Posts by Sacha

  • Hard News: The Bollard Book,

    Surely excessive leveraging played a significant role in the collapse? There's something fundamentally broken with any system that encourages trading and derivative activity that is hundreds of times the value of any underlying asset. As if the sizzle is so much more important than the steak. And our current PM was one of the bbq geniuses who talked up the aroma and designed more attractive tins to sell it in.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Voting Local 2010,

    Interesting is one way to descibe how many candidates describe themselves as "independent" rather than acknowledge long-standing affiliations. Dishonest might be another..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Bollard Book,

    But the blog post you linked to isn't protected under Parliamentary privilege.

    I wondered. Who'd have thought the oily one's recent trial and Garrett's outing would be quite so educational?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Bollard Book,

    They could have challenged the suppression order

    Did anyone even know who Garrett was in 2005?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Voting Local 2010,

    I too, have never smoked alcohol...

    You can eat beer now though - the times we live in, eh.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Voting Local 2010,

    Deborah Hill-Cone is scathing about C&R in comparison with their national brethren.

    C&R is a fusty club of warmed-over Tories presided over by the godfather-like former Nats president John Slater.

    Let's get real. You don't expect the blue-blazer brigade to be dynamic whiz-bang sort of fellows - typical candidate: 69-year-old Doug Armstrong - but this election it seems to have managed to be both moribund and chaotic.

    ...

    Even more mystifying, though, is why the Nats in Wellington haven't stepped in to help their frankly hopeless northern counterparts to get a place in Auckland's new power structure.

    Do they not realise how much influence the 20 councillors sitting around the Super City board table are going to have?

    You've got to bet Labour is giving Len Brown's team shiatsu massages and pep talks every night.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Hard News: The Bollard Book,

    Today Dr Bollard kindly obliged my request for a photo with the other Alan Bollard book.

    Awesome - straight to the pool room with that one

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Busytown: The shakes,

    Almost like?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Cracker: Strike Nine (and counting),

    For anyone who thinks there's daylight between Key and Act:

    Mr Key said he wasn't sure Mr Hide had all the relevant information available to him about the Garrett affair until last week. However, that wasn't the central issue in his continued support for Mr Hide.

    "My responsibilities with him rest in the capacity that he is a minister of the Crown and in the 22 months he's been a minister I've found his judgment has been good."

    One shudders to imagine what bad judgement might look like..

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Voting Local 2010,

    Beat that for crazy, Auckland

    Not quite, but we do have Raymond Presland - and he talks just like he writes:

    Activities and Experiences through life − have given rise to my evolution − individuality − and this declaration of conscience. I speak not only from my own heart − but also from the hearts of many others. My city and country are my world − my veins carry blood not sawdust − every drop of my ancestry holds an inheritance of loyalty and patriotism. We demand better − a metropolis and country on the march − buildings − places − that we are proud to show off and skite about − we all want Auckland listed among the top few cities of the world − the money has been there.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

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