Key’s second waitress bungle

Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, February 3rd, 2016 - 78 comments
Categories: john key, labour, Minister for International Embarrassment, tertiary education - Tags: , , ,

Key’s badly dented “political antennae” took another solid beating yesterday, with his second high-profile bungle involving a waitress. This time, thankfully, the waitress was only hypothetical:

John Key draws flak after questioning why waitresses’ taxes should fund students

Prime Minister John Key has drawn a barrage of criticism after questioning if Labour’s fee free study policy was fair on waitresses who would be paying tax to subsidise students.

His comments also drew a quick response from some critics on social media who drew the link with Key’s repeated pulling of Auckland cafe waitress Amanda Bailey’s ponytail.

Key has made his attitude to waitresses clear, so it was both hypocritical and stupid of him to pose one as an example and invite a revisiting of his ponytail pulling harassment.

Speaking on TVNZ’s Breakfast show Key asked: “How much should the waitress … how much of her taxes should go to a student who will absolutely earn a lot more?”
…
Labour leader Andrew Little said Key should tell waitresses why they weren’t part of his ambitions for New Zealand.

“In reality waitresses – and indeed waiters – will be among the big winners in our Working Futures Plan. It is low-wage workers who are turned off training and study because of the mountain of debt they will come out with.” Like many workers they faced uncertain futures and many would want or need to retrain. “For years the Prime Minister has been telling us he is ‘ambitious for New Zealand’. Waitresses should be part of that.”

An obvious and appropriate response. As is the question for Key – why should the hypothetical worker’s taxes be used to fund roads they may never drive on, services they may never need, excessive politician’s wages and the like (in short it’s a silly game to play).

Henry Maddocks ‏Tweeted “How much should the waitress pay for the salary of the millionaire PM who’s is going to pull her hair?”, while Josh Barr Tweeted: “if all the waitresses are at uni, there’ll be no ponytails around to pull”.

But Key said at his post cabinet press conference on Tuesday: “Well I’m not not going to not talk about waitresses for the rest of the time, I am Prime Minister.”

Keep reminding people of your crappy behaviour and inviting ridicule? Sure, sounds like a great idea to me…

keys-waiter

78 comments on “Key’s second waitress bungle ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sabine 1
    3 February 2016 at 7:41 am

    obviously no student ever waited tables, and no waitress (waiters obviously needn’t apply) ever went to study.
    Give the man a ponytail. He needs a bit of tug play.

  2. UncookedSelachimorpha 2
    3 February 2016 at 7:41 am

    I agree with John Key – it is important we increase the tax burden on multi-millionaires like him, not waitresses, to pay for free education.

    Looks like the nats have had their first focus group meetings and huddle with the PR firms. Strategy 1 is to peddle the ‘tax is theft’ line while implying tax must come from poor people, not the under-taxed rich.

    Wait a couple of days for strategy 2…

    • pat 2.1
      3 February 2016 at 8:49 am

      and getting Labour to state categorically that they will be raising taxes…..which will be the meme…..Labour ,the tax and spend party….as opposed to the tax cut and fiscally responsible party (never mind the lack of public services or deficit)

      • UncookedSelachimorpha 2.1.1
        3 February 2016 at 9:34 am

        Yes, one day soon Labour or the Greens should have honest and open discussion about tax and services. Labour tends to minimise the obvious connection between services and tax, presumably from fear of the right’s vacuous but effective PR machine. Instead we get the nonsense of the government miraculously providing services, while in an unrelated matter, stealing tax.

        “Tax and spend” is an empty and derisory slogan that ignores the fact that levying taxes and providing services is an essential part of a decent society. Bernie Sanders is opening some honest discussion on this, hopefully it spreads to NZ.

        If you want examples of low tax and small government – look to the third world.

      • Michael 2.1.2
        3 February 2016 at 1:53 pm

        IMO they can’t run on a big tax increase for their first election term. After 3 terms of National, and a strong National PR machine, Labour can’t risk looking like the big-taxing party. However, when they are campaigning for their 2nd term, I think they should be promising major tax increases on the wealthy and strong increases in spending on public services.

        Little has said that they will be conducting a tax review in their 1st term based on fairness, and will then take the policies to voters in 2020. Which is fair enough.

    • savenz 2.2
      3 February 2016 at 11:07 am

      +1 UncookedSelachimorpha – although I am more worried about the undertaxed corporates….. and even more so about the corporate welfare….

  3. Sirenia 3
    3 February 2016 at 7:46 am

    PM has obviously never worked in hospo. Sees them (especially the female workers) as a lower class of NZers.

  4. You_Fool 4
    3 February 2016 at 7:47 am

    “J Key, bringing up a subject then refusing to talk about it since 2006”

  5. One Anonymous Bloke 5
    3 February 2016 at 8:09 am

    Funny, I’m sure I remember Bill English making political mileage out of his assertion that low-waged workers don’t pay tax at all.

    This from Hansard:

    A single-income family with two children pays no net tax until their income reaches $50,000 a year.

    Perhaps the Prime Minister is, y’know, lying.

  6. Jenny Kirk 6
    3 February 2016 at 8:38 am

    What I couldn’t get over is – surely the dolt remembered the scathing attacks he had over pulling the waitress ponytail ? Why on earth did he use a waitress description to slag against Labour’s education policy ? Maybe a psychologist could give us an answer !

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 6.1
      3 February 2016 at 9:12 am

      Probably a psychologist or strategist in a well-paid PR firm made this decision…it might not be a coincidence.

      John Key – every Waitress’s new best friend.

    • miravox 6.2
      3 February 2016 at 10:09 am

      freudian slip

  7. Puckish Rogue 7
    3 February 2016 at 8:54 am

    John Key plays the long game, the left are just too impatient. As an example remember when just prior to the budget John Key was making noises about having no money in the budget and Little started going on about how poor National were

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68502332/Andrew-Little-Government-recklessly-complacent

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11451927

    and then Bill English pulls this out:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/68742199/Budget-2015-Benefits-rise-in-bid-to-tackle-child-poverty

    So in one fell swoop Labour and Andrew Little are made to look foolish (again) so in this I see something similar happening.

    The soundbite people will remember from this is under Labour hairdressers will be paying for other peoples tertiary education but and its a pretty big but it won’t be the last thing mentioned on this and John Key will keep drip feeding everything wrong with the policy and it’ll build up in peoples minds

    Then National will unveil an improved version and the voters will be convinced that the nice Mr Key and the competent Mr English have a firm grip on the levers of power

    But hey you guys keep letting yourselves get distracted by trivialities its all good

    • Gangnam Style 7.1
      3 February 2016 at 9:04 am

      “Hairdressers”? Do you like the PM have ponytails on your mind 24/7? I think when the PM mentions waitresses most people remember the PM likes to pull their ponytails.

      • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1
        3 February 2016 at 9:11 am

        Turns out adding to this site and trying to work at the same time doesn’t always work out the way I think it will

        Just sub waitress for hair dresser

        • You_Fool 7.1.1.1
          3 February 2016 at 9:42 am

          So we now know what the next line will be, the poor old hairdressers are paying for tertiary education too! Next will be the builders & plumbers, service station attendants and so on…

        • miravox 7.1.1.2
          3 February 2016 at 9:51 am

          So you think hairdressers who get their training at a Polytech won’t benefit from not having to pay for their own tertiary education?

          • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1.2.1
            3 February 2016 at 10:36 am

            Yeah but that’s not the point, the point that John Key is wanting to stick in peoples minds is that under Labour poorer people will be paying for people to get better careers

            • Nick Nack 7.1.1.2.1.1
              3 February 2016 at 10:52 am

              And he’s correct, because that’s exactly what Labour’s proposal means.

              • You_Fool …
                3 February 2016 at 11:35 am

                Yes, under Labour’s proposal, poor people will be paying for people to get better careers (and so will rich people) and also not paying to give rich people more money.

                Of course the people getting a better career are generally those same poor people paying for it, but now they can afford it (as they are paying no additional tax.) Unless I missed the bit in Little’s speech where he said that people on minimum wage won’t be eligible? Or was there a bit where he said he would raise taxes on the poor and not the rich? Must of missed those points…

                • Nick Nack …
                  3 February 2016 at 12:15 pm

                  What Labour have said is that everyone will forgo tax cuts to pay for universal tertiary education. Everyone. Put simply, a labourer will pay more tax so that Russell Coutts’ kids can get a free tertiary education.

                  • framu …
                    3 February 2016 at 12:42 pm

                    no – EVERYONE will pay THE SAME tax so that EVERYONES kids can go to uni for free

                    you dont pay more tax by not getting a reduction

                    isnt this the second time in this thread youve tried that line?

                    • Nick Nack …
                      3 February 2016 at 12:49 pm

                      “…you dont pay more tax by not getting a reduction”

                      Yes, you do. If the choice is between a tax cut or not to subsidise wealthy peoples kids education, that is paying more.

                      Not only that, but taxes will almost certainly have to increase to fund the likelihood that Labour have underestimated the cost.

                    • You_Fool …
                      3 February 2016 at 1:53 pm

                      “… to subdise everyone’s education..”

                      Fixed it for you

                      The only reason that the cost will balloon is if more people than expected take it up, which would indicate that it was indeed an excellent policy.

                  • BM …
                    3 February 2016 at 12:49 pm

                    Agree, I’d think the labourer would definitely prefer a tax cut, especially with how expensive it is to rent these days.
                    More money in his/her back pocket the better.

                    Coutts’ kids can pay their own way.

                    • You_Fool …
                      3 February 2016 at 1:51 pm

                      Pity said labourer can’t pay for his own kid to go to uni with his extra $20 from the tax cut. He will just have to build the Coutts’s new house as they play their new play station and go on luxury holidays with their extra $5000 they get in the tax breaks…

                      yep the Labourer is really winning on the deal from national!

                    • BM …
                      3 February 2016 at 1:56 pm

                      His kid may not want to go to uni

                      This may come as a shock to many on here, but not every one can or wants to go to university.

                      Some people like to work with their hands, do more physical work or they’re more than happy doing cleaning or other less mentally taxing stuff.

                      You know, all those working class people the left likes to champion.

                      Why should they pay for someone else to go to uni?

                    • You_Fool …
                      3 February 2016 at 2:26 pm

                      That maybe, but not all kids of labourers will also want to just use their hands; and in any case as these people grow up they may want to retrain or change careers, and now they can do so without massing a big debt.

                      Unless of course some other party comes along and scraps it all; then yes these hypothetical people of yours will have paid for rich people to go to uni, and then will pay for rich people to get a tax cut and will pay for rich people to go to hospital and pay for rich people to go on holiday. But then again they do all this now anyway…

                  • lprent …
                    3 February 2016 at 1:21 pm

                    Put simply, a labourer will pay more tax so that

                    their own kid can have a chance to get an free apprenticeship or a tertiary education.

                    Fixed your stupid misunderstanding.

                  • b waghorn …
                    3 February 2016 at 1:31 pm

                    Ooh I can’t wait for my $5 extra a week while the people on $200 k get $100 out of a national tax cut.

                    • Anno1701 …
                      3 February 2016 at 4:21 pm

                      “His kid may not want to go to uni”

                      its called a technical institute ya clown

                      you know full of mechanics,builders, engineers all those “handsy” jobs

                    • AB …
                      4 February 2016 at 9:57 am

                      Yeah – National’s tax cuts will be structured to favour high earners.
                      But Labour leaves itself open to BM’s silly meme about the poor paying for the education of the rich, by not stating that taxation will also be made more progressive. So 3 years free tertiary is universal, no problem. If in time tertiary education leads to individuals earning higher incomes (which we hope it does) they will pay a little more tax to fund the next generation through their tertiary education.
                      This produces inter-generational fairness, and a society with a long-term focus on the well-being of all its citizens.
                      The mind-set of short-term acquisitiveness characterised by BM has done so much damage already – it has to stop.

                  • righy right …
                    4 February 2016 at 6:31 am

                    tertiary education included apprenticeships it doesn’t mean university

            • miravox 7.1.1.2.1.2
              3 February 2016 at 8:09 pm

              “Yeah but that’s not the point

              Surely you’re going to get tired of seeing politics as a game soon and go get another hobby?

    • weka 8.1
      3 February 2016 at 10:12 am

      I really think if you are going to put the idea of dating Key in people’s mind you should post a warning first.

  9. Stuart Munro 9
    3 February 2016 at 9:03 am

    I went home with the waitress
    Just like I always do
    How was I to know
    She was with the Russians too
    Now I’m Hiding in Hawaii
    I’m a desperate man
    Send lawyers guns and money
    The shit has hit the fan.

    Warren Zevon

  10. Reality 10
    3 February 2016 at 9:13 am

    Waitresses and waiters also pay tax towards buying multi million dollar NZ residences in New York and Hawaii and Saudi sheep farms and abattoirs. But that’s quite ok apparently.

  11. Colonial Viper 11
    3 February 2016 at 9:19 am

    Key is testing new attack lines to give his internal pollsters something to work with. I figure it is 18 months to the next election, tops.

    And probably more like 16 months.

    • Stuart Munro 11.1
      3 February 2016 at 9:45 am

      “Key calls snap election on the waitress issue” – great epitaph.

    • vto 11.2
      3 February 2016 at 9:48 am

      Hmmm, probably not far from the mark.

      Key will be watching economic indicators, most especially house sales in Auckland, like a hawk. And launching election on that basis. For sure.

    • rhinocrates 11.3
      3 February 2016 at 1:10 pm

      He wouldn’t want it to be after or during the trial of a certain prominent New Zealander whose name is -mmmmph mmmmmph!

  12. weka 12
    3 February 2016 at 10:11 am

    What I’d love to know is if the choice of waitress was intentional or if it was Key’s sociopathic hubris channeling through.

    Yesterday I asked one of his social media promotional team, Puckish Rogue (Fisiani is on leave), how the choice of waitress fitted in with Key’s alleged genius and master plan, but he has yet to answer.

  13. Anno1701 13
    3 February 2016 at 10:22 am

    gotta wonder when was the last time the PM had a coffee WITHOUT any extra “fluid” in it ?

  14. savenz 14
    3 February 2016 at 11:11 am

    How many Waitress taxes going to prop up the Saudi Business sheep farms?

  15. Magisterium 15
    3 February 2016 at 12:26 pm

    Watching the ADHD children of the left hyperactively jumping around from manufactured waitress outrage to manufactured Waitangi outrage to manufactured something else outrage while arrangements are quietly being made to sign the TPPA literally in the centre of Auckland.

    • savenz 15.1
      3 February 2016 at 1:47 pm

      +1 Magisterium – totally agree – think it should be the ONLY thing on the blogs – don’t give in to distraction tactics!

  16. seeker 16
    3 February 2016 at 2:02 pm

    magisterium@12.26pm

    Even if something is signed in the centre of Auckland it has no real meaning yet as regards the TPPA, (see clip of Lori Wallach on open mike 1.2.16). Unless it means something to the conniving nats. in that they have found a way to change more laws to suit themselves.

    There will also be a peaceful protest march down Queen Street to Britomart tomorrow meeting at Aotea Square @ 12noon for a 12.30pm start for both adults and their actual gorgeous children.

    Please go to TPPlegal.com to see the really greedy and unscrupulous children in this…
    Messrs. Key, Groser and co.

  17. Smilin 17
    3 February 2016 at 6:37 pm

    Q:Why do we have long living Rock Stars

    A: So we dont have to suffer the arrogance of politicians forever ,esp

    John F Key

  18. TheBlackKitten 18
    3 February 2016 at 7:58 pm

    An idiot with foot and mouth disease. One thing you got to give Helen, she was far more professional than that.

  19. Smilin 19
    3 February 2016 at 9:06 pm

    Typical hun brained statement from a person who is trained to have all boxes working independently of each other so that they cant be inclusive of each other as a whole
    IE The waitress might also be a student who will not pull up the ladder after she becomes better off and able to influence the life of others in a more just way than some we know who cant even see that the world is not flat and that there politics in relation to humanity could be put on the head of a pin and hopefully prick her balloon arsed brain
    And ponytail pullin idiots who are suppose to represent leadership should stop trying to stir shit by using their own shortcomings as a pathway to some viability in their shortsighted alcohol soaked personality that I wouldnt give 2bucks to a single sound byte of their inadequate leadership of this nation

  20. Pauline 20
    4 February 2016 at 9:14 am

    Just goes to show=you can indeed be an idiot AND get a college education

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