Posts by Katharine Moody
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Labour's loss last night wasn't as big as National's loss in 2002.
Labour seats, 2014 = 32 (24.69%)
National seats, 2002 = 27 (20.93%)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_general_election,_2002
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Hard News: Vision and dumbassery, in reply to mark taslov,
Mainly we know that there’s nothing we can do to rewind the progress that brought us here.
The problem as I see it is that if the "we" that are here breathing today don't somehow try and rewind what you refer to as "progress" (i.e., indiscriminate data collection, the vast military-industrial complex, climate change, nuclear proliferation, the Type II diabetes epidemic, growing inequality and all else that "progress" has brought us) then it will be another generation not yet born that must suffer the full effect.
Surely resistance to what is morally wrong can never be futile.
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Hard News: Time to Vote, in reply to Gary Elshaw,
I was a public servant and fervently believe in what that means – serving the public AND the government of the day. What happens when you believe your role is no longer of use in serving the public, but merely serving the government of the day?
Couldn't agree more with the sentiment you express. I too had a short period in quite a senior position in government. I was asked to sign something during a caretaker period that I refused to sign. When the new incoming government (Labour) began governing, it was determined by higher departmental management that my position was no longer required to attend weekly Ministerial briefings. And shortly thereafter, a review/restructure was commenced whereby my role was disestablished. Indeed, dark arts have been operating for quite some time. I'm delighted to think it may all finally be brought to light. The public service must be free again to serve the public without fear or favour.
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Hard News: A call from Curia, in reply to Tom Semmens,
Given the polls have been open for general voting for the last two weeks, allowing any polling, let alone push polling, is an appalling lapse of regulation. If we are going to open the polls two weeks early for general voting, then we need to forbid the conduction and publishing of all polls during that period.
It's a very good point.
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Ex-customs official (a lawyer) comes forward on OIA manipulation by government;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11327317
And Chief Ombudsman launches a wide ranging investigation;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11327328
She says:
"We may as well kiss democracy goodbye. The work of this office relies in great measure in the maintenance of a high level of trust and integrity between ourselves and government agencies," she said.
"If our examination and investigation finds that has been betrayed or warped in any way that is something I am going to be taking very seriously and I think the public of New Zealand should be taking very seriously because it attacks the whole integrity of the system of governance."
Dame Beverley said whistleblowers should make contact with the Office of the Ombudsman if they had evidence of such practices.
If the Nats get another term in coalition with NZ First - Winston Peters might become the PM after all. -
The campaign has been impressive - as have been the achievements. I was really thankful you guys gave me the opportunity via Action Station to contribute to The Herald page and same goes for the petition to the GG. It's really disappointing to hear that the EC cancelled your Field Worker contract - extremely unreasonable decision by them. I wouldn't let that one go. It is a valuable source of future funding for you .. so make a decision to get it back :-). Get your 2000 pledges involved as I'm sure they'll confirm that you were non-partisan in your dealings with them. In short, don't let the establishment push you around - you are the future!
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Hard News: Vision and dumbassery, in reply to Alfie,
Thanks, Alfie. I've asked it on three other sites too on posts by the following journalists: David Fisher, Tim Watkin and Bernard Hickey - so far everyone's mum as to Fisher's source and indeed Russell is the only one who has included a correction to the assumption that it came from Dotcom himself. As I suggested on Hickey's article - if the Hollywood execs faked their own email - the story would be bigger than Ben Hur :-)!!! What will I do for entertainment when this election campaign is over, eh?
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Given the correction, Russell, as above: [NB: I am now told it was not Dotcom who supplied the email to the Herald], .. where did David Fisher get the email from, do you know? Seems very strange to me that no one has asked - and the Dotcom camp are staying mum on the fact that it was leaked as well. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders whether the Hollywood execs leaked a "fake" of the "real" as a means to discredit it before the MoT - and hence why the "real" was pulled from the presso at the last minute and subsequently referred to Parliament.