Classic sledge
November 30th, 2012 at 2:16 pm by David FarrarTV3 reports:
Minister of Transport Gerry Brownlee in Parliament yesterday compared Auckland’s plan for a city rail link to the infamous monorail episode of The Simpsons.
In response to questions from Labour MP Phil Twyford on the impact of the city’s growing traffic woes, at first Mr Brownlee disputed the economic benefits of the proposed rail link, and questioned the impact it would have on congestion.
But towards the end of his answer, Mr Brownlee slipped in a reference to the classic Simpsons episode Marge vs the Monorail.
“I would consider hiring Lyle Lanley and associates to do a scoping study for us on the city rail link,” he said.
“I know that they’ve done some very good work on some of the projects in Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook, and if they think this stacks up, we’ll give it some consideration further.”
In the Simpsons episode Lanley is revealed to be a conman, building a cheap and nasty monorail which begins to fall apart on its maiden trip.
Mr Brownlee’s quip appeared to go completely over the heads of other MPs in Parliament. …
Marge vs the Monorail first aired in 1993, and was penned by talk show host and comedian Conan O’Brien. It is often cited as one of the long-running series’ greatest episodes.
It’s a great sledge when the other side don’t even realise they have been sledged.
Tags: Gerry Brownlee, Parliament, The Simpsons
November 30th, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Well done DPF….
now …
Can you pinch a bit from the Orca’s site and place the Simpsons extract in your blog ???
Vote:The Orca’s version is brilliant because it includes Gerry’s dead pan sledge and the relevant Simpsons skit.
Lyle bears a strong resemblance to guess who?
That is right….Red Lennie Brown. Brown and Twyford are prize dicks.
November 30th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Schools these days huh?
Kids just don’t learn the classics any more….
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
Not such a great sledge when you consider it needed explaining on your blog. I wouldn’t have thought that Simpson’s fans would have been his target market.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 2:44 pm
TV3 @ 8.07, any chance they caught the Dim-Post blog entry at 6.50?
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
It was extremely poorly delivered. Not only did the opposition not pick it up, but nor did the speaker or any of Brownlee’s colleagues based on the lack of reaction.
A missed opportunity.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I would say it was extremely well delivered leftyliberal, but I guess that’s why you’re a leftyliberal.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Yep, brilliant delivery, Brownlee has gone up in my books with this clever subtle sledge
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Yeah, just ignore the fact that 64% of Aucklanders want the city rail tunnel to go ahead. And misrepresent the cost as being $3bn, knowing full well the cost of the tunnel is $1.8bn. Oh, and offer no alternative solution for Auckland’s looming traffic congestion problem if the tunnel doesn’t go ahead, and Auckland’s population continues to grow by another 250,000 by 2021.
Instead, crack lame jokes that no one gets.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
That’s right Campit; 64% of Aucklanders want the city rail tunnel, and 100% of the 64% wants everyone else in New Zealand to pay for it for them; that’s economics, Len Brown style.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:35 pm
And as for Gerry Brownlee, very deadpan, sneaking it in under the radar, but it wasn’t a patch on the answer to the Brokeback Mountain question of a couple of years ago:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUXqnkce84&w=560&h=315
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
64%huh. Must have missed the Referendum. More like they asked 10 people and 6.4 agreed with it. You would be the .4 with half a brain. My Rates bill is nudging 9k. You want the tunnel, pay for it your fucking self.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:37 pm
God some folks are thick.
I would have thought that it is self evident that the best possible sledge is the one that the target does NOT know when he or she has been done. Views to the contrary are just wishful, “aftertheevent”, thinking/excuses.
As for Aucklanders wanting the silly rail loop. That is crap. The were asked about payment preferences. There are many things that I would like, starting with an ability to ship every left wing/red melon twit to the Great Southern Basin – for the rest of their natural. I can complain but it will never happen.
So you silly soft headed, left wing, white shoe shufflers, pay for your loop, 100%, and you can have it. But do not expect me to give you one, solitary, cent.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:43 pm
“campit (303) Says:
November 30th, 2012 at 3:22 pm
Yeah, just ignore the fact that 64% of Aucklanders want the city rail tunnel to go ahead”
Except those 64% of Aucklander want someone else to pay for it. That 64% also really want everybody else to then take the train so they themselves get a quicker trip on the motorway.
