Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, October 11th, 2008 - 19 comments
My sources tell me Key has a big surprise planned for National’s campaign launch tomorrow. In a break with tradition, Key will not be telling supporters about his plans for “a Labour government I lead”. Instead, he will not be telling them about his plans for a National government. Seriously though, National needs the next […]
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 11th, 2008 - 22 comments
Spotted by an eagle eyed reader. Fancy leaving the running of our economy up to the Joker? Seems like the economic risks/challenges ahead have proved a creative inspiration….
Written By: - Date published: 12:53 pm, October 10th, 2008 - 23 comments
I was going to write about the economic effects of taking money out of Kiwisaver and spending it on tax cuts but this youtube video with South Park characters does the job and is much more fun: (hattip: Labour’s ‘Campaign Trail‘ blog)
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, October 10th, 2008 - 17 comments
With the second English secret agenda tape out, John Key was asked whether he was worried about whether he had been caught on a tape. His answer: “oh, look, who knows” That’s a weak answer. A strong answer would be along the lines of ‘I’m not worried if there is a tape of me because […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:35 pm, October 9th, 2008 - 24 comments
No, I’m not talking about National’s tax cuts, which would hit the poorest Kiwis in the pocket – John Key doesn’t seem to be content at just that. We have received an exclusive audio recording of Mr Key’s performance at the Helensville debate on Monday. When housing was an all-important issue earlier this year Mr […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 am, October 9th, 2008 - 56 comments
That was going to be the title of my first post on National’s tax-cut plan but then it turned out National’s plan would actually make about 1 million taxpayers worse off compared to Labour’s cuts (all figures derived from the Budget and National’s tax policy). That 1 million comprises approx 650,000, including nearly all super-annuitants, […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:05 pm, October 7th, 2008 - 15 comments
Former National advisor Richard Long has let the cat out of the bag. The day before National’s much-hyped, cure-all tax cut package is to be announced, he is desperately trying to change the subject. National has nothing but tax cuts to offer, it has been their one consistent answer for every problem but, now, tax cuts are […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, October 7th, 2008 - 22 comments
At the first Helensville candidates’ debate last night, John Key reversed his position on state housing once again. Despite using the years he lived in a state house as “a great marketing ploy”, Key called the plan to build state houses along with more up-market homes on the site of Hobsonville airbase “economic vandalism”. Then he […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 pm, October 6th, 2008 - 27 comments
This is so funny. Click on image for full zoom.
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, October 2nd, 2008 - 25 comments
With expectations about National’s tax cuts justifably very high (thanks to National talking them up for nine years), National is suddenly trying to change course. John Key, who has promoted tax cuts as the solution to doctors’ strikes, the wage gap, and petrol prices along with every other issue facing this country, is now saying […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, October 2nd, 2008 - 27 comments
When a commentator like Jenni McManus raises questions over Key’s leadership ability in troubled global economic times you know National should be getting worried. In today’s Independent Financial Review she writes: Just as the United States House of Representatives this week rightly refused give a US$700 billion (NZ$1.04 trillion) blank cheque to Treasury Secretary Henry […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, October 2nd, 2008 - 59 comments
The formula to determine the fair value of a share is pretty simple – take the expected future dividends,adjust them using the discount rate, and add them up, there’s your fair share price. Of course, expectations on future dividends and people’s discount rates vary but it should all be pretty simple. It isn’t though because the […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:54 pm, October 1st, 2008 - 25 comments
John Key is being pretty evasive on his tax cut plan. He won’t say whether the famous ‘$50 a week for the average worker’ (note that’s not every worker, your income has to be $47K plus) is additional to Labour’s cuts, the first round of which came into effect today. Given the evasiveness, it’s safe to […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, September 29th, 2008 - 6 comments
Greeenwoman has done it again, another brilliant video on Key using a classic music video:
Written By: - Date published: 8:33 am, September 29th, 2008 - 15 comments
National desperately wants to portray any criticism of John Key as a personal attack. Don’t be taken in. Look, PM is a powerful job. We need to have a thorough examination of anyone contesting for that role. As I’ve always said there are three legitimate questions that need to be answered what are their policies? […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, September 28th, 2008 - 44 comments
I’m probably going to be at odds with my fellow Standardistas in this but I support having debates featuring just Clark and Key. One of these two people will lead the country after the election and we deserve to see to them in a forum where they go head to head against each other, rather […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, September 28th, 2008 - 9 comments
An article in yesterday’s Herald raised some more questions over how Key has handled the management of his share portfolio. However it looks like it would be easy enough for him to clear up. According to Paula Oliver: Eyebrows were raised around Parliament this week when Mr Key said Mr Leggat could buy shares with […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, September 27th, 2008 - 50 comments
The more I think about it the more it seems to me that John Key’s meeting with Rail America needs some more explaining. For a start these kinds of meetings don’t just happen of their own accord. Rail America is based, somewhat unsurprisingly, in America. John Key is based in New Zealand. That means someone […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, September 26th, 2008 - 75 comments
We know John Key bought shares in Tranzrail on May 7 2003. We know he then met with Rail America as a representative of New Zealand’s parliament on May 20, 2003. We know those shares were then sold by June 10, 2003 for a massive profit. It appears the sale of Tranzrail was discussed during […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:06 am, September 26th, 2008 - 1 comment
“This may be unfair, but Key can sometimes give the impression he is being less than honest”*
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, September 25th, 2008 - 138 comments
National has four fatal problems that will prevent it from winning the election. Or, rather, it has two problems, both with two parts. – A large majority of New Zealanders don’t like the policies National wants to implement – they reject privatisation and cutting government spending. – People were sucked in by the shallow, vague […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:53 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 22 comments
Where-ever you sit on the spectrum of opinion on Key’s handling on the Tranzrail affair, it appears that the commentators are questioning his ability to handle the pressure (and by extension his ability to handle the PM-ship). From Paul Henry’s vigorous questioning this morning to discussions by commentators later in the day, the common theme […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:28 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 87 comments
Key’s three defences on the share scandal are ‘no-one asked how many shares I had’, ‘it didn’t matter how many shares I had’, and ‘Labour is spending all their time researching me’. It’s classic distraction stuff. Let’s break it down. ‘No-one asked me how many shares I had’ – Yes, Fran Mold did on Monday […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, September 24th, 2008 - 28 comments
I’m usually no fan of Paul Henry as an interviewer but I’m prepared to give credit where it’s due. He certainly didn’t let John Key off the hook this morning on Breakfast. Was tempted to edit it down a bit but it’s worth watching the full thing. HENRY: “Well it’s not going well is it? […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:38 am, September 24th, 2008 - 34 comments
Generally, when you buy capital and later sell it, there is no tax payable on any profit. Unless you buy with the propose of selling the capital for a profit. That being the case, your buying and selling of the capital is engaging in an activity to generate income and tax is payable. It is […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:35 pm, September 23rd, 2008 - 18 comments
All it takes is Youtube, some video editing software, and imagination to make great vids, as this video we have just been sent from ‘johnnyfivestrive’ shows:
Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, September 23rd, 2008 - 28 comments
At the height of the Peters affair when John Key was trying to make political capital out of the PM’s statement that she had known about the Glenn donation to NZ First since February, Paul Henry asked Key about his own honesty. Here’s the exchange: Henry: Do you promise you will never do that if […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, September 23rd, 2008 - 53 comments
Michael Cullen’s office has just released a damning exchange between John Key and Richard Prebble that shows John Key not only fully understood the requirement for him to disclose potential conflicts of interests such as his shareholding in Tranzrail, but even used ownership of Tranzrail shares as a hypothetical example of the need to disclose […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, September 23rd, 2008 - 51 comments
For those who missed it, here’s the video from last night’s One News investigation into John Key’s TranzRail dealings. The first clip details Key’s abuse of his positition as an MP for personal financial gain, and the second clip has him lying about his shareholding, then quickly correcting himself when he realises he’s been busted.
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, September 23rd, 2008 - 41 comments
Anyone remember back in July Key accused Clark of misleading the house over his involvement in Tranzrail and asked for an apology? Just in case you don’t here’s what John Key said to TV3 said at the time: “Can I assure her that neither I, nor my family trust, was an owner of shares in […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, September 23rd, 2008 - 28 comments
John Key on August 30 “The appointment of a minister to Cabinet has to be done on the basis that as Prime Minister I can look that person in the eye and have confidence that I can rely on their word.” Also, I know it’s small change to Key but to those of us who aren’t […]
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