Kim Hill Had The Measure of Clark on Face to Face

For once I thought Hill maintained objectivity and developed a level of persistence I had not seen while questioning Clark tonight.

I thought Hill addressed the U-turns by Labour well and pretty much got them all out there. Clark was not amused and left to trot out tired old policy and slag National's programme once she overcame the shock of the questions. She was struggling to get on top of the nervous tick that did its worm thing. She had no credible answer to any U-Turn and was made to look her mendacious best.

What did come across was she is no longer her imperious self. Methinks the polling is not what she and her strategists planned/hoped. She is now contemplating a result that at best has her in coalition with the rancid Greens. She will be having palpitations worrying about the meglomaniac Donald and the fragrant(off) Fitzsimons.

Clark was so sure of herself ("and her friend Kim asking easy q's") that she had no ready patsy answer to the "Say you are really sorry to the nice police drivers question". That is haunting her - not because they sped; but because everyone knows she lied to save her own skin - then once the gravity of the situation became known had no gumption to adjust the lies and save the police from convictions.

Now, absolutely every one knows Clark can not be trusted under fire. She fails every precept of kiwi mateship.

Tale of Two Couples

I arrived late after a long day at work to catch the last half of the Davis' talking with Holmes and the Brash's at home.

I was struck by the contrasts - Brash couple came across as a close and loving couple. Davis couple seemed ill at ease in the role Holmes tried to cast them - lovers(ing) - at best they seemed two close flatmates who had been together a long time; with all the attendant eccentricities.

Sadly, even in her own home Miss Clark was on message.

Good Old Fashioned Fisking by Aaron

Readers on this blog will recall my fiskings of Mr Wood-Bargolias.

Bertrand Bargolias (aka Labour Candidate for Pakuranga) has out dicked himself this time. Aaron has him on the spit, turning left slowly. Insolent Prick ups the ante to finish.

Who Cares that the BRT and or Act have emailed advice to Brash and the Nats

This story should just be ignored. Simply agree that as a party National consults widely, as opposed to the narrow bigoted approach of the Greens and Labour who only consult and take advice from a tiny sliver of left wing opinion makers who have a very liberal social agenda waiting to be released post election. This will include opening private property to all comers and continuing to reward interest groups who vote for Labour.

Aaron Bhatnagar concerned where Hide spends his time

I think the more interesting points in the National Act email saga were made by Roger Douglas this morning on Moaning Report where he said that following an enquiry from Helen Bain (reporter at the SST) regarding emails he is alleged to have sent he would investigate his emails and come back to her. He did that - unable to find the emails she claims he sent. She would not send what said she had to him either. No record and no recollection of them either. Maybe they don't exist.

No worries she seems to have said - I won't let the facts get in the way of a good story...

I thought Bain was better than that.

State Radio at sea with Brash emails

This morning's piece on the Brash Act email (non) saga was a failed beat up by the Left's acolytes at State Radio on Moaning Report. This station is totally inept - unable to come up with original reportage they were comfortable to cite the SST story as their source. That was their sole source. Plus of course giving Helengrad a vox pop to rant that Brash was being manoevered by the "Hard Right".

I must say I do enjoy those mornings State Radio is on strike.

Labour Candidates Feeling the Heat

Michael Wood a Labour candidate who blogs as Bertrand Bargolias has blogged he is finding a hostile reaction to his party's presence campaigning...

...After 15 minutes of leafleting however, we were feeling distinctly unloved. Aside from malevolent stares and snarls of disdain we encountered muttered comments about "communists" and one woman actually physically pulled her child away from us as if to avoid contamination. It look set to be a very long afternoon....

Wood must be gutted with the reaction to his message. His explanation for the hostility was the mall where he set out his stall was near a National party meeting being held by the local National MP.

I don't think that mall is a National party stronghold - What he experienced is what is happening everywhere in C-L C and C-R electorates. Peeps are sick of Helen's hegemony, hectoring and mendacity - and Cullen's stealthy and not so stealthy taxes.

They are not going to accept being bribed with their own money - they are looking forward to keeping more of their own pay and having choices about what to do with it.

I suspect the mall experience speaks volumes for Labour's chance of success come September 17. It was not campaigns colliding - the tide is simply running out.

Good to see the Ref's have changed their shorts

Just back from Eden Park after watching an absorbing NPC game between Auckland and Southland (Akl 38 -37!)

I note the referees and touch judges have shed their metallic grey stubbies and turned out in black shorts. Big improvement - no longer looking like bit players waiting to sing Y-M-C-A.

Michael Wood Labour Candidate for Pakuranga says he will be better off with National's Tax Cuts

Wood on his blog Bertrand Bargolias has conceded "...I would personally receive quite a good tax cut under National..."

Yay, finally some honesty from Labour.

New Poll Added

Hide significantly ahead

I have added a new poll to check the firmness of Rodney Hide's electorate vote. The first poll I did shows support for the Hide/Act combo at 59% and Hide/National at 17%.

Seems like Rodders is getting over the line in the blogosphere at least.

Please help yourself to the new poll - adjacent

Smart Politics from National

Giving Police back their discretion regarding speeding infringements is smart politics.

This issue has always niggled all New Zealander's - who cannot accept the distinction between 109 and 111km per hour as regards road safety. Or better, between the road holding of a 5series BMW at 111 and a hotted up Impreza lowered in the mate's garage, with no shocks and poor brakes at 99 km per hour.

This speeding issue always looked like nanny state nitpicking and revenue gathering by Labour.

Then for the triple whammy the recent indiscretions in Ministerial limousines for Clark and the GG demolish the slogans from the simpletons at the LTSA that "Speed kills".

Clark's Cavalcade Causes Cabinet to Cough

In an extraordinary move Cabinet Ministers are having a "whip round" to pony up the fines for the convicted Police and civilian drivers.

What on earth is going on? Clark's Cabinet's tokenism is a lame and hamfisted attempt to obfuscate the real reasons there are fines to pay at all.

If Clark had said the simple phrase "they were speeding to meet my schedule" the Crown case against the poor Police would have failed on the grounds of no case to answer.

Instead we have a ritual disembowelling by her Cabinet.

This will be of little consequence to the convicted drivers. National's tax cuts will put enough in the hand to pay the fines - what is not addressed is the driving conviction. That will stain each man's record for life.

This an unedifying spectace for Clark who holds all the cards.

Hide Giving Good Show on Face to Face

Rodney Hide tonight on F2F scoring heavily against the socratic irony posed by Kim Hill.

Hill gave Tariana Turia a much easier ride first up - (because she is a woman? haha.) than she appears to be giving Hide. Anyway, Rodney is easily parrying her questions and at the same time making telling points about Labour and to a lesser extent National.

Hill resorted to tired 80's and 90's rhetoric and slogans - ""When we come back is it the end of right wing extremist economics?"" was the sign off to one ad break.

It seems the MSM is caught in a last century timewarp. No MSM commentator seems able to grasp that all parties (except NZone) are for tax cuts.

Particularly clearly Hide made the case for National + Act as the only logical grouping if you want to get rid of Clark and her government.

Poll update:

Hide + Act	67%	8
Hide + National	17%	2
Worth + National	17%	2

School Fees in Next Labour BackFlip?

The breathtaking backflip by Labour to fund private child care is another sign of the desperation in Labour's ranks. Once described by Duck Mallard as Kentucky Fried Childcare, the 180 must be a real kick in the guts for Mallard.

It marks a significant shift in Labour's policy, which has previously avoided using taxpayers' money to fund private centres. Great to see Labour grudgingly acknowledge the worth of the private education model in the early vulnerable years.

Now what is the chance that private schools will be addressed by Labour in a similar vein. Nil? Nada? Zilch?

Another Labour Leak Backfires

It points to a Labour scam to leak the GG's driver was recently ticketed for speeding with the GG in the back seat (she of all officials I would believe when/if she says "I had no idea how fast we were travelling ", talk about a woman out of touch, but I digress).

Having Harry the Luckiest (Non) MP in Parliament and Minister for Transport SAFETY say "it's just one of those things which happens" when commenting on the GG ticket is just way too little.

I am sure this was an attempt by Labour to take the heat off the Prime Minister for her crazy canterbury cavalcade. It has backfired. All we citizens see is a group who think they are above the law. Paintings, beating pupils, etc

What got Clark in the crap over the crazy canterbury cavalcade was first up her denial there was an issue then her lying as to what she knew was going on then to let her drivers take the bullet when a simple "they were speeding to achieve my timetable" would have stopped the court dead in its tracks.

Speed was not the problem, lying, dissembling, sophistry and mendaciousness from the Prime Minister is the problem.

Cullen You da Man - Yeah Right

More from Brash's excellent speech today:

"...at the peak of the economic cycle, we have 300,000 working age New Zealanders on a full time benefit – 110,000 of whom have been on a benefit for at least four years.

The waste of taxpayers’ money – at a cost of $14 million every day – is bad enough..."

$14Million per day on benefits - a third of those on benefits have been there for four hard Labour years. At the peak of the economic cycle...Cullen you are a disgrace. Maharey you deserve to be first against the wall.

Early Hint on Tax Cuts

Don Brash has said his Government will change significantly the way second jobs are taxed.

..."we will change the way in which tax is collected on secondary employment. We will collect that tax. at a rate below 20 cents in the dollar, unless the taxpayer asks, in anticipation of a higher tax obligation, for collection to be at a nominated higher rate..."

This is a smart move as it highlights an area of the economy - kiwi battlers if you will - where the hurdles are too high for many to take another job; so they don't.

