Nat Civil War: ceasefire breached

Written By: - Date published: 6:35 am, May 9th, 2012 - 90 comments
Categories: Judith Collins, national, Steven Joyce - Tags: , ,

Well, that didn’t take long. A couple of weeks of quiet (probably thanks to some good polls more than anything) and, now, the National Party Civil War has re-erupted as the Collins and Joyce factions fight over the post-Key future.

A few weeks ago, we got tipped off about a candidates’ course for Nats that Simon Lusk and Cameron Slater were going to run in Christchurch. It’s part of their model, seen as dirty by many in the National Party, of identifying potential candidates to take on as clients, and running smear campaigns for them against other Nats for cash. Our stringer fell through and then the Banks stuff blew-up, so we never covered the meeting. But it seems the anti-Lusk leaks kept coming.

Here’s the description of the event we were sent:

Running for Local Government
Simon Lusk & Cameron Slater
Training Session
April 21st & 22nd 2012
The purpose of this session is to help aspiring National candidates and those who want to win local government races. This will be an interactive session with an emphasis on Q&A. It will build knowledge about campaigning and how individuals should win
Venue
The Copthorne Hotel Commodore, Christchurch. One of the South Island participants suggested a South Island venue to see how committed Aucklanders are. Details to be confirmed.
Cost will be $100 to cover lunch, dinner and the venue. Please bring cash to pay on the day.
Note agenda is rough, it will go over two days like last time, but I have to confirm speakers etc.
1.       Why Local Government?                     Simon Lusk                   10.00

2.       Council, Community Board, DHB or Consumer Trust?       Cam Slater  10.15

 

And here’s Slater giving the game away, as is his wont, on Facebook:

I bring this up now because of TV3’s piece last night and the Dom’s article this morning. It seems someone has leaked National Party board minutes. There can hardly be a greater breach of the party’s security than having that information in the public eye, except for the leaking of the emails of the leader himself.

The leaking itself highlights the level of factional infighting in National, as do the contents.

The minutes reveal that Micheal Woodhouse has been warning MPs off using Slater/Lusk’s services saying he had had discussions “to let them know it is not appropriate … to engage”. He went on to report a “disturbing discussion that he has had with Simon Lusk that highlighted his motivations and a very negative agenda for the party”.

“Negative agenda” and the names Lusk and Slater go together automatically. The whole modus operandi of the pair is to get in the pay of a prospective National candidate or a company with union troubles and then smear their opponents. So much of this activity is directed against other Nats that it is self-destructive. And it clearly worries senior Nats.

So, what is the “negative agenda for the party” that Woodhouse refers to? Lusk must be feeling pretty confident about the future for his agenda if he is willing to openly discuss it with a senior MP who isn’t aligned to him. And well he might. His machinations have gotten at least a dozen MPs their seats. But Woodhouse’s comments hint at something larger, as does the leaking of the minutes in and of itself.

You can’t help but see this as a continuation of the Collins faction vs the Joyce faction. Lusk and Slater are known to be agents of the Collins faction, and Joyce is known to have particular ill-will for Lusk because of his party-damaging tactics.

Another area of disagreement appears to be on how to treat the Conservative Party. The more liberal Joyce faction sees the need for a rightwing partner and sees space for a separate social conservative party. Party President Peter Goodfellow has been openly courting the Conservatives to fill that space and there is talk of giving them the Rodney electorate next election.

But the Collins faction doesn’t like it. They don’t want a partner party in the socially conservative, Christian space as that’s exactly where they want to take National. They would have preferred a revitalised ACT (remember Slater/Lusk were up to their eyeballs in the Brash coup of ACT).

You can see the evidence in Slater’s writing on the subject. He doesn’t want Mark Mitchell (another Lusk scion) to have to step aside to let Colin Craig win Rodney. He says that Steven Joyce would “do a deal with the devil to preserve his own power, and if this means tanking a seat he will try”. He criticises Joyce for National’s decision not to actively campaign for FPP, which would eliminate the need for National to have governing partners.. He lashes out at Murray McCully saying that if anyone should be giving up his seat for Craig, it should be McCully.

It all comes down to who is going to have the numbers post-Key and, importantly in the National Party, whose MPs will be electorate MPs. A strong Conservative Party could see some Collins faction MPs unseated and potentially out of Parliament in a tighter race with Labour as the socially conservative rightwing vote would be split.

With ACT gone, Slater/Lusk would prefer to see the the right remain monolithic – sucking up all the rightwing vote – and concentrate on screwing over their internal opponents and getting more MPs for the Collins faction. Clearly, other factions within the party are keen to put the spotlight on what they are up to.

90 comments on “Nat Civil War: ceasefire breached ”

  1. ad 1

    Are these factions or simply rogue spinoffs or something of both? Odd to have Slater-Lusk, Boag-and-deepblueAuckland, and Collins, and Joyce, all jockeying at the same time. Key’s personal popularity remains strong even if slightly weakened. If I were him I would be swinging people like Eagleson into the action to bang heads – the welfare moves feel like good hard spin in action.

    Such a relief to watch another party rift rather than Labour. Labour’s own remit conferences will be interesting to see activists coalescing around MPs.

    It’s beginning to feel like Key’s just holding it together until Budget, after which the Banks Police report will come in and things get a whole lot harder.

    Hope the next dinner Shearer has is with Russell Norman, geting ready for a real and integrated tilt. We need to start the campaign for 2014 much earlier this time. Like this year.

    • the welfare moves feel like good hard spin in action.
      they are good hard spin, a veneer of common sense masking a deplorable and disgusting philosophy. The last attempt at distraction from the Banks debacle (legislation to discourage alien invasions – WTF?) was pretty ineffective.

      • Pete George 1.1.1

        You do realise that in amongst all the “scandals” there’s an imminent budget and it’s not uncommon for actual government business to get a bit of an airing too amongst all the fluff?

        Or are you suggesting Paula Bennet anticipated and coordinated her release with Trevor Mallard’s grand announcements before the media that got the same information beat him to it.

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1

          Or are you suggesting Paula Bennet anticipated and coordinated her release with Trevor Mallard’s grand announcements before the media that got the same information beat him to it.

          Uh, it looks like YOU just suggested that.

        • Armchair Critic 1.1.1.2

          With regard to your first question, yes, and the second qquestion, no

    • dan1 1.2

      Just look at Key’s eyes. Dead man walking. He knows what is in store. It is sad. He is out of his depth. Fascinating politics.

  2. higherstandard 2

    I’m sure Cameron Slater loves the attention he gets from this site.

    • Colonial Viper 2.1

      He can get even more if he leaks us jucier stuff from the top 🙂

  3. Sanctuary 3

    Rod Lingard must be worried, they are stealing his business!

  4. I found Key’s interview last night on TV3 fascinating.  And can’t think but he told porkies.  First he was not aware of any problems and then when he realised TV3 had the minutes he downplayed them.  

    It appears he has been given lessons by John Banks on the handling of crises and on how to retain information in his memory.

    And you really get the feeling that in their pursuit of winning the leadership battle they have lost sight of what for all political parties should be the ultimate goal, the Government benches.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1

      Or the ultimate goal of helping the people of NZ and this great country get ahead and stay ahead in what is going to be a very difficult next 25 years.

  5. Hilary 5

    MS – In that TV3 piece there were some interesting expressions on the faces of other National Party MPs.

  6. captain hook 6

    seems like there is a need for a new defintion for the national party.

  7. deuto 7

    Re the DomPost article linked to in the post, it would be interesting to know who the five Nat MPS were that attended the Puhoi conference in January and the two who attended the April conference in Christchurch.

    Found the following at the end of the article hilarious:

    A National insider denied there was a serous rift.

