National's Election Hoarding's 7

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Today, Red Alert reported:

Net government debt has increased a jaw dropping $38 billion under National.

In June the NBR reported:

Treasury figures show the government's borrowing of $380 million a week is about $80 million to $100 million a week more than it has to.

Nek Minnit:

The government appears to be preparing to deal with another credit rating downgrade.

National's Election Hoarding's 6

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National promised to create 170,000 jobs in the 2010 budget and failed to deliver. In fact unemployment has increased by around 57,000 since National took over. They then made the same promise to create 170,000 jobs in the 2011 budget.

stuff.co.nz reported:

The Ministry of Economic Development has not done any analysis of where the 170,000 new jobs promised in the Budget will come from.

National's Election Hoarding's 5

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Back in July this year it was revealed that National creates jobs for their mates and pays them three times the going rate. When attempting to side step the issue, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee started telling lies:

When Earthquake Minister Gerry Brownlee appointed ex National MP Jenny Shipley to the CERA, he decided to ignore the Cabinet Fees Framework and pay her triple the normal rate. He claimed that it was because she and her fellow board members "would not work for less." he said. 

However Sir John Hansen told ONE News that so far he had worked "hours" rather than days and had not put in an invoice. When he was asked to be on the panel he didn't ask what the remuneration was as he believed the job was "an important public service."

John Key to Donate Fortune

Yesterday, the Prime Minister John Key announced that he was going to donate $50 million towards New Zealand's growing debt crisis. Key said he'd decided to gift his fortune because of the help he had received from New Zealand as a child in the form of a state house, and it was "jush fair to gift sumtin back."

Key was also quick to dismiss critics, who said he was vote buying. He indicated that after the money was used to pay for the RWC debt, whatever was left over should go towards the Rena disaster clean up. stuff.co.nz reports:

"I'm not overly hipful the losh will be shubstantly reduced.

Yes, the country has spint quite a bit of money upgrading its stadia, but they're long term ashets and I thunk for the marketing of New Zeland, the promotion of New Zeland, it's been well and truly worth it... At the end of the day, I thunk it's money well spint,'' he said.

Keys also said that anything left over from his fortune after the RWC and Rena debts were paid, should go towards the Christchurch rebuild... but he wasn't expecting that to be much.

The philanthropic move shows that the Prim Minster does achtually have a heart, despite numerous doctors not being able to find it.

John Key holds a fake RWC trotie

National's Election Hoarding's 4

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Back in April this year, the associate and acting Minister for Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata spoke in Parliament about New Zealand's oil spill capabilities:

The Marine Pollution Response Service consists of internationally respected experts who manage and train a team of around 400 local government and Maritime New Zealand responders. New Zealand has equipment and other stores strategically located around New Zealand. In addition, the Marine Pollution Response Service assists regional councils with exercise and oil spill equipment.

National's Legislative Negligence

There's been a lot of side stepping by Steven Joyce recently, on whether National was informed about a lack of any proper legislation that would ensure the cost to clean up after an oil spill is paid for by those responsible.

Joyce says he was not aware of a limit the company is legally required to pay, and his lack of knowledge is apparently all Labours fault, because they did not inform him previously.

Surely as Minister of Transport, Steven Joyce should know exactly what is legislated for in terms of liability for cleanup costs from an oil spill?

Today, the New Zealand Herald reported:

Mr Joyce said Labour had given the legislation the lowest priority.

"I was unaware at that time as to the nature of the change in liability. Unfortunately it was never drawn to Cabinet's attention and never drawn to my attention."

Most people are aware that its not Labour who are pro oil, it's National. They've been promoting deep sea oil drilling while not acknowledging the substantial additional risks involved, and have failed to change legislation accordingly.

National did not change legislation prior to giving out numerous exploration permits, because they have little care for the environment. By not having robust legislation surrounding liability for oil spills, National is encouraging similar disasters to occur. If there are limited fines, companies will simply cut corners to maximize profits.

There's no question in my mind that Steven Joyce was aware of the legislative limitation of $12.1 million for legally imposable fines, and that New Zealander's would foot most of the bill for the Rena disaster.

The current maximum fine of up to $200,000 for a discharge of a harmful substance, under the Maritime Transport Act with a further fine not exceeding $10,000 for every day or part of a day during which the offence is continued, and a limit of up to $600,000 for discharging contaminants, under the Resource Management Act, is something National has been informed about on numerous occasions. 

Steven Joyce should know this information without any other parties having to inform him of the issue. Joyce feigning ignorance as an excuse, shows that he's either a conceited bastard or in dereliction of duty.

The mainstream media is now under-reporting on the seriousness of the disaster because it might hurt tourism while National downplay the actual costs, just like they did with the Christchurch Earthquakes.

Now we have Steven Joyce trying to shift blame onto Labour for them not doing his job. Joyce is also saying that because Labour did not ask the same questions the Greens have been asking for a very long time, Steven Joyce was not aware of the limited liability issue. In my opinion, such conceited manipulation can only be categorized as evil!

The fact of the matter is that it's a waste of Parliaments time for political parties to ask the same question if it has already been presented in Questions for oral answers by another MP. Joyce's disingenuous argument to try and shift blame away from National's failures, is unacceptable politicking and must end if we are to work together to resolve the current crisis.

In the video below, you will see Metiria Turei questioning Hekia Parata earlier this year about the emergency response, safety, and environmental protection provisions that are in place for deep sea oil drilling.