In two interviews about asset sales this morning, Key attacked the Greens for using $75,000 of its taxpayer-funded leaders' budget to hire staff to collect signatures towards a citizens initiated referendum on the issue."These are the people that said they don't have enough money to pay for (deaf MP) Mojo Mathers' technology in Parliament but have enough money for a citizens initiated referendum," he told Newstalk."This is a politically-motivated referendum."
John Key is dead right; this IS a politically-motivated referendum. Political parties should be kept at arm's length from Citizen Initiated Referenda for that very reason.
24 comments:
For what very reason?
All CIR's are politically motivated. Key can be a little bit irrational when he's under strain can't he?
He didn't look at all "under strain" when I spoke to him on Friday Judge; quite the opposite in fact!
The problem isn't that political parties can use CIR for their benefit but that they disguise the fact thereby making it a political party issue rather than a political issue. JK is absolutely correct to condemn the Greens for this - and the double standard for abusing taxpayer dollars in the pursuit of their political agenda when they could have used the money to spend on Mojo.
Quite right Marc; than you for bringing more sanity to the debate than the first commenter!
and I will be meeting John "the best NZ PM ever" Key in a couple of weeks .. I will say hi for you drudge
The Greens have never disguised any fact to do with the referendum Marc, what do you mean? Also it's non-sensical to distinguish between between political and party political. What's the difference?
And with all this sudden concern for Mojo Mathers, the Nats could have paid for the technology if it was such a big issue for them. They didn't though did they? They wasted it on something party political no doubt.
"I will say hi for you drudge..."
I imagine your tongue will be otherwise engaged, jubjub, but whatever. Does the DPS know that a weirdo cyber-stalker will be meeting the PM?
The irony of you calling someone "a weirdo cyber-stalker" is delicious Judge.
"And with all this sudden concern for Mojo Mathers, the Nats could have paid for the technology if it was such a big issue for them. They didn't though did they?"
Wasn't Lockwood Smith was paying for some of Mojo's stuff?
"Wasn't Lockwood Smith was paying for some of Mojo's stuff?"
Yes, it came from Parliamentary Services, as is appropriate. That the PM chose to politicise it now shows how much strain he's under.
Oddly enough Judge, the Greens played silly political games over Mojo Mathers too:
Smith said he was ''deeply concerned'' that a meeting with officials this morning has been ''politicised'' and what has been portrayed publicly ''bears no resemblance to what happened in the meeting''.
''I'll put a kind interpretation on lack of experience. Gareth is the new musterer for the Greens and Mojo is a new member and they may not realise that private meetings with the Speaker to do with …what they need, their support, naturally I always assume those are confidential.
''Jaws dropped as this first public statement appeared.''
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6414948/Speaker-hits-back-in-deaf-MP-row
Playing politics, and playing fast and loose with my taxes and those of other readers seems to be the Greens' default setting.
Greens, Greens, Greens and more Greens. It's all we hear over at Keeping Stock. They're bearing down on you, KS, like a Jolly Green Giant, and you're pooping yourself!
As you should.
You spoke with Him, Keeping Stock?
Spoke with Him !!!
If I was an MP I'd pray to be deaf too so I'd not need to listen to the oh so righteous Greenie-Loons.Is that sufficently offensive enough to compete with the Judge's rants?
Cadwallader
Can we all please remember the $120 million of taxpayer money which is being spent on PR to sell the assets? The money spent by the Greens on petition collection is piddling.
Repeating lies does not make them true Alex.
Green-panic! It started here (and went no further - like trying to light a compost heap).
Brilliant that Key's panicking as well - go Greens, you have them on the run!
I'm liking this too much!
@KS - They aren't lies. Repeating the denials don't make them true either.
looks like bOb is sneaking back as an ANON.
I look forward to seeing Mr Key again BUT I hope I don't go all giggly like bOb did when he met Al Brown.
It seems that every day the Gweens are being watched in a way they have avoided in the past .. will the spotlight help or send them back to being a funny little group of hippies
Alex - the cost of selling assets is a completely separate issue. With your logic anything goes as long as it's less than the biggest expense, that's nonsense.
I thought it was unfortunate Key brought the Mathers issue into this, that's separate too.
I'm critical of the Green soending on the petition, I think that's inappropriate, and it's shame you are trying to make diversionary excuses for it.
I'd criticise any party that interfered with CIR, especially with the unfair advantage of parliamentary funds.
@PG - I'm struggling to see your point, given that CIRs are already stacked heavily in favour of the government. Were a governing party to make use of the perfectly legitimate democratic tool, then it would be far more of an abuse than an opposition party. In fact, for an opposition party to use a small amount of money on a petition supported by the majority of the country is an aid to democracy, it gives the majority a chance to speak their mind on the issue.
Alex; the public spoke on 27/11/2011; it was called a General Election. National, who campaigned on partial asset sales got the highest level of support ever under MMP. Labour got its lowest level of support in 16 years, and the Greens were even further back, despite both parties having strongly opposed the asset sales proposal.
By all means, let's have a Citizen Initiated Referendum, but let it be CITIZEN initiated, not led by political parties trying to relitigate the election result.
The claim that because the Nats were able to cobble together a coalition after the election means that everyone should STFU about asset sales is so monstrously ridiculous I don't know how you can put it forward with a straight face. The public hates the policy, and that's why you don't want it discussed.
The referendum is citizens' initiated. The referendum is triggered by a petition SIGNED BY CITIZENS. Are you being deliberately obtuse or is it something worse?
In a disgraceful move, Lockwood Smith is claiming that support for electronic note taking must be paid for out of Mojo Mathers’ own budget, which would cripple her ability to get the type of office support for her schedule and research that other MPs pay for using their budgets.
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