Posts by Kyle Matthews
-
Similarly, Indonesia is a relatively liberal democracy and country with the freest press in its region.
I'm not sure about its press, but Indonesia has some human rights issues that wave 'not that liberal a democracy' flags for me.
-
Yes he does, I reckon. If a person is an official of a party (especially a really small one like ACT), their opinions, like it or not, are pretty much representative of how the party "thinks". It's not a hat you can take off (even if local councillors often try to con the electorate that they're "non political").
It would be good if people could have personal opinions here which didn't come with party branding/lines. Otherwise they might as well just provide links to their party policies rather than intelligent and interesting debate. Maybe that can't apply to John Key, but he gets paid craploads of money not to have uranium shares, tens of thousands of party members and volunteers of all flavours should be able to be individuals as well as members of parties.
-
Given that Auckland contributes 1/3 of the national tax take, I think we'd be doing a fair bit of funding of our own stadium, don't you?
Ah I see. You want to pay for only a third of Auckland's stadium, while Dunedin new stadium is costing Auckland about 2% (govt contribution 15 million, divided by 3).
The idea that Auckland ratepayers shouldn't contribute any money to Eden Park just because they don't own it seems a bit bizarre. From their web site:
The objects of the Trust Board will be to promote, operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi- purpose stadium for the use and benefit of rugby and cricket as well as other sporting codes and other recreational, musical and cultural events for the benefit of the public of the region.
It doesn't seem unreasonable to Aucklanders should cough up a little bit of money for such a stadium (along with the government), or build their own one if they don't like it.
Hang on. The equivalent would be the government saying to Wellingtonians that they had two weeks to agree to the caketin being plonked right in the main part of their waterfront, solidly blocking out views and pre-empting any other decisions about what might go there for the next hundred years as part of integrated waterfront planning.
I don't disagree. It was very messy. But having made that decision, complaining that Auckland ratepayers shouldn't put any money into Eden Park redevelopment seems a bit rich. Eden Park has a regional purpose, a decent chunk of the funding for it should come from the region.
Dunedin stadium is pretty controversial, particularly the money for it and where it's coming from. But you don't hear "central government should pay for all this since it's not ours" very much.
-
Yeah, right. I'm sure that'll all work smoothly, and not cause any disruption at all.
Also, everyone will get a pony.
It's like a card game where you get dealt your hand and then pass three cards onto the person to your left and then wonder what you're getting from your right.
Heather Roy opened the book of wacky right-wing theories and picked one at random.
-
You mean the waterfront stadium idea?
You miss my point. Having had the opportunity to build a new stadium, not owned by the Eden Park Trust, it's a bit rich to now complain about putting the money into the stadium that they own. The opportunity to do something different was there, Auckland chose otherwise.
The sponsors aren't interested in those numbers so why would the NZRFU inflate their estimates.
All sporting events inflate their estimates about number of people watching. Why the IRB does it more than UEFA I have no idea.
-
Unless of course if it's a Mallard.
Point to Glenn I think.
-
What does need to happen is some very careful thought about the kind of "disaster management" planning that can deal with these large groups and educate/direct them quickly and efficiently on the day before they become a problem.
I'd suggest that before we do it with tourists, we might want to do it with some of the locals who have been knowing to cause some big problems from time to time as well.
-
Oh, you mean like the tens-of-millions that Auckland is spending on upgrading roads and public transport facilities around Eden Park? Eden Park is private property, not a council facility, so whatever public money goes into it gains the city nothing. Central Government bid on it, they can fund it. I have no problem with taxpayer money going into stadia in other centres that've been allocated as venues, for the same reason, but I'm heartily pissed off at the demands/expectations that Auckland spend ratepayer money on a private venue.
From memory, Auckland had a good chance to build a new stadium in a much better location than in the middle of the suburbs, which could have been owned by something other than the Eden Park Trust.
Having said 'no' to that, Eden Park is what you're left with.
I'm staying in Auckland this week on business and every hotel in the CBD is full tonight (except for youth hostels and the Duxton at $799). I asked what was going on this week as I was being ejected from my hotel (well, checking out) and I was told that a cruise ship was coming in. A, as in single, one, cruise ship.
I'm no expert on cruise ships, but isn't the advantage of them that you can sleep on board? There's a steady flow of them visiting Dunedin this month, and they just come into the tourist sites during the day and then go back to the boat at night.
-
If this is incorrect please state where in the world a waterfront stadium works as public space on the waterfront.
The new stadium in Dunedin is supposed to fulfil this, in theory at least.
RWC was bid for by the country, not by any region. Eden Park isn't even owned by the local council, unlike many of the other stadiums around the country, which makes it that much more offensive that McCully is demanding Auckland ratepayers' money to subsidise the do-up.
Wait, you want us to pay for our stadia, and all of yours too? That didn't seem a bit greedy when you typed it?
-
Or I could try not being particularly naive, and suggest I know the man well enough (and the temperature of the party I've belonged to for twenty years) and surmise that it was never on the cards. Which is a shame, but I won't pretend to be particularly surprised.
Feel free to change tacks in your argument as you need.