In my generation many of us had two or three jobs so as to get the capital to get ahead. At that stage of your life you have the time, energy and incentive to have a go. The incentives are not there now. Worse still with the abatement regime under WFF. (actually it is an interesting acronym - is it Working For Fucks sake? seems like it eh! just the sort of mis-incentive we have come to expect under Labour - why work if someone else works for you...see my earlier blog on the ant and the grasshopper)

Four Standout Promises from Brash

If my ministerial limousine is travelling at 160 kilometres an hour, I promise I will notice.

And if I sign a painting, it will be because I painted it.

I promise an end to the creeping, some would say galloping, political correctness which has overrun our ship of state.

And I promise that when something goes wrong, it won’t always have been the officials’ or the driver’s fault

This is a great start - to the final three weeks of Helengrads' siege.

Hat tip: David Farrar

Smoking Your Own Exhaust

Autocue reader Judy Bailey said today sacked TV One News head Melanie Jones ..."brought intellectual rigour to the news bulletins". "She asked the questions that needed asking..."

Yeah Right

Looks like Bill asked the last question and is still waiting on an answer

Fine Fodder For Fisking Over at Michael Bargolias'

This guy either publishes a press release from the beehive or rambles off on his own making facile and febrile remarks to something in the blogosphere.

There are always good opportunities for a good old fashioned fisking with Michael. His wet behind the ears analysis must have Maurice Wiiliamson sleepwalking back to Wellington.

See for example, Michael wittering:

"Our hard won surpluses can be frittered away on the electoral bribe of tax cuts" is a good example - see the language OUR hard won surpluses.....WTF, tax is always an expropriation. When there is a surplus you took too much.

I understood National delayed its tax announcement out of deference to David Lange.

Cullen couldn't bring himself to show the same respect eh? Smarty pants tried to gazzump the Nats.

Good thing is Cullen has now shot his bolt. There is plenty of money to hand back to those it was nicked from and government services will still be maintained.

Cullen's calculated cynical bribe is going to be his second strategic mistake. His credibility as a careful hand on the tiler is shot to pieces.

Hardin's Essay provides a backdrop to the student reaction to the loan bribe

The reaction of students to the Labour bribe echoes somewhat Hardin's classic 1968 essay (interestingly Hardin was thinking about nuclear weapons) - the tragedy of the commons -

"The "logic of the commons" is as follows:

Each household has the right to take resources from and put wastes into the commons. To accumulate wealth, each household believes that it can acquire one unit of resources or dump one unit of waste while distributing one unit of cost across all of the households with whom the commons is shared.

The fallacy in the logic of the commons lies in the failure to recognize that all households are attempting to do the same thing. Thus, on average, one unit of gain for a household actually produces a net one unit of cost for each household.

However, selfish households accumulate wealth from the commons by acquiring more than their fair share of the resources and paying less than their fair share of the total costs.

Thus with the Labour bribe, Students know it is a bribe and unsustainable but selfishness forces them to partake and that same driver will encourage them to go to the max. Else another habitant of the commons will take their share.

"I know it's a bribe," "but I'll take it anyway."

So claims a debt laden student reacting to Labour's craven student loan bribe. Brian Fallow in today's Herald has a thoughtful article on Labour's massive electoral bribe.

Fallow reveals the huge gap of $1.7Billion between fair value for the current loan portfolio and what is in the country's balance sheet. This sum will consume Cullen's 2007 forecast when a more transparent reporting standard is introduced and the portfolio is written down to fair value.

Shows what a dork Cullen is - this will really upset your OPERDA or WTF acronym you try to bamboozle people with. Real issue Michael - we are going backwards and you are not being honest. Your bribe will worsen the situation.

But I guess you don't give a toss - your sole objective this time is to get Helen back in power for a record third term. end, justify, means...

The size of the writedown estimated here is before any increased uptake in loans as a result of the free interest rate under Labour. Labour in their craven, cynical, calculated pledge have taken today's opportunity for power against tomorrow's opportunity to pay.

Another Labour "fact" is destroyed in the analysis as well. Much was made by Labour of the impact of student debt on the brain drain.

The reality, only 25,000 of the 445,000 people (5.6%) with student loans are overseas.

Again. spin, end, justify, means.

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The original story of the ant and the grasshopper

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter,the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

The modern New Zealand version.

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate like him are cold and starving. TV1 and TV3 show up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper, with cuts to a video of the ant in his comfortable warm home with a table filled with food.

Kiwis are stunned that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so while others have plenty. LABOUR supporters, the Greens and the Maori Party demonstrate in front of the ant's house. TV1, interrupting a Maori cultural festival special from the Waikato with breaking news, broadcasts them singing "We Shall Overcome."

Helen Clark and Ruth Dyson rant in an interview with Paul Holmes that the ant has gotten rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share."

In response to polls, the Labour Government drafts the Economic Equity and Grasshopper Anti-Discrimination Act, retrospective to the beginning of the summer. It is quickly passed through Parliament.

