Today’s mindless mainstream media reports-
Act Party leader John Banks confirmed he would vote for the bill at the first reading.
Mr Banks previously voted against Homosexual Law Reform and the Civil Union Bill.
Asked why he was supporting it, he replied: “Because I am.”
Banks has consistently proven himself over the years to be nothing but a bullshit artist and opportunist who does not live up to the standards he professes to regard as important.
He has talked the talk loudly and brashly, but has completely failed to walk the walk.
Banks’s election to parliament on the ACT ticket was a big enough joke, but Banks’s idiocy on this issue should put both his political career and that of the (lately) equally confused ACT party to its long overdue death.
Colin Craig should not ever consider inviting this confused and broken down idiot to join the Conservative Party.
TrueblueNZ 
26 responses to “John Banks- Has There Ever Been a More Useless Political Prick?”
Cactus Kate must have gotten to him.
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That’s pretty damn funny Lucia.
(maybe more funny than you intended it to be?)
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Probably!
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Yes this is a puzzle – and I voted for him! The best explanation I can come up with is that he is supporting the Select Committee process, but that is a pretty likely outcome anyway.
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Banks had 2 choices: (1) vote the way ACT’s “Classical Liberal” / Leftertarian wing wanted, in favour of the Bill, or (2) vote the way the people of Epsom would want, against it.
He’s chosen wrong. The Leftertarian strain hates him and will vote for the Leftertarianz in 2014 anyway. If he wanted to make sure of his retirement from Parliament (again), this was the way to do it. I’m not sure the good people of Epsom will be too happy about his vote on this one. But we’ll see, I guess.
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If Banks voted this way just because the Party wanted him to then he should never have made himself part of that political movement.
If he had any real principles that is.
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“Principles”??? John Banks?
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@GG, well he certainly didn’t ask me, yet I get letters from him occasionally asking my opinion on other topics. As RB suggests he may have been pressured by the party hierarchy, in which case I agree he’s in the wrong party.
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I suspect that Banks viewed the ACT Party as the conservative wing of the NP and has now found out that the piper has to be paid. So much for this being a conscience vote….and Banks’ Christian values.
Colin Craig needs to get his act and party together and use opportunities such as this to their maximum effect…..or is he going to be another disappointment as a right wing challenge to the continued slide down the socialist/apartheid path that Key has chosen.
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Correct, if a carpetbagger like Banks gets a guernsey in any ‘conservative party’, that party is a pretend conservative party and is to be avoided like the plague.
Bank’s natural home is with the crony capitalist Statists that are National or Labour……take your pick.
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Banks has aligned himself with the popular liberal element, which is largely what ACT has become – but the piss weak liberals that don’t actually know what they stand for, they just want to be free to do whatever they please.
ACT doesn’t even serve as a check on National anymore, so provide little value to NZ Politics.
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Hah! Feel the bigoted butthurt from above ^……lol…..;-)
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This is meant to be a conscience vote.
Is Banks voting with his conscience or is he just straight out lying?
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Banks is a venal politician. He would’ve been “advised” that he is the titular head of a “classical liberal” *spit* party and thus, he should go through the motions and vote accordingly on the bills’ initial passage thru to select committee. ACT are finished regardless – and good riddance too. . . politically confused fuckwits.
At least this means Banks will have less success when sniveling up to the Conservatives in about 18 months time. He’s yesterday’s man, he should’ve gone gracefully when he lost the mayoralty race to Slapface Len.
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Jon Banks a liar AND a hypocrite? Say it ain’t so…
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Banks is just another kiwi lying pollie jellyfish.
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I decided not to renew my ACT membership after Banks lied publicly. If he cannot remember the helicopter ride to Dotcom someone should complaint to CAA that he should not have his pilot’s licence. As the ACT AGM I spoke to him about homosexual marriage. He told me privately, “If I supported homosexual marriage the voters of Epsom would fucking sodomise me”. It will be interesting to see how he votes tonight on the age for alcohol purchase. I wonder how he will vote if Street’s bill get drawn.
I could easily accept Rodney Hide or Don Brash voting yes but Banks have voted against his own so called principles and ignored the people of Epsom. There is no way he would have polled his constituents.
I guess he now thinks on the sixth day God made Adam and Steve.
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Does this show us that the ACT party is at the point now where Banks is “it”, and he can basically vote how he wants, on whatever he wants, regardless of what his electorate thinks? If I were him, I’d stay in that position until the next election, then go conservative. If, as you say, they take him …
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The public are fed up with politicians who say one thing and act the opposite.
It would be a fatal mistake for Craig to include such an untrustworthy charlatan as Banks.
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Talking of turncoats,the number of Nats who voted against Civil Union while in opposition but for a way more radical policy,homosexual marriage ,leaves me with the impression that while in opposition they feared their electorate and voted the way Nat voters would expect them to. Now in their second term and in power they are taking that electorate for granted.
Doesn’t make sense to vote against CU but for homo marriage.
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You’re right, kowtow, the voters are being ignored. But that’s typical of any government, particularly this vile brand of liberal National government.
But, I suspect there’s something more at play here. I’ve been chatting with a guy who was once deep inside the National Party machine. Apparently groupthink is required even at times when debate is helpful. Anybody who thinks differently from English, Joyce and Finlayson gets smacked pretty smartly, to the point where they’ve had people removed from regional committees for nothing more than not being sufficiently vocal during the Two Minutes’ Hate.
The steer for the back benchers from Key was pretty loud; that was yes, it’s a conscience vote, but if you want a future in the National Party your conscience had damned well better tell you to vote how I want you to.
Scum, the lot of them. Hemp rope is too good for them,
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To paraphrase what kowtow said on KB; we have men losing their jobs, the economy has tanked, the rest of the world in in turmoil and our elected elites are busy concerning themselves with bottoms and booze !
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Really? there are still some actual people who go sewer-diving there? You have more patience that I, kowtow, I can’t be bothered even looking to see what that faker has to say these days. And as for the filth he lets occupy the comments sections, well…
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GG
Can’t let them have the field all to themselves.
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Banks voted for the alcohol purchase age to be 18. There is no way he would have voted that way if he was a National MP. He cannot vote according to what he believe are the wishes of his constituents or what voters would have thought to be his own principles he should do the honourable thing and resign. Former ministers get the title Honourable. It would be nice if some would occasionally do the honourable thing.
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Leighton Smith has just called on John Banks to resign on Friday about 8:50 am.
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