Exactly!
A well rehearsed exit stage left! Couldn’t wait to get out of there!
And thereby avoiding any retraction or apology.. appalling behaviour.
And this is the man who “leads” the country. Scumbag!
Yep this (insert appropriate adjective)PM makes a mockery of Parliament -basically he gives the middle finger to the whole parliamentary process. Which, if you think about it, is the same as giving the middle finger to us -the voters.
I know what I will do when in the polling booth I have a chance to respond.
“The Prime Minister will leave the chamber.”
PM (thinks) ..’Oh saved..’Thank god for that. but wot took you so long Dave?
I was losing my mojo there, Little by Little.
You got it. Notice too that Key was standing with his back to the speaker so he could claim not to be aware of him standing up.
Also, what’s to say this wasn’t planned distraction between Carter and Key.
The smiling faces of the National MPs filing out of the chamber said it all. “That’s one way to avoid embarrassing questions. By next week everyone will have forgotten. Well excuted maneuver Key and Carter.”
Did Carter kick Little out a couple of minutes later?
I can remember one occasion when then Speaker Margaret Wilson had to order Helen Clark to leave. Wilson had made a threat that the next MP who interjected when the Speaker was on her feet would be ejected.
The next one to do so was Helen Clark with a very loud, long interjection. Wilson had to go through with her threat, try as she might to get out of it. If looks could have killed the glare she got from Helen would have turned poor Margaret into a little pile of ashes.
Obviously scared stiff of the telling off she was going to get later Wilson ordered a totally innocent, at least at that moment, National leader, Don Brash, out of the House a couple of minutes later. Perhaps she thought this might save her from the worst of H1 and H2’s tongues. A Speaker has never looked so worried about her actions.
It was quite funny at the time.
Good on Carter though. What happened to the later question from Ron Mark to the PM? I doubt that Bill English was properly prepared.
If you missed it you missed the context of how Key carter and English, all serious and heads down entered the chamber.
I knew something was up.. then he went on his usual build up to a childish tirade, and being as John is , so arrogant and probably either has carter in his back pocket or plainly just ignores him and keeps on finishing his attack too the childish amusement of his gay fan club cheering and laughing it’s disgusting.
Upston plain lying on figures, and the next question to Smith should have got her done for perjury if it was a court room.
Quite frankly it looks like governments run by a gang of bloody crooks, thumbing there nose and with an inside man at the top. Carter.
They deserve an IRD probe up each and every one of their greed lined bottom opening.
Actually, my memory was slightly astray. Helen interjected while a question was being asked, not while the Speaker was on her feet. At least according to TVNZ.
“The last time a prime minister was ejected from parliament was in 2005 when Helen Clark interjected as National’s Nick Smith was asking a question.
All questions must be heard by the House in silence, so Speaker Margaret Wilson was forced to ask Miss Clark to leave”.
As it isn’t something to be ashamed of and I sense no malice in alwyn’s statement I see it as nothing more than a related anecdote. The key message being that Margaret Wilson had to remove Brash after she removed Clark. In this case Key was probably aiming to be kicked out and Carter knew it.
Everything Alwyn Troll says is malice motivated. He unconditionally proselytises for the Fake Man. He’s doing it today with the device “Labour did it too !” Not really pointing up anything in particular, distracting mostly, looks benign, but just trolling. A nasty insides. Doing his 30 hours a week.
People nominate a recipient lets say red cross, that way they can also use the more powerful and less regulations of the “CHARATIBLE TRUST” type trust.
pure smoke and mirrors and a tax evasion scam.
The issue is Keys deny and obfuscating it, as that, when the issue damn well lays elsewhere and he refuses to do anything about it. Or mention the fact MF is the fourth largest of said tax evasion specialist companies, the issue he minimizes whilst it is in fact is far bigger then he desperately, doesn’t want us to know.
I don’t know why the media and key are playing this game, at election time he will win or lose on how he deals with it.
digging his heals in to keep the status quo until Sherwins report comes out. Good pressure by the opposition.
I think Double Dipper will be extremely annoyed to say the least that he was left to carry the can, the PM is becoming even more than ever a liability for the present gov. Yes, Carter seems to be a bit more on the ball today, this certainly would be a weasel’s way to get out of answering difficult questions – what a tosser.
I think that the concept of it being theatre and all on a script is far closer to the truth. WK above is still judging it by historic ideas of how politics works. But the age of the celebrity is in, where people enjoy the drama, with most feeling confident that they are secure in their satisfactory economic position which they expect to continue while others are still struggling. Change that, and it means adjustments, which the rich don’t welcome, they will get less for sure and stuff the plebs. Now for todays fun.
Key being thrown out of Parliament, well lawks a’ mussy!!!! – I wonder, could this be a jack-up with our ever so professional and neutral Speaker, so as to avoid having to answer later even more curly questions? It would be well worth it to Key to help him avoid more of those tough questions – after all there’s only so much shouting and sucking in of the breath that one can do, right? It seems from some of the preceding comments that many of us are using our “snofflers” to pick up a nasty rodent-like odour!
For a moment John Key made me think Greenpeace, Amnesty and Red Cross were hiding ill gotten money in shady tax haven trust accounts. But it was all a lie, as fabricated as the use of their names by the scum who used their names. Turns out in reality they weren’t doing anything of the sort, their names were used falsely by the very people Key wants to accomodate in our tax haven.
What must reputable decent organisations think of having their name trampled in the cesspool that someone as awful as Key inhabits?
Just another everyday lie from our thoroughly untrustworthy Prime Minister.
Surely this could affect them adversely, what Key has done, I saw Red Cross collecting today & I couldn’t help but think of Keys bullshit, but I know it’s bullshit, others are more gullible.
Fint trouble yourself outside the beltway people don’t care, they are to busy watching the Batchelor and the going ons at the Warriors and the Hurricanes
“were hiding ill gotten money in shady tax haven trust accounts”.
That is because you have been listening to Little and Shaw. They are deliberately trying to encourage you to think that everyone mentioned on that database is a crook. Why do you think they word their questions in the way they do?
Unfortunately John Key has pointed out the fact that these organisations are also on the database and the effect of the Green Party and the Labour Party allegations is to smear them too.
You really ought, as Key has pointed out, not believe everything that those parties are trying to tell you. You should also not follow along with Little’s knee-jerk reaction to claim that all Foreign Trusts are for tax evasion. That way Mathers gets caught up in Little’s smear campaign.
It isn’t Key who should be apologising to Greenpeace, Amnesty International, The Red Cross and Mathers. It is little and Shaw who should be doing so. They are the ones who have been smearing everyone whose name appears on the database.
” They are the ones who have been smearing everyone whose name appears on the database.” Can you give me an example please, I would like to see what they say.
Thats not what Little says you deceitful liar, he said this “If there is no convincing reason, then they will go.” I won’t engage with you again, you proved your words worth.
Key is conflating these august organisations with “Typical clients are an Ecuadorian banker, two Colombian car dealers (one New Zealand trust each), a Mexican film director, and wealthy Mexican society figures” (http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/panama-papers/303356/nz-at-heart-of-panama-money-go-round“. This info has been out there for days, Alwyn. We are in bed with the devil.
“Colombian CAR DEALERS???” ffs.
Get it right Alwyn. They may be on the database but as beneficiaries… not clients/owners, therefore fraudulently.
JFK is spinning so wildly over this potentially fatal scandal it’s a wonder he doesn’t have whiplash.
You are getting a bit confused.
That piece you linked to isn’t anything John Key said.
It is some journalists, seemingly rather high who are basically saying that anyone who has had anything to do with that law firm is a crook.
Then they label the database as being the evidence.
As Key pointed out there are all sorts of people mentioned on that database who are in fact innocent but who Little and Shaw are smearing by innuendo.
It isn’t Key who is doing it. It is these hyperbolic raves from these “journalists” and Little and Shaw cheering them on.
Oh quit the false equivalence bullshit and show some mature, moral and adult behaviour.
Amnesty International, Red Cross, Greenpeace, and Ms Mathers are innocent victims in this corruption. They have been dragged into this without their knowledge and for totally dishonest purpose. They are victims in this filthy debacle.
Perhaps you’d like to apply the same line of thought to victims of rape or domestic violence.
No, that’s Key’s framing. The opposition have been saying that the trust regulations need to be altered so that, on the one hand. it is as easy as possible to prevent people from avoiding tax in ways that were not foreseen by the NZ electorate and would not be condoned by it. On the other, it is suggesting the legislation concerning trusts and look-through companies should be made transparent enough that we can have the highest confidence that no money is being laundered.
The opposition, along with some journalists, have also zeroed in on Mr. Whitney on account of the sequence: Whitney conversation with PM → email from Whitney to revenue minister claiming reassurances from PM → meeting of revenue minister with trust lobbyists in Whitney’s offices → Minister advocating lobbyists’ interests to IRD → confirmation from IRD that they would take these interests into account → IRD foregoing mooted review of trust regulations. That is evidence of ministerial (and possibly Prime Ministerial) interference, not a smear.
Mr. Key’s statements in the house about Greenpeace etc., on the other hand, were simply a smear, since they simply rely on a simple name-check that wouldn’t even undermine the opposition’s arguments if Mr. Key had some substance to lend weight to it.
He’s behaving like we don’t understand that is pathetic, he knows of the 2013 case, greens were asking reasonable questions , so are NZ first, key has spun that into what’s he’s pointing out, any name can be on there.
Does he think we really think amnesty international are scamming, or greenpeace? Well that would be spectacular show me the ird proof.
He uses weak excuses for his actions. the excuses of a child.
Parliament works better without Key – and absenting him got him off the hook of the questions – temporarily. He’s a crook, such a person has no business being in parliament.
I wonder when Crosby Textor came up with this stunt.
Everyone – esp. Opposition MPs – needs to focus on the fact he is *avoiding questions over the Panama Papers*. That is the real story here. No one really cares if he was ‘unruly’ in the house or disobeyed the Speaker. Does anyone really think he didn’t do this as a PR stunt…?
It is becoming increasingly obvious that parliament is not an appropriate forum for questioning the Prime Minister on these issues. The speaker would serve question time better if he repeatedly ruled that the Prime Minister had not addressed the question, rather than kicking him out. Seeing as we can more or less guarantee that he won’t do that, it must be up to journalists to ask him these questions, and deny his statements any oxygen until he fronts up and answers the questions adequately, filling the vacuum with their own investigation and the opinions of other politicians and experts who are prepared to engage in debate.
Unfortunately, we can more or less guarantee that journalists by and large won’t do that either.
Wouldn’t be surprised if that were true…but as mentioned the other day, C/T maybe losing their touch as evidenced by their Zac Goldsmith campaign for mayor of London, a disaster, even the Tories were complaining
They tried to pull out before and distance themselves, but yes it adds to the signs they have lost their midas touch, be good if NZ could wake up to their tactics too.
In his fantasy world he’ll be giggling in anticipation of hoots of delight from big mouthed self-employed cargo-cult tradies who loudly bray words like ‘munter’.
Yeah, I saw it on TV, got to my feet cheering the Speaker.
My take is that this was a predictable outcome looking back. 🙂 Key was on the attack from answer #1 to question #1. He pushed the boundaries.
He has a habit of ignoring the Speaker, instead talking to his own side down the Chamber. He was so busy into yelling at the Greens that he forgot the Speaker.
Who could not conscience such a disregard for his mana.
Carter was peeved, as he showed later when Brownlee, another abuser of House procedure, tried to shut down Ron Mark asking his question.
Carter was very clear. Government’s got into this mess. Someone on that side will have to stand in. Or the public will judge………..
I don’t think that Carter was in on the game. I don’t think there was a game. This is John Key under pressure, exceeding the boundaries- a narcissist under attack and unable to do as he wants.
I agree Mac1, I thought Carter looked furious at having to interject and shut him up. He won’t like being used in his position of Speaker. The PM will use anybody who stands in his way and the fact Carter has been lenient for so long I think he is starting to feel like a patsy and he isn’t impressed. Fun days ahead.
Agreed mac1. Have looked at the video. Carter came across as quite angry at Key’s blatant disregard of him. It’s possible Key did it in order to be thrown out (so as to avoid further questioning) but Carter wasn’t in on it.
Who cares who was “in on the game”? The end result is that Key didn’t have to answer further questions. Being ejected from parliament will always be more of a beltway issue than any answers the PM might have given. Does anybody even register when Peters or Mallard are ejected? They won’t care much more if it’s the PM.
It matters if Key was playing games with the Speaker. It matters whether he is a devious schemer or an out of control bully. It matters that people should know about who our PM is.
Whilst this issue lives, Key is vulnerable, so it does also matter that he has failed to answer fully in the House. The issue is still alive.
The chip chip chip at Key’s nice guy teflon coating continues. I would not be surprised that elements in the National Party use this opportunity and issue to undermine Key in the preparation for 2017 and their hopes for a fourth term.
As for the smiling Key photo after being shown the door below at 19.2? How to smile without smiling. I’ve seen that dead-eye bravado in countless boys who got tossed out of class and sent to student management. “Whatever..”
No, it doesn’t matter if Key was playing games with the Speaker. That’s a trivial issue and we have seen countless examples where we strongly suspect that to be the case, but can wind ourselves up until we’re blue in the face pointing the finger at them without proving a thing.
All that matters is that Key is avoiding answering questions. Once he gets a reputation as someone who runs away from questions, doesn’t give straight answers and whose answers either don’t make sense or don’t stack up when he does occasionally give them, then all of the suspicions that he has managed to keep at bay over the past few years will suddenly seem validated in the eyes of the electorate. At that point, he is doomed.
It doesn’t help to distract from that by highlighting parliamentary antics.
. Feb 14, 2016 – “Prime Minister John Key has been booed off stage at today’s Big Gay Out festival” Herald
. Feb 5, 2016 Key Booed at Football Nines
. May 11, 2016 Key bundled out of Parliament ranting and raving like a 13 yr old.
Having smeared falsely, Greens, Red Cross, Amnesty International, et al, he was hysterically weaving fabrications in total denial. Like a crazy screechy girl out of control.
Crazy screechy girl here.
Fully in control, and resentful about being compared to a crazy screechy right wing conspiracy theorist. Even if he is Prime Minister.
I reckon Johnny is gone in 2017, his continual bad behavior has become unacceptable for a PM, he’s become a liability and an international embarrassment.
I agree with all above, it certainly looks like a duck, it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, a premeditated plan maybe, there must have been dozens of occasions where Key should have been ousted but wasn’t, so maybe there is more to this than meets the eye.
So do you think it will be Crusher Collins 2017?
Her wig of the party might make its move and Cameron Slater now owes her a big solid for having got him off with diversion for trying to pay for a hack on this website.
So he will very likely help in the SlezeOil blog with any campaign for her to take over from Key!
I think Carter was genuiinely angry – the real giveaway would be Key’s reaction.
In my experience, entitled jerks who suddenly find that the rules apply to them get a sort of stunned look on their gobs, then get angry. And key never seems able to suppress smug when he’s feeling it even at the best of times.
Did commenter here see key’s reaction when Carter kicked him out?
No, after the firing the camera went to Carter and stayed there. The Speaker did not even look Key’s way.
Yesterday Parker got the heave and after a very short outraged response from Carter, audio-visual contact was broken.
Same with Key. His microphone got turned off during the long shot down the chamber as the Speaker was on his feet, raising his voice assertively. After that, no sign of Key. The camera, dare I say it, was off-Key.
Watch the deaf interpreter giving the sign language as the Speraker gives the marching orders.. Even I could read the sign for get out and the sign for start walking!
In addition I must compliment The Green questioner for his calm demeanour and aplomb.
I also noticed the other day when the panama papers data base was released, that Key was getting through several glasses of water, which is a sign that he was lying, one of the signs of lying is getting dry mouth & having to drink lots.
Heh, I think when Key left the House today Gerry quietly mumbled “I got a bad feeling about this” & English looked at him & said “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”. What a day!
“…Amnesty International condemns all forms of tax evasion and avoidance; and we would not accept any donation which we considered designed to evade or avoid tax.”
key is more than okay to smear these organizations (and he knows why they’re in the Panama papers), because it obfuscates, distracts, deflects, etc. Getting the boot is just another childish game…. He’s so cynical about the country he pretends to represent…… Bizarre that he hates NZ so much
If John Key is this evasive about protecting and defending rich privilege that is one step removed from himself (probably) – wait until someone finally puts him on the spot to reveal his own wealth and tax arrangements!!
. John Key has deliberately smeared a number of this Planets’ most respected and wonderful organisations. The Nationals are not known for doing humane voluntary deeds. There is no money in it.
But to smear and rubbish these great organisations FALSELY for two days in a row, makes you realise just how low the nationals and their supporters are. Rotten to the core.
The billboards should come out with slurred speech of Key rubbishing The worlds best Organisations.
Having done far too little for New Zealand, the NZ Nationals are going to demolish all that is noble in the World. For the love of Key the Crook.
he didn’t smear anyone. when you go around throwing mud, don’t expect it not to come back at you.
He was simply pointing out how stupid it is little saying foreign trusts are all dirty.
none of you seem to be able to actually grasp this.
[BLiP: Your next comment here will provide a link to a reputable source confirming your statement that Andrew Little has said “foreign trusts are all dirty” or your next comment here will not be until after 18/05/16]
Then in the next breathe he says he’s not going to do anything to increase the data the government gets about them.
So there is a problem, just not everyone in Brazils trust is crooked and set up to dodge tax, and I don’t want to know who they are, because if we don’t know when their IRD asks us we can say um dunno amigo. Hey presto tax evasion ho.
A couple who are dear friends of ours have always been of the opinion that smiling John can do no wrong. They are 100% pure National worshipers.
We rang them today and asked what they thought. The wife said, “Key is looking very silly.”
The Opposition may be finally making headway against Teflon John.
Or maybe Key is creating a situation where he can get dumped and exit parliament “for personal reasons.” Would anyone care if the former PM, who’s now living overseas, was discovered to be a likely tax evader? That would be my exit strategy.
Actually, the fact that Key can get away with bawling his illiterate shit in Parliament testifies to the absence of a Lange, a Norm Kirk, a Norman Douglas (guess whose daddy), a Mabel Howard, a Bob Semple. Dare I say a Bob Tizard ?
So sad that New Zealand is now so cheap, so E! Channel, so low class. The Parnell Ponce Fake Man and idolators mostly responsible for that.
Oooh…….IQ round 180 ? That’s Einstein-ish. No disrespect for Bob…….he did however have a capacity to identify and blitz shit. This ponce we have as PM wouldna’ stood a chance. He’s basically illiterate.
Yeah, way above the norm intellectually. Add to that a rambunctious heart. And a wonderful, retributive, lashing tongue deployed against entitled, selfish, crooked rightists. Petty self-employed, shopkeepers, real estate agents, petite bourgeoisie aspirants and cargo-cultists.
Mr. Key has, in fact, clearly misled the House. He claimed on 11 May that, if one looked at the Hasard (for May 10), one would see that he said that he referred to Greenpeace etc. as being “in the database”. So far, so good. We know (and he knows) that he was implying that they are implicated in the Panama Papers, but he is relying on his fastidiously having avoided that explicit statement in favour of “the database”, However, he later says, “I suggest the member leave the House and ring Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Red Cross because they are implicated in the papers.“. Greenpeace is mentioned as being a beneficiary of the Exodus Trust, based on information from “offshore leaks”, current through 2010. That is the trouble when you know what you are trying to say but have to avoid saying it. Sometimes you slip up and say what you’re actually thinking. Mr. Key did on May 10, and now he should be forced to apologise or clarify.
Just get used to it folks. John Phillip Key is collateral scum more or less, pathologically expressing the no-daddy-no-role-model-thing. That’s why in middle age he’s into Richie McKey so embarrassingly.
. Men who scream and screech are not taken seriously by other men or by women. The exception being the members of the current National rabble.
Not one single member of National caucus, nor one single national voter has risen to show respect for Red Cross, Anmesty International, or Greenpeace.
The reason is that John Key has sucked out whatever decency existed within National, and replaced it with incompetence, non stop abuse, and too much corruption (Sky City eg). John Key is attempting to cover his failures with screaming and screeching.
He may well be on the way to becoming physically dangerous, so tortured is his ranting and raving and his disgusting abuse, along with his equally disgusting behaviours.. Hopefully his bodyguard will keep an eye on his mental state.
John Key was booed at the Eden Park football Nines ( Feb 5, 2016 TV 3)
John Key “Prime Minister John Key has been booed off stage at today’s Big Gay Out ” Herald Feb 14, 2016
John key was denied his strange, non historic, and appallingly shallow flag ..Mar 24, 2016 Herald and Audrey.
