English still digging
Burying the last shred of his credibility in a deep hole forever, Bill claims that nobody realised Todd Barclay recording of secretary might be a crime. It’s like the events of 2008 and 2011 never happened.
teapot tape
Why are we paying Key’s legal expenses for him?
Key backed down on using taxpayer money for his payout to Ambrose – but he is still using it to cover his legal expenses in the case. Why?
Teapot tapes – Key backs down over Parliamentary Services payment
John Key’s office has announced that he will now pay the agreed damages from private sources.
Which hat John?
The teapot payout shows that, while Key is keen on distinguishing between his various hats when he’s trying to dodge responsibility, he is just as keen on ignoring the differences if it lets him dip into public money.
Key settles Ambrose defamation case – with public money
Key has made a payout in the Bradley Ambrose defamation case over the “teapot tapes”.
Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key
Teapot tape cameraman Bradley Ambrose plans to take a defamation case against John Key. A crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help him raise the $38,000 required.
Northland is not a “dirty deal”
Despite Mr Gower’s excitable tendencies, Andrew Little’s comments that Northland voters may wish to vote to send a signal to the government is not a “dirty deal”.
Key’s credibility and the Snowden leaks
The Sunday Star Times has reported on the set up and reach of the Waihopai Spy Base. Key’s statement that the GCSB does not have the physical capability to conduct mass surveillance appears to be not true.
Ambrose to sue Key
Key is carrying plenty of baggage now. Haunted not only by dirty politics, but also the scandal of the election before, the teapot tapes.
The real John Key?
Swearing is not often a major factor in the political debate. Yet John Key’s alleged use of the “f-word” seems to have assumed considerable significance in the run-up to election day in the light of the Slater debarcle. National has a lot invested in John Key’s nice guy facade.
Have Winston’s rights of privacy been breached?
Winston Peters has claimed in Parliament that the Police wanted to seize his telephone records because someone with a NZ First tshirt was outside the venue of the infamous Teapot tape incident. And Key’s office wanted to be kept in the loop. If true this another worrying attack on our rights of privacy by the state.
The teapot tapes and Andrea Vance’s emails
The Herald reported this morning that the police had previously obtained a warrant to seize Bradley Ambrose text messages. It seems that in New Zealand a journalist’s rights of privacy do not count for much. And John Key’s actions to protect his privacy using extreme measures but more recently in trashing Andrea Vance’s privacy again with extreme measures are jarring.
The fateful tea party – a footnote
So much of what shapes the current political landscape traces its roots back to the fateful tea party. But at the personal level, there was some welcome news for cameraman Bradley Ambrose recently.
No charge for “teapot” cameraman
In breaking news 3News reports that there will be no charge against “teapot” cameraman Bradley Ambrose.
Teapot tattle
The Teapot Tapes have leaked on to the internet.
You can torrent it and listen past all of the noise.
Turning on Key
It’s been a costly election for Key. After the teapot tape fiasco and the subsequent police raids on media, his political capital with the media (except for die-hard fans) is spent.
Tea tape judgment
Any minute now, we should find out whether we are allowed to know the secret plans that John Key and John Banks were foolish enough to discuss in a public cafe in front of the country’s media, or whether that information will be denied us before we vote on Saturday.
Update: Judge has declined to make a decision.
So it can be published without breaking the law. Publication is only illegal if publisher knows the interception was illegal. No-one can now know that.
Tape hearing
According to reporter Derek Cheng (#dchengnzh) inside the courtroom “Judge reserved decision til 215 tomoro #votenz #ambrose“.
Police delay searches
In what seems a very wise move, police are holding off their searches of four media organisations until the legal situation has been clarified. See also some notes on the legal situation prior to Tuesday’s hearing.
Ambrose to sue Key for defamation
Bradley Ambrose, the cameraman widely maligned by John Key and his pudgey lapdogs David Farrar and Cameron Slater for daring to hold the PM to some basic standards of accountability, is demanding an apology from John Key or he’ll take the PM to court for defamation.
UPDATE: The final week of the campaign will kick off with a police raid on the Herald Monday morning.
How bad are National’s internals?
Some say the tea tapes haven’t hurt Brand Key. In fact, National is down 2% last week and those polls were largely taken before the tea tapes hit overdrive. It also takes time for impressions and media narratives to bed in. The 26th will be the first poll to really tell us how much the tea tapes have hurt. But the internals could give us a clue.
Small target
Outraging families of suicide victims. Insulting the Police as layabouts. Declaring war on the media. Negative teapot stories every day, now spreading to over coverage. The Nats are spinning this was planned; that they decided to go nuclear on the media as a vote winner. What a joke. They were successfully running a small target campaign until a week ago.
Key loses plot under election pressure
John Key has a history of choking under pressure but this time, calling on the police to raid the premises of our national broadcasters TVNZ and RNZ, and our major privately owned newspapers – he’s cracked under the pressure of the campaign and the spectre of losing it all. There’ll be no knighthood if Key becomes the first National PM to lose after just one term.
Teapot fiasco becomes an international embarrassment
The teapot fiasco has become an international story.
And it’s making us look like a banana republic.
Is this what John Key means when he says he’s “ambitious for New Zealand”?
Peters leaking everywhere
Winston is leaking details of the teapot tapes. Plenty of other rumours doing the rounds, including a TV1 poll tonight that shows no damage to the Nats on voting intentions yet.
Leave John Key Alone
Whenever the PM is talking politics, that is a matter of public interest. If he doesn’t want to be embarrassed when private conversations become public, the solution is in his hands…
Also a hugely funny video by a distraught supporter of John Key, or so it seems.
Key declares war on the media
This headline speaks for itself. Tea tape: TVNZ, RNZ to be searched – “Four media outlets, including Radio New Zealand and TVNZ, are to be searched for any material they might have in their possession that relates to the tea pot tapes”. Outrageous.
National Election agenda setting fail
This is just from one news outlet. Stuff, the Herald, RNZ, TVNZ – they’re all focussing on what’s making Key looking like a fool. They aren’t interested in hearing what National has to say about anything until they fess up. Nine days from an Election, now that’s a spectacular agenda setting fail. Who’s advising Key’s campaign, Melissa Lee?
“Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear”
Key would have had slightly better grounds for opposing the release of the teapot tape if he hadn’t led a government which trampled on civil rights in its determination to strengthen search and surveillance powers. I wonder if his “anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear” line is sounding quite so good to him now…
A matter of integrity
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 act with integrity on our behalf. The tea tapes matter because they go to Key’s integrity.
Did Key “stage” the teapot tape tantrum?
There’s a theory going round that Key deliberately “staged” his walkout from questioning over the teapot tape fiasco. 3 News has a version, and Tracy Watkins really goes to town with it. I don’t buy it. It looks like what it is, a panicked reaction from a PM trapped by his own hubris.
‘Dying off’?
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 off older New Zealanders (ie. the ones that always vote) is a sure way to lose an election.
Could Key really be so clueless? Well yes, when you look at the excuses he’s trotting out – probably.
Key’s second credibility downgrade
A lawyer representing victims of the News of the World phone hacking scandal says that Key’s comparing that event to the recorded conversation with Banks is a “cheap shot”, and the recording should be released. (Good work from 3 News.) How’s Key going to justify gagging the media now?
Transcript Contest: Johns’ Magical Teapot Tapes
John: “I hear you might be able to get your hands on something to get me through the Election?”
Key calling in police over tea tape
Key says he’s “not bothered in the slightest about the tape”, but he’s laying a complaint with the police. Meanwhile the contents of the tape are being described as “potentially game-changing”…