As soon as the name Boag flicks up, so do my antennae

As it should, for anyone who endured the previous National govt.

As soon as the name Boag flicks up, so do my antennae...but that post about the Sierra Club was wonderful news. Annoy those folk, and you'll pay.

While there is a possibility that national sovereignty is being poked, I, for several (actually* quite* a few whanau) dont care. We…

.Hi Sofie,
Just a correction: it was Jacqui Dean Waitaki MP NOT Dr Jackie Blue (who happens to be my sister-in-law).
She wasn't re-employed because Blue merged her office with Lotu-Iiga, and didn't need to rehire staff.
Struggle Street
Julie Fairey seems to agree also

oops, I stand corrected Sofie.…

.Hi Sofie,
Just a correction: it was Jacqui Dean Waitaki MP NOT Dr Jackie Blue (who happens to be my sister-in-law).

She wasn't re-employed because Blue merged her office with Lotu-Iiga, and didn't need to rehire staff.

Struggle Street
Julie Fairey seems to agree also

Incidentally, is 'full' supposed to rhyme with 'hood'?

I have a vision...
a world of hope
a world with a...
hood full o' dreams

Shake that tax system up, just like a bad medicine.
You ain't the politician that can cure society's disease.

We ain't got a fever, got a permanent disease
It'll take more than a PM to prescribe a…

But know that if you walk out on me that darling
I'd be gone

That sounds a bit like "Nah, you didn't dump me, I dumped you"
Wonder if we will hear JK say "You didn't vote me out, I just didn't want to be Prime Minister anymore"
I guess…

The irony of Key's saintly visit to McGehan Close was that until the day, he appeared to think it was in South Auckland, to judge by his bFM interview that week.

This is what really pisses me off most about the SuperCity. Manukau is soon to be gone, and then…

Incidentally, is 'full' supposed to rhyme with 'hood'?

__Babe I got something to say to you
I ain't got the winning ticket
Not the one that's gonna pull us through
No one said that it'd be easy
Let your old man take you home
But know that…

Jon Bonjovi sure makes sense sometimes

Tommy used to work on the docks. Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck. It's tough, so tough.

Words of wisdom for these troubled economic times.

Indeed, Sofie. Fucking poor people really should keep their houses tidy so they don't offend the eyeballs of passing motorists. That or Melissa Lee should start posting her sociological insights under her own name.

I'm really not sure what you mean by this.

I visited McGehan Close at the time…

Posted at 2:49PM on 10 Feb 10. Report. Permalink.
Fucking poor people really should keep their houses tidy so they don't offend the eyeballs of passing motorists.
If Key…

Guess which province is reputed to have 'more land in the Conservation estate than any other province in" ANZ?

Maybe it's just my reading but there has been an awful lot of activity since August.
Done deal?.

BTW, my front garden is letting the whole neighbourhood down

Shame on you! I certainly wont be driving down your street. I'd have to defend your lazy li'l arse. :)

And another thing, Why put all Maori/English translation through a headphone system, when listening to Parliament TV ? Now us…

Craig, a much brighter future to be had.You know what I mean?

Sofie & George; If I made some grand sociological generalisation based, quite literally, on a twice-weekly drive by you'd tell me to stick my snotty Tory head up my arse and leave it there.

And you'd be too bloody…

Anyway, protest is futile theatre — organisation is where it's at. I just broke a vow of years and joined the Labour party...

Good luck with that.

I've seen no indication that the current mob have vision or are susceptible to ideas, despite a good number of worthwhile members -…

However, I don't think you can yet criticise National over this street.

Oh, yes I can. National chose this street to belittle from Day one of campaigning and then proceeded to use for his advantage, whilst throwing in the token Maori for Waitangi day, all for the express…

They did, to be fair, it's just that the ratio of average income to average house price was so much lower for them. And there were fewer lifestyle distractions to spend your money on otherwise. But sacrifices were most assuredly made.

It's about 9/1 now, as opposed to a historic…

singularly nerdily focused on saving for/buying a house, in a way that the previous generation never needed to be

They did, to be fair, it's just that the ratio of average income to average house price was so much lower for them. And there were fewer lifestyle distractions to spend…

Indeed, Sofie. Fucking poor people really should keep their houses tidy so they don't offend the eyeballs of passing motorists. That or Melissa Lee should start posting her sociological insights under her own name.

