Haaretz reports that NZ’s newly elected PM is Jewish.
New Zealanders chose a multimillionaire former foreign currency trader on Saturday to lead them through the global financial meltdown, handing longserving left-wing Prime Minister Helen Clark a crushing election defeat.
Conservative leader John Key invoked Barack Obama’s catchcry of now being the time for change in his victory speech, and even joked that he wouldn’t match the U.S. President-elect’s promise of a new dog for his kids.
…
Key, like Obama, is 47 years old and belongs to a minority group in his country. Key’s mother, Ruth Lazar, is a Jewish immigrant from Austria and is considered an active member of New Zealand’s Jewish community of about 5,000.
Key has been less than forthcoming about his positions regarding Israel, but stresses in interviews that he is a friend of Israel and wants to visit Jerusalem. Members of the Kiwi Jewish community point out that Key took part in Israel’s 60th anniversary celebrations, and has donated to Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem.
Key has promised a more right-leaning government than Clark’s, which for almost a decade made global warming a key policy issue and led the international condemnation of scientific whaling.
In a country where the environment is a mainstream political issue, Key has vowed to wind back Clark’s greenhouse gas emission trading scheme to protect businesses from financial losses, and to reduce red tape that he says will entangle infrastructure projects, such as dams, due to environmental concerns.
Here’s the AP article. He sounds pretty right wing.
Mazal tov anyway. 😉
Mazal Tov anyways?
tm – is it true that you’re too much of a loser to reveal your identity online?
And I don’t mean a loser who doesn’t have friends.
I mean a loser in grown up terms. Someone who hasn’t grown up, gotten a real job… etc.
Good grief Adam! I think it’s readily apparent that you are comfortably right wing. In light of the results of 8 years of a Republican in the White House, that stance is brave indeed. We all commend you for sticking to your guns despite everything. But I don’t think anyone has ever called you a loser. That’s harsh.
And if what you’re taking umbrage with is the Middle’s anonymity then you have really over done it. It’s his right and he is effectively no more or no less anonymous than most writers on most blogs as well as the vast majority of commenters.
This comment packs about as much punch as a spelling flame. I know you can do better.
Adam, are you in kindergarten? Or is the silly taunt more like a first grader’s?
I understand why you would hope that somebody with different (I won’t even say opposing) political views is a “loser.” Too bad life doesn’t work that way.
And it should have been anyway, not anyways.
I’ve read that Peru’s PM also is a MOT.
And I still want a Middle-fanclub shirt, or I’ll blog about my recent invention.
That sounds like a threat.