John Key wants to be prime minister of New Zealand - harden up John...

John Key wants to be prime minister of New Zealand - harden up John!

John Key claims Labour is seeking to smear him and the National Party over the H-Fee Scam: Re Equitcorp and the infamous H-Fee money transfer scheme which ranks as New Zealand's most notorious white-collar crime. This landed Allan Hawkins and Elders executive, Ken Jarret in jail - it was alleged to have been devised as a method of covering up payments to Equitcorp for helping Elders in a takeover bid for BHP.

Questions have been asked about John Key's possible involvement with the scammy scheme. Key worked at Elders Finance in the 80's, and had some questionable workmates? Key claimed he left Elders in 1988. The dirty deeds actually occurred two years earlier, and Key was still employed by the company at that time.

John Key is upset that Labour is trying to smear him less than a couple of weeks from the election.

What does John Key think that he and National and the media have been doing to Winston Peters for the last year or so?

Harden up John! You do want to be prime minister of New Zealand, don't you?

Are loans National's new social welfare...

Are loans National's new social welfare?

John Key's explanation of the NATS policies in relation to redundant workers is a load of old cobblers, unfair and totally unworkable. We have student loans and now National wants redundant workers loans!

It shows just how much out of touch the National Party is with reality. There should be low taxed compulsory redundancy agreements in all workers contracts!

Are loans the new National Party social welfare?

Makes political sense to use a political loophole if you ask me...

I haven't read the booklet yet, but it makes commonsense to use a loophole in the law if there is one. We are fighting an election for the political souls of New Zealanders:

A legal expert believes Labour has made smart use of a loophole in the electoral law.

The party has issued around 64,000 booklets for people aged over 60, which give advice about government entitlements and the impact of this year's tax cuts on the pension.

Associate Professor of Law Andrew Geddis from Otago University says the electoral law still allows MPs to communicate with their constituents.

"Labour has just chosen to do that around election time to remind everybody of what their MPs are doing. If they had used the word 'Labour' or they'd even used the colour red, that may have fallen foul of the election spending rules."

Mr Geddis says the way Labour has crafted the pamphlets means the money spent on them is kept outside the Electoral Finance Act rules.

But National is accusing Labour of dipping its finger back in the public purse in a bid to round up votes.

MP Gerry Brownlee claims the booklets are a twisting of the rules. He says the intention is to have the candidate photograph sitting on the coffee table with the subliminal message that they should be voted for.

Labour was caught out at the last election for spending $800,000 on its pledge card.



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What were the issues this week, a debate, polls and a lying John Key...

What were the issues this week? Too many to elaborate on.

The polls: Too many different polls during the last week. From 3%, 6%, 10% and 18%. Yeah right! The only poll that matters is om election day.

The Leaders Debate: A shambles that was not refereed properly. A bad mannered John Key got the sharp end of Helen's tongue eventually. Surprisingly the "Flip Flop Kid" was quite articulate - bit different from the unfortunate Don Brash three years ago. Helen had to talk over Key to get her point across.


The Story of the week: Did John Key give Pita Sharples a guarantee that National would not get rid of the Maori seats if the Maori Party supports National? Pita Sharples is a man of principle and is more likely to be believed than the slippery John Key. Has John Key lied about the conversation with Pita Sharples, who is still adamant that Key did give him a guarantee? Has Key flip-flopped again?

Labour plans on infastructure spending supported...

Great stuff Helen Clark and Labour! Labour was also under no obligation to advise John Key about anything. Key would only use the opportunity to politicise the matter.


PM Clark proposes more infrastructure spending to stimulate economy if it weakens too much; mini-Dec budget if Labour wins election

Prime Minister Helen Clark says Labour will consider bringing forward infrastructure spending if economic conditions do not improve.

In response to the financial instability around the world, the government will guarantee all bank deposits in order to stop panic withdrawals. The Australian government made a similar move last week.

The guarantee will cover people who have savings with building societies, credit unions, finance companies and cash portfolio investment schemes. Banks with deposits up to $5 billion will not be charged for taking part in the scheme, but for deposits over that amount, a fee will be charged.

Miss Clark made the the announcement at the launch of the Labour's election campaign in Auckland yesterday. She also outlined a spending plan which is intended to stimulate the economy if needed. It includes bringing forward infrastructure spending and building projects such as school properties and extending the rail line from Whangarei to Marsden Point. Miss Clark says if Labour wins next month's election, it will devise a mini-budget in December.

A spokesman for National leader John Key says the party had been in contact with the Reserve Bank about its plans for the banking sector, but was not consulted at all, about Labour's proposal to guarantee bank deposits.



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CTU's election policy statement calls for NZ workers incomes to rise and more protection for their rights...

CTU's election policy statement calls for incomes to rise and more protection for workers' rights...

The Council of Trade Unions has released its election policy statement, which sets out to lift incomes and protect workers' rights.

President Helen Kelly says political parties need to spell out what plans they have to increase pay packets and protect core social services.

She says the CTU wants the minimum wage to rise to two-thirds of the average wage ($15 in the interim), 26 weeks paid parental leave moving to 56 weeks, investment in skills and technology to be boosted and a lifting of the rate of multi-employer collective bargaining and industry agreements.

Ms Kelly says any new tax cuts would seriously hit the amount of money being spent on public services and it is important that everyone is on a level playing field.

"The fact that everyone can go to the doctor regardless of income, that every school in this country gets good funding and has highly qualified teachers and that they're all paid the same rates of pay."

Three hundred thousand copies of the statement will be released to the public over the coming months.

I am looking forward to reading this document.



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