Taking responsibility, National-style

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“The National Party is built on age-tested principles that reflect what is best about New Zealand. We are a party of enterprise; a party of personal freedom and individual responsibility; a party of family; an inclusive party; a party of ambition.” – John Key, 27 May 2007

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“We also need to remember the enduring principles on which the National Party is based – individual responsibility, support for families and communities, and a belief that the State can’t and shouldn’t
do everything.” – John Key, 30 January 2007

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So let’s see how well Dear Leader and National  Does Responsibility…

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Blame: drug addicts

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Blame: music production company.

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Blame: the media (always a good flogging-post for polis in trouble)

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Blame: previous Labour government, Recession

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Blame: Allan Hubbard. (Hubbard had not been convicted of any offense.)

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Blame: previous Labour government (again).

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Blame: previous Labour Government (yes, again),  Europe, and the United States.

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Blame: Wall Street (an industry sector in which Key used to work)

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Blame: election campaign (damned inconvenient, these “election” things)

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Blame: Polls, “edgy” things, state asset sales, and “lots of challenges out there”.

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Blame: “Somebody” (or anybody, whatever)

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Blame: Pike Rive mining company (which was following de-regulated safety laws enacted by National in 1991.)

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Blame: “global economic headwinds” (but not an excuse beneficiaries may use).

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Blame: Rugby World Cup, the general election, and Diplomatic Protection Squad.

And when National has run out of people, institutions, countries, and things to blame – they can always refer to  the mystical realm,

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Blame: Karma.

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And of course, there are the none-too-subtle attempts to blame welfare beneficiaries for not having the jobs that existed prior to 2007/08,

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Taking responsibility, National-style – means someone else copping the blame. Or sunspots.

Are we all clear on this?

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Addendum

Clayton’s Responsibility – The Responsibility You’re Taking, when You’re Not Really Taking Responsibility,

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Full story

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Wilkinson’s resignation was almost on top of the public release of the Pike River Royal Commission of Inquiry report. She was the “sacrificial lamb”, with the deliberate  objective to short-circuit media and public debate over National’s culpability in the de-regulation of the Mining Inspectorate in 1992.

Wilkinson’s “resignation” wasn’t taking responsibility – it was a carefully-crafted exercise in damage-control.

Note that Wilkinson retained her other portfolios (at the time), along with her $250,000-plus salary plus Ministerial perks and allowances  (see:  ‘What have I done wrong?‘).

Indeed, any attempt by National to  take responsibility was watered down when Key said,

“Under successive governments, since 1992, the influence and reach of the mining inspectorate was eroded.”

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Mr Key says the Government accepts there were systemic failures in the regulatory regime across successive governments.” – John Key, Govt responds to Pike River Royal Commission, 5 November 2012

So there you have it. Key’s comments attempts to spread responsibility as far as possible across twenty years of “successive“ governments. Because, as we all know, if you spread responsibility – like margerine – as wide as possible, it becomes thinner and thinner until there’s bugger-all of it left.

The Nat’s spin doctors earned their tax-payer funded salaries that day.

Taking responsibility National style reminds me of that famous phrase from the 1970  movie, “Love Story“,

“Love Means Never Having to Say You‘re Sorry“

For Dear Leader and his cronies, the sentiment is the same,

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“Power Means Never Having to Say I’m Responsible.”

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Previous related blogpost

It’s official: Key’s mind is someone elses’ responsibilty

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