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On 2 November last year – and still smarting from a colossal rebuff from NZ First – Bill English was unabashedly vindictive at losing out on coalition talks to form a fourth National-led administration;
“You should expect more tension and more pressure in the Parliament, and particularly through the select committee process. Because we are the dominant select committee party.
And that is going to make a difference to how everything runs – it’s not our job to make this place run for an incoming Government that is a minority.
You will get to understand that it is a minority Government with a majority Opposition, and the Greens as the support party. That is how we are going to run it…we have no obligation to smooth [Labour’s] path. None whatsoever.”
Just how difficult English intended for the new Coalition government has been made abundantly clear over the last three months. At every opportunity in front of a live radio microphone, tv camera, or any available passing set of ears, English has carped at every announcement and action undertaken by the Coalition.
National has gone so far as to create an attack-website in Labour-party colours, inciting resentment at the Labour-NZ First-Green Coalition;
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A noticeable feature of this website is a lack any marker identifying it as a National Party construct. Aside from the authoriser – National’s General Manager, “G Hamilton”, the website shows no obvious affiliation to the Nats.
Not very honest of them, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from the National Party: deception to suit their agenda.
English’s fixation on making National a disruptive force and to deny the Coalition a “smooth path” landed him with egg on his face on 30 January this year, when he mis-led listeners to Radio NZ’s Morning Report.
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Speaking to Radio NZ’s Susie Ferguson, English complained bitterly that he had not been consulted over the Coalition’s government’s Child Poverty Bill;
“ Well we haven’t seen the bill yet. We’ve been offered a official’s briefing today. The day the Bill’s been introduced. So we’ve no ability to influence it. That’s not a good way to influence bi-partisan approach. It’s pretty limited I have to say. So we’ll have a look at it, ah, we want to see it’s more than symbolism…
[…]
Well, they haven’t gone about it in a very sensible way if they want concensus. First we’ve had no [unintelligible word] opportunity to influence the Bill…”
English desperately attempted to deflect the conversation to a purely fiscally-driven narrative;
“ This new government has used up all it’s spare cash according to it’s own limits. And they don’t have much ability actually over the next few years to do anything beyond the first of April this year.
[…]
New Zealand has a fantastic opportunity here. Sustainable surpluses, the ability to lift incomes at the bottom end, the ability to dig in and do the long term investment in dealing with long – with deprivation, and the government is doing it’s best to mess that up.”
However, English’s claim that he and his Party had had no opportunity for consensus-building on this critical issue affecting New Zealand was convincingly demolished that very same afternoon.
Not only had Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern approached National last year, seeking consensus and feedback from National – she had done it in writing;
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[Image courtesy of Radio NZ]
There we have it: in black and white writing. And stamped with the Opposition Leader’s [currently Bill English – but subject to change very shortly] Office; 13 December 2017.
Prime Minister Ardern wrote to English requesting his support for the Coalition’s Child Poverty Bill – and seeking his feedback . She did everything feasible to engage English and his Party short of banging on his office door with her high-heels, demanding that he participate;
“ Damn you, Bill! Come out and engage with us!”
English’s obstructionism has either clouded his memory – or he was willfully not telling the truth. The former indicates that his memory is becoming unreliable. The latter, that he is a liar. Neither is a particularly comforting option.
Thankfully, Labour has learned not to trust National.That lesson was firmly driven home for Labour on 8 November last year when National disrupted the election of Trevor Mallard as Speaker of the House by threatening to put the issue to a vote and insisting they had the numbers to vote down Mallard’s nomination.
They didn’t. It was a sly bluff;
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After that debacle, Labour’s Whip, Chris Hipkins promised;
“ Lesson learnt, they won’t catch us out on that ever again in the future. ”
“ Perhaps when dealing with the Opposition, I’ll be a little more careful to make sure I get a specific undertaking from them in future. ”
Indeed. Lesson learned.
Thankfully, a simple little thing like a letter has shown up Bill English to be either unreliable – or willing to engage in outright lying to smear the Coalition.
Postscript1
Bill English condemned the Coalition government’s decision to scrap National’s “Better Public Service” targets, set in 2012, and revised in 2017. The initial targets were set to:
- Reducing long-term welfare dependence
- A good start to life for mothers and babies
- Reduce assaults and abuse of children
- Improve mathematics and literacy skills and upskill the New Zealand workforce
- Reducing crime
- Better access to social housing
- Improving interaction with government
The Labour-led coalition has decided to do away with National’s “Better Public Service” targets and instead opted to focus on Child poverty. This did not sit well with Bill English, who complained bitterly;
“ [The targets] meant that when New Zealand’s public servants turned up to work they knew exactly what it was they should be doing to improve lives and to do their jobs better – and they, along with the Government, were held to account because their results were measured.
It’s a step backwards to lazy, dumb Government.
The public service was starting to get good at digging into our hardest long term social problems: child abuse, family violence, serious criminal offending, and long term welfare dependency.
Instead, we are likely to see a shift to higher-level longer-term targets that apply to no one in particular and for which no one in particular can be held accountable and that’s not good enough.
I think there will be a lot of public servants who are putting their feet up around the country because now they don’t have to worry too much about achieving much or being accountable. But I think there will be even more public servants disappointed because they had a sense of purpose. ”
Prime Minister Ardern responded;
“ We will in the longer term absolutely be replacing those Better Public Service targets. Our view always has been that those targets didn’t give us the systemic change that we need for some of those big issues that the country faces. ”
Unfortunately for English, the most devastating critique of his so-called “Better Public Service” targets came not from a left-wing Prime Minister – but from one of his own Cabinet Ministers in July 2016.
When asked on TV3’s The Nation about National’s failure to move 65,000 people off the benefit within the next two years – one of the “Better Public Service” targets – then MSD Minister Anne Tolley replied;
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“ It’s a very aspirational target.”
So Bill English is upset that targets – which are, at best, only “very aspirational” – are being dumped?
It is unclear why he is so wedded to targets when they are only “very aspirational“, according to one of his former Ministers. Minister Tolley was able to easily dismiss National’s “Better Public Service” targets with barely an explanation.
Aspirational is meaningless if not backed up by legislation and measureable standards.
Such as the Coalition’s Child Poverty Bill.
Perhaps Bill English should become “more aspirational“?
Postscript2
English’s pathological opposition to the Coalition’s Child Poverty Bill can be better understood when one understands that National policies have actively contributed to growing homelessness and increasing child poverty.
In 2008, Housing NZ’s state housing stock comprised of 69,000 rental properties.
By 2016, that number had dramatically fallen to 61,600 (plus a further 2,700 leased) – a crucial shortfall of 7,400 properties.
In nine years, National sold off thousands of state homes – a policy that continued until a housing crisis forced families to live in over-crowded houses; run-down “boarding houses” garages, and cars.
National’s desperate attempt to stave off increasingly horrifying stories of hardship and poverty forced them to enter… the motel business;
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If Mr English appears to have difficulty supporting the Coalition’s Child Poverty Bill, perhaps it’s because he knows his government is partly responsible for the current poverty-stricken state of the country today.
He knows National did not have to sell off 7,400 state houses.
He knows National need not have squeezed a staggering $664 million out of Housing NZ by way of annual dividends over a seven year period.
He knows that the tax cuts of 2009 and 2010 benefitted the wealthy predominantly, whilst increasing gst and raising user-pays part-charges for prescription medicines impacted disproportionately on the poorest people of this country.
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Those are amongst National’s legacies after nine years. Policies that benefitted the well-off; placated the comfortable Middle Classes; and made life harder for the poorest of our fellow New Zealanders.
His guilt must be so deep-seated that English is only able to deal with it by continually criticising those who are willing to clean up the mess left after nine years of National.
Christian guilt can be a terrible, debilitating thing.
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References
NZ Herald: Bill English warns Labour: ‘it’s not our job to make this place run’
National Party: Lets Undo This
Beehive: Taking action to reduce child poverty
Radio NZ: English on government’s child poverty legislation
Radio NZ: PM ‘saddened’ at claims Nats not consulted on poverty Bill
TVNZ: Anne Tolley still gets nod as Deputy Speaker despite Nats ruthlessly attacking Labour
NZ Herald: Labour and National face off in Parliament opening over Speaker vote
Beehive: New Better Public Services targets
Fairfax media: Bill English slams Government for getting rid of public service targets
Scoop media: On The Nation – Lisa Owen interviews Bill English, Anne Tolley and Hekia Parata
NZ Herald: Anne Tolley – Government’s benefits target ‘very aspirational’
Housing NZ: Annual Report 2008/09
Housing NZ: Annual Report 2015/16
NZ Herald: Govt to buy more motels to house homeless as its role in emergency housing grows
NZ Herald: GST rise will hurt poor the most
Fairfax media: Prescription price rise hits vulnerable
Additional
Gordon Campbell on the battle over select committees
Other Blogs
The Standard: Bill your pants may be on fire
Previous related blogposts
Foot in mouth award – Bill English, for his recent “Flat Earth” comment in Parliament
The Mendacities of Mr English – Fibbing from Finance Minister confirmed
The Mendacities of Mr English – Social Services under National’s tender mercies
The Mendacities of Mr English – The covert agenda of high immigration
National’s blatant lies on Housing NZ dividends – The truth uncovered!
National continues to panic on housing crisis as election day looms
Observations on the 2017 Election campaign thus far… (rima)
Mr English: Where are National’s secret coalition negotiation papers?
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= fs =
The kindest thing one can say about English is that he’s disingenuous. eg. the Barclay affair as well.
Rosielee: ” the Barclay affair…”
English is a mendacious little rat, and the Barclay story was the last straw for me. He lied like a flatfish over that issue; it was an undignified performance on his part. And all to defend a worthless, arrogant character who appeared to have done something very dubious.
God bless Winston for going into coalition with Labour! His instincts didn’t fail him.
Great post Frank. Always good to see comparative data to counter the relentless BS Bill spews out. MSM is still agreeing with him and not challenging his shyte. I despair .
It is not disingenuous, it is lying, by a man who ignores much of the Jesus messages if they do not match his ambition. The Pope would have something to say to this mendacious disciple.
In his role of both the Black Pope and the White coupled with being a Jesuit, I think the Pope would applaud English’s efforts.
If Bills predictions of doooooooooooooom was real they would have happened by now.
I am really getting over what a safe pair of hands English was, grandfatherly in his leadership and the caring face of the National Party.
The problems the new government are finding are almost purely down to the over the influence that one individual had!
This ideologue was part of the idiocy of the 90’s that saw the building industry deregulated and a free for all left in its place. As a result, it is a common sight in Auckland to see plastic wrapped buildings either part way into or otherwise stalled renovations, to put right what should never have been built in the first place. National have cost this country dearly from stupid decisions like that but have largely escaped blame.
But Bills real work began in 2008 when he was the driving force behind more of the same blind ideology. Tax cuts that were unaffordable, meant smaller government and bigger debt.
English’s legacy runs deep. Not only in social support that decayed with horrible consequences, the same one that lost 7000+ state homes but the fact that with those homes went probably 4 times at least that in displaced and struggling humanity.
Tax cuts meant less and less money for mental health and one wonders what the statistical upshot in lives lost and harm done to families trying in vain to fill the void.
Tax cuts that meant insufficient funding for many of the countries health boards translating into avoidable death for it patients.
Tax cuts meant less for education, less teachers doing more work. Teacher shortage ring any bells anyone?
Tax cuts also played into spending on Justice and Police with the cuts being particularly savage. National, the party of law and order, even rewrote the laws on the administration of the law meaning statutes of limitations were put in place on offences where they had never existed before, ostensibly to save money. And most people know that if you want to make crime pay, commit fraud because the Polices ravaged resources mean nice things like doing something about being the victim of fraud goes unchecked.
The above are but a few but the bottom line is English must have seen the failure of his ways. The stopgap immigration debacle to prop up growth was a classic example, to prop up the even more ailing housing sector, band-aids with long-term negative consequences was all this man could come up with. That and an emphasis on low margin things like dairy farming and tourism.
And who can forget the orchestrated information leaks and witholding and dirty poltics that accompanied his reign.
English should not be missed. He is a warning of the damage that can be caused when someone who is out of date and blinded by theory is let loose on a country.
the loss of state houses is a crime against the people of New Zealand.
First there was the Barclay business. At the beginning Bill didn’t know of the Barclay boy’s recordings, then he did, then he wasn’t sure, then he thinks he did remember being told! Now it’s a case of deja vu with the coalition’s child poverty bill … told about it, then he wasn’t, can’t remember, told too late … blah blah blah. Seems to be ducking for cover all the time, so he doesn’t have to make a decision and implicate himself!
One thing about Blinglish he’s always consistent! Can’t accuse him of being otherwise!
Bill is something of an expert on social housing. I’ve never forgotten how taxpayers were secretly subsidising him $1000 a week to live in his own home until he was caught and shamed out of it.
That’s why I laugh heartily when I hear him described as “honest and stable”, “a safe pair of hands” or “a conservative with a conscience.”
Nope, the word that best sums up Bill is “hypocrite.”
Simonm: “I’ve never forgotten how taxpayers were secretly subsidising him $1000 a week to live in his own home until he was caught and shamed out of it.”
Indeed: I remember it very well. If I remember rightly, it was Nat supporters who outed him over that. What was it Whaleoil used to call him? The state house tenant of Karori: something like that
Could someone forcibly remind Mr English it is indeed his job to ‘make this place run’ because he is there to serve ALL Kiwis, not just those of his own ilk.
Electioneering is now over for a welcome two years. This is not America.
National: as a party you are there to cut the gloss and spin from policies. You are there to strengthen legislation – if that can be achieved by ‘opposition’ rather than collaboration and consultation, plus putting whatever little you’ve learned over the past nine years into the game.
You’re there to serve US – whether we’d vote for you or not.
Someone in the labyrinth that is National Party is scheming for future glory, and has decided that slagging off is the way to cast shade on the Coalition. Mr English is following the script.
Like putting banana skins and soft soap on every step…Self-defeating.
Whoever that advisor is – in my view, that person is betraying the party’s principles and, worse, the people of this country. Are there any clues as to who this rabid party apparatchik is? Needs to be given a talking to behind the shed PDQ.
So, was that letter sent by Prime Minister Ardern to Bill English printed in the Herald or the Sunday papers?
Probably not. The MSM don’t like to embarrass the National Party too much. I imagine they consider it shitting in their own nests given their obvious prejudices.
He learnt a few key skills from John Key ?
The media are owned by the Tories and Bill is still the mouthpiece for the Tories nothing has changed and nothing will change.
Investigative journalism is banned in NZ ?
Now this is the kind of real journalism that I would really like to see in mainstream media.
As the election win was stolen from him by bitter old WP, of course he is angry, and it is not his job to help this govt. Labour would do the same in the same position. Labour did not count re the Speaker debacle, that is their problem, National showed them up to be the idiots they are. This is a weak, dumb govt, with an airhead PM who gives us nothing but empty platitudes. Sigh. Bring on the next election, soon. The good news is, National still lead in the polls. Unprecedented for a new govt, that they are not in front re the polls (as they were foisted upon the nation by Winston).
Miles, your response does not address English’s u-turn on his complaint that he was not originally consulted by the government.
Miles, your boy, the Double Dipper from Dipton is a liar. No more need be said.
To: Frank Macskasy
Congratulations on your excellent disposal of a very devious and dishonest man – Billy English.
Capitalists regrettably are always and in all circumstances untrustworthy humans, dedicated to their own selfish gains.
Before we let go of the dirty devious Billy English, could we get an investigative Lawyer to unpick the massive lies that surrounds Mr English’s cover up of the Barclay incident.
It should be an easy enough assignment and Citizens should be in a position to take English to Court for his outrageous behaviour in apparently protecting a National Parliamentary colleague in breaching privacy.
English has a point there too, they should have consulted him. But Labour hate English, possibly more than they did Key. I was watching an old tv debate between Clark and English from 2002, which was very revealing indeed,
In 2002 National led by English suffered its worst defeat in history. And no English didn’t have a point Sonja, Labour did try and consult with Bill English, the PM sent him a detailed written letter on 13rh December and Bill as per usual ignored it and was caught out in his lies. Didn’t you read the article by Frank or read the news?
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