Winston maneuvers to the Right by voting for GCSB legislation

58
0

winston_Peters_NO

With Peter Dunne’s realization that he’s been set up as the fall guy in the GCSB leak scandal, he has himself come to question the unnoticed yet growing power of NZs Intelligence Industrial Complex and has decided to withhold his vote to allow the GCSB to legally spy on all of us meaning this has played masterfully into Winston Peter’s hands.

Winston has sensed that the Greens will not tolerate Labour using NZ First as a means to curtail Green political ambition. The Greens have been the scorned lover for far too long by Labour to put up with more political face slapping and Winston has signaled to National his willingness to negotiate on the GCSB legislation as a maneuvering to the right as the Government’s only viable coalition partner post 2014 election.

Winston knows he can get more out of John Key than he could out of Russel Norman and the haste with which Winston ran away from a possible three leader photo-shoot after the manufacturing crisis announcement speaks volumes.

Winston’s need to initiate the witch hunt against Dunne is driven out of the desire to kill off United Future as a possible coalition partner, it’s not from any moral or ethical conviction on the behalf of Winston.

NZ First voters can’t pretend a vote for Winston is a protest vote any longer, it’s a vote for John Key.

58 COMMENTS

  1. Winston has announced he won’t go into coalition with Key unless NZ gets all the power companies back, and the GCSB/SIS/Police resource sharing is put under close scrutiny.

    Does this mean you think Key is desperate enough to buckle on these bottom lines to get back into power?

    Also, are you trying to say that it’ll be the Greens fault if National get in with NZF, because it is them that would stop Labour winning if it took NZF as well as the Greens?

    • “Does this mean you think Key is desperate enough to buckle on these bottom lines to get back into power?”

      No, what it probably means is that NZ First is desperate enough to buckle on their own demands in order to get back into power.

    • Winston will say whatever Winston wants out of both sides of his mouth while saying no/yes. Key will promise not to sell any ‘more’ assets, Winston will call that a victory and cut a deal for baubles.

      I am saying the Greens would be fools to allow Labour to use NZ First to blunt green ambition

      • Well a halt on asset sales WOULD be a victory. Labour haven’t really said boo about it except to suggest they are fine with selling off electricity generation and broadcasting. The Greens have NEVER ruled out working with National, that doesn’t seem to worry you.

  2. “NZ First voters can’t pretend a vote for Winston is a protest vote any longer, it’s a vote for John Key” – if only they could see that, but I’m afraid they can’t. NZ First voters are essentially old school conservatives, reactionary rather than radical. They could never vote for a left leaning party so park their vote with WP.

    • Winston’s word is not to be taken as an amen, he’ll change his policies accordingly. So will Key. The truth is that NZF politics belongs into the far right end of the spectrum and unfortunately, Peters will most likely coalesce with the Nats because they are desperate for a partner, and save some economic miracle and some serious bribes to the middle class, will not get the majority to form the government in 2014.

      Greens and Labour must up their game considerably to be able to grab enough votes to beat the right.

      • Hey Amirite

        While I somehow doubt I’m going to convince you about the serious intent of NZ First to renationalize those assets, I’m glad you agree that our policy presents a significant stumbling-block to the prospects of a National-NZ First coalition. Good.

        However, I must reject in the strongest possible terms your suggestion that we somehow belong to the “far right” of the political spectrum in either economic or social terms.

        Disbelieve what we have stated we intend to do post-2014 if you must, but a cursory examination of our track record in office policy-wise reveals taht we are, if anything, on the anti-neoliberal left in the policy stakes. And doing rather more about it than the Greens are.

        You wouldn’t call voting to abolishg youth rates, increase the minimum wage by an impressive margin, renationalize Kiwirail, or hack at the theoretical/legislative underpinnings of the Reserve Bank Act especially “far right”, now would you?

        More especially, the *actual* far right of Kiwi politics (i.e. guys like the National Front and Right Wing Resistance) can’t STAND NZ First and call us trotskyists.

        (happy to provide documentary evidence for this last claim)

        So in sum: look at our actual policy record, and please don’t glibly call people “far right”.

        • I suspect that in this case ‘far right’ is a reference to despicably racist immigration policies and perhaps also the apparent support for spying on anyone who might threaten business interests.

          • Sam

            I have been a supporter of CAFCA The campaign against foreign control in Aotearoa for many many years, since it started. I am opposed to anyone foreign (they do not live here, they do not have citizenship, so they have no real interest in this country other than to bleed it for their interests and gain) individual, company owning any land or housing or buildings in Aotearoa. I don’t care who they are where they come from, Asia, America, Canada, Russia, Africa, Europe, Australia, Japan… you get my picture. Winston has repeatedly slagged Asians, these are the people he doesn’t want here. It is okay for Ozzies to buy up housing and let it out despite their lack of commitment to Aotearoa. I think Winston is a mixed bag to be honest and I think the most useful thing he has done is the ‘gold card’. The very fact that he will probably support the GCSB bill says a great deal about how conservative he really is. He has never been a team player, he is the Winston party.

        • But that’s only partially true Curwan. While NZ First has nationalistic economic sovereignty at it’s heart, it is deeply socially conservative and totally at odds with Green or Labour social policy.

          NZ First worked hard to block any green party aspirations – and as Winston moves to the right as Key’s only viable coalition partner, you need to be honest with NZ First’s true drift.

          If NZers want a real left wing Government, it needs Greens + Labour + MANA without needing NZ First.

          • Direct democracy by referenda is hardly socially conservative. Play the party not whatever stereotypes you apply to the party’s supporters.

            • Direct democracy by referenda is hardly socially conservative.

              Do they want direct democracy? I thought NZ First only want binding referendums when two diddles want to tie the knot.

              And what has binding referendums got to do with the Left? Do you mean this crazy left-winger?
              Binding referendums are not the panacea that some people believe, especially when the electorate is as detached as ours. The Treaty would be gone, we’d be able to legally inflict pain on our kids again, we’d begin to rival the USA in incarceration stats, and we’d most likely ban gay marriage – as was the case in Slovenia where despite polls showing support for gay marriage, the binding referendum prevented it.
              I’m sure Family First and the Sensible Sentencing Trust want binding referendums too.
              We’d have to dismantle our media and execute all our journalists before direct democracy could exist.

              • Hey Fatty…

                Yes, NZ First has a strong and abiding commitment to more Direct Democracy. This is evinced by, for instance, our 2002 effort at securing legalized euthanasia through such a mechanism (still sounding “conservative?”), and our longstanding policy of a marijuana reeferendum (how about now…).

                Now apart from the fact that s59 specifically does not criminalize “tasks incidental to daily good parenting” (so the law as it stands already allows you to hurt your children for discipliinary purposes. Thanks legislature-lawmaking 😛 ) … and your example of Slovenia … have you perhaps considered the half dozen US states which rather recently legalized gay marriage (and, in some cases, approached cannabis reform) through the mechanism of direct democracy..>?

                I guess what i’m trying to say is I’m sorry you don’t trust the people and instead wish to place your trust in a policy-elite like hte present pack of donjons 🙁

                Suggestions of dismantling the media and executing our journalists, while arguably in line with our vibe, are not something we are at this time down for. 🙂

      • New Zealand First has not hinted yet who it wants to go with, because the voters have not spoken yet. This was pointed out ably by a letter writer in The Press the other day.

        Nobody knows how the next Parliament is going to look for one blindingly obvious reason: there hasn’t been an election to elect it!

    • Hey Fambo..>

      Speaking as one of those NZ First voters you’re talking so glibly about … no, that isn’t the case nor is it especially accurate.

      NZ First voters can frequently be quite reactionary – in that we are reacting to the negative impacts of several decades of neoliberalism; but apart from noting that advocating for the nationalization of a large swathe of the Kiwi economy, or demanding alterations to the Reserve Bank (a key underpinning of the neoliberal orthodoxy) … is pretty radical; I would basically contend that NZ First voters are already voting for an economically left-wing party.

      c.f our stances on raising the minimum wage, government intervention in the economy (more of it, plz), attitude t asset sales, and ability to annoy the National Party 🙂

      (In sum: I’m not an “old school conservative” by any stretch of the imagination, and I believe I’m voting for a left-leaning party by voting NZ First. As do many of my comrades)

  3. I really don’t understand the point of this article.

    Winston was a contender for the leadership of the National Party. NZ First has always been a conservative party.

    To think that NZF is anything other than a conservative party or that it will do post-election deals with Labour in preference to the Nats if they both offer the same deal to NZF is delusional.

