Gordon catching up to Helen
April 26th, 2008 at 5:47 pm by David FarrarGordon Brown has been criticised in the UK Press for hiring his eighth spin doctor.
Yet it passes without comment back in NZ that Helen Clark, for a country 1/20th the size, has nine media and communications staff members (as of Dec 2007).
Helen has a Chief Press Secretary, two Press Secretaries, a Communications Manager, four Communications Advisors and a Communications Assistant.
Related posts:
- Len’s gaggle of spin doctors
- Not fronting
- The growth in Ministerial staff numbers
- Ministerial Staff Numbers
April 26th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Which one is responsible for the ………”honk”
ala http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/04/a_labour_mashup.html
Also which one is responsible for the “fiddle whilst rome burns” thesis.
Both deserve honours.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
So what? She doesn’t have the time to blog all day.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Going by UK newsreports, Gordon doesn’t seem to be particularly competent in hiring spin doctors.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Ahod:
Helen doesn’t need time to blog all day – she’s got her PhillipJohn/Roger Nome and Sonic bots covering the blogosphere. And let’s not forget James “Auntie Helen” Sleep!
Now, in the real media world, how would you justify each of the following:
- Chief Press Secretary
Vote:- two Press Secretaries
- a Communications Manager
- four Communications Advisors
- a Communications Assistant.
April 26th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I’m surprised she doesn’t have a hand-picked team of firefighters to deal with all those inconvenient stories and rumours that smoulder away all the time – as well as those that spontaneously combust!
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
“Now, in the real media world, how would you justify each of the following:
- Chief Press Secretary
- two Press Secretaries
- a Communications Manager
- four Communications Advisors
- a Communications Assistant.”
A clear indication of just how important propaganda is to any socialist government.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I guess one reason why there are so many is that Helen (or Labour) don’t pay for them personally, but soak us,the taxpayers, to tell lies to us.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
You stupid posters , helen is a dominating bitch , so she will have as many lackeys, under her foot, as possible power is great , but then there is power without glory, ie like the token old man mr p d,who is invisable, ps they are supposed to be a happy couple (ANY SEXY PECKS ON CHEEKS ON FILM ANYWERE ) ie FILM NOT LIKE kissing your aunt, or a old warty person, whose been around for to long, but a REAL partner ie (OPPOSITE SEX) man and women , gasp does it exist,
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Goodness……do the numbers indicate lack of quality?
Hint for Hulun….quantity may make you feel covered, when all the time the Cookie Monster lurks.
I’m thinking that Mike, the Party President, could well make some input here.
He knows better than anyone the way to stay on top of the heap is to speak fearlessly intelligent reality checks to Power.
God knows….I guess he’s tried.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
To be fair, the Prime Minister probably hires the very best there are. Nine high powered employees all working over the media, no surprise Labour has three terms and Helen’s never faced a challenge.
Ahod: you forget that Labour sponsor a blog called The Standard. This means Helen has got the blogging all under control anyway.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Gordon Bennet.
Vote:On that basis Gordon Brown should have at least 180 spinners compared to Ms Klarke.
Oh I forgot to count more than nine for Aunty Helun cos I can only count to ten and saving one finger.
That last finger will be exposed at the Election
April 26th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
um sushi goblim who actually reads the standard, only mentally handicapped(um is that the right PC word, oh WHO CARES) liarbor supporters,
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
The Tibet/China Olympic “torch” thing seems to be washing over NZ like it’s some sort of backwater.
I’m thinking “incorrect” concepts are afoot and the NZ MSM don’t like that.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
The more unpopular the person the more spin doctors they hire. They think, poor things, it is about “the message” so they hire more and more messengers. But the people have switched off. Even if Helen Clark hired 10,000 pressers phoning 200 people a day the result would be the same. And shouting at people will not make them listen either, we are not deaf and Cullen and all the others do shout a lot.
Vote:April 26th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
How to stop annoying journalists from reporting stories that may not be always favorable to your govt? Hire them! Eventually Helen will have to hire virtually all of the Press gallery.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 7:32 am
For a bit of contrast to HC and GB read Peter Oborne in the Daily Mail for yesterday. He did a great column on Margaret Thatcher. It’s still on the Mail website for those interested.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Chief Press Secretary
- two Press Secretaries
- a Communications Manager
- four Communications Advisors
- a Communications Assistant.”
And I still would check to make sure if she said the sky was blue.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Without even checking with the PM’s office I can name all 9:
all_your_base, Tane, Dancer, Steve Pierson, Irish Bill, Eddie, RobinSod, Z K Muggletonspofin and ‘Guest Post’.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Gooner
I think you are onto it, and it proves the age old tradition that smart people hire smarter people as their advisors and stupid people hire people that don’t show up their stupidity. Absolute muppets surround our dim-bulb PM.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
If she’s such a political genius why does she need so many spin doctors?
Must be a shitty job.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
DPF
Not like you to be factually wrong but the UK is actually only 15 times NZ population – 60m against 4m and is physically smaller. Wouldn’t like the trolls to think you exaggerate.
Vote:April 27th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Metcalph
Vote:Suggest you delete all words after competent
April 27th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I have an old shit pump, Dear Leader can sack her spin doctors, this just has to be hooked up.
Vote:April 28th, 2008 at 12:01 am
I’m not surprised it takes so many spin-doctors to keep Helen’s fragile personality in check.
Does anyone else notice that foreign media tend to give Helen more of a ribbing than our own gutless bunch? The Aussie media have been particularly ruthless with her at times.
Vote:April 28th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Lets face it, she wouldn’t need so many spin doctors if she wasn’t so deeply flawed. Gordon Brown is in the same vein.
Vote:April 28th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Wishart in his book reckons that the Gummint employs more spin doctors than there are people employed in the media itself in NZ.
Vote: