Posts by Paul Williams
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Speaker: Election 2014: Mental Health Policies, in reply to Marc C,
I am a bit critical about what Sue Bradford apparently tweeted, but on the other hand, I do agree with her previous criticism of the “welfare reforms” this government has forced upon tens of thousands of sick and disabled, facing re-assessments, where mental health conditions may not be taken serious enough by some assessors now, as they are told by MSD and the government, to rather look at what people supposedly “can do”, than what impairments they have.
I'm not really well placed to comment on the 'appropriateness' of Bradford's tweet other than to note she is an individual with enormous personal and professional experience dealing with mental health and not someone that anyone could accuse of jumping on a bandwagon.
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Hard News: Why we thought what we thought, in reply to Danyl Mclauchlan,
He is mentioned in Slater's correspondence with, I think, Aaron Bhatnager, but there's no hint of any set-up, just very explicit details of Hughes' behavior which were totally unacceptable for an MP.
If true, which I don't know although perhaps others' do, then they'd be unacceptable for any individual, MP or otherwise, but you're points still valid about 'a set up'.
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Hard News: Dirty Politics, in reply to Kumara Republic,
Dirty Politics has also made the Times of London, but the article’s paywalled. Ditto for this Crikey article by an expat NZer.
NZ politics is also on the ABC website..., great! I have long argued with Australian friends that NZ politics is clean... guess not so much anymore.
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Even with unhelpful boundary changes, Jacinda Ardern could win Auckland Central if Denise Roche can communicate to Green voters that she neither wants or needs their electorate votes.
I sincerely hope they do. They did so in Wellington Central in 2008 when Grant Robertson first won the seat (by a majority of just 3,000, one he's since doubled). Please let's not, however, relive what Labour didn't do for Jeanette in Coromandel...
The Greens, I think, are in the unusual -- and unprecedented in our recent political history -- position of making the transition to major party status. In policy terms, that entails moving from principle to practice -- are they there yet?
I'd agree, but then I'm a paid up member of the Labour Party. Regardless, there's lots to commend about the way the Greens have conducted themselves over the last 3 - 6 years. The like of Julie Ann Genter and Jan Logie, particularly, have been relentless in their advocacy for core Green issues regardless of the reaction (which has often been childish, and I'm thinking of Bennett in particular on Women's Refuge funding).
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to nzlemming,
They're scared.
Agreed.
Any IDEAS why Matthew Hooton has been so open in his calls to sack Collins ?
Brand management. Hooton is a brand and this is business for him. He sells himself to his clients as a having broad credibility and needs desperately to be seen to be above all the dirty work, even though he was neck-deep in it - or to put it more bluntly, this rat won't be nailed to the deck.
I don't entirely agree, in the past I might have, as I also think Hooton is attracted to being on the right side of this issue (or issues, the firing of Collins, the oversighting SIS).
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to Kyle Matthews,
I think she's a terrible choice for their press secretary for any of IMP. They're going to have some wacky moments with the characters that they've got there and the background of the parties and their union.
I'm not so sure. She's close to many of the candidates, she's well known in the media, she understands politics better than most having been an MP. I reckon this will event will be quickly forgotten though I agree, the pub quiz name is very good.
I’m not a fan of Hooten’s but my impression from his pieces in NBR and comments on Nat Rad is that he has consistently been critical of Key and Collins
His comments on Monday were particularly unequivocal. I used to always think Matthew had a long-grame with every comment he made (and he possibly does) but I also got the clear impression he though important conventions were being broken at present and that mattered beyond his loyalties to National (which, he also made clear, were for policies to the right of where Key was navigating).
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
From the Harold. Pam offered to resign, wasn't accepted
Good outcome I reckon.
Corkery had a moment, she was likely baited, and though I don't entirely agree with her position (on KDC), I suspect her judgment of the individual in question was spot on. Then again, I've always though Gower a bit of a prat and yet his flying visit to Oravida was brilliant stuff...
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
That they have speakers seen as part of the launch, yes, but should KDC be the only part of the launch, I think not.It's the media who wants to make it only about him. JMO
Sofie, I don't agree (and appreciate you did understand my less than clear point in the earlier post).
I think if KDC is going to throw meat around at political rallies, he's got to expect he'll attract media attention. If he does want the discussion about policy, best not talk about hacking credit rating systems. That said, I still think Corkery's response was reasonable.
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to Richard Aston,
Coming in late here but I admired Pam Corkery for speaking her mind in no uncertain terms. Yeah yeah we are all meant to be professional , well mannered and .. tidy but sometimes you just have to call shit what it is.
Likewise and delivered with the kudos only an individual with her experience could pull off frankly.
He's not a candidate. He doesn't owe you anything. When will you glove puppets of Cameron Slater just piss off?""
This part is more problematic for me. It was at their Party launch. He's formally engaged in the Party. He's making pretty bold assertions. He mightn't want to comment, but does the media have every reason to seek comment from him.
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Hard News: Didn't see that coming, in reply to Danyl Mclauchlan,
If Corkery did do that on purpose to get the lead spot on the news then she’s an idiot. National couldn’t have asked for anything better than a reminder to wavering centre voters that the alternative to Key – dirty politics or not – is a government propped up by a bunch of nutty, angry activists.
Danyl, this scanned, to me, like something a Labour Party activist circa 1999 or an Alliance one circa 2002 might have said... Corkery's no idiot in my experience either.