Posts by Paul Williams
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Rodney, Roger and co are zealots committed to implementing their own economic sharia law.
Nicely put Tom.
Rod Oram has been making precisely this point for a while now. There is nothing to be gained by being a laggard. Quite the reverse.
However, it seems the bleeding-edge narrative, pushed by Farrar and co, has won the day... I guess it didn't help that the forecast net revenues were so far off the mark.
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I wonder who's pushing ACT's buttons on the review? I don't recall any significant business lobby arguing for delays or major reform, rather they appeared to be looking for concessions or subsidies. Perhaps I've missed something from this distance.
However, even if reform was needed, I agree with you that the review creates way too much uncertainty. Cap and trade schemes lock all other initiatives together, absent a carbon price, all other initiatives generally underperform.
It's interesting to note that even the Australian Treasury has recently argued (full report here) in favour of early adoption cap and trade measures stating:
The Treasury’s modelling demonstrates that early global action is less expensive than later action; that a market-based approach allows robust economic growth into the future even as emissions fall; and that many of Australia’s industries will maintain or improve their competitiveness under an international agreement to combat climate change.
And
There are advantages to Australia acting early if emission pricing expands gradually across the world: economies that defer action face higher long-term costs, as global investment is redirected to early movers.
I thought Key wanted NZ to catch up to Australia?
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[and the point you're all missing]
Yesterday was the last day to do it!
In most forums, I suspect, one might say: no one likes a smart arse :>
This forum is quite different however, and I think we mostly do.
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Transferring at LAX, that happened in a hot, non-air-conditioned room that, of course, really stank, and there was a queue and a guy barking instructions
God, I've been in that room. Smelly and over-crowded with one tiny TV and a couple of snack machines. I was horribly hungover at the time and clearly a shabby, messy yoof worthy of further inspection. As I was questioned about my forward plans, I joked about the security being OTT and asked if it was to stop people escaping to or from the US... this did not endear me to the security. I suspect now it'd be enough to get me arrested and my DNA sampled.
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I meant Paul Litterick. Though from what you've linked to there, it looks like his understanding is correct, and mine was not.
I wish that it wasn't true but...
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I doubt it. Or rather, unless the law says that explicitly, they will refuse to. Natural justice again...
I have this image of Finlayson in my head. He's wearing a Amnesty pin, he's paid up his liberal elite memberships and still he's fronting jack-boot law that offends the fundamentals of our Commonwealth legal history... oh hang on, it's not Finlayson at all, it's Philip Ruddock.
It's not Paula Bennett who's shaping to up as the sacrifical liberal lamb, it's Finlayson.
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Ah yup.
My point was, that my understanding of what they're doing differed from Paul's. Paul seemed to be running with "anyone arrested'. My understanding was 'anyone arrested who had a previous criminal record'.
Curse my common name - which Paul did you mean Kyle? Mr Litterick or me?
My reading of the policy is that it's intended to permit testing at arrest (for an offence punishable by imprisonment). Their clarity about this, I suspect they'll regret.
Now perhaps there'll be guidelines that mean far less testing than could be reasonably predicted from that framing, however I still think there's too little protection afforded to people who may be arrested to obviate the courts' interest in an exploration of the limits of the presumption of innocence.
Despite my overwhelming democratic leanings, I hope for judicial activism.
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Ricky Stuart apparently shockingly bad at losing, having abused the referee at a chance meeting at a hotel on Saturday night.
Little brother doesn't know his place apparently.
Stuart often chucks a wobbly - he was the a Union half-back before he went to League, so it's kind of expected right?
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Meanwhile, our new Government plans to introduce DNA testing of all suspects in all crimes involving imprisonable offences.
Indeed, I'm hoping the judiciary will frustrate them however with silly notions of natural justice.
Perhaps someone can enlighten me as to how many arrests result in charges let alone are qualified in terms of imprisonable offences?
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The Beige Brigade's work makes NZ Cricket fans one of the best sets of fans in the world at anything. They know we're not very good, but go about supporting the team positively and with wry humour. I'm very proud they're on our side.
A very timely comment.
The Beige boys and girls have transformed our supporters, we rival the barmy-army now for damn-fine and good humoured supporters. I'll be wearing my Beige proudly at the ODIs.