Written By: - Date published: 6:02 pm, November 22nd, 2007 - 175 comments
Categories: activism, dpf, election funding -
Tags: activism, dpf, election funding
It’s a bit late, but a reader who was at yesterday’s anti-EFB march has mailed us through some pics from the rally. As David Farrar has noted, the protest march was joined by a small group of activists in John Key and Mr Burns masks chanting things like “What is it that we support? John Key’s election rort!”, “Elections, money, power, cash – Bring back Don Brash!” and my favourite, “2, 4, 6, 11 – We support the Exclusive Brethren!”. Their goal was to expose the real motivations of the bill’s opponents – that is, safeguarding the National Party’s dirty money – and to do so with humour. Judging by the media coverage they pulled it off.
As expected, ten counterprotesters in the midst of a hundred or so angry Tories were always going to be abused and attacked. Here’s one anti-EFB protester who didn’t seem to have much of an appetite for free speech:
And it might just be me, but doesn’t this look like a lot less than 200 people?
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Scoopit!
Unfortunately our great averages and comparisons to other OECD countries hides our ‘long tail’ of students not achieving.
I contend that teachers already know who these students are – there is just not the resources in place to sufficiently address these students needs.
I believe I have read/seen many times studies that show the prison population has much higher incidences of dyslexia and illiteracy than the general population. As it stands, there is currently no resourcing in place to address dyslexia in our schools. The MOE does not recognise dyslexia as a learning difficulty for students that requires any resourcing.
Surely it would make sense both economically and socially to fund both the identifying of dyslexic students and the help they require?
“Excellent comment, rOb.”
Cheers Gruela. I hope you had an OK evening with the Friday night hoons.
“You’ve got the international comparisons covered, but what about the historical ones? Allow me to add this:”
Great stuff – many thanks for that. (I’ll add it to my “library”.) I too am amazed by the increase!
Speaking more generally of collecting useful info, we often repeat these arguments about health, education, the economy and so on. I wonder if The Standard could provide some kind of mechanism for building a FAQ file. We could all contribute, build up good sound well researched answers to the usual questions and trolls. It would be kinda useful.
“Surely it would make sense both economically and socially to fund both the identifying of dyslexic students and the help they require?”
For sure. There are various ways you could try to draw attention to this issue. One of them cuts out a lot of “the usual channels” and speaks very directly to the government, and that is (if you are a member of the Labour party) to propose it to the Labour policy committee, or propose it as a remit for Conference. Labour members still actively debate and promote policy at their annual conference (most other parties have given this up).
Is anybody in Ch Ch going to the
March ? today
looks like we’re about to see a concerted effort to not repeat DPF’s cock-up.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10478099
Wow!! John Key’s coming to the provinces! Truly that will bolster National’s poll rating, because there’s nothing us yokels like to do more over the summer months than stand around and listen to a politician. (Although it might get the editors of a few yokel newspapers mildly excited.)
Also interesting, the article goes on to say this “will have the added function of getting him acquainted with the pressures he will face in an election campaign.”
I don’t understand this. Is Helen Clark going to be touring with him, and will they be having televised debates during which Johno will be required to explain National policy?
I don’t think John Key has yet been put under real pressure, has he?
Key seeks to halt Labour momentum
Then he had better not release any policy then
a classic pretend-balanced article from the Herald that one, over-stating the successes and citing strawman failures while avoioding the worst ones.
indeed keeping his mouth shut will be the best strategy, which he’ll be following again shortly what with Crosby Textor soon to become free for business again.
obviously it won’t be anything like real campaigning, but JK’s puppeteers will understand the importance of making him feel like it’s the real thing… “oh you’rte doing great Johno, keep it up mate, they’re loving you, you’re beautiful, a master at this, etc”.
what with Crosby Textor soon to become free for business again.
Is Crosby ill then
I guess it soon to be Stills & Nash then
You have to admit, though, that as uninspiring as the John Key article is, it pales before the magnificent glow that is Fran O’Sullivan on John Howard in the same paper.
I believe this may be the most glaring display of the author’s wishful thinking overtaking any degree of nuance or subtlety of opinion, any sense of balance or perspective, that I have read in any newspaper column in a long time. I laughed until I wet myself. Twice.
And while I’m on the subject, what’s with the idea that John Howard has been ‘the best prime minister New Zealand never had.’
This is just silly. I can think of three better one’s off the top of my head:
1) Voltaire
2) Nelson Mandela
3) Norman Kirk (because he never had a fair chance)
Anyway, I think you guys should put up a post on this subject, and make it so that we all can vote on who we think has been ‘ the best prime minister New Zealand never had.’ Then after a couple days you could send the results to the Herald, maybe ask if Fran O’Sullivan would want to comment on it.
It’s just an idea.
Obviously you’ve never heard of Yoda.
Well i think Helen Clarke is the best Pm that Australia never had
and while I think of it John Clark
oh and Allan Clark who used to play for Leeds Utd in the seventies
ak
I guess I made a typo and therefore my entire comment is something to be discarded. Wow, how many years did you spend at university to be so gifted that you could spot a typo and just know that means that the entire message is a waste of space and the next thing to do is shoot the messenger. You’re a first class chump ak!
rOb
Quoting ORCD statistics that show we are in the bottom half and saying we are doing well is about what I would expect from a lefty. Private schools kick ass over state schools and the only answer the left seem to have is – ‘state schools just don’t have the resources’.
How do you people so readily accept mediocrity in health and education simply because we have had a Labour govt for 8 years? The public of NZ voted to pay extra tax in 1999 to fix health and education and the stats are going backward – still you can’t see it because … well I guess because darling Labour are in charge and to suggest they could do better would make you just like them nasty National party people.
Give up and accept anything – it’s much easier and you can keep pretending that dear leader has it all under control.
You’re a first class chump ak!
Ak is the brightest most erudite
poster in the New Zealand Blogosphere maybe the world
So leave him alone you bully
Burt On which stats do you base the comment the public of NZ voted to pay extra tax in 1999 to fix health and education and the stats are going backward
“Quoting ORCD statistics that show we are in the bottom half and saying we are doing well is about what I would expect from a lefty.”
Burt, not being able to tell the difference between the bottom half and the top half is, sadly, about what I would expect from you.
Where are those Stats Burt ?
Chump burt? Chump?
I’m disappointed and a little hurt burt, surely you can muster up something far more lickspittlicious than a paltry “chump” – have all those hours at kiwibog taught you nothing? C’mon burt, you’re letting the side down.. anyway, I certainly wouldn’t shoot you and don’t regard your comments as a “waste of space” – au contraire mon ami (french burt, look it up), I find them highly entertaining and a fascinating study of dogged determination against all odds.
rOb and the others consistently and repeatedly decipher and debunk your obtuse meanderings (excellent work by the way rOb), yet you return immediately without a hair out of place to fight another day with the same tedious tory cant. So respected international studies show our health system to be near the best in the world? – no worries to you burt, simply repeat the lies, drop in a “dear leader” or two, then scamper on to urinate on the next post.
We could have used you at the Somme burt: unfortunately, like all cannon-fodder your tory heroes won’t thank or want you when they lose next year. Come to the light burt: drop the pitiful propaganda and keep improving the clarity and you’ll find more admirers for your grit on this side of the barricades.
On the best PM we’ve never had, my vote would be for John Rawls, though I’d be dancing jigs and giving out free home made cider to all and sundry if we had any of Gruela’s suggestions as well.
As for Fran O’S, who cares what she thinks?
The major issue I have with MSM punditry, and it is not a problem limited to nz, is that they are journo’s, trained in the “art” of modern crappy journalist style. There was a time that the qualification for being a journo was that you know something about a subject and be able to string a paragraph together. The latter was subordinate to the former. The had sub editors that could deal with the prose stylings. these days kids go to polytech or wherever to learn ‘journalism’ which consists of a bit of writing guidence and a whole bunch of usesless stuff that they confuse with ethics, but which is fact a license to peddle crap for PR wallahs and the Bon McCroskie’s of the world.
The baby is crying so I might expand on this later, but the take away is that journo’s who don’t understand a subject will always end up falling back on ‘he said, she said’, think they’ve achieved something and end up considering that their own opinions have some value. And you end up with Frau Fran.
Sorry about the typo’s. I blame the baby (always), who is now happy, but still demanding attention.
Fran’s other candidates for best Prime Minister NZ never had:
Bill English (2002)
Don Brash (2005)
John Key (2008)
Bill English (2011)
John Key (2014)
rOb
I can tell the difference between the top and the bottom, that was a typing error, I was meaning that simply pointing to OECD stats showing we are in the top half and claiming it’s OK is what I would expect from a Labour supporter.
It’s good that you remind us about OECD ratings, remember the claim that Labour would take us up in the ratings while we have actually gone backwards. It’s this sliding that is unacceptable against a promise to fix health and education.
Private schools significantly out perform state schools, you might say that private schools have more money than state schools but that’s simply a cop out. There is a culture of success that money can’t buy, but setting the expectations at mediocre can easily destroy it. If you claim that private schools are established for profit, then if the state was running them it could deliver the same quality for a lot less money as there would not need to be a profit. So either way there is something systemically wrong with the education system, the teacher shortages I pointed to earlier back this up.
ak
You must try posting about the topic of the thread rather than simply denigrating other contributors. Who knows – you might actually have something to offer. Go on try it, what do you think we can do about the horrific teacher shortages next year ?
(oh, here is a few typos for you to denigrete just encase you sumply can’t stay on the topic long enuf to construct a position on something without leaping into attack and denigrate mode. )
Shouldn’t “ramshackle PR fiasco” be about the treatment of the communications staff at the environment ministry? Seems like Teh Party can’t keep its hands out the public service, and doesn’t hesitate to send out its violent attack dog when things go wrong.
David as a National stalwart, you of all people
shouldn’t be commenting on a ramshackle PR fiasco”
John Key hasn’t opened his mouth since
he declared the war is over, said he was going to make doctors visits more expensive, sell state assets and privatise schools
Your paranoia is getting alarming Thomas. You should consider medical intervention before it is too late.
The last person from here to accuse me of posting under an alias (something I have never done here) turned out to be forging identities himself.
You of course have the benefit of not being banned from expressing yourself on other blogs despite much poorer behaviour.
I am glad about your concern David
But I’m not paranoiac in the slightest.
I “know” you are DPF. simple
Anyway moving on
And back to the subject of this post
Do you know how th ChCh march went David ?
Burt – “I can tell the difference between the top and the bottom, that was a typing error,”
That’s a helluva typo Burt. But let’s give you the benefit of the doubt (because the alternative is too depressing to contemplate).
“I was meaning that simply pointing to OECD stats showing we are in the top half and claiming it’s OK is what I would expect from a Labour supporter.”
Really Burt? Being in the top half of the list of the world’s most affluent countries is not OK? I think that it’s better than OK Burt, I think it’s pretty damn good, though of course we should aim to do better. I think that instead of running them down, we should thank the hard working people who work in our world class health system Burt, don’t you?
It’s good that you remind us about OECD ratings, remember the claim that Labour would take us up in the ratings while we have actually gone backwards. It’s this sliding that is unacceptable against a promise to fix health and education.
I answer you with facts. Your turn Burt. Where is your evidence for this claim? Actual numbers please Burt, quoting Kiwibog won’t do. Time to put up Burt. Let’s see whatcha got here.
I asked him that as well
Maybe he is doing research rOb
“excellent work by the way rOb” Cheers ak, and likewise. Nice to make your acquaintance.
bookie – good luck with the young one. It’s such a special time! Sleep deprivation notwithstanding of course…
“Maybe he is doing research rOb”
Maybe he is. The suspense is making me all tingly!
While we’re waiting for Burt, fellow Standardistas, I hope you’re keeping an eye on the unfolding drama in Oz…
http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/
While I dig around a bit more, and to save me suffering the ’2 link moderation’, here is a starter.
The PM agrees here that she would like to see us ‘back in the top half’ of the OECD ratings’.
Unless the PM is incredibly stupid she has acknowledged we were once there, are not there now and would like to go back.
The search continues.
http://theyworkforyou.co.nz/portfolios/prime_minister/2007/oct/23/o01
Lab looks like they are hosing in
yesssssssssssssssssss