Audrey rates the Cabinet
March 31st, 2007 at 10:28 am by David FarrarAudrey Young does her annual rating of the Cabinet. The first figure is for this year, and the second a year ago. Comments after each rating are mine not hers. And note I am rating them on the basis of competence, not on whether I agree with their policies.
Helen Clark 7 (7) – I’d be a lower on the basis of the handing of election spending and smacking
Michael Cullen 6 (7) – Here I would have Cullen higher. He has made less mistakes than Clark.
Jim Anderton 6 (6) – about right. Handling of forestry may push him lower though.
Steve Maharey 6 (7) – I would be no more than a five. Probably a four.
Phil Goff 9 (9) – can;t disagree. He also remains de facto Foreign Minister in some areas
Annette King 9 (7) – Maybe a bit generous but yes at least an eight.
Trevor Mallard 4 (6) – Deserves to go down for the stadium, but 4 is a bit rough. I would say 5.
Pete Hodgson 4 (4) – Hodgson was once the safe pair of hands. King kept health reasonably happy for six years and under Hodgson all turning wrong.
Parekura Horomia 5 (5) – Hasn’t made a dick of himself lately so a 5 is about right.
Maori Affairs
Mark Burton 2 (2) – I can’t think of anything he has achieved, but a 2 should be reserved for major disasters. I would be a 3 or 4.
Ruth Dyson 5 (5) – yep an average performer
Chris Carter 8 (7) – I would mark lower for Whangamata Marina – a 7 at best.
Rick Barker 5 (6) – I would make him a 3 or 4 for turning down the funding for Karori Sanctuary when anyone with political instincts should know you approve the venue where the PM launched the policy from.
David Benson-Pope 4 (3) – has been invisible, but this is probably a deliberate strategy
Lianne Dalziel 6 (6) – I might be a bit more generous and say a 7. I am hearing some positive stuff from business about her.
Damien O’Connor 2 (8) – sadly (as he is a nice guy) a 2 is the maximum one can give.
David Cunliffe 8 (8) – yep not only making good decisions in telecommunications but also handling Immigration as well as any Minister can
David Parker 6 (6) – about right
Nanaia Mahuta 5 (6) – makes Rock Barker seem dynamic as her predecessor in Customs. A 4.
Customs / Youth Affairs
Clayton Cosgrove 8 (7) – Cosgrove has surprised many by his steady performance.
So if we take Audrey’s ratings from top to bottom we have:
Phil Goff 9
Annette King 9
Clayton Cosgrove 8
David Cunliffe 8
Chris Carter 8
Helen Clark 7
Michael Cullen 6
Jim Anderton 6
Steve Maharey 6
Lianne Dalziel 6
David Parker 6
Nanaia Mahuta 5
Parekura Horomia 5
Ruth Dyson 5
Rick Barker 5
Trevor Mallard 4
Pete Hodgson 4
David Benson-Pope 4
Damien O’Connor 2
Mark Burton 2
Now it is interesting to look at some stats analysis. Audrey has an average grade of 5.58, while I have 5.53 (hmmn I have been fair). But a year ago the average was 6.05 – so a really clear trend.
Only three Cabinet Ministers improved their score, and each by one point only. Six Ministers declined, one by as much as six points.
No tag for this post.
March 31st, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Annette King improved by two.
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 8:31 pm
What about Taito? Shouldn’t his absence contribute a 0 and thus pull down the average?
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 8:34 pm
I think Mallard is a 4, for his arrogance over the stadium, and for his behaviour in parliament (for example, over Don Brash’s extra-marital behaviour).
Maharey, too, comes across to me as arrogant — “there’s nothing wrong with NCEA”, and “we know how best to teach your kids”, and “no, schools do not need to publish any ranking data”. I have no confidence in his ability to run education at all. 4.
Annette King is a 6 after her inept handling of the TransTasman Therapeutic Goods bill, to the extent that it is heading for a defeat. She failed to suffiently consult with other parties. (Arrogance, again?)
Chris Carter is a 5. How inept do you have to be to ignore the advice of your ministry, ignore the outcome of a NZ judicial system (the Environment Court), conduct your own one-sided flying-visit “investigation” and veto the Whangamata Marina. Then try to elicit support for your decision from mates who are Mayors. Yup, arrogance. And exposed embarrassingly by the judiciary on appeal.
David Cunliffe – agree with 8. Seems slightly sensible and less arrogant. Can someone please keep him away from Helen, so that he doesn’t catch Arrogance Syndrome from her?
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I think Mallard is a 4, for his arrogance over the stadium, and for his behaviour in parliament (for example, over Don Brash’s extra-marital behaviour).
Maharey, too, comes across to me as arrogant — “there’s nothing wrong with NCEA”, and “we know how best to teach your kids”, and “no, schools do not need to publish any ranking data”. I have no confidence in his ability to run education at all. 4.
Annette King is a 6 after her inept handling of the TransTasman Therapeutic Goods bill, to the extent that it is heading for a defeat. She failed to suffiently consult with other parties. (Arrogance, again?)
Chris Carter is a 5. How inept do you have to be to ignore the advice of your ministry, ignore the outcome of a NZ judicial system (the Environment Court), conduct your own one-sided flying-visit “investigation” and veto the Whangamata Marina. Then try to elicit support for your decision from mates who are Mayors. Yup, arrogance. And exposed embarrassingly by the judiciary on appeal.
David Cunliffe – agree with 8. Seems slightly sensible and less arrogant. Can someone please keep him away from Helen, so that he doesn’t catch Arrogance Syndrome from her?
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Great to see the Minister for Corrections and Justice feature at the bottom of a list ??
No blood on my hands – yeah right !!
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Goff is a very low to mediocre performer but by comparison with his peers he rates as a star.
King is and always a very poor performer with the TTTG only the latest in a string of failures. Why does anyone rate her?
The 4th Labour govt’s crack is starting to show and when the public finally wake up, their end will be messy and severe.
Can’t wait.
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 9:35 pm
I don’t understand why Hodgson is performing so badly. He keeps blundering, and yet he isn’t a silly man. I don’t get this at all.
Vote:March 31st, 2007 at 10:05 pm
DPF, you and Audrey are too nice. My assessment is this:
Phil Goff 7 – Not an outright pinko – bonus
Vote:Annette King 6 – platitudinous
Clayton Cosgrove 4 – muppet
David Cunliffe 4 – smarmy & overrated
Chris Carter – 3 – too busy attending orgies
Helen Clark 1 – no endearing qualities at all
Michael Cullen 5 – poisionous old fart
Jim Anderton 3 – use by date passed
Steve Maharey 4 – pure slime
Lianne Dalziel 6 – not too bad
David Parker 3 – Maharey wannabe, pure slime
Nanaia Mahuta 2 – lazy
Parekura Horomia 0 – indolent, incoherent, pathetic
Ruth Dyson 5 – another one of Helens lovees
Rick Barker 2 – lampooned often on Gen X-Y, but what else ?
Trevor Mallard 0 – only has two moving parts, a mouth & an arsehole – and they’re both interchangeable
Pete Hodgson 1 – quivering jellyfish
David Benson-Pope 0 – Cock ‘n ball torture, child sodomy fantasies, bell-end & balls smeared with Tiger Balm – a real freak
Damien O’Connor 2 – out of his league
Mark Burton 0 – what else does onme expect from a fruitcake peacenik?
March 31st, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Young has rated them purely as political managers. They are baasically the PR end of the civil service. None of them have clue on anything except what their officials tell them and then they beaver away getting the politics right. NOne of them a showing any leadership on anything, just holding the line for as long as possible and finding ways to blame the National Party is something stuffs up. Leaders do not behave like that.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 5:27 am
Damien O’Connor is below David Benson-Pope. That’s got to hurt.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 8:32 am
“Damien O’Connor is below David Benson-Pope. That’s got to hurt.”
Pun intended….?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 8:56 am
My view would be King would never have gotten to the rating she was given. Doesn’t anyone remember that during her watch the health system waiting list went from 100,000 to 180,000? and that it cost us an extra 4Bil a year to do it?
Agree with DPF that Clarkes rating has to fall. Especially because of the antismacking thing.
Cullen should be right down. Our growth is just over 1% (averaged 2.4% under National from 1990 to 1999) the lowest paid are now much worse off, and by his own admission, after the boom years the average NZ’er is no better off.
Goff, about a 3. Why even call him the minister of defense? We don’t have defensive capability anymore.
As for the reset, nuff said.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 9:08 am
My view would be King would never have gotten to the rating she was given. Doesn’t anyone remember that during her watch the health system waiting list went from 100,000 to 180,000? and that it cost us an extra 4Bil a year to do it?
Agree with DPF that Clarkes rating has to fall. Especially because of the antismacking thing.
Cullen should be right down. Our growth is just over 1% (averaged 2.4% under National from 1990 to 1999) the lowest paid are now much worse off, and by his own admission, after the boom years the average NZ’er is no better off.
Goff, about a 3. Why even call him the minister of defense? We don’t have defensive capability anymore.
As for the reset, nuff said.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 9:48 am
I’d like to rate Audrey Young. The media’s traditional role in society is to protect the citizenry from the powerful. She and her left wing acolytes who today represent the sad state of media have betrayed us, and have for some decades continuously promoted big powerful government and totalitarian socialism at the expense of freedom and democracy. I rate Audrey Young (and the NZ Herald) a big fat zero.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 10:43 am
So in most exams we would assume a 60% pas mark – hence that is a fail so kick them out.
But not so fast. Under NCEA this may indeed be a pass or it may not – who would know as it would never be recoreded…
However, we must add extra points for passing First Aid, 25 metre backstroke and Kapa haka. Yes, the scores are in and it is a pass.
Besides, even if they failed, what are you going to do – smack them?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 10:44 am
So in most exams we would assume a 60% pas mark – hence that is a fail so kick them out.
But not so fast. Under NCEA this may indeed be a pass or it may not – who would know as it would never be recoreded…
However, we must add extra points for passing First Aid, 25 metre backstroke and Kapa haka. Yes, the scores are in and it is a pass.
Besides, even if they failed, what are you going to do – smack them?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 10:48 am
So in most exams we would assume a 60% pas mark – hence that is a fail so kick them out.
But not so fast. Under NCEA this may indeed be a pass or it may not – who would know as it would never be recoreded…
However, we must add extra points for passing First Aid, 25 metre backstroke and Kapa haka. Yes, the scores are in and it is a pass.
Besides, even if they failed, what are you going to do – smack them?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 11:19 am
Colin said “Under NCEA this may indeed be a pass or it may not – who would know as it would never be recoreded… ”
Will that achievement obtain a NCEA pass in English ?
Vote:Great the black caps smacked the Carribbean lads eh ?
April 1st, 2007 at 11:28 am
You are all peasants and need to get your thinking right.
They are all scum in the Liarbore party.
They all rank a huge zero each by my standards.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 11:39 am
Rick Barker is a huge disappointment. I sat with him at lunch about 12 months after he was first elected. Seemed a good bloke and electorate feed back was generally positive from all sides.
Since becoming a cabinet minister he has been a disaster and deservedly lost his electorate seat. Now seems just a big oaf following the leader.
His red bus is a bloody eyesore in Hastings.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
” Audrey has an average grade of 5.58, while I have 5.53 (hmmn I have been fair). But a year ago the average was 6.05 – so a really clear trend.” – so hollow and circular. You’re saying ‘me and audrey have given ad hoc, subjective, simplistic ratings to ministers and this year they are lower than last year on average, therefore we find that the ministers are doing worse on average’.
Plus, you need more than two time-data points to make a trend, obviously.
I note you didn’t mention the flash forward to 2011 part of the article, which is the most retarded piece of political writing i’ve sen since Michael Law’s last.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Good in-depth analysis there Spirit Of 76.
Nice insightful comment Swift man.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Andrew, what the fuck is it that convinces you that your pompous partisan adjudications on other people’s messages need to be posted here??
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 3:21 pm
At least I do it without incessant abuse and swearing. ps, how is that heart attack comming along?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 3:34 pm
By the way, it’s things like
only has two moving parts, a mouth & an arsehole – and they’re both interchangeable,
Cock ‘n ball torture, child sodomy fantasies, bell-end & balls smeared with Tiger Balm – a real freak, quivering jellyfish, muppet, too busy attending orgies, poisionous old fart, pure slime, indolent, incoherent and pathetic
that make me respond in such a pompous partisan adjudicating way.
Does that look like good sound commentary to you? Actually, I forgot who I was addressing, of course you do.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Suck my balls, Andrew !
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I take it those marks were percentages. With all due respect DPF but I think 9% is too high for Phil Goff, and the rest should come down accordingly.
Phil Goff should also be marked down for promoting defence treaty with Vietnam given revelations on its human rights record.
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Actually AB, the comment about Mallard may not be original, but it did make me laugh, bloody appropriate too.
I would also agree that Anderton is rated way too high, it is the political insiders who don’t see how far past his best by date the man is. His best decade was the 70′s, Sovereign Yachts anyone ?
Vote:April 1st, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Suck my balls, Andrew !
LOL
Vote:April 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 am
Andrew B are you in a dream world. I was going to give you shit but I realise that you might be slow of mind. Has our Dear Leader giving you a medal yet? If not are you hoping for a gong, prehaps bullshit minister.
Vote:April 2nd, 2007 at 10:01 am
Oh no, outwitted by side show bob. Damn.
Vote: