Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Never mind the quality ...

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  • Dismal Soyanz, in reply to Grant McDougall,

    According to the book, Slater sees Boag as responsible for displacing his father from the National Party presidency.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2010 • 310 posts Report

  • Kirk Alexander,

    And that she was a crap president as well...

    Chch • Since May 2013 • 17 posts Report

  • nzlemming,

    Just finished reading the Bhatnagar/Slater text. Yes, there's personal stuff in there that should have been redacted and I started to do that, to put out a clean copy, but found myself in a quandry - where do you stop? Because politics is personal to Slater. The over-riding theme is one of revenge and putting one over on someone else. If you want to put him in a frenzy, tell him Hamish Price is a nice guy, or that Michelle Boag was a great party president - he takes these things very personally. So I gave up. Sorry.

    One thing I would note is that Bhatnagar initiated every exchange between them. Slater is very self-focused. And, when read in conjunction with the Lusk texts, Bhatnagar was a much better friend to Slater than the other way around.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report

  • Dismal Soyanz, in reply to nzlemming,

    One thing I would note is that Bhatnagar initiated every exchange between them. Slater is very self-focused. And, when read in conjunction with the Lusk texts, Bhatnagar was a much better friend to Slater than the other way around.

    Yes, a recurring theme both before and after the book's release is how he turned on and abused his erstwhile friends.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2010 • 310 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Dismal Soyanz,

    According to the book, Slater sees Boag as responsible for displacing his father from the National Party presidency.

    Sorry for dropping by so soon, but John Slater lost the National Party presidency because it was contested and the other candidate won more votes. It’s how these things work, not least when Slater beat Geoff Thompson in '98, and I should know because I was a voting delegate to the party conference on both occasions.

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

  • Dismal Soyanz, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    I have no doubt it was done by a vote. I’m less sure that Cameron Slater saw that as a reason to accept the outcome.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2010 • 310 posts Report

  • nzlemming, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Sorry for dropping by so soon, but John Slater lost the National Party presidency because it was contested and the other candidate won more votes. It’s how these things work, not least when Slater beat Geoff Thompson in ’98, and I should know because I was a voting delegate to the party conference on both occasions.

    As Dismal says, I have no doubt it was done by the book. But due process seems to matter little in Slater's fevered utu-driven imagination.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    row, row, row your boat…
    Some ‘parsing’ thoughts on National’s TV ad:
    - it says much about their unstated agenda and methods…

    I can see their thinking:
    Rowing is the ‘sport du jour’, and the ‘Eights; is the elite ’Blue Ribbon’ event,
    too right, they’ll have some of that!
    Wahoo! a clean 'sweep'!
    Oarsome!

    But s this the ship of state represented,
    or merely a ‘shell’ company for ‘scull-duggery’ ?

    It’s all very ‘OxBridge’ – the NZ Census has population at approx 70% Caucasian, Maori 14%, Asian 9% and Pacific Islands 7%
    I’m not seeing that in National’s ‘eight’, which comprises predominantly young white folk maybe one person of a different ethnicity…

    What’s more none of them are looking forward, they are all blindly heading into the future towards something beyond their reach, attention fixed backwards to the lightweight in the stern calling the shots…

    All their ‘rigging’ is in place, but their pitch is off, and their ‘pull thru’ abysmal, too many more ‘air strokes’ and they’ll lose momentum, added to their taking on water as the ‘backsplash’ shows they can’t even ‘bury the blade’ well! …and they do like ‘meddling’….

    They picked their metaphor well…

    …and funny how on deck it feels more like a Slave Galley…
    (filled by the ‘press-gang’
    - hmmm the press Galley?)

    a slam dunk… ?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Nora Leggs, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    more realistic?

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 2700 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Oarsome!

    Until, that is, they run into a whale...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Nora Leggs,

    more realistic?

    ...needs more rope!

    :- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    blowhard spitholes...

    Until, that is, they run into a whale…

    aye, aye, scupper
    the skipper is a sin king

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Nora Leggs, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    ...needs more rope!

    looks like it's been around a while

    Auckland • Since Dec 2011 • 2700 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Nora Leggs,

    ropey governance…

    …it’s been around a while

    much like the National Party!

    They do say that you:
    ’can lead a hawser to water
    but you can’t make it sink…’

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,


    We’re on a Boat… apparently.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Honest National Party ad

    Good sourcing!
    I was gonna go with The Magic Christian's 'Engine room scene but it is definitely NSFW (or possibly even this century) and may have propelled the debate off at a tangent ...

    Love that 'not a country' aside
    though with NAFTA still floating around somewhere
    it probably needs a 'yet' ...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    I cant see Eminem being too happy about his song being used for National...
    Play this to the end, the lyric works quite well I think..

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Oh the Irony..,.
    The song that National ripped for their ad is called, wait for it…
    Lose Yourself
    Yeah Mr Key, you can Lose, yourself…

    They should have kept the lyrics I reckon...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Ben Uffendell beat me to it...

    A group of nine white people dressed in blue are seen vigorously rowing towards the sunrise as a voiceover gets the lyrics to Eminem's Lose Yourself terribly wrong.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    give 'em enough trope...

    Ben Uffendell beat me to it…

    Me too, must be morphic resonance
    or a meme screaming...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    a meme screaming…

    As JK would say... "at the end of the day its all about me and me meme"

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Attachment

    Johnny’s on the sidline talkin’ with the gutter slime
    He’s hangin’ from a meat hook, a whale oil beef hook
    Lyin’ like a cheap crook
    undone by Nicky’s new book
    look out kid its something ya did
    ya can’t tell when but you’ll be hangin’ round the pig pen
    Collin’s got yer number better call a plumber
    he’s got a million dollar bills be retiring this summer.…

    (deepest apologies to Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac and Woody Guthrie and hat tip to Peter Bromhead)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Paul Campbell,

    Godwin ..... but in a good way

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report

  • nzlemming,

    That one's been removed. I'm guessing it was a Downfall?

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report

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