    “Simon’s a bit of a loose element. … but there’s no civil war in National. There’s not a lot [of relevance] apart from there are people in the National party who don’t like each other.”

    People who don’t like one another within the party is not a rift or potential rift?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 7.1

      For National insider , read David Farrar. Hes playing the one armed paper hanger role here

  8. deuto 8

    Ooops – for some reason that went up twice and it would not let me cancel the second one.

  9. “we got tipped off”, “Our stringer”, “we never covered the meeting.” “we were sent”

    Eddie, seems like you are talking on behalf of multiple people. Is it not unreasonable to expect that you say who you are speaking for? Or have you posted something given to you by someone else and have forgotten to attribute it?

    • Zetetic 9.1

      Eddie’s writing about material sent to The Standard – the we referred to is Standard authors.

      The Standard doesn’t do ghost written pieces, unlike farrar and slater.

      Think carefully before making such insinuations again.

      • Pete George 9.1.1

        I wasn’t insinuating, I was asking. It gets a bit confusing here.

        Sometimes we are told very strongly that we must attribute what we include in comments. Sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter.

        This was posted under Eddie’s name, usually generic or joint efforts are posted under “The Standard”. There was nothing in the post that explained this was “The Standard” posting.

        “the we referred to is Standard authors.”

        And that is also confusing, because as we are often reminded “The Standard” is not a single entity, it is a bunch of individuals who usdually post independently under a common banner.

    • We are witnessing civil war breaking out in National’s ranks, the leaking of highly sensitive information possibly from within the PM’s office, the destabilizing of the Government and Petey wants to speculate on who Eddie might be …

  10. Sanctuary 10

    You know Pete George is completely banned at the dimpost and things are going along swimmingly without him… Just sayin.

      • Pete George 10.1.1

        While trying to talk up “civil war” with the other lot…

        Labour faces Samoan ire in Mangere

        Labour’s Mangere MP Su’a William Sio is facing a rebellion from a big group of his own Samoan people who plan to stand their own candidate against him.

        I’d have thought that the Chair of Labour’s Auckland-Northland Regional Council would be more concerned about his own “rebellions” than putting all his focus into petty interparty pointscoring.

        • deuto 10.1.1.1

          WARNING – attempted diversion. Please do not feed the troll.

        • mickysavage 10.1.1.2

          You know Petey as I type this you have made five comments on this page.  They cover a number of subjects such as the budget, who Eddie is and who he or she is speaking for, possible problems in Mangere because Sua William Sio thinks that some collectors are too exuberant, and whether or not you are banned from dimpost.

          You have not addressed the subject matter once, not even to decry gotcha politics which in this case admittedly is a completely stupid thing to say.

          You aren’t trying to divert attention or destroy the thread are you? 

          • Pete George 10.1.1.2.1

            You’re right, it’d be a quiet post if I hadn’t commented – it’s worth noting that for every one of my comments there’s several associated comments – no diversions or varied topics amongst them?

            But it’s hard to get excited about differences within a party – without which we’d probably have leaks about how conformist everyone was forced to be.

    • Odd, how do you know that? I’m not aware of anything specific like that, Danyl doesn’t appear to have guts to say anything about his censorships – to me, anyway.

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1

        Censorship? Banning you is simply exercising a reasonable sense of decorum, surely.

      • bbfloyd 10.2.2

        actually petey… your comments are just clutter…..i stop reading the comment section when you start monopolising it….it just get rather self serving and tedious….

        and to put your last comment in rational perspective… if you weren’t commenting here, then we may be able to actually have a useful discussion…… you really are becoming a pest…..

        the only reason i’m bothering this time is to inform you of an opinion i have held since the first time you spoiled a perfectly good discussion with your party political drivel…

    • deuto 10.3

      Agreed that there is a marked difference/improvement without his continual diversions/trite comments. Don’t know whether or not he was formally banned or whether the scathing nature of many of the responses to his comments led him to desist commenting there.

