Posts by Simon Poole
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OnPoint: What Andrew Geddis Said, But…, in reply to George Darroch,
Dunne: "I saw all the Cabinet papers".
Hi George,
Yes, I was interested to get that reply. Unfortunately my followup question - was Dunne comfortable asking the Opposition to vote on the Bill without providing them the full Regulatory Impact Statement - has gone unanswered thus far.
I'm aware that National's coalition partners are compelled to vote for this as a supply issue, but providing such incomplete information to Parliament is shoddy practice, to put it as politely as I can.
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Rich: Just the one that means MP's and staffers based in Bowen House don't have to brave the elements to get to Parliament House. Why do you think there is never a stream of backbenchers dashing across the road shortly before 2pm on a sitting day?
The London tunnels sound fascinating. If the Bowen tunnel was a little more mysterious the chances of people having heard of it would be somewhat greater, I imagine.
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I'm not sure if I should spill any secrets, but having sat in the stand facing Jed, I can confirm that he uses a flash and that it is insanely bright.
Hadyn - pass on my compliments to Jed; the photos are incredible.
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I don't think it has been mentioned, but Parliament has its own gallery of satirical cartoons in the tunnel between Bowen House and the Executive Wing. From memory, it consists of 100 cartoons in chronological order spanning 1899-1999 and it is very interesting seeing both the evolution of what is acceptable satire but also the topics being raised in each one.
The main problem with the display is that it lines the two walls, each of which has a moving walkway; one for each direction. You have to make many, many trips back and forth to truly appreciate the fine works on offer.
Of course, you need to be able to access the tunnel to see them. It is a shame that they are hidden away instead of on public display - perhaps the space around Select Committee rooms one and two would be a more accessible space.
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/waves
Hi Greg! Hope to make it to some actual derby later in the year when life is a bit quieter.
I'd make the point that talent and showmanship aren't mutually exclusive for either style of league. I'm sure ARDL will have plenty of showmanship, and everyone knows how talented the skaters at RCRD can be.
How did the slow derby thing turn out in the end? I do remember it portrayed as some sort of Pandora's box that would doom any league that dared peek inside. I also remember having a couple of interesting discussions with Dan about how it needed to be reffed. Hope you guys got it sorted :)
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I'm torn, to be honest. I was there at the beginning, and my feelings are very much like Michael Fosters, as above.
However, derby doesn't belong to the fans. It is whatever the girls want it to be. If they feel that ditching the fishnets and pseudonyms is a way to gain increased legitimacy (In whose eyes, I am not sure - Media?) and widespread coverage then more power to them.
I am sure this is a debate that will be had in each league and probably more than once in the coming years. I also imagine that the ARDL/Pirate City schism will be repeated occasionally.
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Cunliffe came pretty close…
And look where that got him.
Labour have picked their leader - now he needs to start leading.
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And they wouldn't exactly be broke - a party with 25,000 members charging $30 membership PA would have up to 2.25 million to contest an election, a princely sum for a campaignAnd they wouldn't exactly be broke - a party with 25,000 members charging $30 membership PA would have up to 2.25 million to contest an election, a princely sum for a campaign
And you somehow think that all current membership fees paid to parties are reserved solely for an election campaign? Good lord. These parties have to function beyond their role as an electoral machine for three months every three years.
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Field Theory: All Blacks v South Africa…, in reply to Russell Brown,
When you think about it now, that's a horrible midfield.
Indeed. That doesn't even count starting Dan Carter despite the fact that he was injured, having Nick Evans on the bench and leaving Aaron Mauger out of the 22 entirely. DC was replaced fairly early by Evans, but then Evans got injured and we were left with... McAlister. Toeava subbed in to 12 I think, or perhaps Mils moved in a slot and Toeava went to 13.
In hindsight, it was horrible. Even if the only change had been to start Nick Evans and have Mauger on the Bench as 10/12 cover.
Still, it's a bit moot now and we can only hope than Henry learnt his lesson; no other NZ Coach has had two shots at the cup.
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Kyle: McAlister was 12, centre was played by Mils who had indeed been shifted from fullback. Something of a sad run we've got going.