Political Animal: Best and worst of 2007

In the spirit of this season and in the spirit of giving, Political Animal would like to hand out presents for those politicians who went above and beyond the call of duty to single themselves out for attention in 2007.

Lets face it politics is a dirty business, and politics has been especially filthy this year.

It hasn't escaped me this time of year, you creationists out there may have been looking for evidence of Darwin's evolution and modern humans relationship to our cousins the apes, and one doesn't have to look further than Parliament in Wellington to see clearly that some modern humans have failed to evolve and apes they still are.

Nail in Labour's Coffin


Emmerson NZ Herald 19 Dec 2007


In fact some in the Labour Party clearly fail to reach ape like status.

Anyway, that is enough of the serious stuff, lets get on with Political Animal's inaugural 2007 best and worst of Politics.


Man of the year

John Boscowan, for showing opposition to the Electoral Finance Act, putting his money where his mouth was and organising huge opposition to to the fascist, Stalinist, bill that will remove free speech in election year 2008.

His courage and conviction for such a noble cause, in the face of Labour lies and innuendo, where there is usually little courage and no conviction instills pride into myself and others who marched down this countries streets to fight for our rights to have our say.

Boscawan is an individual whose qualities are rarely seen in New Zealand.

He stands above all others.

Disgrace of the year

The passing of the Electoral Finance Bill.

Whopper Lie of the year (sponsored by Burger Kings vegan vege burger)

Sue Bradford, former Miss New Zealand and now Green Party member told parliament that her anti smacking bill wasn't introduced to stop parents from smacking their kids lightly to stop them from crossing the road without looking and then when the bill became an act she said this was the kind of scenario that the bill was passed for.

Best punch and bully of 2007:

The obvious choice for this is of course Trevor "The Bash" Mallard, for trying to deck Tau Henare in Parliament and then unwisely picking on several women state workers, forgetting of course that his boss is a woman....hmmmmm....oh come on Darren that is a cheap shot.

Wanker of the year (sponsored by Durex condoms)

It just has to be that best dressed clothes horse and Taurangas answer to Don King, the heavyweight boxing promoter, Winston Peters.

There is so much material about Peters in 2007 that puts him in the Wanker of the year category. His intellectual masturbatory "gifting" of $158,000 of taxpayer money to a children's hospital instead of giving it back to those it belongs to defies logic.

We all know Winnie and logic fast became strangers when he confused his balls for baubles in 2005 and decided to take the booty instead of smacking the booty of Clarke and co.

His curious affection for Condi Rice also has tongues wagging in Wellington and closer to home, the marital bed.

Leader of the year

John Key, the Leader of the National opposition party finished the year as the most preferred Prime minister and so did his party, by a country mile. He is a man who's time has come and 2008 could be his year.

Disappointment of the year

Once again John Key, he voted for the piece of crap anti smacking bill and systematically drove a wedge into his major support.

Hot air award (sponsored by Exxon Mobil)

To those of all political parties who continue to support the myth and lie of man made global warming and are heading New Zealand on a path of economic destruction and poverty not seen since the great depression and the poppy rush in Europe 400 odd years ago, for no good reason other than politics, taxation and control.

Fool of the year

Micheal Cullen wins streaks ahead of anyone else for this category.

A collective who is so confused by how economies work he thinks governments can spend taxpayer money and not have an effect on an economy but when individuals and companies spend their own money they do!

October 2011 will see this historian look back on 2008 and see that his tax cuts of that year were too little too late for the economy and also failed to have himself and his mate Helen reelected.

Quote of the year (sponsored by Carbon footprints)

"scumbag, scumbag, scumbag, rich prick.." all directed at John Key in the house in December and sums up in 3 words what Cullen and the Labour Party think about those that have made a success of themselves in life.

As long as you don't do better than anyone in the Labour Party, who are ironically mostly from very privileged backgrounds, then you are above reproach.

Micheal Cullen, extremely wealthy himself, not that here is anything wrong with that, should be praising those that do well.


Dope/s of the year

Nandor Tanchos and his party the Greens for railing against gambling, smoking, alcohol, fatty and sugary foods while at the same time advocating the use of marijuana and"party pills" .

Defies belief and conscious thought.

Perhaps the Greens were unconscious when taking their stance on the "ills of society".

Positive media stance of the year

The New Zealand Herald's stance on the Electoral Finance Act. Never before has any media got it so right.

Disgraceful media stance of the year

Russell Brown, John Campbell, Chris Trotter, Al Gore, Findlay MacDonald, and his wife and their mates from NZ's overwhelmingly leftist media pushing the spin that the left do so well.

Repeat a lie often enough and eventually people will believe it.

Racist of the year

Willie Jackson from Radio Live, who calls himself a "Political Animal", he is right on the last part.

Willie gets off on calling people who disagree with him racist while at the same time peddling something akin to the likes of Mugabe.

Little Willie, as his wife affectionately calls him, is also on the state tit and definitely has a face for radio.

To be avoided in 2008.

Caught in the headlights award (sponsored by Wilson Tennis Raquets)

To David Benson Pope for not seeing the car driven by Helen Clark, at 170km pr hr, speeding to cut him down for stuffing tennis balls in children's mouths 20 years ago while still a teacher.

Broadcaster of the year(sponsored by Newstalk ZB)

Leighton Smith, for saying it like it is on his morning show on NewsTalk ZB.

Talkback straight to the point and with intelligence, Smith took no prisoners in 2007. His education of those ignorant to the garbage extolled by the global warming zealots was a high point.

Essential listening for 2008. (back late January)

Loser of the year (sponsored by the New Zealand Labour Party)

The last but not least category is taken out by none other than our favourite Aunt, Helen Clark.

Helen takes out this years award for loser of the year for one main reason, although there are a myriad of others.

Helen managed to take her party from being ahead in the polls and her as Prime ministerial fave, to sinking any chance that her party might have in the 2008 Elections.

She got it wrong all the way through 2007.

The anti smacking bill, Electoral Finance Bill and the failure to be punished for stealing $800,000.00 of taxpayer money to buy the 2005 election were all black marks against her and her party.

The arrogance and high handedness and the dictatorial nature of her leadership let her down time and time again and even long time Labour supporters are questioning their allegiance to a person who would pass laws to stop free speech and interfere with their lives as individuals.

Political Animal wishes all its readers a very Happy Christmas and a wonderful and overwhelmingly prosperous New Year.


C Political Animal 2007

Desperation by Labour Backfires

The New Zealand Labour Party is desperate.

2o points down in the polls, an all-time low against this National Opposition, Labour Ministers mired in scandal and political stuff-ups and the Prime Minister Helen Clark and her underlings are in full filth mode trying to dig dirt on John Key. If serious accusations are to be found true then any politician must be harangued , it just so happens that none of the accusations placed at the feet of Key are serious or truthful

While New Zealands financial and political security and economy is on the brink of collapse and looking like it will consume this government and the country with it, all Labour are interested in is hanging onto power any way they can.

Scurrilous accusations have been made against John Key which haven't stuck and in fact they have indeed backfired on the detritus that have pointed the wagging fingers. What is that phrase again about glass houses and stones?

The energy being put in by Labour to discredit the National Opposition would be better used to govern the nation out of its present sliding fortunes. On second thoughts it might be better for NZ inc if Labour didn't try to "help" us, things always get worse when they intervene!

To simply ignore the mayhem surrounding them though is a crime that should be punished by an early election and a solid beating of the government reminiscent of what David Benson Pope used to dish out to his pupils while he was a teacher at a Tauranga High School.

Labours thrust at another term in office has them ignoring the basic issues a government is elected to do. We have the highest interest rates in the developed world, hospitals unable to cope with patients, finance companies losing almost $2 Billion dollars so far, government Ministers and bureaucrats involved in corruption and cover-ups, crime at at an all-time high, education standards slipping, record numbers of Kiwis leaving the country while questionable immigrants flood in unabated and a continuing lust to curb our freedoms by Labours lap dogs in parliament, Winston Peters, Sue Bradford and the usual hangers on.

Perhaps the biggest lunge at power lust by Labour is the introduction of a a contentious bill to parliament that will make it almost impossible for detractors of the Government to criticise them or use money in an election year to advocate against them or for an individual or party that one supports. That includes blogs such as this one. (I will not remain silent though dear readers)

The Electoral Finance Bill would curb advertising by political parties from January 1 of an election year that would cap their electoral spending, while government advertising on programmes like KiwiSaver would be uncapped and able to continue unrestrained. This advantage would also apply to Labour supported interest groups such as left backed organisations like the PPTA and other unions.

This kind of introduced legislation-it hasn't been passed yet-is the kind of law that would be passed by jurisdictions such as Mugabe's Zimbabwe , Stalin's Russia, Mao's China and Hitler's Germany.

The successful passing of this bill and its repercussions on democracy cannot be understated. The main purpose of the bill is to shut down free debate and the ability of the silent majority to elect an alternative government, whatever colour that government might be. It cannot be allowed to pass and any individual in parliament who votes for it must surely hang their heads in shame and perhaps think of packing their bags for a seat in Zimbabwe's Governing dictatorship. Clearly those who vote for such individuals must also question their motives for doing so.

A government whose sole focus seems to be power at any cost and the neglect of the country and those that voted for them in the first place is indeed a sad state of affairs. Regardless of how badly Labour have governed New Zealand over the last 8 years and history will look back and judge this period as one of the blackest since the great depression and more recently Rob Muldoon's tenure in the late 1970s and early 80s, a Governments focus must be on governing the country. It is from the outfall, positive or negative, from a governments running a country that a voters ballot must be judged and cast not the corruption of the democracy by fascist law and filth flinging at opposition.

Either way Helen Clark's Labour Government must be judged and whatever angle one looks at it from , whether it be from Governmental success/failure or unbridled muck raking and various legal/ illegal attempts at remaining in power they have been a dismal failure at both.





c Darren Rickard 2007

Pointing Fingers in the Playground

Growing up in small town, Hastings, New Zealand during the 1970s I was an average boy from a poor family, in spirit and financial acuity, who didn't really aspire to anything above my position in life. Sure, I dreamed of getting out of the life I found myself born to and found an inspiration in my otherwise hopeless Father, in that he worked hard and did his best to provide for his family. I inherited his resounding spirit of working hard for a living and along with my Mothers ability to make my Dads meager wages stretch further than Jonah Lomu could run, I have managed to do quite well in life.

It is often ,as one starts out in life, that ones social outlook on life is formed. The fact you might be born into a certain family background and have particular experiences because of that background can shape how one makes decisions latter on in life and ones general view on how things should be. A political view if you like.

Hopefully one is not stuck in that mold for life though. As an individual grows he becomes more independent and wants to make "his own way in life".

I remember, especially growing up during my High School Years at Hastings Boys, how if you had a talent, especially an academic one, that it was derided and considered negative if you did well at it.

I excelled at an early age in Economics. My home life afforded me the ability to work out that if you could understand how to work hard and save your money, you would be able to get yourself out of the working class background that you found yourself born to.

My school mates however found that continuing to come first in class in Economics wasn't something that was positive at all, in fact I was given hell for excelling at a subject that I loved and understood very well. Collectively bullying an individuals success was the programmed response. Welcome to the New Zealand Socialist grounded, knocking machine!

In places like the United States achieving such a feat was celebrated and you were set apart from your peers because you had worked hard and done well. In New Zealand the Socialist knocking machine didn't allow for you to stand out from your peers for doing well. Those that did better than the average were always treated by others badly because clearly there was a pervading jealousy that came out in them as their efforts never quite got them there.

The answer was to pull achievers down to their level.

Nothing much has changed today. The great Kiwi Socialist knocking machine has reared its ugly head in the New Zealand Parliament. Ever since John Key popped his head above the parapet and became leader of the Opposition his success in life has become the stuff of derision , envy, jealousy and avarice from the Labour Government.

At no time has this vindictive, nasty,cancerous attitude towards individual success been more apparent than during the last few weeks in the house.

Helen Clarke and her "House-Yard" bullies have been braying and knocking at John Key simply because of the achievements he has made during his very distinguished career in the finance industry. He has educated himself at University, worked hard in his chosen career and made allot of money. Something to be looked up to one would think?

Not in this country and certainly not by those in the Labour Government.

John Key grew up in from very humble beginnings coming from a poor background and working hard to achieve in life.

His position therefore in a political party in opposition to a Socialist, collective, Labour Government is an anathema to Helen Clarke and her comrades. Ironically Clarke is from a privileged farming background and learnt her socialist ways from the theories expounded from communist dictum's read at Auckland University. John Key grew up with a socialist background and managed to break free from the socialist collectivism that restrains individuals from being themselves. Helen Clarke and Micheal Cullen learnt at Auckland University in the 1970s to do the very opposite.

It is from this perspective of a "everyone is equal" collective ideal and theory learnt at University that Labour has attacked John Keys individual achievements in life and every piece of policy and thinking coming from Labour sets out to stifle individuality, achievement and the possibility that ones endeavours could put them in the spotlight because they have worked hard and their efforts have put them in a position that should be admired rather than derided and chided by those either too lazy or not talented enough to want to stand out from the crowd.

In fact mediocrity and laziness is rewarded by Labour. Two glaring examples , High School pupils get passes in subjects at school for picking up litter and unmarried mothers get welfare from taxpayers to have children.

Incidentally in Labours efforts to fashion New Zealanders as "equal" and have "equal opportunity of outcomes" the same collective missives don't apply to those that deem themselves worthy that they know best, have New Zealanders best interests at heart and are doing for the collective Kiwi nation what is best for them. That is Socialism at work though. The anointed deem themselves as above the very collective Socialist ideal that they wish for us and the epitome of this is evidenced in the arrogant and high handed manner of Helen Clarke in her attitude that would have her careen dangerously through a country town at high speed in her Limousine but would have an average member of the public lose their license and end up in court and Clarke seeing nothing wrong with that scenario at all. Telling lies to cover up what really happened was the means to make this episode look more palatable to the proletariat of course.

The bullying of John Key and his background and life achievements, in and outside the house, from the likes of Helen Clarke, Micheal Cullen, Trevor Mallard and Phil Goff reeks of envy and jealousy of the kind children would have when they see a child in the playground with a new bike. Rather than a base attitude that would have the collective playground pointing the finger at the individual on the new bike and making fun the collective should be asking themselves individually what one must do to get a shiny new bike for themselves !

What we are seeing in action at present is that John Key is a threat to Labours very core belief that the way for society to progress is for us all to move forward as a group, no one putting their head up , nobody really excelling. Key is a figure of success from a poor background that the majority of the Labour government have not experienced themselves and only read about in books at University.

He has managed, through hard work and obvious talent, to break away. John Key embodies everything that Labour hate. Individualism, capitalism, hard work and ambition to do better and most of all to be rewarded for doing so and they know this trait is latent in every individual .

John Key and successful individuals like him are role models to look up to rather than deride and be the butt of jealousy, envy and pure vindictive Socialist nastiness. The promise that he shows and the threat that he poses to the ideals and Socialist Fauvism that the Labour Government are wedded to, make him the target of their scorn. He encapsulates all that Labour believe should discouraged in society; a good role model to look up to , aspire to be like and be proud to lead a country towards social, moral and financial prosperity through individual pursuit and reward.

In him they can see the individual they would have liked to have been themselves and the possibility of him as Prime Minister in 2008 have them apoplectic with rage for they see in him their collective grip of a South Pacific Socialist Republic of Aotearoa slipping away day by day.

That is Labours agenda for us should they get another 3 years.

The alternative, while not perfect, is the possibility that New Zealanders may finally be free to make decisions for themselves, be responsible for their own lives and most importantly be rewarded for their efforts and achievements.

c Darren Rickard 2007