Note to self – Mr Key will say what you want to hear

Written By: - Date published: 2:39 pm, October 7th, 2008 - 18 comments
Categories: maori party, slippery - Tags:

Mr Key will tell you what you want to hear. That’s the message that Pita Sharples has taken from his encounter with Mr Key over the future of the Maori seats:

Dr Sharples told Sky TV on Sunday night Mr Key had assured him the seven Maori seats would not be abolished till Maori agreed they should be abolished. However, Mr Key disagreed, saying no such deal had been done…

Dr Sharples, however, said National was saying one thing in public and another in meetings with the Maori Party.

Back in April Mr Key said:

John Key: our policy is to abolish the Maori seats, tied to completion of the historical Treaty settlement process, we anticipate that being around about 2014, at that point we would start the constitutional process. We’re up front and clear about that. (TV One, Marae, 5 Apr 2008)

Guess it’s not so up front and clear after all.

18 comments on “Note to self – Mr Key will say what you want to hear ”

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  1. Julie 1
    7 October 2008 at 2:50 pm

    This is why I would love there to be a debate with all the parliamentary party leaders present, so that these kinds of issues can be raised with Key in front of the public.

  2. ak 2
    7 October 2008 at 3:13 pm

    So either Key-Palin or Sharples is lying: and after Transrail, Ashcroft, and the Springbok Tour/Crosby-Textor denials, I know where the “weight of probablity” er..lies.

    So where are the dogged follow-ups, the media scrums, the outraged editorials? Trustworthiness of prospective leader of the country not as important as Winston’s alleged fibs about donors? Hell no, might upset the advertisers.

  3. Ari 3
    7 October 2008 at 4:22 pm

    I don’t think it’s too likely Pita is lying, he’s been pretty consistent in calling both Labour and National out, so he’s not really got any incentive to play sides here.

    edit: Also, good on you for running the whole John Palin-Key thing 😉

  4. Dom 4
    7 October 2008 at 4:23 pm

    Peter Dunne wants a referendum on them? In 2010? Because the need for them will be gone by then? Honestly, Dunne wants a referendum on just about everything – what next, the price of milk?

  5. dave 5
    7 October 2008 at 4:26 pm

    I think you`ll find that the reporter has misreported this. You cant do a private deal to entrench anything.

    You may have found that Key said that Maori seats will not be abolished until Maori have historic Treaty deals settled. actually they won’t be abolished in 2014. That’s when the constitutional process commences – and only if historic treaty settlements are settled.

    If there was an agreement to entrench, why the constitutional process?

    So its pretty upfront and clear to me.

  6. Ari 6
    7 October 2008 at 4:26 pm

    I can see it now: “PETER DUNNE PROPOSES REFERENDUM ON GST FOR FOOD” 😉

  7. Dom 7
    7 October 2008 at 4:55 pm

    LOL, DUNNE PROPOSES REFERENDUM ON HOLDING REFERENDUMS.

    BTW, Dunne is my electorate MP… (hides face in shame)…

  8. randal 8
    7 October 2008 at 5:21 pm

    Pita just wants to be boss….see adam smith “theory of moral sentiments”. He will do anything to accomplish his desire to have as much power as possible over as many human beings as possible. Its not rocket science.

  9. gobsmacked 9
    7 October 2008 at 5:35 pm

    Today John Key has told a news conference in Auckland that in light of the financial situation, he will show responsible leadership and scale back the tax cuts National are planning to announce tomorrow, although he reassured his audience that this will not affect the size of the tax cuts which National are planning to announce tomorrow.

  10. Phil 10
    7 October 2008 at 5:42 pm

    Your wording GS, leaves open the avenue of scaling back the timeline for taxcuts, but retaining the size…

  11. illuminatedtiger 11
    7 October 2008 at 6:12 pm

    Flip-flop-flip-flop-flip

  12. toad 12
    7 October 2008 at 6:29 pm

    Now, don’t get me wrong. I agree with your post re Key Dancer.

    But, unfortunately, today Trenaport Minister Annette King descended to possibly even worse depths with blatant, and arguably unlawful, pork barrel politics.

    So keep it clean, and Party Vote Green.

  13. randal 13
    7 October 2008 at 7:11 pm

    he has just announced a xmas bonus to everybody of $500 and and extra $150 a wwek for everyone.

  14. Ianmac 14
    7 October 2008 at 7:25 pm

    Dave: I saw Mr Sharples in the Prime, Meet the Leader thing late Sunday night. Mr Sharples was asked about the Maori seats. He was very insistent stabbing the desk with finger. “I pinned Mr Key down and he said that yes. There would be no dropping of Maori seats without the will of the Maori!” Paraphrased but on tape of the interview with Bill Ralston, Young, etc.
    I have pointed elsewhere that surely someone could make a list of assurances Key has given to what audiences want to hear. Dangerous in a leader I thought.

  15. dave 15
    8 October 2008 at 1:47 am

    IanMac what you have said is different to what the reporter said, as I suspected it would be and said so in my earlier comment

    Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples’ categorical assertion he has already done a private deal with National to entrench the seven Maori seats has taken National leader John Key by surprise.

    to not drop the seats is one thing – to entrench them is something quite different. And the seats will not be abolished before 2014 – but thanks to our economic climate there may not be much money for treaty settlements so that could push the date out further – by which time National will be in its third term of Government, Darren Hughes may be Leader of the opposition and looking to be PM in 2017. Labour wins the 2017 election and the seats are safe again.

  16. Ari 16
    8 October 2008 at 4:58 am

    Dom- I’m in Ohariu too. Can Chauvel please just route him this time? Hell, I’d vote for Shanks to oust Peter Dunne. I promise to beseech beings whose presence cannot be logically proven, if it will help 😉

  17. Phil 17
    8 October 2008 at 9:16 am

    Ari,

    Smart money must be on Shanks to take the seat once Dunne moves over, even though Chauvel won more electorate votes in ’05. Peter Dunne voters seem to more naturally gravitate to National than to Labour.

    Dave,

    Labour winning in 2017 with Darren Hughes at the helm?!
    By then I expect to see the Maori/PI vote solidly entrenched within the Maori Party (much like the French element of Canada) and the urban vote fully Green.

    That leaves maybe 15% for Labour – maybe Darren could try for minority coalition partner in a National-led government?

  18. dave 18
    9 October 2008 at 7:59 pm

    I’m Ohariu too. Dunne will breeze in. Chauvel doesn’t even know whats going on in his electorate – just one example he told me he was pleased with 20 hours free and proud of his achievements of getting free doctors visits to under sixes until I pointed out to him that the main medical centre in the biggest centre in his electorate doesn’t give free treatment to under sixes. He wasn’t aware of that.

    Ari I think you should vote for Shanks if you want Dunne out. Chauvel is a tosser. ALso Shanks is better looking.

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