Posts by Paul Williams
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Ben, I think Labour's travails with New Labour and the Alliance have cured it of the desire to establish separate parties (not that they were set up by Labour). Better to have the loose factions well managed, as I believe was the case under Helen, provide the platform for being a stable government. Personally, although her politics are different from mine, I was sorry that when the Alliance broke up, Labour couldn't come to an arrangement with Laila Harre instead of the deal it did with Anderton.
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Joyce is a pale imitation of Muldoon.
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to linger,
*sigh* If Labour had any oomph, they might be focussing on promoting their own policie
Linger, perhaps I'm just more open to hearing them, but I thought they have been and for quite some time.
The ownourfuture theme and approach has been well thought through, the education policy was pretty comprehensive and the release of a CGT and proposals to increase the age of eligibility for super were all clear and distinctive messages.
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Ben, I’m far from convinced by “the teapot tapes aren’t so bad” line. Key is clearly wounded by this sustained questioning of his character and when the substance is released it’ll further hurt him no matter what he says. Banks may well win Epsom but it now seems very unlikely they’ll drag in Brash which renders the strategy meaningless. Worse, Key himself has revived Peters. Next expect the question, “can National go into a coalition with NZF”?
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Linger the “compliant” line isn’t a quote, however it rings so true! Perhaps English is trying to be human flak for his leader?
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to Steve Parks,
People with expertise are saying it is actually a tricky call.
You’re introducing nuance into this situation, shame on you!
That said, I still think that the ambiguity will likely cause the Police to determine no charge can be laid (that is if Ambrose’s own actons don’t resolve the matter).
ETA:
Something, by the way, she’d repeatedly denied even considering during the campaign.
I thought it classy but there you go.
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
As I said on the other thread, the trade and youth policies released yesterday (by National & Labour respectively) may have been a big yawn to Russell. They certainly weren’t considered worth any airtime on Morning Report (allegedly a flagship morning news program on a public broadcaster) today.
I accept your point entirely Craig, this is a distraction but it's not an unimportant one, which is what I think others are saying. On the one hand, it's just theatre, but on the other it has relevance to far more significant matters including, as I've said previously, asset sales (to saying nothing of Russell's argument about press freedoms).
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Richard, I think all of the issues you note will have to be explored by the Police as part of deciding if they'll lay charges. There's a certain inevitability that the outcome will be "not likely to lead to a successful prosecution" but when?
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to Gary Hutchings,
Sounds like Winston's just played the media big time...
I suspect both parties, the media and Winston, understand the mutual benefits they extract from their relations. Winston is good copy. The PM could, of course, end the matter by doing something, anything, decisive but he's either unwilling or unable to.
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Hard News: Criminalising Journalism, in reply to Pete Sime,
Dpf chimes in with a yawn and says the media have been played. The smell of fear palpable.
Oddily illconsidered of him I thought. David's successfully put some distance between himself and National over the last few years, while never pretending he's not connected, but he'd be wise to stay clear of this trainwreck.
ETA: his strategy appeared to be to focus on other matters as much as he could and he'd already commented that he thought Key had mishandled it... why now jump into the fray?