Key not even trying any more

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 am, May 23rd, 2015 - 92 comments
Categories: john key - Tags: , ,

Those pesky knuckleheads:

John Key says levy ‘won’t make a blind bit of difference’ to tourist numbers
…
Asked what the difference was between a tax and a levy, he replied “many”, and when pressed, to “Google it”.

“There’s a lot of technical answers, IRD can give you those answers,” Key said. “I could too, but I’m not going to bother.”

Edit:  Remember this?

National no new taxes

92 comments on “Key not even trying any more ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. CnrJoe 1
    23 May 2015 at 7:59 am

    Hes gonna start yanking hair again – I can just feel it starting again.

    • linda 1.1
      23 May 2015 at 6:06 pm

      Bradbury is alluding to another hair story at a government debt watch this space
      pervkey is going serial

  2. Matthew Hooton 2
    23 May 2015 at 8:28 am

    I think he’s trying air harder than you think. Having taken West Auckland off Labour, he now wants South Auckland. How he speaks with journos over the border tax isn’t relevant to his goals.

    • felix 2.1
      23 May 2015 at 8:41 am

      Do you ever consider that anyone might be talking about anything apart from political strategy?

      • vto 2.2.1
        23 May 2015 at 9:29 am

        That is a great opinion piece (well I think it is great because I completely agree with it).

        And the comments support the opinion piece by reinforcing the very things she says. Just like the right wing’s harassment of Eleanor Catton when she had a go at the exact same ‘feature’ of our society, highlighted by John Key’s character.

        This feature – the nasty right wing who hate the poor – is solidly in place in our society.

        Our society really is very divided imo.

        the
        greedy
        shallow
        ignorant
        selfish
        bastards
        of the right

    • Lanthanide 2.3
      23 May 2015 at 9:22 am

      Pretty sure the PM doesn’t get to pick the aspects of their job that the rest of the country find important. Like answering questions.

      • Matthew Hooton 2.3.1
        23 May 2015 at 11:40 am

        Oh yes he does. And which hat he is wearing.

        • felix 2.3.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 11:44 am

          Matthew.

          Stop and take breath before you say something you’ll spend the rest of the day back-pedalling from

          • weka 2.3.1.1.1
            23 May 2015 at 12:11 pm

            No, what he says makes sense. For National (and Hooton), the person with the most power gets to make the rules. On Planet Key, the PM doesn’t run the country for the country, he runs it for the people who he deems he gets the most benefit from.

            • felix 2.3.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2015 at 12:26 pm

              Yes I think you’re right. Matthew is essentially a feudalist.

              • Once was Tim …
                23 May 2015 at 12:43 pm

                +1 …. that is right up until the time some circumstance puts him in the category of the struggling.
                Then watch him screech like a stuffed pig. No wonder they are all promoting the concept of ‘fear’ and tearusm in all and everything.
                Maybe they ARE feintly conscious of history and the inevitable.

                (Btw …… I’m NOT advocating anything)

                It occurs to me tho’ (for example) that 5yo’s are starting school …. whereas often 3yo’s are quite often still in shitty nappies and bonding with their parent(s).
                There’s not going to be a good outcome from this bujit medium to long term (goan forwid)

    • mickysavage 2.4
      23 May 2015 at 9:24 am

      Last time I checked Matthew West Auckland had 5 out of the 7 electorate MPs covering the area.

      Besides do you think there should be some ethics in politics? If someone makes a promise shouldn’t they keep it?

      • Matthew Hooton 2.4.1
        23 May 2015 at 11:37 am

        Check the party vote results. Only Kelston remains Labour.

        • mickysavage 2.4.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 11:54 am

          New Lynn Labour plus Greens won party vote solidly.

          Te Atatu Labour plus Greens won party vote.

          • felix 2.4.1.1.1
            23 May 2015 at 11:57 am

            Come on micky, you know the Green votes don’t count unless Matthew is trying to scare the horses, at which time they count more than anything in the world.

          • Matthew Hooton 2.4.1.1.2
            23 May 2015 at 12:07 pm

            Under that model, when it’s National 49, Labour 20 and Greens 31 you’ll be saying Labour is doing well.

            And who says the Greens will automatically back Labour, especially after this week?

            • weka 2.4.1.1.2.1
              23 May 2015 at 12:13 pm

              The GP members say. But I’m sure you know that.

              It’s MMP. Labour will never govern alone again. This is good, diversity better reflects represenation, and it devolves power (which I’m sure scares the neoliberals).

            • mickysavage 2.4.1.1.2.2
              23 May 2015 at 12:18 pm

              Under that model, when it’s National 49, Labour 20 and Greens 31 you’ll be saying Labour is doing well.

              Nope I will say that progressives are doing well.

              The sooner that the Greens and Labour reach some sort of accord or understanding the better.

              • Matthew Hooton …
                23 May 2015 at 1:17 pm

                I doubt there will ever be an accord of the sort you advocate. What would the Greens get out of it?

                • Dave …
                  23 May 2015 at 2:09 pm

                  A damn sight more than you would you old weka.

                  • weka …
                    23 May 2015 at 2:34 pm

                    lolz.

                    I can see all sorts of things the Greens would get out of it, but I’m certainly not going to feed that to someone whose day job is to undermine the GP and the left.

          • dukeofurl 2.4.1.1.3
            23 May 2015 at 12:47 pm

            Thats because national has turned its party vote allies into beetles.

            happened as well in UK, the Tories /LP %vote and number of seats dropped after the recent election, yet its a triumph. Helps to have the headline writers on your side.

          • swordfish 2.4.1.1.4
            23 May 2015 at 2:17 pm

            Yeah, Matthew’s been pushing this Labour’s former West Auckland stronghold turns deep Blue meme for a few years, now.

            He knows full well that the Left vote has increasingly fractured over recent Elections, so that the Nats win the individual Party-Vote in West Auckland (though only just) while still trailing well behind the combined Left Bloc vote.

            West Auckland 2014 Party-Vote

            Lab 37.6
            Left Bloc 48.4
            Oppo Bloc 56.4

            Nat 37.7
            Govt Bloc 39.6
            Broad Right Bloc 43.1

            (Note: Left = Lab+Green+IMP, Oppo = Left+NZF, Govt = Nat + ACT + Maori + UF, Broad Right = Govt + Cons.
            Includes Kelston + New Lynn + Te Atatu.
            Excludes Upper Harbour – which mixes part of West Auckland with North Shore suburbs)

      • Tracey 2.4.2
        23 May 2015 at 4:51 pm

        lol@ ignoring the hard question

    • DoublePlusGood 2.5
      23 May 2015 at 9:33 am

      Have you ever been to South Auckland and seen the effects of National government policies? There’s a reason the South Auckland electorates vote Labour.

      • Matthew Hooton 2.5.1
        23 May 2015 at 11:38 am

        Yes. But seeing you know it better than me, what is the reason the National party vote is growing in South Auckland?

        • felix 2.5.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 11:52 am

          Because he’s the best PM ever, and he never lies, and he really cares about the people, and he’s like a tv star, and he’s captain of the all blacks, and he’s really rich, and he’s kind of a pimp who doesn’t give a fuck, and he puts bitches in their place, but he’s also like really nice to everyone, and all he wants is what’s best for all of us, which is whatever he says it is.

          • Matthew Hooton 2.5.1.1.1
            23 May 2015 at 12:04 pm

            Great attitude you have towards voters

            • felix 2.5.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2015 at 12:23 pm

              Oh I’m being facetious.

              You, on the other hand, actually assist in pedaling this bullshit for money.

              • Matthew Hooton …
                23 May 2015 at 1:15 pm

                Ok. So why is National making gains in South Auckland?

                • Tigger …
                  23 May 2015 at 2:23 pm

                  National have absorbed the social conservative vote that in the past went elsewhere.

                • Sacha …
                  23 May 2015 at 2:27 pm

                  Saint Judith, naturally.

                • felix …
                  23 May 2015 at 4:28 pm

                  Fucksake Matthew I explained that above.

                  People vote for stories. Key’s story looks quite good if you aren’t paying much attention to it.

                  Also changing demographics. When you say “South Auckland” people think you mean poor brown people but you and I know better.

                • swordfish …
                  23 May 2015 at 6:06 pm

                  Matthew Hooton “What is the reason the National Party vote is growing in South Auckland ?”…..”Why is National making gains in South Auckland ?”

                  National’s Party-Vote in South Auckland 2008-14 – %

                  2008……………..2011……08-11 Diff………..2014……….11-14 Diff
                  Mangere
                  16.43……………14.36…….– 2.07………………15.66………+ 1.30

                  Manukau East
                  24.19…………….19.61…….– 4.58………………20.29……..+ 0.68

                  Manurewa
                  30.33…………….26.13…….– 4.20………………27.69………+ 1.56

                  Looks to me like a consistent pattern of big Nat fall in 2011 and only a slight Nat bounce back in 2014. The Blue Team’s still down on where they were two Elections ago.

                  • You_Fool …
                    23 May 2015 at 8:08 pm

                    Don’t ruin his story with facts and figures! He had a really good line going there, and now people are pointing out the holes in it and he will get all mad and stuff… i mean really!

                • geoff …
                  23 May 2015 at 8:19 pm

                  Matthew, people take actions which aren’t in their best interests all the time, even when they know those actions aren’t in their best interests.

                  For example, people with drinking problems.

            • emergency mike 2.5.1.1.1.2
              23 May 2015 at 1:06 pm

              “Great attitude you have towards voters”

              So no self-awareness at all then Matthew? You’re a bullshit artist for hire.

              • Tracey …
                23 May 2015 at 4:55 pm

                yup… spend time money and energy pulling the wool over voters eyes and then patronisingly defend them from being called duped.

                you seem to have recovered from your few weeks of almost balanced and compassionate outlook.

                are you taking your libertarian anger over the budget out on the left cos you cant bring yourself to target the real culprits

          • Clemgeopin 2.5.1.1.2
            23 May 2015 at 3:22 pm

            You forgot he loves dirty politics and nice pony tails.

    • Tracey 2.6
      23 May 2015 at 4:48 pm

      makes you wonder why bennett ran from waitakere if they own west auckland.

  3. Facetious 3
    23 May 2015 at 8:41 am

    You have to say the Nats are trying hard, very hard, and succeeding in winning over sectors of the traditional Labour vote. Key and his government deserve credit for that.

    • Paul 3.1
      23 May 2015 at 8:52 am

      It helps to have closed down all media that might question them.

      • Matthew Hooton 3.1.1
        23 May 2015 at 11:45 am

        Which media outlets has the govt closed down?

        • felix 3.1.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 11:54 am

          Outlets?

        • Lanthanide 3.1.1.2
          23 May 2015 at 12:45 pm

          I’m sure the funding freeze they have on Radio NZ, despite it being a fraction of a rounding error on the government’s total spending, is just a coincidence.

          Also there used to be these things called TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7. I seem to recall the government shut them down.

    • Colonial Rawshark 3.2
      23 May 2015 at 8:54 am

      Key and English have outflanked Labour on the Left and let loose with a major artillery barrage. I think the next 2 Roy Morgans will show that the Government is on track for 4 National terms.

      • Facetious 3.2.1
        23 May 2015 at 8:59 am

        Not that many, I hope. If the Nats win in 2017, they are likely to repeat in 2020, so 2023 will definitely be Labour’s turn.

        • DoublePlusGood 3.2.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 9:35 am

          That requires that there is no collapse of the economy at any time in the next five years. Which, given we’re close to 100 billion in debt, dairy prices are tanking, the housing bubble is poppable, and insurance money that’s been propping up the Canterbury economy will dry up, seems pretty damn unlikely.

