The nasty government

Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, July 26th, 2012 - 22 comments
Categories: john key, national - Tags: ,

National is threatening to veto a Labour bill to extend paid parental leave, claiming it costs too much (they’ve been exaggerating the cost). At the same time, they’re trying to defend writing a blank cheque for looters’ bonuses. And they’re getting nasty about it. Maggie Barry (who has already made headlines by demanding to know what party citizens submitting to select committee support and has proven to be the most stereotypically arrogant, privileged Tory you can imagine) attacked Jacinda Ardern for not having children yet while John Key had a hissy fit at anyone who questioned his looters’ bonuses.

Here’s Barry’s disgraceful behaviour:

Ms Ardern, who is 32 today, said National, which opposes the legislation, was asking people if they “preferred coal or children”.

“Stop subsidising heavy polluters and we can back kids. Build one less road of national significance and we can help kids and their families,” she said. “This Government has proven that their priority is not children.”

Ms Barry, 52, responded by asking: “How many kids do you have?”

The North Shore MP later added: “Don’t be so precious, petal.”

The Opposition side of the House erupted with calls for an apology, which the first-term Government member refused to give.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard later wrote on his Twitter feed: “Shame on Maggie Barry … Women parliamentarians should know better than to criticise each other for not having children.”

Speaking after the debate, Ms Barry, who had her only child in her late 30s, said: “I am not apologising for it. I don’t think it’s a very sensitive issue. Jacinda dishes the dirt as much as any.

National was nasty right from the start of the debate:

The debate opened by Ms Moroney was punctuated by yells of “show us the money” from National MP Nick Smith.

Ms Barry said National was not arguing against the merits of paid parental leave, but the cost.

Her colleague Louise Upston, MP for Taupo, said that “in planet Labour, money seems to grow on trees”.

Closing the debate, Ms Moroney said she hadn’t been prepared for the “venom” that came from National.

“The sheer anger led by Dr Nick Smith and carried on by Maggie Barry was something I wasn’t prepared for. To me it demonstrated an anger towards working families,” she said.

“I thought it was quite ugly. This is coming from a government who were on the wrong side of the class-size issue,” Ms Moroney said.

Meanwhile, John Key, who can’t name the cost of his looters’ bonus free shares and didn’t even know that the government is going to subsidise looters by paying the stockbrokers’ fees, went into a tizzy when questioned about it:

Dr Russel Norman: Well, is he aware that there is $56 million in the Budget primarily to pay brokerage fees to the selling syndicate; and why is it fair for all taxpayers to cover the brokerage fees of the 5 percent?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I would need to check that matter. I am sure the member is probably incorrect in the assumption he is making.

Of course, it was Key who was wrong.

Dr Russel Norman: Given that the Government has failed to convince New Zealanders of the arguments around asset sales, as shown by every major opinion poll, is that because the Government actually does not have very good reasons, and his approach now is to say “Rubbish!” to anyone who disagrees with him, and to tell the people of New Zealand: “We are simply going to force it down your throat.” in a Muldoonist way, just like previous National Governments have?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: There are many analogies one could draw with me, but Muldoon is probably not one of them

Weird, wasn’t Muldoon Key’s hero?

Of course, with the biggest borrowing binge in history and the worst growth record in 50 years+, I guess it would be unfair to compare Key’s record of utter failure to Muldoon’s record a stagnant economy and excessive borrowing fuelled by a massive round of tax cuts.

22 comments on “The nasty government ”

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  1. tc 1
    26 July 2012 at 12:22 pm

    Accurate graphic, I’ve always thought of Shonkey as the smiling smoother 21st century rendition of Piggy Muldoon and just like Piggy their wreckless approach is decimating areas to the point we may not be able to build them back up regardless of effort/money and time such as flogging our power generators off, losses from trades/teachers/lecturers/justice/medical and other areas.

    Muldoon just about bankupted NZ and this mob inherited nett zero crown debt and look where we are now. If you factor in the dodgy off balance sheet derivatives it’s a spectacular effort that only a banker and his backers could be proud of.

    • Populuxe1 1.1
      26 July 2012 at 9:11 pm

      How can you compare Muldoon with Key? Muldoon built infrastructure, supported welfare and for all his many mistakes actually had the good of New Zealand citizens at heart. He was a statesman (a flawed and occasionally quasi-fascist statesman, but a statesman nonetheless). Key is a superficial smiley smiling creep playacting politician. Can you honestly imagine Muldoon selling off our assets? You clearly need to read a bit of history.

  2. Tom Gould 2
    26 July 2012 at 12:23 pm

    Key’s little fire-sale gambit is falling apart, yet the indolent craven Gallery giggle at his jokes and cover up for him, and write up the opposition parties as ineffective to compensate. They did the same with Muldoon, until he turned on them. Even then, the big Tories amongst them stayed true blue.

  3. Dv 3
    26 July 2012 at 12:40 pm

    AND Muldoon stuffed the super scheme started by Labour.

  4. fender 4
    26 July 2012 at 12:42 pm

    “Don’t be so precious, petal”

    Clearly Maggie Barry has inhaled too much manure when in the garden, her head is full of shit.

    It’s kind of funny how National have so many low calibre fools in their ranks, if only the ramifications were not so serious for the country.

