Last Week Tonight on Key
politicans
john key
The waitress the bloggers and the main stream media
The Ponygate story provides a fascinating example of the use of social media to break a story. The simple lesson is to tell a story without a political agenda. And the response from the right shows a level of disarray progressives can take heart from.
#casualjohn
Since when was harassing a waitress “casual”? John Key’s “excuse” blew up all over Twitter last night…
A Friend first, and a Boss second, probably an Entertainer third.
“I’m a friendly guy that likes to interact with the public. I do like to have a bit of a laugh and I’m probably the most casual Prime Minister New Zealand has had.”
John Key’s week has turned from drama to farce. David Brent looks good next to this clown.
Our “casual” PM
Pull the other one… ponytails, minimisation and male privilege
From pulling ponytails to police minimisation, there is a deep problem in our country with attitudes towards women and to sexual violence.
Pillock of the week
Although John Key clearly wins the award this week for unbecoming insensitive and bizarre behaviour there is a media figure who did their best to provide him with competition. And it is not Rachel Glucina.
Abusive and creepy
Of all the ways Key could have shot his leadership and his legacy in the foot – this really was the stupidest.
Image from Emmerson in The Herald – definitive.
Chaos and Mayhem at the Herald
The Herald has responded to criticism of its role in publishing the identity of the victim of John Key’s creepy behaviour by publishing, at this stage, three different responses. What is going on?
National Council of Women open letter to John Key
The text of an open letter from the National Council of Women to John Key about his treatment of waitresses.
International laughing stock
John Key has finally achieved the world fame he has clearly always wanted, but not in a good way. Here’s a roundup of the international coverage of his harassment.
Reaction to harassed waitress story
Some of the reaction from Twitter.
My Little Ponytail
A really strange story has appeared on The Daily Blog. It claims to be a first person account of PM John Key regularly physically harrassing a staff member in his local cafe over the summer. While it may be much ado about nothing, the Prime Minister really should tell NZ his side of the story. Or resign if it’s true.
Update: It’s true. Key’s office has confirmed the harassment.
Parsing John Key
John Key’s recent public response to the news of the likely interception of Chinese diplomatic communications resemble those of a used car salesman rather than those of a New Zealand Prime Minister.
But they do it too …
With revelations that New Zealand has potentially been involved in the interception of Chinese diplomatic communications the questions arise did John Key know about it and did he authorise the activity.
Let Campbell Live entertain you
John Campbell is engaged in the most marvellous fightback in trying to save Campbell Live. But you have to wonder why he is not on a State Channel with robust protection for quality journalism.
Key announces new schools – again
At least two of the four new schools that John Key recently announced had been announced previously. And it appears that one of them has had its concrete foundations already poured.
Ten Bridges Too Far
With Crosby Textor by his side, John Key has since learned to employ all manner of specialist PR techniques including ad homs, blame-shifting, distraction, use of Dirty Politics proxies to defuse the situation, and false equivalence, all woven together in an intricately performed semantic shuffle designed to provide wiggle room for when he does get caught.
Key’s pre-budget falls flat
Key’s attempts to drum up enthusiasm for this year’s upcoming budget have fallen absolutely flat. And as usual, promised funding actually represents an ongoing cut in real terms.
Burn the Cabinet Manual
Key won’t take any action over Simon Bridges’ clear breach (excellent work by Rob Salmond at Polity) of the Cabinet Manual. So, might as well burn the thing, at least for the remainder of this government’s term. Key has no intention of being held to account, or holding his ministers to account, by or for anything at all.
The difference between a surplus and landing a 747 on a pinhead
John Key’s latest pronouncement is that achieving a budget surplus is as difficult as landing a 747 on a pinhead. Michael Cullen must be a super airline pilot if this is the case.
Key’s surplus excuses
Apparently this budget surplus that the Nats have been going on about for the last 6 years is an “artificial” target that is “like trying to land a 747 on a pin head”.
Who is Miranda Devine?
Miranda Devine is the person who recently wrote a really obsequious article on John Key in the Daily Telegraph where she described him as one of the best Conservative Prime Ministers in the world. But a reading of her other published material suggests that caution should be applied before applying too much weight to her opinions.
A police investigation – Part One
There’s nothing particularly wrong with Bryce Edwards’ article except that it ignores how National Ltd™ Police Ministers have successively sat by and done nothing in response to the on-going police failings.
The magical disappearing surplus
John Key and National have staked a huge amount of their credibility on returning the country’s books to surplus this financial year. Looks like they are going to fail.
O’Sullivan on Campbell, Weldon and Key
So it’s not just loonie leftie bloggers noting the political element to the attack on Campbell Live.
If you can’t afford children…
What is happening in the National Party?
Trouble is brewing in National’s ranks. In a series of recent tweets occasional Standard commenter Matthew Hooton outlines his reasons for now opposing John Key’s Government.
Dollar Parity
As New Zealand’s dollar approaches parity with Australia’s a responsible Government should be pondering the implications and acting in the country’s best interests. No such luck in Aotearoa …
The implications of Winston Peters’ Northland win
John Armstrong in the Herald and Tracy Watkins in the Dominion Post have both written opinion pieces on the implications of Winston Peters’ win in Northland which reach very similar conclusions.
Planet Key
Turns out that “Planet Key” is not an election advertisement after all.
Is GCSB using increased awareness of mass surveillance to justify mass surveillance?
Denis Tegg has persuaded the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to inquire whether the GCSB is conducting mass surveillance on the Kafkaesque grounds that the legislation allows this to happen if a party ought reasonably to expect that the communication may be intercepted.
Drill baby drill will not work
Simon Bridges announced yesterday the release of the 2015 block offer. Potentially oil companies could be drilling in deep sea pristine environmental areas off the West Coast where the endangered Maui’s Dolphin lives. He calls for a “mixed balance” of energy generation. But all this means is that he wants the good mixed with the bad.
Leadership and loyalty
Key ran out on failed candidate Mike Osborne in Northland, just like he ran out on Melissa Lee in Mt Albert.
Bait and switch
Congratulations to Labour for a very clever strategy in the Northland by-election – lulling and gulling John Key into thinking they were going to run a conventional proxy-partyvote campaign, where National would have the upper hand. Key, the rockstar politician, also thought Andrew Little would be on the training wheels. He got that badly wrong; Little’s handling was superb.
Sledging sucks
Hey, all you folk angry with Aussie cricket team sledging – how do you put up with John Key PM?