Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: That Buzzing Sound

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    Craig, the difference is that you're not putting yourself forward as a leader - well, except maybe of the "justify anything the Nats do" movement here -

    Well, it makes a nice change from being the faux-conservative homosexual agenda pusher over at Kiwibog.

    "South Auckland" is code for brown folk - as you well know even though there aren't many where you live at present.

    *cough* And I'm so not going there... but if you're going to exercise your psychic skills, tell me something useful -- like the winning Lotto numbers this week.

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

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    To me, what Lee has done is show her complete lack of understanding of the electorate she's standing for. There's poverty and crime in our own backyard without the need to import any from its alleged home in that made-up bogeyland, "South Auckland".

    Maybe she's been talking to John Key, who thought Owairaka was in South Auckland when he was banging on about McGehan Close that time?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    To me, what Lee has done is show her complete lack of understanding of the electorate she's standing for.

    But the Salt family have been kicked out of Range View Road, dontchaknow? Mt Albert's back to being full of law-abiding, honest folks. It's not their fault that they're brown, but they certainly don't deserve to be lumped in with those other brown folks from south of the Tamaki estuary.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    It's ok because other candidates must have said bad stuff too.

    Transport Minister Steven Joyce, asked this morning whether he agreed with Ms Lee, said it sounded like there was a "fair bit of excitement" at the meeting.

    "Probably quite a few candidates, by the sound of things, might have said some things in the heat of the meeting," he told Radio New Zealand

    I await news of other fruity outbursts with interest.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Why don't you slap in a catheter and drain off some of the piss?

    Ahaha... this, in light of my current health situation, is truly quite funny. Pity I'll be the only one laughing, but boy... Priceless!

    Because you know something, Gio, if I was prone to hanging everyone who ever said anything stupid I'd have to get around to committing suicide at some point.

    So, just how of curiosity: how do you go about evaluating the character, ideas and platform of a candidate? I would have thought that listening to what they have to say might provide useful clues, but if you have better methods I'm always keen to lean new things.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    I'm sure the voters of Mount Albert will be relieved that Lee isn't racist, just willing to deploy nasty stereotypes of South Aucklanders in general to justify a generally hated infrastructure project. Close shave!

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    Suburbism is when a Palmy motelier bans people from Waikanae.

    No, that would be ageism. The ban was on people from Wainuiomata, which might be suburbism disguising classism and racism. And possibly exorcism.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Oh shit. Lee's just added insult to injury with the passive voiced non-apologetic pseudo-apology: "I'm sorry that anyone took offense" (i.e. you're the one with the problem, you thin-skinned girly-man) as opposed to "I said something offensive, and am sorry for it". Gets on my tits no end.

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

  • Russell Brown,

    Hum... and apparently her employment issues with Lee are totally irrelevant.

    So she's lying?

    Look, I'm mindful that Campbell Live says its story (specifically the part about inappropriate editorial oversight) is backed by other staff members, and I'm just struggling to believe that Lee's staff were going during the working day and making a campaign video for "fun" and on a wholly volunteer basis.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    So she's lying?

    I don't know, but there's a job I left under far from ideal circumstances, and to be perfectly honest, you'd be smart to take anything I said about my former employer with a grain of salt. Would I lie about her -- no, but that doesn't mean my view of her wouldn't be highly coloured. And if I was making serious allegations of fradulent use of public money against her, that would be pertinent.

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

  • simon g,

    Gaffe-fans (we have a club, meets every third Monday) know what's coming next.

    At the same time that Lee will be trying to "move on", she will suffer the worst kind of support - from people who wish she'd gone further.

    Your views will be humming.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'm mindful that Campbell Live says its story (specifically the part about inappropriate editorial oversight) is backed by other staff members, and I'm just struggling to believe that Lee's staff were going during the working day and making a campaign video for "fun" and on a wholly volunteer basis.

    I'd also be mindful about accusing anyone of putting to air a story they knew to be false (I suspect Three has much deeper pockets to retain the services of Sue, Grabbit and Runne), but I'm just struggling to believe they could only convince one person to speak on camera. I'd be a little more comfortable if neither of us had to 'struggle' and there were multiple on the record sources. As things stand, we've got one person on the record who admits she left Lee's employ under circumstances we don't know about.

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

  • Rich of Observationz,

    WTF is a 'Banks-O-Mander'

    A scheme such that, even though ACT have maybe 4% support in Auckland, their candidate gets complete control over the council.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Craig Ranapia,

    At the same time that Lee will be trying to "move on", she will suffer the worst kind of support - from people who wish she'd gone further.

    Your views will be humming.

    I'm sure its also going to be humming with the kind of folks who think the evil right-wing baby-eating bitch won't rest until pensioners' corpses are stacked up in the gutters like cord wood. She's just got to be guilty of something.

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

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Because 'Your Views' is a Large Hadron Collider of the gross and creepy.

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

  • dc_red,

    I'm just struggling to believe that Lee's staff were going during the working day and making a campaign video for "fun" and on a wholly volunteer basis.

    Is it just me or is it hard to imagine anything less fun than making National party propaganda?

    Now, making it badly on the other hand....

    And yes, South Auckland is a well-known code for brown people.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    The part of my that buys into ethnic stereotyping has been secretly hoping that, given the large number of Somalian families in our Mt Albert neighbourhood, we'll see a resurgence in piracy. Unfortunately, they all seem to want to carry on going about their law-abiding business and being a normal part of the community.

    I blame it on the lack of a decent-sized body of water. Motorway pirates however...now THAT would be interesting...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report

  • Paul Campbell,

    so you will be voting for the party that promises a lake? or maybe a canal rather than a motorway?

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report

  • Mark Easterbrook,

    A canal along the motorway, so our Mt Albert privateers can shoot the cars of South Aucklanders from our gunboats.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 265 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    Gondolier piracy would be at least as good for tourism as a cycleway..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha,

    I'm just struggling to believe they could only convince one person to speak on camera.

    Not denying the employment dispute colours things, but Gurunathan came across as pretty level-headed and not exactly spiteful in tone. On the other hand if Lee is anything in person like she comes across on telly, I'm unsurprised her staff would volunteer for extra duties - or not talk about it to media afterwards.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • ScottY,

    Field? He's guilty as. Hasn't he been hung yet?

    Why do we have a court system again? Let's just let Rich decide who to string up. Think of the savings.

    On the Lee thing, I'm prepared to let the investigations taking place proceed before passing judgment on whether she there has been any impropriety.

    We can say with perfect confidence, however, that Lee is a moving PR wreck. Her attempt at an apology just makes matters worse. Her supporters must be throwing their hands up in despair.

    West • Since Feb 2009 • 794 posts Report

  • Steve Parks,

    (And did Clark ever agree to be interviewed for Investigate?)


    No, Steve, which is my point. Of course, to a certain wing-nut consistuency that means she had something to hide. I'm of the school that suspects she decided that she had better things to do with her time.

    Yeah, but what I was getting at is that there's a categorical difference between the two examples. I doubt Clark ever even entertained the idea of contributing to Investigate's stories; she never pulled out of an interview because she never agreed to one. Lee, not surprisingly, agreed to be interviewed by Campbell Live to answer some allegations, and just pulled out.

    I'm not the biggest fan of Campbell Live (I've blogged before about how I find some of their lead stories to be astonishingly dopey). But their story here wasn't baseless and is pertinent: they had an actual person willing to front up and make pretty specific allegations. I'm not saying the claims are necessarily true or accurate, but it was a reasonable story for them to pursue. It seems to me, Lee's actions had to opposite effect to those of Clark's in regard to Investigate.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report

  • Steve Parks,

    ... "had the opposite effect..." I meant.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Adding to the general atmosphere of fun and derangement, Whaleoil claims his "highly placed Labour sources" tell him that Labour paid to fly Guruanathan to Wellington and she met with Trevor Mallard in his office before doing her Campbell Live interviews.

    Mallard says he's never met the woman and she has never been in his office. There's also the small matter of her interviews having been done in Auckland.

    I suspect Slater's "highly-placed Labour sources" might have been more in the nature of an anonymous email from <labourparty@yahoo.com>.

    The richest part of Slater's frothing is surely this:

    This is simply a smear attack against a woman of colour because Labour's gray candidate Davod "Blackwater" Shearer is failing to make an impact. The irony is that Labour by making this attack has ensured that Melissa Lee's name recognition will go sky high.

    Okay, maximum points for looking on the bright side. But given Slater's history of racist, misogynist blather ... well, let's just say he has no discernible sense of irony.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

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