Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: God's squads

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  • Matthew Poole,

    I think the campaign against repeal of Section 59 did for it. They became ridiculous in the eyes of mainstream New Zealanders

    Oh really? There are a lot of people out there who view the s59 repeal as a case of pure social meddling, thoroughly ignorant of the kinds of abuses that were being perpetrated with impunity because of its defence. Try and explain, and they start the "But the law change hasn't ended abuse" line. Well, fucking d'uh!

    I wouldn't put s59 down as the demise of Christian fundy-ism here. Too many people out there want s59 gone, and don't give a damn about why it was introduced. They don't beat their kids, so why would it be necessary to change the law? My feeling is that it's more things like the CUB that have worn down the welcome of the fundies. Society hasn't imploded through this "alternative marriage". That the CUB has been pretty much a total non-event in terms of social demise, despite the dire predictions, assists the fundies not in the slightest.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    At the Suffrage Eve debate she started off being very canny but when she realised that the audience was pretty left she completely lost interest and sat there flipping through her policy folder.

    Julie, she was looking for a policy.

    I too am worried about Auckland Central. The Labour campaign has been a shambles.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    And in a shameless plug, I've written about an Act blogger being a total dick at the TVNZ7 Epsom debate

    Act really is a magnet for damaged personalities, isn't it?

    I'll never forget being at a public meeting where Michael Cullen spoke in 1999, and a small Act contingent's heckling turning into outright racism as an older Fijian man spoke. I am slow to anger and never prone to violence, but I really wanted to hit one of them.

    It sometimes surprises me that Hide and Heather Roy aren't ever asked by journalists to own the behaviour of sorry little creeps like Mulholland and Clint Heine, who are, after all, very public party activists.

    Then again, if they chucked all the weirdos out of Act there wouldn't be much of a base left ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Infected by too much time together lately in their cosy lil "blogmobile", surely. The tone of the pimply sniggering teen who fears the girls is coming through loud and clear.

    Arrested adolescence is pretty much endemic in those parts.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I've been out of Auckland for a year, so what are Aucklanders' views on this? A result of gentrification -- the Herne Bay effect -- or dissatisfaction with Tizard? Or both?

    Putting up a serious candidate never hurts -- and unless Nikki Kaye had had a total personality transplant since I knew her she's definitely in the Katherine Rich 'urban liberal' mould, and isn't shy about working damn hard. But I just find it a little hard to believe that Tizzard is so bad that she'd lose Auckland Central, as opposed to losing the party vote and holding on with a wafer thin majority.

    Then again, Selwyn picked three years back that Jim Sutton was going to lose Aoraki (despite a majority of around seven thousand), and lose big (Jo Goodhew's majority ended being slightly larger than his three years earlier) which I was sceptical about. So what the bleep do I know? :)

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

  • Michael Stevens,

    Tizard, my local MP and someone very pleasant to have a chat and a drink with, has been missing in action in the electorate. I think that's why she is under such danger of losing it.

    I was told that she drove down Ponsonby Rd on Saturday "waving like the Queen" from her car. She comes across as too "born to rule" these days. I haven't met anyone who says they're voting for her.

    It's always hard for electorate MPs to balance their local duties with their Wellington ones, but she seems to have been particularly poor at it this last term.

    And her campaign has been a joke.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Any group that gets involved in the political arena has to be treated like a political action committee," said Hansen, 61, a Mormon who lives in Cedar City, Utah, and has stopped going to church. "You can't get involved in politics and say, 'Treat me as a church.

    Someone tell the persecuted few in the Ex. Breth.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • DPF,

    A fair call Russell and others. Unlike the PM, I do do regrets, and I should have left the video alone.

    In my defence I would have done an identical video of John key slipping up, and probably run a caption contest on it. But I should have known that it is a bit different with Clark as it would attract comments that go beyond the pale.

    I also agree some of the comments should have been deleted but to put it mildly I have a severe shortage of time. Think around 20 blog posts in arrears and hundreds of emails. Plus the travel has made it hard to be online - demerits and bans works best when you do them early in a thread.

    Post election I am going to try and get more assistance with some of the editorial/moderation side. The last experiment with moderators didn't work that well but I am going to try something different. Having said that with 12,000 comments a month there is a real limit on how much one can do.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 78 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Could it simply be that Labour and National have rightly cottoned on to the fact that electorates just don't matter squat to them? They only matter to minor parties. Which in practice means there are quite literally only about 10 electorates that matter - the ones which make or break a minor party - Epsom, Tauranga, Dunneland, Andertonville, and all the Maori seats. The rest of us get to choose between getting our candidate locally or on the list.

    I'd still be very surprised if National won Auckland Central. The gentrification has not been through rich people moving to Herne Bay, it's just that the area has got progressively wealthier as time has passed. They're still the same old hippies they always were.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • philipmatthews,

    Good on you, DPF. Now expect a Whale Oil headline along these lines: "Farrar pussies out and reveals self to be a pinko socialist feminazi girlyman."

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2007 • 656 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    A fair call Russell and others. Unlike the PM, I do do regrets, and I should have left the video alone.

    Fair enough, David. I respect you saying so.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    DPF, you need to get off that Winnebago and walk home. Hanging around with Cameron Slater has affected your judgement. You need not have posted the video; once you realised your mistake, you could have deleted the post. Instead, you claim you are overworked. It doesn't wash.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    I think Judith's worried about being pounced on by bands of geeks at this point - wonder if she'll go to foo-camp this year ..... (please make sure she's invited :-)

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Julie Fairey,

    I'd take Farrar's regrets a bit more seriously if the video post wasn't still up on his blog, as of me writing this.

    Puketapapa Mt Roskill, AK… • Since Dec 2007 • 234 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Martin,

    A bit of a hijack, but I see the Standard blog has a video a reader took when he was stopped by a plain-clothes cop after asking a leftwing question to John Key at a campaign event.

    When did this become police proceedure?

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 187 posts Report Reply

  • The ex-expat,

    Thanks for pointing out the west auckland connection.

    Also if I recall correctly, this isn't Jones's first foray into politics. Didn't he back one of the christian parties for a while?

    Auckland • Since May 2008 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • LegBreak,

    Also if I recall correctly, this isn't Jones's first foray into politics. Didn't he back one of the christian parties for a while?

    Yup; can’t remember which one though (and there have been so many)

    Pretty sure this is the first time he’s endorsed a mainstream party though.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1162 posts Report Reply

  • Glenn Pearce,

    Herne Bay may not have "gentrified" any further but many of the surrounding areas Ponsonby, Grey Lynn and Westmere have.
    Lots of families with young children, Westmere experienced highest birth rate in the country the last couple of years I believe.

    Who was it that said the difference between a liberal and a conservative is having a daughter ?

    Hasn't the AK central boundary changed slightly too, or was that last election ?

    Pt Chev now in Mt Albert instead of Ak Central.

    Auckland • Since Feb 2007 • 504 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Who was it that said the difference between a liberal and a conservative is having a daughter ?

    Somebody who was wrong.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    We're in Mt Eden, but electorally speaking, we're in Mt Roskill. I don't really like Goff that much. I know he's a good MP for the large migrant and refugee community that makes up most of the electorate, but I don't know much about him, per se. And who else would I vote for? I wouldn't vote National if my life depended on it - I noticed people holding up Vote National placards at the Mt Albert/Mt Eden rd lights yesterday looking very smug. I almost got out and yelled at them - and I have no idea who any of the other candidates are. Does anyone know? I really almost wish that candidates still did the doorknocking thing. It would at least make elections more informed events, I think.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Hasn't the AK central boundary changed slightly too, or was that last election ?

    Pt Chev now in Mt Albert instead of Ak Central.

    Yup. As of this election, we're no longer Auckland Central, which will have somewhat altered the demographics of that electorate.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    Jones backed Future New Zealand which, nevertheless, had no future.

    I am restraining myself from ranting about the deification of All Blacks. They play Rugby Football very well, that is all. Their political opinion ought not to matter.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Who was it that said the difference between a liberal and a conservative is having a daughter

    Hmm. I preferred the commenter on Pandagon who said "Liberals think a meritocratic society would be a good idea, conservatives think we already have one."

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    __Who was it that said the difference between a liberal and a conservative is having a daughter ?__

    Somebody who was wrong.

    Agreed, but what a tremendous line.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    The Standard's video is here, or, for Flash 9 users, here ...

    I accept the police have a duty to proactively maintain security -- but having your details taken by a plainclothes policeman because you asked the candidate a question is just creepy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

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