Prince William

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, March 10th, 2011 - 95 comments
Categories: International, republic - Tags:

So it seems that we’re to have a visit from Prince William. As might be expected from a PM who restored our archaic “honours” system, John Key has been positively gushing at the prospect:

Prince William will address the thousands of people expected at next week’s national memorial service for the victims of the devastating Christchurch earthquake. St James’s Palace today announced the prince will attend the March 18 service at North Hagley Park on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, and will also visit Greymouth to speak to the families of the Pike River Coal mine disaster. Prime Minister John Key told reporters today that Prince William would speak at the memorial service.

“This is a heart-warming gesture that will mean a lot to the thousands of people whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” Mr Key said.

“I think all New Zealanders will appreciate the gesture from The Queen to ask Prince William to come down. It’s a very important step that he’s taking because it shows you the international feeling for Christchurch and Cantabrians.”

Mr Key said it would mean “an awful lot” for the prince to make the long trek from Britain to take part in the service.

“The long trek from Britain” – is he coming by camel?

I’ve nothing against members of the Royal Family personally — they didn’t ask for the job. But I do think that as an institution they have no further relevance to NZ, and the sooner we’re a republic (with a special “grandfathering” clause for The Treaty) the better. With respect to this visit, I find it hard to imagine what William, a young man with little life experience and a very privileged background, could possibly contribute once he gets here. What can he say to a family from East Christchurch whose house is in ruins? What can he do for a young mother in Greymouth who lost her husband at Pike River?

We already have a popular but useless celebrity “leader” swanning about the country to make people feel good and hog the cameras. Do we really need a second one? I’m pretty sure that given the choice between Prince William and a plane load of portaloos, the people of Refugee City in Christchurch would opt overwhelmingly for the latter.

All of my posts for March will finish with this note. While life goes on as usual outside Christchurch, let our thoughts be with those who are coping with the aftermath, with the sorrow of so many who were lost, and with the challenges ahead.

95 comments on “Prince William ”

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  1. marsman 1
    10 March 2011 at 10:10 am

    Did Key invite William? More photo ops for Key?

    • the pink postman 1.1
      10 March 2011 at 3:33 pm

      Of course he did . I expect he’s hoping for a knightghood as soon as possible. There he will be bobing up,and down touching his forelock and simpering. What could be more embarrassing than the PM of Aotearoa making an ass of himself by pandering to this spoilt over paid beneficiary.

  2. toad 2
    10 March 2011 at 10:16 am

    “Wills the Disaster Tourist”. He’s going to Queensland to have a squiz at the flood damage there too.

    And, yes, it looks as though Key did invite him:

    Mr Key said he had known for a week that Prince William would attend, and the timing of the service had been coordinated with the prince’s planned trip to Australia.

    “We started looking at our timing for the memorial service, it all seemed to tie together so it’s working well.”

    Another distraction from the issues that matter in election year.

  3. Rich 3
    10 March 2011 at 10:17 am

    He’d have been way more popular if he’d turned up at the Sydney Mardi Gras with his shirt off.

    • bbfloyd 3.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:01 am

      thanks for the imagery Rich….. i’m not sure if i will be eating anytime soon…. not sure i’ll be able to keep it down…. eeeeeww!!

    • Deadly_NZ 3.2
      10 March 2011 at 6:14 pm

      That would be a sight to make your eyes bleed.

  4. Richard 4
    10 March 2011 at 10:20 am

    I think a visit by Prince William is appropriate. And it seems late enough that dealing with him is not going to interfer in rescue/recovery operations.

    He does bring international attention, and he is certainly a symbol of an historic and on-going connection between England and New Zealand. And ChCh does portray itself as an “english” city.

    Certainly, he is not of any practical value. But that’s not what he is here for, and no one is pretending that he is. He’s the state equivalent of sending flowers to the bereaved.

    • bbfloyd 4.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:03 am

      stick to charlton heston impersonations Richie….they give you more credibility… and it would make that apologist rubbish sound more sincere..

      • Richard 4.1.1
        10 March 2011 at 11:28 am

        I think you might have me confused with somebody else.

        • bbfloyd 4.1.1.1
          10 March 2011 at 4:29 pm

          no i hav’nt…. it isn’t the fact that william is coming that rankles…… it is the way it is being exploited by swishypants that is…. does anyone know yet how accurate the rumour that swishy invited him specifically,,, or whether it was a decision made by the windsors?

          untill we co know for certain one way or the other, i would hesitate to take a firm position.

          no doubt, you are aware of speculation that the memorial service was timed to coincide with the visit… why else would swishy want to hold memorial service when there are still bodies to be found and identified…… don’t you think any memorial service should honour ALL the known victims? where is the need for this unseemly haste? doesn’t this all seem a bit too coincidental to you?

          • Richard 4.1.1.1.1
            11 March 2011 at 11:32 am

            Of course, Key will make an arse of himself. No question there. But that’s really independent of anything else. Key is quite capable of making an arse of himself at any time, and in any company.

            And, of course, it makes sense to time the memorial service to the visit (or vice-versa). If William wasn’t coming the British High Commisioner in NZ (or whatever he’s called) would represented England alone. Which would have been fine too. We are presumably going to see a number of ambassadors and so forther there too.

            What’s the problem?

      • Vicky32 4.1.2
        10 March 2011 at 5:24 pm

        Sorry, I happen to agree with Richard. William’s visit isn’t going to do anyone any harm!
        Deb

    • Lanthanide 4.2
      10 March 2011 at 11:56 am

      I agree.

    • BLiP 4.3
      10 March 2011 at 12:44 pm

      What’s the matter with me, I’m agreeing with a dick?

      I see the visit and its attendant international publicity as a good thing. It will indicate that New Zealand is coping with the clean-up okay, we’re still functioning, most of it its quite safe, so come on over and spend all your tourist money now. That the Crosby/Texter client’s Kiwi Mascot, Clueless, will exploit the situation for all its worth is just the nature of the National Ltd™ beast. I don’t know if what’s-his-name would do any different, to be honest. At least the visit will give Clueless something to do rather than puddle about making things worse for everyone. And, who knows, perhaps there are still many people in New Zealand who can still receive succour from such a stunt.

      . . . the sooner we’re a republic (with a special “grandfathering” clause for The Treaty) the better . . .

      The Maori nation has its own agreement with the Crown via Te Tiriti. We don’t need your steeenking “clauses”, we need sovereignty.

  5. toad 5
    10 March 2011 at 10:21 am

    Mind you, if he brought a $100m donation from his granny and dad (they’re one of the richest families in the world) towards the Christchurch recovery effort it might be worthwhile. What’s the chances?

  6. Bill 6
    10 March 2011 at 10:37 am

    As the quoted line from JK that is in the post points out, it’s a gesture.

    Elton John rescheduling his second concert to play in Christchurch rather than Dunedin is also a gesture.

    And ‘The Warriors’ playing a match in Greymouth was a gesture.

    As with all gestures, some appreciate them or the people making them, and some don’t.

    And there is an argument that the presence of a Prince will generate media coverage beyond NZ that will have the potential to pull in more in the way of donationas etc.

    I just don’t think it’s worth anyone getting their knickers in a twist. He’s popular. Him and his engagement are all over the ‘womens magazines’. Some people will appreciate his presence…his gesture. It isn’t doing anybody any harm. And it just might result in some practical good.

  7. SMSD 7
    10 March 2011 at 10:38 am

    So, we have a couple of major disasters, and our Head of State sends her grandson out for a visit? Awesome.

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      10 March 2011 at 2:47 pm

      Our head of state is pretty OLD, even I wouldn’t want her expiring at 35,000 feet on the way over here.

      • SMSD 7.1.1
        11 March 2011 at 3:08 pm

        Indeed, but I was trying to make the point that our head of state really ought to live here….at least part of the time!

  8. gobsmacked 8
    10 March 2011 at 10:42 am

    I don’t have a problem with William’s visit. But the real story here is … why March 18?

    It’s clear that a lot of people in Christchurch aren’t ready yet for a public holiday and a memorial service, next week. So … was the date chosen to meet the needs of the people?

    No. It was chosen to suit the schedule of the Prince, and Australia.

    Perhaps the people of Christchurch might have preferred to wait until April, or later in the year. But the Prince is busy in April, as we all know.

    He’s not coming only to NZ, either. Like most visitors from afar, he’s combining it with Australia. More time has passed since the Australian tragedies (Queensland floods etc), so they may be ready for this. But anyway, they’re bigger, and they lead. So NZ must fit in.

    So, to be clear, this was the decision-making process of John Key:

    1) When can Prince William come?
    2) When is suitable for Australia?
    3) People of Christchurch, we’re not asking you.

    To put it another way – is there any other reason that March 18 has been chosen?

    • Lanthanide 8.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:58 am

      Actually I think March 18th was chosen to be 1 month after the quake, but a Friday-ised holiday. I guess they could’ve made it Monday-ised just as easily though.

      • Puddleglum 8.1.1
        11 March 2011 at 12:41 pm

        Looks like the timing concerns expressed by gobsmacked, me, sophie and others are also shared by local businesspeople.

        Key has defended the decision and claims it was thoroughly thought through … I think that says a lot about the thoroughness of thinking going on over this earthquake from central government.

    • Puddleglum 8.2
      10 March 2011 at 8:03 pm

      I agree, as I mentioned on another recent post (I was a bit off topic there). I think a memorial service is a fine idea and if William comes along then I won’t complain. But, 18 March is not good timing. Unidentified dead people, resources getting used for an aggregation of people in Hagley Park (as I noted, where will the portaloos come from?), many people living in garages, significant proportions of the population without power, water, sewerage, many people not even here (having temporarily fled), schools and workplaces only just beginning to get going (e.g., my daughter’s first full day is next Wednesday).

      In my other comment I said why not 22 Feb, 2012. Maybe that’s too far out, but one month is just too soon and I predict will be a bitter pill to swallow and a source of some cynical jokes amongst those still barely able to make livable conditions for themselves. But I doubt whether they’ll make the vox pops that show Christchurch people saying how great it is. And I guess that’s all that matters to many.

      Much better to delay it at least till victims have been identified and more of Christchurch can join in other than people from unaffected suburbs (the burglars are going to have an even more open invitation on the day). I strongly suspect the timing of this is for the rest of the country. There may be some international exposure from it but why would people flock to a city that has a memorial service for a major earthquake? It is possible, however, that ordinary people’s pockets might be opened a bit more by it. But presumably the same would be true if it was held after – I don’t know – 100 days from the earthquake?

      I don’t claim I know what everyone is thinking here, it’s just my take on what seems like a hasty, ‘let’s draw a line under this’ decision that was made without really thinking things through.

  9. Herodotus 9
    10 March 2011 at 11:01 am

    “As might be expected from a PM who restored our archaic “honours” system” – No ROB he restored only those that were taken away from the deserving general public. Funny enough did not the politicians keep theirs when the rest were removed/renamed – there is a link to Machiavellis writing and how to change society – part being replacing exisiting conventions and replacing them with your own thus severing ties with the old e.g. honourable, Right Honourable etc.
    Hands off pollys perks. something about eating cake seems valid !! 😉

    • bbfloyd 9.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:09 am

      i would probably find your comment distasteful, if it made any sense,,,, but as it doesn’t,,,, so it’s just nonsensical bullshit…

      • Herodotus 9.1.1
        10 March 2011 at 11:24 am

        Only distasteful thing was that Helen Clark kept the honors relating to her lot i.e. politicians, yet changed that what was bestowed to the public, without any of us having a say.

  10. M 10
    10 March 2011 at 11:02 am

    Ten out of ten post – my favourite:

    “This is a heart-warming gesture that will mean a lot to the thousands of people whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” Mr Key said.

    …yeah and might staunch the drop in my popularity for a bit.

    • Anne 10.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:21 am

      “This is a heart-warming gesture that will mean a lot to the thousands of people whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” Mr Key said.

      Nothing wrong with William visiting, and personally expressing his sympathy to the people of CHCH. But when Key over-eggs the supposed enthusiasm for the visit (bear in mind most of the worst effected won’t even get to the venue to see William) then you know he’s looking for yet more photo ops. and personal accolades out of it.

      • Anne 10.1.1
        10 March 2011 at 2:03 pm

        oops… should be affected.

        • M 10.1.1.1
          10 March 2011 at 10:15 pm

          Anne

          Thank heavens someone knows the difference – such a relief.

          Anti-spam: corrections LOL.

          • Anne 10.1.1.1.1
            10 March 2011 at 10:25 pm

            That anti-spam thing gives me the creeps sometimes 😀

            Btw, I wish more commenters would learn when to use bought and brought… lost count of their misuse on this blog site. They don’t teach English like they did in my day……..

  11. Lewis Holden 11
    10 March 2011 at 11:15 am

    Thanks for the linkage!

    FWIW, members of the Royal Family need the permission of the British Government to leave the UK, typically an invite. Allegedly Cabinet wanted the Queen to come to NZ to open the new Supreme Court building, but Buckingham Palace decided (for PR reasons, we believe) to send William instead. He’s certainly much more popular than his father, even though Charles is the actual heir.

    So that means the PM probably invited the Royals to send someone. I suspect that happened at the same time as Key confirmed his choice for the next Gov-Gen, announced Tuesday.

  12. sophie 12
    10 March 2011 at 11:17 am

    We have lost a family member in the earthquake but we haven’t got her back yet – 18 March is too soon for us.

    The thought of seeing photo-op Key with William all over the media “empathising” with the families of the dead and injured and those who have lost their homes makes me feel sick.

    • Rosy 12.1
      10 March 2011 at 11:38 am

      sophie, my thoughts are with you at this dreadful time

    • neoleftie 12.2
      10 March 2011 at 11:48 am

      well thats said and done – surely family members of the poor people who lost their lives in this tragic event should have some imput into a date. This isnt some entertainment or ‘show and tell’ exercise. This is about coming togther as a nation or region to ‘show our respects’ and mourn as a nation. This is a tragedy so it should be treated as such, not a side show for the media circus.

    • r0b 12.3
      10 March 2011 at 12:18 pm

      My condolences sophie – I’m so sorry.

      We had immediate family injured in the quake, but no one lost (as far as we know).

  13. To be frank 13
    10 March 2011 at 11:26 am

    What a mean spirited post. What countries really care about NZ. Few. We should retain the friends we have.

    • the pink postman 13.1
      10 March 2011 at 3:18 pm

      Since when have the UK and their bludging hangers on been the friend of Aotearoa? The British missionaries told the Maori to close their eyes and pray and while their eyes were closed they robbed them . The monied came and claimed acres of land. For years our children were brain-washed into the worship of a load of parasites . Then they took our young men and used them as cannon foder in two wars . Then after the last war was over they told us to get stuffed and we no what we can do with our goods . I dont think NZ has any reason to kow tow to anyone let alone a member of a disfuctional sponging family like the Windsor’s.

  14. Lewis Holden 14
    10 March 2011 at 11:27 am

    Britain showed it cared by sending search and rescue teams. As did the US, Japan, Taiwan and China.

  15. pmofnz 15
    10 March 2011 at 11:47 am

    “We already have a popular but useless celebrity “leader” swanning about the country to make people feel good and hog the cameras.”

    Is the UN disaster tourist still lurking about then?

  16. Ms M 16
    10 March 2011 at 12:18 pm

    I was appalled at the announcement the Government was planning a memorial service when so many families still do not have their loved ones back.

    Now we find out the that the memorial service the PM was annoucing last week as an opportunity for the nation and Canterbury to grieve was planned around and worked into royalty’s downunder itinery. The sincerity is absolutely dripping off this photo op.

    It’s at times like this when the PM’s reminds me of the stoner who steals your stuff to sell to buy his drugs but justifies his actions by returning to the scene of the crime and sharing his ill gotten gains with you.

  17. SHG 17
    10 March 2011 at 2:38 pm

    On the “archaic honours system”:

    Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as “empty,” “meaningless,” or “dishonest,” and scorn to use them. No matter how “pure” their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best.

    — Robert A. Heinlein

    • Marty G 17.1
      11 March 2011 at 12:36 am

      Heinlein. Have you read Starship Troopers? There’s basically no plot, just the outlining of a fascist militocracy.

      The movie is a great parody of the book.

      And The Forever War is a brilliant response to it, written by a Vietnam vet, Joe Hadleman. The pro-military Heinlein was in the navy in the 30s but never in wartime.

  18. JD 18
    10 March 2011 at 3:05 pm

    “That’s cos they’re trying to kid themselves they’re one of them. Mind you, Key only has to open his mouth and he gives himself away!”

    As opposed to Helen Clark opening her mouth and giving us a look at her awful working class teeth?

    Have you munters ever thought that giving Key shit about his accent when a great many Labour supporters and potential voters actually share the same accent is well, stupid?

    Furthermore, what does it say about some who thinks this is actually significant?

    • the pink postman 18.1
      10 March 2011 at 3:41 pm

      Its not his accent you twit, its the fact that one can not understand what the hell he is saying,

      I know plenty of people with acccents one has to listen hard to understand . But this PM just blubers .Mind you perhaps its as well we dont know what he’s saying . Perhaps there is method in his slobbering .

    • lprent 18.2
      10 March 2011 at 3:55 pm

      Not exactly – she was definitely middle-class or above (as far as we have classes) in family origin.

      I suspect that what you’re talking about is her relative lack of vanity compared to the mincer who is the current PM? I can’t imagine him fighting his minders against putting him in front of a mirror – can you?

      • higherstandard 18.2.1
        10 March 2011 at 5:30 pm

        True she never came across as vain either in the public eye or in private, but why did she allow the PR people to do the airbrushing ?

        • lprent 18.2.1.1
          10 March 2011 at 5:57 pm

          Beats me if they did. I tend to view it as likely to be a myth that it was air-brushed. I have never seen any evidence that it was.

          I’ve seen Helen slopping around in a dressing gown when I’ve been in her office at home fixing her computer on a sunday (and playing that bloody awful opera loudly). I have also seen her being completely spruced up before heading on stage for a speech. The difference is pretty amazing. I have seen her in real life looking similar to what that photo showed, and that was hours away from the mirror. I suspect that she simply had some artisans working on her before the photos were taken.

          Hell, I have seen Lyn do much the same thing last year when she was heading (ever hopefully) to the Qantas awards. That took a complete day of wandering around face painters, nail trimmers and painters, hair manufacturers, dress insertion procedures, the frantic hunt for the ideal shoes, and the depleted bank account. The result was absolutely stunning (although of course I get quite amused by the whole procedure and simply read a book while making the appropiate noises at the appropriate times).

          I of course did not attend because I’m completely anti-social when it comes to dressing up. If they don’t like me turning up in jeans, tee-shirt, and bare feet or jandals (I have started wearing running shoes – my feet are getting colder as I get older) then I usually won’t attend social functions. If forced to (ie weddings, funerals, and aged relatives birthdays) I will turn up dressed in a suit. For some reason Lyn doesn’t seem to like my early 90’s suit and 80’s tie.

          (Peter seems to have similar attitudes to me. But I suspect he got forced to get suits more frequently – poor bastard).

          • higherstandard 18.2.1.1.1
            10 March 2011 at 6:28 pm

            I have similar discussions with my wife – basically if people can’t take me as I am at my stage of life I can’t be bothered worrying about it.

            • lprent 18.2.1.1.1.1
              10 March 2011 at 6:55 pm

              Last time I actively tried to impress anyone was at my last management job, and that was when I was about 30. One of the reasons I like programming is that I can exclude employers who want to get impressed about anything apart from code. After all I am interviewing them…

              Needless to say, I don’t work for corporates unless they are pretty desperate.

          • M 18.2.1.1.2
            10 March 2011 at 10:34 pm

            ‘Hell, I have seen Lyn do much the same thing last year when she was heading (ever hopefully) to the Qantas awards. That took a complete day of wandering around face painters, nail trimmers and painters, hair manufacturers, dress insertion procedures, the frantic hunt for the ideal shoes, and the depleted bank account. The result was absolutely stunning (although of course I get quite amused by the whole procedure and simply read a book while making the appropiate noises at the appropriate times).’

            Lynn, the conveyer belt motif is good. Women rightly or wrongly either enjoy all of this or feel that they should be doing it. Most men can jump in the shower, comb their hair nicely, slap on some cologne and slip into a suit or good pants and a shirt and look pretty much like they’ve stepped out of a band box. Women do go the extra mile to do shiny and yes men certainly sit up and take notice even though they may chill or complain while it’s all going on.

    • Vicky32 18.3
      10 March 2011 at 5:34 pm

      “As opposed to Helen Clark opening her mouth and giving us a look at her awful working class teeth?”
      On behalf of all women everywhere with ‘awful working class teeth’, thanks a bunch, mate!
      Key can afford cosmetic dentistry, that makes him a better person? It’s not Key’s accent that bugs me, it’s his mis-pronunciations…
      Deb

      • Morrissey 18.3.1
        10 March 2011 at 11:31 pm

        It’s not Key’s accent or his mis-pronunciations that bug me, it’s how he says “New Zealanders” (mis-pronounced by Key as New Zealders) instead of “people”. That’s a strategy developed in the United States; it’s virtually compulsory for a senator or congressman to say “the American people” instead of “people”.

