WHEN: Wednesday 3rd September 6.30pm
WHERE: St Andrew’s on The Terrace
Participants: Shane Ardern (National), Trevor Mallard (Labour), Mojo Mathers (Greens), Richard Prosser (NZ First) and Miriam Pierard (Internet).
The latest Whaledump has a collection of emails that makes no reference to Judith Collins. It makes you wonder if Key did not have the Cathy Odgers email whether he would have sacked Collins.
Another day, and more evidence the National government is manipulating the OIA process. Judith Collins’ office processed an Official Information Act request in just two days. The problem here isn’t that someone got their response within two days – its that other people didn’t…
My condolences to those close to the victims of the horrific actions in Ashburton today.
I have today sent an open letter to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to ask why Mr Key is not required to attend her inquiry and to give evidence under oath. The letter is attached.
All credit to Guyon Espiner for another hard-hitting interview with Key on Morning Report today. Espiner tries to get a straight answer from Key over his personal contacts with Slater. Tries and tries and tries, to no avail. It is clear that Key, personally and through his office, is up to his neck in dirty politics.
John Key dropped Winston Peters’ visits to DotCom into an answer to a question in the Houseof Parliament on February 12 2014. Today when pressed by Guyon Espiner whether the information had come to him from Cameron Slater he ducked and dived all over the place but finally had to admit Slater was the source. This episode confirms that Key was part of the black ops campaign, not just his office.
Big fish and little fish.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Labour’s broadcasting policy includes setting up a new public service TV channel, to be located with RNZ, incorporating RNZ values. The Greens are open to the idea. NZ First has a similar policy. Laila Harre makes some good points about public broadcasting and industrial relations. [Update: RNZ report; video clip added]
All your trashing the SFO connections. h/t DebsHancock
The Sunday Star Times has reported on the Hotchin – Slater attack on SFO boss Adam Feeley. The email which caused John Key to effectively sack Judith Collins as a Minister was provided by Cathy Odgers. The intent was to put off a SFO/FMA investigation into Hotchin. This is third world stuff.
National’s dirty politics, for all its corrosive damage, also marks an opportunity for NZ. An opportunity to take stock, recognise such tactics for what they are, and reject them. An opportunity to clean up both politics and the media’s coverage of it.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
The NACT way is Not Our Way. We need a better way of governance and democracy. One that is for all the people. I joined the hardy souls who went to the Not Our Way rally and march in Auckland.
“There can surely be no more important issue than the fitness to govern of some of these pretending to office. What could be more serious than the abuse of power – its use, not to serve the interests of the country, but to discredit and destroy, in an unfair, vicious and underhand way, those whom the government sees as its opponents?”
The English faction is now calling the shots inside the National party.
Oravida and the mysterious Chinese border control official, the Simon Pleasants leak, Bronwyn Pullar’s Privacy Commission complaint, plotting to roll John Key after the […]
Press conference is running late, but Judith’s statement is out – resigning as Minister, but not as MP.
New allegations of her undermining SFO head Adam Feeley have finally been too much.
Update: email attached to post
Judith Collins’ tenure as a Minister may be in some doubt.
There is a self-appointed “Vast Right Wing Conspiracy” in New Zealand. Odgers and Slater are key members. Search VRWC on Slater’s website and you’ll find their activities. After Pansy Wong’s forced resignation from Cabinet for misuse of her travel perk the VRWC thought the National Cabinet needed “some serious steel going forward.” You can read the minutes of their virtual white-board session on post-it cards – the rifts at the top are deep and nasty.
The latest Dominion Post contains survey data on people’s responses to Dirty Politics but attempts to manufacture a message by quoting selected interviews suggesting that Labour and not National have been hurt by Hager’s revelations. The headlines though are that half of all New Zealanders think less highly of John Key and 7.9% of voters are considering changing their vote. National should be afraid.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Dirty Politics shows the need for a reformation of our media, broadcasting and related online content. It’s about democracy. Lucy lawless agrees. Laila Harre and Colin Craig have been added to the line up for Sunday’s Broadcasting Debate in Auckland.
They care about Child Poverty (and presumably he doesn’t)
Judith Collins has re-entered the election campaign. John Key’s little helper is back. Collins should take her own advice to cyber-bullies earlier this year. Her time is up but she doesn’t realise it. National’s #teamkey campaign has become a train wreck, and John Key looks weaker and grubbier by the day.
Roy Morgan has a poll out today looking at the issues affecting New Zealanders and therefore this election. Social inequality is rising as an issue as the world economy has stopped getting worse.
Weekend social is for non political chat. What’s on for the weekend, gigs, film or book reviews, sports, or whatever. No politics, no […]
Peters is standing by his claim that camp Collins approached him about working with her as PM. Peters says he will “swear an affidavit”, strong language indeed, and Collins has every reason to lie. Why is she still a Minister anyway?
Three weeks before the election, action is being taken across the country voicing a rejection of the National Government’s track record and direction. Rallies are being held in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin to oppose National’s attacks on workers, abuse of the environment, inequality, cronyism and dirty politics.
Last night there was one participant in the debate who looked disinterested and unhappy to be there: John Key. Has he had enough?
Two new polls with different conclusions drawn and the first Leadership debate with a win to David Cunliffe. He may be a sterling campaign away from being the next Prime Minister.
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
The pundits say: Cunliffe
Our PM is fond of telling us all what we think. In the wake of Dirty Politics he is working it overtime, telling us all that we believe his spin. Interesting then to get some actual data on what (extrapolating from a sample) most New Zealanders really do think. Many thanks to the Horizon polling people for putting this up on line.
The first head-to-head debate between David Cunliffe and John Key (tonight, 7pm, TV One) could be a real turning point of the election.
