Written By:
BLiP - Date published:
7:41 am, December 23rd, 2015 - 61 comments
Categories: accountability, afghanistan, Andrew Little, death with dignity, Ethics, housing, iraq, john key, journalism, labour, Media, Minister for International Embarrassment, Minister for Overseas Holidays, national, parliamentary spending, Politics, public services, same old national, spin, Syria, war -
Tags: chief archivist, department of internal affairs, euthanasia, iain rennie, job seeker allowance, nick smith, parmjeet parmar, phil goff, silly season, simon o'connor, state services commission, WINZ
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With most New Zealanders concentrating on getting through the Christmas break, our politicians have largely abandoned the Beehive to enjoy the sort of holiday-leave most workers can only dream of. There’s still a few MPs “on duty”. Their function is to maintain the semblance of active government and to roll out a bunch of announcements they hope will escape full scrutiny.
Labour, for example, now supports the neoliberal corporate slaughtering of Middle Eastern innocents. The softening-up process to manufacture consent for “mission creep” has been going on for a while now. Labour joined in with a tentative press release on December 10. Now with a recent UN resolution providing apparent legitimacy for continued western imperialism, Andrew Little’s spent the last couple of weeks fawning around US military types. He popped up last week to lay down the various conditions required by Labour to support sending in the SAS to carry out more murders on behalf of international corporations. Since Little is conveniently unavailable for direct questioning about this position, it was up to Phil Goff to provide a public demonstration of semantic gymnastics.
Labour’s treachery is one of a number of big stories which, so far, have not attracted enough attention. Watch this space. Meanwhile, there are a bunch of wee snippety-type items which might be of interest to fellow political trainspotters.
Just days after returning to New Zealand from COP21, John Key expresses doubts about the science behind climate change. Apparently, New Zealand doesn’t have to worry about it.
The perpetually useless (and, thus, handy-to-have) State Services Commissioner, Iain Rennie, has white washed National Ltd™’s intended misuse of public funds for political purposes. Nick Smith’s office was setting up one of Housing New Zealand’s road-show events to promote list MP Parmjeet Parmar. After what must be the quickest State Services Commission inquiry ever to have been held, turns out it was a mistake by officials and nothing to do with National Ltd™.
While no one is looking and Parliament is empty, National Ltd™ introduced a new bill. Its a sneaky, wee bugger of a bill which allows National Ltd™ to spend millions and millions of dollars which have nothing to do with, nor are even mentioned within, the official parliamentary appropriations.
National Ltd™’s Tamaki MP and Chair of Parliament’s Health Select Committee, Simon “Father” O’Connor has been called out for what appears to be a significant breach of ethics. The Health Select Committee is currently hearing submissions in regard to euthanasia. In a barely concealed call to arms for fellow Catholics to get their submissions in, O’Connor was featured in the NZ Catholic newspaper. He took the opportunity to muddy the waters and state that even though he was Chair of the Committee, O’Connor felt quite free to openly sate ” . . . Some people think the government should help people take their own lives and others, such as myself, feel we have to do everything possible to ensure no one ever looks at suicide as a solution to a problem . . . ” <– emphasis mine, conclusion obvious.
As part of its drive to deliver better public services, National Ltd™ has been introducing high levels of stress into the lives of cancer patients. The latest New Zealander to enjoy this amazing “improvement” to public services was leukaemia patient Jason Leger. Work and Income received his various medical documents confirming his condition and the fact that he moved cities in order to receive the specialised treatment he required. Didn’t stop WINZ from sending him letters demanding that even though he was in a hospital bed, Jason still had to be actively looking for work. Things suddenly changed, however, when the media got hold of the story. A PR apology was immediately issued. These days, when such examples hit the headlines, Anne “Chopper” Tolley would have us believe that the introduction of high stress levels into the lives of cancer patients was an “administrative error” and nothing to do with the fact that since July 2013 there is no longer a sickness benefit, only a “job-seeker allowance”.
Thanks to the Department of Internal Affairs, charities supposed to benefit from pokies are being made to pay for the upgrade of 8000 machines which cannot accept the new currency being introduced. The charities will lose something like $12 million which, instead, will go to foreign-owned multinational companies such as Aristocrat Leisure. Readers will be happy to learn SkyCity isn’t really affected. According Sky’s chief spinner, Colin Espiner, there’s been no financial cost to the casino because its 1600 gaming machines only needed a software upgrade to accept the new notes. Lucky for some.
More than half of all government agencies audited by the Chief Archivist fail to meet the requirements of the Public Records Act 2005. This is of “serious concern” to the Chief Archivist, and so it should be: most of the agencies audited are in the justice sector.
And so it goes on . . . the steady dribble of silly-season news our political masters would rather we didn’t pay much attention to. There’s bigger stories which are best left for more detailed analysis in the new year, not that the MSM is likely to follow through. Instead, it has been making use of the silly-season to pad out its pages with opinion pieces. With so few eye-balls around, now is a safe time for it to pretend there’s such a thing as balance by including a wider range of critical views. There’s been quite a few scathing accounts of John Key’s behaviour during 2015, particularly in relation to his on-going support for New Zealand’s rape-culture. Not quite so serious, but equally scathing, was the Northern Advocate’s Joanne McNeill’s Report Card for John Key. The Prime Minister gets an F for Social Studies . . .
. . . John lacks empathy for anyone unlike himself except famous sportspeople. If the only good reason for government is to take from the rich to give to the poor, John’s mission is the opposite. While fostering elite private wealth, he deflects attention by persuading sycophantic middle classes to point the finger at the poor . . .
. . . heh! Funny, but also true, and sad.
Meanwhile, our Minister of Tourism has announced that “New Zealand at Christmas is a magnificent place. It’s a time where we can really see the best of New Zealand on display.” Seems a bit odd, then, that he made this statement on the eve of his departure to his favourite holiday destination, the United States, where will be spending Christmas. He obviously isn’t interested in seeing the best of his nation on display. Or, maybe, he was just lying. Again. As usual.
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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Announcements today…..
Christchurch Cathedral’s fate
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11565151
Kim Dotcom’s fate
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11564885
Speaking of the MSM and opinion pieces, there’s a curious editorial in today’s Herald…
Editorial: Cost of fibre optic cable is competitive
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11564935
They mention referring to this previous editorial
Editorial: Govt move on fibre has left us the poorer
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11562854
Something has put the wind up the powers that be at the Herald. The first editorial was bollocks but it wasn’t the type of article the Herald could be sued for, they’re not potentially defaming anyone, so what’s really behind the fawning retraction.
Prolly an irate phone call from Steven “MediaWorks” Joyce.
the Labour Press Release link is broken, should be this,
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1512/S00242/dont-rush-into-military-commitment-warns-labour.htm
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Thank you. Fixed.
BLiP…thanks for this post, I would argue that Anne “Chopper” Tolley, should be “fly over” Tolley, Chopper is at least more honest, and smarter than her I’m afraid.
We can tease out the fly over’ handle, sometime later.
Wow. You really think the NZ SAS with the support of Labour will “carry out more murders”.
Can you point out the previous murders committed by our illustrious SAS? I take it you do understand what murder means.
You forgot to note that the murders will be carried out “on behalf of international corporations”.
Disappointing comments from BLiP in my opinion – really brings into question his whole list of John Key’s supposed lies. Obviously John Key has lied many times but equating support for UN mandated SAS support in fighting Daesh as requested by the Iraqi government with ‘neoliberal/corporate manslaughter of innocents’ and to say casually that Labour NOW SUPPORTS IT (manslaughter of innocents) makes me think BLiP is prone to exactly the same sort of trickery Key is.
You forgot to note the murders have been and will be carried out “on behalf of international corporations”.
“Seems a bit odd, then, that he made this statement on the eve of his departure to his favourite holiday destination, the United States.”
John Key was in such a hurry to avoid getting stripped of the white ribbon ambassadors role that he left early to get to his Hawaii bolt hole ( more like a rock to hide under). Unfortunately first class had sold out and Key was spotted slinking down the back of an airnz plane.
Imagine that Hooton? stuck in cattle class, something a toff like you would never tolerate….he must have been desperate.
Wanna list the conditions, like UN approval?….Nah, too much trouble. This is after all the silly season where hack wannabes step in and pretend it is business as usual.
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The list of Labour’s conditions, including UN approval, is linked to in the OP. Handy for Labour then, isn’t it, that the UN has given its approval. What a shame Labour’s list of “conditions” does not include an exit strategy. I guess, just like National Ltd™, Labour is quite happy to participate in the slaughter innocents for so long as the US demands that we do so.
Ah right! You do not understand what murder means. Thought so.
I would bet that if you were a civilian living in Yemen or Pakistan who had family members killed in a drone strike as ‘collateral damage’, that you would consider their deaths to be an act of murder, ie. the unlawful killing of an individual without justification or excuse. Tell me it isn’t so.
In addition, you do know that the issue of the legality of ‘targeted killings’ is very much in dispute, and that this is so even without taking into account the huge toll of unintended civilian deaths?
Perhaps you could also explain why it is that a civilian contractor (not a sworn member of the military) employed as a drone operator, is any less an unlawful combatant than the individuals who are labelled as such and are therefore judged to be fair game for targeted killings.
+ 1 Grant.
There shall be crickets… listen for them while you await a reply
Don’t worry, FJK will pass retrospective legislation to make illegal drone strikes OK
I thought we lived in a country where one was innocent until proven guilty, and we had abolished the death penalty years ago. Apparently John Key doesn’t agree. He allowed information to be supplied to the US so that a NZer could be the subject of a US drone attack.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/9948795/Kiwi-believed-killed-in-US-drone-strike
Yes Key is responsible, for it is within his department that that information was held and it should only be on his say so that that information should be released to the US.
So Key is a murderer – that can be the only word for it. To knowing bring about someone elses death without trial. The duty of the government is to protect ALL NZers whatever their circumstances and the presumption of guilt was not theirs to make.
Oh Blip, in the Xmas spirit I was hoping for a scathing review of the NZ justice system in anticipation of Dot Com being extradited and Penny loosing her house.
Still a character assanation of the Lefts beloved Labour will suffice, especially regarding Andrew “flip flop’ Little and the killer SAS.
Boots Bombs and Bullets gets my approval, however disappointed Jerry has indicated that won’t happen 🙁 (with labour supporting deployment of the SAS and National saying no it appears Tony Blair is advising the NZ Labour Party?)
I’m glad your holiday season will be replete with the usual trimmings of Tory work – poverty, corruption, vice, economic stagnation, despair, global warming and the prospect of dead Syrian civilians. Makes it easy to understand why they ran your lot over with trucks during the Spanish Civil War – bullets are too good for you.
Thanks Blip for another excellent Post.
Stuart, until you mentioned Syrians I thought you were ranting about the socialist Utophia of Venezuela
I’m not surprised – though I am impressed that you could spell it – you must be a professional troll – do they pay you more?
Spell checker. Professional Troll?, http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Professional+troll
Nah, just one of the 50% who support JK and looking forward to the summer BBQ season.
@tory12.11pm
key has a 49% approval or popularity rating because he makes everything that is wrong sound right or OK and obviously 49% of our population love to do the wrong things and get away with it….and he is the arch enabler for them to do this……
hence, like you, they love him , and in many msm characters like mike hoskings they will do everything they can to twist and colour their rhetoric to support and enable their enabler…..
I wrote these words earlier in the week on another post, but they seem very suitable to repeat to you at this moment in time.
Enjoy your BBQ, many in New Zealand won’t be able to this year because of the likes of key and his ‘team’ mates like you.
Awesome skills – now try it on utophia.
So you’re one of the 50% too lazy to find out why you shouldn’t support Key? No surprises there – but shouldn’t you be on kiwiblog celebrating 7 years of oppression, fraud and economic sabotage with the rest of the invertebrates?
JK is the most preferred PM ever and blows former PM’s out of the water with his easy going nature, the $105 Billion debt is not an issue as he has developed NZ into truely international “Rockstar Economy”.
He can get access to the White House that former PM’s could only dream about, plays golf with Obama regularly.
The man understands business and gets thing done and we as New Zealanders are all benefiting under his and Bill English’s safe pair of hands.
Fools like you are why the reason Wall St sharks like JK get away with stealing billions and offloading toxic derivatives onto taxpayers
Keep buying into his crap and the whole country will pay the price eventually. At the moment he’s “only” wrecking the lives of the working class, but don’t worry, the NZ middle class will be gutted soon enough, just like the good ole USA
Now who else is fixated on venezuela at TS thinking thinking ….
Literacy problems there Tory ?
Oh and MOBIE is trying to outsource the workplace mediation service in the provinces. Both sides don’t want it because of the huge potential for conflict of interest appointments. And no doubt not so far down the track there would be funding cuts and mojor charges for service recovery so that it becomes as inaccessable as the rest of the justice system
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1512/S00430/privatisation-plans-for-mediation-services-rejected.htm
I had an interested look at the Northern Advocate column. Obviously this is acceptable to the general consensus up there.
While in theory Nact enjoy a solid lead in this seat ( hard to see why but there you go) has the Winston victory in surrounding Northland put this seat into doubt? Are they not so enamoured with NAct anymore that a determined tilt at the seat by a good candidate would shift NAct out? There was also a passing comment somewhere the other day that Whangarei unemployed were being bussed to jobs further south? Poor Nact polling in the background?
And interesting isn’t it that some of our more forthright MSM opinions are coming as allways from the provinces and also from women.
The hapless Nat MP Dr Reti is commonly known as doctor no show. The useless fucker never shows up at any gig that may ask the hard questions of what is his outfit doing about it.
Hapless and useless to you and the wider electorate maybe but handy to the hollow men and salivatingly loyal to their cause so he’ll be kept on.
Don’t worry Northland are going to get new bridges and roads according to John Key?
Oh, I’d say that he’s quite interested in seeing the best of his nation on display – it’s just that NZ isn’t his nation.
Nail on the head USA
The fact New Zealand, America and Israel are the top 3 first world countries that have high numbers of people who apparently have no problems with the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians, none of what was mentioned shocks me anymore.
JK and Paula B would make a perfect couple a match made in heaven.
I’m sure that, like the elephant seal, Paula Bennett is graceful in the water.
I had one land on my kayak a few years ago, no not pretty. No not PB, a seal.
Fast things seals – we often got overtaken by them while steaming at over 12 knots. Penguins too.
The scariest thing of all is that we have a climate change denier for a PM. He thinks his opinion on the subject is more accurate than those os scientists.
That is because he can always find a scientist who will obediently agree with him.
What is wrong with these venal scientists?
That is our problem – too many of us are venal.
Get the dead eyes. And the bimbo.
http://spy.nzherald.co.nz/spy-news/max-key-pines-away-in-hawaii/
We’re meant to weep for the gargoyles of the Plastic New Camelot are we ?
Meanwhile kids in South Auckland are squirming with scabies, hacking with bronchial, just knowing that they’re underclass. And understanding that not only do the gargoyles not give a fuck……they positively blame them. For being so poor as to be ugly. Marie Antionette Bastards the lot of them !
Karma Karma Karma Do Answer.
Goodbye Peter (pan) Goodfellow and Mr Key.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atn65lPABhs
Say hi to Peter and Karl from Mi6 for me.
Did you know that Nick was a family friend, Peter? Surprising that you didn’t.
Too much time in Malaysia, I suspect. Forgotten your origins.
(he was, after all, your boss)
This is what you’ll get when you treat people like dogmeat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBH97ma9YiI
bye bye
Sorry, I’m confusing Peters.
Fuck off you Masonic bastards.
My father, my grandfather, always hated you lot. Now I understand why.
Worth revisiting:
Think twice before you treat people like this again in our country. Perhaps one of the privileged “old boys association” might take issue with it, and come, again, directly for your throats:
Kamu anging, Peter dan teman. Anging!
Treat people like animals and die in a political ditch, even less than an animal.
Oh but I wouldn’t bust the name of the long-time head of Mi6 here on the standard, Mr Nick Charles!
I got this from one of my favourite movies: we weep for the cry of the bird but not for the blood of the fish. pity those who have no voice.
liberals are for murder and they stink of death. not sated with the blood of a million children that were sliced from the wombs of their mothers, they turn their eyes to the born and desperate. euthanasia translates to” good death”. ask a liberal to give you a philosophically cogent explanationof the term “good” and all you end up with is capitalist anthropology. and they can’t look directly into the eyes of Christ the father of their parricidal bumscratch of a movement. sign of guilt if ever I saw.