NRT: John Key lied to our faces

Written By: - Date published: 9:15 am, December 23rd, 2013 - 36 comments
Categories: assets, john key, privatisation - Tags:

john-key finger newNo Right Turn is annoyed at having a deliberate liar for a Prime Minister. Who wouldn’t be pissed off with the incompetent lying slimeball..

So, it turns out that John Key lied to our faces when he said that no decision had been made on when his government would sell Air New Zealand:

John Key has played the public for fools, denying that any decision had been made on the timing of the Air New Zealand sale on the very day his Finance Minister signed it off, says Labour’s SOEs spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

“The sale of Air New Zealand shares was the worst kept secret in New Zealand on 14 November. That day John Key brazenly claimed no decision had been made on the timing. He was misleading the public.

“Not only had Bill English given the final sign off for the timing that day, new Treasury documents show Cabinet had previously agreed to just two preferred periods for sale, the first of which had already passed. That meant the only possible period remaining was 15 – 19 November. The next day.

“John Key even claimed he had seen no advice that the sell down could not happen between December and March, but he received two Cabinet papers telling him that timeframe was not possible.

The full documents are in that linked press release.

Back under labour, Ministers were forced to resign for misleading the public like this. Key promised us a “higher standard of government”. Shouldn’t he be forced to live up to that promise and follow suit?

36 comments on “NRT: John Key lied to our faces ”

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  1. Will@Welly 1
    23 December 2013 at 9:34 am

    Call me a prick, why did it take you so long to wake to the truth. The man’s been lying through his teeth from Day 1. Scum.. Now the world is waking up to the imposter/unidentified guest!!

    • Tim 1.1
      23 December 2013 at 4:56 pm

      “….why did it take you so long to wake to the truth…”

      That’s something I’ve been asking since 2008 when the spin meisters were trying to convince us all what a hard life he came from …. pulling himself up by the bootstraps to become something we all apparently should ASPIRE to.
      The stereotypical lying used-car salesman hasn’t changed in that regard since day one. Finally! … many are just beginning to wake up, but the habitual liar has to keep lying in a bid to legitimise his/her past bullshit. They usually trip themselves up though – hence the brain fades and “I can’t really remember” crap.
      If BliP’s record isn’t enough evidence (even given the possibility that it may not be utterly and completely accurate), nothing ever will be!
      I think there’s probably about 10 years difference between Key and myself, but all that ‘struggling ‘ background’ bullshit he apparently came from – I seem to remember in many parts of Christchurch (other than the Fendaltons, and Cashmeres) that was close to the Norman Normal. I bet the prick was heartbroken he never got to go to “Christs” and had to slum it at Boys High!

      It wasn’t that long beforehand that people had their shithouses in the backyard and generally there was a welfare system that ensured the struggling John Key and his solo mum didn’t have nearly as tough a time as he now inflicts on those who’re in a similar position as he was (AND I might say – WITHOUT well-off rellies that were never going to see the poor yoof starve).
      It was a crock of shit then, and most stuff that comes out of his mouth today is a crock of shit!

      I almost leapt to the conclusion that the guy is a pathological liar … but then of course others may know better: http://www.wikihow.com/Spot-a-Pathological-Liar
      (Lies aren’t necessarily always consistent for example).
      There’s a lot of it about these days amongst pollies on the right trying to push a certain ideology – in the absence of having a couple of brain cells to rub together. It’s not worth the effort trying to slap a label on it. Easier to just realise the guy is a self-promoting, self-absorbed, selfish, insecure piece of shit.

      • Will@Welly 1.1.1
        24 December 2013 at 1:01 pm

        Hate to be a prick, but I’m sure he went to Burnside. Still like to know how his mum got a state house in Christchurch, after they “owned” a business up in Auckland, and what about the house up in Auckland. In those days, regardless of circumstances, once you’d had things like that, you never got into a state house. My mum had a relative through marriage, who was left to raise her 5 children on her own, and she was denied any help through housing corp, and she wasn’t the only one.

  2. gobsmacked 2
    23 December 2013 at 10:20 am

    I pointed this out over a month ago. The link to my comment includes the relevant Hansard:

    http://thestandard.org.nz/air-new-zealand-sale-starts-tomorrow/#comment-729627

    So Jonathan Coleman lied to Parliament. This was obvious at the time, and a couple of smart questions by smart opposition MPs would have ended his career and seriously damaged the Key government (because Coleman was officially answering on his master’s behalf).

    But that didn’t happen – as usual. There was no instant rebuttal, nothing to pin him down. Instead we get a press release a month later, when nobody’s paying attention. This isn’t a headline now – it WAS a headline then. Too late.

    Why do Key and his acolytes lie? Because they know they can get away with it. They know that they can say any old crap, and put it “right” on Christmas Eve when nobody cares.

    New Year Resolution for opposition (especially Labour): Kick up backside. If you can’t win on the day, you’ll never win at all.

    • Dumrse 2.1
      23 December 2013 at 11:53 am

      A month ago….. Fuck all else happening then if this is the big item for the day. What are you going to regurgitate next ?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 2.2
      23 December 2013 at 12:57 pm

      You are delusional gs, smart questions in parliament go nowhere ! This has been tried many times before.
      Arcane rules of parliament allow untruths to be told, that you are not aware of this, well…more fool you.

      • gobsmacked 2.2.1
        23 December 2013 at 1:04 pm

        I’m well aware of it. See countless previous posts.

        And you’re wrong. Untruths will always be told – the opposition’s job is to expose them.

        • blue leopard (Get Lost GCSB Bill) 2.2.1.1
          23 December 2013 at 11:05 pm

          +1 Gobsmacked.

          Labour don’t seem to ‘get’ the simple propaganda rule that National seems to ‘get’ so well. If people hear something many times they start believing it is true [regardless of whether it is true or not]. Labour MUST refute the bollocks National repeat ad nauseum at every opportunity they get.

          I sincerely hope they make the new years resolution you suggest.

  3. RedLogix 3
    23 December 2013 at 10:36 am

    Nothing to see here – look Len Brown fucking!

  4. Blowfly 4
    23 December 2013 at 12:01 pm

    Old news. Moving right along then…….lets look at how well the economy is doing, better still lets look at how Len Brown is tarnishing the left.

  5. philj 5
    23 December 2013 at 12:20 pm

    Bill English politician of the year! Sells off State assets AND for less. Simply STAGGERING.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 5.1
      23 December 2013 at 1:01 pm

      Of course, the PotY award goes to someone most useful to the journalist concerned.

      Its payback for all the favours done. No use killing off the goose that lays the golden eggs.

      The failure of the asset sales program makes any sort of award a parody.

  6. Mick McCrohon 6
    23 December 2013 at 2:05 pm

    Key lies to cover his lack of leadership skills. He is the head of a party that is creating the record for the greatest number of failed policies in New Zealand political history, by any party.
    A list of Nationals successes under Key would be short indeed and a list of failures would take to much time.

    I wonder how asset sales will be effected by the TPP agreement ? Especially with Americas “Eminent Domain” laws . Could a Transnational Corporation demand the rights to buy state owned assets and sue us if we refuse ?

  7. BrucetheMoose 7
    23 December 2013 at 5:26 pm

    Rent A PM does it again. Will they still vote for him? Probably. Sighhh.

  8. Corokia 8
    23 December 2013 at 5:52 pm

    How does Key keep getting away with it? How much of it is due to the dumbing down of the media? Is it that much of the media is controlled by Key’s puppet masters? Maybe that is why they focused on the lies of a woman who poisoned her husband and ignored proof that Key lied .

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      23 December 2013 at 6:18 pm

      It’s a long hard slog to develop a values based political economic counter-narrative and vision. And especially difficult for one which will be effective against the deeply ingrained and widely promulgated neoliberal framework.

      Strong, decisive, values based and rational positions win airtime and votes for Labour. KiwiBuild, KiwiInsure, Pike River compo etc. But, they need to keep coming, in order to keep fleshing out the narrative.

