Alex Casey looks at the best of the worst of John Key on the commercial radio circuit. Caution: contains entirely too much information. It’s hard to know at this point in time what we will miss the most about John Key. Will it be the time he said that gender quotas in Cabinet were stupid? … Read more
This time next week John Key will be jetting to Hawaii, while a replacement measures the drapes on the Beehive ninth floor. But who are the likely contenders to succeed him? A thumbnail introduction, by Toby Manhire Amy Adams: Selwyn, 45 Pros: Unblemished by scandal, First on the alphabetical roll. New generation, signalling renewal. Cons: … Read more
Henry Oliver listens to every song ever recorded about John Key to come up with the definitive listicle on the matter. For all his popularity, political skill and steady, centrist economics, John Key was disliked by many, including, apparently, a few musicians who were inspired to write songs about him. So, with his resignation, he’s … Read more
Every night the television news happens at 6pm and current affairs shows happen at 7pm. Normally nothing much has happened. Yesterday though, John Key resigned, so Duncan Greive watched our nation’s finest broadcasters try and figure out what it all meant. Yesterday – you may have heard – our prime minister resigned after eight fun-filled … Read more
A gaggle of shell-shocked geese, in the form of Toby Manhire, Ben Thomas and Hayden Donnell, splutter hot-take spittle all over the mid-price microphones in the Spinoff podcast studio. Guest starring Annabelle Lee and José Barbosa. John Key, the prime minister of New Zealand, has announced his resignation. He’s done. He’s had it. He’s out. … Read more
John Key resigns as prime minister: what does it all mean? A range of commentators from all points on the political spectrum weigh in. Jennifer Lees-Marshment: A chance to refresh the National brand John Key’s resignation will carry strategic benefits for National – even if it wasn’t designed to. It means the party can find … Read more
‘He understands middle New Zealand in a way that is unparalleled.’ Political commentator Ben Thomas looks back at John Key’s prime ministerial career. It’s easy to forget, after eight years leading a stable centrist government as the most popular Prime Minister in New Zealand history, that John Key’s political career has been built on surprises. … Read more
In a momentous political bombshell, John Key has announced he’s standing down as PM. Some early, shell-shocked thoughts from Toby Manhire… It is one of the hoary rules of politics that leaders never – almost never – go of their own accord. But John Key, not for the first time, has proved his resistance to … Read more
The refusal to mount an independent inquiry on behalf of those who suffered horrendous physical, sexual and psychological abuse in state care is staggering, writes Elizabeth Stanley. This morning the prime minister, John Key, has joined his social development minister, Anne Tolley, in defending the government’s approach to victims of horrendous physical, sexual and psychological … Read more
Annabelle Lee and Ben Thomas brave the Spinoff stairwell of doom to join Toby Manhire for another Gone By Lunchtime, the hi-energy Zumba workout of political podcasting. The Spinoff political podcast trio abandon all good sense and attempt to analyse the auditor-general’s report into the Saudi sheep farrago and what it means for Murray McCully … Read more
The government has formal yardsticks and ‘ambitious targets’ coming out its ears. But not on child poverty. “It sounds airy-fairy but it’s the advice we get.” That was the prime minister this morning on RNZ Morning Report, in response to questions from Guyon Espiner over the government refusal to set a target for reducing child … Read more
On the world stage at the UN, the prime minister attempted to appear the global statesman. But following Obama’s pledge on resettlement, Key produced a series of clangers, argues Murdoch Stephens of the Doing Our Bit campaign. At the weekend both The Nation and Q+A interviewed John Key in New York, fresh from his address … Read more
The prime minister took to the stage at the UN General Assembly in New York today. Watch a video of his address, and read the completely mature digested version. If the video fails to load, you can always click here to watch. Gidday world. I’m from New Zealand and I’m here to tell you to … Read more
Figures on the ethnic breakdown of cannabis convictions show the folly of the prime minister’s faith in ‘police discretion’, writes Don Rowe. A majority of New Zealanders now support the decriminalisation of marijuana, according to a poll released last month by the New Zealand Drug Foundation. The survey, conducted by the same company that polls … Read more
‘Twas always thus, says the prime minister of young people’s struggle to get into the housing market. Economist Shamubeel Eaqub has some thoughts about that. In an interview on Newstalk ZB this week, broadcaster and clothes horse Mike Hosking asked the prime minister about “people locked out of the market” for housing in Auckland, “like … Read more
A Spinoff/SSI poll shows National’s support slipping in Auckland. Tim Murphy looks at why the blue tide might be going out in our biggest city (Hint: it has something to do with a housing Apocalypse). One intriguing result from this week’s Spinoff-SSI poll of voters is that the Government’s lead in the party vote has fallen considerably … Read more
A mindset from the world of business may have spread out into culture and political life, steamrolling ideas of objective truth along the way, argues Campbell Jones There has been widespread discussion over the past month about the disappearance of truth in New Zealand politics. In an important opinion piece, TVNZ reporter Andrea Vance argued … Read more
We edited John Key and Andrew Little’s words together into a surprisingly unified speech on the housing crisis. While I was putting together this impossible quiz, I noticed something surprising: John Key and Andrew Little were starting to make sense. Reading quotes by the pair on the housing crisis – Key’s from a speech in 2007, Little’s from interviews … Read more
We designed a quiz to test whether you can tell the difference between the Prime Minister of nine years ago and the Labour leader of today. It’s improbably difficult. It’s the End Times in the Auckland housing market. An average house is worth 10 times the average household income. Only four percent of sales are “affordable”. A … Read more
This morning, John Key conceded some of his loudest and most persistent critics are right – about one thing at least. Tim Murphy was there to watch the Prime Minister change tack. John Key this morning conceded the government is not spending enough on the nation’s most vulnerable. In the midst of a political winter dominated by homelessness … Read more
When asked if the killing of 50 people at an Orlando gay bar was motivated by homophobia, John Key claimed that he “didn’t know”. Laura Vincent knows. It’s a fact that 49 people lost their lives in the worst mass shooting in American history at a club named Pulse in Orlando, Florida. It’s a fact that this … Read more
Opinion: Murdoch Stephens of Doing Our Bit unpicks the announcement of a modest increase in NZ’s refugee intake, and the immigration minister’s suggestion that campaigners ‘care a little less’ about new arrivals’ resettlement There is a familiar arc that is meant to be respected when responding to disappointing news from a disappointing government: cautiously challenge … Read more
When John Key flies out to Fiji today, one journalist who won’t be joining the delegation is old Pacific hand Michael Field, who is banned from entering the country. He explains how he got added to Bainimarama’s blacklist. I’ve a long history of being banned in the Pacific. The reason why I’m unable to join … Read more
The prime minister told reporters yesterday there are plenty of (relatively) affordable Auckland homes on TradeMe. Madeleine Chapman searched the site to see if he was right. Asked yesterday about Auckland’s average house price nearing the $1 million mark, John Key was as upbeat as ever: “If you go on Trade Me this afternoon and … Read more
Spoiler: Almost certainly it doesn’t. The most remarkable thing about John Key and his government’s support is how rock-solid it remains in the middle of term three. The poll result on housing, mind you, is striking. True to the digital-first mantra, Newshub has published its latest Reid poll online, eschewing the usual path of unveiling … Read more
Opinion: National gets away with mixed messages over tax cuts because Labour has failed to grasp the nettle and frame tax as both a fairness and patriotism issue, argues Simon Louisson The left’s failure to frame the tax debate since the last election has put it firmly on track to spend three more years in … Read more
The prime minister has suggested his lawyer was sloppy in his choice of wording in an email two years ago. Now, on assurances regarding Mossack Fonseca, is the sloppiness getting even sloppier? On April 13, the prime minister was widely reported as saying he had been assured that his longstanding personal lawyer, Ken Whitney, had … Read more
The NZ PM has been welcomed to Beijing with a commentary at the state news agency (nb See update at foot of article) cautioning such an ‘absolute outsider’ against raising the South China Sea dispute, suggesting to do so would imperil trade relations. It doesn’t come completely out of the blue, explains Asia-Pacific expert David … Read more
Opinion: The forthcoming select committee review into assisted dying should represent a welcome opportunity for reasoned debate on an important issue. It’s unfortunate then, says Gareth Morgan, that the committee’s chair has already made up his mind. After the much publicised struggle and death of Lecretia Seales, former MP Maryan Street presented a petition to Parliament … Read more