Calm down Pete!
Trying to distract attention away from the growing awareness that Labour probably broke the electoral spending limit by $790,000 last election, Pete Hodgson has put out a hilariously hysterical release attacking National.
Putting aside the normal whining about the GSt error and the Brethren, Genius Pete comes up with three new complaints:
1) National raised almost $2 million in donations in 2005. My God, how dare they. It should be illegal for National to attract more donations than Labour.
2) National spent most of its parliamentary budget on staff instead of advertising. Oh my God – call the Serious Fraud Office immediately. They hired staff. This must be stopped.
3) National spent money on advertising outside the 90 day per-election timeframe. Good God. We can not have a political party using private funds to advertise outside the election period. This notion of free speech must be stopped.
I love it how Pete keeps comparing totally legal, legitimate actions of National with illegal, corrupt actions of Labour. The illegal refers to the taxpayer funding and the corrupt to the over-spending.
One has to ask. Does he know the difference between obeying the law and not obeying the law and he is just trying to confuse the public, or does he really not know the difference?
October 16th, 2006 at 5:31 pm
I’m not convinced that Hodgeson is the one who needs to calm down.
I always suspected Labour could turn this back onto National & as usual DPF is a damn good indicator for when Labour are scoring hits, the bigger his reaction the more lethal the hit.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Well Labour can try and make it illegal for MPs to hire staff from their budgets or make it illegal for people to donate to National. They could also extend the 90 day period to 180 days for example. But they may find they cause themselves more problems than anyone else.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
exactly.
Pay the GST back dpf.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:39 pm
Nigel,
A few months ago, when the press were still feeding directly out of Labour’s hand, and chanting loudly & unquestioningly whatever titbit of information about National that Labour passed on to them, then, yes, this would have gained some mileage.
Recently there has been a sea change. The press has started to be critical of Labour, and has found that the public seem to like and agree with this.
Labour are running very low in the public credibility stakes. This stuff will be unlikely to appeal to anyone except the diehard Labour supporter.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Labour have a valid point DPF. If over spending makes no difference to the outcome of the election then under spending will also make no difference.
Actually following Labour’s logic NO ADVERTISING SPENDING IS REQUIRED AT ALL – ADVERTISING MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ELECTION OUTCOMES
So he is correct to point out how much National spent one way or another, I look forward to the law change where all political advertising is banned, because if over spending makes no difference, spending is unnecessary, the millions normally allocated to elections can be redirected into Health, Education, a new standard of accountability etc.
I also look forward to phil u saying I’m on drugs because he has no valid counter argument to this concept. The when challenged to address the concept he will double his personal attack and change the subject even further. Shall we call him mini Hodgeson.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
Maria – the money is there ready and willing to be paid. It just needs to be able to be done legally. I am sure you do not condone any party deliberately breaking the laws they help pass into law.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:50 pm
This is more from the man so firmly grounded in reality that he wished to tax animal flatulance.
Hysteria is what you get when you elect hysterics.
All it points to is National has more supporters and they are prepared to give more than take.
Tough bikkies Pete.
October 16th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
Well I for none will raise the illegal actions by National MPs who stole taxpayers money and want to get off the hook by paying it back. Plus the illegal actions of the national Party who illegally spent taxpayers money to get vital extra advertising on TV and radio in the last week of the campaign.
Lets keep raising these issues so everyoneknows National was corrupt in its election spending like all other parties apart from JAP
October 16th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Peter,
.
I agree people have had enough of Labour & rightly so, Simpson/Clark made a major mistake on the pledge cards & the pent up demand for tax cuts is huge.
But I would not underestimate how much people will be getting sick of the entire Electoral spending debate either. I think it would be awefully easy now for National to score an own goal, the smarter move I believe would be to quietly & firmly publicise how to clean up the rules to be fair & equitable to all.
The moral high ground is ( just ) in National’s favour, I just hope they don’t throw away the free pass on EB spending & GST overspend ( + fine ) they got handed
October 16th, 2006 at 7:02 pm
This, and other comments by Labour leadership, are worrying.
Donations are a critical part of any democratic process, as they are a basic link between politicians, parties and their membership, and a very good internal check.
Advertising outside the election campaign period is a matter of freedom of speech – allowing opposition parties to advertise is an important in countering the massive advantages of incumbency (which Labour has grossly abused with its WFF advertising campaign etc). In a truly fair system, the opposition would be allowed an advertising budget equal to that of the governments, so as to allow the public to make informed decisions.
Labour has become a deeply anti-democratic government.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Pete “Bleat” Hodgson, H1 & H2′s chief eunuch gets told to go on another embarrassing spinathon.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Greenjacket, I totally agree with you anti-democratic comment. I started listing on my blog the stuff this government has been up to lately, and it makes scarey readying in my mind.
That’s why I now blog and joined the National Party
Pity people can’t tell the different between national’s “we’ll pay it back, here’s the money but it must be legal” and Labour’s appaling behaviour of late.
I’m kind of glad in some ways with the GST thing, if it weren’t for that the EB affair would be the only thing they’d have had to keep bleating on about.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:29 pm
Let us call it the strange death of the Labour Party. For whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. And the irrational behavior of H and that weido Pete Hodgsen suggests that old saying is true.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
What amazes me is that Labour are still digging. When will they realise the hole is big enougth already?
(As as for Philip Field: shouldn’t Labour be using him to run the big whip around? He has all the right skills.)
October 16th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
Poor Pete once again he is been played like a fiddle. No doubt the Dear Leader has sent out the order that the brain dead in the Liarbour ranks must have some morale boasting propaganda. Such is the desperation of these fools that any bullshit that can be dreamt up is now to be feed to the masses.
Dear Pete is spewing because National can raise more bread then his beloved party. I wonder if he has ever stopped to ask himself why, no of course not, a good little socialist is not put on the planet to question.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
What’s with all the goding? Do we detect some Brethrenism on DPF’s blog?
October 16th, 2006 at 7:52 pm
Heres what Liarbour should have put on its pledge card:
MY COMMITMENT TO YOU
1. Do Whatever it takes to stay in power, regardless of how undemocratic or unethical the means used are.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
Deus vult Juha.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
This Labour lot look more pathetic with every passing day.
Time for an election to get rid of this corrupt bunch.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:05 pm
Pity it’s not election year already!
October 16th, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Broken records spinning. DPF, haven’t you got something better to write about?
October 16th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Well Jono a few from the left have complained for a while that I am a broken record on the issue of the pledge card etc. However considering Labour have now been forced to repay the money, I guess it shows going on and on about something does pay off.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:09 pm
Good on you david for keeping the pledge card issue going. it should be kept going until every cent of the money they stole is paid back.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:24 pm
Seeing the Labourite cultists who feel the need to post here squirming is sinfully enjoyable.
They know their criminal gang of thugs and thieves is digging its way to what will be a humiliating defeat at the next election. Hell, even my hardcore Labour voting father-in law has had a gutsful of the Clark regime.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
“angry Man” Hodgson just needs to take his pills – stress and pressure are showing – keep up the good work all you evil right wing bloggers.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
Cut him some slack, he’s gonna be the Labour fall guy for The great 2006 waiting list debacle one day.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
Actully I think I might be wrong.
“Helen Clark who when she was a Minister of Health oversaw the closing of 26 hospitals and the reduction in real terms of spending for hospital waiting lists”
Watch this man, he might be a future leader.
Oh where did I get my quote?
http://www.greypower.co.nz/super2.html
(Look under Winston – of course)
October 16th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
What I find particularly amusing is that a Minister of the Crown is demanding that National knowingly and deliberately breech the Broadcasting Act.
If this is the quality of decision-making on display from Labour’s ‘campaign strategist’, no wonder they’re up Poo River without a rudder… and certainly not an advisor the parliamentary or organisational wings of the National Party should pay any attention to.
Now, perhaps the Acting Minister of Health should get himself on a waiting list for counselling and hope he doesn’t get Enron-ed off by his local DHB.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
And perhaps Mr. Hodgson would care to explain this tidbit from Mike Williams in the Herald yesterday
Mr Williams said the party would accept anonymous donations – which it has criticised National for accepting – because they were legal at present.
(Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10406080)
Now what were you saying about “secrecy and subterfuge, backed by anonymous wealthy backers who refuse to be identified”, Pete? Smells like another steaming load of Hodgson hypocrisy to me…
October 17th, 2006 at 12:06 am
Good on you david for keeping the pledge card issue going. it should be kept going until every cent of the money they stole is paid back.
nope. it should be kept doing until those who did the stealing have been jailed and hounded out of public life.
October 17th, 2006 at 8:51 am
2005 is the first election that the rules, which previously were left to wobble, have been enforced to the letter, and by a rather over zealous enforcer, if Winston’s complaint about his (general use) pamphlets is to believed. It is the same over-zealous self-righteousness that led the commissioner of police some time ago to publicly investigate porn on police computers. All it does is to undermine the integrity of the public insititution involved, in that case the police, and in this case, parliament.
It will not affect the level of ‘corruption’ in electioneering. All that will happen is that parties will do more electioneering, or at least tendering of bills to parliamentary services outside the 3 month pre-election period. This, and other avoidance measures will take place, with lawyers being the main benefactors.
At most H1 and H2 are guilty of arrogance and overbearance. Brady should have exercised more restraint in his judgment and simply made a case of the pledge card, and that only. If he’d done that, then there might be sufficient support for a majority vote of no support in the government/Labour party and you would get your snap election. As it is, with all parties but one in the dog box, Brady has ensured that that will not happen, and has secured Labour’s tenure.
October 17th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
I am left gob-smacked by the sheer arrogance of this press release. To state that ‘National tried to rort the election’, when we know that his own party DID ‘rort’ the election.
This is an utter disgrace, they still can’t see past their own hipocracy. Hodgson looks more and more like a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown. He appears irrational and rabid.
October 17th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Hodgesons press release has angered me so much, I have to comment again. He mentioned the EBs again – and I am deeply concerned that this new ‘charity/not for profit’ status review that Labour are talking about is nothing more than State sponsored vindictiveness. The EB’s are a pack of weirdos, but they are entitled to a political opinion just like anyone else. They are not the only weirdos out there (take Greens for example) who have a interest in policy. Democracy is a wonderful thing.
Did anyone else notice Winston cosying up to Destiny Church recently? That Church has a political bent, but will they be punished as well?
April 9th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
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