At some point John Key has to demonstrate that it’s his govt that is running the country and making decisions that it is accountable for and stop blaming everything on the previous Labour government.
On Breakfast TV this morning John Key was asked about the government’s response to Labour’s challenge to the govt to lower the blood alcohol limit.
As he and all his Ministers usually do, he first started by saying that Labour had nine long years to do something. And then went on to say he was doing very little and why it wasn’t on his government’s agenda.
Well now he’s had two years and there’s not much to show for it other than some bad laws, some new roads and more crime.
There’s less jobs to go round, people are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet, the wage gap between NZ and Australia is getting bigger and John Key goes to an East Asian Summit and says he’s met some really important people.
Here’s what Key said he did in Vietnam:
“If you think about the lunch we went to, the richest man in the world was there in the form of the sultan of Brunei, and the largest most populated country in the world was there in the form of China and India and the like,” he said.
Underwhelming.
But you keep forgetting – you DID have 9 years and didnt do it – why is it such a hot issue when you are on the opposition?
Was it not important when you were in power?
Chris I don’t know why we didn’t. We probably should have. But the point is Labour is not in government any more and your lot are. It’s a National Government. So why aren’t they making the decisions and why do you and your ilk keep deflecting attention away from their lack of good decision-making, or ability to make any decisions and keep harping on about Labour?
Because it’s a tactic. But it can’t work any more because your government is now accountable.
Here’s what Key said he did in Vietnam
Nice.
I look forward to more tales of “what Key did in ‘Nam”.
Perhaps in the next one, he can drop some acid and go out on a search and destroy mission?
They made a TV pilot about Keys visit to the summit and called it the Beverly Hillbillies.
Next month Key is going to the APEC summit in Yokohama what will they call that show-?
Well now he’s had two years and there’s not much to show for it other than some bad laws, some new roads and more crime.
And that’s why the NACT cabinet members start off with talking about Labour. They have nothing positive to mention about their government’s results.
CC- “It’s a National Government. So why aren’t they making the decisions” – The fact is that they ARE making decisions.
They might not be the decisions YOUR LOT would make, but they ARE making decisions.
They the the government and just like you – they choose what they believe to be the priority when they are in power.
Given the state of the world today – I cannot see any reason for this to me MORE important now than it was when you had the choice to do something – but chose to focus on other items.
As for the comment about good decision making – from the latest polls most people believe that they are making good ones and that they believe that country is moving in the right direction.
“I don’t know why we didn’t”
Pretty much sums it all up.
@ Chris / Indiana
If you support the current blood alcohol limit, just say so.
Chris said:
“… you DID have 9 years and didnt do it – why is it such a hot issue when you are on the opposition?”.
Well, Chris, I don’t remember your beloved Nats screaming blue murder about the carnage on the roads during Labour’s nine years in office. What’s happened is: in the past couple of years the increase in deaths caused by drink drivers has generally raised the level of awareness to such an extent, Labour is calling on the NAct govt. to get their heads out of the sand and do something.
My view is to target education at schools, community services and health care services on how alcohol impacts your ability to control yourself. Setting bench marks like blood alcohol means that people will aim for that target such as speeding…get up to 100km/h notwithstanding that even 80km/h is dangerous too in given circumstances.
My “don’t know” reference was more in reference to other comments I have made here, when Labour have responded by saying they “don’t know” or “have not discussed this at caucus” when I have asked what will be their election policy mandate.
Chris Labour did lots of positive things of this ilk – the banning of smoking in bars is a prime example – a very unpopular move, but in the end of benefit to all.
Can you imagine the furore if they tackled drink driving too? They were accused of ‘nanny state’ over obesity, child smacking, etc. NACT won’t act because it will be unpopular – end of story, they don’t do what the public see as ‘bad’
@Indiana – health education does not work, numerous evaluation studies prove this. Two factors do work; making alcohol harder to get (more expensive, fewer outlets, less advertising) and stronger enforcement – crush their cars – if you know the punishment then it is your fault if the car is crushed!
As above though, NACT will not increase prices or ban advertising (they refused to ban cigarette displays in supermarkets despite strong Ministry of health advice)
I think that Key’s problem with drinking laws is due to the trauma he suffered when he was shot down and captured while on a bombing mission over Hanoi.
Maybe that’s why he can’t remember the Springbok tour too.
I am so sick of the 9 years excuse!
@ Spud – Agreed. It’s a pretty pathetic way of them saying “Well, we have no intention of doing anything about it… So we’ll just mention to the public that Labour didn’t when they were in government”
Well Spud, Labour used it for 9 years.
At least under National the economy is starting to grow again.
RRRRRRRRRRRR
Johnny, I would hardly call bending over for Warners growing the economy?
@JohnBT
Are you in favour of keeping the current drink driving (blood alcohol) limit?
Yes but Clare the 5th Labour govt used it constantly for almost 1.5 terms. We’re about 0.7 into National’s first.
Isn’t the goose sauce also good for the gandar?
Gander has got to survive to 1.5 terms first, methinks.
For a contrarian view on drink driving see Legalize Drunk Driving Some other links on this excellent tumblr.
“Gander has got to survive to 1.5 terms first, methinks.”
No problems there, Viper, thanks to the MEAA debacle. Yayyyyy!!!! So you can look forward to much much more smiling and waving for at least the next 3.3 years. It’s term 3.0 that’s not yet secure.
The 2 million NZers who get out of bed and go to work every weekday morning…
sammy – what we need is more booze buses, so that people can drink as much as they like without having to drive
What I think we need is more teetotalers who don’t cost our Health system many 10s of $1000s…
I forgot that you don’t drink
It ain’t going to happen,
Great point about the working people – yay for them
Key being such an embarrassment as PM is no-one else’s fault, which was the main point of the original post.
Well bizarrely many people seem to be happy to have a seemingly relaxed, smiley PM…
Well JMH,
Im not happy and im not the only one!
Nothing worse than someone who gets payed my taxes and sit on his bum or roll overs for a few business men instead of DOING his job which is to leader and stand up for NZ.
Not being a servant for a few national (wealth) backers and turning this country into a banana republic.
“Who is running the country?”
No one, just drifting towards the edge of the abyss!
=
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A broken banana boat
The voters can listen to what they are fed by a media controlled largely by a small wealthy group with international affliations.
Multinationals grow out of NZ companies through importation of capital as well as NZ business being swallowed up by foriegn money.
Banks run from offshore and National threatening to ditch our Kiwibank or arranging for foriegn capital to dismantle it.
ACC being set up to gift to foriegn Insurance interests, more talk of Govt Private partnerships when the private money comes from off shore, foriegn firms to run our prisons, transport and shipping. buying into our airports and infrastructure, farms and housing.,more private services built into health budget – and on it goes.
Import are mot managed in spite of heavy imbalance but that imbalance is ued as an excuse for more borrowing overseas and the Kiwis are blamed for not saving enough but wages are severely constrained and unions demonised.
NZ’s part is shrinking rapidly.
Kirk had the answer and had that been followed NZ would have a consolidated position all on our own capital with largely NZ ownership.
Instead the media and Hanna Barbera ( CIA connected and employed ny National ) spent millions getting rid of the Kirk impediment to the creeping take over of foriegn capital.
Who is running the country ? Not Key, but it is obvious his connections with Greenspan and that mob, that his selection and support is not accidental.
Believe not what he says but look at the effect of what he manages.
We are being sold off.
Who is really running the country? Answer – The liquor industry, Warner Brothers, Fonterra, Federated Farmers, the Rugby World Cup organising committee….and….Gerry Brownlee. Only the last has any possible claim to having been democratically elected.