Back Benches
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:41 pm by David FarrarI popped into the Backbencher last night to observe the live filming of the first episode of a new TVNZ 7 show – Back Benches.
It will be on every Wednesday at around 9 pm, and features Wallace Chapman hosting a panel debate between (mainly) backbench MPs. Damien Christie and Mary-Anne Ahern produce it.
The MPs last night were Maurice Williamson, Louisa Wall, Jacqui Dean and Hone Harawira. There were many dozen people watching – a big crowd from TVNZ (whose account my meal almost got charged to), other press gallery members, a few Vic Uni students, some ACT and Green supporters, plus a few MPs and staff from National.
It was a fun occasion, and I’d recommend locals go along when they can. They debated party pill bans, free trade with China and Peter Brown’s comments. Lots of clapping for various MPs. Hone was funny, with a fair bit of grand-standing. Louisa Wall was pretty good, with a good command of the issues for a new MP.
The comment I liked most of all was Maurice Williamson who said that his ideal free trade deal would be one page, and would simply say “You can sell anything you like to us, and we can sell anything we like to you”. Sounds good to me.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:46 pm
“You can sell anything you like to us, and we can sell anything we like to you”
Including labour?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 pm
And opium.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Presumably “anything you like” is short for “anything you like that does not infringe patents, meets all regulatory requirements (cf pharmaceuticals), does not endanger our biosecurity, meets labeling regimes, is electrically safe, does not contain additives that are not approved in New Zealand” for starters.
Thats probably why the one page approach doesnt work.
[DPF: How about anything legal? What Maurice was saying was treat goods from overseas the same as goods from NZ - all have to meet the same requirements]
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Now now, npog, let’s not complicate Maurice’s simplistic black and white worldview.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Tane
Why would they want the Labour party?…they have more than enough corruption and more than enough blindly obedient lick spittles in their own country.
Mind you…they could purchase this corrupt lot for a very cheap price I suppose, I mean what is the going rate for a useless pollie like Tisard or Yates?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Bruv,
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/labour
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I lasted about four minutes listening to three authoritarians and a silent man who’s occupied a safe seat since 1987 and had not much to show for it. But never mind. Come 2009 the makers of this programme will have a few more voices on the side of freedom to choose from, dv.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:10 pm
hey, it was fun. stop being so constipated about it, especially those of you who didn’t watch.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Tane..(did you have a humour bypass?)
Labour
noun
1. a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages; “there is a shortage of skilled labor in this field” [syn: labor]
Hell it would be nice if the supporters of the NZ Labour party DID work for wages, most survive on hand outs from the rest of us.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Mind you…they could purchase this corrupt lot for a very cheap price I suppose, I mean what is the going rate for a useless pollie like Tisard or Yates?
Maybe if national wins they could bid agasisnt the australians for our health system, thats if key hasnt already done a secret mates rates deal too the aussies.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Do you really think anybody would want to take our health system as it is Mike?
Or are you more worried about political ideology than making sick people better?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
We would probably disagree over how well it works, but you’d have to concede that it could get significantly worse.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Tane: Peter Brown is posting nonsense under your name. Commiserations.
Leaving Slippery Tane to marinate in his own oil, I’m glad you had fun. It was bloody painful to watch, and things might improve if Wallace Chapman replaced the bell with a taser. If I Willie Jackson is already doing the ‘four idiots try to out-shout each other for half an hour’ format.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Mike
How could it get any worse?…the Nat’s want to (and stick with me here as this may be difficult for you to grasp) spend less on admin and MORE on making people better…it can and will ONLY get better under a National govt.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Craig don’t be a prat. You know I’m talking about using masses of cheap labour to undermine NZ workers’ conditions, not about race. Why do you feel the need to be so constantly smarmy?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Sounds interesting DPF, of course it would be nice to watch it without having to buy (another) set top box…
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
And those poor NZ workers have to keep paying you to make these vital contributions.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Sorry to be off topic as there is no general debate today but I just cannot resist sharing the enjoyment of seeing Paul Henry on close up this evening wipe the floor with Maryan Street and boy waas she pissed off her face was like thunder. Too much to ask I suppose but virtually every media interviewer should get a video of the interview and learn how to rattle a poly who just will not answer the question and then finish them off with a god almighty put down – who,s next Paul?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Tane, you mean like Air NZ (the government owned airline) is doing?
Personally, I’m all for cheap foreign workers undermining our wage rates. It’s otherwise known as allowing those people to improve their lot instead of holding them down all the time.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 10:44 pm
big bruv +0 Says:
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Mike
How could it get any worse?…the Nat’s want to (and stick with me here as this may be difficult for you to grasp) spend less on admin and MORE on making people better…it can and will ONLY get better under a National govt.
———–
the nats want to sell it cheaply to people who will spend less on admin, either less or no more on making people better, less capital investment, and ontop of that all, put prices up. Of course this isnt a problem for them as health is a pretty important service so when the full extent of the damage is obvious, the government will start throwing money there way left right and centre.
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Mike, that is bullshit. You either know it is and are a liar, or you haven’t even bothered to look at National’s health policies. Yes, they have a policy that where people cannot get an operation because of waiting lists, that person would be able to get the operation privately with the government paying. Very much like people on ACC are able to do today. What exactly do you object to in that policy?
Vote:April 3rd, 2008 at 11:56 pm
[DPF: How about anything legal? What Maurice was saying was treat goods from overseas the same as goods from NZ - all have to meet the same requirements]
Doesnt really work for Biosecurity, as that takes administrative decision rather than a straightforward regulation. And countries can and do use Biosecurity as a cover for protectionism in some circumstances.
New Zealanders would generally be unhappy with child labour, except under certain conditions.
And even just saying “have to meet the same requirements” still means a lot of decisions about regulation has to be made. For example, if china has a pharmaceutical plant manufacturing generics, we would still want to know if it meets our requirements and that implies some kind of agreed framework for assessing this.
cf
Vote:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/ushealthmedicinechina
April 4th, 2008 at 12:49 am
You mean ‘snarky’, Tane, and I didn’t have a clue what the hell you were going on about. But it sure sounded like the standard anti-foreign wah-wah that Winston First trades in.
Where I come from selling workers is called human trafficking or slavery, and even at your most hysterical I think you’d admit that’s not National Party policy.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 8:33 am
NPOG, you really are a prat. This country has laws which all empoyers must adhere to – a business can’t just fire all its staff then hire a chinese company to provide the labour at $5/hr, nor would ANY party even think of enacting a law enabling them to do so! FFS man grow a brain would you.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 8:35 am
Fisher Paykel
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Was the audience able to interact with them… I would have lovedto be there to join in on the BZP debate
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Mike – yes, and one of the AOCers asked Jacqui a question on party pills.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 9:55 am
You mean ’snarky’, Tane
No Craig, I mean smarmy.
You’d be advised to get yourself up with the play before accusing people of racism – there’s been considerable debate about whether an FTA with China could erode labour standards.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 9:57 am
[Deleted double post. Why am I being moderated David?]
[DPF: God Knows. I ended up with some of my own comments from my Blackberry as being held in moderation for a few hours last week. The filters seem to get rather aggressive from time to time]
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 10:28 am
No worries, we get the same kind of thing on The Standard sometimes.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 11:06 am
You’d do well to keep up with the adult literacy classes. If I’m going to accuse you of racism, it will be perfectly unambiguous. Start frothing about New Zealand being swamped by cheap foreign workers I think it’s entirely fair comment to point out that Winston First would agree with you. If you don’t like a simple statement of fact, misrepresenting me isn’t going to change reality.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Craig, you’re being deliberately disingenuous. Stop digging.
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
“Mike – yes, and one of the AOCers asked Jacqui a question on party pills.”
What was her reply?
Vote:April 4th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
One of these days, you’re going to get it into your head that I’m not going to stand for you making shit up and attaching my name to it. I didn’t call you a racist, but I’m beginning to think you do protest (and project) far too much.
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