Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The sole party of government

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  • Jack Harrison, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    The debating chamber should be fun though, with a lot National P "right honorables" having to face up to the honorable part. Collins, Bridges, Williamson and Key and others should be constantly reminded that we know they slander, we have a book full of examples , we know they are dodgy.

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Bodmin,

    Sure, and vote splitting is still a highly likely possibility. Even in Roskill that could be all that happened, that people voted Goff but party voted Green or NZF. I don't think we really know either way, and we should keep open in our minds all possibilities until there is any data to inform us better.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • CJM, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Attachment

    If it’s any consolation, he was way worse then the All Blacks lost to France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final.

    Well it's good to know our 'ambassadors' will be flying the National Party flag at the next world cup, let the globe see our true colours….

    http://www.3news.co.nz/politics/lomu-and-dagg-could-face-fines-for-election-tweets-2014092111

    Auckland • Since Aug 2014 • 107 posts Report Reply

  • Bill Patterson, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    The electoral reform and media reform reads more like a wishlist than a strategy, not that I don't agree with aspects of it. The UBI stuff is pretty out there too, but I do wonder why Labour can't be more modern with its targeted help to struggling people - why, for example, is the minimum wage focused on rather than minimum income stuff. If the minimum wage just sat where it is and you introduced minimum income policies, then all the employers can't complain about how paying $2 more per hour will make them fire people, but they can be criticized for effectively allowing the govt to make up their shortfall. Maybe I'm barking up the wrong economics tree but new policies will be needed...

    Auckland • Since Jul 2013 • 6 posts Report Reply

  • Jack Harrison, in reply to CJM,

    The politicisation of the all blacks is another example of an environment which stinks. Fuck up current international players, that shirts not yours to fuck with.

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    You asked me to tell you what I think would be constructive, and I have.

    Yes, and thank you for that.

    I didn’t see the internet party calling for devolution.

    No, I don't think any party polling higher than ACLP has called for that.

    You got any better ideas?

    I actually like your ideas. I like them a lot better than your whining and recriminating Labour, who will never do any of what you're saying, and PAS who have no power to do any of it, even though numerous commentators have agreed with many of them. You accused me on Dimpost of having ideas that are non-starters - every last one of your ideas is a non-starter for Labour. The place for those ideas is in the small parties. But you hate on the Greens even more than you hate on Labour, and they even HAVE some of your ideas as policy planks. Internet/Mana is the closest thing we've ever had to your policy list. Labour just killed them stone dead.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Amanda Wreckonwith, in reply to Jack Harrison,

    Collins, Bridges, Williamson and Key and others should be constantly reminded...

    But will they? I have visions of Labour and the Greens totally dropping this ball as they go on a desperate soul searching mission. The failure of the left will be blamed on Dirty Politics. Anything dodgy will be airbrushed out of existence by the media.

    Since Sep 2012 • 171 posts Report Reply

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    Labour may have seriously lost their appeal for the general roll, but they won three Maori seats that had been held by the Maori Party or the Mana Movement for almost 10 years. That is very significant.

    I was expecting National to win, but I thought it would involve a coalition with NZ First. As things are at the moment, Labour just seem to be treated like the Greens or NZ First - just another established minor party.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    That approach doesn’t appear much different to 70 pages of policy, some of which I’m still not able to fully get my head around even after the polls have closed. Democracy isn’t about imposing ideas, it’s about listening to and reflecting the will of the people. To find the answer as to why the left lost, much can be learned from how the right won. Those split votes speak volumes. Less is more. K.I.S.S.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Jack Harrison, in reply to Amanda Wreckonwith,

    At least those parties have a soul to search for. You are looking at a soul to move 5% of the voting public from right to left, the magical 100,000 swingers.

    They could also start to take A hardline attitude to media bias,,as the Democrats did in the U.S. Pointing out commentators who are clearly cheering p.r instruments of the New Zealand National Party

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • Jack Harrison, in reply to Robyn Gallagher,

    Good point. MMP means a voter can tailor their vote in hope for a Government capable of wider policy implementation so Labour at 25% is not the story. The left at 35% is the story. The left suffered from the dirty dialogue, as happens. Political turn-off favours the right. Still we had a dirty election bought to us by very famous journalists because there was and still is a real story.

    Nixon won with 60% of the vote.

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov, in reply to TracyMac,

    message that Labour is about a fair go for EVERYONE. Higher minimum wages help everyone, gay, brown, factory workers, service industry. State houses help everyone at the bottom of the pile and take power away from rentier landlords. Gay, straight, brown, factory workers with two jobs, people unable to work…

    That’s the one. And I think David Cunliffe deserves a chance to at least try to bring something more like this kind of vision to the table if he can, I’m just not in favour of the kneejerk stuff in the news right now, especially with allegations of corruption flying around the incumbents.

    And though I’m not familiar enough with the credentials of the brass. If Cunliffe must be be replaced – please not with another white male, k?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to Jack Harrison,

    The politicisation of the all blacks is another example of an environment which stinks. Fuck up current international players, that shirts not yours to fuck with.

    I felt the same way when McCaw posed for selfies with Key and Dan Carter tweeted that he would be voting for National this election.

    I can see why some of our top paid (newly rich) sportpeople might be inclined to vote for National. But if you're an All Black, try to keep your public image clean and non-political, for God's sake.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Jack Harrison, in reply to ,

    Yeh, you're right, Sue Bradfords law. Even Key voted for it. It’s a good law.

    However it often gets packaged into the box of “p.c” crimes Labour apparently committed, mainly a list inspired by simple right wing pundits who love to say “p.c” a lot.

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • tussock, in reply to BenWilson,

    FFS if it were FFP now, Key would have got a two thirds majority.

    If it were still FPP, there'd be a ton more city-centre seats with Labour and the Alliance deciding who gets the nod via some arcane rock-paper-scissors methodology, as ACT and National dice the 'burbs, and it's easier for renegades to hold a smaller constituency. 12 Māori seats. Conservative and NZF would split the National vote in semi-rural seats. Totally different game.

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Alfie,

    But if you’re an All Black, try to keep your public image clean and non-political, for God’s sake.

    Why? They may be paid to undertake the fundamentally stupid activity of colliding with each other at high velocity for our entertainment, but they're still citizens with all the same rights, responsibilities and privileges as the rest of us.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Marion Ogier, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    You hit the nail on the head. I've heard lots of positive things about how good a local MP Ruth Dyson has been. People vote for a good hardworking local MP, then consider which party they feel offers leadership to the country. Labour just didn't front with a team people could believe offered leadership.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2010 • 20 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Jack Harrison,

    Still we had a dirty election bought to us by very famous journalists because there was and still is a real story.

    I remember a quote by DPF around the time Brash lost his one big shot. It was to the effect of "When we hold the government accountable and responsible, it's called democracy. When we hold the opposition accountable and responsible, there's another word for it". I thought it was poignant at the time, since the election swung in the late phases on Brash's involvement with the EB, and then later the revelations of Hollow Men and what he was doing with his dick. Then Labour turned out to have overspent on the campaign, and they changed the law retrospectively to allow it. Not their finest hour.

    Now we've got the left being held responsible because it turns out that our government is quite corrupt and that it deliberately set out to spy on us, and feeds a lot of secret attack lines to a guy who churns even right wing stomachs. These are features, not bugs. Initially undocumented.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to tussock,

    Yeah who knows. But massive majorities were not uncommon at all.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov, in reply to Jack Harrison,

    apparently committed, mainly a list inspired by simple right wing pundits who love to say “p.c” a lot

    Well now they've got one they can pin on National.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to mark taslov,

    Well now they’ve got one they can pin on National.

    Ah, but don't forget that Labour also voted for it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • mark taslov, in reply to BenWilson,

    Yeah, most of them. Sorry, the context was bills submitted by non-Labour members becoming indelibly associated with the Labour Party, just slipping it across the floor. If there's anything to take the edge off this election result it's the vanilla centrality of successive New Zealand Governments.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report Reply

  • tussock, in reply to ,

    And it was passed by parliament with conscience votes.

    No it wasn't. Both Labour and National whipped the final vote. 113 to 7.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimes_%28Substituted_Section_59%29_Amendment_Act_2007

    It also destroyed United Future as a political entity, by the by. Big changes around that thing, and still a massive amount of misinformation.

    Edit: SNAP.

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • Jack Harrison, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Sure, but high p.r profile such as twitter is a big vehicle for them because they are members of a huge historic "state sponsored" national sport that dwarfs all other sporting cultures. It should be free of this.

    As individuals yap away.

    wellington • Since Aug 2014 • 296 posts Report Reply

  • Pete,

    I haven't seen a mention of it but some people I spoke to mentioned the Capital Gains Tax proposal as a reason to not vote Labour

    Turkeys and Thanksgiving..

    Since Apr 2008 • 106 posts Report Reply

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