The Waterstone Election Podcast 2020 – Boag-Walker Bombshell

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A Libertarian & Post-Marxist Left Anarchist dissect the weekly NZ election events with special phone in guests.
THIS WEEK: Boag-Walker bombshell, TVNZ Poll + Internal National Party Poll

12 COMMENTS

  1. Damien Grant: “I’m pretty deep in the weeds on this stuff. I write a politics column. I do a politics podcast”
    Also Damien Grant: “I’ve never heard of Hamish Walker.”

  2. Michelle Boag is the most toxic scheming National troll they have and was showing that no-one can ever trust national now so she has damaged her Party silly woman.

  3. Of course Todd Muller should sack Hamish Walker, and he will. Michelle Boag was always a type; I think that she should not have had access to detailed patient information in her now-ex-job – the whole thing stinks.

    Whatever Damien G thinks, every single NZ’er who has ever been a patient at a public hospital, now knows, thanks to Michelle and Hamish, that their private confidential details can be made public; there are several categories of patients who could be massively distressed by all this right now.

    Both behaved disgracefully, and obviously unethically. Hamish’s reasons for doing so are pitiful –
    even if he is an uneducated idiot; they don’t wash; I doubt he even thought through what he was doing, apart from jumping on the shambles-invisible-man-scenario that the Nats have been groping for, and now tried to contribute to. The media showed more integrity, and respect for patients’ rights than these two.
    Their willingness to risk sacrificing the well-being of sick people on the altar of the National Party’s interests, is not bad judgment, just plain bad.

    The last really good man to come out of Invercargill was Dan Davin and he had the sense not to go back.
    Talboys and Hanan were respected in their party, both contributed majorly to the abolition of capital punishment, tho’ Talboys (maybe both) were obstructive and regressive on Maori issues. I daresay there’s others, but the Nats have now had three schoolboys in a row and need to revisit their selection procedures. Otago once led NZ on values’ issues, established the first university, and now choose some political leaders seemingly incapable of measuring up to the hard-working pioneering stock who paved their way. Shame.

    • Let’s not forget that National has history in privacy leaks. Paula Bennett released beneficiaries details and gloated she would do it all again. Then we still need to get to the bottom of Winston’s leaks and it’s looking decidedly short odds it was National.

      • bert “Let’s not forget that National has history in privacy leaks.”

        Then let’s not forget that the dancing queen also leaked personal info about the kaumatua of Te Puea Marae pissed off that he was doing such a good job.

        When Billie English showed he was pissed off with the euthanasia bill I thought,” Lad, you’re likely to end your days wandering around demented in incontinence nappies.”

        Never dreamt that my thoughts had the power to drive them all to it – “Hi there, John Kehoe.”

        Michael the Woodlouse proved the Nats puerile obsession with leaks by producing a personalised lavatory seat- yes- a lavatory seat – with a real woman’s face emblazoned on it on it. Dirty little bugger.

        That’s their level. Low, and lavatory-fixated.

        Anyone for a Sigmund Freud ? Nigel Latta then ? Random taxi driver ?

  4. “Todd Muller needs to find a way to attack Jacinda…
    … without alienating the country.” Mr Grant at 10.05-ish.

    Does he realise what he just said?

    By those words he has verified and underscored exactly what Dr Gordon has written here: Treat Her Bad Election Strategy

    (Dr Gordon, you are absolutely correct.)

  5. From National’s ousting of Bridges to a mysterious homeless man to Hamish Walker/Boag leak, National are a shambles!

  6. Boag and Walker using the pathetic default excuse that ” they made a mistake”.
    This was no “mistake”, this was deliberate dirty political espionage using vulnerable people as pawns.
    They both deserve a day in the pillory so they can receive the same shit they have dished out to others.

  7. The immediate response of a “leader” to a significant event will tell you everything you need to know about the sort of leader you’re dealing with.

    Yesterday’s bombshell as epic as it is, was not really the bombshell you might expect to many of us.

    We all know that National’s election play book plan only had one page. Undermine and destroy Ardern’s 93% approval rating of her pandemic leadership.

    First window was a book written by a National MP on how Ardern’s handling of the pandemic was actually a disaster. Really? You’re going to have to do much better than that to get any traction with the 93%.

    We didn’t have to wait long. The UK sisters being released from quarantine without being tested was their appalling solution. The “very reliable source” fed a National Party MP prompt and very personal information about the sisters? Who was that very reliable source and more importantly, what was their motivation to take very personal information regarding the sad death of a parent to an opposition MP for it to be blasted around NZ as news? The Government took ownership and released some details to prevent it turning into an out of control bush fire. The very reliable source is straight back onto the National Party MP with more personal details about an alleged kiss and cuddle with the UK sisters on the side of the motorway. Both sisters had no recollection of any kiss and cuddle. Very telling. When people are dealing with a family death, it’s all about personal and private grieving…..not to ensure it’s a political football and a lead news story. There was also an important delay involving National that highlighted the sisters could have spread the virus into the community by the time they released their “leak” when it suited them. Very caring.

    Muller’s go to words about the Government’s pandemic handling from that moment were shambles, shambolic and debacle. He hammered those words over and over in every statement. In one interview with John Campbell he used those words no fewer than 5 times in 90 seconds. It was clear what Muller was doing. It’s an old worn out brainwashing tactic used by cheap vacuum cleaner type sales people. If you use certain words enough times to people, they will accept they must be true and and use those same words themselves. State broadcaster TVNZ got straight on board. Debacle and shambles became their go to words. What a surprise.

    It soon became apparent that the Government took immediate ownership and put a plan in place to avoid similar situations. They simply couldn’t have done more or better. So refreshing to see a response from a Government where indifference, denial, diversion and not recalling was totally absent. Unfortunately. Muller never got that memo. The mileage and traction National had conjured was gone. Kiwi’s moved on but not Muller. The desperate man kept pounding away with his go to words and assisted in no small way by our media.

    Muller is a few things but he isn’t stupid. He’s not here for the long game. That’s the role of Christopher Luxon from September on. Muller knows it and knows this is his one and only shot at it. He’s the epitome of desperate. What rabbit would National pull from the hat next and how low would they stoop? We didn’t have to wait long to find out.

    When we heard about the leak of personal details about Covid-19 patients being leaked to the media on Saturday, those with brains bigger than a sultana knew it was almost certainly more desperate and dirty politics from the usual suspects. They are the only ones desperate enough to do that and be totally devoid of a moral compass to stoop that low. That didn’t stop head rat coming straight out and stating this was more “evidence” of the shambolic handling of Covid-19 by the Government bla bla bla. Hipkins spoke about a possible deliberate act and arranged a high level inquiry. You just knew the offenders would be shitting bricks as their slime covered trail would soon be discovered.

    What was Muller’s first response to the admission that he must have been aware of? He described it as an “error of judgment”. This was minimizing what actually unfolded on an epic scale. This is the biggest political news story in NZ in many years but not because of how important a situation it is but because it’s the first time National have been forced into owning their DIRTY POLITICS and what a diabolical situation to do it with.

    So what happens today? One thing for 100% certain is that by 6pm tonight, Hamish Walker will no longer be an MP. That’s a given. It’s the manner of his departure that is what matters. If he resigns, part of the problem is gone but Muller and National’s stink all over it will remain all through the election campaign. They simply can’t have that. They won’t be able to say a word about Labour’s pandemic handling as powerful memories will resurface along with the potential for yet another National Party dirty politics set up being in place. There is only one option for Muller. He will be desperate for the high moral ground. His “error of judgment” verdict will be replaced today by “it’s a totally unacceptable breach and in no way represents the National Party bla bla bla…I’ve sacked Walker and now we are focused on holding the current Government to account”……..that in his mind gives him the high moral ground and allows National to continue with their incessant undermining, ridiculing and misrepresenting. The offender is no longer a National Party MP. He’s another Jamie-Lee Ross. An EX National MP and so no longer a reflection of the National Party. Haha. Good luck trying to get that to fly. Mark my words and watch this space. Muller and his rat pack with Muller, Brownlee, Woodhouse, Collins and Goldsmith will have had very little sleep overnight as they go through their charade to distance themselves from what’s unfolded……but like everything else National is doing, it will be yet another epic fail. The NZ voter is not the ignorant knuckle dragger open to devious manipulation that National has been convinced they are for decades.

    National will be wiped out in September and we can embrace and celebrate that. The National Party is the quintessential Latrine Rodent Party.

  8. Martyn, I watched and loved that podcast. Great humour. Very impressive set design! And congratulations to the wardrobe, hair and make-up departments. Also, the camera work was spectacular!! I wish they would still do live tv like that – it’s a damn site more substantial and fun to watch than the useless woke crap that’s on air now!
    As for the discussion – it was a lot more respectful and civilised than some of the stuff posted on a daily basis on TDB. OMG, there was even some piss-taking without either party being highly offended!
    Look forward to the next episode.

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