Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The sphere of influence

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  • Thomas Beagle,

    I bet you were really thinking "Sphere of Effluent", right?

    New Zealand • Since Nov 2007 • 50 posts Report Reply

  • The Ruminator,

    When I had lunch with her, I found her to be utterly charming and reasonable. Then when I looked back over my notes I felt like I may have been had to an awesome level.

    That said, she's still a human being.

    Since Apr 2013 • 54 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan,

    I remember a story from a labour MP about her experience of Collins and Tolley on a select committee sneering and tittering away and that they were the worst members to work with..

    I think her personality was always going to come out eventually.

    I think we can call John Key's successor as Steven Joyce who hardly puts a foot wrong in public

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Tristan,

    I think we can call John Key's successor as Steven Joyce who hardly puts a foot wrong in public

    Joyce is able and disciplined, but seriously lacking in charm. I've seen him alienate an entire audience in the course of a speech.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    Reminds me of the description of the Clinton political machine.

    "Very unpleasant and unattractive and effective"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    It would be pretty bad if having a relationship with someone who was related to a political activist would be considered in any way in assessing someone's suitability for the police.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    indeed and if that happened to me I'd seek to talk to the minister of police about it. Other than talking to your local MP who would then talk to minister anyway I don't see any one else you could approach about that

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason, in reply to Tristan,

    I think we can call John Key's successor as Steven Joyce who hardly puts a foot wrong in public

    God help us.

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    “She’s a mother hen slash fiend, ” says Glucina. “She’s like a fixer.”

    Fixed that for her…
    What hack wouldn’t like a slash fiend?

    Steven Joyce who hardly puts a foot wrong in public

    apparently he smokes (or recycles OP packets)…

    Joyce is calling on Labour to say how much could be taken from wages, saying that if they could not do that, the policy was just a “thought bubble”. He said he had conducted “back of a cigarette packet” calculations which suggested that to replicate a 1 per cent increase in the cash rate, KiwiSaver rates would have to be jacked up 6 cents in the dollar.

    I guess Bill English is too tight to share some of his old envelopes with Joyce…

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Graham,

    National do not like challenging questioning, with the exception, I found, of Bill English. The PM came on my show once, I suspect expecting a social chat for 20 minutes and ended up being called to account for a number of things over 45 minutes.

    He never returned and his press secretary ended up ignoring my requests for him to come back. Key, and other Ministers, avoided Morning Report for years.

    And so, it would seem, it is with Collins. If you are questioned then it's an attack and therefore to be avoided or aggressively shouted down. These approaches are not what one would hope for in a participatory democracy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I still can’t pick if her attempted equivalence between journalists holding politicians to account with the reverse is genuine constitutional ignorance or just a vehicle for petty payback. But what an ugly clip. Disgusting creature.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • merc,

    No laws broken then?

    Since Dec 2006 • 2471 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    riddle me this - why does anyone, especially a company, give $80,000 to a political party and not expect something in return?

    To me that's the real story here, the Nats are for sale and no one seems to much care

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Ianmac, in reply to Mark Graham,

    He never returned and his press secretary ended up ignoring my requests for him to come back. Key, and other Ministers, avoided Morning Report for years.

    Not sure if those two are linked. Are you part of Morning Report Mark?

    Bleneim • Since Aug 2008 • 135 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    The OIA dump Friday is still smoking. The MFAT briefing request prior to the ‘private dinner’ (and the debate about whether the ambassador should attend) was bad. Rob Salmond at polity pin-points the bad smell coming from this MFAT briefing on the ‘drop-in cuppa’.
    Bad faith. I’m not inclined to cut Collins slack, but at first felt there might not be much in the Oravida business. The continuing donations to National, with this stuff going down via MFAT is just wrong.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    I suspect that’s why her responses to questions over Oravida have increasingly been emotional rather than formal. When Labour Grant Robertson did his job in Opposition he was “attacking my family”. But that, she said, had only “humanised me”. I think she really believes this.

    Blame-shifting - the last refuge of the narcissist.

    And the lashing out at those who don’t dwell in the sphere of influence is becoming creepy and alarming.

    It's not exaggerating to describe it as some sort of House Un-New Zealand Activities Committee.

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

  • Hebe, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Joyce is able and disciplined, but seriously lacking in charm. I've seen him alienate an entire audience in the course of a speech.

    Commies to start with obviously.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    It would be pretty bad if having a relationship with someone who was related to a political activist would be considered in any way in assessing someone's suitability for the police.

    It would be a warning note in a background investigation for a high-level security clearance. Wondering if the same might apply for application to the police, with constables holding, as best I can tell, an implied Secret clearance, is not unreasonable. Whether it would be an actual impediment is an entirely different matter, but asking the question doesn't mean it's the truth.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Joyce is able and disciplined, but seriously lacking in charm. I’ve seen him alienate an entire audience in the course of a speech.

    Just like Tony Abbott, then. Or even a Vogon. Prostetnic Vogon Joyce.

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

  • Hebe,

    The hideous lacerating pit-bull attacks on those who are perceived as a threat is the most disturbing part of the operating style.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    why does anyone, especially a company, give $80,000 to a political party and not expect something in return?

    To me that’s the real story here, the Nats are for sale

    All political parties in NZ are "for sale”, though. They have to be, since we don’t do taxpayer funding of political parties. Even the Greens accept large (tens-of-thousands of dollars) donations from individuals and businesses.

    Accepting donations from businesses is not confined to National. Where it starts to get a bit whiffy, though, is that these donations are cumulatively much, much larger than the norm, and they’re from a company with a party MP’s spouse on the Board. It approaches week-old-tuna-in-the-back-seat territory because the relationship is exceptionally cosy, certainly far above what even quite a large donor might expect.
    Donations get you access, that’s a given. They’re not supposed to buy ministerial visits with foreign border officials at a time when there are difficulties getting products across borders.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    a company with a party MP’s spouse on the Board

    According to that MFAT briefing above, he’s *half* the board. I’d heard a third, but either way that’s significant influence (and fees, I’d imagine).

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • bob daktari, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    We need to fund parties from the state or this sort of bought influence will only get worse

    While they all do it... National seem to be the most blatant in regard to "buying favours" but also, I feel, the most understandable in their response to donors - its business, pure and simple, the dollar rules and you are accountable to those whom pay the bills

    What National MPs seem to miss is govt isn't a business and being good at one will not make you good at the other - if only many voters understood this too

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I see no reason why any New Zealand political party should get any money from any business. Let's ban all money from them and cap individual contributions to 1% of the minimum wage. That would force parties to engage with their rank and file, and actually involve them in their policy making rather than just expecting a vote every 3 years

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Hebe,

    Joyce is able and disciplined, but seriously lacking in charm. I've seen him alienate an entire audience in the course of a speech.

    Commies to start with obviously.

    I've watched him alienate tories as well. He is completely graceless with large groups, but can be surprisingly charming with small groups and in one-on-ones. Maybe it's a fear of public speaking thing. One person who knows him said to me "he's the guy at the party that you want to talk to" and didn't mean a political party.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

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