Still an honest man?

• notices and features
• 10 years ago
• Categories: john key
• Tags: BLip

BLip has been maintaining for quite a while, a little list of Honest John’s statements that aren’t exactly true. One iteration of this list “An Honest Man” is still one of the most popular posts here with many page views on a daily basis – more than a year after it was posted. Looks like someone has made a video of a few of the times when some of these were made.

hat tip: Frankly Speaking

The most recent update on The Standard of BLip’s list on John Key was from the 15th of May this year. We fear that it may be substantially out of date. However …

Well, interesting you should mention that, I just happen to have it open . . .

1. I promise to always be honest
2. we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs
3. there’s no way one in five New Zealanders will lose their jobs
4. we are not going to cut working for families
5. I firmly believe in climate change and always have
6. We seek a 50% reduction in New Zealand’s carbon-equivalent net emissions, as compared to 1990 levels, by 2050. 50 by 50. We will write the target into law.
7. National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges
8. I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics
9. If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it
10. I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour
11. Tranzrail shares
12. I did not mislead the House (1)
13. Lord Ashcroft
14. National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq
15. Standard & Poors credit downgrade
16. the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt
17. I did not mislead the House (2)
18. I didn’t say I want wages to drop
19. I can’t remember why I voted against increasing the minimum wage
20. lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase unemployment
21. the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.
22. the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs
23. no I have never heard of Whitechapel
24. I won’t raise GST
25. people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST
26. the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase
27. the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government
28. no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine
29. I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine
30. I did not mislead the House (3)
31. capping, not cutting the public service
32. raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs
33. north of $50 a week
34. privatisation won’t significantly help the economy
35. wave goodbye to higher taxes, not your loved ones
36. I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London
37. Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal
38. Kiwisaver
39. National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector
40. tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing
41. New Zealand does not have a debt problem
42. New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting
43. the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™ government
44. It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy
45. National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria
46. the price of goods and services has risen by 6 percent since the last election, while the after-tax average wage has actually gone up by 16 percent
47. no, although its a week ago and here I am being interviewed on television about them, I havn’t seen Gerry Brownlee’s comments regarding demolitions in Christchurch and which caused such outrage, but I can talk all about them
48. our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight
49. the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns
50. the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii
51. I did not mislead the House (4)
52. oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire
53. New Zealand has lost $12 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . oh, it might actually be around $15 billion from GDP due to the Christchurch earthquake . . . Blinglish said what?
54. 10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake
55. 14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast
56. our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally
57. we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations
58. any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral
59. New Zealand has grown for eight of the last nine quarters”
60. National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract
61. we will be back in surplus by 2014-15
62. Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction
63. unemployment is starting to fall
64. we have created 60,000 jobs
65. we have created 45,000 jobs
66. the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs
67. I don’t know if I own a vineyard
68. no, I did not mislead the House (5)
69. the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport
70. the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs
71. I voted to keep the drinking age at 20
72. New Zealand is 100% Pure
73. I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year
74. baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support
75. the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me
76. I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs
77. even though four of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.
78. even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue
79. even though I personally signed papers discussing the matter, I still didn’t have a clue
80. Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault
81. ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset
82. I did not describe David Beckam as thick as batshit
83. I did not mislead the House (6)
84. the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit
85. “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs
86. we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service
87. I did not mislead the House (7)
88. I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place
89. I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978
90. I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for
91. reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing
92. Labour left the economy in poor shape
93. forecasts show unemployment will fall
94. we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27
95. Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining
96. I have not had any meetings with Media Works
97. our [NZ’s] terms of trade remain high
98. the TPPA is an example of democracy
99. the TPPA will still have to be ratified by Parliament
100. National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals
101. New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013
102. overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own
103. overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow
104. National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years
105. there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only
106. selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies
107. the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs
108. all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally
109. my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal
110. I did not mislead the House (8)
111. I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009
112. I have no record of the 12 November 2009 email from Treasury advising that the SkyCity deal was dodgy and needed to be referred to the Auditor General
113. there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal
114. SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins
115. any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process
116. Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land
117. I did not mislead the House (9)
118. this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity
119. I did not mislead the House (10)
120. the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal
121. I did not mislead the House (11)
122. the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal
123. I did not mislead the House (12)
124. I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal
125. the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001
126. Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation
127. there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something
128. David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River
129. Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment
130. fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues
131. no frontline positions will be lost at DOC
132. Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job
133. I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher
134. I forgot that after I scrapped the shortlist for GCSB job I phoned a life-long friend to tell him to apply for the position
135. I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher
136. I haven’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time.
137. I did not mislead the House (13)
138. I have no reason to doubt at this stage that Peter Dunne did not leak the GCSB report
139. I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number
140. the new legislation narrows the scope of the GCSB
141. the GCSB has been prevented from carrying out its functions because of the law governing its functions
142. because the opposition is opposed the GCSB law ammendments, parliamentary urgency is required
143. the increasing number of cyber intrusions which I can’t detail or discuss prove that the GCSB laws need to be extended to protect prive enterprise
144. it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police
145. National Ltd™ is not explanding the activities of the GCSB with this new law
146. cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destructionheld on New Zealand computers
147. the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear
148. it totally incorrect that the Government effectively through GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders
149. we self identified that there was a problem with the GCSB spying on Kim Dotcom
150. the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident
151. The advice I have had in 4 years as a Minister is that in no way ever has there been an indication of unlawful spying
152. the Ministerial Warrant signed by Bill English did not cover anything up
153. first I heard I heard about Kim Dotcom was on 19 January 2012
154. first I heard about the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was in 17 September
155. I did not mislead the House (14)
156. I won’t be discussing Kim Dotcom during my Hollywood visit.
157. The Human Rights Commission couldn’t get its submission on the GCSB legislation in on time.
158. it would cost too much to for the police and SIS to carry out the spying on New Zealanders that this new legislation will permit
159. critics of the GCSB legislation, including the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, and the Privacy Commission, are all uninformed
160. no, I did not mislead the House (15)
161. I do not know how Mr Henry is conducting the Enquiry
162. no, I did not mislead the House (16)
163. the Henry Enquiry had permission to view Ministers’ emails
164. no, I did not mislead the House (??)
165. we do not spy on journalists
166. the passing of phone records to the Henry Enquiry was an error on the part of a contractor
167. I wasn’t aware that my own Chief of Staff was instructing Parliamentary Services to hand over information concerning journalist Andrea Vance
168. National Ltd™ has never tried to impinge on the role of the media
169. I had nothing to do with information on a journalist being handed over to the inquiry into the leaking of the GCSB report
170. the terms of the enquiry made it clear to everyone that it was only the phone records of parliamentary staff and ministers that were to be provided
171. I have the utmost respect for the media and the role it plays in New Zealand’s democracy
172. the Henry Enquiry did not access a journalist’s building-access records
173. the Henry Enquiry did not ask for phone and email records
174. no, I did not mislead the House (17)
175. the Greens are opposed to the GCSB and the SIS even existing
176. the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because there are al-Qaeda terrorists in New Zealand
177. John Minto is in the Green Party
178. the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because of the terrorist threat, even though official reports released over my signature say there is no risk and the SIS has the matter in hand
179. the GCSB Bill does not give the GCSB the power to look at the content of communications as part of its cyber-security functions
180. no, I did not mislead the House (18)
181. there will be no mining on Conservation land in the Corromendel
182. no, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea
183. New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps
184. I did not mislead the house (19)
185. I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it
186. I am honest and upfront
187. the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand
188. you can’t hide if yuu’re Prime Minister
189. an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy
190. the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.
191. I did not mislead the House (20)
192. the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation
193. National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral
194. I did not mislead the House (21)
195. the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year
196. Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.
197. Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election
198. it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.
199. the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.
200. police training for next year has not been cancelled
201. National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service
202. The Crown’s dividend stream from the Meridians, the Mighty Rivers of the world is large and there is no motivation to sell assets; actually we’re about creating assets not selling assets.”
203. National believes employment law should treat all parties fairly. It should . . . Protect employees and employers.
204. I am not trying to tackle such issues in a “fearful” way ahead of the next election
205. Wellington City is dying.
206. National Ltd™ has been working on a number of things with New Zealand First on a number of things one of which has a financial component but I can’t talk about it
207. the best way to get growth in the economy is to reduce public debt
208. New Zealand mum and dad investors will be our number one priority in the allocation of Mighty River shares
209. we won’t let “cowboy” oil exploration companies operate here in New Zealand
210. the Green Party is racist by not allowing Chinese residents in New Zealand to buy a house
211. the Labour Party is promising a four-bedroom house in Auckland for $300,000
212. the food in schools programme is in the 2013 budget
213. the meat exports are being held up in China because of issues in relation to the Chinese looking to trace counterfeit meat
214. its notoriously difficult to win three elections in a row
215. I am deeply concerned about every child in New Zealand who is in poverty
216. there is no manufacturing crisis in New Zealand
217. the government’s exposure to MediaWorks’ going into receivership is reasonably limited
218. the money from the sale of state assets will not be used to prop up Solid Energy
219. I don’t see a place for a Winston Peters-led New Zealand First in a government that I lead. It’s not a matter of political convenience, it’s a matter of political principle.
220. The vast majority of the buildings in Christchurch came through the earthquakes in good shape
221. the commemoration of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War will not be used to bolster trade talks
222. third generation Chinese New Zealanders will be required to present their passport before buying a house under the Labour government
223. the Labour housing policy is an attempt by David Shearer to save his leadership
224. the Labour housing policy is in breach of free trade agreements
225. only 2% of the proceeds of the sale of Mighty River will be spent on the sales process
226. David Cunliffe is lying to you
227. Labour wants to nationalise the super market industry
228. The government will engage in no further negotiations with Rio Tinto
229. Without a government subsidy of hundreds of millions of dollars Chorus will go broke
230. No, I did not mislead the House (??)
231. the justice system is already adequate for handling situations involving new evidence
232. my Minister Nick Smith was not aware of the content of the leaked draft submission on the Ruataniwha situation until 17 September
233. New Zealand First will nationalise a host of industries and businesses
234. I have no responsibility for the statements I make
235. Mark Mitchell was just gossiping at a cocktail party when he tipped Webster off about Len Brown’s affair
236. it was a lack of external analysis and accountability which put Solid Energy into its debt crisis
237. the Commerce Commission misinterpreted the law when deciding the price for access to the Chorus copper infrastructure
238. no analyist predicted that the cost of access to the copper infrastructure would go down
239. there has been only one problem with oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico
240. If it was my vote, it would be no pay increases for Mps
241. Greenpeace are just scare mongering about any oil leaks off the New Zealand coast
242. For every election for the last five elections , we have had royal visitors to New Zealand.
243. No decision has been made on the timing of the sale of Air New Zealand shares
244. its not true that in New Zealand the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer
245. This summer is the most active season ever for oil and gas exploration, with the industry spending up to $750 million. At the same time, the Government is strengthening the regulationsthat govern drilling, particularly in deep water.
246. Labour is trying to mislead people about eligibility for Best Start because they don’t get the payment while they also get paid parental leave.
247. A mountain of evidence shows that the quality of teaching – inside the classroom – is the biggest influence on kids’ achievement
248. Governor General Jerry Mateparae has been jostled while walking onto Te Tii Marae at Waitangi .
249. Cameron Slater, who I speak to regularly and who told me about Winston meeting Kim Dot Com, has got absolutely nothing to do with the National Party.
250. Cameron Slater rang me
251. What I do know is that when this Government came in, there were predictions that unemployment would rise to over 10 percent.
252. The Cabinet Office had cleared Judith Collins of a conflict of interest
253. The golf tournament in which I played the chairman of Oravida was for charity.
254. The Cabinet Office has cleared Collins of a conflict of interest after it translated comments on Oravida’s website which stated that she had praised its products
255. My Justice Minister, Judith Collins, didn’t lie to Parliament, she just didn’t understand the question.
256. The [MFAT] paperwork shows right through this that not only did the Minister have a very busy programme, all on judicial and justice issues, but, secondly, all the way through it talks about a private dinner.
257. No, I did not mislead parliament. (??)
258. No, I did not mislead the House(??)
259. The Unions decide the leadership of the Labour Party and picked David Cunliffe
260. Unions give the Labour Party millions of dollars a year
261. The economic mess inherited by the Abbott government in Australia can be likened to the economic mess inherited by National Ltd™ when it came into office in 2008.
262. National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour
263. National Ltd™ inherited an economic mess from Labour in 2008
264. No, I did not mislead the House(??)

. . . don’t like to clutter up threads with the whole thing in case I interrupt the flow . . . but since you asked.