Tough couple of weeks for Key

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, March 28th, 2016 - 81 comments
Categories: john key - Tags: , ,

The last two weeks have been pretty tough for Key.

Nicky Hager was vindicated:

Yesterday, the New Zealand Police informed Nicky Hager through their counsel that they are electing not to appeal the decision of the High Court given in December last year. That decision held that the Police’s search of Mr Hager’s home had been “fundamentally unlawful”.

The Jihadi brides lie was exposed:

The jihadi brides affair is extremely damaging for the Government. It raises serious questions about the accuracy of claims made by John Key, SIS boss Rebecca Kitteridge and Security Intelligence Minister Chris Finlayson.

Key paid out Bradley Ambrose:

Anyone who thinks John Key’s backdown over the teapot tapes isn’t a huge deal to him personally clearly can’t have been on the election trail at the time.

Key defended, but then had to back down on using taxpayer finds for the payout:

Key yesterday admitted he was wrong and agreed to pay Ambrose’s legal costs.

So why are we still paying Key’s legal expenses?

However – and fatally for Key’s position – that clause 5(d)(ii) also says that the following do not count as valid parliamentary business :

(ii) work directly related to the administration or management of a political party; or (iii) electioneering

Which is what the Tea Party meeting was more about, and what Key –wearing his hat as leader of the National Party – was actually engaged in doing.
…
Yet here’s the core problem : to allow Key to put this defamation case on the public tab, the Speaker would, in effect, be condoning the use of the leaders’ parliamentary budget as an electioneering slush fund.

Key’s systematic attacks on the media were questioned:

But there has been an edge to the PM’s attacks on freelance journalists Bradley Ambrose, Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager, and the NZ Council for Civil Liberties sees a trend. Incidents involving the three freelancers questioning the Government have led to costly legal action. Ambrose took a defamation action against the PM and Stephenson sued the head of the Defence Force. Private individuals have had to pay heavily to fight the power of the state, which is funded by taxpayers.

“The Government is putting journalists on notice,” said Council for Civil Liberties chairman Thomas Beagle. “If they say the wrong things or follow the wrong stories, the Government will attack them in the courts and in the media to undermine their credibility, attack their character, and damage their livelihood.”

A Roy Morgan poll put Winston as Kingmaker:

“Today’s Roy Morgan New Zealand Poll shows the lead for National 46% (down 2.5% since February) at its smallest over a potential Labour/ Greens alliance 42% (up 0.5%) since September 2015. As the results tighten, this brings the centrist party, NZ First 9% (up 3%) into the equation as potential ‘king-makers’ able to determine who would form New Zealand’s next Government and be Prime Minister after the next New Zealand Election – due late next year.

Key lost the flag referendum:

Prime Minister John Key says he is disappointed New Zealanders have voted to keep the current flag but has promised his Government will not revisit the issue.

The world noticed:

After $17 Million, Ponytail-Pulling New Zealand Prime Minister Loses Flag Referendum

And just to cap it all off, Duncan Garner pointed out the difference between popularity and significance:

The flagging fortunes of a leader chasing a legacy
…
For all the talk of nanny state and voters eventually turning toxic on Helen Clark she can look back on her time in power with pride. She set a clear path and used every inch of her formidable personality to make things happen.

John Key may still be swamped with selfie requests in shopping malls, but that’s not the definition of a great leader. Key has enjoyed a tonne of political capital and the disappointing thing is that he hasn’t used it for any meaningful, lasting project. Surely that’s not good enough for a man driven by a deep ambition.

Almost enough to make me feel sorry for the man.

81 comments on “Tough couple of weeks for Key ”

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  1. Keith 1
    28 March 2016 at 8:26 am

    But for all that, and let’s not forget the air of corruption that permeates the National Party but has been kept off the front pages, donations, pay offs, dodgy ministers, their smear machine that not only lies but ruins and does so much damage; the muppets (Keys honest appraisal term for New Zealanders) will have only noticed that:

    . My house is still going up in value
    . Interest rates are getting lower and there’s a ton of cheap money sloshing round, but who cares why or how you pay it back
    . Hospitality is relatively cheap (thanks to cheap labour)
    . John Key is relaxed
    . We got to participate in a democratic flag referendum thingy that hogged the headlines

    So it’s “steady as she goes”, “safe pair of hands” and more than ever, put those blinkers on, bury your head in the sand, don’t engage ones brain and ask questions about the if’s or whys!

    • AmaKiwi 1.1
      28 March 2016 at 9:00 am

      The worst news for National is the overseas trend against incumbents (i.e., Sanders and Trump).

      The rebellious voters are angry because they have gone backwards. They will never have the same lifestyle their parents had. They are in dead end jobs. They will never own their own house. They can barely afford a car. They are buried under a mountain of debt.

      Why should 25 to 45 year old voters care about a Universal Basic Income? Even if Labour initiates it the next National government will manipulate it so the payouts are meaningless. Why should they care about the future of work if whatever work they will be doing will lead nowhere? Why should they trust an unpredictable Labour party whose caucus waffles all over the political landscape and refuses to be bound by what the voters want? (Do you imagine we have forgotten the backroom deal that made Shearer leader?)

      Labour, reset your campaign strategy. We want genuine change NOW. We want power so we can block all future governments from their rip offs and follies.

      [See this as a friendly tap on the shoulder and a ‘putting on notice’ with regards the second half of your comment. There’s a lot in the post and not one bit of it is about the Labour Party. These knee jerk reactions (and to be fair, they’re not just from you); these kicks in the head aimed at the Labour Party on thread after thread after thread for no other than reason than ‘just because’, are getting bloody tiresome. From now, on days when I’m around, I’ll be shoving the more thoughtless or habitual ‘Labour slammings’ to Open Mike. After a while I’m going to get really tired of shunting stuff over. What you reckon happens then? If you want to criticise the UBI, then do it in at least a half thoughtful way. If you have criticisms of Labour, fair enough, but again, engage brain and put forward some kind of rationale instead of these vacuous mantras of ‘Labour’s fucked/ I hate Labour’. And whatever, stop going on huge detours on threads unrelated to your pet target for abuse just so you can put the boot in.] – Bill

      • AmaKiwi 1.1.1
        29 March 2016 at 1:07 pm

        @ Bill

        Criticism accepted. An hour after I posted these comments similar thoughts crossed my mind.

        I need to be more careful about blogging before I’ve had my first cup of coffee!

  2. lprent 2
    28 March 2016 at 8:47 am

    As I have always said about you Anthony.. You are too kind hearted.

    It appears to me that we should make it that senior civil servants like John Key and defense heads should fight court cases with their personal funds (after all why else are we paying them the big bucks?) and they can be reimbursed AFTER and IF they win.

    Alternatively, we should make a requirement that all court cases are required to come to trial within something reasonable. 3 months sounds about right, and fund the courts accordingly.

    • Lanthanide 2.1
      28 March 2016 at 10:28 am

      “It appears to me that we should make it that senior civil servants like John Key and defense heads should fight court cases with their personal funds (after all why else are we paying them the big bucks?) and they can be reimbursed AFTER and IF they win.”

      That seems unreasonable. It means someone who has little capital, but holds one of these offices, could be expected to pay tens or even hundreds of thousands in legal bills, and have it reimbursed *after* if they win.

      Much more reasonable for the state to fund it up-front, and claw it back via direct payments and salary garnishing if they lose.

      • sabine 2.1.1
        28 March 2016 at 10:50 am

        Please show me the one senior civil servant like John Key that is of little capital – and please define ‘little capital’.

        Anyone who is needing to defend him/herself has access to ‘state help’, and it is little since National came and made access to it all the harder.

        So no, if we don’t have the money to feed kids, fund healthcare, fund schools, etc etc etc we sure as hell as tax payers don’t have money to fund the courtcases of men like John Key and John Banks.

        He should and could apply for legal help like every other citizens in the country, if he fits the criteria he will be given the same amount as every other citizens.

        http://www.justice.govt.nz/services/legal-help/legal-aid

        Maybe that time, men like John Key, John Banks and important NZ’lers that can’t be named think twice about the shit they do.

        • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1
          28 March 2016 at 12:57 pm

          So you are effectively saying that someone who does only have little capital should not be in one of these roles, lest they have legal proceedings against them that they then have to fund up-front themselves. Realise of course that being in these roles makes them much bigger targets for legal proceedings, and of course the nature of their job gives them more opportunities than the average person to get themselves into trouble.

          My definition of ‘little capital’ is insufficient cash in a bank account readily accessible to pay legal fees that could range in the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

          • sabine 2.1.1.1.1
            28 March 2016 at 3:04 pm

            The Taxpayer should not be made to pay for what essentially was a fraud, a set up storm in a teapot, and has proven to be so.
            The PM can pay for himself, and if he is of so little means that he can’t he can apply for legal aid.
            If the PM is accused, which he was not in this case, if I am not mistaken he accused others, who lost earnings and had a give a little page set up for him, then he can still apply for legal aid.

            how about Justice works the same for everyone?

            As for the PM being in a position where he makes himself target for legal proceedings, maybe he should just be a bit more Honest John, instead of Smiling Assasin.

            • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1.1.1
              28 March 2016 at 6:25 pm

              I’m not arguing the PM shouldn’t pay.

              I’m saying that Lynn’s requirement that the private individual fund their court case, and only have it refunded if they are found innocent, isn’t fair for the random person who may hold that office and not have financial means to pay for their court costs.

              As I noted, the people in these roles open themselves to legal challenges in a way that the average private citizen does not, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable that the state pay for their costs, and only if they are found guilty would the private citizen then have to pay the costs back.

