Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Of course it's about the book

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  • Compie,

    Speaking of National's GST bill.

    Can someone please give me National's accountant name, I have an impending GST bill that I can be arsed paying, he seems to have great ideas. Don't pay it?

    Bugger me, my grandad didn't pay tax once they tried to throw him in jail.

    Next time mr GST comes knocking, my line will be "see my accountant c/- national party"

    Thoughts craig?

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • James Doleman,

    Thats exactly the point here Craig, we have accusations winging around I would think even National party supporters will want to get to the bottom of it.

    I wonder if, after the investigation, you all will still be nominating the Auditor General as man of the year? iirc he has rather a fundamentalist view on election funding law.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • stever@cs.waikato.ac.nz,

    Does this mean that next time anyone from National tries to leave the country they'll be stopped at the border?

    Hamilton • Since Nov 2006 • 73 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Martin,

    Oooh no. Labour needs to keep its foot on Nationals throat...certainly for long enough that others can get a hold....

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 187 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Kennedy,

    Murray McC as Scrappy Doo, Velma though is a hard casting for the Nat Party, Judith C at a stretch

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 225 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Bol,

    Now that you mention it, Bill English does bear a startling resemblance to Fred...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 32 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    Stange scenario.

    this actually keeps Labour in power come 2008.

    Who will vote against Labour come 2011 when the All Blacks have just won the world cup in the brand spanking new Waterfront stadium that is the envy of the world.

    Is if true National won't be in power till 2014, that just can't be true.

    just pulling your rag Craig

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • James Doleman,

    Don Brash as the seemingly kindly old caretaker who is in fact the evil man behind the whole scheme.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin Moar,

    And so its true. The book can't be sold until Monday.

    With a new Borders opening, I think I've done my last shopping at Whitcoulls.

    At least there's the media coverage all weekend, which means there's little incentive to actually buy and read the book for oneself.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report Reply

  • stever@cs.waikato.ac.nz,

    So this is probably a conspiracy by Whitcoulls (which rich person owns them??) to stop Hagar making money...

    Hamilton • Since Nov 2006 • 73 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    John Key as Daphne
    Bill English as Fred
    Katherine Rich as Velma (jinkies)
    Murray McCully as Shaggy
    Judith Collins as Scooby

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Bol,

    Actually, John Key is more like the kindly old caretaker's slick, greasy and over-eager son (and appointed heir).

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 32 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin Moar,

    So this is probably a conspiracy by Whitcoulls (which rich person owns them??) to stop Hagar making money...

    Whoa, probably just smart (ab)use of monopsony power.

    They're owned by Pacific Equity Partners, Australian-based. Now, can we find some links to Tasmanian logging interests...

    kidding, of course.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 12 posts Report Reply

  • Compie,

    too kind.

    Judith Collins as Chickenstein

    Dunedin/Vancouver • Since Nov 2006 • 114 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Semmens,

    Clearly, when Brash talked of those who are not "mainstream" New Zealanders, when he says Labour colludes with Communists, when he calls Labour corrupt, clearly this is what he BELIEVES. Its not the gaffes of a kindly old gent. Its the gaffes of a hard right economic Pinochista whose mask slips when under pressure.

    Brash was so convinced of his own righteousness that he allowed himself - and more seriously his party -to be actively drawn into a conspiracy with a secret organisation to circumvent the electoral laws of New Zealand. Then he lied about this to the people of New Zealand and further, when the election was lost to the right, he had the hypocritical hubris to try the big lie and accuse the Labour party of doing what he had done. I can see now why so many in National worked to undermine Brash and the political culture he brought with him.

    What arrogance. What hubris. What contempt for our democracy. What cynical, morally hollow realpolitik. He does indeed stand tall in the company of De Cleene, Douglas, and Prebble.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Amid the hilarity, can I sound a note of caution? What do we know so far?

    1/ Don Brash and the National hierarchy knew more about the EBs than they ever let on. Well, who hadn't guessed as much, really. It's good to see it confirmed and all, but ... is anyone actually surprised?

    2/ Don Brash and the National hierarchy have some rich benefactors. Some are the usual suspects from the 80s. Again, this revelation has a certain "well d'uh" category.

    I stand to be corrected as more info comes to light of course, but these are the two things I've "learned" so far.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    Sorry, that should have been Crian Connell as Shaggy. He'a a bumbling fool but flicked the switch that started the shit storm.

    And DC, let us enjoy our fun! The other side have had theirs over the past 12 months. As they say, who laughs last, laughs longest...

    This is just part of the never-ending circle of (political) life, so hakuna matata...

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Paul - fair point! I'm smiling broadly, but would like to enjoy it more and join you in hearty laughter!! :)

    All the same, nothing so far has surprised me much. Most corrupt opposition in history and all that. :)

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    1/ Don Brash and the National hierarchy knew more about the EBs than they ever let on. Well, who hadn't guessed as much, really. It's good to see it confirmed and all, but ... is anyone actually surprised?

    Not really, but it comes in the face of barefaced denials over a long period - and Brash actually dug himself in about twice as deep in the last two days. God knows what he'll say when he goes back on Campbell Live. He can't even claim to have not read the email, because he forwarded it to Long.

    But there's material there that (a) makes National's noisy moral high ground as regards election spending look very cynical indeed, and (b) might well be of interest to the authorities.

    Apart from that, there appears to be considerable embarrassment in it for a range of people.
    As Craig suggested, Clark is presumably busy forgetting everything she didn't like about Kevin Brady.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Tony Kennedy,

    from the net where all is true .

    Obligatory strange Scooby fact: The gang is 84% more likely to stumble upon a secret passage than to find it intentionally.

    I know this is relevant I just haven't worked out why yet

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 225 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe,

    All the same, nothing so far has surprised me much. Most corrupt opposition in history and all that. :)

    LOL!

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Hubbard,

    What I’d love to see is a lurch to the Greens from this whole fiasco:
    - Labour and National have been playing a cynical game of race-to-the-bottom
    - Winston’s losing his traditional Teflon
    - United have conspicuously failed to transcend their leader

    Conversely environmental issues are suddenly mainstream, and the Greens who’ve been ridiculed and marginalised for years need to capitalise.
    Whether they manage to or not, surely a good chunk of the electorate has to be giving up faith in red/blue and thinking about going wider.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 18 posts Report Reply

  • Lucy Telfar Barnard,

    I'm trying to remember what things look like on email headers, but...

    When I look at the beginning of that email image, I see to: Don Brash (Don's email address...) and to: John Key ("John Key"). To me that would either imply that Ron's written to John before (because he's got his email address in his address book) or that John's email address never got typed in, so maybe he didn't see it after all, or that it means something about whose copy (Don's or John's) this was. Or maybe it means nothing much at all.

    Anyone else who actually knows anything about this care to comment?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 585 posts Report Reply

  • James Clark,

    dc_red has a good point - or at least I tend to agree with his summation. Plenty of fodder for consipiracy theorists but nothing new or suprising.

    It seems that the smoking gun email might have been collected along with one tabled in Parliament in May (along similar lines):

    **TREVOR MALLARD** [...] I have an email from Ron Hickmott, who was writing on behalf of Andrew Simmons, Phil Winn, Matt Goudie, and himself. He states that he represents a group of Christian businessmen concerned with the course and direction of the current Government: “Accordingly we have put together an election programme with a budget of $1.2 million with the goal of ‘getting party votes for National’ ”

    Hansard May 23 2006

    So perhaps we get to see what the Govt knew all along.

    exile • Since Nov 2006 • 18 posts Report Reply

  • James Doleman,

    Lucy, I think it means that Key was on his outlook contact list.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 13 posts Report Reply

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