The 2017 Election Thread

[sidecar bob]

I have not spoken to Derek Handley for over a year. . . .
I don't do lazy & I don't do liars, fucking clown.

[carbonhed]

I have not spoken to Derek Handley for over a year. . . .
I don't do lazy & I don't do liars, fucking clown.

She must have taken lessons from the "Lizard of First" on how words can mean anything she wants them to mean.

Hon Simon Bridges: Was there more than one text from or to Derek Handley from the Prime Minister?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The text that I received, again, as I said, was in April. I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role, I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message.

Hon Simon Bridges: Well, were there any other texts between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as I acknowledged the very moment I was asked this question, I have known Mr Handley for a number of years and have had correspondence with him for a number of years.

Hon Simon Bridges: What other communications by any medium—Gmail, WhatsApp, and the like—were there between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as a consequence of the member’s question, I have had my office check. Mr Handley sent me an unsolicited email to my private email on 7 June, which I did not open and which I did not reply to. I’m advised by my staff that it informed me that he’d submitted an application for the role. But, again, it was not something I opened, saw, or replied to.

[husaberg]

I have not spoken to Derek Handley for over a year. . . .
I don't do lazy & I don't do liars, fucking clown.

thats not what was said
Asked whether there were any other text messages, Ardern said: "I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message."

If thats the best National can come up with its no wonder Simon bridges is so low in the polls and why hes going to be replaced by Crusher Collins

[sidecar bob]

thats not what was said
Asked whether there were any other text messages, Ardern said: "I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message."

If thats the best National can come up with its no wonder Simon bridges is so low in the polls and why hes going to be replaced by Crusher Collins

Yet the text messages were on the news tonight.
It's got nothing to do with Bridges.
You know what the truth is, I know what the truth is. I'm not about to argue about something we all know the kaupapa on.
Economical with the truth was what the press said.
But in short, she's full of shit & can't cover her arse.

[husaberg]

Yet the text messages were on the news tonight.
It's got nothing to do with Bridges.
You know what the truth is, I know what the truth is. I'm not about to argue about something we all know the kaupapa on.
Economical with the truth was what the press said.
But in short, she's full of shit & can't cover her arse.

Sorry what text messages i missed the news, what did the pm say in the text messages after he had applied for the job.........

I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message."

if you mean this there is nothing i can see in text messages after he responds that hes applying for a govt job?
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/polit...t-process.html

Hon Simon Bridges: What did Derek Handley's text message to her say?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, I would have to go from my recollection. But my recollection is that he mentioned that the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role had been mentioned to him. Again, as I said, I did not directly reply to that message, and it was received in April.
Hon Simon Bridges: Did she flat out ignore his text—not even an emoji?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, I did not even send an emoji.
Hon Simon Bridges: Was there more than one text from or to Derek Handley from the Prime Minister?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The text that I received, again, as I said, was in April. I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role, I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message.
Hon Simon Bridges: Well, were there any other texts between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as I acknowledged the very moment I was asked this question, I have known Mr Handley for a number of years and have had correspondence with him for a number of years.
Hon Simon Bridges: What other communications by any medium—Gmail, WhatsApp, and the like—were there between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as a consequence of the member's question, I have had my office check. Mr Handley sent me an unsolicited email to my private email on 7 June, which I did not open and which I did not reply to. I'm advised by my staff that it informed me that he'd submitted an application for the role. But, again, it was not something I opened, saw, or replied to.
Hon Simon Bridges: When will the text, and that Gmail she's referred to, be released?
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as I said in my primary answer, my office is currently working through the OIA that was received, and we will reply in accordance with the Official Information Act.

[Voltaire]

Yet the text messages were on the news tonight.
It's got nothing to do with Bridges.
You know what the truth is, I know what the truth is. I'm not about to argue about something we all know the kaupapa on.
Economical with the truth was what the press said.
But in short, she's full of shit & can't cover her arse.

Where she went wrong was using non verbal communication, I learnt that early working for a Corporate.
Simon Bridges just comes across as the class tattle tale.

[sidecar bob]

Where she went wrong was using non verbal communication, I learnt that early working for a Corporate.
Simon Bridges just comes across as the class tattle tale.

Non verbal is fine, in fact it's preferred. . . If you're not talking shit you can be called on.
Good on him. I've far more fun things to do with my day than call the PM out on her lies & God knows it's a full time job.
"Someone had to check for me, but It turns out I didn't open an email from an old mate to whom I had given my email address to in a Txt shortly before". Tui anyone?
Bless her, she's not a very good liar, which is commendable.

