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Old 5th December 2016, 13:00     #1
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
John Key resigns as PM

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11760656

Quote:
John Key is resigning as Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Key made the announcement at his weekly press conference this afternoon.

Key, his voice shaking with emotion, said he told his Cabinet of his decision this morning

"This is the hardest decision I've ever made and I don't know what I'll do next."

Bill English is expected to take over as Prime Minister and Steven Joyce is expected to take on the finance role.

The Herald understands that Key's wife Bronagh asked him to resign.

The National Party caucus will hold a meeting on December 12 to decide the new party leader and Prime Minister.
Holy wtf didn't see that coming Batman.
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:04     #2
pxpx
 
welp gg
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:07     #3
Lightspeed
 
So guesses on what happened?
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:15     #4
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
Max refused to partner for golf with Trump
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:28     #5
blynk
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightspeed
So guesses on what happened?
Wondered that.
More likely personal decision rather than political.

Why would the National Party try and roll him with their current popularity (if only Labour did this now).

I sense we will look back on this in a couple of years and see this as the demise of the NP. They will change PM and then there will be in fighting and leadership changes.

Last edited by blynk : 5th December 2016 at 13:30.
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:33     #6
pxpx
 
Quote:
Key cited family reasons for leaving, saying the job had required great sacrifices "from those who are dearest to me".

His wife Bronagh had endured "many lonely nights" and his children Stephie and Max had been put under "extraordinary levels of intrusion".
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:36     #7
ZoSo
 
Lurking that long in Mt Roskill, surrounded by Labour, would do that. Hawaii would be calling loud.
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:47     #8
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
If you're over it, you're over it. He's massively popular and the party he leads is polling at 50%. NZ PMs don't get to go out on top, I don't think it's happened in the past hundred years. They get knifed or they get voted out. JK breaks the mold again.

I'm not happy though, because the world is fucked. It's been reassuring to know that NZ was in the hands of a guy who is genuinely popular and who is a sensible centrist with leftie tendencies.
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:48     #9
fixed_truth
 
Yeah I would say it's for family reasons. If it didn't leave now then he could of been stuck in the job until 2020

He'll be looked back upon as our most loved and most hated PM.
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Old 5th December 2016, 13:55     #10
ZoSo
 
YUO=LAME

Clearly scared Of Holt.
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Old 5th December 2016, 14:43     #11
JERI
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lightspeed
So guesses on what happened?
I hope it's not a family tragedy or a distressing diagnosis or something. Good luck John.
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Old 5th December 2016, 14:55     #12
Lightspeed
 
Maybe he's gonn go chill with Obama.
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Old 5th December 2016, 16:15     #13
madmaxii
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
I'm not happy though, because the world is fucked. It's been reassuring to know that NZ was in the hands of a guy who is genuinely popular and who is a sensible centrist with leftie tendencies.
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Old 5th December 2016, 16:23     #14
CCS
Stunt Pants
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZoSo
Clearly scared Of Holt.
True. I'm very tempted to vote for her as a joke.
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Old 5th December 2016, 17:08     #15
Lightspeed
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
I'm not happy though, because the world is fucked. It's been reassuring to know that NZ was in the hands of a guy who is genuinely popular and who is a sensible centrist with leftie tendencies.
I think JK squandered NZ's moral authority at a time when it's most needed. But maybe he's right, maybe the need to be in "the club" is paramount with the future we're facing.

National is also squandering NZ's social capital to keep some backwards thinkers happy so they can stay in power. That's going to leave a long, painful legacy.

That said, it's an unfortunate truth that amongst the current stock of world leaders, JK looks pretty good.
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Old 5th December 2016, 17:26     #16
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
As far as I can tell the biggest problem facing the Western world is old angry white men, because they fuck up everything they touch.

How's this for a theory: a world in which the influence of old angry white men is growing is a world in which New Zealand's governing party HAS to accommodate Winston Peters. Maybe JK just looked ahead to the next election and the thought of having to give the old vampire a seat at the big table... and went "yeah, nah".
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Old 5th December 2016, 17:42     #17
pxpx
 
Winston can't live forever.
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Old 5th December 2016, 18:20     #18
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
He's been looking shaky for years. But all he has to do is make it to the next campaign and life is miserable. If that's one of the things on Key's mind, then fuck yeah retire at the top.

Seriously, as of his last day Key has won the game. Undefeated multi-term Prime Minister leaving with his party more popular than when he took office. Nothing his opponents have done has touched him.
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Old 5th December 2016, 19:52     #19
smudge
Ich Bin Ein Grey Lynner
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
who is a sensible centrist with leftie tendencies.
umm, BS Mr ACT voter. He was an opportunist who took advantage of the popular dilusion he was a "likeable, down to earth" type, and used a generation's willingness to sell out the future of their children's, and grandchildren's futures in their own self interest, to remain in power.
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Old 5th December 2016, 20:25     #20
CCS
Stunt Pants
 
Lul wat?
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Old 5th December 2016, 20:43     #21
pxpx
 
Yea, smudge, you're dead right. History will show that John Key did everything he could to remain in power. Even resigning!
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Old 5th December 2016, 22:08     #22
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
See that's just how power hungry he is.
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Old 5th December 2016, 22:56     #23
CCS
Stunt Pants
 
I'm still not sure whose future he sold out and what that future was.
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Old 5th December 2016, 23:08     #24
Lightspeed
 
Maybe he resigned when he could no longer hold onto power? Maybe he's now looking forward to enjoying the fruits of his position without the scrutiny? We don't really know what's up. But I guess it's clear the story we each prefer.

"Keep Winny from power" isn't a very impressive resume. Is that worth the problems we've inherited? Is a billion dollar prison really the spending priority of a leftie?
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Old 6th December 2016, 00:46     #25
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
Dunno, but legalising gay marriage and free doctors' visits for children, etc, sure ain't the legislative priorities of a rightie.
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Old 6th December 2016, 06:54     #26
pxpx
 
lolspeed strikes again
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Old 6th December 2016, 10:22     #27
DrTiTus
HENCE WHY FOREVER ALONE
 
I blame John Keys
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Old 6th December 2016, 11:18     #28
fixed_truth
 
I'll give John a B. Had he not sold assets & stopped Cullen fund payments for tax cuts then he could've made a B+. But then when you take into consideration education, health, surveillance, poverty, housing & govt. debt then maybe I'm being generous. Gonna miss that cheeky smile though.
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Old 6th December 2016, 12:23     #29
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by fixed_truth
I'll give John a B. Had he not sold assets & stopped Cullen fund payments for tax cuts then he could've made a B+.
Fair call, although I'll point out that he campaigned on partial asset sales and got elected therefore that policy was part of his deal with the voters.

As a politician I rate him as an A- on a bad day, off the scale on a good day. But as a Prime Minister I think your ratings are pretty sane. I wish he was retiring a bit less popular for having expended some popularity on doing stuff that needed to be done.
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Old 6th December 2016, 12:32     #30
Savage
 
At a time when the rest of the world seems to be slowly eating itself and/or imploding in spectacular fashion, and considering some of the NZ specific hurdles that came his way, I think JK did a pretty good job of getting NZ through.
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Old 6th December 2016, 14:00     #31
pxpx
 
English? Not feeling it.
Coleman? Not feeling it.
Collins? Not feeling it.
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Old 6th December 2016, 14:04     #32
CCS
Stunt Pants
 
Laugh

Prime Minister Crusher. DO IT!
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Old 6th December 2016, 14:08     #33
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
As far as I can tell the biggest problem facing the Western world is old angry white men, because they fuck up everything they touch.
Second point: one of the other problems is that people are giving up on the electoral system and they are starting to hate the people who are part of it. That's one of the reasons Key has been so successful and so popular, people regard him as an outsider, someone who already had a life before Parliament and who is looking forward to life after it. If your CV is "Young Nationals, Staffer to a National MP, List MP, Electorate MP" (or the leftie equivalent) then you are the wrong person for the wrong time.
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Old 6th December 2016, 14:28     #34
Lightspeed
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
Dunno, but legalising gay marriage and free doctors' visits for children, etc, sure ain't the legislative priorities of a rightie.
They certainly would be if they thought that would bolster public support. Even the US, far more right than NZ, largely supports gay rights. Free doctors visits for kids is a nice thing to hold up when anyone questions the undermining of the rest of the public health care system.

In any case, during a time where NZ repeatedly demonstrated its economically robust nature on the world stage, the foundations of which predate any recent prime ministers, on balance JK tipped our resources away from those in need to those who already have much. The justification being financial prudence. Rather than seeing the strength of NZ and continuing to feed what built that strength.
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Old 6th December 2016, 14:50     #35
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
It's easy to say "oh it was inevitable" years afterwards. Of our English-speaking OECD peers only Canada legislated for same-sex marriage before NZ. The UK, after us; the USA, after us; Australia still hasn't.

Can you think of any "right wing" leader in the world whose party has done anything remotely comparable with the Ngāi Tūhoe settlement which removed Te Urewera from the National Parks Act? with restoring the right of Māori to seek customary title through the courts?

Would a "right wing" leader go on a Keynsian public-works spending spree funded by public debt (roads, Chch, etc) as Key has done? Would a "right wing" leader publicly lend his name and support to a campaign to discard our colonial flag in favour of a unique flag that reflected our identity?

Would a "right wing" leader not only retain the social policies of the left government he replaced (e.g. Working for Families) but increase benefit spending?

Summary: a centrist with leftie tendencies. Anyone who argues for Key as a right-wing ideologue is fucking blinded by their own dogma. He's rich, and took control of the National Party, so he must be right-wing.
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Old 6th December 2016, 16:09     #36
CCS
Stunt Pants
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ab
Summary: a centrist with leftie tendencies. Anyone who argues for Key as a right-wing ideologue is fucking blinded by their own dogma.
Truth for days.
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Old 6th December 2016, 17:40     #37
fixed_truth
 
I think JK was flexible and so was sometimes right-wing, sometimes a centrist and sometimes left-wing. I do think if you weighed up the past 8 years he would be centre-right.

I know this is National and not JK but I assume it's based on policy.
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Old 6th December 2016, 18:02     #38
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
As previously commented, any graph that lists ACT as "authoritarian" is worth what you paid for it.

But you're correct in pointing out that JK is not the National Party. Which is important, because he has changed it to be more like him. I think JK is the greatest thing to happen to National in forever, because he's pulled it away from oldwhitemalecountryconservativeness and to the centre where the people and the votes are. You think the party of "Springbok Tour" Muldoon and "Fiscal Envelope" Bolger and "Iwi/Kiwi" Brash would be out there settling Treaty claims and giving same-sex couples the right to marry without John Key?
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Old 6th December 2016, 18:25     #39
StN
I have detailed files
 
I still think there might be something come out of Pike River. Maybe enough to sink national in the coming months. That kind of gamble might have played on his mind too.
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Old 6th December 2016, 19:12     #40
Ab
A mariachi ogre snorkel
 
Yeah and I'm sure the Benghazi smoking gun was in Hillary's deleted emails too.
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