Key’s flagship policy now his joke

Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, November 23rd, 2009 - 27 comments
Categories: cycleway, john key - Tags:

Anyone with a brain has always known Key’s cycleway is a joke. The sick thing is he’s now using it as a punchline himself:

Barack Obama’s planned White House Job Summit struck a note with our own PM when he heard about it during the Singapore Apec meeting. “Maybe he’ll do a national cycleway,” John Key quipped. – O’Sullivan

My Government has set about addressing these concerns and realising these aspirations step by step, policy by policy. We’ve cut taxes, upped the number of police on the beat, increased the amount of elective surgery being performed, introduced national standards in literacy and numeracy, accelerated new roading projects (not to mention a national cycleway) – Key

ba dum tish

He promised us 4,000 jobs. Now he’s making a joke of his broken promise. ‘Remember when I promised you 4,000 jobs and you bought it? Ha ha! Suckers’

Is it disconnect or just sheer gall?

27 comments on “Key’s flagship policy now his joke ”

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  1. Tigger 1
    23 November 2009 at 11:37 am

    It’s that Letterman appearance, Key now thinks he’s ‘funny’. Of course, he is ‘funny’ in a ‘laughing at him’ way…

  2. ieuan 2
    23 November 2009 at 11:43 am

    Is there a daily quota of anti-Key posts that has to be met?

    Just asking.

    • poptart 2.1
      23 November 2009 at 11:46 am

      it’s alright wee fella, have a cry, there’s no shame in it. no one likes to see their hero brought down.

      • Tigger 2.1.1
        23 November 2009 at 11:52 am

        Well if Key didn’t front for EVERYTHING that happens in government he wouldn’t feature so much. But National wheel him out over literally anything that goes on. If he’s going to take point on even the small stuff then you gotta expect he’s up for criticism…

        • Daveski 2.1.1.1
          23 November 2009 at 12:03 pm

          I thought that was why Clark was so lauded round here???

          The focus on Key at the exclusion of most other things is starting to get a bit embarassing as is the success of the predictions here that are now simply forgotten.

          What happened to the predictions of 10%+ unemployment? Secret agendas? Demand for massive reactionary investment?

          Likewise, the lauding of Goff for ditching a policy without actually spelling out an alternative shows the problem the left has.

          Anyway, keep up the good work – it certainly shows in the polls.

          • BLiP 2.1.1.1.1
            23 November 2009 at 12:12 pm

            The secret agenda is proceeding according to plan. The undermining of ACC is well underway, Health is starting to get a bit of a battering with the so-called Hospital League Tables, and Education is getting set up. Won’t be long before everyone is paying foreign-owned companies for their accident insurance, hospitals will start contracting out more and more services, and polytechnics start closing. The ramping up of disquiet in the industrial sector is bubbling along ready to be turned up high for some serious strike action affecting the public in a big way and, hey presto, early election and the re-implementation of Rogernomics for the proceeding three years.

            Should all be in the bag before the Rugby World Cup.

          • Daveo 2.1.1.1.2
            23 November 2009 at 12:23 pm

            If I can step in here, 8-10% unemployment was Treasury’s prediction.

            The secret agenda is being rolled out – National is quite clearly a right-wing neoliberal party, not the centrist “Labour with tax cuts” party they promoted themselves as before the election.

            No one who seriously understands politics thinks Goff should have laid out a detailed and finalised policy on changes to monetary policy at this stage, the entire point is to open the discussion and work on policy in the lead up to the next election. It’s too important to rush.

            Resorting to the ‘look at the polls!’ line is just stupid, I’m not going to even dignify it with a response.

            You used to be better than this Daveski.

            • Pascal's bookie 2.1.1.1.2.1
              23 November 2009 at 12:34 pm

              “You used to be better than this Daveski.”

              Cite?

              😉

            • Daveski 2.1.1.1.2.2
              23 November 2009 at 12:58 pm

              Actually to an extent I agree with Daveo. My point is that the debate has largely degenerated into a bag Key line of attack – regardless of what the subject – so many here are starting to regret their comments made in haste.

              While I have no doubt that the National party honeymoon is over – and quite deservedly too – I still don’t have a handle on where Labour is – altho I understand many here have a view.

              In general Daveo, I agree it’s not the opposition policy to roll out policy before election year (or in National’s case, after election year ;)). However, to break with such a core convention but without an alternative is worth challenging.

    • snoozer 2.2
      23 November 2009 at 11:52 am

      if you want a daily quota of pics of rotund middle aged guys standing in front of landmarks, and images of scantily dressed women, there’s always Kiwiblog.

      lol, does anybody even read that thing anymore?

      captcha – suggest

      • BLiP 2.2.1
        23 November 2009 at 12:15 pm

        Its beginning to resemble one of those horrid evenings when you pop into the neighbours’ place to hand over their mail you have been collecting while they’ve been away and, rather than managing to escape quickly, you get sucked into this excruciating four hour holiday snaps slide-show marathon.

        • Tigger 2.2.1.1
          23 November 2009 at 1:34 pm

          Actually, the pics of Farrar on holiday are the only thing I can stand about that site. Not sure why he thinks we’re interested in his ‘what I did on my vacation’ snaps though. Save it for Facebook, DPF.

          • Chris 2.2.1.1.1
            23 November 2009 at 3:11 pm

            And completely without irony, Farrar states:

            “Knowledge is what separates us from the cavemen.”

            Good observational skills for a caveman.

        • felix 2.2.1.2
          23 November 2009 at 1:49 pm

          Next time you find yourself stuck like that, just say “Thank you, but I think I’ll carry on living my life now”.

          They won’t try it again.

          (btw I’m available for motivational talks, networking seminars, children’s parties etc)

          • Tigger 2.2.1.2.1
            23 November 2009 at 2:08 pm

            Actually I’ve found ‘accidentally’ spilling a whole beer on the projector also works.

  3. randal 3
    23 November 2009 at 11:55 am

    the thing is Keys cynicism is systemic.
    so is his ability to hold two contradictory positions at once.
    its all a bit disheartening to realise that New Zealand is being governed by severely dysfunctional individuals who appeal to that part of the electorate who also believe that their own thoughts are facts.

  4. vto 4
    23 November 2009 at 11:56 am

    Yes well the things I have found recently a sick joke from Key include his comments about tripling the amount of irrigation in the South Island and moving into further marina development mode in the Coro.

    Bloody drongo.

  5. ben 5
    23 November 2009 at 11:58 am

    Hmmm, I’ll vote sheer gall for your quote of John Key at the end there that never happened. I am assuming you are not quite stupid enough to not realise what you’re doing.

    • Bright Red 5.1
      23 November 2009 at 12:19 pm

      sigh.

      see how the phrase you’re calling a quote is in single speech marks, rather than double? That means it’s a characterisation of what Key is saying, whereas the double speech marks around “maybe he’ll do a national cycleway” is direct quotation.

  6. Craig Glen Eden 6
    23 November 2009 at 11:58 am

    Couldn’t agree more randal.

  7. Bored 7
    23 November 2009 at 12:00 pm

    On election night the most salutary images demonstrating the gulf between Clark and Key was their respective departures from their respective abodes. Helen emerged from her rather average looking villa to be picked up by a very average looking car. The counterpoise was Keys automatic gate rolling back in his compound mansion to spew forth a series of high end limos. Nothing so illuminating could have been stated verbally. What I would really like to see now is the humble and personable Mr. Key prove he really is one of us who feels the chill winds whilst peddling uphill (physically and metaphorically) push open the security gate and emerge on a 10 speed, heading joyfully to his cycle way. Fat chance, only ever his style if it was a photo opportunity.

  8. Tanya 8
    23 November 2009 at 12:49 pm

    I suppose that PM’s do have to do photo op’s, part of the job, I guess.

  9. Ronald Reynolds 9
    23 November 2009 at 12:53 pm

    I like John Key and I can’t wait to see the fruits of the cycleway project. I’ve done the Otago Rail Trail and it’s amazing to see small towns on route revived by the trail.

    • Bright Red 9.1
      23 November 2009 at 1:09 pm

      nobody is anti cycleway but don’t you expect more from your PM than this? One year on and where are the jobs he promised?

      And don’t you want your PM to be someone more than someone you ‘like’? Don’t you want them to be a good PM?

  10. gobsmacked 10
    23 November 2009 at 2:55 pm

    Two headlines today (Stuff, NZPA etc):

    1) Key To Toast Queen At Chogm

    2) Copenhagen A Photo Op, Says PM

    Irony jumps shark.