Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Rodney on the Road

90 Responses

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  • andrew llewellyn,

    He is not, of course, a Cabinet minister, and I've never heard anyone refer to him as the "Minister for Ratepayers", but that's showbiz.

    I understand he used to be a dancer.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • 81stcolumn,

    "I need more baubles like HE had"

    Nawthshaw • Since Nov 2006 • 790 posts Report Reply

  • Jono,

    I am reminded of an old, regular Harry Enfield gameshow sketch, "Call Me W@nker".

    Whangarei • Since Oct 2008 • 20 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Who characterized it as a shemozzle? I couldn't find any shemozzles in the link, apart from inferred ones.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Cubey,

    He was striding along the Oriental Bay promenade on Sunday with his blonde companion, looking confident and tanned.

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Who characterized it as a shemozzle? I couldn't find any shemozzles in the link, apart from inferred ones.

    Sorry -- wrong link. Should have been this.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    He was striding along the Oriental Bay promenade on Sunday with his blonde companion, looking confident and tanned.

    His companion? Or Rodney? And will this have any implications for the foreshore & seabed debate?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Cubey,

    Both. Rodney was described by someone as looking like an orange raisin. They were on the pavement, so probably nothing going on the F&S front.

    Wellington • Since May 2008 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Leopold,

    Would London-dwellers find it worth going for the (free?) lunch?
    Are you allowed to throw bread rolls, as, one hears, is a practice of the class frequenting Clubland?

    Since Jan 2007 • 153 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Or that the Regulatory Responsibility Bill is presently just a press release

    No its not - I have a copy. And I blogged about it here.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Interesting report by the commission - I'm a little surprised to see that "Tāmaki-makau-rau Local Council will serve the area that currently makes up Auckland City, but excluding the city centre and waterfront." (paragraph 47), when you can see pretty clearly on the map that the actual area forming the border runs down the centre of Ponsonby Rd, then delves some way into Kingsland, includes Newmarket, and divides Parnell in half as well. I wonder what that portends? Skyscrapers in St Mary's Bay?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    striding along the Oriental Bay promenade

    Gossip is so much simpler when there's only one decent beach. :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    The Maori Party are looking a bit bedraggled this week and may be angry at the Nats for getting the better of them over ETS - so their claims for Maori representation will become more strindent. By supporting Len Brown they are in effect endorsing the opponent of their coalition partner in parliament. How far will this go? I suppose it's just a question of how angry they are...

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • cindy baxter,

    Rodney is bound to launch into a climate sceptic rant at some point during this speech, most especially given it's Canada, whose climate targets are worse than ours.

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 102 posts Report Reply

  • Andre,

    @BenWilson That map retaining Freemans Bay and Harbour St in St Mary's Bay as part of Auckland City is just cynical. I imagine rating levels would be very different than what they are now. Maybe it's part of the Victoria Park Underpass project where they shift the Birdcage up the street 30 metres? I wonder if they plan to retain Jacob's Ladder? I'm surprised the PC brigade haven't banned children from these almost vertical steps yet - they're awesomely steep!

    New Zealand • Since May 2009 • 371 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    From what I can see, pretty much the entirety of St Mary's Bay is in there - the line seems to go down Shelly Beach Rd.

    I would hope that Jacobs Ladder is retained, at least as a heritage walkway. But it could be made a lot safer. Then again, it doesn't get you anywhere you can't get to from St Mary's Bay Rd, or Beaumont St. I wonder who actually uses it?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    So, let me get this right: Rodney is flying around the world to tell people at free lunches (which, of course, do not exist) about ideas which he holds dear but are not Government policy; all at public expense.

    I wonder if a Taypayer Bill of Rights would deal with this sort of thing.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Actually the part I find odd is not the inclusion of Newmarket (despite it being a real stretch to consider it either part of the city or the waterfront), but what is left out. There's a weird little corner that cuts out a piece of both the motorway and the railway, and Auckland Boys right by the prison, and halves the Mt Eden industrial zone. I was wrong before to say it includes Kingsland...the corner seems to be where Dominion Rd intersects New North Rd, so that corner would probably be called Newton.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Phil Lyth,

    To add to I/S's contribution:

    Rodney's "Regulatory Responsibility Bill" was drawn from the ballot in 2006, went to select committee, and is currently parked up on the Order Paper.

    Rodney as Minister also introduced as a Government Bill the Regulatory Improvement Bill in May this year and it is currently before the Commerce Committee.

    Is is stated to be "an omnibus bill to make amendments to legislation with the objective of improving the regulatory framework and reducing the compliance burden on business."

    Wellington • Since Apr 2009 • 458 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    That'd be the "burden" that is already the smallest in the world, right?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Sacha, that'd be second-smallest. We're behind Singapore, again.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Well that's obviously the reason for our low productivity and lack of ambition then. No need to improve management skills or any of that socialist fluff.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Brickley Paiste,

    Thanks for that. I'll send that around to everyone I know from Toronto. They have not a Super but rather a Megacity. It is universally loathed and cost the city gazillions mainly due to the need to harmonise collectives and terms and conditions of public employees. Like Atlanta, Montreal, etc.

    Since Mar 2009 • 164 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Toronto was cited as the classic example of how not to do this - which the Royal Commission paid attention to but which Rodney was obviously too busy preening to register.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    I feel sorry for you guys up there. If the Big City becomes the Monster with its lack of representation then Auckland is an even better place to stay away from. "First we trim the trees then...."

    What with your $20b of assets sitting there and the wolves salivating in the Woodhill forest. Someone really needs to make sure the coffin is nailed down well on Bruce Jesson. He must be getting pretty bloody agitated in there given what he and his mates managed to turn around for you all up there in the 90s.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

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