Feelings of inadequacy
Later this morning is a final panel session on MMP. One of the panelists, Chris Finlayson, can’t make it due to select committees – so I was asked last night if I would be a replacement.
I stupidly said yes, before checking who else was on the panel.
Sir Kenneth Keith is on the panel. Not only is Sir Kenneth arguably our most emiment jurist (he now sits on the International Court of Justice), he was on the original Royal Commission on the Electoral System. Great I get to look stupid in front of NZ’s most emiment jurist!
Now don’t get me wrong. I like to think a know a fair bit about electoral law and MMP. Possibly more than 99% of the population. But everyone in the room is in the other 1%!
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Tags: Chris Finlayson, DPF, Ken Keith, MMP
August 27th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Don’t let those ivory tower academics intimidate you, David
You may not possess their fancy phDs granted for advanced services to sycophancy but just by reading and running this blog you are more in touch with the common man and average kiwi and what he wants than any of them could ever be in their latte-sipping coddled lives.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Get him drunk at morning tea.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:53 am
If all else fails resort to the law of common sense.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Don’t worry David, if the direction is going somewhere you are not comfortable with, raise a point of order referring to a non specified court case and claim the matter is ‘Sub-Judice’ and cannot be discussed in this forum.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Isn’t there some cliche about the company you keep?! If I could be surrounded be greatness I’d be a very happy person!
[DPF: Yeah in the end it went well and was very nice to be with Sir Ken and Mai Chen on the panel.]
August 27th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Would discussing MMP constitute a breech of the EFA given that the NP says that it will hold a referendum on the matter if elected? Obviously not- discussing it is legal, but writing something down and publishing it… book Sir Kenneth!
August 27th, 2008 at 9:06 am
Maybe, but the PhDs are more in touch with, and knowledgeable about relevant law, but who needs that!? christ
August 27th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Good luck to Mr PF though.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:30 am
DPF
Always remember, bullshit baffles brains.
It has worked for Winston for 20 odd years (until today anyway)
August 27th, 2008 at 9:32 am
no longer big bruve – Glenn has dropped the neutron bomb!
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2008/08/rip-to-wrp.html
August 27th, 2008 at 9:33 am
Peters is gone – read all about it
Barry Soper has just said on air “I can’t see Peters surviving this”
August 27th, 2008 at 9:43 am
Don’t think of it as an opportunity to look dumb, think of it as an opportunity to learn more knowledge.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I think under the circumstances of the news on Winnie and DPF being busy and elsewhere, I think he would be quite happy for this thread to be highjacked.
I think John Key’s prediction of an October 18 election just got a lot stronger, Clark must act and act fast. I believe she would rather miss out on Winnie’s support today in return for being re-elected, as if she doesn’t sack him, she got no chance!!
If Winston was any sort of man, he would resign today…. LOL!!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:09 am
So now the shit is getting sprayed around how much will fall on the Labour Party. Both Peters and Henry have lied to the PC but what a very revealing comment in Owen Glenns letter to the PC:
“I agreed to help in the belief that this step would also assist the Labour Party, in its relationship with Mr Peters. I supported the Labour Party. I have never made any donation to the New Zealand First Party. I declined an earlier request to do so”
really, what/who gave you that belief ????????
dig further Rodney, dig further……
August 27th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Agreed Michaels – Key can now say – “We have no interest in dealing with Peters” – meantime, Peters has his hands full methinks.
But if you feel bad threadjacking at DPF’s, a warm welcome awaits at my place
August 27th, 2008 at 10:23 am
No hassle threadjacking this one
Peters ‘memory’ is not known for its perfection, and I somehow thing that a limelight seeker who is willing to pay for an honorary position in the Corps Diplomatique would remember who it was that he spoke to.
30 – Hate (I’d say 30-love, but who could give WP any love today except in return for some form of payment of course!)
Nils Illigitimii Carborundum Rodney!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Now, does this open the door to corruption charges against Peters?
He was planning on offering the monaco role to Glen right? So, he received cash, and was trying to get owens a job.
So, can you now believe anything Winston has said?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Clark has just ordered the army to surround Parliament. Unfortunately the 10 soldiers left in NZ are all stoned or piss crook at the moment, and their APV is broken. So she rang the police and told them to come with sidearms, but unfortunately Winston did a deal with a Chinese ammo manufacturer and so the coppers don’t have any usable ammo.
At present, Clark, H2 and Wilson are climbing into a Glenn Enterprises helicopter on the roof of the Beehive and frantically trying to stop Winnie from holding on to the skids…
HAHAHAHAHAHA! See ya losers!
August 27th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Owen Glenn was made to look like a prize prick – as I have suggested before – he isn’t finished with Helen yet.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:45 am
10:40 in the Herald, Clark has come out and said…. “there is obviously a conflict of evidence.”
Any chance someone could bug the 9th floor? An interesting conversation will be taking place shortly, just a shame we will only get the spin of it.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:54 am
This exchange happened towards the end of Q5 yesterday (after Hide had been tossed)
“Gerry Brownlee: Does she still accept all of the assurances that she has recently received from Winston Peters about the various allegations made against him?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK: I have accepted the honourable member’s word, and will continue to do so unless something arises out of the Privileges Committee or some other appropriate authority that suggests I should not do so. But I do not have such information.”
I venture to suggest that Clark now has “such information”.
August 27th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Just released
“Ms Clerk stated that Winey had apologised for his bad behaviour and had been placed on the Naughty Corner Mat for three minutes, reflecting his maturity rather than physical age as she didn’t have a few hours to spare. ‘Now that he’s been properly punished we will get back to behaving as we all should’, she said to this reporter, ‘I’ve decided that he should go and have a play-visit with George, who is not looking for re-election and so has time to play with his soldiers and airplanes. I think he and Whinestone will play well together as they both seem to have problems playing with anyone else.’ More will follow on the Labour Party’s adopted child’s misbehaviour as it is available’.
End
August 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Inventory2, I venture to suggest you are right….
However….
What will the old tart do with “such information” is the question!!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I am looking forward to question-time today. Winnie is toast, NZ First will not be a force in the next parliament and the Nats are now free to pursue him with vigour!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Pushme: “just by reading and running this blog you are more in touch with the common man and average kiwi and what he wants than any of them could ever be”
BAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s Hilarious!
But you’re shitting us, right? You really think this place and the paranoid, politically-obsessed Labour-haters that abound here look and sound ANYTHING like “the common man and average kiwi”??? I’m glad I don’t live where you do!
August 27th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
but wait there more as they say on TV I bet OG has some more grenades to toss. like that Mikey W told him H1 and Mikey really want OG to give Liugi a helping hand and that dont worry the Consulate job is in the bag.
OG has been made to look a fool No businessman especially one with OGs (cough) reputation will put up with shit especially from pollies and escpecially from Socialist who stand for everything he stands against.
Utu wont be the half of it when OGs finished Mikey and H1 will be limping off into the sunset
August 27th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
You’d be a damn site cheaper than mai chen.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
And, as the person who invited DPF to replace Chris, I should report that he filled the shoes well and provided the different flavour and perspective we were after. Good reports on the panel contributions all-round, both from the local audience and audience in London.
August 27th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
You held your own DPF! Although Ms Chen did p0wn you at one stage. It is always good to hear from a non academic, we can get isolated in our ivory towers, and you bought your unique views to the floor which is what healthy debate is all about.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Yeah in the end I thought the panel worked okay. Was fun having Mai there also. After I ripped into Parliament for retrospectively amending the Electoral Act in 2003 to keep Harry Duynhoven in Parliament, I suddenly remembered as I finished, that Chen Palmer were Harry’s lawyers
I actually had forgotten that when I was speaking, so I wasn’t having a go at Mai, but she may have thought I was!