    • Ah, but Richard … the prospects of Labour and National offering the same deal are pretty negligible.

      I’d like to believe, for instance, taht Labour is more open to renationalizing those assets being part-privatized by the Government than National is. (one of NZF’s coalition bottom lines) … however Labour’s more right-wing policy on the age of pension entitlement (our other coalitoin bottom line) should also be taken into consideration.

      And Winston left the National Party because he saw waht it was turning into and what its neoliberal agenda was about.

      Turn your historiography around. We are an anti-neoliberal party. That’s what we were founded on.

      • So the question then is if both National and Labour refuse to budge on those issues what does NZ First do if it is the party that holds the balance of power – Force a new election?

        • I’m sure Winston will enjoy being the belle of the ball, after protracted courting he’ll tango with one of the prospective suitors. A repeat of ‘96?

    • Let’s not treat the National Party THEN as if it was the same thing as the National Party NOW. The Shipley coup spelled the end of any genuine concern for ordinary New Zealand people. To paraphrase a famous quote about Ronald Reagan, Winston didn’t leave the National Party, the National Party left him.

  4. One thing is certain, Machiavellian Politics are alive and well. I’m standing by for the dirtiest Election in our youthful History

      • Do you mean smear as in informing the public that Winston had basically lied about his links with Owen Glenn? I suppose telling the truth can be regarded as a smear by some people.

        • Given that Winston was cleared of that by three separate state entities including the police, I’m not sure what you’re on about.

          • You really think that? Did you not see the outcome of the Privileges committee? It was blatantly politicised where Labour saved his skin because he was a key support party for Clark’s government.

      • Nonsense the real smear was done prior to that by National on the Greens by using the very suspect Bretheren who don’t even bother to vote and keep their woman in subjugation.

  5. “With Peter Dunne’s realization that”

    This is nitpicking, but are we so Americanised now that we are spelling words their way too now?

  6. Hey Bomber … you’re using a present tense somewhat ill-advizeably.

    We haven’t voted for this GCSB legislation.

    You are manufacturing quite an impressive hyperbolic windstorm out of something we haven’t actually voted for … don’t you think?

  7. New Zealand First has not voted for that legislation at the time of sending of this message. So how can you call it a tip to the right when nothing – as yet – has happened?

  8. More to the point … as other commentors on this thread have already noted … we have set out our coalition bottom lines.

    We want those assets Key is presently engaged in privatizing to be RENATIONALIZED.

    Now if you think we can convince Key to undo all them part-privatizations … well, let me put it this way.

    You rate Winston’s capabilities of persuasion far higher than I do 😉

    • NZF may have bottom line policies but Winston?
      When those baubles of power are put on the table – suddenly he’ll be very flexible.

  9. “Winston has sensed that the Greens will not tolerate Labour using NZ First as a means to curtail Green political ambition. The Greens have been the scorned lover for far too long by Labour to put up with more political face slapping and Winston has signaled to National his willingness to negotiate on the GCSB legislation as a maneuvering to the right as the Government’s only viable coalition partner post 2014 election.”

    The Greens have indicated no such thing, and are actually working with NZF on a number of policy commonalities. Peters’ willingness to discuss GCSB legislation (“negotiate” suggests a predetermined outcome) is entirely practical. NZF wants to do all it can to influence it in a less draconian direction if not block it entirely. To do that you have to be informed and at the table. NZF has not voted for this legislation.

    “Winston knows he can get more out of John Key than he could out of Russel Norman and the haste with which Winston ran away from a possible three leader photo-shoot after the manufacturing crisis announcement speaks volumes.”

    Like what, renationalisation of NZ assets? – Russel is about the only person he CAN get that out of. As stated over and over again, NZF will not go into coalition with National unless it reverses asset sales.

    “Winston’s need to initiate the witch hunt against Dunne is driven out of the desire to kill off United Future as a possible coalition partner, it’s not from any moral or ethical conviction on the behalf of Winston.”

    Um, or the need to kill off United Future as a possible coalition partner is to make it difficult for National to form a government in the next election full stop.

    Basically just admit you are trying to frighten people of NZF because you’ve hitched your wagon to MANA.

    • As stated over and over again, NZF will not go into coalition with National unless it reverses asset sales.

      Yeah right.

  10. Populux, good post. I am a NZfirst voter and so far Winston has stood by his word. Yes, he would support the spy legislation only if it were to satisfy certain criteria which to include the courts. Key wants to circumvent this only to protect his political ass because of his bungling of the GCSB and Kim.com. This article only pertains to those who are ill informed and read the headlines only. Winston has said he will not support this draconian legislation that Key wants to push through. Most of what I am reading is supposition, not pertaining to the facts.

  11. NZF have always been a curious mix of old style interventionist and right wing anti-immigration scaremongering. The mixture is further confounded by Winston’s entertaining unpredictability when faced with choices that may require compromising stated principles, such as rejecting “the baubles of office” or opting for political expediency. All politicians do this, its just that Winnie grandstands so much on his “principles” which make his backdowns look even more hilarious. Or tragic. And these are the reasons, I suspect, that parties find him so difficult (euphemism for near impossible) to work with. While it is great media fodder, the players want to keep him at a distance, for their own safety.

  12. Is it just me, or do all the down-votes suggest there are a significant number of NZF voters here at The Daily Blog? Who would have thought!

    • Going by the number of down votes on many comments following on from articles posted, I think it would be fair to say there are a number of blue tinged fingers visiting here.

  13. Where does Winston’s consistent Asian/immigrant/refugee-bashing and his endorsement of expanded spying powers of the state places him? Certainly not in the centre or centre left.

    • You know Winston! A blend of apparent “principles” mixed with a powerful punch of contradiction topped with fighting talk.

  14. I think Winston going to be pissed when he realizes that a big chunk of his vote came from the far left, who are just pissed off with all politicians. These voters (myself included) voted to just annoy the right and the center left. Winston will lose this vote this election because he has stopped annoying the right and the center left are going to deal with him. And quite frankly – labour is to far gone to much help to anyone. If the left wing in Labour can’t even crush the right wing in there own party – what hope to they have of producing any positive outcomes for working folk.

    • A popular sentiment I’ve heard from many over the years is they admire Peters and/or vote for him because “he’s a good stirrer”.

      Many who resent all politicians don’t vote.

  15. Seriously fuck it. Would you rather have these bloody knobs in Labour and the Greens and Mana or have John Key and Winston together so that the Left can actually start learning to co-exist and find a strong leader to get behind. Time for people to get with reality. Winston will be a limiter on the damage that Key and the Nats can actually do. He did it to Bolger and look here we are again third term National Government looming and Winston wades in to flip the lid. Hate him you might but every time he goes with the Nats they are fucked for a good 4-5 years afterwards.

    • Hate him you might but every time he goes with the Nats they are fucked for a good 4-5 years afterwards.

      What? we’re supposed to be grateful that we’ll be lorded over by a Winston-crippled National Party?

      • Well what else have you got mate? Shearer would be our most embarrassing PM in history with a paper-thin majority and there’s a real chance he’d get the arse within 6 months with National winning a new election and the Left not being re-elected for another 12-15 years.

  16. NZ first will form a coalition or an agreement with NZ Nat Government in 2014,
    Winston Peters will be given a similar agreement as was with Helen Clarke .
    You can forget about a mad labour Government, Can you hear the crazy trotsky money printer screaming yes you can.

    NZ Government 2014, stable NZ Nat with NZ First back up

  17. Whatever Winston is up to, it is hardly making it easy for Key and National to cosy up with him. He challenged Key in the House again yesterday, and also Joyce, do you honestly believe he wants to work with them? Do you really think he was just scheming to oust Dunne to get his spot as kingmaker.

    I doubt it, Winston is a much larger poker player than to try any deal on the GCSB bill. He is using it, ok, but he will lay down expectations that will utterly embarrass and ridicule Key, and Key will not settle for it. So nothing will be done with GCSB for some time, and the status quo will prevail.

    It means murky territory, but as Key says, it is from his view not illegal for GCSB to spy on NZers. He claims the draft legislation is just about legalising and sorting out what had already been done all the years, also under Helen.

    I rather worry about the left here, and what they have to offer, but to scandalise on GCSB, which I actually agree with, but you will never win enough votes by just criticising and running down a government, you need to deliver an alternative in policy and more, but I see very little there!

  18. Key and Shearer and Norman/Turei should all rule out working with Winston in any post election coalition, making a vote for NZF a wasted one…fuck ever being held to ransom by that selfish little man again!

Comments are closed.