Keep up with
Newstalk ZB

Wed, 22 May 2013, 04:48

Have Your Say

Talkback 0800 80 10 80
Overseas +64 9 307 1080
Text 9292

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • Sign Up

Site Search

Search Search

Select your region:

Political Report: Brain Fades

Share |

By: Barry Soper | Thursday, October 04, 2012 6:30 AM

Amnesia's a common problem with politicians. They'll say something one year and forget it the next hoping the rest of the population suffers from the same brain fade.

Usually it has something to do with election promises, although these days easy access to information over the internet makes fudging the facts a little harder.

State Homie John Key's memory doesn't serve him well. There have been many occasions during his time at the top that he's told us he can't remember something or other.

Even before he got the job he was asked during a television debate to cast his memory back to when he was a student at university in Christchurch when the notorious Springbok tour protests were raging all around him. The city was a hotbed of radicalism, as was the whole country, but The Homie couldn't remember what position he took during the tour.

Then just a few months ago the country was celebrating its 25 years of being nuclear free. Again he was asked whether he supported the anti-nuclear legislation, as he does now, or whether he was against it. It was that old familiar line, he couldn't remember.

And that's again the case over when he first knew about his super spy agency being involved with Kim Dotcom. He's always claimed he only found out when he was told on September 17 that the spies were illegally snooping on the internet giant.

But a review of the spy agency shows he was briefed about their operations in February when the Dotcom involvement was briefly raised. He's the minister in charge of the agency and just a month earlier the cops had battered their way into Dotcom's mansion which just happens to be in his electorate.

The American style raid raged across the news bulletins and screamed out in the banner headlines. No one who was even vaguely interested in the news would have been unaware of the raid or the name Dotcom.

So the following month when it came up at the spies briefing one would have thought Key's antennae would have been red alert rigid.

But no, he couldn't remember. Trouble is it seems the spies, with the exception of their boss who's directly answerable to Key, can.

So he'll now have to front up to the grizzlies in the Parliamentary bear pit the week after next to put the record straight.

Let's hope he remembers!

Photo: Getty Images

 

Larry's Memo: May 21

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

GCSB The Inspector-General of Intelligence has looked into 88 spying cases ...

Mike's Editorial: Teaching profession st ...

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Well praise the Lord, do we see some common sense at last in the teachers&r ...

Political Report: John needs to sort the ...

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

State Homie John Key's certainly been a globe trotter in his time at the to ...

Ramblings of a Redhead: The Curse of Bea ...

Monday, May 20, 2013

I sighed with a heavy heart as a read this latest article on the Daily Mail ...

A new reality TV concept

Monday, May 20, 2013

I can't keep track of all these unreal reality shows. I don't try to but th ...

Mike's Editorial: Breakfast in schools m ...

Monday, May 20, 2013

There is allegedly an announcement coming on feeding kids in schools. Curr ...

Advertisement
Mike Hosking Breakfast
Advertisement
  • Rugby: Hansen happy after Mount training camp

  • Damaging storms for Coromandel tonight

  • NRL: Locke, Nielsen named to return

  • Basketball: Tall Blacks, Ferns to finally play at ...

  • Waterspouts in Auckland, moderate tornado risk

  • Oklahoma tornado: Death toll nearing 100 +VIDEO

  • Concern Redcliffs home wasn't being monitored

  • Teachers to be recognised in new agreement

  • Alistair Helm: CVs don't help ...

  • Karl Anderson: truck drivers n ...

  • Steve Merczynski: the Oklahoma ...

  • Jim Veitch: the GCSB enquiry

  • Tuesday-Things People Do Not W ...

  • Friday-Budget Passion

  • Thursday-Topless Research

  • Wednesday-Gilmore So Gone

National Convention Centre

Do you support the Government's deal with SkyCity over the National Convention Centre

Vote Now

View Results