John Key: The words and actions of the CEO of NZ Inc.

The following three items clearly reveal the duplicitous and dishonest nature of John Key, the CEO of NZ Inc.

I doubt whether any revelations could persuade Key or Banks to 'do the decent thing' – ethics are for others

Media's 'hostile' behaviour natural - Key

TV3,

15 May, 2012

By political editor Duncan Garner

Prime Minister John Key has complained about the New Zealand media, saying it has turned antagonistic and hostile in his second term.

He has also accused the country's biggest newspaper, the New Zealand Herald, of becoming a tabloid.

However in the past Mr Key has serenaded, courted and flirted with the media.

But last election it all got that much tougher after he walked out when 3 News questioned him over the tea pot tapes.

Now he has gone on the radio moaning that the media is against him in National's second term.

“The Herald is definitely more tabloid,” Mr Key said.

“The media is much more antagonistic.”

But later he said there was no problem.

“It's natural. It's what you get with any second-term government.

“There aren't any [problems]."

Two hours after Mr Key attacked the New Zealand Herald he could not remember if he did or not.

“Don't think I did.”

But the attack did not go unnoticed.

Editor Shayne Currie shared his thoughts on Twitter.

"We wouldn't want to be populist now would we Mr Key.”

He then referenced British Prime Minister's David Cameron's cosy relationship with News of the World's former tabloid supremo Rebecca Brooks.

"I guess I won't be getting LOL texts."

Mr Key says the media's hostility is to be expected.

“Look we've got a lot of policy we're implementing, there'll always be critical appraisal of that."

So if Mr Key gets a third term, how will it be then?

“History shows us it's even more aggressive," he said.

So Mr Key is unimpressed with the media, but history tells us this is nothing new.

Banks promised Dotcom aid: Email

Kim Dotcom's head of security told his boss that John Banks asked for a political donation and said he would be a "very good friend" once he was back in Parliament, according to an email.

NZ Herald,

16 May, 2012

The email also states that Mr Banks suggested Dotcom's staff meet Prime Minister John Key personally to try to smooth the red tape around his mansion purchase.

The email was written to Dotcom by his head of security, Wayne Tempero, on July 30 just after taking a call from Mr Banks.

It comes amid a police investigation into three political donations made to Mr Banks' 2010 mayoral campaign. The three anonymous donations included one from Dotcom, who said he made a $50,000 donation to the campaign split into two payments at the request of Mr Banks, who says he followed the law.

Dotcom, under house arrest resisting extradition to the US on internet piracy charges he denies, has also offered an explanation why he decided to release information which proved so damaging for Mr Banks.

Mr Tempero, who has acted as a bodyguard for David Beckham and Michael Jackson, wrote to Dotcom: "I just had a call from John Banks about asking you for a small donation for the Act Party which he is standing for government this year."

The email was sent immediately after Mr Tempero spoke with Mr Banks at about 8pm.

Mr Tempero also wrote that Mr Banks said "he will be a very good friend for you when he is in Parliament". He said Mr Banks had spoken of being "personally embarrassed" that Dotcom was unable to buy the north of Auckland mansion he was living in.

Permission to buy the $30 million property was declined in July by Lands Minister Maurice Williamson - who initially approved the deal - and Justice Minister Simon Power.

Mr Banks had lobbied Mr Williamson on Dotcom's behalf.

According to Mr Tempero's email, Mr Banks said "once in government" he "would have the power to do something about it".

Mr Tempero said Mr Banks had suggested a personal meeting between the Prime Minister and the bodyguard. He said it would give the opportunity to explain Dotcom's current and future efforts for New Zealand and "Banks thinks the PM will intervene".

In an emailed statement, Mr Banks confirmed asking for money.

He said: "I do recall raising the issue of donating to the Act Party with Mr Dotcom's staff ... I was subsequently advised by one of his staff that Mr Dotcom said 'to go get f****d as your Government has caused me too much trouble' or something along those lines."

He said he had already stated he had briefed Dotcom on the Overseas Investment Office application.

Asked about Mr Tempero's other comments, Mr Banks said, through a spokeswoman: "Mr Tempero's recollection of events is different to mine. I will not be responding to any further allegations made by Mr Tempero."

In a second email to Dotcom after the November election, Mr Tempero said he had another call from Mr Banks looking for a hotel recommendation in Hong Kong, where he was travelling for a Christmas holiday.

"He [said he] would like to sit down with you in the new year to talk about how he can be a service to [you] and the family now [he] is back as an MP."

Mr Key said he had not been asked by Mr Banks to meet any Act supporters. Asked if he would speak to Mr Banks about the donation claim, he said: "No, this is a matter for Act."

Dotcom said he did not donate money to Act. He said the request came just as he was learning the application to buy the mansion had been rejected.

Dotcom said he was also disappointed in Mr Banks' representation of his electorate. He had a "particularly uncomfortable" time in prison because he had to sleep on a steel bench with a thin mattress while dealing with the pain of two slipped discs.

He said he asked his lawyers to contact the local MP, Mr Banks, to raise awareness of conditions in the prison. He said Mr Banks, who had professed friendship less than a month earlier, had asked through his staff for Dotcom not to make another request.

Emails reveal Key & Banks’ Dotcom links

the Standard,

16 May, 2012

John Key will be regretting his moan about the media yesterday. His reward has been to be shown to be lying in the banks.com affair. Key has previously claimed he first heard of Dotcom (a flamboyant multi-millionaire living in the most expensive house in the country, in Key’s electorate, who had been the subject of several contacts to Key’s office by constituents) the day before he was arrested. A new email, however, shows Dotcom’s staff met with Key personally months earlier over his attempt to purchase the Crisco mansion.

Dear oh dear, this isn’t what Key wanted a week from the Budget. Maybe he’s learning the truth of the old adage about not picking a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.

John Banks is further implicated too.

It is revealed he didn’t negotiate a discount during his stay at Dotcom’s favorite hotel in Hong Kong, as he claimed. In truth, he booked a cheaper room and the hotel upgraded him due to his friendship with Dotcom. He also received a thousand dollar gift basket from Dotcom welcoming him and replied thanking him. Banks claimed he re-gifted it, which smells like an excuse for not declaring receipt of a gift worth over five hundred dollars while a minister as legally required.

Banks wrote a note thanking Dotcom for the gift and have him a bottle of whiskey in return.

Which makes Banks’ recall – at least he has one now – of a second approach to Dotcom for money all the more unlikely. The same email that mentions Key personally met with Dotcom’s staff reveals that Banks asked Dotcom for money when he was running for ACT last year. Unlike the supposedly anonymous mayoral donation, which Banks can’t remember anything about, despite having been flown out to Dotcom’s mansion to personally discuss it, Banks remembers his approach last year vividly. He says Dotcom told him to fuck off. Which kind of jars with the warm exchange of expensive gifts just months later.

We know that Dotcom didn’t give ACT any money. But Banks’ approach does raise further questions about whether he really didn’t know that his good friend had previously given his mayoral campaign $50,000.

All of this raises concerns about whether Banks’ behaviour was to an acceptable ethical and legal standard both before and after he became a minister. Not to mention raising questions about whether Key lied about his knowledge of Dotcom.

But it doesn’t change the political calculus for Key – unless he has some guarantee that Banks wouldn’t go septic on the backbench or resign from Parliament at an inopportune time leaving Key unable to pass controversial legislation, then Key must leave Banks on as a minister to ensure he had the numbers in the House.

To my mind, the most likely scenario remains that Key will let Banks hold on until the end of the year, then we’ll have a by-election while the House is risen for summer. That will remain Key’s optimal strategy unless something truly horrendous about Banks emerges.

But the political cost of that strategy, and the stink around his government, will keep growing by the day.