Nasty Politics

Russel Norman reveals the National Party as corrupt

I don't like wetlands, they're swamps

Sabin: Environmentalists are concerned about digging up the area.

Collins: Are they? Oh well...

Swamp kauri.

Nasty orcs.

Collins still in trouble (out damn spot!)

This guy sees it very clearly.

THINGS LOOK MURKIER FOR JUDITH COLLINS


I didn’t think there would be anything more to emerge regarding Judith Collins’ trip to China and her dinner meeting there with her friends from Oravida and that unnamed Chinese border control official. The opposition wanted the name of the official; Collins refuses to supply it – it all looked very much as if the Mexican standoff would ensue until the story ran out of legs.

Unfortunately for Ms Collins, it has now emerged that in August 2013, Julia Xu (Oravida’s managing director and Collins’ close personal friend) had written to Trade Minister Tim Groser and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy, asking for help from the government with regard to border control issues with China. Following the Fonterra botulism scare, China implemented a new testing regime, which was said to be affecting Oravida’s exports of fresh milk to China. The letter urged the ministers to “help us navigate through this difficult time” by “working with the Chinese Government to remove this new testing requirement”.

Of course, as everyone now knows, two months later Judith Collins was in China, meeting with her friends at Orivida. The infamous “private” dinner was held, and Ms Collins apparently made idle chitchat about tourism to the unnamed Chinese border control official.

So, Oravida had explicitly raised its concerns about Chinese border control issues with two National party ministers. Then, lo and behold, two months later, when a further government minister (who just happens to be married to one of Oravida’s directors and is close personal friends with its managing director and CEO) travels to China and has dinner with a Chinese border control official.

It doesn’t matter whether Ms Collins thought the dinner was going to be private. The moment her friends at Oravida turned up at the restaurant with a border control official, it stopped being private. Collins was being used by Oravida to grease the Chinese border control wheels. Further, she was being used because of her personal links to Oravida. For that reason, those at the dinner lose any right to privacy. New Zealanders are entitled to know who this Chinese official was and the department they work at. Otherwise, this looks suspiciously like a cover-up of some rather corrupt goings on.

Bryan Gould on Collins' corruption and more

"The impression already given to overseas business interests - and confirmed by many recent instances - is that the way to get things done in this country is to get the ear of the Prime Minister or of his close colleagues and advisers. In that way, private deals can be struck, rules can be changed or bent, tax benefits can be conferred, ministerial interventions to grant citizenship can be arranged - and if a generous donation is given to a political party by way of thanks and recognition, then who can complain?"

He is quite correct.

Read the rest of Bryan Gould's revealing article here.

Collins - deeper hole, still digging

It's getting worse for Judith Collins. People are noticing. And writing comments. Here's one:

Clemgeopin6
19 March 2014 at 12:52 pm

Some thoughts:

[1] Cup of Tea Collins says, “So I had no idea where I was.” Does she know where she is at now?
[2] Key said she was on her final warning. Hasn’t she passed it now? Will Key sack her now or just swallow?
[3] Key said the Cabinet office ‘cleared ‘her! How do we know that to be true? Why then does he not release the advice?
[4] Key’s and Nat party response so far is a clear indication that Collin’s Oravida BS has already harmed and will continue to hurt Key and the National party.
[5] Key today advised Labour saying, “Oravida focus bad for votes”! Since when was Key a well wisher of Labour party? Is he saying that Labour should simply concentrate on their policies but even though they are the main opposition party, they should simply ignore the corrupt goings on with regard to Oravida and Collins? I think Key is actually very worried that the Oravida scandal and knows that it is bad for ‘National’ vote, not Labours!
[6] Some NAT/ACT supporters are deliberately or cunningly missing the point: It is the corruption angle for personal gain that is paramount in this scandal here.
[7] Also, now in China they shoot the bribe taking corrupt officials. Hence that custom official’s presence at the dinner is so significant. Something is rotten in the states of China and New Zealand!
[8] It is obvious and any fool will know that it was a pre-arranged dinner, not something she just happened to ‘pop in for a cup of tea’ on way to the airport. This sort of crap explanation to justify BS is unforgivable and insulting to our intelligence.
[9] Seems like a tax payer funded misuse of official position/trip for personal/family financial benefit and also party’s benefit in donation. Definitely serious conflict of interest.
[10] On the one hand, I think Collins very unbecoming behaviour with the Oravida saga is definitely a sackable shameful offense, but on the other hand, it would be good if she remains until the election so that every time we look at her or Key, we will be reminded of how discredited and corrupt this coalition regime has actually been!

Right-wing support for Judith Collins' lies - Te Reo Putake comments

(Background: Judith Collins claimed she 'popped in for a cup of tea/milk on her way to the airport.

Seems it wasn't a cuppa, wasn't popping in, and the venue was no where near the 'way to the airport').

Te Reo Putake3
19 March 2014 at 11:21 am

Because they are so very consistent, I’m expecting howls of indignation from the right about this. After all, when Helen Clark was driven through Canterbury at high speed, and said she didn’t really notice because she was head down concentrating on her work, the right called for her head.

Of course, there is a small difference; Clark said she was working, Collins said she was goofing off because she had nothing better to do while waiting for her flight. Gosh, it’s so hard to tell which is worse, eh?

Garner on Collins

"Judith Collins has been caught out not telling the truth.

She has misled the New Zealand public; she has misled her boss the Prime Minister; and her best defence is that she lied to us, by omission.

It is simply not good enough. She is no longer fit to be a Minister, she has failed the truth test. I have been saying this for a week now: She did not just pop in to Oravida, she planned it weeks out.

Now, we know she had a top level dinner and meeting with Oravida bosses and a senior official from the Chinese Government, all in a private capacity. There is no such thing when you are representing NZ as a Minister overseas.

Remember, her husband is a director of this firm. That’s the conflict. The Collins family stands to gain from the success of this company. You don’t just forget this sort of detail, you hold it back on purpose, and that’s what she has done.

I have always said when you put a Minister or MP in a tight spot, their default setting is to lie. They do not tell the truth and this is what has happened here. Collins has once again proven my theory correct.

She has misled the NZ public and that’s not acceptable. She has lost the confidence of a nation. She has misled the PM – and that’s where it always used to get terminal for Ministers with Helen Clark in charge. But John Key has decided to tough this one out. It’s the wrong decision. He should sack her.

He sacked Nick Smith for less in my opinion. Collins simply tried to bluff us, but she has failed and she has been caught out. She’s not indispensable. Her reputation is shot.

It’s clear the Chinese saw her visit and subsequent website appearance as an ‘endorsement’. But the Prime Minister continues to claim it was just a ‘promotion’. There is absolutely no difference. It’s the same thing. It’s semantics Prime Minister. The John Key of old would have crucified Helen Clark for such garbage. He needs to step back and see this for what it is.

He has been implicated in Judith Collins’s web of deceit. She has misled Kiwis and she has misled the Prime Minister. She is no longer fit to hold the warrant as Justice Minister."

I can’t say it anymore direct than this: She should be sacked.

Cave and Murrell - quotes of the day

Mervyn Cave and Jack Murrell are stalwart letter-writers who contribute often to the Southland Times' YOUR VIEW column.
Today, each has a repeatable quote; Jack's on Judith Collins, Mervyn's on "Ruby" Timms.

Jack doesn't pussy-foot around:

"Judith Collin's ministerial dignity has vanished and in my eyes she is now a quaking, querulous cow."

Mervyn torments chairman Timms with a letter to "Ruby":

"I extend my sympathies to you over the trauma you would have suffered from having your identity stolen for nefarious political purposes."

Mervyn's taken to mocking the ES chairman for her lamentable behaviour and he's not the only one. I hear it everywhere I go.

Anonymous drops one on Collins

" Collins looks like a stupid old trout - a psychopathic bully who lacks good judgement."

Some clear thinking anonymous commentator left this stark comment on a thread concerning Judith Collins and her harpy-ish pursuit of Trevor Mallard, Andrew Little and Radio New Zealand, for some perceived slight she believes she suffered and so well-informed was the comment of Anon, I've built this post around it. And here it is, un-cut:

"Anonymous said..

It's a shame Collins didn't care as much about the real issues - the antics going on in ACC and the lies told by middle management which make her look stupid.

Her indecisive management and lack of leadership on ACC clearly shows she isn't Prime Minister material.

ACC's dysfunction have a bigger impact upon her reputation and make her look stupid than Little and Collins. Then every time the defamation case is mentioned she just looks worse like an unstable, spoilt child. It's pathetic and tragic,

Ultimately this fiasco will probably cost her her job.

Imagine if she had handled things differently from the start - admitted ACC had problems and then simply said she'd sort it all out. It would have been over in a few days.

But no - her ego was in control and said - I'm going to get Pullar and Boag for exposing me and making me look stupid..... She manipulated the report saying Pullar threatened knowing full well Boag would be implicated, the leak of Boag's memo was orchestrated from her office board or ministry, she slagged Pullar off as being indecent (clearly just projecting about herself), she's acted defensively trying to sue Little & Collins & Radio NZ, and on and on she's gone.

It's all a side show to the real issue - ACC has problems.

Collins looks like a stupid old trout - a psychopathic bully who lacks good judgement.

I bet Key is spewing.

As a result if her actions she has kept National in the media in a negative way and they've dropped about 5% because of her ego.

I'd suggest she'll find herself dropped before too long or she'll be switched out or resign the portofolio, as through this process she has exposed herself as an ego driven manic who doesn't give a toss about her portfolio -only defending her reputation.

It's a shame she doesn't have the power of clairvoyance.

Minister Collins digs furiously

Judith Collins is determined to clear her besmirched name and has sent out the thugs to collar Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little for saying naughty things about her. Mallard said  he was less concerned about thugs than Little would be because he was ''broader and didn't wear glasses''. Good shot Trevor. It's  a bit of a farce and you're treating it that way. Collins, as the cartoon shows, is apoplectic about the dweadful tweetment she's received from the rude boys and won't stop her in pursuit of justice. She has however, gone soft on her determination to take Radio New Zealand to court - wonder what happened there? Did she see sense, briefly but clearly, and decide to quietly let that drop? She's holding on to the Mallard and Little though, like a pop-eyed harridan, but they're playing silly-buggers with her and dodging her paper-servers, or at least saying they will. It's all quite ditzy. And funny. Go the bad boys! Go Angry Jude! Waste each other's money like nothing else!