Hard News: Punk'd?
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There's a difference between a sham and a scam. Every foreign exchange transaction I've been in left me with a bitter taste, but at least they did actually give me the fx at the end, just never as much of it as I expected.
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Or to put it another way:
I thought Russell's write up was very fair. However, isn't there a difference between oversight of our politicians' public records and delving into private lives in a most tawdry and despicable manner?
That's where Wishart goes well off the plot and where these sort queries about Key or, indeed, David Parker's business dealings were reasonable. The fact that Parker or Key was are able to demonstrate a reasonable defence does not make the original queries invalid.
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Emma lol, elections are really just a change of pwnership. & joo getz pwned by reprazents ez.
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Mark:
It is a little ironic that some of the people most up in arms over Ian Wishart's despicable book about Helen Clark's supposed secret life are this morning quite happy about the "smearing" of John Key.
Last I heard, said book was starting to end up in the bargain bins. No one seemed to take it very seriously to start with. I myself thought it was unintentionally funny.
Julie:
John Key and the National Party may not have more than 4 areas of employment law (to use but one eg) that they intend to change, but I suspect Wayne Mapp and the EMA have a longer wish list. And without policy to the contrary, and with an Act-minded coalition partner who wants to repeal all minimum employment rights and let common law prevail (that's what their policy says), they may get just such an opportunity.
I remember when Rodney spoke of a 'bonfire of regulations' not too long ago. Will he count on the smouldering litigation that might follow?
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Hands up who knows what a "sham foreign exchange transaction" is.
If I did I'd be a very rich tax lawyer now, instead of... whatever the hell I am.
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It’s not so much that Mike Williams always seems to get involved in stuff like this.
It’s the fact that he always gets caught.
All this at a time where the biggest thing we’re looking for from our political parties is competence.
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Hands up who knows what a "sham foreign exchange transaction" is.
Basically, it was part of a scheme by those who controlled several companies to steal money from the shareholders of one company and put it into another.
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It’s not so much that Mike Williams always seems to get involved in stuff like this.
It’s the fact that he always gets caught.
You think they'd pick someone who actually has demonstrated some ability at doing the job well.
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It's another first for New Zealand (but not a New Zealand First). In the shape of John Key, we have produced the first honest man ever to work on a dealing floor. It amazing that none of the others noticed.
I think we can forgive Mr Key his lapses of memory, given the strain that his moral probity must have had on his brain cells.
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It's frustrating that there is so much focus on this when there is so much other stuff, like y'know policy, that could be on the front page this morning
Brian Fallow has nearly half a page on B2 of today's Herald commenting on National's as yet scantily described 'unemployment benefit/lets pay your mortgage for you as well scheme'.
'If Labour had proposed such a scheme, great monsoon-bucketsful of scorn would have been heaped on them.' ... 'And from the business lobby groups all we hear is an embarrassed silence'.
I'm wondering if I should rush out now and buy some houses.
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I'm wondering if I should rush out now and buy some houses.
You need 4 to get a hotel.
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I'd love to know exactly who has been shopping this story around.
"Steve Pierson" has confirmed today that The Standard got emailed information on H-Fee as a series of blog posts, of which they ran one (noting Key's confusion over dates in different interviews) -- but left the others unpublished for want of evidence.
The possibilities are endless ...
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Susan
National's sudden discovery of Old Left policies is the most extraordinary feature of this campaign. The Dim-Post skewered them (and their cheerleaders) very well recently:
http://dimpost.wordpress.com/2008/10/19/business-leaders-hail-keys-new-economic-policy/
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Vernon Small notes that:
The saga began when a pile of court and other documents were dropped in a Dominion Post reporter's letterbox wrapped in a copy of the Otago Daily Times. That was followed by an anonymous text and several drops of further documents from someone calling himself Batman. All pointed to Mr Key and the H-fee scheme.
Batman was the one-time guest poster on The Standard.
The Dim-Post offers:
My (totally uninformed) guess is that Williams and his little helpers found their evidence on Key during the weekend and set events in motion to get the story out there as soon as possible, but the Prime Minister - who is super-cautious when it comes to stunts like this - told them to hold back until she was confident the story was sound. When it transpired that they had nothing they’d already primed the story in the media. It’s hard to walk a story back when its being spread by a guy called ‘Batman’ sending reporters anonymous text messages.
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The saga began when a pile of court and other documents were dropped in a Dominion Post reporter's letterbox wrapped in a copy of the Otago Daily Times
Clearly it was the work of David Benson Pope.
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The other bad look for Labour on this is that it smacks of personal envy of Key; something Cullen tends to let slip from time to time.
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That was followed by an anonymous text and several drops of further documents from someone calling himself Batman.
Isn't there a political LARP game these people could play, while adults get on with, y'know, running a country?
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Russell Are you saying that this may not be the Labour Party story so much as some-one else. Would Labour drop mail off in letter boxes? Catherine remarked as an aside when talking to Key that "actually its a Herald story."
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__From Craig in another thread:__ I'm wondering if this is going to backlash on Labour and any media outlet that touches it.
Don't suppose you have the Lotto numbers for this coming Saturday as well? =>
Although it hasn't backlashed on the Herald yet due to their extraordinary about turn on it. I found that a pretty amazing insight to a political newsroom, one that wouldn't have been possible without the evolution of intertubes newspaper sites. To go from "smoking gun, we're going to own him" to "bloody Labour, smearing Key" in a matter of hours is undoubtedly how many of these stories play out - but historically not in a way that us huddled masses get to see...
I have no idea who's running the spin here but it doesn't look great for any of them.
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That was followed by an anonymous text and several drops of further documents from someone calling himself Batman.
Labour's secret weapon: they've captured and 'turned' dad4justice.
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This is what Labour should be doing.
Exposing John Key on policy. Crazy idea, I know, but it just might work.
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This is what Labour should be doing.
After the brief, polite meeting Ms Fitzsimons told reporters she had come to the mall because she was not going to be sharing any stage with Mr Key in any forum or debate during the campaign, and questions needed to be asked.
Magnificent.
Disliking Labour's approach to politics, disliking National's mix of 90s hardtalk policy and made-up-on-the-hoof socialism. While the Green's economic views don't gel you have to give them credit for coming out with principled, researched, understood issues politics. -
Last I heard, said book was starting to end up in the bargain bins. No one seemed to take it very seriously to start with. I myself thought it was unintentionally funny.
At a family birthday party in May, a guest (who is rumoured to be a campaign manager for a Nat candidate) was positively gleeful about the contents of the book:
"Do you know how many of them are gay or lesbian?" he asked of anyone who would listen.
"All of 'em" I said & got brownie points for the future.
He & his circle definitely took it seriously (they were outraged at Nicky Hager & the Hollow Men though).
Some of the other guests were a bit bemused. Particularly the ones who work for cabinet ministers.
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How do I know, well I am dealing with one now, he owes me a million and a half, will he pay, who knows
If he doesn't can I win, hopefullyDoubt if Miis Clark has ver even done a small deal like this, well with such a big down side for her!
And how many of the lawyers, accountants and farmers on the caucuses and lists of Act and National have done such deals? Scant fucking few, that's how many. Don't try and pretend that drafting the contracts (the lawyers) and checking the numbers (the accountants) before selling a farm (the farmers) for a million bucks is the same thing, coz it damn well ain't. Jim Anderton used to run a multi-million dollar contracting company, ffs, which puts him one up on John Key's "funny money" business. At least people understand how contractors make money, which cannot be said for making huge figures on currency hedging.
But, hey, don't let reality get in the way of your surreal world
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It’s the fact that he always gets caught.
How would you know?
=)
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