The Sting Is In The Tail

In a predictably, boring and condesending (vis a vis Fiji) piece on Mr Key's agenda at the APEC meeting, Audrey Young banishes the bigger story to her penultimate paragragh. Her headline should have been, 'Just Who IS Running This Country?'

"Most of the leaders' summit is expected to be devoted to the global financial crisis. New Zealand's views will be spelled out in a speech beforehand - to business executives - drafted by the Reserve Bank, the Treasury and Foreign Affairs.

But Key has his own views, which are outside the institutional wisdom of public service mandarins. He made it clear publicly this week he wants to be able to draw on his own experience as an internationally successful merchant banker in the speech."

Notice she talk's about "New Zealand's views." Well, I'm sorry Audrey but what you really mean is the views of NZ's public service. These guys ain't New Zealand even though they may think they are. They give advice - they don't decide policy or 'views.' That's the job of my elected PM, thank you very much. Any PM worth his salt will not simply regurgitate a speech drafted by three heads of department. Frankly, anything Treasury has to say needs to be looked at with a jaundiced eye until they learn to more accurately forecasts government surpluses and deficits.

Adolf looks forward to seeing John Key stamp his authority over these self inflated mandarins. That's the real story of his trip to APEC.

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