Sigh – so petty

I knew someone would be petty enough to get worked up about it, and yep No Right Turn has.

He blogged about my statement that Consilium was bloody expensive to attend and hence only serious people attended, and labels it economic snobbery.

First of all CIS gets no government funding.  It survives by donations and by attendance fess at events like this.  Otherwise there is no money to pay for guest speakers and the like.

Secondly CIS put on many events for free.  They in fact run an annual liberty and society conference in Australia and pay all the costs of the attendees who tend to be students from NZ and Australia.  They also put on a number of free lectures in NZ and Australia.

Third of all my statement that a high fee meant only serious people attended does not imply people who can’t afford it are not serious about policy.  I could not afford to go normally and I am very serious about policy. No Right Turn should know the difference between “All Betans are rich” and “All rich people are Betans” hence “All poor people are Thetans”.