The Standard’s ten most popular posts for 2013

60 comments on “The Standard’s ten most popular posts for 2013 ”

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1. Tracey 1

   27 December 2013 at 9:07 am

   Chelsea crayford…. thats democracy folks
   • Colonial Viper 1.1

     27 December 2013 at 9:16 am

     Yes, that’s serious grassroots political action.
   • Rogue Trooper 1.2

     29 December 2013 at 12:22 pm

     or, democratic materialism ?
   • Rogue Trooper 1.3

     29 December 2013 at 12:52 pm

     btw, that’s the ‘freedom’ to trade and consume.
   • Kevin 1.4

     30 December 2013 at 11:37 am

     Obviously Photoshopped….
2. Ron 2

   27 December 2013 at 9:12 am

   Interestingly the views were in the ratio of 56:28:16 and the membership votes in the leadership contest were in the ratio of 60:27:13. That is some coincidence …

   I think your educated guess was better than the opinion polls. We may need it again around October next year
   • alwyn 2.1

     27 December 2013 at 12:31 pm

     Probably be a bit later than October. The election probably won’t be until mid-November and even if Cunliffe quits on election night, after Labour’s big loss, the election for the new Labour leader probably won’t be until the new year.
     • Will@Welly 2.1.1

       27 December 2013 at 12:47 pm

       Wrong buddy, Key’s in Hawaii getting the mansion refurbished for next year’s “homecoming”!!
3. Tracey 3

   27 December 2013 at 9:15 am

   Ron

   it will not be as reflective of the election because this site attracts more of the left hence a frighteningly accurate reflection of the labour leadership race?
4. weka 4

   27 December 2013 at 9:32 am

   Thanks micky. By most popular do you mean most commented on?
   • mickysavage 4.1

     27 December 2013 at 9:41 am

     Most pageviews Weka. Interestingly there was not a great correlation between comments and page views.
     • karol 4.1.1

       27 December 2013 at 9:53 am

       Also, I’m not sure page views equates with significance or quality of the post – at least not if my post at #3 is anything to go by.

       For some reason that post attracted a lot of views – via Facebook as I recall, going by my recollection of Lynn’s comments at the time.

       That post was written in haste, and didn’t involve as much research, reflection or care as many of my other posts during the year: not the one I would have picked as my best of the year.

       However, BLiP’s tireless monitoring of Key’s lies and distortion of the truth does deserve the highest commendation.
       • mickysavage 4.1.1.1

         27 December 2013 at 11:55 am

         I found the compilation of the list an interesting process and there is no determining factor of what will or will not work. Often the immediacy of a post reflecting what is happening in real time is just as important as something that it thought through and considered.

         BLiP does deserve a medal tho …
         • chris73 4.1.1.1.1

           27 December 2013 at 12:05 pm

           Will you do a list of the most commentated posts?
           • mickysavage 4.1.1.1.1.1

             27 December 2013 at 6:19 pm

             Will give it a go Chris. You may feature prominently in these!
             • chris73 …

               27 December 2013 at 8:11 pm

               Oh dear
             • QoT …

               28 December 2013 at 10:21 am

               Which is why it would be essentially meaningless!
               • chris73 …

                 28 December 2013 at 4:40 pm

                 C’mon who wouldn’t be interested in seeing which posts had the most comments…
5. Tracey 5

   27 December 2013 at 9:34 am

   Weka

   might be views cos helen kellys got 45 comments?
6. Wayne 6

   27 December 2013 at 10:00 am

   Well I checked the most “popular ” post of BliP, and the one cited had 61 comments. Now I know it has been reposted on a number of occasions, so maybe the cumulative number of comments is the highest.

   Otherwise the post is propaganda, and you will be committing the same sin as BLiP accuses JK of. And of most of the BLiP list is actually interpretation, opinion etc. Which is why NZ’ers, by and large, (Standardnista’s excepted) do not think that the PM is an inveterate liar, and also why Labour will not be able to run a campaign on that theme. Though I appreciate the modern campaigning also uses friendly blogs as an underground campaign tool.

   By the way I note that this blog basically equates the Labour/Green bloc as the equivalent to National. I understand why that is the case under MMP. But I would suggest in the public mind, that if National gets 45% and the Labour gets 35%, they are not going to be seen as the equivalent. National will be seen by much of the public as having the right to have first crack at forming government. Such a gap between the two main parties will be a powerful message to NZF, which in this situation would almost certainly have the balance of power.

   Now I realize there is nothing in the law that says that the largest party has first option, but you can see why Shane Jones keeps talking about the importance of Labour being north of 40%, even if that was largely at the expense of the Greens. He is clearly concerned about moral mandates.
   • Paul 6.1

     27 December 2013 at 10:05 am

     A party that oversees a massive increase in child poverty and does nothing to deal with it has the gall to claim it has a ‘moral’ mandate.
     That’s a laugh.
     • Tautoko Viper 6.1.1

       27 December 2013 at 10:43 am

       +1. Wayne is not wise to suggest that morality can justify any of National’s destructive and antisocial policies. If policies have to promoted using “spin” and subterfuge and involve ignoring all scientific evidence which points to the negative effects of those policies on society, then citing moral mandates is a bit rich!
       • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1

         27 December 2013 at 4:33 pm

         +1

         National have no morals.
     • Rogue Trooper 6.1.2

       29 December 2013 at 12:25 pm

       also + (the desperation sets in before the old year departs)
   • mickysavage 6.2

     27 December 2013 at 10:06 am

     Hi Wayne

     The popularity of the posts is measured by the number of page views, not comments. As can be seen with Helen Kelly’s post there were few comments but a large number of views. Her post was obviously of an issue of significance.

     I challenge you and BLiP to debate line by line his analysis of Key’s statements to see if the assertion is correct or not …

     In an MMP environment the Labour Green block is the equivalent of the National block. Check out on election night if Labour and Green get 47% and National gets 43% there will very probably be a change of Government.
     • geoff 6.2.1

       27 December 2013 at 10:17 am

       I challenge you and BLiP to debate line by line his analysis of Key’s statements to see if the assertion is correct or not …

       As if he ever would.

       Apparently John Key’s history of lying doesn’t actually make him a liar. That was just him lying, quite different from him being a liar…..apparently.
   • RedLogix 6.3

     27 December 2013 at 10:53 am

     I understand why that is the case under MMP. But I would suggest in the public mind, that if National gets 45% and the Labour gets 35%, they are not going to be seen as the equivalent. National will be seen by much of the public as having the right to have first crack at forming government.

     I’m curious to know exactly where you got this “first crack at forming a government” rule from Wayne?

     Because immediately after an election all parties are in exactly the same position – either they can negotiate to be part of the government, or they become part of the opposition – in one form or another. Our electoral laws and constitution are quite plain on this matter.

     It’s disappointing hearing someone of your experience Wayne plainly pre-figuring the Nats plan if they don’t have the numbers after 2014; that they intend on smearing the government as a “coalition of losers”.
     • Lanthanide 6.3.1

       27 December 2013 at 12:18 pm

       I do really wonder where this bizarre idea of “first crack at forming government” comes from.

       The process (as much as it can be called a ‘process’) is necessarily carried out in parallel. The parties don’t all line up like kids in a school ground waiting to be picked for the rugby team.
       • Tracey 6.3.1.1

         27 December 2013 at 12:23 pm

         It comes from an ideological position that only understands “we won, so now we get to do whatever we like, cos we won. Did we mention we won? “
         • Lanthanide 6.3.1.1.1

           27 December 2013 at 4:25 pm

           Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense, because forming the government is the bar by which “you won”, not whatever number of seats you might have happened to win.
           • Draco T Bastard 6.3.1.1.1.1

             27 December 2013 at 4:37 pm

             What’s making sense got to do with anything that National says?
   • Anne 6.4

     27 December 2013 at 11:29 am

     NZ’ers, by and large, (Standardnista’s excepted) do not think that the PM is an inveterate liar, and also why Labour will not be able to run a campaign on that theme.

     Two points.

     1) Nz’ers are increasingly coming to the view Key is a liar. In recent months I’ve heard it openly expressed by some non-politically aware people I know. Interestingly, it was after the Dotcom/GCSB fiasco that I noted the change which is a tad amusing given John Key claims nobody cared about it.

     2) The boot’s on the other foot now Wayne. For years we had to put up with rwnjs screaming “Helen Clark’s a liar”. No way would she hold the position she does today if she was that way inclined. Nevertheless, I don’t recall any Nat./Act MPs making any attempt to correct the claim about Clark, so don’t expect Lab./Green MPs to be of any assistance re-Key. They don’t have to run a campaign on that theme either because the view is already well and truly out there…
     • weka 6.4.1

       27 December 2013 at 12:27 pm

       “NZ’ers, by and large, (Standardnista’s excepted) do not think that the PM is an inveterate liar…”

       What are you basing that statment on Wayne?
       • Tracey 6.4.1.1

         27 December 2013 at 12:40 pm

         Perhaps his “evidence” is the polling which shows that if you spend your money wisely you can tell lies and/or mislead and the people will still love you because your wool pulling is of superior quality. In my opinion Wayne is confusing the concept of someone telling mistruths with the concept of covering them well enough that the public dont know they are being misled.

         Of note is the use of the adverb by Wayne, inveterate. It seems he has moved from stating the PM is not a liar to a qualification of the statement. he lies, but it is not ingrained, so it’s ok. i suspect a career in politics and around spin doctors and those who agree with you makes one begin to believe their rationalisations of their fibs…

         Inveterate

         having a particular habit, activity, or interest that is long-established and unlikely to change.
         “an inveterate gambler”
         synonyms: ingrained, deep-seated, deep-rooted, deep-set, entrenched, established, long-established, congenital

         Beware the dissonance drag

         “Cognitive dissonance is an innately human process that can muddle the ethical values of an individual without him or her even realizing that it is happening. The most basic of cognitive dissonance scenarios occurs when a person whom an individual regards highly adopts a behavior that the same individual deplores. The gulf between the individual’s admiration of the person (a positive attitude) and the individual’s objection to the behavior (a negative attitude) must be reconciled. The individual can lower his or her estimation of the person, or develop a rationalization for the conflict (the person was acting uncharacteristically due to illness, stress, or confusion), or reduce the disapproval of the behavior.

         This is why misbehavior by leaders and other admired role models is potentially very harmful on a large scale: by creating dissonance, it creates a downward drag on societal norms by validating unethical behavior. Tortured or inexplicable defenses of otherwise clearly wrong behavior in public dialogue are often the product of cognitive dissonance.”

         http://www.ethicsscoreboard.com/rb_fallacies.html from Ethics Fallacies Myths Distortions and Rationalizations
       • veutoviper 6.4.1.2

         27 December 2013 at 12:54 pm

         Wayne has obviously not been reading the comments on the Herald opinion pieces over recent months. IMO there has been a definite shift in the comments (and the number of likes) well away from the previous fawning idolisation of Key – although not in most of the opinion articles themselves (eg Armstrong etc).
   • Tracey 6.5

     27 December 2013 at 12:22 pm

     Are you saying this was the first time you had viewed it, today Wayne?
   • weka 6.6

     27 December 2013 at 12:26 pm

     “Now I realize there is nothing in the law that says that the largest party has first option, but you can see why Shane Jones keeps talking about the importance of Labour being north of 40%, even if that was largely at the expense of the Greens. He is clearly concerned about moral mandates.”

     TIme for you and other NZers who don’t yet get it: it’s MMP. There is nothing morally wrong with Labour and the GP forming a block and forming govt ahead of National. Many left wing voters understand this and vote accordingly. Time for the right to get with it.
     • Tracey 6.6.1

       27 December 2013 at 12:51 pm

       And yet they “get” the gifting of a seat to create a partner???
   • North 6.7

     27 December 2013 at 2:36 pm

     Keep on beating that drum of National Party ‘entitlement’ Wayne. I grant you’ve not expressed definitively as to percentages in 2014 but entitlement is your subtext.

     Ever contemplated a ‘finding out’ coming along Wayne ? I guess not. There’s the entitlement I suppose. I refer to April/May next year (maybe as late as July) when Key has to answer to parliament for wilfully misleading parliament about his knowledge (detail and timing) of Kim Dotcom.

     Your response to this question: do you really believe that Paul Davison QC would permit Kim Dotcom to be as bold as he has been before the event if his claims weren’t ultimately provable ? Clean hands and all that………

     Further question – you’re sure that the topic of this NBR article will never filter down far enough ?

     http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/nz-politics-daily-honesty-bigger-issue-cronyism-ck-138154
   • Draco T Bastard 6.8

     27 December 2013 at 4:31 pm

     And of most of the BLiP list is actually interpretation,

     Ah, the old No, you misinterpreted what he said defense of the leader.

     And the answer to that is, No we fucken didn’t. When Key says two things that directly contradict each other then, at best, one of those things he said was a lie and that’s happened quite a lot in that list if BLiP’s.

     But I would suggest in the public mind, that if National gets 45% and the Labour gets 35%, they are not going to be seen as the equivalent. National will be seen by much of the public as having the right to have first crack at forming government.

     And out comes the BS about being the bigger party and thus must form the government. Having the largest vote doesn’t give any sort of moral mandate to form the government – that only belongs to the party or parties that can form a majority of the vote which is unlikely to be National.
   • Murray Olsen 6.9

     27 December 2013 at 7:47 pm

     Geez Wayne, thanks for explaining about Sealord Jones and his morals. I always thought his dislike of the Greens may have had something to do with his desire to get his fingers into a few mining profits in Northland. I am happy to stand corrected, unless this is the morality you are talking about?
   • BLiP 6.10

     29 December 2013 at 12:01 am

     ‘

     WINRAR!!!

     What a nice surprise to come home to after a Christmas. We spent a few days out in the boondocks without even constant electricity let along internet access or cell phone coverage. The “tech detox” was quite enjoyable, for the first couple of days. But now I’m back and I see there is already another item to add to “the list”.

     I have repreatedly asked for people to challenge items on the list of John Key’s lies. I did get a few such challenges, I even took a couple off the list when I couldn’t DOX the statements with adequate references, and I dropped the “I am a Christian / Jew / Agnostic” lies because of the discomfort it caused some readers. I stand by each and every item on the list as a blatant lie even if some can be referred to as “brain fade” – the “I was doing School C at that time” one being an example of such. The idea that there are some on the list which are “subject to interpretation” is itself propaganda and I am in no doubt that most New Zealanders believe their Prime Minister is a flat out liar. The trouble with that message, though, is that generally speaking, most people I have talked to about it seem to believe that being a liar is acceptable and, pretty much, de rigueur for any politician. Such is the level of cynicism within the electorate.

     Once again, I request that if any items on the list of John Key’s lies is incorrect or “a matter of interpretation” then, please, let me know and I will happily either remove said item or prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that it was a lie.

     Here, for handy reference, is the current list:

     I promise to always be honest

     we are not going to sack public servants, the attrition rate will reduce costs

     there’s no way one in five New Zealanders will lose their jobs

     we are not going to cut working for families

     I firmly believe in climate change and always have

     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.

     National Ltd™ will provide a consistent incentive for both biofuel and biodiesel by exempting them from excise tax or road user charges

     I didn’t know about The Bretheren election tactics

     If they came to us now with that proposal [re trans-Tasman Therapeutic Goods regime], we will sign it

     I can’t remember my position on the 1981 Springbok Tour

     Tranzrail shares

     I did not mislead the House (1)

     Lord Ashcroft

     National Ltd™ would not have sent troops into Iraq

     Standard & Poors credit downgrade

     the double-down grade doesn’t really matter and its only about private sector debt

     I did not mislead the House (2)

     I didn’t say I want wages to drop

     I can’t remember why I voted against increasing the minimum wage

     lifting the minimum wage to $15 an hour will increase unemployment

     the real rate of inflation is 3.3 percent.

     the tourism sector has not lost 7,000 jobs

     no I have never heard of Whitechapel

     I won’t raise GST

     people who are on the average wage and have a child are $48 a week better off after the rise in GST

     the purchase of farmland, by overseas buyers will be limited to ten farms per purchase

     the Pike River Mine was consented to under a Labour Government

     no promises were made to get the remains of the miners out of the Pike River mine

     I did not provide a view on the safety of the Pike River coalmine

     I did not mislead the House (3)

     capping, not cutting the public service

     raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour will cost 6000 jobs

     north of $50 a week

     privatisation won’t significantly help the economy

     wave goodbye to higher taxes, not your loved ones

     I never offered Brash a diplomatic job in London

     Tariana Turia is “totally fine” with the Tuhoe Treaty Claim deal

     Kiwisaver

     National Ltd™ is not going to radically reorganise the structure of the public sector

     tax cuts won’t require additional borrowing

     New Zealand does not have a debt problem

     New Zealand troops in Afghanistan will only be involved in training, not fighting

     the wage gap between New Zealand and Australia has closed under my National Ltd™ government

     It took 9 years for Labour to make a complete and utter mess of the economy

     National Ltd™ has changed the Overseas Investment Act to include 19 different criteria

     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

     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

     our SAS soldiers were not involved in the Kabul Hotel gunfight

     the use of the Vela brother’s helicopter was required so I could attend meetings relating to national/international security concerns

     the DPS makes the decision about accompanying the Prime Minister or not, I had no choice but to take them on holiday to Hawaii

     I did not mislead the House (4)

     oh, maybe our SAS soldiers were in the Kabul hotel gun fight but they weren’t wounded by friendly fire

     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?

     10,000 houses will have to be demolished in Christchurch due to the earthquake

     14,000 new apprentices will start training over the next five years, over and above the number previously forecast

     our amendments to the ETS ensure we will continue to do our fair share internationally

     we are committed to honouring our Kyoto Protocol obligations

     any changes to the ETS will be fiscally neutral

     New Zealand has grown for eight of the last nine quarters”

     National Ltd™ will tender out the government banking contract

     we will be back in surplus by 2014-15

     Nicky Hager’s book “Other People’s Wars” is a work of fiction

     unemployment is starting to fall

     we have created 60,000 jobs

     we have created 45,000 jobs

     the 2011 Budget will create in the order of 170,000 jobs

     I don’t know if I own a vineyard

     no, I did not mislead the House (5)

     the Isreali spy killed in the Christchurch quake had “only one” passport

     the Police will not need to make savings by losing jobs

     I voted to keep the drinking age at 20

     New Zealand is 100% Pure

     I’ve been prime minister for four years, and it’s really 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year

     baseball in New Zealand is attracting more government support

     the decision to buy brand new BMWs was made by the Department of Internal Affairs without reference either to their minister or to me

     I didn’t have a clue that Ministerial Services, which I am in charge of, was going to buy brand new BMWs

     even though four of my ministers knew all about it, I didn’t have a clue that brand new BMWs were being bought.

     even though my Chief of Staff met with officials to discuss purchase of the the brand new BMWs, I didn’t have a clue

     even though I personally signed papers discussing the matter, I still didn’t have a clue

     Labour forced us into buying the brand new BMWs, its their fault

     ummm, look, sorry about that BMW thing , it was because I was so upset

     I did not describe David Beckam as thick as batshit

     I did not mislead the House (6)

     the public demanded that we change the labour laws for The Hobbit

     “The Hobbit” created 3000 new jobs

     we have delivered 800 extra doctors in the public service

     I did not mislead the House (7)

     I wasn’t working at Elders when the sham foreign exchange deals took place

     I was starting School Certificate exams in 1978

     I don’t know who arrived on the CIA jet to visit the spies I am responsible for

     reducing barriers to property developers will increase the availability of affordable housing

     Labour left the economy in poor shape

     forecasts show unemployment will fall

     we have closed the wage gap with Australia by $27

     Ngati Porou and Whanau Apanui are not opposed to mining

     I have not had any meetings with Media Works

     our [NZ’s] terms of trade remain high

     the TPPA is an example of democracy

     the TPPA will still have to be ratified by Parliament

     National Ltd™ will use the proceeds of state asset sales to invest in other public assets, like schools and hospitals

     New Zealand troops will be out of Afghanistan by April 2013

     overseas investment in New Zealand adds to what New Zealanders can invest on their own

     overseas investment in New Zealand creates jobs, boosts incomes, and helps the economy grow

     National Ltd™ will build 2000 houses over the next two years

     there are only 4 New Zealand SAS soldiers in Bamiyan and all working in the area of logistics and planning only

     selling state assets will give cash equity to those companies

     the Sky City deal will provide 1000 construction jobs and 800 casino jobs

     all five bidders for the convention centre were treated equally

     my office has had no correspondence, no discussions, no involvement with the Sky City deal

     I did not mislead the House (8)

     I can’t remember what was discussed at my meeting with the SkyCity Chief Executive on 14 May 2009

     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

     there was nothing improper about the Sky City deal

     SkyCity will only get “a few more” pokie machines at the margins

     any changes to gambling regulations will be subject to a full public submission process

     Sky City has approached TVNZ about the purchase/use of government-owned land

     I did not mislead the House (9)

     this government has been very transparent about all its dealings with SkyCity

     I did not mislead the House (10)

     the Auditor General has fully vindicated National over the Sky City deal

     I did not mislead the House (11)

     the Deputy Auditor General supports the view that there was nothing inappropriate about the Sky City deal

     I did not mislead the House (12)

     I did not breach the confidentiality of the Auditor General’s Report into the Sky City deal

     the Labour Government did exactly the same sort of deal back in 2001

     Labour has promised to not revoke the Sky City legislation

     there’s a 50/50 chance the Hobbit is going off shore unless we do something

     David Shearer has signed up for the purchase of shares in Mighty River

     Solid Energy asked the government for a $1 billion capital investment

     fracking has been going safely on in Taranaki for the past 30 years without any issues

     no frontline positions will be lost at DOC

     Iain Rennie came to me and recommended Fletcher for the GCSB job

     I told Cabinet that I knew Ian Fletcher

     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

     I told Iain Rennie I would contact Fletcher

     I haven’t seen Ian Fletcher in a long time.

