THE HERMIT KINGDOM
I see that nice Mr Hipkins has taken umbrage at John Key’s descriptive of New Zealand as a smug Hermit kingdom. For myself I think Key’s analogy liking the country to North Korea is somewhat apt.
The only difference that I can see is North Korea’s refusal to acknowledge the existence of Covid in their country. Ardern’s restrictions on travel could have just as easily be written by Pyongyang.
One can understand Hipkin’s sensitivity.
No Minister 
If you listen to John Key in the interview on Newstalk, you can see why Hipkins got upset. Key was able to give coherent answers to complex questions, distinguished between facts and opinions, quoting datas and research to show he was very well read. He also admitted stuff he didn’t know. And his Hermit Kingdom analogy really bit deep.
Such a contrast with the kiddies currently in charge.
Chris Morris
September 26, 2021 at 1:33 pm
I don’t like Hipkins but I would not wish the workload he has on any one. Education and Covid Response are one Portfolio jobs
Shows the dearth of depth Labour have had from day one.
pdm1946
September 26, 2021 at 2:03 pm
pdm … fair point. Covid response is a many headed hybrid … it requires its own full-time Minister while education is too important to be left to the bureaucracy (as Alwyn Poole will happily acknowledge). And the reality is that Covid is having a huge detrimental effect on kids education particularly in the Auckland region with stupid rules during locdown that prevented my granddaughter going into her classroom to retrieve her laptop …. five weeks wasted …. and the simply brilliant solution by MoE presumably endorsed by Hipkin’s … award them credits anyway.
And when they get out into the real world ……
The Veteran
September 26, 2021 at 2:31 pm
And when the nice Mr Key had finished how can his recommendations be summarised
Yep you got it “”Oh here are 8 things we can do better than Labour”
No mention of a game changer or a real policy shift to make people think, oh like using Denmark as an example.
Nope, more of the same medicine….that vacine will save us all
Pfffttttt
Key the Obama of New Zealand.
rossco
September 26, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Errrrrrrrr no, Rossco.
Eight things Labour is NOT doing, is more like it.
Can you just imagine your equine featured BFPM in charge of the Christchurch earthquake recovery?
Working parties everywhere but none of them could think.
adolffinkensen
September 26, 2021 at 5:39 pm
Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Adolf, we all know Labour aren’t doing anything, thats a given.
I know Perth is a long way from anywhere but please try and keep up.
There was a few lines after the second line of my post, perhaps you didnt read that far……if not, that pains me as that was the whole thrust of my post.
rossco
September 26, 2021 at 6:20 pm
Chris here is an example from a lady who is on the opposite side of the Political Spectrum – a good friend who would do anything for us as we would for her and her partner; but she does not like people who are financially successful.
`you’ve got to be joking. Even he knew he couldn’t hold things together any longer so left the sinking ship. Best thing he ever did for this country.’
pdm1946
September 26, 2021 at 6:50 pm
If you want to see why John Key got out of politics, look at the reaction to his article on the left wing blogs. Vituperative is an understatement. Almost none mount a coherent argument against them, other the JA has saved the 80,000 type.
Chris Morris
September 26, 2021 at 4:09 pm
Chris he got out of politics because he made the worst mistake..
He staked his political capital on changing the flag, his idea, he ran it, he selected the flag panel and the flags, he failed to consult with Maori, etc etc
It failed and he quit using the old saw..my wife needs me at home.
His legacy, “we can do it better”.
I certainly didnt notice that in education or say local Govt reform, or even central Chc which was left a mess.
I isn’t no Leftie either…..
As for the Leftard rhetoric, that wouldnt worry Key in the slightest. I used to enjoy watching Key on Parliamentary TV, he used to slaughter them including that silly little lazy girl called Jacinda.
rossco
September 26, 2021 at 5:34 pm
Sorry to rain on your parade Rosco but Key inherited NZL with the country facing a decade of deficits. Not my words … the Treasury BIM. Then came the earthquakes and he turned that all around and when he quit the books were in surplus. He wasn’t your run of the mill politician … when he felt he could do no more he stepped down. I have no doubt with Key at the helm National would have won the 2017 election. You can argue the toss about the flag referendum … but he at least put that to the people. Contrast that with Three Waters and the Health sector reforms. Nothing about that at the time of the last election and now ….
He wasn’t perfect but by any stretch of the imagination he’s streets better than what we have now and it shows.
Key was a creature of MMP. You govern from the centre …. a lesson that Jacinda will learn to her cost.
