I have received the following email from an elderly Auckland gentleman and war veteran who, quelle horreur, thought I was one of many National MPs he was sending it to. I have spoken to him at some length and can vouch for his lucidity and his disgust but agreed not to add to his discomfort by naming him..
Dear Mr Burns
The passage of the ETS Bill through the House this day is not simply a contemptuous and contemptible act by the government of which you are a member, it is an act of treachery against every serviceman and woman of this country who made the supreme sacrifice in all of its foreign conflicts, in the preservation of free speech and democracy. You are a disgrace to your office.
I have been a life-long supporter of the National Party. My family was involved in its beginnings. That association ceased from this day. I can no longer support an organization that is willing to sacrifice principle for the worst of political expediency in such a cavalier and contemptuous manner.
Funny thing this ’shift’ from the right – I have spoken with quite a number of, in the past, very very right winger Nat supporters. On the Aorangi issue alone but aided in the ETS
- and the other Tolley Folley things – they are disgusted with National and are changing their vote!
Wow that guy has principles
good for him!
Paul – I don’t think Tolley is getting you guys much traction.
The ETS however is a different story. Personally I will not vote National again. They’ve shown themselves to be untrustworthy, sneaky and happy to do race based deals which I find unacceptable.
Unfortunately thats doesn’t swing me to the Left. Bill and Ben for me next time round.
I’m sick of all these cynical bastards.
some major companies in Ak had a ETS meeting today and there are some worried people .. many don’t know what their liability will be .. my company “could” be up for over 50 mil.
now .. the Greens and Labour would hit us even more so as I have said before .. you guys (all parties) are shafting the companies and tax payers big time. For this bloke to say he will never vote National again .. mmmm really so I guess he is also an expert on a/ climate change and even more importantly b/ he has the answer on how to deal with this whole confusing crazy ETS/carbon Trading scheme??
Something must be happening to right wing support if Ian Wishart, after ignoring the foibles of the National Party for a year, is hitting out at Nick Smith in his forum http://www.tbr.cc!
singularian – Just don’t vote. This brings to my mind a bit of Douglas Adams:
reuters are saying that there is a fear China may bring a low expectation to the table re ETS .. oh dear. Oh well
Brendan I not surprised you were confused for a Nat Party member.
Your nickname around parliament is Lord Burns of Marlborough, you don’t even live in Chch preferring to reside at the family Chateau and Vineyard.
Unlike Labour which needs every member it can get National can afford to slough off a bunch of greedy pensioners like this prick.
What a pleasant fellow this Whaleoil is…
Typically wrong on multiple counts Whaleoil and nasty to boot. How could an electorate MP live four hours away from his electorate? I have lived full-time in my electorate for nearly two years, as I committed to do on selection. The family “chateau” consists of a tool shed and 7 acres of sauvignon blanc. And if you and National think you can “slough off a bunch of greedy pensioners like this prick” – actually a delightful and principled man to talk to, a lifelong party member and ex WW2 vet – well you deserve everything that is coming your way.
Oh harden up Brendon, you are playing in the blogosphere now.
If you think that is nasty then you have led a very sheltered life.
But then being a Labour Party MP is like being in a sheltered workshop isn’t it?
“But then being a Labour Party MP is like being in a sheltered workshop isn’t it?”
Nah. you’re thinking of right wing ‘academics’ doing ‘research’ at places like Maxim, the BRT, AEI. the Heritage Foundation, Centre for Independent Studies and the like.
You know; Wingnut welfare.
Speaking of which, Brash’s little report is due soon. How much did we pay to hear the thoughts of someone the country rejected?
“…you are playing in the blogosphere now.”
Oh dear. How amusing. What a scary place that non-physical sphere of cyberspace must be.
Balance deleted – personal abuse even of Cameron not allowed on Red Alert. Trevor
“Oh harden up Brendon, you are playing in the blogosphere now.”
Since when did “playing in the blogosphere” provide a reasonable excuse for a lack of common decency, respect and manners?
If ANZACs and Returned Servicemen of principle are objecting to this government then the lizards should be nervous. They are so doomed!
Some member if he thought you were a Nat and in government. He can’t follow National too closely despite the rhetoric.
Since when did “playing in the blogosphere” provide a reasonable excuse for a lack of common decency, respect and manners?
Or facts?
Wow, Brendon, playing the faux patriotism card as your leader starts channeling Winston Peters at his race-baiting worse? No wonder Labour is still as popular as a pork chop in a kosher deli.
Here’s a little bit of unsolicited advice: If you want be taken seriously, start acting like it.
So what is the reaction of the Right to your post, Brendon? Whale Oil at his rancid worst and Craig Ranapia offering caustic opinion.
No addressing of the issue- that core support for National is being shaken, at least for the letter-writing gentleman, and by extension to others.
Craig Ranapia needs to be reminded that unsolicited advice needs to be serious to be taken seriously. When the advice comes at the end of unsubstantiated criticism, then it is no more than further criticism- still unsubstantiated, still not addressing the issue, still worth barely replying to.
Keep up your posting, Brendon. The more vituperative the Right, the more on the money you are.
Mac1:
I’m the son of a World War II veteran who served with the 28th (Maori) Battalion in conditions I wouldn’t wish on my worse enemy in the world.
It’s ugly pimping the sacrifice and service to this country of my father, and many other men and women, for a partisan cheap shot. And there’s nothing “dishonourable” to the memories of those who fought against fascism about a duly elected Parliament passing legislation you happen to disagree with.
It’s trashy from the rabid right, and there’s no reason why Burns should get a pass. Keep trying to excuse the inexcusable, though, Mac1 — it’s only your credibility going to waste.
Lord Burns of Marlbourough seems a tad offended by my suggestion he lives in a Chateau.
The point I am making about Lord Burns of Marlborough is that he insisted on being described as representing Marlborough when as he now claims he doesn’t reside there.
What a strange fellow. Definitely one for the sheltered workshop.
Whaleoil, Brendon addressed your claims earlier, unless you have any evidence that he is lying you are simply trolling.
You haven’t produced any such evidence. To be quite frank: perhaps one of you two in this exchange may be a strange fellow living in a sheltered environment, but I don’t see any evidence that it is Brendon.
In case you are confused, this isn’t Kiwiblog.
I asuume we are still talking ETS .. seems the aussies are now in trouble .. oh well, this whole who pays what is getting really ugly
Have any of you ever read Cameron’s blog? It’s trolling par excellence. Not to mention him being a dirty bludger (oops, did I just channel cameron?)
Mac1:
If you want evidence of the point I’m trying to make, I’d suggest you check out the response of the usual suspects to a simple post by David Farrar, offering condolences to Phil Goff and his family after the death of his nephew, Lieutenant Matthew Ferrara, in Afghanistan. Trashy doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Yes, Whaleoil lost all credibility the day it came out he’s been sucking of the insurance industry’s tit for 5 years… Hypocrite…
Jeremy .. the insurance company, as with all insurance companies, are very happy to take peoples money and hope (gamble) that they won’t need to pay out anything. It seems in this case they lost. How can that be called “sucking of the insurance industries tit”? .. if they could break THEIR contract, I’m sure they would.
Craig Ranapia:
faux patriotism means a false patriotism, or patriotism used falsely. In your remarks to Brendon Burns you accused him of this, but did not offer explanation or facts to support how he could be accused of this rightly.
I know the man, and would not accuse him of this.
I appreciate the fact that you honour your father and his generation for their sacrifice and sense of duty. I spent a lot of a trip to Europe honouring the war dead in Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Belgium. My family had its share of pain.
I knew a member of the 28 Battalion who fought in Italy, and made it clear to him my sense of honouring his deeds, about which he spoke little to me.
However, the man being quoted by Brendon Burns had shared in this sacrifice. It was he who mounted the attack. Further, he claimed to be a National supporter and quoted his family connections to the founding of that Party.
I took this to be the salient point of his attack- that as such he felt impelled to criticise the ‘political expediency’ of the government.
I don’t believe that Brendon Burns criticised the government for dishonouring those who fought against fascism in his post. The letter writer did that. He has at least an entitlement to say that for himself.
The main point that Burns was making, as I took it, from a letter to a supposed National MP, was that grounded, deep rooted support for the National Party was being withdrawn because principle had been usurped by political expediency.
In your first comment, you drew a parallel between Burn’s ‘faux patriotism’, which you did not elucidate, and another parallel which you again made and did not elucidate between Goff and Peters’ respective positions vis-a-vis the ‘race-card’.
There is a lot of debate in this Blog and on The Standard about Goff’s statements. At least they are debating and putting up argument.
You did neither. That is what I called you for. I am quite willing for my credibility to be judged on that.
It must be one big tit to feed a whale
@ Craig Ranapia:
With reference to your third post at 2.38, thanks for that. The postings about the cost of freedom call to mind Crosby, Stills and Nash, in a beautifully sung a cappella song.
“Find the cost of freedom
Buried in the ground.
Mother Earth will swallow you
Lay your body down.”
This song rang in my head at Chunuk Bair and ANZAC cove, Cassino, Thermopylae, Verdun, and the NZ memorial in Belgium, and for all our differences, we would have common cause in this.
Well that elderly man who was previously a National supporter wont be the only loss to the National Party. I suspect that there are many Conservative voters who like myself voted for National in the last election.Sadly John Key has become nothing more then a weak unprincipled politician and i wont be voting National again so long as he keeps his carefree standoffish attitude towards racism as expressed by people like Hone Harawira,i have just listened to the Full Speech Phil Goff made on Nationhood and while i have never supported Labour I am very suprised and pleased to see that Phil has addressed an issue that John Key seems very unwilling or unable to address.