The Human Rights Commission has altered its view after the Justice and Electoral select committee's handling of the controversial Electoral Finance Bill, according to Green Party co- leader Russel Norman.
[...]

Norman said he understood the commission has…

... everyone between 15 – 25 was there for the Foo Fighters, whereas everyone older than that were there for Sonic Youth, there was no cross-over at all.

Heh, I was 25 and was there for both – I'll admit to having been leaning more in FF's direction though, and…

Given that the Law Society noted that regulating electoral financing is a legitimate constitutional objective, the Herald's shotgun approach seems unlikely to advance public understanding.

I saw Sonic Youth at the Wellington Town Hall years ago and was bored nearly to tears. But each to their own :)

Quite. I was at that Jan '96 gig and Sonic Youth were outstanding, far better than those chronic dullards the Foo Fighters who were the main support…

I saw Sonic Youth at the Wellington Town Hall years ago and was bored nearly to tears. But each to their own :)

The Veils show at the Masonic in Devonport was also pretty packed, the night before the…

All the kids are doing it. Writing messages on puppies (or "pmail") is totally the new Facebook.

Yup, its in the news all over the world

Have also just seen the said reprise gig at the…

I've been trying to tell my agency that we're wasting our time with this newfangled telegraph thing

I'm still raging against the fax machine. I mean, I know '80s retro is in right now, but one has to draw the line somewhere.

All the kids are doing it. Writing messages on puppies (or "pmail") is totally the new Facebook.

Oh man, I've been trying to tell my agency that we're wasting our time with this newfangled telegraph thing, but they refuse to listen to my suggestions to go back to the old…

Wow so we had our first 'terrorist raids'. As predicted, some guys are going…

Sad isn't it that this is something worth noting?! Why back in my day, when I was a lad, last century, you could go to any one of 317 venues in Auckland to watch live music. Gluepot, Mainstreet, Powerstation, etc, and all sold out.

As i were passing the Powerstation…

It's like those mouth-watering pictures outside bland fast food joints.

I blogged this myself a couple of weeks ago, but clearly it needs a much wider audience.

Fast food – advertising pictures vs reality.

It's like those mouth-watering pictures outside bland fast food joints.

Yup or "Jen's Desperate Rage", to describe an…

This article is for you, Craig (tho possibly you have seen it before).

Gee, that's wonderful. Thanks, Deborah.

Haven't see it before – 2003 was a patch when I didn't have a lot of discretionary income for magazines, so The Spectator was it. Jonathan Rauch is great though, and I…

That wasn't hacking. Craig just wanted the blue rinse lady to leave him alone!

And those rapacious leeches would take every penny you have. They're fleshy, perfumed pokie machines in fabulously sensible shoes, I tell you! *sob* (Oh, Gods, I'm going to get such an arse-kicking...) :)

Is the Labour…

I'm just the kind of person who needs to meditate for a couple of hours before going to a party, and a week to recover.

This article is for you, Craig (tho possibly you have seen it before).

It's a bit like claiming somebody "hacked" your raffle because you let them have any number of tickets they liked for $2 and they took the lot...

That wasn't hacking. Craig just wanted the blue rinse lady to leave him alone!

But, boy, it's a little rich to complain – as The Standard etc. has done – that the Herald is off on some Tory cursade against the government, when the minister responsible for the bill won't front up to a previously scheduled interview.

Well, yes, but reading between the lines,…

I don't take these on-line polls seriously to begin with, but obviously the Herald does

..which is bloody insidious. It's a bloody internet poll, but the way the herald is trumpeting about it, I'm not bloody surprised that the great unwashed have gotten the idea that it actually means something;…

Meaning they should have got it right the first time, right? Meaning they should have redrafted a new bill earlier on, right and listened to a few people, right?

I did use the word "debacle" ...

An interview scheduled by the Herald with new Justice Minister Annette King was cancelled yesterday.

She issued a short statement instead: "I am sure that the bill as it is reported back will reflect…

Of course, deliberately slanting…

Hmmm. ;)

Heh... the VRWC is a dark and terrible thing but I'm neither patient enough to slap a button five thousand times or geek up some bot that would do it for me. I down load my e-mail without incident and I'm chuffed. :)

...and we even get hacked!!! We are important still, really, we are.

Well, Merc, would it really be too much to ask to give a little credit where credit is due? I don't take these on-line polls seriously to begin with, but obviously the Herald does. Seems to me like…

'The public'? Oh, you mean a self-selecting sample in a poll where it's possble to vote multiple times? (I know it's possible because I did it.)

Herald:

nzherald.co.nz"s technical team has established that a single hacker managed to vote more than 5000 times in a period of about 10…

people do benefit from social interaction with like-minded folks.

I'd be pretty bitter if anyone ever suggested banning that...but the sausages guilt trip, what's that about? Where does the democracy part come in there?

It's cruel – you try explaining to a sweet old lady with a raffle book that…

I think all that carry-on doesn't really tally with the gravity they're ascribing to their claims

Yes, and I don't see Exclusive Brethren and American bag persons under every bed either – and wish folks who really are smart enough to know better would stop the apocalyptic ding-battery about anyone…

I was confused because it was actually a tenable position, that all that glorious fund raising isn't particularly relevant to the democratic process.

It's not totally irrelevant – just not my bag. A political party is a wee bit more than an ATM cum think tank, people do benefit from…

And I'm not judging them in relation to Fairfax papers – I'm saying that 'neutrally' observing that competitors aren't toeing the corporate line, and especially insinuating that this is a bad thing, is real schoolyard stuff.

I think all that carry-on doesn't really tally with the gravity they're ascribing to…

You're printing your announcements on puppies now?

All the kids are doing it. Writing messages on puppies (or "pmail") is totally the new Facebook.

Oh yes. Wellingtonista and Public Address both have a pending announcement on that puppy ...

You're printing your announcements on puppies now? Oh the caninity!

A damn sight more healthy and dynamic than the feral rat-bastardry that seems to be part and parcel of state-funding of political parties and political campaigns.

Ah ic. You were being sarcastic.

I was confused because it was actually a tenable position, that all that glorious fund raising isn't particularly…

I liked that the Herald did include a true cross-section of response (although this site was a notable and inexplicable exclusion),…

(Meanwhile I've been on hold with Qantas [planning my next international observation] for 8 minutes, they're not coming back are they??)
The computer says, no.

Grow up, Herald.

Jimmy: As I said above, Colin Espiner's post had some interesting stuff in it. But let's be blunt here, I don't think catty asides like Readers of this Auckland newspaper know not to turn to this organ for balanced, unbiased coverage on this particular topic contributed anything…

Oh yes. Wellingtonista and Public Address both have a pending announcement on that puppy ...

Sqweeeeeeeeeeeeee (or however you spell that)

I'm going to join Robyn in a jumping up and down with excitement, but about things that will soon all be revealed, but have something to do with the Second Annual Wellingtonista Awards...

Oh yes. Wellingtonista and Public Address both have a pending announcement on that puppy ...

The Herald's main competitor, Fairfax-owned newspapers and websites, carry differing views.

A Dominion-Post editorial opposes the intent of the Electoral Finance Bill, calling it "outrageous".

...

But curiously a political blogger on Fairfax's stuff.co.nz, Colin Espiner, claims the opposition to the bill is overstated...

Yes,…

Well Ranapia has had a narrow escape, i had to spend five minutes calming my dear old Mum down, a more formidable women I wouldn't care to come across.

Tom, I thought we were keeping our kinky fantasy scenes on the downlow...

Hacker targets Herald free speech poll

nzherald.co.nz"s technical team has established that a single hacker managed to vote more than 5000 times in a period of about 10 minutes.

The hacker was using a dynamic xtra IP address – 222.152.66.116. (The "reverse lookup" is 222-152-66-116.jetstream.xtra.co.nz.)

On Thursday night, both the Veils and Liam Finn sold out their shows

tell me about it, the kings arms was jam packed – i was about 10 metres back and it still felt like a mosh pit. The Veils were awesome though. Finn sang like he was going to…

Sonic Youth bring their Don't Look Back show — a complete recital of 1988 Daydream Nation album, plus more, to the Bruce Mason centre on Feb 16 next year.

I squealed with delight when I read this news. And it's at the Bruce…

And I see Russell Brown consulted/quoted nearly as much as the sensible sentencing trust or some Union source... and I quite like that :)

The keys to being quoted a lot in the media are as follows:

(a) Be available, always

(b) Fire out press releases (or, second-best write a…

With regard to the Herald's self-interest, there's a lot more to it than merely ad revenue. A National-led coalition government would…

If the National Party can't convince enough people like me to keep paying our subs (and donating millions of dollars in unpaid labour each electoral cycle), then it doesn't deserve to survive.

I'm not a member of a political party but at first glance I'm in favour of this too.…

But wouldn't it be prudent to wait a week or two and actually find out what changes have been made to it

Try "hour or two" (or maybe day, at the most). While the bill has a report-back date of January 25, there's a strong convention that you don't dick…

One can only wonder the why of this change in policy.

Hon Bill English: If a publication of a similar nature…

So you're not a fan of DPF's position that those events are a vitally important part of a healthy and dynamic democracy?

A damn sight more healthy and dynamic than the feral rat-bastardry that seems to be part and parcel of state-funding of political parties and political campaigns. I'm just…

And bring on state-funding of political parties too — the more generous the better. You wouldn't believe how many arse-numbingly tedious fundraisers, blue-rinse bats with raffle books and begging letters I've had to put up with over the years. :)

So you're not a fan of DPF's position that those…

Where is the supporting quote for "It [the Herald] sees no problem in very wealthy individuals being able to anonymously pursue their interests by funnelling millions of dollars through secret party trusts that are opaque to the public."

Anonymous donations were not addressed in the Herald editorial, nor were they…

Remarkably, the Herald, insofar as its stance is explained in the editorial, does not endorse the objectives of the bill.

Remarkably, the Labour Party, insofar as its intent is explained in the Bill it wrote, does not endorse the objectives of the same frickin Bill. It sees no problem in…

Yesterday and today, the Herald has quoted the Human Rights Commission's scathing submission on the bill, and reported that the commission has called for the bill to be scrapped altogether. It's not actually true.

The HRC submission, i is…

Sorry if you felt toasted there, B. Look, unless I've severely misunderstood the one thing the EFB will not be coming back to the House with is a sunset clause, and any exemption for government departments is a blindingly obvious loophole crying out to be abused by incumbents of…

But it occurs to me, if the Herald is giving away free advertising space to what might be considered political bodies, then that IS the sort of thing the Electoral Finance Bill wants to make declareable...

But, perhaps the…

Anonymous donations were not addressed in the Herald editorial, nor were they…

Yes, soon they'll actually join the blogosphere.

The Commission suggested that to satisfy the potential infringement on the freedom of expression and the rights of citizens to participate in elections that a new or redrafted bill:

– Retain the present regulatory period…

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10475755

Just so we remember what it actually looks like. I think these guys actually do have WMDs too.

i was really interested in the comments by laila harre yesterday on radio nz regarding the provision of about $0.5 million effectively free advertising for the sensible sentencing trust by the herald. i suspect i'm paraphrasing rather badly. does anyone have more information about this?

I only half heard that…

the Herald has quoted the Human Rights Commission's scathing submission on the bill, and reported that the commission has called for the bill to be scrapped altogether. It's not actually true.

Don't tell the HRC that, paragraph 10.2 of their submission seems to put across their view with some clarity:…

Silly me, I thought it was the Greens that outed the EBs covert campaign. Did the Herald miss that action?

I derive much recreational merriment from by annoying them.

You haven't thought of taking up a sport involving some sort of ball or racquet? No? Just checking.

Look, I'm no…

i responded to the stupid…

It may not be helpful but I think it's true. I like to read the Herald but don't make the mistake of ever thinking it's unbiased.

On…

Generally speaking I tailor my response to the quality of my audience. Kiwiblog is run by a fundamentally dishonest man who likes to pass himself off as an…

That should read:
If you're going to run that line, then I guess it's fair to note that the sole daily newspaper in New Zealand's largest media would do very well out of the mooted government department exemption. Would you really be in the least surprised if…

But theres just one little point that the Herald neglects to point out, and I cant help but think it might be at least one of, (if not the major) reason they are making such a song and dance...

A "spending cap" of any sort, on campaigners of any flavour…

Something about this Bill just makes me very uneasy. Yes, something needs to be done to tighten up our election rules, but I don't think the Bill in this form does it. It really does seem like a knee-jerk reaction against the brethren…

Some interesting stuff in there, but I don't think this drive-by was particularly helpful:

Um, right then. Readers of this Auckland newspaper know not to turn to this…

However, given the frenzy David Farrar has also worked himself into over the issue the only thing I put down the Herald's outburst to is general hope on the part of those who don't like the government…

Sorry for the repetition. It's an obvious point, but I hadn't seen it written down before...

But theres just one little point that…