The relaxed scale
March 9th, 2013 at 10:00 am by David FarrarStuff reports:
Prime Minister John Key says he is “totally relaxed” about former Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder appearing before a select committee, but the decision was one for the committee and the board of the state-owned coalminer.
“If he wants to go and they want him to go he is not going to get any opposition from my office,” Mr Key said today.
Totally relaxed is a step up from relaxed. This got me wondering on Twitter yesterday if we need a formal scale to measure the PM’s relaxed level. It could be:
- 1 – Fairly Relaxed
- 2 – Pretty Relaxed
- 3 – Reasonably Relaxed
- 4 – Relaxed
- 5 – Very Relaxed
- 6 – Totally Relaxed
- 7 – 100% Relaxed
So totally relaxed is pretty high up the (now) official relaxed scale.
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March 9th, 2013 at 10:03 am
And we only revert to the Concerned scale when the issue is something that veers into the politically correct or might affect their polling negatively.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 10:18 am
By relaxed i think he means flaccid.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 10:23 am
I wish he would be ‘forever relaxed’ – and retire!
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 11:11 am
Yes JC’s laidback sophistry with words, is improving/gettting worse … depends on your point of view.
An example of his by-now well honed obfuscation follows:
When questioned in South America about Don Elder’s “No Show” at the sub-committee the PM with a straight face says …
“My offfice would do nothing! to prevent him from appearing before the sub committee”. [No comeback here from the interviewer note].
Huh? … Excuse me??.
It is not and never was a matter of “his office” “preventing” anything … it is a matter of “his office” enforcing/obliging Elder to appear.
Spare me … The PM appears relaxed/off hand (and he does mock innocence very! well too) with his remarks.
So although he is totally off-message in responding, this matter is left “as is” . It just means that the bozo media/Kiwis think (without thinking!) … “Oh that! sounds good! the PM is cooperating so … yes … lets move on” … You think about it!
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 11:13 am
Why should John care that Labour/ Greens want Mr Elder to appear – Solid Energy went fut on Mr Elder’s watch so he might as well take the hot seat. John has probably taken most of the wind out of their sails, the only wish not granted so far is Mr Elder be immediately subpoenaed, but John has left that possibility open if need be – he would not be too ‘relaxed’ about this -as it is a drastic step to take, but I suspect John would allow it to happen if need be.
Perhaps Nat members on the Select Committee could ask the former Labour Party president to front up and explain what he contributed to the various SOE’s etc (6 in number according to Whaleoil) when he was on their boards up to 2009 – or was he too busy in Melbourne.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
The PM’s Office has no power to force Don Elder to do anything. We live in a democracy.
The Select Committee can invite him to appear. If they do, I am sure he will.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 12:54 pm
You missed the top of the scale C.G.A.F.
This scale can only be reached by those who are sufficiently self secure, either by means of wealth, narcissism, or stupidity, that they feel nothing they say will ever harm them, and nobody can ‘touch’ them.
The PM’s office certainly cannot do anything to make Don Elder appear, and for the PM to comment would be in extremely bad taste and would no doubt contravene Elder’s contract in some way – however, the people (with or without sense) do look to the PM for some sense of reasoning in such matters – I am sure there is some inane comment his PR team could put together to keep the masses happy.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 12:58 pm
What a stupid thing to say! What have Key’s feelings got to do with the price of fish? It is a gigantic ballsup , a catastrophe , an outrage..with public money….NZers work very hard and pay high taxes and they deserve a lot better than this.
Vote:In my earlier days , I was lucky enough to work with some very professional people ; most of them men..Nowadays , the work force is riddled with people who personalize everything. It is a very sad day indeed when the PM of the country does the same.
March 9th, 2013 at 1:07 pm
David point taken. The PM’s office may have no direct “enforcement” powers but lets not fool ourselves that “his office” could not, if? it so desired influence, (a quick text would do it) “enforce” Elder’s attendance …”oblige” was the other word I used.
How about “strongly suggest” wording … PM to: Chair Mr “Lofty” Ford … like! … “Get his sorry ass in here PDQ … or else YOU are out the door too … by lunchtime.
Now that! might do it eh?… that’s! what I (sort of … OK?) mean’t
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 1:13 pm
I thought the Speaker had the power to subpoena anyone to appear before parliamentary committees.
He would of course only do this if a majority of the committee requested it!
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
“The PM’s Office has no power to force Don Elder to do anything. We live in a democracy.”
Maybe not but if Elder is still getting paid and Solid Energy wants and taxpayer funding they might decide it is best to oblige.
I cannot see how was not that long ago going to be publicly listed and the government did not know what its likely future was given the price of coal was already dropping.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 5:13 pm
DPF – I may have made a poor choice of words. Agreed that the PM’s office cannot ‘force anything’ but the John Key (as National’s leader) has signalled his attituse clearly to National MP’s on the Select Committee and they will almost certainly choose to respond accordingly. I have no doubt that Labour MP’s on the Select Committee would have acted as Helen Clark/ Heather Simpson expected.
Vote:March 9th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
0 – Dead
Vote:March 11th, 2013 at 12:11 pm
Update Stuff AM 11 March … “The former boss of failing state coal miner Solid Energy will be called to give evidence at a parliamentary committee this week after National MPs dropped their opposition to the move”.
Game On: Elder will likely “appear” (whether he chooses to answer honestly or not is another vexing matter of process!)
Anyhooo. If he does’nt show where does the PM stand on that? … or was this just a “So What” issue all along? … Probably
Vote: