Posts by Kyle Matthews
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Why that president didn’t make use of that trip not just to gather evidence of the problems of VSM, but also to research how New Zealand Students’ Associations could be better prepared and ensure continuity, I don’t know.*
NZUSA spent quite a bit of money getting data on the Australian situation - both to lobby against the change and to indicate what the landscape would look like if it goes through. PriceWaterhouse I think did the work.
The short answer to the second question is - you're screwed. Australian student associations have been reduced to as little as 3% of their pre-VSM income in some cases, and operate almost none of their services that they used to run. Their independent advocacy is being funded by the institutions and there's evidence that this lack of independence has made it in some instances of a hushhush complaints service.
There are moves to roll back the law in Australia it's been such a disaster for clubs, sports, services, student life.
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I agree with this, but that’s the problem: it wasn’t reformed. The SAs themselves haven’t historically taken sufficient action against their own, and the profligacy, nepotism, clownishness and offensive idiocy have continued as a result.
That's a silly argument. We don't do that with other sectors of society. The Act party can't open their mouth without ramming each other's feet in. There they are, making laws, holding ministerial warrants, no one is doing shit.
You can make a solid argument that people shouldn't be forced to join a student union because they shouldn't be compulsory bodies. I don't agree, but it's a valid argument - Graeme makes it here reasonably well. You can't argue on practicalities, because we don't dismantle other compulsory organisations because they do stupid things. Appoint a commissioner? Sure. Skin them alive come the next election? Absolutely. Rip their guts out? Just here it seems.
Not meaningfully. Voter turnout is around the 6% mark. Most students don’t know they’ve joined. It’s just a single entry in a long list of fees when you pay your tuition.
Feel free to make up random facts as gospel.
A change like this is always going to be tough, but students’ associations could have spent the last two years at least (and probably more) not only fighting VSM, but also preparing for it. The eggs-in-one-basket approach they seem to have taken was always incredibly high-risk, and certainly reckless. The community, and the students who have gone before, have every right to be livid.
Well that's simply not true. Students associations have had mixed views about Labour's delaying tactics over the past months. I know some have spoken about the possibility of asking them to let it go through as a lost cause anyway, to allow them the time to prepare for 2012, but not enough to force it to be an change of position.
But the students association I'm involved with has spent a lot of time trying to prepare for VSM. Largely they've been held up waiting for the legislation to pass, at which time they can get the university to commit to them. But I've spent hours working with them trying to update their constitution to make it workable under a VSM environment. They've already let staff go, they've build up some income earning assets to try and carry them through and continue to run an office and provide some basic services.
There's a lot said by people on the outside looking at how ineffectual Students Associations have been from their perspective, which is fair enough. If you can't see from the inside however, you're really only seeing half the picture.
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Jesus fuck.
It's all provided good ammunition for the pro-VSM crowd - along with a speedboat that AUSA purchased a couple of decades ago, and some van.
However a bunch of our MPs can get drunk and fight, have us pay for their holidays, and umpteen other stupid things and we don't have a similar debate. Elect morons, you end up with morons representing you.
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18 years ago today I was radicalised when I and other students got caught in a police riot while protesting at Otago university. Terribly sad to have this bill pass on an anniversary.
Students of the future may be free, but they'll be poorer for it.
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I don’t disagree that the general message to young people should be “try to wear a condom as much as possible, it substantially reduces your chances of some sexually transmitted diseases”. But there’s danger in refusing to acknowledge the problems with condoms. The obvious danger is that they will simply not be used when the problems arise.
It feels like a message of 'try' leads to your conclusion.
There’s some debate about the details of (what Wikipedia tells me is unprettily called) the “upsuck theory of female orgasm”, but basically it seems sound.
And all this time men have been presented as the sexual predators.
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Yes, public service are often brilliant, make no mistake about that. I suspect that if Sir Mad or Michael Lock’s partner had called DIA this morning (wonder if the Locks still had to register the birth?), they would have been helped.
I think the problem is that the baby was only born a few days ago, and they haven't yet recieved a birth certificate, which they then need to send off to get a passport.
I have no problem with a staff member from the PM's office contacting DIA to get someone to do this. It's not like it wasn't going to happen anyway, just quicker.
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In a word - no.
The editorial I mentioned was a beatup on academics in general and Auckland University academics in particular. not very edifying.Attacking the privilege of those who work and attend universities - and those who work and attend polytechnics and other tertiary institutions by default - became the new black in the 1990s.
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Are they still marketing the Vulcan as haunted, Kyle?
Yes, in as much as I’m not sure they market the place at all. I think you could rake it in by bringing up people to stay in all the beds in town, giving them a walk around the lake and tour of the gold mines, dinner, drinks, meet the locals. The male publican is a fantastic character. Would be a great experience, but the marketing of the Vulcan seems to involve trying to turn people away at the door.
We did ask to look in room 1, which is the haunted room, but apparently the owners had taken pity on someone who had had too much the night before and hadn’t tidied up the mess by the next afternoon.
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Absolutely it is. The sex education curriculum should be standardised across all state schools. Just like the rest of biology.
I'm happy with that. It's the standard national testing system that worries me.
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My partner and I spent last weekend at St Bathans, Central Otago (population down from a high of 2,000, now six permanent residents). We were staying in the old jail which has been converted to accommodation - beautifully warm, with a freeview TV and a great shower. Notice above the taps says to not only boil your water for drinking, but if the siren sounds to turn off all your taps as the fire brigade will need the water pressure. Rabbits fleeing at your approach, little white bottoms bouncing up and down as they run.
We went to the local pub (Vulcan Hotel) to seek some dinner. Mike and Jude are the owners, they rent the place off the St Bathans Trust. When a restaurant says "bookings essential", normally that's because they're full. Not at the Vulcan - it means they're empty. Jude told us that she couldn't do us dinner as they liked to have bookings 24 hours in advance. I guess there's food to defrost and a kitchen to get going. Pub food we asked? Sorry said Mike, kitchen is closed for the night. Packet of chips?
Nevermind we thought, we'll have a beer and catch the Australia-USA game. Sure said Mike, slightly grumpy at the lack of fresh company to talk to. Finished one drink, and then ordered another for the game. We wandered out to the back to the dining room, a large CRT TV chained to the wall. No through here says Mike, calling us through to what appears to be the owners home - a large dining table, couch, TV in the corner. Stretched out on the couch is Jude, a slight snore and regular whistling sound her only noise. Don't mind her says Mike, enjoy the game.
So we settle in, and by half time Jude has woken up and excused herself, retiring I presume to the couple's bedroom. Three local residents in the front bar, along with Mike, demand regular updates of the score, but I suspect they're more playing with the tourists than actually interested in the game. Another round, second half, we lose interest in the game and start playing with the local dog - a black lab called Jack who's seen too many days but still gets around fairly well. Bring our glasses (as demanded by Mike) to the front again, and wish them good night.
Saturday back for dinner - having carefully booked the night before. Monster steaks and roast potatoes and veges - all well cooked. Dessert is too much for either of us, and we decline the opportunity to watch the All Blacks play France, retiring instead to our room and a snore free zone. My partner drops off after that but I stay up to watch the Warriors knock over Melbourne. Holy cow well deserved.
The next morning we wake up to 4 inches of snow - roads clear, but car and yard and every tree for miles completely covered. One of the most beautiful things I've seen, and I wander a kilometer along the road to cell phone hill, where you can get coverage again. Fantastic weekend.