          • Colonial Rawshark 3.2.1.1.1
            23 May 2015 at 12:26 pm

            If there’s a collapse of the global economy, National will simply run with the rhetoric of being the safe pair of hands after the last GFC and that Labour has an inexperienced leadership team with no economic experience.

            Don’t even have to pay Lynton Crosby for that.

    • Stuart Munro 3.3
      23 May 2015 at 11:21 am

      Borrowing $15 billion a year for tax cuts has exhausted their credit.

      • Matthew Hooton 3.3.1
        23 May 2015 at 11:39 am

        $15b a year for tax cuts? What are you taking about?

        • Stuart Munro 3.3.1.1
          23 May 2015 at 11:45 am

          How much is debt increasing year on year?

          • Matthew Hooton 3.3.1.1.1
            23 May 2015 at 11:46 am

            About $600m this year. Not at all next year (if you believe the forecast)

            • Stuart Munro 3.3.1.1.1.1
              23 May 2015 at 11:52 am

              So where did this $70 billion debt come from – I don’t recall budgets that admitted taking on tens of billions of debt. They’re not just lying about not borrowing surely. And it’s serious – Cullen in a good year only came up with about $2 billion – so 35 years of Cullen or an infinite number of years under English just to pay for the damage he’s done so far.

            • dukeofurl 3.3.1.1.1.2
              23 May 2015 at 12:51 pm

              Wrong: The borrowing isnt just $600m

              2015/16 Domestic Bond Programme Set at $8.0 Billion (21 May 2015)

              From treasury , the people who do the borrowing

              http://www.nzdmo.govt.nz/publications/mediastatements/debtprogramme

              If you look at repayments the nett amount is $6.8 bill, next year its $7 bill
              For a political commentator you really need better sources than those of the pajamas media

            • Lanthanide 3.3.1.1.1.3
              23 May 2015 at 12:52 pm

              “Not at all next year (if you believe the forecast)”

              No, that’s not what the forecast actually says, Hooton.

              Here’s the treasury website: http://www.treasury.govt.nz/budget/forecasts/befu2015/021.htm

              Gross debt is expected to peak at $93.6 billion in 2016/17 after which forecast maturities are expected to exceed new debt being issued, so gross debt begins to decline. Gross debt is forecast to be $83.7 billion in 2018/19 which is equivalent to 29.3% of nominal GDP.

              The government debt is going to keep rising until 2017, even though English and Key are claiming we will be in surplus next year (which of course we won’t), they are still increasing government borrowing.

              • Matthew Hooton …
                23 May 2015 at 1:13 pm

                Thanks for that. Cash-flow v accounting. (And I certainly don’t believe even the accounting surplus forecast. They’ll be in deficit through to the election – they must now figure voters don’t care.)

                • Stuart Munro …
                  23 May 2015 at 1:25 pm

                  In any case this brings us back to an English in a good year deficit of $6 billion. So any talk of tax cuts are the height of irresponsibility – the last ones failed to operate effectively as a stimulus – they almost never do. (Krugman has a good explanation here http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/15/the-economics-of-high-end-tax-cuts/)

                  This being so the voices of fiscal responsibility on the right ought to be all over English like Key on a ponytailed waitress. Oddly however, they’re quiet.

                • Lanthanide …
                  23 May 2015 at 1:27 pm

                  When English posts his deficit next year, he will be the first FM to post 8 in a row.

                  Weren’t they saying something about a “decade of deficits” back in 2008? Seems like they’ve delivered.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    23 May 2015 at 1:31 pm

                    Assuming he evades the slings and arrows of outraged constituents that long.

                • linda …
                  23 May 2015 at 6:10 pm

                  they will care all right when the repo man (kravites brown and roberts)arrives when they cant pay it back

            • Tracey 3.3.1.1.1.4
              23 May 2015 at 4:57 pm

              so when did we stop paying interest on the borrowings?

