Written By:
mickysavage - Date published:
3:27 pm, December 15th, 2016 - 26 comments
Categories: national, national/act government, Politics, same old national -
Tags: matthew hooten, murray mccully, sheepgate
What started as a trickle is now becoming a torrent of resignations as Murray McCully has also announced that he will be leaving politics at the next election.
He announced earlier this year that he would no longer seek the East Coast Bays nomination and would only stay if he remained Minister of Foreign affairs. Looks like he has learned the bad news that this is not going to happen.
He was an unusual politician. Matthew Hooten famously said of him that if he could find a way to run a sausage sizzle for local hospice corruptly he would do so.
Recent examples of his unusual behaviour included the promise to build a sheep station in the middle of the Saudi desert in an attempt to persuade a private individual to encourage the Saudi government to sign a trade deal. Shonky is the only word that can be used to describe the arrangement. The Government celebrated a finding that what occurred did not fall within the definition of corruption using a narrow legal interpretation of the word. What low standards this Government has.
There was also the granting of a contract to run a resort on Niue to a National Party donor who had previously written a cheque for $101,000 made out to the party. Of course there was nothing to see here and nothing untoward. At all.
And as a further example of his ineptitude the gutting of MFAT under his watch caused it to drop the ball and allow a Malaysian citizen to leave the country using a diplomatic passport even though he was facing charges.
He was known as the dark prince of National’s caucus and someone who should not be crossed. Time will tell if he decides to respond to the news in his usual manner.
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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Good riddance, McCully. With his imminent departure, that takes the count of departing National party MPs to at least five. Rats, ships, and that sinking feeling comes to mind. The icing on the cake, though? Nick Smith.
It’s more than that, maybe 7 of them now.
Gosh imagine Smith going, that would be tremendous, Nat’s should open up their eyes as it would probably be tremendous for them as well.
However sadly Smith announced a few months back that he would be standing for Nelson again. But hey gotta laugh he was the only one that put up his hand… “Nick was the only person from of National’s 700 plus local members to be nominated for the 2017 local candidacy.”
Smith is a career politician, and this will be his tenth campaign, yup and buggered if he will give anyone else a chance. Bully boy Nick.
LMAO ““Nelson is doing well under the stable and capable leadership of John Key” not any more he’s bailed lololz
http://nelsonlive.co.nz/2016/10/nick-smith-runs-nelson-mp/
But, then again tomorrow is another day and I’ve a feeling McCully won’t be the last Nat MP resigning before Sundays ministerial announcement
Go away Murray and retire on a farm in the desert, bye bye
Don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out.
McCully is Going Too Jail , is the head line i’d like to see
So will Todd McClay then become foreign minister?
Oh good. He was always a corrupt piece of shit.
Judith Collins for Foreign Minister.
Indeed it’s a political gift for the PM ; send your enemies very very far.
She does good deals with Chinese companies.
Did really well to run the campaign getting us a slot on the Security Council.
Did really crap with Groser negotiating for our interests, and selling, the TPPA.
Did really crap advancing New Zealand interests, other than nursemaiding the Prime Minister into meaningless junkets.
Also crap advancing the interests of our Pacific Island allies in climate change.
Also crap at the Pacific Islands Forum.
Can’t for the life of me figure any other successes.
Definitely our worst-performing government in generations in international affairs, under his leadership.
2011 opening night of the Rugby World Cup in Auckland was not a McCully success.
There’s a litany of cock ups under his mismanagement.
The cheap salesman has gone , so there’s no more easy deflections.
All the factions have come out to play,…
And now there’s a gate on Logburn road.
Just a small wooden gate, … not a particularly strong one, ….rather like a cattlestop gate , really….
And after dodgy deals in Saudi Arabia, spying on our major trade partners and our own citizens who write books, having the media report about $100,000 bottles of wine that didnt exist , paying poor people $5000 to leave Auckland and another $2000 to come back again , extolling the rent free joys of having your family’s live in a car…
All that it took to start a major stampede for the door and the insolvency of the incumbent government was a rather inconspicuous and hurriedly erected small brown wooden gate at the end of an obscure and hitherto widely unknown road located in an even more previously unknown set of nondescript hills that comprise the largely overlooked and publicly unappreciated role of helping to support the main body of mountains that constitutes what is largely known of both locally and nationally as the Southern Alps….
Watch this space.
And some questions being asked at last.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/watch-jack-tame-catches-nzs-evasive-new-deputy-pm-unprepared-questions-kiwi-kids-in-severe-poverty
The old, “It’s not as easy as throwing money at it” line … how unimaginative.
From the Shonkey school of politics….. Paula Benefit “I havent read the report yet”
No Right Turn is succinct and to the point, as ever.
Good riddance
Problem is, both major parties are control freaks
“There was also the granting of a contract to run a resort on Niue to a National Party donor who had previously written a cheque for $101,000 made out to the party. Of course there was nothing to see here and nothing untoward. At all.”
And that I am sure will come out as correct when Little is in court next year. Will make good tv that.
What was that you said about a $100,000 donation for a fake bottle of wine, Trevor?
Eh ?… something about a fabricated story by the NZ Herald ?
Yeah I know, … sounds like a lot of dodgy bastards… but there’s a bloke called james who reckons hes going to enjoy watching telly and he reckons everything the telly people say is the truth …
Yeah I know…. the guys a dreamer , mate.
This World was never meant for one as beautiful as Muzza
http://www.teara.govt.nz/files/33897-enz.jpg
That is truly magnificent hair. Really. Never seen anyone adopt quite that style. Thanks for sharing that photo.
The “GIVING YOUTH A VOICE” reminded me of a recent conversation I had.
Speaking to a young (16 yr old) supporter of the National, ACT and
Conservative parties the other week who happens to be a member of the local Youth Board for Auckland Council.
He made repeated references to “being the voice of local youth”, despite being very aware of the limited perspective those on the Youth Council have.
But was very put out when I suggested perhaps given the idea of representation, they should advertise themselves as “being the ear for local youth”, or should modify their mission statement to a more truthful “being the voice for a small percentage of youth, particularly those of them that are us”.
No sense of humour these conservatives – even at a very young age.
Must admit, did feel a bit like Jonathan Pie when having that conversation:
Baaahahahahahahaaaa
“being the voice for a small percentage of youth, particularly those of them that are us”.
ROFL LMFAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Machiavellian was the way someone prominent – can’t remember who – described McCully’s handling of the M.F.A.T. restructuring a few years ago. Mediocre is how I would describe his handling of N.Z. foreign affairs.
So many chances to strike a blow for New Zealand ideals of peace, democracy and fairness. And equally so many chances blown. Tacitly we have supported Saudi Arabia’s terror campaign in Yemen. We could have told the Russians what we really thought of their sanctioning Bashar al Assad’s regime and its equally monstrous campaign in Syria. But we didn’t. Chances to tell Indonesia to get out of West Papua and to reform our role in Five Eyes, all went asunder.
Can’t say I’ll miss him.
English and McCully mix like oil and water the toxic gnome knows he has no future under english.