Peters’ reply to the PM’s statement

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 pm, February 14th, 2008 - 29 comments
Categories: nz first - Tags:

The Herald covers it pretty well:

‘He begins poetically – a narrator hooking an audience – with “furrowed brows in the dusty roads of countryside New Zealand, in the cowsheds, and woolshed and shearing sheds and the export works”.

When even the Prime Minister has abandoned her paperwork to listen, he rewards her by making his victim clear – the National Party.

squirm.jpgJust where, he asks, was there mention of how Mr Key would make sick people better; make the roads flow better; stop people moving to Australia or speed up broadband. Of foreign ownership and Auckland Airport there was “not a word, not a whisper, not a mutter, not a murmur”. Why was there silence on what Mr Key would do for interest rates or changing the Reserve Bank Act? “Not a word about that. Not a murmur.”

hongi.jpgHe turns to crime. “I’ll tell you what the National Party tough love policy on crime is,” he says, “I’ve got a photo of it”. He pulls out an enlarged newspaper photo of Tame Iti – currently facing firearms charges – greeting Mr Key with a hongi at Waitangi.

“That’s real tough love,” Mr Peters says. “With a criminal facing serious charges.”

With Mr Key done and dusted, Mr Peters is momentarily side-tracked by the media in the Press Gallery above him. The gallery reporters are first Mr Key’s “floozies and doozies” and then generalised “dumbos” for not knowing the definition of a “bauble’ – ‘a trinket, something not worth having’ – “and which part of my job is like a trinket and not worth having?”…

burka.jpgThen Mr Peters moves on to another favourite sport – Bob-baiting. He eyeballs Bob Clarkson, the National MP who took his coveted Tauranga seat from him in 2005. “Bob’s not a builder. He’s a property developer, a speculator,” Mr Peters declares as Mr Clarkson goes red…

“Are you going to stand, Bob?” Mr Peters asks, despite Mr Clarkson already having announced he was. “He was bluffing on about ‘if Winston stands I’m going to stand’. Well, only a fool tests the water with both feet, Bob.”‘

29 comments on “Peters’ reply to the PM’s statement ”

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  1. The Double Standard 1
    14 February 2008 at 7:48 pm

    Yup, vintage Peters. For sale to the highest bidder as usual.

  2. Robinsod 2
    14 February 2008 at 8:22 pm

    Double shift again, bro? Shame that.

  3. The Double Standard 3
    14 February 2008 at 8:32 pm

    Off-topic ad-hominem abuse again Mickey? Shame about that.

    Cap: “Cambodia first” – has Winston emigrated?

  4. Robinsod 4
    14 February 2008 at 8:48 pm

    “ad-hominem”? My we are getting flash, bro. I figure to each what they deserve and judging by your failed trolling, even “ad-hominem” is a bonus for you bro. You should be pleased that I even acknowledge you given so many others have stopped…

  5. Robinsod 5
    14 February 2008 at 8:50 pm

    Anyway – more on topic. I do like seeing winnie in full swing. Can’t abide the man’s politics but his politicking is art.

  6. Aunty Helen 6
    14 February 2008 at 9:04 pm

    “… but his politicking is art.”

    Peters is a con-man and he deserves to be despised. The fact you admire his “art” says a lot about you Michael Porton. Now tell us you admire Michael Cullen to close the loop.

  7. Robinsod 7
    14 February 2008 at 9:12 pm

    Yeah AH, it says I like to be entertained. No chance of that from you though eh, boyo?

  8. Dan 8
    14 February 2008 at 9:25 pm

    Winston Peters was a breath of fresh air. He was wonderful. The Jesse Ryder of the Debating Chamber. But he was insignificant compared to the body language of the Nats. They took a hammering. The faces were slumped and hidden; the pens were wrecked; there was more of the guilty possum in the headlights. They looked like boxers in the ring but the blows were not physical but factual.
    The tide is turning, the momentum may have changed.

  9. illuminatedtiger 9
    14 February 2008 at 9:28 pm

    Nice to see you here auntyhelen! I admire The Standard’s tolerance in allowing you to post here. I thoroughly enjoy reading your comments in our spam folder over at NewZBlog. Please send more and perhaps take a look at your ISP’s TOS – specifically their clause covering harassment.

  10. The Double Standard 10
    14 February 2008 at 9:32 pm

    Dan, yep the tide has turned all right. Even Ron Mark is getting in the swing of things

    http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/content/display_item.php?t=0&i=2667

    And Michael – do us all a favour and stop responding.

  11. Robinsod 11
    14 February 2008 at 9:37 pm

    But TDS – what about my freedom of speech??? And besides making an arse out of you is so much fun…

  12. AncientGeek 12
    14 February 2008 at 9:39 pm

    On a complete side issue, has anyone posted a link to this post at The Fundy Post “Dig for victory“. It is about Fran O’Sullivan inventing a option for the State Highway extension in Waterview – a overhead option some kind of flyover.

    I grew up around that area so I’ve kept an eye on it because it goes through some of my favorite parkland’s in Auckland. Anyway, some delicious writing.

    It is important at this stage to take a deep breath and recognise that virtually all of Ms O’Sullivan’s essay is conjecture. As a newspaper reader, you are probably accustomed to reading op-ed pieces that are based on facts, so this new adventure in journalism might come as something of a shock

    and then he starts tearing into Granny Herald, concluding with

    The Herald no longer has any character, depth or colour. It has a single dimension and a single purpose. It is no more than a National Party hack sheet. No wonder they have to give it away one day every week

    Probably why I’ve given it up as a newspaper without much news.

  13. AncientGeek 13
    14 February 2008 at 9:59 pm

    Coming to think of it, that last bit sounds like TDS, a hack from the other (Oteher? nope – just bad spelling) Party.

    Seriously this guy is dickhead. He fails to even post moderately relevant links. The link above, for instance, on Ron Mark commenting on the report on Rimutaka prison seems to have little relevance.

    You get the impression that he really doesn’t know much about what he is doing – some kind of monkey with a typewrite (with apologies to Lee C). He doesn’t even seem to know how to place a anchor record in a comment.

    Still I suppose in a time of full employment, there is room for monkeys as well.

    cap: said lies
    And no I did not make that up…../

  14. Matthew Pilott 14
    14 February 2008 at 11:27 pm

    Not to jump on the Nat Research Unit Theory bandwagon, AG, but don’t you get the feeling he’s the one in the office they just try and get rid of; he’s in the stationary closet with an old Pentium M on dial-up, and is given a dozen links a day, because every attempt at trolling is along the lines of “yeah that’s right but have a look at this!!”

    Every time, it’s surprisingly predictable, even for a troller.

  15. Robinsod 15
    14 February 2008 at 11:31 pm

    I think the linking might be a performance measurable.

  16. Matthew Pilott 16
    14 February 2008 at 11:40 pm

    Na, if it were performnce based there’d be some effort at tying them into the post – relevancy and all that. This is just ad hoc link dropping – it just reminds me of someone with a sheaf of posters and a bucket of glue slapping adverts up everywhere.

    Quantity, not quality.

    (cap: “assessment of” … how cruel)

  17. lemsip 17
    14 February 2008 at 11:46 pm

    Hmmm where did dear old Winnie say what he would make sick people better etc…? Seems he just contributed to the tired old political blah blah blah. Still he didn’t hassle Labour so its all good…

  18. James Kearney 18
    14 February 2008 at 11:56 pm

    Lemsip- try this if you’re looking for some of NZ First’s record on health: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0708/S00460.htm

    All I’ve seen from National is promises to scrap doctor subisidies – http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=261 and hints they will cut health spending in real terms – http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=305

    Winston’s shown he has substance. When will John?

  19. AncientGeek 19
    14 February 2008 at 11:58 pm

    MP: I thought of an updated Eliza, but he is a slightly better than that. It is a predicable format though.

    The daft thing about it is that his links are moderately interesting. I don’t have time to scan the innumerable press releases on scoop, stuff and the granny, especially during the working day.

    It is just that the links have no meaningful relationship to his comments. TDS doesn’t explain why he thinks they have relevance. He also doesn’t seem to bother to stop the high speed trolling to explain when you challenge him.

    He is obviously getting OOS, the comments get shorter during the day. Perhaps he should seek medical attention. Maybe thats why he disappears for blessed periods of time? Repairs to the wrist tendons – can’t do much for his love life..

    But he is the only person I’ve seen who can (almost) comment as fast as Robinsod.

  20. illuminatedtiger 20
    15 February 2008 at 5:45 am

    TDS reminds me of Milton off Office Space. Works for National but as someone said – completely intolerable even by them.

    National party trolling has become far more blatant and widespread in recent months. Just another dirty tactic they are using to get past the EFA and portray themselves as everyday “kiwi battlers”.

  21. lemsip 21
    15 February 2008 at 7:45 am

    “In 1997 New Zealand First introduced the concept of free health care for the under 6’s and it very successfully ensured that children under six who required medical attention could go to the doctor when necessary”

    Hmmm 1997 eh – that must have been when NZ First was in coalition
    with National… go figure. Seems a National coalition could implement the same policy.

    “All I’ve seen from National is promises to scrap doctor subisidies – http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=261 and hints they will cut health spending in real terms – http://www.thestandard.org.nz/?p=305”

    James – that is ALL substance. You just don’t agree with it. BIG difference there bro. And let’s just remember that every price increase above the cap has apparently been approved.

    Perhaps instead of just quoting your mates like a good little sycophant you could acutally quote this… http://national.org.nz/PolicyAreas.aspx?S=12
    You may not agree with it – I don’t agree with some of it – but there are clear actionable policy themes in there.

  22. Santi 22
    15 February 2008 at 8:54 am

    The minister of Foreign Affairs is an irrelevant figure, who is about to get punished in the next elections.

    So much for the champion of the poor and the elderly, the defender against corruption and the trappings of power. Peters is rushing towards oblivion. About time he gets what he deserves.

  23. forgetaboutthelastone 23
    15 February 2008 at 9:54 am

    Most of these right-wing bloggers could be accurately described as being ‘floozie-in-the-head’.

  24. Michele Cabiling 24
    15 February 2008 at 10:20 am

    “Hmmm where did dear old Winnie say what he would make sick people better etc …?”

    Isn’t that where the laying on of hands comes in …

    Winston Peters [walk-on music “How Great Thou Art”].

  25. Matthew Pilott 25
    15 February 2008 at 10:28 am

    Michele, I agree with you there – he would pretty likely believe it of himself anyway… But you’re not thinking of Rev. Tamaki are you?

    Santi, I’m intrigued that you’re so easily dismissing one of the most enduring and better-known figures in New Zealand politics out of hand.

    Two-times king-maker ring any bells?

    As much as I dislike his substance, I can’t help but admire his style. however there are still many that like what he has to say – I’d put something down on him getting back into the house this time around.

  26. the sprout 26
    15 February 2008 at 10:42 am

    great speech. the guy’s a prick, but a very talented one – with lots of sharp kicks for a greenhorn like Key.

  27. Pablo 27
    15 February 2008 at 11:15 am

    Wow, Michelle in “comment intentionally funny” shock. I like it a lot.

    Good to see you back Michelle. I was too busy to comment on your comments yesterday, to my disappointment, but *they* didn’t disappoint.

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