael Cullen.

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