Posts by Paul Williams
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Labour is trying to win the election by targeting middle income swing voters.
There, fixed it for you.
Danyl, this same statement could be made of almost every party; this is not insight. Surely the issue is how? How will each party try to best benefit the majority of voters? Labour's tax package does appear t to maximise the benefit for middle income earners and families without reducing funding on health and education...
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Nick said:
I was wondering if/when the PAS Laydees were going to weigh in. I've also wondered if 'mums' are more relaxed because they remember what it was like to be a girl, and 'dads' (with daughters) are less relaxed because they remember what it was like to be a boy ie the constant quest to 'score' with girls.
I think that's part of my reaction to this story (father of two girls). There is far more and more accessible information available now than when I was a kid; lots of it is better - clearer, more accurate, less judgmental etc but some of it is clearly the opposite. Dolly/Girlfriend might be preferable to much of what's available online but sadly there's bugger all in the middle-ground.
Perhaps in all this discussion of the pressure on young women, we need to think about how we parent our boys too. Accepting that they are struggling to contain their feelings is ok, but so is teaching them to respect women.
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Rob said:
Russell Marshall stood against Lange in 1983
What for? The leadership? I thought the second attempt to replace Rowling simply installed Lange (after of course a vote, but was it contested)?
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with the press gallery as the harpies, and it makes a whole lot more sense
I've got a picture of Mathew Hooton in my mind, make it stop!
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"But you didn't lie! You're supposed to lie!"
Which is of course the thing that is so infuriating about the usual practice. When I worked in parliament I tended to divide politicians into three groups, those that were leadership material and knew it (few), those that weren't but fortunately knew it (few) and those that weren't and didn't (many).
There was damn near no politician I ever had anything to do with was both talented and didn't believe that if only the right circumstances arose I could be PM. One who fit this category was Brian Donnelly; a bright and hard working politician who was a very good Minister but didn't want the top job.
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ack! formating... you get the drift.
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<blockquote>That's not an equivalent question.
Driver asked, if Labour loses, and Helen Clark resigns as leader, would you...blockquote>
Took the words right out of my mouth. Also, the relative polling positions is a factor that relates, if not to the answer, then the validity of the question.
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But... if they don't stand for economic reform a la Roger Douglas, with the privatising and the freemarketeering and the tax cuts yadda yadda yadda, what exactly do they stand for then? I am confused.
As am I. National appear to be pursuing the same election strategy adopted by Rudd; we'll do everything the current mob are but just that little bit better... that's a great approach if you think you can win 50% of the vote, but if you know you can't and need coalition partners, surely you have to give some sop to ACT? For example, I think Key was being entirely honest when he said no asset sales in the first term.
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Craig, I think they tried and tried in more than a token manner. They did exit some lightweights and hangers-on but I agree that a few more could have done the right thing for the party and simply didn't.
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And, to the surprise of no one at all, Phil Goff will seek to convince his colleagues that he is the best choice for the vacant party leadership.
Yawn. Surely an important element of "news" is that it is, um, new? Is it equally a scoop that English would seek to succeed Key if he fails to win later this year?
Russell is right though, while I think Goff is a very attractive leader in the eyes of the general public he doesn't look so good to many of his fellow Labour Party members.
Well, I'm not currently a member but have been and if Clark were to step down into her fourth term or after an election defeat, I'd think Goff was one of the best candidates (for whatever the opinion of a former staffer/party member is worth). Others simply don't have the experience or, alternatively, the ambition to be around long. Perhaps if there had been more renewal a little earlier?