    • Chris 4.1
      26 July 2012 at 2:55 pm

      I think they are all graduates of Low Calibre School where they all had to study and study to actually qualify as a Low Calibre Fool. I think some of them were even to dense to qualify as an LCF. As for maggie barrys incisive rapier like wit with her pathetic standard 3 type comment, well she has none. She must have got tired of never being on the telly and this is all she could come up with.Nearly as bad tolley trying to score off Shearer by some odd references to Dr Seuss(?) and being lonely.She was no good at it and kept fluffing her lines(lies)Hilarious silly little woman!

  5. Tracey 5
    26 July 2012 at 2:13 pm

    I can understand his admiration for Muldoon, he’s behaving very like him these days with his “my way or the highway” type leadership.

  6. mike e 6
    26 July 2012 at 2:21 pm

    Rugby mentality!
    Bullying is rife amongst the population !
    we are told to get on with it and get over it thats the underlying reason we have a high suicide , premature child death rate, family violence rate etc etc.
    Thats why Muldoon was liked rugby racing and beer.
    Now its rugby pokies and any type of alcohol!

  7. Rosie 7
    26 July 2012 at 3:41 pm

    Oh God, I only do this rarely but its time to pull out the “are you serious?!” face

    http://rober-raik.deviantart.com/art/Are-you-serious-Girl-263034646

    What is up with Tory girl Barry? Why does she always say such daft things? Being a smart arse to Jacina Ardern for not having children (Whether by choice or just not yet) is reminiscent of all that crap Helen Clark got for not having children. It is such a prejudiced and gender stereotypical stance to take. There’s a book by Theresa Riley that would be educational for Barry. Its called “Childfree in New Zealand: How couples who choose not to have children are perceived”.
    She can read that then go apologise to Jacinda Ardern.

  8. The Woodpecker 8
    26 July 2012 at 4:58 pm

    Shouldn’t someone who has a child be more sympathetic on this issue than someone who hasn’t? Just more “push out the boat Joe”.

    • Carol 8.1
      26 July 2012 at 6:59 pm

      Why, Woody? Not all parents are good parents. Not all parents bother to spend very much time with their kids. Some pay others to do most of the child-rearing.

      But, apart from the fact that paid parental leave has very broad implications for the society we all live in, and the fact that it may have an impact on all employers and employees, the people who it will have most impact on are children…… and we’ve all been children.

    • Rosie 8.2
      26 July 2012 at 9:04 pm

      Woody woodpecker:

      Amazingly, we’re not all self interested. As Carol points out, (8.1) “we we’ve all been children and paid parental leave does have broad implications for the society we all live in”. Those of us without children, like anyone, are interested in what benefits society and paid parental leave is one of those things. Most of us who are either child free or child less, depending on your view, have families and friends with kids and we take part in the lives of those close to us who are doing the important job of raising kids. Being child free doesn’t mean you lack “sympathy for the issue”.

      Your statement is just as ignorant and offensive as Maggie Barry’s.

      • The Woodpecker 8.2.1
        26 July 2012 at 9:56 pm

        My appologies Rosie. I was comparing Ms Barrys comments (attack?) on Ms Ardern. I seems to me someone whos been there (had a child/children) would be more compassionate.
        I’ll go back to my corner now.

        • Kotahi Tāne Huna 8.2.1.1
          26 July 2012 at 10:08 pm

          “…more compassionate.”

          Assuming compassion is what’s required (as opposed to evidence-based policy, for example), I’m not sure your premise holds outside of middle-class conceit.

        • tracey 8.2.1.2
          27 July 2012 at 4:47 am

          i got what you meant. Barrys comment sonehow implied ms adern was anti parents and children. Her stance on ppl makes a mockery of the implication. Odd indeed. Can labour start calling out show us the mobey every time the loyalty bonus is mentioned? Or, we hear alot of rhetoric but no figures…

        • tracey 8.2.1.3
          27 July 2012 at 4:50 am

          By this logic, barry can comment on divorse but not the sanctity of marriage… Accordingly her gay marriage vote ought to be interesting.

          The pm says he will vote on gm according to his electorates wishes… But wait, by voting him in didnt they give him a mandate, or is he going to hold a referendum in hellensville?

  9. Rosie 9
    26 July 2012 at 10:28 pm

    Thanks Mr Woodpecker. Theres no need to go into a corner. Corners are uncomfortables places to be in. Maggie Barry did indeed attack Jacinda Ardern. Without repeating what I’ve already said above I’d just like to add this -don’t believe for a minute that one who hasn’t had a child lacks compassion for the issue of paid parental leave. Its this kind of assumption that is so annoying in society.
    All that aside, the article was discussing bad behaviour by the National Party, in parliament. Namely Maggie Barry and JK. The comment by Maggie Barry was just one of her demented outbursts so far in her short worklife as an MP but a dissapointing one none the less. Its like she went to an Alisdair Thompson class on “Understanding the the rights and roles of Women in the 21st century”. Epic fail.

  10. Tutake 10
    30 July 2012 at 7:16 am

    Why didn’t Labour initiate parental leave on this level when it had surpluses? Why didn’t they raise the minimum wage for that matter? Why was it when we had surpluses under Labour, our current account deficit from 2004-2008 was the worst it has been since 1990?

    • Te Reo Putake 10.1
      30 July 2012 at 8:01 am

      Interesting questions. Shame you don’t seem to know the answers. Clue: they’re not what you seem to think they are.

    • felix 10.2
      30 July 2012 at 8:17 am

      What do you mean “Why didn’t they raise the minimum wage“?

      Are you from another dimension?

      Do you want a list of the things Labour spent surpluses on?

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