Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Gushing for Auckland

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  • Tom Semmens,

    And if Edwards was an employee of mine, I'd be having a free and frank exchange of views on how on-line bitching about co-workers can be injurious to your continued employment.

    As our friend Garth some illuminatingly illustrates, one of the advantages of being a septuagenarian is he doesn't have to give a damn.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    As our friend Garth some illuminatingly illustrates, one of the advantages of being a septuagenarian is he doesn't have to give a damn.

    Heh... I think Judy would beg to differ if she found her business and home on the line because her husband injudiciously found himself on the thick end of a defamation settlement. :)

    And, hell, out of all the things you can righteously slap Duncan Garner around for, Edwards couldn't do better than digging up what boils down to a pretty rancid nugget of media goss?

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

  • andin,

    Well you're no fun ...

    Quite right I'm not. When it comes to those who can make decisions that affect the place where I live, and all that is going on is runny mouth, attempts at internecine bitchslapping, and dodgy deals.
    And I see Craig has bought up his serious catholicism again. Isn't there a cure for that? Haha just joking Craigy baby.

    But, hey, in my off duty hours .........woohooo.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    And I see Craig has bought up his serious catholicism again. Isn't there a cure for that? Haha just joking Craigy baby.

    I'm a big boy, I can handle it. :) But I'm not joking at all in saying this is playing unholy havoc with my blood pressure.

    On Saturday Vatican officials compared the raids and investigation into allegations of child sex abuse with the treatment of the Church under communist rule.

    Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, described the detention of priests "serious and unbelievable".

    "There are no precedents, not even under the old communist regimes," he said.

    Oh, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

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

  • Richard Aston,

    Banks or Brown , Banks or Brown not enough choice for me.

    Maybe I am delusional or naively optimistic but I'm still hoping for a third person to step into the super mayor ring , who might it be ?
    How about Michelle Cullen, Helen Clarke - hey if Jim Anderson can do two jobs surely Helen can.

    There must be a serious outsider out there, somewhere. somehow .
    Actually probably not Labour people , I've heard from some ex politicians that the Labour party is firmly shutting down any contenders from the left in an attempt to keep Browns vote in place.

    Northland • Since Nov 2006 • 510 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    , I've heard from some ex politicians that the Labour party is firmly shutting down any contenders from the left in an attempt to keep Browns vote in place.

    I think it's pretty much an open secret that's exactly what the Labour machine want, but riddle me this gentle readers:

    Who exactly decided that Brown and Banks were the queens of two clashing Borg collectives known as "The Left" and "The Right"? (I must have missed the VRWC coven meeting where Banks was anointed with a tiara carved from a baby skull.) Seems a teeny tad previous, to me.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    Seems a teeny tad previous, to me.

    Yes yes, we live in a post-ideological world. Sure. And Banks doesn't happen to be the former minister of police of a national government, with current backing by councillors of various centre-right party affiliation. And Len Brown is not a liberal leftie. Happy now?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Banks doesn't happen to be the former minister of police of a national government

    But he was Minister of Police for a National government. What a coincidence.

    I'll get my coat.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yes yes, we live in a post-ideological world. Sure. And Banks doesn't happen to be the former minister of police of a national government, with current backing by councillors of various centre-right party affiliation. And Len Brown is not a liberal leftie. Happy now?

    If you'd like to de-snark a little bit, Gio, if Labour (or National for that matter) wants to select who stands for Mayor in my city they're perfectly free to openly select candidates, run a ticket and take their chances. Having the backroom boys monstering other candidates into giving their sock puppets a clear run? Not happy at all..

    I know there's a certain class of political activist who regards actual elections as an impertinent imposition, and voters as retarded numpties who can't really be trusted, but they get on my last nerve. And you know something, if Len Brown narrowly beats Banks, who would have won if the right-leaning vote hadn't been "split"? TOO FUCKING BAD -- as long as we only require a plurality to elect mayors instead of an absolute majority I'll live.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    Brown is not a sock-puppet. He's a politician of long standing and experience. If elected, I very much doubt he would be taking directives from Labour. So what's your problem exactly with Labour deciding not to run a candidate against him and split the liberal vote?

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • recordari,

    Quite. Perhaps we're ready now for some, like, issues.

    The eternal optimist ;-)

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    So what's your problem exactly with Labour deciding not to run a candidate against him and split the liberal vote?

    Before I go into the interpretive dance portion of the programme, I don't give a shit what Labour does or doesn't do -- including coming out and openly endorsing Brown. But Labour is not "the left" any more than National is "the right", as plenty of Greens and ACT supporters will patiently man-splain to you at great length.

    For that matter, I don't think Banks would be taking dictation from Key and Rodney Hide either, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be seriously pissed off if it came out the National Party was pressuring anyone not to stand and risk splitting the right-vote. It's just fucking arrogant and sneaky. If political parties want to get involved in local body politics, they should do so openly then back off and let us stupid peasants make up our own minds as we see fit. If a million odd voters don't obligingly conform to their strategic interests of the Labour and National Parties, tough titty.

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

  • giovanni tiso,

    But Labour is not "the left" any more than National is "the right", as plenty of Greens and ACT supporters will patiently man-splain to you at great length.

    If only you could use the expression "man-splain" more often... it's so non-irritating and uncondescending.

    Labour broadly speaking is a party of the Left. So are the Greens, the Alliance, etc. I think they are all entitled to evaluate the candidates who have put their names forward and decide for themselves whether they think they should push for a candidacy of their own, endorse an existing candidate, encourage their supporters to canvas for an independent, and, yes, point out to people who might be thinking of running that it might be strategically stupid and that they shouldn't count on the party's support if they decide to go ahead with it. They're all legitimate options, and it's also a pretty common way for local politics to differ from national politics in a bunch of countries.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Firstly, it might be wise not to get too outraged about a single item of hearsay.

    But I wouldn't be remotely surprised if Labour in Auckland was encouraging members not to split the centre-left (or A.B.B.) vote --- or if the centre-right parties weren't looking to put up a candidate against Banks.

    It's pretty evident that the only candidate likely to take core votes away from Banks is Colin Craig, and he's a loose cannon, not a party guy.

    That's not to say that Brown is the Labour candidate. I don't think he is -- let alone that he's a "sock puppet". But he is the candidate from Manukau, where Labour is still strong, he will work with City Vision, which is a Labour-Green grouping, and his campaign manager is Labour electorate candidate Conor Roberts, who ran David Shearer's successful campaign in Mt Albert.

    By the same token, you'll find many Act and National people in Banks' team, and Banks' links with National are hardly a secret. Check the guest list for his 2007 victory party.

    These are natural alignments. I don't think it's " fucking arrogant and sneaky", it's realistic and unsurprising.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Labour broadly speaking is a party of the Left. So are the Greens, the Alliance, etc.

    As I noted, they already co-operate, more or less, at the local body level, via City Vision. It's hardly a secret which candidate City Vision supports.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    That's not to say that Brown is the Labour candidate.

    No, and I have to spank myself for using a derogatory term like "sock puppet" in reference to Brown and Banks. Well out of order, young man. :)

    These are natural alignments. I don't think it's " fucking arrogant and sneaky", it's realistic and unsurprising.

    Could you take it on faith that I'd be severely underwhelmed to find out that Key or any senior figure in the Auckland National Party organisation had been quietly *cough* discouraging any potential vote-splitter on the right from standing against Banks? It would be unsurpising, but in management-speak not the most useful of interventions, long-term. Voters don't take at all kindly to the idea that their electoral choices are being stitched up by the backroom boys, as someone who saw close up how Bolger's "electoral accommodations" (and cluster-fucking his own candidate literally at the last minute) destroyed National in Wellington Central. I know people who still have neither forgiven nor forgotten what happened to Mark Thomas.

    And just on the QT, you'd be quite surprised to know how many National/ACT would rather submit to a gravel-and-barbed wire enema than lift a finger to help Banks. Funny old world...

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

  • Steve Barnes,

    C'mon man jesus isn't all bad.

    His policy of free kai moana and bread for all wouldn't go down well with the aspirational middle class.

    The whole wine from water thing might upset the powerful anti-liquor vote,

    And buggered are the Café owners, come to think of it throw in the telephone sanitisers, stick them all on the B Ark and were ready for the second coming.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    Quite. Perhaps we're ready now for some, like, issues.

    Ready when they are.
    Quick... while Craig's (sp)anking himself.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    On a slight tangent, Russell, you might want to have a chat with Simon Wilson after the taping tomorrow night. His take on the super-mayoral landscape is fascinating, counter-intuitive (he made a pretty convincing case to me that the Shore may vote National but shouldn't be considered an easy lock for Banks) and contains sobering food for thought for both candidates. Being parochial for a moment, I don't think either of them have shown any kind of firm grip on, or even much interest in, local issues north of the Harbour Bridge and neither can afford to be that complacent.

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

  • andin,

    Len's website isnt doing much for me so far.
    E.g."Auckland’s inability to agree is notorious. In Wellington and elsewhere, it’s known as the “Auckland disease”."
    Eh?
    The NZH tells me very little.
    Thanks for nothing. I'd like to find out about Ewan's record tho. And Colin Craig should take his money and go somewhere else.

    And the ACC website yes well. Someone's working on it.... I'm sure.

    And John Banks he's a show pony always has been, even since Avondale College.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Len's website isnt doing much for me so far.

    I don't know if I can vote for a guy who won't properly punctuate even the title of his own blog. ;)

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Being parochial for a moment, I don't think either of them have shown any kind of firm grip on, or even much interest in, local issues north of the Harbour Bridge and neither can afford to be that complacent.

    For sure. I think the Shore is a bit of a mystery to both candidates, which adds an interesting note of uncertainty to everything.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    In Wellington and elsewhere, it’s known as the “Auckland disease”."

    And in Auckland it is known as the "Wellington Disease."

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    In Palmerston North it is known as the "Napier syndrome".

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    It's such a complicated disease.

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

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