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Pop quiz, who said "Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear"? Answer, just about every politician ever who was arguing for an increase in state powers, especially powers of surveillance. On this particular occasion it was John Key defending the powers of a newly…
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hattip: William Joyce
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The Right's crying we should be talking about policy, not certain tapes. Funny, until recently they were mocking Labour for putting out so much policy. Fact is, we don't elect policy implementing automatons. We elect leaders for their policies and because we trust them to…
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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There's a theory going round that Key deliberately "staged" his walkout from questioning over the teapot tape fiasco (video). 3 News has a version, and Tracy Watkins really goes to town with it: Key ups the stakes over tea tape Prime Minister John Key has tried…
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The "minor" parties leaders' debate is tonight at 7pm on TV1. Will they manage a format that allows the leaders to actually debate this time? The main winner will be Winston Peters. Not only does he get a great public platform (hard to come by…
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Phil Goff on RNZ this morning said that the teapot tape saga had descended in to farce, and that it was time to focus on the policy questions which should be defining the election. As good as his word, today Labour released its jobs policy:…
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Most politicians crave attention, especially when they're trying to win an electorate. Not so National's Paul Goldsmith! A Standard reader (ht Jaynam) snapped these pictures of Goldsmith removing (apparently "unofficial") Goldsmith electoral signs. It's almost as if he doesn't want to get elected!
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The teapot tapes story (seems that's the name that's been settled on, despite the story involving neither teapots nor tapes) has evolved two distinct strands: the contents of the Key-Banks conversation, which is gradually coming out through the media, and the very aggressive, poorly conceived…
election 2011 john banks john key national scoundrels spin winston peters
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As has been widely reported, the Wall Street occupation at Zuccotti Park was evicted in an overnight raid yesterday. Here's an Associated Press account: Police bust NY 'Occupy' protest in nighttime sweep NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of police officers in riot gear raided the Occupy Wall Street encampment…
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Winston Peters is suggesting that in the transcript of the PM's meeting with Banks, John Key made some derogatory remarks about the older New Zealanders that tend to support New Zealand First, along the lines of "not to worry [about Winston's support] they're dying off". Slagging…
accountability act election 2011 john banks john key national nz first Steven Joyce superannuation winston peters
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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Key has now officially launched "The National Party Preservation Society." He won't vote for MMP, and prefers SM. I predicted this in June: So John Key is making soothing noises about MMP at the moment, while at the same time expressing his sotto voce preference…
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An activist orchestrates the temporary alteration of National billboards and John Key's response is that: There is no room for negative campaigning in New Zealand. This within hours of the National Party research unit shopping a dirt story on the cameraman who recorded Key's conversation…
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Key made up nonsense about what S&P said about a Labour government, and was publicly humiliated when S&P fronted up and said that it wasn't true. Now history repeats. 3 News reports that a lawyer representing victims of the News of the World phone hacking scandal says that…
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MANA's Epsom Candidate Pat O'Dea, reminds the voters of Epsom who they are really voting for. -- Jenny
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We finally get a glimpse of just how ‘small’ the government thinks small government should be. From the Sunday Star Times: It has slashed new spending provisions and put the public service on a belt-tightening programme for which, English warns, there is no end in…
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Many have commented that John Key dodges all the hard questions in favour of scripted photo-ops. But 3 News reminded us that his MPs are just as bad. In fact, although Key's face is everywhere, the rest of the Nats are working hard at being invisible. Let's…
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120 'policies' and only 1 of them new. That's National's economic development "action plan". It looks superficially impressive at first: 120 points - what a busy government. But then you read, and it's all stuff that's underway or already announced, or in some cases Labour…
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No Right Turn: National on energy National has released its energy policy [PDF]. The short version? "Drill it, mine it, sell it". Yes, seriously: Our petroleum estate is under-explored. An independent valuation has put a value of $8 billion to $12 billion on potential future…
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Key is now using the police to intimidate journalists at The Herald and at 3 News to keep the "game changing" teapot tapes from being released. What a surprise! Not. John Key and the Nats have a long, long history of this kind of attack:…
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John: "I hear you might be able to get your hands on something to get me through the Election?"
act election 2011 humour john banks john key leadership national parody
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike...
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The tea tape didn't interest me at first. Nats' reaction seemed over the top but would Key and Banks be so stupid to discuss anything sensitive in a public cafe metres from the press mob? But then Key went to the cops. This said the…
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Way to keep the story rolling John: Key going to police over 'teapot tapes' John Key will complain to police over the ‘teapot tapes’, even though he says they contain nothing that would be a game-changer. The Prime Minister is making the complaint to police…
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Many have commented that John Key dodges all the hard questions in favour of scripted photo-ops. But 3 News reminded us that his MPs are just as bad. In fact, although Key's face is everywhere, the rest of the Nats are working hard at being…
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New Zealand has drifted under National for 3 years. They came to power with a plan they developed years earlier at the peak of the good times: cut taxes, sell assets, build roads. They haven't altered that plan despite the weakest 'recovery' in history, no…
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Labour's fisheries policy will phase-in a requirement for fishing vessels to be at least 50% Kiwi-crewed - this would let the quotaholders charter foreign vessels, which would come here with a skeleton crew and take on Kiwis to do the fishing work - and at…
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Oh to be an Epsom voter - what an enviable menu of options you have. A National candidate who cares so much about the electorate that he goes to extraordinary lengths to discourage people from voting for him, or a racist former National politician soundly…
act campaigning election 2011 john banks john key leadership national national/act government