Daily Review 15/12/2017

Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, December 15th, 2017 - 53 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

53 comments on “Daily Review 15/12/2017 ”

  1. Ad 1

    Ross is a knuckle-dragger and Seymour is a douche.

    • OnceWasTim 1.1

      Mr Dimple looks SOOOOOOOOOO tuff in that photo. Kind of like a younger version of a Capill.
      He’s not the gNat’s whip is he?

    • bwaghorn 1.2

      if someone pulled that face at me , id piss my self laughing , chubby little douche is as scary as garfield the cat ,

      • OnceWasTim 1.2.1

        Yep, me too.
        Even as I enter my dotage, I find it hard to stop pissing myself with laughter on occasion.
        For the sake of decorum, and not to embarrass friends/family, it’s bloody hard at times.
        (like a former Governor General during an investiture about to loose his false teeth whilst delivering awards for services to – well anything; or like Paula Bennett doing anything; or most of the CEOs/boards and appointments to our ‘public service over the last 9 years – you just know things were going to go tits-up. And so they’ve proven to be)
        And the funniest thing is, we’re now supposed to feel sympathy as they clutch at their expectation we should feel sorry for them, and victim-hood and r-e-s-p-e-c-t (to tamla motown rythym). For me – sorry – no can do.

  2. Ffloyd 2

    If he doesn’t get hauled over the coals for his abusing the Chair there is something seriously wrong with our Parliamentary systems. That photo says everything about him and none of it pleasant. After all he is now just a MEMBER. One of those whom he sneered down his nose at not realising that one day he would not be a MINISTER.He should now work in Opposition with the same honesty, integrity and commitment to all New Zealanders that the previous Opposition did.ps. plus respect for parliamentary procedure and rules. What’s his name again?

  3. Carolyn_Nth 3

    Well, this seems like a deliberate attempt to disrupt parliamentary business.

    27 minutes of it – utter hypocrisy given how business in the House was conducted in favour of the Nats under David Clark.

    Overgrown children throwing their toys. Listen to Jamie lee Ross at about 16 mins 18.

  4. Muttonbird 4

    I can’t believe they’re going to let Seymour’s legalised murder bill through. Like all ACT policy it’s all about cost cutting, this time by having annoying and expensive sick people out of the way.

    • It’s not legalised murder. It’s allowing people the option to choose when to die. A right that they should not have had taken away from them.

    • Ant 4.2

      At birth we choose all kinds of procedures (including medications) to speed, slow or mechanically aid parturition to relieve a mother’s prolonged suffering as well as trauma to the new born.

      People have stressed the value of personal choice in the euthanasia debate.

      As I contemplate my closing decade (and given the option) I’d ask why should a life well lived not come to a close well ended?

      • Incognito 4.2.1

        Interesting comment, with which I don’t disagree. However, the one who’s making the choices & decisions around your birth (or even your conception!) & birth mother and ‘to see you in’ is not the same one making the calls ‘to see you out’.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.1

          However, the one who’s making the choices & decisions around your birth (or even your conception!) & birth mother and ‘to see you in’ is not the same one making the calls ‘to see you out’.

          No, a pre-born have no choice in the matter. It’s all up to the mother.

          When a person is dying it is their choice. Not the doctors, not their children’s – theirs. And it is a choice that we have no right take away from them.

          • Incognito 4.2.1.1.1

            That’s exactly what I meant and wrote, I thought; never mind. I don’t want to get into whether the mother calls all the shots; Christmas is just around the corner 😉

          • alwyn 4.2.1.1.2

            Amazing.
            Something we agree on completely.
            I wish I could express my views as eloquently as you have just done.
            Can I quote you in the future?

            • Incognito 4.2.1.1.2.1

              Why do you find this so amazing? Most likely, you have much more in common with your fellow humans than you realise. The problem is, with modern-day politics and associated discussion forums like TS, that we tend to focus on minor differences of opinion, not even values, and during ‘debate’ we tend to take them to more extreme positions rather than looking for consensus and common ground. This is entirely deliberate by some and has become a habit of many. Truth is though: you can break habits that you don’t like, don’t suit, or are or have become inconsistent with your values. Unfortunately, we don’t think too much about our values of those of others; ‘debates’ have become almost instinctive reactive tit-for-that point scoring, territory scent-marking, and Ego-defending slang matches.

              • alwyn

                Well, I was actually responding to Draco T Bastard.
                I’m not sure I have actually read anything you (incognito) has said so I don’t know whether I should be surprised or not about agreeing with you.
                I seldom agree with DTB however and we tend to say rude things about each others opinions.
                On this we appear to be in absolute agreement and he says it so much better than I can.

                • Incognito

                  I know whom you were responding to alwyn but I don’t think it is verboten here on TS to join in and ask you a question, is it?

                  Yes, rudeness rules, sadly. I am no fan of relentless positivity but a little bit of kindness goes a long way. There seems to be a world-wide shortage of kindness at the moment …

                  Anyway, now I do have your attention, have you considered that you and DTB may have more in common than that separates and divides you?

  5. Grey Area 5

    Having seen J-L Ross’s disgraceful display in the House today I wonder is he a) a bully? b) a tosspot? c) full of himself with no justification? d) all of the above, and more?

    Opposition MPs behaving badly

    I’m sure the irony of Ross being on his feet accusing Adrian Ruawhe of behaving in a “disorderly and disrespectful way”, when Ruawhe was on his feet meaning Ross should have sat down, escapes him. Or this nasty piece of work doesn’t care.

    Ross should have been ejected as well. Permanently would be good.

    • Anne 5.1

      Hah… just returned home so not sure what this all about, but Master Ross was an integral member of the Slater Dirty Politics team.

      • Carolyn_Nth 5.1.1

        If you look at the video above, it looks like Ross was just play acting to disrupt the House with his OTT tantrum.

      • Grey Area 5.1.2

        …”Ross was an integral member of the Slater Dirty Politics team”.

        Figures. As I said I think he is a nasty piece of work.

    • OnceWasTim 5.2

      The answer is d), but only when he’s got an enterage around him

    • McFlock 5.3

      D. AKA “A national party mp”

    • Having seen J-L Ross’s disgraceful display in the House today I wonder is he a) a bully? b) a tosspot? c) full of himself with no justification? d) all of the above, and more?

      He’s a National Party MP which means that it’s d) by default.

      • David Mac 5.4.1

        I thought Winston’s sentiment in the House the other day captured it quite well.

        “Hey, you’re not in charge, live with it.”

        • alwyn 5.4.1.1

          You’ve left out Judge Dredd Peters last line.
          “I am the law”
          And isn’t Winston enjoying ruling the roost?
          As the song from the musical Damn Yankees goes
          “Whatever Winston wants, Winston gets”

    • Ed 5.5

      All of the above and more.

    • Wensleydale 5.6

      If you watch his mannerisms, and particularly his exaggerated enunciations, he’s basically mimicking his idol, John Key. He’s got that sneery arrogance about him, gets a bit shouty when he doesn’t get his own way, and doesn’t realise that Mallard has his number and he needs to sit down and shut up.

      Oh, and shades of Aaron “Don’t you know who I am?!” Gilmour going on there with the Senior Whip remark.

      • Bearded Git 5.6.1

        mallard has found his perfect niche….an understanding of procedure married to tough guy action when necessary….he is highly competent as speaker because of these abilities…in fact unlike his predecesor he makes it look easy …and he is fairer

  6. JC 6

    Karl Du Frense commented today …”The quaint notion that RNZ exists for all New Zealanders was quietly jettisoned years ago. Without any mandate, the state broadcaster has refashioned itself as a platform for the promotion of favoured causes.

    You’re more likely to see an aardvark riding a bike down The Terrace than to hear a conservative voice, or even a middle-of-the-road one …”

    Deputy Political Editor, Chris Bramwell, spoke to National’s leader Bill English about the events of recent months.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/focusonpolitics/audio/2018626586/focus-on-politics-for-15-december-2017

    Anyone see that aadvark!

    Warning: If you can stomach listening… it will most likely spoil your dinner!

  7. weka 7

    Just so we know what is going on, compassionate neoliberalism,

    Housing New Zealand will not be restructured into a Government department, as Labour promised during the election.

    Labour Housing Minister Phil Twyford said in Government he has realised that the social housing provider is already moving in the right direction, and that a restructure could just end up slowing things down.

    The state social housing provider is currently run as state-owned enterprise, housing 64,500 families.

    “Housing New Zealand is full of people who are motivated by the best of intentions,” Twyford said.

    “It’s about being pragmatic.”

    Since taking over Twyford had been impressed by two strains of work: better tenant care and rapid house construction.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/99897206/Housing-New-Zealand-will-not-be-restructured-breaking-Labour-election-commitment

    • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1

      Thing is, those are legitimate reasons for postponing a wholesale restructure.

      Twyford didn’t rule restructuring [sic] the body at a later date.

      For that, there is no excuse. The SOE model is broken and should be put out of its misery.

      • McFlock 7.1.1

        Well, plausible reasons, but it pisses me off a bit. I would have thought that HNZ suddenly moving in the correct direction was grounds to nail the structure into a department with legislated directives, given SOEs are obviously so petulant that they can be turned at the drop of a hat.

        But I suppose it also lets him hold the threat of “my way or the restructure way” over their heads. Still disappointing, though.

        • weka 7.1.1.1

          I’ve been wondering what’s going on in the public service in general. It’s meant to be apolitical but how many of the top positions are held by people who are ideologically aligned with National?

          • DoublePlusGood 7.1.1.1.1

            I’d say at the board level, more than 80%, at the chief executive level, more than 80%, and at the next level of leadership, more than 70%. A lot of them are useless too.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 7.1.1.2

          my way or the restructure way

          I think it’d be far better to take a whole-of-government approach to the SOE problem. Scrap all of them, re-nationalise where necessary. The reasons for their existence are all lies.

          If it’s done piecemeal it looks like staff are being blamed rather than the lies and the liars who authored them.

          Can’t say I have any confidence that this government has the guts.

    • Ad 7.2

      You missed it:
      The structural shifts don’t get people out of poverty.

      Massive transfers do.

    • “It’s about being pragmatic.”

      That’s not being pragmatic but being stupid. Leave it as is and when National get back in they will use it as a cash cow again and we’ll be back where we started.

      Changing it from a state-owned enterprise to a state department doesn’t actually require a restructure – just legislation changing its status.

  8. dv 8

    Natz are going to have a long 9 years.

  9. Stuart Munro 9

    I wonder if we shall be seeing a Downfall video of Jamie-Lee Ross? He seems to be in the right zone.

  10. Sabine 11

    Oh yeah,

    Housing NZ is made up of very pragmatic people

    and bamboo staking to grow veggies are superstructures that are dangerous

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/housing-nz-threaten-bring-down-pensioners-vegetable-garden-because-banned-stakes

    yeah, sure right TUI.