NZ Herald: Key cracks joke

Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, March 24th, 2014 - 18 comments
Categories: Media, newspapers - Tags: ,

Apparently one of the most important things in our world today was that Key cracked a joke:

“You can now convert New Zealand dollars into renminbi, if you are of such a mind to do so. So, life after politics, I might go back to the foreign exchange markets and smack around the renminbi. Maybe not.”

Hilarious!

But he wasn’t finished yet:

“I did meet with Cathay Pacific this afternoon who said I’m the only foreigner in the world who’s come to Hong Kong the week before the Sevens.”

My sides are splitting!  This is important news!  Thank goodness we had Claire Trevett there to cover it.

Despite appearances, it may not be just that Claire is a complete JK fan-girl.  In a stretched media environment, her editors may be requiring her to file at least one story every day – and with a lack of any news, this was the most interesting thing that happened.

But surely then the story should be “John Key achieves f#k all in Hong Kong.”

And given the story, the more important decision was taken by the editors to put it up high, when it didn’t contain news, just puff about John.

Surely the more important political stories should have been ranked higher: like a new Novopay in Customs – or indeed Novopay’s continued woes.  Neither of which is covered by Granny Herald at all…

18 comments on “NZ Herald: Key cracks joke ”

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  1. Tom Gould 1
    24 March 2014 at 10:39 am

    Yes, this is “news” in the National Herald, the unofficial daily newsletter of the National Party. The Press carried a story that Key had “used chopsticks in China”. Amazing. What a guy. No NZ Prime Minister has ever done that before, right? I mean, cracked jokes in Hong Kong and used chopsticks in Beijing? Incredible. And now on to Europe for more celebrity photo ops. Is there no end to this guy’s rock star pulling power? If the media can keep this up, and hold their nerve, and keep their focus, they could deliver him 60, maybe 70 per cent at the election?

  2. bad12 2
    24 March 2014 at 10:49 am

    Meanwhile here in Wellington the tension mounts as we await Slippery the Prime Minister’s return to the Land of the Long White Cloud,

    The question being how well will the Opposition use the ticking electoral time-bomb of our PM’s fraudulent use of ‘Charity’ to (a) gain Himself the maximum amount of publicity as the good Kiwi-bloke, and (b), fraudulently use every ‘Charity’ in this country with such lies as a means to fill the National Party coffers,

    The maximum amount of noise of course may just force ALL the media to focus their attention on what is essentially fraudulent behavior by either our Prime Minister or the National Party or both,

    Would i suggest that our Prime Minister has been lying through His teeth about His knowledge of the real intended recipients of the ‘Charity’ golf games takings,

    Too Bloody right i would, the media only need compare the Paddy Gower interview with the PM here in New Zealand with the same interviewer asking the same questions of Slippery the PM in China and getting ‘the slippery soft sell’ a waffling equivocation by the PM attempting to slide out from under the bucket of s–t that is this issue while claiming no real knowledge of the intended destination of the funds from this ‘Charity’ event…

    • freedom 2.1
      24 March 2014 at 11:15 am

      I’m not a lawyer so have a question….Regardless of Key’s knowledge or lack thereof, should not the President of the National Party, who Key has admitted is in control of these things, be held to account for fraudulently representing a political party as a charity?

      I know the interpretation of law is pretty fluid in 2014 but is fraud no longer a criminal act?

      Very confused

      • bad12 2.1.1
        24 March 2014 at 11:25 am

        i would suggest, also not being a lawyer, that proving such a fraud would be near on impossible, if it come down to a court case i would imagine that the National Party would find a minor functionary to front and take the rap…

  3. Bill 3
    24 March 2014 at 11:03 am

    This wee assertion has to be up there…..”Mr Obama invited New Zealand to take part alongside the nuclear powers because of its nuclear-free credentials.”

    Absolutely nothing to do with being one of the ‘5 Eyes’ network then. Jolly.

  4. Tom Gould 4
    24 March 2014 at 11:06 am

    The Herald also run a piece that “playing politics” with the China relationship is bad for us all, by which they mean rotten opposition MPs outing Collins for her pecuniary rort is bad for National which by Herald definition is bad for New Zealand.

    And the Herald reports that tourism is set to boom with rosy new targets announced. But it turns out tourism has slumped since 2007, with average spend down a third from $3,000 to $2,000 per visitor and the sector’s contribution to GDP slumping by 20 per cent. All down to the ‘global financial crisis’ and the ‘Christchurch earthquakes’ it seems. No mention of who has been Tourism Minister since 2007? No mention of what became of the promised LOTR tourism boom? Remember that? Worst decade on decade tourism outcome since records began? Making Key the worst tourism minister on record? So no news there.

    • richard 4.1
      24 March 2014 at 12:17 pm

      Spot on Tom. Crappest tourism minister ever – John Key’s view of tourism is limited to the Koru lounge, posh golf courses and his bach in Hawaii. Out of touch, and ineffective. Can’t bring himself to have an NZ holiday and support domestic tourism.

      • srylands 4.1.1
        24 March 2014 at 2:46 pm

        Did you complain bitterly when Helen Clark visited Norway every summer for her skiing holiday?

        I would be surprised if you can provide any objective evidence about the performance of the Tourism Minister. What policy actions would you recommend to improve export performance?

        You come across as an envious nark.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1.1
          24 March 2014 at 5:27 pm

          Helen Clark also holidayed here. Does dear leader?

        • richard 4.1.1.2
          24 March 2014 at 8:40 pm

          Was Helen Clark the Minister of tourism? Has John Key climbed any of NZ’s mountains?
          Policy decisions?? here’s one – mining in National Parks. And the undermining of our 100% Pure NZ campaign due to their disregard for the environment.

        • Tracey 4.1.1.3
          25 March 2014 at 3:21 pm

          is kiliminjaro in norway now?

    • Tracey 4.2
      24 March 2014 at 2:15 pm

      But banks are doing well. The nzx is doing well and dairy is fine for now… isnt that all that matters

  5. Blue 5
    24 March 2014 at 11:14 am

    Claire Trevett is a bit of an odd duck. Her style is to focus on trivialities that she considers amusing. It’s one way to fill up a newspaper, I suppose. This sort of thing probably should have been put in one of her whimsical opinion pieces rather than masquerading as news.

  6. Ant 6
    24 March 2014 at 2:10 pm

    More John Key fanfic from the herald.

  7. Hami Shearlie 7
    24 March 2014 at 5:19 pm

    Claire Trevett’s next offering will be “John Key and his top tips for removing fluff and lint from the Prime Ministerial navel”! He’s spent so much time gazing at it during the last 6 years , I bet he’s an expert by now!! Should run to half a page at least! Today’s offering complemented the All Blacks learning to sashay like models fluff piece that passed for news last night on TV! I’m starting to sound like Victor Meldrew when I see the tv news and the Herald lately – “OH, GODDD!!!”

  8. anker 8
    24 March 2014 at 8:44 pm

    Compare that joke of an article (if you will excuse the pun) about Key to this one of Cunliffe by Trevett

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/claire-trevett/news/article.cfm?a_id=74&objectid=11214582

    I have just complained to the press council about this one. Perhaps a compare and contrast complaint should also go in???

    • Rodel 8.1
      24 March 2014 at 9:14 pm

      anker
      How can we combat such intellectual power as shown in this article? The sheer depth of mentally sharp perception of this columnist is a role model for us all.
      With a media like this Gawd defend New Zealand!

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