Show-pony

Written By: - Date published: 3:50 pm, July 23rd, 2009 - 32 comments
Categories: john key, unemployment - Tags:

showponyY’know, as John Key tries to get stuck into Phil Goff, I think it’s time for a quick recall of recent history.

Key is a man who lied directly to the New Zealand people about his Tranz Rail shares. Key is a man who hid from the public every time he was asked about substantive policy leading up to the election. Key is the man who promised ‘tax cuts north of $50’ then went back on it. Key is a Prime Minister who won’t tell the public why he sacked a Minister of the Crown. Key is a man who sits there as Prime Minister more as a brand than a credible leader.

Of course, this is the kind of thing that Key loves. He and his mates can sit around coming up with clever little lines, then roll them out in the House. This show-pony stuff is what he specialises in. He’s got no policy for helping the unemployed and no intention of creating any. He’s too busy being a smart-arse.

While Key is giggling at Goff, thousands of Kiwis are losing their jobs. When is he going to do something about that? Or does he still think tens of thousands of Kiwi families falling into poverty is just a “lagging indicator”?

32 comments on “Show-pony ”

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  1. Borisk Klarkov 1
    23 July 2009 at 4:08 pm

    Y’know, as John Key tries to get stuck into Phil Goff, .. He and his mates can sit around coming up with clever little lines

    Translation: “Key eviscerates Goff and the intellectual bankruptcy of the Labourites is cruelly exposed once again.”

  2. ieuan 2
    23 July 2009 at 4:13 pm

    This is the sort of post that lets down ‘The Standard’, it’s a rant about nothing, mostly out of frustration.

    • snoozer 2.1
      23 July 2009 at 4:18 pm

      I think it’s a post about how Key is nothing but a show-pony who’s standing by while the economy burns. But I take your point, there need to be more long ego pieces, posts that are 90% quotes, and pics of boobs – like on kiwiblog

      • ieuan 2.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 4:20 pm

        I’d settle for a well reasoned argument with a few facts……

        • snoozer 2.1.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 4:26 pm

          facts like – Key lied about tranzrail and he lied about ‘north of $50’?

          or facts like – tens of thousands of Kiwi famileis are falling into poverty while Key spends his time making up little smartass remarks?

          • indiana 2.1.1.1.1
            24 July 2009 at 8:40 am

            Yeah but NZ got over that…Eddie needs to learn when to just let it go.

    • starboard 2.2
      24 July 2009 at 9:15 am

      ..thats what the sub standard is…a rant about nothing…

  3. Doug 3
    23 July 2009 at 4:24 pm

    And Goff is the gift that keeps giving.

    • Craig Glen Eden 3.1
      23 July 2009 at 7:47 pm

      If Goff is the gift that keeps on giving what is Key?

      The Job summit according to Key was not going to be a talk fest.
      So what have been the results, one 9 day fortnight policy put forward not by Key or his amazing inspirational mates but by the Union movement.
      Oh then there was the cycle tract which there was going to be a National cycle raced on. What’s happened with that again?
      Then there was his personal candidate choice for Mt Albert 23% Lee.
      Then their was the Worth mess, Keys Line The public trust me but I don’t trust them its not in their interest to know why I fired a Minister.
      Then there is the not so super city and Keys pick for super Mayor SUPER Banks.
      Then we had Rankin appointment, yup he is a real winner or John.
      Then there was its hard to pick between two children even if one is naughty comment. So Doug who is the gift again? Oh and then there’s todays little ripper by Key ” Its Phil Goff he’s every where ”

      Yup Key is really on top of his game!

      I have 40,000 shares no 50,000 ,no a 100,000 yeah 100,00

      • Doug 3.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 8:14 pm

        This is happening in the Waikato.

        Work is well advanced on planning for a cycleway stretching nearly 200km from Meremere to Taupo.

        The cycleway would be built in stages, linking with existing trails and included a proposal by the Waipa District Council to create a trail from Cambridge to Karapiro, to coincide with the World Rowing Championships next year.

      • graham 3.1.2
        25 July 2009 at 7:36 pm

        repeat after me I LOVE JOHN KEY

        [lprent: repeat after me – you’re looking like a troll – READ THE POLICY and stop acting like a dickhead. Adding you to auto-moderation until I’m sure you’ve read this, and the POLICY of this site.

        I hate idiots who feel the need to shout rather than develop an argument. ]

  4. Brett Dale 4
    23 July 2009 at 4:27 pm

    When did Key ever giggle at Goff?

  5. Galeandra 5
    23 July 2009 at 4:42 pm

    Does no-one do the research? Goff is very compromised now over this issue.
    Why has judgement been clouded over the puerile need to do Jonkey down when, given rope, he’s only too happy to do it to himself. Your reminders about his shonky-ness prove that well.
    The issue was more important than political point scoring, unless of course Key spoke true in the house and there are enough supplementary benefits to help the people who may lose homes etc.
    There are some big issues brewing- public service cuts, hints of privatisation, and education cuts are only beginning. Why waste precious credibility?

    • snoozer 5.1
      23 July 2009 at 5:00 pm

      Yeah, that’s the shame in this whole affair. Goff is regarded as straight up and competent. Whoever’s behind him hasn’t been giving him the assistance someone in that position needs. The result is the story becomes about his credibility when it should be about Key and the economy he is mismanaging.

      • Murray 5.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 6:43 pm

        Goff is regarded as straight up and competent/
        its becomming painfully obvious that he is neither.
        John Key doesnt need to get stuck into Phil Goff.
        Goff does it to himself

  6. Adriank 6
    23 July 2009 at 5:23 pm

    You know, there is a solid chance that ‘lagging indicator’ could become John Key’s ‘mission accomplished’, that is if the media have stopped fawning over him when iNACT’s inaction (or worse) has led to us still being deep in the recession at this time next year. He really doesn’t seem to care that there are thousands of people losing their jobs each week who probably won’t be able to find any substantial jobs in the near future. It just shows how alien to him the regular people he claims to be one of are to him.

    • burt 6.1
      23 July 2009 at 6:10 pm

      Adriank

      Yep for sure, unlike Labour who were valid to blame National’s failed policies of the 90’s right through till 2008 Key is to blame for the recession Labour started before the global economic crisis. Yep It’s all National’s fault cause Labour were still fighting the failed policies of the 90’s. Muppet!

      • Marty G 6.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 6:38 pm

        there was a drought, a bursting housing bubble, a global spike in oil and food prices in the first half last year. They caused the recession, not Labour.

        Disagree? show what Labour changed in late 2007 to start a recession.

        • vto 6.1.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 8:03 pm

          Marty said “there was a drought, a bursting housing bubble, a global spike in oil and food prices in the first half last year. They caused the recession, not Labour.”

          Marty, a recession causes directly a drop in GDP.

          Earlier today on your post about GDPs in Oz and NZ called “Those who dont learn from history..” you went on and on and on and on about how the only thing that affected GDP was macro-policy setting stuff (neoliberal roger douglas poop to be precise). You basically said ‘random’ effects such as drought (that specific exmaple in fact, if I recall) had a neglible effect.

          And now you say that droughts have an overriding effect!

          In the same day!

          Marty, that is very disappointing.

  7. RedLogix 7
    23 July 2009 at 6:18 pm

    What a pack of idiots you all are. Goff did not need to mention Burgess’s rental properties because the unemployment benefit is income tested, not asset tested. Key has now turned this on it’s head; he has now established in the public mind at least, that the unemployment benefit CAN be linked to assets.

    Next step when unemployment numbers soar will be to extend it to asset testing, ie if your house is worth more than say $300k, you have to sell it.

    • Ron 7.1
      23 July 2009 at 6:49 pm

      I really don’t think John thinks that far ahead

      • RedLogix 7.1.1
        23 July 2009 at 7:27 pm

        No, but the seed of the idea has been planted.

        In the naked envy everyone here has demonstrated towards Burgess (and that is what it is) you have all been suckered.

    • Swampy 7.2
      23 July 2009 at 11:16 pm

      Assets will likely result in a standdown period. It’s not unheard of for someone in Burgess’s case to be receiving a benefit, but it’s unlikely as the only situation that would apply to them is that they couldn’t sell the property.

      The big picture is simply that the fellow in question claims he should have government assistance so that he doesn’t lose his property, when he has substantial assets and made bad choices about getting into debt.

      There are very few people who would be on the dole at any one time who would have assets of this nature (three properties). If you just happen to be mortgage free that is one thing, if you have assets you can sell to pay the bills that is a more reasonable scenario and you don’t really need taxpayer assistance, because benefits like the dole are not paid to people who can make their own way.

    • indiana 7.3
      24 July 2009 at 8:46 am

      Say you are eligible for the dole, will your dole money be equivalent to the salary you have just lost? Because if it is not, then how will you maintain the mortgage payments on your $300k house you borrowed at 100% finance from the banks? I think irrespective income testing you may end up selling your house. And if it is income testing, rental income is an income too.

  8. the sprout 8
    23 July 2009 at 6:28 pm

    Didn’t Key once say “under a Labour Government that I lead…”?

    That would have to be one of the biggest faux paz a political leader could ever make, hands down.

  9. Muppet 9
    23 July 2009 at 9:03 pm

    What do you expect a government to do about people losing their jobs? Create new ones out of thin air? Labour has not provided any credible ideas as yet. I suggest not whinging about Key being a smart-arse and spending your time formulating and providing alternatives for the people Labour purports to care so much about.

    • r0b 9.1
      23 July 2009 at 10:55 pm

      What do you expect a government to do about people losing their jobs?

      Something more than nothing.

      Labour has not provided any credible ideas as yet.

      Labour offered a detailed policy package before the election. Pity we voted for a stuffed suit instead.

      If actions speak louder than words, Labour was the winner on Day One of the official election campaign – game, set and match.

      Key’s earlier speech at National’s campaign opening in Auckland’s SkyCity Convention Centre said nothing new on economic policy. In fact, it said nothing new about anything.

      If that was not bad enough, Labour was getting ready to lay out something really meaty just a few blocks away in the Auckland Town Hall.

      There, Helen Clark trumped Key by delivering the recovery package he had been demanding, including contingency plans to save jobs and the promise of a mini-budget in December.

      The upshot was that Labour looked like it was governing; National looked complacent and flat-footed.

      When Labour does try to offer perfectly sensible advice at a jobs summit, National threatens to ban them from participating.

  10. Swampy 10
    23 July 2009 at 11:06 pm

    There’s a little matter of $1.5 billion being spent on broadband, and a number of other infrastructure projects of an economic stimulus kind of nature.

    Given this isn’t the Labour Party blog, reading the same attacks and denigrations over and over is getting tiresome.

  11. Swampy 11
    23 July 2009 at 11:18 pm

    Oh yeah, Tranz Rail shares. Beltway issue, flogging a dead horse there. Strictly for political junkies.

  12. graham 12
    25 July 2009 at 7:31 pm

    The problem the left faces now is the realisation that you are looking at a minium of nine years of john key.As someone who went though a 9 year period with helen clark i can tell you the pain doesnt get less each day but more.The fustration that you have that you and your friends now how evil that women is but that the nation cant see it.it eats you up and drives you a little bit madder each day.You have my sympathies .Just repeat after me 12 MORE YEARS OF JOHN KEY

    [lprent: repeat after me – you’re looking like a troll – READ THE POLICY and stop acting like a dickhead. Adding you to auto-moderation until I’m sure you’ve read this, and the POLICY of this site.

    I hate idiots who feel the need to shout rather than develop an argument. ]

    • graham 12.1
      25 July 2009 at 9:43 pm

      to the boss i have often been abused by felix and others that wasnt a problem but saying john key will be there for 12 years is.i am sorry i feal excluded