Posts by Thomas Johnson

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  • Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Joshua Arbury,

    1) What was the revenue raised from income tax in the six months after October 2010 and how does that compare to the same six months after October 2009?

    Wasn't there an big earthquake in there somewhere? The problem with such comparisons is that there are all sorts of effects embedded in the income tax and GST take.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Cracker: Send in the Clowns, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    whove... snort. Hoist with your own petard methinks.

    Unless he was being deliberately ironic, or something?

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Limping Onwards, in reply to John Morrison,

    if I remember correctly the Worth Affair was handled similarly by Key when it blew up, but the media never questioned his leadership.

    There were certainly questions raised about Key's leadership

    "The Prime Minister had ample reason to sack his Minister months ago but lacked the necessary leadership to do so."

    However there is a big difference about party leadership. No-one is going to consider that a leadership challenge is credible on Key when both he, and the Nats, were on a poll high.

    With Goff, a party rating of ~32%, and personal of what, 5%, is a much more vulnerable position.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: The Wall and the Paper, in reply to BenWilson,

    He's like a Twinkie. Will still be edible in the post-zombie-apocalypse world, but not really very nice even when brand new.

    I must say that after a mis-spent childhood reading comics that advertised these things, it was a major disappointment to actually eat one the first time I was in the USA. Talk about unmet expectations!

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: About Arie, in reply to Brian Murphy,

    Brian -

    [DPF: The Police have obviously been reprimanded for their oversight. TV3 tonight showed another looter in court, and he looked like he had fallen down at least four sets of steps]

    Interesting that this comment has now been deleted by Farrar

    Laws is a complete waste of radio broadcast energy. Presumably he makes money for Live. Perhaps some pressure on their advertisers is in order?

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: What Now?, in reply to Sacha,

    However the scheme is apparently constructed so that cutting the top inevitably hacks into the middle as well.

    Apparently Clark and Cullen did a good job then when they introduced the changes to make the scheme more generous just before the 2005 election. They set it up in a way that made it difficult to change. Not impossible, just difficult.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Up Front: Ups and Downs. And Side-to-Sides.,

    Great to hear from you Emma. Can't really imagine what it must be like to go through so much, and have it repeated even worse than the first time in September!

    Car cell chargers are handy. Also a small 150W Inverter that can convert 12V DC to 240V AC is a useful thing to have when the power is out - can use a normal cellphone/laptop/psp/whatever charger then. I have one I take when camping w/o power.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Gaying Out, in reply to sally jones,

    was that Clark's long service to her country

    You mean overriding desire to be in power, right?

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    The standard refutation of this is that there are regions of the world (such as parts of Australia) where water is short, and people are actively discouraged from wasting it on spurious rinses. But there is no evidence of increased diarrhoea.

    Even in NZ there are people who don't have and endless 'free' supply of piped in water to mess around with rinsing dishes!

    Although, given the weather lately, this has hardly been a problem.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Anatomy of a Shambles,

    Pity JWL and the others took so long to do this. It was urgent a couple of weeks ago, and precisely what was suggested

    Well, Simon Whipp had a vacation for a couple of weeks in there I thought? One of Boyens and Walsh said this morning that he is in NZ now, but is not fronting up publically.

    Wellington • Since Oct 2007 • 98 posts Report Reply

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