     I did not mislead the House (13)

     I have no reason to doubt at this stage that Peter Dunne did not leak the GCSB report

     I called directory service to get Ian Fletcher’s number

     the new legislation narrows the scope of the GCSB

     the GCSB has been prevented from carrying out its functions because of the law governing its functions

     because the opposition is opposed the GCSB law ammendments, parliamentary urgency is required

     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

     it was always the intent of the GCSB Act to be able to spy on New Zealanders on behalf of the SIS and police

     National Ltd™ is not explanding the activities of the GCSB with this new law

     cyber terrorists have attempted to gain access to information about weapons of mass destruction held on New Zealand computers

     the law which says the GCSB cannot spy on New Zealanders is not clear

     it totally incorrect that the Government effectively through GCSB will be able to wholesale spy on New Zealanders

     we self identified that there was a problem with the GCSB spying on Kim Dotcom

     the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was an isolated incident

     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

     the Ministerial Warrant signed by Bill English did not cover anything up

     first I heard I heard about Kim Dotcom was on 19 January 2012

     first I heard about the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom was in 17 September

     I did not mislead the House (14)

     I won’t be discussing Kim Dotcom during my Hollywood visit.

     The Human Rights Commission couldn’t get its submission on the GCSB legislation in on time.

     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

     critics of the GCSB legislation, including the Law Society, the Human Rights Commission, and the Privacy Commission, are all uninformed

     no, I did not mislead the House (15)

     I do not know how Mr Henry is conducting the Enquiry

     no, I did not mislead the House (16)

     the Henry Enquiry had permission to view Ministers’ emails

     no, I did not mislead the House (??)

     we do not spy on journalists

     the passing of phone records to the Henry Enquiry was an error on the part of a contractor

     I wasn’t aware that my own Chief of Staff was instructing Parliamentary Services to hand over information concerning journalist Andrea Vance

     National Ltd™ has never tried to impinge on the role of the media

     I had nothing to do with information on a journalist being handed over to the inquiry into the leaking of the GCSB report

     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

     I have the utmost respect for the media and the role it plays in New Zealand’s democracy

     the Henry Enquiry did not access a journalist’s building-access records

     the Henry Enquiry did not ask for phone and email records

     no, I did not mislead the House (17)

     the Greens are opposed to the GCSB and the SIS even existing

     the GCSB needs to spy on New Zealanders because there are al-Qaeda terrorists in New Zealand

     John Minto is in the Green Party

     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

     the GCSB Bill does not give the GCSB the power to look at the content of communications as part of its cyber-security functions

     no, I did not mislead the House (18)

     there will be no mining on Conservation land in the Corromendel

     no, I did not say we would follow the US and Australia into a war against North Korea

     New Zealand has an arrangement to have asylum seekers processed in Australian detention camps

     I did not mislead the house (19)

     I paid for that lunch and I’ve got the credit card bill to prove it

     I am honest and upfront

     the only way net new jobs can be created is by private investors putting their money into businesses in New Zealand

     you can’t hide if yuu’re Prime Minister

     an increase in the number of people looking for work indicates that confidence is returning to the economy

     the 10 percent of taxpayers in New Zealand who are the top earners pay 76 percent of all net personal tax.

     I did not mislead the House (20)

     the substantial wage growth under Labour was eroded by inflation

     National Ltd™’s 2010 tax changes were fiscally neutral

     I did not mislead the House (21)

     the bulk of New Zealanders earn between $45,000 and $75,000 a year

     Pike River Coal did not put profits and its production ahead of the safety and lives of those 29 workers.

     Radio Live had sought advice from the Electoral Commission about my show just before the election

     it is because of National Ltd™’s policies that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has dropped.

     the length-of-the-country cycleway will create 4000 jobs.

     police training for next year has not been cancelled

     National Ltd™ has only cut back-office jobs in the health service

     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.”

     National believes employment law should treat all parties fairly. It should . . . Protect employees and employers.

     I am not trying to tackle such issues in a “fearful” way ahead of the next election

     Wellington City is dying.

     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

     the best way to get growth in the economy is to reduce public debt

     New Zealand mum and dad investors will be our number one priority in the allocation of Mighty River shares

     we won’t let “cowboy” oil exploration companies operate here in New Zealand

     the Green Party is racist by not allowing Chinese residents in New Zealand to buy a house

     the Labour Party is promising a four-bedroom house in Auckland for $300,000

     the food in schools programme is in the 2013 budget

     the meat exports are being held up in China because of issues in relation to the Chinese looking to trace counterfeit meat

     its notoriously difficult to win three elections in a row

     I am deeply concerned about every child in New Zealand who is in poverty

     there is no manufacturing crisis in New Zealand

     the government’s exposure to MediaWorks’ going into receivership is reasonably limited

     the money from the sale of state assets will not be used to prop up Solid Energy

     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.

     The vast majority of the buildings in Christchurch came through the earthquakes in good shape

     the commemoration of New Zealand’s involvement in the Korean War will not be used to bolster trade talks

     third generation Chinese New Zealanders will be required to present their passport before buying a house under the Labour government

     the Labour housing policy is an attempt by David Shearer to save his leadership

     the Labour housing policy is in breach of free trade agreements

     only 2% of the proceeds of the sale of Mighty River will be spent on the sales process

     David Cunliffe is lying to you

     Labour wants to nationalise the super market industry

     The government will engage in no further negotiations with Rio Tinto

     Without a government subsidy of hundreds of millions of dollars Chorus will go broke

     No, I did not mislead the House (??)

     the justice system is already adequate for handling situations involving new evidence

     my Minister Nick Smith was not aware of the content of the leaked draft submission on the Ruataniwha situation until 17 September

     New Zealand First will nationalise a host of industries and businesses

     I have no responsibility for the statements I make

     Mark Mitchell was just gossiping at a cocktail party when he tipped Webster off about Len Brown’s affair

     it was a lack of external analysis and accountability which put Solid Energy into its debt crisis

     the Commerce Commission misinterpreted the law when deciding the price for access to the Chorus copper infrastructure

     no analyist predicted that the cost of access to the copper infrastructure would go down

     there has been only one problem with oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico

     If it was my vote, it would be no pay increases for Mps

     Greenpeace are just scare mongering about any oil leaks off the New Zealand coast

     For every election for the last five elections , we have had royal visitors to New Zealand.

     No decision has been made on the timing of the sale of Air New Zealand shares

     . . . bring it on.
     • mickysavage 6.10.1

       29 December 2013 at 7:28 am

       Thanks again BLiP. Wayne, just say the word and I can set up a separate post where you and BLiP and others can argue the accuracy of his list to your heart’s content …
       • Rogue Trooper 6.10.1.1

         29 December 2013 at 12:30 pm

         holding one’s breath can turn one blue
7. Tracey 7

   27 December 2013 at 10:16 am

   Is that your last party political broadcast on behalf of the national party for 2013 wayne?

   Key is clever to make sure his lies are not so blatant wayne and he and his writers rely on your conveniently narrow definition of lie. Lets substitue deliberately misleading or the other option which is lazy and stupid… eg in the bmw bs
8. Tracey 8

   27 December 2013 at 10:20 am

   Rofl @ at the newly coined notion of moral mandate. Apparently the rights effort to reclaim fpp by stealth. Nats appear able to apply morality to efforts to gain power but little else.
   • Paul 8.1

     27 December 2013 at 10:35 am

     Press the reply button to keep thread sequential!
9. Tracey 9

   27 December 2013 at 10:43 am

   Paul. No reply option on mobile
   • lprent 9.1

     27 December 2013 at 10:46 am

     Good point. I must get back to that before I disappear to the deepest south…
10. phillip ure 10

    27 December 2013 at 11:03 am

    a thumbs’-up to that number one..

    ..i have posted it/linked to it (again).

    ..and how about listing the most commented-on..?

    ..that could also be of some interest..

    ..phillip ure..
11. Will@Welly 11

    27 December 2013 at 12:40 pm

    I thought I had a good memory on Key’s lies, but BLiP’s list is amazing. I’d like to see that run as full page ads in all the daily’s closer to the elections next year. I wrote to Goff after the last election, when Goff called Key a liar in that first debate, Key was stung, he had no comeback, because he knew Goff was right. The arseh**e of a man.
    If Labour/Greens/Mana do win next year, and by God I hope they do, expect National to pull every dirty trick out of the book. Even in the lead up to the election, as we’ve seen with Len Brown, they’ll be trolling through the rubbish bins and waste skips looking for any bit of damning evidence to hang on Labour or any potential coalition partner.
    As for Wayne’s comments that National will want/deserve first crack at forming a Government next time around if the two sides are roughly level-pegging, it just shows how conceited the Tories are. What next, should we allow them to print a few extra votes to get them over the line? Come on Wayne, what kind of banana democracy are you living in? Oh, that’s right, John Keys!!
    • Tracey 11.1

      27 December 2013 at 1:11 pm

      His list, from memory is not even complete… The whole Len Brown thing has shown that even though people say they expect politicians ot lie or whatever, they actually dont like it when it is blatantly exposed…. is it because individually those voters feel they have been made a mug? If so, cherry pick the porkies very carefully with key…

      find the audio ones, and get them youtube bound and viral…
    • alwyn 11.2

      27 December 2013 at 1:39 pm

      In fact the only politician who has recently advocated the view that that the largest, in terms of number of seats, party has a moral right to have first crack at forming a Government is Winston Peters. As he may be the one to be the king-maker after the election his views probably need to be considered. On the other hand Weasel Winnie has never allowed anything he said yesterday to affect what he is going to do or say today.
      In terms of trolling through rubbish bins, I was not aware that the National Party had been accused of trolling through Len Brown’s bin. John Key, in particular seems to have remained entirely neutral on the subject of Len and his various pecadillos. The only examples of going through the rubbish bins was in 2008 when the Labour Party supporters did it to the rubbish fron Key’s electorate office.
      Mike Williams, then Labout Party President got pretty close when he tripped off to Australia in the middle of the campaign on his fiasco of an attempt to smear Key. He went of promising to find an H-homb and came back with a great big fat zero for his efforts.
      • Will@Welly 11.2.1

        27 December 2013 at 2:09 pm

        Alwyn – my little piece of shyster profanity, what occurred to a certain starlet being coerced into revealing details of her torrid affair with the Mayor to his main rival in a moon-lite carpark is the equivalent of trolling through the rubbish bins at midnight.
        Blubber-oil ranted as if this was the story to end all stories, now we see the quislings on the Council chattering like Quasimodo.
        As for John Key, nothing happens in the right blogosphere without the say so of some senior National Party official. They don’t want anything turning rogue, not even some dim-witted pug like you alwyn. And Key’s “dirty little secrets”, in the fullness of time, they will be revealed. Money can buy silence, but only for so long.
12. Grumpy 12

    27 December 2013 at 1:30 pm

    Proud to have done my bit. I believe it is the quality of the comments that generates page hits. Looking to refining my technique in the New Year……
13. Tracey 13

    27 December 2013 at 1:37 pm

    I am looking forward to that too grumpy.

    have a healthy and happy 2014
    • Grumpy 13.1

      27 December 2013 at 1:49 pm

      Cheers Tracey…..
14. ecossemaid 14

    27 December 2013 at 8:43 pm

    There can be, but only one outcome to the general election in 2014, surely? A huge Labour landslide and National exiled to become microbe life (just) on Mars? Surely a party thats inficted draconian polices on the poor, vunerable, welfare, healthcare, anything else that moves and trying to sell us stuff we already own is destined for oblivion? Surely Mr Keys should be packing his suit case, ready to join the other failed right wing nutcases of the world at “Fascist View Retirement Home”? Other residents include Mitt Rommel (Usa) Paul Von Ryan (Usa) and in transit Cameron (Uk) & Abbott (Aus) surely? Yet “Are You Thinking What I Am Dreading”? That Nationals recipe for electoral success will be appauling electoral tactics that appeal to the lowest common denomantor & predjudices in people, add a huge chunk of voter apathy, sprinkle with loads of smoke, mirrors & chicanery…Put said menu in the oven to cook into the publics mind for the next year and add huge dollops of dubious cash donations to campaign..et Voila! One National Victory! Please some one? Tell me I am niave, stupid, and The National Night Mare After Christmas is not going to happen? Plse!
15. greywarbler 15

    29 December 2013 at 7:16 pm

    And further to the link above to Blips April post. These also are comprehensive lists that he has compiled and we can bring them forward regularly in 2014 as I am sure they will be still on the spot, age shall not wither them etc.

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20052013/#comment-635333

    http://thestandard.org.nz/the-king-stay-the-king-the-pawns-in-the-game-they-get-capped-quick/#comment-631772

    Blip 1.3.1.1.1
    1 September 2013 at 3:00 pm
    But wait . . . there’s more: http://thestandard.org.nz/liar/#comment-685886

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1. The ten most commented on posts for 2013 - The Standard: posted on 31 December 2013 at 10:10 am

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