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Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Confusing Backlash to the anti-MMP Campaign


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.


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Sunday, June 26, 2011

Hone Harawira's By-election Victory

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.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

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

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.

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Academic Lefties

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! 


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Monday, June 6, 2011

BBC News - Portugal election: Socialists admit defeat

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.

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Sunday, May 29, 2011

All Nationals Fault According to Goff

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.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The Standard Complain about JK's budget Speech


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).  


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John's Presser vs. Phil's Presser


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.  


 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. 


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Monday, May 23, 2011

Qutoe of the Day: Magical little world


"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.  


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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Labour Hates Farmer



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. 


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