This entry was posted
on Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 at 10:04 am and is filed under Uncategorized.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
Two weeks ago I was at the Mainland National Party conference in Timaru, where the Invercargill electorate were selling oysters for the Mt Albert by-election. Raised quite a bit of dosh too.All to get second ?
Now the national candidate, a lady of some beauty but I think little political brain or guile, as saying she would be happy to finish second. But wait, for about the third time she apologises and says she doesn’t really mean that.
By-elections are difficult, candidates of incumbent governments are on a hiding to nothing. Whatever they say is microanalysed.The opposition can promise the Earth.
It is not the time to put new chum on the blocks, especially one who is a high risk candidate. The fact she comes from Asia(Which is quite irrelevant to me but others ?)speaks a little differently,probably has slightly different cultural norms and has no long pedigree in the National Party.Those seats are for the politically reliable.
National would have been better to have candidate who has stood 2-3 times and has a safe pair of hands. National were never going to win this seat. Any National person knows that, except those that live in Wonderland.
I see our raffle money in Timaru being poured down a rat hole following some spurious headline like “Lee sweeps Mt Albert with 10 000 majority” Get real National supporters, that’s how I used to think 50 years ago.
Did anyone see the article last night about the 3 wankers from Vic Uni that burnt the NZ flag in the common room.
One of them was good enough to state he has no ties to or support of the NZ State. Who the hell is paying 70% of his course costs then? the tooth fairy.
And if there is a max $5,000 fine for this offence how come they aren’t being prosecuted?
I see aucklanders are due for a 5% water price increase because they used less water than last year.
It is great they used less water, since apparently NZ does not have much of the stuff (the way councils carry on). So, why should they be penalised?
I don’t see the point. Aucklanders should pay water delivery costs only. If they used less water, then they should pay less. Metrowater should be absorbed back into the council.
It is about time the councils are ordered to pull their heads in I think. No more sister cities. No more ratepayer junkets. No more expense manipulation and rate shifting. And , boot out the tree lovers.
Hide said last week that both Rodney and the one south of Manukau (forget what it’s called) were always up for debate.
Who cares anyway, either way? They’re both small change. Personally if I lived in either of those areas I’d want to be included, given the superior systems the super city will have to service their ratepayers.
The only area where it’s important to have a say in a local body is setting the District Plan. Anything else: refuse, water supply, transport etc; is much better serviced through a conglomerate, the larger the better. That’s the theory and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean the theory’s wrong, it means they got someone incompetent like Max Bradford to design it. Presumably Hide won’t allow THAT to happen on his watch.
wreck, Metrowater IS a disaster, outcome-wise. It’s a perfect illustration of my point.
Toad you are reflecting the wishes of the Council not the actual ratepayers in Rodney.
The Council including Webster are only looking after themselves. Orewa is basically part of Auckland now so why should it be included and 50% of Rodney adults would travel to Auckland every day for work and play.
Why should the rest of Auckland subsidise infrastructure used by another area?
Southern Raider (988) Vote: 2 0 Says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
“Did anyone see the article last night about the 3 wankers from Vic Uni that burnt the NZ flag in the common room.
One of them was good enough to state he has no ties to or support of the NZ State. Who the hell is paying 70% of his course costs then? the tooth fairy.
And if there is a max $5,000 fine for this offence how come they aren’t being prosecuted?”
One of them is the same rocket scientist who, in his role as the then president of VUWSA, sat in the front row of the dignitaries at graduation ceremony wearing a T-shirt that said “I (heart) my penis”, thereby dishonouring all the graduands and their families and friends who were celebrating their achievements.
So why am I working my arse off, getting raped by the taxman and then have to watch these “free thinking” wankers gouge themselves on University handouts?
bharmer, sounds like the next Liarbore Prime Minister in the making. These clowns need a dose of reality, if they feel no love for their country, fair enough. I just hope the country reciprocates.
I am sick to death of people who we pay to entertain us, confuse that with giving a rats arse about what they think about anything else.
I think I might give ol J K a call and suggest that he tells them to F off. My vote is just as important as theirs. At least I am more likely to vote for him. Arty farty wingnuts ain’t going to.
SR,
If you think Rodney people want to be part of the Supercity, lets have a vote and find out. If they decide they do, they can then use their 75% share of 1 councillor to vote against high rise when the LTCCP is reviewed. They can also use their 2 comminuty boards to lobby against having to upgrade the water system half of them are not connected to.
*It is not the time to put new chum on the blocks*
Why not.. National did at the 2008 general election. In New Plymouth they replaced local candidate Clem Coxhead with Auckland’s Jonotham Young at the last minute and won the seat of Labours long standing incumbent Harry Duynhoven.
I would advise that it would be the best thing National could do. Dump Lee and get someone else. Its not to late to win Mt Albert for National. If thats what they really wan’t to do. Where’s their stagiests for goodness sakes. And where’s National’s head at for goodness sake. Stuck in the sand with Lee./
Can we please shut up about Melissa Lee.
Every time her name is mentioned it is advertising her.
Negative comments about her just make more people think.
Shut up OK and the media shut up as well.
Lee is going for second place. There is no second, just a winner.
I think the more coverage she gets the better. The B……. sending her up on TV3 could be doing her a favour becuase she comes across as a person who can laugh at herself, and a responsible bunch of journos would have saved the clip for the Xmas Party video rather than repeatedly show it. Plus after running her down over the video for a fellow party member we see NZon Air giving her the green light. But of course the media keep repeating the’bad side’ the poor frustrated wankers. I hope the Mt Albert voters see the merit of having Melissa Lee in Parliament as their rep rather than a list MP and confound the commentators.
FWIW: I wonder if this whole fiasco (opening mouth before engaging brain) highlights the fact that to know the locals it actually helps to be BORN here?
Observation of statements attributed to both her (and Pansi Wong who has been known to make equally-silly statements) indicates that both ladies really haven’t a clue about what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’, evidently believing that arriving here from Hong Kong with lots of money, a lot of knowledge and ‘friends’ is all that is needed to be a successful MP in New Zealand.
Had this NOT been the case, Miss Lee would never have made the observation about South Auckland, nor would she have also given-out that silly ‘I don’t expect to win’ statement.
The lady is no fool, but she is equally no born-here Kiwi, and this would seem to be to her definite disadvantage. There are after all some things that ‘real’ Kiwi’s just don’t say, (even though they might think them) yet she just opens her mouth and lets fly, evidently not being aware of the fact that there are somethings that one just doesn’t do (things that only a ‘native’ would know).
As I said, FWIW, but it does make one wonder . . .
Komata, Parekura Horomia was born here but hasn’t a clue. In fact the two best examples of not being born here are Cullen and Peter Brown. I’m sure you’ll agree both stamped their mark in some way on the political scene.
With Asians now making such a high proportion of NZ’rs how can you be so sure “what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture” now, is what you believed it used to be? Lee didnt offend the general population by what she said, in fact I’ll say many agree with what she has said. Lee simply underestimated how left wing the MSM are – and how they would capitalise on a poorly worded sentence
Tell me, Is what Lee has said any better or worse than what Maurice Williamson or Lockwood Smith (both born here) said during the general election?
Komata (114) Vote: 1 0 Says:
May 24th, 2009 at 9:17 am
“Observation of statements attributed to both her (and Pansi Wong who has been known to make equally-silly statements) indicates that both ladies really haven’t a clue about what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’ …”
Komata, I would be grateful if you or anyone else would care to share with this audience, your understanding of what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’.
I predict that no matter what you propose, someone here will disagree with it, and that you will find there is no agreement anywhere as to what it is.
I go further and suggest that the notion of a national culture (in almost any country) is a figment of the imagination, no matter what definition of culture is used.
The Greens are becoming more desperate with each passing day, I suspect they know that the very future of their party rests on a good showing in the Mt Albert election.
Even our old friend Toad has resorted to begging for votes, a poor showing from Comrade Norman will spell the beginning of the end for the Greens, I suspect that Norman will finish no better than a distant third despite the nightmare that is Melissa Lee.
