Proxy Music

Written By: - Date published: 5:37 pm, November 7th, 2018 - 39 comments
Categories: accountability, act, class war, Dirty Politics, national, nz first, political education, Simon Bridges, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , ,

Another day, another crisis for Simon Bridges.

In a direct challenge to the current National Party leader, Jami-Lee Ross has assigned his proxy vote to NZ First. There are conditions attached to the way it can be used, but in essence, Ross is daring Bridges to use the waka jumping legislation to which National is so very publicly opposed.

Ross first offered his proxy to the Tories and they, in a fit of pique, foolishly turned it down. The Nats said, sniffingly, that Ross was distorting the proportionality of Parliament by staying on as an independent. Now, Ross seems to have stitched up a deal with Winston Peters that will see NZ First cast his vote. But only for National, not the Government.

I don’t know how this will work in practice. Perhaps Winston will make paper aeroplanes with Jami-Lee Ross’ signature on them and launch them across the chamber? Maybe Shane Jones will learn ventriloquism and speak out of both sides of his mouth at once?

If the mechanics are a mystery, one thing is crystal clear; Jami-Lee Ross is going to haunt Simon Bridges until the Tory leader quits or, more likely, is rolled.

Never forget; this all started when Bridges accused Labour Party MP’s of leaking his expenses without an ounce of proof. Then went ahead with a inquiry that was always going to end with blue blood on the floor.

This extraordinary mutual mutilation between two former friends is hideous to the eyes, but it’s so very, very hard to look away.

Oh, and spare a thought for David Seymour. Fresh from some babbling lunacy about shopping bags, the Epsom hologram has to deal with the knowledge that Jami-Lee Ross trusts Winston Peters more than him.

Ouch.

 

39 comments on “Proxy Music ”

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  1. Kat 1
    7 November 2018 at 5:40 pm

    Simon Bridges is the “real deal” fall guy for the rotten National party culture fostered by John Key. Do weasels bleed blue blood, they certainly rip flesh. Now we await the toads of the short forest.

  2. James 2
    7 November 2018 at 6:01 pm

    it’s ridiculous beyond belief.

    Ross has handled it amazingly poorly. But I doubt anyone could have thought JLR would go sooooooo far off the reservation.

  3. Stuart Munro 3
    7 November 2018 at 6:16 pm

    Winston will have fun with this one.

    But it does illustrate an issue with parties that goes back to Winston and Anderton, of which Ross seems to be only the most recent iteration, that the imbalance of power between parties and individuals allows the parties to behave (from time to time) abominably.

    Somehow I doubt the party hopping legislation has laid the matter to rest.

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    7 November 2018 at 6:21 pm

    On the tape released the other day SB offered JLR the possibility of resuming his place on the front bench of National. That seemed to imply that SB’s belief that Ross was the leaker wasn’t a major problem, and nor was the way Ross had interacted with a varying number of anonymous women who failed to lodge formal complaints with their employer about him.

    Tempting now to assume SB wasn’t serious in making that offer. Just another devious lawyer tactic? If the Nats were genuine about rehabilitation, expelling him was wrong, and refusing to do a proxy vote for him likewise. Interesting that Ross rejected the Seymour option though. Tacit acknowledgement that Maori solidarity doesn’t work? But wait, didn’t work with Simon or Paula either. Working now with Winston though – so I guess one out of four ain’t bad…

  5. Adrian 5
    7 November 2018 at 6:46 pm

    What it means is that bridges knew all along thay JLR was not the leaker.
    Bridges is an idiot.

  6. patricia bremner 6
    7 November 2018 at 7:15 pm

    If there had been certainty JLR would have been “fingered”/accused, not pointed at/alleged. So, is there another problem for Bridges and his party? Plot thickens.

    Bridges has “moved on” but the miasma of the rot follows, like a dark cloud.

  7. marty mars 7
    7 November 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Hard to see how it can get worse for the gnats, yet somehow I doubt we have even got half way through this disaster movie.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1
      7 November 2018 at 11:00 pm

      The more their corruption and hypocrisy is shown the worse it will get for them. Probably won’t be enough to stop them though.

  8. Blazer 8
    7 November 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Winston is easily the most influential politician in NZ over the last 3 decades.

    • aj 8.1
      7 November 2018 at 9:35 pm

      +1 absolutely correct.

    • WILD KATIPO 8.2
      7 November 2018 at 10:41 pm

      And Winston correctly foresaw the fall out from Bridges and his John Key era politics…

      And although he played ‘Burning Bridges’ ,… as far as the National party are concerned ,.. perhaps he should add this to his reportire…

      Hank III – With the Ship (Music Video) – YouTube

      • Incognito 8.2.1
        7 November 2018 at 10:47 pm

        I was expecting a clip called Jealous Guy.

        • WILD KATIPO 8.2.1.1
          7 November 2018 at 10:53 pm

          Nuuuuup.

          Doesn’t pertain.

          Perhaps this does…

          Brand New Key, pair of roller skates – YouTube

          • Incognito 8.2.1.1.1
            7 November 2018 at 11:07 pm

            LOL

            I had the title of the OP in mind more than anything, and the feud between two former friends 😉

            • gsays 8.2.1.1.1.1
              8 November 2018 at 8:39 am

              Well this is the tune then:
              https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9EbR0ckb40

              Let’s Stick Together
              Bryan Ferry

              Together we’ll stand
              Divided we’ll fall
              Come on now people
              Let’s get on the ball
              And work together
              Come on, come on
              Let’s work together

              • te reo putake …
                8 November 2018 at 10:53 am

                I’d put up two songs; Praire Rose for Beto O’Rourke (Texas! Hey hey!) and, for the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, In Every Dream Home a Heartache 😉

                (Just for the record, the first two Roxy albums were works of genius, the next two were pretty fine, despite losing Eno, and the rest a bit tame. Roxy at Sweetwaters was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen; Dream Home was astonishing. Still gives me chills thinking about it.)

                • Dennis Frank …
                  8 November 2018 at 12:04 pm

                  Must’ve been the second Sweetwaters cos I was at the first & there were no name bands I can recall. I got into Roxy with their second album, saw them play the Ak town hall in ’74 or ’75. Ferry doing the winklepicker & stove-pipe trouser look ten years out of date was amusing to the audience of freaks, many of whom were outrageously bizarre cockerels who made me feel like I was blending in with the crowd for a change.

                  I could cite Kinky Friedman’s Ride ’em, jewboy (’72) for the ABC panel discussion of Bloomberg trumping Trump in 2020. Wanna beat a billionaire New Yorker? Play another…

                • gsays …
                  8 November 2018 at 12:33 pm

                  man sweetwaters, that dates you, unless you had groovy parents and or siblings.

                  must admit i’ve not listened to them in years and enjoyed that ditty immensely.

  9. Janice 9
    7 November 2018 at 9:11 pm

    After tomorrow isn’t parliament going into recess for three weeks? Time for the waka jumping law to take effect and JLR won’t ever be able to use parliamentary privilege.

  10. mickysavage 10
    8 November 2018 at 7:39 am

    Politik has reported that Simon Lusk has been seen at NZ First fundraisers and I hear he has been helping out with their response to the IR changes.

    Interesting times …

    • Dennis Frank 10.1
      8 November 2018 at 8:05 am

      Far out. What next? I guess it explains JLR’s proxy switch. But is Lusk much more than just a gun nut with a modicum of political nous? Forging some common ground between Nats & NZF is sensible strategy, but unlikely to work well unless ideological divides can somehow be reconciled. That would require entry into the game of a player with intellect. No, I don’t mean Perigo.

  11. Drowsy M. Kram 11
    8 November 2018 at 11:38 am

    At what age have Kiwi/Aussie female MPs become Prime Minister?

    Shipley (45)
    Clark (49)
    Gillard (48)
    Ardern (37)

    Time is not on Crusher (59) Collins’ side. The ‘JLR millstone’ had to be placed around Soimun’s neck sooner rather than (S)later.

    • Stuart Munro 11.1
      9 November 2018 at 1:23 am

      I’m not sure it’s a good line to follow – unless one wants an implication that age is a greater threat to female electability than it is to male. It might suffice to say that no new NZ PM of any gender has been over 59 for 46 years.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 11.1.1
        9 November 2018 at 12:06 pm

        Thanks SM; Ardern isn’t the youngest NZ PM; she is pipped at the post by Stafford.

        Wonder how the average or median age of first time MPs compares between women and men, what the trends are, and what the reasons might be, e.g. your hypothesis “that age is a greater threat to female electability than it is to male.”

  12. veutoviper 12
    8 November 2018 at 1:01 pm

    This morning Tracey Martin was interviewed on TVNZ Breakfast by Jack Tame on NZF’s decision to exercise Jami-Lee Ross’ proxy vote on his behalf.

    This was an interesting and insightful interview which is well worth watching for the open, straightforward and humorous way Martin handled it. She conveyed that the NZF Caucus did not make a big deal about it, or see it as more than ensuring that the people of Botany still got a say in the meantime.

    She revealed that:

    – Ross’ request (3 Nov) was discussed by the NZF Caucus on Monday 5 Nov with their Deputy Leader, Fletcher Tabuteau chairing the meeting. (No mention, or question from Tame, as to whether Peters was present.)

    — There was discussion but no real dissension etc although they considered that there should be a by-election; and they saw their role as merely casting Ross’ vote in the meantime in the way he had asked; and that it would be a bit funny doing so!

    — They had not made any decision as to whether to run a candidate in 2020 after not doing so in 2017 but that would be up to the NZF Board, not the Parliamentarian wing.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/nz-firsts-tracey-martin-admits-odd-voting-opposition-party-takes-jami-lee-ross-proxy-vote

    But it really is worth a minute or two watching it as a great example of how to handle what could have been a tricky interview. Full marks to Tracey Martin – a lot of Parliamentarians could learn a lot from her style. LOLZ.

  13. Ken 13
    8 November 2018 at 5:27 pm

    How do these fools think they’ll be allowed to run the country when they can’t even run their own party?