NX-Files

Who do I vote for? #voteNZ

2011-11-22T17:34:00.001+13:00

Only three days until the election. I've made a pros and cons list of my top 5 choices but I've already narrowed it down to either Key or Brash.

John Key

Pros: the best PM in my life time. Superb response to the earthquakes. Good demeanor & style of government (not as intrusive as Labour). Good policy mix from the left & the right.

Cons: the easy choice

Don Brash

Pros: my personal political hero. Not a natural politician & all the better for it. Cuts through leftie spin with clear explanations of economics and policies. Good humour & demeanor.

Cons: 2005 was Don's Waterloo - has his time past? He aggravates the left for some reason. Needs to embrace his social liberal side more. John Banks.

Phil Goff

Pros: Some surprisingly bold policies with CGT & raising the age of retirement. $5K tax free income threshold. Would probably run a less intrusive govt than Clark's administration. Hard working & a decent guy.

Cons: A politican in every sense of the word. Simulated. Presents a totally unbelievable fiscal picture for NZ given spending commitments and spendthrifty Labour team from the Clark years.

Russel Norman

Pros: Modernised the Greens with minimal blood letting. Good response to 'sticker-gate' - perhaps trying to fill Rod Donalds shoes as the honorable parliamentarian.

Cons: at the end of the day he's a luddite and a ginga. Wants to ban everything. Every Greenie is ultimately a hypocrite.

Winston Peters

Pros: articulates a point well. Really socks it to the arrogant media. Good in opposition when on your side.

Cons: a liar. Untrustworthy. Full of bull.

Key vs. Brash

I'm torn between wanting to get Brash back into parliament & getting National a majority.

Reasons to vote Brash:

- Would make an excellent finance minister

- The nonconformist option

- Supporting my person political hero

- Probably my last ever opportunity to vote for Brash.

Reasons to vote Key:

- Best PM in my life time.

- A National majority govt would be good for NZ.

- A majority govt would stick it to Helen Clark and her legacy (political utu)

After much deliberation I have decided to vote for Key. I was very proud of Key during the Chch Earthquakes & the Pike River Mine tragedy and feel I should award him accordingly. I just hope Brash makes it back into Parliament without my vote.

Differences between 2002 & 2011

2011-11-09T15:45:00.000+13:00

http://m.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/11/will_it_be_2002_reversed.html

In my opinion the key difference is no Winston Peters.
When it became apparent National didn't have a hope of winning in 2002, many national voters changed horse to Winston because it seemed like he'd be a stronger voice in opposition to Helen Clark's Labour than Bill English.
There was the Peter Dunne worm-riding effect which turned a few voters from both National & Labour.
Helen Clark also faced a scandal with the whole 'corn-gate' thing where she called John Campbell a 'creep' (can't imagine John Key saying something like that).

And to top it off MMP was still pretty new so people were experimenting. It was a perfect storm of factors which lead to Nation's lowest election result ever.

Fast forward to 2011 - the election date has been known for most of the year thanks to John Key (2002 was a snap election). Winston Peters & Peter Dunne are irrelevant. There are no significant new players. The leaders debates are only between John Key & Phil Goff - minor parties don't get a look in. The public have wised up to the workings of MMP.

And the most significant factor of them all - John Key is not Helen Clark.

JK's response to Goff's Top Ten List

2011-11-08T15:44:00.000+13:00

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/campaign-trail/5925786/Goff-needs-to-get-with-reality-Key

"When it was suggested to him that Goff labelled him smug, Key responded: "I don't really care what Phil Goff thinks....I work 19 hours a day, seven days a week to try and make New Zealand a better country.""

I don't particularly like this response. It sounds like something Helen Clark would've said.

There's no question JK works damn hard - but it's important he maintains a work-life balance. Especially for a family man.

A good manager shouldn't need to work 19 hours per day.

After all the last thing I want is for JK to burn himself out - he's the best PM this country has ever had.

The Left seek to distort social media

2011-11-03T17:05:00.001+13:00

As we get closer to the general election #votenz all of a sudden you see a whole lot of anti-National stuff in all forms of social media which will quickly abate after the election. I'm talking about Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and comments sections on Herald and Stuff. It's apparent to me because I follow politics all year round.

No doubt Labour activities, unionists, & paid lap-bloggers are working over time trying to foster the perception that Labour is on a come back. That Phil Goff is winning the debates.

Two prominent examples is John Pagani stating Goff "absolutely smashed" Key in The Press debate. And today 'Eddie' at The Standard stated the "Polls are good for Left".

But a cursory look at the polls show there hasn't been much movement at all!

There's something deeply dishonest about flooding social media with essentially lies.

While I find such distortions a bit of a morale sapper it is worth remembering that 'the right' tend to be the silent majority.

Take for example the 2005 election. Dr Brash achieved 39.1% (2% shy of Labour) of the vote in the face of unprecedented vitriol. And in 2008 John Key had to deal with leftie protests on the campaign trail just because he was ahead in the polls.

So - Keep calm, carry on, trust the voters.

What did IV2 say to be banned and censored on Labour's Red Alert?

2011-09-26T21:37:00.001+13:00

This:

"Phil Goff sold $9b worth of assets in the 1980's; nek minnit..."

I think I know why she deleted this comment & banned Inventory2. It's because Labour have based their entire election campaign on opposing the partial sell-off of assets. They have a slogan 'own your future' which they're repeating ad nauseum.

They are terrified that the truth about Phil Goff's 'asset selling' past will undermine their big dollar advertising campaign - no doubt booked to flood the air wave when the RWC is over.

The irony is that by deleting IV2's comment Clare Curren has achieved the exact opposition of her intention & drawn attention to it.

When did it start to unravel for Labour?

2011-08-30T19:50:00.001+12:00

Phil Goff reckon's that Labour's poor polling is because people aren't focusing on the issues. But Labour's been on the ropes in terms of polling for over five years now.

Even if Phil Goff is right & the public have been distracted for over half a decade then surely Labour must take some of the blame for this.

In my opinion the real reason Labour are in the doldrums is because of failed dirty attacks.

It started off with Clark & Clayton Cosgrove's attempt to link John Key to the leaky homes fiasco. It flopped big time. I recall John Key ripping into Clayton on live radio.

Then there was the Labour Party President Mike William's much hyped 'H-bomb' attack. With help from William's contacts in Aussie Labor he brought back 24kg of documents from Australia but failed to incriminate John Key. Massive, massive fail.

Then Phil Goff himself continued the meme with his failed attempt to trap John Key over the Richard Worth affair.

The only thing worse than Machiavellian political games is fouling them up.

Perhaps if Labour focused on the issues they'd be in a strong position today.

GUYON - "OK, David Cunliffe, this isn't a Labour Party speech."

2011-08-24T20:57:00.001+12:00

I watched David Cunliffe face-off against Dr Brash on TVNZ Q&A.

I thought Guyon summed up Mr Cunliffe's performance pretty well with the following quote:

"OK, David Cunliffe, this isn't a Labour Party speech."

Mr Cunliffe had the easy sell - playing on the emotion of keeping the assets state owned. Yet he over egged it & sounded like a Party Political Broadcast - hence Guyon's comment.

Dr Brash delivered a fairly solid performance.

I think Mr Cunliffe would make a fairly good Labour Party leader if he managed to dial back his ego. But based on David's performance on Q&A, John Key is as safe as houses.

An unparliamentary comment on Red Alert

2011-08-22T03:22:00.002+12:00

My reply: "I appreciate that you publicly advocate the payment of taxes, but I do take exception to the Kiwiblog comment.
Many ordinary New Zealanders read Kiwiblog & your comments could sting anyone of us (including your own supporters).
Perhaps you could be more specific about who you were referring to. "

Hopefully my comment makes it through moderation.

Polls: 3 News, TVNZ & The Most Popular Left-wing Blog

2011-08-22T00:38:00.000+12:00

TVNZ vs 3News

Nats 56% - 54%
Lab 30% - 28.8%
Greens 6% - 9.3%
NZ 1st 2.3% - 2.2%
Act 1.7% - 2.2%
Maori 1.4% - 1.5%
Mana 0.9% - 0.9%
UF 0.5% - 0.0%

As we get closer to the election, political journalists become more important. On that note:

Guyon vs Duncan

+1 for Guyon. I preferred his style & his story.

In spite of both Guyon & Duncan's tendency to sensationalise the gap between Labour & National, the polls haven't moved much sense the last 2008 election. The Clark govt. had a brief 'winter of discontent' in their first term. Nation has had nothing like that.

Another observation - since when did both networks start ignoring Jim Anderton's Progressive party? Is Peter Dunne next? Given how low they both poll, they get a disproportionate amount of air-time relative to their support. Kind of ridiculous really.

A poll that has surprised me recently is Kiwiblog's "Which Left-Wing Blogs do you read regularly"? I always assumed The Standard was the number one leftie blog, but it barely makes it to third place! With this in mind I'll attach even less significance to their smear enriched blog posts than I did before.

I really need to check out the other leftie blogs more often. I like trying to see issues from another perspective.

In my RSS reader every now and then I mistakenly read a leftie blog post thinking it's Kiwiblog. With in a couple of sentences I wonder 'what's up with Farrar today' before realising the error.

Table: Nats vs. Lab

2011-08-10T21:44:00.005+12:00

Further to Whale Oil's Post titled "Can National win 50% of the Vote?", I was curious about the percentage difference between the two main parties for each election victory.

Ignoring 2002, which I consider the public's experiment with MMP, at the last election National defeated the Clark Labour govt by a huge 10.9%. That is only second to Jim Bolger's 'landslide' victory in 1990.

From about 2004 to 2005 Labour were level pegging with National in the opinion polls. After John Key become leader in 2006 Labour were consistently behind. In fact, it's probably been over five year since they were anywhere near being ahead in the opinion polls.

If that's not a rejection of the Clark'n Cullen brand of politics, then I don't what is.

Carmel Sepuloni

2011-08-04T22:04:00.002+12:00

When Labour MPs behave badly.

Carmel is new to the house, but that's no excuse really. After all as a back bench MP she earns

over $120,000 a year. How depressing is that.

This really calls into question the caliber of some of Labour MPs.

