Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Jones: The contender leaves

187 Responses

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  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Deborah,

    Fantastic. None of the sidestepping thinking that violence somehow just magically occurs, and that there are no perpetrators.

    It has been a huge community problem up North. There has been many charges of sexual abuse from community leaders. It has effected everyone in the community. Most people know someone personally effected. I've seen daycares opening and when I queried one lady why she has ,her response was to look after the kids. Her concern grew from the many sexual abuse charges in and around where she lives and her and many others knowledge of the people charged. She wanted to give them safety. It's a big issue, and one Kelvin would know about too seeing as a teacher has been in the limelight. It's a small community where news travels fast.
    Violence is an excepted way of discipline too. It's the taboo subject that needs addressing up there and Davis is right to put it out there immediately

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason,

    "Labour can’t do much about the pundits for now,.."

    Labour lost an opportunity this morning. Wailing about a National jack up just made them look like weak victims being yet again outmaneuvered by those clever Nats. How much better for Cunliffe to have said something like:

    "Yes, Shane and I have been discussing this, and while we are sad to farewell a valued colleague, we wish him well and we're glad he's found another way to serve people. Doing things for people is what Labour is all about, and we have a fabulous replacement in Kelvin Davis......"

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Euan Mason,

    How much better for Cunliffe to have said something like

    yes, and how come we can all do a better job of this stuff than those who are paid to?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    How timely te Herald throws up frontpage a Hawkes Bay Today piece, on Cunliffe friction

    Would be Labour MP dissed Cunliffe years ago

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • SHG, in reply to Deborah,

    Davis said

    this is how we as males need to behave towards our women

    How long until the knives come out for his use of the possessive "our"?

    nup • Since Oct 2010 • 77 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah, in reply to SHG,

    Your words, not mine, and I haven't seen any.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Tristan, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I'm sure it was mcully who leaked it. I know shane dosen't have a lot of love for cunliffe but he did seem to have some tribal loyalty to labour im pretty sure he wouldn't have wanted it to be outed like this

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 221 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to SHG,

    the possessive "our"

    think in a collectivist mindset and the problem disappears.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Richard Aston, in reply to Sacha,

    yes, and how come we can all do a better job of this stuff than those who are paid to?

    Good question Sacha , Cunliffe's chief press sec is his cousin Simon who while having a background as various deputy editors has no experience of politics and is considered a complete bunny.

    The lack of a strong comms team in Labour is all too clear .

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Creel life...*

    it has McCully’s pawprints all over it.

    ...I wonder if he has one of those rare
    autographed copies of The Prince ?

    ...and of course there is no guarantee that things might, well, change, and the job could be found to be, sadly, untenable - sorry Shane, cost-cutting in the nation's best interests.
    Jones may know fish, but McCully and Key know all the 'angles'...

    ....or Labour could get in and disestablish the role.


    *Something wicker this way comes!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Euan Mason,

    Wailing about a National jack up just made them look like weak victims

    Can you point me to this please, I cant find it

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Euan Mason, in reply to Sacha,

    yes, and how come we can all do a better job of this stuff than those who are paid to?

    We are the unwashed masses, and so we understand better than our betters how these things will resonate.

    Canterbury • Since Jul 2008 • 259 posts Report Reply

  • Mikaere Curtis, in reply to Euan Mason,

    And why aren't they running this line: "National is so bereft of talent that they have to steal ours." ?

    Another attack vector is, as Gordon Campbell points out, whether McCully has applied any process at all to the establishment of this putative role.

    I was really hoping Matt McCarten would introduce some much-needed talent into the Labour communications capability, but it appears they just really are not very good at this "politics" thing. Sigh.

    I was never a great fan of Shane Jones, but I am still struck by the sheer self-absorption on display here.

    Tamaki Makaurau • Since Nov 2006 • 528 posts Report Reply

  • TracyMac, in reply to ,

    I think I've missed your point somewhere, but how many other politicians full stop are making such statements. Very few? Mostly the women? Frankly, I think this nit-picking for the guy's first interview is quite petty.

    He's saying the right things, even if they're not all the things that could be in our anti-violence shopping lists. Some more experienced politicians could step up as well, frankly, since it's hardly an issue confined to Maori. There don't seem to be legions of them lined up to read from this "script" or garnering all these pats on backs.

    Canberra, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 701 posts Report Reply

  • Jean Hughes, in reply to ,

    But what about school bullying, workplace bullying, elderly abuse, road rage, punch ups in the car park and so on?

    It all becomes 'normal behaviour' when you see domestic violence as normal behaviour from the time you are born. So singling out domestic violence and family sexual abuse is a very very good place to start and I am so pleased to see it brought up now.

    Imagine if such topics as this were the election deciders instead of taxes on second homes etc. Perhaps the working class Labour (not all working class are Labour) might be encouraged and inspired to vote.

    Middle class conservatives from all parties (pointer to Jones) have dictated the policies for so long and yet they wonder why there are so many non voters.

    Mangere • Since Nov 2006 • 89 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Before anyone chimes in to echo No Right Turn's suggestion that McCully appointing Jones as an ambassador is illegal, I'll point out that heads of mission/heads of post are appointed by "the Governor General", and we all know what that means.

    This reeks to high heaven, and it looks worse, but from a legal/procedural standpoint it's entirely legitimate for the Minister to establish a new diplomatic role with the status of a head-of-mission/head-of-post and pluck out a sitting MP to fill said role.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    There was always a lot of hype around Shane Jones as being a future prime minister. It seems like he accepted the hype but it didn't occur to him that he'd actually have to put in any effort to get there. Sure, not many politicians are are statemanlike as Helen Clark, but even John Key realises that he's the prime minister and he has a job to do. Shane Jones always felt like he was operating from an arrogant, detached stance.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    He's going to be a "roving economic ambassador across the Pacific".

    Is that a head of mission / head of post?

    head of mission means a person who is appointed by the Governor-General to be—
    (a)High Commissioner for New Zealand in any Commonwealth country, or in the Cook Islands; or
    (aa)High Commissioner for New Zealand in Niue; or
    (b)Ambassador of New Zealand to any State that is not a Commonwealth country; or
    (c)head of mission for New Zealand at any international organisation; or
    (d)head of mission for New Zealand (not being a high commissioner or ambassador) to any State

    head of post means a person who is not a head of mission but is appointed by the Governor-General to be the head of a New Zealand government office in any State

    I don't think some sort of "roving ambassador" post counts. The only way they could elevate that role would be to create a special government office on some Pacific island, and even then one could argue that a "post" is the sole NZG diplomatic presence in a state, so could not be in a place where we already have one.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Jean Hughes,

    Well - it is great news for Labour and if National plotted it then their timing is very badly out and they have helped Labour immeasurably. Jones and all this will be old news in a few weeks given the media of the day. And when he has gone, he will not be able to sabotage any Labour electioneering with his avuncular, paternalist, conservative self-focused musings from within the party elite.
    So true Robyn.

    Shane Jones always felt like he was operating from an arrogant, detached stance.

    Mangere • Since Nov 2006 • 89 posts Report Reply

  • SHG, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,

    even John Key realises that he's the prime minister and he has a job to do

    You can tell the guy who realises that because when he goes on television he dresses like this:

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30697024/paulhenry-jk.jpg

    You can tell the guy who really has no clue because he goes on television dressed like this:

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/30697024/paulhenry-dc.jpg

    nup • Since Oct 2010 • 77 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    I don’t think some sort of “roving ambassador” post counts.

    Me neither. It's a made-up job title that happens to include the word "ambassador", not a diplomatic post.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew C, in reply to SHG,

    You can tell the guy who really has no clue because he goes on television dressed like this

    As someone on WhaleOil noted: 1 button is casual, 2 is relaxed, 3 is Hasselhoff

    Auckland • Since May 2008 • 169 posts Report Reply

  • Andrew C, in reply to Jean Hughes,

    it is great news for Labour and if National plotted it then their timing is very badly out and they have helped Labour immeasurably

    You cannot be serious. Even if you believe the party is better off without Jones, having him go rogue and publicly blindsiding Labour with his resignation has done nothing to enhance the status of Labour as a serious and stable party.

    Auckland • Since May 2008 • 169 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Bryce Edwards' roundup of responses.

    I'm only linking to it because he recommends my "nuanced and thoughtful analysis" of the issues ;-)

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to Rich of Observationz,

    I don’t think some sort of “roving ambassador” post counts. The only way they could elevate that role would be to create a special government office on some Pacific island, and even then one could argue that a “post” is the sole NZG diplomatic presence in a state, so could not be in a place where we already have one.

    They could appoint him as Ambassador/HoM for New Zealand to the Pacific Islands Forum, which is a treaty-established international organisation. We do not appear to have representation there at present, and it would work perfectly in terms of the focal area of the Forum (of which NZ is a member).

    Do not underestimate McCully's cunning.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

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