      However, a lot of forward momentum can be quickly stalled by actions and statements which contradict such a counter narrative and vision. How can you describe yourself as a ‘truly red’ Labour if you are pushing for an increased retirement age for workers and the Tories are not? Or if the secret TPPA is suddenly not such a bad deal?

      In the depths of the Thorndon bubble it is too easy to start viewing the Press Gallery and the local political hanger on’s and various corporate lobbyists as your constituency.

      The more decisively red that Labour positions itself, the more votes it will convert and turnout, the more confident it will be that it can do exactly that. The less decisively red Labour positions itself, the weaker it’s ranking in the polls, which leads to even less decisiveness in how it positions itself.

      • BM 8.1.1
        23 December 2013 at 6:23 pm

        The more decisively red that Labour positions itself, the more votes it will convert and turnout, the more confident it will be that it can do exactly that. The less decisively red Labour positions itself, the weaker it’s ranking in the polls, which leads to even less decisiveness in how it positions itself.

        By decisively red you mean hard core socialist?, the complete opposite of what we have now?

      • RedLogix 8.1.2
        23 December 2013 at 6:41 pm

        In the depths of the Thorndon bubble it is too easy to start viewing the Press Gallery and the local political hanger on’s and various corporate lobbyists as your constituency.

        Trudat exactamond.

        Unless of course you count all that ‘focus group’ and ‘internal polling’ that goes on behind the scenes. I’ve no doubt that is a critical tactical factor that National has going for it.

        But this still misses the million odd kiwis who didn’t vote. Or the fact that Labour still cannot depend on more than it’s core 30% or so tribal constituency.

        Ultimately Labour is a the ghost of a political machine that was erected by a strong Union movement several generations ago. What we’ve had now since the 1980’s is a self-perpetuating political club far removed from the vitality of it’s mass membership days.

        Labour needs to increase it’s membership ten or twenty times. So do the Greens. Both parties need to stop being precious about their political purity and start being places where masses of ordinary people feel like they have some sense of participation and connection. It actually doesn’t take all that much – just some trust and respect towards them.

        • Colonial Viper 8.1.2.1
          23 December 2013 at 6:51 pm

          Yep. The Labour Party was the political wing of a mass societal and socialist pressure movement. The pressure movement has gone, but the political wing remains, staggering onwards.

          Now co-opted to this end and that end, variously, and depending on the season.

  9. Philj 9
    23 December 2013 at 6:52 pm

    Xox
    I know. Cunliffe dresses up in as Father Christmas, and dishes out free lollies! It will probably work!

    • Colonial Viper 9.1
      23 December 2013 at 9:01 pm

      Since when was providing struggling citizens with enough of the basics considered a vice? Oh yeah, since the fucking Neolibs took over.

  10. BLiP 10
    24 December 2013 at 12:35 am

    ‘

    And another one for the list. Thanks, John, I’m lovin’ it.

    I promise to always be honest

    we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs

    there’s no way one in five New Zealanders will lose their jobs

    we are not going to cut working for families

    I firmly believe in climate change and always have

    We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.

    National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges

    I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics

    If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it

    I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour

    Tranzrail shares

    I did not mislead the House (1)

    Lord Ashcroft

    National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq

    Standard & Poors credit downgrade

    the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt

    I did not mislead the House (2)

    I didn’t say I want wages to drop

    I can’t remember why I voted against increasing the minimum wage

    lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase unemployment

    the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.

    the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs

    no I have never heard of Whitechapel

    I won’t raise GST

    people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST

    the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase

    the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government

    no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine

    I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine

    I did not mislead the House (3)

    capping, not cutting the public service

    raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs

    north of $50 a week

    privatisation won’t significantly help the economy

    wave goodbye to higher taxes, not your loved ones

    I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London

    Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal

    Kiwisaver

    National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector

    tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing

    New Zealand does not have a debt problem

    New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting

    the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™ government

    It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy

    National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria

    the price of goods and services has risen by 6 percent since the last election, while the after-tax average wage has actually gone up by 16 percent

    no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them

    our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight

    the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns

    the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii

    I did not mislead the House (4)

    oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire

    New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?

    10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake

    14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast

    our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally

    we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations

    any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral

    New Zealand has grown for eight of the last nine quarters”

    National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract

    we will be back in surplus by 2014-15

    Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction

    unemployment is starting to fall

    we have created 60,000 jobs

    we have created 45,000 jobs

    the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs

    I don’t know if I own a vineyard

    no, I did not mislead the House (5)

    the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport

    the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs

    I voted to keep the drinking age at 20

    New Zealand is 100% Pure

    I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year

    baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support

    the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me

    I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs

    even though four of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.

    even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue

    even though I personally signed papers discussing the matter, I still didn’t have a clue

    Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault

    ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset

    I did not describe David Beckam as thick as batshit

    I did not mislead the House (6)

    the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit

    “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs

    we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service

    I did not mislead the House (7)

    I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place

    I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978

    I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for

    reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing

    Labour left the economy in poor shape

    forecasts show unemployment will fall

    we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27

    Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining

    I have not had any meetings with Media Works

    our [NZ’s] terms of trade remain high

    the TPPA is an example of democracy

    the TPPA will still have to be ratified by Parliament

    National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals

    New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013

    overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own

    overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow

    National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years

    there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only

    selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies

    the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs

    all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally

    my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (8)

    I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009

    I have no record of the 12 November 2009 email from Treasury advising that the SkyCity deal was dodgy and needed to be referred to the Auditor General

    there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal

    SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins

    any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process

    Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land

    I did not mislead the House (9)

    this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity

    I did not mislead the House (10)

    the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (11)

    the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal

    I did not mislead the House (12)

    I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal

    the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001

    Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation

    there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something

    David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River

    Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment

    fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues

    no frontline positions will be lost at DOC

    Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job

    I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher

    I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position

    I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher

    I haven’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time.

    I did not mislead the House (13)

    I have no reason to doubt at this stage that Peter Dunne did not leak the GCSB report

    I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number

    the new legislation narrows the scope of the GCSB

    the GCSB has been prevented from carrying out its functions because of the law governing its functions

    because the opposition is opposed the GCSB law ammendments, parliamentary urgency is required

    the increasing number of cyber intrusions which I can’t detail or discuss prove that the GCSB laws need to be extended to protect prive enterprise

    it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police

    National Ltd™ is not explanding the activities of the GCSB with this new law

    cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destruction held on New Zealand computers

    the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear

    it totally incorrect that the Government effectively through GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders

    we self identified that there was a problem with the GCSB spying on Kim Dotcom

    the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident

    The advice I have had in 4 years as a Minister is that in no way ever has there been an indication of unlawful spying

    the Ministerial Warrant signed by Bill English did not cover anything up

    first I heard I heard about Kim Dotcom was on 19 January 2012

    first I heard about the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was in 17 September

    I did not mislead the House (14)

    I won’t be discussing Kim Dotcom during my Hollywood visit.

    The Human Rights Commission couldn’t get its submission on the GCSB legislation in on time.

    it would cost too much to for the police and SIS to carry out the spying on New Zealanders that this new legislation will permit

    critics of the GCSB legislation, including the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, and the Privacy Commission, are all uninformed

    no, I did not mislead the House (15)

    I do not know how Mr Henry is conducting the Enquiry

    no, I did not mislead the House (16)

    the Henry Enquiry had permission to view Ministers’ emails

    no, I did not mislead the House (??)

    we do not spy on journalists

    the passing of phone records to the Henry Enquiry was an error on the part of a contractor

    I wasn’t aware that my own Chief of Staff was instructing Parliamentary Services to hand over information concerning journalist Andrea Vance

    National Ltd™ has never tried to impinge on the role of the media

    I had nothing to do with information on a journalist being handed over to the inquiry into the leaking of the GCSB report

    the terms of the enquiry made it clear to everyone that it was only the phone records of parliamentary staff and ministers that were to be provided

    I have the utmost respect for the media and the role it plays in New Zealand’s democracy

    the Henry Enquiry did not access a journalist’s building-access records

    the Henry Enquiry did not ask for phone and email records

    no, I did not mislead the House (17)

    the Greens are opposed to the GCSB and the SIS even existing

    the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because there are al-Qaeda terrorists in New Zealand

    John Minto is in the Green Party

    the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because of the terrorist threat, even though official reports released over my signature say there is no risk and the SIS has the matter in hand

    the GCSB Bill does not give the GCSB the power to look at the content of communications as part of its cyber-security functions

    no, I did not mislead the House (18)

    there will be no mining on Conservation land in the Corromendel

    no, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea

    New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps

    I did not mislead the house (19)

    I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it

    I am honest and upfront

    the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand

    you can’t hide if yuu’re Prime Minister

    an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy

    the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.

    I did not mislead the House (20)

    the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation

    National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral

    I did not mislead the House (21)

    the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year

    Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.

    Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election

    it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.

    the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.

    police training for next year has not been cancelled

    National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service

    The Crown’s dividend stream from the Meridians, the Mighty Rivers of the world is large and there is no motivation to sell assets; actually we’re about creating assets not selling assets.”

    National believes employment law should treat all parties fairly. It should . . . Protect employees and employers.

    I am not trying to tackle such issues in a “fearful” way ahead of the next election

    Wellington City is dying.

    National Ltd™ has been working on a number of things with New Zealand First on a number of things one of which has a financial component but I can’t talk about it

    the best way to get growth in the economy is to reduce public debt

    New Zealand mum and dad investors will be our number one priority in the allocation of Mighty River shares

    we won’t let “cowboy” oil exploration companies operate here in New Zealand

    the Green Party is racist by not allowing Chinese residents in New Zealand to buy a house

    the Labour Party is promising a four-bedroom house in Auckland for $300,000

    the food in schools programme is in the 2013 budget

    the meat exports are being held up in China because of issues in relation to the Chinese looking to trace counterfeit meat

    its notoriously difficult to win three elections in a row

    I am deeply concerned about every child in New Zealand who is in poverty

    there is no manufacturing crisis in New Zealand

    the government’s exposure to MediaWorks’ going into receivership is reasonably limited

    the money from the sale of state assets will not be used to prop up Solid Energy

    I don’t see a place for a Winston Peters-led New Zealand First in a government that I lead. It’s not a matter of political convenience, it’s a matter of political principle.

    The vast majority of the buildings in Christchurch came through the earthquakes in good shape

    the commemoration of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War will not be used to bolster trade talks

    third generation Chinese New Zealanders will be required to present their passport before buying a house under the Labour government

    the Labour housing policy is an attempt by David Shearer to save his leadership

    the Labour housing policy is in breach of free trade agreements

    only 2% of the proceeds of the sale of Mighty River will be spent on the sales process

    David Cunliffe is lying to you

    Labour wants to nationalise the super market industry

    The government will engage in no further negotiations with Rio Tinto

    Without a government subsidy of hundreds of millions of dollars Chorus will go broke

    No, I did not mislead the House (??)

    the justice system is already adequate for handling situations involving new evidence

    my Minister Nick Smith was not aware of the content of the leaked draft submission on the Ruataniwha situation until 17 September

    New Zealand First will nationalise a host of industries and businesses

    I have no responsibility for the statements I make

    Mark Mitchell was just gossiping at a cocktail party when he tipped Webster off about Len Brown’s affair

    it was a lack of external analysis and accountability which put Solid Energy into its debt crisis

    the Commerce Commission misinterpreted the law when deciding the price for access to the Chorus copper infrastructure

    no analyist predicted that the cost of access to the copper infrastructure would go down

    there has been only one problem with oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

    If it was my vote, it would be no pay increases for Mps

    Greenpeace are just scare mongering about any oil leaks off the New Zealand coast

    For every election of the last five elections , we have had royal visitors to New Zealand.

    No decision has been made on the timing of the sale of Air New Zealand shares

    [Thanks again BLiP these comments will always be caught up in moderation because of the number of links but please persevere … – MS]

    • RedLogix 10.1
      24 December 2013 at 11:45 am

      Thank you BLiP once again. You are a remarkable list maker.

      To be fair a lot of these items are not so much flat out lies, as Key either misdirecting, spinning or expressing an opinion which is based on incorrect facts. I’d suggest many politicians indulge in these things to some degree or another.

      But as the game over Len Brown demonstrates, our media is extremely selective about how it addresses itself to these issues. Any one of these ‘lies’ would have been readily pounced upon by our media and used as fodder for weeks or months if they had been committed by a left-wing politician. Recall the frothing lunacy over the painting Helen Clark signed to benefit a charity.

      By contrast while Key might get the occasional tut-tut for his repeated distortions of the truth – he is never pursued or hounded by the pack. That’s why nothing ever sticks to him, and why the lies keep getting more and more egregious.

      This asymmetric treatment by corporate media disqualifies them from their role as the “Fourth Estate”. This is yet another prime example of ‘free market’ failure. I’d argue it’s time for a new left-wing government to do four things:

      1. Remove the current cosy privileges the current Press Gallery currently enjoys. In the new age of internet media there is no justification for this small cliche of insiders to retain special access to Parliament.

      2. Just as owning New Zealand land should be a privilege available to New Zealanders only; so too should ownership of our press and media.

      3. If you want to call yourself a newspaper or news source, then your content must be written by local professional journalists. If you want to be a journalist you must belong to a statutory independent professional body exactly analogous to the Medical Association; that supervises entry standards, ethics, peer reviews and professional development. Good journalists should be well paid and be well protected legally and professionally.

      4. The role of the Fourth Estate is as every bit as vital to the democratic health of our nation as doctors and nurses are to our physical health. The Fourth Estate should be funded on a similar mixed model – the bulk of journalists should paid from public funds via their professional body (or guild), with the balance from privately funded sources.

      As a final thought I would like to see the collective model of journalism (Scoop) developed and strengthened.

      • Colonial Viper 10.1.1
        24 December 2013 at 12:22 pm

        And let’s get some proper whistleblower laws put in place, and also make surveillance of bona fide journalists illegal.

    • Mick McCrohon 10.2
      24 December 2013 at 11:48 am

      Nice job. Do you have a way we can share this list (so the links work)?

    • Akldnut 10.3
      24 December 2013 at 9:04 pm

      Blip

      Picked off red alert
      http://blog.labour.org.nz/2013/12/02/john-keys-backtrack-and-steven-joyces-chickens/

      [December 11 2012]
      Clare Curran: Will he rule out legislation if the Commerce Commission comes back with a final decision that his Government does not agree with?

      Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Definitely not.
      http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/50HansQ_20121211_00000012/12-broadband%E2%80%94wholesale-pricing

      [December 2 2013]
      John Key on TVNZ Breakfast said : “we were never going to use legislation because we knew right from the get go that people wouldn’t vote for that”

      [December 3 2013]
      12. CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his statement that “We were never going to use legislation because we knew right from the get go that people wouldn’t vote for that”?

      Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) : Yes, in the context that I made it in relation to the question I was asked.

      Clare Curran: If, as he says, he knew from the get-go that he was not going to use legislation, why did his Government’s discussion document include three options to do just that?
      http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/50HansQ_20131203_00000012/12-prime-minister%E2%80%94statements

      Key playing long with the truth again.

  11. Tracey 11
    24 December 2013 at 6:06 pm

    How come those who support key who posted in this thread have nothing to say about the alleged lie?

    BLiP

    has your post been emailed to all journos. Print, radio and tv? And often?

    In election year at least 1 journo will have the guts to try and make a name for themselves??

  12. Tracey 12
    25 December 2013 at 9:10 am

    Gcsb is the only government dept that listens to the people

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