PM’s idiocy goes global

Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, May 14th, 2010 - 64 comments
Categories: International, john key, leadership, national, racism - Tags: , ,

Hey thanks John, you’ve really helped put New Zealand in the international spotlight yet again. First it was your clown act on Letterman, more recently your cringe-worthy fawning over Biden and attempts to be seen as another Obama, your valiant pro-whaling pandering while leaving a New Zealand hero to languish in a Japanese jail, then your eagerness to mine our national parks, your unwillingness to follow South Africa’s apology to our Maori All Blacks, and now it’s your witty comments about how Maori who don’t like you might be cannibals. What a marvellous job you’re doing as our premier ambassador!

It’s news in the UK here and here, in Australia, Taiwan, the Philipines, in the US here and here and here. Of course the list goes on and on, but you get the ugly picture.

All those years of New Zealand building up an international image of competent and principled statesmanship must be fading pretty quickly in the eyes of the international community.

FFS, this man might be talented at feathering his own nest, but a leader he is not.

hattip: gobsmacked

64 comments on “PM’s idiocy goes global ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Joe Bloggs 1
    14 May 2010 at 8:02 am

    if Billy T James had made a similar quip as John Key you’d all be rolling in the aisles with laughter and patting him on the back…

    if Pete Bethune hadn’t illegally boarded the Japanese ship carrying a weapon he wouldn’t be in a Japanese prison …

    SARU apologised and now the NZRU has apologised – done deal…

    And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

    • Tigger 1.1
      14 May 2010 at 8:05 am

      Are you a real person? Or a computer program that grabs random ignorant remarks and spits them into blog posts?

    • mickysavage 1.2
      14 May 2010 at 8:06 am

      If Billy T James was our prime minister it would be an improvement.

      • lprent 1.2.1
        14 May 2010 at 8:39 am

        Ummm a dead comedian as PM. You could be right. Less shifting of policy and more enhancing what is already there?

    • Marty G 1.3
      14 May 2010 at 8:06 am

      Check out Zet’s piece.

      If you want the standard of behaviour of your hero while he is PM involved in Treaty talks to be a comedian from 30 years ago, that’s your problem.

    • Mike 1.4
      14 May 2010 at 10:47 am

      Let’s test this hypothesis.

      We take a Maori politician, let’s call him Hone Harawira and have him make ‘racist’ remarks in a private e-mail to a constituent. What would happen then?

      We would have a Pakeha PM, let’s call him John Key, come out and say that the remarks were “deeply offensive” and demand immediate disciplinary action.

      But of course the situations are completely different. One MP has brown skin and the other has white skin. One is a back-bencher and the other is Prime Minister. One is now characterised as a ‘racist’ and the other was ‘just telling a joke’.

      • the sprout 1.4.1
        14 May 2010 at 11:12 am

        one is a PM who is meant to represent the nation, another is a back bench MP who represents the views of some of his constituents. consequently different focuses and standard are expected. not to complicated for you follow i hope

  2. exbrethren 2
    14 May 2010 at 8:08 am

    “if Billy T James had made a similar quip as John Key you’d all be rolling in the aisles with laughter and patting him on the back ”

    Billy T was a comedian. Captain Beaky is meant to be PM. He does seem to think he’s a chilled out entertainer though.

    Bloody slave traders all have ideas above their stations.

    • Salsy 2.1
      14 May 2010 at 8:30 am

      Captain Beaky..! lol

      • Ministry of Justice 2.1.1
        14 May 2010 at 9:25 am

        Captain Beaky

        Is that an anti-semetic slur?

        I think that no one is particularly offended – jokes about cannibalism are part of our tourist industry.

        The fake offense taken is about political/financial gain – that’s why Tamati Kruger made his “poor taste” quip. Tuhoe will be laughing all the way to the bank.

        • exbrethren 2.1.1.1
          14 May 2010 at 9:33 am

          Is that an anti-semetic slur?

          Fuck off you arsehole.

          Its a dig at Keys big hooter pure and simple. Now piss off back to slave trading.

        • gobsmacked 2.1.1.2
          14 May 2010 at 9:58 am

          “jokes about cannibalism are part of our tourist industry.”

          Really? Please provide evidence, with reference to any NZ tourist organisations / companies.

          Thanks.

          • Ministry of Justice 2.1.1.2.1
            15 May 2010 at 10:06 am

            A cultural performance and dinner I attended had jokes about eating people – I’m not sure which organisation they were but I think it’s unlikely that I attended the only dinner where such jokes were made.

            Caution: The following video contains material that white liberals may find offensive.

            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yrlM7taTCY

            • felix 2.1.1.2.1.1
              15 May 2010 at 1:59 pm

              I didn’t know someone had done a song about this back in the 60s.

              I guess that makes it ok then.

              Hey have you heard this one, MoJ?

              So it’s cool to make jokes about beating women too eh? Tell John, won’t you?

  3. vto 3
    14 May 2010 at 8:19 am

    You know the really biggest dumb thing Key has done is allow himself to be photographed like that. Looking half boozed slugging back on a beer from the bottle with the future Kinf of England. The poms will love that ha ha ha ha… how crass

  4. illuminatedtiger 4
    14 May 2010 at 8:52 am

    John Key is an international embarrassment, a nation’s shame.

    • the pinkpostman 4.1
      14 May 2010 at 3:31 pm

      For a person of Jewish decent to make a racist joke about another race is
      unbelievable. The Jewish community of Aotearoa must be cringing in embarassment. He is an insult to the Jewish people a shmuck !.
      Enough said.

  5. Craig Glen Eden 5
    14 May 2010 at 9:06 am

    I think he would be described by the conservative elite back in the home country as new money!

    If Billy T was still alive Key certainly would have given him a lot of material.

    It does make me think what would Billy Ts take on it all be?

  6. Hamish 6
    14 May 2010 at 9:19 am

    heh heh, some comments from Aussie:

    “Maoris have been in New Zealand for 700 years and are given indigenous status. Our peoples have inhabited parts of Europe and the British Isles for tens of thousands of years, and yet we are denied indigenous status. I say if we can’t have it, they shouldn’t be allowed it either.”

    “Who cares! The world has gone soft.”

    “well if they did eat people… who cares what he said. so sensitive nowadays arnt we… boohoo…”

    • vto 6.1
      14 May 2010 at 9:22 am

      Yes Hamish I have always wondered why the Brits and Germans and Chinese etc are never invited to such things as Indigenous Olympics or any other Indigienous Conference on Whatever…

      Anyone know?

    • Bright Red 6.2
      14 May 2010 at 10:06 am

      Hamish, you and your family are a bunch of murderers and rapists.

      ha ha, just joking!

      Anyway, it’s true that your ancestors’ people (no matter who they are) did just that. So don’t get up tight about it.

      • Lew 6.2.1
        14 May 2010 at 10:08 am

        And by the way, Hamish — that important contract we’ve been talking about? You can Golf Foxtrot Yankee. LOLZ!

        L

  7. Hamish 7
    14 May 2010 at 9:21 am

    Found this little gem:

    Yes, I can just see it now.

    Grace: Frank! Cancel that export order for $2m worth of beef! John Key just made what I perceive to be an off colour remark!”

    Frank: who’s John Key?

    Grace: You know….kiwi bloke…took over from whats her name?

    Frank: Helen Clarkson?

    Grace: Yes, that’s the one.

    This really is storm in a tea cup stuff. Good to see the softies are going to town. Got to keep them amused somehow. Meanwhile, back in the real world……..

    • Craig Glen Eden 7.1
      14 May 2010 at 10:15 am

      And Hamish goes wild laughing at his own attempted joke.

      Yeah good on ya Hamish have a good day wont you fella

      Kids who would have them aye?

  8. Hamish 8
    14 May 2010 at 9:30 am

    >>>Yes Hamish I have always wondered why the Brits and Germans and Chinese etc are never invited to such things as Indigenous Olympics or any other Indigienous Conference on Whatever

    Anyone know?

    [sigh]

    ‘Just watch – Keys popularity will rise because of it, and the left are already looking like humorless, opportunist fools who are out of touch with New Zealanders.

    No wonder Goff made no comment…..’ 😀

  9. gobsmacked 9
    14 May 2010 at 9:44 am

    John Key has struck gold: BBC World News …

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8681655.stm

    Now, you can’t have it both ways. Remember that comedy routine on Letterman? Remember how it was hailed as a coup for marketing NZ?

    Let’s be very generous and say John Key did a great job on Letterman (I don’t think that, but never mind – let’s pretend every American viewer thought he did).

    Letterman has an audience of 4 to 5 million, in one country (source: Tourism New Zealand).

    BBC World has an audience of 75 million, in countries across the globe.

    So to undo the damage from his “harmless joke”, all he needs is 15 more Lettermans.

    But here’s a better idea, for the sake of our image and our marketing, around the world. He could just shut up.

  10. tc 10
    14 May 2010 at 10:07 am

    Hamish has a point….most of the world have a more mature view with a media to match so Sideshow John’s bracketed with Little Johnny Howard/John Major/George Dubleyuh as good comedic value as they think they’re actually running a country…yeah right.

  11. joe bloggs 11
    14 May 2010 at 10:18 am

    All those years of New Zealand building up an international image of competent and principled statesmanship must be fading pretty quickly in the eyes of the international community.

    How short the memories are…

    Anyone remember that international image of competent and principled statesmanship created by Helen Clark when she “autographed” a local artist’s painting? Here’s a couple of reminders:
    http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RN/2002-03/03rn09.pdf
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/new-zealand-leader-fails-to-brush-off-paintergate-fiasco-649586.html

    IMHO a prima facie case of forgery is way more damaging to our international reputation than a mere throw-away line …

    Thou hypocrites, cast out first the beams out of thine own eyes, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

    • zonk 11.2
      14 May 2010 at 3:45 pm

      Yes I see the point you are making there…One leader leads quite a busy schedule apologising to the Samoans for our administration of their country, to the Chinese for our treatment of them with the poll tax, to the Vietnam vets (I think?) for the way they were treated on their return from service and signs a picture for charity that isn’t her own- though the profits benefit a charitable cause.

      Another leader arbitrarily scuttles two years of negotiation to prop up his poll rating, and calls the tribe he has already inulted (on top of the century or so of abysmal treatment by the crown ) by this cannibals.

      • joe bloggs 11.2.1
        14 May 2010 at 5:51 pm

        …One leader leads quite a busy schedule apologising to the Samoans for our administration of their country…

        that would be the same leader who provided all the impetus in the world for the Maori MPs to break away from Labour and form the Maori party. Pretty strategic blunder that one…

        and that would also be the same leader who took the Greens for granted and locked them out of government for three elections…

        and the same leader who described Don Brash as cancerous and corrosive…. who described foreshore and seabed protesters as “haters and wreckers’…who hung her DPS staff out to dry by ‘not noticing they were travelling at 180km/hr’…

        Oh and Helen apologised but never said sorry to the Vietnam Vets – that was John Key.

        http://www.w3vietnam.org.nz/story_27.htm

        • the sprout 11.2.1.1
          14 May 2010 at 5:56 pm

          irrelevant, ancient history. nobody cares.
          lots of people care about Key making a laughing stock of us with the international community though.
          Key has screwed up big time.
          get used to it, there’s lots more to come

    • the pinkpostman 11.3
      16 May 2010 at 3:05 pm

      I was amazed then and still are at the continued references to a painting signed on the back by Helen Clark. Never once did the critics mention that it raised a lot of money for child cancer!
      The whole episode was from the same creppy lot who reported that the PM was speeding. Its know as Crosby/Textor in other words the National Party dirty Tricks brigade ,

  12. gobsmacked 12
    14 May 2010 at 10:31 am

    Ah, there’s just too much media coverage to keep up with …

    National Public Radio in the USA has around 20 million listeners, and – crucially for our tourism industry – they tend to be older and richer and more interested in the world, the kind of people that like to go overseas to … guess where.

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/05/new_zealand_leader_sorry_for_c.html

    The quote is from AP – Associated Press. That’s the agency who provide your local paper with international news, every day. It’s impossible to know how many newspapers have picked up AP reports on “NZ cannibal gaffe”, but it’s probably hundreds.

    New Zealand very rarely makes international headlines. You’d have to go back to the death of Sir Edmund Hillary, to find a really big global story. Key’s idiocy hasn’t made it that big (yet), but he’s doing his best.

  13. vto 13
    14 May 2010 at 10:38 am

    Regarding the so-called going global damage… have you not heard the one about any publicity being good publicity (well, within reason).

    It gets NZ onto the front page at least. And when it comes to industry and business that is bloody great.

    Any potential Americans, europeans or anyone thinking of going distant holidaying will now have had NZ thrown smack in their faces. Will definitely have an effect of getting those people to consider, however briefly, coming to NZ…

    • Armchair Critic 13.2
      14 May 2010 at 10:47 am

      Hmm, no. I don’t think I want to encourage the kind of tourist who thinks the highlights of NZ would be a tour the mines in the National Parks, going one one of those Japanese-lead whaling cruises and having a tradition Maori feast of roast speculator.
      I’d prefer the type who want to cycle around the country – all we need is a cycleway.

    • gobsmacked 13.3
      14 May 2010 at 11:07 am

      “It gets NZ onto the front page at least.”

      World News Latest: VTO runs down Queen St with sub-machine gun, takes out twenty-three Japanese tourists and a pigeon. “This is publicity you can’t buy” says Prime Minister, while expressing his sincere condolences to the families.

    • Bright Red 13.4
      14 May 2010 at 11:09 am

      (well, within reason).

      you answered yourself.

      ‘racist PM cracks about cannibal savages’ is not good publicity.

  14. coolas 14
    14 May 2010 at 10:41 am

    Te Mana Motuhake o Tuhoe doesn’t suffer from Key’s ‘bad taste’ remark.

    Some Guardian readers will go to their libraries, and others all over will ‘google’ Tuhoe, and read the history. Judith Binney’s excellent book “Encircled Lands” deserves more sales. It tells a story of betrayal and genocide. Anyone reading it will sympathise with Tuhoe, and many will support Tuhoe’s claim to Urewera.

    The unintended consequence of Key’s ‘bad taste’ joke is international publicity for Tuhoe’s struggle to re-claim Urewera. And he’s played the part of Crown, once again, betraying Tuhoe.

  15. toad 15
    14 May 2010 at 10:46 am

    Remember that Key is Minister of Tourism, as well as PM. A stunningly cunning plan by Key.

    Should have the tourists flocking here in their millions to see our quaint cannibal tribes you know, the ones who tried to cook and eat the Prime Minister.

    • Alexandra 15.1
      14 May 2010 at 11:44 am

      Oh yeah right, the maori are gunna eat me will have tourist flocking here in droves…so cunning you can stick a tail on it!

  16. sweetd 16
    14 May 2010 at 11:49 am

    yeah, it is flooding the comment pages on the standard.co.uk. One single comment!!!!!!!

    “They WERE cannibals, or they weren’t. If they were, then complaining about it is stupid. Are the campaigners too shy to bring up the faults of the settlers in the same time period? Obviously not, with their complaints about what was ‘stolen’ from them. It ain’t a one-way street.”

  17. Bill 17
    14 May 2010 at 11:53 am

    So John Boy claims self deprecating humour. And with a single masterful and remarkable stroke of arrogance obliterates the credence of the sensibilities of those he targeted with his quip. According to John Boy he, as a piece of dead and boiled meat, retains more importance than any would be diners…that’s the only possible interpretation of his strange ‘self deprecating’ claim.

    Which leads on to the fact that I care less for the quip, delivered with a certain degree of bitterness as it was, than the aftermath which has John Boy flying his ‘utterly selfish prick with little or no capacity for empathy’ colours high and proud.

    That aside. Surely it goes without saying that when you the premier of a former white colony, that you acknowledge the fact that stupid statements revolving around race and/or culture can carry fairly weighty emotional baggage and act and speak accordingly?

  18. kerry 18
    14 May 2010 at 12:32 pm

    The mans a god……a saint……savour of mankind…….healing hands…….simply placing his hands on you can cure any ill…….well so says Mathew Hoooten on breakfast this morning!!!

    Personally I wish he was a duck!

  19. Rharn 19
    14 May 2010 at 1:07 pm

    No half decent beer aficionado would dare drink beer from a bottle. Like wine, beer needs a little aeration to bring out the full flavour. Key’s pathetic attempt to portray himself as the ‘typical’ kiwi bloke is about as crass as his tasteless joke.

    • Tigger 19.1
      14 May 2010 at 1:12 pm

      I was always more concerned that he looked like he was demonstrating his bj technique.

  20. Fisiani 20
    14 May 2010 at 3:59 pm

    We no longer live in Helengrad.
    We no longer have to watch out for the humour police.
    Whats that smell? Its the sweet smell of freedom
    Freedom of speech. Freedom to have fun.

    The freedom to be stupid, and it goes right to the top

    [lprent: If you want to be free around here, you should avoid words that activate the spam trap (and give me reason to enhance your comment). I guess the wordpress anti-spam checker has finally learnt some of the standard troll lines. ]

    • Armchair Critic 20.1
      14 May 2010 at 9:52 pm

      The freedom to wear whatever you want in Whanganui – oh, no, scrub that, National legislated out the freedom to wear certain clothes.
      The freedom to drive where you want, when you want – oh, no, scrub that, National legislated away the freedom to drive up and down the main street of every town and city in the country.
      The freedom to speak out against the government – oh, no, scrub that, Paula Bennett squashed that.
      The freedom to vote for whoever you want in Canterbury – oh, no, scrub that, National legislated that away until at least 2013.
      Thanks National, you guys really support freedom. Not.

  21. Irascible 21
    14 May 2010 at 5:57 pm

    The joke is certainly doing NZ well.. his self serving abandonment of an important trade mission in the ME and now his cannibal “joke” demonstrate the child that is John Key. We are seeing, all the more starkly, that the “emperor” has no clothes.

  22. Irascible 22
    14 May 2010 at 8:36 pm

    Key’s gaffe has made the news in the Gulf States… as news of the weird!
    Suitable classification really after Key scuttled back to NZ during the Trade Delegation to the ME. Really like the statesmanlike behaviour displayed by Key… it’s impressive!!!

  23. SHG 23
    14 May 2010 at 9:03 pm

    And with one small slip of the tongue, Key defuses all the right-wing critics who have been accusing him of “going native” and of pandering to Maori concerns and issues.

    Yep, that sure was one convenient spontaneous little accident. Did I mention that it was spontaneous? And an accident?

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    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 - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    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, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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