Polity: Through the looking glass

Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, August 20th, 2014 - 16 comments
Categories: election 2014, john key, labour - Tags: , , , , , ,

polity_square_for_lynnReposted from Polity from yesterday.

Here is John “not a political commentator” Key today:

Mr Key claimed Labour was using a smear campaign to bring National down instead of bringing out new policies.

Where to start? Well, it is hardly a “smear campaign” when it is about exposing the truth of misuse of official information and unethical political behaviour by Cabinet Minister.

Also, Labour has nothing to do with Mr Hager’s book. I know the Prime Minister knows this, since his spies and the entire Press Gallery would have seen Cunliffe staffers at the launch last week. They frantically bought ten copies of Dirty Politics and ran off down Willis Street towards Parliament, where an army of researchers waited to co-read it record time so Labour MPs could be told what the hell the book was about.

But Key’s bigger misdirection is about policy. First, claiming “they have no big policy” is pretty rich coming from a crew whose centrepiece idea for their conference was $200 million of pork-barrel roads for Cabinet Ministers’ backyards.

Second, Labour has already announced a large number of big policy innovations this term. And we have costed them out, and published all the figures months in advance.

On housing, there is KiwiBuild, a foreign speculator ban, and the Healthy Home Guarantee.

For families, there is the Best Start package, a digital schooling upgrade, smaller class sizes, and an end to “voluntary” school donations.

For jobs, there is an increased minimum wage, increased attention on the needs of our regions and on sectors like forestry.

On the cost of living, we’ll cut hundreds off everyone’s power bill.

We’ll make sure education and health funds can keep up with rising process and populations.

And so on, and so on, and so on.

Perhaps the Prime Minister was too busy on other matters to read Labour’s fiscal plan. It is here. Or, if her prefers a non-technical highlights package, maybe he can go here. Or maybe just a summary webpage is more “him” It is here.

Seriously, how stupid does New Zealand’s Prime Minister think New Zealand journalists are, trotting out obviously nonsensical lines like this? Don’t answer that.

16 comments on “Polity: Through the looking glass ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    20 August 2014 at 1:09 pm

    “and an end to “voluntary” school donations.”

    Should have had ‘end’ in quotes, since the policy is likely only to affect students that go to decile 1-7 schools, not all schools or all students.

    • westiechick 1.1
      20 August 2014 at 3:01 pm

      Actually no. My kids’ semi-rural decile 10 primary school struggles to collect donations. It has limited fundraising ability becasue it is geographically out on a limb, a very small school roll catchment and many parents who won’t or can’t “donate”. I am aware of decile 10 schools who are able to raise tens of thousands with big swanky events, we struggle to raise much at all. The $100 per child will be a big help.

  2. JanMeyer 2
    20 August 2014 at 1:09 pm

    Problem is everyone’s talking about the Hager book; not much traction for all those policies! I think we all need to take a dose of Trotter’s medicine, park the “outrage”, and start to re-focus on the election. (In the meantime, Collins needs to resign which is the solution sensibly suggested by Clare Robinson this morning). There, that wasn’t so hard!

    • McFlock 2.1
      20 August 2014 at 2:07 pm

      thanks for your concern

      • JanMeyer 2.1.1
        20 August 2014 at 3:30 pm

        Latest Roy Morgan poll supports my argument

        • McFlock 2.1.1.1
          20 August 2014 at 3:34 pm

          you have no argument. Just preconstructed talking-points.

          By the way, when a two week polling period only has a major event in the last three days of that period, how much effect do you think that event would have on the poll? Take your time.

          • JanMeyer 2.1.1.1.1
            20 August 2014 at 3:54 pm

            Partial effect only as RM says. Next poll or two will certainly be more revealing. But it’s a start.

            • McFlock 2.1.1.1.1.1
              20 August 2014 at 4:10 pm

              maybe so. Especially as even a week later there are still daily revelations coming out as someone puts something from the book together with their own experience.

              Some folks reckon that it can take weeks for stuff to impact polls.
              Or maybe attributing poll variations to one event is a futile task.

              But given national’s reluctance to release policy of any note, as opposed to the volumes already released by opposition parties, and the scraping of the polish off brand key… might be a good result in a few weeks time.

        • Tom Jackson 2.1.1.2
          20 August 2014 at 4:20 pm

          Hardly. For the media the DP issue only really blew up on Monday. That’s the day they turned on the government.

  3. Hennie van der Merwe 3
    20 August 2014 at 2:20 pm

    And the only other announcement from Key was yet another cycle way in Wellington! If that is the best he can do in terms of policy then we are lost if they get re-elected.

  4. fambo 4
    20 August 2014 at 2:40 pm

    National isn’t saying what it’s big policies for the next three years are because they would be too unpalatable for many New Zealanders. I’d say they are eyeing up selling of the assets of Auckland and Christchurch city councils to start with.

    • Chooky 4.1
      20 August 2014 at 2:56 pm

      fambo +100…very good point.

      ..there has been hardly anything from John Key’s NACTIONAL on their policies

      ….up until now they have been too busy undermining David Cunliffe and the Greens and Internet /Mana by every dirty and petty trick they can think of

      …now the boot is on the other foot they scream policies ….but what policies?!

      Motorways
      Charter Schools
      privatisation of everything so their mates can make money from Sate Assets and utilities
      sale of New Zealand housing to foreigners …house prices way beyond the reach of the young New Zealander
      sale of New Zealand land to foreigners…etc etc

  5. Hanswurst 5
    20 August 2014 at 6:04 pm

    It is telling that, when the Greens’ costings are released, it comes in the form of independently audited figures, whereas Mr. “Let’s talk policy” Key’s response is, “But… but… Cannibis!”. Definitely not a right-wing smear, that.

  6. Jrobin 6
    20 August 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Well, John Key cannot really criticise anyone in terms of sobriety. In the interview with Guyon Espiner, he sounded tipsy or a bit under the influence of something. His slurring was so extreme he was hard to understand. He must be under intense pressure at the moment but getting drunk is surely not a good plan.

    • ianmac 6.1
      20 August 2014 at 9:11 pm

      Probably not under the influence of drink or drugs Jrobin. More likely trying to suppress his intense anger that anyone should have the audacity to hold His Royal Highness to account. How dare an upstart like Guyon confront him!
      But rest assured. Espiner will never get the chance to do that again! And watch your back Guyon. He knows where you live!

      And no one from National will front at National Radio unless it is a very safe topic. Arrogance.

  7. David H 7
    21 August 2014 at 3:17 pm

    “Perhaps the Prime Minister was too busy on other matters to read Labour’s fiscal plan. It is here. Or, if her prefers a non-technical highlights package, maybe he can go here. Or maybe just a summary webpage is more “him” It is here”

    Don’t be silly have you not worked it out yet TricKey Can’t read. There is ample evidence of this, The Banks files and now the Hagar Books. And god knows what else he ain’t read.