Substance matters

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, July 30th, 2009 - 32 comments
Categories: national/act government - Tags: , , ,

Last night, our positive and ambitious National/Act government:

  • Voted against Green MP Metiria Turei’s bill to protect the 111 Maui dolphins left.
  • Voted against Labour MP Maryan Street’s bill to ban the importation of goods made by slave labour.
  • Indicated they will vote against Maori Party MP Rahui Katene’s bill to institute Matariki as a public holiday.

So much for the ‘blue green’ National Party. So much for partnership with Maori. And so much for their bullshit ‘Labour with a tax cut’ framing.

It’s substance that matters, and that substance tells us the hard right are back in the saddle. How’s that change feeling New Zealand?

32 comments on “Substance matters ”

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  1. Peter Johns - bigoted troll in jerkoff mode 1
    30 July 2009 at 9:47 am

    Feels good to me.

    At least National are generally taking us into the real world. We will never survive long under the socialist dogma we had of high taxation and wasteful spending.

    1. Dolphins – we can’t look after them 24/7.
    2. We are a poor nation so we cannot afford higher priced clothes. Take work away from the poorer in China etc and they suffer more as well.
    3. We have enough public holidays and employers do not need more expense, esp. during RECESSIONS. Take the Maori NY off with annual leave if you feel like celebrating it.

  2. exbrethren 2
    30 July 2009 at 9:47 am

    So John Key & Rodney Hide support slavery. What a surprise.

    Maybe that’s their long term solution to the unemployment figures.

  3. Boris Klarkov 3
    30 July 2009 at 9:54 am

    How’s that change feeling New Zealand?

    Pretty fantastic thanks. The sense of liberation from the oppression of ten long cold years of the Clark regime is like a walk in the sunshine.

    -We’ve got a government that invests in education and research, rather than throwing billions into Wananga “degrees” in Poi Dancing and Basket Weaving as the Clark regime did.

    -We’ve got an immigration policy that gives preference to prospective immigrants who will contribute to our society, rather than to the HIV positive, the illiterate and the unskilled of the third world preferred by the Clark regime.

    -We’ve got a government that thinks beneficiaries that can work, should.

    -We’ve got a government that does law enforcement, rather than traffic enforcement, as the Clark regime did.

    -We’ve got a government that represents the national interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders, rather than representing the cause of international socialism, as the Clark regime did.

    -We’ve got a government who knows that taking from the overburdened in order to give to the undeserving is the bankrupt ideology of the anti-Kiwi hate Parties of the ultra-Left.

    Finally, we’ve got a government that represents the people, rather than the just the beneficiaries and the criminals.

    • snoozer 3.1
      30 July 2009 at 10:20 am

      This one’s getting madder by the minute, huh?

      Funny how some arrive mad and then sane up, and for others it goes the opposite way.

    • Chris g 3.2
      30 July 2009 at 10:20 am

      slander.

    • lprent 3.3
      30 July 2009 at 12:02 pm

      He is deluded IMHO. But hasn’t buzzed my anti-troll instincts. Writes his own lines rather than pulling them out of the repetitive list. I particularly liked the

      bankrupt ideology of the anti-Kiwi hate Parties of the ultra-Left

      What are those? RAM, whatever is left of the alliance, and other minnow parties? Hardly contenders for wide support. Mind you I suspect that we won’t have much on the ultra-right after the next general election. Act looks to me like it is going down the gurgler

      • Boris Klarkov 3.3.1
        30 July 2009 at 12:12 pm

        bankrupt ideology of the anti-Kiwi hate Parties of the ultra-Left

        What are those?

        Labour and the Greens.

        • Quoth the Raven 3.3.1.1
          30 July 2009 at 12:50 pm

          Ultra-left is a more specific term than you may think.

          The term originated in the 1920s in the German and Dutch workers movements, originally referring to a Marxist current opposed to both Bolshevism and social democracy, and with some affinities with anarchism. The ultra-left is defined particularly by its breed of anti-authoritarian Marxism, which generally involves an opposition to the state and to state socialism, as well as to parliamentary democracy, and to wage labour. In opposition to Bolshevism, the ultra left generally places heavy emphasis upon the autonomy and spontaneous organisation of the proletariat.

          So Labour, Greens, RAM are not ultra-left unless you think they’ve taken up anti-statism as a platform.

          • Maynard J 3.3.1.1.1
            30 July 2009 at 7:37 pm

            “Ultra-left is a more specific term than you may think.”

            That last word would where you have misjudged Boris’ abilities.

          • lprent 3.3.1.1.2
            30 July 2009 at 9:05 pm

            Sorry QtR – I’m not sure he is capable of understanding what you just said. Please rephrase with grunting in the appropriate places.

  4. outofbed 4
    30 July 2009 at 10:01 am

    Can’t see slavery closing the gap with Australia Takes far to long for the galley slaves to row there

  5. Policy Parrot 5
    30 July 2009 at 10:04 am

    ” How’s that change feeling New Zealand?”

    Pretty crap actually. Not that I voted for them, I knew that they’d be like this. What surprises me though, is that people are surprised at the Nats.

    It makes me wonder though, if they are hell-bent on “privatis-[eh]shun”, how they will make the case for it to the electorate – maybe they just won’t, by saying they wont – and then doing it anyway.

    Justification: Mandate and naiviety – i.e. “you knew if we won we do it anyways”.

  6. gobsmacked 6
    30 July 2009 at 10:30 am

    On Matariki:

    NZPA reports:

    National’s Simon Bridges said his party was giving it the thumbs down.

    “No one who heard Rahui Katene speak doubts her sincerity,” he said.

    “Even though I support her purpose, I don’t believe it’s necessary to have a public holiday to respect Matariki. The National Party won’t support it, despite our respect for Rahui Katene and the Maori Party.”

    That’s three pats on the head (“sincerity” … “support her purpose” … “respect”) in three sentences. I believe that fulfils the agreed quota in the confidence and supply agreement.

    (Gotta go, I’m just off to enhance my dog’s mana. Good boy! Fetch!)

  7. infused 7
    30 July 2009 at 10:31 am

    The people I know arn’t surprised by what National is doing. It only seems to be you guys.

  8. Policy Parrot 8
    30 July 2009 at 10:31 am

    Haha – Boris, what planet are you on dude?

    “We’ve got a government that invests in education and research, rather than throwing billions into Wananga “degrees’ in Poi Dancing and Basket Weaving as the Clark regime did.”

    – Yup, that’s why they cut funding for night classes, proposing to close rural schools, got rid of the R+D tax credit.

    “We’ve got an immigration policy that gives preference to prospective immigrants who will contribute to our society, rather than to the HIV positive, the illiterate and the unskilled of the third world preferred by the Clark regime.

    Thats why immigrants who can’t get jobs are being sent home.

    We’ve got a government that thinks beneficiaries that can work, should.

    – No, we’ve got a government who think that if beneficiaries speak up, that it can out their personal details.

    We’ve got a government that does law enforcement, rather than traffic enforcement, as the Clark regime did.

    – By taking away their police cars, and forcing them to walk eh?

    We’ve got a government that represents the national interests of New Zealand and New Zealanders, rather than representing the cause of international socialism, as the Clark regime did.

    The national interests of New Zealand are linked to the best interest of global community. Sticking out like a sore thumb on climate change is going to our interests harm in the era of carbon miles. Keep your head in sand, buddy.

    We’ve got a government who knows that taking from the overburdened in order to give to the undeserving is the bankrupt ideology of the anti-Kiwi hate Parties of the ultra-Left.

    – I don’t recall National delivering any significant tax cuts for people under $60,000. That is the sector of our population who bear the biggest burden as the proportion of the economy.

    Finally, we’ve got a government that represents the people, rather than the just the beneficiaries and the criminals..

    – No this government simply rewards white collar crime by making a song and dance about cracking down on blue collar crime, but encouraging a whole new breed of asset strippers of the Fay Richwhite ilk to ready their wallets.

    Glad we’ve got that cleared up.

  9. gingercrush 9
    30 July 2009 at 10:40 am

    Cue someone going in here and declaring New Zealanders will change their minds and realise how horrible National is. All the people I talk to even those who vote National no longer like National and the left will be back in power in 2011.

    Anyway, voted National and it felt very good thanks. Also I’m not sure why you want to sound like Bomber. He acts like a 10 year old in a big suit.

    • felix 9.1
      30 July 2009 at 12:07 pm

      felt good.

      How about now though, with the support for slavery?

      Surely even you would be against slavery, wouldn’t you ginger?

      • gingercrush 9.1.1
        30 July 2009 at 12:13 pm

        To be honest I’m ignorant about that member’s bill. But I don’t support all things National do.Likewise,I’m sure you don’t agree with everything Greens or Labour do or did.

      • Boris Klarkov 9.1.2
        30 July 2009 at 12:19 pm

        Slavery exists in New Zealand and you support it.

        It’s the 50% of the time that decent New Zealanders are working for nothing. We work unpaid for half the time because that’s how much tax is taken from each of us to support the lifestyle choices of the beneficiaries and the criminals that constitute the Labour electorate.

        While the Labour electorate is lounging around, the rest of us are enslaved to pay for their indolence.

        It’s you, feeble Felix, who supports slavery.

        • fraser 9.1.2.1
          30 July 2009 at 12:32 pm

          “We work unpaid for half the time because that’s how much tax is taken from each of us to support the lifestyle choices of the beneficiaries and the criminals that constitute the Labour electorate.’

          are you saying that your tax is 50% ?!

          the math is not strong with this one

          • Pascal's bookie 9.1.2.1.1
            30 July 2009 at 12:42 pm

            He also seems to think slaves have the option to quit and potentially become slave holders, whenever they feel like it. Which doesn’t sound so bad.

          • felix 9.1.2.1.2
            30 July 2009 at 1:08 pm

            Actually he’s convinced me.

            Seriously, if there’s some way that I can make knuckle-draggers like Boris toil for free so that I can be indolent, I’m all for it.

  10. Macro 10
    30 July 2009 at 10:58 am

    What surprises me is that there are still bigots and dull heads who still actually support slavery!! After 200 hundred years from Britain outlawing slavery we still have idiots in this country who think its all ok. eg Peter Johns, Boris et al. Nothing but sewer rats the lot of them. And the sooner they rejoin their friends in the gutter the better.
    As for National and Act, well I never expected anything else from them – they are completely without vision or morals – never had any and never will.

  11. The Voice of Reason 11
    30 July 2009 at 12:47 pm

    For a moment there, I thought BK was going to give us a lecture on the Marxist theory of surplus value. I’m pretty sure it runs along the same lines; just substitute ‘tax’ with ‘bloated capitalist’ and you’re off and and running. Join us, Boris, you have nothing to lose but your chains!

  12. Craig Glen Eden 12
    30 July 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Boris is bloody funny Aye, he was trying to be funny surely? Because no single individual could get so much wrong in one post.

    Oh Boris you might want to check how much wages went up under Labour and what proof have you got that the Police force are now more focussed on law enforcement. What was the National policy that bought about this change in enforcement. Just wondering!

  13. NickS 13
    30 July 2009 at 5:14 pm

    Heh, you’ve never read the works of Kent Hovind have you? 😛

    BK’s pretty tame compared to the deep crazy I’ve seen over on scienceblogs and climate change blogs. Nothing like a post on HIV to bring out the regular brigade of insanity.

    *ahem*

    Anyhow…

    The vote against the Maui dolphin protect bill sucks, @111 individuals, the extinction risk is pretty damn high, and is currently listed as critically endangered. And while DoC’s already done some work, and got set net bans in place in a few areas, with conservation, the more info about a threaten species, the better. Especially if the population structure means those 111 dolphins left are separated into two or more populations, or are at a higher rate of mortality that originally estimated…

    While the vote against the Anti-Slavery bill is a bit more understandable, given that a WTO case could easily strike it down. And lets face it, neither ACT nor National have much a spine when it comes to dealing with some our trading partners more inhuman practices. Though I’m not exactly sure this would have passed under Labour either sadly.

  14. Rex Widerstrom 14
    30 July 2009 at 5:43 pm

    I don’t know how Act can bear to be in coalition with this wishy-washy mob. We’re missing out on this valuable opportunity to enslave the dolphins. They’re intelligent mammals, yet all the bastards do is tangle up our tuna nets. It’s time they were forced to stop freeloading.

    I’d suggest fitting them with pointed nose cones and training them to sink any fishing vessels not flying the NZ ensign. That’d keep bloody Johnny Darky and his mates in line. And it’d free up Navy personnel for more important work, like abandoning petty thieves on deserted islands.

    /Garrotte mode