Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Inside the Shrine

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  • Lyndon Hood,

    Incidentally, I only had a good look at that Oravida (English) news page yesterday. Something less than half of the stories involve Government MPs but I was most struck by a couple that make much of the National Party chariman. As per "During the visit, Mayor Li, Yaoxin met with the National party chairman Peter Goodfellow to discuss this exciting opportunity extensively and laid down the foundation for the bilateral collaborations." [in Delegation from Shanghai Changning Municipality visits New Zealand]

    At the very least they're determinedly prenenting themselves as 'in' with the government, sometimes to people who don't know how it works here. The other possiblity, of course, is that it does work like that now.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    Good god! Gower is finally showing some signs of becoming a journalist (although the story was as much about him as it was about Oravida, but it's a start...)

    Any time Key tries to do the brushoff answer, you know he's hiding stuff.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • bob daktari, in reply to Lyndon Hood,

    The other possiblity, of course, is that it does work like that now.

    this is what worries me the most - not every company that might be so close to the govt and its ministers may have such a obvious warning sign as a spouse involved in the plot...

    auckland • Since Dec 2006 • 540 posts Report Reply

  • Jim Welch, in reply to nzlemming,

    Any time Key tries to do the brushoff answer, you know he's hiding stuff.

    Doesn't Key try to do the brushoff answer pretty much every time he opens his mouth? What's maddening is how effective his 'nothing to see here, folks' approach continues to be. I get the feeling he could be filmed murdering a child and when later questioned about it, he'd just flash a dopey grin and say "Look, the fact is, New Zealanders aren't really interested in these things...." and his approval rating would hold steady at 60%.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 43 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Jim Welch,

    Doesn't Key try to do the brushoff answer pretty much every time he opens his mouth? What's maddening is how effective his 'nothing to see here, folks' approach continues to be. I get the feeling he could be filmed murdering a child and when later questioned about it, he'd just flash a dopey grin and say "Look, the fact is, New Zealanders aren't really interested in these things...." and his approval rating would hold steady at 60%.

    In the words of Sir Joh, "don't you worry about that!"

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

  • Matthew Poole,

    Given that political parties cannot be charities, it's quite naff to call a party fund-raising event a charity fund-raiser.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    Given that political parties cannot be charities, it's quite naff to call a party fund-raising event a charity fund-raiser.

    Lying?

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh,

    Key: "I can tell you I was bought"

    Confession?

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Curtis,

    So the National party Chairman Goodfellow is having 'bilateral' meetings in NZ with Shanghai local government leaders on business opportunities ?

    So that explains why Goodfellow bought one of the ex ministerial BMWs and has been seen with NZ flags on the bonnet.

    Its the old story - "Dont you know who I am"

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I'm kind of gob smacked by today's Key announcement that he's wangled NZ products (in particular mussels) to appear on Alibaba .... does he not understand that ANYONE can sell stuff there (it's sort of a B2B China focused trademe that has a bit of a reputation for, um, occasional shadiness) it's possibly the last place on the planet one might choose to purchase shellfish.

    I can't decide who's being played here, Key or us

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Gary Young, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    I can't decide who's being played here, Key or us

    Sadly, it's almost certainly both

    Glenfield • Since Jun 2013 • 39 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    Key’s response to Gower – um yes, it was a National Party fundraiser, but he couldn’t be “sure” whether he was “right or wrong” when he had previously said it was a charity event – is remarkable.

    Surely, finally, Key's faulty memory line will not be believed? Claiming it was a charity event is plainly false. Well done Gower for his smart reporting.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Paul Williams,

    Surely, finally, Key’s faulty memory line will not be believed?

    But he's got such a nice smile.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    But he’s got such a nice smile.

    Less and less on show however...

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Aston, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Key: “I can tell you I was bought”

    Confession?

    No. Freudian slip

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    I'm kind of gob smacked by today's Key announcement that he's wangled NZ products (in particular mussels) to appear on Alibaba ....

    Which would be an a hollow victory indeed given what we now know about the struggles that NZ produce faces at the border.

    I look forward with interest to the next round of close friends that will be invited to dinner.

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    It seems, words out, use this Govt to endorse your product

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

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    In the words of Sir Joh, “don’t you worry about that!”

    That'd be the Sir Joh who described dealing with the media as "feeding the chooks".

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew Geddis, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Key: “I can tell you I was bought"

    If there’s a sentence that should never pass through a politician’s lips, that would have to be it. Seriously.

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2007 • 206 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Andrew Geddis,

    another mark of supreme over-confidence that it did

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kevin McCready,

    Congrats to the Ms TV3 Newsreader for her Mandarin pronunciation. Patrick really needs some lessons.
    http://kmccready.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/mandarin-pronunciation-tips-she-spends-cents-on-cheap-jam/

    Auckland • Since Jun 2013 • 119 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe,

    This piece is the nearest to the election I can find so, given I'm a stage-mama now, here's some blatant nepotism. Bomber invited my son to write a blog post, so he did. Then showed me.

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/03/22/guest-blog-finn-jackson-teenage-lobotomy/

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Hebe,

    Bomber invited my son to write a blog post, so he did. Then showed me.

    A very good argument for lowering the voting age.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    A very good argument for lowering the voting age.

    "Like." Though, unfortunately, I have opinionated twins.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

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