Who said it? Shane Reti vs. Aaron Gilmore

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, March 19th, 2015 - 45 comments
Categories: same old national - Tags: , , ,

There’s an odd trend among National Party backbenchers. Slipping in on the list, or shunted into safe seats by a party at the height of its power, they’ve bought all the spin and never been told the cautionary tale of the dark days of 20.93%. And then, when someone questions their divine right to do whatever they want, they completely lose the plot.

Aaron Gilmore was elected in 2008 off the list and had to resign in 2013 after being a right prat to a waiter. He was succeeded by Claudette Hauiti who lasted just over a year before she had to resign for misspending parliamentary money on a holiday (and kept spending up large even after she announced her retirement from politics.)

Later, emails from Gilmore’s time at MoBIE emerged, showing him to be a bit of a workplace bully, puffed up by his imminent return to Parliament.

Now, Shane Reti, elected in 2014 in the safe seat of Whangarei, has been accused of threatening a local lobby group to stay quiet while the Northland by-election hangs by a thread.

It’s appalling behaviour, but is it surprising? After all, can you pick which of the quotes below were said by Shane Reti, and which by Aaron Gilmore?

1. “I only tell you this as I am sure this thing will come back to haunt you.”

2. “What I tried to say to you, before another email arrived, hold your breath.”

3. “You may want to consider your penchant firing off messages to all in sundry trying to undermine people simply because you don’t agree with them”

4. “The only thing I would say to you is … the more threatening the emails are, almost certainly my approach will come to an end, I guarantee it”

5: “Its not your questioning of analysis … its some of your emotive emails which I have seen this past week or so you have sent to others”

6: “If the next two and half weeks is so critically important to have that tone then go ahead and do it. No problem. And we will see what the consequence is.”

ANSWER: The odd numbers are Gilmore; the even numbers are Reti. The over-wordy, very concerned, maybe you should watch what you say tone is identical, isn’t it?

Sources: Shane Reti’s phone conversation audio at Stuff; Aaron Gilmore’s emails here.

45 comments on “Who said it? Shane Reti vs. Aaron Gilmore ”

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  1. repateet 1
    19 March 2015 at 12:24 pm

    For all of his qualities Doctor Shane Reti doesn’t have the political experience of John Key and Steven Joyce and their inherent weaselness.

    I offer that not as an excuse for his appalling behaviour or the appalling attitudes behind it. He is the baby turtle who has just made it into the water to find there are nasty predators there. In the torrent, turmoil and tumbling he is also finding that his sponsors, his mummy and daddy turtles, his leader and Steven Joyce, are actually the tiger sharks, the sea snakes and the piranha.

    As a doctor he would have expected the disinfectant wash to do its job. As a politician he will find there is nothing he can wash his hands with to cleanse himself of the filth he is associated with now.

    • tracey 1.1
      19 March 2015 at 12:35 pm

      It is possible he was trying to help the group, without seeing what it amounted to…

      Afterall 47% of voters think John Key is a good guy wanting only the best for them…

      • Skinny 1.1.1
        19 March 2015 at 4:34 pm

        No Reti is a rightwing worm don’t be fooled. He was putting the heavy word on this group because there a bad look for the Nat’s during the by election.

        There are a number of them that are former National Northland members and they
        have been proactively protesting outside election gigs anywhere the Nat’s show up, they were a hit during last years campaign getting front page headlines in the local rag The Advocate. Key is really under the pump, so much so after Reti’s gaff that he has contacted the rag and gave an offer of an exclusive interview.

        I had a meeting with him before last years election and he dropped a sneaky little threat, which I immediately took him to task on, calling me to meet him and take a walk so he could drop his veil threat. Like I say he is a slippery worm.

  2. tracey 2
    19 March 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Are Nats so hot on Nat Standards cos so many of them fail to meet basic standards of writing?

    • repateet 2.1
      19 March 2015 at 12:38 pm

      They’re so hot on National Standards because they are cretins. One can meet basic standards of writing and still be cretinous.

      • rawshark-yeshe 2.1.1
        19 March 2015 at 1:00 pm

        Cheers for Alex Wright who clearly had Nat Standards level recording experience ! Proof is so useful.

        • b waghorn 2.1.1.1
          19 March 2015 at 2:31 pm

          The nats are going to have to rush some anti spying ( on them) legislation through and possible make it retrospective so this can’t be used against them. 😉

      • KJT 2.1.2
        19 March 2015 at 10:21 pm

        They are so hot on National standards because they suck at technology, especially with hammers.

  3. Michael who failed Civics 3
    19 March 2015 at 1:08 pm

    Perhaps Reti had the benefit of Stephen Lusk’s training programme? I understand it is de rigeur for graduands of the programme to behave like arrogant arseholes all the time, to everyone, except when grovelling before National’s fatcat donors.

  4. North 4
    19 March 2015 at 1:20 pm

    That is a patent attempt to silence during the Northland by-election campaign !

    “Look sweetie…….I just gotta tell ya this……zip it for the next two and a half weeks OK…….otherwise……..ya know what I mean……..?”

    Doubtlessly TheConceitKey will spiel that Reti made no DIRECT, EXPRESS THREAT. So it’s all OK then. Within the rules blah blah blah.

    Ha ! For all that that matters. Reti CONVEYED a threat. He laid it out that those in the corridors of power – the Minister of Transport and unspecified others in those corridors REQUIRE silence during this Northland by-election campaign.

    Lordy Lordy ! The much vaunted higher standards of governance what ?

    # YA-GOTTA-LET-ME-WIN-KEY !

    # OR-ELSE-KEY !

    TheConceitKey is to Democracy what Hugh Hefner is to virginity !

  5. mary_a 5
    19 March 2015 at 1:23 pm

    Gilmore, Hauiti and now Reti. Very loyal Natsies, faithful to the party line – abuse, threaten, bully – obviously a prerequisite to do the Natsy (dirty) work. And when that’s done and dusted, have a good old spend up on public funds, particularly when you know you are about to walk!

    Oh yes and those left warming seats, vote down bills suggesting assisting impoverished children, while also cutting state allowances from society’s most vulnerable, disabled and special needs children!

    Scumbag Natsy ar***oles, the whole damn filthy lot of them!

  6. jenny kirk 6
    19 March 2015 at 1:38 pm

    “” The over-wordy, very concerned, maybe you should watch what you say tone is identical, isn’t it? “”

    My goodness, yes – Stephanie.

    Where do they learn this from ? Is it from their caucus meetings, or behind the billiard tables in the MP’s rec room ?

    • Anno1701 6.1
      19 March 2015 at 2:28 pm

      The boardroom IMO

    • Tracey 6.2
      19 March 2015 at 2:37 pm

      they may learn it before all of that but it satisfies one of the selection criteria for the nats, apparently.

      • Macro 6.2.1
        19 March 2015 at 4:17 pm

        one of the selection criteria for the nats, apparently

        Yes seems like the ability to be thoroughly obnoxious, and a bully are essential traits.

        • tracey 6.2.1.1
          19 March 2015 at 4:21 pm

          Well, like appoints like….

          ‘Gee, this guy reminds me of me, he is fantastic.’ 😉

    • tricledrown 6.3
      19 March 2015 at 11:36 pm

      This the same intimidation style National were using on all govt departments last year 9 months out from and up to the elections.
      Well practiced.

  7. Clemgeopin 7
    19 March 2015 at 5:18 pm

    One was a dumb drunk that tried making some barman feel nervous.
    The other is a dreadful doctor who has made the whole country feel sick.

  8. Matthew Hooton 8
    19 March 2015 at 5:39 pm

    Having listened to the recording in full, I don’t see anything wrong with what he said. It sounds totally polite and straightforward. I think the worse behaviour is taping a routine call from a local MP trying to help and releasing it.

    • rawshark-yeshe 8.1
      19 March 2015 at 5:48 pm

      Really Matthew ? You have been around poison for too long to even recognise how subtle it can be. Just saying. Like if you’re a smoker, you don’t smell it on your clothes but everyone else thinks you stink ! It’s like that.

    • Skinny 8.2
      19 March 2015 at 5:59 pm

      Put in context Hooton this group (some who are former Nat members) have been patiently waiting for National to improve their lot. They are at the end of their tether as noting has been done. Reti is on the out with former Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee who unsuccessfully tried to install his mini me in the plum safe Whangarei seat.

      It appears he is trying to silence this group from excising their democratic right to protest their dissatisfaction at being ignored during the by election.