No. But if things were improving, you'd expect to see things getting better, not worse. The…

The few people who have been able to buy a house without assistance have basically…

Fucking poor people really should keep their houses tidy so they don't offend the eyeballs of passing motorists.

If Key hadn't of used "average New Zealanders" after abusing them, for his photo ops,and if only Jackie (lying) Blue had never had hired that woman in the first place,and then it…

It seems Key's infuriated his own support base more than anyone, Fran O'Sullivan included.

Them's fighting words.

Back when I used to read the dead tree version of the Herald, I made a game of writing Fran's columns in my head before I read them. It'd go something like "Take…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSnLU9nyFSA

Do folks think that mining our reserves will capture the imagination of the public enough to bring the government down?

No – and that's what completely freaks me out about this proposal. That it'll go through virtually unopposed because yer average politically uninterested/naive/apathetic/give-me-my-tax-cut Kiwi won't give enough of a shit…

I ride through McGehan Close a couple of times a week. It looks rougher than it did two years ago.

"Whoops" ( Maori Party compromise).

Indeed, Sofie. Fucking poor people really should keep their houses tidy so they don't offend the eyeballs of passing motorists. That or Melissa Lee should…

I ride through McGehan Close a couple of times a week. It looks rougher than it did two years ago.

"Whoops" ( Maori Party compromise).

Do folks think that mining our reserves will capture the imagination of the public enough to bring the government down?

Maybe, dunno. But thanks to Paul for the link to Kiwiblog. Wow, those guys are pissed off.

It seems Key's infuriated his own support base more than anyone, Fran O'Sullivan…

The wealthiest among them need incentives to remain here or to be attracted here from overseas

Like these fellas?

While we're being nostalgic, remember those pre-election "wave goodbye" billboards?

... which could've done with some National Standards in literacy.

there are lots of silly ugly bits in national parks

Of course you're quite right.

Actually perhaps we could all help our government by taking photos of bits of National Parks that we don't care about. We could then assemble them into a nice big montage or one of those…

I ride through McGehan Close a couple of times a week. It looks rougher than it did two years ago.

I'll miss you, and don't forget to throw a going away party. Sorry, but I've seen too many people threaten to flounce out of the country and never get around to leaving in the past not to be somewhat cynical.

Fair point well made.

But in my defence, I've done…

Their children are of little consequence.

Someone has to go down the mines, Paul

It's more about the hypocrisy of the current bunch's chestbeating proclamations of boldness and ambition compared with their actual dull managerialism and poverty of vision. They could…

I really doubt that the Maori…

I really would like to know how on earth Key doesn't have the numbers. A tax is a supply issue. Key has confidence and supply agreements with two parties, either of which would get him a majority.

So, you really think Key would have any more of an appetite than…

the benefits to NEW ZEALAND are negligible

Yes, and it's the stunning lack of ambition in digging up minerals to sell off for cents on the dollar rather than creating high-value export industries for our children's futures that gets me. That's going to drive them overseas at least as much…

Do folks think that mining our reserves will capture the imagination of the public enough to bring the government down?

Nope. See, it's not THOSE bits of the national parks. Nobody's going to be suddenly running across an open cast mine right under Aoraki or next to Tane Mahuta. What…

So opinion writers shouldn't say anything unless they personally have a working, politically viable solution written up and ready to be submitted to a select committee?

This hyperbole stuff is fun!

No, Andre — if nothing else, it would be blatantly hypocritical given that I derive a fairly large chunk…

While not suggesting mining native forests is in any way justifiable it may turn out to be technically possible to extract minerals from public lands without doing harm.

Agreed, quite possibly. But the benefits to NEW ZEALAND are negligible. The mining company does all the mining, makes all the money,…

If National are worried they won't get important tax…

If you can go a week without a "but X did Y as well, so its not like we should only criticise Z" post, then I'll be truly impressed :P.

I never thought Clark — who is every bit as temperamentally cautious as Key — would either.

Me neither, it's way too large a problem for one party to solve. It would need to be bi-partisan, and over a decade, or more.

Strikes me that the GST vs income tax…

Do folks think that mining our reserves will capture the imagination of the public enough to bring the government down?

I kind of think that it is so blatantly greedy that most kiwis will hate it. But most importantly it is the…

they will be diverted from this stray thought by the shiny things that Key has mixed in to this mess

Don't forget the bennie-bashing – went down a treat right away in the Heraldic comments.

Why would they want to do that?

I'm only on coffee number one, so my rhetorical question detector is still a bit wonky. But I'll answer seriously anyway: the last thing National wants is to be known as the government that increased the tax burden on low income families disproportionately.…

Craig, the "everyone is as bad as each other, I'm a sensible tory that can see both sides" stuff is getting just a little old. You've been doing it for 5 years – do you have any other tricks? You're too often all meta and no content

Eddie: You're right.…

Instead of attacking:…

Is this our Obambi moment?

Of course it is, Russell — because the only reason I supported Key and Obama is because they're 1) really hawt, 2) speak real pretty, and 3) promised to descend from their ice cream castles on a cloud of perfumed unicorn farts and pixie dust…

Now pardon me, I'm off to check ticket prices...

I'll miss you, and don't forget to throw a going away party. Sorry, but I've seen too many people threaten to flounce out of the country and never get around to leaving in the past not to be somewhat cynical.

It…

But it read well that way here too.

And did Key really think about the implications…

__ Man all these people crying is getting me down. Oh boo hoo poor us, not enough tax back too much going out. One reason why this country will…

Anyway, protest is futile theatre — organisation is where it's at. I just broke a vow of years and joined the Labour party...

What he ACTUALLY said was

"I make no apologies of making a few of you a bit wet."

Which, ACTUALLY means, "The National Government (mark4) has many investment properties and hey, fodder got their Flag, the majority can pay .oh , and get a real job, because the bludgers wont…

"I make no apologies of making a few of you a bit wet."

So the money for the rich can be raised from the poor, as well as from everyone in between.

Agree it's regressive redistribution, and am reminded of Keith's pie graphs. However, I reckon they're making all those in the middle pay the most. That way, the govt get to say…

I'm off to check ticket prices

For the Pixies?

And whose hands does that play into?

Ahh yes, our Mr Brown quietly waiting in the wings. A real man who can make real decisions. And of course Treasury would be simply unbearable...

I do so enjoy living in countries run by accountants and bankers. Now pardon me, I'm off…

And then they didn't. But they did undertake to do the thing that the Task Force was most lukewarm about: raise GST.

You're not honestly surprised are you? He's a frikkin merchant banker for Chrissakes!

Instead he looks like he can't make the tough decisions.

And whose hands does that play into?

Key could have pulled off a property-tax-type-thing and looked statesmanlike. Instead he looks like he can't make the tough decisions.

Also,…

When Key talked about "spending political capital", I thought, __great: they're going to deal with…

Nice. Bernard Hickey also seems mighty unimpressed with the flaccid Key.

It would be fair to say that Bernard is fucking furious with him.

I reckon these guys will be remembered in the end not for what they did, but for what they failed to do.

God help us if they end up being remembered as the ones who destroyed our national parks – because once they're gone YOU FUCKERS we can't get them…

and surely to God the National Party has some of them

David Slack rules! OK?

actually, could we just have a revolution and install Mr. S as PM, Generalissimo, and Supreme Leader? maybe not for life, just till he trades in the step ladder?

please!?

more mining means more money for conservation.

I've been trying to come up with an appropriate metaphor to illustrate the cynical absurdity of this idea. Then I realised I can't because it is the very fucking epitome of cynical absurdity and properly should only exist as a joke proposition conjured…

Yum, yum, delicious cake, in time. Meanwhile, more mining means more money for conservation.

He gets up there, stands alongside the mighty gun, pulls out a water pistol squeezes it and says: "I make no apologies for making a few of you a bit wet."

Nice. Bernard Hickey also seems mighty unimpressed with the flaccid Key.

He has finally shown his colours. He is a…

And each time we do, we're going to put a shiny dollar in Russel Norman's tip jar. Now I get it. Lay waste to the National Parks. It's a Steppe change!

So I presume that the govt has come up with a way to mine for gold, coal, and minerals…

Currently, unless you…

a variety of exporters, capitalising on the growing Asian markets. Yes; of course it's not easy. But the alternative is harder yet, once the borrowed money runs out.

Yeah I dig that. Like a national park. There are some companies doing that, and Malaysia for example is NZ's 7th largest…

decided not to challenge a generation of voters who are now rich because of the property boom and don't want to give it up.

He is cementing in place the biggest transfer of wealth between generations in New Zealand's history.

Options to the left, options…