Southerly by David Haywood

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Southerly: Tower Insurance Have Some Bad News For You

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  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    The point is, that information is just not gaining traction under a torrent of fluffy ducks for National.

    Then again, the Exclusive Brethren affair was front page news for quite a while.

    I've said it before, but I suspect the departures of Mike Munro and Heather Simpson, and their subsequent non-replacement, have a large part to play in the current state of affairs.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Labour's *job* as a big part of any future left government is to get traction. That's not impossible unless you've already given up. I hope you can see that's what it sounds like whenever they whine about the evil meedia rather than looking in the mirror.

    Where's the use of other non-mass channels (where on-ground organising strength counts)? More importantly, where are the well-planned core messages, no matter who's speaking? Even their own blog doesn't show evidence of that.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    I suspect the departures of Mike Munro and Heather Simpson, and their subsequent non-replacement, have a large part to play in the current state of affairs

    +1. Backroom competence is crucial.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Sacha,

    +1. Backroom competence is crucial.

    And it worked wonders for Marian Hobbs, too.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Rich Lock,

    I’m about four billion times better informed and engaged than 99% of the voting population, yet I wouldn’t have known...

    And that is what worries me. This is not as simple as Labour not doing enough, it is more like whatever they do could not be enough.
    The National team have their ducks in a row, they have people in places and they have looked after those people. The sheer size of the media these days means that you can read all day and still miss an entire story, even a whole campaign. Campaigns like this one are expensive and require a complicit Media, they give us the best democracy money can buy.
    Hey, but at least our Duck can ride a bike.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    I’ve said it before, but I suspect the departures of Mike Munro and Heather Simpson, and their subsequent non-replacement, have a large part to play in the current state of affairs.

    +1
    August 4 - Organisers optimistic for brewery piss up

    “Okay, well if anyone asks, blame it on Phil Goff. That seems to be working for everybody else this year.”

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    whatever they do could not be enough

    your optimism is noted

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    This page of Hansard gives some idea of what Labour were promised and are not getting with CERA.

    Thanks Sofie, a bit of a slog but much appreciated. Post quakes it's pretty apparent to most Christchurch Labour MPs that there's more to representing your constituency than tying a red & black balloon to your car aerial. What seems to be missing is a sense of any co-ordinated strategy from the wider party. In the aftermath of the country's biggest natural disaster Labour 's party hierarchy seems mesmerised by its perceived mistreatment by the media. Given an opportunity to put their case they front with an idiot version of David Farrar.

    I'm mystified as to why the situation of the Haywood family and others isn't, as Russell said earlier, being screamed from the rooftops. Further to his guest posting here, Mike Coleman was deliberately misrepresented by Gerry Brownlee as an opportunist who'd failed to understand the fine print of his insurance policy. It's outrageous, it could happen to anyone, no matter how well-informed and articulate, and it passes pretty much unchallenged.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Well, Pagani got punted from Labour. He wasn't offered as a spokesblogger. I regard it as just more evidence of Tory media that Farrar is blogging on both Stuff and the NZ Herald, and the only counterweight Fairfax have provided is Pagani. I don't see that as Labour's fault.

    I agree that how National is failing Christchurch is something that could and should be an issue for Labour as a whole, even the opposition as a whole, not just local MPs.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Stephen Judd,

    Well, Pagani got punted from Labour. He wasn't offered as a spokesblogger.

    Much like Farrar got "punted" from Shipley's court? The perception's certainly that he has at least some kind of of tacit endorsement.

    . . . how National is failing Christchurch is something that could and should be an issue for Labour as a whole, even the opposition as a whole, not just local MPs.

    Right. You'd think the Greens would be all over it.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Further to his guest posting here, Mike Coleman was deliberately misrepresented by Gerry Brownlee as an opportunist who’d failed to understand the fine print of his insurance policy. It’s outrageous, it could happen to anyone, no matter how well-informed and articulate, and it passes pretty much unchallenged.

    Joe,unsure if you read the Bulletins and updates from the Labour Party which I linked to earlier, but I do notice Brendon Burns has met Mike Coleman and The Insurance issues are mentioned including the heritage house land group website David Haywood is working on/with.
    I guess you feel Labour isn’t doing enough but I think the updates do show their efforts to get answers for Cantabrians .
    This is an example of their efforts at least. It was requested back in 2010. The updates are as recent as this last week.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Thanks Sofie. Brendon Burns was my local MP until I was driven from Chch Central just under a year ago. He's certainly had an interesting first term, and there's every indication that he'll increase his majority to something like the level once enjoyed by Tim Barnett come November.

    I don't have any issue with the local Labour MPs. Cosgrove and Dalziel particularly have been impressively proactive in the last year. One of the vilest things from the Hansard you linked to was the patsy sniping from minor Nats with no first-hand experience of Christchurch's problems. It's hard to understand why there hasn't been a more concerted effort by Labour MPs outside of Canterbury to counter National's strategy of ring-fencing quake issues as the provincial whinings of a bunch of ingrates. The message that the kind of insurance and real estate woes that have proved all too real down here could happen to anyone facing a natural disaster needs to be got out there.

    Trevor Mallard's been happy to put his oar into Christchurch issues in the past. A pity that he seems to display a tacit admiration for Brownlee, rather than taking the fight to him.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    Talk is starting in my circles of heating things up in politics.
    Otherwise well respected right leaning Labour voters want someone to get angry.
    Cosgrove isn't Christchurch and he may benefit from its demise.
    Brendon Burns is easy to ignore when he's right in front of you. He goes from Grey to Transparent in the blink of an eye. Ruth Dyson is MIA. Lianne Dalziel is worried about Coro St. This isn't a street in Bexley or Brighton but on the Telly.
    No one is taking Gerry on.
    If this support doesn't come from within existing parties - it might be more interesting time this summer.

    (edit) Joe I'ld really like to see someone take leadership from the oposition on Christchurch, but they haven't.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    You'd think the Greens would be all over it

    Yes, and link the govt's behaviour with the way it treated ECan and the similar influence of moneyed interests in the battle over the region's water.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Just thinking,

    Cosgrove isn't Christchurch and he may benefit from its demise.
    Brendon Burns is easy to ignore when he's right in front of you. He goes from Grey to Tranparent in the blink of an eye. Ruth Dyson is MIA. Lianne Dalziel is worried about Coro St. This isn't a street in Bexley or Brighton but on the Telly.
    No one is taking Gerry on.

    Sadly you're right about Dyson, most of the time. Her heart doesn't seem to be in it these days. Not sure what you mean by Cosgrove not being Christchurch. He's barely recognisable from the disgruntled Mike Moore protege of the early stages of Clark's term as PM. Taking it to Brownlee, and copping it in return.

    Brendon Burns could have hardened up rather more than he did after nearly losing his "safe" seat to Nicky Wagner. He certainly seems to have worked hard on local issues since the quake. Hopefully his constituents don't have to get past a front desk person whose politics appear to be to the right of Christine Rankin, which was the case in the early 2000s with otherwise nice guy Tim Barnett.

    And Lianne Dalziel? From Sofie's Hansard link. Not exactly the witterings of a Coro Street obsessive:

    The Minister talks about the people who are living in damaged houses on damaged streets with limited services, and who are uncertain of the future of their properties. He is describing my neighbours. The only reason I do not include myself in that description is that I have some resilience factors that some of my neighbours do not. I am mortgage free. I have a good, uninterrupted income. I have the ability to make choices that are not available to others. I can even sneak away for a quake break and pay for it myself.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Trevor Mallard's been happy to put his oar into Christchurch issues in the past. A pity that he seems to display a tacit admiration for Brownlee, rather than taking the fight to him.

    He keeps getting kicked out of the House ;)
    Trevor is one person that will respond to emails if you have queries though.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Just thinking,

    Talk is starting in my circles of heating things up in politics.

    Starting? One thing that frustrated me earlier on and now, is how polite the "News items with concerned Cantabrians" still are. I'm not saying polite is wrong but how helpful is it? I suspect the public don't see the frustration expressed so don't see the bigger picture that people down there are actually experiencing.That's probably why we see the nasty comments following David's situation.On TV, the angriest person I have seen was only this week. It was a woman standing in front of the truck uplifting portaloos (which she still needed) and refusing to budge, and guess what? She got heard. She can still shit.
    Without wanting a bollocking, (which I'll probably get,) I really think emails should be bombarding all politicians with your queries.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    I really think emails should be bombarding all politicians

    That's part of what a planned and organised campaign involves, as some of us have been trying to explain. It's not going to randomly happen on its own.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Meanwhile, Gerry is doing such a wonderful job...

    The building industry says the sector is at an all-time low despite obvious work needing to be done in Christchurch.

    The Registered Master Builders Federation blames the lack of work on the long recession and slow progress by insurance companies to get the wheels in motion for earthquake rebuilding.

    The Canterbury rebuild appeared to have stalled for the moment, but by the middle of 2012 there would be a shortage of people to help the process. "I seriously think Christchurch is going to be massively short of available talent and people," Bagrie said.

    "I put big question marks about where the resources are going to come from for the rebuild."

    Christchurch builders say they are running out of work as insurance difficulties halt urgent projects and slow the Christchurch rebuild to a crawl.

    Clarkville builder Gideon Couper said he and his two-man crew had about a week of work on the books before he ran out of jobs.

    Stephens sees very little residential construction currently going on – insurance issues and wariness of further aftershocks. October this year will see the earliest repair work on houses on stable land damaged in February, along with roads and sewerage.

    You would think, wouldn't you? that having mates in the financial and insurance sector, having bailed out AMI Insurance and South Cunty Finance, Gerry and pals could get some leverage on this thing that benefited the people of Christchurch rather than their own election sponsors.
    So much for "cutting through the red tape"

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Just thinking,

    From Red Alert http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2011/05/09/parents-rely-on-watershed/ Lianne is busy watching Coro.
    Brendon is nice but dim. I don't see him as the MP for Christchurch when it desperately needs one.
    Clayton barks, but what about? It's just noise. Waimakariri could benefit from rebuilding infrastructure there and so drain efforts for the second city of the nation. ie Kaiapoi housing inside CHC airport noise zone. In time flts will be restricted and this will impact Churchur economics as we are at the end of the line. What is good for the Waimakariri may not be good for Christchurch.
    The problem of large parties when we have a large local (20% of NZ GDP) problem.

    Putaringamotu • Since Apr 2009 • 1158 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    JT: do you really think that's all Dalziel is doing? I think you are being a bit selective.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Just thinking,

    Lianne is busy watching Coro.

    I think you must have miss-read that

    For the record I didn’t complain about the content of Coronation Street - I used to watch it many years ago –

    So I don't see your point.
    What I do see, however, is a populace lulled into a stupor by the MSM, National does nothing of substance, for those that are in need but we are suckered into believing that a man who attracted the title of "The Smiling Assassin" is a sincere, trustworthy and caring fluffy bunny and the guy to whom he delegated the responsibility of getting Christchurch out from under the rubble is merely a stern character from Thomas the Tank Engine.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

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