The Veteran
September 26, 2021 at 7:11 pm
No rain where I am Vet, but in the physical world in Wellington its pissing down, and that includes borrowed money.
I have no problem with some of Key’s achievements.
I would also agree he might have won the 2017 election. But as I said he stuffed up his one personal project and walked, so we shall never know. Perhaps he read the tea leaves and realised he wouldn’t win. But bad judgement again on his part to depart when he did.
And he probably passed the batten to the wrong guy based on loyalty. The baldy, slightly tubby guy (forgotten his name) would have been a better choice.
Funny Adern seems to have 2 elections by not pandering to the centre and seems hell bent on winning a 3rd one with a shit load of other peoples money.
Roger Douglas won by selling his policies. But he was unique, brains, ability and wisdom and he sold his policies to an electorate that were dying for economic liberalism, and the freedom to live their lives the way they wanted to.
Aint no visionaries in National, aint no sales people either. Cant sell what you dont believe in so we come back to “we can do it ever so slightly better than them”
Oh we can run MIQ better, ah we can clean the toilets better than them, we can vaccinate better than them.
Why dont they start with personal liberty, freedom and responsibility and work forward from there.
Hope its not raining…too hard up your way
rossco
September 26, 2021 at 9:46 pm
Listened to Key this morning on Mike Hosking.
The first 80% of his delivery and message was excellent. Reminds me of why I like listening to him in Parliament slaughtering the opposition.
Then we went downhill real fast to the days of Jews wearing Yellow Stars, and the Salem witch trials.
The PI church was a bunch of muppets, not only for travelling but belonging to it. Ah John there is freedom of association and freedom of religion. Just because you don’t agree with it
Then it was onto the “anti Vaxers”, all tik tok users and believe a silver spoon will stick to their arm if they have a jab. Childish and moronic from the ex PM. I am sure the head of Virology at Harvard would think John a twat!
No mention of the well known failings of these vacines.
Then on to his daughter, no doubt early 20’s living in Paris on Dad’s cheque book. According to her expert advice Vaccine Passports work a treat in the Paris Club scene. Oh dear John, you forgot to mention the tens of thousands of protesters in Paris and around France who show their displeasure.
Oh and by the way John on the weekend 150,000 people marched in Amsterdam against such discrimination.
I’m surprised John didnt bag Catholics for eating Fish on Fridays. That’s definitely worth a Purple star with I’m a Catholic emblazoned on it.
But perhaps dcrane on KiwiBlog caught it best, if I can part quote:
“I’m beginning to think Key’s supposedly government-challenging appearance on the covid strategy is a planned Trojan horse to soften the public up here on domestic passports, facial ID spyware, etc.”
He certainly didnt have any new ideas beyond this very limited view and degenerate bagging of those 25% of the population who might disagree with his “expert” opinion.
At least 80% was spent bagging the opposition.
rossco
September 27, 2021 at 9:53 am
There were good things done during the Key years. Getting some of the major roading projects underway and the broadband roll out – although that’s really just spending money, any politician can do that.
When the Nats put English in charge in 2017, that was the beginning of the end really. Chances were they would need Winnie First after the 2017 election. (Helen Clark demonstrated in 2005-2008 how to keep Winnie in tow – give him grandiose ceremonial duties, with all the booze, fine cigars and flange that goes with it – and no responsibility). Winnie & English hate each other, and Winnie was always going to put the opportunity to nut-punch Bill English ahead of everything else in 2017.
This is the first time Key as surfaced since early July when he did that interview in Stuff in which he offered up some of the most egregious, belly crawling sycophancy to Xi Jinping and the CCP I’ve ever witnessed. He even bragged about being friends with Xi and getting Xmas cards from him – (I somehow doubt Xi sees you as any sort of a friend John)
Key must be hoping to get one of those sinecure appointments to the board or directorship of a “China Bank” like Shipley & Brash both got.
Porky Roebuck
September 27, 2021 at 12:28 pm
John Key is an archetypical Davros type, like Macron and Trudeau and Jacinda Ardern herself
Vaccine Passports are part of the endgame I suspect – they are an instrument of control
They are not analogous to the passport used for international travel despite being sold that way
They are a way of withholding things from people who do not comply with directives from the Ministry of Truth
For a start it will be the ability to attend Rugby games or drink in bars but once started it will be any and everything that make life possible
Key starts off reasonable with stuff nobody can disagree with but ends with the solution being something that is totally unacceptable
But National party groupies will go along with it because it is out Labouring Labour
Andrei
September 27, 2021 at 1:13 pm