One of the bits of mis-truth that John Key stated in the press stand up last week (as on the TV3 video) was that the Left is into dirty politics because it doesn’t want to campaign on policies, and can’t win on policies.
That is such a reversal of the truth. In fact, the Greens and Labour have been rolling out far more detailed policy over the last few months, than the National Party.
What Key tries to characterise in the stand up, as some kind of coordinated attack, are 3 unrelated events. Right wingers tried to beat them up as left wing smears: 2 as Internet-Mana smears; the third was focused on the use of an anti-Semitic term by a minor Labour candidate. They wouldn’t have been noticed very much if Key and other right wingers hadn’t spent so much time expressing outrage, in an attempt to smear and divert from significant issues.
And while claiming not to be into dirty politics, Key used some standard strategies of the politics of manipulation, to try to smear Nicky Hager as a”left wing conspiracy theorist”. Even John Armstrong was not convinced by that.
Meanwhile, Labour and the Greens continued to campaign around the country, on policies and values.
The truth is far from the situation presented on TV One’s (highly selective and slanted) News tonight, which characterised Labour and Cunliffe as being only into the negative. Get a clue, One News! Nicky Hager put an important book out there, with a load of very serious information and questions that need to be answered. No political party or MP can ignore it.
The “Left” in the broadest sense would much prefer to focus on policies and values, rather than have to continually deal with the dirty right wing politics that have escalated under Key’s watch.
Today on Stuff, Phillip Mathews article wrote about “Clean Greens overlooked in dirty week”
It feels like the political week can be divided into two eras, BH and AH. Before Hager and After Hager. The release of Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics seemed to change everything and, for a day or two at least, other agendas and stories faded from view.
The Green Party’s launch of its Christchurch policy at the new Botanic Gardens visitor centre on Tuesday morning was very much a BH event. But speculation had already started. One News reporter Michael Parkin sped past the routine questions about what the Greens would do for Christchurch and asked co-leader Metiria Turei if she knew what was in the Hager book.
“I know nothing,” she said, cheerfully and theatrically, but she was “interested” to see it. As for the stoush between Prime Minister John Key and Internet Party leader Laila Harre over effigies and rallies, Turei stayed well clear of that too.
The Greens are about clean rivers and clean politics. They seem decent, principled and thoughtful, which may explain why, in this weird election campaign, they also seem to be overlooked. All the Green caucus came to town for the launch, at which the party’s positive message was reiterated. “We stand with you, Christchurch,” Turei said. “We love New Zealand, we love Christchurch.”
More about the Greens week at the link.
Tonight the TV 3 News announced the results of a Colmar Brunton poll on education policies – the winner is Labour by a nose. Take note, Mr Key!
Earlier today Metiria Turei injected a little humour into the media and twitter.
Tomorrow the Greens officially launch their election campaign in Auckland. Hope it goes well.
Sunday 17 August, 2pm – AUT, Sir Paul Reeves Bldg
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