      • tc 10.3.1

        Would clean up alot of diversionary and irrelevant dross off the many threads PG jumps on.

        It’s the one he leaves alone that say alot about the diversionary trolling he indulges in all cloaked in waffly statements and links to his site to appear ‘reasonable’.

        • Pete George 10.3.1.1

          It’s the one he leaves alone

          Are you suggesting I shouldn’t leave any alone so as to appear balanced?

          Don’t worry, I don’t intend posting on more things – apart from not having the time or inclination many topics simply don’t interest me, some I think are too ridiculous to bother with, and some topics I keep and eye on to see where they are going and to learn from them.

          Why do you leave some things alone? Are you a diversionary drosser or something?

          • bbfloyd 10.3.1.1.1

            thanks for that petey…. so i can look forward to not having to skim past the “pete george” section to get to the real debate? that’s fantastic news….

            btw…you do the “sniff and stalk off in a dignified huff” really really well…

  11. Hillary 11

    “cash” to cover lunch, dinner, venue!!!?????

    Why does Slater deal in cash?
    Does the lunches, dinner & venue become a ‘business’ expenses?
    Is this cash declared?
    Does Slater have any business operating?
    Who with?
    How many?
    Where are they registered?
    NZ or offshore?
    Has Cactus Kate given Slater any advice about offshore entities?
    Where does Slater get his fees from?
    How does Slater survive financially?
    Does Slater get advertising revenue from his website?
    Does Lusk pay Slater to write stories pro / anti candidates?
    Does Slater get fees from candidates as part of the Slater/Lusk duo?
    Is Slater still collecting a Winz/sickness benefit?
    How does Slater pay for lavish drinks and means on a beneficiary income?
    Is Slater obtaining an income or earnings from businesses?

    So many unanswered questions.

    Maybe someone has some answers?

    • Sanctuary 11.1

      Or perhaps someone could raise this “cash” stipulation with the IRD?

      • ghostwhowalksnz 11.1.1

        It just means they have no eftpos/credit card facilities.
        I wouldnt read too much into the cash only comment.

        Would have to show IRD the venture was for business purposes to claim the cost of venue hire -airfares, so declaring the money is best way to do it.

        • felix 11.1.1.1

          *Declaring some of the money, hence the requirement for cash only.

    • felix 11.2

      Also, “is the $100 fee GST inclusive?”

    • deuto 11.3

      LOL – great list of questions! I am sure many people would be interested in the answers to these.

      Perhaps someone should raise these questions with IRD and/or WINZ. They both have confidential phone numbers to discuss possible fraud/misuse of benefits etc

      IRD – 0800 225 610
      WINZ – 0800 556 006.

    • tracey 11.4

      My understanding is that he has never collected from WINZ. Apparently his insurance covered mental illness.

      • ghostwhowalksnz 11.4.1

        Well it did , until they stopped paying it because he was back ‘working’
        He made a big fuss about taking on Fidelity Life, and how he doesnt back down. But its been quiet on that front for a year or two.
        Could be on the civil list or his lawyer told him he doesnt have a real chance of success unless they settle at the ‘steps of the court’

        • Tracey 11.4.1.1

          I have no time for him, his methods and his deep seated anger, however I don’t believe he would be stupid enough to draw a benefit given his stance on those very things.

          • ghostwhowalksnz 11.4.1.1.1

            His wife works so that wouldnt be possible

            • Akldnut 11.4.1.1.1.1

              If I remember correctly he took a trip to Egypt about 12-18 months ago, he wouldn’t have been able to do that while on the dole.

          • John M 11.4.1.1.2

            He definitely was getting a sickness benefit and he definitely isn’t getting one now. Issue though is how did he present his finances including assets or income received from those assets in order to qualify for a sickness benefit? Hillary asked what advice did he get from Cactus Kate on offshore arrangements but I wonder whether the question should be what advice did he get from her on how to structure his finances so that WINZ still paid him a sickness benefit? I always thought you had to have pretty much nothing to get a benefit so surely structuring (or hiding) money to get a benefit is fraud? Anyone know about the benefit rules?

