… Why are our opponents so scared? ……
We knew it would happen. As soon as NZ First began making strong headway this election, we knew our opponents would start with the dirty tricks campaign again. And so it proved to be.
NZ First came out on top of the Leaders debate on Monday night and immediately our opponents have tried to shut our momentum down by dredging up the Owen Glenn story again. It is as predictable as it is boring.
But let us deal with a few facts first…..
1. As Foreign Minister, Owen Glenn’s name came to my attention and I asked my Ministry officials to look at whether an Honorary Consul appointment in Monaco was necessary and whether Mr Glenn was a suitable candidate.
2. Those officials didn’t act as quickly as I thought they should on this and other issues and I gave them a hurry along once or twice.
3. Their final report to me advised that no appointment was necessary and if one were, a candidate other than Mr Glenn was more suitable. And that’s where the matter ended from my perspective. This all happened between April and November 2007.
Due process was followed and these actions were entirely appropriate. This is the same process I have used on other appointment processes, as have Foreign Minister’s before me. For example, this was the same due process applied by Phil Goff when he was Foreign Minister and the National Party asked him to appoint a candidate of their suggestion to the honorary consul role in Monaco. That suggestion was also rejected on MFAT advice.
There is no scandal. Just another beat-up by our opponents and certain journalists who feel the need to justify extravagant claims they made earlier this year. They still haven’t learned that their job is to report the news, not make it!
Furthermore, it would be an absolute shame and to the total detriment of New Zealand’s foreign policy objectives if the Ministry’s policy processes continue to be used as a political football in this way.
At the end of the day, this silly allegation will be seen to be as baseless as those that led to the pointless SFO, Police and Electoral Commission inquiries. But we will not let it distract NZ First from talking about the real issues this election campaign. This country is facing the worst financial and economic crisis seen in most of our lifetimes and while we are talking policies that will protect and save our economy, all our opponents can do is whinge about a diplomatic posting that never happened. That tells you something about their total lack of ideas and why they are running scared!
October 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Its the same old…same old from certain political opponents and a ’spinner’ of a journalist trying hard as they can to lose NZ First votes. Winston quite rightly pointed out how we have severe world economic ailments to consider yet all Key and others can bother about are indolent happenings from a matter that has already been basically looked into!!Its just Key trying to justify his judgeing Winston before the ‘jury’ made its findings! If they decided to be ‘constructive’ and come up with positive ideas for our future then at least they would have some credit…instead of acting like hungry hyenas looking for a victim.
I hope there are also Labour members in Tauranga that will vote for WP as well to help ensure a result that will benefit all New Zealanders.
Kia Kaha Winston.
October 29th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Guyan’s needs some anger management courses…this one’s falling flat on it’s face. TVNZ should tell him to “Stop, now take a deep breath Guyan, count to 10, Guyan, now there’s a good boy”.
Concentrate on the real issues Guyan. Thousands of New Zealanders are suffering right now under the strain of an economic crisis and thousands more are going to if estimates are accurate. Stick to journalism, not petty self interested commentary that’s long in the tooth, done and dusted and not getting any momentum coming up to the election.
October 29th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
I’m not a NZ Firster but am dismayed to hear Guyon Espiner apparently has something else he is going to try to get Mr Peters with a couple of days before the election (he wined my niece), so do be on your mettle Winston and “good luck” - I deplore this sort of discraseful, biased, vindictive type of journalism. Why a TV channel employs someone like Espiner I’m at a loss to know (and he should stick to his own age re. women too). From Dave
October 29th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Go Winston, I truly hope your party makes the 5%…tell it how it is and the rest does’nt matter…you have my vote
October 30th, 2008 at 6:47 am
A psychiatrist friend agrees he needs help. Guyon wants to be Chief of Staff for Key if the Nats win the election. I wonder how much Guyon stands to gain from the “big money” that has been put up by Winston’s (and NZ’s) enemies? One of NZ’s top journalists told Chris Trotter about this dastardly scheme to rid this country of the only politician with integrity. The biased media prove that.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:47 am
I went along to the “meet the candidates” meeting at Tauranga and it was interesting how easy it was to pick out the National supporters,
what a down in the mouth lot, in contrast to supporters of the other parties who mixed freely and enjoyed the occasion.
I don’t condone Labour’s attempt to smear John Key in any way, but in view of National and ACT’s concerted smear campaign on our party I have a suggestion for them = “EAT IT” with your fish!
October 30th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Hi Winston,
I agree with you about the need for focus here, and the distraction thats caused by dredging up the past for personal gain.
As I write this I noticed three things on the breakfast television:
1) Breakfast program put the young national and labour MPs they have been focused on all year on a national blue seat, which was not part of the normal set. They introduced the National womans dad in the background and gave her much more opportunity for exposure. I dont know if they helped dress the candidates in any way …but the labour guy had no red on whatsoever. It almost looked like they removed his tie even.
2. On TV3, they went into the billboard campaign by that has you and helen walking together. They went into the funding - suggesting how unbiased it was … and went into the fact that the libertarians basically emptied their coffers to do the billboards. They went through the contributor list …ridiculing the notion it was politically biased. They forgot the obvious link between Rodney Hyde and the libertarians - disgraceful journalism. They forgot that the libertarians are political in themselves - and profess to certain societal objectives that are contrary to NZ Firsts.
3. The spin on the Key-gate trading scandal was to focus on labour being desperate - not the fact that in an office like that of a struggling company - transactions like those suggested in the tens of millions would be carefully discuss by the senior people in the company, and the course forwards planned - and this is particularly important to such a company when there is crisis. I think the angle that should be thought about is the link in timing between keys resignation and the illegal trading. I think it is too coincidental personally and I feel that key should really be scrutinised - if not for any potnetial wrong doing - but that their is a strong possibility that he knew the dealings were dodgy, and thus left rather than participate. I would say thats my take on how people tend to respond to such situations … if you dont like the heat you get out of the kitchen! You might not say anything if your confidientiality agreement AND your future career (in a world of dodgy dealings) could be severely impacted. What does this kind of thing imply to me … well it implies that if Key did resign because he considered the firm he was working for was breaching rules (???) and he did not want to be involved … then it shows that he is prepared to compromise ethics for business gain potentially. Sounds like a typical politician to me! It is cynical I know - but maybe NZ First should come out and say that in light of ‘new evidence’, NZ First can only really work with national if they remove John Keys from leadership … put the shoe on the other foot!
Good luck with the election.
November 1st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
With all the innuendos etc about Winston, the other Parties are obviously getting desparate. I fear for my country if Act and National get into power. We will be at the mercy of overseas billionaires etc and our beautiful country will sold out completely. Keep at it Winston - you are fighting for our lives.