Oh what a coincidence
June 27th, 2005 at 8:21 am by David FarrarI don’t think a single journalist believes Helen Clark’s claims that the timing of the announcement on the Israeli apology was a coincidence that it was on the same day as Don Brash’s conference speech. Yes, I am sure she did not even realise the conference was on. And one always makes foreign policy announcements on a Sunday.
The Herald reports the timing as deliberate, and points out it was agreed to in principle a couple of months ago. On National Radio the PM admitted it had all been agreed 1 – 2 weeks itself ago, and the Israeli letter was in fact post-dated, so I think it’s beyond debate.
Fran O’Sullivan points out that the PM all but lied outright in claiming the timing was at the request of Israel.
In terms of the apology, it is a good thing that Israel has apologised, and the issue is resolved. They were in the wrong. However Peter Metcalfe points out the apology is at the very low end of the scale, and is almost a clayton’s apology.
It is interesting that as Labour is losing the battle on domestic issues, they are turning to foreign ones. The timed apology, the sudden enthusiasm to do something about Zimbabwe etc. I predict more foreign issues in the next four weeks.
No tag for this post.
June 27th, 2005 at 9:12 am
Even journalists are getting the message that the Prime Minister is manipulating them, so the story becomes how she manipulated them. And the lies she told about co-ordinating things with the Israeli government, bullshit of course. Why do it Sunday could have been Monday. She made reference how there is other evidence that their abuse of our passport system is wider then these two agents but incredibly the Government chose not to raise this with the Israeli government. She said they would get a denial so why bother. Well I say get the denial and let that be another lie the Israeli government has told us. Obviously not raising this is part of the deal with the Israeli Government so and she lied about that as well.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 9:47 am
People in glass houses should not throw stones.
If dates of announcements were not Politically related we would know detail of Nationals Tax Policy already, the delay of that is as strategic as the Israel announcement timing was.
Face it, National got outplayed & well outplayed I might add, the Israel annoucement was beautifully timed.
How many of these rabbits does Labour have, tough to know, but if National thought that they would control the Media agenda for this election, they got a serious shot across the bows.
But this was but one fight in what will be many more so get over it, you lost, learn from it & stop bitching, it’s defeatist & just makes Labour appear strong.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 9:53 am
Looking In blogged on it as well saying the Isreali apology had all the meaning of a Labour tax cut. lookinginnz.blogspot.com/
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 9:55 am
Nigel –
Look, sweetie, I’ll quote myself here (from NZPundit):
QUOTE
I’m not naive enough to be shocked that Clark would time the announcement for maximum media and political impact – especially with the SST released another poll calling a statistical tie and National coming off a conference finally ready to rumble. It’s the transparent and straight-faced lies that insult everyone’s inteligence.
END QUOTE
I don’t think the Israeli Government is, or should be, very impressed at being cited in a silly bit of spin from Clark. Did she really think nobody was going to go back to Michael Ronen & ask about the timing?
I’m sorry you think the resolution of a serious diplomatic incident is just grist for the domestic spin cycle. I don’t.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 9:59 am
Nigel – I think the issue is lying about it. National is very open that it is delaying the tax policy until an election date is announced.
By such blatant lying, the PM confirms her low opinion of everyone else’s intelligence. Even you have confirmed it was deliberate, so why can’t she?
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 10:32 am
And, DPF, entirely coincidental that the announcement was made AFTER the House rose for a four week recess. No opportunities for the opposition (including Keith Locke) to ask damn pesky question of Clark and Goff…
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 11:13 am
David – I am in no position to confirm anything, all I can give is my perception.
Craig – I don’t like it @ all, but I don’t see many morals about manipulating media on either side & in that environment atttack is a relatively legitimate form of defence.
Releasing Tax Policy when the election is announced is basically withholding information to gain political advantage by timing it’s release to reduce the Media coverage of your opponent, ie. just what Helen Clark did & as far as I know National have not said “We are delaying the Tax Policy release to counter Labour publicity on the election date announcement”, so for me it’s all just Smoke & Mirrors, just different Smoke & Mirrors.
Regarding Nationals Tax Policy release tactic being a good move, maybe, but in the end trading Surprise for Momentum can be dodgey IMHO ( Ask Woodward ) and in this case worse because the suprise is not even really a surprise, so National have given Labour strategists the benefit of knowing when they will do something ( Timing based on when Labour do something else no less ) & roughly what they will announce, not be my idea of smart strategy, but hey I am just a computer geek.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 11:28 am
She lied Nigel, that is the problem.
Heres a dollar ($), buy a clue.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 11:34 am
Kimble, She twisted the truth, National twists the truth. I’m saying neither are innocent, use that dollar to get a set of glasses so you can look out your other eye.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 11:50 am
Looking In blogged on it as well saying the Isreali apology had all the meaning of a Labour tax cut. lookinginnz.blogspot.com/
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 11:58 am
So Israel asked her to wait until this Sunday? Isnt that what she said? How far does the truth have to be twisted before it becomes a lie?
As for National witholding its tax policy, there is a big difference between campaign strategy and what HC has done.
National is holding onto the tax policy to pressure Helen into naming an election date. All of Nationals campaign timing is dependent upon knowing when the election is going to be. They arent doing it to steal Labours thunder (since when was the announcement of the election date a political boon for the governing party?).
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
More foreign policy? Are we going to invade Australia?
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
You buggers already have…
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 12:33 pm
Clark is a self confessed fraudster so whats so surprising about her also being a liar Just like Cullens surprise surprise finding half a billion dollars under the bed.Both are contemptous cretens and the public with a brain are treating them as such
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 12:47 pm
I really don
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 1:25 pm
Clark wont tell us when the election is and its our election not her election(despite what she thinks) so the Gnats holding back on their tax policy is quid pro quo
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 3:20 pm
In endorsing the habitual lying and deceit of their leader the lefties reveal the level of their own integrity.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 3:21 pm
put up or shut up –
I don’t know if you’ve ever spent one second is a real news room. I have, and believe me this would have been a front page, top of the bulletin story whenever it was released.
You know, why did the PM have to LIE about the reasons behind the timing of the announcement – let alone involve a foreign government in domestic spin? Reality check, hack: IT DIDN’T FOOL ANYONE!
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
Quite right Craig she lied about the reasons. Of course it is legitimate political timing, she could have made a joke about it but she chose to lie about it and she lied about the reasons why she did not raise the wider problem of Israeli abuse of our passport system. Now all NZ citizens will be suspect mossad agents when they travel to the middle East. That is the problem she has created when she chose to go public on this but then she go totally unsatisfactory resolution from Israel. Another example of spin harming substance. National would be irresponsible to release its tax policy before the final pre-election fiscal numbers are announced.
Vote:June 27th, 2005 at 5:30 pm
Oh, c’mon, guys. Arafat’s dead, there’s no sense beating on Israel any more because there’s no one in the PA camp particularly well placed to help Helen and Phil achieve their “next job” ambitions. So take all you were ever going to get, call it a win, spin it for maximum media effect and get on with the next series of international good-doing events. Just before the election, you see, HC will get an offer to step up to the global (UN) stage in some significant capacity, Phil will step in as PM-designate and that’ll be that. Or not.
Vote:June 28th, 2005 at 7:49 am
Labour are masters at machinations and they are manipulating images often in contradiction to realities continually so this latest incident is no surprise. They have hijacked the democratic process.
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