Key chickens out

Written By: - Date published: 3:22 pm, June 17th, 2009 - 26 comments
Categories: bill english, john key, Parliament - Tags:

chickensmall

What the hell’s going on with John Key’s leadership lately? He’s just chickened out of answering the traditional question from the Leader of the Opposition. He transferred his Prime Minister’s question down to the the Minister of Finance, making the whole thing rather absurd:

Hon PHIL GOFF to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by the statement in his Minister of Finance’s Budget speech that ‘Protecting the most vulnerable is a priority’; if so, why?

Hardly the strong, decisive leadership Key’s been talking up over the last few weeks. English looked very Prime Ministerial answering the question though. Key should be careful who he chickens out to. Unless, of course, he really is just tired of the job.

26 comments on “Key chickens out ”

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  1. Pat 1
    17 June 2009 at 3:29 pm

    If my recall is right, Key had 3 other questions directed to him which he answered (Bradford’s, Hodgson’s and one other). How many questions can be directed to the same person?

    • Ianmac 1.1
      17 June 2009 at 3:33 pm

      Yes Pat but just the easy ones. Significant questions weresidestepped avoided or protected by Brownlee and co. Wonder why?

  2. exbrethren 2
    17 June 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Henny Penny “who’s that bird with the giant beak?”

    Chooky Wooky ” John Kea”

    • Ianmac 2.1
      17 June 2009 at 3:35 pm

      “John Kea! John Kea! Hide! The sky is falling for both of you!”

    • Ag 2.2
      17 June 2009 at 4:11 pm

      Hahaha.. good one…

      Now wait for the Raymond Luxury-Yachts of this world to complain about it.

  3. sonic 3
    17 June 2009 at 3:39 pm

    John cannot do the questions on finance it seems and leaves the hard sums to English.

    It’s an odd thing to say about an alleged Merryl Lynch master of the Universe, but he does seem weak on economics.

    • Jasper 3.1
      17 June 2009 at 3:46 pm

      sonic. welcome. haven’t seen you around here…

      JK was never master of the universe. That’s He Man English.

      Key was demoted. He sucked at his job so got moved to Sydney from London. That says it all really.

      • Scribe 3.1.1
        17 June 2009 at 4:15 pm

        Key was demoted. He sucked at his job so got moved to Sydney from London. That says it all really.

        And Helen sucked at her job, so she got moved from Mt Albert to New York. Oh, hang on…..

    • IrishBill 3.2
      17 June 2009 at 4:41 pm

      There’s a BIG difference between finance and economics.

  4. Redbaiter 4
    17 June 2009 at 4:20 pm

    What a dumb question.

    If I was PM, I wouldn’t have been interested in answering it either.

    • Maynard J 4.1
      17 June 2009 at 4:32 pm

      What do you think of English’s original statement? Must chafe a bit eh, those blue/comm!es?

  5. sonic 5
    17 June 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Wiki is interesting

    In 1995, he joined Merrill Lynch as head of Asian foreign exchange in Singapore. That same year he was promoted to Merrill’s global head of foreign exchange, based in London, where he may have earned around US$2.25 million a year including bonuses, which is about NZ$5 million at 2001 exchange rates.[3][9] Some co-workers called him “the smiling assassin” for maintaining his usual cheerfulness while sacking dozens (some say hundreds) of staff after heavy losses from the 1998 Russian financial crisis.[4][9] He was a member of the Foreign Exchange Committee of the New York Federal Reserve Bank from 1999 to 2001.[10]

    In 2001, on learning of his interest in pursuing a political career, the National Party president John Slater worked actively to recruit him. Former party leader Jenny Shipley describes him as one of the people she “deliberately sought out and put my head on the line either privately or publicly to get them in there”.[4]

  6. Scribe 6
    17 June 2009 at 4:24 pm

    English looked very Prime Ministerial answering the question though. Key should be careful who he chickens out to. Unless, of course, he really is just tired of the job.

    Eddie,

    Were you one of the people suggesting English was going to roll Key within weeks of the election? I know there were people saying that would happen.

    How many months/years will it take before recognising that English wouldn’t have the numbers and therefore this line is past its best-by date?

    Captcha: practically Bunny — 🙂

    • lprent 6.1
      17 June 2009 at 5:26 pm

      We should be guided by the recent history of the right. They really didn’t stop speculating during Helen’s entire tenure as Labour’s leader. Hooten was speculating on Helen’s removal last year.

      Hard to see that Key has any abilities to exceed hers. I always wondered why they moved away from English. He is competent. Key isn’t. I’d say that he is turning out to be quite inadequate.

  7. scotty 7
    17 June 2009 at 5:03 pm

    Its apparent that there is no chance of Key becoming a prime minister of long standing with wide appeal ..Suits might find him engaging,but he comes across as damp sqib,lacking in personality,looking more out of his depth every week, his lack of confidence was palpable at question time.

  8. jarbury 8
    17 June 2009 at 5:27 pm

    It makes for interesting reading Key’s squirming over why he lost confidence in Richard Worth:

    http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/d/2/c/49HansQ_20090617_00000010-10-Dr-Richard-Worth-Confidence.htm

  9. mark m 9
    17 June 2009 at 5:32 pm

    Scotty

    His lack of confidence at question time is probably due to his short period of time in Parliament.
    The fact he is not a career politician is why he is so popular.
    Those of you who are political animals might salivate at every perceived political failing he has , but the majority of people in this country arent political animals and care very little for politics.

    Helen Clarke was not very sharp when she first became leader of the Labour Party and she had spent most of her life in politics.

    • scotty 9.1
      17 June 2009 at 6:38 pm

      chrs mark m,Im no political junkie just a voter who was willing to give Key a fair crack,but hes unconvincing,. his stature as a leader is diminishing by the week.I was home today and checked out parliament tv and he looked embarrassed and weak.I stand by my opinion that he dosen’t have the full set of skills to be long standing Prime minister.

  10. Craig Glen Eden 10
    17 June 2009 at 5:36 pm

    I’m not so sure Scribe, English would not role him in the honey moon period but I don’t know how long English and Power will put up with this Idiot. It must be bloody frustrating watching from the inside.English and Power would be a safer number One and Two. English has not stayed around for fun and he has on a number of occasions been naughty and talked out side of school

    Put it this way my advice to Donkey is don’t leave the country after the end of this year he just might get the National party gold watch on his return.

  11. ghostwhowalks 11
    17 June 2009 at 5:48 pm

    Perhaps hes decided the Governor Generals role is more interesting.

    Totally above politics, no decisions, and can wear his happy face every day, lying cheating ministers can be handled by Brownlee or Joyce.

    Is there a poll coming out over the weekend he knows about that will show his popularity taking a hit. Quick do something in a hurry!!

    The plot is straight out of ‘Lady Windermeres Fan’

  12. Ianmac 12
    17 June 2009 at 5:50 pm

    I wonder if Mr Key’s continuing presence might be to the Opposition’s advantage. Imagine if Mr Worth had stayed on, he would be a constant target. Pity that he is gone.

  13. bilbo 13
    17 June 2009 at 7:20 pm

    When you think about a pack of hens clucking frantically it reminds of this bunch

  14. mike 14
    17 June 2009 at 7:50 pm

    Killer question Phil-in. I bet JK’s glad he ducked that one…. phew!!!

  15. BLiP 15
    17 June 2009 at 11:14 pm

    Yeah – he’s looking a little fed up with the job even though he’s had three family holidays this year and its only June – what was it, six weeks in Hawaii, two weeks in China and now a long weekend in Taupo. Most public servants I know get four weeks per year!

  16. George D 16
    18 June 2009 at 1:03 am

    I object to you using chickens in comparison with Key.

    Chickens are nice things abused by Labour and National and ACT, Key is a not so nice thing abused by Labour and loved by National and ACT.

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