              • sabine …
                28 March 2016 at 7:08 pm

                actually i believe that if the private citizens had to fund the case instead of the taxpayer, the private citizens may have thougth twice about it.

                the imaginary random person that may be poor like a churchmouse that could not pay for itself should first manifest itself, alas as the last few hundreds/thousands of years have shown us, it is never an imaginary random person that will past your test.

                no the rich get elected. the poor get vilified and are at fault for being poor. and the rich get their court cases and their wastefull spending paid for by the tax payer.

                Considering as well that we have legal aid precisely because poor people cant fund their cases, this imaginary poor person of yours would also have access to the governmental aid.

                And you are right, calling the Journalists to a meeting and then crying foul is surely opening oneself up to legal challenges, especially when found at fault. So if Mrs. Key and Banks would have to fund their cases by themselves they may abstain form these type of shenanigans the next time.

                • Lanthanide …
                  29 March 2016 at 12:31 am

                  Again, I’m not talking about “poor like a churchmouse”, simply someone who doesn’t have enough cash in their bank account to pay for the legal fees.

                  Unless you expect the Prime Minister to sell their house in order to fund a legal defense – and if they are found innocent, the government buys their house back for them…?

                  And you are right, calling the Journalists to a meeting and then crying foul is surely opening oneself up to legal challenges, especially when found at fault. So if Mrs. Key and Banks would have to fund their cases by themselves they may abstain form these type of shenanigans the next time.

                  Again you are fixating on these specific instances. I am talking about legal defences in general.

                  Helen Clark was done for calling that guy a murderer when he was only convicted of manslaughter – sure, she shouldn’t have said it, but I don’t think she was necessarily trying to be malicious about it. Yet she got done for it.

              • lprent …
                29 March 2016 at 9:53 am

                But effectively that is exactly what Key and the NZDF are doing.

                Ambrose had to personally and through donations fund his court case. Key did not – he got the taxpayer to fund it.

                Similarly the case Jon Stephenson brought against the head of the NZDF was personally funded, but the NZDF spent taxpayers money to fund the defense.

                A level playing judicial field would have either them both parties being funded by taxpayers or neither funded by taxpayers.

    • r0b 2.2
      28 March 2016 at 10:38 am

      I do try to be “kind hearted”. Don’t always manage it alas.

  3. pat 3
    28 March 2016 at 8:58 am

    “Almost enough to make me feel sorry for the man.”

    Almost…

    • Jenny Kirk 3.1
      28 March 2016 at 9:26 am

      Nope – I don’t feel sorry for the man, one little bit – like Lprent says rOb, you are being too too kind to him. He has brought this on himself. He doesn’t really care about NZers and has been responsible for destructive actions which badly damage our country and our people.

    • Whateva next? 3.2
      28 March 2016 at 11:17 am

      Perhaps his mates will start crowd funding for his legal fees?

  4. North 4
    28 March 2016 at 9:02 am

    I’ll bet there are those in the National Party caucus indulging a little bit of “Bloody Good Job !” re The Man-Child’s difficulties. And of course he’s rudderless when not scripted so there’ll be more difficulties. The Crosby Textor ‘Exceptionalism of John Key’ lie is falling apart.

  5. Keith 5
    28 March 2016 at 9:18 am

    It’s got to be time for another shock jock hard case prison rape gag routine in a cage perhaps for John the Relaxed. You know, slumming it with the peasants and the bogans. The focus group on that one must have been interesting,

  6. Stuart Munro 6
    28 March 2016 at 9:20 am

    When the going gets tough, the tough runs off to the States like a yeller dog.

  7. Stephen Doyle 7
    28 March 2016 at 9:27 am

    Paula/Judith/Hekia/Anne haven’t run interference recently. I wonder why?

    • Wensleydale 7.1
      28 March 2016 at 9:56 am

      Yeah, I’ve been waiting for another of Bennett’s “Beneficiaries are living the life of Riley while you poor sods toil away in the salt mines to pay for it all!” distractions. So far, nothing. Perhaps the worm is finally turning.

  8. Nick 8
    28 March 2016 at 9:28 am

    The Northland ex-mp court case starts this week, so another dodgy deal headline coming for shonKey.

  9. gsays 9
    28 March 2016 at 9:44 am

    the future ain’t too rosy either..

    winston (leader of the opposition?) opens another electoral office in northland,

    enthusiasm/awareness grows for a ubi,

    fonterra and their handsome profit contrasting with cockies woes, starts to bite,

    a normally compliant media starts to bite the hand that feeds it,

    a prominent nzer comes to trial next week,

    pressure to release information on minister ‘have i got a deal for you’ mccully and his saudi sheep shenanagins…

    thats just some of what i am allowed to be aware of.
    goodness knows what lies beneath the surface.

  10. Tautuhi 10
    28 March 2016 at 9:52 am

    Labour need to step up at the next Election, otherwise this country is F*****!!!

