Lefty Makes Threats

(Short story: if you read no other posts this week, read this from Hooton)

I initially didn’t think much of the comment moderation over at what is now Chris Trotter and Matthew Hooton’s blog, but once Matthew came on board, it put it in a different context. In fact, it’s quite good to ahve a blog that tries to keep a higher standard of comments.

Most people now understand that. Not all though…

What is it with lefties and the word “rant”? They seem attach it to every single thing they disagree with, no matter how thoughtful and considered.

In actual fact, this post illuminates some very key passages of New Zealand political history…

…  In 1996, Peters had attacked the Bolger Government, the Reserve Bank and the Reserve Bank Act, saying they were doing untold harm to New Zealand.  He had ideas about how the operation of monetary policy could be changed in New Zealand that he took on the campaign trail.  I am told that, soon after Peters’ appointment as Treasurer, then Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash met with his new boss and said he had read New Zealand First’s manifesto and speeches and, assuming Peters was serious, wanted to set up a process to review the RBA and the operation of monetary policy in New Zealand.  My source (and you can guess who it may be) said that Peters replied: “Don’t worry about all that.  The next election is three years away.”

I find that sick.  It later had very important implications.

As close followers of politics will know, a National/ACT/United Future/Maori Party/NZ First Government was a mathematical possibility after the last election.  The way I understand things, National, ACT, United Future and the Maori Party all agreed on basic terms about how such a government would operate, and the other party leaders told Brash to get in touch with Peters to discuss it.  Brash never did, and the other party leaders were perplexed.

The reason, as I understand it, is that Brash had been so sickened by Peters’ cynicism from the time Brash was Governor and Peters was Treasurer that he simply did not want to deal with him directly, despite it being the difference between government and opposition.  Instead, letters written by Peter Dunne’s Chief of Staff (and former Bolger Chief of Staff) Rob Eaddy were sent.

…and showed that Labour were much the same – while quoting from “The Hollow Men” when it suits…

I got Je Lan Brash on side but Don chose the Peter Keenan draft, and, politically, that was the right call.  In a sense, it was fair enough for Keenan to call me, as reported in “The Hollow Men” “an idiot”.

Nevertheless, I caused a bit of a fuss.  I had paid for a table for 10 at the Orewa speech.  Ironically, I had invited Diane and Bill Foreman to join my table.  When it was confirmed to me that Brash was going with the Keenan speech I cancelled my table.  Lockwood tells me there was a gap, which he – as local MP – was embarrassed about, but which I am quietly proud of.

…they claim that Hooton was involved in the Brash Orewa speech, which is false.

Read the entire Hooton post, it’s worth it.