The states of John Key – Avoidance

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, July 26th, 2010 - 8 comments
Categories: john key - Tags:

Fifth of a series by Guest poster Blue.

It struck some as strange that Key refused to go on Morning Report after the Budget. A Prime Minister refusing to front their government’s Budget is practically unheard of. The Budget is the cornerstone of a Government it’s their political and financial plan for the next year, it’s a critical confidence vote in Parliament, and it’s something the whole country is interested in and affected by. The pressure was on, because Labour had been getting a lot of traction with their framing of it as a Budget for the rich. This was a prime opportunity for Key to rebut this, and he turned it down. It’s highly unlikely he had something more important to do. He has turned down several requests this year to go on Morning Report, steering well clear of formidable interviewer Sean Plunket.

Key doesn’t like explaining himself. He refused to give a reason for sacking a minister, Richard Worth, back in 2009, an oddity noted by many media.  To sack a minister of the Crown without any explanation to the people that he and the minister in question were supposed to serve does not conform to the high standards of honesty and transparency Key promised his Government would hold themselves to.

His behaviour during Question Time in Parliament is typically arrogant, defensive and dismissive. Question Time is where the Government is meant to be held to account, but getting Key to take a question seriously is a rare event. He usually responds with a flippant remark directed at the person who asked the question, a practice he has been pulled up on more than once by Speaker Lockwood Smith.

Blue

Series posts

The states of John Key Quantum uncertainty
The states of John Key The drivers
The states of John Key The Salesman
The states of John Key – Flexible in telling the truth
The states of John Key – Avoidance

8 comments on “The states of John Key – Avoidance ”

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  1. Herbert 1
    26 July 2010 at 4:24 pm

    Thanks for these posts. For a long time now my answer to why John and co seem to lacking in substance is that really do not believe in anything. However, I now think that a better way of looking at it is that they really do not want to know what they believe in. Avoidence explains their need for long holidays, lack of attention to detail, flippancy, arrogance, constant movement, need for success stories (manufactured or otherwise) and lack of empathy. Put another way, he really does not want to look too carefully at what he is doing. He really does not want to know the impact of his policies are having on people and the environment. He really does not want to acknowledge the pain and hurt of the victims of the decisions that he and his friends make.
    All of which suggests a few things to me. 1) The implosion, when it happens, will be painful to watch. 2) It must take an incredible amount of energy to sustain the denial and avoidance 3) The path forward for those of us who want a different world is to continue to be artitulate (do the reasearch) voices for those who are unable to speak in our society. 4) create policy and political actions that privilage the weakest and most vulnerable. (I suspect that it is the loss of empathy in our public discourse which one of the worst aspects of current debates).
    The vulnerability in Key and co is in the very thing they want to avoid, the real human and environemental costs. The challange is not to use this vulnerability to attack Key but rather to promote a more inclusive and compassionate society.

  2. comedy 2
    26 July 2010 at 4:51 pm

    artitulate – great word – describes the pollies efforts during speaking time brilliantly.

  3. Margaret 3
    26 July 2010 at 5:39 pm

    I sing this to the tune of “I’m a lumberjack & I’m okay’ that TV add, with blokes, chainsaws and pink stockings! Explains a lot.

    I’m a millionaire and I’m okay
    Don’t have to worry about anyone else.
    I sleep all night, I’m PM by day
    And Crosby and Textor tell me what to say.

    Authoritarian Daddy State,
    that’s my job, to put it in place.
    We’ll cut the workers to the bone
    We’ll arm the Police as they oppose,
    We’ll load them up with massive debt
    we’ll have indentured labour for years and years.

    Next verse anyone?

  4. Ian 4
    26 July 2010 at 6:24 pm

    This is Johns favourite state. Thanks for these posts.

  5. loota 5
    26 July 2010 at 6:45 pm

    CEOs have to answer to shareholders but once a year, why should Jonkey give the NZ public any more chances than that?

    • comedy 5.1
      26 July 2010 at 6:59 pm

      The pollies only answer to the public once every three years and then only to lie to them.

      They need to bring back the Whittaker’s good honest chocolate adds that lampooned MPs

  6. tc 6
    27 July 2010 at 7:16 am

    No surprises the States of Sideshow read like the ‘MUST HAVE’ attributes of a Job definition for the required front person of an organisation that operates on the fringes of morality/equality/legality.

    It’s his flippancy over serious issues and lack of skill in the house (on his own and marshalling his troops) that galls most people I talk to who voted for him (sucked in people!) as his senior ministers to a tee all personify arrogance/inexperience/outright stupidity so where do they go in seeking some form of solace on their ill cast vote……to another party….any one just not NACT.

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