Open mike 02/05/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 88 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

88 comments on “Open mike 02/05/2011 ”

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  1. ZeeBop 1
    2 May 2011 at 6:46 am

    Anti-nationalism has gone too far, selling out NZ just for the beating the chest moment. Oh, look how powerful we are, we can sell assets, hand profit streams to foreigners, stuff up and still make a living (please ignore the stats on growing poverty, skilled exodus, aging, jail pop., etc).
    It must be so wonderful be a right winger knowing that they are stronger because NZ is weaker.

  2. Bored 2
    2 May 2011 at 6:46 am

    The bastards are at it again, any opportunity….asset sales.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/4948667/Chch-door-open-for-asset-sales

    Just thinking logically here, if you buy this asset you expect a return so as to recoup your investment. Over time you end up owning it outright and taking a return. So if the asset was used for colllateral to a loan for Chch, and the profits used to pay off the loan by the people of Christchurch, they could have the money plus retain ownership. Why sell?

  3. M 3
    2 May 2011 at 6:58 am

    “When a child is afraid in her own home, have you ever wanted to help?

    Now you can, by filling out the form and becoming a Guardian Angel.

    Being a Guardian Angel means giving $30 or more each month to help families like Sophie’s through the services of Presbyterian Support Family Works. It is just a dollar a day.

    For over 120 years Presbyterian Support has been caring for New Zealanders in need. We keep a low profile, so most people do not realise we are the largest provider of social services outside government.

    Family Works is our way of helping families with children under 17, through services like counselling, social work, parenting support and family violence programmes.

    We help children and families under enormous pressure. You can help them too by filling in the form right now and becoming a Guardian Angel today.

    What’s more, all your Guardian Angel gifts will go to help children and families in your part of the country, through the Family Works staff in your region.

    This appeal is urgent, because many families are forced to wait for the help they desperately need today.”

    I’ve heard of leaving things to the private sector because they’re supposedly more efficient but this is beyond the pale Paula ‘hate the benes’ Bennett. Presbyterian Support has to come to the rescue of children in this country which should be CYFS’s job under your leadership – wow, sponsor to protect a child for just $1 per day – as per CV: hand me a Tui.

    If CYFS and WINZ are in such bad shape before the Budget I can’t wait to view the results of NACT’s surgical ward rounds on the 19th.

    Nice one Paula, make beneficiaries crawl by reducing access to much needed food grants and now leave children to the mercy of violence in the home because a non-state organisation feels it cannot ignore the yawning chasm in provision of services to counselling, social work, parenting support and family violence programmes.

    Hang your head in shame you gutless, attention-seeking worm.

    All the cutesy, apron-clad visits to food kitchens to do the crocodile teary Kodak moments cannot disguise that you’re completely useless at your job, couldn’t give a toss about anyone because people’s personal details can be splashed across the papers if the mood takes you and are a complete sell-out so that you get a nice pat on the head from your dear leader Key – fuck, what do you get if you roll over and let him scratch your stomach?

    http://www.angel.org.nz/

  4. ZeeBop 4
    2 May 2011 at 7:04 am

    You hear of how a scientist, mathematician, musician, comes from a family of, even extended family of like minded individuals. That the family acts as a sponge for information that then discharges into the next generation. And what of that information, why are the facts, reasoning about those facts, the experiences of others who have learnt those facts so useful to society? Yet so hard to maintain, so hard to recreate from nothing. Why are Maori so left out of the way a Pakeha world works? Are the traditions in some successful Pakeha families hard to grow in Maori families and extended families? How is information maintained? By society rewarding their use, by society valuing the virtue of deep knowledge. Is there a linkage then between Maori poverty and skilled citizen flight to other world economies? That something in the kiwi shouting culture hates a smart arse? Is just jealous of learning, fearful even, of other families having wealth besides monetary considerations? That surface poverty, not keeping up with the neighbours outward display of conformity isn’t just loathing rich pricks, but also smart ones too? Do kiwis just love to knock? Is that why our economy sucks, and sucking more every month? Five cars torched, a scene more of LA, why? Were the cars targeted because they are too noisy? My street could do with a visit. Or is it 100% pure random nastiness. Maybe a gang moving in, dragging the neighbourhood down to buy up homes on the cheap. Gangs who put the homes in their girlfriends name and then hand them a noisy car to insure the street becomes a nightmare for any old people living there. Do we have laws against age discrimination? Why are our cars now so much a part of our kiwi culture? Sorry, woken again by the death cries of a car culture passing peak oil. Why are we kiwis so mindless? Is that what we are rewarded for because we don’t reward real intellect? Not that I would know anything about that, word bro.

  5. Blighty 5
    2 May 2011 at 7:57 am

    Don Brash: confused old man

    “New ACT leader Don Brash has rejected claims by Hone Harawira that he is a racist, and has in turn attacked Mr Harawira for seeking preference for Maori based on race.

    “I find that grossly offensive. I think being called racist is almost the worst kind of insult,” Dr Brash said. “To me a racist is someone who wants to discriminate against particular people. Well, my concern is that the Maori Party actually wants to create a privileged group of New Zealanders. ”

    – um, Don, you just attacked Harawira’s former party and your current governing partner.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4948683/Brash-labels-racist-claim-offensive

    • Bored 5.1
      2 May 2011 at 8:00 am

      Not confused, just a fuckwit.

      • Deadly_NZ 5.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 2:33 pm

        A rich, devious,fuckwit

      • the pink postman 5.1.2
        2 May 2011 at 4:22 pm

        No Bored. He is not. He’s a sharp crafty dangerous man. We should not be conned into thinking he ‘s just an old buffoon . This revival of the far Right may and could mean disaster for the working people of Aotearoa . And the underpriviledged will disappear into the forgotten and don’t care poor.

    • felix 5.2
      2 May 2011 at 8:21 am

      How is Don to know? They all look the same to him.

    • Pascal's bookie 5.3
      2 May 2011 at 8:43 am

      It’s true about the fuckwit thing.

      Here it is again:

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10722785

      In which he says that FPP isn’t the go because it doesn’t feel quite right in his view that a party could get 21 % of the vote and only get 2 seats. He doesn’t like mmp though, for reasons unexplained.

      He likes the Supplementary system because it lets small parties have some token representation, and more importantly, lists allow the great and good like himself to enter parliament without having to bother with demeaning things like candidate selection panels. For reals. That’s what he reckons.

      This is a man who seems to accept that we should look like a democracy, but that democracy itself is a bit of a hindrance.

      Fuckwit.

      • Lanthanide 5.3.1
        2 May 2011 at 12:24 pm

        Looking at that description of supplementary member, I think I prefer MMP.

        But I also wouldn’t be wholly opposed to SM if it retained the current 70/50 split we have with MMP. 90/30 just puts way too much power in the FPP system for electorates. Unless that two was also changed to STV voting, to greatly increase the chances of minor parties winning electorate seats.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.3.1.1
          2 May 2011 at 2:19 pm

          The electorate seats should be STV voting no matter what system you use. I still prefer MMP, SM looks like an attempt by the right to gerrymander the voting in their favour.

      • Deadly_NZ 5.3.2
        2 May 2011 at 2:40 pm

        Maybe they need to make retirement compulsory at 70. And anyone in power is tested every year from 65 for senility or dementia.
        Even the Americans with all their paranoia and insanity don’t let anyone hold the ultimate reins for more than 2 terms. And then their power is very limited.
        And if you want to see what grumpy old men can do look at the OLD Russia!!

        Grumpy Fuckwit.

    • Colonial Viper 5.4
      2 May 2011 at 8:50 am

      Bet the Maori Party is looking forwards to the next 3 years cosying up in bed with Brash.

      What fucking sell outs.

      • the pink postman 5.4.1
        2 May 2011 at 3:45 pm

        I have wondered too just how much longer the Maori can kow-tow to Brash and his mates Co/Viper . The adulation expressed by Turia towards Brash makes me cringe.She has completely forgot that Key was involved with Brash regarding Kiwi/Iwi . If the Maori party does not withdraw their support now that Brash is back it only shows their double standards, and that the baubles of office are much more important that justice for Maori.

    • vto 5.5
      2 May 2011 at 9:05 am

      Whenever Brash opens his mouth it reminds me of that saying that when you find yourself in a hole you should stop digging.

      Just keep him talking.

      • vto 5.5.1
        2 May 2011 at 9:13 am

        Don Brash… the Donad Trump of NZpolitics. ha ha ha ha a ha ha ha ha ha ha so funny both of them

  6. Robert Atack 6
    2 May 2011 at 8:06 am

    We now have 3 supposedly rising politicians, that have publicly stated something about peak oil
    John Banks – reading ‘The Oil Crash and You’ on his talk back show in 2002 (ish)
    http://oilcrash.com/articles/running.htm
    Don Brash “But the real issue last week was about bio-diesel and the world running out of fossil fuels. That was the point of the photo op, and I went there to make that point, it is the world walking the plank frankly, not Don Brash…”
    http://oilcrash.com/articles/natnl_01.htm
    And Hone calling for a cross party group to discuss peak oil and climate change.
    http://thestandard.org.nz/the-knife-edge/
    Oh and all the above are thanks my fucking efforts … again I told you and them so )

  7. Robert Atack 7
    2 May 2011 at 8:16 am

    And just to spice up our borring lives
    Unit 3 Explosion May Have Been Prompt Criticality in Fuel Pool

    With any luck Key will be flying through all this stuff, I just hope he stops off in Hawaii on his way home … breath deep John
    [I won’t delete it, but that last comment is perilously close to Kiwiblog territory. Please don’t go there. — r0b]

  8. Jared 8
    2 May 2011 at 9:19 am

    How many teachers does a $500,000 by-election cost months out from an election? A casual 13 or so, better let Hone know…

    [lprent: Moved to OpenMike as only being tangentially related to the topic.
    You’re also banned for 2 weeks for starting a diversion troll off the topic in a post. ]

    • r0b 8.1
      2 May 2011 at 9:47 am

      That’s a one off charge, and worth more to democracy than, say, a bunch of BMW limos. Tax cuts for these 47 is 4.5 million every year…

      • Jared 8.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 10:02 am

        Don’t excuse it as an act of democracy, its political posturing. He could easily ascertain the mandate of his electorate with polling and constituent meetings that neednt cost nearly as much.

        • r0b 8.1.1.1
          2 May 2011 at 10:05 am

          Don’t excuse it as an act of democracy, its political posturing.

          Who are you to say, Jared? He’s operating within the rules of Parliament and following clear precedent. The only ones trying to beat it up as an issue are those who are doing their own political posturing eh.

          • Jared 8.1.1.1.1
            2 May 2011 at 10:12 am

            Considering how quick the left is to criticise subjectively “wasteful” political expenditure the irony is certainly not lost here.

            • mickysavage 8.1.1.1.1.1
              2 May 2011 at 10:27 am

              So Jared do you agree that NZ needs more teachers?

              Do you also agree that recent tax cuts for the wealthy has prevented expenditure on such worthwhile areas to occur?

              • Jared …
                2 May 2011 at 10:36 am

                NZ needs more of a number of skilled professions.
                No question there.
                But in perspective, a career in teaching starts with the 3 year Bachelors, and the year in a classroom before you can be qualified. So in reality, we are only seeing the outcome of policies surrounding improving the rates of teachers getting qualified from 3-5 years ago.
                If you want to get really picky, then wasteful and pandering to your supporters isn’t purely a concept of the right, interest free student loans have cost the nation dearly, and if Labour had actually followed through with their universal student allowance we would have really been in trouble.

                And if you want to get really really really picky, at the moment there is a sincere glut of recent teaching graduates who are finding it difficult to land jobs. There is a lack of experienced teachers, not beginning teachers.

                • Robert Atack …
                  2 May 2011 at 8:10 pm

                  The lack of teachers has been the 9 year boggie man, at least for the last 18 years, I distinctly remember Labour bitching about the lack of teachers after 9 years of National, then …. 9 years later National was bitching about the lack of teachers after Labour had been in.
                  But the people are so fucking stupid, they eat this shit … then the idiots go out and vote? go figure ???
                  It is Tweedledum and Tweedledummer, every politician since maybe MJS (?) have been selfish self serving lairs. They haven’t got a decent bone in their collective bodies.
                  Lets see just one of the slack sos stand up and tell the truth about Kiwi Saver.
                  Come on Ben you’re lurking around this blog
                  And Jarad is right, lets see if 4 years after the last election there is a rush of new teachers, thanks to National’s teacher drive to fell last elections ‘bitches’
                  I mean, they have made the profession so appealing.
                  And now the TV is dribbling the Benlarden BS again.
                  Is their no end to humans stupidity or gullibility? ….. no, and that is what politicians live for.

  9. Morrissey 9
    2 May 2011 at 9:33 am

    May 2, 2011: Bad News for listeners to “The Panel”

    Many people have been concerned about the increasing dominance of Jim Mora’s programme by ideologues from the hard right (Michelle Boag, John Barnett, John Bishop, David Farrar, Stephen Franks) or even worse, by the complacent, the dithery and the ill-informed (Peter Elliott, Gary McCormick, Neil Miller, Tim Watkin).

    Today’s guests on The Panel are Dr. Michael Bassett and Law Society head Jonathan Krebs. Bassett, who is notorious for his indiscriminate hurling of invective, a couple of years ago on The Panel called Nicky Hager a holocaust-denier (Mora sat silently and did not even demur). Krebs became a laughing-stock when he went ballistic about the not guilty verdict for the Waihopai Three, nearly blowing a gasket on live radio.

    So, all things considered, today’s Panel should be interesting and informed. Not.

    • Pascal's bookie 9.1
      2 May 2011 at 4:35 pm

      I haven’t been listening, but let me guess, ‘Hone is uppity’.

      Amirite?

      • Morrissey 9.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 4:41 pm

        Well, yes, but Hone has been somewhat upstaged by events in Pakistan. It’s carnival time in the Panel studio, with only Jonathan Krebs spoiling the mood a little by noting that this was an assassination, with no legal justification. Bassett’s response was a contemptuous guffaw.

        Bassett then went on to ask why, if the U.S. is “intervening for humanitarian reasons” in Libya, it is not “doing something about Mugabe”. Mora, for his part, suggested they should “go into” Syria.

        No one suggested the obvious: why don’t they “go into” the most brutal and flagrant human rights in the area: Israel?

        • Vicky32 9.1.1.1
          2 May 2011 at 7:04 pm

          It’s carnival time in the Panel studio, with only Jonathan Krebs spoiling the mood a little by noting that this was an assassination, with no legal justification. Bassett’s response was a contemptuous guffaw.
          Bassett then went on to ask why, if the U.S. is “intervening for humanitarian reasons” in Libya, it is not “doing something about Mugabe”. Mora, for his part, suggested they should “go into” Syria.
          No one suggested the obvious: why don’t they “go into” the most brutal and flagrant human rights in the area: Israel?

          Quoto al 100% Morrissey! You are completely correct. On Campbell Live, the festival of rejoicing continues.. Is there no analysis to be had? Noooooooo… Let’s take it all at face value. Grr..

  10. todd 10
    2 May 2011 at 9:34 am

    Asshole of the Week Award – Duncan Garner

    http://thejackalman.blogspot.com/2011/05/asshole-of-week-award.html

    The programs panel and presenters then gushed platitudes about decrepit old Don Brash and generally put the boot into Phil in yet another attempt to discredit the Labour Party. The biased opinions and lack of firing neurons have ensured their ratings have fallen to an all time low of only 53,000 viewers. Clearly not enough to justify the continued funding of such a shit program.

    • Morrissey 10.1
      2 May 2011 at 10:07 am

      Sean Plunket is another National Party champion who is showing his true colours on TV3. On Saturday, he grilled Phil Goff not about current policies, but about internal Labour Party machinations in 1996.

      And I note that Plunket has failed to respond to the British activist George Galloway, who publicly called out Plunket on some ignorant things he said last year….

      http://kiaoragaza.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/george-galloway-invites-interview-by-sean-plunket-of-tv3s-the-nation-2/

      • the pink postman 10.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 4:10 pm

        It’s still a big worry Morrissey . Even Labour Party followers are begining to believe it.

        However this morning I attended meeting where the speaker was Rev Linsay Cumberpatch a well known human rights advocate . The Rev Cumberpatch was full of praise for Phil Goff .In fact he was at a loss to understand the negative comments regarding Phil Goff.
        I must say I agree with this statement . I have observed Phil for sometime and have always been very impressed at his handling of policy .

    • ianmac 10.2
      2 May 2011 at 10:19 am

      So Welcome to TV3, NZ’s Fox News/propaganda. Yay!

      Note that in the photo of John Key meets Brent Impey, it is Impey who has the power handshake over Key’s. “You are in my control John.”

  11. ZeeBop 11
    2 May 2011 at 10:19 am

    Renting? Is your landlord gang connected? Provide gushing references, financial information, and let a landlord representative visit the property to check its in good order? So why aren’t you provided with the same curtsey? Who is your landlord, do they have gang connections, are rental properties more likely to be burgled? Which landlords have a track record for poorly secured premises? Why don’t landlords have to cover contents insurance and so give tenants some confidence that landlords are on the up and up? Where did you think gangs put their laundered drug profits?

    • Lanthanide 11.1
      2 May 2011 at 12:28 pm

      I never even considered that a landlord would specifically allow their tenants to be burgled.

      I guess going through a rental agency would help to protect against this.

      • Campbell Larsen 11.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 9:05 pm

        I wouldn’t worry about it too much – ZeeBop has a bee in his bonnet at the moment about gangs for some reason…

        I imagine that land-gang-lords would have the same desire as a normal landlord ie for tenants that were reliable in paying, not likely to cause damage and not likely to move out because they have been burgled.

        Re-letting is expensive and finding good tenants hard – why rob your own place when you can rob the place next door and you don’t have to go though the hassle? Plus you will have to fix doors/ windows etc unless you want it looking like an obvious inside job…

        Likely? – no.

  12. Carol 12
    2 May 2011 at 10:37 am

    This says more about US attempts to interfer in NZZ democratic proceses than it does about the Greens, maori, Aucklanders & so-called “welfare dependency”.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4949637/Green-Party-lunch-revealed-in-Wikileaks-cable

    A discreet diplomatic lunch, a free trip to Washington and assurance of “assistance” from the US Embassy in Wellington have been used to blunt the Green Party’s “radical positions on many issues”, a leaked American diplomatic cable reveals.

    The Americans seduced Green co-leaders Metiria Turei and Russel Norman, the latter with a free trip to Washington, and managed, over a lunch, to get a commitment from list MP Kennedy Graham “to turn (to the embassy) for any assistance he may need in the future.”

    The cables show the views & interpretations of the US diplomats who wrote the cables.

    The 2006 murders of infant twins Chris and Cru Kahui drew a cable for McCormick, saying it “highlighted the growing problem of welfare dependency, drug and alcohol addiction and child neglect within the Maori community”.

    He said the Kahui family had hid “behind a traditional Maori grieving custom” to stonewall police investigations.

    McCormick noted Maori Party leader Pita Sharples expressed “open indignation at the actions of the Kahui family and his efforts to address social problems within Maori have broadened his political appeal.”

    They seem pretty wide of the mark on some NZ issues, and who knows, The Greens, Graham etc, may just have taken the free lunch & visit, smiled politely and made fiendly noises, without really shifting their political views, or subsequently turning to the US Embassy for help..

    • uke 12.1
      2 May 2011 at 11:59 am

      Yeah I noticed Stuff’s “Green party” headline. While interesting, to my minf the real oil (about Pharmac & copyright treaties) was buried way down the article. MSM spin – blatant as ever.

    • NickS 12.2
      2 May 2011 at 12:54 pm

      In 2004, US Ambassador Charles Swindells said the embassy was “attempting to make inroads against a government mindset that is hostile to the drug industry” and tried to “educate New Zealanders on the benefits of gaining access to a wider range of effective pharmaceuticals.”

      The embassy noted an unexpected side effect from Pharmac, which it said denied cutting-edge drugs to New Zealanders: “Ironically, New Zealand presents a small but optimal environment for clinical trials of pharmaceuticals because of its population’s lack of exposure to newer medicines”.

      Because Pharmac so doesn’t review teh literature on the efficiency of new drugs in order to see if the price tag is actually worth it compared to older, already known to work + extent of side effect drugs. And neither does the drug industry engage in unethical marketing, nor fail to disclose fully the side effects of new drugs.

      • rosy 12.2.1
        2 May 2011 at 3:33 pm

        Because Pharmac so doesn’t review teh literature on the efficiency of new drugs in order to see if the price tag is actually worth it compared to older, already known to work + extent of side effect drugs

        As much as I appreciate Pharmac’s ability to source drugs at good prices, I’m not so keen on their evaluation methods for the new drugs. The appear to do a cost-benefit analysis in terms of cost to the health system vs benefits to the health system, rather than including benefits to the patient’s quality of life e.g. in terms of the ability to hold down a job or perform other societal functions normally.

  13. Morrissey 13
    2 May 2011 at 11:58 am

    “Useful idiot” Kathryn Ryan is easy meat for Matthew Hooton

    A few minutes ago I heard Matthew “Machiavelli” Hooton try it on with Nine to Noon host Kathryn Ryan—and he got away with it. He said that lawyer Annette Sykes, a Mana Party candidate, “celebrated the 9/11 attacks.” That’s a lie, and Hooton was obviously trying to see just how far he could push Ryan. Her befuddled silence must have heartened him enormously.

    Clearly Hooton’s key strategy is the tried and true National Party one of just telling lies, and seeing how long they can get away with it.

    Trying to implant the notion that the new Mana party is “extremist”, Hooton is evidently going to stop at nothing. As long as he can get away with bamboozling useful idiots like Kathryn Ryan, it is quite effective.

    Depressed and disappointed, I sent Ms. Ryan the following e-mail…

    Why did you not challenge Matthew Hooton’s wild allegation?

    Dear Kathryn,

    You sat silently as Matthew Hooton, a notorious liar, smeared Annette Sykes by saying that she “celebrated the 9/11 attacks.”

    Did you not think of asking him to back up his outlandish allegation?

    Yours in wonderment,

    Morrissey Breen
    Northcote Point

    • Josip Blow 13.1
      2 May 2011 at 2:25 pm

      Morrisey
      Yu better take up this issue with Duncan Garner as well,

      http://business.scoop.co.nz/2011/04/30/hone-harawira-on-the-nation/

      “Are you comfortable with someone like Annette Sykes being so involved, I mean remember what she said around the time of 9/11 where she laughed and effectively applauded and clapped when those planes went into the towers on 9/11? I mean are you comfortable being a party in parliament having someone like that there?”

      • Morrissey 13.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 4:14 pm

        I don’t believe Annette Sykes either said or did any of those things. Garner was probably rehashing what he’d heard Hooton say.

        • grumpy 13.1.1.1
          2 May 2011 at 4:16 pm

          What you believe is neither here nor there. surely, if she did either (or both) Hooten and Garner would have a record.

          • Pascal's bookie 13.1.1.1.1
            2 May 2011 at 4:23 pm

            So where is it then?

            • higherstandard 13.1.1.1.1.1
              2 May 2011 at 4:38 pm

              The quote I’ve seen republished on blogs is…

              “When I first saw the planes fly into the towers I jumped for joy, I was so happy that at long last capitalism was under attack. Until, it suddenly dawned on me, what about all those poor pizza delivery boys, those poor firemen, those poor policemen, those poor lift-operators, all those poor cleaners, all those other poor workers who are forced to work for and were trying to save those greedy and horrible capitalists!? My heart and head was so confused – happy that some capitalists had been killed and very, very sad for all those who had died while working for them.”

              It sounds bogus to me, no matter what you think of her politics I don’t think she’s thick enough to say something like that on the public record.

              • Morrissey …
                2 May 2011 at 5:05 pm

                Your “information” comes from the looniest reaches of the far right blogosphere. The words you quote were “transcribed by a member of that audience”—i.e. they were made up.

                http://pc.blogspot.com/2005/12/keith-locke-exposed-again.html

                • higherstandard …
                  2 May 2011 at 5:14 pm

                  I found it here

                  http://blog.greens.org.nz/index.php/2005/05/31/united-in-terrorism/#comment-709

                  and here.

                  http://www.vdig.net/hansard/archive.jsp?y=2002&m=10&d=08&o=229&p=230

                  I’m sure we’ll get some clarification from Annette regarding what she actually said.

                  • Matthew Hooton …
                    5 May 2011 at 5:14 am

                    A report of the comments was tabled in Parliament by New Zealand First MP Ron Mark in 2002, and they have been referred to since in parliamentary debate and in the media. I can’t find any evidence of her ever having denied making the statements – which you think you would if you had been accused in parliament of jumping for joy over the murder of several thousand people.

                    • IrishBill …
                      5 May 2011 at 6:56 am

                      I’ve heard all sorts of nasty things about you Matthew and I’ve never heard you deny them. Thus they must be true right?

                      Which reminds me. The rumour is you’re doing PR for Brash which surprised me because I didn’t think you were a race-baiter. Is that true?

                    • Pascal's bookie …
                      5 May 2011 at 7:08 am

                      No update yet from various right wing lunatics who claimed he was dead years ago.

                      When the Hollow men came out, Hooten was fairly clear that he didn’t approve of the deliberate race baiting approach chosen by National; even though he went along with it and kept quiet.

                      It is a very rare thing in life to get a second chance to do the right thing.

          • Morrissey 13.1.1.1.2
            2 May 2011 at 4:49 pm

            What? It’s “neither here nor there” whether or not I believe the word of a notorious liar?

            I would have thought that establishing one recognizes the unreliability of the likes of Hooton and Garner was essential.

      • grumpy 13.1.2
        2 May 2011 at 4:15 pm

        Would be hilarious if it is true. A party over before it starts.

  14. Penny Bright 14
    2 May 2011 at 2:36 pm

    Seen this folks?

    Penny Bright
    http://waterpressure.wordpress.com

    NO SELLOFF OF CHRISTCHURCH’S PUBLICLY-OWNED ASSETS!
    [deleted]

    [lprent: You’re cutting and pasting far too much – use quote and link. Next time I see it you’re going to get a months holiday. ]

  15. joe90 15
    2 May 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Talking heads say OBL is dead, perhaps.

  16. mickysavage 16
    2 May 2011 at 3:48 pm

    And deep in the darkest recesses of the Beehive National Party Staffers are busily making lists of bad news to be released publicly under the extraordinary cover that will be provided by news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.

  17. Glee McPerkins 17
    2 May 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Great day for the world, thoughts with his victims at this point.

  18. joe90 18
    2 May 2011 at 4:11 pm

    Any thoughts for the approximately 1500 US troops and the countless civilian dead in Afghanistan to avenge the 3000 or so westerners killed on 11/9/2001.

    • joe bloggs 18.1
      2 May 2011 at 4:23 pm

      yeh… ain’t it grand to see one of the world’s worst mass muderers brought down at last.

      And a great day that Pakistan sides with the USA to bring bin Laden down. No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

      I hope he rots in Hell.

      • Colonial Viper 18.1.1
        2 May 2011 at 4:25 pm

        yeh… ain’t it grand to see one of the world’s worst mass muderers brought down at last.

        George Bush left office a long time ago.

        • higherstandard 18.1.1.1
          2 May 2011 at 4:46 pm

          No, Hone has it on good advice that Don Brash is the ultimate bogeyman.

      • logie97 18.1.2
        2 May 2011 at 5:11 pm

        So you believe in a state of “Hell” then joe.
        Suggests you are a god fearing individual.
        May come as a surprise to you but there are three groups of followers of this god.
        Your type of language doesn’t bode well for the hopes of peace and reconciliation amongst the three.

        • joe bloggs 18.1.2.1
          2 May 2011 at 5:53 pm

          whatever…

          I’m still delighted that this mass murdering scumbag now exists only in the past tense.

          • Campbell Larsen 18.1.2.1.1
            2 May 2011 at 8:32 pm

            OBL is nothing but a bedtime story used to scare children into behaving like good little serfs.

            Disgraceful the sight of people in the US celebrating a death…bloodthirsty ghouls.

            Bet they wont be celebrating so much when more blood is spilled in the name of his scary-ness.

            Stupid witch hunt, Stupid war, Evil Government.

  19. logie97 19
    2 May 2011 at 4:54 pm

    Oh the wonderful, measured words of that very learned man that is Michael Bassett.
    Former Labour MP for Te Atatu, and cabinet minister and now expert on things NZ.
    Sadly now occupying time on Mora’s Afternoon on RNZ. He tries so hard to sound reasonable but then drops his guard and we get the bigot and the nasty little ACT apologist coming through.

  20. Sookie 20
    2 May 2011 at 6:44 pm

    Apparently Campbell Live has a ‘special’ report from Paul Henry at Times Square in New York. I have thought TV3 news was going down the tubes in spectacular fashion for awhile, particularly with that nasty toad Duncan Garner spinning for the Nat-Act twats, but Paul fricking Henry? This is the last goddamn straw. I am never watching TV3 news again.

  21. Carol 21
    2 May 2011 at 7:21 pm

    Hmmm, wikileaks cables show just how much the US government, with scant regard for NZ sovereignty, was pushing the NZ government to adopt the internet/digital copyright laws, 3 strikes etc:

    http://www.zeropaid.com/news/93326/new-zealands-three-strikes-law-was-pushed-bought-and-paid-for-by-the-us-wikileaks/

    The cables are from 2005 & through to the NAct term in government.

    And in 2005, there was a detailed break down of the costs of implementing the law, with the US offering a financial bribe for it to the NZ government Drew Wilson, in the above linked article pon the cables, says:

    A diplomatic cable that was sent clear back in 2005 shows that the US was offering up money to put in new copyright laws. The cable was very detailed about the budget cost at the time…

    Wilson ends the article by saying:

    Overall, I think it is infuriating the way the US has conducted themselves on copyright on the international stage. In New Zealand, they are even pushing the country to implement laws even the US wouldn’t dare pass themselves because of it’s over-restrictiveness.

    …

    I’ll be blunt on this matter. If the US waltzes in to your country and demands the country implement a three strikes law, do yourselves a favour, grow a spine and tell the US to “[insert adjective here] off”.

  22. logie97 22
    2 May 2011 at 8:07 pm

    On Capitol Hill they call them lobbyists, unelected pressure groups.
    Not a lot different, it would seem, is about to be manifested in the Beehive.
    Did the Prime Minister tell the gathered press today that he was expecting
    a visit from Dr Brash to discuss how the ACT party is to be considered in
    government? WTF? How far away is this from the Knights of the Round Table
    having a regular formal audience?

  23. ianmac 23
    2 May 2011 at 11:32 pm

    In the Herald: “Kurariki was convicted of manslaughter in 2002 for his role as a lookout in the killing of pizza delivery man Michael Choy. Kurariki, who was 12 at the time, was released from jail in 2008.”
    Well. Convicted of manslaughter as the lookout? But the Herald and other MSM have repeatedly named him as “NZ’s youngest killer.” And how well do we know the others who actually did the killing?

  24. Vicky32 24
    3 May 2011 at 2:31 am

    Having insomnia and playing with an anagram generator – this is too precious not to share:
    Paula Bennett’s anagram name is PETULANT BEAN!
     

  25. Vicky32 25
    3 May 2011 at 3:25 am

    And one more, I just can’t help myself:
    Rodney Hide’s anagram name is OY! HINDERED