Duncan Garner

ᔥ Brian Edwards blog

Brian Edwards is brutal on David Shearer’s gagging of David Cunliffe. Perhaps he is still mad at getting the axe for media training…well that is what Labour MPs are quietly whispering around the beltway if anyone asks them why Brian has gone feral.

Anyway, ‘the top team’ didn’t like Cunliffe’s brilliant speech and he was apparently bawled out by Shearer and others and told the  speech was’ naive and stupid.’ That tends to be the price you pay for idealism. And, according to the extremely  well informed Duncan Garner, the  price may be high for Cunliffe who has been ‘put in his place, somewhere down the bottom of the pecking order’.

This is so utterly stupid that it beggars belief. Cunliffe is not only intellectually brilliant, he is by far Labour’s most accomplished debater in the House and on television and radio.  No-one in the Labour Party can hold a candle to him as a media spokesperson. Stammering and stuttering seem to be the main criteria for that at present.

The media smell blood, and not without some justification, there is a perfect storm of Michelle Boag, Nick Smith and Winston Peters:

Duncan Garner blogs:

Winston Peters alleged yesterday that there’s more to this, hinting that the relationship with Bronwyn Pullar may go deeper than just knowing each other through the National Party.

Smith said “his private life is his private life”. What does that mean? Was he in a relationship at some stage with her?

If he was then that surely makes this worse.

So this morning John Key should haul Smith into his office and ask him the following;

1. What was the nature of his relationship with Pullar?
2. Was it more than a friendship?

If the answer is yes – Smith must go on the spot.

If the answer is no, he must still go. Ministers should NEVER use their position to go into bat for their friends.

It is the first rule of being a Minister.

Smith knows the rules. He’s been here for 20 years. He’s not a junior Minister. We rarely use the word corruption in NZ. But in my opinion it’s a corrupt practice to use your Ministerial powers and warrant to advance the interests of a friend.

Duncan is dead right here. Anyone who has friends who are ministers or MPs, if they are indeed a friend, should never place their friend in a position that could cause potential embarrassment.

Tracy Watkins isn’t pulling any punches either and her wording is very emphatic:

John Key’s refusal to cut Nick Smith loose over revelations that he intervened in a close friend’s long-running battle with ACC while still ACC minister will come back to haunt him.

Yesterday, Winston Peters labelled it cronyism, a shabby little deal and a case of National ministers looking after their mates – and the bad news for Mr Key is that it looks like all those things and worse.

Presumably Dr Smith would have been gone by lunchtime had he still been ACC minister when his letter on a ministerial letterhead supporting the claim of National Party activist Bronwyn Pullar emerged.

That may have been the reason Mr Key failed to move against him yesterday, even as the story over whether or not the letter was on a ministerial letterhead changed. But it doesn’t lessen the size of Dr Smith’s error or the scale of his misjudgment.

The NZ Herald editorial is scathing:

Nick Smith is one of the Government’s more experienced ministers. It is staggering that he saw fit to write in support of a friend’s ACC claim when he was the minister in charge of the corporation. His judgment plainly deserted him that day and it deserted him again when the letter – which was sent to medical assessors – came to light this week.

“Ministers still have friends,” he said, “and providing there is no inappropriate influence, it is quite appropriate for them to provide information or evidence for medical assessments and other legal processes.”

It is not “appropriate” for them to do any such thing when the medical assessments and legal processes involve the agency that must answer to the minister.

Nick Smith is a political corpse…he is starting to stink up the joint.

There is a valuable lesson though in all of this…having any association with Michelle Boag only ends in disaster.

Cactus Kate is a good friend….she was one of the few, very few people who stuck with me through my dark times. Those of your who have suffered or still suffer depression know that one of the things you unerringly do when suffering is burn off friends…you can count the ones remaining on the finger of one hand…Cactus KAte is one of those friends.

I know that she will die in a ditch for me, and she knows that I will die in a ditch for her.

Yesterday Martyn Bradbury used a silly and petulant post of Duncan Garner to get up me.

Cactus Kate is not amused:

Martyn has posted recently many pieces solely about Whaleoil. It has become obsessive because Whaleoil is not even bothering commenting back to this taunting. His last “effort” yesterday about Whaleoil, mental illness and in particular suicide was particularly disgusting. I bet Martyn now tries to say he was only joking. Well fuck you pinhead, it is not funny to talk about suicide about anyone like that. That fight was between Whaleoil and Duncan Garner who said his piece like the hot head he is, I imagine to regret it later because he is an adult earning a six figure income. This was absolutely no business of Martyn’s or anyone else’s but once again Martyn had a spot of Whale envy and had to stoop to getting a “me too” in. So he can cop a serve from me.

Whaleoil has progressed since I have known him to be a picture of health since his dark days of depression of a couple of years ago. He has never ever talked of suicide which is something I have the most respect of him for. And even when he was at his worst, depressed and on crippling zombie like doses of medication prescribed by insane Doctors, barely capable of getting out of bed when his ever supportive wife would ask him to try, he would still hand Martyn his arse in every debate they have ever had.

A depressed and over-medicated Whale still was better than a supposed fully-fit Martyn.

Heh, loving the smackdown, it conitnues and she isn’t pleased that he has used inept slurs against her:

The worst part of Martyn’s performances from my perspective is that he can’t even insult me properly, which is highly disrespectful in itself. He hasn’t got the eloquence or command in his writing that Dim Post possesses to do it well and in a clever way. The only thing that would ever cause me distress would be to accuse me of being a pinko and the Libertarianz have that covered.

Martyn calls me a “failed ACT candidate“. Like it is an insult that I chose not to be on their Party list.

Think about this for a minute folks. Even Dim Post would find this moronic as an insult and mock it mercilessly as an effort.

If this really was a failure and you could choose one thing in the past decade to fail at then failing to stand as an ACT candidate in 2011 would be right up there in things that you should be proud of achieving.

Her final message for Martyn Bradbury:

Martyn, you are a silly, juvenile uncommercial pillock. If you want a reason you don’t have a TV show that rates over a couple of hundred viewers look no further than yourself then look to your competition Pagani, McCarten and Trotter and the respect that others show them on your side and their opponents, my side.

Theirs is a gentlemanly decency, intellect, charm and class that I am afraid you will never possess in your endless quest to be invited into the mainstream media. Sad.

Thank you Cactus.

Yesterday Duncan Garner is a fit of envy (I think) launched a nasty little attack on me. That post was used by a creepy stalker and Martyn Bradbury (both of whom seem to have a fixation with me) to launch more attacks. They, frankly are water off a ducks back….attacks that are like being gummed by a nana.

No matter. I am not going to address the shark-jumping of a so-called reputable journalist paid a six figure salary by a major network being so incensed over one sentence in a blog post on a blog he claims is read by only “dozens of followers” that he feels the need to write a special post on the 3News website.

In a sense he is right…on the day he posted his attack on me only 3237 dozens read my site. The day before 3633 dozens viewed my site. In any month your care to choose only 46731 dozens view my site. So yeah he is right when he says dozens of followers.

Someone asked me on Facebook what I was going to do about it. I told them that I was going to do nothing. The fact that Duncan Garner, a so-called professional journalist felt the need to post a petulant, nasty  and ill advised post simply means that I am being an effective blogger. I have already won the battle., it needs no more of my attention.

Duncan and I have since had a pleasant conversation about the issue. That conversation will remain between us. I hope he leaves his post up, it serves as a marker for the time Duncan lost his rag to a blogger with only “dozens of followers”.

David Shearer delivered a competent speech this morning in front of the teleprompter. Delivered in a swanky upmarket club in Labour’s Wellington stronghold he could only muster one member of his caucus to witness his “vision”.

However it was the stand ups afterwards that have caused him problems again.

When Labour fan-boi John Hartevelt calls it for Key for the head to head speech battle then you know you are in deep trouble. Even Tracy Watkins is underwhelmed.

But perhaps the most egregious part of the whole exercise for David Shearer was his use of National’s slogan.

It was at the stand ups afterwards that have caused him problems again.

In his media conference after the speech he uses the phrase Brighter Future, not once, but twice – and that was after the media had called him on it. To be fair to Duncan Garner who seems a little touchy today, it was him who called out Shearer for the use of National’s slogan.

Garner did one of his classic cheap deals with Labour tonight, securing exclusive video supplied by the PSA. He even dressed up in a fetching red table cloth and tie.

UPDATE: Duncan Garner rang me this morning and after he stopped yelling, swearing and ranting like wharfie at me and spinning like a top he calmed down enough to answer some questions. Apparently, for what it is worth the decision to review Key’s speech was a stunning revelation yesterday morning between him and Pedro Gower, and not a patsy seeded story from Labour’s research unit. Anyway there is some clarity for readers.

I note that David Shearer’s promise of not engaging in gotcha politics is right out the window, with Garner dutifully stating that this is indeed a “gotcha”. Shearer was into this boots and all, so the end to “gotcha” politics is ended itself.

John Key confirms public service change on a scale of those undertaken by Labour and cautions about the tight economic times. He also refers to a first term.

There’s no way Garner should be arguing this speech four years ago is a demonstration of broken promises. Read it.

The true highlights from that speech 4 long years ago:

In this context, it is not an ideological statement to say that restraint will be required. So National won’t be spending up large, which would simply have the effect of increasing deficits even further.

…

Just as Labour has done, we will take opportunities to make changes to some agencies as part of the usual business of government.

…

A National Government will ensure that resources are focused on the provision of frontline services rather than continuing to boost the numbers of people in Wellington head offices.

…

This allocation of resources towards central government administration has real effects. It uses significant resources which could have been used in providing frontline services or could have been used in the private sector.

So let me reiterate National’s position. We are in no way going to reduce the number of frontline staff. Let me make this absolutely clear – under National the numbers of doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, police and other frontline staff will grow.

What we are going to do is halt the runaway growth in government administration.

…

Therefore, my commitment to New Zealanders is this – in the first term of a National Government we will not grow the size of the core bureaucracy. We are going to make do with the resource we have, and work to get more value out of it.

…

I need to be able to look them in the eye and assure them that the money they pay in tax is being spent wisely, and as much of it as possible is going to frontline services from which they will directly benefit.

The next point I want to make is that a National Government is going to uphold the professionalism of the public service.

I believe that over the next few years the public service will benefit from a focus on results over process, on decisions over discussion, and on professionalism over politics.

I read with mild interest, mainly because I wanted to see if Charlotte Dawson would stick in her skinny bony elbow into the fat guts of Pork Chop, the article on the wide bodied one.

Charlotte didn’t disappoint, she has a pit of evil and a memory that shows that forgiveness will be a long time coming for “The Chop”.

I noted a comment though by Bridget Saunders where she says:

“It was a pretty hideous thing to do to anybody. Rachel went hard but she’s still got a beating heart, there’s still a woman in there with feelings.”

After I swallowed down the sick, I thought what a two faced bitch..I spent days on end helping her with her “battles” with the Glucina family. For  Bridget to now claim this was hideous is hypocrisy of Trevor Mallard proportions. Here is an email she sent to me and others about RGTP:

From: Bridget Saunders
To:
Subject: RGTP
Sent: Oct 18, 2010 08:13

Baby I need some Drewpork -help and the above can provide it..I emailed Cam re a coffee but have not heard back…
is he still involved?
xxxxx

I never was involved, but clearly Bridget Saunders, who now says she thought it was hideous, had her finger rather close to the pulse and knew precisely who was involved. The Herald on Sunday rang me on Friday desperate for their last minute story to get statement about my alleged involvement with RGTP. They read out the line they were going to use (it was never published) and asked me if I was the mastermind behind the Facebook page. My reply to them was official and on the record….”No, I wasn’t involved, but I wish I was”.

I have a blog, why would I need to skulk anonymously behiond a Facebook page, do you think I’m scared of Pork Chop…pfffft

What me me most sick in my mouth and took lots of gasping and deep swallows to clear my throat was the thought of Duncan Garner at the Chops birthday paying homage to the great beast in the forlorn hope that she doesn’t delve further into his nicknames or the fact he has four children to three different women…or is that the other way round…that we know and he is still in his 30s. Everyone else named as guests of the Chop for her birthday seemed to have one common trait, they all had a lot to lose and even more to hide.

The Teatapes have been published. A short time ago I was sent an email that had a Soundcloud link and a Youtube link (uploaded by 2Johns2Cups) to the tea tapes. They are easily found, but I will not link to them until the legal position of the tapes is clarified, at this point in time it is still an illegal recording and it is still subject to a Police investigation.

However, I have listened to them and now you can too if you are of a mind. You will now know that in stark contrast to the sensational media reporting of the tapes at the time that there is nothing “explosive” on the tapes at all.

TV3, Duncan Garner, Patrick Gower and the staff of the Herald on Sunday should hang their heads in shame for their News of the World style  tactics in publicising this and changing the focus of the election from issues into a sideshow perpetrated and manipulated by them for political gain.

Winston Peters has been proven to be a liar. Nothing on the tape even remotely suggests what he breathlessly intimated.

This whole episode shows the parlous state of some media outlets in NZ.

It is curious that the tape has been released on the same day as the Prime Minister’s first major speech of the year. Proving that this whole stitch-up has been a political act from beginning to end, shamelessly milked by media outlets desperate for sales and corrupt politicians desperate for votes.

The nominations were unequivocal.

Duncan Garner – one commenter notes:

…knew there was nothing of note in the “tea tapes”, so while he had opportunity to do some real journalism and ask real questions that affect the nation he couldn’t get tea bags from his mind.

Patrick Gower – Inventory2 notes:

for his tirade against “dirty deals” under MMP, which all happened to involve right-leaning parties, whilst ignoring the fact that Labour kept Jim Anderton in Wigram for years by standing dud candidates, and that the Greens were openly encouraging people to give the electorate votes to Labour, and in the case of Kevin Hague, actually bragging about voting for another candidate rather than for himself. Had Gower been as acid-tongued towards the Left as he was to the Right, he could have been nominated for best journalist; as it stands he is a partisan hack.

Brian Rudman – constant whining about the spending of more and more public money on his pet projects, notably a theatre.

Barry Soper – One commenter summarises:

He has a cultivated, pompous accent, wears bow ties and has created the neologistic title of Chief Political Reporter. Just plain dislikeable as a person.

Second, he is demonstrably thick. No explanation required and his tiresome waffle which plagiarises the analysis of others dilutes the quality of the Radio Network commentary.

Thirdly he is a Helen Clark sycophant. I recall him saying on several occasions that Prime Minister Key had approached him and said “You don’t like me Barry do you” to which his sagacious and insightful advice had been something like ” you should study Helen Clark and learn how to be Prime Minister”.

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Phil Goff yet again goofs up with his numbers.  This is the third time he’s botched it.  First at the Christchurch debate, Second in a pre-rec with Duncan Garner on Friday.

Then again today on Q + A under questioning from Guyon Espiner.

Please Phil, make it stop. He just isn’t credible anymore on the finances of the country.