Hard News by Russell Brown

Read Post

Hard News: The back of a bloody envelope

274 Responses

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 11 Newer→ Last

  • Sacha,

    Just swap the before and after shots, she'll be right

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    Does Minister Brownlee have shares in the Blue Sky Company?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That, more than anything, will shake things up and loosen his Pavlovian attachment to Key.

    Well, I guess I don't need my Kiwibog aversion therapy this week. Getting all the off-putting condescending patronage of total strangers I need.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Joe Biden drops the f-bomb at the healthcare reform signing ceremony ...

    Priceless.

    As was the White House press sec's response.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    There's already a t-shirt commemorating the quote.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    Conspiracists may ...expect John Key to make great play of a reprieve for the Barrier while the heavy machinery rolls in somewhere else. I'm not sure it's that well thought-out.

    Intentionally or not, it's a great ploy. The Barrier seems to stick out - probably because it's an island sanctuary far away from industry - as one place mining really shouldn't happen. Nikki Kaye is speaking against it - this probably plays into the hands of the conspiracists who think it's some sort of straw man/lamb to be sacrificed to the greenies.

    When I was a young(er) journo, I was told by heads much wiser to always include one obvious error in your piece. The boss always wants to change something to feel they've done their job and marked their territory, and will hopefully take your bait, and leave the rest alone. And it worked. Maybe Barrier is the same for the New Zealand public?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Damian Christie,

    Also, Brownlee's "it's like a postcard on Eden Park" line he's been banging out, as soon as I heard that I thought "yeah but New Zealand's HEAPS bigger than Eden Park, so that postcard..."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1164 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Intentionally or not, it's a great ploy.

    Or to be enitrely cynical in quite another direction, perhaps Key has developed a touch of the Obamas and decided not to go the traditional route of trying to muzzle Kaye and Banks (good luck with that if you're ever inclined to try, is all I'll say) and pick your fights.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Intentionally or not, it's a great ploy.

    Not that I am a conspiracist, another thought to show how clever you are as the PM, could be to mention that you knew all along that one of your Mps was going to voice their opinion on behalf of her electorate,(winning the people over) and after stating that she acted alone, it puts her up for the fall guy if and when it turns to custard.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    Not that I am a conspiracist, another thought to show how clever you are as the PM, could be to mention that you knew all along that one of your Mps was going to voice their opinion on behalf of her electorate,(winning the people over) and after stating that she acted alone, it puts her up for the fall guy if and when it turns to custard.

    You people are far too optimistic for my tastes!

    I'm pretty happy with the "arse covering" explanation: Nikki Kaye vented on an issue she cared about without checking with anyone, and Key's office decided that an a posteriori comment that he knew about it beforehand was the only way to stop him from looking weak.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    he knew about it beforehand was the only way to stop him from looking weak.

    Ok not weak, but a "you don't fuck with the wongs" attitude."How dare she speak without asking me first." sorta thing.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Angus Robertson,

    Does Minister Brownlee have shares in the Blue Sky Company?

    Wonder if Garrett will be singing that as he opens Beverly Four Mile.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Or to be enitrely cynical in quite another direction, perhaps Key has developed a touch of the Obamas and decided not to go the traditional route of trying to muzzle Kaye and Banks (good luck with that if you're ever inclined to try, is all I'll say) and pick your fights

    I'm thinking this also. I was hinting before that I think National has changed. They may still have some of the same old stupid ideas, but I think their way of going about them may be a bit different.

    I don't think Kaye gets converted to a fall gal by this. Quite the opposite, it would be a big win for her popularity in her electorate, whether she wins or loses with the Barrier. Banks is most likely thinking the same thing.

    Personally I'll be a lot more impressed by both of them if they do actually manage to turn this stupid, stupid initiative around, than if they fail to.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Key's office decided that an a posteriori comment that he knew about it beforehand was the only way to stop him from looking weak.

    Andre; I know Nikki fairly well, and while in my experience you're never going to grow old waiting for her opinion on any subject but she doesn't sneak up behind anyone with a sandbag either. Nor is she prone to random fits of hysterical venting.

    I know quote unquote "conspiracists" would LOVE to turn Kaye into Maurice Williamson with tits or a new and improved Marilyn Waring one bad day away from bringing down the government. I'll just put it in the "I'd like to fuck Viggo Mortensen, and that's not happening either" file, until there's some evidence to the contrary.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    Personally I'll be a lot more impressed by both of them if they do actually manage to turn this stupid, stupid initiative around, than if they fail to.

    I'd rather have a government that didn't propose stupid initiatives in the first place.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'd rather have a government that didn't propose stupid initiatives in the first place.

    Looks like I'm going to have to expand the Fantasy Island file into its own cabinet...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Or to be enitrely cynical in quite another direction, perhaps Key has developed a touch of the Obamas and decided not to go the traditional route of trying to muzzle Kaye and Banks (good luck with that if you're ever inclined to try, is all I'll say) and pick your fights.

    As you say, he was never going to muzzle Banks, and I don't have any trouble with the idea that it was prudent to grant Kaye a dissenting view if National wants to hang on to Auckland Central.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Personally I'll be a lot more impressed by both of them if they do actually manage to turn this stupid, stupid initiative around, than if they fail to.

    Well we'd all like that Ben! Shit "by the People for the people" yes we'd all like that. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    me and my old-fashioned "topic" ideas

    Stay up to date Russell, topics are soooo February

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Christopher Dempsey,

    That, more than anything, will shake things up and loosen his Pavlovian attachment to Key.

    Well, I guess I don't need my Kiwibog aversion therapy this week. Getting all the off-putting condescending patronage of total strangers I need.

    Thanks for the tip that kiwiblog might be used in wingnut aversion therapy.

    And before you snap back, I should note that the aversion therapy thing goes both ways; blind adherance to some mythical left wing idea is just as bad as blind adherance to a money trader.

    Parnell / Tamaki-Auckland… • Since Sep 2008 • 659 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    Andre; I know Nikki fairly well, and while in my experience you're never going to grow old waiting for her opinion on any subject but she doesn't sneak up behind anyone with a sandbag either. Nor is she prone to random fits of hysterical venting.

    Perhaps that's the case, but I'm sorry, I just can't buy the "carefully planned kabuki performance" explanation without something more substantial to hang it on than "It'll swing Central Auckland a few more points to the blue." The policy as a whole is stupid, and a year from now most people aren't going to remember Kaye standing up for Great Barrier if the rest of the thing goes ahead as planned.

    I also don't see the benefit in having National MPs deliberately speak out against government policy on the PM's OK. Any brownie points someone might win for being a "maverick" are immediately lost when Pappa Key gives his blessing.

    Maybe I'm just a cynic, or I've worked too long in the corporate world, but I'll always favour an explanation that grants that people really don't think ten moves ahead most of the time.

    The only way I could potentially find myself agreeing with the idea that Kaye's statements were a carefully crafted triangulation on behalf of National Party HQ would be if this was the first step towards abandoning the policy entirely. And that would lead to the conclusion that the strategy is still a last minute, haphazard response to a policy that's even less popular than The Powers That Be must have guessed it would be in the first place.

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Then there is also this pearler that was indeed extremely funny to watch.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Andre Alessi,

    Looks like I'm going to have to expand the Fantasy Island file into its own cabinet...

    Nah, National just obviously hasn't mastered the "all focus groups all the time" strategy. No stupid policies ever get past a good suburban Auckland focus group...

    Devonport, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 864 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Interesting idea... :-)
    I actually still have those presentations...

    in which the quarry becomes the hunter!
    I like it... ;- )

    Wonder if Garrett will be singing that as he opens Beverly Four Mile.

    More like the theme to the Beverly Hillbillies,
    he likes the bubbling crude....

    I've just finished mercilessly mocking some of my friends. ...
    ...I've been loving rubbing it in.

    Oh that'll help. Is sanctimony a poisonous gas?
    My canary just died...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen,

    I guess I'm still left wondering just how stupid folks are or more accurately how stupid National expects folks to be.

    Does National really expect to get away with mining conservation land by putting up Gt Barrier as a distraction? One really really stupid idea to cover up the just plain stupid ideas.

    Does National expect Nikki Kaye will win over central Auckland by valiantly expressing her personal (meaningless) opposition. Oh she is such a nice gal for opposing the mining I guess I'll vote for her anyway even though her party just destroyed some precious National parks?

    And in the end I'm left wondering just who is going to get rich from this. It won't be New Zealand, 99.99999% of the money will go overseas. The mining jobs will be few and not that well paid. The companies won't pay any tax. But still the fat guy in the suit is keen ... so just who is it that he knows that will get rich?

    This whole thing seems so corrupt that it makes my skin crawl.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

First ←Older Page 1 3 4 5 6 7 11 Newer→ Last

Post your response…

Please sign in using your Public Address credentials…

Login

You may also create an account or retrieve your password.