Leader repays chopper flights

13 comments on “Leader repays chopper flights ”

• Comments are now closed

1. randal 1

   3 June 2011 at 10:16 am

   brmm brmm brmmm..noo noo heads ahoy!
2. peteremcc 2

   3 June 2011 at 10:35 am

   Private travel to son’s baseball game where you’re there as a father

   Public travel to a New Zealand event where you’re there as the Prime Minister.

   See the difference?
   • Blighty 2.1

     3 June 2011 at 10:43 am

     What Prime Ministerial role was Key performing at the races?

     Smiling and waving isn’t part of the PM’s job. Neither is watching all the big fast cars. He was either there in a personal capacity or in a political one as leader of National.
     • sean maitland 2.1.1

       3 June 2011 at 3:29 pm

       On that note, what PM role was Helen Clark performing when she used a motorcade to get to a Bledisloe game and then sold the poor police officers up the river for?
     • Georgecom 2.1.2

       3 June 2011 at 9:38 pm

       Indeed Peter. Please do clarify what important role Mister Key was performing at the V8s which required Helicopter travel. What actual value did he add to the event?

       Rob
   • bbfloyd 2.2

     4 June 2011 at 1:32 pm

     “Where you’re there as a prime minister”.. So in what official capacity was he there? What official function was he performing? What was the reason that our pm had to be at hamilton, or the golf club in auckland?

     If you’re going to talk shit, then you’d better get some sort of factual argument lined up first. Otherwise, people may decide that you are just another bigoted and ignorant tory.
3. Peter Rabbit 3

   3 June 2011 at 11:10 am

   I think that the key words to this post are “After intense criticism”. John Key hasn’t faced intense criticism but rather some intense whinging from a small minority of people who are politically opposed to him and are looking for any sort of issue that may increase the position of their preferred political leaders.

   Looking at the most recent polls taken after all this publicity most people would seem to agree.
   • Bazar 3.1

     3 June 2011 at 2:02 pm

     ‘“After intense criticism”. John Key hasn’t faced intense criticism …’

     I’d say the helicopter affair has seen intense criticism; it was on talkback radio, on the papers, and on TV, and in detail. How much more coverage does it need before you call it intense. Did you want the pilots interviewed to give their opinion on what they thought of the ride?

     It was criticised to death.

     It was also a stupid thing to criticise. It probably garnered as much respect for key from people seeing him using assets efficiently and being picked on over nothing, then it did deter people for seeing him being frivolous.

     I’ll also add, taking the ride Key took to meet state functions, and then comparing it to someone who used state rides to watch his son play baseball isn’t helping.

     It’s only further portraying the labour movement as envious of National’s success and doing its best to kick up mud over any little thing, rather than getting on with it, and being a real opposition party with real values.
     • felix 3.1.1

       3 June 2011 at 3:06 pm

       He didn’t take it to “meet state functions” though, whatever that means.

       He took it to go to the V8s and back.
4. deemac 4

   3 June 2011 at 12:19 pm

   PR says it all – it doesn’t matter how venal and self-serving our politicians are as long as the opinion polls don’t reflect public concern. Talk about having no moral compass!
5. Robb 5

   3 June 2011 at 2:21 pm

   Some have said it was just motorsport and sure he used a government helicopter to get there. It doesn’t matter what your political leanings are they all seem to take advantage at some point. Helen Clark speeding in a motocade down south to get to air transport back to Wellington as original airport was closed or something similar (what was the urgency of this) we all know it was for a rugby game, not for an important state meeting or anything like that. Motorsport/rugby game, the state was not going to grind to halt but both felt it neceassary to take extreme options to get to these events.

   It will happen again it doesn’t matter who’s running the show and yes both shouldn’t have done it.
   • Jilly Bee 5.1

     3 June 2011 at 2:52 pm

     I’m pretty sure Helen Clark had arranged to meet John Howard at the rugby – Air New Zealand had cancelled the flight she was scheduled to take, hence the car ride.
   • bbfloyd 5.2

     4 June 2011 at 2:01 pm

     robb,. Try harder. quoting what was an obvious, national party sponsered storm in a teacup puts you firmly in the “idiot who can’t see the wood for the trees’ faction…

     Why don’t you spend your time more profitably by writing the love letters to johnny that you really want to.

     It would make more sense.

• Comments are now closed

• Log in
• Donate
• Contribute post

• Articles RSS