National policy vacuum becoming a joke

24 comments on “National policy vacuum becoming a joke ”

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1. Steve Pierson 1

   6 June 2008 at 11:32 am

   hilarious.

   on another thread, Andy mentioned a spa pool ad being played on More FM that mocks Key and says ‘he just likes to look at the bubbles’… would be great to get hold of a copy of that.
2. rjs131 2

   6 June 2008 at 11:44 am

   Umm I wonder why National is leading all the polls then by such a massive margin. I guess that doesnt say much for the intelligence of those being polled…..

   [I’m a firm believer in the intelligence of kiwis. That’s why I think there’s a point in writing a blog like this – when people are presented with a complete picture, they make the correct choices. SP]
3. andy 3

   6 June 2008 at 11:46 am

   I called radio works, but they don’t ‘give’ away mp3’s of adds. this is the advertiser they may be able to provide copy for you

   I tried 🙂

   It is on MoreFM for the month, keep your ears peeled.

   IT question: Is it possible to capture the More FM live stream?
4. Lew 4

   6 June 2008 at 12:01 pm

   andy: Yes, it’s pretty easy.

   L
5. leftrightout 5

   6 June 2008 at 12:12 pm

   You’d think Garner would want to marry John Key the way he speaks so fondly of him.
6. Robinsod 6

   6 June 2008 at 12:14 pm

   Don’t tell Farrar or Audrey! They’ll be complaining to the electoral commission. I wonder if National will take Leisurerite to court…
7. higherstandard 7

   6 June 2008 at 12:36 pm

   It appears everyone’s peeved with the Electoral commission at the moment.

   http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0806/S00074.htm

   Stupid law, waste of time and money and a pack of silly politicians.

   I think the only winners out the arse end of the EFA will be our friends in the legal profession who’ll be making a fortune before and after the election out of this fiasco.
8. lprent 8

   6 June 2008 at 1:03 pm

   hs: Poppycock!
   I defy you to find a law that everyone is agreement about, and that there hasn’t been at one court case questioning the limits of the legislation within a few decades after implementation.

   In this case it is electoral legislation. No one is ever happy about that. There are always too many compromises. The electoral commission is simply the meat in the sandwich and will be until disputed decisions (ie a lot of them) go through the courts for resolution. The same things happened after the 1993 and 1957 acts.

   Frankly the continual whining of all people within the political sphere is getting pathetic. I include the people inside labour in this as well. The financial agents aren’t happy with the legislation. But there is an election on. Deal with the law and stop whining about it. After allm of the cases settle down after the election, it’ll be clear what bits might need amendments.

   But the most pathetic are the ideologues on the right. Like Bill English, who has a bad case of releasing press releases without thinking – for instance his fuckwit release about The Standard in Januarary. I read your link and thought yet again – what a tosser.
9. lprent 9

   6 June 2008 at 1:07 pm

   hs: On a completely seperate note – I changed the anti-spam systems so you should be able to say Poppycock! in peace now.

   I was hunting your last message to inform you when I saw your EFA diatrabe
10. Quoth the Raven 10

    6 June 2008 at 1:31 pm

    It’s good to see a bit of criticism of National from Garner. It’s quite unlike his usual pandering on the evening news.
11. logie97 11

    6 June 2008 at 4:34 pm

    I played the Allstars piece over a couple of times. Can’t believe I heard the TV3 female host of Sunrise commenting on Key’s lead being 50 pcnt without releasing policy. Garner is talking about the “phoney war…” Did she say “That seems enough to get us through at the moment though…” Excuse me for my naivety, but aren’t these broadcasters supposed to be impartial. Who are the “us” here she talks about?
12. PhilBest 12

    6 June 2008 at 6:51 pm

    Policy Vacuum? Hey, they’ve said they’ll repeal the EFB and amend the RMA, and restrict government departments to their current levels of bureaucratic staff, and we all know where they stand on Tax Cuts…….. have you Socialists all lost touch THAT MUCH with the real world to not be able to see that it is THESE sacred cows of yours, ALONE AND IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, that will win John Key the next election?

    And it is probably too late for you to try and make out you are changing your spots on these issues, you’ve dug yourselves in too deep over them……

    Admit it, at the top levels of your strategy. I’m right.
13. bill brown 13

    6 June 2008 at 9:19 pm

    Cool, let’s get rid of the RMA. Stop those whinging Waikato farmers going on about a few power pylons on their land.

    And while were at it, why stop at capping public servants. Everyone knows that teachers are all card carrying members of the communist party just waiting to poison the minds of our children.

    And as for other people’s children, especially the poor ones, why can’t they work for less than minimum wage to support their dole bludging parents, who shouldn’t be getting the dole anyway because they just spend it on pokies and smokes.

