Hard News: A week being a long time in politics
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merc,
To infinitely and beyond ;-)
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Sacha, in reply to
Given that our media seem incapable or unwilling to do what's reasonable as you've outlined, I'll settle for the natural human response when someone utters outrageous porkies. Anything is better than the mute assent we've endured for the last few years.
How the media could deal with lies might even be a good topic for a Media7 show.
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Phil Goff doing well on RadioNZ right now....
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Infinitely more stable than New Zealand First. Sorry, needs to be said.
Both parties have struggled for continuity. NZ First has actually only been in government once, and Peters did end that relationship after National replaced Bolger with Shipley in the midst of a term. Act hasn't done that.
But I wouldn't say the difference is "infinite" given that Act's entire 2008 Parliamentary caucus has disappeared (well, not quite now that Boscawen has suddenly decided he would like to win in Tamaki and kindly promised not to trigger a by-election) along with its leader, who was rolled in a frankly bizarre process by another leader who seems to be now for the chop himself, with the connivance of a candidate who had to resign from the National Party so he could stand in Epsom. The guy who departed in disgrace was replaced by an alleged rising star who proved to be such a loon she was assigned a 2011 list place that would preclude her re-entering Parliament. The party is, as Audrey Young put it this morning,a shambles.
In comparison with either of them, the Greens seem an absolute model of stability.
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This is of course crap.
Government's only have to resign if they are defeated on a confidence/supply issue. If Key can't pass the Murray McCully Enabling Act (version 2) then he won't have to call an election - doing so would be a political decision.
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Sacha, in reply to
Phil Goff doing well on RadioNZ
20 mins, listening options.
Certainly sounded less agitated. And finally knew the figure he's been asked about 3 times in 3 days. You'd think his campaign team might have made sure he was prepared after the first time. Or after that dreadful performance in the first week's Press debate. Politics 101 apparently too much for some.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
In comparison with either of them, the Greens seem an absolute model of stability.
Quite – and really if I was forced to choose who to ask to hold a pinless hand grenade, I’d pick Turei and Norman in a heart murmur. Peters and Harawira would throw it in a school bus out of force of habit.
But when it comes to stability, I know a couple of people who used to be quite involved in New Zealand First. Not a particularly healthy place for anyone who dares to disagree with Winston on anything, which may explain why the only person who isn’t a complete blank slate on the upper reaches of the NZ First list is Andy Williams. YMMV on whether ignorance is bliss where Piddles The Clown is concerned. :)
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3410,
This is of course crap.
Yeah, well... there's a lot of it about.
Key: "in terms of the wage gap, that's narrowed". "We look at after tax terms, and in the three years we've been in Government we've grown those (after tax) wages by 10% (while in) Australia it's 6%."
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
I had a mental picture of Mallard standing just outside the studio with a taser in one hand, and cue cards in the other. "It says 'asset sales' in every sentence. It does this when it's told, or else it gets the hose again. Doesn't it, Precious? Yess it does!"
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
At least this thing is sorting out the journalists from the celebrities.
Yeah it is. The celebrities get paid more.
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NZF = Winston Peters
Just like UF = Peter Dunne and Progressives = Jim
In the latter case, the party has disappeared with its leader (they aren't contesting this election, though they do have a ghostly website). I fully expect that when Peters and Dunne give it up[, their party vehicles will be no more.
ACT and the Greens are the only actual non-personal parties to have resulted from MMP.
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Kumara Republic, in reply to
NZF = Winston Peters
Just like UF = Peter Dunne and Progressives = Jim
And to a large degree, Conservatives = Colin Craig. On the other hand, the flotsam & jetsam of the Christian parties have more or less regrouped under the Conservatives, so it's a defacto Christian Coalition of sorts.
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i actually felt a twinge of compassion for Brash talking to Kathryn Ryan. Not because of her technique but because he seemed to be just a confused person. Will Banks roll him next year?
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James Francis, in reply to
I particularly liked her choice of music after the interview.
'Accentuate the positive'
It seemed apt. If not ACT.
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charge of the slight brigade...
‘Accentuate the positive’
more like 'Attenuate the negative'...
Brash is experiencing a dipolar moment:
a loss of magnetism and a dip/flip in the polls
he is facing resistance and is phasing out...
(possibly due to personal/physical thickness) -
i actually felt a twinge of compassion for Brash talking to Kathryn Ryan. Not because of her technique but because he seemed to be just a confused person
Ha ha. Yeah, you can't help feeling a little sorry for Don, in that he's a bit like Lord Grantham in Downton Abbey -- a polite, well spoken gentleman who's not afraid to front up, answer all questions to the best of his ability and say his piece reasonably clearly (which makes him different from the no-shows or obfuscaters) ... just what he's saying is usually complete tosh. He just always seems a little baffled and hurt that being there and saying his bit is not enough.
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Sacha, in reply to
Will Banks roll him next year?
you mean, will he wait that long?
if either of them still have a political career after the weekend -
Rich of Observationz, in reply to
Does it count as "rolling" if Banks is (as is very possible) ACTs sole MP? Surely Brash can't remain leader-outside-parliament for 3 years?
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Sacha, in reply to
I doubt either of them would hang around if this gambit fails. The party's deep-pocketed backers will have other plans, for one.
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merc, in reply to
Definitely, if your horse goes lame.../creepy Lhaws moment?/
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Alice in Voterland: A farce in a seemly endless number of episodes.
Chapter VIIThere was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Currency Trader and the Bankster were having tea at it: a Donmouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. `Very uncomfortable for the Donmouse,' thought Alice; `only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: `No room! No room!' they cried out when they saw Alice and the reporters coming. `There's plenty of room!' said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table. The reporters waited the other side of the looking-glass.
`Have some economic recovery,' the March Currency Trader said in an encouraging tone.
Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. `I don't see any recovery,' she remarked.
`There isn't any,' said the March Currency Trader.
`Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily.
`It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Currency Trader.
`I didn't know it was your table,' said Alice; `it's laid for a great many more than three.'
`The others are Maori beneficiaries and don’t deserve to sit at our table,' said the Bankster. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
`You should learn not to make personal remarks,' Alice said with some severity; `it's very rude.'
The Bankster opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, `How will cutting taxes for the rich and raising the minimum wage stifle economic recovery?'
`Come, we shall have some fun now!' thought Alice. `I'm glad they've begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,' she added aloud.
`Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?' said the March Currency Trader.
`Exactly so,' said Alice.
`Then you should tell us,' the March Currency Trader went on.
`I do,' Alice hastily replied; `at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know.'
`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Bankster, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about tax cuts and other policies, which wasn't much.
The Bankster was the first to break the silence. `What day of the month is the election?' he said, turning to Alice: he had taken a digital recorder from the table, and was looking at it uneasily, shaking it every now and then, and holding it to his ear.
Alice considered a little, and then said `The 19th.'
`Two days wrong!' sighed the Bankster. `I told you butter wouldn't suit the works!' he added looking angrily at the March Currency Trader.
`It was the best butter,' the March Currency Trader replied, `One of our finest exports. No need to invest in science and technology when we can rely on our primary exports forever.'
`Have you guessed the riddle yet?' the Bankster said, turning to Alice again.
`No, I give it up,' Alice replied: `what's the answer?'
`I haven't the slightest idea,' said the Bankster.
`Nor I,' said the March Currency Trader.
`Suppose we change the subject,' the March Currency Trader interrupted, yawning. `I'm getting tired of this. I vote that after the election, the Bankster should lead the ACT Party, and I should have unbridled power.'
`I'm afraid I don't want to know that!' said Alice, rather alarmed at the proposal.
The Bankster and the March Currency Trader went `Sh! sh!'
The Donmouse slowly opened his eyes. `I wasn't asleep,' he said in a hoarse, feeble voice: `I heard every word you fellows were saying.'
`Take some more economic recovery,' the March Currency Trader said to Alice, very earnestly.
`I've had nothing yet,' Alice replied in an offended tone, `so I can't take more.'
`You mean you can't take less,' said the Bankster: `it's very easy to take more than nothing.'
`Nobody asked your opinion,' said Alice.
`Who's making personal remarks now?' the Bankster asked triumphantly.
Alice did not quite know what to say to this. `Really, now you ask me,' said Alice, very much confused, `I don't think--'
`Then you shouldn't talk,' said the Bankster.
This piece of rudeness was more than Alice could bear: she got up in great disgust, and walked off; the Donmouse fell asleep instantly, and neither of the others took the least notice of her going, though she looked back once or twice, half hoping that they would call after her: the last time she saw them, they were trying to put the Donmouse into the teapot.
`At any rate I'll never go there again!' said Alice `It's the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!'.
As she picked her way through the wood, she was a little startled by seeing a Cheshire Winston sitting on a bough of a tree a few yards off.
The Winston only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked good-natured, she thought: still it had very long claws, a great many teeth, and an extremely fine head of hair, so she felt that it ought to be treated with respect.
`Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to vote from here?'
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Winston.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Winston.
`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Winston, `if you only walk long enough. Do you play croquet with Queen Brownlee to-day?'
`I should like it very much,' said Alice, `but I haven't been invited yet.'
`You'll see me there,' said the Winston, and vanished, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the bouffant hair, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.
` I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly: you make one quite giddy.' said Alice, and walked on through the woods.
Presently, she came to a garden. A large law-tree stood near the entrance of the garden: the tops growing on it were stationary, but there were three reporters at it, busily spinning them. Alice thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, ThreeNews!
`I couldn't help it,' said One, in a sulky tone; `Media Seven jogged my elbow.'
On which Seven looked up and said, `That's right, One! Always lay the blame on others!'
`You'd better not talk!' said One. `I heard Queen Brownlee say only yesterday you deserved to be beheaded!'
`What for?' said the one who had spoken first.
`That's none of your business, Three!' said Seven.
`Yes, it is his business!' said One, `and I'll tell him--it was for attempting to hold to government to account and to speak truth to power.
Seven flung down his brush, and had just begun `Well, of all the unjust things--' when his eye chanced to fall upon Alice, as she stood watching them, and he checked himself suddenly: the others looked round also, and all of them bowed low.
`Would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, `why you are spinning?'
One and Three said nothing, but looked at Seven. Seven began in a low voice, `Why the fact is, you see, Miss, that ought to have been private conversation, and we put a recording device in by mistake; and if Queen Brownlee was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know. So you see, Miss, we're doing our best, afore she comes, to--' At this moment One, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out `The Queen! The Queen!' and the three reporters instantly threw themselves flat upon their faces. There was a sound of many footsteps, and Alice looked round, eager to see the Queen.
‘Who are these?' said the Queen, pointing to the three reporters who were lying on their faces. `Reporters' said Alice.'
The Queen turned crimson with fury, and, after glaring at her for a moment like a wild beast, screamed `Off with their heads! Off with their heads! Off with their heads! Off--'
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Genius! Give that man some mock turtle soup!
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Sacha, in reply to
glue
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And the soup kitchens will serve the Chamaeleon's Dish. Hot.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
Who will Win da Wonderland...
a Cheshire Winston
what no Jabber waka
oar Kate er pillar
or Tweedle twins?
(Bennett n Tolley?)Peter Dunne would
make a great White Rarebit......nonetheless, very nice work Mr Lock...
PS: this page of Tenniel's picture sources is interesting stuff...
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