i have the sneaking suspicion that the author is asking a somewhat rhetorical question, to expand upon the suspicion would have me speculating on the identity of NzJackson,
Indeed, Tracey. I’m not going to start speculating on identities, but I reckon NZJackson isn’t a million miles removed from what ever passes for Dearlove’s brains trust. Still, to answer his question (who is Clinton Dearlove?), he’s the guy coming a distant fourth in the Te Tai Tokerau election.
No, actual, fucking, way. Mr Higher ShonKey Standards’ zillions on it ! Call it 500-700 votes if that. Which will come from everywhere probably least Hone and Mana.
You see Hone = Mana Maori. BEFORE he = Mana Movement. With absolutely no disrespect to David Tua it’s a teensy bit like him and Lennox Lewis. Except less.
Because they voted tactically. They arent stupid so didnt waste their party vote on Mana.
I will predict that Hone will bolt in and the IMP vote will be within 10% of his electorate vote this time round as theres a chance to get Sykes and others into Parliament this time round.
“I just wanted to clarify exactly how my interview about CLINTON DEARLOVE, went with the Herald, because of course, they never ever report my comments properly. Here’s the exact text conversation …
HERALD: Wondered how you felt about your former political protege going up against you in Te Tai Tokerau?
HONE: No fuss. I wish him well, as I do Kelvin Davis.
HERALD: Obviously not wishing him to do so well he takes votes off you?
HONE: When I say I wish him well, I do so because he is my whanaunga as is Kelvin, and I send my best wishes to them both, unconditionally.”
Thanks weka – I always appreciate your feedback and comments.
I think Hone has polarised people in the past but how much of it is genuine offense as opposed to reinforcement of their existing attitudes it’s hard to say. If they just listened to what he says they’d learn a lot about a lot of things that we need to learn a lot about, both individually and collectively.
It’s also a bad mistake to take any notice of the projections of the talking (bald)head yuppies of Auckland and Wellington…….frankly they wouldn’t have a fucking clue about Maori and Ngapuhi and the North.
Their bullshit templates, let’s-be-indulgently-kind-to-them, are subliminally racist at the very least, and irrelevant.
I think you would find that the majority of Harawira haters are white and in the 55 plus age bracket. They haven’t moved on from the 70s and 80s when his mother, Titiwhai Harawira was probably the most reviled woman in NZ. Hone Harawira still lives in the shadow of his mother where these people are concerned. They see him as a radical misfit who is just out to cause trouble. Its so entrenched in their psyche, nothing will convince them otherwise.
Not all of them are racist right wingers either. They simply haven’t caught up with the times.
edit: that’s right marty mars. I’ve told a few of them to start listening to what he actually says instead if repeating old mantras. They don’t like it but you never know, they might listen – eventually.
Yep, absolutely. Epsom Green voters showed a bit of nous.
Personally, I was amused by the 20% of Act voters in Epsom who didn’t bother giving their candidate-vote to Banks. You gotta wonder what they were thinking.
David Parker screwed up in Epsom. Labour needs to be EXPLICIT in its direction to its supporters. Labour needs to erect Party Vote only hoardings and push that message at the door step.
Michael Wood has the smarts to do that.
One of the charges against Mr Key alleges he conspired to defeat the course of justice by ensuring Banks was not prosecuted by the police.
Another charge alleges Mr Key was an accessory to the offence by being wilfully blind to the contents of the police document.
unless he has decent evidence he will struggle at first hurdle. with seperation of powers I cant see how not reading the report was anything more than political arrogance and expediency
They tend to under-estimate the ability of the powers-that-be to keep their game of pretend and extend going, yes.
But remember also that the ‘end of the financial world’ is no longer just a hypothesis for tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of NZers who live below the poverty line.
yeah. espiner is a slimy little bag of batshit allright.
he looks like he crawled out of a test tube and he is full of barely repressed bile and hatred.
the first thing Labour has to do when they regain the treasury benches is reform Radio New Zealand. find some real professionals who even if they support the other side know how to conduct the nations affairs in a proper manner.
Well said dimebag, as a NatRad devotee I find myself yelling abuse at the radio on a daily basis now, the whole board has to go. Fucking National Party sycophants.
And yet the research coming out indicates that immigration isn’t as good for the country as the people in favour of it think. It seems to me that economists said immigration is great in the same way that they said that free-trade was and now we’re paying the costs of them being more or less wrong.
Laila would get into parliament if Hone holds his seat.
IMP seems to have taken its 1.4% from the Greens (not really a scientific observation however).
Major elements are the failure of NZ First (3.6%) meaning the Nats could govern alone with their 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), but all the cards are still held by the 12% who are undecided.
“A large portion of the Green voter block would be very interested in what IMP has to offer and Dot com is going after them.”
I’m a green voter and there’s nothing in pimp that would get me to switch my vote.
Maybe your sentence should have read ‘those hard of thinking in the Green voter block would be very interested in what IMP has to offer and Dot com is going after them.”
I’m a lifetime GP voter and if I wasn’t also a tactical voter I would consider voting IMP. People wanting something more radical than the GP can offer will look their. I’m not too worried though, diversity is a good thing.
I’m not in the party, I’m just a green voter, but 100% guaranteed to be less damaging to their image than single issue, mouth almightys with grudges would be.
Best thing you could do is sort your sh!t out and get even keeled.
“IMP are trying to create a situation where Cunliffe has to have them on board if he wants to form a government.”
Nope. IMP are trying to get to a position where they have a choice of either being in Government or just voting issue by issue. The only comment I’ve seen on either option from Hone (about six months ago, therefore pre-IMP) was a preference for staying on the cross benches. What IMP have made clear is that they want this government gone. How they contribute to that in the next Parliament will depend on the numbers.
Can I also point out that your statement seems predicated on the assumption that Hone and Laila are motivated by ego and arrogance. I think that may be a sign of your own weaknesses colouring your analysis.
Does any body know why the Herald Digipoll has 12% undecided and Roy Morgan polls only 5% undecided.
It isn’t just this poll – all of them seem to have much higher undecideds than the Morgan polls ever do.
Yep, Roy Morgan’s the odd one out. The other 4 Public Polls always record much larger proportions of Undecideds (note: in some cases, the Undecideds include respondents who have a definite party preference but have indicated – after being specifically asked by the pollster – that they are either fairly or very unlikely to vote). I say “the other 4”, but one of those 4 (the 3 News Reid Research Poll) provides no detail whatsoever about which respondents (and how many) are excluded from their Party Support results.
“Major elements are the failure of NZ First (3.6%) meaning the Nats could govern alone with their 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), but all the cards are still held by the 12% who are undecided.”
The wildcards are also what will happen to Act, UF, and the Mp. It’s unlikely that National will have enought votes to go alone.
Rouge or polling methodologies to blame for this one being wrong as well?
The poll has National on 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), Labour on 30.5 (up 1), and the Green Party on 10.7 (down 2.4).
Of the smaller parties, NZ First is on 3.6 (no change), the Conservative Party 1.5 (up 0.2), Maori Party 0.8 (up 0.6) and Act on 0.7 (down 0.1). United Future is on 0.1 (up from zero).
Internet Mana got 1.4 – the combined total of 0.5% for Mana, the 0.2% for Internet Party and the 0.7% who said Internet Mana.
Um, no, CV. You’ve forgotten that they mostly came back to Labour in the Clark years, particularly at the 2002 election. They’ve been disenchanted in the last ten years, despite the achievements of her administrations. A good proportion of those eligible to vote in NZ today weren’t even born in 1984 (including your good self?). I’d suggest that the misdeeds of Douglas et al affects the vote of pretty much no one these days. MMP also gives voters more finely tuned choices, so monolithic parties are no longer the answer.
I see two related problems; the relevance of politics in a general, and global, sense (ie convincing people that voting matters) and the difficulty of differentiating Labour from National in the minds of many Kiwi voters (the ‘they’re all the same’ factor). The former is a worldwide problem, the latter can be solved by good policy and great campaigning.
More shallow analysis and pointless abuse. Keep telling yourself you’re a winner, Bad.
ps, if you can be bothered switching your brain on, would you care to comment on why you think people walked away from Labour because of BAU and bene bashing when both are proven vote winners?
Your real problem, Bad, is your complete inability to construct and sustain an argument. Have a look at the responses of CV and TM to the questions raised this morning. They used fact, anecdote and critical reasoning to put their case. In the absence of coherent thought, all you’ve got is inanity and brutality. You are, in political and intellectual terms, the equivalent of the security thug who assaulted the streaker on Saturday.
More an observation, but as it goes, I find TRP’s points usually well put and thought out.
“so obviously..it never happened.”
Another observation, based on fact. Always happy to be shown the error of my ways, even if it goes against personal experience.
“.just say that/quote allen often enough..eh.”
I’m sure TRP has plenty better sources than I.
“(..aww..!!..you two seem made for each other..
..let’s hope something comes of it..eh..?..)”
I’m thinking you’re a little bitter/sad/nasty/desperate/snide.
Thought weed was supposed to mellow you out, but maybe you have a very high tolerance.
I don’t know if you need to smoke more or less, but I’d suggest doing something, ’cause you’re reading a little wonkey this side of reality.
Tax credits for working families, bad, just like it says on the label, which is cash loaded at the lower end of the scale to help those in poor paid jobs, and assist those who re-enter the workforce in part time employ.
Now i see what Teo Reo and the Alien have in common, they are both broadly thick and i aint talking here about their knees,
Broadly thick by design i would suggest, i suppose when leaping from pin-head to pin-head fails, being deliberately broadly thick is the obvious default position…
“Now i see what Teo Reo and the Alien have in common, they are both broadly thick and i aint talking here about their knees,
Broadly thick by design i would suggest, i suppose when leaping from pin-head to pin-head fails, being deliberately broadly thick is the obvious default position…”
Because we disagree with you. Great debating skills, bad. :dismissive smirk:
“@ the allen..
..and you approve of the poorest families being left out/ignored by clark..?
..seriously..!..you are a fucken green..?”
By left out I assume you mean not included in an in work tax credit scheme because they are not in work, then yes, I approve.
That’s not bene bashing.
I don’t hear you bleating on about single people not getting ird wff tax credits, or married/de facto couple without kids getting top ups. Why? Because they aren’t eligible, for obvious reasons.
Kin ‘el, next you’ll be wanting loyalty payments for people who aren’t loyal, or bonuses for people who don’t deserve them 😆
Doesn’t mean I don’t support increases to the unemployment benefit or other policies like free health/dental for non workers, far from it.
Bene bashing under Labour was structural as is Nationals but minus much of Pullyer Benefat and ShonKey’s rhetoric and open war on the poor.
under Lab–’99–’05
• WFF, Working For Families in work tax credit. A top up for certain groups including the ‘working poor’ but mainly mid level ’strugglers’ not extended to those out of work or in receipt of a benefit. This had the effect of subsidising employers via taxpayers rather than workers organising through unions for their own wage increases.
• “Jobs Jolt” Beneficiaries proscribed where they could live, tougher case management regimes with endless useless seminars and reporting requirements which if not met resulted in cuts to or cancellation of benefits.
• Emphasis on the old ‘work will set you free’ beloved of Randians and Paula Rebstock, a gap was maintained between those in work and those receiving benefits. Richardson cuts never reinstated despite the history and evidence surrounding the negative effects on poor communities. Pressure to merge the various benefits, pressure on sickness and invalids beneficiaries.
Labour continued the mutation of social welfare to sadistic social punishment, made possible by maintaining a level of unemployment to put downward pressure on wages.
Of course it doesn’t, and I’ve not suggested otherwise, and like I wrote above “observation, based on fact. Always happy to be shown the error of my ways, even if it goes against personal experience.”
“Removal of the hardship grant Special Benefit, which means that many medium or long term beneficiaries are in a much worse situation than before.”
I applied for and always got temporary additional support every three months, just like I’m doing now.
“but we have already established you are as aware as a sack of fucken doorknobs..?
..eh..?”
Says Mr Astute, the psychoactive astronaut. 😆
“..do you just deny the facts of the matter t. mountain just laid out for you..?”
What facts?
Wff has nothing to do with bene bashing.
Tougher case management regimes with endless useless seminars and reporting requirements – So what? If you want the money you do it. It’s what I had to do and didn’t consider it bashing at all.
Work didn’t set me free, but the wages did, and that can’t be denied. When I get another job, the money will do the same, no doubt about that.
The Household Labour Force Survey repeatedly shows more people looking for work or discouraged than are in receipt of an unemployment benefit so the negative strategies run first by Labour and now by National are ‘working’ in the counter productive way their authors intended.
It is a lot of work to stay on the pittance of a benefit these days, and if you are ill or mentally exhausted many doctors as shown in yesterdays ACC debate here are well ensconced in the system to add to your torment.
I have a barely mobile mate on daily home dialysis who WINZ Henderson still regularly hound to be ‘work ready’. I don’t like admitting this but his family out of desperation actually contacted Waitakere MP Bennett who could not deny the treatment and actually helped get things like extra home help and bathroom fittings and back payments for several years. Things that WINZ staff should have automatically done; except the general settings and policy courtesy of Paula Bennett mitigate against that.
High unemployment, anti union law, low union density, 90 day fire at will all create the perfect storm of compliant workers too scared to get their rights at work and then too intimidated to get their due from the social security safety net when needed.
“I applied for and always got temporary additional support every three months, just like I’m doing now.”
TAS is capped, Special Benefit wasn’t. TAS is considered a temporary benefit, Special Benefit could be paid more easily over a longer period of time. When TAS was brought in, hoop jumping was increased significantly. More pressure and stress is applied to people getting TAS the longer they are on it. It also depends on where you are in the country, as with most WINZ policy, it is applied unevenly.
People on long term benefits shouldn’t have to reapply every 3 months, unless their circumstances change which would be picked up in the yearly review anyway. It might be easy for you, but for some people that degree of paper work is a barrier. Think of some of the most vulnerable people like those on benefits for long term mental health reasons, or people who are ill and have no car to attend WINZ meetings. Or people without the skills to deal with bureaucracy. They’re the ones who will not be getting their entitlements.
Again, your ignorance leaves you looking foolish. Putting the boot into the poor and disenfranchised has won elections for centuries. Whether you know it or not, it’s a sad fact of the electoral process (and the human inclination to find someone less fortunate to blame).
Here’s what it looks like in the UK, right now, number four in particular:
The more that mainstream socially liberal parties ignore and dismiss the genuine grievances and anger of the population, the more that fascist movements will find traction and take hold.
Poor bad, comprehension is clearly not your strong suit, is it? Wanna have a crack at finding any comment where I tout bashing beneficiaries as a means of getting votes? I’ve only been commenting here a few years, if you dig real deep there must be one somewhere.*
I’d suggest that the misdeeds of Douglas et al affects the vote of pretty much no one these days.
?
Rogernomics and Ruthanasia combined reduced union membership numbers in NZ by 250,000 or more. Many of those people were Labour affiliate members. Each of those would have paid regular money into Labour.
Not only them, but the kids that they were bringing up, what was the talk around dinner table like as Dad was getting laid off by a Labour Government, and then both Mum and Dad divorced due to losing their house?
How can you say that those events affects the votes of pretty much no one these days? The Thorndon Bubble crowd might have a kind of a-historical amnesia, but not everyone else does.
Good points, CV, but the Lange government is simply not relevant to people’s decision making these days. You are right that the legacy lingers on, but it’s just not a gamebreaker in voters’ heads these days. It certainly was in the nineties, but I haven’t met too many people in my door knocking who say that they won’t give even one tick to Labour under MMP because of their mistakes under FPP last century.
Or to put it another way, our society is still plagued by the failures of that eighties Government, but only a tragic minority still vote based on being let down last century. Most people are living in the now, day to day, week to week. It’s the issues of today that guide their vote (or their non-vote).
TRP, people are still living the intergenerational poverty and demoralisation that Labour created. They don’t need to have personal memories or historical details, they just need to know the reality of their own lives. These are the issues of today.
And it is these people who continue to be disowned by Labour – blamed by their abusers as is always the case.
Until Labour faces the consequences of its actions it will continue to sink into well-deserved oblivion.
30% in the polls isn’t oblivion. In fact it’s an improvement on the actual vote at the last election, so it’s fair to say that the Lange years are having no effect at all on Labour’s current standing and we stand or fall on our current policies and leadership. In terms of election 2014, it’s ancient history. It was, after all, thirty years ago.
But, to be more serious, if you have any evidence that anyone, anywhere, is still reliving the Lange years when they go into the polling booth thirty years later, I’d love to see it. And more to the point, if you have evidence that lots of voters are still rehashing 1984 and its an actual trend that influences electoral outcomes, I’d be fascinated to see the results. I mean, like Japanese soldiers in the asian jungle who don’t know the war is over, there may be little clusters of ex labour voters staying warm by huddling round their burning membership cards, but I really doubt it makes a difference these days.
“and yr ‘burning membership cards’ sneer just marks u as an arsehole..eh..?
..as uncaring/unthinking as those national pricks..
..tweedle dum..and tweedle fucken dee..
..i hop yr fucken vote collapses..
..you deserve nothing fucken more..
..you uncaring/poor-bashing neo-lib/randite arsewipe…”
Slogans for sale, who will buy my lovely slogans. 😆
Te Reo is absolutely facinating, brushing aside all with such stunning debate its a wonder us lot haven’t all bowed as one to the sheer and utter wisdom of it all,
Douglas/Lange destroyed Labour to the point of 30% now being in Te Reo’s world a great result,
Te Reo’s crystal ball has it that there are but a ‘few’ who have not returned to the fold, 10% few Lolz,
i would suggest that the ”harshing of the buzz” might have done quite a bit of damage to other than the buzz this morning…
Poor, poor Bad. He’s forgotten all those elections since the eighties where Labour scored way more than 30% (all of them bar one, btw). Was that Lange’s fault too? Like it or not, time has relentlessly marched on and nobody much gives a flying one about events three decades ago. As I said a few hours ago, people vote on the here and now.
As to your other comprehension fail, MMP has more to do with Labour’s current polling than Lange. The left has some credible and electable alternatives now and I confident predict Labour will never win another election. Because it doesn’t have to under MMP.
Right you are, Bad. As I’ve mentioned earlier, you can’t construct an argument. You’re stuck with phlegm flecked invective, when you know it just makes you look lame. Try putting up actual reasons why I might be wrong. It’s what the adults do.
I have many reasons to vote green, but not being a single issue lwnj, don’t let one or two policies I disagree with dictate my world view.
“i eat them..and i support torturing them..”
I am an omnivore and meat is part (a very small part on a benefit) of my diet.
I don’t like animal testing for cosmetics and would agree to ban the practice, but am okay with testing for medical research.
“.are you the portrait of a thoroughly modern green..?”
I doubt I’m a portrait of anything thoroughly modern, so I will answer no.
“not so much ‘green’..as puce..eh..?.”
puse, peuse” or peuce is a dark red or purple brown colour, a brownish purple or a dark reddish brown.
Still voting green party vote and Sue Moroney electorate, so just like the eyes.
As lwnj go, you’re certainly put the nut job in to barking at the moon.
I’m not a carnivore, I’m an omnivore, just like my evolved body intended, so green omnivore would be more accurate.
Just for the record, are you stating that only veggies and veganauts can vote green? Bloody funny if you are.
You asking me, Tracey? If so, yes. The apathetic may well be disenchanted with a system they believe does not bring positive change. Only the left is interested in bringing positive change, so it probably follows that their votes should go to the left.
James(in sarky mood): “Shall we assume…that they are all Labour voters ?”
Nyet, Jamie-Boy, nyet. But it IS probably safe to assume that the proportion of Undecideds desiring a change of government massively out-weighs the proportion favouring the status-quo. That’s certainly the message from the Fairfax Media-Ipsos Polls over the last 12 months. Here…….http://sub-z-p.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/fairfax-ipsos-poll-february-2014.html
Now, fortunately for excitable (if relatively daft) young Tory lads like yourself, the Undecideds are likely to figure disproportionately among non-voters come September. A sizeable chunk of them, however, will indeed vote and they’ll almost certainly play their part in National’s traditional Election-day nose-dive (relative their pre-Election poll rating).
Figures could still be presented better though, they give a false impression. The decided votes add up to 100% leaving out the 12.2% undecided. False use of %’s
But the reality is that the Nacts have only 50 votes out of 112 so that’s a bare 45% and this poll leans to the right.
No, I can’t see much in the way of “blind optimism” here. Just keeping things in perspective (grounded in the obvious polling trends from previous elections). The Right Bloc are certainly ahead, but not to the degree that current polling suggests. Not because there’s some sort of “massive conspiracy” between Pollsters and the MSM and the National Party to make up poll figures as they go along – that’s clearly paranoid bollocks* – but because we know that poll ratings for the Nats / Right Bloc were consistently and significantly over-stated (month after month) in the 18 month lead-up to both of the last 2 Elections. The Nats’ monthly poll averages are still well down compared to both 2008 and 2011.
We still, however, need to shift at least 2 percent from Right to Left (or to mobilise the equivalent from previous / erstwhile non-voters).
*(having said that, it’s clearly NOT bollocks to suggest that the MSM’s dodgy rendition of poll results often leaves a LOT to be desired).
OK – I will say that it is my guess that they came from the Greens. So you cannot accuse me of being a liar – just a fool (in your humble opinion). Of course the proof will be in the eating of the election night results on that one.
Perhaps its my best wishes that make me think that way. But either way a very good result for National again. Less than 100 days .
James: “…a very good result for National again. Less than 100 days.”
(1) Compared to the last poll (Roy Morgan – Late May), Nat down 2.1 points, Lab up 1.5 points, Green up 1.7 points, Left Bloc up / Right Bloc down, so, yep, relatively good news. Clearly, the Nats reached their peak in late May and now they’re embarking on a slow-but-inevitable downward journey.
(2) At about this point in the electoral cycle in 2011, the Nats’ poll ratings ranged from a low of 51.5% to a high of 57.1%. They, of course, ended up on just 47%.
Over recent weeks, the Nats have oscillated between 42.5% and 52.5%. So possibly not quite as spiffing for the Tories as you seem to assume.
The Herald editorial on this poll was highly amusing, the more of it i subjected myself to, the more the snakes tongue forked,
From the fantasy of ”Govern alone” it hastily retreated into the realm of a major series of wet dreams, including pointing out the TV1 and TV3 polls had given the same sort of numbers so it just had to be true,
Limping along to its final glorious climax, possibly in the belief that No-one ever reads a Herald editorial that far, came the admission that National have never reached such heights of support at the actual election…
Actually, the funny thing is that the Nats are down and Labour up in that poll, albeit by one point and within the margin of error. But, imagine if it had been Labour down one and Nats up one, how the MSM would have gone on about the rise in Nat support and drop in Labour’s?
the other bit i noticed was the figure of people who said they had no problem with coat tailing and the fact it bears 0 resemblance with the fact coat tailing was the biggest issue that the electoral commission discovered when looking at tweaking mmp
The problem i have with your ‘reasoning’ framu is that barely 1% of the population got to make submissions to the Electoral Commission,
Changing the electoral system at the behest of the 1%, no matter who they are isn’t my idea of democracy,
A referendum asking if coat-tailing should be abolished yes/no, and the options of what % of Party Vote should be the measurement to gain seats in the Parliament, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% tick one, should be the only means of making any change to the electoral system,
Allowing the Electoral Commission to make such changes based upon the submissions of the 1% is no different than the old system of the political parties making submissions on the electorate boundaries and the Electoral Commission then making the decisions,
Yes, very good of John Key to do an 180 degree spin on his “could never work with Winston” line, after also saying all of his constituency is dying off, eh?
It is ironic that people should write such tosh while those closest to the “British” he adores are about to bring the United Kingdom to an end. The people of Scotland will vote on Independance on the 18th of September.
The gap in the polls has been closing and is now down to 4: YES 48 and NO 52.
The Left really are getting a hiding in the polls. The greens must be worried that La La is targeting their voters. She is not there’re for here knowledge of the internet, she has only recently joined facebook and when interviewed she didn’t even know who her ISP is.
I don’t know James. He might have had the same English teacher.
You can blame Jim Hickey he was my English teacher.
How is National being able to govern alone good for the red team?
I hate to break it to you swordfish but left bloc at 43% is getting a hiding in the polls.
When National are polling at 50% the left are screwed.
The reason the 2011 election votes were lower than the previous polling is the cup of tea fiasco in Epsom.
If you look at the graphs Labour has been toast since Cunners took over.
Nakahiman, what makes you such an amusing little sideshow is the fact that i actually see you believing the utter rubbish you write,
Face it, no Maori Party means Slippery the Prime Minister must give Colon the Conservative a seat, if not National are warming the leather on the opposition benches,
Even with Colon the Conservative having been bestowed the gift there is no guarantee that National can gather the numbers Epsom being doubtful,
You might want to cherish that dream of National polling better than they managed in 2011,(and that was off of higher rating opinion polls than currently being exhibited by the cheerleaders,the Herald and TV’s 1 and 3), but my pick for the Blue Rinsers in 2014 45% max,
Owen Glenn’s report into domestic violence is sadly a missed opportunity. His suggestion to reverse the burden of proof and impose guilt on accusation is ludicrous in that it requires the defendant to prove a negative. It is open to all kinds of abuse – particularly around messy relationship dissolutions and custody battles. This kind of approach is a dark path to go down.
It would be the single biggest retrograde change that could be made to the justice system short of introducing something like the Judge system from 2000 AD.
thats my major flag there as well, for the same reasons.
Ok – im no expert on the topic – but do we actually have a problem with identifying who is an abuser? or is it more of a problem with how seriously we treat and investigate accusations and incidents, and the resources available for follow up and enforcement of court orders?
would love to know more on this angle if anyones more knowledgable here
What we need is an inquisitorial system for these cases. I’m not sure why the report didn’t just recommend that instead of going off into cloud-cuckoo land.
In his interview this morning Owen Glenn dodged the question about reversing the burden of proof by saying that it would be after the man was convicted. Huh???
I see Cunliffe has “dismissed” the claim that Lui donated $15,000 to the Labour Party. No trace of such a donation has been found in their files. After Mike Williams said yesterday he had no recollection of any such donation from Liu – and as Labour’s Campaign Manager he would have known – it crossed my mind it was a falsehood spread by someone in the Nat Party. Cameron Slater anyone?
Did Labour give any special treatment to Lui? Because that’s what the problem was with his donation to National – not so much the donation on it’s own.
If the MSM is suggesting that we get rid of large donations altogether, I certainly would have no problem with that. But I doubt that’s what they want, somehow…
It seems to me too early to say one way or the other what the outcome is going to be, polls really can’t be taken seriously anyway, although trends are interesting. I have been ringing around the electorate I am in over the last 4 weeks or so and find a large number of very disinterested and undecided voters. Some who didn’t vote last election, some not for at least 2 elections say although they would like to vote they have no confidence in any party so won’t vote this election either. Then there’s a group who give no thought at all to political goings on. This group have no idea who the local MP is or any other list MPs that are from the electorate, and some of them admitted they never listen or watch news or radio bulletins or mentally ‘switch off’ when politics is mentioned and one person said’ quite frankly I don’t understand it all’. Those who have responded more positively generally have their electoral vote sorted but most are undecided about their party vote which suggests that some strategic thinking is taking place. Some in this group also say they are not prepared to make up their minds until closer to the election and many noted the significance of the leaders debate in their final decision. So in all it is rather a fascinating process and will be interesting to see in the ringing around process what shifts there are.
Strangely enough, I haven’t come across many voters who are completely disinterested. For those who don’t believe that any party works for them, I always encourage them to at least turn up and write on their voting paper that they want someone who works for them.
It sends more of a message than not voting at all (as in that case, you’re lumped in with those who are just too lazy to vote, etc).
I am trying to design a T-shirt explaining why I vote left. (Francis Owen has designed some fantastic posters (Google Francis Owen Vote) or the link below.) which Frank Mackasy has used on some of his posts.
I am having some difficulty in getting maximum impact in minimum words.
Any ideas? I don’t think I would have the guts to wear what I REALLY would like to write on the shirt!
A t-shirt is a great idea! The pictures in your link are not the best aspect ratio for a T. Need something that is vertical if you want the words to be big enough to be read.
further to the last communique.
RNZ National now playing soft porn.
Not that I mind a bit of Jackie Collins every now and again but this is vapid pap.
good interview with Peter Williams.
5*
i heard that the south canterbury finance collapse is dragging its way through the courts.
what caught my imagination was that the $1.7 billion bail out was made because of the new zealand deposit guarantee scheme.
what about a new zealand child poverty prevention guarantee scheme?
i am sure for less than $1.7 billion we could raise the quality of life for our most vulnerable citizens.
education/schools seems like a good place to start.
a teacher aid in all classes.
breakfast and lunch in all schools.
whatever happened to that roymorgan Apia Rose and the other tories were wanking about a day or two back? Can’t find anything online. Did it even exist? Anyone got a link?
Don’t know, but a Roy Morgan poll should be due out anytime now, covering the fortnight 2 – 15 June inclusive. Nothing as yet on their website.
However, this is the second time in a row that some people here and on one or two other blogs claim to know the Roy Morgan results before they are publicly released. (I think it was Public Address where I saw something on the last RM poll before it had been released and a short discussion on this.)
It does get emailed out to subscribers shortly before it goes up on the website, so one or two commenters here do get the jump on the rest. But that’s minutes rather than days.
The last Roy Morgan was quoted accurately in the maggoty biscuit barrel known as TradeMe message board by a regular there one full day ahead of public and media release. I mistakenly said two days on Public Address and was ‘savaged’ by Pete George.
But it was definitely early. Another PA poster reckoned you can select ‘follow this page’ and you get the early view. Will have a look.
This probably does not interest many, but I am really concerned about Key’s visit to the US. I want to force the issue of retaining our nuclear free status, because I believe that Key is going to sell us out. The US want an increased presence in the Pacific and I believe part of that will be using NZ as a base for their ships. How does someone get a definitive answer on this issue?
Also noted that Fed Farmers boss Bruce Wills said much the same thing a couple of weeks ago and acknowledged that farming as it operates now is unsustainable. He framed it that “the science had not kept up with farming”, when in reality it is that farming has charged ahead of the science with no justification for such charge other than financial greed. He acknowledged that in many situations simple destocking looks like the only option, amongst much more.
But at least the farming sector is standing up and acknowledging what has been put in front of them the last years or more…. good for them and lets hope it translates into positive improvement for our environment ….
Take a bow scientist Mike Joy..
and be ashamed previous Fed Farmers boss Don Nicholson ..
New Zealand’s mad, sad version of Hannity and Colmes The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 17 June 2014
Jim Mora, Michelle Boag, Brian Edwards
Jim Mora’s light chat show The Panel has long been a refuge for the dim (John Barnett, Garth “Gaga” George, Christine Spankin’ Rankin), the pompous (Chris Trotter, Gordon McLauchlan, John Bishop) and the unspeakable (David Farrar, Stephen Franks, Jordan Williams). For all their faults, however, all of the above act and speak as individuals. There is one exception to this pattern. One of the more unpleasant occasional features on the show is a grisly double act—Boag and Edwards. It seems to be scheduled at least once a fortnight, and the way things are going it may well end up as a show in its own right—an inane Kiwi version of the insufferable (now blessedly defunct) Hannity and Colmes on Fox News. Apparently Edwards (Colmes) has signed some sort of agreement with Boag (a crazier version of Hannity) never to contradict her when she says something cruel or mad. In fact, he will usually endorse what she says, albeit reluctantly.
This afternoon, Boag (Hannity) was in a particularly nasty mood, and Edwards (Colmes) was—as ever—pathetically eager to please her. First of all, Boag indulged in an extended spray against that monster Kim Dotcom. “He’s fleeing justice in another jurisdiction!” she shrieks. Edwards eagerly, cravenly, agrees with her. The host, Jim Mora, just laughs.
The informed and serious commentary continues….
JIM MORA: Greenpeace has lost five million dollars after an ill advised gamble on the money markets. We assume our money is well spent when we give it to charity, don’t w—
MICHELLE BOAG:[spluttering with indignation] Arrrrgggghhh! Greenpeace is not a CHARITY! It’s a multi-million dollar BUSINESS!
This ill-tempered and ill-informed outburst is met with awkward silence from both Mora and Edwards.
A little later, the creepy feeling that we are listening to a broadcast from the most benighted corner of LaLa Land is ratcheted up even more….
BRIAN EDWARDS: John Banks is by all accounts a W-W-W-WONDERFUL parent! I heard him speak at a breakfast one day about the experience of parenting, and he was INSPIRATIONAL!
While Edwards specialises in such nonsensical paeans, Boag has far less of the milk of human kindness in her. She never lets up with her sour, simplistic, reactionary comments. For all those lily-livered experts—police, social workers, educators—who have commented on last week’s stabbing in Henderson, she has nothing but contempt….
MICHELLE BOAG:[snarling] People use poverty as an excuse!
After the news, pleasant music plays for half a minute or so….
MORA: That’s a band called The Samoans. They’re a Welsh band, full of skinny white guys. ….[pause] Is that all right?
Of course there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not even a serious question. But it’s worth a few minutes of air time. After all, why talk about something important when you can use up five minutes pretending to be concerned about a triviality? To help him out with this grave question, his producers have gone and got one of the country’s most prominent Samoans, Oscar Kightley to come on the programme. Of course, like any sensible person, Kightley feels it’s a non-issue and tells him exactly that….
MORA: So you think it’s all right? It’s a kind of homage.” OSCAR KIGHTLEY: The only problem I have is that they could pronounce the word “Samoans” a little better. But no, I can see nothing wrong with what they’re doing. MORA: Oscar Kightley, thank you. BRIAN EDWARDS:[speaking slowly, to convey great seriousness] The great joy of Oscar is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. That’s very important. MORA: Indeed. MICHELLE BOAG: Indeed.
With nothing achieved so far, it’s time for the “Soapbox” segment, where the Panelists tell us what they’ve been thinking about. Perhaps they’ve been thinking long and hard about something important?….
BRIAN EDWARDS: Something I’m a bit grumpy about is people saying that things on the net have “gone viral”. Another thing I’m grumpy about is how everyone that has appeared on television is a “star”. ….[He raves on about that outrage for a minute or so]…. And finally my old gripe: women field reporters in New Zealand are AWFUL! Why do they have to talk through their noses like that? [Here he imitates a high-pitched whining female] It’s AWFUL, it’s AWFUL to listen to! It’s just got to do with the unpleasantness of the sound. It’s really awful! You just sit in front of your screen and cringe. ….[continues ranting for considerable time]….
MORA: All right. Michelle Boag, what’s been on YOUR mind?
BOAG: Well I’m fairly grumpy too. I’m grumpy about the NZEI being soooooo narrow-minded as to not consider the most popular education initiative of recent years. You know, I think it’s time we put the kids first. The ideological purity of these groups who are only concerned about their own interests….
To close off the programme, Jim seeks comment from the Gruesome Twosome about the boy in Hastings who is battling his school about being able to wear long hair. Both of them are united in their condemnation of the boy and his dad. Boag quotes the leading thinker Mike Hosking, who saw fit to castigate the boy on television last night. Edwards endorses everything his good friend says, and proffers this choice piece of advice to the boy’s father: “He needs to get a LIFE!” Edwards is just warming to his task when the end-of-show music mercifully begins…..
MORA: We’re out of time. Michelle Boag, thank YOU. MICHELLE BOAG: Thank you! MORA: Brian Edwards, thank you very much. BRIAN EDWARDS: Sorry to be grumpy. BOAG: Not at all!
I sent the following email to Jim Mora, pointing out the vapidity of his nasty guest…
Michelle Boag’s rant
Dear Jim,
In her rant against Kim Dotcom, Michelle Boag confused (perhaps willfully confused) justice with vengeance and black propaganda.
Kim Dotcom has served his time in Germany; the current allegations against him are just that: allegations, and all unproven.
Fantastic Morrissey I had to stop at my elderly fathers place to have a rant about this piece of shit panel today.It makes me fucking sick to listen to these two arrogant creatures putting the boot in.I expect it from Boag ( the imp) but Edwards infuriates me, he is actually delusional in thinking he is a lefty, he may have been once upon a time but that was many decades ago, now he is nothing but minor celeb blood sucker, part of the NZ ruling class who thinks he knows whats best for us great unwashed.He is just another member of that group of quislings ( Pagani, M Williams,et al ) that need to be expunged from any relevance to the left, the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.With friends like them, who needs enemies.
“Boag quotes the leading thinker Mike Hosking, who saw fit to castigate the boy on television last night. Edwards endorses everything his good friend says, and proffers this choice piece of advice to the boy’s father: “He needs to get a LIFE!” Edwards is just warming to his task when the end-of-show music mercifully begins…..”
Unsuprising of Edwards to take the side of the school in this debate, given that he thinks it is perfectly OK to tell a 14 year old girl she looks like a slut. Yep, big man there, Dr Edward. No wonder we have a huge domestic violence problem in this country.
As an observation, it seems thats schools are more worried about the length of a student’s hair (or skirt), or how to further intrude on their privacy, than whether they should be providing a safe environment for their students (ie protecting pupils from being bullied).
Edwards is a fucked old fulla who’s still fumblingly wanking over a proud moment on ‘Gallery’ about 40 years ago. Boag the old bitch is still hoha that a High Court judge didn’t bow to her character evidence in support of Second-Bestie-After-Briany, Botox-Banksie.
You see these people are so disgustingly entitled and when the world seems not to acknowledge that, they lose it. Fuck the both of them and that insufferable enabler Mensa Mora too for that matter. And regards to their carbon copy Bob Jones whom I’m sure together they go visit every coupla months. Imagine the poison falling from those six lips with their owners in their cups ?
Does no one in this counrty take seriously the matter of past-use-by-date ?
@helenkellyCTU
If National wins the election, English says next budget will b most radical restructuring of govt spending in 50 years. #tellusyourplans
do you think they will tell the people what that massive government spending restructure will be before the election? in detail?
they must
otherwise they are in breach of the Fair Trading (in Politics) Act whereby it is against the law to undertake misleading and deceptive conduct in politics. Just like is the case in trade and business. And being the “party of business” they will have no problem with compliance. Eh ..
I will not be voting, and encouraging all members of the working class to do the same – as such the Tory scum who think they have a mandate in this unrepresentative democracy, should begin now to go to bed in worry. The anarchists claim all the disposed, disenfranchised, and down right depressed – not out of love or charity – but out of the need to prescribe to all reactionaries we know, your lying. You propaganda falls flat at the doors of nihilism – your spin is now a top falling over. Yes, Tory scum – the curtains are parting.
And…
How many of the so called liberal elites will work in the interest of the elites over working people? How many will vote to preserve there own fiefdoms? Why, they don’t fear us – we are meek, we will grovel and crawl like slaves to make the world, a little less harsh. All men and women were created equally. All men and women were born free. All men and women we born in comity and congruousness.
To keep that alive I’m not going to go and vote for some slimy bugger who thinks they now have power to do as they please, and bugger the rest of us. As far as I can tell all political parties are full of self-serving bluggers who are at best, petty little lordlings. These freaks of nature should shake in their boots at night with every vote not cast. They should shiver in fear that if someone is willing not to vote, what else – will they not do. Take orders, be bullied, be treated like a god dam slave!
That’s why I’m not going to vote. I’m not a slave, I’m a human being.
[lprent: And what does that have to do with my post? Moved to OpenMike. You’ll be moved to oblivion if I catch you being a fuckwit doing a diversion troll and crapping on a post again just because you like the smell of your own dung. A two week ban for stupidity. ]
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Peter Dunne writes – Nearly three decades after the introduction of MMP and multiparty governments there should be a greater level of understanding about their finer points than often appears to be the case. The reaction to the despicable outburst from the Deputy Prime Minister at the weekend highlights ...
The sweet kisses from fruit of summerHave slowly been turning dullerYou say, "those times"And "remember the daysWhen we went outside and there still was the shade?"Taking no reason into play…Autumn. Clear, blue days shortening to longer nights, growing colder. Aotearoa.That’s us. The temperature dropping, the looming car crash - so ...
Bryce Edwards writes – “It is often said that behind every great man is a great woman”. This is the pitch by the National Party Botany electorate branch to attend their “Ladies Afternoon Tea with Amanda Luxon”. For $110 including GST, you can turn up on Saturday 20 April ...
David Farrar writes – The Electoral Commission has published the expense returns for political parties for the 2023 election. I’ve put them in a table with how many votes a party got so we can see the spend per vote. National only spent $3.34 for every vote they got, almost ...
Winston Peters’ headline-making actions over the past week may have been a show of political power intended to strengthen his hand in Budget negotiations. It was no accident that his State of the Nation speech was as it was. He made it as New Zealand First Leader, not as Deputy ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:Former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson bowed out of politics this week, giving a series of exit ...
Graham Adams writes — If you love the law or sausages, as the saying goes, best not to look too closely at how they are made. And after watching the orgy of self-pity when Newshub’s closure was announced on February 28, television journalism should definitely be added to the list of those ...
Venerable New Zealand political commentator, Chris Trotter (https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/), is a sad creature these days. Once one of the most reliable Leftist writers out there – Economic Left at that – Trotter seems to have absorbed the worldview of Auckland culture-war obsessives. It is not for me to categorise what he ...
The cruelty of short-term memory loss is that each time you ask where she is, you get the fresh shock and grief of the news. That was Dad's day yesterday.Comfortingly, it seems to be less so today. Last night he looked crumpled, today he seems more settled. There's a card ...
The Coalition Government’s plan to ‘get Auckland moving’ is a cuts cover-up that will ultimately cost Aucklanders more to move around the city, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Slashing the Ministry of Pacific Peoples by 40% will have a devastating impact on pacific communities and further highlights how little this government cares about anything other than cutting taxes for the wealthiest few. ...
Labour has proposed an urgent inquiry to investigate the ever-increasing profits of supermarkets, aiming to lower costs for shoppers and food producers alike, says Labour Spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Arena Williams and Primary Production Spokesperson Cushla Tangaere-Manuel. ...
With 14% of jobs on the line at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, the responsible Minister Melissa Lee is failing to stand up for the very communities she’s meant to be representing. ...
COURT OF APPEAL: TRIFECTA OF VICTORY FOR NZ FIRST, TRIFECTA OF FAILURE FOR OPPONENTS For the third time since April 2020, New Zealand First has defeated the Serious Fraud Office and all those complicit in a malicious attack against a political party going about its lawful business in a lawful ...
The Green Party stands with people who live in public housing, people in dire housing need, experts and advocates in demanding better than the Government’s archaic approach to housing those who need our support the most. ...
New Zealand has recently lost the hosting rights of some major international sporting events including the America’s Cup, the Rugby Championship, Netball World Cup, and the Wellington Sevens. We are now at a huge risk of losing SailGP as well. And it won’t stop there. The recent issues with SailGP ...
A Member’s Bill drawn this week would modernise insurance law and make things fairer and more transparent for consumers, Christchurch Central MP Duncan Webb said. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues has confirmed she was aware of funding issues in mid-December and did nothing to stop it. On 14 March, she signed off on changes that were announced and implemented on 18 March without any consultation with disability communities. ...
Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter says her members' bill is an opportunity for the coalition government to plug the gap in electric vehicle incentives. ...
The National Government continues to talk about irresponsible tax cuts that will only drive up inflation, despite the country entering a technical recession. ...
The Minister for Disability Issues must act urgently to reinstate flexibility around the funding for disability support and apologise to disabled carers. ...
This story has been initiated by a leftie shill reporter who proactively sought to call a member of a former band, which disbanded twelve years ago, give their biased appraisal of what was said in my speech, and concocted a ham-fisted attempt at a story that does nothing but show ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Many in the mainstream media have taken what was said in New Zealand First’s State of the Nation Speech in Palmerston North on Sunday and deliberately, deceitfully, and ignorantly misrepresented what I said and why I said it. The headlines and commentary on the news stated that I compared ‘co-governance ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
Good afternoon. Thank you for, in your very busy lives, turning up to this meeting today. On October 14th last year New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted for change. That is exactly what this new government is bringing. New Zealand First campaigned to ‘take back our country’ and stop the disastrous economic ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April. “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates. Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend. “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says. Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track. “Dam safety regulations ...
The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009. ...
The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function. The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union. “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says. “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
Good morning, it’s great to be here. First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning. I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed. “Northland has faced a number ...
New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
Opposition MPs and unions are criticising a proposal by New Zealand’s Ministry of Pacific Peoples to cut staff by 40 percent. The country’s largest trade union — The Public Service Association — says the ministry has informed staff that it is looking to shed 63 of 156 positions. Opposition MPs ...
A poem by Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook 2024 featured poet Carin Smeaton. Daughtr of the 90s when she gets promoted to usherette a baby blu eel carries her all the way up to mothership she’s hovering high she lets the underaged in to see keanu reeves she lets the only lonely ...
Analysis by Keith Rankin. Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. My earlier article – Can ‘Good’ be the Greater Evil? – looked at the issue of how wars should end, and how Good versus Evil ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 AMMA by Saraid de Silva (Moa Press, $38)A stunning debut novel reviewed by Brannavan ...
From Steve Martin to Ricky Stanicky, a pick’n’mix of things worth watching and listening to this long weekend. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. If you’re at a loss for something to occupy yourself with this Easter, don’t panic: The Spinoff’s got ...
Jesus had dinner with his 12 disciples right before he died. Noted historian Madeleine Chapman finds out who really deserved to be there.First published in 2018 but let’s be honest, the subject is timeless. As you sit on your couch this Easter Sunday, eating a chocolate egg you know ...
The newly-promoted Northern League club is on a mission to return to the National League for the first time in two decades. Plenty about domestic football in New Zealand has changed in that time – but the sense that this amateur competition is not an entirely level playing field remains. ...
Comment: Every year on February 2, a dozen men in tuxedos and top hats approach the burrow of a groundhog in Gobbler’s Knob, Pennsylvania and entice the beaver-like rodent to emerge and predict the weather. If the groundhog, named Punxsutawney Phil, sees its own shadow when it is summoned, legend ...
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Auckland Council has put a deadline on new weather-impacted property owners applying for categorisation as government funding looks set to run out. Councillors have voted to support a deadline of September 30 for property owners who haven’t accessed support to come forward and engage with the council’s recovery office. It ...
NONFICTION 1 BBQ Economics by Liam Dann (Penguin Random House, $40) “It’s official,” wrote Dann nine days ago in the Herald, where he works as business editor at large, “we’re in recession.” Yeah, great. He delivered the bad stats: “GDP fell 0.1 percent in the December 2023 quarter, compared with ...
By Anneke Smith, RNZ News political reporter A petition urging the New Zealand government to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people has been tabled in the House. More than 200 people gathered on Parliament’s forecourt today and they were met by MPs from Labour, the Greens and Te ...
Pacific Media Watch The Paris-based global media freedom watchdog RSF (Reporters Without Borders) has appealed for information about the “disappearance” of Palestinian journalist Bayan Abusultan. She was reportedly last seen on March 19 among people “sequestered” in this week’s raid and siege of Al Shifa hospital by Israeli troops in ...
EDITORIAL:The Jakarta Post It happens again and again; indigenous Papuans fall victim to Indonesian soldiers. This time, we have photographic evidence for the brutality, with videos on social media showing a Papuan man being tortured by a group of plainclothes men alleged to be the Indonesian Military (TNI) members. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Director of the Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy & Associate Professor, New Testament, Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity A strange and eclectic range of activities takes place across these few weeks of the year. Some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University It’s Easter weekend, which means many of us will be kicking back with the greatest hits on repeat. But whether you’re a boomer, or an ‘80s or ’90s kid, you might be ...
RNZ Pacific Fiji’s Acting Public Prosecutor has filed an appeal against the sentences of former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended police chief Sitiveni Qiliho in their corruption case. Bainimarama was granted an absolute discharge for attempting to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho received a conditional discharge with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Arosha Weerakoon, Senior Lecturer and General Dentist, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland Casezy idea/Shutterstock How does toothpaste work? What did people use before toothpaste was invented? – Amelia, age 7, Meanjin (Brisbane) Thanks for your ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brett Hallam, Associate professor, UNSW Sydney IM Imagery/Shutterstock Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government announced today it would plough A$1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Dix, Research Fellow in Nutrition & Dietetics, The University of Queensland Easter is the time for chocolate. The shops are full of fantastically packaged and shiny chocolates in all shapes and sizes, making trips to the supermarket with children more challenging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Felton, Adjunct Senior Researcher, University of South Australia Even in a stubborn cost-of-living crisis, it seems there’s one luxury most Australians won’t sacrifice – their daily cup of coffee. Coffee sales have largely remained stable, even as financial pressures have ...
Mining company Trans-Tasman Resources has unexpectedly withdrawn its application for a consent to suck the valuable metals vanadium and titanium from the Taranaki seafloor, as it apparently wagers on the Government’s new fast-track process. It had spent two-and-a-half days putting its case to the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision-making committee, at ...
Contrary to the Associate Minister of Education’s claims, analysis of Healthy School Lunches Programme - Ka Ora, Ka Ako assessments has revealed it provides excellent value for the taxpayer dollar, as a groundswell of public opposition to Government ...
Greenpeace says wannabe Taranaki seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources is likely banking on Christopher Luxon’s fast-track process to side-step proper scrutiny of its Taranaki seabed mining proposal by bailing out of the Environmental Protection Agency hearing ...
Kiwis Against Seabed mining today slammed Australian owned would-be seabed miner Trans Tasman Resources (TTR) for abandoning its application to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to mine the seabed of the South Taranaki Bight. The company ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katie Attwell, Associate Professor, School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia Ground Picture/Shutterstock Months after COVID vaccines were introduced in 2021, governments and private organisations mandated them for various groups. Health and aged care workers were among the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak, CEO and Founder of Diraq, UNSW Sydney Diraq For decades, the pursuit of quantum computing has struggled with the need for extremely low temperatures, mere fractions of a degree above absolute zero (0 Kelvin or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne A national Essential poll, conducted March 20–24 from a sample of 1,150, gave the Coalition a 50–44 lead including undecided, a reversal ...
The Taxpayers’ Union has today made a formal request under the Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Open Government Information () for information held about how New Zealand Members of Parliament are spending taxpayer ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Nelson, Honorary Principal Fellow, The University of Melbourne A Byzantine depiction of the Eucharist in Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv.Jacek555/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA A nasty quarrel arose in the 11th century over what kind of bread should be used in holy ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Hesp, Professor, Flinders University Patrick Hesp In some parts of Australia, coastal dunes are retreating from the ocean at an alarming rate, as waves carve up the beach and wind blows the sand inland. But coastal communities are largely ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luke Heemsbergen, Senior Lecturer, Digital, Political, Media, Deakin University With an impressive 60% of the US smartphone market, Apple is undeniably big, but not a clear monopoly. Yet, years of innovation by Apple have effectively given the company its own exclusive ...
Whether you’re facing layoffs or are just an emotional junior staffer, it’s always a good idea to scout out a good crying place before you need it. It’s an incredibly hard time for Wellington. Across the city, thousands of public servants are hearing tough news about redundancies and layoffs. Government ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Miller-Jones, Professor, Curtin University Nuclear explosions on a neutron star feed its jets. Danielle Futselaar and Nathalie Degenaar, Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, CC BY-SA How fast can a neutron star drive powerful jets into space? The answer, it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daryl Adair, Associate Professor of Sport Management, University of Technology Sydney Earlier this week, independent MP Andrew Wilkie accused the AFL of conducting “off the books” illicit drug testing to identify players using substances of abuse, then inappropriately withdrawing them from matches ...
The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa New Zealand to meet its international commitments, says the World Wide Fund for Nature ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Shutterstock The federal government has bowed to pressure from the car industry, announcing it will relax proposed emissions rules for utes and vans and delay enforcement of the new standards ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Rutland, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney In his latest book, Jewish Life in Medieval Spain, Jonathan Ray focuses on the tumult of the 14th century in Spain – a time of the plague, civil strife and war between the two largest ...
While creating a slate of world-class shows, Whakaata Māori also developed a generation of world-class creatives. Television is an odd word. It mixes the Ancient Greek and Latin languages, and its most literal meaning is “far-off sight”. In the contemporary and living language of te reo Māori, “whakaata” as a ...
Yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza. This significant step and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza prompted an urgent debate in the New Zealand Parliament. Leader ...
The Government’s decision to reduce access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) not only threatens the lives of children with type 1 diabetes and increases the potential for ‘Dead in Bed’ syndrome, but also threatens the health of their parents an ...
Apples are available year-round, but the wide variety on offer involves intensive scientific research – and large-scale commercialisation. What’s beautiful, red, sweet and crunchy? Tony Martin’s favourite kind of apple: Sassy. The CEO of apple and pear breeding organisation Prevar, Martin’s fondness for Sassy represents professional success as well as ...
Family violence specialist service Shine is calling on employers to stop asking for proof of domestic violence in order for employees to access domestic violence leave. The call comes five years after the introduction of the Domestic Violence ...
The Deputy Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for public submissions on the Budget Policy Statement 2024. The Budget Policy Statement 2024 (BPS) sets out the Government's priorities for the 2024 Budget. It explains the approach ...
Brutal government spending cuts that will see the size of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples slashed by 40% will hit Pasifika communities hard, the PSA says. The Ministry has told staff that it is seeking voluntary redundancies, and to redeploy and reassign ...
I live with five people I mostly love, but our different ideas about generosity are starting to really irk me.Want Hera’s help? Email your problem to helpme@thespinoff.co.nzDear Hera,This is a bit of a random one but here goes. I’m 22 and work an OK job (OK meaning I get paid ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Nicholas, Senior Lecturer in Language and Literacy Education, Deakin University Earlier this month, the New South Wales government announced it would roll out programs for gifted students in every public school in the state. This comes amid concerns gifted school ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney Massachusetts General Hospital In a world first, we heard last week that US surgeons had transplanted a kidney from a gene-edited pig into a living human. News reports said the procedure was a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Tombs, Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues, University of Otago The 5th-century Maskell panel showing Jesus in a loincloth.British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA When Jesus is shown on the cross, he is almost always depicted wearing a loincloth around ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Panizza Allmark, Professor Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University Shutterstock When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen’s crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such ...
COMMENTARY:Jewish Voice for Peace The UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday — and for the first time since the beginning of the Israeli military’s genocide of Palestinians, the United States abstained rather than vetoing it. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, ...
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Who is Clinton Dearlove?
Why is he standing in the Te Tai Tokerau Election?
Why did 40% of voters that voted for Hone in the last election not support Mana?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11275172
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=289979404513586
NzJ, your “40%”……..who knows ? Necessary to observe that there is no immediately obvious point conveyed by your rhetorical question.
Meaning is abundant however if you turn the question on its head – why did Hone’s personal vote trump party vote ?
Obvious answer……..Hone is a ‘leader’. Always has been.
NZjackson appears to think Northland voters give a fuck about what the NZ Herald writes, apart from to disregard it completely.
i have the sneaking suspicion that the author is asking a somewhat rhetorical question, to expand upon the suspicion would have me speculating on the identity of NzJackson,
1+1 tho have always turned out to be 2…
agree. last post he did was first on open mike supporting the same candidate.
Indeed, Tracey. I’m not going to start speculating on identities, but I reckon NZJackson isn’t a million miles removed from what ever passes for Dearlove’s brains trust. Still, to answer his question (who is Clinton Dearlove?), he’s the guy coming a distant fourth in the Te Tai Tokerau election.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-13062014/#comment-830097
yup… nzjackson is trying to bring hone down which is not exactly the same things as promoting a dearlove win.
“Still, to answer his question (who is Clinton Dearlove?), he’s the guy coming a distant fourth in the Te Tai Tokerau election”
He’s also the guy who might split the vote and cost Mana their only seat and the left the election.
No, actual, fucking, way. Mr Higher ShonKey Standards’ zillions on it ! Call it 500-700 votes if that. Which will come from everywhere probably least Hone and Mana.
You see Hone = Mana Maori. BEFORE he = Mana Movement. With absolutely no disrespect to David Tua it’s a teensy bit like him and Lennox Lewis. Except less.
Because they voted tactically. They arent stupid so didnt waste their party vote on Mana.
I will predict that Hone will bolt in and the IMP vote will be within 10% of his electorate vote this time round as theres a chance to get Sykes and others into Parliament this time round.
Hone has talked about Clinton on facebook
“I just wanted to clarify exactly how my interview about CLINTON DEARLOVE, went with the Herald, because of course, they never ever report my comments properly. Here’s the exact text conversation …
HERALD: Wondered how you felt about your former political protege going up against you in Te Tai Tokerau?
HONE: No fuss. I wish him well, as I do Kelvin Davis.
HERALD: Obviously not wishing him to do so well he takes votes off you?
HONE: When I say I wish him well, I do so because he is my whanaunga as is Kelvin, and I send my best wishes to them both, unconditionally.”
That is leadership, that is mana in action.
Good comment. It’s why I don’t really understand why some people hate Harawira so much, or dismiss him as a loose cannon.
Thanks for crossing the cultural divide marty.
Thanks weka – I always appreciate your feedback and comments.
I think Hone has polarised people in the past but how much of it is genuine offense as opposed to reinforcement of their existing attitudes it’s hard to say. If they just listened to what he says they’d learn a lot about a lot of things that we need to learn a lot about, both individually and collectively.
