Hard News: Little pieces of a big picture
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According to Bomber over at Tumeke, Key has categorically ruled out any government/EQC money for uninsured households in Christchurch.
Assuming he is correct, was that a "carefully spelled out" position from the PM or an off the cuff response to a media question?
Or, heavens forfend, perhaps the Prime Minister didn't want to write cheques at a presser that he couldn't actually deliver on? I know Key is the anti-Christ to Bomber, but it might actually be more helpful to make a reasoned assessment of what the situation is and respond accordingly.
Stopped being funny a long time ago, if he ever was. Would media even bother reporting his demented ravings if daddy weren't so highly placed in blue circles?
Sacha: With all due disrespect, I move in slightly more elevated "blue circles" than you do, and Slater is regarded as a rather sad embarrassment. The problem is that, contrary to popular opinion, the National Party doesn't have jackbooted stormtroopers on call to enforce message discipline.
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Slater is regarded as a rather sad embarrassment.
Known in National Party 'circles' as "the octopus", on account of his poisonous blue ring.
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The fire service is paid for by an insurance levy, but they turn up and put your house out, insured or not.
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Whoever was responsible for that setup needs a bit of a talking to, those shelves should have been anchored but unfortunately they rarely are.
I'm not sure why the university library, by the look of the photos, only braced some of the shelving and not all of it? The shelves that have shed their books but are still upright are the ones that had rods fixed across the top after the Arthur's Pass earthquake back in the 90s. I had the distinctly unpleasant experience of being in the uni library during the biggest aftershock then and seeing the laden shelves sway. Seeing the photos of the collapsed shelves has made me feel a bit queasy but not at all surprised.
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Sacha: With all due disrespect, I move in slightly more elevated "blue circles" than you do, and Slater is regarded as a rather sad embarrassment.
Slater is clearly not regarded as enough of an embarrassment by those who determine whose views get broadcast. And I'm talking the Ak establshment, not just the Nats. With respect, neither of us are at those tables.
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I think that 100k figure probably isn't actually far off. At a rough estimate 1/3 of properties I've walked or driven past have some sort of visible damage albeit often minor and that's not counting damage that isn't visible from the road. In my neighbourhood there are very few houses that don't have a tarp on the roof.
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l'm hattipping @BR3NDA for alerting me to the most bizarre thing to come from the quake so far.
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Slater is clearly not regarded as enough of an embarrassment by those who determine whose views get broadcast.
Which is something you might want to take up with whoever is pretending to edit The Herald nowadays, but please leave the National Party out of that pathology.
Anyway, it's just gone to prove that I was right that anyone who tried to score any political points out of this would have it blowback in their faces? Yes? Whatever else you think about Anderton and Parker, I've got to admit their conduct has been so squeaky clean you could eat off it.
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Known in National Party 'circles' as "the octopus", on account of his poisonous blue ring.
See, now that's bringing the poor innocent mollusc into disrepute. Does he have no shame?
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I don't know whether or not to thank Danyl for drawing attention to this hairball of WTF-ness from Com-Post political editor Tracy Watkins.
This is how we judge our governments; not by how they perform in the good times, but by how they look after our communities and serve the national interest in the bad times.
Given the circumstances you would assume that the Government would be providing as much information as possible to Christchurch about its plans for the recovery.
Yet the extent of the government response yesterday - outside of the meeting between officials in the Beehive bunker - was press releases from Agriculture Minister David Carter, Civil Defence Minister John Carter and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, though John Key did eventually respond to Fairfax questions late yesterday evening.
A full report is going to Cabinet this morning though it sounds like we have to wait for the obligatory 20 days under the Official Information Act to see that (if in fact they don't find other grounds to refuse its public release):
The prime minister's office has already told us this morning that it won't release any of the briefing papers seen by ministers today because it hasn't got time and because most of the reports going to Cabinet will be verbal anyway.
We can assume however that the PM's staff will find time to flossy up some press releases, Q and A's and other PR bumpf based on those cabinet documents.
In the event of a major national disaster like this don't we deserve better?
We actually deserve the Government response to a major natural disaster to be slightly more considered than Ms. Watkins appears to want. I'd also think nobody affected wants -- or could use -- an ad hoc response scribbled on the back of a press release on Sunday afternoon.
And to be blunt, the frustrations of the Press Gallery are so far down the list of shit I actually care about where the Christchurch quake is concerned... Oh hai! Not on it.
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The most bizarre thing to come from the Quake so far.
Thanks, George. Extraordinary website.
Mind you, I loved the "Possible Connections of Significance" between a "Chimp with Down-Syndrome" and John Campbell. Have to admit, the photos of the two were pretty similar.
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their conduct has been so squeaky clean you could eat off it
Agreed, all round - though some mentioned our friend Paul Henry striking a bum note. Maybe he and the entitled Ms Watkins have been to the same charm school.
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and still they come...
another 5.2 at 11.24 and
one since that rolled for a while
think I'll go to bed... -
think I'll go to bed...
Glad to hear you have one.
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you know I just don't want to do that, go to bed right now, one 5.2 one 5.4 in half an hour I am just not sure about where to be right now, upstairs with the family, downstairs near the door or my latest plan in another island..
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I struggle to imagine that the 100,000 figure is likely.
And Lilith, I am too far away to know the true number either. Yes, tens of thousands will have had minor damage. The media focus, as is their job, on the media-worthy such as Bexley and Seabreeze Close.
There are an uncounted number of seriously damaged homes. Who knows what the 100,000 count includes?
The full story will play out in the coming days and weeks.
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Slater is clearly not regarded as enough of an embarrassment by those who determine whose views get broadcast.
Which is something you might want to take up with whoever is pretending to edit The Herald nowadays, but please leave the National Party out of that pathology.
sorry Craig, you and teh Natz don't get off that easily. You've enjoyed the association too much. Some of us still remember that gorgeous (dahling) photo of the man with Melissa and John last year. You lie down with a dog, don't moan about fleas.
On the other hand, agree totally about La Watkin. Total moan. Spoonfeed me, she cried. Has she heard of the idea of doing some real work?
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sorry Craig, you and teh Natz don't get off that easily. You've enjoyed the association too much. Some of us still remember that gorgeous (dahling) photo of the man with Melissa and John last year. You lie down with a dog, don't moan about fleas.
I'd like to have you tell me when I've enjoyed something oh so much. Casual homophobic slurs are great fun too.
One thing about Craig I respect deeply is the fact that if he has an opinion, he'll share it (often in unique detail). If he can't do that, he'll shut up. And he's shared his opinion on this subject in the last couple of years, and I suspect he'll continue to do so, if he's not accused of being a disingenuous fake.
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Phil, leave my Craig alone.
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Phil: My contempt for Whale Oil (which is entirely mutual, FWIW) is crystal clear and well on the record. Having been on the receiving end of a cetacean crap facial or two over the years, how could it be otherwise?
One last thing: I know plenty of Labour Party folks. Misguided politics aside :), they're decent and honourable people who don't deserve to be tarred by association with the more foetid Standardistas and on line troll-farmers of the left. Would be nice to have the courtesy repaid, now and then.
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Anyway, Mr. Lyth, I stand by my view that the phantom gaffe only served to make Jim Anderton look endearingly human. Who the hell hasn't said things that, with the benefit of hindsight, make you cringe?
For a vicious smear, I've got to say it was piss-weak from the start and ended up as an own goal. The only person whose good name has been materially harmed is... Slater himself. Presuming, of course, he has a reputation to be harmed -- which isn't the case in this house.
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Pete,
My heart goes out to those people in Chch - first the EQ and now Gerry Brownlee.
Is it a coincidence that the name "Brownlee" rhymes with the word "flee"?
I think not. -
The Bog Watch
Canterbury Earthquake is now mentioning how to make a bog. First mention was Monday 12-30pm.
Still nothing on the National CD Page searching for "Toilet".
Will contact CD today and see why.
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My heart goes out to those people in Chch - first the EQ and now Gerry Brownlee.
And not a mine in sight!!!! He REALLY sounded keen on on the job on RNZ this morning.
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We actually deserve the Government response to a major natural disaster to be slightly more considered than Ms. Watkins appears to want. I'd also think nobody affected wants -- or could use -- an ad hoc response scribbled on the back of a press release on Sunday afternoon.
It never fails to amaze me the way some journalists believe their need to fill space is equivalent to the greater public interest.
Gallery journalists tend to be the worst. They don't quite get that the game on which they commentate isn't always the most important thing in the world.
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