Fossilised

You have to know your Climate Change policy is on pretty thin ice when you're comparing yourself to the three of the bottom ranking nations in the world concerning emission reduction targets. Yet, this is what John Key and Nick Smith did in parliament this week - to the applause of his party - saying New Zealand's emissions reduction target of 10-20% (let's go with 10%) is 'credible' considering the woeful ambitions of Australia, America, and the brain dead conservative government of Canada.

"New Zealand cannot afford a higher target" is the Prime Ministers message. Their fiscally responsible approach to climate change along with their winking disapproval of Brash's 2025 Task Force Report has made our government look positively independent and focussed on New Zealand's economic future... or is that indecision? Yet the continuing relegation of Climate Change behind vague economic priorities has earned New Zealand more shame internationally.

New Zealander's may be slow to learn that the "clean and green" myth is actually just a myth, but the international community is catching on quickly. Where is the international leadership? Where is the groundbreaking experiment of New Zealand? Is it chasing Australia, swimming to catch up with the Titanic?

New Zealand needs shame in Copenhagen. It needs to be lavished on. The Sign On and 10-20% Pure New Zealand movements here at home aren't moving the boulders, and protest just ostracise's those realists who want real action take on climate change as 'lefties'. International pressure however, that can be more credible. New Zealander's need external perspectives on National policies to swipe away that curtain of 'common sense' and view the portrait for what it really is: deformed.

I'm glad John Key is at Copenhagen. Maybe someone will throw a shoe at him.

We still have eyes

John Key is certainly not saving himself - or his family - any personal pride in his attempts to snuggly concrete his image as a 'peoples-man'. We can look at these efforts in much the same way we can look at New Zealand's environmental efforts: secure the brand of being 'clean and green', and once everyone believes it, just do whatever you want. I'm sure that once Key has his adorably simple face has finished creating warm fuzzies for the public, he will be more liberated to follow an agenda that he will get away with.

Why else would he become a gauffing seal on the Letterman show, or par take in events such as this? Why, because it is all part of the blind-folding of course. One endearing act at a time, as long as he keeps showing us what a modest, good-keen-kiwi he is, he believes we will eventually be blind.

Well, I'm sorry John, but you're just looking like a douche. If you want to lower yourself and perform tricks to charm the public, at least have some class and style about it, like your desperate Conservative reflection in Canada.

Grr John, Grr.

I just read this utterly hilarious press release from the Libertarianz party:

"John Key's official holiday in Niue has so far included dancing, feasts and drinking kava. When Michael Jones described Noni juice as leaving 'a bad taste, despite being good for you', Key apparently said this was 'A bit like raising taxes,' according to The Dominion Post.

"Hopefully that was just the kava talking, John. Raising taxes isn't good for anybody but the Government! If raising taxes really was "good for you", then we could just hike taxes to 95% and all be that much better off. But the reality is, individuals are much smarter at spending their own money than any government department could be.

"In fact, if we were allowed to keep our hard-earned cash, we might be enjoying ourselves in Niue ourselves right now, rather than reading about John doing so on the taxpayers' tab...

"... Regardless, John, I wish you all the best for the rest of your South Pacific holiday. In fact, stay as long as you can - the less time you spend in Parliament passing laws regulating bread and lightbulbs, the better off we'll be."

While I enjoy reading most criticism of Mr. Key, I'm sure the Libertarianz are actually just having a bit of a laugh. It has to be the only explanation. Even the Bill & Ben party couldn't write material this golden.