Key plays the April fool

Written By: - Date published: 5:17 pm, April 1st, 2009 - 30 comments
Categories: john key - Tags: , ,

Someone’s set up a swag of fake Twitter accounts under the names of Labour MPs. Apparently Labour came across these on Monday at the latest and wrote to Twitter telling them the accounts were fake.

But no-one, including his staff, told John Key the tweets were obvious forgeries.

So he jumped up in Parliament today and tried to table one of these fake tweets supposedly from David Cunliffe. Only to end up looking a fool when Cunliffe showed the letter from Monday to Twitter.

Good on you Key’s staff. Using Twitter you’ve made Key look a total twit.

[update: the exchange in parliament is here. the fake twitter is here. It’s one of five set up at the same time and then ‘discovered’ a few days later by the minor Nat blogger who obviously created them]

30 comments on “Key plays the April fool ”

  1. BLiP 1

    Hehehehe – excellent! Best news all week. And this is the master mind behind New Zealand’s broadband expansion!! Mind you, did we need more evidence that John Key is a twit?

  2. gingercrush 2

    But that isn’t what happened. It was clear they were fake and the reason Goff basically threatened disorder at the Speaker was because Key blatantly referenced untrue statements made by Cunliffe in regards to Goff’s leadership.. That is what caused such commotion and its why in the end Cunliffe had to make a personal statement.

  3. Quoth the Raven 3

    Cunliffe said in general debate the fake accounts were set up by a right wing blogger. Any guesses? Cameron Slater possibly?

  4. George Darroch 4

    What kind of stupid fakery was it?

  5. Treb 5

    Do you think we’re thick Inventory2?

    The fact that the twitters were all set up at the same time and you ‘stumbled on them’ days later is such a give away. In future what you want to do is wait a month and then tip off friendly blog. one people actually read. then your publicity source has plausible deniablity.

    amatuer.

    • Believe what you want Treb – I would love to be able to claim the credit for this, but alas, t’wasn’t me. I kinda wish it had been. As I said in my first post on the matter, all these accounts popped up after Labour’s trip to the West Coast. And I didn’t “stumble on them” – as I blogged, I got an e-mail from Twitter saying that Cosgrove was following me – flippin’ heck – I’m not used to that kind of attention! Of course I was curious, and after going to Cosgroves so-called profile, within 30 seconds I’d found a whole lot more based on who he was following, and who was following him. It was hardly rocket science!

      As for your first question – I couldn’t possibly comment 😉

      PS “amatuer” is actually spent amateur

  6. Treb 6

    That’s how its “spent” eh 🙂

    Why would Cosgrove be following you?

    Doesn’t stack up.

    • I dunno Treb – but I was flattered! What would YOU do if an e-mail like this just arrived, unsolicited in your in-box?

      “Hi, Inventory2 (Inventory2).

      Ccosgrove (ccosgrovemp) is now following your updates on Twitter.

      Check out Ccosgrove’s profile here:
      http://twitter.com/ccosgrovemp

      You may follow Ccosgrove as well by clicking on the “follow” button.
      Best,
      Twitter”

      Me, I went looking

  7. Daveo 7

    That’s possible, but not really plausible. There are far easier ways to get a fake twitter account noticed than signing it up to some nobody blogger’s feed and hoping he does a post on it. Your story simply doesn’t stack up.

    What seems more likely to me is you thought you’d play a trick on them but you got too clever. Now that it’s blown back in your face and you’ve made a right pillock out of Key you’re desperately denying all involvement. Unfortunately you’re not convincing anyone.

  8. PaulL 8

    Nice conspiracy theory guys, but I don’t buy it. Sure, somebody probably set them up and thought they were funny. Sure, somebody decided to set them up as following some of the various blogs, probably hoping that someone would notice their joke.

    Disbelieve Inventory if you want, no skin of my nose. But I don’t see what you think he’d gain from doing that himself.

    Will you all be on here apologising to Inventory when someone works out the real culprit? Or will you bluster and blow about how your position was reasonable? Go on, if you’re so sure, make a promise to apologise if you’re wrong.

  9. lprent 9

    I don’t buy it either. It really isn’t I2’s style. However since he seems to have a number of people following him, I suspect that he was meant to be the patsy.

    Who did it? Who cares who set them up. Twitter will probably supply the IP(‘s) and time involved if requested. But it gets a bit pointless. Essentially the systems are completely open and it can be reproduced at will.

    To raise this type of obvious identity hijacking in parliament deliberately is too stupid for words (which is what gingercrush suggested). I think that the simpler hypothesis that John Key didn’t know is far more likely.

    What was more interesting than who did them was that John Key was idiotic enough to treat them as the genuine article. Don’t his staff have any brains? Is he surrounded by incompetents (his staff, not the cabinet who obviously are)? If so then someone shows poor judgment in selecting them.

    • Thanks Lynn – you’re right. Even though I blog under a pseudonym (for genuine reasons – to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, an in-vogue phrase at the moment), I try to be honest and open about my views and opinions. Falsifying documents and identities (other than my own psuedonym) isn’t my style, for many reasons.

      Anyway, this little cameo-drama brightened up my day no end 🙂

  10. PaulL 10

    Why would John Key care if they’re real or not? Either way it provided a bunch of amusement at Labour’s expense. It was never going to be all that exciting anyway. Next you’ll tell me you cared whether the quote from Key about reducing incomes was true – we know and you know it was either a misspeak or a misquote, but didn’t stop you replaying it over and over. You can hardly come over the virgin now.

    • mj 10.1

      ‘why would John Key care if they were real or not?’ – wow low expectations from the man, eh?

      were you one of the ones coming up with crazy theories about how the secret tapes weren’t real?

  11. gingercrush 11

    I think I’m having an April Fools hangover because every website I’m currently on is in crazy mode and I seriously can’t decipher what is April Fools and what isn’t. As it is very evident Key knew all along the twitter pages were fake.

    • Tigger 11.1

      Okay, so he’s not a doofus, he’s a jokester – we’re in the middle of an economic meltdown and Key thinks it’s fine to waste Parliament’s time with joke Twitters?

      Honestly, he’s already presiding over a government of buffoons…no need to add insult to injury.

  12. lyndon 12

    Know wouldn’t be much of a defence (and listening it didn’t occur to me that it might have been the case anyway). If Key knew they were fake, and tried to table “David Cunliffe’s Twitter statement”
    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0904/S00030.htm#twitter
    that would be misleading the house.

    And I thought according to international rules, if you try it after noon, then you are the fool.

  13. infused 13

    Twitter is crap full stop.

  14. Watch as kiwiblog desperately tries to claim labour looks stupid for this…

  15. What is all the fuss about? Just a bit of harmless fun I would have thought. And I bet Keeping Stock is quaffing champers tonight with the surge in hits on his blog.

    • Inventory2 15.1

      …burp….

      But I see I’m still being held as the guilty party BB -, except by lprent

      Pass the bubbles please …

      …hic…

  16. And they are twittering up a storm tonight apparently

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • Ruakākā recreation centre opened

    A new multi-purpose recreation centre will provide a valuable wellbeing hub for residents and visitors to Ruakākā in Northland, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Ruakākā Recreation Centre, officially opened today, includes separate areas for a gymnasium, a community health space and meeting rooms made possible with support of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Extra Government support for farmers and growers in Southland and parts of Otago

    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, and Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced up to $50,000 in additional Government support for farmers and growers across Southland and parts of Otago as challenging spring weather conditions have been classified a medium-scale adverse event. “The relentless wet weather has been tough on farmers and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government welcomes move to delay EU Deforestation Regulation

    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today welcomed a move by the European Commission to delay the implementation of the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by 12 months, describing the proposal as a pragmatic step that will provide much-needed certainty for New Zealand exporters and ensure over $200 million in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Response to Ministerial Inquiry into School Property

    The Government is taking decisive action in response to the Ministerial Inquiry into School Property, which concludes the way school property is delivered is not fit for purpose. “The school property portfolio is worth $30 billion, and it’s critically important it’s managed properly. This Government is taking a series of immediate actions ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Government support for residential construction market announced

    The Government has announced a new support programme for the residential construction market while the economy recovers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say.    “We know the residential development sector is vulnerable to economic downturns. The lead time for building houses is typically 18 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New appointment to the EPA board

    Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has confirmed the final appointee to the refreshed Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board. “I am pleased to welcome Brett O’Riley to the EPA board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Brett is a seasoned business advisor with a long and distinguished career across the technology, tourism, and sustainable business ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Strengthening resilience with critical road improvement projects

    The Government has approved a $226.2 million package of resilience improvement projects for state highways and local roads across the country that will reduce the impact of severe weather events and create a more resilient and efficient road network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Our Government is committed to delivering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Doubling road rehabilitation this summer to prevent potholes

    Kiwis will see fewer potholes on our roads with road rehabilitation set to more than double through the summer road maintenance programme to ensure that our roads are maintained to a safe and reliable standard, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Sir Jerry Mateparae appointed in Bougainville post-referendum moderator role

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has welcomed the announcement of Sir Jerry Mateparae as an independent moderator, to work with the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government in resolving outstanding issues on Bougainville’s future.    “New Zealand is an enduring friend to Papua New Guinea and the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Latest census data highlights New Zealand’s growing ethnic diversity

    The latest 2023 Census results released today further highlight New Zealand’s growing ethnic and cultural diversity, says Ethnic Communities Minister Melissa Lee. “Today’s census results are further evidence of the increasingly diverse nature of our population. It’s something that should be celebrated and also serve as a reminder of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • FamilyBoost payments make ECE more affordable

    Parents and caregivers are now able to claim for FamilyBoost, which provides low-to-middle-income families with young children payments to help them meet early childhood education (ECE) costs.  “FamilyBoost is one of the ways we are supporting families with young children who are struggling with the cost of living, by helping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • South Pacific defence meeting fosters collaboration

    This week’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) has concluded with a renewed commitment to regional security of all types, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. Defence Ministers and senior civilian and military officials from Australia, Chile, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga gathered in Auckland to discuss defence and security cooperation in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister welcomes larger Police recruitment wings

    Associate Police Minister Casey Costello has welcomed the Police announcement that recruitment wings at the Police College will be expanded to 100 recruits next year. “This is good news on two fronts – it reflects the fact that more and more New Zealanders are valuing policing and seeing it as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Minerals West Coast Forum

    Introduction Good morning! What a pleasure to be back in the stunning West Coast at one of my favourite events in the calendar.  Every time I come back here, I’m reminded of the Coast’s natural beauty, valuable resources, and great people. Yet, every time I come back here, I’m also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Positive progress on Government health targets

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti welcomes new data from Health New Zealand, saying it demonstrates encouraging progress against the Government’s health targets.  Health New Zealand’s quarterly report for the quarter to 30 June will be used as the baseline for reporting against the Government’s five health targets, which came into ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Supporting better access to data for Kiwis

    The launch of a new data tool will provide Kiwis with better access to important data, Statistics Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “To grow our economy and improve productivity we must adopt smarter ways of working, which means taking a more data driven approach to decision-making.  “As Statistics Minister one of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Progressing remote building inspections

    The Government is progressing plans to increase the use of remote inspections to make the building and consenting process more efficient and affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.  “We know that the building and construction sector suffers from a lack of innovation. According to a recent report, productivity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • PPTA accepts charter schools

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour welcomes the PPTA putting a proposal to members at its annual conference to change its constitution and allow membership of teachers who work in charter schools. “The PPTA has had a come to Jesus moment on charter schools. This is a major departure from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New TAIC Chief Commissioner appointed

    David Clarke has been announced as the Chief Commissioner of the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC). David Clarke is a barrister specialising in corporate and commercial law and he has over 20 years experience in governance roles in commercial, public and charitable sectors. He also is a current TAIC Commissioner. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government secures market access for blueberries to Korea

    The Government has secured market access for New Zealand blueberries to Korea, unlocking an estimated $5 million in annual export opportunities for Kiwi growers Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay today announced.  “This is a win for our exporters and builds on our successful removal of $190 million in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • South Pacific Defence Ministers meet in Auckland

    Partnership and looking to the future are key themes as Defence Ministers from across the South Pacific discuss regional security challenges in Auckland today, Defence Minister Judith Collins says. The South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) brings together Defence Ministers, Chiefs of Defence and Secretaries of Defence from New Zealand, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Keytruda, CGMs, and FamilyBoost welcomed

    In a triple whammy of good news, 1 October heralds the beginning of the funding of two major health products and a welcome contribution to early childhood fees, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “Keytruda is the first drug to be funded and made available from the $604 million boost we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Children’s Unit opens at Rotorua Hospital

    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti today opened the refurbished Children’s Unit at Rotorua Hospital, which will provide young patients and their families in the Lakes District with a safe, comfortable and private space to receive care.  “The opening of this unit is a significant milestone in our commitment to improving ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minor variations no longer major problem

    It is now easier to make small changes to building plans without having to apply for a building consent amendment, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Previously builders who wanted to make a minor change, for example substituting one type of product for another, or changing the layout of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New diplomatic appointments

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced seven diplomatic appointments.   “Protecting and advancing New Zealand’s interests abroad is an extremely important role for our diplomats,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to announce the appointment of seven senior diplomats to these overseas missions.”   The appointments are:   Andrew ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • SuperGold Information Hub live

    The first iteration of the SuperGold Information Hub is now on-line, Minister for Seniors Casey Costello announced today. “The SuperGold Hub is an online portal offering up-to-date information on all of the offers available to SuperGold cardholders. “We know the SuperGold card is valued, and most people know its use ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New fund to clean up old landfill and dump sites

    A new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund will help councils and landowners clean up historic landfills and other contaminated sites that are vulnerable to the effects of severe weather, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says.  "This $30 million fund, part of our Q4 Action Plan, increases the Government’s investment in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Increased medicines access welcomed following budget boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Foreign Minister completes successful week of international engagements

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today wrapped up a week of high-level engagements at the United Nations in New York and in Papeete, French Polynesia.   “Our visit to New York was about demonstrating New Zealand’s unwavering support for an international system based on rules and respect for the UN Charter, as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Final 2024 Action Plan focused on infrastructure

    The Government’s Quarter Four (Q4) Action Plan will be focused on making it easier and faster to build infrastructure in New Zealand as part of its wider plan to rebuild the economy, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “My Government has been working at pace to get the country back on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Four new laws to tackle crime passed in Q3

    New Zealanders will be safer as a result of the Government’s crackdown on crime which includes tougher laws for offenders and gangs delivered as part of the Quarter Three (Q3) Action Plan, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “I’m proud to say we have delivered on 39 of the 40 actions ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government partnership boosting vineyard productivity

    The Government is backing a new world-leading programme set to boost vineyard productivity and inject an additional $295 million into New Zealand’s economy by 2045, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay today announced. The Next Generation Viticulture programme will transform traditional vineyard systems, increasing profitability by $22,060 per hectare by 2045 without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Strong support for NZ minerals strategy

    Over 90 per cent of submissions have expressed broad support for a New Zealand minerals strategy, indicating a strong appetite for a considered, enduring approach to minerals development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  A summary of the 102 submissions on the draft strategy has been published today by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Snapper catch limits up, orange roughy down

    Catch limits for several fisheries will be increased following a review that shows stocks of those species are healthy and abundant. The changes are being made as part of Fisheries New Zealand’s biannual sustainability review, which considers catch limits and management settings across New Zealand’s fisheries. “Scientific evidence and information ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Reforming the building consent system

    The Government is investigating options for a major reform of the building consent system to improve efficiency and consistency across New Zealand, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.   “New Zealand has some of the least affordable housing in the world, which has dire social and economic implications. At the heart ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Cost-benefit analysis for potential third medical school completed

    The Government has announced that an initial cost-benefit analysis of establishing a third medical school based at the University of Waikato has been completed and has been found to provide confidence for the project to progress to the next stage. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti says the proposal will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government delivers sensible approach to speed limits

    The Government’s new speed limit rule has today been signed to reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions and enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to meet with Pacific Island climate leaders

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Fiji on Monday to attend a Ministerial Meeting (Talanoa) with Pacific Island Countries, Australia, and New Zealand. “Attending the Talanoa will reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to supporting climate resilience in the Pacific and advancing action in the areas of climate change,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Human rights recommendations accepted

    The Government is accepting the majority of human rights recommendations received at the fourth Universal Period Review in Geneva, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We have considered all 259 recommendations from the United Nations. We are supporting 168 and partially supporting 12 of these recommendations. “Recommendations related to women’s rights, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Geotech work begins on Warkworth to Te Hana Road of National Significance

    The Government is continuing to move at pace on the Northland Expressway, with significant geotechnical investigations now underway for phase one from Warkworth to Te Hana, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With thousands of motorists and freight travelling through Northland, we’re focused on delivering for this region to grow our economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-10-05T19:16:02+00:00