More political irony - Phil Goff & Officials - what comes around goes around

2011-08-04T15:41:00.001+12:00

When Phil Goff was minister for foreign affairs, one of his most memorable & brazen attacks on Dr Brash (then leader of the opposition) was the release of confidential MFAT minutes. The minutes were from a meeting between Dr Brash, Lockwood Smith, & a prominent US senator. This is when the so-called 'gone by lunchtime' phrase was uttered. Dr Brash didn't recall saying the phrase and it may have been Dr Smith, or the MFAT official may have been in error.Regardless, the minutes should never have been released for a political attack & Mr Goff set a very bad precedent.
So just like with the Darren Hughes/Richard Worth affairs where Mr Goff was caught out saying one thing and doing another, Goff is again reaping what he sowed. But the key difference with Goff's dispute with SIS officials is that it's all of his own making.
The statement from Goff below is particularly ironic when contrasted with Goff's political attack on Dr Brash.

"In future, I will only meet with Warren Tucker or representatives of the SIS if there is someone independent in the room to keep a true and accurate record of what is discussed."

Goff is really on the back-foot over the SIS dispute. For one thing John Key brought it up in the house and The Standard have been usually quiet on this issue (whenever they're quiet it means Labour are in trouble).

Question Time - Darien Fenton & the Speaker

2011-08-04T15:39:00.001+12:00

Darien Fenton is a Labour MP.
Lockwood Smith is the Speaker of the House.
I was particularly annoyed to hear her give him cheek during Tuesday's question time.
Lockwood is a great Speaker. He's absolutely neutral & fair. He is light years ahead of the last speaker Margaret Wilson. Lockwood actullay makes government ministers answer questions (even kicked out Bill English on Wednesday). What more could an opposition want. What I would've given to have him as speaker during the Clark government.

Labour's bossy boots persona

2011-08-01T18:45:00.001+12:00

"Put a camera on him or a microphone and you get the lecture from the old party machine man, or the university man. And people don't want to be lectured. They had a decade of it and they don't want it again."

Good column by Paul Holmes in the Herald. He pretty much hits the nail on the head with his description of the problem with Phil Goff.

When Goff speaks he does remind me a lot of Helen Clark - no doubt a consequence of sitting around the cabinet table with her for so long.

It's amazing that Labour has retained it's 'bossy boots' persona in site of being in opposition. National with John Key at the helm seems relaxed & happy to let New Zealander's run their own affairs. A fact Bill English often reminds the house during Question Time (which starts up again tomorrow at 2pm).

The only Labour MP I reckon could sell their meddling policies without sounding bossy is Shane Jones.

The Political Acumen of a mindless Zombie

2011-07-18T17:48:00.001+12:00

'The Standard' said they've been "impressed with Labour parties on both sides of the ditch lately".

Both parties are advocating new taxes - a Capital Gains Tax here, & a Carbon Tax in Australia. The centre-left parties have something else in common - they're both tanking in the polls at historically low proportions. In Australia, the Governing Labor party's primary vote is at 26%. In New Zealand the Labour party in opposition is at 27%.

You've only got to watch this video of Julia Gillard on the beat to understand why she's tanking.

Obviously The Standard is bias to the left (if not a Labour party mouthpiece), but this really calls into question The Standard's political acumen or lack of & their ability to make any sort of reasoned political analyses.

Phil Goff on FB Goff Chat

2011-07-15T21:02:00.002+12:00

"At the end of this year, we'll inherit a huge debt".

In the space of a few sentences Goff goes from complaining about the deficit to promising to reverse the spending cuts.

Exemption, Exemption, Exemption - Labour's CGT

2011-07-14T18:22:00.004+12:00

Some thoughts:

- I thought I understood the logic behind a capital gains tax (CGT), but after a cursory look at the details on Kiwiblog, it just looks scary & complicated. Granted, I know jack, but I think a simpler approach would be better. A 5% CGT on everything would be preferable to a 15% tax on some things and not on others.
- I don't like the fact Labour's plan is to spend the any money the tax raises.
- How much would a top tax rate at $150k actually make? Is it worth implementing if people just restructure their finances to get around paying it?

I really do welcome Labour being bold on economic policy. But I don't like this. Too complicated!

Labour's New Website

2011-07-14T17:55:00.003+12:00

Why is David Park in the number three position in the photo when he's actually number four on the party list?

The Captial Gains Tax

2011-07-07T16:15:00.001+12:00

As stated in my previous post, I'm sympathetic to a Capital Gains Tax.
As predicted leftie blogs are a little puzzled by the lack of opposition from the right. Case in point is this quote from 'The Standard'.

Everybody's favourite Tory mouthpiece DPF was strangely muted in his criticism at Kiwiblog. Perhaps that's because he recalls saying, just last year that "… I think the time is right to now take a serious look at capital gains tax".

.
Rusted on lefties see the tax as a tool to punish the rich, so naturally they're confused as to why the right don't vehemently oppose it.
I don't speak for the entire 'Right wing conspiracy', but my understanding is that a Capital Gains Tax would help to rectify a market distortion - over investment in property. In theory, the tax would make investment properties a little less appealing & people would seek alternative investment opportunities thereby boosting economic growth (I didn't take economics 101!).

On the flip side, I'm aware of the significant obstacles. With so much money tied up in property, a tax could destroy life savings by causing devaluation. This is major as it effect multiple generations.

Also, as Bill English pointed out, property already is in decline - so the problem maybe solving itself.

But for a leftie, if all you want to do is punish the rich, then I guess none of this really matters.

Question Time - July 2011

2011-07-06T21:09:00.001+12:00

The July season of Question Time has got off to a firey start - particularly Tuesdays session.

I reckon Phil Goff has has lifted his game no doubt embolden by the knowledge of his new tax policy. But how John Key responds is more interesting. John not only rose to the challenge, but seemed to enjoy it.

John's ability to shift-up a gear still seems to surprise an opposition which consistently underrates him. Phil Goff's new found confidence and willingness to finally get realistic on some economic issues is welcomed. Depending on the details, the proposed capital gains tax is the only Labour economic policy I'm sympathetic to. Just a shame it comes with a barrage of other stupid spending promises like no GST on fruit 'n veges. Keep it simple Labour!

The shouters on left-wing blogs, ever ready for a fight, maybe disappointed by the lack of opposition from right commentators. In fact the real leftie activists may think it's a wrong move based purely on this - which shows what they're all about.

If Phil does okay in the up 'n coming general election & keeps improving his performance, Labour would be wise to think twice before ditching him. Goff's in-house performance may have improved, but his grasp of the facts certainly hasn't.

He claimed that Labour never sold anyway assets during it's previous nine years in power. Inexcusably wrong!

He also claims that National turned Labour's nine years of surpluses into a $16.8 billion deceit as if Labour's policies had nothing to do with it. I realise politics is about perception but you'd be on another plane of existence if you were to believe this. Misrepresentations like this is one of the things I hate about politics.

The Standard » Past 8000 posts

2011-07-04T17:15:00.000+12:00

http://thestandard.org.nz/past-8000-posts/

This self congratulatory post by Lprent crows that they've over taken Kiwiblog as NZ most read political blog.

One can only hope!

If everyone read The Standard National's vote would go through the roof (well, it pretty much is already).

Everyone should contrast their views to that of the extreme left as portrayed on The Standard. Then read Kiwiblog and see what agrees with them more.

Plus the more people who read The Standard, the more scrutiny is applied to the anonymous authors to reveal their links to Labour.

The Standard » Vote for Change’s heart of darkness

2011-07-04T16:02:00.000+12:00

http://thestandard.org.nz/vote-for-changes-heart-of-darkness/

"The values of anti-MMP campaigners and white supremacists fit hand in glove."

The Standard is in fine form today. Apparently if you don't like MMP & want to campaign against it, then you're a white supremacist. That's all it takes.

I like how Eddie talks with some authority how a white supremacist operates. It's hugely ironic that people who strongly disavowal racism often think about it the most.

Eddie is trying to tarnish the campaign by highlighting the views of one sad guy. But we should really thank her for flushing this guy out.

If you're sitting on the fence on the MMP issue - read Eddie's post. By the end of it you'll want to vote against MMP just to spite Eddie. Another great example of irony. The vote becomes more about defeating the proponents rather than changing the electoral system.

An Author from The Standard Goes Public

2011-07-03T18:57:00.004+12:00

A while back one of The Standard author's decided to 'out himself and reveal his real identity. Good on him, he probably should've done this ages ago. I was curious whether Kiwiblog or Whale Oil has previously outed him. I couldn't find a reference, but it was humorous to read r0b's previous claims why he blogged anonymously.

I then found a good post by DPF which outlining The Standards use of anonymity.

DPF put's paid to lprent's frustration when people refer to The Standard collectively. FYI - I stopped commenting on The Standard when lprent threatened to ban me for referring to The Standard collectively.

So why has r0b suddenly outed himself? He claim's it's because he's beating Whale Oil to the punch with regards to the recent Whaleleaks fiasco. This maybe the case, but I'm wondering whether it has more to do with how left-wing blogs interact with the media.

Right bloggers David Farrar and Cameron Slater (Whale Oil) have an ever growing mainstream media profile. Is r0b trying emulate their success by blogging under his real name? Because to-date there are no prominent leftie bloggers in the media mainly because they hide behind anonymity.
If this is the case - good luck to him because one thing I noticed when trawling through the archives of Kiwiblog is that The Standard was once paid a lot more attention. I guess when you repeat the same slanderous crap again and again - year on year, the blog has marginalised itself. Plus today there's more competition in the leftie blogosphere with'Red Alert' & 'The Dim Post'.

With regards to r0b's identify, a quick search reveals exactly who he is. Interesting that he works in the computer Science department. Anyone who's studied computer science will know that people who inhabit these facilities are notorious for their detached view of reality. If you ever wanted to be belittled & made to feel like an imbosile try approaching a computer science teacher with a problem.

I do hope that r0b doesn't have any problems from student or anyone now that he is public. If I were to ever met r0b, I'd be nothing but polite and respectful.
While I support r0b's decision to go public, given he's in a teaching position at a university & his rather uncompromising political views, I now understand why he choose to stay anonymous for so long.

The Confusing Backlash to the anti-MMP Campaign

2011-06-29T17:13:00.002+12:00

Whale Oil has a good post about the huge backlash to the anti-MMP website.

To quote Whale Oil "Their politics of personal destruction is the nasty legacy of Helen Clark.". Quite.

It's just a friggin website. I don't understand what the pro-MMP people are so angry about - The Standard's posts on the topic went over my head. The names of the people behind the website mean nothing to me, and I would imagine even less to your average non-political types. So attacking them ad nauseum is confusing - midway through the blog post I found myself thinking.. 'wait, what exactly is the problem here'.

I also don't understand why the pro-MMP group frame the argument as left vs. the Right.

If anything, the left have lost more than they've gained outta the system. If Rodney Hide didn't win Epson for ACT in the 2008 election, Helen Clark could've formed a government. And coming into the 2011 election, Hone Harawara's hard-left, racist party could be devastating for Phil Goff if the narrative "a vote for Labour is a vote for Hone" catches on. Also, Labour may find themselves up against a government further to the right after the election if Dr Brash manages to milk MMP for all it's worth.

I suspect my opinion of MMP reflects that Of many New Zealanders - there are parts of it I like, and parts I don't.

I don't know what system should replace it, but to answer the question 'does the system need to be changed', then the answer is definitely yes.

Hone Harawira's By-election Victory

2011-06-26T14:57:00.003+12:00

In the UK - both Labour & the Conservative Party actually work together to prevent BNP (British National Party) candidates from becoming MPs. By being strategic about whether to stand a candidate they prevent a 'three horse race' & the BNP candidate slipping in the back door.

The same thing should've happened in New Zealand to prevent Hone Harawira from winning Te Tai Tokerau (TTT). After all both Phil Goff & John Key have declared they cannot work with him.

Actually Labour & National did kinda work together with John Key effectively endorsed Labour's Te TTT candidate.

So How did Hone win? A commenter on Kiwiblog summed it up quite nicely "A racist MP in a racist party wins one of the racist seats."

Like no one ever before in New Zealand's history, Hone has taken advantage of the electoral system for maximum gain.

There are literally five ways in which Hone has capitalised on the system.

1. He stood in a Maori seat rather than a general seat (he wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell in a general seat).
2. He forced a by-election right before a general election which historically have a low turn-out.
3. Money. Hone is returned to parliament as a party leader. He get's a salary increase & Mana get parliamentary funding for the general election.
4. MMP. If Hone holds his TTT Maori seat then Mana doesn't need to reach the 5% threshold in order to bring more people into parliament.
5. ... can't think of a five, but I'm sure there's at least one more.

This type of electoral manipulation must be stopped. I'm definitely voting against MMP come the election.

Labour's Information Breach - "You Reap What You Sow"

2011-06-12T16:20:00.002+12:00

I was greatly incensed when Dr Brash's emails with stolen back in 2004/05. I thought it was bad for democracy for the leader of the opposition to be undermined in such a way (regardless of political persuasion). Private correspondence should be protected. Leaving your politics at the door, it was obvious a bad precedent was being set. Yet, this did not stop leftie activists going to town with the information - insinuating conspiracy theories, & maintaining the data was not stolen.

Well, it's with a huge amount of irony that Labour is now a victim of an information breach - all-be-it on an order of magnitude smaller (well, at this stage anyway).

Reading the protests over at prominent leftie blog 'The Standard' literally made me 'laught out loud' just for the fact they failed to draw a comparision with 'The Hollow Men'.

Nats steal Labour donor data & You can't make this stuff up.

Academic Lefties

2011-06-10T16:08:00.001+12:00

My politics are pretty much middle of the road. I lean to the left on social issues and government compassion. Yet I prefer right-leaning political commentary & may even vote for the Brash lead ACT party (as opposed to National).

Why? Because hardcore lefties annoy the hell out of me. The academic lefties are the worst. The ideals they preach are often in total contrast to their life style. Andrew Bolt hits the nail on the head with his column - 'A Lecture on Emissions from the lady on the Jet'.

The mind of an academic leftie is so tangled up with ideals, and layers of political correctness that any attempt to offer a counter opinion invites a disproportionate amount of scorn and wrath.

Here are some classic leftie paradoxes:

Lefties are the first to infer racism. They support mass foreign immigration, but not foreign investment. The want to let in the 'boat people' while complaining about the number of cars & resource use in general. The want an ETS on agriculture while eating fine meat & drinking expensive wines. They detest the Japan's extensive use of nuclear power but drive a late model Toyota or Honda.

Lefties take the holier than thou side of any issue even when they clash - as they often do. When it comes down to it, they preach these ideals as a matter of ego (my politics are better than your's).

I Can't stand it!

So, what many righties do when engages with the academic left is to just nod and agree with whatever they say (to disagree is to relegate yourself to something below a Nazi who owns a chain of coal factories), then on election day quietly tick the box for Dr Brash. That'll teach 'em!

BBC News - Portugal election: Socialists admit defeat

2011-06-06T20:41:00.001+12:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-europe-13658998

Another leftie government bites the dust.

Left governments are falling the world over. Gillard's government in AU is teetering & even Barrack Obama doesn't look that strong.

All Nationals Fault According to Goff

2011-05-29T00:03:00.000+12:00

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5069415/Goff-queries-underclass-about-Nationals-track-record

Goff said he could make life easier for residents by raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour and cutting GST from fruit and vegetables if he was elected.

''I can't promise a lot this time because this Government has turned a surplus into a $16.7 billion deficit which means it will take time to make things right.''

__________________________________________

So in just over 2.5 years in power the Key govt has racked up a $16 billion deficit. Nothing to do with the previous Labour govt who were in power for nine years. Or the fact the Nats have retained all of Labours policies in some form. That's some achievement.

Goff's solution is to remove GST off veges & raise the minimum wage.

Goff should start predicting apocalypses - he'd actually be more believable.

The Standard Complain about JK's budget Speech

2011-05-24T16:35:00.001+12:00

In this post at The Standard, they're complaining about John Key's budget speech in parliament.

John tears Goff a new one.

Now, as a political junkie I actually don't like budget day because political spin machines on both sides of the house go into over drive. They cloud what are hugely important issues with BS. Especially when you have Goff claim it's the worst budget he's heard in this 27 years of parliament (really Mr Goff?). But I recognise this is a reality created by the extra media attention.

For nine years of a Labour govt we had to put up with Clark'n Cullen slapping down National on budget day. And Goff is known for his 'vein popping' speeches.

So The Standard's complaint not only highlights their hypocrisy, but how much of an effective performer John Key is becoming (otherwise they wouldn't be complaining).

John's Presser vs. Phil's Presser

2011-05-24T14:30:00.001+12:00

Just listened to Phil's presser. I challenge anyone to listen to both pressers linked below & come to your own conclusion on who comes out on top.

Phil's Presser vs. John Key's Post cabinet Presser

John Key's answers are frank & very well informed. And you actually learn stuff.

Phil Goff's answers are mostly slogans. Seriously. For a guy who's been in parliament for over 27 years, who's read countless reports and has been in numerous ministerial posts, his answers were surprisingly shallow.

Qutoe of the Day: Magical little world

2011-05-23T22:40:00.001+12:00

"We don't live in some magical little world" JK referring to Labour's policy on the ETS.

From JK's post cabinet press conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ho7JYodHRaE&feature=player_embedded

John often uses the word magical, or magic when describing Labour's policy. Always makes me smile.

Labour Hates Farmer

2011-05-18T21:29:00.001+12:00

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/05/do_dairy_farmers_really_only_pay_3_tax.html

The title of this post is over simplified hyperbole. Rather like the story Labour is pushing that Farmers don't pay their share of tax.

Labour have made this accusation based on comparing the amount of tax collected compared with reported turn-over NOT profits like they should have.

Many on the right have launched into mocking Labour for not understanding what turn-over is. I would never assume Labour are so stupid, but instead allege Labour chose to ignore this technically to make a cheap political shot to grab headlines & appeal to the lowest common dominator (i.e. Labour's bread and butter voters).

Labour MPs should hold their heads in shame.

If farming was really such a lucrative business, you'd see more young people going into it. The fact is farms are hugely expensive to buy, and maintain. The hours are long, & the returns for the hours are rather crap.

At the end of the day, it's a lifestyle choice. It is not a 9-5 job.

And to top it off, farming is still the major back-bone of our country's economy.

I wish Labour were more focused on trying to win farmers over rather than pull them down.

Tax Rates: Australia vs New Zealand

2011-05-18T16:25:00.001+12:00

Unless you're a taxation accountant, tax rates are hard to remember.

So as of May 2011 here are the tax rates for Australia and New Zealand.

New Zealand:
$0 - $14,000 10.50 %
$14,001 - $48,000 17.50 %
$48,001 - $70,000 30 %
Over $70,000 33 %
GST = 15%

Australia:
$0 – $6,000 Nil
$6,001 – $37,000 15 %
$37,001 – $80,000 30 %
$80,001 – $180,000 37 %
Over $180,000 45 %
GST = 10%

Of course this is a basic rate comparison that doesn't include things like Medicare, ACC deductions, & any number of things Australians can claim back.

Also, for comparison, here's the New Zealand Labour govt's tax rates (1999 to 2008):

NZ LABOUR:
$0 - $17,500 15%
$17,501 to $40,000 21%
$40,001 to $75,000 33%
$75,001 + 39%
GST = 12.5%

Winston 1st vs Hone

2011-05-16T22:38:00.001+12:00

http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/harawira-s-new-party-end-in-tears-peters-4171388

"Peters told TV ONE's Marae Investigates that his party will not be taking part in the by-election"

The only political leader in New Zealand who is liked even less than Winston Peters is probably Hone Harawira.

This represents an opportunity for Peters. If he were to stand in Te Tai Tokerau with the stated intent not to win, but to split the vote and help the Labour candidate get over the line, he would gain a lot of kudos from the public & lots of free publicity.

Plus, Winston may actually do quite well in the electorate given his Maori ancestry.

The fact that I prefer Winnie over Hone shows the low regard I have for the leader of the Mofo Party.

I wonder if Winston even considered this option? With the raise of the Mofo Party & the return of Dr Brash, I suspect Winnie been caught on the hop, and perhaps the greatest indication yet that the old master of political trickery has past his time.

Interview: Don Brash on Perigo

2011-05-15T01:50:00.001+12:00

YouTube: Don Brash on Perigo Part 1

Interesting to watch Dr Brash being interviewed by a hardened libertarian rather than the usual left-leaning rabble.

Due to poor sound engineering Perigo's volume was louder than Brash's which drove me nuts.

Summary:
Climate change - he's a skeptic
Civil Union - Expressed regret for voting against the second reading

YouTube: Don Brash on Perigo Part 2

Yay, they fixed the sound issue (note the position of the microphones) . Can actually listen to the interview.

Addresses the issue of age. Don Brash is a role model for people wanting to have a long career.

Brash's Dad was a leftie - as was Don when he was young.

DB: It's not true that christians have to be socialist.

DB: Expresses anger that the left characterise the right as uncaring of the poor.

DB: Is on the libertarian spectrum, but does not classify himself as libertarian (as do I).

Addresses the issue of John Bank's claimed 'social conservatism'. In my opinion (IMO), if Banks is a social conservative then he's not a good fit for ACT.

DB: Can't guarantee he won't do something equally as silly in the future as climbing into a go-cart & walking a plank (heh ;) ).

DB: Would be disappointed if the Brash lead ACT party doesn't get more than ten percent at the general election.

DB: Wants to end interest free student loans. While I agree it's a stupid policy, it happens to benefit me. But I won't vote to keep it because what's the point in having an interest free loan is the country is going to crap & there's no good jobs.

After watching Part 1 and Part 2, of all the party leaders in NZ politics, Dr Brash probably most closely reflects my political beliefs. Though John Key isn't to far off. What I most like about Don Brash is that he's a conviction politician & his quiet asurring style.

As far as my vote is concerned, this election is a battle between Key and Brash.

Labour's economic legacy

2011-05-12T16:39:00.000+12:00

The Dom Post editorial:

The $10 billion deficit for the first nine months of this year confirms, if confirmation was needed, that the last government made bad choices. At a time of plenty it chose to buy popularity rather than to save and invest for the future. Worse still, it created an expectation that the bounty would continue to flow in bad times as well as good.

The passage above pretty much exactly articulates my problem with the last government's economic policies.

Michael Cullen suppose to be this big time economic historian with mega brain power. When Cullen introduced his complex web of government entitlements my primary concern at the time was the difficulty with rolling them back when the proverbial hit the fan.

Well, it did hit the fan, & the entitlements are New Zealand equivalent of lead shoes.

Surely there must have been a more simple way to distribute the spoils of the booming economy?

Regardless, the Labour opposition needs to be reminded of this & held to account for their economic policies so that future Labour governments, or any government, don't make the same mistakes.

Labour's Plot All Along

2011-05-12T15:26:00.000+12:00

The previous Labour government was a Machiavellian genius.

In order to snap National receiving a donation from a BMW owner & to imply corruption, they had to replace the entire Ministerial fleet with BMW cars when in govt. Insert a renewal clause in the contract. Then, loss the election and wait patiently from the opposition benches until an unsuspecting BMW owner donates to National.

Then - BAM! Got 'em.

You've got to admire Labour's cunning.

Battle over Maori seats looms as rival parties spar - Yahoo!Xtra News

2011-05-09T23:19:00.000+12:00

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/9343072/battle-over-maori-seats-looms-as-rival-parties-spar/

More political irony. Hone Harawira complained loudly that Dr Brash's take over of the Act Party was somehow undemocratic, yet at the same time he doesn't want the Maori Party to put up a candidate against him in the Te Tai Tokerau by election.

It's great that people in the Maori electorate of Te Tai Tokerau will now have some choice.

Where's Goff 'Royal Wedding' tweet?

2011-05-09T17:06:00.001+12:00

Phil Goff is a reassembly active tweeter. He didn't tweet once about the Royal Wedding. He is a known republican, but given the number of New Zealanders who watched the ceremony, he could've at least acknowledged it was on let alone wish the couple well.

He managed to find the time to tweet about Osama bin Laden & Dr Brash's take over of the Act party.

Helen Clark demonstrated that you can be an avid republican while maintaining a cordial relationship with the monarchy.

Phil Goff's aggressive republicanism further demonstrates he is not a statesman and therefore an unsuitable candidate for Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Quote of the Day: "To Capture Osama"

2011-05-09T14:45:00.001+12:00

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tobyharnden/100086952/american-way-barack-obama-wanted-osama-bin-laden-dead-or-dead/

"But the toughest call of all would have been to try to capture bin Laden no matter what the political downside.
It is a supreme irony that Mr Bush was vilified around the world as a war criminal and condemned for his bellicose rhetoric. But it is Mr Obama, armed with a silky tongue, a Nobel Peace Prize and an education in hardball Chicago politics, who took the Wild West adage a stage further. He decided that he wanted bin Laden "dead or dead"."

As John Ansell said "In politics as in life, things are often the opposite of the way they seem."

Dr Brash vs Hone

2011-05-05T15:04:00.001+12:00

Yeah, the TVNZ debate. Dr Brash did pretty well. In his typical style, Don just stuck to his well reasoned arguments rather than aggressively going after Hone - something many would've preferred.

Part of Don's appeal is being the unlikely hero.

What struck me was Hone's arrogant body language while Don was talking.

For my two cents - who does Hone exactly represent? Maori make up roughly 14% of the population and there's no way he's going to get anywhere near that percentage of the vote. So like pakeha, most Maori think Hone is a dick & won't vote for him. So who does he represent? The answer is himself and the Harawira tribe. And that's pretty much the extent of it. If Hone was really an advocate for the Maori he would've stuck with the Maori party.

Osama Swimming with the Fishes

2011-05-05T14:25:00.001+12:00

So many potential blogging topics lately.

Osama - is finally swimming with the fishes. Why no photos or video of his corpse? The conspiracy nut bars are going into overtime. Surely the Obama team should have anticipated this and had a plastic surgeon on standby to do some quick reconstruction work on Osama to make him presentable. They did something similar for saddam Hussain's dead sons. Plus the story around the events keeps changing, which just fuels conspiracy theory loonies. For one, I don't need to see the evidence. I believe the white House.

Obama's address to the nation was a bit of a mixed-bag of themes. From G.W. Bush type rhetoric, to sensitive diplomatic speak, with some ego stroking in between. I thought it was crap to be honest and reckon David Cameron would've been far more convincing.

I wonder if the Americans would've been so jubilant if the British Royal Marines or the SAS were the ones to pop off Osama rather than the US Navy Seal...?

Burger King Meeting

2011-04-28T17:00:00.002+12:00

The fact that Hide and Brash had a meeting at Burger King made me chuckle, mostly because it sounds like something I would do. I suspect it was Don Brash's suggestion.

Secret meetings at fast food joints aside, Dr. Don Brash is the new leader of the ACT party. Yay!

Couple of comments on Rodney Hide. He's been an effective minister in the National lead govt. He saw through the creation of the Auckland Supercity - probably the largest shake-up in local body politics since ever. In spite of criticism from some on the left who called the reforms 'anti-democratic', a left-leaning candidate is now major of Auckland City. I haven't heard a peep from anyone on the left or the right who advocates repealing the Supercity Act. If that's not a tribute to Hide's success, I don't know what is.

So while he's a successful minister, he's not an inspiring party leader - especially now that he's in government. So stepping down as ACT leader was the right move IMO. Where to now for Rodney? Given he's a good minister, perhaps he should consider standing for Epison as a National Party candidate.

Don Brash now has a real opportunity to craft a ideologically pure Classical Liberal party. Which means liberal on economic and social issues. Dr Brash is a great communicator & I believe he could carve out this niche.

The more people detract & denigrate him, the more his message will permeate. I've just listen to Matthew Hooten on Nine to Noon dating back to last Monday. Hooten, a seasoned political analysis, predicted Hide would hang on & Brash would form a new party. He coudln't have been more wrong, which shows how much stock one should put into what he says. Brash would be wise not to take advise from this guy (again!).

Asides from WhaleOil, I've been surprised how badly right-leaning commentators have read the Brash coupe - especially the usually astute David Farrar of Kiwiblog.

Lastly, a quick comment on MMP. It would be hypocritical for me to vote for Brash yet vote against MMP. But I can't ignore the fact that MMP is corrosive to minor parties in coalition with a government from the left or the right. I can't think of a single minor party which came out of government with more votes. The Alliance, NZ1st (twice), United Future, and now the Maori Party & ACT have all suffered. The result is side shows, & instability. The new Brash led ACT party will also suffer in coalition with the Nats.

While I like the MMP system because it creates diversity & is more representative of New Zealanders, if the system is going to be retained perhaps the rules around smaller parties needs to be refined.

Whether I vote for MMP, Brash or Key, I'm still undecided. But one thing is for sure, politics just got interesting again.

Don Brash & John Key

2011-04-27T21:33:00.001+12:00

If Brash becomes leader of the Act Party, then my choices for the 2011 election just got a whole lot more complicated.

Do I vote for Dr Brash - my personal political hero who took the fight to Helen Clark only to have the 2005 election stolen from him by Labour's corrupt practices.

Or John key - the only Prime Minister I've ever liked and is performing excellently.

To further complicate things, I've to decide whether to vote for or against MMP. If MMP brings someone like Brash into parliament, then it's good. If it brings in someone like Hone or Winston Peters, then it's bad. That is my dilemma.

Either way, as long as Phil Goff & Winston Peters aren't running the show, then I happy. For a while this coming election was looking rather dull with the Nats so far ahead. But it looks like the minor parties will make things interesting. This election could become a battle for the political right of New Zealand politics with the National Party forced even further too the centre.

On a side issue, I've been disappointed with the usual high standard of political analysis by DPF & IV2 on the Brash take over of Act. They've focused on technicalities and his age. When Act is polling just above 1%, none of that really matters.

Key lunches with the Queen

2011-04-27T20:37:00.002+12:00

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4930484/Key-lunches-with-the-Queen-and-corgis

Key isn't driven by the issue of turning NZ into a republic, and for that reason I'm very happy for him to visit the Queen.

Helen Clark was a declared republican & no doubt had many pent up years of resentment toward the monarchy as lefties often do. I can only imagine the vitriol Clark, Wilson, & H2 would've spewed behind closed doors.

So while Clark had to meet the Queen as part of her duties of state, the meetings came across as phony & dishonest.

Key & Bronagh, on the other hand, are doing New Zealand proud.

Frisking The Standard on the 2008 Polls

2011-04-20T16:44:00.001+12:00

"remember, National lost 10% during the final five months of that race, too"
http://thestandard.org.nz/pagani-dead-wrong/

The quote above is in reference to the 2008 election race.

I don't recall the Nats dropping a massive ten percent. I know they dropped a bit. With the power of the internet, I can check.
All of a couple of mins later I find the truth:

"In April 2008 – six months beforehand – Labour averaged a poll rating of 35.9 percent in polls conducted by the Digipoll, TNS, Colmar Brunton, Nielsen and three by Roy Morgan (which we have counted once, using an average of the three). This is 2 percent higher than their election day result.Using the same polls and methodology, National polled an average 51 percent – 14.9 percent ahead of Labour, and a massive 6 percent higher than what they achieved in November."
http://www.3news.co.nz/The-polls-dont-lie---Labour-needs-a-miracle/tabid/419/articleID/207477/Default.aspx

Frisking the Standard on climate Change

2011-04-20T16:28:00.001+12:00

"I'd like to see the $110 billion dollars of subsidies for greenhouse polluters under National's Emissions Trading Scheme cut."
http://thestandard.org.nz/spending-cuts-id-like-to-see-no-2/

The Standard stages this argument in such as way that to take an opposing point of view would be to relegate yourself to an eco-villian from the cartoon series 'Captain Planet'. Which is exactly how they see you & you're treated accordingly.
But as usual, their analyze is superficial.

Who are these polluters? What is NZ's emissions profile? With the power of the internet combined, it's very easy to find out the answer to these questions*.

Half of NZ's emissions come from agriculture. So farmers are the 'polluters' The Standard are talking about. Other than Climate Change, lefties often advocate the plight of the less well off. With the global population continuing the rise, the pressure on food supplies increases. Farmers are best known for producing food.
So if farming becomes unaffordable in New Zealand;

1. Global food production drops (particularly dairy and meat products).

2. Other countries with less environmentally friendly farming practices pick up the slack with the end result being more pollution.

Once again, The Standard (New Zealand's premiere Leftie blog) side steps reality in the interests of promoting their holier than thou, narcissistic, slogans. What a bunch of muppets.

*http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/15/us-newzealand-carbon-factbox-idUSTRE73E0PM20110415

"Total emissions 70.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent, up from 59.1 million tonnes in 1990.
AGRICULTURE: 46.5 PERCENT
Primarily methane emissions from cattle and sheep, which number about 10 million and 33 million, respectively. Methane is about 21 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
New Zealand is unique among developed countries for having such a high proportion of emissions from agriculture, with the average for developed countries at about 10 percent.
Methane comprised 37 percent of the nation's total greenhouse gas emissions and rose 3.3 percent from 1990 levels.
Overall, agricultural emissions rose 8.4 percent from 1990 by 2009.
ENERGY: 44.4 PERCENT
Transport accounted for 17.5 percent of national emissions, electricity generation and heat production 8.4 percent.
Transport is mostly made up from burning fuel for cars and trucks while electricity generation is from power stations fueled mostly by gas and coal.
Emissions from the energy sector increased 34.3 percent from 1990 levels, mostly from growth in power generation and transport.
INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES: 6.1 PERCENT"

Japan's Nuclear Disaster

2011-04-17T21:14:00.001+12:00

From BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13050228 There's been a lot of criticism that the Fukushima nuclear disaster has received a disproportionate amount headline news given that no one has died as a result of the nuclear incidence. I would tend to agree. The 9.0 earthquake which created the tsunami was x8000 stronger than the one that hit Christchurch. It's a testament to the Japanese that any of the nuclear reactors survived.

Don Brash urges Govt to hurry up and change economic policy

2011-04-12T15:40:00.001+12:00

http://www.3news.co.nz/Don-Brash-urges-Govt-to-hurry-up-and-change-economic-policy/tabid/419/articleID/206543/Default.aspx

The NZ economy is really struggling at the moment borrowing $300 million a week just to pay the bills.
While leftie blogs are jumping up and down that it's the National Govt's fault (in power 2.5 years), the reality is this is the continuing legacy of Helen Clark & Michael Cullen's government (in power for 9 years).

Helen Clark is to blame not just for her economic policies that cranked up entitlements and government spending which are very difficult to scale back, but the continuing political environment of denial. Helen could argue a rainy, stormy day was mere overcast and was actually sunny.
Helen Clark cultivated this environment by not only being risk adverse, but by continually criticizing bold decisions taken by previous governments i.e. the mother of all budgets, & Rogernomics. The reality is that she did not repeal any of Ruth Richard's bold budget while in govt, and she was actually a minister during the Rogernomic era. So while she understands the reality of these bold measures (and even voted for some of them), she presents a different view because it suited her politically (while some may consider this good politics, I actually find it disgusting & disingenuous).
The result is an opposition Labour Party which hasn't talked about deficit reduction once, and a timid National government.
Don Brash is a great reality check. Shame he never made it into government.

Should Liberals boycott Q&A? | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog

2011-04-11T20:28:00.000+12:00

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/should_liberals_boycott_qa/

A politican from any persuasion can gain a lot of kudos if they hold their own against a clearly partisan interviewer.

Joke

2011-04-11T17:10:00.001+12:00

Following that rather serious post, here's a joke about a Veterinarian:

"A veterinarian was feeling ill and went to see her doctor. The doctor asked her all the usual questions, about symptoms, how long had they been occurring, etc., when she interrupted him: "Hey look, I'm a vet. I don't need to ask my patients these kind of questions: I can tell what's wrong just by looking. Why can't you?"
The doctor nodded, looked her up and down, wrote out a prescription, and handed it to her and said, "There you are. Of course, if that doesn't work, we'll have to have you put down."

Veterinarian shoots dead pregnant mistress (USA)

2011-04-11T17:07:00.001+12:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369919/Veterinarian-shoots-dead-pregnant-mistress--wife-wont-affair.html

^ in the news article above, a thirty year old veterinarian murdered his pregnant mistress to stop his wife from finding out.
The vet will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars. This case is sad on multiple levels, but what struck me was the waste.
The guy obviously had passion given the hours of study and cost involved to become a vet, and at thirty he was just starting his professional career. He probably would've gone on to service the community for the next thirty to forty years.
So all that hard work, passion, and potential was overridden by sex and pride.

National well ahead but Labour survives Darren Hughes scandal | POLITICS News

2011-04-10T18:51:00.000+12:00

http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/national-well-ahead-but-labour-survives-scandal-4110092

Nats 54%
Lab 34%

For Phil Goff I think this proves there's no such thing as bad publicity.

Nats on track to governing outright after the next election.

Since 2008 11,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Australia

2011-04-10T17:04:00.001+12:00

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/even_a_manne_now_sees_how_deadly_labors_compassion_is/

"Since 2008, when Rudd and Gillard decided to pander to Manne and the progressive Left by dismantling Howard's painfully built but enormously effective border protection policies, almost 11,000 asylum seekers have arrived on more than 200 boats....While at least 220 people have died at sea and more than 1000 children have been put on boats, the number of special humanitarian visas provided to offshore asylum seekers has halved."

Many Aussie lefties used Howard's asylum seeker policies as a political 'call to arm'. And it worked.

I was talking to an Aussie lefty about this issue the other day. He said without hesitation "let them in, they're not criminals" and in the same breath talked about population pressures with regards to water & transport.

New Statesman - “I’m not a punchbag – I have feelings”

2011-04-09T03:05:00.000+12:00

http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/04/clegg-interview-coalition-life

A few right wing blogs I regularly read have opportunistically used a few candid quotes from Nick Clegg's interview above to character assassinate him.

I think this is unfair because if you read the interview in it's entity (which I suspect they have not done), he comes across as a pretty decent guy.

I prefer Clegg as deputy PM to when he was in opposition (contrary to most people I suspect). The same applies for Obama. The lofty ideals they once preached don't seem to survive the transition to office where they become rational centralists.

Opposition call for the Govt to Resign

2011-04-06T14:07:00.000+12:00

http://m.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/04/would_be_amusing_if_key_had_called_goffs_bluff.html

Cunliffe calls for English to resign over a scheme which the previous Labour govt designed, & Goff calls for the entire govt to resign for 'a range of reasons'.

What next? Will Goff demand the public flogging of John Key for spelling errors.

The call for resignation should really be held in reserve for real serious issues - say corruption. Have Mr Goff and Mr Cunliffe not read the fable about the boy who cried wolf.

By being so flippant, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is failing all New Zealanders.

Thought for the day - RNZ Politics

2011-04-05T17:05:00.000+12:00

Don Brash to commentate for the political right.

I often listen to the politics commentary on the Nine to Noon show with Kathryn Ryan - whom is very good.

While the left commentator has changed multiple times over the years, the right have been stuck with Matthew Hooten.

Hooten has his moments, but I'd like to hear Dr Brash's opinion every now and then - especially on economic matters.

Too much dope - angry Tizard stones the Herald - NZ Herald

2011-04-04T16:21:00.000+12:00

http://mobile.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.php?c_id=1&objectid=10716943

Heh, I suspect The Herald rather likes being savaged by the Tizard.

Stuff - Dalziel warns quake used as 'scapegoat'

2011-04-04T15:02:00.000+12:00

http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/4842848/Christchurch-MP-Dalziel-warns-scapegoat

If Dalziel thinks the govt is taking advantage of the earthquake for political ends, then isn't she guilty of the exact same thing with a speech like this.

For one it was inevitable that the up & coming budget would be influenced by quakes.

I would like to hear Labour's plan for tackling the ever growing deficit.
They had fair weather when they were in govt & the evidence to date suggests that mindset prevails.

Kiwiblog - Dyer on Libya

2011-03-30T16:56:00.000+13:00

http://m.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/03/dyer_on_libya.html

^ the post linked above is very good.

In addition to the US, UK & France, Australia's foreign minister Kevin Rudd has been a keen advocate for a no fly zone.

One commonality between the advocates for the 'no fly zone' is they all have strong democracies. I don't know about Brazil, but Russia & China sure as hell don't.

Australia Politics Quote Of the Day

2011-03-27T16:38:00.001+13:00

"Tony Abbott is good if you want to turn back the boats, but he's not so great if you want to win over rusted-on Labor voters," one federal MP said.

Tony Abbott omitted from NSW Coalition campaign after Barry O'Farrell jibe | News.com.au

Reports of a Labour Leadership Coup

2011-03-25T20:52:00.000+13:00

http://m.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/03/scoop_and_nbr_say_a_coup_is_on.html

The first term in opposition after being in Govt for nine years was always going to be tough for any party.

In National's first term of opposition English rolled Shipley. Across the ditch in Australia the Liberal Party went through two opposition leaders; Brendon Nelson, & Malcolm Turnball before settling with Tony Abbott.

I've been impressed with how Labour have held it together under Phil Goff & was probably one of their greatest strengths. It's the speculation which is most damage to a leaders credibility.

With the breaking story of Darren's resignation and Trevor Mallard in hospital, speculation is rife at the moment that a coup is in progress to make David Parker the new leader of the NZ Labour Party.

This could not have come at a worse time six months out from a general election.

Now that the genie is out of the bottle, it's going to be very hard for Goff to push it back in. So Labour may as well go through with the coup and get it done and over with. If the Labour Party caucus don't have confidence in Goff then how can they expect the public to?

Hughes denies allegation, Labour reeling - Yahoo!Xtra News

2011-03-23T19:04:00.001+13:00

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/9059138/hughes-denies-allegation-labour-reeling/

There are many unanswered questions regarding this case, but I'm most puzzled why the police would search the house of deputy Labour Leader Annette King.

Until more information comes to light, I actually have a great deal of sympathy for the situation Darren is in.
His entire life is politics - he lives and breathes it. They've made fun of him in parliament on more than one occasion for having Hansard printouts stuck to his bedroom walls.
So if Darren loses his job over this, I image it would be fairly devastating for him.

It's never nice to see someone's hopes and dreams crashed.

Update: Annette King is Darren's land lord - that's the connection.

Govt Enacted Exceptional Powers

2011-03-22T16:14:00.001+13:00

The govt has enacted exceptional powers due to the Chch Earthquake & the Rugby World Cup. Basically this means circumventing or shortening parliamentary process.
Of course these are exceptional events, & I suspect most people are fine with this & NX agrees. However, maintaining a good process is beyond politics of the left & right, and should be fought for.
So you'd think the opposition would have a field day with this. Yet they've been strangely quiet.
I suspect it's because when it comes to enacting government powers, the left rather likes this. Which also explains why there has been more criticism from commentators on the right.
Phil Goff has been opposing the govt with a left wing critique, which has done bugger to capture the publics attention. Ironically, he'd probably have more luck if he tackled them on some issues from a centre-right perspective because there are many disenchanted right-leaning voters out there. I think he tried this once with a speech on Maori issues, which did nothing but anger his base supporters. Plus a lot of people are suspicious, and rightly so, about how genuine his convictions are.
In short, Goff is between a rock and a hard place.

Question Time – 17 of March, 2011

2011-03-21T22:44:00.002+13:00

Bill English provides a timely reminder in an answer to parliament why it's good Labour no longer controls the treasury benches.

"Unlike the previous Labour Government we don't claim to control everything".

Prime Minister's Post-Cabinet Press Conference

2011-03-21T22:27:00.002+13:00

I reckon John Key's Post Cabinet Press Conference's are really good.

For one you get to see that the press do not give the PM an easy ride, but the way he bats away the questions is something to behold.

Key puts paid to opposition spin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIYsUdGzhDE

Compulsory viewing for political junkies (left and right) who need a reality check.

Australian Politics is Screwed

2011-03-14T21:39:00.002+13:00

This article is so weird – at least from a New Zealand perspective. Rudd & Turnbull poll higher than the leaders of their respective parties.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8223388/rudd-turnbull-beat-their-leaders-in-poll?ocid=MSNToolbar100

To recap – Gillard replaced Rudd as Prime Minister when his polling slipped. And the same goes for Abbott; he replaced Turnbull when his numbers took a dive. Since then there has been a general election where Gillard was elected as PM (by the skin of her teeth), and Abbott is currently out polling the government by quite a comfortable margin. Given the public has seemingly validated the two leaders, why are their predecessors out polling them?
I'm sure political junkies could analysis this to no end, but I think my gut feeling sums up the situation nicely – all the leaders are equally unappealing.

If you managed to merge Turnball and Abbott into one person, you might get someone decent i.e. a socially liberal, monarchist who's neutral on climate change. On their own, I don't like either.

As for Rudd vs Gillard, the same applies. If you combined Rudd's humanity with Gillard's modesty you might get someone more likeable.

I'm just pleased that in New Zealand, the choice is easy. John Key leaves them for dead.

Commenting on the Standard.org.nz

2011-02-24T21:26:00.001+13:00

Yesterday I was threatened with a ban. For what you may ask – not for a personal attack, going off topic, posting dodgy links, or excessively disruptive comments – but for a breach of some policy about referring to the site rather than the author.

Their policy section is actually quite an amusing read (http://thestandard.org.nz/policy/). Especially the bit about computers being dumb – reminded me of the British comedy 'The I.T. Crowd'.

I've been meaning to limit my commenting on The Standard, but I must be a sucker for punishment & have been quite active lately. In spite of the occasional personal abuse, I quite like sparring with the lefties. It helps to explore my thinking on issues, and can occasionally results in a change in my opinion.

But alas, I'm taking a self-imposed break.

Active political blogs thrive on debate. As a far left blog The Standard attracts a lot of right wing trolls. My comments were often provocative, & argumentative, but I was never a troll. I think the moderators at The Standard would agree that an antagonist can make a comments thread more interesting. But if people like me are being shunned, then who exactly is welcomed?

Today The Standard has a post by QoT and she asks, "I'll wonder where all the good trolls have gone". I presume by trolls she means people with opposing opinions. The answer is they've probably been ban, abused, or threaten with a ban.

As an aside, QoT is one of the few Standard commenters who is very abusive in the comments section. Her rhetoric is so extreme I'm surprise even The Standard would go so low to offer her a guest spot. What the rulers at The Standard fail to realise is that such shrillness is actually counter productive to their cause. So while their posts succeed in making people on the right angry, non-partisan people would simply be turned off.

I put a fair bit of thought into my final comment. Actually made me quite sad writing it for some reason – I think in part because of the recent earthquake in Christchurch. I just wasn't in the mood to battle with my fellow countrymen.

Here's my post:

http://thestandard.org.nz/gaddafi-not-going-quietly/#comment-301441

The Govt. BMWs

2011-02-16T03:30:00.000+13:00

The NZ Govt is replacing their three year old ministerial BMWs.

TVNZ's coverage of this story is predictably negative. http://goo.gl/9vGor

And worse still, they interview the twat from the 'Dog and Lemon' guide for
comment. I'm know my cars, & the guide is a lemon itself.

I supported Labour when they brought the Beemers, & I support National
upgrading them. In fact I'm rather surprised they've take so long given the
new models been out for a while.

1. The 730d is efficient on fuel, and is a quality car.
2. Government Ministers rack up a huge number of kms, so they need
something reliable with minimal maintenance requirements.
3. Status. Members of Parliament need something prestigious.
4. The old stock will be sold to off-set the cost of the new cars. Plus
the Beemers have good residual value.
5. Accounting. The old fleet was due for retirement.

Yeah, sure the initial cost is expensive. But given the Beemer's low
running cost & good residuals, the total cost for run the cars over three
years probably wouldn't be too different compared to a cheaper alternative.

Besides, the cost is nothing compared to the money the National govt is
saving us. Budget spend is down from $2.2 billion a year under Cullen, to a
spend of $800 million.

I look forward to see the new model BMW 730d out and about.

Kiwiblog

2011-02-14T17:29:00.001+13:00

Lo and behold today I discover Kiwiblog now has a mobile version. http://m.kiwiblog.co.nz/. Sweet as.

Ironically I recently updated my mobile which has a decent mobile browser which could actually handle the full site. But nonetheless, I welcome the low-bandwidth version.

On the topic of Kiwiblog, when it comes to good humour Kiwiblog pwns TheStandard.org.nz any day of the week. Case in point is this post by DPF (http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/02/00.html). A good laugh can also be found in the comments section.

By comparison TheStandard.org.nz is seriously dour, like most leftie blogs. The psychology behind why the traditional left are so humourless is worth researching.

Leftie modus operandi – Characterising the Opposition

2011-02-09T17:32:00.003+13:00

I watched the raw footage of Tony Abbott's much criticised conversation with a US general where he said 'shit happens'.

Tone & demeanour is everything. It was obviously to me that Abbott was referring to the perils of war.

Yet, lefties everywhere are insinuating he was referring to the loss of Australian life. I think you'd have to be pretty cynical to draw that conclusion.

A common practice among lefties is to villainise their opponents to almost cartoon-like dimensions. I'm not saying the right doesn't do this, but the left really take the cake. Even political debates are villanised i.e. the 'evil' rich & the downtrodden poor. Climate change accepters vs deniers, supports of anti-smacking & child beaters.

The hard-left are quick to use the words like hate, racist, and greedy to describe opposition – as if their arguments aren't strong enough to stand on their own. A rather convenient way of dismissing an opponent's arguments is to reduce them to something akin to evil. It's also selfish and egotistical to cast yourself in the role of the heroic crusader.

I find it ironic the left go to such extremes given their PC proclivities.

I'm interested to see whether this characterisation of Tony Abbott backfires.

UPDATE:

I'm pleasantly surprised how the ALP have backed Tony Abbott. http://goo.gl/6uKe0

The Australian Labor Party are a different brew to the Labour Party run by Phil Goff.

It is more clear now than ever that the NZ Labour party needs to lose at least another couple of elections to restore humility and a moderate political deposition.

Palin

2011-01-19T22:24:00.000+13:00

As a centre-right, classic lib kinda guy I'm neither a Sarah Palin supporter nor detractor.

However, my opinion of her has changed somewhat after watching her Tucson response video on her Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/SarahPalinAK.

She will never be president. It's not that I didn't agree with what she said, it's that it didn't need to be said. Plus her delivery was frankly, weird.

Sarah Palin does have an important role to play for the Republican Party though: to act as a lightening rod for left-wing critics. The hysteria she manages to extract from holier than thou left-wingers is actually very unappealing to the general public and works in the Republican Party's favour. She is, after all, a likeable and attractive mother of five children.

Toxic Standard

2011-01-12T14:48:00.001+13:00

TheStandard.org.nz is not a political forum, but an eco chamber for loony left. I've been commenting there recently.
David Farrar knows well enough to not engage TheStandard.org.nz in political debate because doing so is like pushing the preverbal up hill.

Recently the blog has been particularly toxic. Today they defend the brutal Somali pirates & yesterday they claimed Jared Lee Loughner carried out his shooting in Tucson because he's a member of the Tea Party. Even if he was a Tea Party member (which he's not), he is first and foremost a complete nut.

But I must resist the urge to comment because it's pointless.

While the blog may act as a rallying call for the far left loonies (which is their objective I suspect), it's actually detrimental to the moderate centre-left. And they're only going to get shriller in election year. So keep it up TheStandard.org.nz. The average punter will feel comparatively right-wing after they contrasting their views with TheStandard.org.nz & will run into the arms of the Nats.

The Horizon Poll

2011-01-10T17:42:00.001+13:00

TheStandard.org.nz are very encouraged by the Horizon Poll, which shows the Nats down by about 10% compared to other polls (40%). The Horizon Poll differs from other polls by including undecided voters.

As a political layman it's audacious of me to think I can challenge TheStandard.org.nz's political analyse. After all many of the authors have worked in parliament before so you'd think they'd be on a higher plane of political thought.
But here goes - I think the TheStandard.org.nz's analyse is wrong for the following reasons:

1. Voter turn out is ~80% mark. I don't have any evidence but I suspect the majority of the ~20% whom don't vote are undecided.

2. The Greens almost always poll higher than their election result indicating a high proportion of non-voters are in fact Green. The other explanation is that people tell pollsters they'll vote Green because it gives them a fuzzy, warm feeling while ticking the blue or red box at the ballet.

3. The TVNZ and TV3 polls weren't too far off the mark at the last election so should be given prominence over the newbie Horizon Poll.

4. I know there is bad blood between Winston Peters & some of the Nats, but it's rather presumptuous to presume that Winston would pick an unpopular Mr Goff to form a government over the popular Mr Key. In fact Peter's formbook shows he takes the path of less resistance.

5. The Horizon Poll maybe actually good for the Nats because it helps to prevent complacency in the centre-right camp. Also, the prospect of a Goff-Peters govt may scare centre-left voters into the arms of the moderate Mr Key.

"I am NOT the Prime Minister"

2011-01-08T22:59:00.000+13:00

Had to laugh at this guy's twitter (http://twitter.com/davidcameron).

"I am NOT the prime minister. I am a dude from America, who is more awesome
than the prime minister".

RNZ interview H E Clark on Wikileaks

2011-01-07T17:16:00.001+13:00

If you ever needed a reminder of Helen Clark's political brand – listen to the interview linked below.

She ducks and dives Kathryn Ryan's questions complete with trademark simulated laugh.

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/ntn/ntn-20101222-0908-WikiLeaks_cables-048.mp3

She never admits mistakes because she is never wrong. Thank god she's gone-burger!

John Key may not be the right-wing hero some National supporters were hoping for, but in terms of his style of politics he's head and shoulders above the former Dear Leader.

Google vs Windows Live – Why is Google bombing out?

2011-01-06T17:12:00.002+13:00

Most people have an email address for both services, but will select one for their personal primary email/calendar service.

I used both services but selected Windows Live as my primary. For a long while I regretted this because Google just had so many more user-friendly features (particularly for geeks). A couple of years ago accessing Windows Live from your mobile was difficult.

In January 2011 Windows Live has caught up. It may not be as feature rich as Google, but what it does it does well – and consistently.

In my view, here is why Google is bombing out:

1. Google calendar. Probably my most used Google product has screwed-up on multiple occasions. It screwed up all my reoccurring birthday events. Ical feeds from third parties are continually having problems because Google keeps fiddling with their code.

2. Google login. It's invasive & logs everything you do. I don't like that predictive search thing. And I don't like the 'tailored' adds. It creeps me out, so I always make a point of signing out. Every second website I visit asks for my Google login. No thanks.

3. Google Wave and Google Buzz – both were forced on us, & both have bombed out.

4. Google's battle with Facebook. While it's fun to watch, it's ultimately detrimental to Google because Facebook pwns Google as a social network.

I still love the Google Chrome browser & Google Maps. Google lets you embed stuff into your website. But I'm no longer regret picking Windows Live as my primary & I suspect it'll only get better.

Take home messages:
- Use both services – cherry pick the best from each.
- Competition is good.
- If I find a better calendar I'll use Google even less (ha, log that Google!)

Happy New Year & 2011 Predictions

2010-12-31T19:21:00.001+13:00

Happy 2011 anyone whom stumbles upon this blog.

Quick predictions for 2011:

Who will win the Rugby World Cup?

I really hope NZ, but I'm worried about the Aussies.

Will National get a majority in the general election?

Yes. My reasoning is this.

1) Winston 1st won't make the threshold so whatever vote he gets will be divided up proportionally to the parties which make it into parliament.

2) In 2002 the Labour Party briefly polled over 50% & they started talking about governing alone. This scared the horses & Labour's vote dropped by 10% on polling day. The difference with the Nats is they've been polling over 50% for most of time since they made it into office. Coupled with John Key who is more moderate than Helen Clark, I reckon people are comfortable with the idea of a Nat majority govt.

Will Julia Gillard's government make it to 2012?

No. There will be a by-election or some controversy which will force a general election.

How will be the next NZ Labour leader?

David Cargill... I mean Cunliffe. Who will spook the Nats at some point.

Wikileaks Reveals More of the Cynical Clark Govt

2010-12-22T21:21:00.001+13:00

""Its overly strong reaction to Israel over this issue suggests the GoNZ sees this flap as an opportunity to bolster its credibility with the Arab community, and by doing so, perhaps, help NZ lamb and other products gain greater access to a larger and more lucrative market."

The best thing about the Wikileaks is that they remind us how cynical & duplicitous the Clark govt (1999 – 2008) was (for those of us that need reminding).
Wikileaks alleges that Clark was driven by securing trade deals with Arab countries when she took an unusually strong stance against Israel. If this is true, then such cynical behaviour is in part forgivable given she at least had NZ trade at heart.
However, I remember this incident was at a time when the opposition National Party was making real head way in the polls. I suspect Clark was more motivated by keeping the Nats out of the media than any trade deals.
Either way, things were not what they seemed with the 5th Labour govt.

Clark Sends Forces to Iraq in 2003 for a Fonterra Contract!

2010-12-20T15:18:00.001+13:00

"Senior MOD officials (strictly protect) tell us it was not until Finance Minister Michael Cullen pointed out in a subsequent cabinet meeting that New Zealand's absence from Iraq might cost NZ dairy conglomerate Fonterra the lucrative dairy supply contract it enjoyed under the United Nations Oil for Food program," the cable said.

It said the prime minister "found a face-saving compromise" by sending non-combat engineers to be embedded with British forces.

I'm rather surprised this article is nowhere to be found in the Herald or on Stuff.

Cullen is of course correct in his assessment.

So in spite of Labour's holier-than-thou rhetoric on Iraq, the only reason why they sent the NZ Army was to secure a contract. My god, if that isn't blood for money, I don't know what is.

I believe a National govt. would've also sent NZ Defence Forces (depending on the make-up of the coalition), but I suspect their primary reason would be to help topple Sadam Hussain. However you feel about taking-out Sadam, it's a better reason than a Fonterra contract!

And lets not beat around the bush, non-combat engineers = the New Zealand Army. These guys aren't civilians.

NZ-US peace deal sacrificed for votes - cable

2010-12-19T04:16:00.000+13:00

I haven't updated this blog in a while, but this story deserves maximum exposure.

"The only reason that a major shift forward in NZ-US relations failed to materialise under Helen Clark was because the Labour Government

wished to utilise the anti-nuclear issue as an electoral weapon against

the resurgent National Party under Don Brash.''

^ This is obvious as it is now as it was back then. The billboard says it all – Clark sacrificed NZ's relationship with USA for votes.

Labour could use the USA in it's political games without fear because they're never going to bite back. The world's only superpower is a democracy with many shared values with NZ & represents zero threat to our country. At the end of the day, the US is the only thing keeping China & other aggressors at bay. Which makes it all the more shameless for Labour to use them as a punching bag.

Labour would never be so reckless with the China relationship given their propensity – but if they were they'd be safe in the knowledge the US would protect us.

The 2005 election is over 5 years ago now, yet Labour's appalling transgressions live on. From Labour & Winston Peter's huge overspend (defined as a corrupt practice in the law), to the opportunistic abuse of the relationship with the USA.

And to cap it off, New Zealand would not be borrowing $300 a week just to pay the bills if we had a Brash government.

Shane Jones Blasts Maori

2009-11-25T00:10:00.001+13:00

In the Youtube video below, Shane Jones lampoons the Maori Party & by virtue Maori in general to such an extend that it makes Don Brash’s Owera speech look timid.

Shane Jones can get away with this because he’s of Maori decent (though you couldn’t tell from looking at him), and he’s from the political left.

I actually agree with Shane – he’s articulate and delivers his points well. A future Labour Party Leader perhaps.

However, if you cut through Shane’s bluster, there is policy. The ‘family package’ sounds like another complex Labour initiative that only helps people who fit a certain criteria. And he talks about NZ’s major emitters paying the full cost of their pollution. That’s all very well and good, but if there’s no way to make a cow more environmentally friendly, then what’s the point of taxing the farmer to death? I think industry should be penalized if they’re not using the most efficient method of production. For example if you’re making a pencil the most environmentally efficient way possible, slapping on a pollution tax isn’t going to change a thing other than make pencils more expensive. Or worse, dive the business overseas where they’re made with even greater cost to the environment.

I reckon the way forward is to empower people to become environmentally aware when shopping. Label products to indicate the environmental cost of making the product and let the consumers decide if they can spare the cost for something which is better for the environment.

Technorati Tags: Shane Jones,climate change,carbon,emissions trading scheme,Labour

NZ actress says nude sex scenes no big deal (NZPA)

2009-11-16T13:34:00.001+13:00

Are New Zealanders prudes? Compared to the French we probably are, but compared to the Americans we probably are not. What is healthy? I tend to agree with Anna Paquin - what's the big deal. The fact this story is news worthy in NZ speaks for itself.

Former Hutt Valley child star Anna Paquin says she has no regrets when it comes to baring all on the television series True Blood.

"I don't think a naked body is particularly shocking or interesting," Paquin said.

"It's not the culture I was raised in. I was not brought up in the United States. I don't share the (attitude) that you can have graphic violence, but God forbid you see someone's nipples."

New Windows 7: Find the right PC for you. Learn more.

Dom Post Political Quiz 8/10

2009-11-04T14:29:00.001+13:00

Yay...I managed to tie with DPF in the Dom Post Political Quiz. That's like tying with Tiger Wood in a game of golf.

Does The Standard want Vulcan Reporters?

2009-11-04T11:00:00.000+13:00

This post on The Standard was so silly that it was pulled.

Fortunately thanks to RSS I could read the original post and have duplicated it here.

I'm a regular reader of The Standard (left leaning) and Kiwiblog (centre-right leaning) to try and get a broad perspective on the issues. The Standard has done a good job recently explaining why they think privatising ACC is bad. Kiwiblog has failed to counter the arguments from the left. I'm generally a fan of competition and the ability of the private sector to define a service in keeping with what the public is willing to pay, but I need help to understand how privatisation is the correct choice for ACC.

The trouble with The Standard is any good points they make are drowned in a sea of silly posts like the one from Eddie.

NZ world's 10th 'happiest' nation (NZPA)

2009-11-02T11:56:00.001+13:00

New Zealand has ranked highly in an international study of wealth and happiness, but we are not quite as happy as the Aussies, according to a survey by a London-based think tank.

Nevertheless, New Zealanders are among the best in the world for volunteering to help others.

The survey, by the Legatum Institute, found Finland was the happiest nation followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

New Zealand finished 10th on the institute's prosperity index, behind Australia, Canada, Holland, and the United States.

One hundred and four countries were assessed for the survey, which measured a country's prosperity based on 79 variables including material wealth and quality of life.

"The index finds that the most prosperous nations in the world are not necessarily those that have only a high GDP, but are those that also have happy, healthy and free citizens," the survey said.

Overall, 16 of the top 20 most prosperous countries were from Europe and North America.

The countries judged to be the least prosperous were Yemen, Sudan and Zimbabwe.

New Zealand performed averagely in economic fundamentals (27th out of 104) but was ranked first in social capital, the institute said.

"Trusting and willing to help strangers, close knit New Zealanders display the highest level of social capital of all countries surveyed.

"More than nine out of 10 New Zealanders believe they can rely on friends and family... the country has the second highest volunteering, with 44 percent having donated their time in the last year."

New Zealand also ranked well in entrepreneurship and innovation, democratic institutions, education, health and safety and security.

However, New Zealand was not a religious country, ranking 71st on the variable.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 8:52:34 PM - Link

Millionaire charged after kicking boy racer's car

2009-10-28T13:44:00.001+13:00

Unbelievable... a millionaire who eats at McDonald's! I bet he up-sizes his meal even when he's not hungry.

Millionaire businessman Sam Kelt has been charged with disorderly behaviour after allegedly kicking a boy racer's car in Hastings on Monday.
Kelt, 46, told the Dominion Post the driver had been attempting to run him down and he was astonished to be prosecuted by police.

He said a group of seven vehicles had sped past him around 10pm. As he crossed the road, headed for McDonald's , another car appeared and veered towards him.
"I had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It did a U-turn then came back toward me and veered at me again. Instinctively, and in self defence, I kicked it. That should tell you how close it was to me. It was incredibly dangerous."

Kelt will appear in Hastings District Court in December.
In 2006 Kelt suffered a fractured skull and eyesocket after being punched and kicked by a boy racer in Mt Maunganui.
He had stepped in front of the attacker's car to protest late night street racing.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009 9:56:11 PM - Link

McCain daughter sorry for Twitter cleavage snap

2009-10-22T14:23:00.001+13:00

The US could do with more Conservatives like McCain's daughter. Meghan is a member of the republican party but is not a social conservative.

IMO the US of A is the one of the last bastions of social conservatism (in the West). It's going to take a string of electoral defeats for the Republican party to slowly change. In New Zealand the National party won Auckland in both 2005 and 2008 elections. The Republican party should aim to win the popular vote in New York City.

Meghan McCain, one of the daughters of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, has apologized for using Twitter to post a picture in which she displayed an ample amount of cleavage.

McCain, whose Twitter handle is @mccainBlogette, describes herself as a "moderate" member of the Republican Party and has come out in support of such liberal causes as gay marriage.

The picture was deleted from Twitpic on Thursday afternoon.

Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:08:45 PM - Link

Effective Advertising...

2009-10-13T21:50:00.001+13:00

Heh.

Take With One Hand and Give With the Other

2009-10-12T10:38:00.001+13:00

Just as well I didn't vote for National purely on the bases of tax cuts. Because the latest ACC levy raise and subsequent increases to petrol tax and vehicle registration fee pretty much cancels out the tax cut.

The Sunday Star-Times understands the ACC levy for a family earning $38,000 is likely to rise by $304 a year, plus an extra $52 to register the family car and 4c a litre more at the fuel pump.

If the government chooses not to increase the ACC petrol excise, which is now 9c a litre, the ACC component of registering a car, now $168, will go up even more possibly by as much as $107.

Someone on the average wage of $45,000 will pay $360 more a year to ACC, plus the extra fuel and vehicle registration costs. The ACC levy for those on $65,000 will go up about $520 a year while those earning $85,000 will pay $680 more.

Dominion Post Political Quiz

2009-09-16T10:54:00.001+12:00

I managed to get 10 out of 10 for this political quiz.

For the previous political quiz I only achieved 6 out of 10. David Farrar from Kiwiblog stated that regular readers should achieve at least 7. So in the eyes of the King of NZ political blogs, I was below par. Hopefully this weeks stellar result goes some way to redeeming myself.

Good Column on Aussie Politics

2009-09-08T23:51:00.001+12:00

Former Opposition leader Brendon Nelson is retiring from Politics. In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald Dr Nelson gave an honest and interesting assessment of the current Labour administration, his former boss John Howard, and current Liberal Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/doctor-out-of-the-house-nelsons-final-diagnosis-20090829-f2zf.html

I'm not a Turnbull fan, but thought Nelson was a decent enough guy. He kind of reminded me of Don Brash. Interestingly Nelson and Goff share a common interest - they both have a passion for motor cycles - go figure.

Key Quote from in the House

2009-09-08T23:26:00.004+12:00

In response to a 'rambling' question from Phil Goff, John Key said:

"I think it's a bit like Afghanistan in the Labour Party caucus at the moment".

Very James Bond

2009-09-07T11:39:00.004+12:00

Referring to the $US65 million jewellery robbery in London last month (the largest in British history):

A British newspaper reported last month that the men were wearing stick-on prosthetic faces made from liquid latex.

Police have refused to comment on the claim and declined to say whether any jewellery had been recovered.

Provocative WWF Poster

2009-09-04T10:44:00.001+12:00

Apparently World Wildlife Fund is frantically distancing itself from the
project. According to the New York Daily News, it was all a 'terrible
mistake'.
But the irony is that by claiming it to be a mistake more publicity is
generated.

Key 'n Rudd at the Bledisloe Rugby Game

2009-08-25T23:13:00.001+12:00

Given a contingent of New Zealand's top government Ministers were watching the game with their Aussie counterparts makes it just that much more satisfying that we won! An exciting game too - edge of your seat stuff.

Peak Performance Times for Morning People and Night Owls

2009-07-21T11:18:00.001+12:00

From Lifehacker:

If asked, odds are most of you already identify as either a morning person or night owl. A new study says these classifications can be used to help determine optimal times when each group should perform their day-to-day activities.

Researchers from the University of Alberta took 18 participants (admittedly, a very small sample) and concluded that a morning person's strengths generally remain constant throughout the day, but the same doesn't hold true for night owls, who tend to do their best work exclusively in the evenings. According to the article:

That may be because evening people show increased motor cortex and spinal cord excitability in the evening, about 9 p.m., meaning they had maximal central nervous system drive at that time...Morning people, on the other hand, never achieve this level of central nervous system drive because the excitability of the motor cortex does not coincide with the excitability of the spinal cord. In other words, these two measures never peak at the same time...

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that early birds are most excitable at 9 a.m, and that night owls probably couldn't become morning people, even if they forcibly tried to change their habits, say by sitting in front of a very bright light early in the morning and taking melatonin to sleep earlier.

What do you make of the findings? Do you consider yourself a morning or night person, and how—if at all—do you feel it affects your performance? Whatever your classification, you can help yourself get the best sleep possible by improving your sleep posture.

Inappropriate Caption on JK’s Facebook Photo

2009-07-13T20:51:00.001+12:00

The staffer who maintains the Prime Minister’s Facebook page may find him/herself in hot water after expressing a personal opinion in a caption for a picture in John Key’s Pacific tour album.

The comment reads “what the hell is that useless prick doing there? other than the free fights ;)”.

The comment appears over Peter Sharples.

The staffer is free is express his/her own opinion, but not on the Prime Minister’s Facebook page which the person has been entrusted to update.

Given that JK is maxed out at 5,000 friends and the popularity of Facebook, there is no chance the caption could’ve gone unnoticed.

The caption is also unfortunate because it undermines the great job the Prime Minister did representing New Zealand on this first Pacific Island tour.

Anti-smacking and John Key

2009-06-18T11:48:00.001+12:00

I don't understand the whole anti-smacking thing. And I don't understand why John Key is falling out of favour with certain National Party voters over this issue. Some people are even comparing John Key to Helen Clark, saying he's adopting her 'I know best' mantra.

John Key and Phil Goff both know that Labour lost the last election in part due to their 'bossy boots' style government. So the electorate is sensitive to it, and so am I.

But the anti-smacking issue just doesn't push my buttons. Maybe it's because I don't have kids. Regardless - I'm okay with the fact that this law is written for the lowest common denominator i.e. people who don't understand the difference between a smack and a beating.

Under normal circumstances I reject nanny state, lowest common denominator crap. But when it comes to child abuse I don't mind making the exception.