    • tc 10.1
      28 March 2016 at 11:37 am

      Think we pretty much have been as far as NACT could, it’s not like anythings stopping them with tppa and state housing sales being a final ‘good luck with that’.

    • Mosa 10.2
      28 March 2016 at 12:42 pm

      They are trying !
      Just need to message better
      In terms of good or bad weeks this has been great for the party with the work conference and U B I
      Keep getting back in the ring and fight harder and wear down their opponent’s
      Knock out !

  11. TheBlackKitten 11
    28 March 2016 at 9:57 am

    Winston will be doing well because of Auckland and his anti immigration policies. Auckland is over crowded and Key has done nothing about it, people’s standard of living is plummeting, they can’t afford a home and wages are low. It’s quite a depressing future, the thought of being a surf, paying high rent and working for a pittance. The rate Aucklands housing is going, it’s looking like it’s heading in the same direction as Hong Kong, very depressing.
    This high numbers of immigrants is not benefiting the average kiwi yet National is absoulently hell bent on continuing on with it. Housing issues are not just confined to Auckland, they are now spreading to regions like Tauranga and Hamilton as many Aucklanders scramble and desperately try to cling to home ownership. The problem with this is that they are inflating those markets. National is doing an appalling job for the average joe in Auckland, too much congestion, refusal to back more public transport and obsessively intent on flooding Auckland with rich Asians that encourages them to buy Aucklands limited housing through their pathetic investor scheme. The only thing I am surprised with the poll is that they are not dropping further and Winston is not doing better. If you don’t like Labour and due to the Nationsl parties incompetences, Winston will be the one those people will turn to.

    • lurgee 11.1
      28 March 2016 at 10:19 am

      The problem with this is that they are inflating those markets. National is doing an appalling job for the average joe in Auckland, too much congestion, refusal to back more public transport and obsessively intent on flooding Auckland with rich Asians that encourages them to buy Aucklands limited housing through their pathetic investor scheme.

      You are Phil Twyford and I claim my prize.

      Other than that, oh dear.

      Is the ethnicity of these alleged investors really that important. Supposing for a moment they existed, would you be happier if they were Europeans or Americans?

      • TheBlackKitten 11.1.1
        28 March 2016 at 10:29 am

        No I would not and no I am not Phil Twyford so the only prize you can claim is one for throwing out labels with no substance!
        Let’s forget about race for one second and take any political correctness out of this. How do you feel about the average person in Auckland not been in the position to afford a home and what do you feel is the cause of this? Since you feel that
        my reason is nothing but a racist one how about instead of just throwing around empty labels you actually back that accusation up with the real cause. And whilst you are at it, what would your solution be?

        • Keith 11.1.1.1
          28 March 2016 at 11:58 am

          The problems in Aucklands property market is that first home buyers are out, those with mortgages who want to retire debt are getting out of Auckland which has left NZ addicted to overseas speculators to fill the void to stop the bubble bursting. So the government of the day, the National Party, has two choices;

          1. Give a damn about kiwis who want an affordable roof over tbeir heads and small business somewhere affordable place to do business and intervene and stop overseas investors/gamblers stuffing our country up, burst the bubble but stop the long term rot

          2. Think no further than the end of their noses, classic Key, only give a damn about whats good for the National Party and do nothing as per the current programme and hope that when the bubble does burst they avoid blame. But somehow, doing nothing, except pretending you are is not a long term arse covering exercise either.

          • TheBlackKitten 11.1.1.1.1
            28 March 2016 at 2:58 pm

            But the issue is the bubble is never going to burst with such limited supply. How long have we been talking about a bust and it just never comes. Auckland is set to take another hike despite the new investor restrictions and IRD requirements. So Key can just keep getting away with it and in the meantime, young kiwis are out priced in home ownership.
            I think we have two choices, stop all immigration now or lift RMA restrictions to increase supply. Ither way the longer neither is done the bubble will never burst and will just continue to grow and hurt Kiwis even more.

            • bearded git 11.1.1.1.1.1
              28 March 2016 at 4:56 pm

              The RMA does not limit supply. That is a national party myth. Landbankers and expensive material costs and a massive level of immigration are the problem

              • TheBlackKitten …
                28 March 2016 at 5:58 pm

                If material is expensive, why are houses so much cheaper in the regions? Surly they would be paying high costs also if not more than Auckland yet houses out of Auckland are a lot to cheaper. It is the land that is costing. What is another issue is council charges for example to install a water metre on a Auckland new build costs 12k but in the Waikato region the cost is nil. What is councils excuse for this charge that can be done for free in the Waikato? Council have a lot to answer for and need through examining as their years of inefficiency and their incompetency is costing the future generation.
                I agree that land bankers are an issue but what makes it attractive for them to sit on land like flies on a pile of shit is the lack of supply just as lack of supply also makes it attractive for the rich immigrants to buy. Due to lack of supply they know dam well that the price will increase. If there was more supply there would be no guarantees that land would increase and sitting on it or buying 50 rentals would not be so attractive.
                Granted Key has managed this situation like a pile of shit re immigration but if we really want to fix this then we need to face facts in that lack of supply is an issue and lack of supply is due to RMA restrictions. This is about the future generation so we need to put aside as to if we support Labour, National or who ever and do what is right for the country. Having a whole lot of foreigners owning our housing is not the right thing for the future. Lack of supply will always generate speculation, land banking, rich foreigners and the so called baby boomer investors to housing and due to their higher purchasing power, they will always outbid the first home owner.

