Public Address | Cafe | OnPoint: Back! (And on the Crusading Herald) https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/ en-us Copyright (c) 2026 Public Address linger https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=35154#post35154 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=35154#post35154 A note for other Tokyo-resident NZers:
this weekend (Nov 17-18) there will be a NZ trade fair at the Roppongi Hills Arena. Free entry, free music. Refreshments NOT free, however. Further details at the NZ embassy webpage under the "New Zealand Paradise Week" heading.

I guess I'm going, out of…

]]> Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:29:19 +1300 Angus Robertson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34430#post34430 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34430#post34430

No, it just doesn't make them tougher than they currently are,

Double negatives are hard to interpret. Please clarify. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with the statement?

Again, no it doesn't. It limits them;

Limits them to $60,000 with which to counter spending in the $millions.

organisations spend a lot…

]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:18:11 +1300 Graeme Edgeler https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34351#post34351 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34351#post34351

the EFB does not impose donation disclosure on political parties.

No, it just doesn't make them tougher than they currently are, or fix the holes you could drive a truck through; and the spending limits bit still applies.

The EFB bans any arguments countering those of known liars

Again, no…

]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:07:25 +1300 Angus Robertson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34319#post34319 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34319#post34319 Graeme,

The debate is about the EFB.

The argument in favour of the regulation of third party electoral speech is basically two-fold:

1. If we impose spending limits and donation disclosure on political parties, then we shouldn't allow people to subvert those rules by spending as a third party.

That…

]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:30:11 +1300 Rich of Observationz https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34307#post34307 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34307#post34307 Readers ... have also been almost unanimously in support of a front page editorial today

could more accurately have said:

amongst a tiny minority (less that 0.1% of the electorate) of the especially opinionated, support was almost uninanimous for our editorial.

]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:08:28 +1300 stephen walker https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34217#post34217 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34217#post34217 Have to say I pretty much agree with Keith (haha, for a change ;-)

But Graeme's contribution is also much appreciated. Which makes it even more annoying that the Herald seem to be making it out as a villains versus good guys b-movie.

the Herald is truly appalling.

and to…

]]> Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:02:28 +1300 tussock https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34215#post34215 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34215#post34215 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:56:18 +1300 Victor Chou https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34209#post34209 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34209#post34209 The Japanese have good reason to be afraid of them terrorists – their minister of justice is just 2 degrees of Kevin Bacon away from the Bali bombers:

http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10053265

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:25:16 +1300 Shep Cheyenne https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34206#post34206 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34206#post34206 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:10:19 +1300 Angus Robertson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34205#post34205 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34205#post34205 I would be happier with that as an argument, if everyone involved in an election had the same amount of money to spend. I don't mind restrictions on how much money people can spend, because some people start out with not very much "free speech" when they open up their… ]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:53:02 +1300 Kyle Matthews https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34199#post34199 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34199#post34199

This bill restricts the amount of money anyone (other than the government) can spend expressing an idea. This bill demands that any free speech is addressed to as few as people as possible. This is a restriction on the right to free speech.

I would be happier with that as…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:09:30 +1300 Graeme Edgeler https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34196#post34196 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34196#post34196

Trying to vilify anyone who supports public funding as trying to hijack the machinery of the state, and anyone who supports more private funding as trying to buy elections really doesn't help.

The nature of political debate in general is unfortunate.

I've caught a bit of Parliament now that it's…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:40:58 +1300 Angus Robertson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34178#post34178 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34178#post34178

For all its flaws, this bill – and the debate surrounding it – is about the role of money in elections, not free speech.

Have you heard the history of the term "Public Address"? It refers to rallies held by American political speakers that would be pamphleteered and distributed widely…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:17:30 +1300 linger https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34072#post34072 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34072#post34072 Apologies if this ends up appearing twice — it vanished into the ether on my first attempt...

Changing countries is always a disorientating experience.

One of the few instances in which the American variant ("disorienting") might be more appropriate :-)

Actually, Keith, you got out of Japan just in time:…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:04:54 +1300 simon g https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34030#post34030 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34030#post34030 As a free service to busy PA readers, to save you from having to wade through dozens of pages of "Your Views" on the Herald website, here they are:

1. A quote (Niemoller, Lincoln, Acton)
2. Another country (Hot: Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Venezuela, North Korea. Not: Nicaragua, Iraq. Perennial: Nazis)
3.…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:26:02 +1300 Kyle Matthews https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34022#post34022 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34022#post34022 I haven't been paying close attention, but is there anyone on the electoral finance bill debate who's making good sense?

From what I've seen/heard, it's just been different breeds of pigs gathering around the trough trying to get the best deal for themselves. If the name of the bill had…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:11:36 +1300 Raymond A Francis https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34016#post34016 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34016#post34016 If it is all about money

And there is transparency ie we know where it comes from
Something Labour talk up but as yet refuse to demand

What is the difference between using your own money or using the money you removed (somewhat in surplus to their real needs) from…

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:55:40 +1300 Public Address https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34015#post34015 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/onpoint-back-and-on-the-crusading-herald/?p=34015#post34015 Discussion from blog post.

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:55:39 +1300