It would let Phil Goff off the hook.

DPF, that is a complete misrepresentation of what happened. Sure, Mike Ward was made aware of the strength of Green Party grass roots feeling that he should stand aside in favour of Russel Norman. And he was made aware of his likely inability to achieve anything significant in Parliament within the few months before the 2008 election if he has taken up his right to claim the seat when Nandor resigned.

But he was not “threatened” or “harassed”. After all, it is the Green membership as a whole who decide the list ranking, not the Party heirarchy, as happens with Labour and National, so the Party heirarchy has no actual ability to threaten a candidate anyway.

[DPF: And the membership ranked him ahead of Russel, and the hierarchy bullied him into turning his spot down. A party should stay with the list it fought the election on]

What a pity our main stream media do not follow the example of Wishart, he and he alone is brave enough to have a crack at the corruption and lies of the left, we need more like him.

patronising crap – as is reference to o”rdinary people”.

Ummm little people? WTF, take your elitist class crap and stick it up your arse.

I cannot wait for the day that our media start to take the Greens seriously, only then will the public learn what they are really all about.

you and I both. Sometime bruv, I feel you’re more with us, than against.

I read Wishart’s analysis in the latest Investigate last night

More fool you! I saw the shiny mag at the shop, thought I might, for once, buy it (as it featured the two Green contenders) but once I had looked at the content, couldn’t do it! The tears of laughter in my eyes meant I couldn’t find my way to the counter! What bilious tripe! You’d love it! Right down your alley. (Now that I know where it is you do your research, I’ll regard your comments differently

Being experienced socialist they know how important it is to control the media and to filter the information that the public hears about them, they also know that if you tell a lie for long enough it starts to be accepted as fact.

I cannot wait for the day that our media start to take the Greens seriously, only then will the public learn what they are really all about.

“She IS actually a good thinker…”

Only if you have a speech impediment.

which implies that you think John Key must admire her ability to think? (Disclaimer: I don’t think of Key’s sloppy-speak as an impediment. It’s very endearing.)

Only if you have a speech impediment.

…and like all the Tizards, a very principled kind of person steeped in the Labour concern for the little people.

“Little people” huh. It’s true enough that Tizard is rather large. But the turn of phrase says everything about how someone like Tizard regards the world.

Actually, yes, how dare they. The Greens do offend my sense of right and wrong – that is why I am not a member of the Greens, do not vote for the Greens, and convince anyone who will listen not to vote for the Banning Party. I believe that’s called “politics”.

She could be a bigger asset in Opposition than in Government too. The mission here is to critique a government, not lead the country. I would observe that nearly all Members of Parliament perform much better in Opposition than in Government!

I don’t think she would get Education or Health shadow portfolios. The former minister Chris Carter will probably chug on for quite a while – although if I was Phil Goff I would get a very heavy hitter in there and soon! “Chopper” Tolley (with her helicopter views of education) and Allan Peachey (behind her throne) are such obvious obvious targets – and the chopper has not really started on Tertiary education yet. Additionally, I would have thought that ACT and Maori Party (Roy and Sharples) will be easy to embarrass before too long. But does Labour have any heavy hitters in the caucus at present? (Come back Michael Cullen, all is forgiven)

By way of contrast, Tony Ryall in Health comes across as more of a Bill Birch type of figure; capable of shutting down dangerous issues and with some idea of what he is about. I don’t see the same potential for disasters in his area that will turn Ryall personally into a target.

Which leads us to Crusher Collins and what Labour is doing about her and corrections. Throw in the 3 strikes ACT agenda, and the need for copious more prison space – there is a good meal for someone!

All in all, parliament is in poor shape. Perhaps Labour would benefit from having Judith Tizard about the place once again. She IS actually a good thinker, and like all the Tizards, a very principled kind of person steeped in the Labour concern for the little people.

Labour did rate her on the list where they did and with presumably good reason. Stabbing her in the back would be unwise, and taking the advice of the extreme right wing on the matter is never advisable.

It is hard to rate the opposition yet because Parliament has not really sat to any extent. The 100 days of John Key not only gave the impression of urgency, but the also the mandate to do all sorts of things before parliament sat. Some of the initiatives and decisions may prove their undoing, especially the greater auckland thing that looks like blowing up in some faces. Good on John Banks for adding heat through his “lunatic” text to Andrew Williams of North Shore City. Banks has always known how to do that.

[DPF: I think it would be an excellent idea to make Judith Tizard the shadow law & order spokesperson, to go up against Judith Collins.

I hope Key finds some time to get into Mt Albert and campaign the arse off it with Melissa Lee. National also need to get support and endosement from Mushku if they pick Lee over him, perhaps a promise of a high list placing. The Indian, Asian and other ethnic communities in Auckland turned their back on Labour at the last election over law and order, and their votes and turnout could be the key to making Goff’s and Little’s nightmare scenario come true.