                • Bearded Git …
                  29 March 2016 at 10:56 am

                  Firstly, this is largely an Auckland problem. The Super City Council was put in place to sort out this kind of issue. Monumental fail so far.

                  Secondly, Immigration at 70k a year arriving in the country is equivalent to the UK taking 900k a year. Simply huge. It is a town bigger than Nelson arriving every year. That is a major reason pushing house prices up. But immigration can drop off very quickly.

                  National’s RMA reforms are proposing to stop any public notification of all residential development in rural areas supposedly to help housing supply. In fact this helps housing supply very little but helps National’s landowner mates who want to do a quick 3, 4, or 6-lot subdivision. What you need is infilling and more intense development within cities (exactly as Len Brown and his mates are proposing) and some intensive urban rezoning. Landbanking and NIMBYS are preventing these options from being effective.

                  Council’s (especially Auckland, but also in the Queenstown Lakes where I live) need to put much higher rates on property zoned for development that have not been developed after 2 years.

        • lurgee 11.1.1.2
          28 March 2016 at 5:52 pm

          What a strange response.

          I didn’t say you were racist. You decided to imagine I did. You’re the only one throwing out labels. Weirdly, at yourself.

          I imagine the average person in Auckland thinks it sucks that they are struggling to buy a home but that has been the case for years and years. But since home ownership is a petite bourgeois obsession, I don’t mind too much if people are failing to buy homes. As long as they have homes.

          My solution would be to build more state houses. Decent ones. And discourage property speculation with some suitably draconian laws and swingeing taxes on the increment and making other investment options more appealing. And discourage slumlords, while rewarding good landlords (e.g. by making upgrades and improvements to property like insulation tax deductible).

          • Stuart Munro 11.1.1.2.1
            28 March 2016 at 6:12 pm

            Landlording is perhaps a profession that should be age stratified: living off rent is despicable in a working age person – but not so much for a retiree, particularly if they leave the family home for a smaller dwelling. If tax structure favoured that, that’d be good.

            But the ethnicity of real estate speculators is significant if the group is significant. The figures showed a good chance that many buyers were foreign – a matter the Gnats had been at pains to conceal.

          • TheBlackKitten 11.1.1.2.2
            28 March 2016 at 6:28 pm

            You asked – Would I mind as much if they were European or American so yes, you have accused me of being a racist and if you don’t understand that then you obviously have an unusual understanding of the English language. Strange it is not, what it is is calling what you said for what it really is and your response of denial when it is in your previous comment in black and white for any simpleton to see and only reinforces that you really are a typical label thrower.
            Obviously you don’t have any interest in middle NZ, fine at least you are stupid enough to be honest about that and have answered my question that you don’t give a fuck about home ownership. Ok, well the only thing I can say to you is why don’t you fuck off to North Korea, they don’t believe in it there ither and I hear that the living standards are simply wonderful over there!!!

            • lurgee 11.1.1.2.2.1
              28 March 2016 at 8:16 pm

              Good Lord. What a remarkable rant.

              I didn’t call you racist. You decided to apply that label. I just thought you weren’t thinking too much in your initial post. Your statement that you would mind just as much if they were European or American shows you were being a bit lazy, needlessly dragging ethnicity into the issue. That was all, so you can take your victim hat off now.

              I have quite a lot of interest in the well being of middle NZ. I’m one of precious few voices here arguing that Labour has to hold the centre ground if it is going to win power. And ‘not minding too much’ is not the same as ‘not giving a fuck about.’ Priorities dear fellow. As I said, I think a far more pressing priority is to make sure everyone has a decent house to live in.

          • sabine 11.1.1.2.3
            28 March 2016 at 7:18 pm

            I imagine the average person in Auckland thinks it sucks that they are struggling to buy a home but that has been the case for years and years

            Surely you joke?

            The average person in Auckland is not buying a house any more, they are not buying apartments any more, they are living in dumps hoping that they don’t get kicked out on a two weeks notice lest their landlord wants to make a quick buck by selling the house to an overseas auction bidder.

