The Carnival is over

56 comments on “The Carnival is over ”

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1. RedLogix 1

   5 November 2015 at 8:47 am

   Worth noting that Turnbull just ditched the Knighthood/Dame thing in Aus.
   • Ad 1.1

     5 November 2015 at 8:50 am

     And supports major public transport investment, particularly in light rail.
     • Olwyn 1.1.1

       5 November 2015 at 9:27 am

       And has about 10 months to go before the next election. Remember John Key taking Aroha to Waitangi? Having watched John Key’s rise I am far from convinced by Turnbull.
2. Tautoko Mangō Mata 2

   5 November 2015 at 8:51 am

   What we need is two very well attended street protest marches:
   14 November- on the TPP
   28 November- on Climate Action
   to highlight the mismanagement of this govt.
   There are a lot of people who should be waking up to what has been obvious to those who have been/are being directly affected by bad National policies.We have Hekia Parata upsetting the teachers again, Paula Bennett trying to decimate Local Govt, a bad report for SIS and TPP text should be out at the end of week.
   https://medium.com/@AFLCIO/10-things-that-took-less-time-than-the-release-of-the-tpp-text-93e588085f45
   • Kiwiri 2.1

     5 November 2015 at 9:23 am

     True, TMM.

     Regarding 28 November, you mean the “People’s Climate March”?
     Note that there will be one of the four centres that will be marching a day later because of venue availability.

     Saturday 28 Nov: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch
     Sunday 29 Nov: Dunedin

     http://www.peoplesclimatemarch.org.nz
3. grumpystilskin 3

   5 November 2015 at 9:02 am

   You forgot that despite not being able to look after our conservation staff and largest asset, the land. Having a Panda sounds like a good idea..
4. ropata 4

   5 November 2015 at 9:14 am

   National Party Herald attempting to make over Key’s image into something more serious and responsible: http://nzherald.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

   Of the 6 threats facing “New Zealand” they didn’t mention climate change, inequality, or the John Keys government.

   As mentioned so aptly yesterday, a flag (like a government) is a thin piece of cloth, of merely symbolic value. If a government doesn’t actually help improve the lot of the people, it is dysfunctional and needs to be removed.

   I think the Herald has confused “New Zealand” with the National Party Establishment.
   • Ad 4.1

     5 November 2015 at 9:39 am

     It’s that standard Tory Security line: look serious and keep pushing the FEAR button.

     Won’t work.
     • Chch_chiquita 4.1.1

       5 November 2015 at 10:59 am

       But it does.
       I had an argument with a few friends regarding the tightening of security checks at airports. We were two against four who said that going through a machine that basically “strip” you naked just because maybe one in a million chance that we are a real threat is not good enough reason to such a brutal invasion of our privacy. But we were outnumbered. The majority thought it is a price they are willing to pay because they are afraid.
       • Ad 4.1.1.1

         5 November 2015 at 1:09 pm

         You were brave to take it on, and I hope you keep going.
5. ropata 5

   5 November 2015 at 9:16 am

   National Party(tm) Herald attempting to make over Key’s image into something more serious and responsible: http://nzherald.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

   Of the 6 threats facing “New Zealand” they didn’t mention climate change, inequality, or the John Keys government.

   As mentioned so aptly yesterday, a flag (like a government) is a thin piece of cloth, of merely symbolic value. If a government doesn’t actually help improve the lot of the people, it is dysfunctional and needs to be removed.

   I think the Herald has confused “New Zealand” with the National Party Establishment.
   • Kiwiri 5.1

     5 November 2015 at 9:24 am

     And putting up a picture of him without his tie
     That is like really subtly giving him a make-over? :rolls eyes:
6. Puckish Rogue 6

   5 November 2015 at 9:18 am

   Sorry but the desire to change government simply isn’t there yet but probably will be in 2020
   • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

     5 November 2015 at 9:19 am

     31 + 12 + 9 = spin like a top.
     • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1

       5 November 2015 at 9:36 am

       43 + 9 = three more years
       • crashcart 6.1.1.1

         5 November 2015 at 9:55 am

         So what you are saying is that your original statement is bollox because NAT’s will need Winnie. OAB’s post read to me like he was saying it is still a very strong possibility that there is a change of government at the next election.
         • Puckish Rogue 6.1.1.1.1

           5 November 2015 at 10:00 am

           Nope thats not what i’m saying. OAB gave one possible outcome of the election, I gave another outcome thats just as likely
           • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1.1.1.1.1

             5 November 2015 at 10:12 am

             There’s no mood for change and a change of government is a 50/50 call at this point.

             I think Puckish Rogue is Dory from Finding Nemo:

             …just keep spinning spinning spinning…
             • mac1 …

               5 November 2015 at 11:46 am

               Or he’s riding a painted pony.

               “What goes up must come down
               Spinnin’ wheel, got to go round
               Talkin’ ’bout your troubles, it’s a cryin’ sin
               Ride a painted pony, let the spinnin’ wheel spin”
             • Puckish Rogue …

               5 November 2015 at 1:58 pm

               National still well in the 40s, Labour static and John Key still popular and you think I’m spinning?
               • One Anonymous Bloke …

                 5 November 2015 at 2:08 pm

                 Nope: the massive discrepancy between “no mood” and “just as likely” means I know you are.
7. shorts 7

   5 November 2015 at 9:36 am

   yesterday report says spy agencies a mess… today its countered with Threats to NZ

   oh for a tiny bit of honesty somewhere
   • Ad 7.1

     5 November 2015 at 9:43 am

     Perhaps even more than our intelligence security, is our economic security.

     6% unemployed and rising will not be saved by the fiction of construction tower cranes in the sky.

     National have simply ridden the economy up.
     So they can ride it all the way down.
8. Ad 8

   5 November 2015 at 9:45 am

   Plus I forgot to mention: it’s Labour Party Conference coming up.
   Definitely time to get to work. For better or for worse, there’s no changing this government without them.
9. Matthew Hooton 9

   5 November 2015 at 9:57 am

   There will be no poll bump. Did you not see Seven Days of Sport?
   • Ad 9.1

     5 November 2015 at 10:06 am

     Do you think National’s caucus realizes that it actually has to start governing the country again?
     They just look asleep.

     Closeup shots of Key’s security-concerned wrinkles, and royalty fetes, are gaining less and less public reward. Which is I think your point, that I agree with.
     • shorts 9.1.1

       5 November 2015 at 10:16 am

       there’s always plan b – have a fun couple of years, lose election, look upset… go back into opposition, allow the demon left to clean up the mess and then seek power again
   • Lanthanide 9.2

     5 November 2015 at 11:27 am

     Or, alternatively, there would have been a poll decline, but that is being covered up by the bump.
   • Mike the Savage One 9.3

     5 November 2015 at 11:57 am

     As long as the media is firmly aligned with Key and Nats, you are right. That is what we have, and those in doubt should listen to what David Cunliffe had to say about the state of the media yesterday, in the general debate in Parliament. At least he calls it by what it is, a dismal state of affairs.

     Thanks to the likes of you, Mr Hooton, and your great leader and this government, doing all to “cleanse” the media from dissenters.
     • Ad 9.3.1

       5 November 2015 at 1:07 pm

       Have five good conversations this week.
       That’s a great start to counteracting the MSM.
10. Anno1701 10

    5 November 2015 at 10:31 am

    Nation starting to realise that nothing happens after winning World Cup

    “kiwis spoken to by media said they expected “rainbows,” general prosperity and “maybe dragons.” ”

    http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/nation-starting-to-realise-that-nothing-happens-after-winning-world-cup/
11. Draco T Bastard 11

    5 November 2015 at 11:07 am

    This is a country adrift, with a lazy government riding its luck for too long, run by a guy who no longer knows why he’s there.

    He knows exactly why he’s PM in NZ – it’s to sell out NZ to his rich mates in the US and he’s doing very well at it.
    • Treetop 11.1

      5 November 2015 at 11:16 am

      Key works for the US first, not NZ.

      I think that every necessary service has been run down by the current government.
    • Ad 11.2

      5 November 2015 at 1:11 pm

      Well, get your own barbeque together. It’s the season for this kind of thing.
      It’s not enough.
      It’s a start.
      We have to start.
12. Colonial Viper 12

    5 November 2015 at 11:16 am

    Labour will simply continue along the standard orthodox/neoliberal prescription for the country, with only very minor deviations on the way.
    • Sabine 12.1

      5 November 2015 at 11:52 am

      Well its truly lucky then that you can vote for any of the other parties. Imagine we would not have MMP, otherwise You would be truly between a rock and a hard place 🙂
    • Ad 12.2

      5 November 2015 at 1:06 pm

      Presumably voting/donating the Greens for you next time CV?
      • Colonial Viper 12.2.1

        5 November 2015 at 1:20 pm

        could very well be
        • Ad 12.2.1.1

          5 November 2015 at 1:52 pm

          Would sure be good to see them over 12% next time.
          • Clean_power 12.2.1.1.1

            5 November 2015 at 2:15 pm

            The Greens will hardly reach 10% 🙂
13. Mike the Savage One 13

    5 November 2015 at 11:55 am

    I wish Ad was right. And it should be over, the “carnival”, but sadly it is not. Having listened to some media this morning, the discussion is now, why does Dunedin not get a victory parade of the All Blacks in public.

    There are still events due in Wellington and Christchurch, and the discussion is lively, what will happen with Steven Hansen, who will follow him, does Ritchie McCaw get a knighthood, and so forth. Carter is heading to Paris, so the media will follow him, and they will continue celebrating for a while.

    Last night’s “news” and “current affairs” on TVNZ and TV3 were FULL of reporting on the All Blacks and fans.

    But indeed, there are pressing issues all over the show, while the MSM catering mainly for the middle class, is not that much interested. The middle class, that is the better half of it, is doing just fine, they do not want to be remembered of hungry school kids, abuse stats, unemployment growing, environmental and sundry social and economic issues, they are the ones the MSM has on mind.

    So do not put your hopes too high, folks.
    • Ad 13.1

      5 November 2015 at 1:05 pm

      I’m not saying what it is – only what it should be.

      In reality it’s up to people like us to have the questions between now and the holidays to promote an alternative view of New Zealand that does not buy into the quickly-decaying hype.

      May well be a cliché, but the best way to predict the future, is to make it happen.
14. Tiger Mountain 14

    5 November 2015 at 12:02 pm

    the nauseating remnants of the “rubber wool cub” will be around at least until the Boxing Day sales

    “Kiwis should be thicker!
    who needs thinkers when we have a kicker!!”
    • seeker 14.1

      5 November 2015 at 1:30 pm

      @Tiger M. @12.02pm

      That reminds me of a quote from Barbara Castle, a great UK Labour MP from the past:
      “Think, think, think. It will hurt like hell at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
    • Expat 14.2

      5 November 2015 at 5:21 pm

      You made me LOL, ha ha ah, I agree with you!
15. Brutus Iscariot 15

    5 November 2015 at 1:58 pm

    “We have over 6% unemployed” – not a bad number in historical context.

    “We have a housing crisis – sky-high rents, incompetent state housing, and developer greed.” – we arguably have an owner-occupied housing affordability crisis in one city. Greed isn’t a crime or a crisis. Generally it’s the SH tenants who are incompetent.

    “We have begging on our streets.” – of course we do, and always will, just like every other nation on this earth.

    “We have economic stagnation, a massive trade deficit, and many declining regions.”
    – economies are cyclical. Take a look at the Pilbara in Western Australia now vs 3 years ago.

    “We have the folly of the flag.” – hardly an issue that’s damaging to NZ’ers. At best it’s an irrelevance.

    “We have a growth industry in jails.” – fewer criminals on the street, sounds good to me. Should decriminalise cannabis though.

    Was that really the best you could do?
    • Puckish Rogue 15.1

      5 November 2015 at 2:19 pm

      Got to gee up the morale somehow I guess
    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.2

      5 November 2015 at 2:22 pm

      A massive increase in begging and homelessness is guaranteed to produce a glut of callous anti-social wingnuts justifying and twisting and lying about the problem, that’s for sure.
    • Ad 15.3

      5 November 2015 at 5:27 pm

      Brutus,
      – Clearly you’re not unemployed. Otherwise you wouldn’t discard human potential with such callousness.

      – Clearly you have no housing stress. Same as above.

      – Clearly we’re not in the Pilbara. Find something relevant to compare us to if you have to.

      – Clearly you don’t view the Prime Minister’s primary initiative as relevant to politics. The very fact that it’s irrelevant to you shows the Prime Minister is seriously out of step with the public.

      – Clearly you’re not in jail. Or again, you would have an ounce of compassion.

      Just because none of the above are important to you, does not mean that they are unimportant.

      It’s certainly not the best a government can do for New Zealand. I expect more, even if you clearly don’t.
    • the pigman 15.4

      5 November 2015 at 8:48 pm

      ““We have begging on our streets.” – of course we do, and always will, just like every other nation on this earth.

      That’s a very defeatist attitude, Brutus.

      Spent 2002 – 2010 studying and then working in the central city, visible homeless were a feature, but were relatively rare (think Mono-dread, Plastic Bag Lady and Margaret) and almost always remarkable.

      Visited Auckland a couple of times in the last 3 years, homeless and begging visibility has EXPLODED.

      But don’t believe my back-in-my-day, subjective, loony/loopy-Left observations:

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11388764
      http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/aucklands-homeless-double-in-number-2015021808#axzz3qbI7Hay7
      https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/-inhumane-auckland-city-businesses-drenching-homeless-with-water-q01872
      http://www.aucklandcitymission.org.nz/uploads/file/Media%20Releases/Mission%20in%20Desperate%20Need%20Media%20Release.pdf

      Everything is awesome!
    • the pigman 15.5

      5 November 2015 at 9:02 pm

      BTW,

      “We have a housing crisis – sky-high rents, incompetent state housing, and developer greed.” – […] Generally it’s the SH tenants who are incompetent.”

      Do you care to elaborate on what that’s supposed to mean? I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know, but…
    • millsy 15.6

      5 November 2015 at 9:26 pm

      ““We have a housing crisis – sky-high rents, incompetent state housing, and developer greed.” – we arguably have an owner-occupied housing affordability crisis in one city. Greed isn’t a crime or a crisis. Generally it’s the SH tenants who are incompetent.”

      Rents are going up everywhere. Not just Auckland.

      A lot of people are being left behind in this country. Comdemned to paying more than 70-80% of their income in rent, and pretty much broke for the rest of their lives, with no way out. Including working people. Then when the times comes to retire, there will be pretty much no national super.
16. greywarshark 16

    5 November 2015 at 2:00 pm

    what a great cartoon Woohoo. Who is the cartoonist Ad and what paper did it come from?
    • CnrJoe 16.1

      5 November 2015 at 5:04 pm

      http://snpa.photoshelter.com/gallery/CARTOONS-by-Jim-Hubbard/G0000MGcw3HsyXeA/
17. Expat 17

    5 November 2015 at 5:30 pm

    You know it’s Guy Falk’s Day today, how symbolic, blowing up parliament!
18. Ad 18

    11 November 2015 at 6:53 pm

    I think his carnival is definitely over now.

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