Lee will still poll strongly and certainly a lot higher than Comrade Norman, what the Greens have failed to grasp is the way the people of NZ have turned away from state control and turned away from being told what to do by our parliamentarians, they (the Greens) have not been helped by the almost global change in attitude to the con that is global warming, the world is more interested in getting through the economic recession than it is about the myth of man made climate change.
What will fascinate me after this election is how the Greens deal with what will be a crushing and humiliating defeat, I suspect they may well begin to fall apart as the various factions fight for control, the few remaining environmentalist’s will insist on a return to more traditional Green issues where as the hard left (the bulk of the party) will see the poor result as an excuse to push the party much further to the left.
Either way, I suspect this is the last Parliament they will be a part of..
It’s a good point bharmer..
Any outsider relying on the MSM as a barometer would certainly believe NZ is something its perhaps not.
I’d love to see the media web sites follow DPF’s lead and put karma buttons on each article, to let them know what the general public actually think of the way they reflect each issue – (but of course that will never happen)
“The Greens”, Big Bruv suggests, “are becoming more desperate by the day” and yet they don’t sound desperate, they sound up-beat and quite confident, don’t they realise how much trouble they are in? Their candidate Russel Norman, he’s really mucking up his chances in Mt Albert, isn’t he? He’s made all sorts of blunders, hasn’t he? People there hate him, don’t they?? Didn’t he do some thing stupid the other day? What was it?
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 am
Looks like it is Rodney v Rodney.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:18 am
Two weeks ago I was at the Mainland National Party conference in Timaru, where the Invercargill electorate were selling oysters for the Mt Albert by-election. Raised quite a bit of dosh too.All to get second ?
Now the national candidate, a lady of some beauty but I think little political brain or guile, as saying she would be happy to finish second. But wait, for about the third time she apologises and says she doesn’t really mean that.
By-elections are difficult, candidates of incumbent governments are on a hiding to nothing. Whatever they say is microanalysed.The opposition can promise the Earth.
It is not the time to put new chum on the blocks, especially one who is a high risk candidate. The fact she comes from Asia(Which is quite irrelevant to me but others ?)speaks a little differently,probably has slightly different cultural norms and has no long pedigree in the National Party.Those seats are for the politically reliable.
National would have been better to have candidate who has stood 2-3 times and has a safe pair of hands. National were never going to win this seat. Any National person knows that, except those that live in Wonderland.
I see our raffle money in Timaru being poured down a rat hole following some spurious headline like “Lee sweeps Mt Albert with 10 000 majority” Get real National supporters, that’s how I used to think 50 years ago.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:24 am
Gosh Toad – it’s bound to be a Hideing
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
Did anyone see the article last night about the 3 wankers from Vic Uni that burnt the NZ flag in the common room.
One of them was good enough to state he has no ties to or support of the NZ State. Who the hell is paying 70% of his course costs then? the tooth fairy.
And if there is a max $5,000 fine for this offence how come they aren’t being prosecuted?
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:28 am
I see aucklanders are due for a 5% water price increase because they used less water than last year.
It is great they used less water, since apparently NZ does not have much of the stuff (the way councils carry on). So, why should they be penalised?
I don’t see the point. Aucklanders should pay water delivery costs only. If they used less water, then they should pay less. Metrowater should be absorbed back into the council.
It is about time the councils are ordered to pull their heads in I think. No more sister cities. No more ratepayer junkets. No more expense manipulation and rate shifting. And , boot out the tree lovers.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
Hide said last week that both Rodney and the one south of Manukau (forget what it’s called) were always up for debate.
Who cares anyway, either way? They’re both small change. Personally if I lived in either of those areas I’d want to be included, given the superior systems the super city will have to service their ratepayers.
The only area where it’s important to have a say in a local body is setting the District Plan. Anything else: refuse, water supply, transport etc; is much better serviced through a conglomerate, the larger the better. That’s the theory and if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean the theory’s wrong, it means they got someone incompetent like Max Bradford to design it. Presumably Hide won’t allow THAT to happen on his watch.
wreck, Metrowater IS a disaster, outcome-wise. It’s a perfect illustration of my point.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:49 am
Toad you are reflecting the wishes of the Council not the actual ratepayers in Rodney.
The Council including Webster are only looking after themselves. Orewa is basically part of Auckland now so why should it be included and 50% of Rodney adults would travel to Auckland every day for work and play.
Why should the rest of Auckland subsidise infrastructure used by another area?
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:26 am
Southern Raider (988) Vote: 2 0 Says:
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 am
“Did anyone see the article last night about the 3 wankers from Vic Uni that burnt the NZ flag in the common room.
One of them was good enough to state he has no ties to or support of the NZ State. Who the hell is paying 70% of his course costs then? the tooth fairy.
And if there is a max $5,000 fine for this offence how come they aren’t being prosecuted?”
One of them is the same rocket scientist who, in his role as the then president of VUWSA, sat in the front row of the dignitaries at graduation ceremony wearing a T-shirt that said “I (heart) my penis”, thereby dishonouring all the graduands and their families and friends who were celebrating their achievements.
May 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 am
Exactly bharmer.
So why am I working my arse off, getting raped by the taxman and then have to watch these “free thinking” wankers gouge themselves on University handouts?
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Congratulations to the Chiefs on a mighty fine win!!
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
bharmer, sounds like the next Liarbore Prime Minister in the making. These clowns need a dose of reality, if they feel no love for their country, fair enough. I just hope the country reciprocates.
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Yippee, another couple of “celebs” who think their opinion is more important than anybody elses.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/2435838/Celebrities-lend-a-hand-to-Greenpeace
I am sick to death of people who we pay to entertain us, confuse that with giving a rats arse about what they think about anything else.
I think I might give ol J K a call and suggest that he tells them to F off. My vote is just as important as theirs. At least I am more likely to vote for him. Arty farty wingnuts ain’t going to.
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
SR,
If you think Rodney people want to be part of the Supercity, lets have a vote and find out. If they decide they do, they can then use their 75% share of 1 councillor to vote against high rise when the LTCCP is reviewed. They can also use their 2 comminuty boards to lobby against having to upgrade the water system half of them are not connected to.
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
oscas mum
This is the definition of a wingnut
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wingnut
or to save time look in the mirror
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:43 pm
*It is not the time to put new chum on the blocks*
Why not.. National did at the 2008 general election. In New Plymouth they replaced local candidate Clem Coxhead with Auckland’s Jonotham Young at the last minute and won the seat of Labours long standing incumbent Harry Duynhoven.
I would advise that it would be the best thing National could do. Dump Lee and get someone else. Its not to late to win Mt Albert for National. If thats what they really wan’t to do. Where’s their stagiests for goodness sakes. And where’s National’s head at for goodness sake. Stuck in the sand with Lee./
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Yeah dumb LEE
Ravi Ravi Ravi Ravi
May 23rd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
whoops dump Lee
or maybe dumb
possibly both
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Can we please shut up about Melissa Lee.
Every time her name is mentioned it is advertising her.
Negative comments about her just make more people think.
Shut up OK and the media shut up as well.
Lee is going for second place. There is no second, just a winner.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I think the more coverage she gets the better. The B……. sending her up on TV3 could be doing her a favour becuase she comes across as a person who can laugh at herself, and a responsible bunch of journos would have saved the clip for the Xmas Party video rather than repeatedly show it. Plus after running her down over the video for a fellow party member we see NZon Air giving her the green light. But of course the media keep repeating the’bad side’ the poor frustrated wankers. I hope the Mt Albert voters see the merit of having Melissa Lee in Parliament as their rep rather than a list MP and confound the commentators.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Tuija said: Yeah dumb LEE Ravi Ravi Ravi Ravi
Okay, he’s a migrant from Australia, but he’s still by far the most competent candidate. Accept it! And vote for him!
May 24th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Most people contribute to the NZ brain drain by moving to Australia.
Russel Norman contributed to the NZ brain drain by moving to NZ.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:17 am
To return to Melissa Lee (I know, I know . . . )
FWIW: I wonder if this whole fiasco (opening mouth before engaging brain) highlights the fact that to know the locals it actually helps to be BORN here?
Observation of statements attributed to both her (and Pansi Wong who has been known to make equally-silly statements) indicates that both ladies really haven’t a clue about what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’, evidently believing that arriving here from Hong Kong with lots of money, a lot of knowledge and ‘friends’ is all that is needed to be a successful MP in New Zealand.
Had this NOT been the case, Miss Lee would never have made the observation about South Auckland, nor would she have also given-out that silly ‘I don’t expect to win’ statement.
The lady is no fool, but she is equally no born-here Kiwi, and this would seem to be to her definite disadvantage. There are after all some things that ‘real’ Kiwi’s just don’t say, (even though they might think them) yet she just opens her mouth and lets fly, evidently not being aware of the fact that there are somethings that one just doesn’t do (things that only a ‘native’ would know).
As I said, FWIW, but it does make one wonder . . .
May 24th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Komata, Parekura Horomia was born here but hasn’t a clue. In fact the two best examples of not being born here are Cullen and Peter Brown. I’m sure you’ll agree both stamped their mark in some way on the political scene.
With Asians now making such a high proportion of NZ’rs how can you be so sure “what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture” now, is what you believed it used to be? Lee didnt offend the general population by what she said, in fact I’ll say many agree with what she has said. Lee simply underestimated how left wing the MSM are – and how they would capitalise on a poorly worded sentence
Tell me, Is what Lee has said any better or worse than what Maurice Williamson or Lockwood Smith (both born here) said during the general election?
May 24th, 2009 at 9:53 am
” but he’s still by far the most competent candidate. Accept it! And vote for him!”
Toad, If this is a test of competency I think Boscawen would leave him for dead.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Komata (114) Vote: 1 0 Says:
May 24th, 2009 at 9:17 am
“Observation of statements attributed to both her (and Pansi Wong who has been known to make equally-silly statements) indicates that both ladies really haven’t a clue about what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’ …”
Komata, I would be grateful if you or anyone else would care to share with this audience, your understanding of what actually constitutes ‘NZ culture’.
I predict that no matter what you propose, someone here will disagree with it, and that you will find there is no agreement anywhere as to what it is.
I go further and suggest that the notion of a national culture (in almost any country) is a figment of the imagination, no matter what definition of culture is used.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:19 am
The Greens are becoming more desperate with each passing day, I suspect they know that the very future of their party rests on a good showing in the Mt Albert election.
Even our old friend Toad has resorted to begging for votes, a poor showing from Comrade Norman will spell the beginning of the end for the Greens, I suspect that Norman will finish no better than a distant third despite the nightmare that is Melissa Lee.
Lee will still poll strongly and certainly a lot higher than Comrade Norman, what the Greens have failed to grasp is the way the people of NZ have turned away from state control and turned away from being told what to do by our parliamentarians, they (the Greens) have not been helped by the almost global change in attitude to the con that is global warming, the world is more interested in getting through the economic recession than it is about the myth of man made climate change.
What will fascinate me after this election is how the Greens deal with what will be a crushing and humiliating defeat, I suspect they may well begin to fall apart as the various factions fight for control, the few remaining environmentalist’s will insist on a return to more traditional Green issues where as the hard left (the bulk of the party) will see the poor result as an excuse to push the party much further to the left.
Either way, I suspect this is the last Parliament they will be a part of..
May 24th, 2009 at 10:22 am
It’s a good point bharmer..
Any outsider relying on the MSM as a barometer would certainly believe NZ is something its perhaps not.
I’d love to see the media web sites follow DPF’s lead and put karma buttons on each article, to let them know what the general public actually think of the way they reflect each issue – (but of course that will never happen)
May 24th, 2009 at 11:02 am
“The Greens”, Big Bruv suggests, “are becoming more desperate by the day” and yet they don’t sound desperate, they sound up-beat and quite confident, don’t they realise how much trouble they are in? Their candidate Russel Norman, he’s really mucking up his chances in Mt Albert, isn’t he? He’s made all sorts of blunders, hasn’t he? People there hate him, don’t they?? Didn’t he do some thing stupid the other day? What was it?
May 24th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I think the most racist comments I have heard from MP’s are some of those uttered by members of the Maori party.