Posts by Sacha
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The New Seismographers
Stay Places
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I agree with Craig there - no party comes out of this looking good. No doubt many voters will disagree with me.
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Is it really a mystery why New Zealand has such a high suicide rate?
It's not because we insist on certain basic standards of behaviour, Chris. Mental illness does not explain or excuse what Cameron Slater chooses to do. And because he does that beyond the court system (indeed the whole basis of the current case) then the response will also be beyond the Judge's verdict.
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I gather Slater senior genuinely despairs of his son's behaviour
At a personal level, I totally agree that politician's families should be kept out of it unless directly relevant (eg: hypocrisy about a particular topic). That includes behind the scenes operators like Slater senior. We don't want to put off competent people being involved in our political system, though the balance for extra influence is greater accountability.
I was talking at a conceptual level - acknowledging the existence of shitty offspring like Cameron tends to puncture the myth of the divine right of some to rule others because of their manifest 'success'.
It's one of the underlying beliefs that internally justifies the current power grab in Canterbury - daddy knows best. 'Decisive' leadership, consensus is weakness, etc.
There are other core beliefs across the political spectrum, and an informed citizenship would be more aware of them. Voters and accountability groups would then be better able to see individual political events in that light, and come to judgements, decisions and actions that match their own values.
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If you don't like how parties behave, the real solution is to get involved. You really can't dictate their behavior by statute.
Civics education would help - rather than focusing on tweaking the internal constitutional arrangements, how about ensuring a broadly informed population who feel able to demand that the system perform to their expectations? Then we might see some meaningful outrage at the consitutional violations from this government, especially in Canterbury.
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"Look, we've been ignoring the RMA in Canterbury with no problems. Based on that, we don't anticipate any issues with removing it from the country as a whole."
Bingo.
And yes, you are being used, good folk of Canterbury. Yet you'll probably collectively vote this government back in, won't you.
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Srsly dude, don't read the relevant Kiwiblog thread.
Heh. Not tempted.
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Why are we hearing nothing here about Slater's wealthy father? or is there a self imposed name suppression thing going on here?
Well yes, because not only would it damage the idea that wealth is a sign of success in all areas of life but it would focus people on daddy's role as the head of C&R and ex-President of the National Party. Then it might be eaiser for people to join some dots between his deranged son and certain lobbyists or candidates for office. Can't be having that.
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More competence on display.
Now NZPA sources have revealed the company behind Mr Wilce's recruitment - Momentum Consulting - also selected an unqualified woman to work as an accountant for a Wellington business group.
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The woman has been convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
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Lawyer Andrew Geddis adds his analysis (h/t Idiot/Savant) and concludes by quoting Matthew Palmer on our constitutional culture:
I am not confident that New Zealanders currently understand the rule of law or, in a crunch, would necessarily stand by it as a fundamental constitutional norm.
The other three constitutional norms I characterise as fundamental are each reinforced by a salient dimension of New Zealand constitutional culture: representative democracy by egalitarianism; parliamentary sovereignty by authoritarianism; and an evolving unwritten constitution by pragmatism.
The rule of law and judicial independence is not reinforced by a New Zealand cultural value.
Auckland and Ecan's unconstitutional dismantling at the hands of the same players seem relevant - but we saw how little fuss or consequences they attracted.