    • freedom 8.3
      19 March 2015 at 6:11 pm

      One thing the call does confirm however, is the long fought for Sealing Roads Policy was leapfrogged by the Ten Bridges Policy. A recent policy idea from Mark Osborne (who is not an MP), which was picked up by Simon Bridges at some point when Osborne was a public servant with the Far North District Council, as the Minister told Parliament he was only working on the Ten Bridges Policy back in December.

      Makes a person wonder why National did not announce the Sealing Roads Policy instead, as that would have certainly garnered a lot of Northland support.

      A cynical person might think the Government have no intention of following through.

    • Tracey 8.4
      19 March 2015 at 6:12 pm

      hands up anyone who is surprised that matthew thinks its fine and the victim should be lambasted?

    • North 8.5
      19 March 2015 at 6:31 pm

      Well Hooton, that’s the whole point and you know it what’s more ……it’s gotta SOUND ‘totally polite and straightforward’. To CONVEy with relative impunity the obvious underlying threat. C

    • North 8.6
      19 March 2015 at 6:31 pm

      Well Hooton, that’s the whole point and you know it what’s more ……it’s gotta SOUND ‘totally polite and straightforward’. To CONVEy with relative impunity the obvious underlying threat. C

    • North 8.7
      19 March 2015 at 6:31 pm

      Well Hooton, that’s the whole point and you know it what’s more ……it’s gotta SOUND ‘totally polite and straightforward’. To CONVEy with relative impunity the obvious underlying threat. C

    • Skinny 8.8
      19 March 2015 at 6:33 pm

      Is there any truth to rumours that Dirty Lenny Brown has contacted you to head his campaign team to run for the mayoralty again?

    • repateet 8.9
      19 March 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Having listened to the recording in full, I don’t see anything different in it than what local youth gangs would say when demanding some kid’s skateboard or that he bring them some goodies to the skatepark the next day.

    • tc 8.10
      19 March 2015 at 9:51 pm

      Sarcasm doesn’t suit you Matty better luck in one of your MSM soapboxes where you go unchallenged rather than here…..which is why you’ve run it out here.

    • KJT 8.11
      19 March 2015 at 10:14 pm

      I think it is only fair that If our Government wants to spy on every one of us, they should be monitored by tape and video at all times.

      Of course nothing to hide, Nothing to fear.

      Until we find they are all standard version US clones, with their speech recorded, in a sim card in their head, to be regurgitated at suitable moments.

      I wonder where they put the poison pill for when we start looking for the strings.

      • tracey 8.11.1
        20 March 2015 at 5:26 am

        makes you wonder what prompted the call to be recorded? In my experience you record for two reasons:

        to have an acurate record for your own purposes (for instance to enable you to concentrate on a meeting rather than taking notes and refer back tot he recording later for detail)

        because the person you are speaking with has previously given you reason to think they will later deny stuff they said, speak out of both sides of the mouth s it were. So, a lack of trust issue.

        There are other reasons why people would record, but that would cover why I might.

    • tricledrown 8.12
      19 March 2015 at 11:43 pm

      Mathew you better keep quite for the next 2&1/2 weeks otherwise their will be consequences.

    • Weepus beard 8.13
      19 March 2015 at 11:53 pm

      You should tape stuff when talking to to this particular government.

      You really should.

  9. North 9
    19 March 2015 at 6:56 pm

    Something went wrong. Continuing – For Reti to CONVEY the threat in any other way would leave absolutely no doubt that there IS the intent to pay back double for failure to meet the requirement of silence. At the moment it’s the difference between absolutely no doubt and beyond reasonable doubt.

    Further, the passive-aggressive “I am concerned for thee” tone used by Reti confirms the intent but gives TheGodKey the scope to gently mock his political inexperience. “Shane’s words were ill-considered on this occasion. I wouldn’t have used those words myself – great MP though. He really cares !”

    Catspew 101 Matthew, I would have thought. In fact you probably invented that particular concealment/damage control scam your good self.

    • tracey 9.1
      20 March 2015 at 5:27 am

      I’m concerned could mean he has been told to tell them if they dont shut up during the campaign they will never get their sealed roads… and he has toned it down but conveyed the message cos he might have one nut, but not two?

      Now who does that sound like in national…

      Joyce?

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