Whatever you think of Prime Minister John Key you have to admire his brash opportunism.
After Mauritius pulled out of hosting the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting because their Prime Minister boycotted the Sri Lankan CHOGM on human rights grounds Key was quick to announce that New Zealand would be keen to host the meeting in their place.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Chandra Ramgoolam had told British television there was a “total lack of accountability” about human rights abuses during and since the civil war ended in 2009. For this reason he would boycott Sri Lanka and as a result also give up the opportunity to chair the next meeting in 2017.
So after thumbing his nose at war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka Key then sought to exploit the honourable stand made by Mauritius on this same issue.
Let’s face it – not many Prime Ministers would have either the complete absence of ethics or the sheer nerve to make this suggestion. But our man John Key thought nothing of it. It was in the same category as him ripping billions from the New Zealand economy in the 1980s as a currency trader.
No morals or ethics – just an opportunity to exploit.
Human rights in Sri Lanka are a huge issue. The United Nations and Amnesty International have put out numerous reports detailing war crimes and on-going human rights abuses. Sri Lankan leader Mahinda Rajapaksa is heavily implicated and has refused to hold an inquiry or allow a UN investigation.
As a result the leaders of three commonwealth countries – Canada, India and Mauritius – boycotted CHOGM while the UK’s David Cameron said he would go but would speak out and call for an independent international inquiry into the killing of 40,000 to 70,000 innocent civilians in Sri Lanka in 2009.
So what did our Prime Minister do?
Firstly Key refused to even back the UN call for a robust independent inquiry (“I don’t know what that would achieve”) then refused to take sides when British PM David Cameron was attacked by Rajapaksa for speaking out on human rights violations (“I haven’t seen either side of the desk, so for me to start playing referee is a bit silly”) and refused to even criticise the great war criminal himself (“domestically he’s extremely popular, and that’s because people do now feel safe”)
So while tens of thousands have been massacred in war crimes and on-going human rights abuses, land is being seized by the Sri Lankan army at gunpoint and opposition activists are being murdered by the state right, left and centre John Key says the people feel safe.
Meanwhile Murray McCully was in the north of Sri Lanka looking for opportunities in dairying on land which looks likely to have been seized by the Sri Lankan army.
No worry for Key or McCully. If slavery were still being practiced they would invest in making chains and leg irons. They bring the ethics of capitalism to the debate human rights.
And in our name too.
Our MPs jeer at the words of the the Filipino delegate to the climate change talks.
And now we make our dairy profits by ignoring genocide.
I’m ashamed to be a New Zealander, given the direction this government is taking it.
Just wait for his twitter saying how much fun he’s having. The man is loathsome.
I will never be either ashamed or proud to be a New Zealander, which is really just an accident of birth. I am proud to be one of the people who will never stop fighting against this conman and his shonky mates, for a better society.
Very interesting article, thank you Mr Minto.
Key is primarily there in Sri Lanka to lobby for votes to get NZ a seat on the UN Security Council.
Ethical issues are are near the bottom of his agenda.
And guess who he thinks might be a good nominee to occupy the Security Council Seat in the unlikely event that NZ might win it and the even more ‘unforseeable’ event that National just might not win the next election.
(And speaking of over-optimistic opportunism, who was it that declared that the PPTA could “easily” be all done and dusted by Christmas?)
Freudian slip with the PPTA? I know NAct hate teachers, but hadn’t heard this particular promise.
Thanks John for the information. I look forward to hearing some positive news from our PM. 😉 It’s all quite depressing. Day after day.Bad sad news and all we get is Mr. smile and wave. It’s time for Mana and the left.
I’m curious about what John Minto’s position was at the time on the CHOGM meeting in 1991 held in Zimbabwe. Was he as strident in his opposition to NZ attending as he is now in regard to Sri Lanka or did he turn a blind eye to the multiple human rights abuses and deaths that took place in that country during the 1980’s.
What always astonishes me is that people like you Gosman think that John Minto has to get ou there and protest about everything, don’t let the man rest he has to get out and do it for all you lazy bastards who never lift a finger on any humanitarian issue! I know he campaigned actively in 2004? (not sure what year it was exactly) to try and stop the cricketers going to Zimbabwe to play. Judith Todd (whose father was a Kiwi and prime minister of Zimbabwe at one time) was brought to New Zealand to help front the campaign. Minto has stood up and been counted on so many issues over the years it would put most kiwis to shame. Do some homework Gosman, google the matter it is pretty straight forward and then got of your arse and get out there and do something for those less privileged than yourself.
Great and affirming Post John Minto .
Can I just say one , or two things ?
We must pause and think for a moment on this .
John-Key-is-a-con-man . No , seriously . Let that sink in ( I don’t mean to be patronizing . My apologies ) . You mentioned that he , albeit politely , swindled NZ of billions . That is the work of a con man , you are correct in saying that , and he wasn’t the first to take the worms from us blind hens either .
He’s the cringing , mince master of Rob Ford politics but without the style . ( Rob Ford . Toronto Mayor and bumblefuck , crack head . )
Shit doesn’t stick to jonky because it has nothing to stick to .
jonky is a smoke and mirrors man , and I use the word ‘ man ‘ advisedly .
He’s surrounded himself with like minded criminals and they’re having a ball . They have nothing to worry about from us either and that’s what makes me ‘ ashamed to be a New Zealander ‘ @ Paul . We , as yet , do nothing . We will do ‘something’ though and I feel it’ll be soon but when exactly ? When will we cross The Rubicon ?
People of other countries have also had to writhe in discomfort at the abysmal behavior of their so called leaders . GW Bush springs to mind .
Of course jonky can walk over the dead and tortured bodies of Sri Lankan people for a dollar . He’s a crook and crooks by definition have no conscience . He’s known as the smiling assassin for Gods sake .
We need to ease up on the pointing and the shouting and the warnings of his presence and just get rid of the fucker .
( I saw a sociologically interesting clip on Youtube about a drunk and violent young woman intimidating other people on an Australian commuter train . When the train came up to the next stop , and after some discussion amongst passengers , she was escorted from the train relatively gently and left sitting , screaming drunkenly as the train pulled away . Sorted .
What happened there was unusual . It’s psychologically unusual for a group of strangers to band together to fix an issue that was causing distress and possible physical harm to both parties . This is an excellent example of what I’m trying to convey . The Murder of Kitty Genovese . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Kitty_Genovese
Also , see Prof Stanley Milgram if you think you have a mind of your own when faced with the onslaught of advertising and MSM bullying and brainwashing that we’re subjected to daily and remorselessly .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcvSNg0HZwk
If you , like me , wonder how jonky gets away with that which he does , I hope this material puts a new light on his clever methodologies . Skills learned at Harvard and other institutions , powerful training grounds to help con men like jonky do what they do .
The police should go to Parliament Buildings , drag the bastard out , take him away to the cells and charge him with treason . What’s so difficult to understand about that ?
( Watch the above dear reader . )
He-is-a-con-man !
He-is-conning-us !
He-must-go !
Today !
Now !
He’s a carpet bagging liar and he must go . And his ilk must be made to atone . We must then find our money , have it returned to us and have it distributed amongst the 250 k kids who go to school hungry from violent , deprived , hopeless , outrageously gouged homes .
I’ve spent a lot of time and energy coming to understand the reasoning behind what’s been happening in New Zealand for more than 70 years now . We have been swindled . I don’t mean in some abstract political way whereby the swindlers change laws and lie to you and I . I mean , actual swindling . Actual conning . Actual theft .
The trouble is , we’re so beaten down , over worked , under rewarded and deprived of passion , hope and focus that we’ve become used to feeling powerless to do anything about it . It’s a bit like getting into a fight in a dream . You want to lash out and fight back but you have no strength . Each punch you throw feels like you’re pushing a soap bubble across the handbasin .
This is what I feel like . I can see the problem clearly , I just have no strength to throw a punch alone . We need a leader to focus the discord that’s rising up in us all .
I was never much of a Pink Floyd fan but I have to ask ‘ Is there anybody out there ? ‘
If David Cunliffe is truly connecting with us , the people . His people . He would know that there’s a massive , unstoppable energy just begging to be tapped into .
For Gods sake . Lets just get rid of fucking jonky . He’s becoming an embarrassment to us all .
Are you a policeperson ? Than go and do it . Make history . Save a Country and it’s people .
Let me help .
Baton ? Check .
Pepper Spray ? Check .
Handcuffs ? Check .
Note book and pencil ? Check .
Torch ? Check .
R/T ? Check .
Uncomfortable , itchy , sweaty , post neoliberal , stab proof vest ? Check .
Awful nylon trousers ? Check .
Off you go then .
Nah , nah …. No ! Not the pot smoker ! No ! NO ! Stop it ! Put him down . Let go of his throat . He’s turning a colour similar to your cheap trousers .
You want jonky . He’s the short arsed conman in an office near the top of that big ugly building in Wellington . Ask Big Jude . She knows where he’ll be . Naked on a pile of money .
Interesting to note Moseley is a necrophiliac
“the ethics of capitalism”
Axioms, perhaps. Ethics, not.
Countryboy, I’m sorry. John Key has that particular polarity and attraction for a significant part of our voting population. It’s actually a part of the Kiwi psyche going back for many, many decades. It’s the drab way our ‘aspirations’ show up – stepping on others for our personal short-term benefit.
If all we can do is focus on getting the little schuyster out – we’re missing a great opportunity to do much better for ourselves in terms of the quality and calibre we expect from those we put in place to balance the scales for the public and enterprise.
Hope that The Daily Blog keeps on helping this essential debate to develop and inform at least the ‘sneezers’ (with thanks to Malcolm Gladwell for the term).
John Key gets away with what he gets away with because at least 40 % of voters in this country think he’s more than a dog biscuit. The fact is not enough of us care what happened in Sri Lanka during 26 years of a vicious civil war that killed so many and apparently finished with an orgy of killing civilians. The fact is NZers didn’t care enough. On facebook we cared more about what JT and WJ said on Radio Live. We didn’t even know that 26 people were shot and killed in Sri Lanka for protesting. This was after the civil war came to an end. There’s abuses since. John Key and Murray McCully are a true reflection of the fact that “we don’t care.”
Well he is a Business man . So that rules out ethics for a start..(ho hum)
WAIT!!!
NO!!
WE can NOT allow ourselves to be de-sensitised to absence of Ethics
..(FSS!)..THE PRIME MINISTER ! of NEW ZEALAND!
How utterly shameful.
What a DISGRACE!
How the HELL has our Nation ended up with a PRIME MINISTER so DEFICIENT…so APPALLINGLY DEFICIENT OF NECESSARY QUALITIES in a “LEADER”??????
He is clearly not “leader”.
So WHAT is he ? And how the hell..?
(REALITY CHECK & Update needed. The world is being RULED by BUSINESS. That would make sense then. Why everything has gone so wrong.. Absence of ETHICS & all timeless life affirming Values-disappearing..)
While the British media has exposed the bullshit going on in Sri Lanka, where ministers put pressure on their media, and where their media only report what they are meant to report, the New Zealand media is reporting side issues like a gifted elephant to join a lonely elephant at a Franklin zoo, and NZ signing another dairy cooperation deal.
It strikes me, how the NZ media is increasingly resembling the Mainland Chinese type of reporting, where all “good things” that the “government” does for the people, are reported on, but where human rights are not an issue, and certainly not a topic.
I cannot believe what is going on in this country. I thought it used to be bad, but what I see these days, it is shocking.
John Key is a bit like our “glorious leader”, chatting small talk on breakfast TV, telling Campbell Live how he would want an interview conducted, and otherwise tells media to “bugger off”, if they do not agree to his terms.
This country is indeed the laughing stock of the “developed world” now, despite of all other supposed “good records”, which mostly are stuff from reports prepared here, for the purpose of making NZ look good on the international stage, so it tends to rank amongst the “better performers”.
When a “bullshit artist” and former currency dealer is in charge, I suppose you cannot expect anything else to happen.
He is a sociopath – skilled in the art of looking good to those who don’t probe too deep, like most sociopaths.
No conscience, no empathy, no idea what it means to be a normal human being….but all the sills in the world to project a “normal” face to those he wants to influence….namely the average population of NZ!
pathetic little twat!
I’m really hoping we don’t get on the United Nations Security Council while this government is in power.
Even without that, the news is getting around the world now as to just what of sort of government New Zealand has, from tiny Pacific nations worried about climate change to China and Russia. I don’t like Putin, but one has to acknowledge that he knows a fool when he sees one (hence the snub at the UN)
If John were referee you can bet the game would be rigged,ironically this is not far from the real game our government is playing right now.
[…] You have to admire John Key… By John Minto https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2013/11/17/you-have-to-admire-john-key/ […]
Boy. John Minto sure draws the cockroaches out of the shadows. But we shouldn’t be surprised. He’s been doing that for decades.
I have been living in Australia for the last 7 years and look at what is going on in NZ.It leaves me speechless.John Key and his sycophants,what a joke,sold our country down the river of course with the help of the previous Labour Party.
Comments are closed.