Posts by Paul Williams
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Also, be extremely wary about anything described as "NZ made, with local & imported ingredients" - the translation is : 'assembled in ANZ with buggerall local ingredients.'
Additionally, the local brand may not be so robust. Some apparently local food is only ever "conditioned" in situ in order to justify the tag i.e. product is sourced elsewhere but briefly farmed or grazed in a renowned or desirable area so as to be branded with the better location.
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It might also suggest a refreshingly realistic understanding that politicians who write things on tablets of stone have a nasty habit of getting them broken over their heads...
I'd welcome some elaboration of this Craig. If which circumstances changed would there be a shift in the policy?
I'm not one of the band-wagon and would rather you not treat me as if I were (just as I don't refer to you an apologist). I'm not of the view that no assets can be sold under any circumstances ever; I've commented elsewhere for instance that I think PPPs might work in some situations.
My point is that clothing the equivocation in terms of pragmatism avoids the discussion of what the preferred option is. And English's admission in the infamous taped conversation suggests that were it politically palatable, any asset might be sold. If Key said this, that he'd sell whatever he thought he could get a mandate for, rather than his current prevarication, that'd be better IMHO.
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not the latter, dammit. If there's a National government, I would prefer it to be one where Franks, Lockwood, and Mad Dog McCully are the ones upset with its direction.
I think Key's constant refrain about "in the first term" suggests he's well aware of the limits of his influence; he's not the policy leader of his party, he's the front man - English made that clear.
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To paraphrase a poster in an earlier conversation, someone is lying about what National will do after election day. Are they lying to Stephen Franks, or to the electorate?
I'm hoping the latter.
I suspect Franks is willfully blind and hoping he can be a bridge to ACT in the future. National's as broader church as is Labour, but whereas Clark represents the conensus-point within Labour, I suspect Key's in a minority - one that doesn't include Franks.
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I suspect having to strike such poses is coming at the cost of degree of cognitive dissonance for Franks
I think he overcame that when he became the National Party candidate surely? Once a stalwart and potential leader of Act, now a member of Labour-lite, whatever dissonance much have a very low amplitude!
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@Paul Williams - I think my reply to you the Key(nesian) thread may have been eaten by the interweb, but I enjoyed reading your thoughts on PPP's.
Thanks, I'm sorry the discussion didn't continue further - I'm anything but expert, I've just watched things here and seen the very mixed results. Hence, I'm still not sure why Key's saying PPPs will be beneficial to productivity. Any chance you could revive your views WH?
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Alex, is it the fact that the tax credit is aimed at families that you think makes it conservative? That's odd. What if it were a tax credit for R&D or education and training? The point is that it's not simply a tax cut nor simply reliance on markets (or is that what you'd call neo-con)
How is the ETS and Kyoto conservative politics? You say arguably, I'm not sure what you mean, can you elaborate?
And how is not joining the War on Terror Not strictly true, because we're doing peace keeping and reconstruction in Afghanistan?
Perhaps you've got an objective definition in mind, but it's not one I can infer from your post.
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well they are.
Jeremy, I don't agree at all. They might well be pretty orthodox in economic policy, but not in social, labour or foriegn policy. WfF, ETS, Kyoto, not joining War on Terror etc.
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No, the policies haven't been stolen. They're in basement, in the safe, and will be put on display before the election, but only under tight security. There's a risk that the Labour Party, short on inspiration and willing to do anything to win this election, will steal them.
Or worse, Arthur Dent will find them... but we know it'll be too late!
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Maybe they are hoping the police will turn something up.
LOLnui!