The ODT editorial for today is a brutal skewering of Key’s performance over Dirty Politics.
Some highlights:
Justice Minister Judith Collins has become a liability to Prime Minister John Key, the Government and more widely, and disturbingly, the country.
How a Minister of Justice, entrusted with upholding the highest standards in the land, can lower her own personal standards to feed confidential personal information about a civil servant to a right-wing blogger – knowing full-well the consequences of her actions – is beyond most right-minded people.
Mr Key should sack Ms Collins now, but will not take that action.
The reason he will not sack her is, of course, because the election is a month away and to remove the Justice Minister now will give further oxygen to an issue he has already handled badly.
Ms Collins seems to think the rules of decency do not apply to her; and now some in her electorate seem to feel the same.
…
Dirty Politics-gate has dominated national political coverage since the book’s launch, with claim and counterclaim being made.
But assertions of other parties behaving badly are just that.
John Key puts style above substance, in fact now its been shown he’s so desperate to keep substance out of the debate he has his staff manage SIS information queries that directly help WhaleOil do the dirty work.
Polling companies spend the last day or two quota filling, I think.
Also, my view of the media coverage of the book in the first two days was basically – nothing to see here, it will all blow over in a couple of days, it’s just politics as usual, etc.. If I’m right then most people would have just dismissed it.
But over the weekend it got legs and that will start to produce whatever impact it is likely to have.
[Edit: RM polling was 4-17 August so more than one day overlap]
I don’t think the election will hinge on a book about Blubber boy. It has always been and will always be about the left offering an alternative more equitable society, to the 1% paradise on offer from Key.
I think internal polling is showing that as well. You can see Cunliffe and Norman are trying to get their message out through all the noise about fucking Cameron Slater. They are not feeding this National Party cluster fuck because I think they know that we need more than Hager’s book to get home this year.
Not a Goff fan but felt at the time something was very whiffy, sure Warren Tucker coughed up a copy of the briefing allegedly intended for Goff, but in the absence of verifiable minutes it is highly likely on the balance of etc. that Goff was never personally delivered that briefing.
Do unobserved events still happen? Of course, that is the chair Goff would have been sitting in.
Here is a link to the letter from Tucker to Felix Marwick (Chief Political Reporter at Newstalk ZB) in Nov 2011 reposted by Barry Soper on Twitter (link posted a short time ago and copied from Public Address)
Both Newstalk ZB and Morning Report (RNZ) have today reported a direct contradiction between Warren Tucker and John Key. Tucker says he told the PM about Slater’s OIA, Key says he didn’t.
Until now, I’ve felt that Key (and Collins) could ride this out, albeit clumsily. But if this latest story is true, then he really is in trouble.”
Thing is, Tucker told this to ZB’s Felix Marwick in 2011. In the letter attached to this post. It’s hard to see how Key can continue to claim he wasn’t consulted and knew nothing, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try. He’s now caught very deep in that lie.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s inquiry will doubtless also be interested in who Slater was talking to for his “expedited” OIA request.
Also: good work Felix Marwick for keeping the paperwork. That’s how good journalists roll.
If he tries the “me = my office” line then someone needs to remind him that Jason Ede worked in his office and with Cameron Slater.
Therefore Jason Ede = Key’s Office = Key himself.
You’re fucked, sunshine.
No wonder Blinglish was on RNZ yesterday saying “voters don’t want to talk about this, they’re not interested, they’re more interested in the economy.” That’s probably true of the National heartland – who wants to watch their team go down in flames?
From the party of personal responsibility!
Katherine Ryan said its hard to believe with such a political hot potato no one in his office would have briefed the PM!
In fact, judging by the litany of denials over the years it appears that no-one ever tells him anything! Alternatively he may have early onset dementia 🙂
Or another good way of expressing this is “You can delegate responsibility – but you cannot avoid accountability”.
Mind you Key’s corporate career has well prepared him for weaseling his way out of this. He’s behaving exactly like your typical shark-suited exec – one of many I’ve seen over the years.
Right at a visceral level I’ve recognised Key as one of those very smooth, plausible and polished sociopaths who infest senior corporate life. Particularly the bigger overseas organisations that Key worked for.
Your average Kiwi doesn’t get to see so many of these sharks up close and personal over an extended period of time – and is easily taken in by them.
The high power corporate, board of director types in this nation will know he is one of their tribe however – and will have recognised that from the start.
Nope. He’s lying. A letter from the Ombudsman reports him talking about his “discussion with the PM”.
I don’t blame the dude for wanting to hide the truth, after all he wouldn’t be welcome at any polo match, golf club or peasant flogging if he we were responsible for the resignation of a Nat PM.
I’ve got a great big bridge here you can buy – going cheap – only a $1m and it’s all yours.
Give me your bank account details and I’ll personally relieve you of that unwanted cash.
(If you believe that bullshit from Key et al – you’ll believe anything!)
It’s one thing for the likes of me to be stuck with some evil prick like JK as PM. He was elected afterall. Quite another, to in any way accept unelected employees (punters) making unilateral decisions with respect the SiS. Is that what JK wants NZ to adopt as the new normal? If so, why bother with any fucking pretense of democracy and democratic accountability?
Even Matthew Hooton said it was impossible to imagine a situation in which the PM would not have been informed of the release of the SIS memo under the OIA.
Hooton of Hollow Men and now Dirty Politics fame.
BTW Hi Matthew, hope you’re having an awesome day 😀
On the one hand, it’s a bit of a wake-up call to anyone who assumed there’d be an immediate shift in the polls. Just 2% – a mere 2 friggin % !!! – of Nat supporters say the scandal has negatively influenced their view of the National Party.
On t’other hand, this issue is likely to be a slow-burner as the media momentum builds over the next few weeks (similar to Corngate in 02). According to the poll, 10% of Nat supporters say they believe Hager’s allegations and, as well as the 2% of Nats who have a more negative view of the Party, there are a further 3% of Nats who are Unsure. These larger minorities of Nats are the ones that might budge over the next few weeks as the scandal reaches a crescendo.
But it’s quite possible that the most important electoral consequence of the affair is not so much a swing from Nat-to-Lab or Right-to-Left but rather in motivating a sizeable section of both Undecideds and Labour-leaning (erstwhile) Non-Voters to turn out on Election Day. Looks to me like the Undecideds who say their view of National has been negatively influenced by the scandal outstrips the number of Nats who have said likewise. Moreover, arguably the most intriguing figure is the 19% of Labour supporters who say they’re more likely to get out and vote as a result of the scandal.
Also pays to remember that some previous Nat supporters may have swung away (to Lab/Green/NZF/ or into Undecided territory) between the release of Dirty Politics (and thus the onset of the scandal) and this poll. I’m thinking of the sort of voters who have been very softly-aligned to the Nats and for whom this may have been the last straw. They, of course, are invisible in this poll because they wouldn’t be included among Nat supporters.
[Poll was carried out on August 14-15 – ie in the very early stages before people had much time to digest things]
Q 4: “As a result of these allegations are you now more or less likely to vote on Election Day or have they not made much difference ?”
Entire Sample More Likely 12% Less Likely 1% Not much diff 87% High More Likely – Labour Supporters 19%
That seems significant.
I can’t see soft voters hanging around National once Whaledump has finished with them. I suspect there is worse to come, as if what we’ve already seen isn’t bad enough.
i am picking the greens will be the major benificiaries from this..
..by election day there will be a desire for ‘new’…disdain of the old..
..and many soft national voters..turned off by the ongoing stench from national..
..could easily turn to the greens..(especially with their audited by infometrics fiscal-plan..that’s on my shortlist for ‘best move of the election award’..that fiscal-auditing..it answers more questions/uncertainties than you can poke a stick at..)
.and as an internet/mana supporter i am hoping some of that desire for the new..
Yeah, I noticed that, too (both the weak terminology: “suggestions” and the Christchurch outlier). If acceptance of the detail outlined in Hager’s book can be taken as some sort of proxy for distrust of the present Government then we may see quite a swing in Chch this election. Then again, there’s still that ambiguity I mentioned a couple of months back…http://thestandard.org.nz/puddlegum-on-christchurch/#comment-834219 (in reply to your impressive post on Chch).
But then, of course, I say that as an ignorant Wellingtonian.
The wealthy overseas shareholders who own and pay him are happy with the money they’re taking out of the country. And maybe at $ 1.49 million a year he cares more about them than NZ citizens struggling to pay their bills.
Paul the RM poll yesterday was explained by RM that the effect of Dirty politics didn’t register yet as it happened on the last couple of days of polling,while the effect of some despicable politics which no one on the left condone!
a dead cat bounce is what this poll is!
And maybe at $ 1.49 million a year he cares more about them than NZ citizens struggling to pay their bills.
At $1.49m you can pretty much guarantee that he doesn’t give a fuck about NZers struggling to pay their bills. He’s far too disconnected from that reality.
And did I hear right, but was there a veiled threat of blackouts in his interview..if the Greens and Labour get into power?
The sociopaths are always threatening such things. Time to take our power back and bankrupt the bastards.
It should be made clear to Heffernan that depriving Kiwis of the means to stay warm and, in some cases, alive, would lead swiftly to his arrest and arraignment on charges of conspiracy to do grievous bodily harm and anything else lawyers can think of. All the companies should be renationalised anyway, and parasites like him should be sent off to Hawaii to stay with Key.
Ready to review your hasty and rough remonstrations directed at those of us still concerned about dirty politics Ad ?
In which you relied on the RM poll – a poll two-thirds taken before the book was even published – to say as a fait accompli that dirty politics as an issue is meaningless. Have a look up and down this thread Ad.
Hopefully if MRP do good on Heffernan’s threat of a “generator strike” and turn the dams off, PM Cunliffe picks up the phone and tells the army to turn up to their nice shiny offices to turn them back on.
Auckland landlords are hiking rents amid fears of big rates increases next year on the back of spiralling property values. – if property values increased by 33% as reported yesterday! Rates will not increase by 33%. Simply put: councils estimate their costs for the year then divide by the capital value of all residential property. So if the demoninator increases then the rate per $ decreases. We still get the same rating demand cost.
Many in the media get caught in the “selling rent increases” that should costs increase this flows thru to rents, if that was the case why did not rents fall post GFC when interest rates dropped from 10+% to 5% ? And if it is so tough being a landlord why are investors increasing their holding % of the housing stock ? There are other decisions at play, returns, tax implications, etc
The following is an unpaid, unauthorised, reluctant and unexpected political message from deep within West Auckland:
Like many of you, I’ve been watching the development of my country head in one direction only for the past thirty years. Watching the details and turns of this election campaign, one thing is becoming clear: there is only one choice if real change is what people sort of, maybe, want. How do we get that? It’s easy, as easy as not locking your car door when you stop at the first set of lights in Manurewa.
Labour’s policies necessarily leave the people we all wail that we care about now, behind. It’s that simple. In all fairness, they can’t fix the problem anyway, and don’t really want to either. Leaving a large and growing chunk of the population behind at least allows future middle classes the chance to avoid mental breakdowns. They’ll have someone to unload their regret and repressed self-loathing onto. Hey, I’m not saying it’s entirely wrong to choose that when the alternative can be really dangerous to the unprepared, it’s just not entirely moral either. That’s the way life goes. So no change is coming from Labour. Once upon a time, they were rightly considered passengers in the Blue Party car, but with their foot pressing the brakes occasionally. Now it’s clear that their foot is just resting beside the brake. Their policies imply they will prepare to press the economic brakes, but only if they are voted in twice and only then if nothing else comes up. The car is still headed in the same direction, though. I think that’s an accurate picture of what Labour can offer.
National, well, their credibility is shot. Whatever they offer, we’ve all seen who they are, where they want to accelerate and how they intend to continue. There can be no more delusions of “you can be part of the team” anymore. Their newest election advertisement gives the picture of a small, unstable, defensive crew stroking off for a short trip without any equipment or supplies for a long journey or preparations for bad weather. People who vote National now are on autopilot and will never change. What more is there to say.
The new smaller parties will not have the numbers to influence more powerful status-quo coalition partners, but they’re still useful. That’s just the facts of being a fledgling party.
In my opinion there is only one chance to induce change. Maybe it will turn out to be change everyone eventually comes to enjoy, in the way that the old saying goes about crisis being a mix of danger and opportunity. The chance for change I can see is much like a car that blindsides you at an intersection – baam – straight in the driver’s door. You don’t feel the initial impact, you only see a smudge of colour from just over your shoulder, and then everything goes dead quiet and time slows down when you realise what’s happened, but after that, at least for a while, everything changes.
The owners of this rude car are the only people other than National or Labour who have anywhere near enough of a clue to avoid total economic ruin while also inadvertently creating the kind of conditions required for society to break out the deadlock between left and right, right and wrong, black and white, have and have-nots. But if they do that, won’t they encourage total ruin? They will, they WILL ruin us! No they won’t. They can’t police themselves, how the hell will they police you?
Right now, everyone in New Zealand is following the line, doing the same stuff they pappies did, same attitudes their mammies had, waddling along squealing at all the same stuff they squealing at since before I was born and no one knows how to change that, not directly. It seems that direct efforts fail. Oh sure there are a few artists and activists slogging through their own personal mudflats and finding some interesting stuff, but no one’s paying much attention to that. Boring huh? Are you guys bored with your lives yet? Do you crave the excitement that another latté just can’t offer? Want something less dangerous than a P addiction, but also a little more passive than cross-fit training? Here’s the best part: you don’t even have to give up your daily moaning! Oh boy, they’ll be plenty to moan about, I guarantee.
The outrages will be thick and fast until you think you have no blood vessels in your head left to burst. Your wallet will take a hit like you’ve spent all night at a Belgian Beer House. Confusion about what’s right or wrong will swirl until you giggle like drunken teenagers, until finally you think, screw it, I’m doing whatever I want… and that’s where the chance for real honest change will begin.
It will be the chance of real, honest, societal change brought about by individuals left with no choice but to do what they want, unencumbered by deference to an impossible ideology, all ideas of what life should be thoroughly and vigorously wrung out of their sleepy little heads by frustration with an administration who do not have the capacity to offer them the comfortable familiarity of cultural oppression.
So who are these crazy folks and what kind of car do they own? Is it worth less than a BMW? Oh lord please let it be insured. Sorry, no way is it insured, well, maybe third party, if the premiums haven’t lapsed. That the car has been painted by hand with fence paint should tell you enough.
You want change? You want the rush of your twenties and teens back again, when everything felt exciting and new and anything was possible? Want something money can’t buy? Want something that makes you feel more alive than getting the wrinkles around your eyes seen to? Do you want the risk of change or do you want to return to the slow comfortable shuffling descent into nostalgia, memories of your not very wild youth, and nodding off to the sound of talkback radio during an afternoon nap on the patio, and finally the grave?
If you want a chance at an environment that risks real change, vote Greens. If there is no Greens vote in your electorate vote the next best thing, Mana/Internet or whoever is next on the list of crazed lefty wingnuts. Change will come in the form of a government where the Greens hold majority. The alternative is to re-live the lives of your parents, admittedly with better technology, but essentially the same life. All respect to your olds, but wouldn’t that be a waste of yours? Only one way to avoid that. Start again with a bang: vote Green.
It was astounding watching John Key being interviewed by Gower on tvs news last night.
Key was angry, very very tense, and in fact out of control.
He had no answers. None.
Gower questioned if he would look into detail after Key said “dunno don’t have the detail”…… and Key answered ..”maybe, maybe not”…… Fuck me it was the most disturbing telling skewering moment I have ever seen in a Key interview. Stunned mullet, possum in the headlights.
Key is on the ropes. That was a fascinating interview.
I regret that in this democratic nation apparently reflecting the rule of law, accountability and order – any past or present public official whom at the very moment it’s needed gives Key a semantic lifeline…….whether it be Dr Tucker with an extraordinary ‘update’ contradicting the plain meaning of his words of three years ago, or Kitteridge, or the Ombudsman…….those elevated personages I cannot unreservedly trust.
If I’m unjustified in my discomfort I’m forced to accept that in 2011 the Minister Responsible For The SIS and the Director of the SIS routinely performed their respective roles thus – important information (even information concerning say the then Leader of the Opposition), such important information intended for the ears of the Minister, would be telephoned to an unnamed, title unknown staffer in the Minister’s office. The unnamed untitled staffer might or might not pass such important information on to the Minister Responsible For The SIS. Maybe not even mention it to other staffers in the Minister’s office. The director would not check or seek confirmation of receipt. No one, not a soul would keep a written record.
Mmmm…….accepting the latter scenario as seemingly is required of me……..there emerges the prima facie appearance of a big fat banana republic.
Cunliffe is right…….it beggars belief.
Ha ! RNZ 5.30 news…….apparently the Minister Responsible For The SIS was away on holiday in Hawaii at the time. For “big fat banana…..” read “big fat pineapple……”. Can only mean this. The staffer, chief of staff, whomsoever left in charge by the Minister is gonna get the rough end of one of the latter right up him/her
I tried to play the video back on my tablet and it went through in short stop and start jerky movements. Several times it halted on key and some of his expressions were very telling. At one stage he looked close to tears. In another, his eyes were rolled up so you could barely see them. In another his top lip was curled right up. In others his anger was highly visible. It was fascinating to watch these frozen expressions as it gave time to actually study his facial expressions for sometimes at least thirty seconds. Very telling. Also, if Karol is thinking about doing the transcript on this most embarrassing stand up to date, good luck with that one. Key seems to think that if he doesn’t open his mouth properly while speaking that he can be seen to be answering the questions without any chance of anyone actually understanding WHAT he has said. Collins MUST have some dirt on him. The man is a gibbering wreck.
We all believe Collins has something very big on Key so he won’t fire her.
How about this — is it actually Slater who has something very big on Key and is running protection for Collins ? Let’s remember who Slater’s father is and was in the Nat machinery.
Cameron Slater was on screen saying ‘everyone’ in politics should be afraid of him ( TV3 yesterday I think but can’t remember link as so many going on) …
As I’ve argued previously on this site, John Key as Prime Minister has always just been about John Key the narcissistic ego-maniac. He only ever wanted to be Prime Minister because, like Mallory’s reason for climbing Everest, “it’s there.” It’s the top job in New Zealand so, naturally, he was entitled to it and he’d made enough money for National to be impressed enough to give it to him.
Having got the job and confirmed his natural superiority he had little clear idea what to do with it – hence the six years of rudderless drifting fortuitously supported generously by the financial injection from the Christchurch earthquake and the advantage of being a primary producer of foodstuffs that the world – especially a momentarily resurgent China – is desperate for even in a financial crisis. His one and only policy initiative was the end-to-end walkway. For the rest of the time he merely played National Party internal politics by appointing the ‘right’ people to Ministerships and letting them get on with it while he could strut around the stage like Idi Amin in his Field-Marshall’s uniform soaking up the adulation and pretending, even to himself, that it was his due.
Now the wheels have come off. He is for the first time being expected to actually earn his money and do his job and the wherewithall isn’t there. The most terrifying thing a man like Key can experience is his own ego being dented, his being forced to realised that the ‘great man’ image he had come himself to believe in is false. Key is facing, perhaps experiencing, a psychologial crisis – he is like the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy pulls back the curtain – and likely a major part of that will be an initial refusal to admit the reality even to himself. His splutterings and incoherences to the press are as much an attempt to cling to the fraud for his own sake, to preserve his own ego, as it is to convince us.
Expect increasingly frantic attempts to deny reality and, very likely, a refusal to acknowledge what everyone else can see like a six-year-old denying a raid on the jam-pot after being caught red-handed. A break-down forced by the increasingly difficult task of reconciling the dichotomy in his own mind is not impossible. Collins may be able to hide in a hole and hope it all blows over but Key can’t. Perhaps his best bet at the moment is for the National heirarchy to become alarmed at the damage he is doing to the brand and come to his rescue by twisting his arm into ‘standing down’, ostensibly through the application of high ethical principles a’la Nixon, so that he can assuage his ego by blaming his ‘downfall’ on others.
What troubles me deeply is the possibility that he might surivive this and be voted back into power in September by the lunatic right. His ego will be assuaged and re-inforced – he is literally unimpeachable. His almost divine right to rule would be confirmed, in his own mind. While not wishing to draw too strong a parallel I think we need to remember that most of the great Dictators of the last Century were initially given power by popular vote rather than seizing it – a fact that seems to have confirmed their own opinion of themselves as being great leaders by birth and entitlement, who eventually brought disaster on their people through their own fanatical confidence in their ‘confirmed’ leadership genius.
Warren Tucker has written that he informed John Key directly about the SIS release of OIA.
John Key’s story is very different.
As heard on National Radio this morning.
All of his quiver of pathetic defences (dunno, can’t recall, pretty relaxed, screw nose up, sneer, left wing conspiracy, and now also glare with thinly veiled rage and no answer) have been shot. If he tries firing any of those arrows again he must surely be openly laughed at…… and people like Key genuinely, when it comes down to it, hate being laughed at ….
… the last years I have often wondered if at some point Key will actually lose it and blow his top….
SIS boss wrote to journo Felix Marwick confirming that he had told Key that he intended releasing the Goff info to Slater. Key has consistently denied knowing anything about it.
I wouldn’t get excited about that – there is so much in there that is incorrect or ridiculous. I worked overseas for global investment banks from 1991 until 2008, worked on a trading desk that covered hedge funds (including LTCM, Moore Capital, Quantum (Soros) and numerous others) until 2002, and after that was involved in structured credit (backed by things like sub prime mortgages). Casually reading that research I can see some things that are true, but many points that are deeply wrong, badly misinterpreted or inconsequential.
The real story is what the real story was. No conspiracy, just the same thing that happens with regularity – lax lending and risk control standards, bad incentives for staff that result in inappropriate risk taking, too much leverage and an obvious market response as banks reduce risk.
And I very distinctly recall John Key (who routinely downplayed his role at Merrill Lynch) standing in a picture for some financial trade magazine – with the title on the door “Vice-President New Debt Products” (or something very similar IIRC).
No conspiracy, just the same thing that happens with regularity – lax lending and risk control standards, bad incentives for staff that result in inappropriate risk taking, too much leverage and an obvious market response as banks reduce risk.
Maybe it would be hard to point to a smokey back room where the wide boys cooked up an actual deal, shook hands and downed single-malts afterwards – but there is no question that the banking industry lobbied very long and hard to have those lending and risk controls removed. The ‘laxity’ you so offhandedly refer to was no accident.
And John Key in my opinion was was of many senior people in it up to their snouts.
Dirty Politics: Free speech & a policy-free election
by Wayne Mapp
“Is the Dirty Politics debate making a mockery of the manifestos? And should authors have the right to right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?”
Mapp asks do they have the right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?
He presents the argument that we should have free speech but does want a policy debate during this election.
We agree, but as National has broken all rules during the last election to smear the Labour leader using illegally obtained fast tracked SIS information to conduct that election rather than discussing policies, well we have to say why did National do last election what Wayne Mapp is asking we not do this election?
Did National have the right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?
Judith Collins has gone to ground and press cant find her, while John Key wont take press questions as of 9am this morning (like Nixon did) we need to find out what this Government’s policies are on law and how they intend conducting themselves going forward.
That is another policy we believe to be as important as Health, housing Schools, transport, and poverty.
On Radio Live now, Sean Plunkett says that (according to his sources, but not confirmed) Judith Collins has refused to resign, even though she’s been asked to.
Really? That’s interesting gobby. If it were true, is there someone other than the PM, that can ask her to resign?
Key has been busy denying any wrong doing on her part, and in fact seems a bit scared of her, and as was discussed above by yeshe, many are given to the idea that Collins holds a huge amount of power over him possibly due to some knowledge she has (and Slater?) that would destroy him.
IF she was asked to resign I’m wondering if it were someone else, in an effort to “inoculate” him from any fall out, that would do it? Does someone such as the GG have the authority to intervene if a Minister refuses to stand down when asked?
In Southland the Regional Council is imposing rules around the use of certain hill country by farmers. This is of course to begin controlling and cleaning up the sediment runoff which has clogged waterways and estuaries in Southland to such an extent that these estuaries are under threat of death i.e. life in them will end.
“”I don’t like rules,” Lumsden farmer Willie Menlove said.
“I’ve farmed for more than 20 years without these sorts of rules and I’d prefer education to be the end goal.”
So there we have it – no rules for years and the rivers and estuaries get killed dead thanks to the farmers. And they think the same system should continue ………. I shake my head in utter disbelief
Young Nats in Waikato are apparently buying up copies of Dirty Politics and burning them – if true I wonder if these numpties realise the significance of their action? What would John Key’s Jewish, Labour voting mother who fled the Nazis have thought about it?
And that epitome of smug Natiness – whatshisname Ansell on RNZ to answer questions about the Labour and National adverts. He said the former portrays a ‘load of no-hopers standing around asking for things’ while the latter is a group of ‘office types up early in the morning going out there and doing things’- or words to that effect. It was a party political broadcast for the National Party – about as openly and nastily partisan as you could get.
I wonder if I could sue him for the dreadful indigestion I got after listening to it?
Thank you for pointing that out PR – I thought it was likely to be a dig at the sorts of things Young Nats might do in retaliation for effigy burning and the like. I won’t follow it up on Slater’s site because I have just showered and being an environmentalist I try to limit how much hot water I use each day.
Because of the environment these events are reported to have occurred in, this story will probably remain in the ‘rumour to some, reality to others’ file.
I have personally seen statements (unpublished and independently sourced) from people employed at the University, which state that Aaron Letcher not only confirmed he is implicated in Hager’s book (although not by name) but he was also bragging in the WSU office about purchasing a large number of the books. One of those statements claim Aaron Letcher said the money for the books’ purchase came from a senior Nat outside of the Young Nats organisation.
For Slater (or whoever is writing his stuff) to state ‘Aaron bought 6 copies only’,
is as you often like to point out, only one side of the story.
The people involved have requested their statements not be released and that they retain their anonymity because quite simply they fear for their jobs, and unlike the Minister of Justice, my word actually means something so I will not even tell you their job titles. The following is a short quote which I received when pressing for more detail. When read in context against the predictable denials, it says a lot about the veracity of the actual claims.
“You can take the gist of it- as long as I’m not implicated because, as you can imagine, our workplace is pretty tense right now.”
At present, despite numerous enquiries, there is no physical evidence available about the burning of the books. I doubt even Aaron Letcher would have been stupid enough to video that event.
While I’m sure that every copy that nats buy is destined to be closely read and preserved for posterity, I don’t really care either way. The more copies they buy, the more copies will be printed, the longer the book will be available for purchase.
So getting away from this (lets face it disheartning result) most recent of polls which I was going to talk about I decided to watch Labours and Nationals election campaign videos instead and comment on them.
Labour 5.5/10, generic in that it could have been any party in oppositions (especially the Greens) video and right at the end the zoom out shoot was not a good choice as Cunliffe looked uncomfortable standing there, probably should have stayed with the close up shot
National 7.5/10 Very good start with the rowing eight and with what they’ve done getting NZ through one of the most difficult periods in recent history but let down at the end by the thing with the shot the left going nowhere because we all know the left coilition is a dogs breakfast but shouldn’t have given them any oxygen at all, I would have left that shot out.
Or could be 4.5/10 if National is sued for the music being too close to the original
“Or could be 4.5/10 if National is sued for the music being too close to the original”
… and that is pretty much it in a nutshell.
In one phrase you admit that there is an original that has been used (and barely changed) – and your personal rating is adjusted only if there is legal action.
A couple of points:
1. National has spoken against negative electioneering – and are the only ones doing it – on an official ad, no less.
2. Surely National has some creative artistic types in the membership (and I’m talking musos, not creative accountants, strategists or scriptwriters here) that could have penned an original and avoided the comparison with Eminem? No?
As has been mentioned before, I agree that the image of freshed-faced rowers enthusiastically looking forward while putting such enthusiasm into going backwards – a really good analogy for where the current National government is taking us.
Not at all like the right, I mean National/Act/United Future/Conservatives/Maori Party/New Zealand First are all going to be pulling the same way all the time, cause they have shown that time and time again. Not like that 3 headed monster on the left who have nothing in common at all…
National/Act/United Future/Conservatives/Maori Party/New Zealand First
Considering how stable National/Act/United Future/Maori Party have been I’m looking forward to three more years but if NZFirst manage to get in you can be sure whoever they go with won’t include the Conservatives or the Greens
Stable? Surely you jest? One of your coalition partners was convicted of a crime and another was stood down as a minister for refusing to comply with Key’s instructions around the leak of the Kitteridge (sp?) report. And that’s before you get to Nick Smith, Maurice Williamson et al. Clearly you have a different view of what “stable” actually means..
A still shot image of the skiff in National’s slick Election Video needs to be made, with the words- ‘Vote National We’ll sell you down the river’ blazoned across it. Wish I had the know-how to do it. Be great for Facebook etc
The Nat Ad is a bit ham fisted: ‘fit young office types’ rowing from the left to the right of the screen in a coordinated and professional manner in blue singlets and with blue oars – oh the subtlety of it! – will appeal to affluent Ruralnats and Metronats as rowing is a sport of the elite and, because NZ does well in the sport internationally, it will also resonate with the Patrinats.
Then – oh such fun! – they contrast the elite in their speedy boat with a leaky old boat rowed by a bunch of disorganised and uncoordinated people dressed in red and green for those who are so dumb they have to have the political symbolism spelled out for them.
It’s one step away from slapstick – and is a slap in the face of most NZers who could not afford the fees to get into schools which have successful rowing programmes – let alone afford the additional fees.
That boat the young fit office types are rowing towards their affluent future costs in the region of $50,000.
At St Bedes – Gerry Brownlee’s alma mater – rowing fees are in the region of $175 a month plus uniform plus costs of getting to competitions ….
PS. I hope this is not a measure of St Bede’s academic prowess….from their website ….
“Can I pay me fees off over a long period of time?”
you mean expensive private schools with rowing programs, schools like:
Aotea College, Aparima College, Aquinas College, Ashburton College, Auckland Grammar School, Avonside Girls High School, Baradene College, Bethlehem College, Burnside High School, Cambridge High School, Cashmere High School, Christchurch Boys High School, Christchurch Girls High School, Craighead Diocesan School, Cromwell College, Dunstan High School, Epsom Girls Grammar, Francis Douglas Memorial College, Gisborne Boys High School, Gisborne Girls High School, Glendowie College, Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton Girls High School, Hastings Girls High School, Hauraki Plains College, Hillcrest High School, Huanui College, Hurunui College, James Hargest College, John McGlashan College, John Paul College, Kapiti College, Katikati College, Kavanagh College, Kings High School, Lindisfarne College, Liston College, Macleans College, Mana College, Marian College, Marist College, Marlborough Boys College, Marlborough Girls College, Massey High School, Mt Albert Grammar School, Mt Aspiring College, Napier Boys High School, Napier Girls High School, Nelson College, Nelson College For Girls, Onewhero Area School, Onslow College, Otago Boys High School, Otumoetai College, Paraparaumu College, Pukekohe Christian School, Pukekohe High School, Queen Charlotte College, Queen Margaret College, Queens High School, Rangiora High School, Roncalli College, Rosehill College, Rotorua Girls High School, Rotorua Lakes High School, Sacred Heart College (Auckland), Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt), Sacred Heart Girls College (Hamilton), Sacred Heart Girls College (NP), Sancta Maria College, Scots College, Shirley Boys High School, Southland Boys High School, Southland Girls High School, St Bedes College, St Johns College (Hamilton), St Kevins College, St Margarets College, St Patricks College, St Pauls Collegiate School, St Peters School, St Thomas Of Canterbury, Takapuna Grammar School, Tauranga Boys College, Tauranga Girls College, Tawa College, Te Awamutu College, Te Kauwhata College, Timaru Boys High School, Timaru Girls High School, Trident High School, Twizel Area School, Verdon College, Villa Maria College, Waikato Diocesan School, Waimea College, Waitaki Boys High School, Waitaki Girls High School, Wakatipu High School, Wanganui Collegiate School, Wanganui High School, Wellington College, Wellington East Girls College, Wellington Girls College, Wentworth College, Western Heights High School, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School, Whakatane High School
125 schools entered the 2014 secondary school rowing champs – I think I took most of the private schools but not integrated schools out of the above list. Rowing may be an expensive sport, but its not only elite schools that offer it.
Are you trying to prove TeWhareWhero’s point? Decile ratings would be interesting.
From Christchurch I don’t see Aranui High School (2), Linwood College (2), Hornby High School (3), Hilmorton High School (5), Papanui High School (6), Hagley Community College (5), Riccarton High School (7), Mairehau High School (4) … and, the cases that prove the rule, Christ’s College (10), St Andrews (10) – in both these cases they may be ones that you knew were private schools and so removed?
Compared to: Burnside (8), Christchurch Boys’ (9), Christchurch Girls’ (9), Cashmere (8), St Bede’s (9), Shirley Boys’ (6), St Margaret’s (Private and 10), Marian College (7) …
I referred to schools with successful rowing programmes …..
Even John Ansell acknowledges ‘the elitism of rowing’.
An eights boat new costs in excess of $50,000; fours $29,000; pairs $19,000 singles $13,000- and then there’s the cost of the massive trailers and towing vehicles. It’s a hugely expensive sport.
That’s fine – it’s also a fantastic sport and good on NZ’s rowers for doing so well internationally.
The use of rowing as an image was not accidental albeit completely at odds with the reality of National in government.
Rowing depends on cooperation, coordination and balance, careful pacing and timing of effort.
All the spin in the world can’t change the evidence of National’s deep factionalism, lack of leadership and short-termism.
Just about all these children will be from well off families!
Rowing New Zealand receives millions of taxpayers dollars god forbid the right finding out about subsidies to a minority sport!
What do people think of the Internet Party, sorry got that wrong, I mean Krim Dot Con threatning Radiolive because they have the temerity to talk to one of KDCs employees?
I wonder what Laila “bought and paid for” Harre thinks? Probably ok with it as a boatload of money does tend to ease the conscience
Desperate flailing from lone blogger!
living of the dead cat bounce!
All the the rats have jumped ship
puckish rogue knows his party is out of vogue
now his tactic is to shift the blame
which looks rather lame !
Defending his boss because no one else is not even GOS!
muddying waters with his dross!
More very bad PR. you should have given up while you Perceived Rongly you were a head.
time to lay down your keyboard have a cup of tea and off to bed!
Sexist Jokes are out of Fashion for that silly joke above I hope you receive a severe tongue lashing
The story is probably along the lines of:
There once was a lady from Ealing, that had an incredible feeling, she lay on her back and opened her … electoral roll registration letter, and thereby realised she’d be in a position to help vote the corrupt bastards out on 20 september.
Neither rhymes nor scans, but it has a happy ending.
A question:
Amongst the constitutional experts amongst posters/contributors/commenters here …..
Does anyone know if the GG has the power to rescind ministerial warrants, and under what circumstances?
I’m casting my mind back to the Whitlam-Kerr situation in OZ of course, however one would think that GG would be having some ‘in-depth’ discussions with Madge about now.
Longer term, I’d hope that the result of all this will not just be to change a corrupt government, but also to address constitutional matters affecting our fragile demockracy (going forward, to coin a phrase, so to speak, as a matter of fact, actually)
Looking forward to ‘expert’ answers .. good you asked the question this morning.
Let’s remember GG Jerry Mateparae was head of GCSB but ignominiously shoved upwards to GG to install Key’s no-I-don’t-know-him-very-well buddy Fletcher in his place.
I always took this to mean Jerry Mateparae could not be manipulated in the ways required by Key under NSA instructions.
Was asking some questions along these lines yesterday .. here’s hoping GG Jerry can keep his respected personal integrity intact through the coming days.
I am also curious about the authority of the GG to intervene in a situation like Collins’, where she is wedged to her office chair despite all the odds, and asked that question above.
We’re thinking along the same lines @ Rosie.
Something is really fucked with our uni-cameral system under Madge if there is a total absence of such checks and balances. If not the GG – maybe the Chief Justice? I’m curious to know from an expert.
It certainly makes it very easy for NZ to be ‘used’ as an experiment in advancing certain agendas – and that’s not advancing any conspiratorial theory either – merely that if the GG/Chief Justice are so neutered as to be useless when an obviously corrupted regime acts in an anti-democratic fashion, we’ve been reliant on SFA for a very long time.
I sincerely hope Gerry is thinking long and hard. Unfortunately I agree with the morning prayers PuckishRogue/fizz ‘spinline learner’ that he “is a good man”, not just having briefly met him, but from his staff too. Actually my initial cynicism came from ‘the military wing’ of the extended family
You mean as in getting the ‘fair and balanced’ story huh? “the OTHER side?” The one that’s on the “other” side of the same coin? The one that’s not “your” people but “our” people’s side? The one that’s IF your not with us THEN you must be against us?
Please explain …
actually no don’t, once again I’m breaking my self-imposed rule of not feeding a fundy/cultist rote-learned “our kind of people”
“Young Nat’s buying up Hager books and burning them is similar to NAZI Germany”
I was so shocked to hear this and no Nat’s have denied this so we post our thoughts on this further gross issue as another election issue of National’s claim to be above Dirty politics.
This John Key Government has modelled itself alongside the 1933 NAZI party propaganda machine.
It’s mandate given by Hitler and skilfully executed by The Hitler’s chosen Minister of Public Enlightenment & Propaganda the ruthless Mr Joseph Goebbels.
I’m just offering paint saving tips, but you could ask them if you’re that bothered.
I doubt they have an office full of staff that will deny and deflect.
I hope those Young Nats have paid for the Dirty Politics Books in full but of course their books will have been supplied by the Nastie election promotion team.
We may have found a means to kickstart the economy better than the destruction of an earthquake. They just keep paying for them, burning them and the other side will keep on printing them.. Unfortunately there will be a tax allowance in there somewhere.
A paltry $24 million it will bring in to increase the quota for orange roughy and hoki. There are warnings about killing the fisheries golden goose but no this government is like Mr Creosote – just a wafer more, just a tiny bit more, you can manage it. No way could they stand up like real men of NZ and say it would be imprudent to increase.
Radio nz – The government has increased the amount of Hoki and Orange Roughy which can be caught by fishing companies, in a move estimated to be worth $24 million.
And talking about real NZ – is this what we are thinking?
National reckons we will go to hell in a hand basket (faster) if it isn’t returned, Labour is indulging in its traditional display of amnesia and is promising to spend we don’t have on additional lashings of social welfare, the Greens are undertaking to save the planet at our vast expense with no regard for how we are going to earn our living, the Maori Party and Labour are engaging in their own tit for tat, NZ First is raising the spectre of the Yellow Peril, ACT is counting on Epsom electors casting their votes strategically, Internet Mana is preaching values when it doesn’t have any, the Conservatives are offering a return to old-fashioned values, and a few loopy new ones, and UnitedFuture quietly maintains its confidence in the voters of Ohariu.
It’s a great rant but more sound and fury signifying nothing really. How can we move this pedalcar along if we don’t all put some energy into moving it. What we actually need is to model ourselves on The Luggage in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld stories. Lots of little legs, fast moving, fast thinking, on the ball, even prescient, strangely knowing and always in the right place, no matter what happens. And with hidden depths that can produce whatever is needed at any point in time. All we are at present is sentient and sometimes I wonder about that…..zzzzz
Labour attacks should switch to what a mess the next three years will be with a rudderless, factionalized, legally challenged National Government limping on for three more years. It will be a mess. Because this does not all go away on the 20th of Sept. They will be in court, they will be tearing themselves apart.
This has blown up because of internal rivalries inside National, that will only get worse
While the outrage over the killing of American James Foly grows the attempted assassination of Mohammed Deif which killed his wife and child gets a pass.
AlDalou Family house was targeted by 5 GBU28 bombs. The “Guided Bomb Unit 28” is a 5,000pound laser-guided “bunker busting” bomb made in USA
Labour have made some good promises for Dunedin today – a $250 million promise to rebuild Dunedin hospital, keep Invermay open and reopen and upgrade Hillside.
Thank you Rosie – another image to divert me: ‘Judith Collins wedged into her office chair’ – holding on to the arms like grim death – ‘you’ll have to carry me out’!
This is why the Greens should not be allowed anywhere near the finances, what will the Greens answer to this be? Either raise the taxes even more or just wheel out the printing presses no doubt…no sorry the answer wil be “green economy”
The US is still printing it. China is still being paid with it. China is still buying up our assets cutting off the future ability of NZ to earn our way.
Worse. China under went a baby boom due to the year of the dragon. Its demand for milk is dropping and its growth of its own production and ownership of our farmland is up. Plus now we hear that the EU have removed restrictions on milk production…
…dairy is dead. National want to tempt yet more young NZ to get into debt buying their own farm and spend up millions to switch to dairy, and support the existing farmers in pollution. Pollution that should they invest a small amount, they could use the effluent on their own farms instead of expensive fertilizers.
But no, its just National’s stylized brand of letting the rot set in that has become beloved by so many National supporters.
School hair? Churches use to have huge influence on society. It seems a Catholic School wants to once again extend its influence outside its boundaries and into the surrounding society. Sure asking a student to straighten their hair, or tie it up, is fine in my view as the student can come Friday dreadlock their hair up all they like. What a School, religious or not, should not be able to do is deny a student freedom of expression outside their school hours, that is what forcing a kid to cut their hair does. Take the Sikh community, or a kid brought up as a Rastafarian, hair length is prequiste for their expression. So the excuse that because this is a ‘special’ religious school should have extramural rights is shocking, and surprising also given Catholic recent history of deliberately abusing rights of children in their care. i.e. the expectation would be they would be more inclined to find tolerant ways forward that listened and heard community points of view.
Citizens challenge Key on his pr walk tour of Christchurch….
‘PM on the back foot during Christchurch visit’
‘A woman asked the Prime Minister why terminally-ill, elderly and vulnerable people were still waiting for EQC claims to be settled.
Mr Key asked for details, saying he would raise the matter with EQC.
The woman, who declined to be named, told media afterwards: “He had absolutely no answers.”‘
and..
‘”Isn’t it time we got a new prime minister?” one woman boldly stepped up to ask the encumbent.
“I hope not,” Mr Key replied.’
and…
‘As he strode on, two female radio reporters were talking, evidently blocking his way.
“I’ll shove you out of the way … you’re just part of the scummy media,” said Mr Key in a joke that seemed to fall flat.’
and…
‘He was then taken to a meeting at the Christchurch Yacht Club with the Coastal Pathway group, where more disgruntled locals awaited him.
“When are you going to fix our house?” a young boy aged 5 or 6 asked, before running back to his mother to tell her, “I shouted at him.”‘
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Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications:Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara Solomon Islands’ incumbent prime minister Manasseh Sogavare has been re-elected in the East Choiseul constituency. It is the opening move in the political chess match to form the country’s next government. Returning officer Christopher Makoni made the declaration late last night after ...
Headline: The moment of friction. – 36th Parallel Assessments In strategic studies “friction” is a term that it is used to describe the moment when military action encounters adversary resistance. “Friction” is one of four (along with an unofficial fifth) “F’s” in military strategy, which includes force (kinetic mass), ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
The summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...
When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...
The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)Hot off the press, this debut ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...
Chief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...
Barcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...
Yes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...
“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...
The Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...
The government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...
Raglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...
Residents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously.The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...
New Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...
The thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...
Opinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...
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Wayne Mapp blogs the election campaign that has been impacted by Hager, and about the wild west of political blogs. He gets in a word or two of support for KB and WO.
He has come in for some pretty harsh responses here – I imagine he doesn’t get such harsh respones on those other two blogs.
But the differences shown up by Hager are the manipulations, and nasty, covert, underhand dealings that have been associated with WO.
The ODT editorial for today is a brutal skewering of Key’s performance over Dirty Politics.
Some highlights:
Nice one ODT
John Key puts style above substance, in fact now its been shown he’s so desperate to keep substance out of the debate he has his staff manage SIS information queries that directly help WhaleOil do the dirty work.
Nicky Hager in 1940? Certainly, some of the Nats would like to drive their critics into caves…
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2014/08/caving-with-nicky-hager.html
New Roy Morgan only overlaps Dirty Politics by one day.
N L G NZF MP IMP ACT UF Con Other
48 27.5 11.5 6.5 1 2.5 0.5 0.5 1 1
Polling companies spend the last day or two quota filling, I think.
Also, my view of the media coverage of the book in the first two days was basically – nothing to see here, it will all blow over in a couple of days, it’s just politics as usual, etc.. If I’m right then most people would have just dismissed it.
But over the weekend it got legs and that will start to produce whatever impact it is likely to have.
[Edit: RM polling was 4-17 August so more than one day overlap]
I agree: we’ll see the impact in the next round of polls. Or not, I guess, if it hardens National’s support.
It overlapped by 4 days.
I don’t think the election will hinge on a book about Blubber boy. It has always been and will always be about the left offering an alternative more equitable society, to the 1% paradise on offer from Key.
I think internal polling is showing that as well. You can see Cunliffe and Norman are trying to get their message out through all the noise about fucking Cameron Slater. They are not feeding this National Party cluster fuck because I think they know that we need more than Hager’s book to get home this year.
Thank goodness someone has finally seen light.
Also when you look at the numbers of MP’s it shows a much closer race only 1 MP in it!
phil goff has given proof to tvone that john key is lying when he says:..’i didn’t know’..
..goff has presented a letter written by spook-boss tucker..
..in which he states repeatedly how he had briefed key every step of the way…
..(and of course..this could be what collins ‘knows’ about key…that has stopped him sacking her..
..explains his fear of her going ballistic..
..’cos if key told slater..you can bet that collins was also in that loop..)
..another day in this campaign..and it just keeps getting messier for key..
..’team key’..indeed..!
..and for goff..he is living that ‘revenge best taken cold’ maxim..
Not a Goff fan but felt at the time something was very whiffy, sure Warren Tucker coughed up a copy of the briefing allegedly intended for Goff, but in the absence of verifiable minutes it is highly likely on the balance of etc. that Goff was never personally delivered that briefing.
Do unobserved events still happen? Of course, that is the chair Goff would have been sitting in.
no..the evidence is a copy of a letter from tucker to an un-named journalist..(i should have made that clear..)
ok
Here is a link to the letter from Tucker to Felix Marwick (Chief Political Reporter at Newstalk ZB) in Nov 2011 reposted by Barry Soper on Twitter (link posted a short time ago and copied from Public Address)
https://twitter.com/barrysoper/status/502171298710036480
This comment from Russell Brown on PA about the letter is worth reading
http://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/hard-news-never-mind-the-quality/?p=320674#post320674
Both Newstalk ZB and Morning Report (RNZ) have today reported a direct contradiction between Warren Tucker and John Key. Tucker says he told the PM about Slater’s OIA, Key says he didn’t.
Until now, I’ve felt that Key (and Collins) could ride this out, albeit clumsily. But if this latest story is true, then he really is in trouble.”
Thing is, Tucker told this to ZB’s Felix Marwick in 2011. In the letter attached to this post. It’s hard to see how Key can continue to claim he wasn’t consulted and knew nothing, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try. He’s now caught very deep in that lie.
The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security’s inquiry will doubtless also be interested in who Slater was talking to for his “expedited” OIA request.
Also: good work Felix Marwick for keeping the paperwork. That’s how good journalists roll.
Lots of legs on this angle …..
“My office was told … I wasn’t told”. Key to Felix Marwick, Newstalk ZB.
Tucker’s letter: “I notified / advised / informed the Prime Minister”.
Those are direct quotes.
His only defence can be “me = my office”, and hoping Tucker can’t or won’t say different. So there’s only one question to be asked today …
“Did Tucker brief you in person Prime Minister, yes or no?”
That would be weak. The letter clearly says “the Prime Minister” and not “The Prime Minister’s Office”.
and the head of the spooks doesn’t brief ‘someone in keys’ office’..
..goff detailed this morn the restrictions placed on/around those spook-briefings..
..keys’ next stand-up with the media should be interesting..
….it is no small matter for the pm to be proven to have lied to the country…(and just yesterday..)
Tucker is now claiming that he meant the PM’s office. I believe him… not.
Who in the PM’s office, Mr Tucker? Eagleson? Ede?
and they never told key…key/collins knew nothing about this..this taking down of goff..using spook-files..by their good buddy slater..
..believe that..and i’ve got some tooth-fairy futures i’d like to flog off to you..
If he tries the “me = my office” line then someone needs to remind him that Jason Ede worked in his office and with Cameron Slater.
Therefore Jason Ede = Key’s Office = Key himself.
You’re fucked, sunshine.
No wonder Blinglish was on RNZ yesterday saying “voters don’t want to talk about this, they’re not interested, they’re more interested in the economy.” That’s probably true of the National heartland – who wants to watch their team go down in flames?
Prepare your bingo cards …
“I may have been told, it was 3 years ago, I don’t recall every single thing that has ever happened …”
He’ll rely on waffle and hoping we’re ‘over it’.
And yet he would’ve had Cunliffe hanged for forgetting a form-letter he signed 11 years ago.
How are your double standards, Mr Key?
That should be game.
The letter proves that he flat out lied, or is so incompetent as to not remember important events.
Na ah, Tucker backs up the PM and says it sent it to his office not the PM 🙂
So what you are saying is that the PM doesn’t take responsibility for his office? What is he doing running it then?
If he doesn’t want to run it, then he should be relieved of the unwanted responsibility?
What do you think…. “No authority without responsibility” is the concept that comes to my mind.
From the party of personal responsibility!
Katherine Ryan said its hard to believe with such a political hot potato no one in his office would have briefed the PM!
In fact, judging by the litany of denials over the years it appears that no-one ever tells him anything! Alternatively he may have early onset dementia 🙂
“No authority without responsibility”
Or another good way of expressing this is “You can delegate responsibility – but you cannot avoid accountability”.
Mind you Key’s corporate career has well prepared him for weaseling his way out of this. He’s behaving exactly like your typical shark-suited exec – one of many I’ve seen over the years.
Isn’t it strange how the only things he can never recall are those which would get him into trouble.
what a guy .. what a guy ..
Right at a visceral level I’ve recognised Key as one of those very smooth, plausible and polished sociopaths who infest senior corporate life. Particularly the bigger overseas organisations that Key worked for.
Your average Kiwi doesn’t get to see so many of these sharks up close and personal over an extended period of time – and is easily taken in by them.
The high power corporate, board of director types in this nation will know he is one of their tribe however – and will have recognised that from the start.
Nope. He’s lying. A letter from the Ombudsman reports him talking about his “discussion with the PM”.
I don’t blame the dude for wanting to hide the truth, after all he wouldn’t be welcome at any polo match, golf club or peasant flogging if he we were responsible for the resignation of a Nat PM.
But he’s now been caught.
Which rat will jump first? Darth Joyce?
I’ve got a great big bridge here you can buy – going cheap – only a $1m and it’s all yours.
Give me your bank account details and I’ll personally relieve you of that unwanted cash.
(If you believe that bullshit from Key et al – you’ll believe anything!)
It’s one thing for the likes of me to be stuck with some evil prick like JK as PM. He was elected afterall. Quite another, to in any way accept unelected employees (punters) making unilateral decisions with respect the SiS. Is that what JK wants NZ to adopt as the new normal? If so, why bother with any fucking pretense of democracy and democratic accountability?
Even Matthew Hooton said it was impossible to imagine a situation in which the PM would not have been informed of the release of the SIS memo under the OIA.
Hooton of Hollow Men and now Dirty Politics fame.
BTW Hi Matthew, hope you’re having an awesome day 😀
I’ve set out results from the One News Colmar-Brunton Snap Poll on Dirty Politics here….http://sub-z-p.blogspot.co.nz/
On the one hand, it’s a bit of a wake-up call to anyone who assumed there’d be an immediate shift in the polls. Just 2% – a mere 2 friggin % !!! – of Nat supporters say the scandal has negatively influenced their view of the National Party.
On t’other hand, this issue is likely to be a slow-burner as the media momentum builds over the next few weeks (similar to Corngate in 02). According to the poll, 10% of Nat supporters say they believe Hager’s allegations and, as well as the 2% of Nats who have a more negative view of the Party, there are a further 3% of Nats who are Unsure. These larger minorities of Nats are the ones that might budge over the next few weeks as the scandal reaches a crescendo.
But it’s quite possible that the most important electoral consequence of the affair is not so much a swing from Nat-to-Lab or Right-to-Left but rather in motivating a sizeable section of both Undecideds and Labour-leaning (erstwhile) Non-Voters to turn out on Election Day. Looks to me like the Undecideds who say their view of National has been negatively influenced by the scandal outstrips the number of Nats who have said likewise. Moreover, arguably the most intriguing figure is the 19% of Labour supporters who say they’re more likely to get out and vote as a result of the scandal.
Also pays to remember that some previous Nat supporters may have swung away (to Lab/Green/NZF/ or into Undecided territory) between the release of Dirty Politics (and thus the onset of the scandal) and this poll. I’m thinking of the sort of voters who have been very softly-aligned to the Nats and for whom this may have been the last straw. They, of course, are invisible in this poll because they wouldn’t be included among Nat supporters.
[Poll was carried out on August 14-15 – ie in the very early stages before people had much time to digest things]
Q 4: “As a result of these allegations are you now more or less likely to vote on Election Day or have they not made much difference ?”
Entire Sample More Likely 12% Less Likely 1% Not much diff 87%
High More Likely – Labour Supporters 19%
That seems significant.
I can’t see soft voters hanging around National once Whaledump has finished with them. I suspect there is worse to come, as if what we’ve already seen isn’t bad enough.
My gut feeling is this saga will simply put people off politics.
However that can still help us if soft Nat voters stay at home on election day.
i am picking the greens will be the major benificiaries from this..
..by election day there will be a desire for ‘new’…disdain of the old..
..and many soft national voters..turned off by the ongoing stench from national..
..could easily turn to the greens..(especially with their audited by infometrics fiscal-plan..that’s on my shortlist for ‘best move of the election award’..that fiscal-auditing..it answers more questions/uncertainties than you can poke a stick at..)
.and as an internet/mana supporter i am hoping some of that desire for the new..
..will also flow that way..
and i’m picking that disdain for the old..will also wash over labour..
..not least because of the upcoming dotcom/greenwald spooking-data-dump..
..i’m picking labour have every reason to be as nervous about that..
..as do national..
..i can’t see labour coming out after that dump – looking too crash-hot..
I suspect that NZF may be the beneficiaries, actually
i agree..i noted that elsewhere..they will hope he keeps a labour party firmly on the neo-lib path..
..not that they need that much urging…
Great stuff Swordfish. Thanks.
Interesting that Christchurch residents had the highest level of believing the ‘suggestions’ in the book (at 45% believing them).
Yeah, I noticed that, too (both the weak terminology: “suggestions” and the Christchurch outlier). If acceptance of the detail outlined in Hager’s book can be taken as some sort of proxy for distrust of the present Government then we may see quite a swing in Chch this election. Then again, there’s still that ambiguity I mentioned a couple of months back…http://thestandard.org.nz/puddlegum-on-christchurch/#comment-834219 (in reply to your impressive post on Chch).
But then, of course, I say that as an ignorant Wellingtonian.
Doug Hefferman did not like being challenged about the huge profits Mighty River Power are making.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/20146516/mighty-river-power-posts-big-profit
The wealthy overseas shareholders who own and pay him are happy with the money they’re taking out of the country. And maybe at $ 1.49 million a year he cares more about them than NZ citizens struggling to pay their bills.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/8577916/Power-bosses-1m-plus-salaries-revealed
And did I hear right, but was there a veiled threat of blackouts in his interview..if the Greens and Labour get into power?
Paul the RM poll yesterday was explained by RM that the effect of Dirty politics didn’t register yet as it happened on the last couple of days of polling,while the effect of some despicable politics which no one on the left condone!
a dead cat bounce is what this poll is!
Nat and Rats like in jumping from the sinking ship !
At $1.49m you can pretty much guarantee that he doesn’t give a fuck about NZers struggling to pay their bills. He’s far too disconnected from that reality.
The sociopaths are always threatening such things. Time to take our power back and bankrupt the bastards.
It should be made clear to Heffernan that depriving Kiwis of the means to stay warm and, in some cases, alive, would lead swiftly to his arrest and arraignment on charges of conspiracy to do grievous bodily harm and anything else lawyers can think of. All the companies should be renationalised anyway, and parasites like him should be sent off to Hawaii to stay with Key.
Ipredict this morning suggests National will get 43%, Labour will get 31%.
I am presuming New Zealand First on 6.5% represents some undecideds.
Swordfish what is your feeling on the tracking from now?
I’ll be posting on this in the very near future, Ad. Hope you don’t mind if I keep my powder dry ’til then 🙂
No problem
Ready to review your hasty and rough remonstrations directed at those of us still concerned about dirty politics Ad ?
In which you relied on the RM poll – a poll two-thirds taken before the book was even published – to say as a fait accompli that dirty politics as an issue is meaningless. Have a look up and down this thread Ad.
And did I hear right, but was there a veiled threat of blackouts in his interview..if the Greens and Labour get into power?
Funny that, I heard exactly the same thing.
Hopefully if MRP do good on Heffernan’s threat of a “generator strike” and turn the dams off, PM Cunliffe picks up the phone and tells the army to turn up to their nice shiny offices to turn them back on.
Power price rises and now rent rises.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11311911
All the time piling more pressure on the poor.
The issue of inequality and poverty is the burning issue for this election.
Auckland landlords are hiking rents amid fears of big rates increases next year on the back of spiralling property values. – if property values increased by 33% as reported yesterday! Rates will not increase by 33%. Simply put: councils estimate their costs for the year then divide by the capital value of all residential property. So if the demoninator increases then the rate per $ decreases. We still get the same rating demand cost.
Many in the media get caught in the “selling rent increases” that should costs increase this flows thru to rents, if that was the case why did not rents fall post GFC when interest rates dropped from 10+% to 5% ? And if it is so tough being a landlord why are investors increasing their holding % of the housing stock ? There are other decisions at play, returns, tax implications, etc
The following is an unpaid, unauthorised, reluctant and unexpected political message from deep within West Auckland:
Like many of you, I’ve been watching the development of my country head in one direction only for the past thirty years. Watching the details and turns of this election campaign, one thing is becoming clear: there is only one choice if real change is what people sort of, maybe, want. How do we get that? It’s easy, as easy as not locking your car door when you stop at the first set of lights in Manurewa.
Labour’s policies necessarily leave the people we all wail that we care about now, behind. It’s that simple. In all fairness, they can’t fix the problem anyway, and don’t really want to either. Leaving a large and growing chunk of the population behind at least allows future middle classes the chance to avoid mental breakdowns. They’ll have someone to unload their regret and repressed self-loathing onto. Hey, I’m not saying it’s entirely wrong to choose that when the alternative can be really dangerous to the unprepared, it’s just not entirely moral either. That’s the way life goes. So no change is coming from Labour. Once upon a time, they were rightly considered passengers in the Blue Party car, but with their foot pressing the brakes occasionally. Now it’s clear that their foot is just resting beside the brake. Their policies imply they will prepare to press the economic brakes, but only if they are voted in twice and only then if nothing else comes up. The car is still headed in the same direction, though. I think that’s an accurate picture of what Labour can offer.
National, well, their credibility is shot. Whatever they offer, we’ve all seen who they are, where they want to accelerate and how they intend to continue. There can be no more delusions of “you can be part of the team” anymore. Their newest election advertisement gives the picture of a small, unstable, defensive crew stroking off for a short trip without any equipment or supplies for a long journey or preparations for bad weather. People who vote National now are on autopilot and will never change. What more is there to say.
The new smaller parties will not have the numbers to influence more powerful status-quo coalition partners, but they’re still useful. That’s just the facts of being a fledgling party.
In my opinion there is only one chance to induce change. Maybe it will turn out to be change everyone eventually comes to enjoy, in the way that the old saying goes about crisis being a mix of danger and opportunity. The chance for change I can see is much like a car that blindsides you at an intersection – baam – straight in the driver’s door. You don’t feel the initial impact, you only see a smudge of colour from just over your shoulder, and then everything goes dead quiet and time slows down when you realise what’s happened, but after that, at least for a while, everything changes.
The owners of this rude car are the only people other than National or Labour who have anywhere near enough of a clue to avoid total economic ruin while also inadvertently creating the kind of conditions required for society to break out the deadlock between left and right, right and wrong, black and white, have and have-nots. But if they do that, won’t they encourage total ruin? They will, they WILL ruin us! No they won’t. They can’t police themselves, how the hell will they police you?
Right now, everyone in New Zealand is following the line, doing the same stuff they pappies did, same attitudes their mammies had, waddling along squealing at all the same stuff they squealing at since before I was born and no one knows how to change that, not directly. It seems that direct efforts fail. Oh sure there are a few artists and activists slogging through their own personal mudflats and finding some interesting stuff, but no one’s paying much attention to that. Boring huh? Are you guys bored with your lives yet? Do you crave the excitement that another latté just can’t offer? Want something less dangerous than a P addiction, but also a little more passive than cross-fit training? Here’s the best part: you don’t even have to give up your daily moaning! Oh boy, they’ll be plenty to moan about, I guarantee.
The outrages will be thick and fast until you think you have no blood vessels in your head left to burst. Your wallet will take a hit like you’ve spent all night at a Belgian Beer House. Confusion about what’s right or wrong will swirl until you giggle like drunken teenagers, until finally you think, screw it, I’m doing whatever I want… and that’s where the chance for real honest change will begin.
It will be the chance of real, honest, societal change brought about by individuals left with no choice but to do what they want, unencumbered by deference to an impossible ideology, all ideas of what life should be thoroughly and vigorously wrung out of their sleepy little heads by frustration with an administration who do not have the capacity to offer them the comfortable familiarity of cultural oppression.
So who are these crazy folks and what kind of car do they own? Is it worth less than a BMW? Oh lord please let it be insured. Sorry, no way is it insured, well, maybe third party, if the premiums haven’t lapsed. That the car has been painted by hand with fence paint should tell you enough.
You want change? You want the rush of your twenties and teens back again, when everything felt exciting and new and anything was possible? Want something money can’t buy? Want something that makes you feel more alive than getting the wrinkles around your eyes seen to? Do you want the risk of change or do you want to return to the slow comfortable shuffling descent into nostalgia, memories of your not very wild youth, and nodding off to the sound of talkback radio during an afternoon nap on the patio, and finally the grave?
If you want a chance at an environment that risks real change, vote Greens. If there is no Greens vote in your electorate vote the next best thing, Mana/Internet or whoever is next on the list of crazed lefty wingnuts. Change will come in the form of a government where the Greens hold majority. The alternative is to re-live the lives of your parents, admittedly with better technology, but essentially the same life. All respect to your olds, but wouldn’t that be a waste of yours? Only one way to avoid that. Start again with a bang: vote Green.
“If there is no Greens vote in your electorate vote the next best thing”.
You can PARTY VOTE for the Greens in every electorate in the country and THAT IS THE VOTE THAT COUNTS.
to form a strong progressive-coalition..int/mana are an essential ingredient..
..the greens have to realise that int/mana are their real ideological-friends..
..not that (still!) neo-lib hangover bunch…
The whole thing is ridiculous. When rents increase, technically the value will increase (as rental income affects sale price).
Landlords, NZ biggest beneficiaries holding an entire nation to ransom.
It was astounding watching John Key being interviewed by Gower on tvs news last night.
Key was angry, very very tense, and in fact out of control.
He had no answers. None.
Gower questioned if he would look into detail after Key said “dunno don’t have the detail”…… and Key answered ..”maybe, maybe not”…… Fuck me it was the most disturbing telling skewering moment I have ever seen in a Key interview. Stunned mullet, possum in the headlights.
Key is on the ropes. That was a fascinating interview.
Here it is, at 2:02….
http://www.3news.co.nz/Dirty-Politics-John-Key-faces-pressure/tabid/1607/articleID/357705/Default.aspx
and even more telling is Key’s everything, his aura, his mabo, in the last question through to about 2:30 …..
I regret that in this democratic nation apparently reflecting the rule of law, accountability and order – any past or present public official whom at the very moment it’s needed gives Key a semantic lifeline…….whether it be Dr Tucker with an extraordinary ‘update’ contradicting the plain meaning of his words of three years ago, or Kitteridge, or the Ombudsman…….those elevated personages I cannot unreservedly trust.
If I’m unjustified in my discomfort I’m forced to accept that in 2011 the Minister Responsible For The SIS and the Director of the SIS routinely performed their respective roles thus – important information (even information concerning say the then Leader of the Opposition), such important information intended for the ears of the Minister, would be telephoned to an unnamed, title unknown staffer in the Minister’s office. The unnamed untitled staffer might or might not pass such important information on to the Minister Responsible For The SIS. Maybe not even mention it to other staffers in the Minister’s office. The director would not check or seek confirmation of receipt. No one, not a soul would keep a written record.
Mmmm…….accepting the latter scenario as seemingly is required of me……..there emerges the prima facie appearance of a big fat banana republic.
Cunliffe is right…….it beggars belief.
Ha ! RNZ 5.30 news…….apparently the Minister Responsible For The SIS was away on holiday in Hawaii at the time. For “big fat banana…..” read “big fat pineapple……”. Can only mean this. The staffer, chief of staff, whomsoever left in charge by the Minister is gonna get the rough end of one of the latter right up him/her
Name him/her !
@ vto..i agree that is a must-watch..
..he had all the airs/graces of a mobster taking/pleading the fifth..
I tried to play the video back on my tablet and it went through in short stop and start jerky movements. Several times it halted on key and some of his expressions were very telling. At one stage he looked close to tears. In another, his eyes were rolled up so you could barely see them. In another his top lip was curled right up. In others his anger was highly visible. It was fascinating to watch these frozen expressions as it gave time to actually study his facial expressions for sometimes at least thirty seconds. Very telling. Also, if Karol is thinking about doing the transcript on this most embarrassing stand up to date, good luck with that one. Key seems to think that if he doesn’t open his mouth properly while speaking that he can be seen to be answering the questions without any chance of anyone actually understanding WHAT he has said. Collins MUST have some dirt on him. The man is a gibbering wreck.
We all believe Collins has something very big on Key so he won’t fire her.
How about this — is it actually Slater who has something very big on Key and is running protection for Collins ? Let’s remember who Slater’s father is and was in the Nat machinery.
Cameron Slater was on screen saying ‘everyone’ in politics should be afraid of him ( TV3 yesterday I think but can’t remember link as so many going on) …
As I’ve argued previously on this site, John Key as Prime Minister has always just been about John Key the narcissistic ego-maniac. He only ever wanted to be Prime Minister because, like Mallory’s reason for climbing Everest, “it’s there.” It’s the top job in New Zealand so, naturally, he was entitled to it and he’d made enough money for National to be impressed enough to give it to him.
Having got the job and confirmed his natural superiority he had little clear idea what to do with it – hence the six years of rudderless drifting fortuitously supported generously by the financial injection from the Christchurch earthquake and the advantage of being a primary producer of foodstuffs that the world – especially a momentarily resurgent China – is desperate for even in a financial crisis. His one and only policy initiative was the end-to-end walkway. For the rest of the time he merely played National Party internal politics by appointing the ‘right’ people to Ministerships and letting them get on with it while he could strut around the stage like Idi Amin in his Field-Marshall’s uniform soaking up the adulation and pretending, even to himself, that it was his due.
Now the wheels have come off. He is for the first time being expected to actually earn his money and do his job and the wherewithall isn’t there. The most terrifying thing a man like Key can experience is his own ego being dented, his being forced to realised that the ‘great man’ image he had come himself to believe in is false. Key is facing, perhaps experiencing, a psychologial crisis – he is like the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy pulls back the curtain – and likely a major part of that will be an initial refusal to admit the reality even to himself. His splutterings and incoherences to the press are as much an attempt to cling to the fraud for his own sake, to preserve his own ego, as it is to convince us.
Expect increasingly frantic attempts to deny reality and, very likely, a refusal to acknowledge what everyone else can see like a six-year-old denying a raid on the jam-pot after being caught red-handed. A break-down forced by the increasingly difficult task of reconciling the dichotomy in his own mind is not impossible. Collins may be able to hide in a hole and hope it all blows over but Key can’t. Perhaps his best bet at the moment is for the National heirarchy to become alarmed at the damage he is doing to the brand and come to his rescue by twisting his arm into ‘standing down’, ostensibly through the application of high ethical principles a’la Nixon, so that he can assuage his ego by blaming his ‘downfall’ on others.
What troubles me deeply is the possibility that he might surivive this and be voted back into power in September by the lunatic right. His ego will be assuaged and re-inforced – he is literally unimpeachable. His almost divine right to rule would be confirmed, in his own mind. While not wishing to draw too strong a parallel I think we need to remember that most of the great Dictators of the last Century were initially given power by popular vote rather than seizing it – a fact that seems to have confirmed their own opinion of themselves as being great leaders by birth and entitlement, who eventually brought disaster on their people through their own fanatical confidence in their ‘confirmed’ leadership genius.
I was planning to finish that first standup from last week when Key seemed so shaken. it’s now becoming…. which video should I transcribe next?
“That was a fascinating interview.”
I thought so too. Very telling. And Gower finally disgusted with Key enough to challenge him. Better late than never.
Warren Tucker has written that he informed John Key directly about the SIS release of OIA.
John Key’s story is very different.
As heard on National Radio this morning.
Hard evidence that Key has lied, again.
What will Key do, again?
All of his quiver of pathetic defences (dunno, can’t recall, pretty relaxed, screw nose up, sneer, left wing conspiracy, and now also glare with thinly veiled rage and no answer) have been shot. If he tries firing any of those arrows again he must surely be openly laughed at…… and people like Key genuinely, when it comes down to it, hate being laughed at ….
… the last years I have often wondered if at some point Key will actually lose it and blow his top….
FJK – He will repeat the historic words that Nixon did, (as he shakes head)
“The country has a right to know if their P.M. is a crook”
“Well I’m not a crook”. Ha ha ha.
Link to a copy of Tucker’s letter to Felix Marwick dated Nov 2011 stating that Tucker had kept Key nformed is in my comment at 5.1.1.2 above.
veutoviper Sorry about that. I missed your earlier comments. But we must agree that this could add another dart into the PM’s credibility.
that’d be ‘snap!’..
RNZ this morning Collins wouldn’t front so RNZ went to her electorate not 1 person backed her many
asking her to resign!
re that national eminem-rip-off ad..in the skiff..
..i can’t get rid of this mental image of brownlee/collins/bennett/joyce..
..all sitting in a skiff..
..with key at the tiller..
..and things leaning/tilting dangerously..
..(and maybe a very large seaborne mammal nearby..?..blowing stuff all over them..?)
(c’mon cartoonists..!..)
..(and..)
..brownlee and bennett..sitting in a skiff..
..down it went..with barely a whiff..
You mean that they are all up the creek without a paddle Phil?
how about a second image following it, called “But at the end of the day” with a picture of the Titanic going down.
campbell did a funny piece the other nite..
..they compiled his ‘at the end of the day’s for one day..
..there were 21 in total..
..’holy linguistic-crutch..!..batman..!..’
@ inamac..
..up that (literal) shit-creek they have led us into..
Dunnokeyo donkey deep?
SIS boss wrote to journo Felix Marwick confirming that he had told Key that he intended releasing the Goff info to Slater. Key has consistently denied knowing anything about it.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311764
that’d be ‘snap!’..and ‘snap!’..
Letter from Warren Tucker ex-SIS chief stating he told Key about Goff declassification
Caught Red Handed lying
tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/phil-goff-claims-proof-pm-not-telling-truth-over-sis-documents-video-6061262
no..!..it’s ‘snap!’..’snap!’..and ‘snap!’…
..a three-fer..!
tvone chooses to run the infamous british benificiary-bashing reality-show..
..in the run-up to the election..
..agenda..?..much..?
Interesting read – “John Key and Andrew Krieger and the attack on the New Zealand dollar.”
http://aotearoaawiderperspective.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/would-you-have-voted-john-key5.pdf
Is that from 2008 or a recent post re Key Krieger?
I wouldn’t get excited about that – there is so much in there that is incorrect or ridiculous. I worked overseas for global investment banks from 1991 until 2008, worked on a trading desk that covered hedge funds (including LTCM, Moore Capital, Quantum (Soros) and numerous others) until 2002, and after that was involved in structured credit (backed by things like sub prime mortgages). Casually reading that research I can see some things that are true, but many points that are deeply wrong, badly misinterpreted or inconsequential.
The real story is what the real story was. No conspiracy, just the same thing that happens with regularity – lax lending and risk control standards, bad incentives for staff that result in inappropriate risk taking, too much leverage and an obvious market response as banks reduce risk.
thanks
And I very distinctly recall John Key (who routinely downplayed his role at Merrill Lynch) standing in a picture for some financial trade magazine – with the title on the door “Vice-President New Debt Products” (or something very similar IIRC).
No conspiracy, just the same thing that happens with regularity – lax lending and risk control standards, bad incentives for staff that result in inappropriate risk taking, too much leverage and an obvious market response as banks reduce risk.
Maybe it would be hard to point to a smokey back room where the wide boys cooked up an actual deal, shook hands and downed single-malts afterwards – but there is no question that the banking industry lobbied very long and hard to have those lending and risk controls removed. The ‘laxity’ you so offhandedly refer to was no accident.
And John Key in my opinion was was of many senior people in it up to their snouts.
Dirty Politics: Free speech & a policy-free election
by Wayne Mapp
“Is the Dirty Politics debate making a mockery of the manifestos? And should authors have the right to right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?”
Mapp asks do they have the right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?
He presents the argument that we should have free speech but does want a policy debate during this election.
We agree, but as National has broken all rules during the last election to smear the Labour leader using illegally obtained fast tracked SIS information to conduct that election rather than discussing policies, well we have to say why did National do last election what Wayne Mapp is asking we not do this election?
Did National have the right to use material that’s obtained by criminal means?
Judith Collins has gone to ground and press cant find her, while John Key wont take press questions as of 9am this morning (like Nixon did) we need to find out what this Government’s policies are on law and how they intend conducting themselves going forward.
That is another policy we believe to be as important as Health, housing Schools, transport, and poverty.
On Radio Live now, Sean Plunkett says that (according to his sources, but not confirmed) Judith Collins has refused to resign, even though she’s been asked to.
That’s his story, make of it what you will.
Next step being ‘fired’ then?
When a resignation is requested it is usually done so on the understanding that, if not provided, the person will be unceremoniously removed.
oh, there will be a ceremony !!!!
Really? That’s interesting gobby. If it were true, is there someone other than the PM, that can ask her to resign?
Key has been busy denying any wrong doing on her part, and in fact seems a bit scared of her, and as was discussed above by yeshe, many are given to the idea that Collins holds a huge amount of power over him possibly due to some knowledge she has (and Slater?) that would destroy him.
IF she was asked to resign I’m wondering if it were someone else, in an effort to “inoculate” him from any fall out, that would do it? Does someone such as the GG have the authority to intervene if a Minister refuses to stand down when asked?
In Southland the Regional Council is imposing rules around the use of certain hill country by farmers. This is of course to begin controlling and cleaning up the sediment runoff which has clogged waterways and estuaries in Southland to such an extent that these estuaries are under threat of death i.e. life in them will end.
So what is the farmers response? This…. in this article … http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/10405430/No-more-rules-please-say-farmers
“”I don’t like rules,” Lumsden farmer Willie Menlove said.
“I’ve farmed for more than 20 years without these sorts of rules and I’d prefer education to be the end goal.”
So there we have it – no rules for years and the rivers and estuaries get killed dead thanks to the farmers. And they think the same system should continue ………. I shake my head in utter disbelief
Young Nats in Waikato are apparently buying up copies of Dirty Politics and burning them – if true I wonder if these numpties realise the significance of their action? What would John Key’s Jewish, Labour voting mother who fled the Nazis have thought about it?
And that epitome of smug Natiness – whatshisname Ansell on RNZ to answer questions about the Labour and National adverts. He said the former portrays a ‘load of no-hopers standing around asking for things’ while the latter is a group of ‘office types up early in the morning going out there and doing things’- or words to that effect. It was a party political broadcast for the National Party – about as openly and nastily partisan as you could get.
I wonder if I could sue him for the dreadful indigestion I got after listening to it?
Its not true, it was started from a facebook post by a NZFirst member and was picked up by the MSM, you can read the rest of it here:
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/08/compare-contrast-book-burning-right-way/
However it does reiterate the point that the MSM will print what sells not what actually happened
Thank you for pointing that out PR – I thought it was likely to be a dig at the sorts of things Young Nats might do in retaliation for effigy burning and the like. I won’t follow it up on Slater’s site because I have just showered and being an environmentalist I try to limit how much hot water I use each day.
I have shares in NZs power companies so I suggest you should have more showers, the dividends are excellent 🙂
attitude of the fat slug and Jason ede and aaron bhatnagar and aaron Gilmore and john key continues to be put on display for all to see ….
keep it up mr ugly
Don’t worry I’m not running for public office 😉
Puckish Rogue
Because of the environment these events are reported to have occurred in, this story will probably remain in the ‘rumour to some, reality to others’ file.
I have personally seen statements (unpublished and independently sourced) from people employed at the University, which state that Aaron Letcher not only confirmed he is implicated in Hager’s book (although not by name) but he was also bragging in the WSU office about purchasing a large number of the books. One of those statements claim Aaron Letcher said the money for the books’ purchase came from a senior Nat outside of the Young Nats organisation.
For Slater (or whoever is writing his stuff) to state ‘Aaron bought 6 copies only’,
is as you often like to point out, only one side of the story.
The people involved have requested their statements not be released and that they retain their anonymity because quite simply they fear for their jobs, and unlike the Minister of Justice, my word actually means something so I will not even tell you their job titles. The following is a short quote which I received when pressing for more detail. When read in context against the predictable denials, it says a lot about the veracity of the actual claims.
“You can take the gist of it- as long as I’m not implicated because, as you can imagine, our workplace is pretty tense right now.”
At present, despite numerous enquiries, there is no physical evidence available about the burning of the books. I doubt even Aaron Letcher would have been stupid enough to video that event.
You misunderstand me, I care not how many books he bought only that they wern’t for a book burning as its the connatations I object to
also that it didn’t happen is quite important as well
While I’m sure that every copy that nats buy is destined to be closely read and preserved for posterity, I don’t really care either way. The more copies they buy, the more copies will be printed, the longer the book will be available for purchase.
Surprise surprise – Aaron Letcher ……
/
http://theplutocracysusefulidiots.wordpress.com/tag/aaron-letcher/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10405472/Young-Nats-buying-and-burning-Dirty-Politics
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/polls/10406853/National-strong-in-latest-poll
So getting away from this (lets face it disheartning result) most recent of polls which I was going to talk about I decided to watch Labours and Nationals election campaign videos instead and comment on them.
Labour 5.5/10, generic in that it could have been any party in oppositions (especially the Greens) video and right at the end the zoom out shoot was not a good choice as Cunliffe looked uncomfortable standing there, probably should have stayed with the close up shot
National 7.5/10 Very good start with the rowing eight and with what they’ve done getting NZ through one of the most difficult periods in recent history but let down at the end by the thing with the shot the left going nowhere because we all know the left coilition is a dogs breakfast but shouldn’t have given them any oxygen at all, I would have left that shot out.
Or could be 4.5/10 if National is sued for the music being too close to the original
The only disheartening thing about that poll is finding out how many right-wingers can’t read simple dates.
“Or could be 4.5/10 if National is sued for the music being too close to the original”
… and that is pretty much it in a nutshell.
In one phrase you admit that there is an original that has been used (and barely changed) – and your personal rating is adjusted only if there is legal action.
A couple of points:
1. National has spoken against negative electioneering – and are the only ones doing it – on an official ad, no less.
2. Surely National has some creative artistic types in the membership (and I’m talking musos, not creative accountants, strategists or scriptwriters here) that could have penned an original and avoided the comparison with Eminem? No?
As has been mentioned before, I agree that the image of freshed-faced rowers enthusiastically looking forward while putting such enthusiasm into going backwards – a really good analogy for where the current National government is taking us.
If being the key word here
” the left coilition is a dogs breakfast”
Not at all like the right, I mean National/Act/United Future/Conservatives/Maori Party/New Zealand First are all going to be pulling the same way all the time, cause they have shown that time and time again. Not like that 3 headed monster on the left who have nothing in common at all…
National/Act/United Future/Conservatives/Maori Party/New Zealand First
Considering how stable National/Act/United Future/Maori Party have been I’m looking forward to three more years but if NZFirst manage to get in you can be sure whoever they go with won’t include the Conservatives or the Greens
Stable? Surely you jest? One of your coalition partners was convicted of a crime and another was stood down as a minister for refusing to comply with Key’s instructions around the leak of the Kitteridge (sp?) report. And that’s before you get to Nick Smith, Maurice Williamson et al. Clearly you have a different view of what “stable” actually means..
A still shot image of the skiff in National’s slick Election Video needs to be made, with the words- ‘Vote National We’ll sell you down the river’ blazoned across it. Wish I had the know-how to do it. Be great for Facebook etc
I am thinking:
Working for New Zealand, Not sure but Relaxed
On their signs
Is that because Nationals sold less SOEs then Labour ever did? Or because Nationals sold less farm land then Labour ever did?
lol you are too desperate, go have a cuppa or something.
As someone else said,facing forward,going backwards.
“National – all facing backwards with no idea where they are going”
And hopefully all swinging together.
There’s a nice spoof of the Nat ad that Whatshisname Ansell was promoting so fervently on RNZ this morning –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37vxczp5hwY&app=desktop
The Nat Ad is a bit ham fisted: ‘fit young office types’ rowing from the left to the right of the screen in a coordinated and professional manner in blue singlets and with blue oars – oh the subtlety of it! – will appeal to affluent Ruralnats and Metronats as rowing is a sport of the elite and, because NZ does well in the sport internationally, it will also resonate with the Patrinats.
Then – oh such fun! – they contrast the elite in their speedy boat with a leaky old boat rowed by a bunch of disorganised and uncoordinated people dressed in red and green for those who are so dumb they have to have the political symbolism spelled out for them.
It’s one step away from slapstick – and is a slap in the face of most NZers who could not afford the fees to get into schools which have successful rowing programmes – let alone afford the additional fees.
That boat the young fit office types are rowing towards their affluent future costs in the region of $50,000.
At St Bedes – Gerry Brownlee’s alma mater – rowing fees are in the region of $175 a month plus uniform plus costs of getting to competitions ….
PS. I hope this is not a measure of St Bede’s academic prowess….from their website ….
“Can I pay me fees off over a long period of time?”
you mean expensive private schools with rowing programs, schools like:
Aotea College, Aparima College, Aquinas College, Ashburton College, Auckland Grammar School, Avonside Girls High School, Baradene College, Bethlehem College, Burnside High School, Cambridge High School, Cashmere High School, Christchurch Boys High School, Christchurch Girls High School, Craighead Diocesan School, Cromwell College, Dunstan High School, Epsom Girls Grammar, Francis Douglas Memorial College, Gisborne Boys High School, Gisborne Girls High School, Glendowie College, Hamilton Boys High School, Hamilton Girls High School, Hastings Girls High School, Hauraki Plains College, Hillcrest High School, Huanui College, Hurunui College, James Hargest College, John McGlashan College, John Paul College, Kapiti College, Katikati College, Kavanagh College, Kings High School, Lindisfarne College, Liston College, Macleans College, Mana College, Marian College, Marist College, Marlborough Boys College, Marlborough Girls College, Massey High School, Mt Albert Grammar School, Mt Aspiring College, Napier Boys High School, Napier Girls High School, Nelson College, Nelson College For Girls, Onewhero Area School, Onslow College, Otago Boys High School, Otumoetai College, Paraparaumu College, Pukekohe Christian School, Pukekohe High School, Queen Charlotte College, Queen Margaret College, Queens High School, Rangiora High School, Roncalli College, Rosehill College, Rotorua Girls High School, Rotorua Lakes High School, Sacred Heart College (Auckland), Sacred Heart College (Lower Hutt), Sacred Heart Girls College (Hamilton), Sacred Heart Girls College (NP), Sancta Maria College, Scots College, Shirley Boys High School, Southland Boys High School, Southland Girls High School, St Bedes College, St Johns College (Hamilton), St Kevins College, St Margarets College, St Patricks College, St Pauls Collegiate School, St Peters School, St Thomas Of Canterbury, Takapuna Grammar School, Tauranga Boys College, Tauranga Girls College, Tawa College, Te Awamutu College, Te Kauwhata College, Timaru Boys High School, Timaru Girls High School, Trident High School, Twizel Area School, Verdon College, Villa Maria College, Waikato Diocesan School, Waimea College, Waitaki Boys High School, Waitaki Girls High School, Wakatipu High School, Wanganui Collegiate School, Wanganui High School, Wellington College, Wellington East Girls College, Wellington Girls College, Wentworth College, Western Heights High School, Westlake Boys High School, Westlake Girls High School, Whakatane High School
125 schools entered the 2014 secondary school rowing champs – I think I took most of the private schools but not integrated schools out of the above list. Rowing may be an expensive sport, but its not only elite schools that offer it.
Are you trying to prove TeWhareWhero’s point? Decile ratings would be interesting.
From Christchurch I don’t see Aranui High School (2), Linwood College (2), Hornby High School (3), Hilmorton High School (5), Papanui High School (6), Hagley Community College (5), Riccarton High School (7), Mairehau High School (4) … and, the cases that prove the rule, Christ’s College (10), St Andrews (10) – in both these cases they may be ones that you knew were private schools and so removed?
Compared to: Burnside (8), Christchurch Boys’ (9), Christchurch Girls’ (9), Cashmere (8), St Bede’s (9), Shirley Boys’ (6), St Margaret’s (Private and 10), Marian College (7) …
The point i was making was that TWW was making ridiculous sweeping statements to provide tenuous support to a point he is making. Over-reaching much.
Nadis – why do you assume I am a man?
I referred to schools with successful rowing programmes …..
Even John Ansell acknowledges ‘the elitism of rowing’.
An eights boat new costs in excess of $50,000; fours $29,000; pairs $19,000 singles $13,000- and then there’s the cost of the massive trailers and towing vehicles. It’s a hugely expensive sport.
That’s fine – it’s also a fantastic sport and good on NZ’s rowers for doing so well internationally.
The use of rowing as an image was not accidental albeit completely at odds with the reality of National in government.
Rowing depends on cooperation, coordination and balance, careful pacing and timing of effort.
All the spin in the world can’t change the evidence of National’s deep factionalism, lack of leadership and short-termism.
“All the spin in the world can’t change the evidence of Labour’s deep factionalism, lack of leadership and short-termism.”
Whatever floats your boat PR.
Just about all these children will be from well off families!
Rowing New Zealand receives millions of taxpayers dollars god forbid the right finding out about subsidies to a minority sport!
What do people think of the Internet Party, sorry got that wrong, I mean Krim Dot Con threatning Radiolive because they have the temerity to talk to one of KDCs employees?
I wonder what Laila “bought and paid for” Harre thinks? Probably ok with it as a boatload of money does tend to ease the conscience
Desperate flailing from lone blogger!
living of the dead cat bounce!
All the the rats have jumped ship
puckish rogue knows his party is out of vogue
now his tactic is to shift the blame
which looks rather lame !
Defending his boss because no one else is not even GOS!
muddying waters with his dross!
There once was a lady from Ealing, that had an incredible feeling, she lay on her back and opened her….I forget the rest
I concede your ability to make rhymes is greater then mine
More very bad PR. you should have given up while you Perceived Rongly you were a head.
time to lay down your keyboard have a cup of tea and off to bed!
Sexist Jokes are out of Fashion for that silly joke above I hope you receive a severe tongue lashing
I have been a naughty boy…
John Key stood on the burning deck
Whence all NACTs but he had fled;
The Hager flame that lit the battle’s wreck
Shone round him o’er the dead.
Slater stood on the burning deck
His pocket full of crackers
Someone came and lit a match
And burned off both his knackers
John Banks stood on the burning deck
Picking his nose like mad,
He rolled it into little balls
And flicked it at his dad.
Cameron stood on the burning deck
Playing a game of cricket,
A hack flew down his trouser leg
And hit his middle wicket
Judith stood on the burning deck
Her back was to the mast
She would not move a single step
Till Whale Oil had passed
Judith stood on a burning deck while looking at the river
She gave a cough and out it shot a lump of meatty liver!!
“Sexist Jokes are out of Fashion”
That’s what they told kimmy.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11311535
The story is probably along the lines of:
There once was a lady from Ealing, that had an incredible feeling, she lay on her back and opened her … electoral roll registration letter, and thereby realised she’d be in a position to help vote the corrupt bastards out on 20 september.
Neither rhymes nor scans, but it has a happy ending.
A wealthy scoundrel from York
required a barrel of pork
the degenerate story
involved a party vote: tory
“The resht of the country get forked!”
The government’s morals bereft
there is a solution most deft
to avoid such dejection
on the day of election
remember to party-vote “left”
puckish rogue..
..on the shortlist for a ‘boy stood on the burning deck’-award..
..’i am with you..!..my captain..!’..
A question:
Amongst the constitutional experts amongst posters/contributors/commenters here …..
Does anyone know if the GG has the power to rescind ministerial warrants, and under what circumstances?
I’m casting my mind back to the Whitlam-Kerr situation in OZ of course, however one would think that GG would be having some ‘in-depth’ discussions with Madge about now.
Longer term, I’d hope that the result of all this will not just be to change a corrupt government, but also to address constitutional matters affecting our fragile demockracy (going forward, to coin a phrase, so to speak, as a matter of fact, actually)
Looking forward to ‘expert’ answers .. good you asked the question this morning.
Let’s remember GG Jerry Mateparae was head of GCSB but ignominiously shoved upwards to GG to install Key’s no-I-don’t-know-him-very-well buddy Fletcher in his place.
I always took this to mean Jerry Mateparae could not be manipulated in the ways required by Key under NSA instructions.
Was asking some questions along these lines yesterday .. here’s hoping GG Jerry can keep his respected personal integrity intact through the coming days.
+1
incidentally, I was a little suspicious of GG’s appointment and capabilities initially, however after having met him briefly, I changed my mind.
Hes a good man
I am also curious about the authority of the GG to intervene in a situation like Collins’, where she is wedged to her office chair despite all the odds, and asked that question above.
the new whaledump is kind of gonna find key wedged in his office chair too !!
We’re thinking along the same lines @ Rosie.
Something is really fucked with our uni-cameral system under Madge if there is a total absence of such checks and balances. If not the GG – maybe the Chief Justice? I’m curious to know from an expert.
It certainly makes it very easy for NZ to be ‘used’ as an experiment in advancing certain agendas – and that’s not advancing any conspiratorial theory either – merely that if the GG/Chief Justice are so neutered as to be useless when an obviously corrupted regime acts in an anti-democratic fashion, we’ve been reliant on SFA for a very long time.
I sincerely hope Gerry is thinking long and hard. Unfortunately I agree with the morning prayers PuckishRogue/fizz ‘spinline learner’ that he “is a good man”, not just having briefly met him, but from his staff too. Actually my initial cynicism came from ‘the military wing’ of the extended family
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2014/08/a_journalist_on_the_dirty_politics_book.html
LOL the public interest of a potential story about a police officer speeding to KFC is equated to Hager’s Dirty Politics.
The phrase “never go full retard” comes to mind.
I’m guessing its more to do with getting the other side of the story so as to get the full picture
You mean as in getting the ‘fair and balanced’ story huh? “the OTHER side?” The one that’s on the “other” side of the same coin? The one that’s not “your” people but “our” people’s side? The one that’s IF your not with us THEN you must be against us?
Please explain …
actually no don’t, once again I’m breaking my self-imposed rule of not feeding a fundy/cultist rote-learned “our kind of people”
Just listened/watched David Cunliffe being interviewed by the Rachel Smalley, Audrey Young, Fran O’sullivan and ?
Very impressed with David’s coping and answering with not very friendly interviewers. Every fact at his fingertips and concise and personable.
Rating 9 out of 10.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/video/news/video.cfm?c_id=1501138&gal_cid=1501138&gallery_id=144938
“Young Nat’s buying up Hager books and burning them is similar to NAZI Germany”
I was so shocked to hear this and no Nat’s have denied this so we post our thoughts on this further gross issue as another election issue of National’s claim to be above Dirty politics.
This John Key Government has modelled itself alongside the 1933 NAZI party propaganda machine.
It’s mandate given by Hitler and skilfully executed by The Hitler’s chosen Minister of Public Enlightenment & Propaganda the ruthless Mr Joseph Goebbels.
Read the similarities here.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/goebbels.html
See Comment 23 above, the only people promoting anti-semitism are the ones defacing National hoardings
I would advise those responsible for the dirty baby killing jew billboard stuff to just write ‘liar’ instead.
It would save lots of paint.
Why should they hide their true colours?
I’m just offering paint saving tips, but you could ask them if you’re that bothered.
I doubt they have an office full of staff that will deny and deflect.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10405472/Young-Nats-buying-and-burning-Dirty-Politics
I hope those young Nats realise they are burning an effigy!
Just shows you what depths of depravity those people on the Right will sink too!
Is this serious?
I hope those Young Nats have paid for the Dirty Politics Books in full but of course their books will have been supplied by the Nastie election promotion team.
We may have found a means to kickstart the economy better than the destruction of an earthquake. They just keep paying for them, burning them and the other side will keep on printing them.. Unfortunately there will be a tax allowance in there somewhere.
A paltry $24 million it will bring in to increase the quota for orange roughy and hoki. There are warnings about killing the fisheries golden goose but no this government is like Mr Creosote – just a wafer more, just a tiny bit more, you can manage it. No way could they stand up like real men of NZ and say it would be imprudent to increase.
Radio nz – The government has increased the amount of Hoki and Orange Roughy which can be caught by fishing companies, in a move estimated to be worth $24 million.
And talking about real NZ – is this what we are thinking?
National reckons we will go to hell in a hand basket (faster) if it isn’t returned, Labour is indulging in its traditional display of amnesia and is promising to spend we don’t have on additional lashings of social welfare, the Greens are undertaking to save the planet at our vast expense with no regard for how we are going to earn our living, the Maori Party and Labour are engaging in their own tit for tat, NZ First is raising the spectre of the Yellow Peril, ACT is counting on Epsom electors casting their votes strategically, Internet Mana is preaching values when it doesn’t have any, the Conservatives are offering a return to old-fashioned values, and a few loopy new ones, and UnitedFuture quietly maintains its confidence in the voters of Ohariu.
There’s nothing much new in any of this, but then much of the posturing and faux outrage is for the benefit of a select few, the swinging voter.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northland-age/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503399&objectid=11311031
It’s a great rant but more sound and fury signifying nothing really. How can we move this pedalcar along if we don’t all put some energy into moving it. What we actually need is to model ourselves on The Luggage in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld stories. Lots of little legs, fast moving, fast thinking, on the ball, even prescient, strangely knowing and always in the right place, no matter what happens. And with hidden depths that can produce whatever is needed at any point in time. All we are at present is sentient and sometimes I wonder about that…..zzzzz
new Whaledump 2 mins ago ..
https://twitter.com/whaledump
seems to be further proof of Key’s lies re SIS release .. this time via Ombudsman’s office …
Labour attacks should switch to what a mess the next three years will be with a rudderless, factionalized, legally challenged National Government limping on for three more years. It will be a mess. Because this does not all go away on the 20th of Sept. They will be in court, they will be tearing themselves apart.
This has blown up because of internal rivalries inside National, that will only get worse
which mob-faction is bennett in..?..the joyceies or the collins-gang..?
..or is she rowing her own skiff..?..(as it were..)..
..and one would guess there are now some regrets around that rally around the key..campaign-strategy..?
‘hold him in yr arms..and you can feel his disease..come together..right now..around key..!’..’
While the outrage over the killing of American James Foly grows the attempted assassination of Mohammed Deif which killed his wife and child gets a pass.
AlDalou Family house was targeted by 5 GBU28 bombs. The “Guided Bomb Unit 28” is a 5,000pound laser-guided “bunker busting” bomb made in USA
https://twitter.com/Rajaiabukhalil/statuses/501892451401879552
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28862595
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/diplomacy-defense/40876-140820-analysis-is-israel-s-assassination-policy-paying-off
Did the mother and child get their heads severed by the US bomb?
i have been somewhat gobsmacked by the media-obama reactions to this beheading..(what is an act of barbarism..pure and simple..)
..but where is their outrage at the innocent men/women/children blown apart by obama with his drones..
..their deaths wd barely get him walking off the golf-course..
..let alone fronting up with a quivering-lip indignation routine..
..the cognitive-dissonance in both obama..and that media..is very very strong…
..both actions are at least as barbaric as each other..
Why the extreme left give the rest on the left a bad name. 🙄
5 GBU28 bombs – yes, most probably dismembered.
edit:
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20072014/#comment-851787
That’s barbaric.
It is no wonder that these other people respond to the US in kind when their wives and children get dismembered in such large numbers.
How barbaric is the US?
Labour have made some good promises for Dunedin today – a $250 million promise to rebuild Dunedin hospital, keep Invermay open and reopen and upgrade Hillside.
Easy to promise when you don’t have your costings checked I suppose
Thank you Rosie – another image to divert me: ‘Judith Collins wedged into her office chair’ – holding on to the arms like grim death – ‘you’ll have to carry me out’!
TWW if she goes he goes
GG looking very jaded to today looks like Collins did the other day Key did yesterday
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1408/S00346/green-partys-own-auditor-of-their-budget-finds-it-dodgy.htm
This is why the Greens should not be allowed anywhere near the finances, what will the Greens answer to this be? Either raise the taxes even more or just wheel out the printing presses no doubt…no sorry the answer wil be “green economy”
The US is still printing it. China is still being paid with it. China is still buying up our assets cutting off the future ability of NZ to earn our way.
Worse. China under went a baby boom due to the year of the dragon. Its demand for milk is dropping and its growth of its own production and ownership of our farmland is up. Plus now we hear that the EU have removed restrictions on milk production…
…dairy is dead. National want to tempt yet more young NZ to get into debt buying their own farm and spend up millions to switch to dairy, and support the existing farmers in pollution. Pollution that should they invest a small amount, they could use the effluent on their own farms instead of expensive fertilizers.
But no, its just National’s stylized brand of letting the rot set in that has become beloved by so many National supporters.
PR
Current NZ debt under Natz
NZ$ 85,813,499,368
School hair? Churches use to have huge influence on society. It seems a Catholic School wants to once again extend its influence outside its boundaries and into the surrounding society. Sure asking a student to straighten their hair, or tie it up, is fine in my view as the student can come Friday dreadlock their hair up all they like. What a School, religious or not, should not be able to do is deny a student freedom of expression outside their school hours, that is what forcing a kid to cut their hair does. Take the Sikh community, or a kid brought up as a Rastafarian, hair length is prequiste for their expression. So the excuse that because this is a ‘special’ religious school should have extramural rights is shocking, and surprising also given Catholic recent history of deliberately abusing rights of children in their care. i.e. the expectation would be they would be more inclined to find tolerant ways forward that listened and heard community points of view.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10406760/PMs-spy-denials-backed-by-Ombudsman
Prof Michael Hudson on EU…Europe and Ukraine controlled by bankers and austerity..hope this is not the real policy agenda of the NACTS…
http://rt.com/shows/boom-bust/181508-us-housing-market-eu/
John Key’s popularity dives by 8.5 points
PREFERRED PRIME MINISTER
John Key 64.8 (down 8.5)
David Cunliffe 14.6 (up 4.1)
Winston Peters 5.1 (down 0.4)
Russel Norman 3.5 (up 1.5)
David Shearer 1.5 (down 0.7)
Helen Clark 1.4 (up 0.9)
Jacinda Ardern 1 (-0.4)
Phil Goff 1 (up 0.7)
• The poll of 750 respondents was conducted between August 14 and August 20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 per cent.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11312362
The times, they are a changing.
Citizens challenge Key on his pr walk tour of Christchurch….
‘PM on the back foot during Christchurch visit’
‘A woman asked the Prime Minister why terminally-ill, elderly and vulnerable people were still waiting for EQC claims to be settled.
Mr Key asked for details, saying he would raise the matter with EQC.
The woman, who declined to be named, told media afterwards: “He had absolutely no answers.”‘
and..
‘”Isn’t it time we got a new prime minister?” one woman boldly stepped up to ask the encumbent.
“I hope not,” Mr Key replied.’
and…
‘As he strode on, two female radio reporters were talking, evidently blocking his way.
“I’ll shove you out of the way … you’re just part of the scummy media,” said Mr Key in a joke that seemed to fall flat.’
and…
‘He was then taken to a meeting at the Christchurch Yacht Club with the Coastal Pathway group, where more disgruntled locals awaited him.
“When are you going to fix our house?” a young boy aged 5 or 6 asked, before running back to his mother to tell her, “I shouted at him.”‘
and the media report on it…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11312385
A different version of the Nat campaign ad – courtesy of Charlton Heston and a ship of slaves.
yeah we are the slaves in our own country with the NACTs running it!…like that ad
…no women there either ( i guess they made the packed lunches)
Asking the lazy web… 😉
Are any of the public polls publishing their undecided numbers? Four weeks out that’s the most important number.