    • BevanJS 3.4
      23 May 2015 at 12:20 pm

      No they bloody don’t!

  4. RedLogix 4
    23 May 2015 at 9:29 am

    CV is right. John Key will remain PM just as long as he can be bothered.

    This talking down to the media increases his popularity.

    • vto 4.1
      23 May 2015 at 9:30 am

      Talking down to media never lasts though mr red…. it is like the last sugar rush before collapse

      • Colonial Rawshark 4.1.1
        23 May 2015 at 10:01 pm

        That’s what they reckoned before the last election when he was taking the piss out of the Snowden stuff and also after he got the police to raid TV3 for the teapot stuff

  5. ianmac 5
    23 May 2015 at 9:40 am

    Many feel helpless when confronted with adversity. Either as the victim or the observer. Somehow John Campbell allowed us, just for a brief moment, to feel that someone was listening and for the observers we could contribute a little empathy and maybe a few dollars.
    I cannot think of any other TV program that can fill this space.

  6. Stephanie Rodgers 6
    23 May 2015 at 10:23 am

    I swear I linked to this just the other day in Open Mike – Clarke & Dawe on the use of English in Australia (and, clearly, New Zealand):
    https://youtu.be/lQoT9xXRXtY

  7. ianmac 7
    23 May 2015 at 10:30 am

    Stephanie! How timely is that. So true. Mr Key would get away with renaming a rose as a spade, if it suited him.

    • Hateatea 7.1
      23 May 2015 at 1:24 pm

      So true, sadly of our language torturers too.

      Please come home John Clarke. Our Prime Minister and Minister of Finance need this clarification as well.

  8. SteveW 8
    23 May 2015 at 12:26 pm

    Key is probably right about the travel tax. The amount is so small you can barely buy lunch at the airport with it.

    • dukeofurl 8.1
      23 May 2015 at 12:56 pm

      The provisional tax bailout for dairy farmers will come later in the year

    • Lanthanide 8.2
      23 May 2015 at 1:00 pm

      He is right, demand for travel is sufficient that this small increase in price will make no real difference.

      It’s called the “price elasticity of demand”, in this case international travel is fairly inelastic to small price shifts.

      I think user-pays rather than direct taxation isn’t a terrible way of paying for the border protection anyway, particularly as it will be foreigners footing a lot of the bill and really they’re the ones that are more risky than the average NZ citizen (who generally has some understanding of our laws and economy). If anything I would have reduced the levy for NZ passport holders, although that might be difficult for the airlines to administer.

      • dukeofurl 8.2.1
        23 May 2015 at 1:32 pm

        I suppose they have to make up for the money lost by going back to 10 year passports

  9. SMILIN 9
    23 May 2015 at 1:01 pm

    Key is trying very fuckin tryin for any sane person who has the ability to see thru nationals destruction of Leftist politics and the benefits from the tenure of Helen Clark’s govt to the only logical solution
    Vote For a Better future Thru Labour or
    Rather be Red than Dead
    Or straight up FUCK U KEY u thief
    Your are certainly not a comedian
    Why the hell is money always so important because thats all Key really knows
    Get someone with a broader consciousness

  10. Reddelusion 10
    23 May 2015 at 1:09 pm

    Good week for national, pretty much outflanked left on every agenda. me think it’s all over for labour, hence why jk doesn’t care about an irrelevant, intellectually bankrupt and incredibly stupid ( even by left standards) opposition

    [lprent: If you are going to troll then do so with some originality and dignity. Recycling idiotic banalities from 2008 is just boring – even from a conservative. ]

  11. Tigger 11
    23 May 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Why is Hooten so rabid on this thread? National must be paying this troll today.

  12. Clemgeopin 12
    23 May 2015 at 9:58 pm

    The Budget. A kiss and a kick. My #cartoon today @PressNewsroom #nzpol #childpoverty #parenthood pic.twitter.com/vzt7EDo0US— Sharon Murdoch (@domesticanimal) May 22, 2015