words that come to mind post-truth, clickbait, skux, 'Pie Munster'

good stuff Hilary - is there an online link to your PhD?

Here is the most recent Order Paper. One wonders when the next members ballot will be..

http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00HOHOrderPaper_20151209/b8250f6f963d3fdf16eedae9906d2125ab5f2739

Just to state that "textual relations" was made up by a journalist. But that journalist was not Lloyd Burr

1. textual relations ( two words I know but...)
2. frape
3. pfftt!

Hi Graeme,
Just seen your column for PA come up on my news reader, you many need to alter the headline.....

I think the Maori Party support the Maori seats more than any electoral system, but you maintain that the Maori party supports MMP - or any PR system, - perhaps as the number of Maori seats are pegged to Maori roll numbers. Fair enough, but whats to stop that under FPP - there will be no overhang but if one party was to hold all the Maori seats they`d have more power than they do now with an overhang.

And there will be fewer Maori in Parliament as well.

If the Maori Party went belly up for whatever reason, and the Maori seats under FPP were tagged to proportionality through the Maori roll - or fixed at the current number - then whoever had the Maori seats - possibly Labour - would have nearly twice the advantage compared with FPP pre`96.....

Good reason to retain PR, whatever that form may take...

Russell, if you were the editor of Gaynz.com. would you have run the story on English's sons bebo site - you would know that the mainstream media would pick it up should you chose to....

Hey there are a couple of things worth mentioning.
1. About 40 percent of short term unemployed people who get jobs go back on the benefit within 6 months - and the cycle starts again.
2. There are plenty of work for the dole schemes that are in place currently that are getting people meaningful work after a few weeks work experience.
3. Those who are referred to such places and refuse to take part are not usually work tested, so in these cases theres no consequences if you dont take part.
4. Not all work experience programmes are mindless - but are more likely to have a positive outcone than task force green.
5. Pita Sharples sounds like he is not even aware of the above. I suspect this is a reaction to families like the Kahuis who need to get off their buts and stop wasting their on booze all day. So RB is right, i think.