Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dirty Politics

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  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Sacha,

    The lag into public polling might take a few weeks..

    Two weeks and six days.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Wish I had said that…

    You will, Oscar. You will.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    “We have maintained a silence closely resembling stupidity!”

    Thanks for the history lesson, really fascinating (didn't know about Neil Roberts, didn't know about the La Paz revolution - I'm young, although I don't think anyone here but the vampires were around in 1809)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    New Whaledump

    Also a couple of tweets from this morning bear repeating:

    Whaledump @whaledump ·
    Have you learnt nothing from #DirtyPolitics? @MatthewHootonNZ has no idea what I plan to do. How could he?

    Whaledump @whaledump ·
    There are no rumours. @MatthewHootonNZ made them up to ratfuck Judith Collins. And those reporting his rumours are helping him.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell,

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Greg Dawson,

    Fang Club

    the La Paz revolution...

    aah the ides of July, 1809,
    I remember Upper Peru well,
    the revolutionaries wore gray,
    she was painted blue....

    ....what a night!
    ;- <

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    I have great conversations with homeless living in cars and campervans that know what our PM is like and express it’s wrong they cant get a benefit without a postal address and don’t vote.

    I've asked the EEC what their position is on getting the homeless enrolled - if it's just getting a postal address (they have published options to get around unnumbered addresses for actual residence) that is the problem, there are options. Even if it's as basic as counter delivery or using the address of somewhere they are known.

    It's just plain wrong for anyone to be disenfranchised by process - it's bad enough when they're disenfranchised by law (hi prisoners!).

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to izogi,

    Is it naive on my part to have an impression that NZ’s public service is actually pretty good, and it’s the political branch which is most susceptible to dodgy practices and conflicts of interest when handling accountability?

    My experiences with the NZ public service are over a decade old, however generally they were good. Individuals were clear about their authorising environment, they acted reasonably with stakeholders, they were open to new approaches and were mostly interested in data/evaluation. Largely, the same is true in Australia. One of key differences, in my experience, is that the Australian public sector is a little more pragmatic and less inclined to closely follow policy 'scripts'.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to John Farrell,

    John Ansell gets involved.

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/08/31/exclusive-deja-vu-all-over-again-john-ansell-confirms-his-participation-in-anti-greens-billboard-campaign/

    Ansell's just desperate for attention. It must be very distressing for him to not be a major part of this drama.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Greg Dawson,

    Thanks for that. I swing by them on Wednesday, I'll pass that on.

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

  • Rob Stowell,

    After an unattractive period of gloating, I'm finding the depth and scale of this mess dispiriting. National deserve to be thrown out of office. If they're not, we'll all struggle to regain our balance, our sense of who we are.
    And we'll be in for 3 years of horrible partisan scrabble.
    But deep down I want National to lose because they've lost the battle of ideas. Instead they seem destined to go down in a muddy clusterf&ck of selfishness and meanness. Inquiries and commissions won't take away the sour taste, the sad waste.

    Whakaraupo • Since Nov 2006 • 2120 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    And we’ll be in for 3 years of horrible partisan scrabble.

    Indeed. The last federal Labor Government in Australia was largely coherent with this description... actually the current federal Lib/National coalition is too...

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Paul Williams,

    actually the current federal Lib/National coalition is too…

    I think you have a "de" in that word that is spoiling the meaning...

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to nzlemming,

    Both are true. Fortunately, they might be a one term event such is their incompetence... so we can have the slightly less useless Labor party back... actually, there's a number of highly competent members in federal Labor, Penny Wong and Tanya Plibersek being two of the standouts.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    A while back I was concerned that if National were to win a third term many people would suspect that the election was somehow rigged. In light of recent events I believe any doubt would now be unlikely.

    Weirdly enough, the last time I heard this tune was in 2005 after Labour narrowly secured a third term. Was the Don Brash impersonation intentional, Steve?

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    I see that APN is being publicly listed...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Ah Craig, blue to the core….

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson,

    I think we can put aside any suggestions of impropriety in the electoral systems until we have, you know, even an inkling that they're in any way compromised.

    Which we don't, and we have lots and lots of other mischief to talk about.

    Nothing to do with being blue.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Ah Craig, blue to the core….

    I wouldn't wish that blokily homoerotic dirge on anyone. Especially as it was specifically written as hold music for the odious John Singleton's ad agency.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Was the Don Brash impersonation intentional, Steve?

    More Samuel Clemens akshully...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    specifically written as hold music for the odious John Singleton’s ad agency.

    Wonderful, if true. A man of Talent 2
    Having done some quick reading up on the guy I think he is one of the lesser odious, a sub group of the same species that includes the Murdoch.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    More Samuel Clemens akshully…

    Twain Peaks?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    I wouldn’t wish that blokily homoerotic dirge on anyone.

    Much as I find Australia, as a society, relatively repugnant*, I actually quite like that song. It is about “Mateship” the whole “standing by your mate” thing doesn’t strike me as homoerotic, some of my best mates are women and I value friendship above all else and I do like a good singalong. ;-)

    * Mainly for the inherent racism, it’s bad enough when you treat the indigenous people worse than animals but to compound that with the White Australia policy should make one ashamed to be called an Australian.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Twain Peaks?

    Indeed. The quote I was building from was...
    "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
    Or "It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt."
    Attributed to both Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln, the fact of the matter is that both quotes are corruptions of a Biblical passage...
    "Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding." Proverbs 17:28.

    The only memorable quote I recall from Don Brash is "Gone by lunchtime"
    Oh the Irony... it burns...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Having done some quick reading up on the guy I think he is one of the lesser odious, a sub group of the same species that includes the Murdoch.

    Singo, as he's affectionately known, and the likes of Alan Jones are the most unappealing face of Australian intolerance (and why Paul Henry didn't last over here, he's not nearly offensive enough to foot it with their like).

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

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