Sunday, May 22, 2011

More obvious alarm from National supporters

Here's a letter I sent earlier this week to the DomPost. Hardly a surprise it went unprinted as I was criticising one of their columnists. Sorry there is no link to Long's column but the gist of it is covered in the letter:


I read with amusement columnist Richard Long's pseudo letter to Don Brash in the name of John Key, (Dominion Post Tuesday, May 17.) In it he lays out Key's superior conciliatory credentials regarding race relations. Thus Long joins other National cheerleaders in attempting to warn disaffected National voters away from Brash.

Why the amusement? In a 2005 North & South Warwick Roger article about the rising popularity of then National leader Dr Brash, Richard Long, his chief-of-staff at the time, was described as "gleeful at all the pre-publicity" Brashs' Orewa speech was receiving.

Seems the expedient Mr Long is happy to change tune to suit whereas Brash has been consistent in his criticism of government policies since his days as Reserve Bank Governor.

3 comments:

Manolo said...

I agree with the sentiment in your letter.

With a few honourable exceptions the majority of the Dom Post's columnists are well past their "use by" date. The sinking of the Wellington newspaper continues unabated.

Ripeka said...

Long is undoubtedly still aggrieved that Brash sacked him after the 2005 Election- thus turning off the taxpayer-funded heavy drinking sessions and the ready supply of office juniors to letch over. Long's first step was then to run to Winston Peters seeking a job in his office, which Peters flatly rejected. Next thing Peters starts making claims around Parliament that he is in possession of a "telephone book" of Brash's emails. Go figure.

Notably John Key had the smarts not to re-hire Long in any capacity. No prizes for guessing why. The same cannot be said for the Dominion Post, recipient of much leaked material from the former National leader's office.

Anonymous said...

Well I hope there is alarm from National supporters

- alarm because they party vote is flooding right to ACT!

- alarm for those National voters who are really Labour voters (on benefits, on WFF, kids in state schools, families on state hospitals etc) because it is all going to stop!