The ant's taxes are reassessed and he is also fined for failing to hire grass hoppers as helpers. Without enough money to pay both the fine and his newly imposed retrospective taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government.

The ant moves to Australia, and starts a successful agribiz company.

The TV stations later show the now fat grasshopper finishing up the last of the ant's food though Spring is still months away, while the government owned house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house crumbles around him because he hadn't maintained it. Inadequate government funding is blamed, retired Prime Minister Dame Helen Clark (also known as Sir Helen) travels back from the UN and is appointed to head a commission of inquiry that will ultimately cost $10,000,000.

Meanwhile the abandoned house is taken over by a gang of immigrant spiders, praised by the government for enriching New Zealand's multicultural diversity, who promptly terrorize the community. The grasshopper is found dead of a drug overdose. The New Zealand Herald blames it on an obvious failure of government to address the root causes of despair arising from social inequity.

The Spiders await a Legal Aide cheque to assist them to bring their 20,000 brothers and sisters to New Zealand, and to sue Social Welfare and Family Support citing the $2,000 weekly benefit as being inadequate.

Hat-tip: Tom and Lisa (who have moved to Australia)

Don't you wish Jordan's Blog was an adverb and a past participle of leave: "Just" and "Left" and he took his own advice

I think he thinks it is an adverb and an adjective.

Although, sadly, he may also think it is two adjectives.

On the evidence of his blog he ain't just.

Dickhead Jordan Proves He's a Tit

In a classic case of opening mouth to change feet the self declared left wing Labour party activist, Jordan Carter today, proved beyond doubt he is a plonker.

First up he accused right wingers of being rascist and xenophobic.

The heading on his blog

"A classy example of right wing racism/xenophobia"

"Such nice people, these right wingers. Obviously one is not welcome in Fatherland Fortress New Zealand unless one is born here."

Then the hunt started - as the baying pack got close the fox went to earth and sent out a signal -"This post was a pisstake" - It was an experiment to "show how sanctimonious and self-righteous the blogosphere in New Zealand can be"...etc

All he has done is prove what a bonehead he is - how lame; the sooner he shoots through to Canada as he threatens the better.

PM back in the frame in a new Tamihere Investigation

Investigate magazine following up an email (anonymously sent and probably from disgruntled Police sources) has looked deeper into the Tamihere issues at and around the Waipareira Trust.

The artice notes (correctly in my view) that the $195,000 golden handshake was always a red herring and probably a beat up to take the eyes from far more dodgy dealing.

The email has picqued Investigate's interest. It would appear the SFO remains on the case, and here is the interesting point; because SFO overview means Helengrad can keep an eye on developments - something she cannot do if it becomes a standard Police enquiry.

This is classic Clark. Bury the bone somewhere close where she can watch it.

The allegations against Waipareira Trust and Tamihere do not appear to get anywhere near the usual $1Million hurdle for SFO interest. Hence the suspicion the SFO's continuing involvement has a political dimension.

Interestingly, Tamihere himself started this latest enquiry when he sent a letter to the Waipareira Trust calling for an independent audit:

“It seems to me on the information to hand that the situation involves incompetence, negligence or corruption, and an independent audit and review from people with some capacity and integrity is long overdue.”

I get a sense that the audit may have started the goose cooking...

Back to the bone, Tamihere is presumably dog tucker - either in the election or later if returned and a bigger scandal breaks.

To avoid the paradox that the fact the SFO is handling this particular case makes it political, the SFO should be told to hand this case over to the Police.

We wouldn't want any suggestion Helen was able to monitor enquiries into a rival now would we?

WTF chose the new Refs uniform for the NPC?

The referees are in silver stubbies, a white shirt with red trim and red knee highs. The whole look is out of International Rescue.

The ref has no authority and looks like he missed the cue to come off after the pre-match entertainment.

It has to go.

Update: I think Lyndon Bray and co did not get the 'how to wear page'. Seems he was wearing the Touchies kit.

The Refs kit is Sunderland strip - actually looks authoritative. Still not sure about the metallic stubbies!

Oyster Season Over

All good things come to an end. I have just received a call from my supplier to tell me the three dozen Bluffies he delivers tonight will be the last for the season.

There are many sacrifices I make in living in New Zealand. Bluff oysters are one of the absolute highlights. Having managed three dozen every weekend since the season began, next weekend will be a little low I hazard.

A related highlight has been introducing my 16 year old son to the delicacy.

Big News has Summarised Clark's Spin on Speeding

Dave has summarised the PM's spin on the South Canterbury speed-a-thon she claims not to have judged.

I republish it here, with thankss:
We were not speeding.
I don’t think we were speeding.
I was too busy to notice if we were speeding
I was working the papers in the back seat at the time
I felt safe in the car at all times
Don’t blame me, I wasn’t driving
It was not my decision to speed.
The decision was made by the police.
It was my Press secretary 's decision to speed
It was an error of judgement
I actually enjoyed the ride

And probably, the piece de resistance:
It wasn't me who told my press secretary to speed it was the Prime Minister. Blame the Prime Minister, don't blame Helen Elizabeth Clark.
Hat tip: Big News

I think this issue is the sleeper of the election. It strikes right at the heart of her lack of integrity (fradulent paintings, Benson-Pope etc) and shows all her hubristic traits. Most people of whatever political persuasion know she is letting 5 policemen cop a conviction because she cannot do the right thing and 'fess up that it was because of decisions made by her these drivers broke the speed limit - consistently for 96 minutes. Whether she ordered them to speed or not is irrelevant. The status of her office and the specific knowledge by the drivers of the flight to make made her the officer responsible. ie the drivers had every reasonable cause they were proceeding with urgent government business.

There is no need to have the senior officer (Clark) utter the command. Practice and convention ensure orders are carried out efficiently and effectively.

Sworn evidence counters PM's unsworn recollections

As I have blogged here and here the evidence in Court on the speeding trial shows the decision was the PM's.

This trial need not have happened. That is most important to understand.

If the PM had said, "the motorcade travelled at the speeds it did because I said I needed to make the airport in time for the 4.50pm flight" there would be no case to answer.

Instead for over a year we have had nothing but dissembling and sophistry from the PM.
She has said variously:

1. I was not aware of any speeding
2. The motorcade was not travelling in an unsafe manner.
3. If the motorcade was speeding then that was an operational Police decision
4. The speed was an operational matter and I did not ask them to speed to get me to the airport to make a certain flight.

Marrying these comments with the sworn court record reveals the extent of the PM's sophistry.

It is clear from the reports of the testimony of the Police that they were in no doubt that the reason for completing the journey at the speed they did was because the PM wanted it.

Officer Vallender's testimony:
"She knows what her itinerary is; I don't. It's not for me to question it. If she's got to get somewhere and she wants to get somewhere, she gets there. As far as I am concerned, that's that."

What is really galling is that to cleanse the PM's hands from this incident she is prepared to have 5 policemen and a 1 civilian driver swing.

The evidence we now see shows how bad she is.

PM to make Major Roading Announcements for Auckland Tomorrow

In an acknowledgement that National has the high ground on the issue of Auckland road congestion, the Prime Minister is to announce significant funding increases to accelerate several major/high profile roads in Auckland.

Included in the multi-million dollar package will be the Hobsonville Extension, Avondale Extension, SH20 Manukau Harbour Crossing, accelerated completion of the western ring. Much of this is not new - what is new is the accelerated timetable. Two days ago I heard Pete Hodgson (the Government vet and Transport Minister) wittering away on State Radio (must have been a strike off day) about how there was no capacity to build extra roads - guess what; the geniuses in the Labour spin team have found some surplus roading engineers and a guy to drive the big digger and the roller.

In perhaps the biggest single element a new Newmarket viaduct to be built in stages to the north east of the existing structure will be announced.

Brash and Williamson's good running on this issue - completing the Auckland network pushed Clark into this anouncement. It goes to show how shallow and self serving the Labour administration is - Aucklanders have been banging on about completion for many years. Labour's strategy for Auckland is always is to hold back, until absolutely necessary, the making of announcements and then spinning that this is some major advance.

Just another way of bribing us with our own money - and being made to feel grateful that Aunty Helen was able to help on this occasion.

London Bomber Charged

One of the suspects in the failed London bombings will appear in court today.
Yassin Omar, alleged to be the 21 July Warren Street tube bomber has been accused of conspiracy to murder. Omar was arrested in Birmingham after being subdued with a stun gun.

The other accused 21 July bombers are still in Police custody and have not yet been charged.

In a further indication as to how deep and wide spread the Islamist disease is, a further six people have been charged under the Terrorism Act with failing to disclose information that could have helped police investigating the July 21 attacks. These arrests in Brighton include the wife and sister in law of would be Shepherd's Bush bomber Hussain, who remains in Rome in Italian Police custody.

Meanwhile in Zambia Briton, Haroon Aswat, arrested in Zambia two weeks ago on suspicion of terrorism, has been deported to Britain.

Aswat, 31, was named in some media reports as the alleged mastermind behind the July 7 blasts that killed 56 people including four suicide bombers, but British police have not confirmed he is wanted in connection with the attacks.

There is talk he will immediately be extradited to the US where he is wanted for organising a terrorist training camp in Oregon. Interpol issued an arrest warrant for Aswat a couple of weeks ago on behalf of the US.

London Bombings - Fingers still pointed at North African connections

UK and Saudi security forces are sure two men, of Moroccan descent were involved in both London Bombings. Sadly they will not be interrogated: Recently shot dead, Younis Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hayari, allegedly al-Qaeda's leader in Saudi Arabia, was killed in Riyadh three weeks ago and Abdel Karim al-Mejati died in a shoot-out in the central al-Qassim region in April.

Saudi security officials suspect both men of involvement in the attacks in London on July 7 and 21 and say that al-Qaeda is definitely operating in Britain. "It's beyond doubt they're active in your country," said one.

At al-Hayari's hideout, large quantities of chemicals and other bomb-making materials were found, while Al-Mejati is said to have (also) planned the train bombings in Madrid in March last year.

The Saudi connection is also firming up with Scotland Yard whether coded messages and money - transferred from Saudi to Britain via businesses at both ends before July this year ended up with the bombers.

A Saudi security adviser said: "We are trying to establish whether the money was directly linked to the individuals who carried out either the first or the second sets of bombings in London.

"The messages and the money transfers were highly professional. They were using SIM cards for six hours and then throwing them away."

Hussain Osman, 27, the suspected failed Shepherd's Bush bomber, had called a mobile phone in Saudi shortly before his arrest, while travelling by Eurostar from London to Rome.

Not just mobile 'phones, it would appear the web is becoming a key interface for Islamist terrorists and their masters. This story shows how al-Qaeda has devolved much of its training and jihadist exhortations to the web; out of the Madrassas'.

It will be interesting to watch the story develop as the UK and other authorities break down the live bombers in custody and build a picture of their networks.

Court Reporter reports Police were speeding because Clark said to

Katie Gosset, this morning, on National Radio just prior to 8am reported evidence given in court yesterday that the speed and urgency of the motorcade was set by the Prime Minister. I was driving and did not catch all the names. I think it was evidence from Insp. Blayney - Chief of the Diplomatic Protection Squad.

The respondent (speaking under oath) was in essence saying the PM sets the priority and urgency, not the Police or the DPS.

This drives a horse and six through the PM's guileless sham that operational matters are the Police's responsibility. That is not in question - the actual question is did you (or your presence and schedule) cause the Police to make operational decisions that meant they had to speed to get you to the game on time?

If they did then you keeping quiet is causing 5 loyal officers untold concern and grief...for what?

The DPS evidence is that speed was a decision for the PM, and she knew they had to speed.

Gosset's report was from the court where she has been in attendance.

This evidence has not been covered in the MSM newspapers this morning.

If someone has that audio then great - please post it. I tried ReplayRadio - they have the clip and could do me a mpeg at $30. I said not today...

A thought: the DPS chief is confident that PM won't be his boss shortly and is therefore able to be candid.

Finally Getting a Blog Debate on the Worth of a Party Vote

Cathy Odger's excellent blog on why she is voting for ACT has started a debate on the value of voting for Act and why some people want to vote for who they perceive will win! Extraordinary some are treating the election when we can throw Helen Clark and her mendacious mutant mob out as a day the Races, but there you go...

This has been picked up by David Seymour here, DPF here and Sir Humphrey's here.

I commented over at Cathy's last night and at DPF today.

In essence a Vote for Act is vital for the Right. I used the Elections calculator.

To cover it again:
I will be two ticks ACT.
There are two important points

1. My electorate tick (for Epsom) will aim to get Rodney Hide over the line - helping assure the ACT party vote is not redistributed. Yeah I know I am taking on a national responsibility.
2. The top echelon of ACT are streets ahead of the bottom dwellers of National or any other party - which is where a redistributed vote gets placed.

eg Imagine National gets to form a Government with the following shares on the night:
National 41% Lab 40% Act 1 seat and 4% NZF 7% and Maori 5 seats. There would be an overhang of 1 seat.

The parliament would have 52 National - List cutoff Chris Tremain - Napier and the top five ACT candidates - Hide, Newman, Shirley, Franks and Graham Scott get seats. With 52 Nats + 5 Act The National led Govt has 57 cf to Lab/Maori at 55 with help from Winnie on the cross benches support as you go....and possible support from Dunne as National is the biggest party. National is tantalisingly close to being in Government.

Act will vote for sensible National policies. Everyone on the Right is happy.

But if say,
National still only gets 41% but ACT don't get Rodney home and don't make the 5% threshold. The Act vote is redistributed across all parties. National gets 41%, Labour gets 40%, Maori get 5% etc of Act's votes.

The effect is there are no ACT MP's and National gets only two more MP's - for simplicity it will be 53 and 54 on their list - Mita Harris New Lynn and Mike Leddy Rimutaka. Well known, familiar big contributors to the national debate? Not. These two candidates are no comparison for any of the top ACT people. They will be donkey's braying for the National carrot if you will pardon the pun.

Also with the redistribution Lab/Maori are on 58 vs Nat 54 - National then absolutely dependent on Winnie's choices.

This is therefore a no brainer - If you are in the Epsom electorate you vote for Rodney. Remember for what its worth, Worth gets home as he is 16 on the Nat list...

Even if you give your electorate vote to National (or Labour for that matter - and why would you - but choice gives people funny urges) you still vote for Rodney...cannot be simpler.

Put another way,

If Act's vote collapses into National, and all bar 1% of Act's 'normal' vote votes for National (on the sad and misguided logic of voting for a 'winner' - unlikely) National will only get get another 2 no names home. National will still be short of the numbers they get in scenario 1. 56 vs 57 seats and still with no simple majority. Still in Winnie's hands and no heavy weight Right sided support in the House.

That is the Right strategy. Tell all your mates if you live in the Eastern suburbs.

Lone protestor attends Helen Clark's speeding trial

The Herald today records a lone protestor at the Timaru District Court with a sign saying "Helen, be honest. Come and face the music."

I could not agree more.

While one swallow don't a summer make (though I doubt she swallows) my reading of the electorate is there is a simmering tension where Clark has finally been seen to go too far.


What is sticking in everyone's craw is continuing her lying denial this has anything to do with her.

The electorate knows that all is required is for her to say; "these guys were speeding to get me to the airport on time" and the case will fail.

The electorate also knows Pinocchio Clark won't say that because she has lied continually on this matter since it surfaced.

I paraphrase:
1. I don't think we were speeding
2. I did not notice, I was too busy working in the back seat.
3. I did not think it was unsafe
4. The decision was not mine.
etc
etc

In other words like Pinocchio her lies just get more convoluted - to a point where to refute them will cause her damage. To go on with them is causing damage. She has got herself between a rock and a hard place.

The evidence in court is showing her comments for the sham they were. Scared parishioners scattering in the motorcade's wake, the fact there is a case to answer seems to address lie 1 etc etc.

As I said above the electorate can see she is staying stum, while loyal hard working coppers are taking the rap to get her schedule back on plan...

The histrionic and creative ambush of the Nats and Nukes in the House on Tuesday shows just how damaging this court case is to Clark. She is running scared.

I think this matter and the student bribe (with its inherent inequity) have galvanised the electorate - polls are not poicking it up and nor yet is the MSM. The poll that matters is coming.

Aegist, exclusionary and retarded thinking from Labour's candidate for Pakuranga

Michael Wood in his blog has written in the Comments section an incredibly wicked attack on older people in his blog. He suggests it is time for older people to move on with their lives and let younger people have a go.

I quote ...

Older right-wingers of the kind who post here clearly have guilt issues relating to the fact that their generation had entirely free taxpayer funded tertiary education and a well developed industry training framework. It's time to move on with your lives and let todays young people have a fair go.

This is a sickening attack on the generations ahead of Wood who have given him a country and freedoms he enjoys (including attacking the hand that feeds him).

Generally Woods' blog regurgitates press releases from his favourite cabinet minister. Now we know why he has no original posts - when he does post on his own he opens his mouth to change feet, to mix a metaphor/cliche or two.

It just goes to underscore that this generation of Labour MP's and candidates are only in it for what they can score for themselves. There is no sense of service, civic duty or service above self, it is all about entitlement.

It is my civic duty to ensure those voters over 40 in Pakuranga know their Labour candidate, Mr Michael Wood thinks they should step aside. But, and this is an important but, he wants them to continue paying taxes, so his generation can have a free for all with interest free loans.

Those of you in Pakuranga tell your mates.

Presentational Bias at National Radio

True to form the editors for the 6pm Bulletin support their mates in Government.

While careful to divvy the political stories evenly the only vox pop was Minister Goff in the House lambasting Brash - Goff alluding to staff notes held by MFAT staffers of a meeting between Brash and (Lockwood) Smith and visiting US politicians.

(shows how low Labour stoop - to continue breaching the confidentiality convention that Opposition Leaders can meet with key foreign guests (with MFAT support) and the meeting detail is confidential.)

Obviously the 'get Brash' campaign has sign off at State Radio

Stinks

PM's Motorcade averaged 128.5km per hour

The Crown Prosecutor has said in Court today the PM's motorcade AVERAGED 128.5 km per hour. This journey was for 96 minutes.

The PM shown on TV tonight saying she was not aware they were speeding "I was concentrating on what I was doing in the back actually"

There is only one response - Yeah Right

Feel sorry for the five police and one civvie driver who look like they will swing for the PM. It beggars belief to think they decided on their own to drive at those speeds.

ps what was she doing in the back?

Update: SageNZ has the links proving the PM was the "Senior British Officer" and hence at the top of the chain of command. She is also culpable for the speed of the convoy.

Sickly Schmaltzy Session on Campbell Live

Could not watch any longer the session on Campbell Live with Ahmed Zaoui the convicted terrorist chatting with his family via satellite link. I am sure Bin Laden's children/family would gush the same way. 99% of sons love their father - that is not news.

Campbell's script sought to put the best possible spin on the arduous life Zaoui has had fetching up in New Zealand on forged documents - now separated from his family. Self inflicted wounds if ever I saw them. There was no attempt by TV3 to discuss why Zaoui was deported from Switzerland, convicted in France and Belgium of terrorist offences...

Plenty of heavy and languid phrasing by commie Campbell himself - "the security certificate we have never been told the detail of...". "Zaoui was presented in Court in prison overalls..."

The obvious question remains unquestioned and unanswered - if Zaoui wanted to see his family he should and could jump on a plane and go see them. They are in South East Asia and last I knew all those countries were civilised and follow the rule of law. They should do 'cause Helen is busy signing them all up to FTA's.

Just as we are assimilating the information from London that the latest bombing terrorists did not fit the normal sketch of jihadists, but did arrive as refugees from Africa we roll out the red carpet to a man:
convicted of leading a terrorist organisation
from North Africa
is subject to a security risk certificate (the certificate intended - before Zaoui turned up and scored his rat bag lawyer mate Manning - to identify people our security services consider pose a significant security risk)
had forged documents....
etc

Campbell Live gets Dork of the Year Award for lack of Objectivity.

Zaoui could be a refugee and a terrorist - think about it.

Some of the evidence Campbell did not publish

Hon MARGARET WILSON: Yes, the Solicitor-General referred the court to the Director of Security’s summary of allegations and reasoning in making the security risk certificate about Mr Zaoui. The director concluded that the activities of which he, Mr Zaoui, was convicted in Belgium and France were clandestine, deceptive, or threatened the safety of persons. The Swiss Government believed that his activity in Switzerland “had led to acts of violence, and even attacks, in Switzerland”, and that “Activities of this kind in New Zealand by Mr Zaoui, or by others attracted to New Zealand by his presence here, could threaten the safety of New Zealanders.”

In his submissions to the Supreme Court on Zaoui in December 2004, the Solicitor-General Terence Arnold noted:

Mr Zaoui is a foreign person who has a long record of involvement with foreign persons and foreign organisations including leadership. There is good reason to believe that any future activities he may undertake will be influenced by other foreign persons and or by foreign organisations.

The Swiss Government believed that his activity in Switzerland “may lead to acts of violence and even attacks in Switzerland”. Activities of this kind in New Zealand by Mr Zaoui, or by others attracted to New Zealand by his presence here could threaten the safety of New Zealanders.

These submissions are by a learned jurist.

Gman inc poses the questions

These are the questions that Tom Hovey of Boost New Media needs to answer.

--If Tom knows the names of those individuals, then why doesn’t he tell us?
--Is it true that Boost Media also designed and now hosts the Labour Youth site, which is paid for out of the Labour Party Parliamentary Fund and carries the Parliamentary Crest?
--How much did Boost Media get paid for creating and hosting this site?
--Isn’t it convenient that Mr Hovey doesn’t know if his friends belong to the Labour Party “as far as he knows”?
--What National Ministers has he worked for (since he would have only been 22 when National were in power)?
--What Labour Ministers does he work for/has worked for?
--How much does Boost get from Government contracts?
--Why does he not give us the name of the person who designed the site?
--If tom didn’t know the site was going up, how come he states it costs “a few beers on a Friday night” to get hosted on his site?
--How does he know the site was an experiment?
--Did Boost Media or its staff know about the site going up before it went up?

Labour Need to Come Clean on the Taxpayer Funds going into Boost New Media

Aaron who broke this story has summarised the issues and the solution.

Labour commissions youth website from Boost using taxpayer money. Then around 3 months later, a new anti National website managed by Boost emerges. Boost refuse to say who commissioned or paid for the poll.

The link has been exposed. All we require is the President of Young Labour to either admit or deny the link. Heck, why not ask the PM if she will confirm it. After all, given the Parliamentary taxpayer funded work that Boost have done in the past, I think we deserve an assurance that not one cent of taxpayer money went into the bloodyidiot website.

One for the Auditor-General?

Finger Points Directly at Labour in Boost New Media sham

Over at Sir Humphrey's they outline established the links between Boost New Media and the Labour Party.

In echoes of the sham and hollow denial by Clark of prior knowledge of Duck's mudslinging attack on Brash - recall, her DNA was found in a Hansard transcript with the same language, a week or so earlier - The Labour Party heirarchy and the Office of the Prime Minister are directly in focus on this one.

Looking at the suspects, one quickly triangulates to a privileged group.
RuntheRed a company featured with Boost in a June Marketing Magazine article on Labour Party propaganda - Commissioned by .... "Client: Office of the Prime Minister"

A check of the RuntheRed website reveals gilt edged (as in Government paid) clients like Boost New Media - Labour Party, IRD are a couple mentioned.

The article goes on to brag,

"...design agency Mission Hall has collaborated with Run The Red and Boost New Media to create a special ‘youth’ Labour party website..."

Latterly, Boost registers and hosts bloodyidiot.co.nz but denies it is behind it or created it. The director in charge Tom Hovey says he knows who is behind it. Curioser and curioser.

Did Mission Hall and/or Run the Red collaborate on this project?

I think this story may get legs in the MSM.