Still on deck, though largely retired. There are a bunch of It'll Be Alright On The Night segments on YouTube which showcase his (for me) excellent 80s TV incarnation. Favourite quote: Modern life is full of surprises, not all of which respond to antibiotics.

perhaps we can arrange something...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJbiu4lytw

“0800 Nu Zilund. Have we got some deals for you.”

I'm…

Or maybe a cartoon Kiwi........ Hello Kiwi.
The merchandising could be phenomenal. Bags, lunchboxes, colouring books, pencil cases.....
The list could be endless.

Love it Ian. ;-)

If I can get away from the 'Labour principles' spat (sorry guys, it's getting boring) and move the conversation back to the Hager saga, Andrew Geddis looks at various mysteries which John Key somehow has knowledge of. It's…

Maybe the new flag should have a kitten on it ...

Again, I think you've confused me for someone else. Not something I've said on this thread, or…

Funny how all his favourites look like fly swats, though...
...with fronds like this who needs enemies?

My point was that Labour's principles aren't owned by those who support parties to Labour's left. Your point was that Labour supporters shouldn't be using…

If he was in a high school today he would be corrected by his English teachers. It's an English word and a Dutch word with a plural. "New Zealanders." I believe he is letting down our national standards and young…

Well I wasn't the one saying that non-Labour people shouldn't be having their say on the Labour party, so perhaps you confused me for... you.

Maybe Gibbs isn’t upfront about it, but when Boag & Hooton were tearing strips off one another not so long ago they paused to enthusiastically hi-five each other over what a splendid wheeze the…

It only works if you're not up-front about it. Gibbs has been buying Epsom's vote since forever.

Then again, it didn't quite work for Kim and Colin.

I ayn going there....

Shands in Hereford is right, I was wrong about the ReStart site. Some amazing locations could be had for a pittance, like the office space under the dome of the Regent Theatre.

I couldn’t…

I…

Perhaps you recall Quasimodo, his emporium from around 1976, upstairs where the ReStart Mall is now. Alan (Allan?) Franks was always one to take the suburbs to the stars, the kind of Christchurch he inhabited seemed full of possibilities.

Still, the last I ever saw him he…

from a Neil Roberts interview about early days of art school...
I've told the story many times, of when one afternoon when there was a life class, and the model was Alan Franks, who appears in…

That'd be the Allan Franks whose talents included artist's model par excellence.

Wealth means the ability to buy an electorate.

Yuk, I hope you just don't know what that means....
But then perhaps that's why John Key likes him so much. :-S

Perhaps Seymour could just get back on the ship...

See you there.
;-)

Size doesn't matter, popularity does.

;- )

This raises several points. The High Court have previously ruled that an author is not necessarily a jounalist so there could be a problem here, let's hope Winkelmann is not the Judge.
The other and the more worrying one, is that it is…

Yes it did, low as usual.

I have been saying this since the election but nobody listens to me....... sob.... :-(

Another example of a statement reported by the MSM without challenge, supporting information or evidence to the contrary.

Police are going for Hager
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11347582

if you are in Chchch on Oct 31st go to this meeting:

THE TPPA – TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT – What Is It And What Does It Mean For Me?

Friday 31 October, 7.30 – 9 pm,
at the WEA, 59 Gloucester St

This…

this, yes

Yes, that is how democracy works. It's also spilt milk – National will get their 9 years controlling the NZ economy. It would have been nice if for the first time ever Labour…

Bring back Buck
Neoliberalism is, bizarrely, a compromise position
you might be overstating the impracticality of idealism
the only way the Left can make progress
haircut

You talk a lot of shit, Ben.…

It's just putting your comment that the sky is falling because it's been 6 years since Labour had power into perspective. I don't want National either, but this is not even a slightly exceptional place to…

Maybe that's exactly what Labour is? The work horse that saves the day. Maybe that's what labour are best at?Maybe they understand struggle best and if so I'm ok with that.Like most here I want…

However incomplete, comparisons have been made. Looking forward, and all other things considered, it’s worth remembering that the straw which eventually broke the camel’s back was ideological in nature. Not to imply that National could have won in ’84, simply…

That's a remarkably flippant way of dismissing the democratic objectives of the Labour movement. I don't know what we're doing…

During the election there was some mention of this being Winston’s last term, has there been any formal announcement or is it just speculation?

If so, NZFers would seem the obvious first stop in the vote hoovering operation.

you can't fix every problem with one policy.
politics is way more grey than high-contrast.

Their voting support remained the same.

There is. Labour is in little danger of being a perennial also-ran, having been the government periodically since the 1930s, and it's also not really time to worry about the shocking length of time National's been…

That may be your perception .Just feels shifty to me. I've dealt with too many cons in my life to look the other way and the fact that the Greens helped implement the insulation…

Okay. But there's a lot of space between being a perennial also-ran and selling out.

If things carry on as they are, there'll be nothing left to protect.

Sure. But you equally have to expect that putting up a win-at-all-costs suggestion is also going…

Do tell me more about the homogenous nature of your space.

And there's plenty of places where only Labour people can express their opinions and vote etc on the party and the leader, and this isn't that space.

If you want to suggest that competing to actually win elections is a betrayal of principle…

Helpful to who? It's my opinion. I don't pretend to be offering neutral advice as if I've been hired by some corporation to upgrade its…

Not on its own, no.

I'd like to see them doing it without giving up everything they might have stood for

I don't think it's helpful for you to present yourself as a defender of Labour's principles and to portray others as…

kumbayah

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

...are made to be broken.

They should all be the Labour Leaders. What a sensible bunch we have there. Why cant we just all get along and lead as a group ? :)

Corin Dann: The issue of Iraq, Syria, ISIS, if you were leader of the Labour Party, would you send…

Well, I voted for Sepuloni. Does that count?

There’s an important difference between broadening your appeal and mimicking your opponent.

There is. I'm only taking issue with your statement that it's the end of the story that they should win the next election. I'd like…

If you take Jones out of the equation I couldn’t see much issue between the 2 and (like, when Roger Douglas was in Labour), Jones was always denigrating…

I'm not sure if Tony Blair is any model I want to see the left use. "War criminal" gets thrown around a fair bit in relation to his name these days in the UK.

You might also recall Shane Jones's blatant slagging of the Greens in the very week that he was shamelessly flirting with Judith Collins. All of the current Labour leadership contenders appear to have been equally blindsided…

One of the things that an opposition needs in order to be taken seriously as a potential government…

Maybe it will shut up the chattering classes who say the Greens should suck up to National. Now the Greens can say "We offered to talk and they said no" and that's…

Idealism is only impractical to the extent that it prevents you from achieving your goals. Are you a Labour supporter?

if they [win] by turning into National, I wouldn’t see it as any kind of win if they did take…

Labour should be aiming to win the next election. EOFS

Sure, but if they do it by turning into National, I wouldn’t see it as any kind of win if they did take the election.

It is worth taking stock…

Labour should be aiming to win the next election. EOFS.

Sounds about right Caleb. The police at least went to some effort to apologise. All things considered, it’s not like the voters expect the Labour…

Bill Clinton and Obama won two terms, Tony Blair and Helen Clark won three. The UK Labour Party is leading in the polls and is currently favoured to win the 2015 election;…

Given that National's policies so blatantly privilege narrow constituencies, there…

Also Sacha, 'positive' but with a deep emotional trigger. loving the navigation on this thread, into the great wide open...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvwojnLeMH4

The problem is that Labour isn't 'together' in itself, let alone able to get alongside of anyone else.

Yes. Always thought 'together' was a useful word for the left.

Well, that's a given solely because of their numbers but I would hate to be in their shoes so I wont say how I think it should be done. It cant be that easy to expect all…

Because the government has had far better political communications management than their opposition for many years now.…

Because they are all still there. The likes of which ,one became Prime Minister of our Country.

Exactly, but the consequences for all those who were blameless are far from being inconsequential , and it's far from over.

Me too. I'd be happy if they just announced someone . Everyone's got strengths in different ways, including Cunliffe, Shearer and…

Equally the…

The fallout of the financial crisis was managed by Obama and Gordon Brown. It was far from perfect, but it wasn't out and out corrupt.

However…

I don't agree , but I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it has been saved by QE etc. to infinity.
If it doesn't all crash and burn , and the elite are all safe in their bolt-holes ,…

Yes, still, now is important too. Last night we heard on the news from Phil Twyford regarding the measley 5 houses National have built…

National has the numbers to pass whatever it wants. Short of an unlikely mobilisation of public opinion, the Government will be able to ratify the agreement…

Can they also have a look at what Team Key are jumping all over while they figure out whose going to lead them somewhere.
I totally understand them wanting to find a leader,…

Saving the financial system was the goal – asset price inflation was just a means to an end. Self interest is a defining feature of capitalism, even if it often…

Panem et Circenses. look over there! ---> It's a flag!

So here's your chance to complain directly to them. They have announced their review Team and are taking submissions. Be nice if the Greens contributed, they are part of the opposition also. As has been noted this…

Welcome to the Hunger Games.
Yeh that’s right ; we are all in the game now.

” The widening chasm between rich and poor is traceable to the policies that were adopted in 2008. That’s why things are so…

It does and it's amongst us every day in every way. We have entire Electorates that are in on the fudge at the request of Team key, and leaders of parties other than Team key, (Dunne Act) that condone…

Starting? Bit slow? ;) What Taslov just linked to, Team talk, Team Key, all much of the same, “jobs for the boys” network is alive and well. Amy Adams is all over Team key and Dirty politics. She is the dark horse…

Which local media have finally gotten round to reporting.

Graham is not a member of Prinz and is not subject to its code of ethics.

Surprise, surprise.

Translation:
Because whilst you may have destroyed any remnants of a career in central government, NZers have shown many times that they are prepared to elect…

yes, let's invite those who are happy to behave neither ethically nor professionally to spank themselves. What's that wet bus ticket sound fapping away in the distance?

a puffed-up sheet

And the unaccountable passive phrasing is deeply familiar. Person X is "defending themself", without the writer acknowledging the accusation's source. When did they stop beating their wife?

Clearly #dirtypolitics has made no impact on the shitty conduct of our political 'journalists', their editors and publishers. What's…

Arrggh. We’ve been here before and it’s a non-story – unless, of course, we’re going to start scrutinising the travel of government ministers (and their entourages) to National Party fundraisers. Which we’re not.

This…

Rodney Hide said this year on Radio of the National Party,…

And the fresh Labour MP who appeared to best exemplify the Semmens no-truck-with-you-elitist-tossers prescription – the one who needed a fire engine to transport his copious no-pooftahs-please man-tackle – is the one who actually got down and jiggy with the Dirty Politics…

The work of GBSA is never complete. It's a twisted cycle.

I am past caring but today I had to complain. Not in the comments yet. I often don't make it but that…

Why bother interviewing Hager? Looks like Dirty Politics never happened, the two tier smear strategy is back in action and lazy churnalists like Trevitt can lap it all up safe in the knowledge Cameron Slater…

Anything new there, apart from maybe tacking lifestyle onto the time-honoured block?

Right across the West Green party support has failed to significantly break the 10% barrier.

The truth is voters much prefer traditional populist right wing parties as a protest against the political establishment over…

they have had detailed economic policies for years, and things like developing higher-value enterprises would sit well in any likely coalition they are part of.

which seems to be another instance of sloppy wording. I understand they meant not stolen in the incident they were investigating.

And which is a finding that should be made in a court of law, to be perfectly pedantic.

I, for one, appreciate that the Green Party actually have relatively detailed policies across a wide spectrum of issues.

One of the main reasons I had doubt with even considering the Internet Party during all…

um yeah sorry about high jacking the thread ...
Or do you side with right wing commentariat that they should get off economics and everything else that people care about and stick to their environmental knitting?

No I don't but I have noticed…

Anyway, Richard, the Greens do a full review of every election, although – depending on the people who do it – it sometimes has an internal bias. But that's ok: they…

Social justice is sharing the resources we have in a sustainable manner, simple.
The system we find ourselves slaves to, the fractional reserve system combined with a fiat currency gives us the worst of all…

At the core of environmentalism is the belief that the social cost of various activities has not been properly recognised. In order to offset that cost, something has to result in a social benefit. Assessing social costs and benefits requires forming a view of how they should be measured…

Actually I think many Greens lack that full understanding .
Their policies cover a lot of the social justice/social caring area , I just wonder if they need more work to detail them into practical policy.

How would you articulate…

That has been the right's line, certainly. Lacking understanding of how intertwined social justice is with sustainability.

I have heard discussions going on among green member around the Blue/Green proposal from Gareth Morgan , getting heated in places as the pure greens debate the pragmatic greens. Discussions around the negative effect…

seems likely

only compared with polling before election day. Actual result not much different than previous election.

If you're going to cliche-stereotype all politicians – which I agree can be tempting on a bad day – then why shouldn't other callings be equally damned?

Seriously FG, you declined a guest spot…

You mean folks like David Shearer ?

"Hey, let's back up from focusing on the Labour party for a minute and have a good look at what Shearer is saying. He is saying that they, Labour, are engaged in 'dirty politics'.

Well, well, well. What a surprise?…

Although a Brietbart operation would be a vanity project in NZ, as I would suspect the revenue model would not support a for profit business. Not if it needs to sustain the level of staff/contractors they seem to be advertising for.

If we assume say,…

Oh, and I can’t see anything at all in the CAA rules to protect the privacy of anyone on, or under, your flight path.

As long as it’s not a police drone.

The Privacy Commission says it is keeping an…

The shrinking Violet? Judith the Collins

Details on new UAV rules are currently being worked. On Lentino, a pilot who owns a Helicopter rental company as well as Instra Corporation which has revenue of around $20 million, one may guess that given Slater’s bent, the privacy…

http://www.donotlink.com/c1dk

Nothing to see yet. Just a massive list of job vacancies which implies the head honcho sees himself as a journalist... or something.

I missed that. Is it online?

If for example Chopper Tasker from Waipawa were to set up a similar agency it probably wouldn’t…