It’s also a bad mistake to take any notice of the projections of the talking (bald)head yuppies of Auckland and Wellington…….frankly they wouldn’t have a fucking clue about Maori and Ngapuhi and the North.
Their bullshit templates, let’s-be-indulgently-kind-to-them, are subliminally racist at the very least, and irrelevant.
I think you would find that the majority of Harawira haters are white and in the 55 plus age bracket. They haven’t moved on from the 70s and 80s when his mother, Titiwhai Harawira was probably the most reviled woman in NZ. Hone Harawira still lives in the shadow of his mother where these people are concerned. They see him as a radical misfit who is just out to cause trouble. Its so entrenched in their psyche, nothing will convince them otherwise.
Not all of them are racist right wingers either. They simply haven’t caught up with the times.
edit: that’s right marty mars. I’ve told a few of them to start listening to what he actually says instead if repeating old mantras. They don’t like it but you never know, they might listen – eventually.
(need a (political)-laff..?..)
“..The sphinx without a riddle – and other lethal political put-downs..”
“..The sphinx jibe by Michael Gove’s ex-adviser –
(cont..)
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2014/jun/16/sphinx-without-riddle-political-put-downs-david-cameron
Some discussion here yesterday on strategic voting in Epsom
I’ve set out the relevant stats from the 2011 vote in Epsom here…
http://sub-z-p.blogspot.co.nz/
(including the split-vote)
Thanks Swordfish. Looks like Epsom Green voters were more strategic than Epsom Labour voters even though the Green candidate was not …
the green candidate did everything wrong…
..genter is smarter than he was..
Yep, absolutely. Epsom Green voters showed a bit of nous.
Personally, I was amused by the 20% of Act voters in Epsom who didn’t bother giving their candidate-vote to Banks. You gotta wonder what they were thinking.
meds mix-ups..?
thanks fish
David Parker screwed up in Epsom. Labour needs to be EXPLICIT in its direction to its supporters. Labour needs to erect Party Vote only hoardings and push that message at the door step.
Michael Wood has the smarts to do that.
parker and that green party dweeb couldn’t have been more of a ‘dimmer-twins’…
McCready is at it again.
This time he’s filing charges against John Key & John Banks
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/247402/mccready-files-new-banks-charges
One of the charges against Mr Key alleges he conspired to defeat the course of justice by ensuring Banks was not prosecuted by the police.
Another charge alleges Mr Key was an accessory to the offence by being wilfully blind to the contents of the police document.
unless he has decent evidence he will struggle at first hurdle. with seperation of powers I cant see how not reading the report was anything more than political arrogance and expediency
We can always hope.
World bond and share markets are slowly dying as volume and liquidity dry up and direct central bank interference takes its toll.
GFC II is warming up, people.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-16/liquidity-becoming-serious-issue-japans-bond-market-death-goes-global
How many other prognostications of doom has that Zero Hedge site predicted that turned out to be true?
How many times has it predicted a financial crash in an October which turned out not to happen?
They tend to under-estimate the ability of the powers-that-be to keep their game of pretend and extend going, yes.
But remember also that the ‘end of the financial world’ is no longer just a hypothesis for tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of thousands of NZers who live below the poverty line.
CV, I thought the pretend and extend game could go on indefinitely because they can hide any downside in the shadow banking system?
Isn’t that how they’ve been propping up the bond market?
Another biased interview by Espiner – this time of Graham Mcready.
It’s sliding into ZB land.
Disgraceful.
Graham McCready sounds great …what a sexy gravelly voice….us chooks are all of a flutter…what a man!
…and he makes Espiner sound like a soft little toadie
Better be in quick then Chooky, the bloke has a heart condition that would suggest He aint long for the mortal coil…
According to the SST, McCready also has a ‘love of his life’. See the last couple of paragraphs of their profile two weeks ago.
http://bit.ly/UneFY2
“soft little (tory) toadie”
…like that, make an excellent epitaph for E’spinner who daily pisses over the fine traditions of Radio New Zealand
yeah. espiner is a slimy little bag of batshit allright.
he looks like he crawled out of a test tube and he is full of barely repressed bile and hatred.
the first thing Labour has to do when they regain the treasury benches is reform Radio New Zealand. find some real professionals who even if they support the other side know how to conduct the nations affairs in a proper manner.
Well said dimebag, as a NatRad devotee I find myself yelling abuse at the radio on a daily basis now, the whole board has to go. Fucking National Party sycophants.
(one for the immigration-fretters amongst us..john oliver takes you down..)
“..John Oliver’s Latest Epic Rant Destroys Immigration Myths Hilariously – One by One..”
“..If only we could build a ‘fence of facts’ –
(cont..)
http://www.alternet.org/immigration/john-olivers-latest-epic-rant-destroys-immigration-myths-hilariously-one-one
And yet the research coming out indicates that immigration isn’t as good for the country as the people in favour of it think. It seems to me that economists said immigration is great in the same way that they said that free-trade was and now we’re paying the costs of them being more or less wrong.
from yr link..
“..It is also possible that scale and agglomeration could create larger positive impacts if future migration flows increase significantly…”
..and ‘the negative effects conclusion’..
..aside from maybe some pressure on housing..
..doesn’t really find/cite any..
..(hardly up there in ‘free-trade’ territory..eh..?..)
..did you even read the link..?
..are you an nz first person/supporter..?
Herald Digipoll http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11275259
Laila would get into parliament if Hone holds his seat.
IMP seems to have taken its 1.4% from the Greens (not really a scientific observation however).
Major elements are the failure of NZ First (3.6%) meaning the Nats could govern alone with their 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), but all the cards are still held by the 12% who are undecided.
IMP main strategy is to strip votes from the greens and maybe pick up another 1-2% of non voters.
IMP are trying to create a situation where Cunliffe has to have them on board if he wants to form a government.
u r so full of shit..bm..
..as you will soon see..imp will roll out a major get-out-the-vote campaign..
..and if those desiring cannabis law-reform..who have traditionally voted green..
..heard norman confirm that ‘is not on our list of priorities’…and remember how turei so neglected the medical-marijuana bill under her charge/care..
..and then see the much stronger message from imp..
..if they switch from green to imp..that is entirely understandable..
..to stretch that to imp ‘targeting’ green voters..as their main-plan..
..is a bit of a stretch..
..but then you have shown here on numerous occaisons..
..how elastic you are with facts/the ‘truth’..
..eh..?
Hilarious, you think picking Laila Harre to lead wasn’t done with a particular objective in mind.
Dot com is a business man, he knows how business works and politics is business.
From a business perspective it’s much easier to convince other businesses customers to swap to your products then to try and create them from scratch.
A large portion of the Green voter block would be very interested in what IMP has to offer and Dot com is going after them.
“..Hilarious, you think picking Laila Harre to lead wasn’t done with a particular objective in mind…”
you mean..aside from appointing an effective political-operator to lead the internet party..?
..one who could work well with mana/harawira..?
..(are you insinuating that harre was hired just because she used to work with the greens..?..)
..and if green voters look to imp..
..that is down to the greens moving to the right..having no longer any ‘bottom-lines’..
..and being clearly in the thrall of their desires to be ministers..
..(thus making them difficult to differentiate from labour..)
..this has all been down to the greens..and their actions/inactions/statements..
..nothing to do with internet/mana party…
..so fuck off with yr wedge-politics..
You know I’m right, that’s what’s really chaffing your balls.
no ‘ball-chaffing’ here…just laughing at yr simplistic/clumsy attempts at spin/wedge-politics..
“A large portion of the Green voter block would be very interested in what IMP has to offer and Dot com is going after them.”
I’m a green voter and there’s nothing in pimp that would get me to switch my vote.
Maybe your sentence should have read ‘those hard of thinking in the Green voter block would be very interested in what IMP has to offer and Dot com is going after them.”
I’m a lifetime GP voter and if I wasn’t also a tactical voter I would consider voting IMP. People wanting something more radical than the GP can offer will look their. I’m not too worried though, diversity is a good thing.
No, it really isn’t but I’m not surprised to find that you’re stupid enough to think that it is.
“.and if those desiring cannabis law-reform..who have traditionally voted green..”
I reckon those single issue fuck nuggets have already jumped ship and vainly clinging on to hone’s waka in the faint hope of free pot for all.
allen..
..in yr two previous comments..
..you have summarised the current credibility-problems the greens have..
..people/reactionary fuck-knuckles like you are dominant in the party..
..and who the fuck with half a brain is a pot-prohibitionist these days..?
..just rightwing-loons..and fucktard-greens like you,.eh..?
I’m not in the party, I’m just a green voter, but 100% guaranteed to be less damaging to their image than single issue, mouth almightys with grudges would be.
Best thing you could do is sort your sh!t out and get even keeled.
do you mean..’straighten up and fly right..!’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVaP6dM1fs
I was keeping with a nautical theme (Ship jumping/waka clinging), but what ever floats your boat (see what I did there?).
no..
“IMP are trying to create a situation where Cunliffe has to have them on board if he wants to form a government.”
Nope. IMP are trying to get to a position where they have a choice of either being in Government or just voting issue by issue. The only comment I’ve seen on either option from Hone (about six months ago, therefore pre-IMP) was a preference for staying on the cross benches. What IMP have made clear is that they want this government gone. How they contribute to that in the next Parliament will depend on the numbers.
Can I also point out that your statement seems predicated on the assumption that Hone and Laila are motivated by ego and arrogance. I think that may be a sign of your own weaknesses colouring your analysis.
Laila would get in if Hone holds his seat and Annette doesn’t win hers.
They really need to be polling around 2% to comfortably ensure Laila will get in.
Does any body know why the Herald Digipoll has 12% undecided and Roy Morgan polls only 5% undecided.
It isn’t just this poll – all of them seem to have much higher undecideds than the Morgan polls ever do.
Yep, Roy Morgan’s the odd one out. The other 4 Public Polls always record much larger proportions of Undecideds (note: in some cases, the Undecideds include respondents who have a definite party preference but have indicated – after being specifically asked by the pollster – that they are either fairly or very unlikely to vote). I say “the other 4”, but one of those 4 (the 3 News Reid Research Poll) provides no detail whatsoever about which respondents (and how many) are excluded from their Party Support results.
“Major elements are the failure of NZ First (3.6%) meaning the Nats could govern alone with their 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), but all the cards are still held by the 12% who are undecided.”
The wildcards are also what will happen to Act, UF, and the Mp. It’s unlikely that National will have enought votes to go alone.
Another poll out this morning. Depends on your leaning – But Im happy with this less than 100 days out from an election.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11275259
Rouge or polling methodologies to blame for this one being wrong as well?
The poll has National on 50.4 per cent (down 0.4), Labour on 30.5 (up 1), and the Green Party on 10.7 (down 2.4).
Of the smaller parties, NZ First is on 3.6 (no change), the Conservative Party 1.5 (up 0.2), Maori Party 0.8 (up 0.6) and Act on 0.7 (down 0.1). United Future is on 0.1 (up from zero).
Internet Mana got 1.4 – the combined total of 0.5% for Mana, the 0.2% for Internet Party and the 0.7% who said Internet Mana.
There were 12.2 per cent undecided voters.
It’s good that they supplied the “Undecided” figure.
Indeed,
Shall we assume (like the missing 800,000) that they are all Labour voters?
Many of them will be former Labour voters after the debacle that was the 1980s.
Um, no, CV. You’ve forgotten that they mostly came back to Labour in the Clark years, particularly at the 2002 election. They’ve been disenchanted in the last ten years, despite the achievements of her administrations. A good proportion of those eligible to vote in NZ today weren’t even born in 1984 (including your good self?). I’d suggest that the misdeeds of Douglas et al affects the vote of pretty much no one these days. MMP also gives voters more finely tuned choices, so monolithic parties are no longer the answer.
I see two related problems; the relevance of politics in a general, and global, sense (ie convincing people that voting matters) and the difficulty of differentiating Labour from National in the minds of many Kiwi voters (the ‘they’re all the same’ factor). The former is a worldwide problem, the latter can be solved by good policy and great campaigning.
Right Te Reo, or is that Te Pupeke Pine, all those aged 58 or above just don’t exist to middle aged middle class Labour,
Yep came back to Labour initially in the ‘Clark Years’ and then walked away again in disgust at business as usual and Bene bashing…
More shallow analysis and pointless abuse. Keep telling yourself you’re a winner, Bad.
ps, if you can be bothered switching your brain on, would you care to comment on why you think people walked away from Labour because of BAU and bene bashing when both are proven vote winners?
Another admission that you have no ability to debate anything of substance Te Pupeke Pine,
You are an empty suitcase Te Reo, hopefully not an indicator of the whole Party…
Well TRP, seems like you’re the latest villain of the hour for daring to disagree with the vocal minority.
For the record, I don’t remember bene bashing under Clark.
Broad shoulders, thick skin, Al1en. As Dutch footballers say, it’s not arrogance, it’s self belief!
Good on ya. Like English footballers say, don’t pass it to that donkey Rooney.
Broadly thick is how i would put it Te Reo and i aint talking about ya shoulders…
Your real problem, Bad, is your complete inability to construct and sustain an argument. Have a look at the responses of CV and TM to the questions raised this morning. They used fact, anecdote and critical reasoning to put their case. In the absence of coherent thought, all you’ve got is inanity and brutality. You are, in political and intellectual terms, the equivalent of the security thug who assaulted the streaker on Saturday.
Which makes you in my opinion the streaker Te Reo…
there you go..trp..
..you have a fan..!
..and allen doesn’t ‘remember bene bashing under Clark.’..
..so obviously..it never happened..
..just say that/quote allen often enough..eh..?
..and you might even grow to believe it..eh..?
(..aww..!!..you two seem made for each other..
..let’s hope something comes of it..eh..?..)
“.you have a fan..!”
More an observation, but as it goes, I find TRP’s points usually well put and thought out.
“so obviously..it never happened.”
Another observation, based on fact. Always happy to be shown the error of my ways, even if it goes against personal experience.
“.just say that/quote allen often enough..eh.”
I’m sure TRP has plenty better sources than I.
“(..aww..!!..you two seem made for each other..
..let’s hope something comes of it..eh..?..)”
I’m thinking you’re a little bitter/sad/nasty/desperate/snide.
Thought weed was supposed to mellow you out, but maybe you have a very high tolerance.
I don’t know if you need to smoke more or less, but I’d suggest doing something, ’cause you’re reading a little wonkey this side of reality.
What would you call the design of the Working for Families tax credit scheme Alien, a love fest aimed at the children of beneficiaries perhaps…
Tax credits for working families, bad, just like it says on the label, which is cash loaded at the lower end of the scale to help those in poor paid jobs, and assist those who re-enter the workforce in part time employ.
Deliberately designed as such so as not to include beneficiaries with children even tho they all pay tax,
Another nice Kick from a previous Labour Government that income tax applied to benefits…
“Deliberately designed as such so as not to include beneficiaries with children even tho they all pay tax,”
It’s an in work tax credit. What bit do you not get?
Now i see what Teo Reo and the Alien have in common, they are both broadly thick and i aint talking here about their knees,
Broadly thick by design i would suggest, i suppose when leaping from pin-head to pin-head fails, being deliberately broadly thick is the obvious default position…
“Now i see what Teo Reo and the Alien have in common, they are both broadly thick and i aint talking here about their knees,
Broadly thick by design i would suggest, i suppose when leaping from pin-head to pin-head fails, being deliberately broadly thick is the obvious default position…”
Because we disagree with you. Great debating skills, bad. :dismissive smirk:
@ the allen..
..and you approve of the poorest families being left out/ignored by clark..?
..seriously..!..you are a fucken green..?
“@ the allen..
..and you approve of the poorest families being left out/ignored by clark..?
..seriously..!..you are a fucken green..?”
By left out I assume you mean not included in an in work tax credit scheme because they are not in work, then yes, I approve.
That’s not bene bashing.
I don’t hear you bleating on about single people not getting ird wff tax credits, or married/de facto couple without kids getting top ups. Why? Because they aren’t eligible, for obvious reasons.
Kin ‘el, next you’ll be wanting loyalty payments for people who aren’t loyal, or bonuses for people who don’t deserve them 😆
Doesn’t mean I don’t support increases to the unemployment benefit or other policies like free health/dental for non workers, far from it.
Bene bashing under Labour was structural as is Nationals but minus much of Pullyer Benefat and ShonKey’s rhetoric and open war on the poor.
under Lab–’99–’05
• WFF, Working For Families in work tax credit. A top up for certain groups including the ‘working poor’ but mainly mid level ’strugglers’ not extended to those out of work or in receipt of a benefit. This had the effect of subsidising employers via taxpayers rather than workers organising through unions for their own wage increases.
• “Jobs Jolt” Beneficiaries proscribed where they could live, tougher case management regimes with endless useless seminars and reporting requirements which if not met resulted in cuts to or cancellation of benefits.
• Emphasis on the old ‘work will set you free’ beloved of Randians and Paula Rebstock, a gap was maintained between those in work and those receiving benefits. Richardson cuts never reinstated despite the history and evidence surrounding the negative effects on poor communities. Pressure to merge the various benefits, pressure on sickness and invalids beneficiaries.
Labour continued the mutation of social welfare to sadistic social punishment, made possible by maintaining a level of unemployment to put downward pressure on wages.
I was unemployed a couple of times during Clark’s terms and I never felt bashed at all.
Removal of the hardship grant Special Benefit, which means that many medium or long term beneficiaries are in a much worse situation than before.
“I was unemployed a couple of times during Clark’s terms and I never felt bashed at all.”
Doesn’t mean others weren’t.
but we have already established you are as aware as a sack of fucken doorknobs..?
..eh..?
..do you just deny the facts of the matter t. mountain just laid out for you..?
“Doesn’t mean others weren’t.”
Of course it doesn’t, and I’ve not suggested otherwise, and like I wrote above “observation, based on fact. Always happy to be shown the error of my ways, even if it goes against personal experience.”
“Removal of the hardship grant Special Benefit, which means that many medium or long term beneficiaries are in a much worse situation than before.”
I applied for and always got temporary additional support every three months, just like I’m doing now.
Lolz Phillip @ ”as aware as a sack of door-knobs” with deliberation i would suggest,
A ”novel” debating stratagem, ”play dumb” such armour is hard to pierce…
“but we have already established you are as aware as a sack of fucken doorknobs..?
..eh..?”
Says Mr Astute, the psychoactive astronaut. 😆
“..do you just deny the facts of the matter t. mountain just laid out for you..?”
What facts?
Wff has nothing to do with bene bashing.
Tougher case management regimes with endless useless seminars and reporting requirements – So what? If you want the money you do it. It’s what I had to do and didn’t consider it bashing at all.
Work didn’t set me free, but the wages did, and that can’t be denied. When I get another job, the money will do the same, no doubt about that.
The Household Labour Force Survey repeatedly shows more people looking for work or discouraged than are in receipt of an unemployment benefit so the negative strategies run first by Labour and now by National are ‘working’ in the counter productive way their authors intended.
It is a lot of work to stay on the pittance of a benefit these days, and if you are ill or mentally exhausted many doctors as shown in yesterdays ACC debate here are well ensconced in the system to add to your torment.
I have a barely mobile mate on daily home dialysis who WINZ Henderson still regularly hound to be ‘work ready’. I don’t like admitting this but his family out of desperation actually contacted Waitakere MP Bennett who could not deny the treatment and actually helped get things like extra home help and bathroom fittings and back payments for several years. Things that WINZ staff should have automatically done; except the general settings and policy courtesy of Paula Bennett mitigate against that.
High unemployment, anti union law, low union density, 90 day fire at will all create the perfect storm of compliant workers too scared to get their rights at work and then too intimidated to get their due from the social security safety net when needed.
“I applied for and always got temporary additional support every three months, just like I’m doing now.”
TAS is capped, Special Benefit wasn’t. TAS is considered a temporary benefit, Special Benefit could be paid more easily over a longer period of time. When TAS was brought in, hoop jumping was increased significantly. More pressure and stress is applied to people getting TAS the longer they are on it. It also depends on where you are in the country, as with most WINZ policy, it is applied unevenly.
People on long term benefits shouldn’t have to reapply every 3 months, unless their circumstances change which would be picked up in the yearly review anyway. It might be easy for you, but for some people that degree of paper work is a barrier. Think of some of the most vulnerable people like those on benefits for long term mental health reasons, or people who are ill and have no car to attend WINZ meetings. Or people without the skills to deal with bureaucracy. They’re the ones who will not be getting their entitlements.
PS Te Reo, your ps is just too hilarious to spoil the laughter here,(at you),and answer at this point in the morning,
Bene Bashing is a definite vote winner,(insert made laughter), what a nice admission from Labour…
Again, your ignorance leaves you looking foolish. Putting the boot into the poor and disenfranchised has won elections for centuries. Whether you know it or not, it’s a sad fact of the electoral process (and the human inclination to find someone less fortunate to blame).
Here’s what it looks like in the UK, right now, number four in particular:
http://www.ukip.org/ukip_national_billboard_campaign
The more that mainstream socially liberal parties ignore and dismiss the genuine grievances and anger of the population, the more that fascist movements will find traction and take hold.
i see no ignorance pinhead jumper, all’s i see is someone happily touting bashing beneficiaries as a means of gathering votes…
Poor bad, comprehension is clearly not your strong suit, is it? Wanna have a crack at finding any comment where I tout bashing beneficiaries as a means of getting votes? I’ve only been commenting here a few years, if you dig real deep there must be one somewhere.*
*Time saving tip: there isn’t one.
“.. despite the achievements of her administrations…”
and they were..?..aside from neo-lib treading-water..?
..her war on poverty..(heh..!..eh..?..)
..how the environment was so much better after she left than before she came..?..(once again..heh..!..eh..?..)
..how she fought/worked to end the third world diseases of poverty previous labour/national regimes engendered..?..(once again..heh..!..eh..?)
..and i did a more detailed takedown of clarks’ time in a long poem/rambling prose i wrote on her departure to the u.n….
(shamelessly stealing the format from gil-scott-herons’..’but whitey is on the moon’..but i hope he wouldn’t mind..)
“..comment@whoar:..the kids up north have still got rotten teeth…but hey..!..helen’s at the u.n..eh..?..”
http://whoar.co.nz/2009/commentwhoarthe-kids-up-north-have-still-got-rotten-teethbut-heyhelens-at-the-uneh/
Do I have to repeat the ‘bloody Romans’ list for those with short term memory issues?
?
Rogernomics and Ruthanasia combined reduced union membership numbers in NZ by 250,000 or more. Many of those people were Labour affiliate members. Each of those would have paid regular money into Labour.
Not only them, but the kids that they were bringing up, what was the talk around dinner table like as Dad was getting laid off by a Labour Government, and then both Mum and Dad divorced due to losing their house?
How can you say that those events affects the votes of pretty much no one these days? The Thorndon Bubble crowd might have a kind of a-historical amnesia, but not everyone else does.
Good points, CV, but the Lange government is simply not relevant to people’s decision making these days. You are right that the legacy lingers on, but it’s just not a gamebreaker in voters’ heads these days. It certainly was in the nineties, but I haven’t met too many people in my door knocking who say that they won’t give even one tick to Labour under MMP because of their mistakes under FPP last century.
Or to put it another way, our society is still plagued by the failures of that eighties Government, but only a tragic minority still vote based on being let down last century. Most people are living in the now, day to day, week to week. It’s the issues of today that guide their vote (or their non-vote).
TRP, people are still living the intergenerational poverty and demoralisation that Labour created. They don’t need to have personal memories or historical details, they just need to know the reality of their own lives. These are the issues of today.
And it is these people who continue to be disowned by Labour – blamed by their abusers as is always the case.
Until Labour faces the consequences of its actions it will continue to sink into well-deserved oblivion.
30% in the polls isn’t oblivion. In fact it’s an improvement on the actual vote at the last election, so it’s fair to say that the Lange years are having no effect at all on Labour’s current standing and we stand or fall on our current policies and leadership. In terms of election 2014, it’s ancient history. It was, after all, thirty years ago.
Wow TRP, just wow.
Cheers, CV, I live for your endorsements!
But, to be more serious, if you have any evidence that anyone, anywhere, is still reliving the Lange years when they go into the polling booth thirty years later, I’d love to see it. And more to the point, if you have evidence that lots of voters are still rehashing 1984 and its an actual trend that influences electoral outcomes, I’d be fascinated to see the results. I mean, like Japanese soldiers in the asian jungle who don’t know the war is over, there may be little clusters of ex labour voters staying warm by huddling round their burning membership cards, but I really doubt it makes a difference these days.
and..trp..you are ‘someone’ in labour..eh..?
..and you think people have forgotten when the labour party decided to fuck them over…
..and how the labour party since that fucking over of their traditional voters..
..has done nothing to repair it..?
..that is actually quite depressing..
Ah, Phil. Bloody Romans, what have they ever done for us?
..and yr ‘burning membership cards’ sneer just marks u as an arsehole..eh..?
..as uncaring/unthinking as those national pricks..
..tweedle dum..and tweedle fucken dee..
..i hop yr fucken vote collapses..
..you deserve nothing fucken more..
..you uncaring/poor-bashing neo-lib/randite arsewipe…
“and yr ‘burning membership cards’ sneer just marks u as an arsehole..eh..?
..as uncaring/unthinking as those national pricks..
..tweedle dum..and tweedle fucken dee..
..i hop yr fucken vote collapses..
..you deserve nothing fucken more..
..you uncaring/poor-bashing neo-lib/randite arsewipe…”
Slogans for sale, who will buy my lovely slogans. 😆
Te Reo is absolutely facinating, brushing aside all with such stunning debate its a wonder us lot haven’t all bowed as one to the sheer and utter wisdom of it all,
Douglas/Lange destroyed Labour to the point of 30% now being in Te Reo’s world a great result,
Te Reo’s crystal ball has it that there are but a ‘few’ who have not returned to the fold, 10% few Lolz,
i would suggest that the ”harshing of the buzz” might have done quite a bit of damage to other than the buzz this morning…
Poor, poor Bad. He’s forgotten all those elections since the eighties where Labour scored way more than 30% (all of them bar one, btw). Was that Lange’s fault too? Like it or not, time has relentlessly marched on and nobody much gives a flying one about events three decades ago. As I said a few hours ago, people vote on the here and now.
As to your other comprehension fail, MMP has more to do with Labour’s current polling than Lange. The left has some credible and electable alternatives now and I confident predict Labour will never win another election. Because it doesn’t have to under MMP.
Boing boing boing, from pinhead to pinhead it goes, so Labour’s dole-drums are the fault of MMP,
A superb piece of analysis Te Reo, Labour should hire you on as the campaign manager..
Right you are, Bad. As I’ve mentioned earlier, you can’t construct an argument. You’re stuck with phlegm flecked invective, when you know it just makes you look lame. Try putting up actual reasons why I might be wrong. It’s what the adults do.
“and i did a more detailed takedown of clarks’ time in a long poem/rambling prose i wrote on her departure”
A tenner to you if you don’t post it here 🙂
done..send the tenner to safe…
..they are currently doing good anti-vivisector/vivisection work..
Thank heavens for small mercies, and I mean the poem, not the anti medical, human life improving research tribe.
the green-vivisector..eh..?
..you are almost beyond fucken belief..
..just why do you vote fucken green..?
(i eat them..and i support torturing them..
..are you the portrait of a thoroughly modern green..?
..are you..?..
..not so much ‘green’..as puce..eh..?..)
“..just why do you vote fucken green..?”
I have many reasons to vote green, but not being a single issue lwnj, don’t let one or two policies I disagree with dictate my world view.
“i eat them..and i support torturing them..”
I am an omnivore and meat is part (a very small part on a benefit) of my diet.
I don’t like animal testing for cosmetics and would agree to ban the practice, but am okay with testing for medical research.
“.are you the portrait of a thoroughly modern green..?”
I doubt I’m a portrait of anything thoroughly modern, so I will answer no.
“not so much ‘green’..as puce..eh..?.”
puse, peuse” or peuce is a dark red or purple brown colour, a brownish purple or a dark reddish brown.
Still voting green party vote and Sue Moroney electorate, so just like the eyes.
just send the ten bucks to safe..
adding blood to green..gives you puce…
..’tis the colour of the green-carnivore..
..have ‘green-bbq’s’..d’ya..?
“adding blood to green..gives you puce…
..’tis the colour of the green-carnivore..
..have ‘green-bbq’s’..d’ya..?”
As lwnj go, you’re certainly put the nut job in to barking at the moon.
I’m not a carnivore, I’m an omnivore, just like my evolved body intended, so green omnivore would be more accurate.
Just for the record, are you stating that only veggies and veganauts can vote green? Bloody funny if you are.
when will u b sending the ten bucks to safe..?
“when will u b sending the ten bucks to safe..?”
I won’t be, so don’t hold your breath or a limp lettuce leaf, though feel free to continue waving your baby carrot and twin peas all over the show.
piker..!
“..your baby carrot and twin peas..”
..who told you..?
Space head says what?
do you agree with popular wisdom that apathy amongst voters impacts left more than right
You asking me, Tracey? If so, yes. The apathetic may well be disenchanted with a system they believe does not bring positive change. Only the left is interested in bringing positive change, so it probably follows that their votes should go to the left.
James (in sarky mood): “Shall we assume…that they are all Labour voters ?”
Nyet, Jamie-Boy, nyet. But it IS probably safe to assume that the proportion of Undecideds desiring a change of government massively out-weighs the proportion favouring the status-quo. That’s certainly the message from the Fairfax Media-Ipsos Polls over the last 12 months. Here…….http://sub-z-p.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/fairfax-ipsos-poll-february-2014.html
Now, fortunately for excitable (if relatively daft) young Tory lads like yourself, the Undecideds are likely to figure disproportionately among non-voters come September. A sizeable chunk of them, however, will indeed vote and they’ll almost certainly play their part in National’s traditional Election-day nose-dive (relative their pre-Election poll rating).
Figures could still be presented better though, they give a false impression. The decided votes add up to 100% leaving out the 12.2% undecided. False use of %’s
But the reality is that the Nacts have only 50 votes out of 112 so that’s a bare 45% and this poll leans to the right.
Im pretty sure that they only count the people that actually made a decision. Just like the election.
But the polls have not yet closed for election day, so understanding potential turnout of undecideds is all important 🙂
This poll is utterly depressing.
So is the blind optimism around here
No, I can’t see much in the way of “blind optimism” here. Just keeping things in perspective (grounded in the obvious polling trends from previous elections). The Right Bloc are certainly ahead, but not to the degree that current polling suggests. Not because there’s some sort of “massive conspiracy” between Pollsters and the MSM and the National Party to make up poll figures as they go along – that’s clearly paranoid bollocks* – but because we know that poll ratings for the Nats / Right Bloc were consistently and significantly over-stated (month after month) in the 18 month lead-up to both of the last 2 Elections. The Nats’ monthly poll averages are still well down compared to both 2008 and 2011.
We still, however, need to shift at least 2 percent from Right to Left (or to mobilise the equivalent from previous / erstwhile non-voters).
*(having said that, it’s clearly NOT bollocks to suggest that the MSM’s dodgy rendition of poll results often leaves a LOT to be desired).
Good result for Internet-Mana in the herald’s TORY-POLL: 1.5%
And it came from the Greens – So thats good news as well – I think they may poll higher come the election – again from the Greens.
You have no idea where the votes for IMP came from.
But he is also willing to lie about it with the pretence of certainty. Which makes James either untrustworthy, or a fool, or possibly both.
OK – I will say that it is my guess that they came from the Greens. So you cannot accuse me of being a liar – just a fool (in your humble opinion). Of course the proof will be in the eating of the election night results on that one.
Perhaps its my best wishes that make me think that way. But either way a very good result for National again. Less than 100 days .
If National are to finally cross the line, they will have to do it by riding atop Colin “Crazy” Craig. That will be a sight to behold.
James: “…a very good result for National again. Less than 100 days.”
(1) Compared to the last poll (Roy Morgan – Late May), Nat down 2.1 points, Lab up 1.5 points, Green up 1.7 points, Left Bloc up / Right Bloc down, so, yep, relatively good news. Clearly, the Nats reached their peak in late May and now they’re embarking on a slow-but-inevitable downward journey.
(2) At about this point in the electoral cycle in 2011, the Nats’ poll ratings ranged from a low of 51.5% to a high of 57.1%. They, of course, ended up on just 47%.
Over recent weeks, the Nats have oscillated between 42.5% and 52.5%. So possibly not quite as spiffing for the Tories as you seem to assume.
Very roughly, that’s 5% down on last time. 7 MPs worth of difference. And that’s not including ACT and Maori Party vanishing in to smoke.
james and bm are just attempting a (clumsy) exercise in wedge-politics..
The Herald editorial on this poll was highly amusing, the more of it i subjected myself to, the more the snakes tongue forked,
From the fantasy of ”Govern alone” it hastily retreated into the realm of a major series of wet dreams, including pointing out the TV1 and TV3 polls had given the same sort of numbers so it just had to be true,
Limping along to its final glorious climax, possibly in the belief that No-one ever reads a Herald editorial that far, came the admission that National have never reached such heights of support at the actual election…
Actually, the funny thing is that the Nats are down and Labour up in that poll, albeit by one point and within the margin of error. But, imagine if it had been Labour down one and Nats up one, how the MSM would have gone on about the rise in Nat support and drop in Labour’s?
It would be no surprise, so probably nothing.
the other bit i noticed was the figure of people who said they had no problem with coat tailing and the fact it bears 0 resemblance with the fact coat tailing was the biggest issue that the electoral commission discovered when looking at tweaking mmp
The problem i have with your ‘reasoning’ framu is that barely 1% of the population got to make submissions to the Electoral Commission,
Changing the electoral system at the behest of the 1%, no matter who they are isn’t my idea of democracy,
A referendum asking if coat-tailing should be abolished yes/no, and the options of what % of Party Vote should be the measurement to gain seats in the Parliament, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1% tick one, should be the only means of making any change to the electoral system,
Allowing the Electoral Commission to make such changes based upon the submissions of the 1% is no different than the old system of the political parties making submissions on the electorate boundaries and the Electoral Commission then making the decisions,
it has to be ‘Our’ democracy or it aint one…
but whats with the “reasoning” ?
“barely 1% of the population got to make submissions to the Electoral Commission”
Submissions to the Electoral Commission were open to the public.
The fact [99%] people didn’t submit anything is not the same as saying they cannot.
http://www.elections.org.nz/news-media/electoral-commission-wants-hear-public-mmp
Bugger the polls( the pollsters are not to be trusted or their polls…as Jim Bolger found out!)
…and Winston always defies the polls…he will be BACK in or i will eat my cat!
Winnie the darls will bring in a Left coalition government!
…and John Key and the NACTS and Goldman Sachs will eat their hearts out
Whilst you can never count Winston out – I wouldn’t bet my house on his supporting the Left.
Yes, very good of John Key to do an 180 degree spin on his “could never work with Winston” line, after also saying all of his constituency is dying off, eh?
Sauteed or raw???…
NZ Tories show again their incestuous feelings towards Mother Britain:
http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2014/06/british-democracy-and-other-myths.html
It is ironic that people should write such tosh while those closest to the “British” he adores are about to bring the United Kingdom to an end. The people of Scotland will vote on Independance on the 18th of September.
The gap in the polls has been closing and is now down to 4: YES 48 and NO 52.
The rump will be England and Northern Ireland!
Clumsy indeed…more like their attempt at wedgie politics.
The Left really are getting a hiding in the polls. The greens must be worried that La La is targeting their voters. She is not there’re for here knowledge of the internet, she has only recently joined facebook and when interviewed she didn’t even know who her ISP is.
…is pud pulling a major pastime in ’Naki?
Tiger or is that Tugger, lefties are pud pullers all over the country.
Nats down slightly, Labour up slightly – yep definitely major rise in Nats’ favour.
I didn’t say there was a major rise in Nats favour, the last few polls have been very similar, that makes them more credible than a rouge poll.
Can we assume that James and Nakiman are one and the same person ?
Both (James 7:52 am / Nakiman 10:55 am ) spell “rogue” (as in “rogue poll”) as “Rouge”.
Or are they (ie he ) agreeing with us that the latest Herald-Digipoll is, indeed, good for the Red team ?
[lprent: doesn’t seem particularly likely from what I can see. ]
I don’t know James. He might have had the same English teacher.
You can blame Jim Hickey he was my English teacher.
How is National being able to govern alone good for the red team?
Nope – Different folk – but dont let that stop you putting on the tin foil hat.
Im just a lousy speller.
And I’ve been to the Naki – Didnt like it.
they are the one and same automatically generated vapid political clogging viruses that infect the real blogs.
u and yr make-up-polls…eh..?
Nakiman “The Left really are getting a hiding in the polls.”
Nah, you appear to be talking through a hole in your posterior.
Left Bloc Poll Ratings
(1) Latest Herald-Digipoll (June 2014)
Left Bloc 43%
(2) Previous two Polls
Roy Morgan (Late May 2014)
Left Bloc 39%
3 News Reid Research (Mid May 2014)
Left Bloc 41%
So, Left 2 points and 4 points higher than in previous two polls.
(3) 2011 Election
Left Bloc 40%
So, Left in latest poll up 3 points on 2011 Election result.
(4) 2008 Election
Left Bloc 42%
So, Left slightly up on 08.
I hate to break it to you swordfish but left bloc at 43% is getting a hiding in the polls.
When National are polling at 50% the left are screwed.
The reason the 2011 election votes were lower than the previous polling is the cup of tea fiasco in Epsom.
If you look at the graphs Labour has been toast since Cunners took over.
Nakahiman, what makes you such an amusing little sideshow is the fact that i actually see you believing the utter rubbish you write,
Face it, no Maori Party means Slippery the Prime Minister must give Colon the Conservative a seat, if not National are warming the leather on the opposition benches,
Even with Colon the Conservative having been bestowed the gift there is no guarantee that National can gather the numbers Epsom being doubtful,
You might want to cherish that dream of National polling better than they managed in 2011,(and that was off of higher rating opinion polls than currently being exhibited by the cheerleaders,the Herald and TV’s 1 and 3), but my pick for the Blue Rinsers in 2014 45% max,
One hell of a big opposition…
Here is the link.
Now you can stop you spin and bullshit.
Therapy might help your denial.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11275259
Owen Glenn’s report into domestic violence is sadly a missed opportunity. His suggestion to reverse the burden of proof and impose guilt on accusation is ludicrous in that it requires the defendant to prove a negative. It is open to all kinds of abuse – particularly around messy relationship dissolutions and custody battles. This kind of approach is a dark path to go down.
It would be the single biggest retrograde change that could be made to the justice system short of introducing something like the Judge system from 2000 AD.
fucken hell..!..i have to agree with gosman…
Now there’s your best idea for quite some time…
thats my major flag there as well, for the same reasons.
Ok – im no expert on the topic – but do we actually have a problem with identifying who is an abuser? or is it more of a problem with how seriously we treat and investigate accusations and incidents, and the resources available for follow up and enforcement of court orders?
would love to know more on this angle if anyones more knowledgable here
What we need is an inquisitorial system for these cases. I’m not sure why the report didn’t just recommend that instead of going off into cloud-cuckoo land.
In his interview this morning Owen Glenn dodged the question about reversing the burden of proof by saying that it would be after the man was convicted. Huh???
I see Cunliffe has “dismissed” the claim that Lui donated $15,000 to the Labour Party. No trace of such a donation has been found in their files. After Mike Williams said yesterday he had no recollection of any such donation from Liu – and as Labour’s Campaign Manager he would have known – it crossed my mind it was a falsehood spread by someone in the Nat Party. Cameron Slater anyone?
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/247360/labour-dismisses-big-donation-claim
Yeah, could have been a fundraiser but not for Labour, a book signed by Helen for charity.
Also Cunliffe spent way too much time on that question, he should have answered and dismissed it.
Anne I think you are forgetting that Labour are expert at funnelling secret donations.
Does secret trusts ring a bell?
They’re so “expert” with “secret trusts” that they get found out. 🙄
haha the “secret trusts” everyone found out about because they were declared.
lol
Did Labour give any special treatment to Lui? Because that’s what the problem was with his donation to National – not so much the donation on it’s own.
If the MSM is suggesting that we get rid of large donations altogether, I certainly would have no problem with that. But I doubt that’s what they want, somehow…
It seems to me too early to say one way or the other what the outcome is going to be, polls really can’t be taken seriously anyway, although trends are interesting. I have been ringing around the electorate I am in over the last 4 weeks or so and find a large number of very disinterested and undecided voters. Some who didn’t vote last election, some not for at least 2 elections say although they would like to vote they have no confidence in any party so won’t vote this election either. Then there’s a group who give no thought at all to political goings on. This group have no idea who the local MP is or any other list MPs that are from the electorate, and some of them admitted they never listen or watch news or radio bulletins or mentally ‘switch off’ when politics is mentioned and one person said’ quite frankly I don’t understand it all’. Those who have responded more positively generally have their electoral vote sorted but most are undecided about their party vote which suggests that some strategic thinking is taking place. Some in this group also say they are not prepared to make up their minds until closer to the election and many noted the significance of the leaders debate in their final decision. So in all it is rather a fascinating process and will be interesting to see in the ringing around process what shifts there are.
Might i inquire Marg on who’s behalf you were ”ringing round the electorate”, and, which one???…
Strangely enough, I haven’t come across many voters who are completely disinterested. For those who don’t believe that any party works for them, I always encourage them to at least turn up and write on their voting paper that they want someone who works for them.
It sends more of a message than not voting at all (as in that case, you’re lumped in with those who are just too lazy to vote, etc).
I am trying to design a T-shirt explaining why I vote left. (Francis Owen has designed some fantastic posters (Google Francis Owen Vote) or the link below.) which Frank Mackasy has used on some of his posts.
https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=francis+owen&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=0G6fU6mYOIjMkwXAn4Eo&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=630#q=francis+owen+vote&tbm=isch
I am having some difficulty in getting maximum impact in minimum words.
Any ideas? I don’t think I would have the guts to wear what I REALLY would like to write on the shirt!
A t-shirt is a great idea! The pictures in your link are not the best aspect ratio for a T. Need something that is vertical if you want the words to be big enough to be read.
Why do you vote left?
Most of those are too complicated/messy. Need to simplify them so that the message is clearer and gets across faster.
How about,
I vote left
You alright?
I’m all left
for a 20 minute conversation ask me why I vote left
right? right??? right?????
nah I’m a leftie
last one left
I got left by my mum and dad
I got left by my mates
I got left by myself
I vote left
btw – They’re all separate not one big long one and I’m trying to be funny 🙂 You might get an idea out of them all – good luck
I suggest be brave and put what you would really like on the t-shirt.
😀
[…so what is your idea….? ….go on spill]
some rather unoriginal ideas:
[something about] “people before profits”
‘because I like to drink water, not cowshit’
‘because I’m not a sell-out’
“because I’m not an arsehole”
“because I want people to run the country, not clowns”
The myth of Magna Carta
An interesting look at what is usually described as the founding document of English law.
further to the last communique.
RNZ National now playing soft porn.
Not that I mind a bit of Jackie Collins every now and again but this is vapid pap.
good interview with Peter Williams.
5*
williams kicked arse..on a number of subjects/topics..
..not least being his takedown of this tory/uncaring govt…..
i heard that the south canterbury finance collapse is dragging its way through the courts.
what caught my imagination was that the $1.7 billion bail out was made because of the new zealand deposit guarantee scheme.
what about a new zealand child poverty prevention guarantee scheme?
i am sure for less than $1.7 billion we could raise the quality of life for our most vulnerable citizens.
education/schools seems like a good place to start.
a teacher aid in all classes.
breakfast and lunch in all schools.
“i am sure for less than $1.7 billion we could raise the quality of life for our most vulnerable citizens.”
But they don’t own farms, large tracts of land and vote tory.
whatever happened to that roymorgan Apia Rose and the other tories were wanking about a day or two back? Can’t find anything online. Did it even exist? Anyone got a link?
Don’t know, but a Roy Morgan poll should be due out anytime now, covering the fortnight 2 – 15 June inclusive. Nothing as yet on their website.
However, this is the second time in a row that some people here and on one or two other blogs claim to know the Roy Morgan results before they are publicly released. (I think it was Public Address where I saw something on the last RM poll before it had been released and a short discussion on this.)
It does get emailed out to subscribers shortly before it goes up on the website, so one or two commenters here do get the jump on the rest. But that’s minutes rather than days.
The last Roy Morgan was quoted accurately in the maggoty biscuit barrel known as TradeMe message board by a regular there one full day ahead of public and media release. I mistakenly said two days on Public Address and was ‘savaged’ by Pete George.
But it was definitely early. Another PA poster reckoned you can select ‘follow this page’ and you get the early view. Will have a look.
‘savaged’
Gummy lips toothlessly slobbering over the legs of your Levi’s?
My goodness, that must have been the intellectual highlight of your life, even to be mentioned by such a wise and noble thinker…
That was fizzy…
i was gonna do a commentary on q-time..
..but i am at q 9..
..and i got nuthin’ to say…
..save that peters has got a serious case of the hand shakes..
..and the point-scoring/uncaring etc from national/bennett about child-poverty..
..is kinda puke-inducing..
This probably does not interest many, but I am really concerned about Key’s visit to the US. I want to force the issue of retaining our nuclear free status, because I believe that Key is going to sell us out. The US want an increased presence in the Pacific and I believe part of that will be using NZ as a base for their ships. How does someone get a definitive answer on this issue?
i am more worried about the fact that key was so gung-ho to join in the bush-invasion of iraq..
..that he is now there..on the spot..
..and jonesing to join in any re-invasion of iraq..
and if you just saw gower on 3 news..
..you will know my fears are not unfounded..
Yes, I just saw that, worrying. I fear what he will sign us up for, in order to impress his golf partners.
Myanmar Buddhist leader explaining support for ethnic cleansing – “Muslims .. are like African catfish”
http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000002939059/21st-century-concentration-camps.html
Big ups to the boss of Landcorp for finally acknowledging the real problems and simple dirty pollution that farming creates for the environment in NZ http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/10166115/Environmental-record-a-key-Landcorp-concern
Also noted that Fed Farmers boss Bruce Wills said much the same thing a couple of weeks ago and acknowledged that farming as it operates now is unsustainable. He framed it that “the science had not kept up with farming”, when in reality it is that farming has charged ahead of the science with no justification for such charge other than financial greed. He acknowledged that in many situations simple destocking looks like the only option, amongst much more.
But at least the farming sector is standing up and acknowledging what has been put in front of them the last years or more…. good for them and lets hope it translates into positive improvement for our environment ….
Take a bow scientist Mike Joy..
and be ashamed previous Fed Farmers boss Don Nicholson ..
onwards
and that polluting-clown nicholson has now joined the other climate-change-denying clowns in act..
..and is standing for them somewhere in the deep south..
New Zealand’s mad, sad version of Hannity and Colmes
The Panel, Radio NZ National, Tuesday 17 June 2014
Jim Mora, Michelle Boag, Brian Edwards
Jim Mora’s light chat show The Panel has long been a refuge for the dim (John Barnett, Garth “Gaga” George, Christine Spankin’ Rankin), the pompous (Chris Trotter, Gordon McLauchlan, John Bishop) and the unspeakable (David Farrar, Stephen Franks, Jordan Williams). For all their faults, however, all of the above act and speak as individuals. There is one exception to this pattern. One of the more unpleasant occasional features on the show is a grisly double act—Boag and Edwards. It seems to be scheduled at least once a fortnight, and the way things are going it may well end up as a show in its own right—an inane Kiwi version of the insufferable (now blessedly defunct) Hannity and Colmes on Fox News. Apparently Edwards (Colmes) has signed some sort of agreement with Boag (a crazier version of Hannity) never to contradict her when she says something cruel or mad. In fact, he will usually endorse what she says, albeit reluctantly.
This afternoon, Boag (Hannity) was in a particularly nasty mood, and Edwards (Colmes) was—as ever—pathetically eager to please her. First of all, Boag indulged in an extended spray against that monster Kim Dotcom. “He’s fleeing justice in another jurisdiction!” she shrieks. Edwards eagerly, cravenly, agrees with her. The host, Jim Mora, just laughs.
The informed and serious commentary continues….
JIM MORA: Greenpeace has lost five million dollars after an ill advised gamble on the money markets. We assume our money is well spent when we give it to charity, don’t w—
MICHELLE BOAG: [spluttering with indignation] Arrrrgggghhh! Greenpeace is not a CHARITY! It’s a multi-million dollar BUSINESS!
This ill-tempered and ill-informed outburst is met with awkward silence from both Mora and Edwards.
A little later, the creepy feeling that we are listening to a broadcast from the most benighted corner of LaLa Land is ratcheted up even more….
BRIAN EDWARDS: John Banks is by all accounts a W-W-W-WONDERFUL parent! I heard him speak at a breakfast one day about the experience of parenting, and he was INSPIRATIONAL!
While Edwards specialises in such nonsensical paeans, Boag has far less of the milk of human kindness in her. She never lets up with her sour, simplistic, reactionary comments. For all those lily-livered experts—police, social workers, educators—who have commented on last week’s stabbing in Henderson, she has nothing but contempt….
MICHELLE BOAG: [snarling] People use poverty as an excuse!
After the news, pleasant music plays for half a minute or so….
MORA: That’s a band called The Samoans. They’re a Welsh band, full of skinny white guys. ….[pause] Is that all right?
Of course there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not even a serious question. But it’s worth a few minutes of air time. After all, why talk about something important when you can use up five minutes pretending to be concerned about a triviality? To help him out with this grave question, his producers have gone and got one of the country’s most prominent Samoans, Oscar Kightley to come on the programme. Of course, like any sensible person, Kightley feels it’s a non-issue and tells him exactly that….
MORA: So you think it’s all right? It’s a kind of homage.”
OSCAR KIGHTLEY: The only problem I have is that they could pronounce the word “Samoans” a little better. But no, I can see nothing wrong with what they’re doing.
MORA: Oscar Kightley, thank you.
BRIAN EDWARDS: [speaking slowly, to convey great seriousness] The great joy of Oscar is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. That’s very important.
MORA: Indeed.
MICHELLE BOAG: Indeed.
With nothing achieved so far, it’s time for the “Soapbox” segment, where the Panelists tell us what they’ve been thinking about. Perhaps they’ve been thinking long and hard about something important?….
BRIAN EDWARDS: Something I’m a bit grumpy about is people saying that things on the net have “gone viral”. Another thing I’m grumpy about is how everyone that has appeared on television is a “star”. ….[He raves on about that outrage for a minute or so]…. And finally my old gripe: women field reporters in New Zealand are AWFUL! Why do they have to talk through their noses like that? [Here he imitates a high-pitched whining female] It’s AWFUL, it’s AWFUL to listen to! It’s just got to do with the unpleasantness of the sound. It’s really awful! You just sit in front of your screen and cringe. ….[continues ranting for considerable time]….
MORA: All right. Michelle Boag, what’s been on YOUR mind?
BOAG: Well I’m fairly grumpy too. I’m grumpy about the NZEI being soooooo narrow-minded as to not consider the most popular education initiative of recent years. You know, I think it’s time we put the kids first. The ideological purity of these groups who are only concerned about their own interests….
To close off the programme, Jim seeks comment from the Gruesome Twosome about the boy in Hastings who is battling his school about being able to wear long hair. Both of them are united in their condemnation of the boy and his dad. Boag quotes the leading thinker Mike Hosking, who saw fit to castigate the boy on television last night. Edwards endorses everything his good friend says, and proffers this choice piece of advice to the boy’s father: “He needs to get a LIFE!” Edwards is just warming to his task when the end-of-show music mercifully begins…..
MORA: We’re out of time. Michelle Boag, thank YOU.
MICHELLE BOAG: Thank you!
MORA: Brian Edwards, thank you very much.
BRIAN EDWARDS: Sorry to be grumpy.
BOAG: Not at all!
I sent the following email to Jim Mora, pointing out the vapidity of his nasty guest…
Michelle Boag’s rant
Dear Jim,
In her rant against Kim Dotcom, Michelle Boag confused (perhaps willfully confused) justice with vengeance and black propaganda.
Kim Dotcom has served his time in Germany; the current allegations against him are just that: allegations, and all unproven.
Yours sincerely,
Morrissey Breen
Northcote Point
i thought the major disconnect-moment from boag came when she fulminated against the owen glenn report..saying we have too many reports on this..
..and that it ‘is time we did something to fix it’..
..my brief elation at the speck of sense/call for action from this ranter..
..quickly fell back when i realised that if you told boag that ‘doing something about it’..may have to mean she pays a bit more in taxes..
..well then you would have to stand well back..as she screamed her outrage at that idea..
what a shame boag takes herself too seriously sucking in others to do so too
ha ha, well done morrisey…
two nutty self-justifying baby boomers slowly going ga ga over the years …. they are a comedy show indeed ….
do people like them get a vote at the election?
Fantastic Morrissey I had to stop at my elderly fathers place to have a rant about this piece of shit panel today.It makes me fucking sick to listen to these two arrogant creatures putting the boot in.I expect it from Boag ( the imp) but Edwards infuriates me, he is actually delusional in thinking he is a lefty, he may have been once upon a time but that was many decades ago, now he is nothing but minor celeb blood sucker, part of the NZ ruling class who thinks he knows whats best for us great unwashed.He is just another member of that group of quislings ( Pagani, M Williams,et al ) that need to be expunged from any relevance to the left, the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.With friends like them, who needs enemies.
re edwards:..+ 1..
Hah! I heard these two a couple of weeks ago and yep… you nailed it.
“Boag quotes the leading thinker Mike Hosking, who saw fit to castigate the boy on television last night. Edwards endorses everything his good friend says, and proffers this choice piece of advice to the boy’s father: “He needs to get a LIFE!” Edwards is just warming to his task when the end-of-show music mercifully begins…..”
Unsuprising of Edwards to take the side of the school in this debate, given that he thinks it is perfectly OK to tell a 14 year old girl she looks like a slut. Yep, big man there, Dr Edward. No wonder we have a huge domestic violence problem in this country.
As an observation, it seems thats schools are more worried about the length of a student’s hair (or skirt), or how to further intrude on their privacy, than whether they should be providing a safe environment for their students (ie protecting pupils from being bullied).
Edwards is a fucked old fulla who’s still fumblingly wanking over a proud moment on ‘Gallery’ about 40 years ago. Boag the old bitch is still hoha that a High Court judge didn’t bow to her character evidence in support of Second-Bestie-After-Briany, Botox-Banksie.
You see these people are so disgustingly entitled and when the world seems not to acknowledge that, they lose it. Fuck the both of them and that insufferable enabler Mensa Mora too for that matter. And regards to their carbon copy Bob Jones whom I’m sure together they go visit every coupla months. Imagine the poison falling from those six lips with their owners in their cups ?
Does no one in this counrty take seriously the matter of past-use-by-date ?
What the hell is this about???
@helenkellyCTU
If National wins the election, English says next budget will b most radical restructuring of govt spending in 50 years. #tellusyourplans
8:28am · 17 Jun 2014 · Twitter for iPhone
they plan to go gangbusters in their third term..if they get it…
..that’s what that means..
do you think they will tell the people what that massive government spending restructure will be before the election? in detail?
they must
otherwise they are in breach of the Fair Trading (in Politics) Act whereby it is against the law to undertake misleading and deceptive conduct in politics. Just like is the case in trade and business. And being the “party of business” they will have no problem with compliance. Eh ..
Have his statements on this been reported anywhere in more detail?
Rob Oram opinion piece but no detail.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/10154156/Has-National-done-enough
If this really does happen, then this would be really bad. 1 (or both) of two things will happen:
1) A social confrontation rivalling 1951 and 1981 (NZ is due for one of these, they seem to happen every 30 years or so)
2) Massive hardship across the board.
A abc of the anarchist position.
I will not be voting, and encouraging all members of the working class to do the same – as such the Tory scum who think they have a mandate in this unrepresentative democracy, should begin now to go to bed in worry. The anarchists claim all the disposed, disenfranchised, and down right depressed – not out of love or charity – but out of the need to prescribe to all reactionaries we know, your lying. You propaganda falls flat at the doors of nihilism – your spin is now a top falling over. Yes, Tory scum – the curtains are parting.
And…
How many of the so called liberal elites will work in the interest of the elites over working people? How many will vote to preserve there own fiefdoms? Why, they don’t fear us – we are meek, we will grovel and crawl like slaves to make the world, a little less harsh. All men and women were created equally. All men and women were born free. All men and women we born in comity and congruousness.
To keep that alive I’m not going to go and vote for some slimy bugger who thinks they now have power to do as they please, and bugger the rest of us. As far as I can tell all political parties are full of self-serving bluggers who are at best, petty little lordlings. These freaks of nature should shake in their boots at night with every vote not cast. They should shiver in fear that if someone is willing not to vote, what else – will they not do. Take orders, be bullied, be treated like a god dam slave!
That’s why I’m not going to vote. I’m not a slave, I’m a human being.
[lprent: And what does that have to do with my post? Moved to OpenMike. You’ll be moved to oblivion if I catch you being a fuckwit doing a diversion troll and crapping on a post again just because you like the smell of your own dung. A two week ban for stupidity. ]
Great article…quite long, but illuminating….and VERY pertinent to many we see ruling us these days 🙁
http://aeon.co/magazine/being-human/if-youre-surrounded-by-idiots-guess-whos-the-jerk/