the Civil war never ended for them

Also, you people always end up having interesting conversations while I'm on holiday! Sort it out please.

LOL so now Fran O'Sullivan is looking at the Grand Coalition option

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Fran have a template of this column save on her laptop and she changes the names and shuffles a few paragraphs every three years? A Grand Coalition is…

Not sure if I'm that happy to be in agreement with a die-hard Nat like her, but it makes me curious. I guess she also fears another weak coalition at this time.

It's only survived from it's inception (describing where various nobles stood in a King's court) because it changes definition continually.

Firstly, `left' and `right' (droit and gauche) derive from the French Revolutionary Assembly — you know, the one that cut the King's head off?

I'm also pretty sure that the…

Speaking as a person of the left, that's a bunch of crap. The distinctions between left wing parties (the Alliance, Greens) and right wing parties (Act, Libertarians) are pretty fundamental, both in practicalities and philosophies.

We aren't talking about the minor parties. They would not be in a grand coalition.…

I'm not so sure. I've read a reasonable amount of analysis that suggests one of the reasons Clinton was hounded so relentlessly over his indiscretions was because a lot of powerful neocon republicans simply could not accept a Dem in the oval office.

Just as there are far too many…

The only potential for it to work would be in a time of national crisis – war or major economic meltdown, where one or both parties agree to drop their oppositional status and work together.

In the case of Germany that's clearly totally untrue since they were not facing any…

Tom, sure can explain. It's pretty simple – the differences between Labour and National are a lot smaller in many cases than their differences to the other parties.

Like Tom said, there are philosophical differences. While the practicalities between the two parties might be relatively close to each other, in…

The GOP don't need piles of visible cash to pull this off, it is entrenched (there's that word again) in the mindset of republican supporters, they really believe that the country belongs to them, the Civil war never ended for them.

Steve: You're talking the piss, aren't you? I'd disrespectfully…

Can you explain to me why these two statements of yours are not mutually contradictory?

"...I don't see a grand coalition as bizarre. What is bizarre is the refusal to accept the idea, to insist on party politics unto the death..."

"...What's hard about the idea that they…

Even as he was speaking, however, residents of Alaska, where Mrs Palin is Governor, were awaking to find that the state's largest newspaper, the Anchorage Daily News had endorsed the Obama-Biden ticket.

Man. Wheels are really coming off the straight talking bus aren't they.

You can make arguments either way, but it is, however, less proportionate. Party X gets 50% of the vote – in a 120 seat Parliament you expect them to get 60 seats, with a 4 seat "overhang", operating this way they'd get 58 seats.

The difference to proportionality isn't too…

No. It means nobody gave McCain the briefing book containing the factoid that denial is a river in d'Egypt. Breath deep and repeat after me, Steve: Cock up trumps conspiracy, moron trumps malice.

And Diebold trumps them all, if it wants to. But we'll just have to wait and see…

Seriously, the McCain-Palin campaign (and the GOP in general) is in such a state — and so short of money — I don't think they'd be capable of rigging a chook raffle by buying all the tickets. I'd hardly expect McCain to admit he's already lubing his arse, and…

I don't know about your inclusion of Laws in that list. Rat cunning he might have, analytical skills he doesn't.

I should have written "as well as others who are smart enough to know better." Seriously, someone needs to take Brian Rudman out behind the barn and send him to…

Incidentally, this statement:

but I can tell you it certainly did long-term damage to the National…

In that other election does this mean The Fix is Already in?

No. It means nobody gave McCain the briefing book containing the factoid that denial is a river in d'Egypt. Breath deep and repeat after me, Steve: Cock up trumps conspiracy, moron trumps malice.

Which may not be such a bad thing for them. A Maori Party veto on policy, anyone?

Certainly wouldn't, but the notion sure seems to causing the mental equivalent of an ice cream head ache among the likes of Brian Rudman, Chris Trotter, Michael Laws and others who are actually…

> So I can only conclude that wasted votes are an intended consequence of the current system.

Not really. The Royal Commission report recommended a threshold of 4% (now 5%) to avoid a large number of small parties in parliament

Since a large number of parties stand and are…

BTW, if entrenching the Maori seats really is an absolute, unmovable bottom line for the Maori Party, it looks like they've relegated themselves to the cross-benches:

Which may not be such a bad thing for them. A Maori Party veto on policy, anyone?

Anycock, John Key has said "National's plan to help people who lose their jobs because…

To me when they figure it out, they should take 120, remove the overhang MPs from the number, and then proportionalise the remainder. So your party vote might figure out 115 MPs, and then the overhangs are the other 5.

It would still be very likely to be proportional, but…

I do however think the floating number of MPs that we have, based on the possibilities of overhangs, bizarre.

Currently we use the party list votes to proportionalise parliament up to 120 MPs, and then we have overhangs on top of that.

If…

Labour won't entrench the Maori seats but it says it will continue to support the Maori Electoral Option which controls the number of those electorates.

…

So I can only conclude that wasted votes are an intended consequence of the current system.

Not really. The Royal Commission report recommended a threshold of 4% (now 5%) to avoid a large number of small parties in parliament

2.163 There is a danger that a proliferation…

so. we make the number of electorates X/2 where X is the number of seats and allow X/2 number of list seats
One seat is equal to 2(X/100) and the cut off is 2%.
Does that work?

not really (you're not talking about getting rid MMP are you – those…

Steve – doesn't quite work like that – the list seats are top-ups:

so. we make the number of electorates X/2 where X is the number of seats and allow X/2 number of list seats
One seat is equal to 2(X/100) and the cut off is 2%.
Does that work?

Well clearly the lowest the threshold can be is 1/120th of the total party vote, since there are 120 seats. Any lower would make no sense.

It depends what you think a threshold is. A legal threshold (which we currently have) is the minimum level of support a party needs…

It would certainly mean more parties would get in, including plenty of nutjobs. But there…

Who would they loose power to?

Other parties at any election. Of course if they do actually go fascist there wouldn't be any elections but I can't see that happening – why would they need to do that if they were getting voted in anyway, not to mention that it…

[Assume no threshold]

Get 1 electorate seat, and 1% of the vote. 1% of 100 seats is 1 seat – you've already got a seat so you don't get a list seat.

Get no electorate seats, and…

Labour's hopes rest now on some cataclysmic occurrence, an event resounding enough to shatter the current template.

So they are suggesting…

If there were no threshold where is the cut-off point?
If someone gets just one vote they get a seat? of course not, it would be like getting rid of parliament all together and we don't do anything until the majority of the country agrees. There has to be some…

Ahh, Grand Coalition...

[....]
On one hand it would put an end to the constant bickering and endless accusations of corruption and skulduggery in an effort to bring down the government of the day in order to gain power but how would it prevent cronyism and blatant abuse of power?…

It would end up as being a small cabal of "people of influence" running the country with little or no input from society as a whole, let your imagination run riot with that concept.

More of the status quo, then?

Seriously, the idea of representatives not being in big blocs…

Dunne says he has not told Labour leader Helen Clark of the decision, and nor will he stand down from his current post as Minister of Revenue.

Man of principle,…

As for coalition wrangling, the one partnership that is always ruled out seems to me one of the most natural – Labour and National.

Ahh, Grand Coalition.
I think the problem with this is the population of the country maybe too small for such a thing and then it really…

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=L38wthA4Ld0

And yes – somewhat ironic that McCain has done rather well out of the sponsors of the commercials.

Enjoy.

http://nz.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq8Uc5BFogE

The size of the overhand

what a lovely eggcorn. An overhang is like an overhand – the punch that everyone sees coming but few can ever stop.

Not any more. They used to not vote on stuff, and then cast a casting vote. Now they vote on everything, and don't get a casting vote.

Since MMP, and the changes to standing orders that followed, a tied vote is a lost vote.

OK, thanks Graeme. I do remember…

Which makes me wonder what happens when parliament is tied in a vote. The speaker doesn't vote do they?

Not any more. They used to not vote on stuff, and then cast a casting vote. Now they vote on everything, and don't get a casting vote.

Since MMP, and the…

No – someone would have to agree to support both sides for that to happen.

Hmm. Yes true. Which makes me wonder what happens when parliament is tied in a vote. The speaker doesn't vote do they?

Or, support one side, abstain on the other could work. (ie, support a…

opposing regulation of a lot of risky instruments

Worse – wasn't he a cheerleader of stripping regulation that had been put in place to stop the same entirely predictable corruption after the 1930s Depression?

"If I let this go ahead will you promise I'll never see him ballroom dancing again?"

Heh. :)

Meanwhile: is Alan Greenspan losing his religion?

Hardly. It reminds me totally of Robert McNamara's Mea Culpa in Fog of War in which he totally misses the point at every turn and the most guilt he can possibly concede over Vietnam was that it was handled badly. The idea that…

it's unlikely that there could be two blocks that fulfil that, unless a party agreed to abstain on confidence for both sides.

No – someone would have to agree to support both sides for that to happen.

So what happens if no one can twist enough arms and two blocks approach the GG wanting form a minority govt? first come first served? largest block? the GG makes a call on stability? or whim?

Well a minority government has to have the confidence of the house, which requires…

Or are there other things we should be focusing on?

The Herald's problem is that it has focused for most of the year on things that are now looking relatively trivial.

Otherwise, why do I think there's a lot of ground being laid here for a great fit of "APN stole the election" sulking if (horrors of horrors) the Government does actually change. And before you get that upset, Russell, I'm not looking at you while I'm saying that.

I should…

Recapping a previous post by Rich of Obz, I'd be interested to find out how far such a line can be pushed, before they find themselves at the wrong end of a Weapon of Mass Trustbusting?

Of course, Red, it's always a good look when governments decide to cluster fuck…

Personally, I think they're really pushing the line, and not in a good way.

Personally, Russell, I think you should lay a complaint with the Press Council and argue that the Herald's readers are fucking morons. Otherwise, why do I think there's a lot of ground being laid here for…

Was it this one?

The photo of Rochelle holding a laptop is priceless ("See, I used one of these...").

It is no coincidence that all post-election negotiations under MMP have produced Governments led by the first past the post.

The article notes below that we have had, a couple of times, the government formed by the party that got less of the popular vote. Now…

Would it be possible for me to have a word with the Italian expert in your department? Or you could slap him or her on the thighs very hard on my behalf, I'm really not that fussed.

Oh he desperately loves Italy, goes there every year and has a wonderful…

The fake Labour billboard that takes up half the front page of today's feature section is very weird too. You really have to look for the tiny line of text that says it's a "digitally altered image", and I suspect most people won't do that.

Was it this one?

Personally,…

But you're really telling me that if Don Brash has somehow cooked up a National-ACT-United Future-New Zealand First harem of inconvenience, it would have taken with perfect equaminity in these parts? Tui billboard time.

Don't presume upon my thoughts, Craig. On the basis of their undertakings going into the 2005…

Their editorial writers really are channelling David Farrar far to much these days.

The fake Labour billboard that takes up half the front page of today's feature section is very weird too. You really have to look for the tiny line of text that says it's a "digitally altered image",…

And could someone remind me what the Greens "bottom lines" are again? It seems to me that assuming the Greens are Labour's reliable allies are as ill-founded wishful thinking as that equally fatuous Herald editorial.

I really can't grasp what you're saying. The Greens have:

(a) Ruled out a coalition…

I have always thought the biggest threat to the left's current natural hegemony is a Federated Farmers Party led by Bill English, in coalition with an urban liberal National Party.

Sounds rather like a local version of the National Party of Australia, formerly the Country Party, aka the little caboose…

National's biggest problem is they havn't split apart yet, so they lack a proper conservative coalition partner. ACT is a cargo cult collection of fringe merchants who frigten little children.

What the right needs…

Saturday: Declare any other result but a National victory is just cause for rioting by angry white people.

Sunday: Publish a map of handy grassy knolls in case Helen Clark wins???

That editorial today is kinda wierd, they seem to be saying that unless National win they'll…

But you're really telling me that if Don Brash has somehow cooked up a National-ACT-United Future-New Zealand First harem of inconvenience, it would have taken with perfect equaminity in these parts? Tui billboard…

It's a fairly astonishing piece of work which appears to suggest that Labour should decline to form a government, even if it has the numbers, because that wouldn't be fair.

Oh, come on Russell... I did find that editorial somewhat unconvincing (then again, I seems have a little more faith…

Around 80 per cent of them vote National or Labour and when they go to the polling booth they believe they are choosing a Government.

It would appear that around 80 per cent of New Zealanders have no idea how MMP works.

I don't think it has anything to do with the press, really.

Oh, sure it does. I guess the flirtation with being focused on policy rather than using polls to game coalitions was too good to last (and all it took was the global economy having its 19th Nervous Breakdown),…

Doubtless the discontent would be no more serious now if power went to the second and third parties past the post. But it is clearly not what most voters want or believe should happen. Around 80 per cent of them…

Well, ballocks, Russell. I know Duncan Garner doesn't actually like subtleties unless they're covered in melted cheese, but what does "if possible" mean.

Those were my words — I meant "if there are enough votes to attempt to form a government and there's no real showstopping reason not to".

Why…

mho, the 5% threshold is too high.
one vote out of every 20 electorate votes cast.
that is a huge barrier and denies people legitimate representation of their views.

I dunno. There is a rate of mental illness in society (whatever it is) that perhaps we need to…

Italy had a long, semi-continuous, stable government with the Christian Democrats in power between 1946 and 1992. Beat that with a stick (I know I felt like it).

Giovanni, you'd know the history of your country ten times better than I would.

But I did a 1st year history essay…

i suggest halving it AND only giving an exemption for parties that win TWO electorates.

I was thinking along the same lines myself.

Also, are there anything problems with avoiding overhangs by reducing the total number of seats available by the seats that would otherwise overhang,…

though while we should be proud of our democracy we shouldn't be complacent about it,

Certainly not, but a little bit of perspective and temperance doesn't hurt either. I've quoted Shaw's observation that newspapers seem incapable of distinguishing between a bicycle accident and the end of civilization. And, sorry Jeremy,…

i suggest halving it AND only giving an exemption for parties that win TWO electorates. this one-seat business is particularly crappy.…

Send me a picture; maybe I could buy one.

Don't let Rob hear you say that.. :)

though while we should be proud of our democracy we shouldn't be complacent about it, there's still a lot to debate about and with alan greenspan kind of leaving the church today ,how we run our…

I remember that march; it was fun (thanks for organising it, BTW)

It was, rather, wasn't it? The Scoop release has the text of Tze Ming's speech in front of Parliament, I never realised that. Like a guest post from the past.

I don't sell them, so all you can get a cut of are the expenses. So yes please!

Send me a picture; maybe I could buy one.

Oh, but it's been done. Do we even still bother? I guess we ought to, seen as they keep at it...

I remember…

You're making T-shirts out of my comments?
Hey, do I get a cut?

I don't sell them, so all you can get a cut of are the expenses. So yes please!

Speaking of which, they're having their "flag day" in Wellington tomorrow. Feel free to go along and tell them…

Is the National Front, that can't compete at the city council level and wouldn't muster an MP regardless of the threshold?

Speaking of which, they're having their "flag day" in Wellington tomorrow. Feel free to go along and tell them what you think of them and their hateful version of…

Hey, do I get a cut?

Finally, democracy isn't about "good governance" – it's about our governance. It should not be constrained simply in order to limit policy discussion to options you are comfortable with.

...and I/S make me fire up the T-shirt printer again. You're costing me a small fortune in ink, mate.

The Netherlands is a very prosperous and racially homogenous nation. What makes you think New Zealand's political culture would resemble the Netherlands and not that of Israel?

Because that's very much how its turning out? Look at the way our Parliament has operated over the past nine years -…

New Zealand is a society that is way more politically polarised than we care to admit.

Tom: That reminds me of the hand-wringing post-election punditry about how 'polarised' New Zealand was. Oh, fuck-nuts, you mean we had a peaceful but finely balanced general election that didn't result in mass bloodshed,…

The Netherlands is a very prosperous and racially homogenous nation.

Um, we're a very prosperous nation too, and we're not much less racially homogeneous than the Netherlands.

We're also not occupying an armed and angry group of territories, and no New Zealand Prime Minister has died of non-natural causes whilst…

Given that the Greens have ruled out a coalition with National and expressed a desire to support a Labour government if possible, I don't think anyone's being overly presumptuous.

Well, ballocks, Russell. I know Duncan Garner doesn't actually like subtleties unless they're covered in melted cheese, but what does "if…

New Zealand is a society that is way more politically polarised than we care to admit. Doing away with the threshold assumes a level of economic, political and social homogenity we simply don't have, and the 5% threshold keeps in check some of the more extremist ends of our…

should i ask for my vote back?
;)

Therefore 51% would definitely mean majority rule. Maori seats would remain?

Not if you're getting rid of electorates entirely. But in a list-only system, you can guarantee maori representation without affecting overall proportionality by using a Maori list.

Low or no thresholds are what allowed Hitler into goverment

People keep saying this, but its simply not true. Look at their election performance. The Nazi Party gained 6.5% in its first election in 1924. it was in the doldrums for a few years after that, but it gained 18.3%…

Low or no thresholds are what allowed Hitler into goverment and brought endlessly unstable governments to places like Italy...

Pant, pant... uhf... sorry, I was in the attic, shifting some boxes.
Anyways, no, that's a myth. Italy had a long, semi-continuous, stable government with the Christian Democrats in power between…

I was just tangentially advocating ditching or minimising the threshold and leaving everything else untouched.

Low or no thresholds are what allowed Hitler into goverment and brought endlessly unstable governments to places like Italy an Israel. The reason for setting a 5% threshhold like Germany's was that that had delivered…

Then again, perhaps he's prepared to burn credibility if that's what takes to be PM.

I'm holding out for "quincunx".

A word you need to take care to pronounce very carefully; unless you're Matthew Hooton, in which case you'd relish the opportunity to mispronounce it in public repeatedly.

Giovanni: pentacoalition? I'm holding out for "quincunx".

Heh. But seriously, we had the Pentapartito in Italy for several terms (Christian Democrats, Socialists – don't ask – Liberals, Republicans, Social Democrats), and it was fun fun fun. One summer they even formed a hydra that they themselves called "monocolore frastagliato" -…

But, that aside, I don't think he deserves to win, after being utterly useless for the first two and a bit years of the Parliamentary term. He sure sprang back to life in the second…

I guess I was thinking specifically in terms of what has…

Oh, and if NZF make it over, its probably curtains for National.

As NZ First gets "quasi-cleared" by the privileges committee and the SFO, in hindsight Key's decision could be looking more and more interesting.

Morally he'll probably always be seen as right, however if NZF do make it in,…

The idea that any party that reaches over 50% of the vote can be kept out by a group of small parties is one I have real ethical difficulty with.

Why? I don't get it. If the right wing gets 60 seats and the left wing gets 61...

For example,…

If the situation arose I'd think the Maori party would be well advised to extract what they can from the bigger block for an abstention.

I agree (and the same applies to Peter Dunne, of course). I'd rather not see an overhang significantly affect the outcome.

As for capping Parliament,…

Speaking to reporters in Greymouth this morning, Mr Key said voters should be wary of a coalition government that could include Labour, the Progressives, the Greens, New Zealand First and the Maori Party.

Interesting, and possibly deliberate omission by Key there.

I think I can hear someone at the Backbencher…

Are what we are seeing in this Herald editorial and recent chatter about overhangs the first salvos of a campaign to deligitimise the possible LPGUFNZFMPWhatever governing arrangement that might pip them to the post?

First salvoes? Dude, they were talking like this after the last election already.

Why? I don't get it. If the right wing gets 60 seats and the left wing gets 61, who cares if the former is made up of one or two parties and latter is made up of three or four?

Correct – you don't get it. The point here is…

Talk about profile building in the export markets – the Japanese would be all over it.

If "more than half of people vote for a government", they will get it.

Every realistic scenario shows this. And National know it.

http://www.elections.org.nz/calculator/index.html

Do [New Zealanders] want to put in a National government with a fresh view that will work going in one direction with a small group of parties, or do they want a potentially five-headed monster?

And do what, renounce the opportunity to use the word "penta-coalition"? That's just crazy talk.

IIt feels to me like a preemptive cry of "Stabbed in the back".

Why? I don't get it.

Something to with fairness, having governments represent the will of the people. Which is seen to be undermined when more than half of people vote for a government only for the minority to impose a government unwanted by the majority.

Quite what this has to…

"Do [New Zealanders] want to put in a National government with a fresh…

And on the Bloomberg site, does anyone else share my distaste for their universal use of ``…

Could not agree more. It's how our voting system works.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the current government is a coalition between Labour and the Progressives, with…

The idea that any party that reaches over 50% of the vote can be kept out by a group of small parties is one I have real ethical difficulty with.

Why? I don't get it. If the right wing gets 60 seats and the left wing gets 61, who cares…

Surely, these voters can see through this vote-grabbing exercise?…

Do you mean votes cast, or votes counted?

It is almost impossible for National to miss out if they get 50% of votes cast.

"Votes counted" brings up the issue of wasted votes, as previously mentioned. That must be more undemocratic, surely.

The idea that any party that reaches over 50% of the vote can be kept out by a group of small parties is one I have real ethical difficulty with.

Maybe they need to make a bigger effort to make friends then, so that they will have someone to play…

The Herald's editorial this morning says that failng "some cataclysmic occurrence, an event resounding enough to shatter the current template", the 2008 general election is over and National has won.

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding of MMP around. Even Mary Wilson, last night questioned the 'morality' of…

One of the reasons we went away from FPP was that it was widely perceived as scandalous & unethical that Labour could gain more votes than national and still not gain the seats to govern.

The idea that any party that reaches over 50% of the…

Knowing that Richard Worth is meant to lose, and that he knows, his opponents know, everyone knows, but in Epsom they still go through the charade of an election, in which __every party except ACT wants you to vote for…

Duncan Garner: SHOCK NEWS, LEADING GREENS CANDIDATE REVERSES COALITION POSITION. FILM AT 11!

Heh. Whoops. Yeah, I meant "have ruled out support of National" as Mark surmised.

Given the way they've also explicitly politicised the Super Fund, I'd think some National voters might be concerned too

It depends how they…

Not perfect, but jolly well good enough to be part of a democratic system.

Quite. Thus, a party with 5% of the vote gets several seats, while one with 4.9% (and no constituency win) gets nothing. It's not just overhang that will get you some skewing.

With the passing of Sir Ed, Sir Bob has ascended to the hallowed post of National Curmudgeon.

I am astounded you would put the two names in the same sentence. When was Sir Ed a curmudgeon?

Given the way they've also explicitly politicised the Super Fund, I'd think some National voters might be concerned too.

Like me.
I was leaning their way up to a couple of weeks ago. Kiwisaver + R&D + SuperFund + No Parole + Pharmac has removed that option for me.

I'd love to be a party to the phone call where Key asked him for coalition support ...

"Hello Winston. I need someone to close the FTA deal with the USA. I wonder if you have anyone in mind?"

I think that would do it...

If any party ends up with over 50% of the vote but can't form the govt due to the overhang I am going to be extremely pissed off.

I wrote a long post about the Maori seats a couple of days ago, for the Australian blog Larvatus Prodeo, where Idiot…

Remind me again why he supposed to be revered?

With the passing of Sir Ed, Sir Bob has ascended to the hallowed post of National Curmudgeon.

(With strong competition from Sirs Brian Lochore & Colin Meads).

If any party ends up with over 50% of the vote but can't form the govt due to the overhang I am going to be extremely pissed off.

What if part of the overhang wants to help form the government – i.e. Peter Dunne? Should he resign his seat if…

WRT to the NZFirst decision, does this mean that Key can form a coalition with them now? I seem to remember an "out" clause in his original statement seeming to rule on that option.

I'd love to be a party to the phone call where Key asked him for coalition…

If this is an example of how they are going to govern ...

Well, yeah. Given the way they've also explicitly politicised the Super Fund, I'd think some National voters might be concerned too.

Then,…

I, for one, would be shouting "corruption!", "conflict of interest!" and/or "technical breach!" from the highest towers in the land.

And seems rather unclear on the notion that Labour and the Greens are actually two different parties, and Labour would be exceedingly foolish to take the Greens for granted.

Given that the Greens have ruled out a coalition with National and expressed a desire to support a Labour government if possible,…

then I'm even happier that the Greens have come out in support of National.

I'm thinking you meant "have ruled out support of National"?

then I'm even happier that the Greens have come out in support of National.

Duncan Garner: SHOCK NEWS, LEADING GREENS CANDIDATE REVERSES COALITION POSITION. FILM AT 11!

=P

Strangely, he announces his 'donation' of said fees to the Remuera Rackets Club, which then goes to fund a woman ( half his age) who some have said he…

It might just be me, but I find the Herceptin comment the most distasteful and cynical ploy National has pulled this election.

Yeah, it struck me as naked votegrabbing. Even the oncologist on morning report called it "the right decision, made for the wrong reasons". And I got the impression…

And if Rodney Hide is totally okay with the commission's finding that Act failed to declare $20,000 worth of office space donated to its Parliamentary wing by Bob Jones, why didn't he front up on Morning Report today and say so?

Bob Jones blatantly colluding with ACT over the Peter's…

"People always think it's like Lord of the Rings",

Of course they do – it's the fault of that poster in Murray's office on Flight of the Conchords:

New Zealand: Like Lord of the Rings

So presumably the Govt just needs to "notify" them that treating using Herceptin is an objective or put something specific in the funding agreement about it.

I'd be interested in how this works in practice, but to me "Herceptin" isn't an outcome.