John Key was bundled ranting and raving out of Parliament, May 11, 2016
Be ready for more abuse from this very weird Prime Minister and his weird friends and devotees. He will increasingly clock up more and more failures.
And as for Bill English’s defense, . . . well utter bollocks. Two points:
1. Questions are supposed to be answered through the Chair (i.e. through the speaker). The fact that Key was facing the wrong way and didn’t see the Speaker rise to his feet is irrelevant as a defense.
2. The Speaker thundered out “The Prime Minister will resume his seat . . . ” before ordering Key to leave. Unless the PM wants to argue that he is hard of hearing, then Bill English’s defense simply doesn’t wash.
it didn’t show up in the live broadcast, but in the One News clip, the PM clearly made body contact with Brownlie before leaving the Chamber. It looked to me a lot like the “Nudge” part of a “Nudge-Nudge, wink-wink”).
For what its worth, the staged walkout was not done in cahouts with the Speaker, IMO. But it may well have been done in cahouts with Jerry Brownlie. Especially given the follow-up comments from Brownlie, soon after the ejection – comments which were subsequently rejected by the Speaker.
Incidentally, there was an odd mismatch between the video and the audio in yesterday’s live broadcast – a lag of about 4 or 5 seconds between the two, which made it very difficult to watch. (Something do do with a precaution in case there arose a need to censor out expletives or other non-broadcasting-standard problems that the broadcaster suspected might arise perhaps?)
For what its worth, the staged walkout was not done in cahouts with the Speaker, IMO. But it may well have been done in cahouts with Jerry Brownlie. Especially given the follow-up comments from Brownlie, soon after the ejection – comments which were subsequently rejected by the Speaker.
I agree. Carter was being used and I’m picking he’ll have been furious but he won’t say anything or take any action over it.
For goodness sake…….PM’s seat is no more than 7 metres away from the Speaker. It’s a child’s fib that he didn’t know the Speaker was on his feet. Or that he didn’t hear the Speaker yelling at him to sit down. The misconduct was deliberate. The Fake Man was always going to engage whatever it took to avoid answering parliamentary questions.
Alwyn Troll and others……..you love having an entitledly ill-behaved, bully/coward child for PM do you ?
For years I’ve posed this question – whom amongst the great bulk of decent caring parents when discussing values with youngsters cites this PM as a role model for decent, honourable behaviour ?
That’s an equally live question in regard to most of his cabinet and caucus colleagues. ‘The Character Question’
Let us not forget the very quick removal of the video of the throat slitting gesture of the PM just before 2 election s ago. This revealing clip has completely disappeared and if John Oliver could find it…
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Eric Crampton writes – A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
“Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim.Extreme Left Auckland University of TechnologyEvidenceThe ...
Eric Crampton writes – I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes – Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
Chris Trotter writes – Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…Gary Judd KC writes – I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report:District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate ConnectionsA farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
TL;DR:Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
I could be a florist'Round the corner from Rye LaneI'll be giving daisies to craziesBut, baby, I'll wrap you up real safe Oh, I can give you flowers At the end of every dayFor the center of your table, a rainbowIn case you have people 'round to stay Depending on ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to May 12 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Finance Minister Nicola Willis will give a pre-budget speech on Thursday.Parliament sits from Question Time at 2pm on ...
The price of the foreign affairs “reset” is now becoming apparent, with Defence set to get a funding boost in the Budget. Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed that it will be one of the few votes, apart from Health and Education and possibly Police, which will get an increase ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University ShutterstockThis article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent.I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
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This is what happens when you remove the prospect of a cushy London sinecure.
My immediate thoughts, too.
heh
My immediate thought was that it was one way of getting out of answering questions…
@ McFlock (1.2) yes, I thought the same thing, particularly with Ron Mark’s tricky questions coming up later on in the session.
Yep my thoughts too!
Also my immediate reaction.
Yea, me 2
Exactly!
A well rehearsed exit stage left! Couldn’t wait to get out of there!
And thereby avoiding any retraction or apology.. appalling behaviour.
And this is the man who “leads” the country. Scumbag!
Yep this (insert appropriate adjective)PM makes a mockery of Parliament -basically he gives the middle finger to the whole parliamentary process. Which, if you think about it, is the same as giving the middle finger to us -the voters.
I know what I will do when in the polling booth I have a chance to respond.
“The Prime Minister will leave the chamber.”
PM (thinks) ..’Oh saved..’Thank god for that. but wot took you so long Dave?
I was losing my mojo there, Little by Little.
You got it. Notice too that Key was standing with his back to the speaker so he could claim not to be aware of him standing up.
Also, what’s to say this wasn’t planned distraction between Carter and Key.
The back turning thing was so obvious, hard to believe Key wasn’t completely aware of what he was doing.
Jack up!!
The smiling faces of the National MPs filing out of the chamber said it all. “That’s one way to avoid embarrassing questions. By next week everyone will have forgotten. Well excuted maneuver Key and Carter.”
Yup
Sounds and feels like a jack up
Key and Carter and Nat MP’S treat parliment like a joke and the smiles give it away.
Their arrogance is reprehensible.
LMAO! Gold :o)
Maybe he did it all on purpose- make everything about him rather than the actual issue
Just a thought.
double down on the bullshit, drop the mic and walk away?
He’s been learning from Trump.
Trump been learning from him you mean? I wonder which business is running Trumps campaign. There must be big money in it.
All part of his psychopathic personality.
http://m.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Psychopath
And still no apology to Mojo Mathers and no retraction of his statements from yesterday re Greenpeace and Amnesty International.
Again the speaker saves the PM
Did Carter kick Little out a couple of minutes later?
I can remember one occasion when then Speaker Margaret Wilson had to order Helen Clark to leave. Wilson had made a threat that the next MP who interjected when the Speaker was on her feet would be ejected.
The next one to do so was Helen Clark with a very loud, long interjection. Wilson had to go through with her threat, try as she might to get out of it. If looks could have killed the glare she got from Helen would have turned poor Margaret into a little pile of ashes.
Obviously scared stiff of the telling off she was going to get later Wilson ordered a totally innocent, at least at that moment, National leader, Don Brash, out of the House a couple of minutes later. Perhaps she thought this might save her from the worst of H1 and H2’s tongues. A Speaker has never looked so worried about her actions.
It was quite funny at the time.
Good on Carter though. What happened to the later question from Ron Mark to the PM? I doubt that Bill English was properly prepared.
no.
If you missed it you missed the context of how Key carter and English, all serious and heads down entered the chamber.
I knew something was up.. then he went on his usual build up to a childish tirade, and being as John is , so arrogant and probably either has carter in his back pocket or plainly just ignores him and keeps on finishing his attack too the childish amusement of his gay fan club cheering and laughing it’s disgusting.
Upston plain lying on figures, and the next question to Smith should have got her done for perjury if it was a court room.
Quite frankly it looks like governments run by a gang of bloody crooks, thumbing there nose and with an inside man at the top. Carter.