[Voltaire]

Non verbal is fine, in fact it's preferred. . . If you're not talking shit you can be called on.
Good on him. I've far more fun things to do with my day than call the PM out on her lies & God knows it's a full time job.
"Someone had to check for me, but It turns out I didn't open an email from an old mate to whom I had given my email address to in a Txt shortly before". Tui anyone?
Bless her, she's not a very good liar, which is commendable.

I had a client Project Manager who only did verbal but wanted updates in writing, months later when the verbal was forgotten the one sided emails could be interpreted more than one way.
He's gone far in that company

We had a bit of fun at work the other day on how many lies you tell a day.....which explains why business people are probably better at Politics that School Teachers.
" I was just going to call you" -forgot
" Its nearly finished"- its not started
" the parts are on order" I forgot to order them
and so on... being ex motor trade you'd be awesome at it.

[Swoop]

Good photo of Shane Jones, he should keep it up.

What's he doing there?
Surely he should be traipsing around the provinces doing his "William Tell" impression (stealing from the rich and handing it out to the poor...).


It'll be lovely seeing their faces when the reality of the "exploration ban" fully bites them in the arse. You need to know what resources the country has available, to then be able to decide IF there is a need to extract them, save them for later, or leave them where they are.
Except if you are of the Lunatic Fringe variety, where every sort of exploration is Verboten!

[Voltaire]

What's he doing there?
Surely he should be traipsing around the provinces doing his "William Tell" impression (stealing from the rich and handing it out to the poor...).


It'll be lovely seeing their faces when the reality of the "exploration ban" fully bites them in the arse. You need to know what resources the country has available, to then be able to decide IF there is a need to extract them, save them for later, or leave them where they are.
Except if you are of the Lunatic Fringe variety, where every sort of exploration is Verboten!

I think William Tell was more pre occupied with shooting apples off heads, but hey who knows what else he got up to.

When oil came along it was the end for horses, surely electric will have the same effect on oil and its time to move on?

The US can always liberate Venezuela's under some pretext if we start to have shortages.

[Ocean1]

I think William Tell was more pre occupied with shooting apples off heads, but hey who knows what else he got up to.

When oil came along it was the end for horses, surely electric will have the same effect on oil and its time to move on?

The US can always liberate Venezuela's under some pretext if we start to have shortages.

Quite right, he obviously meant that other criminal, Robin Hood. Probably the very first socialist poster boy now that I think about it, I can just see all of those Sherwood teenyboppers swooning over his picture on every second tree.

Venezuela would be better served by a full scale invasion by a ravening, bloodthirsty hoard of Mongols than it's current socialist government. A mere armed assault with possibly the occasional bit of strategically conjured collateral damage by the US would be nothing short of a blessed relief by comparison.

[sidecar bob]

" I was just going to call you" -forgot
" Its nearly finished"- its not started
" the parts are on order" I forgot to order them
and so on... being ex motor trade you'd be awesome at it.

Na, I never bothered with that. I found people responded better when you were very good in your specialised field & told them the truth.
Do another survey, Mark down how many times a day you think you are being white lied too or dealing with incompetents, or both. People aren't stupid.

[Voltaire]

Na, I never bothered with that. I found people responded better when you were very good in your specialised field & told them the truth.
Do another survey, Mark down how many times a day you think you are being white lied too or dealing with incompetents, or both. People aren't stupid.

That would take up too much of my time, I already have enough to go into competition with Dilbert.

I find the Uni types are better at lying than the Tradies.

[Swoop]

When oil came along it was the end for horses, surely electric will have the same effect on oil and its time to move on?

Not quite.
Even if humans decide to power transportation via electrickery, there is still the ravenous desire to make things out of plastic.

Quite right, he obviously meant that other criminal, Robin Hood.

Venezuela would be better served by a full scale invasion by a ravening, bloodthirsty hoard of Mongols than it's current socialist government.

Yup, that's the bugger. Ol'e Robin.

As for Venezuela, the Chinese are fully involved there, trying to get their "loaned finances" back...

[carbonhed]

A handy summation from DPF of Cindy's dance moves on the head of a pin.

"Hon Simon Bridges: Has she had any conversations, emails, or texts with Derek Handley since she’s been Prime Minister?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again, to answer with some accuracy, I would want to go back. [Interruption]

SPEAKER: Order!

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: My best recollection is that I received, some months ago, a text from Mr Handley mentioning the Chief Technology Officer role, which I do not recall directly engaging with, as that would not have been appropriate.

The correct answer would be there have been 11 texts between Mr Handley and myself – seven from him, and four from me, plus an e-mail.

Hon Simon Bridges: Were the conversations, emails, or texts with Mr Handley about the role of the Government’s Chief Technology Officer, and if so, what was discussed?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I can rule out any direct verbal communication. I haven’t spoken with Mr Handley in at least a year, maybe two. As I say, my best recollection is I received a text message that I didn’t directly engage in. For all other platforms, I would want to go back and check, but I don’t recall directly communicating in regards to that role.

Actually she did engage. He said he was looking at the CTO role and asked for her e-mail address so he could send through his thoughts on the role, She responded with her e-mail address and he sent his thoughts through.

Then on 19 September, which is after she has had a chance to check all her communications:

Hon Simon Bridges: What did Derek Handley’s text message to her say?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, I would have to go from my recollection. [Interruption]

SPEAKER: Order!

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: But I can off the back—[Interruption]

SPEAKER: Order! Order! The Prime Minister will resume her seat. This is a matter of some seriousness. It’s a matter which I’ve had a number of representations on and I’m told that the House takes it seriously. I want to be able to hear the answer.

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, I would have to go from my recollection. But my recollection is that he mentioned that the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role had been mentioned to him. Again, as I said, I did not directly reply to that message, and it was received in April.

But she did directly reply to that message. She replied with her e-mail address for him to send his thoughts on the role to.

Hon Simon Bridges: Did she flat out ignore his text—not even an emoji?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, I did not even send an emoji.

She didn’t ignore the text. She replied to it with her e-mail address.

Hon Simon Bridges: Was there more than one text from or to Derek Handley from the Prime Minister?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The text that I received, again, as I said, was in April. I did not directly reply to that text message on that day or engage with him on the CTO role. On the CTO role, I did not engage with Mr Handley via text message.

She avoids saying there were 11 texts in total. And she did reply to that text message on that day. He sent it on 25 April at 9.33 am and she replied with her e-mail address at 12.03 pm.

Hon Simon Bridges: Well, were there any other texts between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as I acknowledged the very moment I was asked this question, I have known Mr Handley for a number of years and have had correspondence with him for a number of years.

Hon Simon Bridges: What other communications by any medium—Gmail, WhatsApp, and the like—were there between the Prime Minister and Derek Handley?

Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Mr Speaker, as a consequence of the member’s question, I have had my office check. Mr Handley sent me an unsolicited email to my private email on 7 June, which I did not open and which I did not reply to. I’m advised by my staff that it informed me that he’d submitted an application for the role. But, again, it was not something I opened, saw, or replied to.

She says her office checked yet she fails to say there were 11 texts since April and the e-mail wasn’t unsolicited. He asked her for her e-mail address and said it was so he could send through starter thoughts on the CTO role, and she sent her address to him. That is hardly unsolicited.

So did the Prime Minister mislead the House? What do you think?

Audrey Young is unimpressed. She writes:

It is becoming a habit – for the second time in three weeks, National leader Simon Bridges has accused Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of misleading the public.

This time she has also been accused of misleading Parliament as well as the public and Bridges has demanded she correct her statements.

Ardern put up a strenuous defence on both counts that there was no need for corrections.

In both cases she was technically correct that she did not tell a lie but in both cases she omitted information that gave an impression that turned out to be wrong. It is becoming a habit.

Anyone listening to the House would have thought she had not engaged with Handley at all. To the contrary she was saying she would check with her staff to see if they could find a job for him, and supplied him her e-mail for him to send through his thoughts on the CTO role.

Until now, the fiasco, mainly over an undisclosed meeting, had reflected badly on Curran but the contagion has spread to Ardern and made the Government look amateurish.

Grant Robertson had to correct an answer in the House today he gave last week on Clare Curran’s emails to Handley and Woods had to retract a suggestion that the severance contract with Handley may have been subject to a confidentiality clause.

Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters swore blind Ardern was blameless of anything and everything.

True, she will not have to correct any answers she has given to Parliament.

But that is almost irrelevant because even if she did, it would not undo the damage she has done to herself.

Yep."