New Zealand Conservative

At a time when our democracy is under attack by foreign criminals (DotCom/Greenwald/Snowden/Assange), Colin Craig is disappointing, to say the least, in his response: Conservative Party leader Colin Craig told RNZ the core issue was whether Mr Key could be trusted. "I have to say, I have doubts." Mr Craig believed on balance there was mass surveillance of New Zealanders. "I think John Key's been, shall we say, vague at best around the truth. "And I think that matters, because we want to know that we can trust our leaders, trust our politicians and most importantly that our prime minister is at least either going to tell us the truth, or if he can't tell it because it's far too secure, maybe he can say, 'Guys, I can't tell you the answer to that'." Colin Craig is either showing he cannot be trusted or is totally oblivious to the danger DotCom has exposed NZ to. Related link: Answers needed on mass surveillance - minor parties...

Pete George pointed out the following article from stuff yesterday , over what John Key said about Colin Craig's potential legal action over what Russel Norman said about him at the Big Gay Out: Prime Minister John Key is firmly in the Green Party camp over political free speech and threatened legal action by Conservative Party leader Colin Craig. Key this morning told told Breakfast that Greens co-leader Russel Norman should not apologise for comments made about Craig at Auckland's Big Gay Out. "I don't know the ins and outs of all the comments, but essentially this is politics - it's a rough and tumble," Key said. "The last week we had Winston Peters saying apparently, I had something to do with Huka Lodge, all of which was not true, but if I spent my life trying to sue people who said things I don't like about me I'd be in the courts every single day. "It's just the nature of the business, you need to harden up a bit and ju...

Image from The Financial Review Good on Tony Abbott!!! A ban on parents smacking their children risks turning Australia into a nanny state , says Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who admits he smacked his own kids. A UN Committee on the Rights of the Child report asks Australia to abolish the right of parents to use reasonable chastisement to discipline children, News Corp Australia reports. The committee would also like teachers and childcare workers to report cases of parents smacking their children . But the idea has not grabbed Mr Abbott. "I was probably one of those guilty parents who did occasionally chastise the children, a very gentle smack I've got to say," Mr Abbott told the Seven Network on Thursday. "I think that we've got to treat our kids well, but I don't think we ought to say there's no place ever for smacks. "All parents know that occasionally the best thing we can give is a smack, but it should never be something that...

There was a meeting of 11 countries at the UN last week whose aim is to promote homosexuality at the United Nations.  New Zealand was one of the countries represented. NEW YORK, October 4 (C-FAM) - Eleven countries announced they will continue to hoist the rainbow flag at the United Nations despite setbacks in recent years. U. S. Secretary of State John Kerry and officials from ten countries promised to promote homosexuality at the United Nations in a declaration issued last week. The “Core LGBT Group,” as the eleven countries are called, committed to “concerted action” for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights. Gay activists are finding that promoting homosexuality at the UN is a challenge. The statement commends countries that have repealed sodomy laws, enacted hate crimes legislation and have other special protections for homosexuals. Oh dear. Does this mean hate crime legislation is on the agenda for NZ? Under National's watch?? Kerry tried to be ...

Leadership - A street a long way from the PM's office John Key announced yesterday that Wellington was a " dying city ". Initially, he said that he had no idea how to save it, but then he realized he was the Prime Minster, and added "but if we push the euthanasia bill through, I promise it will be painless." "Consider us bringing back Capital Punishment" John joked to an appreciative audience. It looked like the entire conversation was going to stop there, but some-one yelled out "Hey Clint, what do you think" and a nameless National official took that as the perfect moment to unveil John Key's bold new plan for New Zealand: "We'll move everyone under 80 years old to Auckland, declare the South Island a nature reserve and turn Wellington into a retirement village." The media is abuzz with John Key's visionary leadership. Wellington A Dying City says Prime Minister

Added to an article on the inablity of Hekia Parata to listen to warnings by board members and education experts over the closure of Nelson's Salisbury School, is a small addition over the way Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, spends his time. It emerged yesterday that he had been doing a round of private radio station Christmas appearances on the day Ms Longstone's resignation was announced, and took part in a "mock" gay marriage ceremony . What the heck was this "mock" gay marriage ceremony about? Was it some sort of renewal ceremony to ensure John Key's compliance and leadership of National in helping Labour's Louisa Wall's same sex marriage bill will pass? The mind boggles as to why the Prime Minister would spend the time to participate in a "mock" ceremony, if there weren't some other purpose in mind. Also, why "mock", rather than mock in the article. If it's not a real ceremony, then mock without t...

Well, NZ Prime Minister, John Key, has caused quite a stir by saying that a red top a radio announcer was wearing was "gay".  An internationalout cry, hot on the heels of the unfortunate David Beckham comment . Even prominent same-sex attracted, Sir Ian McKellen, has called for John Key to be careful about what he says. "Mr Key should watch his language," he said. "I'm currently touring secondary schools in UK, attacking homophobia in the playground and discouraging kids from the careless use of 'gay' which might make their gay friends (and teachers) feel less about themselves. "So even as he supports the proposal to introduce same-gender marriages in New Zealand, I do hope John Key listens to his critics and appreciates their concern. Careless talk damages lives, " he said. Sir Ian is very much against the word "gay" being used in negative way, as it may make others feel less about themselves. It's a pity he's ...

The mind boggles over this comment. I wonder what the exact words were, as they are not quoted and there are other quotes in the article. Key said he had been forced to marry wife Bronagh outside in a garden. She is an Irish Catholic and he has a Jewish background. I do know that if a person wants to marry a Catholic, they have to be approved by the local priest in order for that marriage to take place validly in the eyes of the Church. The fact that Key's marriage was in a garden raises all sorts of questions as to whether or not he was considered suitable for a Catholic girl to marry. Maybe he didn't want to go through the talks by the priest, or maybe his wife didn't consider her Catholicism that important? Not that non-Catholics that have been approved have been much better, as there are so many stories online of men who have been married to their Catholic wives in a Catholic church, and treat the whole thing as a joke. I won't name names, but there's ...

John Key speaking at the Big Gay Out John Key's position on redefining marriage is inconsistent. Is he acting as Prime Minister, or as an elected member with his own conscience? If, as Prime Minister, he thinks that marriage should be completely redefined, then why doesn't the Government put forward a bill to that effect? John Key is obviously not acting as an electorate MP, as he is saying that the views of his Helensville electorate most likely not change how he's going to vote. These voters are basically going to be unrepresented when it comes to this major change to a fundamental institution of society, which is something they should think about future elections when voting. John Key seems to want to act as an elected member with his own conscience, but wanting his Helensville electorate constituents to see him as acting as Prime Minister, therefore not being beholden to their views. However, he's not acting as Prime Minister, because his party's p...

John Key says that changing the definition of marriage to include two people of the same-sex will not undermine his marriage to his wife, Bronagh. “You go through all the merits of the argument and look at what people put up; but my view is that if two gay people want to get married I can’t see why it would undermine my marriage with Bronagh,” he told Radio Live. Well, good. I don't think anyone has ever seriously argued same-sex marriage would undermine John Key's marriage to his wife, or would indeed undermine any person's marriage. However, how future generations, including how John Key's children and grandchildren will view marriage is another matter entirely. If you expand a definition enough, it will soon become meaningless. Already in NZ today, we have young women who don't even contemplate marriage at all. Their idea of a future is to get pregnant to some young man who probably won't stick around and go on the Domestic Purposes Benefit . Th...

Mighty River Power or Genesis Energy are likely to be the first State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to be floated in the National-led government's mixed ownership share sell-down, Prime Minister John Key says. Many people vote not so much for particular parties, but against others. For instance, I would absolutely hate having Labour in power again, but I really don't like National either even though I did vote for them in 2008 and again on Saturday for my electorate vote.  But in voting for them, I did not vote for all of their policies - for instance, I really opposed National Standards. I also think many voted National because they wanted them in charge of the country - but not because they agreed with all their policies. The only way to know for sure would be to add a survey of the major polices to the voting system. I bet if that was done the politicians might get a bit of a shock. So now we have John Key saying that he has a mandate for asset sales because his party...

And this one's a doozy .

The ACT Party is becoming more repulsive by the minute. In particular the move to relieve Rodney Hyde of his Ministerial portfolios is particularly repellent. Every single ACT MP, with the exception of one, is not there because they were able to win a seat on their own merits. Rather they owe their place in Parliament due to the arcane rules of our system of MMP and rode into Parliament on Rodney Hide's coat tails. The owe their place at the trough seat to Rodney Hide's winning of Epsom. And now to further their own ambition they have dumped on him in a most unseemly fashion. What this pitiful bunch don't get is there is a lot more to running a country than just economics. It's important for sure but it's not the be all and end all. Not that I trust this bunch of clowns to get the economics right, given their current behavior I wouldn't trust them with anything. If I were John Key I'd put as much distance as possible between National and ACT as I...

I got the above image from The Standard , which I generally never read. But the "come hither eyes" title that I noticed off the No Minister sidebar drew me in. Words fail me.

I was just doing a bit of research for another post (Radio NZ and their infatuation with Islam, coming soon), when I found an article by a site called "Radio Islam", copied from the Jerusalem Post, on NZ about to elect our 3rd Jewish PM, John Key. New Zealand set to elect Jewish prime minister Radio Islam has added underlining for emphasis in the article. My thoughts are, so what if we've elected a Jewish PM? Why does it matter to Islam? This is of course, old news. But, I need to document it.

Mr Key said he was the first leader to have spoken to Ms Gillard after Rudd stood down. He did not expect the change to alter New Zealand's relationship with Australia and was encouraged by Ms Gillard's indication that she would try to push forward on the Emission Trading Scheme . Considering that the ETS was responsible for the Tony Abott's leadership takeover of the Liberal Party, and that Rudd was unable to get enough support for implementing the ETS during the same period, I don't much like Gillard's chances. John Key can dream, though. Related link: Key congratulates Gillard ~ Stuff

Here we go again. A week ago I defended the Warrior class from those who venerate the Trader. That discussion was esoteric and abstract. Today, we see the practical application. When the three NZDF airmen tragically died on ANZAC day, John Key cancelled his plans to attend a trade delegation and headed back for the funeral. He has received unjustified criticism from a few people who broadly argue that the trade was more important than showing respect for some fallen warriors. They are wrong.

If my husband spent a couple of hours on Sunday posing with a man dressed as a woman and gave him that sort of look, I'd be putting my foot down. But, then that's me. I'm really wondering what type of message this sort of galavanting around is supposed to send. Related link: John Key's Big Gay Out ~ Stuff

TVNZ claims John Key has stepped " into a political minefield " because of a Guyon Espiner gotcha during Q + A interview yesterday. Mr Espiner asked Mr Key about some Australian mining shares he owns and asked whether this presented a conflict of interest since, as we know, John Key wants to expand mining acivities in this country. Then he dropped his bombshell Okay so that's not something you've looked into because it looks like that Jackson Company has significant interests in mining uranium in Australia and Argentina, in the new guise of the company which is called Cauldron. I mean is that something that you - as the leader of a nuclear free country would be concerned about, or is this not something you've looked into? It turns out John Key has a few shares in a company that mines Uranium, a useful metal. So what? Why didn't Colin Espiner ask John Key about something that really matters, like the Emissions trading scheme for example?

I'll have to wait to check the NewsTalk ZB archives as to what the exact quote is, but now John Key is also saying that ClimateGate is a "conspiracy theory". I really wish journalists would have the gumption to push him on that. It would be so easy.