Hypocrisy alert
Oh this is almost priceless hypocrisy. John Key is being criticised for daring to have a holiday from Xmas Eve until middle of this week. How dare he spend time with his wife and children. But even better is look at who is making the criticism:
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark, on holiday in Europe, criticised the Government for taking a “laissez-faire” approach to the economic crisis.
“The rest of the world is aware there’s an economic crisis on, they are aware there’s a huge international crisis in Gaza, and the New Zealand government is on holiday,” she said.
“At the end of the day, when you’re elected, you don’t have a 100 per cent holiday.”
Okay, get this. They quote Helen Clark, from her holiday in Europe, criticising John Key for being on holiday. Seriously – how pathetic is that.
Even worse, is to have Clark talk about how when you are elected, you can’t have a 100% holiday. Is this the same Helen Clark who when PM had her holiday arrangements in such secrecy that not only did the media not know where she was, neither did her own staff, with one exception?
January 12th, 2009 at 6:40 am
“At the end of the day, when you’re elected, you don’t have to be a megalomaniac like me, instead you can ‘trust’ people who work with you to get the job done”
This one time i may have to agree with her.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:09 am
From where I sit, there’s something vaguely comforting about our Prime Minister holidaying with his wife and family. Politics extracts a huge toll on families, and I for one do not begrudge John Key spending time with his, at whatever location he chooses. I sincerely hope that his family survives the rigours of his job intact.
January 12th, 2009 at 7:21 am
If Clark is angling for the support of John Key in her bid for a UN (or any) job then she is sure going about it in a funny way.
Or is it that the ‘feelers’ have come back no, nix, never, and this is the first salvo in a cunning plan to stay on, destablise Phil Goof aka Mr Highly Unctuous and reassume her place as leader of the one man band (without any clothes) …. yuck
January 12th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Helen is no longer the leader and the country is poorer for it.
The point she is making is that if she still was the leader Labour would have had a mini budget in December and a whole list of projects lined up to lessen the effect of the international downpour. I am aware of plans to upgrade schools, for instance. Instead of that we got a whole lot of “urgency” over things that should have been sent to select committee for proper perusal.
Key can take as long as he likes for his holiday but if he is to be our leader I expect 100% from him, just like I received from Helen. And I do not expect him to be on holiday during one of the most dramatic international economic crises the world has seen.
Where is National’s plan to deal with this crisis?
January 12th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Key’s not wasting his time on the beaches of Hawaii – he’s producing as much Vitiman D as he can before returning to his own country, over which dark clouds are gathering (we don’t want our Leader going all pale and flakey) He’s doing it for us!
January 12th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Yeah, a MINI budget, i.e. mini in name only, as she and he (mikhael) slashed ALL of their election pledges.
Lets not get smarmy, oops he already has had his 20cents worth of VC press this year; no amount of rejigging the deck chairs on HMS Aotearoa will make a jot of difference with a) the impact of “one of the most dramatic international economic crises the world has seen”, b) the Israeli’s and Palestinians slaughtering each other (although I just know that Hulun and Phil have wet dreams about brokering a middle east peace deal much like they did in Fiji, oh yeah).
Mickey et al – Lynn is missing you long time at the substandard.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I think it’s a much better look that our PM is taking a proper break for Xmas rather than running around uselessly shouting “Don’t panic! Don’t panic!” like every other Western leader
January 12th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Filthy woman. Only a sneering whiney lefto would give her media time.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:29 am
The scurrilous comments from Miss Klark clearly indicate a repugnant and bitter childless woman. Good on John Key for spending quality time with his children. When is the truth going to surface regarding the odd antics of our former PM?
January 12th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Did Kevin Rudd get a holiday? Did Helen perhaps consider that Christmas isn’t traditionally a long holiday for those in the northern hemisphere, so of course they aren’t on holiday.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:39 am
That’s Helen spouting rubbish from her ivory tower.
The hapless socialist is hurt after her electoral defeat and still breathing through the wound, so her comments should be taken like the manure they are.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:43 am
Actually, answer my own question:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24825711-953,00.html
Kevin is having an extended holiday. Since he’s been overseas every 5 minutes on the government nickel, they’re staying at home this year. Sorry Helen, that one’s flat.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:46 am
“on holiday in Europe” eh?
Making statements to the Press as well ..!
1) Obviously not incommunicado in a Norwegian mountain cabin this time.
2) Marvelous where a few taxpayer funded airmiles can get you.
3) Scoping out apartments in Geneva perhaps?
4) Ah WTF … who gives a toss?
January 12th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Its actually nice not to hear political shit for a bit. Key deserves a break after the year thats been and so do the rest of us.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Labore just HATE being irrelevant.
January 12th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Expat stop making shit up
Labour has always been irrelevant. Nothing new.
January 12th, 2009 at 9:11 am
Well there is a huge financial crisis going on … maybe they do have a small point.
January 12th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Sorry Bok.
But wreck, its New Zealand, hardly going to marshall a global economic bailout from The Terrace are we?
January 12th, 2009 at 9:16 am
my god! hes having a holiday with his family! just shocking!
did helen ever take her husband away with her?
i just had my first holiday since about June.. now im all refreshed, everything at work just seems easier! ya gotta take time off or you cant perform at your peak.
do these labour people go after union members who are on holiday?
January 12th, 2009 at 9:17 am
oh yeah.. why does she bring up gaza? whats john meant to do?? oh yeah thats right, hes meant to send money to hamas and slam israel… hahaha loving the new government
January 12th, 2009 at 9:24 am
# dime (813) Vote: Add rating 0 Subtract rating 0 Says:
January 12th, 2009 at 9:17 am
oh yeah.. why does she bring up gaza? whats john meant to do?? oh yeah thats right, hes meant to send money to hamas and slam israel… hahaha loving the new government
Properly wants to send our serviceman off to another war on a shoe string budget while shouting “Benign strategic Environment”
January 12th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Who cares what Helen Clark thinks?
January 12th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Ditto Peter. Don’t worry about Helen she will soon realise that her opinions now carry no weight in NZ.
January 12th, 2009 at 9:50 am
“Well there is a huge financial crisis going on … maybe they do have a small point.”
Aside from Key swallowing his pride and asking Roger Douglas to fix it for him,as he should, what can he do? Indeed the less he does and the more he leaves people alone with their own money the quicker things will come right. If he goes down the failed Keynsian route of steal and big state spending it will be a disaster.
January 12th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Peter
“Who cares what Helen Clark thinks?”
Very few since the 8th of November
January 12th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I recall a couple of years when major events took place over christmas and HC couldn’t be bothered, so I’m a bit surprised by this – unless one accepts political expediency as a plausible cause and how, given HC’s level of integrity, could that be the case?
January 12th, 2009 at 10:15 am
well hello Helen! Do you not remember that after the Tsunami we couldn’t even contact you! You were in a crevasse somewhere in Norway as I recall…
January 12th, 2009 at 10:15 am
These whimpering socialists are unbelievable.
Just before Christmas National was accused of doing too much, and now when most of NZ (incl the former Prime Minister, other opposition MPs, the average kiwi etc) are taking a summer break they are accused of doing too little.
I suggest Labour focuses on rebuilding their party, because right now it’s a mass of bitter factions just waiting for a boil over catalyst.
January 12th, 2009 at 10:16 am
What amuses me is that, before Christmas, Labour were criticizing National for doing too much, too fast. Now they are criticizing National for doing too little too slow.
They are still silly enough to say anything they think will get them a headline. Long may it continue!
January 12th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Labour the gift that keeps on giving.
January 12th, 2009 at 10:49 am
mickysavage
“Helen is no longer the leader and the country is poorer for it”
correction
“The country is poorer because Helen was the leader”
January 12th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Helen who ?
January 12th, 2009 at 11:04 am
hey mickey – if the “mini-budget” was so awesome.. why dont labour release it? show us how much better they are? lead from the opposition!
January 12th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Yeah, come on Micky, tell us what would have been in the mini budget?
January 12th, 2009 at 11:43 am
I guess this would be the mini-budget where Labour suddenly discovered they couldn’t honour their pre-election pledge to cut ACC levies because they suddenly “discovered” that there were massive blow-outs in the ACC accounts. If Labour had won, we would never have found out that they new about this all along.
January 12th, 2009 at 11:47 am
I would think there is a slight difference between a member of parliament and the prime minister taking a holiday. In order to make a more accurate call of hypocrisy, wouldn’t it be more logical to cite times when Helen Clarke took holidays during equally pressing times while she was prime minister?
January 12th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Did I hear right? Is Helen thinking of staying in Parliment longer than originally thought? What happen to all those overseas jobs? Dont tell me they are just a figment of someones imagination like the ones with the World Bank that Muldoon was supposed to have been offerred?
And as Kaykaybee says when the tsunami happened no one in the country could find Helen Clark. It would have been too bad if there had of been a crisis in NZ. At Least John Key lets us know where he is.
January 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Well, judging from this article and the similarly outraged one about the mooted plasma tv ban, I presume it goes without saying Mr Farrar didn’t enjoy his own holidays very much, he being – clearly – too incensed with those dirty lefties and jealous greenies who are, as always, trying to ruin everyone’s life?
Keep fighting the good fight Dave! Rather you than me.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Was Helen with the first flatmate or the Lesbian Circus?
January 12th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Helen who?
Oh right the former second female PM of NZ. And we care what she thinks because why now?
January 12th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
^ agreed.
^ agreed.
Frankly I would be annoyed if the John Key was grandstanding on this issue, because let’s face it there’s v. little NZ can do with regards to the core of the problem. Any economic assistance plan National introduces is only going to help people @ the margins.
I suspect if Labour were in – they would be making a huge song & dance – i.e. much to do about nothing.
And the other thing is whatever happened to the tradition of former PMs not running a commentary on their successors.
Go away Helen… you’re history.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
It’s so good that New Zealand gave this woman the boot on 8 November.
Good to see her Muldoon impression continuing.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Seriously, shes bitching that Key isn’t working hard enough to fix her clusterfuck.
January 12th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
DPF:
I’d normally give this silly season beat up the attention it deserves — i.e. none at all — but I’d note this little irony. If Helen Clark is that concerned about the crisis in Gaza, why isn’t Labour’s foreign affairs spokeswoman in New Zealand giving Murray McCully the benefit of her vast insight and influence?
Sorry to let a little reality back into the room, but I’ll say exactly what I did after the Boxing Day tsunami when Clark was getting bitched (unfairly in my view) for not being an instant rentaquote. As far as I recall, MFAT moved quickly and approriately to track down New Zealand citizens and offer all useful assistance; there was an entirely competent duty minister who held the fort until the Prime Minister could be contacted and briefed.
Unless you live in some despotic personality cult, the world does keep turning without the benign gaze of Beloved Leader at all times. And we do live in the 21st century after all, where I seriously doubt anyone is out of reach for long unless they really want to be.
January 12th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Yep looks like Helen Elizabeth has had the thumbs down on any support for the UN job and methinks she may have had the thumbs down from some external forces that she may have looked to for support.
If she had got the support IMHO she would have been outta here asap what ever the result in Mt Albert. Lets face it the most likely outcome in a bye election with say Andrew L as the candidate would be a slump in support by expected in the circumstances.
I suspect the phone hasnt rung and the longer time passes the less likely is it to ring. So we can expect an ever increasing grumpy HEC which is good news for we of the RIGHT as this will destabilise the party and maintain their look as Old Labour allowing New National to rise and rise in the polls.
Unless Flick can cauterise the problem he will be lucky to stay Leader going into 2011 as the Cunliffes and others smell blood and start jockeying for position
January 12th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I think the reporting was rather sad and deluded as well see
http://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2009/01/12/12511/
Clark and Gaffe were and are irrelevant
January 12th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Perhaps our resident’ leftie’ apologists may care to tell us whether HE Clark made use of her parliamentary travel concession for her European sojourn or took the high road like John Key who picked up the tab for his trip o’seas himself.
Stupid question. Socialists don’t do the high road. Pigs in troughs and rutting.
January 12th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Slow news day, Dave?
(And the rest of you – since Clark is now largely an irrelevant opposition backbencher, as you say, why go on bitching about her? Why do you still feel threatened – hmmm?)
January 12th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Threatened!!!!!!! Hehehehe hahahaha……………
January 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Well, what is it then?
Now that the new John Key era has dawned, if bitching about Helen Clark is STILL your stock-in-trade, what DOES that say about you?
January 12th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Call me cynical, but the media only refer to this trivial nonsense out of sheer boredom and mischief while waiting for REAL HOLIDAY NEWS! Like another major tsunami killing thousands, bird flu infection threatening the West or a polar bear needing human breast-feeding in a Berlin zoo. Jesus.
January 12th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Ratbiter, it’s been share bliss not having to listen to the squawking socialist scank everyday. I always thought Dear Loser would not fade away, being the socialist control freak that she is and her belief that everything that comes out of her mouth is sheer wisdom then I’m afraid she will be around for a bit longer.
January 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Sideshow – my point is that the Kiwiblog right sure seems to be doing it’s darndest to keep her around – in the third person if not in actual mind, spirit or body!
January 12th, 2009 at 7:01 pm
side show bob , yeah I’m grumpy, but please learn to spell correctly.
January 12th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Helen is our aunty no longer
the people have spoken (and a lot of hers didn’t speak)
Has been Helen no longer has teeth
She can spout like a whale and blow hard till she’s communist red in the face
In fact that American dude on tv said we said no to so many things… wish he said we’d said no to Helen!
January 12th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
mickysavage. Helen was only suggesting that John Key was a waste of space who after 5 minutes in the job needs a 4 week holiday. What a Jag Off.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:44 am
To a socialist like Clark central planning is the only natural course. She wouldn’t understand things like letting the market work this thing out. (For example http://www.financialsense.com/stormwatch/geo/pastanalysis/2008/1219.html )
If bad business practises created your crisis then only the reversal of the conditions which caused it is the solution to the problem. It was intervention by government in the market that inflated the housing bubble and created this crisis. Bailouts and “stimulus packages” merely prolong the inevitable without changing the fundamental cause.
Darth-, I mean, Clark’s sad devotion to her ancient religion wouldn’t enable her conjure up the economic opportunities needed anyway, given they were affected by events overseas. What does a (former) New Zealand socialist PM think they could do, anyway??? Perhaps something along the lines of exploiting the crisis to increase government’s power over the economy…? (For example, Rahm “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste” Emanuel giving the game away for his side… http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122721278056345271.html?mod=googlenews_wsj)
January 13th, 2009 at 8:14 am
Just because the fish is in the barrel theres no reason not to shoot it ratfuck.
Still haven’t gotten your rodentesque head round the idea that we don’t need you approval on what we choose to talk about have you. Its called freedom and we voted for it.
Scurry off now little irrelivancey.
January 13th, 2009 at 9:29 am
National didn’t waste time but hit the ground running.. they passed the 90 day trial period, tougher bail laws, trashed the light bulb fiasco and the list goes on. Labour said it is good for single mothers to be on the dpb (taxpayers money) because they can stay home and take care of their children. John Key decides to take a little time off and it wasn’t 28 days to be with his family and the news and labour start grasping at straws. Pathetic! I hope New Zealand starts to raise itself out of the gutter.
January 13th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I once heard from a highish source that Helen was given to visiting Cuba when her people said she was in Scandinavia.
I’ve no idea whether that’s true. Anyone know?
If by chance it is, that would explain why only H2 would be allowed to know her whereabouts.