Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: The Mood

256 Responses

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  • andrew llewellyn,

    can certainly blame itself for not even trying to look renewed until it was too late.

    Have they started then?

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    And Labour can certainly blame itself for not even trying to look renewed until it was too late.

    I agree. When Key replaced Brash, that was the time to thoroughly reorganise the front bench and beyond. Putting safe hands into the political sensitive areas was a necessary move, sadly a few of them have not performed as well as they should have, but National's bait-and-switch campaign has also defused this advantage. Still, I think Key's not going to know what's hit him come election time; he's not good under pressure, has little political memory and tends to make-up stuff as he goes along.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • John Morrison,

    It is very interesting what is happening just now, but I have a theory regarding the unfocused anger.

    It must be clear to all and sundry that kiwis, especially males, *HATE* being told what to do, and the govt is still suffering from the 'nanny state' tag, exemplified by the anti-smacking bill. On top of this they are now being lumbered with skyrocketing costs and interest payments which just adds to that latent anger.

    No matter what the perceived perpetrator says to them, they simply don't listen until they have had a chance to give them the fingers or exact revenge.

    Could the truckies protest be this act? Wouldn't that be ironical for Freidlander

    Cromwell • Since Nov 2006 • 85 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    OK, so let's see if I've got the reasons for "the mood" down:

    1) The peasants are fucking stupid.
    2) Cursing out the media is A-OK for enlightened people like us, but not wannabe ninjas who talk funny.
    3) There's probably a truck fetish in there somewhere, but let's leave it alone.
    4) Did I mention the peasants are really, really thick?
    5) National are in league with Satan.

    Have I got it about right?

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

  • Raymond A Francis,

    I was scoffed at last week when I said that the Labour were out of touch
    But that is what it feels like out in the wops, wops

    And I will be the first to admit that Labour and the golden weather or at least golden financial weather of the last 8 years has given us, almost all of us a dam good run
    But while that was happening what did they do for those at the bottom on benifits or more to the point the middle class who feel they have been taxed and then taxed some more
    I am in neither of those brackets but those who are are not very happy, or so they say

    "Time for a change"
    When an ideas time comes round it is hard to stop it

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Thomas,

    how about

    6) after nine years of any government, we're bound to want a change

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    On Nine to Noon this morning Peter Low said after pulling back from his worst threats: "People know me. I'm a vegetarian and I wouldn't even kill a mice!"

    I have an idea that there is a team of people lined up to post in places like the Auckland Herald and they believe that by screaming the same abuse rather than at an issue, people will respond. In spite of Polls and the more than 20% "don't knows," many people who I know don't subscribe to the hysteria. Family First, Sensible Sentencing, Family Trust and others appear to me as being all the same, including the strange Christine Rankin.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Blake Monkley,

    Peter Low may have felt that the police don't care..after his Radio interview the police will certainly be interested.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 215 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Most people I meet aren't stupid. But they're not necessarily well informed. And there is a world of difference between the two.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    "Time for a change" doesn't really quite nail the reason. It's more like an expression of general powerlessness, in a time of fear about fuel prices, food prices, social changes, etc., etc. Even though the Govt. (any Govt.) can't do much about many of these things, re-electing the encumbents seems a bit like doing nothing, whereas kicking them out sends a message.

    Also, there's a lot of truth in this (5 Mb video download).

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    how about

    6) after nine years of any government, we're bound to want a change

    I'm not sure to what extent I'd actually buy that -- though you can, if you're so inclined, dismiss that as my knee-jerk distain for pollsters and lazy hacks looking for a hook to hang a 'trend' story on. Perhaps no politicians should ever expect to be rewarded for competence, because... well, mere competency is what people are expected to deliver in their own lives. Here's the real problem for the Government: Nobody really believes that John Key is going to sell their children into foreign-owned multinational slavery, and own goals like last week's effort from Clark aren't going to convince anyone otherwise.

    Call me utterly naive, if you must, but I happen to think people take their government rather more seriously than deciding on a whim to get a new haircut.

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

  • Lucy Stewart,

    2) Cursing out the media is A-OK for enlightened people like us, but not wannabe ninjas who talk funny.

    Peter Low can curse out the media all he wants, but correct me if I'm wrong in believing that if anyone on the PAS threatened to "fuck the bloody ass" of either a reporter or another PAS member, it would be taken poorly by everyone. And..."I have money, I can do whatever I want"? How is that not mockable?

    5) National are in league with Satan.

    Well, duh. ;)

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 2105 posts Report Reply

  • David Cormack,

    Nobody really believes that John Key is going to sell their children into foreign-owned multinational slavery

    I thought he ate babies? Didn't we discuss this? Wasn't that the consensus?

    Dammit, has Key changed his nefarious actions again? I can't keep up.

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • David Cormack,

    but correct me if I'm wrong in believing that if anyone on the PAS threatened to "fuck the bloody ass" of either a reporter or another PAS member, it would be taken poorly by everyone.

    In all fairness, that's quite funny in an absurd over the top kinda way

    Suburbia, Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 218 posts Report Reply

  • larryq,

    I'm not sure what the rest of your rant means.

    Unclear, yes, a rant no. What I was trying to say was that the Sunday Star Times, and I think you to Russell, are attempting to say that because the National Party have employed Crosby/Textor (a company who have done one or two questionable things in the past), for the up coming campaign, then there is a high probability that Nationals election campaign will use some dodgy techniques in NZ this year. What all of this ignores is that National have used them for years, and the evidence of past NZ national party campaigns suggests that this will not happen. I would go further and suggest that National will lose votes if they try some John Howard style stunt. I reckon that the Brethren thing lost National votes last time. John Howard was desperate when he used the baby overboard lie, so on that basis we can expect Helen Clark to try some tricks.

    I'm equally annoyed by David Farrar towing the party line and backing the very silly suggestion by Key that the recent Hagar emails had been obtained by someone hacking into the Parliamentary Services email system. It's pretty obvious an insider is being very sneaky.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 24 posts Report Reply

  • tussock,

    Someone asked what the SST would expect in regards crime rates. I would think it obvious that they expect crime to go up so as to help fill all the new private prisons. By which I mean PPP Prisons, or P4's.

    I wonder, if someone in a PPPP on P charges is paroled, does that make them a P6? And will Intel still sue?

    Since Nov 2006 • 611 posts Report Reply

  • George Darroch,

    Even though the Govt. (any Govt.) can't do much about many of these things

    That general idea has been repeated quite a few times, but it isn't entirely true. The current Government for example, has until recently rejected out of hand the notion that oil supplies may be near or past a peak. As a result, they've invested heavily in building new roads, resisted legislating to increase the fuel economy of the fleet, and been at best lukewarm on things like cycling and public transport. As a result, the economy is more exposed to increases in the international price of energy, and the electorate is in pain.

    WLG • Since Nov 2006 • 2264 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Preface this all with a large IMHO, but...

    I don't believe the mood for change (of Government) would be so prevalent if Labour had stayed fresh and with an ongoing vision.
    I get the feeling that they had a well-planned 2-term vision in '99 - First term to roll back the (in their opinion) over-reaching reforms of the previous Govts, Second term to implement a program of work they wanted beyond that.
    They managed to put together some excellent ideas for the beginning of the Third term but for the last year or two haven't shown any kind of plan. Can't really blame them but all they're left with is "our selling point is we won't make the changes that other crowd will". Hardly inspiring.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Angus Robertson,

    I think the meme is "punish Labour" and do not think it is related to third termnitis.

    Possibly, but whoever managed to make the public forget that National voted in favour of the same bill certainly has something going on.

    People remember the Nats opposition, it was loud and strident for months - even someone with nothing going on could keep this visible. At the last moment a compromise was struck (which set Mr Key in a leadership limelight), that a high threshold for prosecution would be met.

    PS: Statistics NZ 1st Quarter Household survey report is where I'd found the suggestion that unemployment not so good.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    I'm equally annoyed by David Farrar towing the party line and...

    Stuff like that would give him a hernia! :)

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I was scoffed at last week when I said that the Labour were out of touch

    But that is what it feels like out in the wops, wops

    Oddly enough, the last Fairfax poll, iirc, has Labour ahead in Christchurch and Dunedin -- it's Auckland where they're really dying.

    I talked to someone involved in an electorate campaign for Labour at the beginning of the year -- they mentioned strong signs of "mortgage belt poverty" coming up in polling in places like the North Shore. I guess it makes sense that the most over-extended people will feel the strongest sense of grievance in a credit crunch.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    I scanned the SST front page editorial about how the Trucks protest was a defining moment in this Governments demise. Judging by the last 9 months of their own polls I think the SST political team may have missed a few of those, one of the main ones being S59 changes (a good thing but cost Labour & the Greens dearly).

    However, as far as "The Mood" goes Key's less that straight forward performance under a grilling from Havoc is pretty damaging, IMHO. So many ways he could have dealt with this issue other than the one he chose. The contrast with Clark on a similar topic is stark.

    Killer quote from Havoc "you should pay me to for advice because I would advise you - don't go back to that company, that would be the worst thing you could so".

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    That general idea has been repeated quite a few times, but it isn't entirely true. The current Government for example, has until recently rejected out of hand the notion that oil supplies may be near or past a peak. As a result, they've invested heavily in building new roads, resisted legislating to increase the fuel economy of the fleet, and been at best lukewarm on things like cycling and public transport.

    But that's exactly what the people who keep calling for the gummint to "do something" about high petrol prices would want done, or even more so. Most people who complain about high petrol prices want their car-dependent lifestyles to continue, rather than have better cycling and PT facilities. There's a view in some quarters that the government should just drop the taxes on petrol, based on the impression that our petrol taxes are somehow outrageously high, rather than being the fifth lowest in the OECD.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    I don't believe the mood for change (of Government) would be so prevalent if Labour had stayed fresh and with an ongoing vision.

    I think you're right. They needed fresh talent and a plan for a fresh orientation immediately after winning three years ago.

    I think it's obvious that losing an election will provoke the reinvention. Unfortunately, I feel less relaxed about a National-led government than I did a month ago.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Oddly enough, the last Fairfax poll, iirc, has Labour ahead in Christchurch and Dunedin

    and Wellington too.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

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