        Phil Goff, of course, does exactly the same as Key, except with better pronunciation.

    • felix 18.4
      10 March 2011 at 10:30 pm

      JD you’re a moron, no-one cares about his accent.

      We care about the fact that he can’t pronounce words, doesn’t appear to know what many of them mean (but uses them more or less randomly anyway), and arranges them into non-sequitous sentences that no-one with any grasp of English can pin a definite meaning on.

      Oh, and that most times he opens his mouth to speak he appears to be at least half-pissed.

  19. Irascible 19
    10 March 2011 at 3:18 pm

    The Royal family are being used by a cynical media driven political party. While Prince William represents little of substantive value Key’s spin machine has kicked in… expect the visit to disguise further announcements of shock doctrine sales of state assets and cuts in government services to rescue Key & English from their mismanagement of the economy.

  20. Hilary 20
    10 March 2011 at 3:21 pm

    Is royalty allowed to be used for party political purposes?

  21. happynz 21
    10 March 2011 at 5:06 pm

    I’m an immigrant from a country without royals. Later this year I expect to be granted citizenship and to do so I have to swear allegiance to some old lady in England? Weird, if you ask me.

  22. JD 22
    10 March 2011 at 5:12 pm

    “Its not his accent you twit, its the fact that one can not understand what the hell he is saying,”

    I can understand perfectly what Key is saying as can most of NZ. In fact it’s moronic to even suggest that he’s unintelligible. Perhaps it’s you comprehension and listening skills which are lacking or that you’re such a petty, small minded individual that you look for minor faults in individuals.

    Maybe you should go down down to a pub in South Auckland and criticize their standard of English. It’d be wicked to see youse getting the bash. Serve you right for being a c**t cos no one like a c**t.

    “I suspect that what you’re talking about is her relative lack of vanity compared to the mincer who is the current PM? I can’t imagine him fighting his minders against putting him in front of a mirror – can you?”

    Let’s be honest, most politicians are vain in some respect, it simply manifests itself differently. With Clark I think she enjoyed showing off her knowledge of obscure foreign affairs.

    • felix 22.1
      10 March 2011 at 10:54 pm

      “I can understand perfectly what Key is saying as can most of NZ”

      That’s because the way he strings together his sentences they don’t mean anything in particular. You’re mostly responding positively to his tone and body language.

      It’s not a controversial statement I’m making, JD. It’s blindingly obvious to anyone who can speak English reasonably fluently that Key doesn’t often actually say what it sounds like he says.

      It’s truly sad that your grasp of language is so poor that you don’t recognise this, as that’s essentially how he gets away with it. He speaks to two people with opposing views and they both think he’s sticking up for them.

      Wonder how many will fall for it again?

  23. Carol 23
    10 March 2011 at 6:34 pm

    Maybe you should go down down to a pub in South Auckland and criticize their standard of English.
    Exactly. I have nothing against working class, South Auckland, or any other accent. But when I watch Key on TV speaking in parliament, he does sound like he has been down the pub and sunk a few in the lunch hour. It does seem kind of odd in a Prime Minister. He speaks in a way that seems to have a touch of street Kiwi, plus something that is peculiar to Key: slurring, sloshing and stumbling over his words.

  24. JD 24
    10 March 2011 at 7:15 pm

    “Exactly. I have nothing against working class, South Auckland, or any other accent.”

    Bullshit. You’re basing your judgement on a person by the accent they possess. This type of behaviour is nothing but a throwback to the English class system where an accent is telltale sign of a persons social background and schooling.

    All you university educated Grey Lynn/Wadestown liberals may have nothing against the South Auckland working class but I bet it’d be a cold day in hell before you drink in the same establishments.

    You’re all a disgrace.

    • Carol 24.1
      10 March 2011 at 7:27 pm

      Bullshit. You’re basing your judgement on a person by the accent they possess. This type of behaviour is nothing but a throwback to the English class system where an accent is telltale sign of a persons social background and schooling.

      All you university educated Grey Lynn/Wadestown liberals may have nothing against the South Auckland working class but I bet it’d be a cold day in hell before you drink in the same establishments.

      Now THAT is B/S. And it’s an ad hominem based on what evidence? Nothing there in what I said. How would you know where I drink? Don’t live in Grey Lynn… and as for the UK class system, I lived in Brixton (for many years) and other Sth London working class areas. Taught students in the area and socialised at local pubs frequently.

      Also, I know the difference between an “ordinary” Kiwi accent and someone who has difficult pronouncing the words with that accent…. especially someone who has a uni education and, in JK’s case, probably wouldn’t choose to socialise with less well-off people in Sth Auckland unless there was a great photo op in it.

      Try watching Key speak in parliament. He usually seems like he’s been drinking.

    • Colonial Viper 24.2
      10 March 2011 at 8:58 pm

      You’re all a disgrace.

      Famous last words from Marie Antoinette, buddy.

      All you university educated Grey Lynn/Wadestown liberals may have nothing against the South Auckland working class but I bet it’d be a cold day in hell before you drink in the same establishments.

      I buy rounds for my working mates in establishments like that. And they buy back for me. You greasy frakker.

    • lprent 24.3
      10 March 2011 at 10:58 pm

      Ummmph I live in Grey Lynn these days up by the old fire station and I own a apartment in Newton.

      What this young idiot (JD) doesn’t realize is that I was born in Newton Gully when it was one of the worst slums in Auckland (ie in the days before the NE motorway ripped the houses down). Had a very high Irish population in those days and was the favored landing place for young immigrants from the rest of NZ like my father. He worked in the industrial area in Newmarket (long before it became a shopping mall).

      We moved slightly up market in house size when my brother was born into the main Polynesian suburbs at the time – Ponsonby and Grey Lynn. This was when there was anything apart from empty fields in South Auckland. The southern motorway ended at Mt Wellington.

      When my sister was born we moved to Mt Albert to a larger house. That was a classic working class and immigrant community with quite a lot of light industry moving into the area, that both my parents worked in.

      Now all of those areas have gentrified over time with people discovering the joys of city rather than suburb living. One of the great joys in my life has been that my parents were never stupid enough to emigrate to the North Shore or Howick.

      You’ll still find the traces of all of those previous population shifts throughout all of those areas. The old Irish community halls around Newton, the Polynesian churches in Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, and the immigrant halls of the late 50’s and 60’s in Mt Albert (like the Polish hall).

      You’ll also find people like me who grew up around there and prefer to stay here.

      And I’m not exactly a ‘liberal’. I’m just not stupid enough to get my information from talkback radio – which is what JD reads like. I grew up in “working class” and more importantly in Auckland immigrant communities. I went to university because that is what aspiring youth from those neighborhoods did in the late 70’s to improve themselves (and it wasn’t exorbitant to do so). I also went into the TF, worked on farms, in public bars, worked on factory floors, and generally got an education as well as the academic one.

      Basically JD, my ignorant friend, it is clear that you know nothing much about my areas of Auckland (in fact by the sound of it you don’t know Auckland at all)…. And I bet you do ‘learn’ mostly from talkback..

      • Rosy 24.3.1
        10 March 2011 at 11:26 pm

        “All you university educated Grey Lynn/Wadestown liberals may have nothing against the South Auckland working class but I bet it’d be a cold day in hell before you drink in the same establishments”

        University educated – tick
        Liberal – tick
        not Wadestown but definitely central Wellington
        I grew up waiting for my parents to come home after drinking in “those” establishments.

    • Bright Red 24.4
      10 March 2011 at 11:28 pm

      Key doesn’t have a working class accent. He isn’t working class. He was raised by immigrant mother who came from a wealthy Austrian family, they just lived in a state house for a while when she was on the widow’s benefit.

      As for Wadestown liberals. You obviously haven’t been there recently. It’s all over-priced houses and Actoids.

      My favourite drinking spot is the old Ferryman’s, got some new name now.

    • mickysavage 24.5
      11 March 2011 at 6:57 am

      Feck JD I grew up in Mangere and my daddy was a boilermaker.

      Although I was a member of Princes Street …

      • Rosy 24.5.1
        11 March 2011 at 7:11 am

        “my daddy was a boilermaker” – So was mine…
        Maybe for their own self interest RWNJ should ensure people grow up in well-off households because then they’d have fewer lefties to worry about 😉

        • mickysavage 24.5.1.1
          11 March 2011 at 7:28 am

          Good on ya Rosy

          Capcha opportunitys as in everyone should have them, including the children of boilermakers!

          • Bill Browne 24.5.1.1.1
            11 March 2011 at 9:39 am

            Luxury!

            I grew up living in an old chip packet on the centre reserve of the Takanini straight

            • Rosy 24.5.1.1.1.1
              11 March 2011 at 10:39 am

              🙂 It was! 3 bedrooms, 1/4 acre. Deposit was capitalised family benefit and a fixed low- interest loan.

  25. MrSmith 25
    10 March 2011 at 7:40 pm

    I wouldn’t bother crossing the road to spit on Prince William the man is a parasite, please can we find some porta lu’s for him to clean while he is here, now that’s something I would cross the road for.

  26. Adele 26
    10 March 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Teenaa koutou katoa

    As an aside, I once walked into the local bottlestore in Clendon, Manurewa, on my way to visiting a friend living in the area. For those that don’t know Clendon particularly well, it is predominantly Maori, poor, and is frequently bludgeoned by social dysfunction – crime, alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence etc etc etc.

    Anyway, at the bottlestore, I asked for a dessert wine. The guy absolutely choked himself laughing, and said “lady, look around, this neighbourhood doesn’t ‘do’ dessert wine.” By his reckoning dessert in Clendon is either a joint, a box of DB, or a packet of fags.

    It also follows that his shop was bereft of a decent red.

    • neoleftie 26.1
      10 March 2011 at 8:50 pm

      oh one could suggest the whole of southland is like that too but seriously adele the class structure within new zealand is being reastablished. maybe we have the rise of the mini elites; upper middle class. Those who have made it outa the gutter of life but still have compassion for those around them

    • Carol 26.2
      10 March 2011 at 8:58 pm

      I’m not quite sure of the point of that aside. It doesn’t help that I have no idea what a “dessert wine” is?

      • neoleftie 26.2.1
        10 March 2011 at 9:14 pm

        clever adele was pointing out that most people dont even know let alone have the cash to spend on a dessert wine which is basically the low water concentration to brix ratio in a grape caused by a fungus sucking out the water of the grape usually at late harvest time…a very sweet sticky wine.

  27. JD 27
    10 March 2011 at 11:16 pm

    “I buy rounds for my working mates in establishments like that. And they buy back for me. You greasy frakker.”

    Yep, some of my best mates are road workers too.

    Anonymously claiming on the internet will win you so much working class street cred. Then you can go back to your mates over at princess st labour and in between discussing your MA thesis drop that bomb.

    • felix 27.1
      11 March 2011 at 12:53 am

      You’re not fooling anyone, Tory Boy.

    • Colonial Viper 27.2
      11 March 2011 at 1:36 am

      Anonymously claiming on the internet will win you so much working class street cred.

      I didn’t win my working class street cred by blogging you idiot, I won it by dropping glass jawed Toff dickwads like you with a liverpool kiss.

      • vto 27.2.1
        11 March 2011 at 7:13 am

        Right. Sounds like a bit of bovver brewing. Lprent, can you rig up some sort of virtual boxing ring on here for these fullas? Needs to look like it would have back in the day in Auckland town. Sounds like mickeysavage can provide some guidance.

      • lprent 27.2.2
        11 March 2011 at 8:23 am

        Ummm…. ‘cred’.

        Stuffing a bikers head into a fridge after he came over the public bar I was running. Then negotiating with the rest of the gang about bar access while the police arrived.

        Coming to think of it, it does sound like moderating here.

        I would be more likely to toss JD out for trying to start flame wars. I take a dim view of that. But I will let it play out. JD may surprise us and manage to say something interesting.

  28. JD 28
    11 March 2011 at 10:29 am

    “You’re not fooling anyone, Tory Boy.”

    About what? Have I claimed that despite my university education I continue to hang round road labourers – No.

    All I’ve said is that for people who claim to be socialists to give someone shit about their working class accent and then try to claim that you don’t really make a critical judgement about the person because of that trait when a great many supporters of the Labour party share the same accent represents hypocrisy. I suspect deep down you’re all easier talking about the poor in your villas or chardonney rather than interacting with them or else you wouldn’t have brought the issue up in the first place. Well, that or you really stupid.

    As for talkback radio, no I don’t listen to it but then again this place is pretty much it’s literary equivilent given the quality of comments.

    Maybe you should all think about about what you say before you post. Let this be a lesson.

  29. Rodel 29
    11 March 2011 at 11:46 pm

    Don’t need diseases, bacteria or viruses in Christchurch at the moment. That includes parasites Willie.
    Stay home . We really don’t need you, don’t you think?

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