Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, July 17th, 2008 - 39 comments
Francesca Mold on National’s ACC announcment: ‘What’s interesting is the way they’ve put this out under the radar, perhaps showing how sensitive they are to how voters might react. And they’ve done that with a number of policies recently. Although, I have to say, it’s not hurting them in the polls’ a) It won’t hurt […]
Written By: - Date published: 8:59 am, July 17th, 2008 - 52 comments
National is calling on Helen Clark to investigate alleged donations by Owen Glenn to New Zealand First (which, if they happened, were perfectly legal). Consider what that means: National is advocating for the leader of a political party to be able to delve into the internal finances of another political party. That would be a […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, July 16th, 2008 - 82 comments
Every Wednesday, John Key does his round of interviews. Breakfast TV makes a nice soft start with interviews on Breakfast then Sunrise. Then he’s on KiwiFM with Wammo and bFM with Mikey Havoc, neither of whom are political specialists but are increasingly asking good questions. Every week, Key comes prepared with two or three lines, […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:41 pm, July 15th, 2008 - 37 comments
A reader just alerted us to the fact that Tearaway’s latest issue features a piece on election ’08. Gotta love the question about what each leader would do with a billion dollars. Damn, where are C/T when you need ’em…? (Click the image for a larger version)
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, July 13th, 2008 - 54 comments
The idea that a government would purposely spend money in a wasteful manner is patently absurd. Voters want more government services and lower tax, any dollar of wasteful spending not only takes away from a government’s ability to meet those desires but also gives voters an active reason to vote against the Government. That’s a […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, July 12th, 2008 - 68 comments
When was the last time John Key did an in-depth interview? Why would a potential Prime Minister be afraid to be exposed through a long interview? What does he have to gain by keeping his public appearances brief and tightly controlled? How can New Zealanders get past the mask and have a chance to properly […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:45 pm, July 10th, 2008 - 37 comments
The other day Dancer made some good points about the campaign “It’s Not Okay” and the role that organisations like the Families Commission play, as we strive for a caring and compassionate society. And Russell Brown who participated in the ads shared his view through the comments, that it had “helped focus minds” and dedicated his […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, July 10th, 2008 - 71 comments
I was going to write a piece on the much anticipated paper from ANZ’s chief economist on government spending. But now I’ve tracked it down and read it, there’s hardly any point. It’s just 4 pages in the Bank’s monthly market report and it reads like something I would expect from an excitable commerce student, […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, July 9th, 2008 - 13 comments
(Via: greylynnsinglesclub)
Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, July 9th, 2008 - 88 comments
Housing has always been an important issue for Labour. The First Labour Government instituted a massive State house building project, freeing working class New Zealanders from slum landlords, creating healthier living conditions, and stimulating the economy during the Great Depression. Now, New Zealand faces some of the same conditions as existed at the start of […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 pm, July 8th, 2008 - 32 comments
Media bleating about Labour’s ‘personal attacks’ is getting tiresome. Some journalists seem to forget from one election to the next that an important element of the triennial exercise is to find out whether contenders for political office are fit to hold elected office. That means they will be probed, scrutinised and, yes, criticised, for failings […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:13 am, July 8th, 2008 - 41 comments
While trying desperately to paint Crosby/Textor as ‘just ordinary consultants’ and argue that C/T does nothing that polling and research companies do, National allies like the Herald have also puzzled over why National won’t just admit to being C/T clients. The answer is simple: C/T are not ordinary consultants giving media training or policy advise […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:44 pm, July 7th, 2008 - 15 comments
Hager confirms that his info comes from a leak from within the National Party, not as the Nats would have you believe, a devious external computer hacker intent on exposing them.
Written By: - Date published: 1:51 pm, July 7th, 2008 - 37 comments
Here’s some great audio of Key running Crosby/Textor lines to avoid answering Havoc’s questions. Around the half way point my personal favourite C/T line even makes an appearance: “I intend to run a positive upbeat ambitious campaign; I think it reflects my personality”. As Havoc observes “[John] you’ve spent the last nine months gaining New […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, July 7th, 2008 - 18 comments
Charities are voicing fears that under a National Government public funding for NGOs would be administered by an Australian NGO called Mission Australia with dire consequences for small charities here. The NGOs say Key thinks there are too many NGOs here and wants to starve them of cash. Mission Australia does the admirable work you expect from […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, July 7th, 2008 - 36 comments
Ok. Now that the political theatre is done maybe National and its allies would like to engage in proper debate on the freight trucking industry. Here’s some issues for debate: Road user charges are less than 10% of costs and the increase, half what was recommended meaning petrol vehicles are still subsidising truck companies, is […]
Written By: - Date published: 5:53 am, July 7th, 2008 - 60 comments
The information being leaked to Nicky Hager is obviously coming from well-placed sources inside National The idea of hacking is farcical (Lyndon Hood mocks it beautifully). In the Hollow Men, Hager refers to his sources as ‘six senior National figures’, in the SST article he talks of ‘staffers’ being concerned about the actions of Crosby/Textor. […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, July 6th, 2008 - 27 comments
Ruth Laugesen’s got a piece in the SST today entitled “How National’s spin doctors operate“. She points out that Crosby/Textor’s methods, contrary to the opinion of many other journalists here, do differ from what are considered standard focus group and polling methodologies. Auckland University political studies senior lecturer Jennifer Lees-Marshment suggests that C/T are different […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, July 6th, 2008 - 28 comments
National Party’s New Plymouth candidate Clem Coxhead has reportedly wanted to be in politics since he was nine years old. Earlier this year he won a hard fought and sometimes bitter internal selection process. Puzzling then that he’s now abandoning the candidacy citing “work commitments”. The Taranaki Daily News has been informed that “business dealings […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:42 pm, July 5th, 2008 - 3 comments
One of the links to The Standard this week was from Reading the Maps on the topic of Playing the history card. The very long post is a interesting commentary of the differences between the various wars of the 19th century that made up New Zealand formation and well worth a read. The author rightly […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, July 4th, 2008 - 46 comments
As a piece of political theatre it’s good and people who walk to work, including myself, enjoyed the unusual sight and gave them a wave (some people stuck in traffic didn’t find it so fun, though). But just remember, this was a set-up – truck companies did not waste a whole morning and all that fuel protesting […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:01 am, July 4th, 2008 - 67 comments
In four separate interviews this week, John Key used more or less exactly the same line to divert from questions on his use of Crosby/Textor: ‘I’m the Leader of the party and I’ll set the tone of the campaign. And it will be a positive, ambitious, outlooking campaign because that fits with my personality‘ OK, everyone can […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:02 pm, July 3rd, 2008 - 100 comments
So, let’s get this straight the Government has increased road user charges for diesel vehicles by half the amount recommended by the Ministry of Transport to cover the roading costs of those vehicles. The increase is 7-8%. Road user chargers account for 10% of trucking costs. So, we’re talking a less than 1% increase in […]
Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, July 3rd, 2008 - 23 comments
Some excellent journalism by Vernon Small has revealed that Australian insurers expect National to privatise the ACC scheme and they see $200 million profit in it for themselves. National has now been forced to admit its policy is to allow private competitors for workplace and accident insurance, although (as always) details are not provided. Mr […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, July 3rd, 2008 - 8 comments
A shame to hear that our mates at blogblog have called it quits for now but a delight to see that our friends from keepleftnz.org – active at the last election – are kicking off “the smartest political fun in the galaxy” on July 7: 08Wire.org
Written By: - Date published: 5:41 am, July 3rd, 2008 - 31 comments
Let’s go back to the heart of this story: it is not about push-polling or whatever, this is about how Brand Key has been purpose-built by a company world-renowned for its secretive, anti-democratic practices. Crosby/Textor are not just some consultants like parties might use to assist policy development. They have built our image of Key […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:24 am, July 2nd, 2008 - 17 comments
A classic headline that says it all. Here’s the three lines: ‘Give schools additional resources over time to ensure more students can take part in extra-curricula organised sport. Ensure more of the government’s sport spending gets through to the front line.’ Stop it, John. It’s great knowing exactly what you would do, how much it […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, July 1st, 2008 - 67 comments
John Key has his round of five interviews tomorrow morning (Breakfast, Sunrise, ZB, KiwiFM, bFM) and will undoubtedly face questions on his use of Crosby/Textor. So, what line will C/T have him parrot repeatedly? He’s already trying “I get most of my advice from the public” (weak) and the more aggressive “I’m going to set […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, July 1st, 2008 - 39 comments
It comes as no surprise that Brand Key has been a Crosby/Textor project from Day 1. The hit and run, the bait and switch, the cake and eat it, the shoot the messenger, the misdirection, the dog-whistle, wedge politics, the outright lie – these are all elements of the classic Crosby Textor strategy that have […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, June 30th, 2008 - 76 comments
Remember Noelle McCarthy’s 95bFM interview with Brash in which she got him to admit to knowledge of the Brethren pamphlets? Student radio has done it again. Hager’s weekend article in the Sunday Star Times detailed an ongoing advisory relationship between the National Party and political consultants Crosby Textor. But RDU’s Kate Gorgeous asked John Key back in November 2007, “Have you got […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:14 pm, June 30th, 2008 - 22 comments
Brand Key on Waatea news: “A National government will be a lot more demanding about educational standards, a lot more demanding about under-performance in schools, a lot more demanding on failing schools” There is no ‘how we will fix things’ here, simply a statement of problems. If schools don’t perform would National cut their funding? […]
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