Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: All John's Friends

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  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Have Labour and National learned nothing from their previous marriages of convenience with that toxic bigot and his merry band of blithering ninny-hammers? Apparently not…

    I suspect that in private they both regard Winnie as a necessary evil at best.

    When Winnie retires, there’s the possibility of Richard Prosser taking charge and retooling NZF into a full-blown Geert Wilders/Marine Le Pen type of "tea" party. Hoping against hope it doesn’t come to pass.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to llew40,

    True dat, how many are from Epsom is the question.

    And, with apologies to a French electoral predicament from a few years back, how many Epsomites would think it "better to vote for a crook than a socialist"?

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Good move. They’d already said they’d do this, and doing it now gets them in on the news cycle.

    And I already know of three areas a Cunliffe-led Govt can start cutting back:
    - replacing the Puhoi-Wellsford Holiday Highway with Operation Lifesaver, which achieves the same purpose at a fraction of the cost
    - scrapping the Health Benefits Ltd quango which is effectively a rehash of the old Shipley-era Health Funding Authority
    - defunding the Institute for the Study of Competition Regulation, a cartel’s lobby group that thinks it’s a university research organisation

    We've been banged about the head that NZ is borrowing $300m a week, and what happens? It seems you can ask the Govt for as much money as you like, so long as you drive a Rolls and wear D&G.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Richard Aston, in reply to BenWilson,

    I’d be surprised if ACT don’t get Epsom again, though. They could put a bald dancing monkey in there and Epsom would vote for it.

    I know a few people in Epsom who feel kinda dirty now. Not so sure they would sully themselves again.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report

  • Richard Aston,

    I wonder if Winston will go for the cross benches rather than a coalition , he seems to love stirring shit in the house ,the noble warrior of ordinary folk, and Key won't be handing him many baubles.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to llew40,

    we wish you a Merry Isthmus…

    …from Epsom

    Epsodomites?
    Epsom Salts?
    Epitomes...
    or bellwethers?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    This is what I always picture when talk turns to genial John and his 'friends'...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Lilith __, in reply to Hebe,

    More of note than what JK is saying is the way he's framing it: Green as radical left, Labour as Left, National as centre. That line clearly shows the results of their recent polling and the strategy this year.

    That's such BS, though. Labour slid towards the right in the 1980s and remains uneasy about its unionist origins; National has continued to drift rightwards towards wingnut ACT territory. The Greens in general occupy the left where Labour used to be.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Lilith __,

    More of note than what JK is saying is the way he’s framing it: Green as radical left, Labour as Left, National as centre. That line clearly shows the results of their recent polling and the strategy this year.

    That’s such BS, though. Labour slid towards the right in the 1980s and remains uneasy about its unionist origins; National has continued to drift rightwards towards wingnut ACT territory. The Greens in general occupy the left where Labour used to be.

    It's worse. This is a politician trying to frame the world as binary. Left OR Right.

    Yet the problems we face are multifaceted. And we need politicians who can respond to all the facets in more than a simple-minded left or right mode.

    One of the really nice things about The Greens over the last couple of years is they have stopped framing issues as Green or not-Green. Instead they have developed policy for each issue taking into account all the relevant factors. In some issues the most important factor is environmental in another issue it might be business or bureaucratic or scientific or social or ...

    And ALL those factors need to be considered and debated and represented in our parliament.

    The simple-minded binary approach shown by John Key in particular is just insulting to every New Zealander whatever their political leanings.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report

  • martinb, in reply to llew40,

    This comes in part from an environment where some journalists print press releases or accept National’s framing without question.

    It’d be interesting to ask those people a follow up question along the lines of what makes the Greens far left.

    Another anecdote- I had a conversation with a young voter with conservative parents who felt obliged to vote the Nats, but the other party that interested him was the Greens.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole, in reply to martinb,

    This comes in part from an environment where some journalists print press releases without question.

    FTFY.
    The practice of churnalism, aka press-release-as-reportage, is not something confined to uncritical repetition of National's releases. It just so happens, though, that National are the ones implementing policy so it's their releases that are mostly worth being regurgitated; often without even being subjected to such journalistic basics as editing for spelling and grammar.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • martinb, in reply to Richard Aston,

    BUT!

    They are business people. All of Epsom and no other electorate in the country!They are hallowed. They have amazing decision making abilities. They could even vote for Winston if necessary! These are not your weak-willed, morally hog-tied professionals, your doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, policemen, firemen and other lily livered public servants!

    "Business people are more accustomed to putting sentiment aside for important decisions."

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11188236

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report

  • martinb, in reply to Matthew Poole,

    I guess that's what I meant.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report

  • Grant McDougall,

    On RNZ Nat's 10 o'clock news last night Colin Craig said he'd have "six MPs, maybe double digits".
    That's the sort of thing you'd say if you thought man never landed on the moon. Er, hang on...

    Dunedin • Since Dec 2006 • 760 posts Report

  • Myles Thomas, in reply to Andre Alessi,

    That's a good point about keeping Winston closer. But I wonder if Labour should declare they will NOT form a coalition with NZFirst. It would certainly destroy NZFirst as any kind of soft vote for change and compel voters to vote Labour/green or national. It'd make Cunliffe look staunch and tough too.

    Auckland • Since Apr 2011 • 130 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Lilith __,

    That’s such BS, though. Labour slid towards the right in the 1980s and remains uneasy about its unionist origins; National has continued to drift rightwards towards wingnut ACT territory. The Greens in general occupy the left where Labour used to be.

    The pattern is just the same in much of the Anglosphere. Tony Abbott, David Cameron, Stephen Harper, whoever gets the GOP nomination in 2016… the orthodoxy will have to collapse under its own weight eventually.

    NZ does stand out, though, for having proportional representation. Australia, to a lesser extent for preferential voting.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • The Ruminator,

    Well kudos to you all. Flame war did not commence like I thought. You're all very mature.

    I have to disagree with a few commenters who think National have "drifted" to the right. Key is fairly centrist. English is small c Conservative. We still have a welfare state. We still have a fairly progressive tax system. This myth that we're a crazy right wing country is just that, a myth.

    Since Apr 2013 • 54 posts Report

  • martinb, in reply to The Ruminator,

    Disagree dude. They are far right (Key more than English perhaps) who take what they can get by stealth. If they thought they could get away with abolishing the welfare system they would.

    They have been tacking to the right in lots of little small chunks, removing rights here and there in little pieces. For example the next thing they are aiming at is tea breaks and meal breaks and your right to have them. Death by 1000 cuts.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2010 • 206 posts Report

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to The Ruminator,

    We still have a welfare state. We still have a fairly progressive tax system.

    So far. It would seem fairly clear that the government is keen to dismantle as much of that as they can get away with. NZ isn't crazy right wing, but the political centre has definitely been pulled right-wards.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Got to give English credit for not slashing welfare in 2009 when they had every opportunity. Still pretty stupid since.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to The Ruminator,

    Well kudos to you all. Flame war did not commence

    Yes. Respec.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Rich Lock, in reply to The Ruminator,

    Flame war did not commence like I thought. You’re all very mature.

    The correct incantation is: 'on my command, unleash hell', not 'flame war: commence.'

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    unleash teh hounds

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Rich Lock,

    Attachment

    The correct incantation...

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • Hebe, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Sometimes we behave better than we want to.

    .

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report

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