They deserve an IRD probe up each and every one of their greed lined bottom opening.
Actually, my memory was slightly astray. Helen interjected while a question was being asked, not while the Speaker was on her feet. At least according to TVNZ.
“The last time a prime minister was ejected from parliament was in 2005 when Helen Clark interjected as National’s Nick Smith was asking a question.
All questions must be heard by the House in silence, so Speaker Margaret Wilson was forced to ask Miss Clark to leave”.
The rest of what I said is accurate though.
You’d think Ponyboy would’ve known better.
You still on the – “Labour did it too!” – jag are you Alwyn ?
As it isn’t something to be ashamed of and I sense no malice in alwyn’s statement I see it as nothing more than a related anecdote. The key message being that Margaret Wilson had to remove Brash after she removed Clark. In this case Key was probably aiming to be kicked out and Carter knew it.
Thank you. It was quite funny at the time. As that TVNZ quote shows it is a very rare occurrence.
Everything Alwyn Troll says is malice motivated. He unconditionally proselytises for the Fake Man. He’s doing it today with the device “Labour did it too !” Not really pointing up anything in particular, distracting mostly, looks benign, but just trolling. A nasty insides. Doing his 30 hours a week.
He’s a dicktraitor
Prime Minister, I can’t keep up. Does being on the “database” make you a baddie or not? Arrgh! Confusing.
No and it’s misleading issue,
People nominate a recipient lets say red cross, that way they can also use the more powerful and less regulations of the “CHARATIBLE TRUST” type trust.
pure smoke and mirrors and a tax evasion scam.
The issue is Keys deny and obfuscating it, as that, when the issue damn well lays elsewhere and he refuses to do anything about it. Or mention the fact MF is the fourth largest of said tax evasion specialist companies, the issue he minimizes whilst it is in fact is far bigger then he desperately, doesn’t want us to know.
I don’t know why the media and key are playing this game, at election time he will win or lose on how he deals with it.
digging his heals in to keep the status quo until Sherwins report comes out. Good pressure by the opposition.
I know, his blatant obsfucation is rather amusing. This guy really can’t give a straight answer hey?
I think Double Dipper will be extremely annoyed to say the least that he was left to carry the can, the PM is becoming even more than ever a liability for the present gov. Yes, Carter seems to be a bit more on the ball today, this certainly would be a weasel’s way to get out of answering difficult questions – what a tosser.
Thats blinglush’s job, covering for shonky and fronting bad news. Cry me a river
I think that the concept of it being theatre and all on a script is far closer to the truth. WK above is still judging it by historic ideas of how politics works. But the age of the celebrity is in, where people enjoy the drama, with most feeling confident that they are secure in their satisfactory economic position which they expect to continue while others are still struggling. Change that, and it means adjustments, which the rich don’t welcome, they will get less for sure and stuff the plebs. Now for todays fun.
And his diction is going from bad to worse.
Key being thrown out of Parliament, well lawks a’ mussy!!!! – I wonder, could this be a jack-up with our ever so professional and neutral Speaker, so as to avoid having to answer later even more curly questions? It would be well worth it to Key to help him avoid more of those tough questions – after all there’s only so much shouting and sucking in of the breath that one can do, right? It seems from some of the preceding comments that many of us are using our “snofflers” to pick up a nasty rodent-like odour!
For a moment John Key made me think Greenpeace, Amnesty and Red Cross were hiding ill gotten money in shady tax haven trust accounts. But it was all a lie, as fabricated as the use of their names by the scum who used their names. Turns out in reality they weren’t doing anything of the sort, their names were used falsely by the very people Key wants to accomodate in our tax haven.
What must reputable decent organisations think of having their name trampled in the cesspool that someone as awful as Key inhabits?
Just another everyday lie from our thoroughly untrustworthy Prime Minister.
Surely this could affect them adversely, what Key has done, I saw Red Cross collecting today & I couldn’t help but think of Keys bullshit, but I know it’s bullshit, others are more gullible.
Fint trouble yourself outside the beltway people don’t care, they are to busy watching the Batchelor and the going ons at the Warriors and the Hurricanes
That is exactly what I was thinking Keith! And being kicked out today would have suited him perfectly if he didn’t actually plan it with Carter
“were hiding ill gotten money in shady tax haven trust accounts”.
That is because you have been listening to Little and Shaw. They are deliberately trying to encourage you to think that everyone mentioned on that database is a crook. Why do you think they word their questions in the way they do?
Unfortunately John Key has pointed out the fact that these organisations are also on the database and the effect of the Green Party and the Labour Party allegations is to smear them too.
You really ought, as Key has pointed out, not believe everything that those parties are trying to tell you. You should also not follow along with Little’s knee-jerk reaction to claim that all Foreign Trusts are for tax evasion. That way Mathers gets caught up in Little’s smear campaign.
It isn’t Key who should be apologising to Greenpeace, Amnesty International, The Red Cross and Mathers. It is little and Shaw who should be doing so. They are the ones who have been smearing everyone whose name appears on the database.
” They are the ones who have been smearing everyone whose name appears on the database.” Can you give me an example please, I would like to see what they say.
Then
(1) read their Parliamentary questions.
(2) Listen to what they say on Morning Report
(3) Read their press releases.
Try this one as an example. Then look at all the others they have come out with.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1604/S00176/foreign-trusts-review-a-charade.htm
He does push the idea that a foreign trust is for tax evasion, doesn’t he?
Then have a look at this from TVNZ
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1605/S00091/andrew-little-i-would-get-rid-of-foreign-trusts.htm
Foreign trusts evil. Anyone who has anything to do with them is a crook.
Try this one
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1605/S00156/government-helped-mossack-fonseccas-tax-avoidance-business.htm
That law firm is for tax avoidance. Nothing else. Anyone who is mentioned in the same breath is involved in Tax Evasion sums up that little gem from Shaw wouldn’t you say?
Thats not what Little says you deceitful liar, he said this “If there is no convincing reason, then they will go.” I won’t engage with you again, you proved your words worth.
To be specific, can you show me where they smear everyone whose name appears on the database (I assume you mean the Panama Papers database?).
Key is conflating these august organisations with “Typical clients are an Ecuadorian banker, two Colombian car dealers (one New Zealand trust each), a Mexican film director, and wealthy Mexican society figures” (http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/panama-papers/303356/nz-at-heart-of-panama-money-go-round“. This info has been out there for days, Alwyn. We are in bed with the devil.
“Colombian CAR DEALERS???” ffs.
Get it right Alwyn. They may be on the database but as beneficiaries… not clients/owners, therefore fraudulently.
JFK is spinning so wildly over this potentially fatal scandal it’s a wonder he doesn’t have whiplash.
Time to DO SOMETHING JFK.
You are getting a bit confused.
That piece you linked to isn’t anything John Key said.
It is some journalists, seemingly rather high who are basically saying that anyone who has had anything to do with that law firm is a crook.
Then they label the database as being the evidence.
As Key pointed out there are all sorts of people mentioned on that database who are in fact innocent but who Little and Shaw are smearing by innuendo.
It isn’t Key who is doing it. It is these hyperbolic raves from these “journalists” and Little and Shaw cheering them on.
Oh quit the false equivalence bullshit and show some mature, moral and adult behaviour.
Amnesty International, Red Cross, Greenpeace, and Ms Mathers are innocent victims in this corruption. They have been dragged into this without their knowledge and for totally dishonest purpose. They are victims in this filthy debacle.
Perhaps you’d like to apply the same line of thought to victims of rape or domestic violence.
No, that’s Key’s framing. The opposition have been saying that the trust regulations need to be altered so that, on the one hand. it is as easy as possible to prevent people from avoiding tax in ways that were not foreseen by the NZ electorate and would not be condoned by it. On the other, it is suggesting the legislation concerning trusts and look-through companies should be made transparent enough that we can have the highest confidence that no money is being laundered.
The opposition, along with some journalists, have also zeroed in on Mr. Whitney on account of the sequence: Whitney conversation with PM → email from Whitney to revenue minister claiming reassurances from PM → meeting of revenue minister with trust lobbyists in Whitney’s offices → Minister advocating lobbyists’ interests to IRD → confirmation from IRD that they would take these interests into account → IRD foregoing mooted review of trust regulations. That is evidence of ministerial (and possibly Prime Ministerial) interference, not a smear.
Mr. Key’s statements in the house about Greenpeace etc., on the other hand, were simply a smear, since they simply rely on a simple name-check that wouldn’t even undermine the opposition’s arguments if Mr. Key had some substance to lend weight to it.
He’s behaving like we don’t understand that is pathetic, he knows of the 2013 case, greens were asking reasonable questions , so are NZ first, key has spun that into what’s he’s pointing out, any name can be on there.
Does he think we really think amnesty international are scamming, or greenpeace? Well that would be spectacular show me the ird proof.
He uses weak excuses for his actions. the excuses of a child.
I am beginning to lose count, is it lie #125;-)))???
Parliament works better without Key – and absenting him got him off the hook of the questions – temporarily. He’s a crook, such a person has no business being in parliament.
John Key’s name will almost certainly be revealed. He knows that. That is why he is trying to confuse the issue.
When his name does come out he will be like – “so what dude? So is Green Peace”.
He is laying the ground work for his defence once his moment of truth comes.
It is becoming clearer by the day that his involvement is neck deep and probably on a criminal level.
Reckon you could be onto something there, just heard Key framing it as such on RNZ, basically equating himself with Mojo Mathers.
Saw a funny comment on Twitter earlier, “Keys concern about tax havens are hackers”.
I wonder when Crosby Textor came up with this stunt.
Everyone – esp. Opposition MPs – needs to focus on the fact he is *avoiding questions over the Panama Papers*. That is the real story here. No one really cares if he was ‘unruly’ in the house or disobeyed the Speaker. Does anyone really think he didn’t do this as a PR stunt…?
It is becoming increasingly obvious that parliament is not an appropriate forum for questioning the Prime Minister on these issues. The speaker would serve question time better if he repeatedly ruled that the Prime Minister had not addressed the question, rather than kicking him out. Seeing as we can more or less guarantee that he won’t do that, it must be up to journalists to ask him these questions, and deny his statements any oxygen until he fronts up and answers the questions adequately, filling the vacuum with their own investigation and the opinions of other politicians and experts who are prepared to engage in debate.
Unfortunately, we can more or less guarantee that journalists by and large won’t do that either.
Wouldn’t be surprised if that were true…but as mentioned the other day, C/T maybe losing their touch as evidenced by their Zac Goldsmith campaign for mayor of London, a disaster, even the Tories were complaining
C/T lost it for Harper in Canada as well.
They tried to pull out before and distance themselves, but yes it adds to the signs they have lost their midas touch, be good if NZ could wake up to their tactics too.
Maybe some Clockwork Orange-like aversion in the people…? Seen and heard enough hate- and fear-based crap from CT, grown sick of it…
Perhaps more people are consciously realising “reality”, as espoused by CT politicians, bears little resemblance to their own day-to-day experiences.
Yes, becoming immune from the spin I hope
Mouth Almighty finally gets the boot, but it was a well planned stunt imho.
In his fantasy world he’ll be giggling in anticipation of hoots of delight from big mouthed self-employed cargo-cult tradies who loudly bray words like ‘munter’.
Yeah, I saw it on TV, got to my feet cheering the Speaker.
My take is that this was a predictable outcome looking back. 🙂 Key was on the attack from answer #1 to question #1. He pushed the boundaries.
He has a habit of ignoring the Speaker, instead talking to his own side down the Chamber. He was so busy into yelling at the Greens that he forgot the Speaker.
Who could not conscience such a disregard for his mana.
Carter was peeved, as he showed later when Brownlee, another abuser of House procedure, tried to shut down Ron Mark asking his question.
Carter was very clear. Government’s got into this mess. Someone on that side will have to stand in. Or the public will judge………..
I don’t think that Carter was in on the game. I don’t think there was a game. This is John Key under pressure, exceeding the boundaries- a narcissist under attack and unable to do as he wants.
We were cheering as well. My mate gave me a high 5 as Carter was sending him out.
It was awesome
I agree Mac1, I thought Carter looked furious at having to interject and shut him up. He won’t like being used in his position of Speaker. The PM will use anybody who stands in his way and the fact Carter has been lenient for so long I think he is starting to feel like a patsy and he isn’t impressed. Fun days ahead.
I don’t think that Carter was in on the game.
Agreed mac1. Have looked at the video. Carter came across as quite angry at Key’s blatant disregard of him. It’s possible Key did it in order to be thrown out (so as to avoid further questioning) but Carter wasn’t in on it.
Carter may have been kept in the dark to make his response more authentic.
Quiet possible. Key is basically a bully and when it comes to the crunch all bullies are cowards.
Carter will NOT like being played like this.
Who cares who was “in on the game”? The end result is that Key didn’t have to answer further questions. Being ejected from parliament will always be more of a beltway issue than any answers the PM might have given. Does anybody even register when Peters or Mallard are ejected? They won’t care much more if it’s the PM.
It matters if Key was playing games with the Speaker. It matters whether he is a devious schemer or an out of control bully. It matters that people should know about who our PM is.
Whilst this issue lives, Key is vulnerable, so it does also matter that he has failed to answer fully in the House. The issue is still alive.
The chip chip chip at Key’s nice guy teflon coating continues. I would not be surprised that elements in the National Party use this opportunity and issue to undermine Key in the preparation for 2017 and their hopes for a fourth term.
As for the smiling Key photo after being shown the door below at 19.2? How to smile without smiling. I’ve seen that dead-eye bravado in countless boys who got tossed out of class and sent to student management. “Whatever..”
No, it doesn’t matter if Key was playing games with the Speaker. That’s a trivial issue and we have seen countless examples where we strongly suspect that to be the case, but can wind ourselves up until we’re blue in the face pointing the finger at them without proving a thing.
All that matters is that Key is avoiding answering questions. Once he gets a reputation as someone who runs away from questions, doesn’t give straight answers and whose answers either don’t make sense or don’t stack up when he does occasionally give them, then all of the suspicions that he has managed to keep at bay over the past few years will suddenly seem validated in the eyes of the electorate. At that point, he is doomed.
It doesn’t help to distract from that by highlighting parliamentary antics.
Looked orchestrated to me. No usual hullabooloo from the Despicables.
Hello New Zealand
. Feb 14, 2016 – “Prime Minister John Key has been booed off stage at today’s Big Gay Out festival” Herald
. Feb 5, 2016 Key Booed at Football Nines
. May 11, 2016 Key bundled out of Parliament ranting and raving like a 13 yr old.
Having smeared falsely, Greens, Red Cross, Amnesty International, et al, he was hysterically weaving fabrications in total denial. Like a crazy screechy girl out of control.
The Nationals are a rabble. Hopeless
Crazy screechy girl here.
Fully in control, and resentful about being compared to a crazy screechy right wing conspiracy theorist. Even if he is Prime Minister.
😆
Plus – Key fails to front up for usual RNZ interview with Espinar. (not sure of the date).
I reckon Johnny is gone in 2017, his continual bad behavior has become unacceptable for a PM, he’s become a liability and an international embarrassment.
I agree with all above, it certainly looks like a duck, it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, a premeditated plan maybe, there must have been dozens of occasions where Key should have been ousted but wasn’t, so maybe there is more to this than meets the eye.
So do you think it will be Crusher Collins 2017?
Her wig of the party might make its move and Cameron Slater now owes her a big solid for having got him off with diversion for trying to pay for a hack on this website.
So he will very likely help in the SlezeOil blog with any campaign for her to take over from Key!
I think Carter was genuiinely angry – the real giveaway would be Key’s reaction.
In my experience, entitled jerks who suddenly find that the rules apply to them get a sort of stunned look on their gobs, then get angry. And key never seems able to suppress smug when he’s feeling it even at the best of times.
Did commenter here see key’s reaction when Carter kicked him out?
No, after the firing the camera went to Carter and stayed there. The Speaker did not even look Key’s way.
Yesterday Parker got the heave and after a very short outraged response from Carter, audio-visual contact was broken.
Same with Key. His microphone got turned off during the long shot down the chamber as the Speaker was on his feet, raising his voice assertively. After that, no sign of Key. The camera, dare I say it, was off-Key.
Watch the deaf interpreter giving the sign language as the Speraker gives the marching orders.. Even I could read the sign for get out and the sign for start walking!
In addition I must compliment The Green questioner for his calm demeanour and aplomb.
Given the shit-eating grin he’s wearing here, he seems to have got the result he wanted.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/79880503/why-john-key-went-on-the-attack-over-the-panama-papers
PM looked like a sheepish joker to me. One news did a good job on the trust situation tonight. Corin was nowhere to be seen, that probably helps.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/video-grinning-john-key-exits-parliament-after-getting-boot
On the TV1 News tonight the camera did follow Key, (very unusual when being sent out) and he seemed to be smirking ear to ear but his caucus seemed to just watch and not return his smirk much. He exited from the door near the Speaker.
Found it:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/video-grinning-john-key-exits-parliament-after-getting-boot?autoPlay=4887965906001
Oops. Should have read further.
Don’t know if anyone else noticed but at the beginning of Key’s rant, the piece of paper he was holding clearly showed he was shaking uncontrollably
Good point Neil. Any behaviour specialists lurking here who could give a read on him? Manic come to mind…
I also noticed the other day when the panama papers data base was released, that Key was getting through several glasses of water, which is a sign that he was lying, one of the signs of lying is getting dry mouth & having to drink lots.
Twice in as many days FJK has avoided tough questioning, through absenting himself … Monday with RNZ and now today in the House!
Demonstrating he’s not fit to lead in a spitting contest, let alone a country! The man is as spineless as a reptile, that he so closely represents!
Get him out!
He’s lost control, not good for a leader.
Silence of the trolls….
I think they have gone to the mattresses, they will be back, & in force.
You mean they startle easily, but will soon return and in greater number?
Tell me more about this “force” 🙂
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=going%20to%20the%20mattresses This is what I was thinking.
I watched the Sopranos when it was on.
But I also saw Star Wars recently and read the last half dozen words of that sentence in Alec Guinness’ voice 🙂
Heh, I think when Key left the House today Gerry quietly mumbled “I got a bad feeling about this” & English looked at him & said “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in”. What a day!
Statement from Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org.nz/prime-minister-john-key-must-be-transparent-and-correct-record-his-misleading-statement
“…Amnesty International condemns all forms of tax evasion and avoidance; and we would not accept any donation which we considered designed to evade or avoid tax.”
key is more than okay to smear these organizations (and he knows why they’re in the Panama papers), because it obfuscates, distracts, deflects, etc. Getting the boot is just another childish game…. He’s so cynical about the country he pretends to represent…… Bizarre that he hates NZ so much
Nick
I just don’t think Key is particularly good at operating in a democracy, he’s very use to authoritarianism.
Wonderful! He’ll enjoy prison.
Yeah, only if he’s the Governor though, in NZ, wealthy people don’t tend to be convicted, justice is dependent on how much your willing to pay.
LOL!! Thread winna….
If John Key is this evasive about protecting and defending rich privilege that is one step removed from himself (probably) – wait until someone finally puts him on the spot to reveal his own wealth and tax arrangements!!
Yes Nick – and Fellow Commentators
. John Key has deliberately smeared a number of this Planets’ most respected and wonderful organisations. The Nationals are not known for doing humane voluntary deeds. There is no money in it.
But to smear and rubbish these great organisations FALSELY for two days in a row, makes you realise just how low the nationals and their supporters are. Rotten to the core.
The billboards should come out with slurred speech of Key rubbishing The worlds best Organisations.
Having done far too little for New Zealand, the NZ Nationals are going to demolish all that is noble in the World. For the love of Key the Crook.
A psychopathic prime minister in charge of a psychopathic government!
he didn’t smear anyone. when you go around throwing mud, don’t expect it not to come back at you.
He was simply pointing out how stupid it is little saying foreign trusts are all dirty.
none of you seem to be able to actually grasp this.
[BLiP: Your next comment here will provide a link to a reputable source confirming your statement that Andrew Little has said “foreign trusts are all dirty” or your next comment here will not be until after 18/05/16]
Then in the next breathe he says he’s not going to do anything to increase the data the government gets about them.
So there is a problem, just not everyone in Brazils trust is crooked and set up to dodge tax, and I don’t want to know who they are, because if we don’t know when their IRD asks us we can say um dunno amigo. Hey presto tax evasion ho.
http://www.labour.org.nz/key_shrugs_shoulders_at_tax_haven_status
Is that supposed to support Infused’s witless smear? It doesn’t.
A couple who are dear friends of ours have always been of the opinion that smiling John can do no wrong. They are 100% pure National worshipers.
We rang them today and asked what they thought. The wife said, “Key is looking very silly.”
The Opposition may be finally making headway against Teflon John.
Or maybe Key is creating a situation where he can get dumped and exit parliament “for personal reasons.” Would anyone care if the former PM, who’s now living overseas, was discovered to be a likely tax evader? That would be my exit strategy.
You’re onto it possibly and if so you can expect this to accelerate as he’ll want to be gone burgers ASAP.
Even my national voting neighbours text me to say what happened…….waking people up to Key’s arrogance I hope
Actually, the fact that Key can get away with bawling his illiterate shit in Parliament testifies to the absence of a Lange, a Norm Kirk, a Norman Douglas (guess whose daddy), a Mabel Howard, a Bob Semple. Dare I say a Bob Tizard ?
So sad that New Zealand is now so cheap, so E! Channel, so low class. The Parnell Ponce Fake Man and idolators mostly responsible for that.
Bob Tizard would have had his guts for garters. IQ level somewhere around 180.
Oooh…….IQ round 180 ? That’s Einstein-ish. No disrespect for Bob…….he did however have a capacity to identify and blitz shit. This ponce we have as PM wouldna’ stood a chance. He’s basically illiterate.
180 may have been a bit high, but his IQ was known to be near the top of scale.
Yeah, way above the norm intellectually. Add to that a rambunctious heart. And a wonderful, retributive, lashing tongue deployed against entitled, selfish, crooked rightists. Petty self-employed, shopkeepers, real estate agents, petite bourgeoisie aspirants and cargo-cultists.
Not to mention incomprehensible North.
Mr. Key has, in fact, clearly misled the House. He claimed on 11 May that, if one looked at the Hasard (for May 10), one would see that he said that he referred to Greenpeace etc. as being “in the database”. So far, so good. We know (and he knows) that he was implying that they are implicated in the Panama Papers, but he is relying on his fastidiously having avoided that explicit statement in favour of “the database”, However, he later says, “I suggest the member leave the House and ring Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Red Cross because they are implicated in the papers.“. Greenpeace is mentioned as being a beneficiary of the Exodus Trust, based on information from “offshore leaks”, current through 2010. That is the trouble when you know what you are trying to say but have to avoid saying it. Sometimes you slip up and say what you’re actually thinking. Mr. Key did on May 10, and now he should be forced to apologise or clarify.
Precisely.. and that info was made public (ie leaked) a couple of years ago.
Misleading? YES!
Alwyn and other trolls please note.
Just get used to it folks. John Phillip Key is collateral scum more or less, pathologically expressing the no-daddy-no-role-model-thing. That’s why in middle age he’s into Richie McKey so embarrassingly.
“Back from the wilderness” 🙂
Good to see I haven’t missed much, usual faux outrage from the usual suspects here and life goes on for middle NZ
You wish…
You obviously don’t read or see much at all Tory. Try this thread for starters.
Time to get out more!
“Tax havens ‘serve no useful economic purpose’ and benefit rich at expense of poor, leading economists warn”
I guess that is why Key wants NZ to be one!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/tax-havens-serve-no-useful-economic-purpose-and-benefit-rich-at-expense-of-poor-leading-economists-a7019816.html
Key very rarely gives direct answers to questions.
Since the release of the so called Panama Papers his evasiveness is being accentuated.
He is behaving like someone who has something to hide.
The parliamentary ejection was an orchestrated stunt, yet another “look over there..”
The Green Peace etc diversion was clearly a failure. Something else had to be done otherwise links back to the USA may become apparent.
the usual dog whistle about “left wing conspiracies” did not seem to gain much traction either.
I wonder if this ex state house boy will ever become “an honest John?”
Staged
Oh looks like the PM has made it off the NZ sub and onto the front page of hot reddit topics tonight…
https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/4it0om/new_zealand_prime_minister_john_key_thrown_out_of/
. Men who scream and screech are not taken seriously by other men or by women. The exception being the members of the current National rabble.
Not one single member of National caucus, nor one single national voter has risen to show respect for Red Cross, Anmesty International, or Greenpeace.
The reason is that John Key has sucked out whatever decency existed within National, and replaced it with incompetence, non stop abuse, and too much corruption (Sky City eg). John Key is attempting to cover his failures with screaming and screeching.
He may well be on the way to becoming physically dangerous, so tortured is his ranting and raving and his disgusting abuse, along with his equally disgusting behaviours.. Hopefully his bodyguard will keep an eye on his mental state.
John Key was booed at the Eden Park football Nines ( Feb 5, 2016 TV 3)
John Key “Prime Minister John Key has been booed off stage at today’s Big Gay Out ” Herald Feb 14, 2016
John key was denied his strange, non historic, and appallingly shallow flag ..Mar 24, 2016 Herald and Audrey.
John Key was bundled ranting and raving out of Parliament, May 11, 2016
Be ready for more abuse from this very weird Prime Minister and his weird friends and devotees. He will increasingly clock up more and more failures.
Poor Aotearoa
Looks like JK is losing it ?
And as for Bill English’s defense, . . . well utter bollocks. Two points:
1. Questions are supposed to be answered through the Chair (i.e. through the speaker). The fact that Key was facing the wrong way and didn’t see the Speaker rise to his feet is irrelevant as a defense.
2. The Speaker thundered out “The Prime Minister will resume his seat . . . ” before ordering Key to leave. Unless the PM wants to argue that he is hard of hearing, then Bill English’s defense simply doesn’t wash.
it didn’t show up in the live broadcast, but in the One News clip, the PM clearly made body contact with Brownlie before leaving the Chamber. It looked to me a lot like the “Nudge” part of a “Nudge-Nudge, wink-wink”).
For what its worth, the staged walkout was not done in cahouts with the Speaker, IMO. But it may well have been done in cahouts with Jerry Brownlie. Especially given the follow-up comments from Brownlie, soon after the ejection – comments which were subsequently rejected by the Speaker.
Incidentally, there was an odd mismatch between the video and the audio in yesterday’s live broadcast – a lag of about 4 or 5 seconds between the two, which made it very difficult to watch. (Something do do with a precaution in case there arose a need to censor out expletives or other non-broadcasting-standard problems that the broadcaster suspected might arise perhaps?)
For goodness sake…….PM’s seat is no more than 7 metres away from the Speaker. It’s a child’s fib that he didn’t know the Speaker was on his feet. Or that he didn’t hear the Speaker yelling at him to sit down. The misconduct was deliberate. The Fake Man was always going to engage whatever it took to avoid answering parliamentary questions.
Alwyn Troll and others……..you love having an entitledly ill-behaved, bully/coward child for PM do you ?
For years I’ve posed this question – whom amongst the great bulk of decent caring parents when discussing values with youngsters cites this PM as a role model for decent, honourable behaviour ?
That’s an equally live question in regard to most of his cabinet and caucus colleagues. ‘The Character Question’
Let us not forget the very quick removal of the video of the throat slitting gesture of the PM just before 2 election s ago. This revealing clip has completely disappeared and if John Oliver could find it…