HoS on Rankin
After The Press earlier in the week alluded to issues around Christine Rankin’s latest marriage, it was inevitable the Sunday papers would go the whole hog, and sadly the HoS has.
I’m no fan of the Rankin appointment (mainly on political grounds), but I think this sort of scrutiny of personal life is way over the top. The Families Commission is not about Commissioners having perfect family lives, but about advocating for public policy that is good for families.
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Tags: Christine Rankin, Families Commission, Herald on Sunday
May 17th, 2009 at 10:51 am
its the lead story on the website. what the hell?
just strange
May 17th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Love him or loathe him but Michael Laws’ comments on Christine Rankin are the best I have seen.
May 17th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I agree, DPF – shouldn’t have anything to do with it. I’m much more worried about this record in public office as far as Rankin goes.
Maybe Paula Bennett’s forgotten, but I can’t see this leopard changing its spots.
However, a couple of days ago I had a look at Rankin’s attendance record over the last year on the ARC’s Environmental Managment Committee that she sits on:
If she keep that up at the Families Commission, maybe we don’t have that much to worry about after all.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:01 am
I am no fan of Rankin either, but that what that article implies is very nasty stuff and totally unfair to her. I guess the damn broke between news and gossip with the Vietch stuff and now they think that they must uphold the morals of the nation ala The Sun in the UK. Attacking her on her professional history is fine, but if anything, this line of attack (much like the continuous crap over HC choosing not to have children – some of which was foisted by Rankin herself), will end up generating considerable sympathy for her.
Cheers, Chris W.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:02 am
From the link:
Name them, Dunne.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Rankin has always courted publicity. She reaps what she sows.
As for the Herald on Sunday and Carolyn Ming Lee, (already fired from TVNZ and desperate to maintain an income), they write what sells, and in Sunday tabloids, its shit that sells.
Jeez, didn’t they even get a prize for shit at the sickeningly contrived Qantas awards?? That was probably for asking Peter if he showered with Helen.
As for Rankin, who cares, as long as she sticks it to the posturing pontificating hypocrite Dunne.
Here’s one thing tho the hopelessly politically crippled jerkoff mainstream media need to get. Rankin is not and has never been any kind of Conservative.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I’ve been subscribed to the Families Commission mailouts and their email surveys and as far as I can see all that the commission does is to collect information on the current state of families in NZ and then supposedly use that information to advise Government Departments, or at least the Departments read the Commission’s reports and supposedly use the information to the benefit of NZers. The main qualification required for this kind of activity would be skill and understanding in social sciences/research/information gathering.
I would question her appointment on lack of qualifications, unless Bennet has plans for a complete rethink of what the Commission does (although Rankin wouldn’t be the first manager who has no skill in the activity which she is supposed to be managing), but then that may risk undermining whatever agreement that National has with Dunne.
I would say without question that keeping Dunne on board would come way before keeping Rankin or Bennet in their positions. Since Key cannot presumably do anything now that Rankin is in place, I would say that Bennet will be the one to go, this being her first and last act as Minister of Social Development. Rankin’s appointment starkly contradicts Key’s culture of careful astute, and mostly politically correct decision making.
I would say that Rankin’s family history has relevance in this appointment much as we would expect a Finance Minister’s previous financial history to be relevant, especially if there are skeletons.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:20 am
BTW, Matt McCarten’s article, just a series of subjective opinions on Melissa Lee from someone who is essentially little more than an extreme left halfwit, is just more of the same shit journalism as the Rankin smear.
..and as for Coddington’s incoherent excrement.. WTF???
Why can’t they see why they’re going broke?
May 17th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Just for the sake of consistency, how about profiles of all the other Labour appointed commissioners. Where was Dunne when the Commission was chock full of loonie lefty poofters and lesbians?
May 17th, 2009 at 11:28 am
“Here’s one thing tho the hopelessly politically crippled jerkoff mainstream media need to get. Rankin is not and has never been any kind of Conservative.”
And indeed was the Labour Party secretary for her branch back in 1978.
Still, she got rid of Druis Whatsit.. a person rated by her Maori women peers as one the worst of the apologists for Maori violence and noted for her intolerance of any views that conflicted with her own.
Given that the new standard for the families Commission is that all commissioners (and staff of course), is that they be monogamous, have perfect children and have never said or done anything that the public disapproves of we must do a retrospective study of them all. Wouldn’t wont a childless queer in there.. would we.
JC
May 17th, 2009 at 11:31 am
reid said: Name them, Dunne
I’m no fan of Peter Dunne, but I think I named a number of them in my comment above and the link from it. Redbaiter, you’re right, Rankin is no conservative – at WINZ she led a personality cult of extravagance.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Toad, are not all those “records” from the time you’re Kammander Klark gathered the reins and embarked NZ into a downhill spiral of men bashing,lying,corruption etc etc. I mean this has all been pointed out to you ad infinitum but clearly you lack an absorptive capacity when it comes to the truth.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Oh, I forgot to add “…and mismanagement.”
May 17th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I’ve blogged on the Herald’s Rankin story, and I wonder if they are using her as a conduit to attack Paula Bennett given that the HoS couldn’t get the “gangster” story to stick. But Laws’ column this morning on Rankin and allied matters is, as Tauhei Notts notes, right on the money
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/laws-on-rankin.html
May 17th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Name them, Dunne
How do you know he didn’t – and Meng-Yee didnt publish them because it didn’t fit in with her agenda.
the dam broke between news and gossip with the Veitch stuff
And guess who wrote on that for the HOS – Meng-Yee. The same journalist who asked Peter Davis if he liked to shower with his wife and asked him do you like sex?”
May 17th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Viking2, the vast majority of the mismanagement and extravagance, including the $235,206 training course and the student allowances debacle, under Rankin was in 1998-99 when National was in office.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:51 am
You just know that the watermelons are not being honest when they cite Rankin’s supposed extravagance as a reason not to appoint her.
The melons have never costed a policy (bribe) in their dishonest life’s, Toad’s resistance to Rankin comes stems from her great work at finding work for dole bludgers when she was in charge of WINZ, she made it hard to get a benefit, she made it hard for breeders on the DPB to rort the system and a such she is the natural enemy of the communist Green party.
The reality is that Rankin will do well, she is supported by the vast majority of Kiwi’s and people like Toad will just have to get over it.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Law’s article about Rankin is headlined ‘Champion of Sense’ he missed the non in front of sense and also forget to add hysterical.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Just for the sake of consistency, how about profiles of all the other Labour appointed commissioners. Where was Dunne when the Commission was chock full of loonie lefty poofters and lesbians?
How about you have a clue what you’re on about instead of simply parading your ignorance?
For the record, the two commissioners who recently finished their terms both have strong ties to their respective church communities.
Sharron Cole has longstanding ties with the Catholic church and has now taken a job as director of the Catholic Education Centre. Lyn Campbell is a member of the NZ Baptist Assembly Council. They both also have deep qualifications in a way that Rankin simply doesn’t.
Any other wingnut myths I can clear up for you?
May 17th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
big bruv said: The melons have never costed a policy…
Well, how about here, just two days ago bruv. Tell the truth.
And tell us, did you support Rankin spending $235,206, including chartered flights, on a staff training course and students waiting for months before they were paid the student allowances and loans they were entitled to?
May 17th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Toad
1. yes
2 yes.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Any other wingnut myths I can clear up for you?
I`ll clear up another one. Two other Commissioners are also Christians and have ties to church communities. One has since left, the other is Kim Workman. None were poofters – and as they both were male they weren’t lesbians either.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Article was a load of crap, the media love finding hate figures so that they can dredge up irrelevant personal details about. I’ve never met her and have no opinion on her suitability, I’d prefer to see how she performs rather than bring up the past. Let them criticise her views, not her private life.
May 17th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Double standards people ? OK for Rankin to go on about Clark being childless but her private life should not be bought up ?
Is this the new family values the Nats want ?
May 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
It wasn’t Rankin’s private life that was brought up – that has been done – but the private lives of others, one of whom is now dead.
May 17th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Ah, Dave,
While I might be wrong, reading the article in question it appears that the McAuley family volunteered the information for this article and HoS did not have to ‘drag it up’ and the family in question have quite strong opinions about this appointment:
A private individual has the right to bring their private life into the public sphere if they so wish, is that not correct? Newspapers serve accountability and democracy by airing all kinds of information, good or bad, about the people that serve us, even if we don’t agree with them doing it or even if we are unsure of what purpose it serves.
May 17th, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Kent,
You probably are wrong. The quote you have put forward was not from a family association. It was from her employer, Tommy Heptinstall, probably the most well known real estate agent in Wellington. The family never commented on Rankin’s appointment and it is irresponsibly stupid of you to suggest they did.
But you’d think that the HOS could at least spell Tommy Heptinstall’s name correctly.
May 17th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Actually Kent, I’ve just checked the story and stand corrected – that comment was made by an anonymous friend of the deceased. Pity she was not named. But there is no evidence the family volunteered her to the paper. Who knows, it could have been a Tommys employee.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
TV channel surfing a few minutes ago and found Christine Rankin being interviewed on ShineTV.
An interesting woman. Blackball miner’s daughter, tough upbringing, felt when she headed WINZ that once supportive feminists turned on her in part because she doesn’t have education beyond a few school cert. subjects. No arrogance, but confident and coherent. Why wouldn’t Lefty feminists want her in a top job?
Rankin came across as the sort of veteran-of-life realist who could establish whether it’s possible to make a silk-purse commission out of what has begun as just a (Pete) Possum’s ear.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Jack5 said: Why wouldn’t Lefty feminists want her in a top job?
Because of her appalling record of mismanagement – which I detailed above – and development of a personality cult about herself (she used to come across like Kim Jong Il) Jack5.
And remember that Rankin is an elected member of the ARC who sits on its Environmental Management Committee. Over the past year she has managed to attend only 5 out of 18 meetings of that committee. In that context, she’s probably also part of the reason Rodney Hide’s decided to dork Auckland democracy.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Hell. Now TV1 has waded in with a love-life interview of Rankin. Heaviest innuendo I’ve seen on a TV screen.
Could this be a major revenge attack by lesbians and girlie men of the Left?
Or is it just another part of the MSM cliff slipping into the sea?
Sell TVNZ while it’s Woman’s Day hot.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Toad. Auckland hasn’t got a democracy. It has a collection of of conflicting councils. Thats why they need a single democracy.
Its also interesting to note that its all the dole blouggers of old that don’t like what she did at winz. Same old same old tall poppy syndrome added to by the communists and socialists. Those that worked alongside of her thought she was good.
No doubt Prebble and Maharey and short man Mallard are in the thick of this. Probably very concerned about their possible exposures. This Govt. need tp put some of them in jail and appoint a lot more VRWC types to all the Govt. money sinks.
Rankins interview was just replayed on TV1. (another place that needs cleaning out.)
May 17th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
I was a fan of Rankin… but after just watching the Sunday program on TV1… I dought that she is emotionally fit enough to hold any position of responsibility… I’m sure to that National will reconsider her position. Not that she will or want be good for the job… but that she is an emotional time bomb about to go off.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Just watched Christine Rankin on “Sunday” good for her standing her ground and not allowing her private life out on telly, while answering her rabid left wing critics.
Nicely answered a letter from a grieving family member of her husbands ex wife.
Put the reporter in her place too, about time.
May 17th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
“Why wouldn’t Lefty feminists want her in a top job?”
Because Rankin can think for herself and is not afraid of speaking her controversial mind
Give the woman a chance ffs. Suicide is usually out of bounds for MSM but not when they can score cheap shots in prime time.
Poor woman couldn’t truly give her side as it’s disrespectful – TV1 should take note
May 17th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Christine Rankin pretty much put Janet McIntyre in her place, the Lefties on the Families Commission will be in for a rough time be worth watching.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
PETER DUNNE- Well the little tosser should be!!!
Never forget on the smacking issue,when asked for comment he wasnt returning phone calls and wasnt available for comment.
Then the night before the National -Labour deal he was allowed to come out against the deal by Clarke in return for his support should she need it in the next election.
What a liitle weasle.
I have more respect for Sue bradford than that idiot, did you see him on election night, god save us from small men and political whores.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Rankin is uneducated. She was an incompetent ,self aggrandizing and bullying manager. She is a pig-ignorant, unattractive, heartless old slapper.
A first rate media whore she deserves every piece of mud that’s flung at her. I’m loving it.!!!!!!! Suck it up wingnuts.
May 17th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
oldandintheway (9:15pm) – you must be very disappointed then that Helen Clark’s personal details still haven’t been dragged out for the public to salivate over by our gutter press.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
WTF is Tommy Heptinstall doing sticking his oar in over this? Real Estate agents rank right up there with used car salesman and politicians in their trustworthiness and Tommy’s company is certainly no different to the rest, from the stories I have heard.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:04 am
“WTF is Tommy Heptinstall doing sticking his oar in over this?” Because she worked for the company, and having come from overseas she had no family here in NZ so she became close to her workmates and even some of their extended family as well. Real Estate agents are people too and sometimes they care about others especially when they’ve tried (and failed) to help them through a personal crisis. That being said while I don’t really think this is should have been aired as people should be able to have a personal life away from media scrutiny even if it is messy, in the event it has it’s clear that the decision to marry did hurt friends and family as it came so soon after her death and for them it is seen as poor judgement. My concerns about the appointment lie in other areas, her leadership of WINZ and other areas where if not poor judgement was exercised it’s clear she hasn’t looked objectively at the issues before jumping on the bandwagon and promoting a cause. Perhaps this situation might just be a case of what goes around comes around because Rankin isn’t above making personal attacks herself, nor attacking groups she doesn’t agree with, maybe if everyone stopped ‘dishing the dirt’ the media then couldn’t take it and turn it into a circus.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Poor old Holmsie, is pointing to an online poll that doesn’t exist: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10572726 that purports to support Rankin by a margin of 50%. Even if Rankin gets only 50% support, it is the divisiveness that she incites that is the problem, regardless of political views, qualifications or earrings. No Government Dept can expect to get much useful work done with that distraction going on and it will continue to provide fodder for the press, which is why it is an appointment that cannot remain in place.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:50 am
This whole media beat up is disgraceful and makes me sick. Good on Key for not backing down, Government appointments DO NOT have to be approved by the media.
if the left hate it I’m all for it. Go Rankin!
May 18th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Oldandintheway at 9.15 last night made offensive personal attacks on Rankin.
Why is the Loony Left so vitriolic about Rankin? Could it be they hate her healthy heterosexuality, and her obvious physical attractiveness (she has won four husbands after all)?
And when you reflect on TVNZ’s descent into Rankin’s love life, you have to ask why state television didn’t give Helen Clark’s the same scrutiny when the rumours ran hot about her family life and her solo departure for New York.
We have not just gutter state TV, but Left-wing gutter state TV.
Why should the 75 per cent of taxpayers who are not blockhead leftists finance the minority’s political propaganda?
May 18th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Would have been five, but the game was cancelled due to weather.
Interesting trivia: Marrying and Golf are the only two sports that are cancelled only for thunderstorms and will play on through all other weather.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Ryan:
Could it be the clap that’s so offputting about thunder for weddings?
May 18th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Jack5,
Oh dear. That’s so bad I laughed out loud.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Rankin came across in that interview last night as a horrible, nasty, old woman.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
You would be pissed off as well if the same bullshit was happening to you He-Man. I can only imagine the stress she is under (thanks to the media beat-up).
So when do we get the goods on the other Families Commission members? C’mon NZ media, I’m waiting for some balance here….don’t leave me hanging………
May 18th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Quite right Nigel, in the interest of balanced & unbiased reporting, we should be hearing and seeing full details of the marital status, previous affairs, sexual preferences, kinky preferences etc etc, of the other commissioners over the next couple of days,
I can’t wait, but I will not hold my breath.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Well Something I cant figure out is if there was no “Affair” why did Kim MacIntyre tell his then wife that he was leaving her for Christine Rankin? I think there may be a clintonesque definition being applied here.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Translation: Key cannot do anything about it and rather than feed the media monster further he has to vocalize support for the appointment. Meanwhile he is sharpening the knives…
Wham bam, politics!
May 18th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Nigel7 posted of “He-Man” at 2.29pm: “..You would be pissed off as well if the same bullshit was happening to you He-Man.”
Nigel, don’t be fooled by the pseudonym “He-Man”. This poster is likely from among the girlie men of the Left, as Arnie S. would describe them. They would relish being in such a Soaps drama.
If Rankin came across as horrible and nasty to “He-Man” what words describe “He-Man’s” beloved H1 as she appeared to the rest of us?
How would H1 have competed in Dancing with the Stars from a partner point of view?
May 18th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I was waiting for Rankin to finish off her speech with a “Muuuuhuhhahahaha” witches cackle.
May 18th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Jack5, I suppose then that I’m one of the “girlie men of the left” from where you are sitting.
Bet you have never faced and been beaten with police batons on a protest, and bet I can shoot a rifle far more accurately than you can, even though I’m now in my 50s and my eyesight is failing. We used to have lots of rabbits on the farm when I was growing up, and they had to be dealt to. Yeah, and I worked as a farm and horticultural labourer in my younger days, so I know a bit about being tough.
Rankin does not come across to me as (to use He-Man’s words) “horrible and nasty” – actually, I think she’s quite spunky. But her record in public office is an appalling litany of mismanagement, extravagance and self-agrandisement, so I wouldn’t even go there with yours Jack5!
She might be attractive, but she’s very dangerous.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
He-Man said: I was waiting for Rankin to finish off her speech with a “Muuuuhuhhahahaha” witches cackle.
Um, He-Man: Wouldn’t that sound have been that of the “no hands” orgasm that being restored to a powerful political position can induce in a megalomaniac?
May 18th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Let’s cut to the chase here. Christine Rankin’s personal history, past and recent, goes to integrity. If she were being appointed to an energy board, a producer board, a business board, her marriages and liaisons would be totally irrelevant and an impertinence to question. However, she’s being appointed to a board that purports to support children and families. Therefore it becomes relevant, particularly since she was highly vocal and partisan during the Section 59 debate. There are questions that must be answered, and so far those answers have been shrouded in melodrama.