DID (SIR) JOHN KEY DESERVE A KNIGHTHOOD?

DID THE SMILING ASSASSIN DESERVE A KNIGHTHOOD?

                                               

Thakur Ranjit Singh

No Kiwi journalist in his or her right sense would dare to ever write this article, unless they had a death wish. Their boss would fire them on the spot for doing so. Who in their right mind would ever question the approitnss of John Key getting a Knighthood? FIJI PUNDIT would.

That is the advantage I have where the mainstrem media here think this Indian sounding fella is not supposed to be able to write, so I can have my blog and be my boss.

In the aftermath of sudden departure of Todd Muller and National Party in disarray, I have had claims that Karma has comeback to bite the butts of National Party which is known as promoting dirty politicking in John Key era.

I had to dust up my article I wrote in 2017 and ask the question whether this smiling assasin deserve a Knigthood. Plkease read on...........

When I was an auditor with Coopers and Lybrand Accountants in Fiji in 1980s (as they were then known), an audit training session still rings fresh in mind after some four decades: THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A FREE LUNCH!.

We were warned never to take favours from clients we audit, as we get obligated and it clouds and bring into question our neutral and impartial judgement. Hence all those tasked with the responsibility of exercising neutrality and impartiality need to maintain that arms-length dealings. In addition, they should not only be neutral and impartial, but also seen as such. 

Sir John Key: Yes, I got it, no, not the pony tail, but a Knighthood!

A living example comes to mind when this was NOT done. John Key, in his premature and surprise resignation, handed the leadership on a platter to his deputy, Bill English. This was despite Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman and Former lawyer Judith Collins, minister for corrections and police, who has long been touted for the top job, throwing in their hats for tussle of leadership in the National Party. Under the name of party unity, any opposition to Key’s choice was crushed, democracy was stifled and hence Bill English got the job - thanks to John Key.

Therefore, English was expected to reciprocate (return) the favour. And he did that so soon, that the ink on Key’s resignation letter had hardly dried, and than he got the Knighthood. The message here is that the Knighthood was the price Bill English had to pay for that lunch of National Leadership, which after all, was not free.

You will not read this anywhere in the mainstream or side stream media, because the publishers will sack the journalist who says what I have said, as media is to promote business and make money - to hell with bitter truth, as it will affect advertising dollars from rich people and rich businesses National Party represents. 

I am also slightly expedient, as I may annoy so many. Therefore, instead of saying anything more directly, I present to you views of normal everyday Kiwis as they have expressed in NZ Herald letters section, under their name. Here they are:

Arthur Moore from Pakuranga writes: “I see our ex-Prime Minister who spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to erase our connection with Great Britain from our flag is happy to accept a knighthood from the Queen.”(NZH, 06.06.17)

Stan Jones of Hamilton writes:”….John Key gets a foreign title for eight years of an “aw, shucks”, do-nothing Government interested in making a buck. As a consequence, we still have to deal with homeless people in a housing crisis, waterways so polluted any contact risks infection and increasing inequality of wealth and opportunity in life…”(NZH 07.06.17)

Peter Jamieson of Titirangi writes:”….Being very well paid for doing just an average job, while running up a massive debt. Well done, Sir. I do not know who to cheer for the most, Sir John Key or Sir Russell Coutts?” (NZH 07.06.17)

And finally, David Little from Whangarei takes the cake with a well-summed up analysis:

“Arise “Sir “John. Our past PM is a charismatic man. He has been a good ambassador for New Zealand. I look back on his eight years in charge and ask what his achievements are? Yes, he has been a steady hand at the helm, mostly hands off.

He has presided over an economy performed better than most, no thanks to him but more to inheriting a low-debt situation. The economy was also boosted by China buying up commodities on a massive scale, raising prices paid. 

Nature also played its hand through earthquake destruction resulting in re-insurers’ insurance money flowing in from offshore. His Government’s open immigration policy played its positive and negative part. Yes, the economy is booming, mostly fuelled by the construction industry. However, most of his achievements, as with most politicians, are self-serving. 

1)His tax cut for the wealthy; 2) His reverting top honours to Sir, Dame; 3) His dropping of inheritance tax, allowing wealth to be passed on tax-free; 4) A failed attempt to change our flag. His real legacy is a deeply divided have/have not society with the main beneficiaries being the wealthy and home-owning baby boomer generation. For this he receives a knighthood?” (NZH 11.06.17)

I have a close friend, a die-hard National supporter, and we have had quite a few left and right political arguments over a grog (kava) basin. He would be annoyed with this article, as he believes National under Key provided us economic development. But development for whom? Rich became richer, house speculators had a field day and became millionaires overnight and the gap in haves and have-nots increased. On the other hand, poverty and homelessness escalated and we have acute crime, housing, health and social problems. The damning UNICEF report has been buried by the mainstream (read right wing) media.

Both of us are drivers and both of us have bought houses in West Auckland over a decade ago. Now this friend, the National supporter, can he ever imagine his son being able to buy a house on his own? His son was once a youth MP for the then Deputy Prime Minister, Paula Bennett. Now, how many of these National youth MPs can afford to buy houses? 

Thanks to a National Government which has been propping up economy through unbridled migration, and under them, we have uncontrolled house-speculation, enriching the rich and denying poorer first-home buyers a house. Why should the son blindly support the same party his father supports - the party, which was sleeping on the job while a full generation have been displaced from opportunity to buy a house? And who bears the strain on housing and infrastructure from uncontrolled migration?

Robert Muldoon would be known as a PM who ‘stole’ the superannuation and denied the older generation the comforts of a healthy retirement. John Key will be known as a PM, who brought back honours system, and gained a Knighthood personally for his efforts.

That is the reason why the new generation need to go blindly in the next election and vote for a change. The slogan for the next election should be: THE DEVIL WE DO NOT KNOW (THE NEW GOVERNMENT) IS BETTER THAN THE DEVIL WE KNOW  (NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.)

All those stuck in traffic jams, all those robbed and affected by escalating crime because of gaping inequality, all the homeless because of government’s cut on social housing, the generation denied home ownership in their lifetime, all those hunting houses to rent because the speculators have them empty as “house-banks’, and a country with economic development benefitting the rich only, with little trickling-down effect – PLEASE STAND UP, AND GET ANGRY. IT IS YOUR TIME TO EMULATE WHAT THEY DID IN USA, (TRUMP ELECTION), THE BREXIT, THE FRENCH ELECTION AND A BRUISING ELECTION RESULT AGAINST TERESA MAY’S CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT IN UK.

Show your anger in New Zealand, AND VOTE FOR A CHANGE (And they did that-there was change in government and Labour Coalition took over from late 2017)

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh completed his Masters in Communication Studies (with honours) at AUT on scholarship from Pacific Islands Media Association (PIMA) with the objective of adding colour to New Zealand's newsrooms. But he ended up driving a bus - and is involved with community wellbeing, runs his blog, and occassionally ruffles a few feathers-AND HE IS DOING EXACTLY THAT NOW.
E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz][