Labour’s stop the school campaign
August 29th, 2011 at 11:00 am by David FarrarA most unusual campaign being run by Labour MPs and candidates in Pakuranga and Botany. Labour are campaigning against a school opening in the local neighbourhood.
Now this is unusual, as most communities campaign against schools closing, not opening. But Raymond Huo blogs at Red Alert:
As Prime Minister John Key enjoyed the hospitality at the Pakuranga Country Club yesterday, Labour Candidate for Botany Chao-Fu Wu joined hordes of locals who displayed their strong opposition to Thurston Place College through a picket demonstration.
The community is outraged that proper consultation has not taken place and that plans to build Thurston Place College continued despite the strong community opposition to the development.
So why are they against Thurston Place College opening? It is because the 100 or so kids who will go there are in CYFS care. They are not criminals, but they are kids with some serious problems.
Once upon a time Labour might have been the champion of helping kids in serious need. Now they are the champions of NIMBY politics. Let’s look at the status quo they are trying to maintain:
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: This is a very difficult position for these young, vulnerable students. The previous Government allowed them to be educated and housed in disgusting conditions for 9 years. The Education Review Office reported year after year, and the ministry put in commissioner after commissioner. These students were being educated in nothing more than sheds. This Government has said that we cannot do that to this vulnerable group of young New Zealanders. They deserve a good education, they are in the care of the State, and at this school we are looking to provide that.
I’m sure they were nice sheds though. Oh, and how is this for playing the race card:
Raymond Huo: Would the consultation have been better if the majority of the immediate community had not been Asian, or does this approach meet the new standards for consultation generally?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I find that accusation absolutely insulting. I did not know that the majority of the local community was Asian.
Also Whale Oil pointed out:
Raymond, do you know which electorate Thurston College is in?
It is in Pakuranga Electorate, so the Labour candidate in Botany is protesting at a function in Botany electorate for the Botany MP on behalf of locals in Pakuranga.
Thurston College is more than 3 kms away from the nearest edge of Botany electorate.
Whale incidentally lives around 200 metres from Thurston Place College and he is happy for it to open, and not be a NIMBY. he also points out the school was specifically designed for high need kids.
Related posts:
- Labour’s Botany nominees
- Southland Times on Labour’s stop campaign
- Phil Goff life saver
- Free computers to school kids
August 29th, 2011 at 11:15 am
“It is in Pakuranga Electorate, so the Labour candidate in Botany is protesting at a function in Botany electorate for the Botany MP on behalf of locals in Pakuranga”
And it follows that the reason Mr KEY was at the Pakuranga Country Club was to consult locals so why the outrage?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:15 am
When you say they are not criminals, unfortunately that is often the next step for unloved, rejected and abused children.
You can understand the neighbours objections yet they just need to suck it in.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:18 am
11. Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) to the Minister of Education: Is she satisfied that appropriate consultation has taken place with local residents directly affected by the proposed Thurston Place College to be built in Pakuranga?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) : To be frank, no.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:24 am
Mt Key was at a function for Botany Mp Jami-lee Ross and so not consulting locals at all.
It is blatant NIMBYism and frankly I expected better from Labour who profess endlessly to care about those in most need of care.
Given the amount of Police sirens that daily and most of the night go down Bucklands Beach road I would have thought that the crime problem int he area was far more than 30-40 school kids could ever create.
As I have said, I live virtually across the road from the proposed school and have no problems what so ever with CYF kids being bussed in and educated there.
What would Labour have them do?…remain in the areas that created the problem in the first place?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:31 am
Yuo have admire labours efforts to reach 100% penetration. They’ve pissed off their entire elgibale voting base already, so now they starting on their potential voter base.
Soon they’ll be able to count on potential negative votes to ensure they remain a minor party in inefectual opposition for future generations to mock.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:31 am
Maybe these kids have a sinister air borne disease that causes community disruption.
The good folks in that area might catch such a dreaded disease and develop an overwhelming urge to tag the neighborhood.
Not to mention the property devaluation.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Ahh One hears the dying gasps of a political party desparate to do anything to garner a few votes. What a tragic sight. The founders of the Labour Party will be spinning in their graves at the sight of the Party turning its backs on the poor and deserving.
Not surprising though as the current chardonnay Socialists are only interested in power for the sake of power. Ohh and the money. Far more than any of them could earn outside the House.
Cant wait for 26th November and see the Socialists put to the sword
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:38 am
“Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) : To be frank, no.”
A selective quote from an answer to a question asked in the House on 15 June 2011. For the Minister’s full answer (including the spanking handed out by the Speaker to Dr Rajan Prasad), see this link:
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QOA/8/2/9/49HansQ_20110615_00000011-11-Schools-Children-in-State-Care-Thurston.htm
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:40 am
Once again,one of our diverse and multicultural MP’s playing the race card against the nasty honkey.
Raymond Who and Fuck You Wu.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:46 am
Richard Spong says:
Vote:August 28, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Whaleoil,
There are no buildings on the Thurston Place site whatsoever, please leave visit and see for yourself.
Macleans College and Bucklands Beach Intermediate have offered to take their share of the students so they can get the best education – we fully support this.
Felix Donnelly College (where the students will be coming from) had years of serious truancy problems, please read the ERO report on Felix Donnelly, students were even leaving the school during the last ERO review. Are you aware the students can not be restrained by the teachers.
The school is for 100 students and will be staffed for this number from the outset, we have the Official Information Act documents to prove this.
The social and safety risks are real and are even admitted to by the Ministry of Education – see my posting above.
We have taken legal advice and the site does not have the appropriate designation. If you are interested on the details of this please take up the offer of contact below.
We absolutely care for these students, that is why we are advocating they have the best educational model. It is why we have met with CYF the Ministry of Education and Iwi to advocate for this.
We are trying to keep local children safe, and give the proposed students the education they deserve.
I am glad that we both agree that “we are supposed to live in a country where we care for those who most need it”.
I truly believe that you misunderstand our position on this issue, please contact me via the stopthurstonplacecollege website to discus this in person.
August 29th, 2011 at 11:47 am
Richard Spong says:
Vote:August 28, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Whaleoil – yours is the most uninformed rant I have seen in a while.
Go and look at the school site. There is nothing there. Anne Tolley ordered the demolition of millions of dollars worth of buildings. The intention is to build an entirely new school, valued at over $6m on the site, but the community has forced her to consult and this is now on hold.
Anne Tolley is ignoring the advice of her own ministry in building this school. She is also ignoring the advice of education specialists who say putting 100 teenagers with severe behavioural problems together on one site is bad practice. Clearly its a bad idea to put 11 year olds with 17 year olds, girls with boys – all under the same roof.
CYF have finally revealed many of the intended students will have histories of criminal offending.
Again, clearly it is a bad idea to put these students next to a primary and intermediate school.
Parents have a right to look after their kids. Don’t get on your high horse and judge us when you clearly don’t understand the basic facts.
Whailoil what are you advocating? Are you suggesting this experimental school is the best option? Because it flies in the face of all the professional advice. Don’t these kids deserve better?
And don’t the children of your neighbourhood deserve to be safe?
As a well known blogger I would have thought research would be important before you posted your opinions. This looks like a serious credibility issue for you if you don’t understand the basics before making multiple postings.
It is not just Raymond H supporting us. It is also all the local school boards, the three local principals, Maurice Williamson, our Local Howick Board, our Auckland councillors and the vast majority of parents and residents. Even John Key is open minded about this.
Please contact one of the protest leaders and we will provide you with the Official Information Act material which shows how poorly conceived this idea is and how Anne Tolley is ignoring the expert advice she has been given. That is if you are genuinely interested in the issue. Please don’t make another posting until you have done some more research.
August 29th, 2011 at 11:49 am
Don’t have a dog in this fight, but I don’t think “Shit-stirring blogger lives in the area and says he doesn’t mind, therefore it’s all good” is a particularly good argument, supplementary or otherwise.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 11:50 am
Dear Kiwiblog: did Whaleoil call you for help? I note Whaleoil stopped posting on Labor’s Red Alert after Richard the organiser invited him to visit the site of the school – that virtually got him and shut him up. Conveniently, your post kicked in. Nice team work in collectively twisting the issues.
[DPF: Nope Whale is a big boy and needs no help from me]
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I know, lets reopen Hodderville home, ship em out to the country, get em away from “real people”
Teach the little bastards some fu..’n respect.
Hodderville was a resort, we all know that, abuse is a matter of interpretation.
The Sallies did their best at Hodderville by the way, the staff often let them down.
Or we could try our best to educate and care for the children, offer them some real opportunities in life, nuture and show compassion, even love.
We have certainly moved on from the bad old days and now know how to treat our children properly.
Start the process of rehabilitation, teaching values like not beating your children when you have them.
Accomodate them in a well resourced and health environment etc etc etc.
Again Labour delves lower than a snakes belly.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
This is particularly surprising to see Labour taking this approach given they claim to be “inclusive”. Statistically, a lot of the kids will be Maori or PI? Perhaps Raymond Huo doesn’t want Maori or PI kids in the neighbourhood?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I am all for a new college that deals with kids with anti-social and criminal behaviours but I don’t think that it is appropriate for it to back on to a primary school and intermediate school.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
@Sanji…
Vote:Why are you saying there are no buildings on the sight? Check this out…
http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=thurston+place&aq=&sll=-36.881521,174.906152&sspn=0.00269,0.005643&vpsrc=6&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Thurston+Pl,+Bucklands+Beach+2012,+Auckland&ll=-36.881517,174.906421&spn=0.001345,0.002822&t=h&z=19
There clearly are buildings shown on googlemaps.
Isn’t the proposal to take over this existing school and expand it?
@mpledger…
Perhaps you would suggest a place that is appropriate???
August 29th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
It is an existing school site. Why should the Ministry consult with local residents about the educational services delivered there? I’ve never even once been consulted about educational services being provided at the school about 200m from my home, and I wouldn’t expect them to do so.
I think Labour should be ashamed about this attack on vulnerable children which smacks of racism.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Given that Auckland Grammer is situated right next door to an adult prison, does site location really matter that much? If this new school cannot control its students in terms of restricting them from visiting the neighbouring schools then surely the whole concept is flawed. Wouldn’t a school for troubled children be expected to exercise more control over their students?
Though on the other hand I’m not sure the basic concept is a good one. Putting troubled people together is supposed to make them better? And what happens when they leave school and join the adult world? When they show up to a job interview. What high school did you go to? Ohhhhhh that one. Good luck finding a job cause you ain’t getting one here!
I wonder if we could force rich-kid schools to take these children? That’s what we want these kids to be like after all, so what better way to achieve that than by distributing these kids (in small numbers) amongst the highest performing schools?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
The schools in that area are popular with parents, so they attract out of zone enrolments from Botany and elsewhere. Also, people may have lived in the Macleans zone and moved later but still have a connection with the school. The staff at those schools could also live in the Botany area.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
16 and 17 years olds to be able to freely say
“My parent was a shit arse alcoholic who fucked me up but I needn’t let that continue to fuck my life up.”
anywhere on their school grounds.
I would like 5 and 6 years olds to be able to play on their school ground without having to hear that type of language and that type of life story.
Neither group should have to be imprisoned to stop the behaviour of one group affecting the behaviour of the other when the simple solution is to give each school the right space for its needs.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
DPF, are you really trying to invoke some sense of shame within the left at the hypocrisy and double standards on this issue, or at the clear-eyed cynicism of playing the race card?
If so I think you’ll fail. We’re not even talking about political operatives either: example A is mikenmild, – whose contribution consisted of supplying a selective quote worthy of the most shameless political toady, but who implies being merely another ordinary, unaffiliated purveyor of pragmatic, common sense.
Could the cynicism and shamelessness be hard-wired into every left-winger nowadays, especially when it comes to expressed “caring”?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
tom
Vote:‘Selective quote’? WTF? That was the primary question and the Minister’s answer, admitting that consultation had not been adequate. You should be more worried about DPF’s ‘selective quote’.
August 29th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Tom,
perhaps we should stop feeding the trolls. With any luck after a while they may just go away.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
“Could the cynicism and shamelessness be hard-wired into every left-winger nowadays”
I don’t think it always has been at least. I used to know many on the left who were far more genuinely caring and principled, even if a little naive. But something changed with the Clark regime. A nasty, hateful and cynical “win at all costs and by any means” attitude crept in and has poisened political debate in NZ. And Key’s success has only made them nastier, to the point of looking psychologically unbalanced. Just read anything on the Standard or Red alert, especially by people like Clare Curran.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Well, let’s see the full answer then:
So no requirement, which renders questions of “appropriateness” (original question) or “adequacy” (your little spin) meaningless. Yet despite this legal fact Tolley admits that it does not reach her personal standard of consultation, which is why she’s instructed the Ministry of Education to work closely with the local schools and community as they continue to work through the process
You see, this is why courts (and debating chambers) don’t allow questions to be framed as Have you stopped beating you’re wife yet? Just answer Yes or No. Full answers to questions are both demanded and respected as being more truthful – at least outside the world of professional political spin merchants, which you resemble to a greater degree with every passing day.
Are you deploying such “skills” in a semi-professional manner as a union employee, or are these dark arts – as I speculated earlier – simply encoded in the DNA of even your average left-wing commentator?
Remember, just answer Yes or No!
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:02 pm
tom hunter says: “example A is mikenmild, – whose contribution consisted of supplying a selective quote worthy of the most shameless political toady, but who implies being merely another ordinary, unaffiliated purveyor of pragmatic, common sense.”
“a shameless, political toady”… Heh. 100% correct.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
All I did was point out that the question asked whether the consultation was adequate and that the answer was no. Of course the Minister went on to provide more context. The main thing though was she agreed that the consultation had not been adequate. She could have chosed to say it wasn’t required and wasn’t necessary but, to her credit actually, she agreed that the Ministry should work with the local community.
You think I’ve been misleading. Think about DPF’s title to this post and ask yourself if that was misleading.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
“Think about DPF’s title to this post and ask yourself if that was misleading.”
Oh, diddums. milkmilo doesn’t like DPF’s headlines…..
NEWSFLASH: The man who owns the blog can write whatever headlines and articles he likes. If you don’t like it then piss off.
Its not your blog!
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Feel free to write a substantive comment any time Elaycee, or just stick with the abuse. I’ve got to admit though, the childish name-calling is really hard to handle, it’s quite upsetting.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Oh no sweetie. You did much more than that in framing the debate.
You clearly had access to the Hansard transcript in order to get the quote in the first place, and you got to it in just 18 minutes. Yet you did not provide that link, nor did you provide any comment around it, leaving it to other commentators to simply accept what you wrote at face value as being Tolley’s “answer”.
When Elaycee did provide the link, you followed-up with comment that transformed the original central word of “appropriate” into “adequate”, as you are still doing. Two words that mean (and imply) very different things, as I’m sure you are well aware.
That’s called political spin and the cheap and cheerful tactic of partial quotes is designed in particular to sway low information voters. Had it been mickysavage (aka Greg Pressland) or another known party activist it would have been treated as such from the start – meaning it would have been either dismissed as politically hackery or investigated on the assumption of such.
But people on this site who imply that they are simply ordinary, everyday commentators get cut some slack: I squinted my eye at the comment but decided to let it pass. Clearly I won’t be doing that with you again.
Still, the question remains: are you a political hack like mickysavage or does this debating approach just come naturally?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
tom
Ha ha ha. DPF provided the link in his blogpost. I followed that and found he was not telling the whole story. That’s about it really.
You can make up your own mind about my motives or intentions.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:49 pm
“Feel free to write a substantive comment any time Elaycee, or just stick with the abuse. I’ve got to admit though, the childish name-calling is really hard to handle, it’s quite upsetting.”
Well, piss off then. There – I’ve just solved your problem for you.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Well, I’m definitely upset now. At least tom’s here to engage in an argument though.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
A phrase the old man would say springs to mind: All over the place like a mad woman’s shit. decide for yourselves which combatant it applies to best.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 2:57 pm
It’s generally acknowledged in the blogosphere that people who provide links together with quotes are not being deceptive, eg DPF’s post. Whether people wish to hit the links depends on their degree of interest, which was fairly low for me in this case.
In any event, as far as DPF is concerned I’m well aware of his political activism and expect such things in support of his favourite political party, in many cases over things I don’t agree with.
But commentators without their own blogs are accepted in good faith as being merely casual participants – until they reveal themselves. If you had copied and pasted Tolley’s full answer I might still think you are such, but the tactic you employed was in the mickysavage class (or DPF’s if you like), so I think I now have a very good take on your motives and intentions.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Good hair splitting tom. DPF’s allowed to mislead people because, hey, that’s his job, but commenters need to be held toa much higher standard.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 3:15 pm
Send out the search party, Mike is well and truly lost.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
Fact = Allotment titles are correctly designated for school under current Operational District Plan.
Fact = there were no submissions at all about this designation during the public consultation for the current Operative Plan.
Fact = Additionally the designation and use has existed since at least 1977 (i.e. before 1991) therefore an “existing use” right is also in place.
Fact = Therefore proposed school is a complying “permitted use” as of right.
Fact = Therefore under the Resource Management Act there is absolutely no requirement at all for notification or consultation.
This is classic NIMBYism, for fucks sake don’t further destroy the already piss weak property rights in this country. If you don’t want a school go through the legal process and gain popular support to either:
- Seek a variation to the Operative Plan to remove the designation, or
- Amend or abolish the RMA.
Don’t just don’t ignore our already shitty law on a personal whim because that will surely come back to bite when you want to build on YOUR OWN LAND even though you’ve COMPLIED FULLY WITH ALL THE ARBITRARY RULES.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
***I think Labour should be ashamed about this attack on vulnerable children which smacks of racism.***
I think it highlights a difficulty for East Asian Labour MP’s. It seems in terms of issues like law & order, their constituents are likely to be far more right wing or conservative than most in Labour.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 4:31 pm
I think Labour are against it because their world view is one size fits all. He’ll if we have a school for kids that need extra attention to achieve we might (shock horror) one day need to acknowledge the benefits of schools for high achievers. Remember.. We are all the same….
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Failoil commented on Red Alert: “THe buildings at the site have been gone for months. Any person who cliams to live 200m from the site but doesn’t know this has no credibility on the issue.” Damn right! Whaleoil has no credibility on this issue.
BTW: DPF: I read today the questions by Dr Rajen and Mr Huo and appreciate their take by asking the questions in a sequence. So I dont think they are playing the race card, they asked from a different angle. I therefore dont like the way you paraphrased in your this blog. Yours are more racially inflammatory (if I may say so). You could have done much better. Other than generating some cheap “F…” comments, have they gone any further? Dont let Whaloil drag your image down!
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Some of the comments here have assumed that the Labour MPs are opposed to this college. This does not appear to be so from their questions: the concern was directed at the (lack of) consultations. They are, however, surely entitled to bring forward opposition from the community, for example by tabling the residents’ petition.
I think some of those commenting may have been led astray by the title of the blog post.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 4:57 pm
You’re not too bad at hairsplitting yourself.
Regarding standards, it depends on how you look at it. Despite my low opinion of politics and politicians even I can admire the sophistry of I did not inhale (whilst also covering my eyes and chuckling): that could be said to be a high standard of misleading people, and sadly I do expect it of people involved in the political process, and it’s nothing new. In the same context a low standard would be saying I did not have sexual relations with that woman.
It’s therefore more a case of the two types of commentator being necessarily held to different standards. So yes, in that respect I do hold commentators to a “higher” standard. The first type are “ordinary” commentators and are viewed with a less jaundiced eye because they’re supposed to be expanding upon the debate – often by pointing out errors in the original post – in an honest, upfront and unspun manner. They themselves may make mistakes or provide interpretations that others disagree with, but even the latter stem from an ideological viewpoint. Someone like Ryan Sproull falls into that category, as would you had you simply quoted Tolley’s whole answer.
But the second type of commentator are the ones like mickysavage, and if I want to get their take on this thread I can simply toddle off to read The Standard. I know what to expect: one-line soundbites, partial quotes, transforming one word into another, Sears Tower-sized strawmen lighting up the whole horizon, and the defense of the indefensible – often with hairsplitting. They know they’re in a political war and this is just standard combat: “my” side’s propaganda vs, the other side’s – with others reduced in their minds to a bunch of morons for whom they have so little respect that they’re not even worth producing an argument for. The morons get to watch and be influenced by the debate but not enter it. The mickeysavage-type are therefore mostly not worth reading and often act as nothing more than trolls.
Of course, there are also those commentators who – aware of the esteem in which the micky’s of the world are held – pretend to be merely ordinary people with a different point of view. It’s understood that such people are less likely to be suspected of framing the debate – and therefore ideal for framing the debate. Fortunately, they can’t help slipping into the tactics described above and revealing themselves for what they really are.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
See – this is a pitch-perfect example of the second type:
Yay – DPF is not a racist! A lefty says so.
DPF is just racially inflammatory – like a racist. Bugger!
… and a moron.
Clap……… clap……….clap.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
tom
Vote:It is quite entertaining to read your classification of the different types of comments to be found on blogs. I had no idea until I read your piercing analysis that I was engaged in perpetrating such sneakiness.
August 29th, 2011 at 5:13 pm
Gak – edit again …
Yay – lefties are not racists, DPF just made them seem like that by accusing them of playing the race card! A lefty says so.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Lefty? Nay, nay, nay … You dont know me. On this issue I just wanted to be fair. I am from the very centre of this community. I am disappointed that Nats are not listening. DPF’s posting is not helping either sides (Nats and their natural voters). Disappointed! See, Whaleoil is entertaining. So doesnt matter that much but I would have expect DPF to apply, borrowing your words, higher standards. If read into the issues (and their respective media reports) we know it is not about Labour, it is about Nats, our Govt. Make it a Labour issue (negative or otherwise) wont hide the facts for too long. If only PM changed his mind (so far it is open on this matter) and a proper consultation be followed, Mr Huo and co will certainly claim victory – DPF will then post another blog to admit that he got it wrong?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
MM
I’m glad to hear that I’m entertaining you and that my analysis is piercing. I wish I could return the compliment.
The ghost in the machine – although Lenin’s term may also apply?
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
Sure – I’ve lost count of how many times right-wingers have deployed the I don’t think you’re a racist, you just say racially inflammatory things meme in online debates over numerous issues.
No really! They’re known for it.
Vote:August 29th, 2011 at 5:53 pm
The only conclusion I can come to here is that Labour is prostituting themselves for the Asian vote in this electorate.
Vote:August 30th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
> I am disappointed that Nats are not listening.
You might be disappointed but surely you’re not surprised?
Vote:August 30th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
> DPF will then post another blog to admit that he got it wrong?
How dare you cast aspersions on DPF…he is never wrong!
Vote:September 1st, 2011 at 3:04 pm
David
The people objecting to the school in their hundreds are National Party Supporters by a large majority. They want to keep these unfortunate young people in their place that is not in the leafy suburb of Pakuranga.
Now we have loyal supporters of the National Government such as yourself and Whale Oil turning this into an anti-Labour Party issue – is that a reflex action?
Very ironically – I too think that the school would be excellently placed in Pakuranga and the sooner the better. The Ministry of Education was on the right track – but like Anne Tolley and like the Labour Party – encumbered with too much baggage from other disasters!
Evan
Vote: