Key Government out on its own. No one else to blame!

[husaberg]

John Key 2008 regarding allegations of improper donation of Winton Peters legal costs

National Party Leader John Key says Winston Peters would be unacceptable as a Minister in a government led by him unless Mr Peters can provide a credible explanation on the Owen Glenn saga.
"Labour Party donor Owen Glenn's letter to the Privileges Committee completely contradicts Winston Peters' version of events about the substantial $100,000 donation made by Mr Glenn to Mr Peters' legal costs.
"Mr Glenn's letter represents a direct challenge to Mr Peters' credibility, from the only other person in the world in a position to know the facts.
"From Parliament's point of view, the Privileges Committee provides an appropriate vehicle to resolve the points of conflict and to hold individuals to account. But from the Prime Minister's and the Government's point of view, that is not enough.
"Governments and Ministers must enjoy the confidence of the Parliament and, ultimately, the public. Faced with today's revelations, it is no longer acceptable for Mr Peters to offer bluster and insults where simple, courteous, honest answers are required.
"It is no longer acceptable or credible for Helen Clark to assert a facade of confidence in her Foreign Affairs Minister and to fail to ask the plain questions of him that she has a duty to the public to ask.
"Faced with today's revelations, Helen Clark must stand Mr Peters down as a Minister. That is what I would do if I were Prime Minister.

Handling of John Banks Kim Dot Com donations

Note Kim Dotcom himself told the New Zealand Herald and TV3's Campbell Live program about his own donations, saying that the $50,000 was split at Banks' request, that the cheques were written out in the presence of Banks, and that Banks called him a few days later to thank him

John Key 2012-13
Prime Minister John Key has staunchly backed John Banks since allegations regarding his mishandling of donations first surfaced.
Key on April 30, 2012 saying he had sought assurances from Banks that he had acted lawfully:
- "I've asked directly the question, I've been given an assurance by Mr Banks that he complied with all the local government regulations and laws and I accept him at his word."
Key on September 16 2012 on accepting Banks' word:
- "I accept his word, I accept the law is very ambiguous, and I accept that the Labour Party is using this as a politically motivated attempt to get to the Government.''
Key on September 16 2012 on whether lying was a sackable offence for ministers:
- "The test for whether someone can be a minister is whether they enjoy my confidence. If a minister tells me this is my position and this is what I've done, I accept their word in good faith unless it's proven otherwise."
Key on September 17 2012, rejecting calls for Banks to be sacked:
"I accept him at his word, no charges have been laid and he's not going to be found guilty of anything. There is no case to be held against Mr Banks, he hasn't broken the law."
Key in Parliament on September 18 2012 when questioned about why he would not read the police report:
"Because I don't need to. The test is whether I can rely on the member's word. He'd given me an assurance he met the law.
Key on October 16 2013 after Banks stood down as minister pending trial:
"He could have argued that he was going to guts it out because he claims strongly that he's innocent, but realistically for a minister to be in the Government and defending potentially a fraud charge, I think, you know, he made the right decision to offer his resignation."
Key on October 16, 2013 in regards to Bank's future if he escaped conviction::
if Mr Banks is successful on appeal or proved to be not guilty at trial, it is my intention to reinstate him as a Minister.
A statement from Key's office on June 4 following the guilty verdict:
"The Prime Minister has this afternoon acknowledged Justice Wylie's decision that ACT MP John Banks is guilty of filing a false electoral return. Mr Key, who is currently in Niue on the Pacific Mission, says he cannot comment while the matter is still before the court."

[mashman]

"Pay levels of world leaders - Annual salary in 2015 (USD)

1. Lee Hsien Loong, Singpore, $1,700,000
2. Barack Obama, United States, $400,00
3. Stephen Harper, Cananda, $260,000"
... the correction in the story is kind of amusing.

How much does dear leader earn each year? And for the hard of hearing, I'm referring to dear leader as the position, not the person currently filling the position.

