John Key delivered a good performance on TVNZ’s Q&A current affairs programme this morning — UNTIL he was asked about John Banks.*
You can watch the interview here at TVNZ on demand (17 mins)
And here is the audio of the 3 minute section where interviewer Shane Taurima asked about Mr Key’s standards for his ministers (mp3 file here)
“Prime Minister, is lying a sackable offence for members of your cabinet?”
Not so impressive. [Update: transcript available here at NBR.]
Mr Key’s obvious and dutifully repeated spin/talking point (“politically motivated attacks”) about interest in whether his cabinet minister John Banks lied in April & May this year about his knowledge of Kim Dotcom’s ‘anonymous’ donations to the ‘Team Banksie’ failed 2012 Auckland mayoral campaign seems shallow and unconvincing.
John Banks is a problem. Matthew Hooton says it’s not going away.
Remember this? He’s a married man! (John Banks talks to Radio LIVE’s Frances Cook 27 April 2012)
– P
* Even so, Mr Key’s demonstration of interview technique was much better than David Shearer’s which followed.
Another day, more stigma. This is going to get ‘old’ for John Key I reckon…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10834429
Counting the days …
Monday, Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking asks, “Is John Banks the NZ Berlusconi??” arguing that John Key’s National government is “tainted by association” with the ACT MP’s actions and questionable public statements …
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/opinion/mikes-editorial-17sep2012
Berlusconi had much more class.
Banks is just a dimwit.
Luckily he is in a chamber full of his own kind.
Your such a Bigot.
I agree 100% this Key Banks affair is not flash.
Banks is a Nob.
But Shearer was 100 times worse over far more pressing issues. Yet you credit this with this one liner. (at the bottom. Surprised you didn’t use a smaller font).
“* Even so, Mr Key’s demonstration of interview technique was much better than David Shearer’s which followed”
But alas I need to make Labour look good here. and I cannot possibly go against my Cult.
Lets ignore the bigger issues (plural) and focus on the subtext of one smaller issue because it does not suit my personal manafesto.
A bigot? Really?
With respect, you seem to be experiencing some hallucinations about me and my ‘purposes’ for discussing things.
I’m not trying to make Labour look good. I’m exploring one of the public issues of the moment. i.e. the John Banks ‘anonymous’ donations affair, his very unconvincing performance in the spotlight, his confrontations with evidence of his changing stories … and Mr Key’s uncharacteristic discomfort with the pressure of the situation.
I mentioned David Shearer’s lack-lustre media performance in passing and in contrast to Mr Key’s Slick Willy routine … which came off the rails when he was asked about lies and awkwardly trotted out his vacuous ‘There’s a range of views about that’ & ‘I’m not going to read the report’.
I’m sorry it seems to make you so unhappy for me to observe that.
If you’d somehow like to influence ME to discuss something else — something that suits your (no) agenda — well, I don’t know what your mechanism for that would be.
– P
I actually thought you were trying to make Key look good … excuse me while i reach for the mogadon and wet-wipes. I really dont like Shearer – and yes he comes across as inept and bumbling – but perhaps we need to stop looking at it like a bunch of pretty racehorses …
As an aside .. i’ve been driving a BMW 3 series lately with a very good sound system of concert hall quality and listening to Beethoven and Sibelius. It irks me – but i can see why you like these cars.
They made very very fine aero engines i will admit. But i still hate you for liking Beemers.
That’s gracious of you about the BMWs.
I must admit, before I bought my first one, I thought they’d just be slightly better than a nice Ford or Holden. I was wrong. In fact, BMW do a thousand things either a little better or a lot better. Glad you’re enjoying it. – P
Well dont get too excited .. i have lots of evidence that they need a small fortune to keep serviced (most arent because the owners cant afford to service them) and parts cost a bundle.
Plus – i saw a V8 5 series (i think it was) where the mechanic paraded a bunch of plastic bits from the internals of the motor – with the statement that most Beemers have a troublefree first economic life of approx 5 years – after that – get a mortgage or win lotto.
I used to like citroens till i discovered everything was chromeplated grease nipples (apologies for the suggestive language) and cost the nett gdp of a small country to fix.
Euro cars – nope – i’ll enjoy other peoples – but wont ever own one.
I have a feeling only well remunerated folk like them longterm.
They’re just cars. NBD.
Banks isnt a ‘nob’ (that implies aristocratic bearing) i think you mean he is a “Knob” alluding to similarity to the very extreme bulbous end of a cock (male appendage).
Generally homos describe “manifesto” as “manAfesto” i think. I suspect you arent one of those.
OK, so here we are on Tuesday in stigma-watch, and some in the media are dreaming up jokes based on the Prime Minister’s evasiveness about John Banks … ‘KEYVASIVE ACTION’
Oh boy. That can’t be good for ‘Brand Key’.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/7692788/Master-of-Keyvasive-action
Almost as bad as Claire Trevett Taking the Pfiss out of John Key which discussed politicians “fibbing, hiding something, or not really convinced by their own arguments”.
Hmmm.
Wednesday…
The farce grows with every day — John Armstrong of the NZ Herald describes the Prime Minister’s “fig-leaf defence” of John Banks … defending the indefensible.
Mr Key’s words and actions are now being called ‘ridiculous‘.
How long before he is openly mocked and scorned — as Mr Banks is?
(Bit of a come-down for Brand-Key, huh?)
– P
Thursday …
Key the ostrich has head firmly buried in sand
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10835223
No work, no toilets on Planet Key
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/john-armstrong-on-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502865&objectid=10835245
Friday…
Toby Manhire serves his disgust under a light satirical sauce …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10835442
Note Toby’s use of the “Planet Key” gag. It is becoming ubiquitous. (See: http://www.thepaepae.com/the-planetkey-gag-is-going-to-bite-john-key-thats-my-prediction/26001/)
UPDATE: The very sane Toby Manhire has served us this:
Parliament’s planetary fixation: a recent history
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/parliament’s-planetary-fixation-a-recent-history/
[…] with his determined ‘Keyvasive action‘ Mr Key’s failure to acknowledge that his minister John Banks’ has, er, […]