Posts by Paul Williams
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Up Front: Choice, Bro, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
I think that is why he felt compelled to speak.
I'm glad he did but I was underwhelmed. I grew up in that electorate. I understand he felt pressured and I'm sure a smaller percentage of Pasifika people support marriage equality. But I kept wishing David Lange was still the MP (and if I were to go on and speak of Ross Robertson, did he even speak?)
I was most impressed with Nikki Kaye's speech. She quite deliberately invoked her party's history, its activists, even Ronald Reagan, to show that being pro-marriage equality was a sensible, traditional right-wing position. It was a hugely clever speech.
Completely agree. I'd not bothered to particularly listen to her in the past, it was a excellent contribution she'd be rightly proud of.
-
Incidentally, what did others make of Suo William Sio's contribution?
-
Up Front: Choice, Bro, in reply to Emma Hart,
I also can't criticise Finlayson for his vote. He believes God made him gay, but that homosexual sex is a sin, so he's celibate. That seems sufficient pain in his life.
I didn't know this about Finlayson. I can't quite get my head around that but, as you've said, it's his burden and he's voted according to his conscience (not wanting to get into the whole 'how can my human rights be determined by your vote' thing).
And thanks to inthehouse.co.nz, I can watch what I missed.
-
Thanks Emma, much appreciated. Also, I particularly liked this part of your piece.
Thing is, Colin, even if there were no genetic factors involved in sexual orientation, even if all the factors involved were environmental and our desires are shaped by our childhood experiences and hormone exposure and the amount of tolerance in our lives, by the time we get to marriageable age, it doesn't matter. Whether it was my genes or my three older brothers or my liberal upbringing, my orientation is set. I cannot choose who or what arouses me.
I don't think it diminishes the legitimacy of a person's sexual orientation/activity if there are also exogenous factors.
-
Has anyone guessed at the timing of today's debate, I'd love to listen in. I've got the Order Paper showing its order relative to the other Member's Bills, but can't quite work out the time for Government orders </lazy>
-
His latest decision certainly seems inconsistent with his constructed persona, that's entirely clear. I did think his point that he's been cleared in, I think he said, hundreds of tests is a valid point. I don't have a view either way having not been much of a fan of cycling until recently.
-
Bennett's got all the swagger of a person who know's they're wrong. The Speaker chastises here towards the end of this exchange and frankly saves her from further embarrassment. Later she gives an equally weak answer to the Green's Jan Logie. I know elsewhere in the blogosphere, Labour is coping criticism for Shearer's comments on sickness beneficiaries, which I'll not rehash here, but I do think Ardern's been consistently strong on poverty and Bennett simply doesn't have credible answers.
-
Hard News: Friday music: Worst DJ ever, in reply to Russell Brown,
I wondered that too... couldn't be certain though. Cheers.
-
I think the Perth clip is a little off for PA? It mightn't be intended, but comes across as baiting a bloke who is probably in need of help.
-
Hard News: And so it begins, in reply to barnaclebarnes,
National standards or not, how do we measure that the teaching that you are doing is working? I still haven't seen a satisfactory answer on this. "Just trust us" doesn't cut it.
You mean aside from parents noting their kids improving skills, the child's achievement in national assessments, the reports you get, the parent teacher interviews, the times you spend in the classroom, the PTA meetings you attend, the conversations you have with other parents, the ERO reports, the TIMMS and PISA results?
A lot of effort is going into a measure which I think has little merit when (a) better measures exisit, again check out Australia's myschool and (b) there's possibly enough already and perhaps also (c) people with concerns could (if they're not already) spend time at their kid's school. </rant>