...and a cup of tea last Friday when two men sat down having invited all the media who most immediately turned up like moths to a light orlike a steel nail to magnets and the smugness was oozing out of them. I'm talking about the meeting of smiley's people.Oh, what a lark the peasantry in the form of the media scrum were firmly in their place, on the outside looking in, the media were reduced to fawning onlookers with their nose pressed against the windown - we all saw it - gazing in awe as the great ones met. Who did Key and Banks really think they were? Napolean and Czar Alexander meeting at Tilsit - you remember from history books? If I inferred that you were there, I apologise. If you sat down in a cafe or restaurant and there was a black pounch on the table what would you do? Of course you would take it to the counter.That is what decent people do. You would ask whose property is this. But Key and Banks did not do that simple act for one reason: They were enchanted. They were enchanted with each other, and a bit of political theatre they had contrived - contrived with a capital C. Now the general public can see what a pair Key and Banks really are. Self important, manipulative, insulting and dismissive of a large number of New Zealanders. The ancient Greeks had a word for that - they had a word for what was present when Key and Banks met: It's called hubris.What we would call in our language arrogance. And hubris as the Greeks understood is a fatal flaw that leads to disaster and ruin. The real significance of the "Cuppagate" or the "Teaparty" fiasco is that is shines a long overdue light on John Key's judgement, on character, on trust, on credibility, on how he sorts out political problems. It shines a long overdue light on what a John Key political deal looks like for Don Brash. The "Teaparty" conversation covered what Banks thinks of Brash and how Key confirmed that view. Mr Banks described his leader, Mr Brash, as, and I quote him, "a strange fellow". Now that's pretty insightful isn't it? And Mr Key confirms that view with, "Oh yes, we've been down that road before," end of quotes. Then, of course they were at the meeting discussing - it was only eight minutes - this is a meeting that someone with an electrifying mind, that the media tells media tells me is brilliant at analysis, got a rapier like wit, iron cage memory - eight minutes, I mean, what can you discuss in eight minutes - but he forgets.And set his plan. But they were discussing the restructuring and rebuilding for the ACT party, and it is clear that Mr Key is advising, no he's telling Mr Banks of the ACT party, who their new leader should be. If you're an ACT party voter, tell me, why don't you just stop the nonsense and go and vote for the other party with the blue jacket.For here is a leader of the National Party telling Mr Banks on whose coat tails they hope to get back into parliament who the new leader of the ACT party should be - and that person according to Mr Key - Miss Isaac. That caught you unaware, didn't it? Not Mr Banks, not the rest. You've got the National Party telling the ACT Party who the leader should be. And of course he went on, Mr Key, during that meeting to describe the people of this country who went to war, many went through a great depression - for many the dpression didn't finish as early as you say, in many parts of this country the depression was still there in the fifties. But they worked hard and long hours and built this country. gave it every modern facility, universities, hospitals, schools, gave it every modern facility of a country the size of the UK, but they did it with the population of Manchester. That's the people he's talking about. These people who he describes and my supporters and says, and I quote him, "as constituents are dying" not voters, not people "as constituents are dying" is a description John Key uses to hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who happen to be older. And then, equally alarming is his belief of the percentage of the vote that National will get on election day, which would enable him to govern alone. And I remember what happened when people are allowed to govern alone - it led to MMP. Between them, Labour 84, 90 sold $9 billion dollars of assets at fire sale prices at a binge of ideological stupidity and National went down the same road and between them they sold $16 billion before MMP came in in 1996. And Mr Key wants to govern alone and I'm here to say you need a get out of jail card. Because if you let them govern alone you know what the prospects will be. And New Zealand First is a party with a long record of standing up for the New Zealand people, has focused on the people who create the real wealth, has never been popular on the speculators downtown as you well know. In fact, we've been demonised. But make it very clear: in this election, if they get home, you will never get relief from the econmic condition that you most suffer from, and that is, a lack of rewards for your efforts, because the monetary sytem is totaly weighted against you. That's what's happening. So on election day I suggest that you go out and buy yourself some insurance, or even go further. If you think that your grandmother might come from her grave and condemn you if you vote National, if you really don't care about your profits, give them your first vote, but party vote New Zealand First for your second vote. But some insurance and I guarantee to you we'll give you a fair go. source: newshub archive
