Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to Paul Williams,
That said, Hekia Parata’s experienced, well qualified and, from some direct experience with her before she entered parliament, very capable, and yet she’s a disastrous Minister
Her failure as a minister is all the more striking because right up until she was promoted she seemed capable and articulate as an MP.
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to martinb,
Cunliffe has gone after Joyce in parliament from what I’ve seen, on Red Alert and produced at least some good work. I can’t think of too many active front benchers who have been getting coverage, compared to, say, the Greens.
Yeah, I’m not saying I entirely agree –- the leadership didn't seem to like Cunliffe getting media attention for any reason, for one thing -- but that’s the perspective.
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Simon Wilson has sent me a PDF of his Metro profile of Shearer, in the issue out in the next couple of days.
It's very timely -- up to and including Cunliffe's demotion. It opens with Shearer backstage, about to deliver his conference speech. Wilson thinks Shearer's speech was what it was because he was angry about Cunliffe -- and offers the clearest explanation I've seen for exactly why the Shearer team would be feeling angry:
But it’s not about his personality, not now. Shearer gave him the job of taking on Steven Joyce. A vital job if National is to be unseated, and a job to relish if you want to put yourself centre-stage, right by your leader, in articulating your party’s alternative vision for the country. That Cunliffe didn’t do this, that he chose to go after Shearer instead of Joyce, is all the reason anyone needs to believe he should not be leader of the Labour Party.
I imagine there will be explosions among the unruly activists.
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to Paul Williams,
It often occurs to me to wonder what the more sensible people think
Given that the publisher of The Standard is currently describing caucus as a "concentration camp" and banging on about "Stalin" and "show trials", sensible might be in short supply.
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A tiny brief in Sunday's HoS noted that Stephen's widow is making a formal IPCA complaint. Bomber has some more commentary.
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to Tom Semmens,
…ex-ACT MP Richard Prebble to comment on Labour, a party he hasn’t represented for two decades and one which he is now a bitter enemy of?
The re-appearance of Prebble was bizarre. He pretty much oozed bad faith in his interview.
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Capture: The Castle, in reply to David Hood,
Here is something I took today, that is not a flower. Common Skink (Oligosoma nigriplantare polychroma). Dunedin Botanic Gardens.
Cool.
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to Rob Stowell,
Which is total hogwash, but you can’t explain that in a soundbite.
Quite.
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I am greatly cheered by Scott Yorke's new post, Labour's 2012 Conference In Pictures.
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Hard News: Triangulated by Fools, in reply to Barnard,
But if you read Parker’s blog on meeting Stiglitz, the discussion on a holistic view of the economy, and a focus on inequality seems in a way far closer to what’s been coming from The Greens of late.
It's coming from everywhere. Our adherence to stern neo-liberal principle is being seen as fairly odd these days.