Cost misrepresentation? Any loser knows that when a “fixed price”(sic) for any public works (especially when given by someone who just wants his name on a plaque and will not have to pay the money themselves) is given, the price will blow out by three to four times, at least. If only we could get it for 3Billion. When we hit four or five billion, will be interested in the comments then. “Well the rock was harder than we expected”, “too much water came in”, “we didnt expect that building on Queen St. to collapse into the hole”, “we ran into more taniwha than we expected”, etc., etc.
Get SH20-Waterview finished, then we’ll listen.
Sorry KS – didnt see your comment until I hit send
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
No they weren’t.
* 75% of Aucklanders want integrated bus-rail improvements to their public transport
* 64% support building the major City Rail Link (CRL) project, only 14% oppose
* 64% of those who support the CRL want it built “as soon as possible”, 22% by 2020
* Only 3% of CRL supporters think that it does not need to be complete by 2020
* Over half of respondents were looking for the Government to contribute significantly to the cost of the City Rail Link project.
* Tolling new roads was supported by 30% of respondents overall and had broad support across areas, except Rodney. Indications are that Papakura respondents also would not support this, although Franklin respondents appeared to support it at above average level.
* Targeted rates are supported by 24% and have more support in Rodney and North Shore than other areas.
* A partial sell-down of Auckland assets is supported by 17% of respondents.
* A regional fuel tax has least support in Rodney, Papakura and Franklin.
* Least supported were increasing general rates and increasing airport departure tax, supported by 8% and 7% of respondents respectively.
[DPF: First of all you are quoting a polling company whose final pre-election poll said Labour was only 5% behind National, so until there is a change of methodology there I take any results with scepticism.
The question not asked is. If Aucklanders had to fully fund the CBD rail loop, it would mean an average extra $x per years on your rates bill or likely increase in your rent. Are you willing to pay this to get the CBD rail loop.
Another good question would be If Aucklander motorists had to fully fund the CBD rail loop, it would mean an average extra xc per litre on regional petrol charges. Are you willing to pay this to get the CBD rail loop.]
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Makes no difference campit. You want it. Pay for it (100%) yourself. Period.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
@flipper what is your alternative? Do nothing?
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 4:10 pm
I had a woodwork teacher like that once.
In mid-sentence he’d drop in some obscure reference that no-one got; chuckle to himself for a moment; then be startled by the sea of blank faces looking at him; compose himself with a “yes, well, where was I…?” and carry on.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 4:13 pm
@flipper, Keeping Stock:
Good idea, maybe if Aucklanders want to build big transport projects, they should elect a council that will, say, levy a regional fuel tax on residents. Oh, wait.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 4:40 pm
Did the other 36% of the survey sample express a preference to keep sleeping in the parks and under the bridges?
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
“But Main Street’s still all cracked and broken.
Vote:Sorry mom, the mob has spoken.
Monorail, monorail, monorail!”
November 30th, 2012 at 7:10 pm
If we don’t do the CRL, what do we do instead to support efficient movement of people and freight in Auckland?
Some neither Kiwibloggers nor the Minister of Transport seem capable of answering in an evidence based manner.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 7:21 pm
campit – the CBD look was never designed to efficiently move freight. That’s what decent motorways are for. It is designed as a commuter passenger service.
Vote:What about a busway, which is cheaper (more efficient use of capital), supports more routes (more efficient for commuters), and is more easily reconfigured (more efficient since you don’t need to build a whole new road network to the suburbs) than rail?
November 30th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
The country is in fine hands when a Minister has total recall of cartoon shows. Good old Gerry Toons, give him a dozen pork pies.
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 9:04 pm
I wish! They spent $60 million dollars making it all fancy with imported blue stone. Of course it was only supposed to cost $30 million but when it’s not your money, what does it matter if it costs a little bit more?
Vote:November 30th, 2012 at 9:36 pm
Campit – me and my family all live in Auckland and none of us were asked if we wanted the rail link. A dodgy little study is meaningless and probably biased as hell.
And to those people claiming the joke fell flat because you didn’t understand it – the joke was the woooossshhhhing noise that you may have heard. Just because you lack the intelligence to understand someone is taking the piss out of you, doesn’t mean it isn’t funny.
Vote: