Dirty politicians on highway to hell

ROCK THE VOTE: 'It's a long way to the top', sang AC/DC, but recent events have also proved a week is a long time in politics.

"Dirty deeds, done dirt cheap" - that's all I can think of after this week's political news.

Growing up in Whanganui as a teen, I may have enjoyed a bit of AC/DC and that song is one of the best, especially with some head-banging thrown in.

It's been a dirty week in politics, kicked off late last week with Prime Minister John Key calling Kim Dotcom Laila Harre's "Sugar Daddy".

I found that highly offensive given the sexual overtones of the term - and I'm no fan of Dotcom - but it is not a synonym for Daddy Warbucks.

Then there was the "f*** John Key" chant by young people at an Internet-Mana gathering - although, in my view, that's closer to a valid expression of frustration and not something new. I also don't find it comparable to the PM initiating use of the disparaging term "Sugar Daddy" on prime time television.

Key then went on to imply that Internet-Mana was behind another video, this one the burning of an effigy of him - something that was corrected later as being entirely independent.

Billboard graffiti has taken off and, while I admit some of the more clever amendments have prompted a small smile from me, I'm not a fan of mindless destruction and am appalled by the anti-Semitic abuse occurring.

We had Colin Craig forcing his way into the TV3 minor party leaders debate last weekend by again threatening litigation. Then we had the odd Helensville non-debate with Key and Harre present but all contenders banned from criticising each other.

I finally watched the amusing Planet Key video this week after it was banned from radio and television under the Electoral Act.

It's still allowed on YouTube and is a great tune and a good piece of political satire with Key featured playing air guitar on a Maui's dolphin while oil platforms burst into flames.

Finally the icing on the political junkie cake for me was the release of Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics on Wednesday - a bombshell expose of connections between the Prime Minister's office and right-wing "attack dogs".

I haven't read the book yet and am just going on news coverage and excerpts placed on Twitter - I will be lining up in Paper Plus as soon as possible in New Plymouth for my own copy, although I suspect it won't sell out immediately in the provinces, as it did on launch night in Wellington.

Look, I know I'm biased - as I've mentioned I'm a Green Party member. But I'm also a former public servant who's worked closely with ministers and advisers across the political spectrum.

The reason I joined the Green Party last year and started talking publicly about my concerns with the direction of this Government was a fear that transparency was being undermined, whether shoddy consultation processes or passing legislation under urgency or removing people's rights to appeal in court or under-resourcing the Ombudsmen's Office.

I strongly believe something has changed and that's eroding New Zealand's strong stance on fairness.

It seems this book provides evidence of inappropriate connections between the key players, which are fuelling the attack politics.

Key has already labelled Hager a conspiracy theorist but Hager has gained huge respect for his dedicated approach to his previous exposes.

I will be reading this book with an open mind along with high levels of both interest and critical thinking and encourage others to do so. My husband suggested I save the book for our week's holiday at the beach coming up - but there's no way I'm waiting till then to read this.

With less than six weeks to go until election day on September 20, I wonder how much hotter things are going to get on the Highway to Hell? What's next?

Nicola Young is a former Department of Conservation manager who now works for global consultancy AECOM. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys.