Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: #JohnDotBanks and all

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  • Sacha,

    Interesting potential trickery to disguise donation sources. Let's see some journalistic digging about other instances of the same tactic of multiple identical amounts being filed in 2011 election returns. Doubt it was Banks' cunning plan.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Sacha,

    Interesting potential trickery to disguise donation sources. Let's see some journalistic digging about other instances of the same tactic of multiple identical amounts being filed in 2011 election returns. Doubt it was Banks' cunning plan.

    It reminds me of BRT stalwart Trevor Farmer funnelling his donations to ACT through family members, in order to avoid scrutiny. The Sunday Star Times saw through the bullshit and made it front page news.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Raymond A Francis,

    Is it just me but Banks looks more and more like someone who has the phone off the hook, seriously unhinged

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    'I've nothing to fear' - Of course not John we need to to provide a distraction while we get this Skycity thing done.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • David MacGregor,

    The whole affair will probably bolster John Key's popularity.
    For some reason it seems news is to the New Zealand electorate as on-pack warnings are to cigarette smokers.

    Auckland, New Zealand • Since Feb 2007 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Question: Why would someone ask for 2 x $25k rather than 1 x $50k?

    Question: How come Key won't stand Banks down because it's "only allegations"? Since when was that the standard?


    [For the record, the last few days' threadage on this topic is here].

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to David MacGregor,

    I sniff a tipping point for National: Banks' actions are indisputedly morally grubby politics, if not downright dirty. He defends his actions on a legal basis, rightly or wrongly. But the man has long been prone to commandeering the moral high ground on all sorts of issues. With the number of "careless" Cabinet Ministers and MPs so far in Key's tenure, voters will start to see this administration as somewhat less than lily white.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hebe,

    He defends his actions on a legal basis, rightly or wrongly.

    If Banks knew who the donation came from, he's guilty.
    Legally, not just morally.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Hebe,

    voters will start to see this administration as somewhat less than lily white.

    You'd think so. David MacGregor's tobacco analogy is a good one.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX, in reply to Sacha,

    Banks as Baldrick to Key's Edmund - seems to make sense of it - A life driven by the desire to acquire turnips and harvest dung.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    MMP maths will probably award National an additional list seat

    How so? There's no MMP at play in a by-election, unless I've misunderstood something. Goldsmith is a list MP, if he gets elected by Epsom he resigns his list seat and it gets filled by whoever's next on National's list. Act disappears, because they have no list MPs, Goldsmith takes the electorate seat currently occupied by Banks, and there is no net change in anything of substance in the calculus of Parliament.
    Or does the MMP maths get re-jigged under by-elections? That sounds like a remarkably effective way to fuck with the composition of Parliament.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    If Paul Goldsmith actually campaigns, and therefore wins, he will surely be elected and the MMP maths will probably award National an additional list seat.

    National would go from having 17 list seats to having 17 list seats. "Additional" is one word to use, but it's more applicable to it their electorate seat count, which would increase from 42 to 43.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Geddis, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    Matthew,

    What you said first up ... if Goldsmith wins, he quits as a list MP before being formally declared the elected MP for Epsom, thus bringing in whomsoever is next on National's list.

    If ACT wins, nothing changes. But if Parker wins ... ? Then he quits as a list MP before being formally declared the elected MP for Epsom, Labour gets one more MP, and National are forced to rely on the Maori Party for a majority.

    However, Parker won't win.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2007 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Sacha,

    If Banks knew who the donation came from, he's guilty.
    Legally, not just morally.

    I hope that is the case but I am not familiar with curly electoral law wording; is yours a legal opinion or a human being's opinion?

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Hebe,

    is yours a legal opinion or a human being’s opinion?

    Mutually exclusive, obviously ;-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Thanks guys. I was running out of steam when I wrote that. I've corrected the original post.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    If Ms Issac is to be the candidate for Epson perhaps John Key could do something visible like, umm like in front of MSM, have a cup of tea. Why not? Great idea.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Rob Stowell,

    Meanwhile, David Cunliffe gets in a solid speech, signalling a clear rejection of neo-liberalism. What more could a leftie want for breakfast :)

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hebe,

    Recommend Andrew's Pundit post linked above. It's good and he's a human lawyer.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Geddis, in reply to Sacha,

    "... and he's a human lawyer."

    Is there any actual evidence to back up either of those claims?

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2007 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Andrew Geddis,

    I'll have my silk magic some up

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    It'll all come out in the wash.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    That is the shit I've been wanting to hear for quite some time.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    and a very slow wash Banks is hoping it will be

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to David MacGregor,

    The whole affair will probably bolster John Key’s popularity.
    For some reason it seems news is to the New Zealand electorate as on-pack warnings are to cigarette smokers.

    If that really is the case, then could it be a symptom of 'last place aversion syndrome', as discussed in this Kiwipolitico thread?

    Pattrick Smellie theorises in BusinessDay that Johnny Boy's 'teflon coating' is to do with American-style red-blue state polarisation landing in NZ:

    Yet, maddeningly for the parties of the Left, none of this is showing up in the opinion polls. This is variously explained away as evidence that their fellow citizens are brainwashed fools, that the Government has great propaganda, or that the polls will "catch up".

    None of these theories bear great scrutiny. New Zealanders are sceptical, clever people with almost too many conflicting ideas about how the country could be made better, the Government shoots itself in the foot almost daily, and although the polls may catch up, they may not. Who knows?

    So what's going on? One theory that might explain the continuing popularity of what looks like an unpopular Government is that New Zealand politics is in the process of becoming more polarised. When that happens, the people who do get angrier may not be a larger group than before. Rather, they may simply be a louder, angrier group.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

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