Laws on Lee
May 24th, 2009 at 2:32 pm by David FarrarMelissa Lee finds a defender with Michael Laws:
MELISSA LEE is a racist, apparently. We know this because the collective intelligence that is the Auckland University Students Association has passed a motion to that effect. And who are we to argue with the moral priggishness of undergraduate students?
Apparently the National Party candidate for the Mt Albert by-election demonstrated her preference for the hooded white sheet despite being Korean by opining that a new motorway might inhibit the activities of South Auckland criminals.
At no stage did she identify the ethnicity of such criminals. Nor did she mention that she was parroting the exact same sentiments as publicly espoused by a senior Avondale police officer some three weeks previously.
But it matters not. The Auckland University Students Association a collection of onanists and lefty liberals (generally the same thing) has spoken. And they would know a racist when they see one. Because they automatically hate anyone or anything blue.
Not just Aucland University students. A number of Labour MPs have also called her racist, which I have found appalling. Lee deserves criticism for trying to suggest a motorway would greatly impact crime, but it is ludicrous that one can’t refer to high crime levels in South Auckland and have people tar you as a racist.
David Shearer himself said on television that crime is higher amongst migrant and polynesian communities as they have higher unemployment rates. Now Shearer is right, but he does not get smeared as a racist.
And who knew that South Aucklanders were their own ethnic group? When did that happen? I have naturally assumed that the place is an ethnic melting pot comprising Pakeha, Polynesian, Maori, Asian and just about all others. When did they start inbreeding to the point that science or at least the Auckland University Students Association regards them as a distinct culture?
Indeed.
UPDATE: Brian Edwards also criticises the students:
How tragic that the Auckland University student body can think of no better way to express disagreement than to boo, shout down and abuse a speaker. If Melissa Lee’s comments about South Auckland were stupid and offensive, they were outdone by the Hitler moustache and the word ‘racist’ scrawled across her photograph. As it happens, Ms Lee made no reference in her earlier remarks to any race, so the presumption that the ‘criminals’ she was referring to must be Maori or Pacific Islanders comes entirely from them. I would have thought that makes them the true racists.
But where did the students get their inspiration from to call Lee a racist? The Labour Party Caucus no less.
Labour MP David Cunliffe said in Parliament yesterday Ms Lee was “worrying about brown people coming up your motorway and invading the good white suburbs of Mt Albert”.
And in this PR from Labour, Lee is called “bigoted”.
May 24th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
It really depresses me that my fees are helping to fund the fuckwits in the AUSA executive.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
“Nevertheless she wears makeup, looks good in a dress, isn’t fat and has no obvious facial hair….. After all, we’re not used to pretty women with power. And, of course, she is Asian as well holy moly, that scrambles all the circuits.”
Poor Michael, still suffering from that mid-life crisis?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I agree in some respects. She’s not a racist, just very very stupid.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Sonic
“And, of course, she is Asian as well holy moly, that scrambles all the circuits.”
That bit just flew straight over your head didn’t it.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
‘A number of Labour MPs have also called her racist’
Come on David name names, I bet you don’t.
[DPF: David Cunliffe for one]
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Thanks for your contributuion Sonic. You forgot to mention however whether or not you consider Lee to be racist.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
“After all, we’re not used to pretty women with power.”
Amen to that Sonic
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I think he is just suffering from fossilization after looking at the last lot of women in power Sonic.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
ML is on pretty safe ground with his arguments, neither Shearer or Lee were trying to put down any particular ethnic group.
Vote:I could see nothing wrong with Shearer’s comments, it hard to argue that unemployment and crime are not related. Laws does fail to mention Duncan Garner’s weird beat up on the TV3 news- where he was criticised for trying to be sensitive to the problems of unemployment in migrant communities
May 24th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
great pic in the herald… 2 middle class white girls holding a sign up calling her racist. cracks me up.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I drove from the airport to Sandringham Road where the motorway ends this morning, I can’t wait till Mt Albert gets flattened, it’s bloody great. And as many criminals aren’t the brightest bulb in the box, they may well get on this motorway and never get off, they may well just go round and round and round and round and round and round and round, well until they run out of gas and hop into someones backyard and steal a can of gas.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
“…after looking at the last lot of women in power…”
Banana, I think you mean:
…after looking at the last lot of “women” in power…
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
The fact that Lee made the statement during an election is her only act of stupidity – perhaps naivety is a better word. That is always a time when statements are reversed, blurred and otherwise pounced on by opponents.
In any anthropology study you will find that culture changes when there is direct interaction between people. When there is no interaction then cultures diverge. And one of the biggest forms of this occurs with roads as outlined in various case studies. Usually that happens when you build a road from one place to the next but I suspect it is also likely when a road provides a physical barrier (albeit not made like a wall).
I don’t know the stats in Auckland as to where criminals live but one would think the Police do and therefore the statement of the senior officer.
South Auckland is made up of a wide variety of people. The place is vibrant and colourful – just wander down the main street of Otahuhu some time. It will be a shame if that vibrancy is trapped on one side of a motorway.
I’ll forgive Lee for being naive and telling the probable truth of the matter. It is easy for AUSA to chant “racism” when they are sitting inside an ivory tower, but I wonder what their individual views will be in 20 years time when they are wanting to protect the privileged positions that education and society have given them.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Personally I think she is a bit of a fool. as for racist? Dunno to be honest.
As for Laws, how is it possible to take him seriously, he sounds like some slathering old man getting hot and bothered by a good looking woman.
Being defended by him must be any politicians worst nightmare (especially if you are female)
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Praise from Laws is the Kiss of Death, but it won’t affect Lee’s chances. She’s dead in the water already.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I’ve been critical of Melissa Lee for being politically naive. But give her credit for fronting at Auckland Uni knowing full well that all she’s going to get is grief from a bunch of clueless raving looney left-wing student pollies. Sure, it makes easy fodder for the TV networks that night. But if anyone thinks that the AUSA branding her a racist is the work of a rational thoughtful organisation then they’re as deluded as the president of the AUSA.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
I was at the Auckland Uni debate (here’s a picture of me and Boscawen: http://geocities.com/betterisonehope/JohnMcCain.jpg) and I think it’s unfair to tar the entire AUSA for this, as their President was actually VERY GOOD to Lee, I don’t think he was a National supporter but he was like constantly defending her by telling the crowd to stop booing her, telling everyone that Lee had every right to speak without being interrupted and that the debate wouldn’t proceed until everyone shut up, telling the Labourites to return Lee’s sign which they had stolen and written ‘racist’ on, etc. Really nice guy actually, Darcy Peacock. It was just ‘cos one guy went up and decided to put forward a motion to label her a racist – I’m sure any student could’ve gone up and done that, and then all the Labour supporters decided to support it but it wasn’t reflective of every student.
For the record I think Lee sucks.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Hur, what reid?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Sonic
“Personally I think she is a bit of a fool. as for racist? Dunno to be honest.”
Well done Sonic. Of course you do not know. And neither do those prats at AU. They know no more nor less than you but it did not stop them smearing Lee, making fools of themselves and quite likely adding a few sympathy votes for Lee.
Nothing new here though. Demonising and smearing opponents is classical lefty politics.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Ah from Michael ‘I ended gangs’ Laws. Well he does know best doesnt he.
Love to know who all these labour MPs are labelling her a ‘racist’? linking to a PR saying ‘bigoted’ hardly cuts it.
Shearers comments were sooo mild it was funny to watch Garner desperately try and make it bigger than what it was.
Vote:apples and apples please David.
May 24th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Sonic, would you care to attack Laws’ argument instead avoiding it like a coward by saying “I cant take him seriously”.
The way I see it, while Lee’s comment cant be considered racist, the accusation that she is racist by labour et al must be racist:
In order for Lee’s statement to be racist, the accuser must assume either everyone in south auckland is one race (quite a racist assumption), or that one race in south auckland commits 100% of the crime there (an even more racist assumption).
Thus Cunliffe=racist
The rest of the Labour maggots=racist
Student union members=racist
Sonic=too dumb to figure this out
But in no way is Lee a racist.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Could someone confirm something for me. We got told earlier that the motion was subject to approval by the student union executive, and that they were giving thought toward a veto. Did the motion stand or was it vetoed?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
David Shearer says that Pacific Islanders have criminal tendencies. Labour involved themselves in coalition with a party who promoted anti-Asian feeling as one of their policy planks, and never once condemned their racism. And we’ve heard from at least one locum supporter of the previous Labour First government that he wouldn’t vote for Lee because she was Asian.
So university students support Shearer, and call Lee “racist”? Do words at Auckland University not have the same meanings that they do in the rest of the country?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
‘A number of Labour MPs have also called her racist’
Come on David name names, I bet you don’t.
[DPF: David Cunliffe for one]
So where does Cunliffe call her ‘racist’? He says her attitudes are bigoted, but you said they called her ‘racist’.
Where is your evidence for ‘a number of Labour MPs’ calling her racist??
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Labour MP David Cunliffe said in Parliament yesterday Ms Lee was “worrying about brown people coming up your motorway and invading the good white suburbs of Mt Albert”
There you go. He said Lee was worrying about brown people invading white suburbs. He didnt come right out and explicitly CALL her racist, as in “Lee is a racist”, but he ascribed to her a racist concern.
pwned
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
I don’t like Hone Harawira’s utterances,but I admire the fact that he speaks with conviction about the way he sees things. In the past we have had men such as Norm Jones and Cam Stewart who were not afraid to state things the way they saw them. Generally Labour members have always complied with the thoughts of the leader. Trevor De Cleene being the only recent exception. I have admired such men. Melissa has not yet learnt that to rise through the ranks of the Party you must avoid stating what you think and instead indulge in generalities and doublespeak best thoroughly laundered by the spindoctor corps.
Vote:Don’t let them do it girl, continue to call it as you see it… Melissa was selected on the basis of ethnicity to give National general appeal to Asian people, just as the Moslem fellow was put on Liabour’s list to appeal to their natural constituency. By having the courage to stand in an electorate she is displaying a determination to prove that she is more than just a token list MP and that too earns my admiration.
May 24th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
>>So where does Cunliffe call her ‘racist’? He says her attitudes are bigoted, but you said they called her ‘racist’
bigot noun someone who is persistently prejudiced, especially about religion or politics, and refuses to tolerate the opinions of others. bigoted adj. bigotry noun (bigotries).
It’s not much of a leap to go from bigoted to racist
But the leftists expect us all to take a leap on faith from criminals to brown people
The public knows the truth including most of the left, even of they will never admit it
Vote:I am just glad after almost two weeks someone got around to writing it in the media
May 24th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
sonic said: As for Laws, how is it possible to take him seriously…
Not only that sonic. I’m not sure about Lee either (she might have just been stupid, rather than racist, with the South Auckland comment) but Laws actually is a racist.
He was one of the most prominent pro-apartheid activists at Otago University during the Springbok Tour back in 1981:
And 28 years on, here he is whipping up the people of Whanganui to support retaining the incorrect spelling of a Maori place name – presumably just to piss Maori off and put them in their place.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
So Toad, youre saying anyone who supported the springbok tour was a racist?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Wasn’t she selected because she was foreign born therefore the foreign born people in Mt Albert would vote for her?
or was it because of that Spanish poll..?
both?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
I always found it a laugh when Laws claimed on his radio show the morning Don Wilkinson was shot: [The murderer] will be: ‘Brown, unemployed, in a gang…..’
The murderer was a white guy.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Can we just all cut the PC crap? I mean seriously, it was obvious she was referring to Maaris when she made her comment.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Chris G
You would have to agree that Laws is usually right with these predictions, yes he got it wrong this time but it does not happen often.
Or are you another one who makes excuses for the Maori crime wave?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Well if he’s going to use that template for a criminal yes he is going to be right often enough (stats agree)…. but also he will be wrong (Stats agree too). Does this legitimise using the template?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
I was thinking the same thing Bruv, Laws was speculating the ‘Brown, unemployed, in a gang…..’ , based on statistical probability
- which is more accurate than Toad speculating he’s a racist because he was pro tour – and again speculating… “presumably just to piss Maori off and put them in their place”
Ok for Toad to do it, but shocking when a Nat or ex Nat does it?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Toad
There is no “H” in Wanganui.
For you to call anybody who was pro tour back in 81 a racist just shows the lack of depth to your argument.
You cannot claim that those who were for the tour were pro apartheid, that would be like suggesting that those who protested against the tour did so because of South Africa’s racial policies, we all know that many (perhaps even you) who protested against the 81 Boks did not care in the least what happened to the black population of South Africa.
The likes of Minto, Richards, and even you marched because you wanted to see the spread of communism, Minto has admitted as much, what a pity that your lot (Comrade’s Bradford, Locke, Delahunty) cannot be as honest.
Anyway, in 81 Lockie would still have been sending his best wishes to his good mate Pol Pot.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
When someone mentions crime and South Auckland in the same sentence the target is brown. It’s cliche created by the unofficial social campaigns of the last government. Maori and PI people were always targetted by the Left because they were the reason for socialism – couldn’t pay power bills; victims and perpetrators of violent crime; health issues; all big recievers of socialist largess. And so delisciously indigenous! Made the ruling class whities of the Labour caucus feel wonderfully benevolent on one hand and gave them the right to argue against privatisation and anything remotely negetively impacting on brown skinned people on the other. And isn’t brown skin so easy to see? Easily grouped up into this imaginary demographic as if all maori and PIs love each other and are one big united family against rightwing politics. Problem was though, the Left can’t afford to give any real assistence to their imaginary supporters or they’d put themselves out of business. The Left need the poor and helpless and victimised and violent to stay that way or there’s no reason for socialism to exist. The Left have always been the biggest racists, sexists, bigots and aggressors.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Chris G
Yes.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Rebel Heart said “Can we just all cut the PC crap? I mean seriously, it was obvious she was referring to Maaris when she made her comment.”
Is that right RH? Or are you just letting your own prejudices get in the way?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
” it was obvious she was referring to Maaris when she made her comment.”
Why do you speculate like that Rebel Heart? there are just as many Pacific Islanders in Sth Auckland as Maoris – Are you suggesting Maoris (or maaris) are more likely to be criminals?
what does that make you?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Inventory2 – South Auckland is notorious for crime and Maoris are notorious in terms of criminal stats. Whenever South Auckland is mentioned in a conversation then it is implicit that the topic is about Maori crime. In fact, I am unable to recall a single instance in my life where a discussion with someone on South Auckland has been on any other issue than crime, beneficiaries and Maoris. Is that black and white enough for you?
It’s incredulous how Nat-hacks will happily use political correctness when it suits them yet attack the Left on it when it doesn’t. Lee’s a dumbass candidate who isn’t strong enough to stand up for her convictions and is simply trying to be populist and appease everyone, just like John Key.
It’s time to stop apologising for stating things as they are and get on to the real issues: http://www.geocities.com/betterisonehope/Welfare.txt – obviously that is something you can’t expect from the National party.
Patrick – I’ll throw Pacific Islanders and Mangere in there too. I fail to see how I’m a racist considering I would not treat a black person any differently to how I treat a white person. Does stating facts, such as the majority of the prison population being made up of niggers, make me a racist? Likewise I am an Asian. Does me saying that Asian students tend to come out on top in terms of getting good marks in maths also make me a racist?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:28 pm
“…isn’t brown skin so easy to see…Problem was though, the Left can’t afford to give any real assistance to their imaginary supporters or they’d put themselves out of business.”
gg, you hit the nail.
If only the reef-fish could see that.
Apparently, Mt Albert contains a lot of them.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
“It’s incredulous how Nat-hacks will happily use political correctness when it suits them yet attack the Left on it when it doesn’t”
No Rebel – you’ll find people on the right only throw PC back at you to demonstrate the left PC hypocrisy
BTW – If Lee is a racist then you’re a bigger one!
“Does stating facts, such as the majority of the prison population being made up of niggers, make me a racist?” yep apparently so
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Perhaps you should get out a bit more, RH. (BTW, loved your photo – really, it was great).
RH, you look and sound like just the kind of fellow who’ll join the Nats at a later stage in life – once you discover that the Nats don’t eat babies. Does that prospect bother you?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
“In fact, I am unable to recall a single instance in my life where a discussion with someone on South Auckland has been on any other issue than crime, beneficiaries and Maoris.”
Says more about you than anything else.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
BTW using the ‘N’ word will get you demerits on the blog – you racist
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
RH, you look like just the kind of fellow who’ll join the Nats at a later stage in life. Once you discover that the Nats don’t eat babies. Does that prospect bother you?
Started off as a Nat supporter in 2002 after seeing Bill English doing the Yellow Ribbon boxing event and meeting Nick Smith when he was education spokesperson at my school – quickly switched to ACT after seeing Richard Prebble on TV and realising that the Nats were just populists with no principles.
Says more about you than anything else.
Lived in Nelson and Christchurch most of my life, only moved to Auckland about a month ago. I’ve never had any other reason to discuss South Auckland.
BTW using the ‘N’ word will get you demerits on the blog – you racist
Meh, hate speech isn’t a crime here in NZ. I’ve never minded people calling me Ching Chong either
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Patrick Starr said: So Toad, youre saying anyone who supported the springbok tour was a racist?
Yes, Patrick, I am. The arguments were very much out there in 1981. It was a clear choice between supporting the liberation of “non-white” South Africans from the racially oppressive laws that operated in that country at the time, and supporting the “freedom” of a racially selected team that purported to represent the whole of South Africa to play international rugby as such.
It was a clear choice back in 1981 – line up on the side of racial equality, or line up on the side of racism.
Michael Laws, very vocally, did the latter.
Pity we didn’t have the technology then we do now – I would have recorded some of his more rabidly racist speeches. I never destroy archives, so I could still have uploaded them to a website for everyone to see tonight. Unfortunately, the cost of video in those days was beyond the financial capacity that I had as a poor student myself (unlike Laws, who I think was a very wealthy student).
More’s the pity – would have been interesting footage.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
reid, ” just the kind of fellow who’ll join the Nats at a later stage in life ”
thats after he gets over dressing up in a pink suit
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2009/05/laws_on_lee.html#comment-565339
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
“Started off as a Nat supporter in 2002…quickly switched to ACT”
Well good for you, RH. I stand corrected.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
“Started off as a Nat supporter in 2002 after seeing Bill English doing the Yellow Ribbon boxing event and meeting Nick Smith when he was education spokesperson at my school”
Solid foundations then.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Toad – “yes Patrick, I am. The arguments were very much out there in 1981″
so if you chose to watch a rugby match between two of the worlds best teams it means youre a racist, simply because of the government policy of one those teams?
interesting theory Toad. See if you can get Wussel to bring that one up on the hustings (please)
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Toad
Given that you are so keen on ridiculous generalisations would it not also be correct to say that everybody who is a member of the Green party is also a communist?
Really, you are just embarrassing yourself, you and your fellow commies failed to stop freedom of choice back in 81 and now you seek to rewrite history, there were many people who were pro tour who could not abide the idea of apartheid, to them there was a far more important issue to be dealt with at home first and that was the issue of freedom of choice.
Interestingly this is the same battle that many have with the current so called “Green” party, you people still seek to take away our right to associate with who ever we want and you still seek to control our life’s.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
(BTW, loved your photo – really, it was great).
Cheers – John actually used me to his advantage during the debate, LOL, because he was questioned on ACT’s stance on factory farmed pigs – and then because ACT has no official policy (at least not to my knowledge, although Franks used to campaign against battery caged hens) he pointed me out in the crowd and said: “I did not like what I saw on Sunday, in fact one of my supporters who is helping me put up signs this weekend is dressed up as a pink pig over there”.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
At least Toad and the Greens are being consistent. This ‘bok tour –racist’ position is the same as their protesting the participation in tennis of an Israeli national due to the Hamas conflict, simply because she was an Israeli.
Every citizen is apparently in the same boat as their respective government! ………….which means of course that to the international community, Toad and other Greens support things like Tazers, more motorways, super cities, deferring the ETS etc etc
Geez Taod. The UN human rights committee must hate you
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Ching Chong dear boy do try harder, now I know you had a South Island education but even they know the plural of Maori is Maori.
Vote:You would not want to be as uninformed as those Whanganui types would you ?
May 24th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Rebel Heart – I think you’ll find that Pasifika people are overly represented in South Auckland crime stats, and that there is an Asian content as well. To say that it is a “Maari” problem (your bastardisation of the language, not mine
) is ill-informed, and as racist as the comments of Melissa Lee which you condemn.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Rebel Heart,
“Meh, hate speech isn’t a crime here in NZ.”
Yes, it is. See:
Vote:http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0082/latest/DLM305478.html?search=ts_act_human+rights_resel#DLM305478
May 24th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Oi GOH – lay off us W(h)anganui-ites eh!’
For the record, Mrs Inventory and I chose not to participate in Laws’ exercise in grandstanding.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Racist or not, she is a bloody useless choice of a candidate
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Patrick Starr said This ‘bok tour –racist’ position is the same as their protesting the participation in tennis of an Israeli national due to the Hamas conflict,…
Problem for you Patrick, is the evidence. The Greens didn’t protest against that. Some other people did.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Toad – So are you denying John Minto and Keith Locke/Greens plan/work together and coordinate these demonstations?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Perhaps Edwards should say something about the appalling behaviour of the Labour Party members present at the meeting, who heckled all other candidates and refused to follow instructions from the forum chair about letting the candidates speak and not shouting them down. Fucking disgraceful, especially one Mr. Darren Hughes. Mr. Hughes, and your Labour ilk, if you don’t want to respect the rules and requests of the AUSA meetings, then I politely suggest you go fuck yourself.
And Mr Laws, while I do not expect anything more than generalisations from you, not all AUSA members are lefty liberals and onanistic, as you seem to think. Perhaps you should do some research into who moved this motion at the meeting….
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Of course Melissa Lee is ‘racist’ .. just like the rest of us.. and like the rest of us don’t believe we are ‘racist’. Yeah Right!
Vote:Theres always been a them and us culture… throughout all societies throughout the ages.. We are also hypocrites and don’t know it. Laws will always call it black when its white and white when its black thats his style. Like the media he lusts for sensasionalism.
May 24th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Patrick Starr said: So are you denying John Minto and Keith Locke/Greens plan/work together and coordinate these demonstations?
The Greens will plan/work with anyone on issues we agree with them on. We even planned/worked with Rodney Hide and the Act Party to defeat Mallard’s stupid Waterfront stadium proposal.
But on the tennis protest, we didn’t work with anyone or involve ourselves as a party, because, while Greens support the right of Palestinians to self-determination, we didn’t see that particular protest as assisting in their cause.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
“we didn’t work with anyone or involve ourselves as a party” ….. as a party? so your activist members just stick on different hats for a different political cause and everything’s cool? – yeah right
The fact remains you cant categorise nationals because of their government policies (unless you’ve come to your senses and now support things like Tazers?)
Vote:neither can you call everyone who watched the bok tour a racist. Its probably the most ridiculous comment you’ve made here.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
Everyone who watched the Beijing Olympics supports the oppression of Tibet
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Patrick Starr said: …neither can you call everyone who watched the bok tour a racist.
I didn’t. What I said is that everyone who “supported” it was a racist, because the arguments were clear cut. Some may have changed their views now – good on them.
Hell, I even watched a bit of it – at the Waiatarua television transmission station while we were working out how to cut the television feed of the Second Test after occupying the station and evicting the technicians.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Let’s use Toad’s logic. Back a while Locke supported Pol Pot and actively supported the genocide of a whole people. Keith is still around today, that makes him and all who associate with him a war criminal and genocide supporter. Any changes of opinion cannot matter, at least, if we take Toad’s impeccable logic to heart. So how about it Toad, still supporting genocide, still an anti-semite, still in favour of the proletarian revolution ? Can’t change the leopard’s spots you know, or at least, so you aver.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Patrick Starr said: …so your activist members just stick on different hats for a different political cause and everything’s cool?
I don’t actually know who was there because I wasn’t there and the Green Party didn’t support it. There may have been some Greens. There may also have been some Nats. I thought you would be the last to suggest that parties should control or monitor what their members do.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
Ed, my reference I presume you are alluding to re the leopards spots was specifically related to Christine Rankin (cougars don’t have spots, which kinda spoilt the fun of it).
As for the Pol Pot reference, Keith Locke welcomed the fall of the regime that Pol Pot overthrew. He never actively supported Pol Pot, and was strongly critical of him once his authoritarian and genocidal actions became known.
In that regard, he was well ahead of the National-led New Zealand Government of the day, who continued to support Pol Pot’s regime long after evidence of the genocide in Cambodia was internationally available.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
i think their is a lot of subtlety to what laws is saying, it seems as though there seems to be this middle class association with race and crime which the ausa is trying to draw attention to. Micheal Laws is always going to support national he is to arrogant not to. I can’t listen to him on talk back anymore he is just to predictable.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Semantics Toad. Why would anyone have gone to ‘watch’ it that didnt ‘support’ it. You support it by watching it.
Vote:Must admit though I missed a bit of it – I got distracted, half the fun was sconning the demonstrators with beer cans. I think I got about 6 of the twits
(not the aluminum ones either – they were good heavy steel buggers in those days)
May 24th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Ching Chong dear boy do try harder, now I know you had a South Island education but even they know the plural of Maori is Maori. You would not want to be as uninformed as those Whanganui types would you? I think you’ll find that Pasifika people are overly represented in South Auckland crime stats, and that there is an Asian content as well. To say that it is a “Maari” problem (your bastardisation of the language, not mine
) is ill-informed, and as racist as the comments of Melissa Lee which you condemn Rebel Heart.
Like I said… I don’t care about political correctness… I honestly don’t give a crap if it’s spelt Maori, Maoris or Maaris or whether or not I’m well-informed about how to spell it. Also I’m condemning Lee for not being upfront ‘racist’ (supposedly) enough.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Toad “I thought you would be the last to suggest that parties should control or monitor what their members do”
Vote:I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. I’m merely pointing out that the Greens are donkey deep in most minority cause protests in this country, be it officially or unofficially.
As much as you may think your at arms length you have List candidates on your web site who describe their qualifications to be elected to parliamnent as “civil distruption and property damage”. Your party encourages it.
In fact with the amount of this ‘organised crime’ your senior members have been involved in I’d be surprised if you didn’t have your logo deemed a gang patch
May 24th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Think that the mocking and contrived outburst from the students will give Ms Lee a marvellous filip.
They really didnt’ think that through did they?
Undergraduates, not that bright really.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
My take on the fracas at Auckland Uni relates to a growing concern that students have developed an anti Asian attitude because of the rapid increase in the number of Asians at the Uni and their success. Mellissa Lee is one of a growing number of strong, articulate, successful Asian kiwis. She may not have the political smarts but get used to it, she represents the future. Could it be that the students have tried to drag her down by projecting on to her their deep seated racist attitude towards Asians, especially female Asians?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Err, Toad/Frog etc I think you conveniently forget that there was no proper organised “Green” movement during the time of the Springbok tour. At that time the Greens were all submerged in the Socialist Unity, International Socialist, Trotskyist, Communist League and all the other far left movements. We were still in the height of communism, when your movements were at their peak
Now with the fall of communism the Green movement has allowed you almost the same sorts of funding and sympathy from the usual sectors. The same sympathy we give people who are unable to swallow their own saliva and are wheeled about everywhere….don’t worry, it isn’t your fault
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Lee must be well pleased that Laws has endorsed her, that’s high praise. He could’a been a contender apparently… but for his difficulties with the, umm, truth.
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
I see Clint, the real issue on the Springbok tour is not those who supported apartheid, it is that those who opposed were one and all, MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST PARTY!!!!!
Do you ever get bored with that warmed over McCarthyism Clint, or are you going to turn into a junior Trevor Louden on us?
Vote:May 24th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
Actually Clint the Green Movement has its beginnings in the Values party which was formed in 1973
Vote:And it this might be a bitter pill for you to swallow Clint
But the demography of NZ Green supporters is pretty much the same for the Green movement world wide
Highly educated and most likely to have a degree, in as much as we have a higher porportion of highly educated people then all other parties.
Also other studies have shown that most serial killers are right wingers which sort of makes sense when you think of it the me me mine point of you etc
There isn’t a day that goes by when you and other nutjobs wax on about communists and pinko leftties etc
Its so bloody shrill and predictable and out of touch with reality, if it wasn’t so pathethic it would be amusing
Anyway TFB as zepeddee would say
May 24th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Geez I go away for a week and it’s like I never left. An inept blunder by Melissa Lee is still being deconstructed to an extent that’d make a post modern poetry lecturer proud, and Michael Laws is still penning ill-thought-out reactionary nonsense hoping that piggybacking on anything controversial will generate a bit of self-publicity.
Clearly no candidate for Mt Albert has said anything more interesting than that during a week of intense campaigning under the glare of every news outlet in the country.
Meanwhile sonic says:
Well if it looks like a slathering old man getting hot and bothered, and it sounds like a slathering old man getting hot and bothered…
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 12:19 am
Which superficially makes the utter naivity, impracticality and lunacy of ALL your policies inexplicable, until one asks: Of your membership, what percentage (relative to other parties) work in fields that live or die on commercial reality: i.e. fields other than Academia, Education, Politics, Diplomacy, Churches and the civil service?
Looking forward to THAT stat, Tuija.
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 2:30 am
I’m not a fan of Laws, but sometimes he seems to hit on to something.
At one stage I was close to thinking Lee was hopelessly out of her depth. The media was doing their very best to highlight every gaffe.
However after watching the AUSA footage I got the feeling that her critics were the greater idiots. Somehow they have done her a great service. Now I just seem to automatically associate blind criticism of Lee as coming from people of the mental calibre of AUSA. Lee has started to look brighter than her critics.
I was at Auckland University in the latter half of the 80′s. AUSA certainly never came up with anything intelligent back then (they knew how to booze and smoke weed though). Seems nothing has changed.
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 4:44 am
And yet the Greens are so proud to say they have the biggest amount of supporters living overseas…. gee I wonder why? If I voted Greens I’d want to get the hell out of NZ too in case I had to live with their endless rules and regulations they have tried to enforce on us all.
Aww Sonic, it isn’t your fault. Don’t worry I do feel sorry for you too. That and Tuija/Robinsod who thinks that Greens are well educated?!? Yes I am sure that the most intelligent of us like morris dancing and recycling our own excrement.
Get off the grass gentlemen. The Green movement around the world is only known for never taking showers and hugging trees. If you had a collective braincell, would would you guys want to ban us from doing everything. We all know the cleverest people vote for the right wing parties and promote individualism. You Greens seem to think that Govt knows best – which is the stupidest concept ever.
But good try…….
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 8:46 am
New Zealand universtities are places that have instructions in the toilets.
When undergrads can pass motions without a step by step guide they might be ready for the real world.
But not before.
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 8:50 am
clintheine (640) Vote: 2 0 Says:
May 25th, 2009 at 4:44 am
“Get off the grass gentlemen.”
If only. We might get some more sense out of the Greens if they did.
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Heine said: “The Greens are so proud to say they have the biggest amount of supporters living overseas…. gee I wonder why?”
Our brightest and best leave our shores because they are bright and want to see the world. Once they are outside of the Labour Government/National Government net, they see “Green is best”. That’s why Clinty!
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 11:01 am
The assumption that the overseas “brightest and best” voters who prop up the extremist loonie party is amusing.
Our brightest and best went to mainly Oz. The green party collect most of their votes from the stoner OE demographic in kangaroo valley, London.
Hardly the poster kids interlectual ability.
The fact is that no one is willing to live with greens on their doorstep. Hell they can’t one single electorate, not even the Coromandel stoner community can get them in.
Your solgan sould be “You don’t have to be stonned to vote green, but…. dude what was I saying…”
Vote:May 25th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Greens – best and brightest my arse
Vote:There was a demographic breakdown of a Herald poll before the election last year showing one in three green supporters were unemployed
Google it if you don’t believe me
May 25th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
The fact that many members here try to justify the pro tour side in 1981 saddens me considerably, although doesnt surprise me. What does is the overwhelming ‘in favour’ marks, especially when the arguments put forward make as little sense as many of them do.
Maybe looking in a mirror is just to hard for some people.
Vote:May 26th, 2009 at 6:03 am
Greens are best? Yeah like that is a popular saying on the dinner tables throughout the nation.
Green policy is like forcing kids to eat all their greens with the promise of no desert. Unpalatable and unreasonable.
Vote: