Lying, Fudging and Misinformation

-

Honesty in politics is often thought to be a misnomer, the two words are not really considered compatible. I'm not quite sure if it is because of this commonly held view that allows John Key to maintain a good level of popularity, people don't expect him to be honest, but at least he's got a nice smile.

However, it really concerns me that  dishonesty and misinformation are not being properly challenged by our news media and the constant contradictions are not getting exposed effectively. During the last election John Key had a few shaky moments when he was caught out and he appeared like a possum in headlights, but now his relaxed and dismissive manner when discovered bending the truth now seems largely successful and he is getting away with some pretty heavy stuff.

We will put to one side the statements around not raising GST, the early claims that National Standards were going well, the claims he knew nothing about the BMWs (despite test driving one and having memos cross his desk). The latest porkies that worry me are around the preferential treatment given to Media Works; the meetings that weren't meetings, the urgency in the house, the connections with Steven Joyce and the $43 million dollar loan that isn't a loan and the advice from the Ministry of Economic Development that there wasn't a strong case for the loan and it would be carrying an unnecessary financial risk. Key has described his government's actions as supporting the whole radio industry, yet Media works gets $43.3 million and the rest get only $300,000.

A cynic would say they have pretty good control over TV1 and by cutting funding to TV7 they have further cemented their dominance. By gifting this large sum to Media works one could imagine a more circumspect approach to the National Party in news items and in interviewing Ministers, especially as the election looms.

Lying, fudging and misinformation is the way that this government operates, lets put a stop to that on November 26!

Comments

Darren L said…
What really bites is that Media Works are given a "payment holiday" for frequencies they own...and don't use! This is in markets where local Access Radio stations (and, yes, I do have an interest in these) CAN'T get an FM licence. Use it or lose it MediaWorks - and John: how about playing fair to all. This IS an election year afterall.
April 11, 2011 at 2:31 PM
Dave Kennedy said…
There does seem do be a bias for large companies and corporates. The Government bent over backwards for the US film industry but doesn't support local actors and it supports Media Works over local stations that provide a real service to their communities.

Is it easier to control one large entity than a myriad of independent stations?
April 11, 2011 at 3:58 PM
Dave Kennedy said…
On the other hand, there may not necessarily be some sort of conspiracy behind it like I have stated above, it could be as simple as Joyce just helping his mates. This may be an even worse scenario if public money is supporting personal interests.
April 11, 2011 at 4:09 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The US is actually unique for not valuing life!

-
Image
"...that’s what sets America apart from every other country; we value life. That is what makes us unique.” - Sarah Sanders There is a high level of delusion operating in the White House. The stream of mistruths that come out of President Trump and Sarah Sanders' mouths are clearly blatant lies but millions of US citizens believe them. With daily diets of Fox News and living in a very insular culture , there is little that challenges these false perceptions of US "greatness".  When comparing the United States of America with most other developed nations it becomes clear that it probably places less value on life than most and doesn't compare well with many developing countries too: If the US really valued life then it would abolish the death penalty, it is the only Western Country that executes people under law ( 23 people were executed in 2018 ).  If the US really valued life then it would have an equitable and universal health care system. The cur
Read more

NZ, the Unethical Investor

-
Image
New Zealand is not wealthy in a global sense and our Government's investments would barely rate against many international corporates but our Crown Financial Institutions, like our $19 billion Superannuation Fund, do have a global impact. It is important that our money has a positive influence on the world and that we use reasonable diligence to ensure our investments are well vetted. Norway has a similar population to New Zealand yet it has taken a far more responsible approach to how it has invested its oil riches. Norway uses a Council of Ethics to closely evaluate its state pension fund investments against strict ethical guidelines. The guidelines are based on two premises. The first being that future generations will benefit from current oil wealth and that the return from invested funds are contingent on sustainable development in an economic, environmental and social sense. The second is a commitment that the fund should not allow a risk of investment that could contribu
Read more

ANZAC DAY REFLECTIONS

-
Image
I find ANZAC Day creates a dilemma for me, consequently I rarely attend dawn parades. I fully support people recognising the human cost of wars and remembering family members who lost their lives on battlefields. A grandfather of mine fought in WW1 and was gassed in the French trenches, which compromised his health for the rest of his life. His wife (my grandmother) lost her young brother in WW2. The sacrifices and human costs of war should never be minimalised. However, while speeches at ANZAC parades are full of statements promoting peace and the futility of war, those who campaign hardest for peace, promote nonviolence and call for weapons reductions are often treated like criminals. Anyone who dares to mention our own war crimes or that of our allies are generally shut down or demonised. It has become a sort of cultural heresy to question the reputation and glorification of the ANZACs.  I would love to see greater balance in how we talk about war and properly recognise those who ha
Read more