    Come on, the REAL WORLD is full of human beings most just trying to do the best they can with what they’ve got. The best you can do is give up your second plasma TV or what ever it is you think you’re missing out on, shave some cash off and try to make the world a slightly better place.
14. Razorlight 14

    6 June 2008 at 9:22 pm

    I think something which you are missing in this National Policy hysteria is the fact a majority of voters do not give a toss about Politics until the election campaign kicks off.

    Many people I work with read the sports section or the gossip section of the paper. It will not be until they are asked to make a decision that they will really pay attention to the political alternatives.

    That is known to all parties and is a huge reason why National is not releasing policies. When you are so far ahead, and the campaign has not begun, why would you do anything different.
15. bill brown 15

    6 June 2008 at 9:28 pm

    I don’t know, I’d like to think that I wouldn’t be so shallow to be in that position in the first place (leader of opposition has no policy in election year), but when the MSM starts to use that as their only talking point about me I might start getting a bit worried that the only policies I have thought about are too scary to speak about in public.

    In actual fact, this type of stuff is just the kind of thing that may very well be hoovered up by the gossip section of the paper. Your mates may be laughing at JK soon!
16. Razorlight 16

    6 June 2008 at 9:34 pm

    No one is listening to Labour’s big policy announcments. Or if they are, they don’t like them.

    If no one is listening, why not wait until you do have their full attention. It is a clever and winning strategy.
17. higherstandard 17

    6 June 2008 at 9:37 pm

    poppycock… thanks Lynn

    [lprent: It was getting obvious that I needed to stop stifling the creative flow.
    You’ll probably like this – one of the spam tools is called Bad Behaviour]
18. r0b 18

    6 June 2008 at 11:35 pm

    It is a clever and winning strategy.

    Gosh I’m so pleased to hear it. Because to me it looked like indecisive blithering symptomatic of the underlying paralysis arising from the insoluble dilemma of knowing that on the one hand you have to release policy that is acceptable to your big business backers but on the other hand the NZ public would soundly reject these true policies if you ever dared to reveal them and your empty promises have painted you into a corner from which it is impossible to deliver and your internal polling tells you that your support is soft and one false move will bring your mighty poll lead crashing down around your ears and leave you staring at 12 consecutive years of opposition.

    But maybe that’s just me.
19. Razorlight 19

    7 June 2008 at 1:48 am

    “and your internal polling tells you that your support is soft”

    I am curious. Is there another National mole. How do you know what the internal polling is telling them.

    Or did you make it up.
20. ak 20

    7 June 2008 at 2:14 am

    But maybe that’s just me.

    NegaTory, you’re not alone kemo sabi rOb, and copacetic on the insoluble dilemma dither and rising blood pressure as you’d realise that going with the money and mealy-mouthing platitudes has served us well in the money-making stakes to date so why not carry it on in the latest hobby and BUGGER ME it’s working again so why change while the media deck’s so stacked and gives you a free ride and picks up the shit thrown by the BOGBLOG loons while the other NATTY suits just sit mesmerised by the polls and too scared to say boo as the hacks defensively reinforce their earlier hasty beat-ups so HEAD DOWN and wait for Michael Basset and other planned drip-feeds and TRUST years of work in the media and SMILE AND SOOTHE, SMILE AND SOOTHE, platitudes and NICE, NICE, NICE, while the goons work the networks and stoke the base so that the innocent flee to NICEVILLE and game over and over to the boys to roll out the PLAN – BUT dilemma 2 is ambitious scribblers who want a fresh angle and would-be PM won’t reveal policies looks ominous as fourteen me-toos won’t cut it so THINK, THINK nope nothing there so just more head down and TRUST THE SOURCE, JOHN, of the swinging voter’s opinion.
    We own it, after all.
21. Steve Pierson 21

    7 June 2008 at 2:44 am

    ak. yeah, I like drinking too.
22. r0b 22

    7 June 2008 at 11:32 am

    I am curious. Is there another National mole.

    I hear tell that there is, but I’m not on their mailing list so to speak. I don’t claim to be any kind of “beltway” insider.

    How do you know what the internal polling is telling them.

    I’m making the assumption that it is similar to other polling that I am involved with.

    And ak – “copacetic” – you made me reach for my dictionary!
23. ak 23

    7 June 2008 at 12:28 pm

    (SP: Touche (hic) Blame rOb – thought I detected a touch of Kerouac in his comment and it chased the sherry straight to my head…. 🙂
24. G 24

    7 June 2008 at 6:36 pm

    If you cast your minds back to ’99 you’ll remember that Labour kept their cards very close to their chest until nearer the election. It’s standard practice.

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