Next time, could we have a PM that looks and sounds a bit more like a PM?

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, October 11th, 2010 - 37 comments
Categories: accountability, brand key, john key, leadership, Media, national, racism, tv - Tags: , , ,

Here’s John Key this morning on Breakfast, talking about Paul Henry’s resignation. Naturally he’s eager to downplay the influence of Kiwi-Indian business and diplomatic interests, and to deny any government involvement in the decision.

The most revealing part of the interview is when Key stammers:

“I have not spoke [sic] to Paul Henry”

Key says this with the same look and conviction as when he used to say “National will not raise GST”. Seems a bit unlikely Key wouldn’t give his old mate a ring during such times of sturm und drang.

Of course this whole shit storm could have been a positive for Key had he possessed the courage to condemn Henry’s racist comments against our Governor General at the time they were said. Had Key done so, Henry would be there this morning, New Zealand’s international reputation would not be damaged as CEO Rick Ellis has admitted, the TVNZ brand would not have been damaged, and Key would have looked like a statesman instead of a coward.

 Instead we have this.

Next time, could we have a PM that looks and sounds a bit more like a PM?

37 comments on “Next time, could we have a PM that looks and sounds a bit more like a PM? ”

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  1. Pascal's bookie 1
    11 October 2010 at 8:54 am

    “Seems a bit unlikely Key wouldn’t give his old mate a ring during such times of sturm und drang.”

    Nah sprout. Ask Melissa Lee how close Key stands when doing so might make him look bad.

    • The Voice of Reason 1.1
      11 October 2010 at 10:14 am

      Or John Banks, for that matter! Contrast how often Key was photo-opping with Parker in Chch in the last few weeks in an effort to see him get up when it suddenly became apparent he had a chance. Banksie, once it was clear he was a goner, was left to twist in the wind.

  2. Tigger 2
    11 October 2010 at 9:11 am

    Been reading up on body language – especially how people mask lying with action. In my opinion, Key’s lying when he says he hasn’t ‘spoke’ to Henry.

    I believe Henry’s resignation has been jacked up behind the scenes – National’s told him to fall on his sword.

    • Carol 2.1
      11 October 2010 at 9:15 am

      hasn’t spoke, leaves a lot of room for other forms of communication… txt, email, via a third person…

    • the sprout 2.2
      11 October 2010 at 10:42 am

      Tigger, that’s the Cognitive Loading theory of lie detection.
      It says that when you lie cognitive load increases while you’re processing two parallel realities (the truth scenario and the lie scenario) simultaneously. This results in an increased probability of error – resulting in mispronunciation and stammering in spoken lies, and misspellings and typos in written lie.
      It’s surprisingly reliable as an indicator.

    • pollywog 2.3
      11 October 2010 at 10:50 am

      Key is such a bad liar. If you asked him an honest question his first instinct, i reckon, is to give you an honest answer, but as a politician it would be counter to what’s expected of him. Hence the feeble attempts at lying and the kid gloves approach of the MSM when interviewing him.

      I doubt we’ll ever see Key on Q+A, The Nation or Marae. They’d shred him in 3 questions or less.

      He’d do well to go on Media7 though cos good ol’ Rusty Brown has a soft heart and an eye for a spot in the arts and cultural funding trough, IMHO, so he’d softball Key some easy questions to bat away and claw back some media cred.

      And how about next time, could we have a PM that doesn’t sound too much like a dyed in the wool, backyard barbecueing, piss guzzling, slurring munter of a kiwi…eh ?

      …or one that sounds, walks and functions like a robot that’s past it’s use by date.

      • the sprout 2.3.1
        11 October 2010 at 10:58 am

        a dyed in the wool, backyard barbecueing, piss guzzling, slurring munter of a kiwi

        nice turn of phrase.
        reminds me of this spoof by the magnificent Boganette

      • Bored 2.3.2
        11 October 2010 at 11:08 am

        Polly, you big bad lefty lout, how can you say such terrible scurulous things about our beloved leader????? He does after all have a lovely pink shirt, saw it on TV last night, and he can laugh and joke, such a fabulous guy. I cant remember what he said, but hey, who can?

      • M 2.3.3
        11 October 2010 at 11:09 am

        LOL Polly

        What Key needs is Kim Hill – she’d give him the verbal rogering of his life.

    • Lanthanide 2.4
      11 October 2010 at 11:09 am

      “I believe Henry’s resignation has been jacked up behind the scenes – National’s told him to fall on his sword.”

      Of course there must be something of benefit for Henry out of this. A cushy new role in 2-3 months time?

  3. Bright Red 3
    11 October 2010 at 9:23 am

    I don’t think Key had anything to do with it. He’s all about standing clear of problems to protect himself.

  4. tc 4
    11 October 2010 at 10:39 am

    Why bark when you have a dog……Ellis would’ve been ‘advised’ either via bover boy Joyce or Colonel Clutz Coleman to push Henry out the door, Sideshow’s paws will be sqeaky clean as per his PR mantra dictates.

    Ellis/Flannery are the real culprits here, employ a shock jock with a mandate to be controversial, sit back whilst your competition (Sunrise – TV3) is seen off by this cheap ratings stunt then act contrite when he goes to far……yeah right, TVNZ’s rotten to it’s self serving egotistical core.

  5. hellonearthis 5
    11 October 2010 at 10:55 am

    Why does the PM go in Breakfast and not Radio new Zealand. Could it be that on radio we would not see his happy smile and on TV they don’t ask him any hard questions. He fronts up on that crap show so he can say that he isn’t avoiding reporters, it’s a crock. Hey, why don’t they get Sean Plunket to be the new breakfast host, wow there would be some serious questions there and the PM well I bet he would get a bad case of the runs.

    • the sprout 5.1
      11 October 2010 at 11:00 am

      true on all counts

    • Sweetd 5.2
      11 October 2010 at 12:50 pm

      Key is on ZB (which is the highest rating breakfast show in the country) and Radio Live on Mondays as well hellonearthis

      • Pascal's bookie 5.2.1
        11 October 2010 at 1:06 pm

        “(which is the highest rating breakfast show in the country)”

        Do they still use the stupid diary system for getting ratings?

      • Lanthanide 5.2.2
        11 October 2010 at 1:16 pm

        “which is the highest rating commercial breakfast show in the country”
        Fixed that for you.

    • David 5.3
      17 October 2010 at 11:20 am

      Until Henry fell on his sword or was pushed to fall on his sword more likely, Key was very happy to be interviewed by a fellow National Party member. Don’t let it be forgotten that Paul Henry stood for the National Party in the Wairarapa seat and got defeated by the first transvestite M.P. in the world, Gerorgina Beyer. Paul Henry has continued with soft interviewing of Key since before the last election and obviously this was allowed by the TVNZ bosses.In the past, such biased interviews would have stopped some months before a General Election.The comparison of Henry’s interviews between Key,Clark and Goff speak for themselves.

  6. arandar 6
    11 October 2010 at 12:01 pm

    Sean Plunket, Mike Hosking, Kim Hill? Might even go back to watching Breakfast if one of them had the job. If not, nah, I’ll stay away.

  7. freedom 7
    11 October 2010 at 2:24 pm

    Poor Mr Key, his memory has gone.
    John Key lied this morning as to not speaking to Paul Henry.
    Yesterday morning, during one of the ‘live from Eden Park’ interviews,
    (i think it was on the Nation, not Q&A) he stated he had spoken to Paul Henry

  8. Peter G 8
    11 October 2010 at 2:40 pm

    Maybe Paul’s reward will be to stand for National in the Epsom Electorate !

  9. Irascible 9
    11 October 2010 at 3:21 pm

    Key is living up to his reputation: “Smile & wave, scuttle & run” the qualities of a great NACT leader.

  10. KJT 10
    11 October 2010 at 4:31 pm

    No Thanks. had enough of Muldoon first time around!

  11. freedom 11
    11 October 2010 at 7:17 pm

    ‘Mr Key said he had replayed the event in his mind over the last week or so, and was comfortable with what occurred, and anyway “what’s done is done”, ‘

    Booya, that’s told us !

  12. indian 12
    12 October 2010 at 12:32 am

    These incidents have completely destroyed NZs media image; from sophisticated lefties you have become redneck buffoons OVERNIGHT thanks to Paul Henry. ROFLMAO. Kiwis are hilarious, I’m not even offended anymaore you guys are so funny!!!

  13. Rharn 13
    12 October 2010 at 5:07 pm

    One of the signs of the ‘compulsive liar is that they often forget what lies they have told. Key admitting that he had spoken to Henry one day and the next denying that he had is confirmation of this. The man is an embarrassment.

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