It is Key's loose-lipped talk, coupled with the rather too frank comments that English sometimes makes about him, that would have persuaded his opponents that the deputy would be a rich candidate for entrapment. Who can forget his priceless "I'm a stayer, he's a sprinter. I grind away, John just bounces from one cloud to another"?I blogged this week that English's 'loose' comments about John Key were more a reflection of his style rather any split between the two. Fran's column above throws doubt on my theory. She speculates there is an 'ideological rift' between Key and English and that English will eventually roll Key for the prime ministership. Having leadership ambitions and differences in opinion are fine - even healthy - just as long as English doesn't under mind his leader. So in light of Fran's column I've a couple of concerns about Bill English: - English rates himself too highly evident by his comment that Brash and Key don't fully understand WfF - Even though English said he'd never be leader again when he first became deputy, he still harbours leadership ambitions - Combining the two above equals an un-contented deputy leader I wonder whether Key made the right choice when he made English his deputy/finance minister. So given my concerns I reckon Don Brash would've been the better choice for deputy/finance minister and keep Bill English as education spokesperson where he was doing an excellent job. Brash would've been ideal for the job because after his failed bid for PM and his age - he'd have no desire to be leader again.
However he will do so against the background in which for the first time since he faced Tony Blair, a genuine rival has emerged.
Mr. Key said Miss Clark could "go for it" but National would be running a positive campaign.
"If she's going to do everything from rort the electoral law, to get (journalist and author) Nicky Hager to listen into our emails, to go out there and get young Labour affiliates to be bugging our personal conversations, well that's her style of politics."
In 2005, National gifted Labour the 'gone by lunchtime' comment.
^ fair enough. The main argument against borrowing is the cost of the interest, while the argument for borrowing is the potential for the new asset to generate income. For example; A business may go into debt to pay for an extension to their shop with the idea the extra floor space will generate more profits which will ultimately benefit the business.
Each argument is just as valid so there is no right or wrong. National is for borrowing while Labour claims to be against borrowing.
If Labour want to make this an election issue, they're going to have to be far more convincing. To make their case they should declare an aim to reduce debt to 15% of GDP, necessitating the need to keep taxes high. Their key messages would be the savings resulting from the reduction in interest payments and the fact more money stays in NZ.
As Labour stands at the moment with a plan to cut taxes by $10.5 billion and keep debt at around 20% of GDP - they don't have the platform to mount such a campaign without being called hypocrites.
One of Kevin Rudd's major election planks has just gone by the wayside:
THE 1000 Australian soldiers, sailors and air force personnel in and around Iraq will be there "for a long time to come", Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has warned.... That completes a comprehensive adjustment of the ALP's policy on Iraq and a significant shift from the impression created by Labor in opposition that Australia's role in Iraq was all but over.
Obama is currently campaigning to withdraw troop from Iraq. All bets are off on this one.
The title Senior Counsel replaces Queen's Counsel under a law that came into force today and Attorney-General Michael Cullen has convened a selection panel for the first appointments.
Labour's continual harping on about National's a secret agenda is really just a cover for their own secret agendas; one of them being republicanism by stealth.
Labour has made a number of subtle changes over the years, removing crowns from logos, ditching the Privy Council, Knighthoods, and the word 'royal' where ever possible. Now it appears Labour are ditching Queens Counsel, the designation for top lawyers, for Senior Counsel.
These terms and traditions are just as much part of our culture as they are part of British culture. So when Labour changes these traditions to meaningless, bland, PC alternatives without consultation, they are taking away part of who we are. Even if NZ became a republic there would be in harm in keeping the historic terminology.
The surreptitious way this Labour government operates, practically those on the 9th floor, is a major reason why they're getting the boot come 2008!
TheRepublican Movement has announced its top 10 nominees for the first President of New Zealand.
"What I liken this to is imagine Santa Clause sitting down and hacking into your kids bank account, transferring money out of your kids bank accounts in to his, then buying you a present with them. And you suppose to fill grateful for that".
Known for Don Brash's race relations rant four years ago, tonight it was John Key's turn. However this time it was not for any policy announcement, but rather the fact that he apparently did not want the media there to cover it.
TV three's political coverage is often schizophrenic but this story was particularly annoying.
1. What was the point of the story?
2. Where do they get off calling Don Brash's race relations speech a 'rant' - an emotive word which conveys an opinion. They should just stick to the news and let the viewer form an opinion.
Siding with Winston Peter's is like making a pack with the devil, but he does have a point about political journalism in this country. And TV one isn't any better - remember their shocking story that someone in the National Party wasn't a fully signed up climate change believer.
Don Brash , TV 3 , Journalism
While John Key shared quality time with his family in Omaha and Bill English mixed pleasure with business in Samoa, there was no time for holidays in Labour-land.
To rub in the point, Helen Clark said of her National rivals: "They do tend to work pretty short weeks and years in my experience. I've found this job is pretty all-consuming."
At the 60th anniversary dinner, Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem delivered a strong message that Israel wants New Zealand to stand up for human rights around the world.
The subtext (delivered more directly in a subsequent official foreign affairs consultation in Wellington) was that New Zealand should take a more condemnatory approach to Iran, not just beat-up on Israel.
But Downer is expected to be confirmed soon as special UN envoy for Cyprus and will continue to be a public voice on foreign affairs through his new blog. Read it - it's probably the closest you'll get to obtaining a true conservative perspective than anything served up by National here.
The scheme celebrated its first birthday on Tuesday with 718,000 members - more than double the number predicted in the first year. The only people complaining about it are those annoying economists who see the difference between individual gains and the national welfare.
They fear the scheme will not add to total personal savings, merely displace previous savings schemes.
In the Herald last weekend Maria Slade reported an estimate that as little as 9 per cent of the money in KiwiSaver accounts so far is new saving, a percentage the researcher reckoned would not cover the administration and compliance costs of the scheme.
Westpac economist Dominick Stephens said KiwiSaver had cost the taxpayers $497 million in its first 11 months, an amount that could have added to national savings if it had been left in the Budget's fund for future public pensions.
Even that fund is questioned by some savings professionals who point out that a superannuation scheme is only as good as the future economy that will have to pay out. From that point of view, the best retirement insurance is the investment made in the economy today.
Anyone who believes that the best investments are made by those who stand to lose if they get it wrong would argue the economy would be stronger in the long run if the KiwiSaver incentives were turned into personal tax cuts.
Had Labour given an inkling at the last election of the premium they have had to pay to re-nationalise the railway, and the fortune it is going to cost to cover its likely losses, National's last campaign would have feasted on the information.
But now that the deed is done, the politics have changed. The purchase is the status quo and National will not dare put re-privatisation before the electorate this year, though that may be what it ultimately does with the trains if not the tracks.
We're beginning to understand why Barack Obama keeps protesting so vigorously against the prospect of "George Bush's third term." Maybe he's worried that someone will notice that he's the candidate who's running for it.
Put this or other choices on tax or climate change or social justice or social responsibility to a member of Team Cameron and they soon reply "Ah but he is a pragmatist".
"Can I assure her that neither I, nor my family trust, was an owner of shares in Tranz Rail at that time, and she has misled the House."Miss Clark made no comment, taking the back route out of Parliament. Through a spokesman she says she accepts Mr Key's word. He now wants her to say sorry.
"Sorry would be nice, but I won't hold my breath," says Mr Key.
