When will Key rule out working with Brash?

Written By: - Date published: 7:44 am, July 11th, 2011 - 73 comments
Categories: act, don brash, john key, national, racism - Tags:

ACT adman John Ansell has resigned in the fallout from the race-baiting ad he designed for ACT, which Brash proudly endorsed. The Maori Party has effectively ruled out working with ACT. Isn’t it time for John Key to do the same? He cannot avoid responsibility. ACT lives or dies at his word. If National doesn’t try to win Epsom, that is an endorsement of Brash’s racism.

Or would Key be happy to have a racist at his cabinet table?

[Danyl gives a fuller account of the comments from various ACTriods during this debacle at Dimpost]

73 comments on “When will Key rule out working with Brash? ”

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  1. Colonial Viper 1
    11 July 2011 at 8:20 am

    National had a strong hand in choosing the ACT candidate team, the people there now are exactly the people that National want to work with, in Government.

  2. Secret Squirrel 2
    11 July 2011 at 8:28 am

    National only need to work with the current Act MPs, not with Brash or Ansell. If the MPs are still doing what they were elected and selected to do then there shouldn’t be a problem. Chucking them out of their jobs becasue it suits some people suporting other parties would be bad democracy.

    • Eddie 2.1
      11 July 2011 at 8:34 am

      No, Brash is ACT’s leader. He decides how they vote. Working with ACT now is working with Brash.

      But i’m talking post-election anyway. I want to know whether Key still plans to run a party-vote only campaign in Epsom, hereby letting the racist Brash and co back into Parliament.

  3. Bunji 3
    11 July 2011 at 8:31 am

    Plenty of misogyny as well as racism from Ansell of Act & Iwi/Kiwi, on Stuff:

    Mr Ansell said ACT should target male voters because women did not want to talk bluntly and were ruled by their emotions.

    “We [ACT] are about talking bluntly and women don’t want to talk bluntly. They just want to keep their relationships intact. It’s far more important for them than improving society,”

    Men ultimately deferred to the brain for hard decisions, while women looked to their emotions, he said.
    …
    those who speak “the truth” – like sacked Employers and Manufacturers Association boss Alasdair Thompson – are punished.
    …
    Mr Ansell said he was not racist, but had views about certain races.

    And more lovely quotes on DimPost:

    “When the white man opens the door and says come in and rape us, of course, if you’ve got any sort of business like sense you’ll go for whatever you can get.”

    And they wonder why they’re struggling to get support? You do your best to only appeal to rich old white men and bizarrely discover that they’re not actually the majority in society…

  4. Jim Nald 4
    11 July 2011 at 8:42 am

    Key rule out working with Brash? Why would Key do that?

    Does the current publicity look like it is tactically being outsourced by National to ACT?

    Look at who is current leader of ACT – Key’s and National’s former leader.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      11 July 2011 at 8:46 am

      You’re suggesting that Ansell’s racist and sexist outburst was pre-approved by National PR. Interesting.

      The ad campaign would definitely have been approved by the ACT board.

    • Secret Squirrel 4.2
      11 July 2011 at 8:51 am

      Does the current publicity look like it is tactically being outsourced by National to ACT?

      It would be more credible to suggest Labour have secretly employed John Ansell. Or Winston Peters.

      • felix 4.2.1
        11 July 2011 at 9:33 am

        If only they were so cunning…

        Seriously though, it’s a mystery to me why anyone would employ Ansell. Nothing he has done since “Iwi/Kiwi” has gotten any traction. Comparing those billboards to all of his other work it’s hard to see them as anything but a fluke.

        • McFlock 4.2.1.1
          11 July 2011 at 1:23 pm

          That’s the problem with the sort of entrepreneurial “innovation” that NZ is so fond of these days – it relies on self-promotion based on a single previous success (despite numerous attempts) rather than a realistic evaluation of “can I do this job?”. And even if the project goes under and your employers/shareholders go bust, you’ve been receiving a nice salary all the time and (unless you publicly disgraced yourself) it still counts on your CV.

    • Jim Nald 4.3
      11 July 2011 at 9:40 am

      You can arrive at your own assessment.

      Why would Key rule out working with National’s and his former leader?

      The debate in the media today is filled with two of National’s partners: Brash and Sharples.
      The sound and fury from National’s partners, sitting on either side of National place National in the centre, and crowd out other voices and discussion of other issues.

      This is a cynical variation of the good cop-bad cop routine, this time with the addition of a third political actor. National can comfortably position and portray itself as being moderately sandwiched between a ranting, rabid old mad dog playing white cop and the Maori Party being the brown cop.

      Both Brash and Sharples fill the media soundwaves, while the elephant in the room is National which is in government and happily ruling with the support of the political parties led Brash and Sharples.

      This political mix is toxic for the future of this nation.

      • Jim Nald 4.3.1
        11 July 2011 at 9:47 am

        Hi Lprent

        I can’t seem to edit either one of the comments I posted this morning.

        For the former comment, there was only a blank screen that popped up when I tried to edit. So I rebooted my laptop.

        For the latter comment, I got the message:
        “You do not have permission to edit this comment. – Close”

        Can you look into this please?

        I might try to use another computer later this morning to see if the same problem comes up.

        • Lanthanide 4.3.1.1
          11 July 2011 at 12:17 pm

          “You do not have permission to edit this comment. – Close”

          I had that on Saturday I think. The timer was counting down and had about 3 minutes left, but it said I didn’t have permission.

          I’ve had this same issue sporadically in the past, at least several months ago though now.

  5. Lew 5
    11 July 2011 at 8:48 am

    “Vote John, Get Don.” I’m sure Lyndon Hood would not object to an adaptation of this image for a campaign advertisement: http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0809/58a1b4ff008bee187f7d.jpeg

    L

    • tsmithfield 5.1
      11 July 2011 at 9:44 am

      I’m sure that would be OK so long as they get it properly authorised and don’t end up with another complaint going to the police. 🙂

  6. tsmithfield 6
    11 July 2011 at 9:24 am

    Yeah, I agree that both Key rule out working with the racist Act and Goff should rule out working with the racist NZ First Party.

    • higherstandard 6.1
      11 July 2011 at 9:30 am

      Gawd what a bore neither Brash nor Winston nor Hone are racists they just pander to them and incite them for votes which IMO is an even more vile practice.

  7. Tangled up in blue 7
    11 July 2011 at 10:51 am

    The Maori Party has effectively ruled out working with ACT.

    What do you mean by “ruled out working with”? Are you suggesting that next term they wouldn’t give National confidence-and-supply if ACT is part of the team?

  8. Pascal's bookie 8
    11 July 2011 at 11:26 am

    Paddy Gower sez:

    It has gone nowhere.
    It is stagnant.
    It is treading water.
    It is looking like a couple of old blokes on political life support.
    The latest effort with the advertisement in the Herald shows Don Brash and his mate John Ansell acting as yesterday’s men with no plan.
    It was a cut and paste job.
    So instead of being the adrenalin shot to bust them back into life the advert is more like slow euthanasia.

    Don Brash took the leadership on April 28.

    That was 11 weeks ago.

    Since then, Brash has been virtually anonymous.

    This is what has happened – or hasn’t happened – since:

    No re-branding of the ACT party.
    No significant speech on economic issues by Dr Brash.
    In fact we are still due a centrepiece speech on where ACT is going full stop.
    No high-calibre new candidates have come forward.
    Heather Roy has done a runner. Sinking ship stuff?
    Brash has left the door open for a comeback by disgraced former MP David Garrett after police cleared him of fraud. In fact, Brash said he was “absolutely delighted” for Garrett and for ACT. Uh-oh.
    Sir Roger Douglas emerges as Alasdair Thompson’s only supporter saying he was “destroyed by lynch mobs”. Uh-oh.
    So ACT is looking pretty disorganised.

    Don Brash and ACT had no strategy past the coup.

    http://www.3news.co.nz/Politics/Goweronpolitics.aspx

    • Jim Nald 8.1
      11 July 2011 at 11:53 am

      I had to check out that webpage. Had to see it for myself.
      Have Paddy Gower’s eyes and mind opened?
      Will he run a piece about this on telly?
      I might turn on the telly again for TV3.

  9. Steve Wrathall 9
    11 July 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Would Key be happy to have a racist at his cabinet table?

    Apparently so:

    “Why are we fighting whakapapa against whakapapa? There’s so much enemy that is not brown.”
    Dr Pita Sharples, March 2009, in meeting with Mongrel Mob and Black Power members flown to Auckland at taxpayers’ expense for a secret hui.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/2975445/Minister-flies-gang-bosses-to-secret-meeting

    • Pascal's bookie 10.1
      11 July 2011 at 1:42 pm

      That’s all just tired old boilerplate though. Brash, like Ansell, had their moment n teh sun back in 05. It was a fluke. They should move on, the country has.

    • Kaplan 10.2
      11 July 2011 at 2:07 pm

      Thanks for showing us just how in-significant his speeches have been. 🙂

  11. randal 11
    11 July 2011 at 1:26 pm

    well I wouldn’t give him (brash) too many many more winds on the key. he looks like he is a bout to break a spring and go fagurko.

  12. Jim Nald 12
    11 July 2011 at 1:45 pm

    Ok, how about this for a thought: National prefers to go for a clear majority in the house and will rule as a single party government for the next term?

    • grumpy 12.1
      11 July 2011 at 2:05 pm

      Good thought, abolish Maori seats and bring back FPP, that should keep them in for a while………..

      • Jim Nald 12.1.1
        11 July 2011 at 2:26 pm

        ~ Newsroom newsflash ~

        “National will win 68 seats in the general election, ten more than in 2008, respondents to the latest 3News poll have predicted”

        Woohoo, National, an outright majority. No need for coalition partners. Go for it solo! Nice way to start this campaign before RWC.

  13. Pascal's bookie 13
    11 July 2011 at 1:49 pm

    When even Coddington is calling you an old racist,

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1107/S00106/radio-new-zealand-audio-brash-an-old-racist-coddington.htm

    the gig is up. Bow out gracefully or go down in flames really.

    heh. Begging to debate Pita about his tawdry little ad.

    Pa The Tic.

  14. Frank Macskasy 14
    11 July 2011 at 2:11 pm

    Hitler called.

    Left a message for Don Brash.

    He’d like his policies back, thankyou.

    • Steve Wrathall 14.1
      11 July 2011 at 7:31 pm

      Why would Brash take policies from a socialist?

      • Georgecom 14.1.1
        11 July 2011 at 9:50 pm

        He wouldn’t be Steve. The joke says he is taking policies from Hitler, a dascist, a right winger. On the same side of the political spectrum as Don and ACT.

        • Colonial Viper 14.1.1.1
          11 July 2011 at 9:59 pm

          lol why does Steve think that German dictator was a socialist???

          Hey Steve, did you know that Darth Vader is the biggest socialist of them all??? lolz

  15. queenstfarmer 15
    11 July 2011 at 2:33 pm

    Act’s ad was appalling, but why should National rule out working with Act any more than Labour ruled out (or didn’t rule out) working with New Zealand First?

    • McFlock 15.1
      11 July 2011 at 4:57 pm

      Well, there’s every reason to believe that Winston didn’t actually mean it. After all, the only thing one can guarantee about Winston’s political principles is that his primary principle is to get elected.

      The reverse is the case in Act – it’s becoming more and more obvious that the rhetoric about personal responsibility was a thin veneer covering its innate racism.

      • queenstfarmer 15.1.1
        11 July 2011 at 9:20 pm

        “there’s every reason to believe that Winston didn’t actually mean it.”
        Wow, that is one of the best I’ve heard 😀

        • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1
          11 July 2011 at 9:33 pm

          National won’t rule out working with ACT because the party is staffed by National people that it put there (or at least supported in their roles).

          • Jim Nald 15.1.1.1.1
            11 July 2011 at 10:11 pm

            But really! ACT is a rump of Nat. Does Key think people are that stupid?

          • queenstfarmer 15.1.1.1.2
            11 July 2011 at 11:31 pm

            What difference does that make? National is also working with Maori and United Future. In fact I don’t think they’ve ruled out working for anyone. Likewise, Labour worked with NZ First and hasn’t ruled them out this time around either.

            My question remains – why should National rule out working with a party because it has some highly questionable politicking (in fact attacking National), any more than Labour refused to rule out working with Winston Peters for the same thing?

            The only answer so far is (verbatim) “well, there’s every reason to believe that Winston didn’t actually mean it.”

            • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.2.1
              12 July 2011 at 12:06 am

              why should National rule out working with a party because it has some highly questionable politicking (in fact attacking National)

              So a platform based on blatant racism and an attempt to stir up pakeha heckles in certain narrow minded quarters is now just “politicking”?

              And National doesn’t need to rule it out because anything goes? Dead baby’s passports and all? Look, at least Goff has made it clear that Harawira is too unreliable, too outspoken and too volatile to work with.

              Key has no similar standards when it comes to ACT apparently, and it seems that neither do you.

              • queenstfarmer …
                12 July 2011 at 9:07 am

                So a platform based on blatant racism and an attempt to stir up pakeha heckles in certain narrow minded quarters is now just “politicking”?

                That description could be referring to either Act or NZ First. But in either case, I’ll stick with my actual description of “highly questionable politicking”.

                Look, at least Goff has made it clear that Harawira is too unreliable

                So you still can’t answer my question about NZ First.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  12 July 2011 at 9:13 am

                  I’m amused you keep referring to NZ First’s history, whereas here we are talking about ACTs current platform for the current election 🙂

                  Goff at least has standards to rule out an unreliable, outspoken, element; Key consorts with an actively racist party and has no such standards 🙂

                  • queenstfarmer …
                    12 July 2011 at 10:07 am

                    Of course we’re talking about the current election. I’m amused why you keep dodging the question “why should National rule out working with Act any more than Labour ruled out (or didn’t rule out) working with New Zealand First?”

                    As you will see, that question is all about the present day and coming election, not NZ First’s history, as you claim.

  16. Jim Nald 16
    11 July 2011 at 2:43 pm

    Panic Pants to the rescue please.
    How about … photo-op of the day, inspired by Murdoch’s support for Brooks …

    … John Key pictured leaving office with his arm around Brash whom he described as his number one priority.

    Thanks to:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/5267190/Sacked-staff-get-last-laugh-with-crossword

    http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201129/SCCZEN_AP111107070753_220x147.JPG

  17. vanakast 17
    11 July 2011 at 2:48 pm

    When will Labour and National realise that pandering to any particular race is RACISM. Since when has equal opportunity for EVERY new zealand irrespective of their race or background been racist? You are all delusional.

    • lprent 17.1
      11 July 2011 at 4:54 pm

      You are a useful idiot mouthing a phrase without any apparent understanding of what you’re talking about. If there is a correlation and causation that shows a racial bias reducing equality of opportunity, then you’d prefer to ignore it?

      For instance. Go and look at ANY study in NZ on the legal system in NZ . You’ll find a racially based concentration through the legal system from arrest to prison. Then consider how you can get equality of opportunity when there is a system that takes selectively removes parents from their kids.

      Now tell me how you are going to correct for that inequality of opportunity? It is a symptom, but it also effectively reduces equality of opportunities for the kids whose parents are in prison.

      I can think of two ways – randomly throw more parents into prison to balance up the ethnic selectivity, or try to lift the group being discriminated against.

      Personally I prefer the first technique – lets discriminate against idiots like yourself who prefer mouthing a phrase to actually understanding the issues. Lets throw you into prison – this will increase the equality of opportunity for your kids by reducing their opportunities.

      • Steve Wrathall 17.1.1
        11 July 2011 at 7:37 pm

        “Go and look at ANY study in NZ…”
        And you’ll find special scholarships for Maoris. When the Maori privilege industry really cranked up in the 70s and 80s, it was implied that we could do away with special treatment, once all historical “injustices” were resolved.
        Now it is admitted that such racial privilege is supposed to last “forever”.
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJpRwCi9Cs8
        That’s the sea change that’s happening: Non-Maori NZers are realising it will only end when they say “enough”.

        • Rich 17.1.1.1
          11 July 2011 at 8:41 pm

          Maybe you need a scholarship to be taught that Maori words are not pluralised. Illiterate retard.

          • Steve Wrathall 17.1.1.1.1
            12 July 2011 at 4:52 pm

            When you use a noun from another language in an English sentence you pluralise it with an ‘s’. Or are you suggesting that typhoon, tsunami or kindergarten be pluralised the way their source languages do. Oh. and most Maoris do pluralise Maori words with an ‘s’. Please educate yourself.

            • Colonial Viper 17.1.1.1.1.1
              12 July 2011 at 6:50 pm

              Steve defending his cultural ignorance from the point of view of the Queen’s English.

              Nice. Sorta underlines the point eh.

        • Frank Macskasy 17.1.1.2
          11 July 2011 at 10:27 pm

          Steve, those scholarships you refer to are paid by Iwi. It’s their money for their kids.

          Jeezus, Maori can’t win, can they.

          If they’re at the bottom of the heap or in prisons (courtesy of part of European culture introduced to this country), then they’re bagged by rightwingers.

          If they try to better their children, they get characters like you, having a go at them.

          If they’re unemployed, they’re bludgers.

          If they set up businesses, it’s “jobs for the bros”.

          That’s the thing with bigotted fools like you – there ain’t no pleasing them. Foul mood? Yeah, I’m in a foul mood. You rightwingers slag off everyone and anyone that doesn’t meet your narrow definitions, but you don’t do a damn thing about problems in society except whinge and moan. You don’t want to pay your taxes, but you feel fine with using taxpayer-funded schools, roads, etc. You support free market excesses – and when those businesses go ‘belly-up’, you blame the workers who are left jobless as welfare beneficiaries.

          I doubt if people like you will ever be satisfied, and that’s what that self-serving, self-righteous creep Brash is counting on. At least Winston goes for the “angry” vote. But Brash is worse – he goes for the “hate vote”.

          You must feel damned good when that hate dictates your words. But if only you know what you and your ilk sounded to the rest of us.

  18. vto 18
    11 July 2011 at 2:58 pm

    They may be racists but by that definition so is Harawira and any other proponents of “positive” discrimination on the basius of race.

    I cannot understand why so many people cannot see the inherent problem in establishing two sets of rules and arrangements for different peoples in one land. Those rules and arrangements are set on the basis of race. That is racism.

    And of course it all stems from that out-of-date document the Treaty of Waitangi. It is unsuitable for today’s times.

    And somehow in all of the above comment of mine no doubt I will be deemed the racist one. And how does that work when the call is for the disestablishment of selection on the basis of race?

    Either get rid of the rules set on the basis of race, or give it up and acknolwedge that people are permitted to select on the basis of race. For fucks sake everyone keeps avoiding the nub of the issue and instead gets into abuse and labelling of redneck and racist and blah de blah. Where is the honesty?

    • pollywog 18.1
      11 July 2011 at 4:11 pm

      FFS vto

      By the 1970s, it had become clear that (1) most human differences were cultural; (2) what was not cultural was principally polymorphic – that is to say, found in diverse groups of people at different frequencies; (3) what was not cultural or polymorphic was principally clinal – that is to say, gradually variable over geography; and (4) what was left – the component of human diversity that was not cultural, polymorphic, or clinal – was very small.

      A consensus consequently developed among anthropologists and geneticists that race as the previous generation had known it – as largely discrete, geographically distinct, gene pools – did not exist.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_%28classification_of_humans%29

      It’s not about race. It never has been, it’s about culture and the elitist attitude of one culture to deny another a fair go at self determination by deliberately undermining and under resourcing them.

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/5252660/I-m-not-racist-but

      Those rules and arrangements are set on the basis of race. That is racism.

      Yes the rules and arrangements set up from day one were always designed to favour the euro ‘race’/culture. And because of it we still have institutionlised racism/cultural elitism, though way more subtle in form than the overt in your face style of our parents generation.

      How else does one explain the unemployment rates for Pasifikan, inclusive of Maori, NZ youth being so far above European NZer rates ? Are our kids really dumber and lazier or does shit like this come into play ?

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5238839/Maori-pupils-needs-not-met-by-system

      like i said if people are going to bandy about the ‘race’ card then lets have a debate about race as a false social construct designed to marginalise non whites or at least determine which ‘race’ is superior that they can dictate the terms and rule of law by which we should all live by.

      • vto 18.1.1
        12 July 2011 at 11:43 am

        Ok no worries polly. Please replace the word “race” with the word “culture”.

        Thing is, nothing changes. The enmities and unsustainable structures remain.

        Look, my point above has zip to do with who got stuck in the eye and who got to set the rules. It is a bigger picture point. Sure, redress the wrongs, no problem. And different races, oops I mean cultures, can quite freely go about their own traditions and ceremonies and etc. But bottom line again… you cannot have two separate sets of rules for two different groups of people in one land. It just fails.

        The treaty needs re-writing (which doesn’t mean anyone has to lose or dip out btw).

        • Colonial Viper 18.1.1.1
          12 July 2011 at 12:04 pm

          you cannot have two separate sets of rules for two different groups of people in one land. It just fails.

          How about different rules favouring the rich over the poor?

          Asset owners versus income earners?

          Disabled vs not disabled?

          Qualified and unqualified?

          More at risk from obesity and less at risk from obesity?

          Drivers who are 16 and drivers who are 46?

          What I am trying to point out is that sometimes different rules are necessary because society needs to deal with different realities to achieve desired results.

          • vto 18.1.1.1.1
            12 July 2011 at 12:08 pm

            Fair enough and probably quite appropriate at times. But those are temporary measures to amend those “realities” and once complete should be ended. As should things in NZ at some point in the very near future imo.

          • Frank Macskasy 18.1.1.1.2
            12 July 2011 at 12:12 pm

            Oh, well said, Viper!!!

  19. the pink postman 19
    11 July 2011 at 3:04 pm

    Its rather sad just how much racism is around.
    Last week I had a client for some JP work.. and he mentioned that there are some young people from Israel selling face cream inn Centre Place in Hamilton . I thought he was going to comment on the product. Imagine my surprise when he said ”As soon as I saw them I

    • vto 19.1
      11 July 2011 at 3:09 pm

      Yes mr postman agreed.

      Maybe we should all just give up on clearing out racism and acknowledge those most base of human instincts to firstly, make quick judgments on people on the basis of appearance and secondly, to stick to their own types whether religious, sports clubs, gender or race. They are two instincts that are impossible to bend it would seem.

      Let’s just give up and accept it. (and then load the stores and pack the ammo dumps)

  20. deservingpoor 20
    11 July 2011 at 7:49 pm

    Last time I checked, Maori were over represented in every negative social statistic there is. If that is ACT’s idea of privilege, they’re welcome to it.
    Nation states are a relatively new phenomenon. Two or more distinct cultures with their own laws and customs occupying the same geographical space is actually the historical norm.
    And anyway, exactly which law is it that Maori aren’t subject to?

  21. logie97 21
    11 July 2011 at 8:00 pm

    “…What happens with him and the Act Party, frankly I don’t give a toss about, but at the end of the day I don’t think any of us would be surprised that he’s making those comments.”

    He said the comments would not sour National’s relationship with ACT…”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10737738

    Anyone notice the same lack of tact and nouse that our PM has displayed before… the infamous interview with Paul Henry regarding the Governor General.

    Key has no class unfortunately and it is becoming even more apparent every day.

  22. gobsmacked 22
    11 July 2011 at 9:22 pm

    It had to happen sooner or later … and today was the day:

    Hide attacks Brash –

    http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/brash-we-re-fed-up-pandering-maori-radicals-4295476

    So, just to recap …

    Minister in government attacks leader of his own party, who isn’t in government or Parliament, but hopes to be after the election, provided the party that he used to lead allows a candidate who used to be in that party to defeat the candidate of that party so that the aforementioned party can form a government with the support of the party that the former leader now leads, and who is now busy slagging off the current leader of the aforementioned party, in order to get enough votes to keep that party in power.

    I hope that clarifies matters.

  23. Scott 23
    12 July 2011 at 12:33 am

    I had a fairly extended debate with John Ansell about this time last year, and what concerned me about his ideology was the way it seemed to fuse, in an efficient and (to the right audience) superficially credible manner, elements of nineteenth century scientific racism and twentieth century assimilationism:
    http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2010/08/power-of-bad-ideas.html
    A new paradigm for Maori-bashers? I hope not.

    One of the depressing features of Ansell’s recent outbursts has been his endorsement of the nutbar conspiracy theories which hold that a white civilisation existed thousands of years ago in New Zealand (http://books.scoop.co.nz/2008/11/18/no-to-nazi-pseudo-history-an-open-letter/) and that the ‘true’ TOW has been suppressed (http://www.tewahanui.info/pdfs/5/twn05pg07.pdf). If these ideas are now mainstream in Act then the party might be changing qualitatively…

    • rosy 23.1
      12 July 2011 at 6:40 am

      Thanks for this Scott, I knew nothing about the pseudo history and had brushed off the the ‘other’ TOW as a draft at best. To think that people in powerful positions use these nutty conspiracies is appalling and certainly sheds new light on where Ansell’s motivation. Just mind-bogglingly stupid.

  24. Frank Macskasy 24
    13 July 2011 at 10:43 am

    A recent media report on Don Brash seeking Maori candidates for ACT…

    ACT leader Don Brash has tried and failed to woo Maori candidates to the party’s list.

    Former Federated Farmers head Don Nicolson confirmed yesterday he would stand against Deputy Prime Minister Bill English in Clutha-Southland. Dr Brash expected ACT’s board would give him a high place on the party’s list.

    The list will be finalised at the end of the month.

    Dr Brash expected to announce other “strong candidates” in the coming weeks but admitted attempts to woo non-European contenders, including “two or three Maori”, were unsuccessful.

    “A couple of them weren’t suitable. One of them would have been suitable but wasn’t willing to stand at this point. He was quite a young person. He thought about it for quite a while but on balance decided not to.”

    He declined to say who they were.

    ACT ran a newspaper advertisement over the weekend that asked: “Fed up with pandering to Maori radicals?”

    Asked if he was being deliberately provocative, he said: “We are trying to draw attention to that particular policy, absolutely.”

    Dr Brash admitted he was “disappointed” with how ACT was polling….

    Source & More: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5275700/Brash-tries-to-attract-Maori-candidates

    Now isn’t that interesting: Don Brash announcing that ACT is seeking Maori candidates.

    Now aside from the patently ridiculous aspect of this – kinda like vegans looking for chefs who can cook steaks – why is ACT seeking Maori candidates?

    Isn’t that a race-based selection?

    I thought ACT ideology was supposedly “blind” to race and preferred “merit” instead?

    *sniff, sniff* Methinks I detect a hint of… hypocrisy? Double standards? Contradiction?