Image: Melanie D
I’ve been confident that National will lose this election and that our focus should be on what a progressive Government needs to establish as its agenda in the first 100 days. Past that point, the establishment pushes back and real reform is more difficult to achieve.
Many people have not tirelessly volunteered and sunk energy into changing a government to merely get the same boss just like the old boss. We want change, and the Government is but the first part of that want.
The reason why I’ve been so confident that National will lose is because of the SIS briefing given to Cameron Slater. The fact that Selwyn Manning as Editor of Scoop was sent the release on the same day but after Slater was a built in fallback position to anyone who would have forced this release through. Their obfuscation if scrutiny occurred would be that Selwyn Manning, the editor of a progressive News site like Scoop, was also given the OIA request. The level of premeditation in that construct always meant someone was hiding something.
Despite all Key’s bluster and despite what the members of Slater & Co thought and despite the attempts by some in the mainstream media to downplay it, NZ still has a civil service with checks and balances and at some point, the seriousness of this allegation alone would stop Key in his tracks and force him to provide answers far more believable than, “At the end of the day, it’s all a left wing conspiracy theory’.
So it comes to pass…
Dirty Politics: Hearing before election
Dirty Politics allegations involving Prime Minister John Key’s office will be the subject of a hearing held by intelligence watchdog Cheryl Gwyn just nine days out from the election.Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater this afternoon confirmed he had been subpoena-ed by Inspector General of Intelligence and Security Ms Gwyn to appear at a September 11 hearing into the release of information to him by domestic spying agency the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) in 2011 which he used to embarrass then Opposition Leader Phil Goff.
To use the intelligence apparatus of your state to attack your political opposition is about as far beyond the line as it can get. The media’s inability to frame the story in that manner means they and the electorate haven’t managed to comprehend the enormity of what’s been alleged.
The fact is that Key, and Key alone must have signed off on releasing this information to Cameron Slater. His claims that it was his office that was briefed are simply not believable. Key must have been briefed as per the guidelines, and the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security must uphold those guidelines.
It means either Key will be caught out lying or Wayne Eagleson, his Chief of Staff, must fall on his sword and claim he was the one briefed and the fault was his and he resigns.
Both outcomes will destroy the brand of the National Party. Add to this the other pending bombs and the mechanics of MMP, National won’t win 2014.
PS – Slater has now turned on the Prime Minister. Sweet Christ on a unicycle, this is just the gift that keeps giving.
we can only hope come the night of the 20th the nz public have come to the same conclusion and there is a change of govt.
its wont be the pm that admits guilt it will be wayne…….
Good article. I think people are finally getting it. I feel a bit sorry for those died in the wool Nat supporters who haven’t wanted to believe it up to this point, it must be a bitter pill to swallow indeed, but the beehive needs a good clean out, it needs to be replaced with leadership of integrity and I think a Cunliffe government will be far better for New Zealand hands down.
“The media’s inability”? -the media’s disinclination methinks. They don’t want to see this govt sunk. Same goes for the top echelon of the police. I’m not holding my breath for them taking calls into investigations and charges seriously.
By the sounds of it Slater is not alone in turning on Key especially in his nest of vipers.
Listening to Radio Live with Mark Sainsbury this morning along with Mike Williams, Michelle Boag and Matthew Hooton there seemed to be tension between Hooton and Boag. Boag was furiously trying the worn out “there’s nothing to see here” line and failing miserably yet Hooton was worryingly objective and revealing about National.
It made me think that the opportunist vultures are circling the wreckage that is the National Party at the moment with an eye to rid it of anyone they consider vaguely centrist so National can lurch even more to the right.
Is there is a chasm forming within National? Are the old school Nats are trying to wrest back control of the party from the Key/Joyce type wide boys?
Otherwise if they fail expect a Saharan dry National Party post this melt down if some people have their way.
You know I am actually starting to feel a twinge of sympathy for the old school Nat supporters. It must really be a bitter pill to swallow to finally find out for real that your leader is not the messiah you believed him to be. Time to purge your party, people! Get rid of the rubbish and get back to basics – good old fashioned conservatism.
We need the daily blog to become a daily newspaper, so NZers have more to choose from than the lousy herald.
All about changing habits. So many people ‘get their news’ from reading the paper or watching the news.
Clearly a lot of hard-core national supporters are still generally in the “denial” phase, although the “anger” phase is definitely starting for some. Unfortunately, “bargaining” and “depression” phases still have to be worked through, before finally they can get to “acceptance” and cut National loose. I’m not sure there is enough time before the election for some (a lot will still be “depressed,” so I won’t be surprised with a low turnout), but hopefully there will be enough at “acceptance” that we won’t have to suffer through another 3 years of Key.
Ms Gwyn Solicitor General to hold closed hearing with PM and staffers?
If it smells like a rat and acts like a rat, – it is a rat.
Government investigating Government well we all know the outcome right?
Well we know a Key jack up coming now with a closed hearing!
Another Key lie.
Remember he said;
“we will run an open, transparent Government”
We watched several impeachment hearing in USA over the years and we don’t have this here?
We have been duped unless opposition files their own legal charges, to have a real hearing as we saw Nixon go through or just call this another banana republic.
There is an enquiry which could shoot down a new National Governent and force a snap election anyway, if the worst scenario happened. What concerns me is that some nutter may be inclided to physically react against a National government and set a precedent in NZ politics.
It’s not quite over yet.
At the end of the day Key has to face the music and dance.
The Tyburn Jig if he’s classy, the headless chicken if he ain’t.
Good article .The queen is off the board , a rook and a bishop may shortly go ,but remember the primary rule of chess… at all costs ,you must protect the king.
Classic British TV program ” To play the King ”
Reporter to senior civil servant. “In your opinion did the Prime Minister mislead parliment ?
Civil servant ” You may very well say that , but I couldn’t possibly comment .” Nuanced by a slight rise of the right eyebrow.
At face value loyal to the Prime Minister, this rare gem of understated diplomacy translates instantly to the media as _” Hell yes , guilty as sin old boy , keep digging ”
Martyn ,check in three moves ?
Many people have not tirelessly volunteered and sunk energy into changing a government to merely get the same boss just like the old boss. We want change, and the Government is but the first part of that want.
This is an important point. The creepy adage of the neo-libs “fiscal responsibility” is still part of the planks of all but a couple of notable exceptions, i.e., Int/Mana and the Greens. Being “fiscally responsible” has destroyed the union movement and given workers no hope of bargaining collectively against the power of capital. It has destroyed the producer boards and replaced them with rapacious profiteers bent on playing the lyre as loudly as possible while our land burns and our water is poisoned. It has shown the door to industry so that NZ brands, once bywords for quality and durability are now made in countries where even our shocking industrial environment looks like paradise.
Apart from feel-good, what is Labour offering that is innovative? Not a rhetorical question, I promise. I’d like to know if it’s worth voting for a party that’s not as bad as National.
And with friends like Slater, who needs enemies? Wonder what Slater has planned for Key? Might be time for that Hawaiian holiday methinks…
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