act

Resignationwatch: too many questions

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 6:38 am, May 4th, 2012 - 156 comments

Why did Banks lie about a discount hotel room where Dotcom was staying, then say he bargained it himself? Who made $15K of radio ad donations to his campaign? What did Nats on Banks’ ‘mentor group’ and ACT leaders know about the anonymised donations? How much info did Banks get from Williamson on Dotcom’s OIO application? Why has Key still not spoken to Banks to ask any of these question?

Ask no questions?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:02 pm, May 2nd, 2012 - 4 comments

There’s the facts, the questions and the legal opinions. Today in Parliament John Key stuck to his lack of interest in detailed questions, and adherence to Banks’ reliance on  legal opinions. He even alleged that the Labour Opposition agreed with these opinions. Not likely. The Police need to ask all the relevant questions that have so far not been answered by Banks or asked by Key, then their veracity and reliability should be established by a judge.

Twisting in the wind

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 10:03 am, May 1st, 2012 - 24 comments

According to 3 News, Kim Dotcom paid cheques into John Banks’ campaign account in Queenstown. Duncan Garner says this would show up on Banks’ bank records as “anonymous”. So how did Kim Dotcom get TeamBanksie’s account number? Two days after he had had a lunch meeting with Banks.

More questions for the Police to ask and Banks to answer.

Firewalls up in smoke

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:35 pm, April 30th, 2012 - 34 comments

David Cameron’s defence of embattled Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has been called a “firewall” that’s failing to hold.

Cameron needs Hunt to stay or else Cameron is the next to go. It is the same for John Key.

As the stench of corruption around John Banks grows, he desperately needs him to stay or else all he loses legitimacy for asset sales and potentially his majority on the issue as well.

Policy for Money?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:50 pm, April 29th, 2012 - 13 comments

Party donations for the 2011 general election  will be published on Tuesday . One new provision in the Act provides for the declaration of the number of donations in two bands; $1500 to $5,000, and up to $15,000. It will be very interesting to see the number of upper level donations in National and ACT particularly. They could hide Banks-type split donations from asset-sale backers.

NRT: Voting against democracy

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:30 am, April 7th, 2012 - 14 comments

No Right Turn on another sad chapter for democracy in NZ.

Key and Banks on ACT: snap elections, coups & Isaac

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:15 am, January 27th, 2012 - 56 comments

The  tea tapes contain a pivotal exchange where John Banks and John Key talk about “restructuring” ACT – including Banks confirming his orders from Key to make Catherine Isaac the new leader. We also learn that National advisors called Key in a panic during the Brash coup calling on him to stage a snap election. It’s an insight into the cynicism of National and Key, and also Key’s poor political judgement.

Banks a fine ACT MP…

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 11:31 am, January 24th, 2012 - 39 comments

There are a couple of nice pieces in the Herald today on upstanding ACT MP John Banks – on his advising arrested Kim Dotcom on residency and the Overseas Investment Commission, and on his “National” billboards…

ImperatorFish: Not Irony #1

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:54 am, December 8th, 2011 - 28 comments

Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here

David Farrar applies some wonky logic in order to blame everything bad the Nats do on the left. If any group of voters is to blame for the National/ACT deal, it’s those voters who gave National their party vote and/or John Banks their electorate vote.

What gains for Nat support “parties”?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 2:34 pm, December 5th, 2011 - 75 comments

Coalition agreements are expected to be signed today, with Ministerial roles expected for both Dunne and Banks.  But it is the details of the policy gains that will tell us the mettle of these two.  Did they achieve anything significant with their negotiating power?

The Goldsmith Gambit

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 3:22 pm, November 21st, 2011 - 49 comments

This will be one of the dirtiest political and anti-democratic tactics ever designed in NZ history. It has the potential of delivering a second John Key term, gifting Epsom to ACT and of discrediting MMP in one foul swoop: a true Tory Trifecta.

ACT have been very stable

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:58 pm, November 19th, 2011 - 18 comments

We missed this at the time – thanks to toad in comments (and link to g.blog) for the heads up!  Especially relevant now that John Key has personally tied himself to ACT with his endorsement.

‘Dying off’?

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 7:07 am, November 16th, 2011 - 116 comments

Winston Peters is suggesting that in the transcript of the PM’s meeting with Banks, John Key made some derogatory remarks about the older New Zealanders that tend to support New Zealand First, along the lines of “not to worry [about Winston’s support] they’re dying off”. Slagging off older New Zealanders (ie. the ones that always vote) is a sure way to lose an election.

Could Key really be so clueless? Well yes, when you look at the excuses he’s trotting out – probably.

Key & Banks chatted about rolling Brash?

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:44 pm, November 14th, 2011 - 102 comments

The tea tape didn’t interest me at first. Nats’ reaction seemed over the top but would Key and Banks be so stupid to discuss anything sensitive in a public cafe metres from the press mob? But then Key went to the cops. This said the Nats were really worried. It can only be something that cuts to the heart of Brand Key’s greatest weakness: Key’s honesty.

A cold cup of tea

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 1:23 pm, November 12th, 2011 - 15 comments

Well, that was a let down. The much-hyped ‘cup of tea’ climaxed in Key saying that he would be voting for Goldsmith but he “wouldn’t be unhappy” if other Epsom voters back Banks. A double negative? Hardly a ringing endorsement. I think it’s too little, too late, for a man and a party that are too unpopular. All Key has done is tie his brand to extremists.