            You might want to go to an auction and count the ‘average aucklander’. I would be surprised if you would find the one.

            the average Aucklandwe watches the block , or my first home …where the parents buy themselves a mortgage to do up a house for a reality tv show that than gets auctioned off to the highest bidder. One such house is standing in my neighbourhood, its been empty since before Christmas. the local family bidding on this house was outbid by the tv contestants so eager to get a house they paid a humongous amount of money for a doer upper with no NO land to it. That house will need to be sold for at least 800.000 $ if these guys not only want to pay of the mortgage their parents have taken on, but also to raise some funds so that they have enough money to get a loan for a house they then will buy to live in.

            Auckland needs intervention very soon, or it will get ugly. You can only have so many thousand families living in precarious situations, or in cars, or under a bridge, or in a caravan before it breaks. We are now coming into winter and all we hear is platitudes.

            And for the typical CV comment houses were unaffordable under Clark? No they were not, they were not cheap, but people could still buy them, young couples could still apply for a mortgage and get one. Try this now without at least having to have 200.000 – 300.000 down payment ready. No one in NZ has that kind a money spare, unless they have parents that are happy to mortgage their mortgage free houses up for the kids to go play reality tv on the MY FIRST FUCKING HOME!

    • gnomic 11.2
      29 March 2016 at 12:55 am

      Pedantry obliges me to say the word you are wanting here is ‘serf’ rather than surf.

      “the thought of being a surf”

  12. Kevin 12
    28 March 2016 at 10:09 am

    Must be hard licking your wounds in Hawaii…

    • Whateva next? 12.1
      28 March 2016 at 11:23 am

      Exactly. He’s spending more time there, which is odd as the minister for tourism, why not promote his own country? On the other hand, perhaps he is busy feathering his retirement nest ready for his resignation? Great!

  13. TTD 13
    28 March 2016 at 10:40 am

    Maybe someone should start doing some digging on the cancelled flagpole project for outside Te Papa . Cancelled after $100 000 spent on development and the fears of negative public opinion.

    • gsays 13.1
      28 March 2016 at 10:52 am

      hi ttd,
      please do tell us more…

    • mary_a 13.2
      28 March 2016 at 3:12 pm

      @ TTD (13) – what’s this?

      • TTD 13.2.1
        28 March 2016 at 6:59 pm

        A well known Wellington company was contracted to design and install a flagpole for the initial referendum it was going to display the votes for each option as they came in, outside Te Papa I believe
        I understand that it was shelved after a 100 grand was spent on it., Because of possible problems with public opinion.

  14. Incognito 14
    28 March 2016 at 11:19 am

    I feel sorry for New Zealand; after all, Key (still) is the PM.

  15. Macro 15
    28 March 2016 at 11:21 am

    Key may not have got his flag – but he already has his legacy.
    Increased inequality
    Increased numbers of children living in poverty
    Increased numbers of homeless
    Increased public and private debt
    Decreased health care
    The democratic process trashed – too numerous too list – tppa, super city, Ecan, urgency of legislation in parliamentary process etc.
    Little to no action to address increased GHG – eg trashing of ETS and roads of “National significance” to name a few and the continual promotion of Oil and gas exploration and no government promotion of alternative clean energies unlike almost every other western nation.
    I could go on but it is all too depressing.

    That will be Key’s legacy. The sooner he and his cronies are gone the better.

  16. KJT 16
    28 March 2016 at 11:39 am

    Not to mention getting the amount the Government takes in tax wrong by a factor of 2.

    “Barking mad”.

  17. adam 17
    28 March 2016 at 12:18 pm

    Is it just me, or if Helen Clark had two weeks like this, the corporate media would have been calling for blood.

    Preferably hers.

    The howling would have been deafening!

    The trolls would have been over all the left wing boards in droves!

    The fake angst would have had us all reaching.

    But, it happens to Key,

    The silence is deafening!

    • Observer (Tokoroa) 17.1
      28 March 2016 at 2:00 pm

      . Hi Adam

      . You are correct! Had Helen Clark had pitched up a fortnight of culpable incompetence like Key and Billy, she would have been rubbished to shreds By Parliament; By all the media; By the public.

      So why has not the sad John Key been constantly degraded ?

      I think the answers is, that National has as its prime agenda the unrelenting destruction of any of its stand out opponents. Whether in power or in opposition National demonises and attacks.

      The constant trivial trumped up attacks on Helen Clark went on all during her Prime Ministership. National used saturated unfounded destruction techniques on her.

      She is now seen as one of the great leaders in the world.

      But home in New Zealand, the citizens blithely accepted what they had been programmed by national and the media to do. They dismissed and derided her. They were convinced that anything would be better than Clark or Labour. So they voted in a man who has turned out to be very definition of stupidity and unsavouriness.

      Incompetent. Totally self centred. Destructive . A laughing stock around the political capitals of the world. Yes yes – around the world. His name is sweet talker John Key.

      The same mug – promised tax breaks to new Zealanders. and the people jumped at the bait. So he shoved up the GST to make sure the poorer people paid for the Tax Cuts.

      Winston Peters was (and is) bagged constantly by the incompetent goofs of National; David Cunliffe too; Andrew Little repeatedly.

      Why? because the Nationals know that if you lie and goebbel constantly enough you can destroy anyone. The proganda minds of the media and advertising see to that.

      I rather think that Opposition parties in NZ are far too polite. Print and Post – a legacy board comparing Labour and National. Clark and Key. Pour scorn on every minister in Key’s Government. The mess they have made is Unbelievable. Pick on trivial things as well as large.

      Promise New Zealand a much better chance. And get rid of the political failures : The Nationals.

      Never ever forget, that the major part of the propaganda that NZ people were drenched in like poison, came from the DISHONESTY of all the New Zealand Media.

      Look where we have ended up. !

    • Mosa 17.2
      28 March 2016 at 11:53 pm

      Helen had 6 years of an on going negative campaign against her which as she defied the odds and won in 2005 got worse when she looked likley to win a fourth term
      Her support partners were targeted and every trick in the book was used to undermine her
      Key has never had to face the full horrors of the Right wing attack machine as he been instrumental in continuing the war safely away from the battle field with complete immunity
      He has changed the country for the worse and 47% of kiwis want this man to carry on and on
      When they come to their senses the proggresives wil be there as always to clean up the mess and set up the enquires and prepare and empower kiwis for the 21st century

    • Mosa 17.3
      28 March 2016 at 11:53 pm

      Helen had 6 years of an on going negative campaign against her which as she defied the odds and won in 2005 got worse when she looked likley to win a fourth term
      Her support partners were targeted and every trick in the book was used to undermine her
      Key has never had to face the full horrors of the Right wing attack machine as he been instrumental in continuing the war safely away from the battle field with complete immunity
      He has changed the country for the worse and 47% of kiwis want this man to carry on and on
      When they come to their senses the proggresives wil be there as always to clean up the mess and set up the enquires and prepare and empower kiwis for the 21st century

  18. greywarshark 18
    28 March 2016 at 12:38 pm

    Don’t ever feel sorry for these NeoLibs, even in jest.

  19. One Anonymous Bloke 19
    28 March 2016 at 12:45 pm

    Key just took a hit. He needs another and another and then when he’s down the metaphorical boots go in.

    Save your sympathy.

  20. Just Me 20
    28 March 2016 at 2:02 pm

    John Key is treating the NZ taxpayers like they are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff(s). When it comes to settling bills of his own making and actions John Key doesn’t mind using other peoples(in this instance NZ taxpayers)money to pay or bail him out.It isn’t his OWN personal money involved and therefore not his concern.
    It could well be likely that John Key is in love with the image of being PM of a country. But his regard or caring about the country that is NZ and its citizens is about zilch.
    When times get too difficult for the insecure little fellow to deal with he finds an excuse to bugger off back to his more beloved US of A.

    • sabine 20.1
      28 March 2016 at 3:06 pm

      John Key is treating the NZ Taxpayer as the Petty Cash account.
      He spends as he wishes, as it will never be him paying just one fucking bill.

      No matter how much is wastes, squanders and fritters away, you, I and everyone else in NZ will pay the bill.

  21. Chuck 21
    28 March 2016 at 3:46 pm

    Yep, Key made an error in taking a couple of days to work out it was not a good look to use parliamentary funds to settle the Ambrose case.

    The other matters…well Hager had his go at the last election and the public dismissed it then, as they do now.

    Jihadi brides “lie” has no traction (people see it for what it was, NZ passport holders).

    Ambrose, accepted Key held an honest belief the recording was on purpose (like wise Key accepted Ambrose did it by error).

    Legal expenses…YES this should be looked at more closely. Has the opposition asked for an investigation or clarification re – use of tax payer funding?? Or are they all a little shy in case they need to dip into the honey jar in the future??

    The flag vote was closer than many thought.

    One Roy Morgan poll is just that…one. Six months and with other polling companies confirming a trend, well then it starts to build a picture. And its not a good strategy to rely on Winston to form the next government with (for both Labour and National).

    • ScottGN 21.1
      28 March 2016 at 7:17 pm

      It could be argued that The Roy Morgan is coming into line with other polling companies and therefore is confirming a trend.

    • Hanswurst 21.2
      28 March 2016 at 8:38 pm

      Hager had his go at the last election and the public dismissed it then, as they do now.

      The Dirty Politics narrative is being built on, and doesn’t need to be accepted by “the public”, just taken seriously enough by a sufficient percentage to change their votes from National to the opposition. That percentage is quite small.

      Jihadi brides “lie” has no traction (people see it for what it was, NZ passport holders).

      What reason do you have for thinking that? Regardless, all it takes is a small percentage of voters to see Mr. Key as being dodgy by fudging the facts, and to alter their vote accordingly.

      Ambrose, accepted Shit-Arsed, Smellyfuck, Wanking Donkey Riding a Spasming Kangaroo held an honest belief the recording was on purpose (like wise Shit-Arsed, Smellyfuck, Wanking Donkey Riding a Spasming Kangaroo accepted Ambrose did it by error).

      And again, what Ambrose or Key accept is unimportant, what you think they accept even less so. All it takes is for a couple of voters to see Key strong-arming the media and obfuscating about his legal expenses, and to change their vote accordingly.

      The flag vote was closer than many thought.

      But still not terribly close, and his losing that vote entrenched what had been a fairly constant stream of criticism of Key for his handling of the entire affair.

      It is a fallacy to think that some sort of massive wave of resentment needs to develop from scratch against Key before he’s out on his arse. There is already a considerable vote for the opposition, and Key’s majority is wafer thin. With a sizeable group already thinking he’s a dick in charge of a bunch of cocks, all it will take is for a couple more to agree.

  22. rod 22
    28 March 2016 at 4:21 pm

    I feel sorry for Bronagh.

    • Jenny Kirk 22.1
      28 March 2016 at 6:30 pm

      Do you rod ? What for ? She has a fab house (2 of them at least in NZ plus another one in Hawaii), and a fab car, she can buy as many clothes and Imelda-type shoes as she wants, she can travel extensively without jetlag (in those comfy bed-like seats in First class), her two children appear to be doing okay, ….. goodness, Bronagh is living in the lap of luxury and with ShonKey away all day playing golf ….. what more could she want?

      • fender 22.1.1
        28 March 2016 at 6:48 pm

        So that’s what woman want!

        Need more than material things to compensate for putting up with that know-it-all shit-talking jerk!

        • sabine 22.1.1.1
          28 March 2016 at 7:25 pm

          it obviously is enough as she is still his wife and when told to wear a full face abbaya she does as she is told.

    • David H 22.2
      28 March 2016 at 10:08 pm

      Why?? Maybe she’ll get pissed at him again for his dumb arsed way of doing and saying things, and take him for a fortune.. In yet another Celebrity Divorce. Now there’s a ratings winner.

    • Ad 22.3
      28 March 2016 at 10:12 pm

      Oh please she is cover of the NZ Womans Weekly last week. She does what is necessary at the right time.

      • Whispering Kate 22.3.1
        29 March 2016 at 8:35 am

        She is the perfect foil for the PM, a meek proper little Stepford wife who doesn’t outshine him when they are out together, keeps her place and is no competition for him. It’s just as well for she wouldn’t be able to get a word in with him hogging the limelight wherever they go. If she was a ambitious wife, glamorous and with opinions of her own they wouldn’t have lasted five minutes. He chose well. She probably is a thoroughly decent woman and way out of her depth in his snake pit of a world. I, also feel sorry for her, but hey she may love the man who knows.

  23. Ad 23
    28 March 2016 at 10:10 pm

    He’ll come back into view in late April, for the pre-budget announcements. Dangling 2018 tax cuts.

    The Opposition are looking more thoughtful, and stronger, and their substance will appeal as Key’s vacuity is really reverberating.

    Key is no Albatross around caucus yet, but English is propping him up much harder now.

  24. Wainwright 24
    28 March 2016 at 10:57 pm

    And yet his poll numbers won’t shift at all, but we’re forbidden from talking about why it seems.

  25. gnomic 25
    29 March 2016 at 12:45 am

    Sympathy for the devil? I think not. Perhaps only after he has been cast into eternal perdition. Retiring to Hawaii doesn’t qualify. And don’t forget, Key Detestation Syndrome rules!!!

  26. Jenny 26
    29 March 2016 at 7:06 am

    It all reminds me of another completely out of touch elite.

    When the poor were conspicuously starving in the streets

    The French Queen, Mary Antoinette said of them, “Let them eat cake”

    Today the rich party it up on their capital gains while families go homeless.

    And John Key says, “Let them eat flags”

    Homelessness ‘a national problem’
    Radio NZ
    8:00 am on 28 March 2016

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/300038/homelessness-'a-national-problem‘

    “Let them eat cake” is the traditional translation of the French phrase “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”, supposedly spoken by Mary Antoinette upon learning that the peasants had no bread. Since brioche was a luxury bread enriched with butter and eggs, the quote reflected the French Queen’s disregard for the people, or at least a complete lack of understanding that the absence of basic food staples was due to poverty rather than a lack of supply.

    There are 20,000 perfectly good homes being left to stand empty in Auckland, to get returns on their capital gains, while about the same number of families are homeless, or living in garages, or other unhealthy substandard conditions.

    http://thestandard.org.nz/ghost-houses-and-the-invisible-hand/

    Mary Antoinette’s response to the people’s distress was to have lavish expensive balls and parties.

    Our PM’s response; Let’s party it up and have a $26 million flag referendum.

  27. Denise Lockett 27
    29 March 2016 at 7:20 pm

    Chester Borrows drives into protesters in Whanganui injuring two women. then drives off without stopping. He and passenger paula Bennett both deny it ever happened

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