The Aro Valley debate
I would have loved to have attended the Aro Valley debate last night, but sadly I was not in Wellington.
The Dom Post has a photo and story.
I love the water pistol for candidates who go over their time limit.
Dom Post reports:
In a meeting meant to entertain as much as anything else, Mr Appleby was a crowd-pleaser, noting Prime Minister Helen Clark’s emphasis on trust.
“You can’t even trust her photograph. I don’t want a 19-year- old running this country,” he said, referring to her airbrushed billboard image.
He had one answer for every issue from tax to law and order, student fees and health. “If we legalised cannabis . . .” he repeatedly shouted through a window to the crowd outside, who could not make it into the packed community hall and had complained that they could not hear.
Don Franks, a Rongotai factory hand standing for the Workers’ Party, filled out his opening address with a socialist song.
UnitedFuture’s Vaughan Smith took inspiration – setting his closing address to a rap accompanied by foot-stomping and finger-clicking from the audience.
I’d love to hear feedback from people who did attend, on how it went.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Is there no Kelburn meeting this year? From the schedule I saw, it looks like the closest is Northland (and that’s getting a bit deep into the barbarian suburbs.)
October 15th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Hels could have done with being on the receiving end of a water pistol in the One news election debate.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:51 am
And right in the front row we catch a glimpse of Sonny Thomas.
No doubt this overweight thug was leading the abuse and heckling.
[DPF: Pls leave his weight out of it, and he is not a thug.]
October 15th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Quote:
“You can’t even trust her photograph. I don’t want a 19-year- old running this country,” he said, referring to her airbrushed billboard image.
This is EXACTLY what I’ve thought ever since they brought in that catchphrase, “It’s a matter of trust”. Look at the billboards with “It’s a matter of trust” printed right next to a photo that has so obviously been retouched, and you really want to add a Tui billboard: “Yeah right”
October 15th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Very good, DPF. But Young Labour was out in force, heckling Franks about his previous comments on Civil Unions and shouting out abuse at every opportunity. Despite Franks clearly and coherently addressing them, they continued to try and portray him as homophopic (which is absurd). A major part of their campaign strategy is to portray Franks as a bigot, while uplifting Robertson as some Messiah for the gay community.
Yet, when pressed on questions like infrastructure, national debt and roading, all Roberston did was recite Labour press releases.
Robertson would be a terrible candidate for Wellington Central and I hope his smugness shines through come 8 Nov.
Heather Roy also did very well (despite being in a Greens/Labour part of town). Vaughan Smith did appaulingly, even though he did well to rap.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:05 am
It was the same at the recent meeting in Johnsonville. Everytime the National or ACT candidate spoke the Labour rent-a-crowd (many wearing T-shirts for Robertson) heckling and booing.
As usual non Labour supporters were polite when Labour spoke.
The left always has to denigrate.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Stayed home for the TV debate instead.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Funny comment by the ALCP guy, but really Clark isn’t campaigning on how realistic her photographs are, is she.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:39 am
No Stephen, she is campaigning on trust.
So things like retrospectively changing legislation when the majority of NZers think you’ve broken the law, not paying the money back until almost everyone in NZ demanded it, stating she wouldn’t pass an anti-smacking law then passing it. And, of course, the hidden agenda, policies and costings that aren’t being talked about.
Yes, the photo is a good parallel to what is going on in the rest of their campaign, and as you say, it was funny.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:42 am
stephen: No, but she IS campaigning on trust. To me, the retouched photo does raise questions about how much you can trust her.
Don’t know if Mr Appleby was trying to be funny, I’m not. I’m serious, how can you trust her fully?
October 15th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Ah, yes as a parallel it’s significant. All the other stuff you mention PaulL – Key should’ve been able to squash ‘trust’ in Clark about a day after it came out. I didn’t see the (TV) debate, but regardless of whether he used that sort of stuff once already or not, he should be hammering it.
“Don’t know if Mr Appleby was trying to be funny, I’m not. I’m serious, how can you trust her fully?”
Considering he said she looked 19, i’d say he was trying to be funny in that funny stuff always contains a grain of truth.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
The Dim Post has a good account of the Aro Valley debate.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Dare I suggest that if a retouched portrait photo is important to you as an election issue, then you are probably pretty steadfastly on your own path in any case, and there’s very little point in discussing anything with you in a forum like this…?
October 15th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
” And right in the front row we catch a glimpse of Sonny Thomas.
No doubt this overweight thug was leading the abuse and heckling.”
That’s totally reprehensible that you have to resort to that to try to make a point. I don’t really agree with his politics, but you disgust me resorting to saying that about him. Thankyou to DPF for coming out against this sort of ad hominem attack. Though I’d be a little concerned that you run a blog where apparently twice as many readers endorse this sort of comment – four positive to two negative (including my negative vote) at the time of writing…
October 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
RRM: Feel free to suggest it, but you’re wrong.
The retouched photo per se IS NOT important to me.
What it represents – the misleading, the misrepresentation – basically, the fact that you CAN’T trust Helen Clark – IS important to me.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
She promised to get rid of the interest on my student loan, and then she did. That was good enough for me
October 15th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Dare I suggest that if all that matters to you is yourself and your student loan, and the rest of the country can go whistle as long as you’re alright, then there’s very little point in discussing anything with you in a forum like this…?
October 15th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I am not holding that up as a reason to dismiss Key, only as a way of trying to help you understand why I voted my way. Up to you whether you choose to take this information in the spirit it is offered, or not…
(PS: And YES, I DO believe it is more valid to judge my politicians on actual policies of theirs that benefit me, than on whether they airbrush their portrait or not!!
)
October 15th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I attended the meeting and as usual every seat was taken and every wall space filled. People were 4 deep at the back and the overflow outside listened through the open windows. It was a balmy Wellington night thank goodness.
12 candidates took the stage and Brian Crump the MC outlined the rules with good humour and wit.
There were 4 Socialist nutters representing The Workers party , The Alliance and The Residents Action Movement. and the Japs. People patiently listened to their ramblings. Nuff said.
Bernard Darnton from the Libertarianz was cogent and thoughtful about his impassioned desire to issues shares in hospitals to everyone so that they could own the health service. His best line was that we dont want to spend a Billion dollars on Transmission gully just to keep Peter Dunne in office
There was a young woman representing the Kiwi party..only sensible comment was that they would not support Labour.
Vaughan Smith represented United Future and kept repeating the word family. When asked how he would define family he deftly said Same as you do.
There was Michael Appleby rousing the rabble using every reference to high and stoned to tell us that Legalising cannabis would solve every problem including the economic meltdown. He was the second most intelligent person there. He said he would vote for Stephen Franks as Stephen was an honourable man who would best represent Wellington
Sue Kedgely was disappointingly subdued and refused to answer any question about economics or how much they would borrow for their plans. She kept banging on about sustainability and food labelling. She asked Green Voters to give her their electorate vote as well as their Party vote. Narcissist.
Heather Roy was listened to and got in a few good points but ruined it by talking about nuclear powered banana boats.
Grant Robertson was well drilled in repeated the party line and appealing to the “wide diversity of people” but was thrown by a questioner who asked. when you worked in the Prime Ministers office what steps did you take to try to stop the misuse of $800,000 of taxpayer money or do you agree with Labour policy that dishonesty is always the best policy.
He stumbled over saying that the pledge card had been used in 2005, 2002 and 1999 but could not address the fact that Labour had been warned that their spending was illegal and deliberately and desperately ignored and broke the law.
Stephen Franks was clearly the intellect of the night. Whether it was his measured and legalisitic answer to the trite call for entrenchment of the Treaty or his calm and measured reasoning as to why he supported Civil Unions but opposed a bill that made defacto couple enter a marriage like relationship whether they wanted to or not. The chairman in fact told the water gun guy to give him more time to articulate his superb answer to the attempted slurs. It was masterful and the room was respectful and hushed and the few non committed voters in the room were clearly impressed.
The audience was typical Aro Valley Green /Anarchist/Labour/Communist and thus not representative but the candidate who won the debate on quality of answer and was most impressive was Stephen Franks who I suspect will overcome the Labour majority on a tidal wave of National support and be the National MP for Wellington Central on November 8th
October 15th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Woo – a competition! When do we get poll results for Wgtn Central?
October 15th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I see poor old Dear Leader is having trouble with her billboards, some around here have been riddled with bullet holes and one in the bay of plenty had two shot pukeko hung over a Dear Leader billboard with the caption “three pests”. This is turning into a one of the most nasty elections I have seen. If the left are returned to power with the help of the sycophant partys then I truly believe Mr Trotter will get his wish “the streets will run red with blood” but it won’t be blood through revolation it will be blood from those that have had their hands out for the last decade taking, there will be nothing left to take.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Shooting Pukekos? Now THERE’S an impressive sport!
I hope no-one’s house was right behind the billboard that was riddled with bullet holes…
October 15th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Pukeko stew is great RRM. Blast everything with lead shot. Stuff the Lickspittle Wimps.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Hmm, not really into killing living things as a way of having fun. But I respect the courage of people who hunt animals that are capable of killing them, and I can appreciate the skill of people who shoot flying birds like ducks (which are pests anyway.) But shooting Pukekos = cheap thrills for little pussies. Unless you are lost and starving in the bush.
Not impressed.
Says more about the calibre (pun not really intended) of National supporters in that area than anything else….
October 15th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
LOL.
DPF says “I would have loved to have attended the Aro Valley debate last night, but sadly I was not in Wellington.”
Translated – I didn’t have enough personal disinfectant spray and anti-bacterial wipes to venture into a hall full of smelly, dirty hippies, greens and commies.
Aro Valley – the land that time forgot. And before you ‘chic’ wellington urban hippies get all uppity, I used to live there so have valid experience to base that opinion on.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Don’t forget stoners. There’s a gentrification thing happening but it has a long way to go.
Also I believe Farrar really is out of town at the moment…
October 15th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Gentrification – thats what happens when house prices go up.
Rentrification – thats what happens when no-one wants to do up cold damp old shit boxes, they rent them out to smelly hippies and students.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Houses that are colder inside than outside – how I miss those days…