General Debate 12 November 2008

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OECD rank 22 kiwi

Why does Helen Clark still want to hang around in parliament?

A glutton for punishment perhaps?

It still feels good that National won, Labour lost and we have a new National/ACT Government.
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November 12, 2008 7:12am
Ross Miller

Question … Where was Winston Peters yesterday.

Answer … At the Addington Raceway, baubles flying, chauferred there in a Ministerial limo. Sez it all doesn’t it. No shame; slurping frop the public trough up until the last possible moment.

Wonder who supplied his betting money … someone called V****?
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November 12, 2008 8:00am
goodgod

And in local news…

John Banks takes a big sharp knife to Council spending in Auckland to hold rate increases to inflation levels! The results appear to be both good and bad, but no one can argue it’s irresponsible.
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November 12, 2008 8:12am
casual watcher

Dear Mr Hide – please wind your head in and grow up. There is a huge difference between being a shit stirrer in opposition and a responsible member of a coalition government. As an Epsom voter you are making me nervous about the strategic vote so many of us placed with you – lay off the steroids mate !!
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November 12, 2008 8:18am
DamnedAngry

Totally agree casual watcher! Bloody Rodney is behaving like a badly behaving snapping turtle…in fact does anyone else think that he’s started to look like one???
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November 12, 2008 8:21am
oranjemakker

slightly off subject, does anyone know more details about the news story (TV One news this am) re the boy at North Shore high who had the sh** kicked out of him by a classmate, needing facial reconstructive surgery to his jaw. The story was about the fact that his assailant was not expelled just suspended for a few weeks and the parents were, it seems justifiably, very upset about this. My question: the story referred to the school following Ministry guidelines and consulting with the Ed Ministry in only suspending him. I am wondering whether this is some sort of PC/ left wing ideology issue at the Ed Ministry or something else? Would this sort of thing perhaps be handled differently under our new government?
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November 12, 2008 8:41am
petal

First election I haven’t party voted ACT. This will continue until my faith in its people returns. Rodney’s behaviour during election night and since have only confirmed my misgivings.
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November 12, 2008 9:08am
dime

oranjemakker – one can only hope.
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November 12, 2008 9:09am
musthafabuck

Jane Clifton put it so well to Paul Holmes this morning, Rodney is behaving with incredibly BAD MANNERS.
Rodney you are the junior and only there because National gave you a free ride in Epsom. Getting ideas above your station boy!
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November 12, 2008 9:11am
dime

without ACT! we would be facing another 3 years of helen. dont lose sight of that.

sure its all nice now and we are all friendly with the Maori party.. hell its only gonna take them a few days to decide what to do.. flipside – they hold the balance of power and it takes 6 weeks of grief.
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November 12, 2008 9:23am
Bob

Now that the election is over and Labour have a new leader I see Phil Goff is admitting the EFA is a dog rushed in. Never one to admit Labour is wrong he claims it was to stop big money influencing elections. When National repeal it and then start a proper process of reforming the law in that area with consultations Goff will be there with his contribution.
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November 12, 2008 9:27am
Inventory2

oranjemakker – doubtless the school followed the MoE guidelines, which demands that they take into account the perp’s circumstances, such as whether he was a bed-wetter, whether someone once raised their voice to him, whether someoine once told him he couldn’t have something he wanted or whether he felt marginalised because he was male/of a different ethnicity/gay/lesbian/transgendered/disabled/thick/stupid/violent or a bully.

However the parents of the young guy who was beaten up should have taken it out of the hands of the school, and laid a complaint of assault with the Police. Then again, there would always be the danger that the police would apply the same criteria, as they obviously did with Megaphone Len Richards.
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November 12, 2008 9:28am
petal

“without ACT! we would be facing another 3 years of helen. dont lose sight of that. ”

I voted ACT last time and got 3 more years of Helen. I didn’t make that same mistake this time.

Without a strong National vote, ACT would be in opposition like last time. Don’t lose sight of that.

I believe in ACTs principles. I just don’t see the personnel being up to scratch. And Rodney’s not doing himself any favours over the last few days.

He’s stopped SMILING!
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November 12, 2008 9:35am
Bob

To oranjemakker: The victim says he did nothing to provoke it. I think the culprit should face some serious punishment. He broke his victim’s jaw possibly leaving him with after effects for life.

Regardless of what happens to the assailant I think parents should be held responsible for their children’s action up to a certain age say 16. The parents of the victim in this case should be able to sue the assailant’s parents on the basis they have reared a violence prone child. If the parents of these young criminals had to pay for the damage done by their kids perhaps there would be less bullying and intentional damage such as grafitti and arson.
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November 12, 2008 9:36am
big bruv

oranjemakker

I did see that story and was horrified that the scumbag was allowed back to school after receiving no more than a slap on the wrist with a wet bus ticket.
It does make me wonder how I would react had it been a child of mine that was on the receiving end of this thugs violence, at first I hope I would have faith in the authorities to deal with the problem however I am not sure that I could sit back and watch this wanker march back into school without a care in the world given that the authorities have not done bugger all about it.

I would be hard pushed not to go down and take a baseball bat to this little pricks legs.
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November 12, 2008 9:45am
Pita

The Labour party seems to be in complete denial over the rogue election result…apparently the electorate was quite happy with the course and direction implemented by the Labour Government…National were only elected because the “great unwashed” thought it was time for a change
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November 12, 2008 9:45am
big bruv

Its now four days since the election and I have not seen one single Kiwibank advert on TV One, I wonder why that might be?
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November 12, 2008 9:50am
llew

because the “great unwashed” thought it was time for a change

More than the great unwashed, that was the actual National campaign slogan… remember?
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November 12, 2008 9:52am
musthafabuck

Dime, I don’t disagree with you, BUT Rodney is behaving badly, to comment that John is to the left of Helen, keep John waiting while he did his prima donna press interviews.
I still say he has ideas above his station, I still say he is only there because of a free ride.
Thats why I gave 2 ticks to the NAT’s.
If the ACT MP’s start to try to dictate major policy, my hope is that JK has garnered enough Maori support to be able to tell Rodney and the other old codger to get stuffed, and keep them in their place.
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November 12, 2008 9:53am
llew

Its now four days since the election and I have not seen one single Kiwibank advert on TV One, I wonder why that might be?

ANd (as someone else pointed out) no sign of fibre being installed up my driveway yet – what’s Key doing?
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November 12, 2008 9:53am
big bruv

Classic quote from Goff on the future of Heather Simpson in todays Herald

“Asked if she would carry on with him, new Labour leader Phil Goff said he believed the outgoing Prime Minister’s chief-of-staff, known as “H2”, “will have things she wishes to do”

I doubt that the farewell party for “H2” will be well attended and even those who do go will only be doing so to kick her when she is down.

Never again should any unelected person be vested with such power and influence.
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November 12, 2008 10:03am
big bruv

Is there any chance that Key will get fed up with Dunne’s bullshit and just tell the political whore to fuck off back to Karori?

It really grates on me that Dunne is going to be part of the new government given that the bastard still has not paid back the money he stole at the 2005 election.
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November 12, 2008 10:08am
oranjemakker

Update on the school bullying case. This was being discussed on national radio at around 9.30 am. They had the human rights commissioner on. Her response was that that together with the Childrens Commissioner they were conducting a study to be ready by February, and, i quote directly, the human rights commission is owrking on a project to “develop schools as human rights communities”, implying that woudl solve these sorts of issues What absolute crap. Please tell me these people, or at least their budgets, will be part of the civil service review. This of course among many other things shows that Labour’s line that it was a centrist goverment, when it put in place this sort of nonsense, was an absolute lie
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November 12, 2008 10:17am
PhilBest

Thanks for the responses to mine on the General Debate yesterday, SideshowBob, Reid, etc.

THIS guy’s posting then, is important:

# getstaffed (2525) 5 0 Says:
November 11th, 2008 at 9:33 pm

“Reid – I chatted yesterday with a kiwi mate who is CEO of a global financial services firm in India. He’s pretty clued up on what’s happening. Some take outs from that conversation were:-
1. their organisation is dropping global headcount by 10% immediately. rem is being cut back 15%. Basically, no bonuses or salary increases in 2009, and probably 2010.
2. he has lost 100% of his last 12 months’ pension contributions and is unlikely to see these back before he retires in 4-5 years
3. the ‘average’ American citizen has lost 40% of their net worth in the last 100 days, and is unlikely to recover that loss in their working life
4. Australian banks have not yet ‘come clean’ on the extent of their exposure.
5. the next wave of financial trouble will be non-banking sector – vehicle manufacturers, airlines and tourism. his comment “most kiwi’s or aussies haven’t begun to feel the effects yet’
6. unless you know someone who lived with the 30’s great depression then this is ‘it’ for our generation
7. if you have cash invested in NZ banks try to spread it across banks. He mentioned the deposit guarantee in OZ of $AU150k, so if that exists here try to get below-threshold fund amounts held by different entities across different institutions.
8. many country’s govt guarantees are worthless (wouldn’t be drawn on which – I suspect he has good info…).

So, looks pretty ugly!”

I would add to THAT line: “most kiwi’s or aussies haven’t begun to feel the effects yet” – that actually, a LOT of Kiwis HAVE lost a LOT of money in finance company collapses, which collapses started BEFORE any crisis “on Wall Street” was being commented on, and were a result of NEW ZEALAND DOMESTIC MONETARY POLICY combined with land use rationing, bringing about a classic “bubble” in real estate.

Why the media silence? It used to be NEWS in the past when ONE finance company fell over, you got front page photos of glum mum and dad investors. But the whole finance sector in NZ has been wiped out over 18 months with nary a mention. I strongly suspect that the MSM are so partisan in their support of Labour and Michael Cullen’s SO-CALLED “responsible” economic management, that they don’t want to admit that the truth is the exact opposite of that.
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November 12, 2008 10:35am
dime

Key will give rodney a slap down if needed.

Rodney has to look like hes trying his best to push through ACT!’s mandate. Hes knows hes not coming from a position of strength.
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November 12, 2008 10:40am
Frank

What happened to the girl who assaulted the Depuy Prinipal of a Secondary College? Nothing! It was covered up by the Board of Trustees!
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November 12, 2008 10:42am
dime

Winston – anyone think he will make a run again in 3 years time?

what if he picks some shitty electorate? wouldnt be a bad move. raise their profile etc. kinda like tim shadbolt and invercargill…
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November 12, 2008 10:42am
goodgod

The upside of Rodney being a professional politican is that it will knock the compromise and dithering out of Key. Good on Rodney, his behaviour’ll make sure that Key turns into the kind of strong leader NZ will re-elect next election – and ACT will be right there with him. No recent PM has exited parliament the person they went in as. We’ve had nice boy John. Now watch as we get Prime minister John Key, and later, I hope, Leader John Key.

Leaders have to grow and develop too, people. What you’re asking Rodney to do is shut up, turn brain off, tow party line, become a trough feeder and do nothing. You’re asking John Key to slip into comfortable stagnation and be overun by an angry new opposition. Are you all Labour party plants? 😆
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November 12, 2008 10:43am
PhilBest

OK, it might be a “responsibility” tactic on the part of the media and the main political parties, to avoid panic in NZ. We have a “real economy” where money is earned and wealth created; and an “unreal economy” where assets, especially houses, have ballooned in price out of all proportion to earnings and wealth, AND debt has ballooned along with that.

It is wishful thinking in the extreme, to think that we can all just keep calm while the “real economy” catches up with the “unreal economy”, so that houses will resume selling in their historical quantities AT their 2007 peak values. When first home buyers incomes have doubled in comparison to their 2007 incomes, it could be said that the “real economy” has caught up with the “unreal economy”. Good luck betting the future on that. Good luck betting the future on the State’s ability to keep assets inflated in price using taxpayer money, too.

The bottom line IS, that at SOME STAGE, houses are going to drop 50% in value. Note that all OTHER assets and investments EXCEPT housing, are already experiencing drops of that magnitude. Housing refuses to move simply because there is more damage to be done by a collapse, and the people “in denial” over it, includes MOST of us.

But if it doesn’t happen THIS time, thanks to State intervention via money supply and interest rates and taxpayer-funded “bailouts” and continued strangulation of housing supply, it will happen even WORSE later on and it will take the State itself down with it.

But what are the chances of getting a few essential economics lessons across to the great majority of ignorant people who still BLAME “the market” and who look to Nanny State to magic their problems away?

The ONLY SOLUTION is actually tax cuts and reductions of government spending. We MUST GROW the “real economy” by leaving its earnings IN the real economy instead of bleeding them off to prop up the “unreal economy” and to “redistribute” wealth that is shrinking in quantity.
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November 12, 2008 10:54am
musthafabuck

Goodgod!!! Is that how you see Rodneys role.. he is there to teach JK how to grow into a man?
How presumptious of you.
I think JK would tell you & Rodney “go and teach your grandmother how to suck eggs”
Rodney get in behind, and let grasshopper teach you a thing or 2.
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November 12, 2008 11:07am
wreck1080

Maybe Key needs to pull his neck in?

Perhaps Hydes comments relate to some distasteful negotiations.

Why should Peter Dunne get a better offer than act? Act gained more votes than Dunne.

Douglas should get the finance position, he did rescue NZ in the past and is qualified to do so again.
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November 12, 2008 11:29am
KiwiGreg

Enough with the Douglas deification. He was a good MoF for ramming through a bunch of long-needed tax reforms IN THE 80s but was absolutely appalling at keeping the reins on spending during that same government. I’m blowed if I know why he wanted to come back, and even less understood why he was placed 3rd on the list but I doubt he will last the full term before he realises that it was a mistake.
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November 12, 2008 11:46am
Inventory2

This is pure gold! Phil Goff now reckons the EFA was a mistake!!

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/11/flip-flops-have-started.html
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November 12, 2008 11:47am
llew

but I doubt he will last the full term before he realises that it was a mistake.

Upon when he will ascend to Asgaard to take his rightful place beside Odin, his father.
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November 12, 2008 11:49am
Ratbiter

So Inventory2, are we to take it that your position is that you will pretty much rubbish Labour regardless of their policies?
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November 12, 2008 11:54am
getstaffed

Ratbiter – was Annette King vocal in her support of the EFA? if yes then why was she so vocal? And more to the point, what does she think now.. and if this is a flip-flop then why?

Your Labour chums have 9 years of skeletons and ‘dirty deeds done dirt cheap’ (used with apologies to ACDC…) that will now start to see the light of day. Get accustomed to the criticism pal.
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November 12, 2008 11:59am
Ratbiter

getstaffed – if your assessment of the political parties is based more on your prejudices than on your support for their current policies, then it is a pity your vote is worth the same as mine IMHO 😉
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November 12, 2008 12:03pm
grumpyoldhori

Hide would do well to remember that the only reason ACT are in parliament is that the Nats made bugger all effort in Epsom.
Be a good lad Rodders, enjoy the flash car and do remember that those cuzzies can always take the place of your small mob.

Smith as speaker, what a bore, make Hone speaker, that way any bugger who upsets the dignity of the chair gets tossed bodily through the doors 🙂
Except for that fat hori and that fat Nat.
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November 12, 2008 12:19pm
getstaffed

no ratbaiter – my assessment is based in personal character of the politicians. Either King supported the EFA because she genuinely thought it was good policy (despite widespread advice to the contraty ), or she supported it because she was to scared to stand up to our recently deposed despot aka Clark. Either way, if she has changed her tune like Goff then she’s a spineless flip-flopper. Which, I guess, makes her ideal to co-lead your lot.
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November 12, 2008 12:21pm
scott

At first I didn’t like the EFA but it does(?) insulate us from a US’ styled “who has corporate support competes” democracy. Where disproportionately multi national interest is represented in policy(in terms of who has gained), at the expense of the majority. This system led to Bush being elected for 8 years and contesting his second term with his old secret society mate from college Jim Carrey. Quite a choice and coincidence given a pop of 300 million.

The best mainstream media informing choice that I saw was Rodney Hyde and John Keys talking Monday Night on TV1 or 3. It took ten minutes and said more than 6 months of campaigning, advertisements and billboards ever could. Next year lets just give all the partys equal time in the media to communicate their ideas, philosophies and plans(even super minor partys). Then ban the media from editorialising. This current system is insulting, detracts from the issues and allows private interest to weaken the principal of democracy.
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November 12, 2008 12:24pm
getstaffed

scott – I think you need to study the impact of the EFA a little more closely. It has pretty much silenced genuine interest groups, while continuing to allow anonymous political donations and huge unionised support for the then-incumbent Labour government. It was, and remains an insult to NZs democratic process and the supporters of it have paid for their complicity with their baubles.
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November 12, 2008 12:30pm
dime

this kid that got beaten up…

what he needs to do is tell his school hes gay and say that the attacker knew he was gay and thats why he attacked him..

then sit back as they suddenly “review” the suspension.

then, once the attackers life is ruined… admit ya made the gay thing up 🙂
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November 12, 2008 12:44pm
philu

“..Bloody Rodney is behaving like a badly behaving snapping turtle…in fact does anyone else think that he’s started to look like one???..”

nah..!..him and douglas together look like a pair of poisonous nth queensland cane toads..

..phil(whoar.co.nz)
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November 12, 2008 12:56pm
dime

philu – you must be pleased with goff wanting a review of the EFA?

have you decided if you want to study or work 15 hours a week?

why dont ya have any email address on your blog?
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November 12, 2008 12:58pm
philu

“..And Rodney’s not doing himself any favours over the last few days.

He’s stopped SMILING!..”

he’s stopped smiling because he realises he is impotent to enact his agenda..

..he is powerless..

..and his yellow jacket is hiding the bruises from the hidings wodger gives him..

..every time he returns to the whanau..

..empty-handed..

..(you’d stop smiling too..!..)

..phil(whoar.co.nz)
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November 12, 2008 1:01pm
philu

“..why dont ya have any email address on your blog?..”

done..

phil(whoar.co.nz
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November 12, 2008 1:06pm
mudmum

re the boy punched in school. I think different schools must have different policies. The school my lad attends dealt very smartly with a couple of girls who attacked a friend of my sons. It was a quick attack, but the school suspended one girl for a week (the other was still at intermediate) and blocked off the particular accessway they’d used as it was down a bushy area. Another instance of a lad punching first a pupil and then a teache was sealt with by expulsion, within the week of his suspension. So all schools can and do, react differently. Maybe long bay College is a bit fluffy or maybe we just haven’t seen/heard the whole story. Have to admit, tho’, if my son was attacked like that i think i’d want him to change schools if the attacker was still there.
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November 12, 2008 1:21pm
PhilBest

Some interesting comments from the estimable James Allan in “The Australian”, a few days before our election:

“…….The Labour Party came into office nine years ago promising to lift NZ back into the top half of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development league tables in terms of per capita gross domestic product. On that criterion it has failed. Instead, NZ has dropped from 20th to 22nd place in the rankings since 1999. Of countries that have belonged to the OECD since before 1994, only Portugal and Turkey rank below NZ.

Worse, in the past three years NZ’s growth rate (1.5 per cent) has been below the OECD average (3per cent), signalling not improvement but a further drop down the rankings.

Why has NZ’s growth rate been ordinary at best for the past decade? A primary answer is that the policies that have been implemented to appeal to Labour’s core supporters have clearly failed to increase comparative wealth.

These policies include re-regulating the labour markets, increasing substantially the percentage of those working in the public sector, channelling an enormous 42 per cent of government tertiary education spending to financial aid for students, and increasing taxes via higher marginal rates and bracket creep to the point that government revenues are running at 45 per cent of GDP. That’s up there with the high-taxing Europeans, above the OECD average and 10 points above Australia. One result of this, other than its effects on the economic growth rate, has been a steady stream of hardworking and talented people crossing the Tasman to live and work here in Australia.

None of this economic mediocrity would offer a promising place to fight this election, though the present global financial crisis is being used by the Government to trivialise its own responsibility for the economy. Labour also has focused the campaign on the issue of trust. It is painting the spectre of Key as a free-marketeer run mad, someone not to be trusted.

On one level this is out and out laughable in Australian eyes. In fact, it’s hard to come up with any policy areas at all where Key is clearly to the right of Rudd: certainly not on defence, or lowering taxes, or the need for a US alliance, or getting back to basics in school.

On another level it’s sad that Key, unlike Brash, feels he cannot take more openly right-of-centre positions. Can it be that too many people who may have voted for such policies have moved to Australia?……”
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November 12, 2008 1:29pm
goodgod

Goodgod!!! Is that how you see Rodneys role.. he is there to teach JK how to grow into a man?
How presumptious of you.

I believe the phrase circulating during the campaign was: to give National some spine. If Key has it already, then lets see it. But no. Nowhere to be seen. Just the pleas of the Left asking him to remain motionless at the centre while they regroup – and he’s obliging.
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November 12, 2008 1:46pm
baxter

Orangmakker:…………..All those Commissioners were left wing radicals appointed by the Liabor Goverment, De Bres , Noonan etc. They were responsible for the current abhorrent unjust situation. Even a lawyer on last nights closeup stated that the system was only interested in helping the perpetrator and not concerned with the victim, and that was the attitude he also took. These guys are not looking to cure the situation, only to obfuscate it.
The Police Association did a comparison of all the parties Crime and Justice Policies. The Act Party Policy was clearly the best , it was precise, clearly presented and showed a pathway to solve the crime problems. All the other parties including National fudged the issues with fine sounding phrases but including so many wherefors and what ifs, and exceptions as to render little confidence that much progress was possible………..In my view the Commssioners need to be dispensed with as soon as possible and not replaced and some of our idle overpaid List MPS ordered to come up with the commonsense solutions and procedures that every Joe Sixpack and Netball Mom knows is required.
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November 12, 2008 2:07pm
oranjemakker

PhilBest, that article from the Australian is interesting, and it summarises concisely that really labour was not a centre-left party government, but one that was quietly but surely making long-term fundamental changes to our economic system and dramatically shifting the blance of power to the public sector. This is apparrent in so many areas of life.

To give just one example, in community newspapers, where I work, a recent and increasing trend is for local councils (urban and regional) to start priting their own newspapers, employing journalists etc. This has a distorting effect since local governments are (or used to be) one of the main advertisers in community papers. They therefore suck money out of advertising revenues and increase the cost of journalists by paying higher wages. I dont think its ever been costed either, because there is no way they can do it cheaper than a private sector operator. It just shifts employment to government at a higher cost than the private sector, footed by the taxpayer of course.
So the question is, can John Key really change these trends without some tough action?? Has labour been so effective that we need a Maggie Thatcher type person to really kick ass ??
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November 12, 2008 2:11pm
wreck1080

Has this been bought up before? Roger Kerrs article about labours attempt to fix health productivity?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10542253

It’s a very good article. Of course it happens to agree with my point of view which is why I like it but it is support by fact so even the lefties can’t disagree with those.

Here is the essence..
A 2005 Treasury report found that hospital efficiency had declined by 7.7 per cent from 2000-01 to 2003-04 when it had increased by 1.1 per cent in the previous three years.
….
Explanations by David Cunliffe were unconvincing. He pointed out that the Labour-led Government invested in primary healthcare and hospital infrastructure, but such investments should cause hospital productivity to go up, not down.
….
Just keeping hospital productivity at its previous level would have allowed District Health Boards to carry out work equivalent to an extra 30,000 hip replacements.
….
The former minister’s response to the study’s findings should be regarded as unacceptable. Health accounts for 20 per cent of government spending. Ministers are accountable for getting value for money.
***

Thanks labour, you’ve done a swell job…. of DESTROYING health. How many people have labour killed through sheer incompetence?
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November 12, 2008 2:24pm
PaulL

I haven’t seen what it is that Rodney has done that is so upsetting – did I miss something, or are there some people around here who specialise in being upset at every imagined slight. Is John Key looking upset?
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November 12, 2008 3:30pm
Lee

I used to have a lot of respect for Roger Douglas (at least until his appalling election night behaviour) but I think it is absurd to suggest that he should be finance minister. Apart from the fact that I see no pragmatic reason for this, given that Bill English is more than capable for the job, I want National to be more than a one term government, and if Douglas were put in the finance top job, you can kiss the next election goodbye.

National won the election, not ACT.
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November 12, 2008 3:31pm
llew

I haven’t seen what it is that Rodney has done that is so upsetting – did I miss something,

Disrespect mostly. Ask yourself what would Tony Soprano do in John Key’s position.
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November 12, 2008 3:34pm
Nefarious

Jeez, that Spondre (Blog Producer! heh, pretentious twat) is a fucking smeghead. He’s also fat, bald and hideous and fawns around Cactus Kate’s blog like some 12 year old nerd with a hard on for her.

I just popped on to policy.net to wish that fat, socialist dickhead Trotter all the best in Cuba, now that he has packed a Helen and taken his ball home with him, and all of a sudden I’m banned and referred to some twattish geek-speak article.

So Trotter, you bilious walrus, if you are reading this then please don’t hang up your keyboard. Shove it up your arse instead.
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November 12, 2008 3:37pm
big bruv

Is it true that Winston was seen arriving at Addington raceway yesterday in a ministerial BMW?
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November 12, 2008 3:57pm
big bruv

OK John Boy, you are four days into it and I want answers to the following questions.

1. Why is Cindy Kiro still employed?
2. Why has Howard Broad not resigned?
3. Why is there still such a thing as the families commission?
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November 12, 2008 4:00pm
Lee

CINDY KIRO MUST GO. NOW PLEASE.
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November 12, 2008 4:46pm
grumpyoldhori

Lee, Douglas would make a fine finance minister, just as long as he sends me
my shares in all that he will corportise.
True, his flat tax of 10% will upset a few Nat socialists, but if they cannot take
a joke they should not have helped get ACT into parliament.
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November 12, 2008 5:05pm
Lee

I’m sure he would. I’m just as sure that it would hand the country back to Labour in 2011.

I like and agree with much of ACT’s positions, especially on the economy, welfare and education. Until this election I have almost always party voted ACT. But JK has to think about the long term, about how to create a durable 3+ term government that can make lasting and deep changes. Tearing up his campaign promise to govern from the centre-centre-right, and putting Rodger in as Finance Minister, would only ensure a one term government and little real change.
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November 12, 2008 5:11pm
kaye

I’m thrilled with John Key’s (and National’s) win, but am depressed to realise that for the first time, the Prime Minister is younger than me.
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November 12, 2008 6:09pm
PaulL

llew: doesn’t tell me anything. What disrespect? I trawled Stuff, but couldn’t see anything. So I must have missed something.
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November 12, 2008 6:27pm
Lee

Slight change of subject. At the risk of bringing down the wrath of PhilBest and Redbaitor, I would like to suggest that Obama’s choice of Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff (which is a position of great power and influence) is a good sign that he may lurch to the right on foreign policy. It certainly makes me feel a lot better about his election win.

Rahm is on the hard right of the Democratic Party. He’s pro-free trade, supported the war in Iraq, is fiercely pro-Israel and supports enlargement of the US military.
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November 12, 2008 7:56pm
Tauhei Notts

PhilBest; your comments are enlightening.
Different subject.
I hear that the use of cellphones in motorcars will be outlawed.
However, to enforce the law it will be necessary to make holding a cellphone inside a moving car an offence.
So, it will be an offence to hold a cellphone inside a car but, presumbably, not an offence to hold a penis inside a moving car.
I thought we had moved away from that super gripper type of thinking.
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November 12, 2008 8:22pm
wikiriwhis business

when does National officially start their term as govt

I just hope one of their first priorities is to deal with the EFB

If that’s not impt to their agenda, we’ll understand very fast about their socialist tendencies and the Nat/Lab coalition.
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November 12, 2008 8:32pm
wikiriwhis business

” it will be necessary to make holding a cellphone inside a moving car an offence.”

Why would you want to be holding a cell phone whilst driving if you’re not intending to use it.

Your argument is mindless trivia to say the least.

and won’t get you far with a cop to say the most
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November 12, 2008 8:35pm
bruno 32

when is Key going to give howard broad the sack. Never trust a lefty cop.
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November 12, 2008 9:49pm
dad4justice

bruno, the word is Mr broad will star in a new animal farm x rated vid. Bent bastard needs a cell.
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November 12, 2008 10:00pm
bruno 32

Jeez d4j,if you locked up all the dodgy priks sucking on labours tits over the last 9 years,you’d need to build more prisons. Hang on a minute ,thats what John and Rodney plan to do,so it’s all going to plan.
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November 12, 2008 10:17pm
gingercrush

To fast track the electoral finance act is a mistake. That is what Labour did and it proved detrimental. Do replace it, but when replacing it make sure it you properly consult and make sure the wording and stuff is fine. Good to see it going. One reason I voted National. But really I can not support fastracking of it, as I think that will cause it to end up as bad as Labour’s one was.
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November 12, 2008 10:57pm
wikiriwhis business

“Hang on a minute ,thats what John and Rodney plan to do,so it’s all going to plan.”

Hmm,

wonder how long it’ll take for the boot camps to kick in.

I’d love to be part of a visiting task force to view the progress.

Remedial studies should be a core implementation. Punish and educate should be the goal of any enlightened society.

Only a police state wants to punish.
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November 13, 2008 10:01am
llew

llew: doesn’t tell me anything. What disrespect? I trawled Stuff, but couldn’t see anything. So I must have missed something.

You sure must have. Sunday night, Key, surrounded by reporters in his office waiting to greet Rodney. Rodney keeps him waiting while he struts in front of more reporters outside. Key looks uncomfortable, embarrassed & pissed off, retires back to office saying “I’ll be back”.

If that’s not disrespect, then ignore me & carry on. Me, I’d have dismissed Hide for this term & done a deal with Maori, but I’m impulsive like that.
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November 13, 2008 10:14am
llew

but I’m impulsive like that.

Although I’d hazard that Rodney’s actions did cost him a post within cabinet.
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November 13, 2008 10:15am

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