[Brian d marge]

"Pay levels of world leaders - Annual salary in 2015 (USD)

1. Lee Hsien Loong, Singpore, $1,700,000
2. Barack Obama, United States, $400,00
3. Stephen Harper, Cananda, $260,000"
... the correction in the story is kind of amusing.

How much does dear leader earn each year? And for the hard of hearing, I'm referring to dear leader as the position, not the person currently filling the position.

thirty pieces of silver

[mashman]

thirty pieces of silver

heh... and a round of golf with the world's greatest leader.

[Brian d marge]

heh... and a round of golf with the world's greatest leader.

he was killed in the 60s by the cia

[mashman]

he was killed in the 60s by the cia

There's always another one... likely educated by the cia too.

[blue rider]

pathetic is the only word that comes to mind

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO150...commission.htm

[oldrider]

Key claimed his government would :-
Reverse the drift to Australia
Improve the economy etc

Well!

Drift is reversed
Economy is better than Australia
$ Dollar value equity or better than Australia
Employment has improved.

TPPA threat aside - Where would we be had we elected the alternatives on offer at the time?

[Scuba_Steve]

TPPA threat aside - Where would we be had we elected the alternatives on offer at the time?

With Lamas & ice cream & without Hamilton

[oldrider]

With Lamas & ice cream & without Hamilton

[vido=youtube;IfSza2nE-eQ]ht://ww.youtube.co/watch?=IfSza2nE-eQ[/vieo]

That pineapple looks promising for the political future what's it's policy on the TPPA?

[Brian d marge]

Lama
from nowhere



the only reason we aint as bad as australia is because we havent set in motion QE . .and we have had austerity for a while now . .

[mashman]

TPPA threat aside - Where would we be had we elected the alternatives on offer at the time?

the only reason we aint as bad as australia is because we havent set in motion QE . .and we have had austerity for a while now . .

Creative accounting, bullshit and a globe full of easily appeased dipshits that believe that the richer your country is, the better the country looks after it's civilians. Does it really matter who is in power if the outcome is being dictated?

[Scuba_Steve]

That pineapple looks promising for the political future what's it's policy on the TPPA?

Well lets just say it won't be signing it*



*this may or may not be related to it's inability to sign

[mada]

Key claimed his government would :-
Reverse the drift to Australia
Improve the economy etc

Well!

Drift is reversed
Economy is better than Australia
$ Dollar value equity or better than Australia
Employment has improved.

TPPA threat aside - Where would we be had we elected the alternatives on offer at the time?

How's the wage parity going between Aus and NZ? The Drift hasn't reversed, we still have thousands more kiwis leaving to Aus than staying, it's just that our net arrivals (new migrants - Chinese, Indian, Fillipino ) are now slightly more than those leaving.

A year before getting into power he claimed he would make us like Ireland.... and we're following that tract - a hands off economy that tanked over due to an inflated housing boom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_property_bubble

The housing bubble of Auckland hasn't stopped, and exports to China are beginning to wane off and be less profitable (the same reason why Australia's economy is tanking = less Chinese demand for raw materials). The housing boom and slow Christchurch rebuild is contributing to GDP growth. GDP is such a pointless measure for basing the success of one's "economic performance" given that Crime contributes to it positively - how are the resolution rates going for property crimes and reported crimes? Response rates for 111 calls? Surely these will do even better when more Police stations are shut down.

IMF has warning us for the last couple of years about the major threats to our economy - reliance on China, over inflated housing market. What's been done?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/indu...housing-bubble

The only thing rock hard about our economy is the erections of a few rose tinted John Key fans who fail to comprehend what decreasing milk prices, increasing numbers of suicides and attempted suicides amongst dairy farmers, hundreds of forestry job losses nationwide, building companies and contractors collapsing in Christchurch despite the "rebuild" are indicators of.

[oldrider]

Are you guys trying to tell me that TV1 News have been mischievous in their interpretation/presentation of the facts ? -