Hard News: The sole party of government
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Steve Parks, in reply to
“The absurdity of it is that the Greens are barely more left than Labour.”
I would say they were to the right of Labour, in a traditional sense, because the power behind the Greens are the children of the comfortable middle classes that have the time to care about the subjective, whereas traditional Labour supporters are the struggling poor and the exploited workers. Its a Class thing.
Yeah that could be fair, in the sense that you mean. I was thinking of it more in terms of a lining each party’s policies up against each other kind of way – tick box politics if you will.
(Not sure what you mean by “have the time to care about the subjective”.)
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Not The Messiah, in reply to
Yes I did know that..makes it even more stinky. Wonder what Geoffrey thinks of it all. and does he still vote Labour? Ms. Chen seems out on the Right.
I guess lawyers will represent anybody for the money and there would have been lots of that on offer. -
I gotta say this having to vote tactically is a mad game, and plays into the 'systems are for gaming' paradigm rather than having a system that lets you follow your heart and head.
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Craig Ranapia, in reply to
It’s more a case of those who voted for the Ohariu Labour & Green candidates either not grasping tactical voting, or being blindly tribalistic in their voting.
Or, to float a completely cray-cray idea, they actually voted for the candidate they thought would have been the best Member of Parliament out of the candidates on offer. (I don't know because of that tiresome secret ballot thing, and neither do you.) If you want to bitch someone, why don't you piss on the parties who put them on the ballot in the first place instead of condescending to voters in a manner I'm beginning to find rather obnoxious.
I'm really sorry a plurality of voters didn't put their ticks where you'd prefer they do, but welcome to my world in 1999, 2002 and 2005. It happens; I hope everyone gets through their grieving process soon.
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Ian: FPP causes you do do that, if I changed anything I'd do an STV for local electorate elections
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Russell Brown, in reply to
There was his f….d up Psychoactive Substances Bill.
It was only after Campbell Live ran story after story on this insidious shit did he finally pull the plug on it. The amount of personal damage this bill caused was devastating and sickening. Did he care…Only when the heat got too much.I'm sorry but that's bollocks. Synthetic cannabis was available for sale for years before the bill and for just over one year in a regulated regime under the bill. All kinds of things were screwed up in the execution of the law -- and basically, synthetic cannabinoids were a very poor candidate for regulated sale in the first place. But the idea that it only arrived with the Psychoactive Substances Bill is nonsense.
I believe he intends on reintroducing an amended version of this bill again this term. What a dangerous experiment again.
No, he isn't. The amendment bill in May got rid of the interim regime and got straight to the "all psychoactive substances are illegal until proven low-risk" stage. Hopefully the MoH will manage to introduce basic things like proper product-testing if and when a product passes the approval process.
There's also a major review of the Misuse of Drugs Act coming up. I'm not very hopeful of the Law Commission's recommendations being followed, sadly.
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Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
I’m really sorry a plurality of voters didn’t put their ticks where you’d prefer they do, but welcome to my world in 1999, 2002 and 2005. It happens; I hope everyone gets through their grieving process soon.
For me it's nothing to do with the process, it's the blatant corruption that National have been managing to blind many people with. I find none of it acceptable and National are the experts at pulling the wool over peoples eyes. If that is what good government is in your eyes, I see how you vote. Trouble is I thought you were better than that and the likes of Barry happily stooping to that gutter with bells on disgusts me also. I'm all good with best choice etc but corruption and black ops shit is the lowest. So yeah, I'll sleep happy enough knowing I would never support the dirtiest Government I've seen in this country. Utter gutter Government .They are disgusting
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
FPP causes you do do that
Maybe, like Telecom, the National and Labour parties could be forced into splitting into tighter parties of their predominant persuasions, to best identify the beast one is voting for...
Because until 'WYSIWYG' becomes the norm, they all look like Trojan Horses...
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Farmer Green, in reply to
the dirtiest Government I’ve seen in this country.
So far.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
you are not alone…
the dirtiest Government I’ve seen in this country.
Utter gutter Government.
They are disgustingan excellent letter in today’s Press
also echoes your thoughts (and mine):New Zealand what have you done?
You have chosen inequality, an unjust economy where the wealthy indulge their greed, while the poor descend into the depths of despair and debt.
You have launched the war on welfare and hastened the privatisation of our public health and education systems.
You have chosen the hedonistic now, instead of taking the necessary steps to prevent the grim future our children and grandchildren are facing.
You’ve said ‘yes’ to allowing multinational corporations decide our environmental policies.
You’ve ignored the crisis hitting us in the face; instead of tackling climate change you’ve chosen an economic model that is waging war against life on Earth.
You’ve assented to the mass surveillance of our private lives.
You’ve opened the door of our Kiwibank to foreign robbers.
You have ignored your conscience and said farewell to decency and egalitarianism.
I despair.Diana Bradley
I hope they don’t mind my reprinting it here,
but I feel they’d be happy for more eyes and minds to take it in…
…and if that doesn’t win the Press’s Letter of the Week Salmon Prize
there should be riots in the streets! -
Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
there should be riots in the streets!
Never gonna happen. Chch folk are far too complacent. Blue is the new beige, donchano!
ETA. The stench of Brownlee is in your water. Yuk yuk yuk.
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Not The Messiah, in reply to
Thanks Russell I take your point. I had only meant to say that the Bill was introduced by Dunne.
I realise these synthetic products had been around for yonks and that over a period of time various products were removed as constituent chemicals were seen to be harmful. It just seems a reactive way of dealing with it. Peter Dunne's Bill ( I believe ) was to try to tie up this problem ( a soft option ) with Govt. legislation.I had heard on the radio a couple of months back where Peter Dunne said he was planning reintroducing the bill again. Either I misinterpreted what he said or he was less than clear, but that is what it sounded like to me.
I don't like the sound of this " proven low risk " business. Low risk would be something that would only show after many years of observation. Very hard to predict with any certainty prior to release. And will testing be done on bassetts or cute little fluffy bunnies or not?
Like you I would not be confident that a review of the misuse of drugs will come with sensible conclusions by this Govt. ( or perhaps many other Party's )The view of cannabis ( in particular ) out there in society is still sitting way back in reefer madness type thinking.
The simple fact is that cannabis is made up of identifiable chemicals, compounds whatever - just like synthetics. I don't see any arguable merit in saying one is ok and one is not. Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, is natural, and like any consumable can have adverse effects. Kids have peanut allergies and can't eat them. Alcohol is very dangerous when over imbibed and Coca Cola can kill you. Moderation is sensible and imperative, age must be a factor, and for some can cause serious issues. The vast majority of reasonable users have no problems at all and I think we know this clearly. -
Not The Messiah, in reply to
Wonderfully eloquent and oh so truthful piece of writing there!! I am sure, like you, Diana would be happy for as many as is possible to read this.
Thanks for sharing. -
izogi, in reply to
an excellent letter in today’s Press
also echoes your thoughts (and mine):I don’t know. Does it?
This letter doesn’t do it for me quite the same way as Sofie’s comment when I read it. I can accept people choosing all that stuff given in the letter, even though I strongly disagree with it, because people are actually choosing it.
What I have more trouble with is the willing ignorance and acceptance of corruption, lack of oversight and lack of accountability at the highest levels of the executive branch of our government. If people don’t care about the rules and laws set down for a government to follow, so that we can ensure transparency and accountability back to voters, what the hell are they expecting?
Maybe there’s no reasonable alternative for casting a vote when you have to weigh so many concerns, but it’d be nice to at least see some cross-partisan acknowledment that there’s a serious problem, instead of just getting tribal, kicking the messengers and writing it off as an attempt to sabotage an election. I really hope it doesn’t all end here simply because the incumbents won.
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
Waterborne pathogen funk…
The stench of Brownlee is in your water.
Yuk yuk yuk.Don’t worry, we boil it for tea and coffee, give it to cows and paddocks, and mostly drink beer and wine or carbonated sugary concoctions.
I cope by reassuring myself that I am stardust
and may also contain some Shakespearean motes…"They [atoms] are also fantastically durable. Because they are so long lived, atoms really get around. Every atom you possess has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to becoming you. We are each so atomically numerous and so vigorously recycled at death that a significant number of our atoms – up to a billion for each us, it has been suggested – probably once belonged to Shakespeare.”
Bill Bryson A short history of nearly everythingThat and the beer and wine…
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Ian Dalziel, in reply to
I don’t know. Does it?
Horses for courses...
but both on the same track!I always prefer the echo chamber
for building resonance,
to, say, the Star Chamber
which isolates and insulates
to no good end. -
Steve Barnes, in reply to
What I have more trouble with is the willing ignorance and acceptance of corruption
This…
I have noticed that since the weekend the Herald has been harpng on about what Labour did wrong and how it should fix it, who should resign and when. Gimmeee a fucking break, the fact of the matter is Labour, the Greens and Internet/Mana lost this election due to the disgusting use of propaganda. As I have pointed out before, public relations is just the current name for the dark art of propaganda. What the MSM should be looking at is, not only Nationals campaign but the several years of lies and manipulation that convinced the public that Labour and the Greens would have wrecked the economy, something that National is more then likely to do and has done, neither would the presence of Internet/Mana in Parliament mean the end of life as we know it. What they seem to be doing is continuing the propaganda for National.
We must be stupid if we allow them to, not only get away with this propaganda driven power grab but run the country into the ground.
We should be protesting, LOUDLY!!!! -
Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to
I don’t know. Does it?
Yes, it's different but at least she is working towards trying to figure it out. National are the true Con.
Maybe it helps to have experienced people that steal from you,or having known a compulsive liar all of his life. Con Artists and I'd suggest drug addicts can get very good at studying and taking advantage of unsuspecting targets. I feel National are like the Kingpin Drug dealers that peddle their bullshit to make the addict come back for more. It doesn't matter if it is bullshit, they will trust you because they have to ,they need a fix. That's when the dealer will waterdown the fix allowing you to believe it's your problem ,not theirs (they have just increased their profit). The addict wouldn't question it's quality cos where you gonna go. You stay with what you know. ignorant and satisfied cos at least you are ok, who cares about the next person. This "rockstar" economy is heading for an overdose Cold turkey was the other option. I suspect the cards will tumble soon. Maybe we will see some justice but somehow I doubt it. I've known too many dealers. Now we got 6o something in the House. Can't see it being the big House tho' -
Alfie, in reply to
OMG - Campbell Live tonight - OIA response from Work Safe NZ just received by them show Pike River Mine Stage 1 Recovery has been safe to enter since October 2013 (as assessed and agreed by both Work Safe NZ and Mines Recovery).
That OIA was released on the first working day after the election. What a coincidence. Something else which seems to have slipped past the media last week was the government flicking another $103m to Solid Energy to "restore mining land" and avoid "technical insolvency."
Technical insolvency? So that's not like real insolvency then?
That announcement was made last Thursday - just two days before the election when not many people were paying attention. Meanwhile I'll bet Solid Energy's top staff are still pulling in huge salaries and living very comfortably, thank you.
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Alfie, in reply to
We purposefully watch One News and then flick over to Campbell Live at 7pm ON THE DOT. It's our way of 'digitally signalling' to TVNZ what a crap show they have in that time slot.
We go the other way -- 3 News followed by Campbell.
I've worked in news and current affairs (as an editor) for most of my life, including stints with TVNZ and TV3, most recently in Christchurch. I've always felt that the TV3 approach was less over-produced and thus had more integrity.
Mark Jennings and his team at TV3 tend to put more trust in their staff. The journo writes their script, runs it past the local bureau chief and gets a green light to start editing.
With TVNZ the journo writes the script, runs it past the local bureau chief who puts a little flag on the story. Then they wait until someone in the Auckland newsroom gets time to read the piece and possibly makes a few changes. That can add an hour or two to the process before you finally get the green light to start editing.
We used to MySky both bulletins and 7pm shows to do a compare and contrast. These days it's 3 News only. The style is more direct. The viewer is hearing what the journo wrote, not what head office decided. And we gave up on TVNZ at 7pm a week after Seven Sharp hit the screens. Fluffy tele vs real current affairs? There's no competition.
Just my 2c.
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Steve Barnes, in reply to
(Not sure what you mean by “have the time to care about the subjective”.
What I meant by that was when you are struggling you just don't have the time to think far beyond your needs, quality of life if you like. The subjective is the stuff that does not effect your immediate needs, global climate change for instance. This would also, I suppose, make the Greens less likely to be the heroes of the Right as they only care about short term effects or effects on their wealth.
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Katharine Moody, in reply to
basically, synthetic cannabinoids were a very poor candidate for regulated sale in the first place.
Exactly. And the evidence of that was spouted from every registrar in every emergency room around the country - as well as from other experts. So why would any government not just ban them from importation and sale altogether?
If you've got a reason other than a commercial imperative - as advanced by those profiting from the sale of harmful products .. do tell.
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Deborah, in reply to
What I meant by that was when you are struggling you just don't have the time to think far beyond your needs, quality of life if you like.
Exactly so. There's a good piece in The Guardian about this.
Poor people don't plan long-term. We'll just get our hearts broken
Why do so many poor people eat junk food, fail to budget properly, show no ambition? Linda Tirado knew exactly why… because she was one of them. Here, in an extract from her book, Hand to Mouth, she tells her story in her own words
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Katharine Moody, in reply to
Thanks Alfie - all good reasons to flick over to TV3 for news too. We suspected it was likely to be more professional. Really stayed with TVOne at 6'oclock because we liked the weather graphics :-) and I'm quite impressed that Simon speaks Maori :-) :-).
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izogi, in reply to
Technical insolvency? So that’s not like real insolvency then?
Probably more a question for an accountant, but my speedy googling suggests this is a well defined term. Technical Insolvency basically means you can't pay your bills, even if your assets exceed your liabilities. Once your liabilities exceed your assets, you're into Accounting Insolvency.
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