Posts by Paul Williams
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For me: a complete revamp of education, it is not delivering in so many ways.
Kerry, could you elaborate? My own sense is that schools are performing very well for most students including as measured by progress in reading literacy for Year 5, senior secondary literacy and NCEA progress. That's not to say a lot more can't be achieved. Still too many kids leave school with no qualifications, 11% according to this survey, however improvements have been made here also.
As an aside, if we adopt a purely economic rationalist approach for a moment, an Australian study estimated that the value of significantly increasing senior secondary retention and achievement rates over thirty years generated benefits equivalent to an increase in GDP of 1.1%
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but a slight reorientation can make all the difference to people on the margins. Like my uncle, on an invalid's benefit, in a Housing New Zealand house. Even a minor cut to his benefit or a move to market rents would crush him financially - he would be unable to survive.
I don't condone what Labour did last election to scare State housing tenants, however beneficiaries do face the prospect of cuts to their income if National's elected and particularly if it's reliant on ACT.
Sadly, I can't be proven right or wrong on this point as National have no policy on Housing; none. Not policy for the last election nor even any discussion paper I can find. That being the case, should we rely on what they did when last in government ie market rentals?
I have a good friend who runs a church-based social services outfit in the Hawkes Bay. He's been pretty critical of Labour over the last nine years, both personally and as part of the NZ Council of Christian Social Services. He's told me on many an occassion that he and his colleagues are still dealing with the legacy of the benefit cuts in 1991 and market rentals later in National's last term. That legacy is particularly evident in young men and women who were pre-schoolers in the 90s.
National supporters may feel it unfair to be criticised for decade+ old policies but then what alternative is there? Craig, you are often unfairly expected to be the spokesperson for National and although I respect the way in which you go about this 'role', I think you'll have to tolerate speculation about National's approach until there is clear policy to assess.
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I see Russell Normans' announced himself in Parliament by attacking the Government over funding for public transport. I'm a big fan of public transport myself; take it most days in Sydney where, despite mine and other's moaning, it's pretty good. NZ's is not, I agree, but I wonder at the tactical forethough implicit in Dr Norman's approach. Clearly Annette King did too.
Is Norman going to be the bad-cop in the run-up to the election? Oh well. He'll find he needs to be a bit more sophisticated than he was yesterday but perhaps that's just nerves. Did the Greens really think Norman was a better long-term option that Nandor?
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I'm pretty sure someone at Lion Nathan was on the phone after the six o'clock news, suggesting that Cowan shouldn't be photographed with a Steinlager logo across his chest for a while.
Hah! I can imagine the phone calls that rapidly followed any coverage! I wonder how long before a brewery rep phoned Shand?
I'ld just like to draw a little line in the sand between Cowan being a drunken asshole with an anger problem & the actions of the 4 English players.
Precisely. It might be hopelessly optimistic of me, but I'd really like to think that the AB's apparent adoption of a 'no dickheads' policy will help in this situation. Cowan has to meet a reasonable standard; sort your sh*t out or fu*k off.
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Jackie said:
NZers need to wake up and understand one thing - there's a lot of shit that will be on unsafe ground after these elections if Key's chaps get in.
There appears to be a rush to deny this but frankly, it is precisely the kind of predictable comment given the deafening silence from National. This is not a comment from kiwiblog; it's too calm and reasonable and is far too accurate to be posted at that forum.
How can anyone have any insight into National's policy on any issue of significance? Their approach seems to be to avoid taking a position lest it alienate voters.
I think Jackie's spot on this but I'd happily be proven wrong?
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Is it three D&D charges? I take your point however Craig.
Re the ABs "responsibility"; they have a residual responsibility, almost pastoral care, given the fame and attention granted along with the place on the bench. Perhaps I'm overstating it, but a 20-something year old with shite loads of dosh and significant adoration might need some help managing... particularly given that many of these blokes were in school only a few years back. Cowan's not entirely new to the scene, and certainly has had advice over the years since he was first selected (2004), but how would he cope if sacked? Cut from the squad perhaps, but his contract terminated? I guess there's a fine line between "indulgence" and support; I'm not suggesting the former.
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Although it's unfair to compare Howard to Clark (unfair to Clark that is) and Muldoon was widely despised (at least at my home he was) and well past his best, you have a point.
Oh Rudd's more experienced that Key also...
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And it's a simple statement of fact that Lange had been in Parliament for a little under five years when he became leader of the Opposition, and was Prime Minister two years after that.
As I said up-thread, I think the comparison between Lange and Key is a reasonable one but not one that I think favours Key.
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I note this story tends to confirm my belief that the All Blacks do manage the off-field behaviour of the team better than the English do. Cowan's been given a last chance with conditions appropriate to his 'job' and his ongoing indiscretions. IMO, sacking him altogether wouldn't be appropriate both because of the nature of his mis-deeds but also because it would absolve the ABs from their responsibilities to him to get his sh*t together.
I still think Piri Weepu should be in the team but!
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See you all in 2020, for the inauguration of President Clark ("a towering figure on the world stage" - Prime Minister David Farrar).
PM Farrar is preferable to PM Redbaiter or PM Dad4Justice (assuming they're, in fact, all different people).
For example, under a Tino Rangatiratanga-based system, we would not be facing the extinction of tuna (native eels).
I'm far from familiar with the specifics of this, but Maori currently are significant owners, managers, and governors of fishery assets.