. . . a crappy straw boater . . .

. . . by way of a prosthetic to disguise the personality bypass.

Meanwhile I'm still trying to track down that classic gem featuring Rod Vaughan being introduced to Bob Jones' knuckes.

Burned on my brain, that one. So is the Palmer tootling on the cornet thing. From memory he had a crappy straw boater on as well as a cheesy grin.

Hell,…

Rod Vaughan being introduced to Bob Jones' knuckes

The one that briefly flashes past in the intro sequence to Eating Media Lunch?

That'd be where you spotted the pic of St. Lucy carrying her eyes on a tray, right?

Heh... she's actually one of the least nausea-inducing, as martyrs go. But as usual the real question is not what you can do to Christians, but what Christians can do to you. We…

That would be the museum of nausea, right? Opens three hours after your last meal.

That'd be where you spotted the pic of St. Lucy carrying her eyes on a tray, right?

ad nauseum

That would be the museum of nausea, right? Opens three hours after your last meal.

Heck, youtube beckons there too..

Meanwhile I'm still trying to track down that classic gem featuring Rod Vaughan being introduced to Bob Jones' knuckes.

One last time . . . it was a little too Sunset Boulevard for my blood.

Of course – you've had your close-up on this one, on to the next snark.

Yes, and there are parts of the domestic blogisphere where I'm the only person . . .

Yes. yes,…

Sorry folks

I don't think you're sorry at all, Craig! I've never known you to hold a half-hearted opinion before... :-)

Of course Helen went on to confound the doubters, including me. But after nine years she dares to leave by the front entrance? The horror, the horror . . .

Joe: One last time, I hardly expected her to slink out the Beehive parking garage but every damn staffer being…

Don Brash as some kind of burn-the-floor ballroom dancer

Heck, youtube beckons there too..

Did Palmer seriously do that? Lordy.

Apparently he allowed himself to be persuaded to do so. Seems it was a skill he'd acquired in his high school brass band days. Trying to pass him off as some kind of closet Miles Davis had about as much cred as Paul Goldsmith's…

That'd be more in the vein of the hapless Geoffrey Palmer's playing his cornet from the roof of the Beehive, with Paul Holmes tagging along behind like an organ grinder's monkey

hell, I'd forgotten that. Does it still exist? If so, surely YouTube beckons.

. . . a cheap and silly photo op.

Not really. That'd be more in the vein of the hapless Geoffrey Palmer's playing his cornet from the roof of the Beehive, with Paul Holmes tagging along behind like an organ grinder's monkey. As an attempt to showcase Geoffrey's funky side…

But "gargling with venom" is an inspired phrase nonetheless.. :)

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week

Yes, and there are parts of the domestic blogisphere where I'm the only person who doesn't think Clark is a Marxist dyke of limitless malevolence.

Yes, but those people are all morons. I'm not sure you'd say that about PASers.

I think the answer Craig, is that it looks like you are the only one who thought it was OTT.

Yes, and there are parts of the domestic blogisphere where I'm the only person who doesn't think Clark is a Marxist dyke of limitless malevolence. And the world continues spinning…

I don't consider myself a winner because National won the election. Philosophically I may be on the conservative side of the spectrum, but I don't back a particular political party. For me that would be in the same category as incest and folk-dancing.

Eww... I actually think we all won…

[splutter]

Newsflash: She Just Lost An Election.

Yes, the Labour Party did loose the election but Helen has resigned her job which technically is leaving by choice and in this case ,leaving the office where she worked. Plus I also glimpsed some news re ,the Key Cabinet and if he ever…

I don't normally respond to people who make anonymous posts

Yes, I regret the anonymity. Just a bit of paranoia at the beginning. Jan Farr is my name. I tried to change it, but can't do it. Russell? Is there a way?

For me that would be in the same category as incest and folk-dancing.

Thought provoking statement of the day...

The difference I'd like to point out is Helen was popular and Nat leaders weren't as you know, and consequently left without choice.

[splutter]

Newsflash: She Just Lost An Election.

I think Sofie's point was that she was able to choose the timing of her own departure from the party…

I don't normally respond to people who make anonymous posts, but anyway – Two things:

(a) I don't consider myself a winner because National won the election. Philosophically I may be on the conservative side of the spectrum, but I don't back a particular political party. For me that…

"Excruciating", Giovanni.

Nah, I'll stand by that. Meaning 2 on ze deectionary.

a. To make thin or emaciated.
b. To reduce the strength of.

It has a certain precision, I feel all extenuated right now.

Of course I'm also willing to take "boring".

Clark
Shipley
Bolger
Moore
Palmer
Lange (OK, quit not dumped, but hardly happy)
Muldoon

(and from this point the memory's shaky, historians take over)

Back to the future, also leaving without choice:

Key (2010)
English (2011)
Goff (2020)
President Clark (dies in office, but…

Newsflash: She Just Lost An Election.

I don't understand why some of you right wingers are such bad winners. Or perhaps it hasn't sunk in yet. Nine years may be long enough for bad-losing habits to calcify. Perhaps a good dose of castor oil?

You still haven't explained how walking down some steps and getting into a car is silly and over the top.

Stephen: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't recall every Nat staffer and the Press Gallery showing up to give Jenny Shipley a tear-stained standing O when she left…

The difference I'd like to point out is Helen was popular and Nat leaders weren't as you know, and consequently left without choice.

[splutter]

Newsflash: She Just Lost An Election.

I thought the whole episode was rather a silly and over the top

You still haven't explained how walking down some steps and getting into a car is silly and over the top. Please be more specific about what you think HC is guilty of on this occasion. She sent…

Week two of Craig jumping the shark over the NZ election. It's going to be an extenuating three years, friends.

"Excruciating", Giovanni. If I want to be insulted by surrealists, Messers Baiter, Oil and Justice do it so much better.

Stop gargling with venom and that might happen. Seriously, you…

And perhaps I'm a wee bit old fashioned, but genuine affection doesn't get turned into a cheap and silly photo op. The Clark I respect — the one who served with honour and dignity, whether I agreed with her or not — deserved better.

Sorry Craig, that's just sour..I expect…

Quite a lot, so perhaps you could get the fangs out of my damn throat.

Stop gargling with venom and that might happen. Seriously, you really need to dial it back – you're looking more like an escapee from Kiwiblog as each day passes.

And perhaps I'm a wee bit old fashioned, but genuine affection doesn't get turned into a cheap and silly photo op.

Week two of Craig jumping the shark over the NZ election. It's going to be an extenuating three years, friends.

The difference I'd like to point out is Helen was popular and Nat leaders weren't as you know, and consequently left without choice.

Sofie: I'm sorry if this comes across as graceless, but statements of fact often are: If she was that popular, she wouldn't have been going to Government…

Key is more likely to be thrown down those stairs than applauded down them.

Sorry if that's OTT but fuck it..

There's really no need to apologise, Simon. We're (nearly) all with you!

I think it was perfectly appropriate. She was a great Prime Minister and as a non-resident, did us proud over and over again. From this far away from the homeland it gave me tingles. Sorry if that's OTT but fuck it..

I have a sneaking suspicion that John Key is probably not going to leave the Ninth Floor of his own volition — and one or two…

So far, yes.Perhaps a cuppa tea? Seriously Craig get a grip, can she not do anything right?

Sofie: Quite a lot, so perhaps you could get the fangs out of my damn throat. As I said, Clark richly deserved every plaudit she got for her gracious performance on election night,…

Two of his 20-strong Cabinet, Murray McCully and Tim Groser, were not at the ceremony as they have already left for Peru.

I wonder how that works. Were they pre-sworn in? Or have they gone over there not as official ministers?

it is a rather undignified stunt while the new Cabinet is being sworn in.

Craig, it happened before the swearing in: the media call for that was from 10.30am. This was earlier, sometime between 9.30 and 10-ish.

it is a rather undignified stunt while the new Cabinet is being sworn in.

It's not possible that it doesn't have anything to do with the new government?

Given that she stops being Prime Minister when the new one is sworn in, that's when she leaves. No doubt the Labour…

And talking about pomp and circumstance, am I the only person who thinks this is just a wee bit OTT:

You won Craig. Now you can afford to be gracious.

Looks like a bunch of her supporters turning up to farewell her officially leaving her job and the building.

Kyle: Clark was hardly John Howard-ed back into the private sector, and while you're quite right that it's hardly a scandal for the ages, it is a rather undignified stunt while…

I'm not sure why it's so. I think the Club-ness lends itself to fanaticism far more than regionally based teams can. Because a club really doesn't represent anything, it's much easier to become irrationally attached to it.

I'm not sure either and the play/movie The Club could be about almost…

And talking about pomp and circumstance, am I the only person who thinks this is just a wee bit OTT:

If they'd had a pipe band, I'd have agreed.

And talking about pomp and circumstance, am I the only person who thinks this is just a wee bit OTT:

Looks like a bunch of her supporters turning up to farewell her officially leaving her job and the building. What does it matter? Doesn't look like extensive taxpayer money went…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5NlgT9s7ro

If John Key pulls anything like this, I swear I'll be there to push the fucker down the steps.

You may know that Victoria's the heartland of AFL and Victorian's…

In the 90's a friend in Melbourne was in a club rugby (union) team... there were not many teams in all of Melbourne.

Maybe things have changed, but I'm…

They formed a Rugby team in Jakarta a while back but the joke going around was that they've not played as they can't find another one.

I've been in Asia through a Soccer WC and…

Actually, anything's better than line dancing any day.

Nope! Line dancing EVERY day is worse than any day :)

I'm no fan of Mallard, but I'm gob-smacked that he stormed into Auckland, presented a waterfront stadium plan I'd expect to see from a cowboy developer not a Minister of the Crown, then was all shocked when it went down like a bucket of cold sick.

Yeah. Plus aren't we…

Look, it surprised me too. However, let's just check tv coverage for a couple of those other events (remembering that RWC claims 3 to 4 billion) -

The RWC raised a few smirks with that figure last time too, especially when one takes into account places like, uhh, most of…

Hang on, how can the RWC be the third biggest event in the world?

Look, it surprised me too. However, let's just check tv coverage for a couple of those other events (remembering that RWC claims 3 to 4 billion) –

the UEFA Champions League:

some important matches can attract…

The World Cup and the Summer Olympics beat it; surely so do a least one, if not more, of the European Nation's Cup, the Champion's League, the Tour, the NBA Finals' series, the World's Series, the…

Oh, screw it, if we get through the next three years without Ministerial krumping I'll be happy. Ish.

I knew there had to be a term for it. Thanks.

Former Victorian Premier Joan Kirner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGyD2hn7d3Y

Wonder what Tau Henare thinks of his nil appointment.

Quite understandably disappointed, but being rather grown up about it. And I understand that it's not unimaginable that he will end up as chairman of the Maori Affairs Select Committee.

I'm not a huge sports fan but I really don't think…

Wonder what Tau Henare thinks of his nil appointment.

He feels like Weepu, apparently.

there are any number of large cultural and sporting events every year that stagger on without their own minister

I'm not a huge sports fan but I really don't think you're grasping what "large" means in this case, Craig.
Third biggest event of any type in the entire world and…

if we get through the next three years without Ministerial krumping I'll be happy

For me, exactly the opposite is true. If there's no Ministerial krumping at some point during this government's term, I'm writing the whole thing off as a dead loss!

Except that the table has only just been laid for breakfast!

And Goff looks like he's bringing a fully loaded canteen of cheap plastic teaspoons to the big table. OK, I just heard an over-extended metaphor snap.

The "Brash" comment on Kiwiblog was actually written by John Ansell, who didn't…

ew. ur gross.

C'mon with names like Ansell, Brash, Long and Key, it's hard not to be sometimes.

the incoming Prime Minister is proof that early predictions of "easy meat gutted by morning tea time" don't always pan out

Except that the table has only just been laid for breakfast!

LOL, I thought it came off OK too, at the time. Now I don't! I remember how chuffed DPF was that his site had been touched by greatness. Now it seems it was just touched by advertising. That's sooo hollow men.

As if any more proof was needed that poor…

Ansell Breaks,
Sticky Comments Leak.
Long Morning After Regrets

ew. ur gross.

The "Brash" comment on Kiwiblog was actually written by John Ansell, who didn't check first with Richard Long. Long was furious. I thought it came off okay.

LOL, I thought it came off OK too, at the time. Now I don't! I remember how chuffed DPF was that his site…

That's either an easy error or a clever gag...

Did one do W3 & the other It's Academic? Too lazy to google. There wsa a time I believed them to be brothers, but I understand that's not the case.

I know this one!

The "Brash" comment on Kiwiblog was actually written by John Ansell, who didn't check first with Richard Long. Long was furious. I thought it came off okay.

That's the first time I've heard that it wasn't Brash himself, or at least Brash's own words. So what…

Long was furious. I thought it came off okay.

Except for the fact that at the time, DPF had a much worse server (or software?), and kiwiblog pretended to time out whenever you posted a comment. Old hands knew this, and didn't make multiple posts, figuring theirs to turn up.…

Rose-wilting heat in Dunedin last year? Unprecedented! This year though there's been lots of snow around so clearly global warming is a myth.

We had 25 degrees one day and snow the next. Apparently, according to a colleague's mother, this is a clear indication that global warming is nonsense.

Brash's minders persuaded him to try it once upon a time – probably the first step towards his becoming political dog tucker.

I know this one!

The "Brash" comment on Kiwiblog was actually written by John Ansell, who didn't check first with Richard Long. Long was furious. I thought it…

Surely he won't keep his radio show and be Speaker? It's bad enough allowing active politicians to be radio presenters at all.

That's either an easy error or a clever gag...

material for ... Leighton Smith

Surely he won't keep his radio show and be Speaker? It's bad enough allowing active politicians to be radio presenters at all.

Do we have 3 years now of sites like Kiwiblog fawning over every move Key makes?

Will Key post the occasional comment there? Hanging out with terminal-acne-case libertarians and rat-trap-down-the-back-of-their-y-fronts homophobes doesn't really seem to be his style. Brash's minders persuaded him to try it once upon a time -…

And I sure think the incoming Prime Minister is proof that early predictions of "easy meat gutted by morning tea time" don't always pan out.

Craig, I know I'm guilty of being partisan reasonably often but I don't in fact mean this. I mean only to point out that Paula…

It occurs to me that reading the blogs of government supporters is no fun at all (I didn't read the standard or any of the others pre election), so who is the preferred blog of the opposition? Is there one?

Reading Kiwiblog stopped being fun years ago. It wasn't offensiveness,…

Do we have 3 years now of sites like Kiwiblog fawning over every move Key makes?

Well, I'm pretty sure sites like The Standard will continue bring the theatre eight shows a week, two matinees.

My point is that Bennett's in for a challenging time – because she's new, because…

Tell me as a father you don't see things a little differently than when you occupied Registry!

My son is 10 and I still have three or four years to pay off my student loan. You better believe allowances and tertiary funding is stuff that I think about.

Breaking News: Key still PM!

It occurs to me that reading the blogs of government supporters is no fun at all (I didn't read the standard or any of the others pre election), so…

Perhaps an overly-optimistic comment from Owen McShane on Poneke.

He think she's onto something because he made the same comment at kiwiblog

I don't know who'll line up against her, but she'll surely be the focus for Opposition attention.

Well, unless Phil Goff's shadow cabinet is a dramatic improvement on their leader's odd performance this morning — complaining that Lockwood Smith is "too partisan" to be Speaker while the incumbent, a former…

Could be her views have changed somewhat... mine have, not radically, but the priorities have certainly reordered.

Up against the wall!

but either her position on tertiary education has changed, or she's going to avoid that sector.

Could be her views have changed somewhat... mine have, not radically, but the…

I had a few brief interactions with her through student politics and remember her as engaging and smart.

I thought she looked familiar. Massey-Albany president in the mid-90s. I remember her being a nice person, but either her position on tertiary education has changed, or she's going to avoid that…

And WTF is Paula Bennett constantly referred to as "The Bolter"?

It's not that misapplied is it Craig. A second term MP who vaults into senior Ministerial positions and the front bench; seems to justify the tag to me.

I hope she does well. I had a few brief interactions…

That's just weird.

That's what self-responsibility will do to you.

No eating babies, yet? :)

Quite the contrary.

What, the babies were eating her? That's just weird.

Seems to be arguing that with Rodney and Maurice covering Local Govt and Building while outside cabinet, they get to form their own little deregulating posse without it falling back on Key.

How about none? Somehow, there are any number of large cultural and sporting events every year that stagger on without their own minister.

Well I'd be happy with none. But one would be better than two.

Also not needed, Minister for Lord of the Rings, as much as it was…

Even if the panels themselves are outside the OIA their recommendations and other material that's given over to the Crown is absolutely OIA-worthy. And the Ombudsmen have shown themselves quite willing to tell pollies to hand over reports that originated outside their departments.

I think we can sometimes take for…

I'm just not sure that we need two Ministers to supervise the non-existent world cup bureaucracy, one surely is enough.

According to the press conference Key gave yesterday, it's one associate and one deputy minister. We were left in the dark as to whom the Minister for the RWC was...…

A combination of John Banks and Rodney Hide for Auckland? Afraid to say that's going to set back the city at least 50 years......one week…

I'm happy for their to be a minister supervising the bureaucracy. I'm just not sure that we need two Ministers to supervise the non-existent world cup bureaucracy, one surely is enough.

How about none? Somehow, there are any number of large cultural and sporting events every year that stagger on…

He has amassed a large amount of data, peer reviewed and published, showing that us humans have been modifying the climate since the first hunter…

That's probably why they are all starting to run into very large debts.

It will be nice to see if the new government stops telling schools that they have some great programs but they aren't going to give them any money to run them.

Pita Sharples might be keen to…

How would the public service get supervised? I know they are all consumatte professionals, but the idea of a democracy is that the elected government and parliament controls policy (Officials advise, Ministers decide).

I'm happy for their to be a minister supervising the bureaucracy. I'm just not sure that we…

Actually, I think Hide currently holds the record on OIA requests, so just having him in Government will reduce the public sector workload by about 20%

LMAO. Brilliant!!

If Kiwiblog ever closed down what on earth would Larry Williams and Leighton Smith do for material for their shows ?

As a dutiful Media Monitor, I must sadly report that Leighton would not suffer one bit. He seems fonder of drawing material from Not PC.

Gosh... If only the…

Guilty as charged. It's amazing how low an information-crazed young geek would sink for a set of encyclopaedias in thos distant pre-Interweb days.

Hey, me too! Although it was Selwyn Toogood when I was on it. And I got a year's subscription to a very worthy set of educational magazines…

How would the public service get supervised? I know they are all consumatte professionals

Or would that be "consummating" professionals? After all, the public service is a favour target of, err, colourful language.
And would it be fair to assume that, if Rodders has his way, they'll be "consummated" professionals?

Didn't Alan Peachey enter politics (as a Nat) for the sole purpose of re-instituting bulk funding? Would be interesting to hear his views on Hide vs Tolley.

That's my memory of things. Bulk funding and greater funding for private schools were once the major points of difference between the parties…

Maurice "12,000 vote majority" Williamson should be another one to watch.

No eating babies, yet? :)

Quite the contrary.

Perhaps we could also propose bulk funding of bulky politicians--Brownlee would lead the pack.

Fat jokes? But seriously, I wonder if there's not something in bulk funding electorate MPs and then they can apportion it is they see fit — because I funny feeling that Rahui Katene (whose electorate is…

Rodney Hide has now told journalists that bulk funding of schools

Perhaps we could also propose bulk funding of bulky politicians--Brownlee would lead the pack.

A prime imperative is to prevent ACT getting their paws anywhere near education. What, for example, is Heather Roy's agenda?

I would think that in general terms the truth or not of people causing Global warming would be overshadowed by the action to make the planet more sustainable and a nicer place to be in/on. Let's clean up the act (Act) anyway.

I think that's wrong, sorry. If it is…

Anne Tolley's first act as Education minister has been to have to deny emphatically that a return to bulk funding is an option.

Hide seems to be somewhat out of control.

Add majestic lines... for majesty.

whilst shedding 4,000 litres of tears

...which is equivalent to 0.4% of an Olympic sized swimming pool

Reading The Hive and Roar Prawn, it is clear how much buy-in Tim Selwyn got for his political blog rankings — although I'm still not sure exactly what they're measuring.

I'll not pretend any technological insights, but it's clear in the amateur blogosphere, Tumeke's rating carry some weight. Whether they…

on the biggest day, Nov 10, 4700 people made 7500 visits and loaded 33,000 pages...

whilst shedding 4,000 litres of tears.

Feel at ease with our latest product, 24/7 Bodyguard Hire! As endorsed by students of Auckland Grammar!

LOL. When I was an AGS student, we didn't get any of this namby-pamby 24/7 bodyguard protection business. Back then, it was just mud, rugby, and the constant, low-frequency whine of bored masters…

I'm reading the list of ministers and mentally adding "Garthim Master" to the list of portfolios.

If it meant that their leaderhsip was determined via Trial by Stone, I'd call that a good thing.

I know that The Standard does less traffic than us, but they've overtaken us in Tim's rankings. Whatever.

We had…

That's almost one quarter of parliament.

Just out of interest – how does that compare to Labour's last parliament?

Slightly better.

The overhang is now two, so it's 28 out of 122, instead of 28 out of 121 :-)

appointments like McCully in Foreign Affairs...

Russell – before you despair…

Tom? Were you on W3 & was Lockwood asking the questions?

Guilty as charged. It's amazing how low an information-crazed young geek would sink for a set of encyclopaedias in thos distant pre-Interweb days.

Craig Y (currently working on another Exclusive Brethren-related article for Gaynz.Com)

28 Ministers, plus Lockwood. That's almost one quarter of parliament.

I'm increasingly in favour of capping Ministerial budgets, or rules, so that they can only have about 20.

How would the public service get supervised? I know they are all consumatte professionals, but the idea of a democracy is that…

Forgive my terrible lack of Wellington connectedness, but now that The Hive has retired, can anyone tell me who the secret bloggers actually were?

They do not seem to have lacked for self-importance.

Well, I could but I've heard only second-hand (plus I wonder about the ethics of outing someone).…

Act's ministerial positions are horrifying. Local government is being done to death in here, but there are other portfolios that are at least as scary

Really?

Here in the blog-o-sphear possibly, but almost no comment at all in the general media. Despite the huge impact of local government on the…

Excuse ignorance and temporary misplaced excitement about absence of Lockwood but does the Speaker get to do anything really important or can I still rejoice over Lockwood not having significant say in this government.

It does keep him out of mischief, for sure. He's only running Parliament.

Caleb D'A:

If this gets anywhere near being passed into law here, we need to be out on the streets trying to bring this lot down. Seriously.

This month's TABOR Specials!

Feel…

They do not seem to have lacked for self-importance.

That's almost one quarter of parliament.

Just out of interest – how does that compare to Labour's last parliament?

I'm increasingly in favour of capping Ministerial budgets, or rules, so that they can only have about 20. We have so many associate ministers of wanting to dip my finger into this little thing here. It'd be nice to just…

Question: did Lockwood ever host "W3"?

Tom? Were you on W3 & was Lockwood asking the questions?

I don't ever remember him on "W3"

That's 'cos you weren't there, man!

He'll own question time though. "Your starter for three..."

But all questions must start with a W.

He'll own question time though. "Your starter for three..."

lol.

Question: did Lockwood ever host "W3"? I remember Selwyn Toogood and Peter Hawes, and of course Lockwood was on "It's Academic", but I don't ever remember him on "W3".

The full circle for Lockwood.

Looks like a tradition is forming for giving the Foreign Affairs portfolio to someone you need but want to see as little of as possible.

can somebody explain how an MP from the anti-regulation, pro-business Act party be MP for Consumer Affairs

But they're the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers, don'tcha know?

Caveat emptor, and all that. In a free market, companies that sell substandard products will go to the wall as consumers vote with…

I can't imagine him being any great shakes as Speaker though.

He'll own question time though. "Your starter for three..."

Can I please have a big round of applause and a giant "Good Riddance too" for the absence of Lockwood Smith on the front benches. Yee har!

I can't imagine him being any great shakes as Speaker though.

Allowing for please-make-it-stop appointments like McCully in Foreign Affairs, I'm surprised at…

I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to understanding the nuances of party policy, but can somebody explain how an MP from the anti-regulation, pro-business Act party be MP for Consumer Affairs?

Whaddaya, some kind of anti-formaldehyde-in-children's-pyjamas extremist? Surely everyone in New Zealand has the right to be…

for the absence of Lockwood Smith on the front benches. Yee har!

Or a Croke Stadium silence for Mr Speaker.

Ignoring empirical evidence is fun!

We can has ministers

Key will be:

John Key
Prime Minister
Minister of Tourism

as well as the usual other stuff that goes with being PM.
Gosh, he must be ambitious for... visitors to New Zealand? And the tourism industry I guess, which is of course an important part of…

Possibly some subtle irony I'm totally missing in your statement

Yes, there is.

To find it, see here

The fact that such an extremist revenue policy is even being considered totally belies the Nats' attempts…

There's an open-ended Ministry :)

I might phone him up and ask him to fix my roses, and sort my dogs out. Now that I believe that I can blame those issues on climate change.

And we have two Ministers responsible for the…

Full list here (I thought for a moment that the gossip about Jonathan Coleman not getting Broadcasting was true):

I have more than a few quibbles with National but again, I give credit to Key for making the most of the talent he has. That said, he may regret giving…

I've got your first suggestion for cutting waste in Government.

Why are you paying researchers when you have a Parliamentary Library Service staffed with experienced qualified researchers with access to a whacking load of print resources and truckloads of electronic information you can't get freely on the internet,…

And Judith Collins is not Welfare. She's got Police, Corrections and Veterans Affairs.

"In an attack on judges who are giving out tough sentences, [Helen] Clark wants to establish an independent sentencing council to set guidelines for judges. You can be certain that any such council will be full of…