            • Descendant Of Smith 11.4.1.1.2.1

              “I always thought you had to have pretty much nothing to get a benefit ”

              When advocating for people this is one of the phrases I used to dislike the most.

              So many people were left with nothing because they were told this – in some sad cases (when workers were laid off from a firm by an idiot union delegate who decided he knew better than the Social Welfare staff (I’m showing my age now) who had explained things quite clearly)) people spent up to $60,000 in redundancy before seeking benefit assistance.

              Benefits such as unemployment and sickness and DPB are not asset tested they are only income tested. The income off any assets is income and may reduce the benefit.

              Addition payments such as food assistance and accommodation assistance is asset tested.

              The information is not hard to find out.

              • John M

                Sure, so did Cactus Kate advise Slater how to hide assets so he could get the accommodation benefit and how to hide income from those assets so he could get the sickness benefit?

                • Cactus Kate

                  Hilarious. A local accountant from West Auckland would be far more useful to use for that than me. Funnily enough getting around a few hundred dollars at WINZ doesn’t really rip the kilt nor provide me with income to keep me in the style I am accustomed to. I never did that sort of work even when I was in NZ.

    • mac1 11.5

      Haven’t they just learned, slow though they be, that cheques for services rendered cause problems a la Bankie? They can be photocopied, traced, used as evidence of fraud, corroborate individual involvement……. useful things, cheques.

    • Cactus Kate 11.6

      What utterly dumb questions.
      If Slater had offshore cash stashed away then he could pay more often for bloody lunch.
      I prefer my clientele to be ones that pay me. I know it is a hard concept to deal with but charity has never begun at home with me.

  12. Ugy 12

    Is the insurance company still covering him?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 12.1

      No. Thats what all the talk about ‘suing the pants off them’ was about.
      His previous business went bust which was the trigger for his depression.
      But that sort of illness is pretty certain for someone like him who exits all the symptoms of Oppositional defiant disorder. Usually starts in childhood and symptoms are
      Actively does not follow adults’ requests

      Angry and resentful of others

      Argues with adults

      Blames others for own mistakes

      Has few or no friends or has lost friends

      Is in constant trouble in school

      Loses temper

      Spiteful or seeks revenge

      Touchy or easily annoyed

      Not necessary to have every sympton

      • ianmac 12.1.1

        Crikey ghost! That’s me to a Tee! No wonder my Mum tied me to the clothesline as a kid!

      • Can we please not discuss Slater’s illness(es) and benefits in a public forum? Not just because it treats mental illness as a football, but also because it’s a distraction from the many legitimately unacceptable things Slater does that he can be rightfully criticised for.

        His benefit shouldn’t be up for public discussion, either, if he received one. If he’s committed fraud to get one, then that’s something that should be forwarded to the authorities, and only discussed publicly if they fail to act on that information.

        • felix 12.1.2.1

          +1 WINZ are big and ugly enough to sort him out if need be without any of our help.

        • ghostwhowalksnz 12.1.2.2

          Its in the public domain- mostly by Slater himself.

  13. Dr Terry 13

    I hope that everybody has read the reports concerning this country posted on Internet, from Amnesty International, and the Human Rights Commission on NZ welfare reforms? I think such bodies deserve to be taken seriously, even by those who are unhappy with them..

  14. Despite all the urgent scandalising – the “leaked” (or stolen) documents are over a year old – March 2011.

    I’ve got some questions for David Shearer.

    Is it ethical for a Labour run website to store and make available documents that are obviously confidential and belonging to another party? And are reported as possibly stolen?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 14.1

      They always say they are stolen….its funny they dont go to the police at the time , only when they become public.
      Its Lusk Campaign School 101- Blowing smoke ( to cover up )

      • Pete George 14.1.1

        Poor attempt – at the very least they knew they weren’t documents they should have in their possession. Not a good look for a supposedly senior MP – or do you think that sort of thing is fine?

        • McFlock 14.1.1.1

          Seems to be a significant “public interest” factor there, petey. 
                
          After all, it’s not like it’s a leak of WINZ recipients’ personal information. the people have a right to know if their ruling party is fracturing badly beneath the surface.

      • tc 14.1.2

        Doesn’t stop Petey from running his masters spin lines out though like the good troll he is.

      • McFlock 14.1.3

        Frankly, I’m not sure which is worse – an organisation that is so dysfunctional that authorised people are breaching confidence to score minor political points; or that an organisation that has not even basic protocols for securing confidential information in place is running the country  (e.g. ministerial emails being forwarded to private webmail accounts)

    • Um the documents are dated March 2012.

      Farrar is running the line they are “stolen” but has provided no proof.  He says that one board member claimed his were stolen and his name were on them but there is no proof of either happening.

      Besides the copy that has been photocopied were obviously sitting in a ring binder and had holes punched in them.  More likely someone’s office copy was recopied.

      Crosby Textor would be proud of your efforts today Petey. 

      • Pete George 14.2.1

        TV3 was running the line they could be stolen. I hope you know a bit about law.

        I see the heading has 2012, but all the footers are 2011, confusing.

        It’s not a good look for Labour to be directly involved in this sort of thing?

        • mickysavage 14.2.1.1

          So you assumed you were right and used this as a weapon without checking.

          If you had given it the slightest thought you would realise it must be from 2012.  It refers to the death of Barry Leay which occurred in October 2011 and also refers to the MMP review which is happening now.

          And then you cite a source which says the papers could be stolen and without thinking of it at all use this as support for a proposition that the minutes are stolen.

          I am all for free speech and the contest of ideas.  But Petey your comments are so full of spin that it is really hard to take you seriously.

          • Colonial Viper 14.2.1.1.1

            I always have to remind myself that PG is not an algorithmic troll bot, he’s apparently a flesh and blood human being.

          • QoT 14.2.1.1.2

            It’s a wonderful illustration of how Petey has never had to type his own minutes, too.

          • Pete George 14.2.1.1.3

            Mallard has claimed the documents were leaked, as have you and lprent and Eddie.

            But Mallard also claims not to know where they came from, so how could he know it was a leak?

            Mr Mallard said he received the minutes by fax and they were also posted to him in a brown envelope. He did not know the source.

            http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6891867/Key-suggests-leaked-minutes-were-stolen

            So he doesn’t know if he has retained possession of stolen property or not, and then stored and distributed them via the Labour MP website.

            Not a good look for a senior MP who accuses others of ethical deficiencies.

            • mickysavage 14.2.1.1.3.1

              Any proof Mallard stole his fax paper or that the photocopy paper was stolen?  If not please go away and stop being a repeater.

              • As a lawyer, if you received documents by fax that were clearly confidential and obviously not intended for your use, could you ethically keep them? Would you store them on your company website and make them available for others to view. Would you distribute them?

                There’s some simple questions that should be simple for you to answer.

                • So Petey one minute the documents are stolen and Mallard has received them, now it is “unethical” to keep them.

                  Do you think it is unethical to accuse someone of having committed a crime when you agree they have not?

                  • a) I haven’t accused someone of having committed a crime
                    b) I haven’t agreed they have not committed a crime

                    You have avoided answering the questions.

                    • I haven’t accused someone of having committed a crime

                      You have done everything but.  For instance you have said:

                      Is it ethical for a Labour run website to store and make available documents that are obviously confidential and belonging to another party? And are reported as possibly stolen?

                      TV3 was running the line they could be stolen.

                      So he doesn’t know if he has retained possession of stolen property or not

                      You should learn Petey that being a repeated is not a defence in a defamation suit.

                      And I look forward to your answering my question “Do you think it is unethical to accuse someone of having committed a crime when you agree they have not?”

                    • You must have missed seeing my last comment. I answered you:

                      a) I haven’t accused someone of having committed a crime
                      b) I haven’t agreed they have not committed a crime

                      You have avoided answering the questions. Twice now.

                    • Pascal's bookie

                      Pete: Did you, or did you not, say this:

                      “Shearer stands silently by while Labour website is used to distribute illegally obtained documents.”?

                      That’s a statement (not a question) saying that the documents were illegally obtained.

                    • lprent []

                      Yeah, you have to love that assertion that the documents were illegally obtained. Since physical security is the primary way of keeping documents secure, it is far more likely that the were leaked by someone than they were physically stolen.

                      If they were stolen, then presumably there is a complaint about a breakin to the police? Nope? Probably leaked by someone with legitimate physical access. That puts it into the realm of a whistleblower and out of the realm of a crime.

                      Pete is just trying to make up his own laws again. The best that National could do is argue that they own the copyright. But that runs into issues of public interest.

                      Lusk and Slater appear to be quite divisive to National. We have been getting quite a lot of material from inside National about them arriving here. I would guess that it is in response to their negative campaigning against members of National.

                    • felix

                      lol Pete. Have to be careful with language and punctuation, some people think it’s used to convey meaning.

                      the “leaked” (or stolen) documents

                      In this instance the “quotes” could be sarcastically saying “not really leaked”, and the parentheses could be whispering (but we all know they were actually stolen).

                      Or maybe you didn’t intend sarcastic quotes. A more charitable – and literal – reading might be that the quotes are actual quotes. In this instance the quotes would be saying “leaked is a word that has been used to describe the documents and I’m making a point of not using that word to describe them myself” while the parentheses offer the alternative possibility (stolen).

                      As no other alternative possibilities are given, it’s reasonable to infer that you think it’s one or the other – they were either leaked or stolen – but you definitely don’t want to say they were leaked (hence the quotes).

                      There may be other ways to interpret your comment but those are the two obvious ones, sarcastic or literal.

                      In either version it’s difficult to see how you’re not claiming the documents were stolen, but maybe you do have another interpretation. I guess we’ll see.

        • MikeG 14.2.1.2

          It’s interesting how that according the the right, anything from the National Party that gets into the wrong hands is “stolen”, but anything of a similar nature that comes from Labour is “leaked”.

          • Pascal's bookie 14.2.1.2.1

            Personally, If I was going to make a big deal about something being stolen, I’d go to the police.

            but I’ve always been a bit odd.

            • Colonial Viper 14.2.1.2.1.1

              If it was 2 weeks before an election, ShonKey would have organised the police raid personally.

      • ghostwhowalksnz 14.2.2

        Poor old Pete , dying in a ditch to defend some National party documents. Who would have guessed, since UF wins no matter what the voters choose

        • Pascal's bookie 14.2.2.1

          He’s frothing away over at kiwiblog that the reaction here proves, something:

          When the usual suspects swarm on a post you know they are trying to cloud out something sensitive.

          Then asserts that there has been a crime commited, and that Shearer should do, something:

          Shearer stands silently by while Labour website is used to distribute illegally obtained documents.

          And then asks if the thing Shearer should do something about, is a crime:

          Can any lawyers say what the legal situation is on distributing documents known to be confidential and obviously not intended to be seen by the recipient?

          And then fades away with a bizzare claim about, something:

          “Public interest” has been claimed, but an MP on party blog is hardly an unbiased media.

          He’s pretty weird. I don’t know why people still encourage his, whatever it is.

  15. Te Reo Putake 15

    I think I’ve just spotted the quote of the day! One minute in, a weary man contemplates the future. It’s almost Beckett like in its bleakness.

  16. bomber 16

    The Lusk & Slator conspiracy: The God & Guns Republicanization of the National Party – http://tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/lusk-slator-conspiracy-god-guns.html

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    14 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T09:11:56+00:00