Some posts from the last year
December 21st, 2012 at 9:00 am by David FarrarAs an centre-right person it is no surprise I have supported most of what the Government has done. But that doesn’t mean there have not been issues where I disagree with them, or support something from other parties, or give an opinion that isn’t helpful to the Government. I’ve had a quick look through the archives, and below are a surprising large number of links:
- I say National is the under-dog for 2014
- I call for Cabinet to be reduced from 20 to 12
- I call for significant caucus rejuvenation for 2014
- I labelled the National MPs blog “the greatest cure for insomnia ever invented” and a typical post as “so mind numbingly boring, that I only subject my eyeballs to them around twice a year, as they start bleeding as I read about some organic carrot farm they have opened“
- I blog in favour of Labour MP David Clark’s Mondayisation bill
- I praise Winston for his scrutiny of Whanua Ora
- I call for more funding of the Ombudsmen
- I blog in favour of removing the one seat threshold for MMP
- I say we should be ashamed of the slavery on our seas, and blog on this several times calling for the Govt to take action
- I support Trevor Mallard’s call for significant SOPs to be provided in advance to the opposition
- I supported the call for a full independent inquiry into the ACC Pullar issue
- I expose Vic Uni’s attempts to scam the PBRF system
- I said that taxpayer funding should not be used for Judith Collins lawsuit (it wasn’t)
- I label the first three months of 2012 as National’s Quartus Horribillis
- I mock the claim Murray McCully is not a micro-manager, saying “If Murray isn’t a micro-manager, then Grace Quek is a virgin“
- I submit to the MMP review for lowering the 5% threshold to 4%. My submission disagrees with National’s submission on almost every issue.
- I give Green MP Julie-Anne Genter a guest post on Roads of National Significance
- I support Charles Chauvel and Law Commission on a three warning approach to cannabis
- I pronounce the ACT Party dead
- I criticise John Banks for his lobbying on behalf of Kim Dotcom, knowing he was a likely donor.
- I blog in support of the Meatworkers Union over a proposed employment contract from Talleys
- I support Labour MP Su’a William Sio over comments he made
- I support David Shearer’s call for cross-party talks on superannuation and lifting the age to 67.
- I actively campaign against the Government’s proposal to raise the alcohol purchase age for off licenses.
- I call National’s stance on superannuation as fiscally not credible, and could damage them in 2014
- I criticise the handling of the Budget announcement on class sizes
- I support Labour’s criticism of the Housing NZ call centre
- I profile the 7th Labour Government and predict Jacinda Ardern will be the Prime Minister of it
- I call on the Govt to set up a royal commission on retirement savings
- I support some of Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway’s alcohol law amendments on advertising
- I blog support for Labour MP Maryan Street’s euthansia bill
- I say the proposed constitutional reforms for Labour should result in a stronger party for them.
- I praise the appointment of Tim Barnett as Labour Party General Secretary
- I say it is not good that John Banks signed a donation return saying he did not know who his donors were, when he was involved in personally receiving two of the donations.
- I blog on how opposition MPs have made a positive difference with their private members bills
- I support the partial opening of Parliament up to the OIA
- I again say National should support David Clark’s Mondayisation bill
- I called on the Govt to delay the partial asset sales, to wait for the Waitangi Tribunal Report
- I criticise National for not getting more members bills into the ballot
- I blog several times in favour of Labour MP Louisa Wall’s marriage bill
- I slam the decision to delay the Ecan elections as “wrong”
- I praise Winston for his motion recognising Nancy Wake’s 100th birthday
- I praise Labour’s policy on reading recovery
- I say there is “no excuse for a mistake of this magnitude” on the incorrect info re a possible merger of Shirley and Chch Boys High Schools
- I criticise the Government for not supporting greater protection of the Ross Sea
- I support introducing a PMs question time to Parliament, to allow greater questioning of the PM
- I say there should be an inquiry into how NZ authorities deal with extradition requests
- In relation to the Chch schools announcement I say “I’m staggered by that degree of insensitivity and stupidity” and that “almost everything about the announcement was flawed”
- I publish staff numbers for ministerial offices
- I say the Govt should repeal Section 6A, not amend it
- I again label the Ecan decision inexplicable and “ wrong in principle and it’s wrong politically”
- I blog in support of Clare Curran’s amendment to the Patents Act, and against the Govt SOP, saying I hope ACT and United Future vote against National on this issue
- I say there must be a full inquiry into the MSD data breach and encourage donations to Keith Ng for his work
- I support Kevin Hague’s adoption reform bill
- I agree with Phil Goff on the pay rise for the MFAT CEO
- I support Gareth Hughes’ copyright bill to allow parody and satire as fair use
- I call for the Govt to hold an inquiry into the GCSB, modify the Chch schools proposal and change their stance on ECan elections
- I support Sue Moroney’s amendment to have calorie information on alcohol
- I say heads must roll over the MSD data breach
- I criticise National for the bill which would ban drug sniffer dogs from schools
- I blog Audrey Young’s ratings of National Ministers and comment they “have been a bit generous to a couple of Ministers”
- I blog against a National MPs members bill
- I criticise the Govt’s cellphone in car ban
- I credit Winston for his handling of the Horan allegations
- I say the Govt should not subsidise fibre with copper
- I praise aspects of the Greens ICT discussion paper
- I later say “I’m quite dismayed [with] the Government’s response to the Commerce Commission’s draft copper pricing determination” and “To be blunt the Government should shut the hell up on the Commerce Commission’s draft determination.”
I will use this post as a reference point for the next idiot who states that I always agree with National and never criticize them.
Tags: DPF, Kiwiblog, National
December 21st, 2012 at 9:06 am
I will use this post as a reference point to claim your disagreements with, and criticism, of the National government are all fairly minor and trivial.
[DPF: Yes labour law, the electoral system, education, political management, superannuation, local democracy, alcohol laws and intellectual property laws are all minor and trivial issues.
Of course I support most of what the Government has done. In fact so do most New Zealanders. But when I think they have got it wrong, I say so - and have done so consistently. Constructively disagreeing with a party you support can be challenging - it is far easier to cower away under an alias as you do, as you can say anything you like with no consequences]
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:08 am
WO and Cactus will use this as their reference point too.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:10 am
You should submit this as a guest post at The Standard. lprent should be happy to inform them there of how balanced and not-a-Nat-puppet Kiwiblog can be.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:15 am
So your point is that a well-known supporter of the National party has only minor and trivial disagreements with the party he supports – in your view.
Say it aint so!
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:39 am
I am surprised you are such a strong supporter of a centre-left government, given your claim to be centre-right.
[DPF: I'm always surprised at lunatics who claim a Government that has cut the top income tax rates, is doing partial asset sales, has introduced employment trial periods, has cut public service staff numbers, has instituted a spending freeze, introducing charter schools, implemented welfare reforms such as greater work testing for DPB, allowed greater mineral exploration, brought in three strikes legislation, make parole and bail harder etc is called left wing. But hey enjoy the planet you reside on.]
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:48 am
It would be great to see a similar list from the moderators of The Standard. It is good to be someone who steers according to the seas rather than having one’s rudder jammed in one direction.
It would be great if the media got better at doing “what if” (as opposed to ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if’) analysis of some of the half-assed suggestions that come from the Greens and Labour.
This might help National to grow a pair on some of the awful bits of socialism that discourage enterprise and effort: like interest-free student loans and Working for Families; I still hear headslapping tales of people turning down jobs with more stress and an extra $20k pa because Working for Families means there’s nothing in it for them if they work harder.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 9:50 am
Dead accurate on the former, wrong on the latter.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 10:10 am
You mentioned “xenophobia” rather a lot?
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 10:17 am
Beat me to it JeffW. This government continues to veer left in pursuit of more votes from the increasingly state-dependent NZers. To even suggest it’s a centre-right government is to acknowledge that the entire political spectrum has panned to the left over recent decades. Like Greece, Italy, Spain, US, UK
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 10:33 am
I predict that, as our politics becomes more Americanised, National will become so derpy, that Mr Farrar will ultimately join the centre right Labour Party.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 10:37 am
Gonna happen, Dave.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 11:01 am
Best for the Year and of course quite spot on.
I mock the claim Murray McCully is not a micro-manager, saying “If Murray isn’t a micro-manager, then Grace Quek is a virgin“
(which I’m sure McCully isn’t)
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 11:01 am
I agree with most of it. Though it is rather Wellington centric which is to be expected. Us natives in the provinces do not paint ourselves in woad and these days have fairly good access to information thanks to the Internet.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 11:18 am
That’s very funny, they say the opposite elsewhere. At The Standard the harder left deplore Labour being too centre right.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 11:35 am
We (the non-lunatics) know you’re a good bastard DPF.
And have a good xmas…
Vote:Enjoy trying to keep this thread clean, now you’ve called all the lunatics out almost by name
December 21st, 2012 at 11:43 am
Well, DPF, I consider myself to be told off.
With all due respect, however, it is not what National has done, it is what it hasn’t done. Has National:
- started making the case to NZers that wealth is not created by government?
- started making the case that welfare as we know has not worked, and needs serious reform? Welfare is destroying our society, as Jphn Tamihere has noted (before being stomped on by Helen).
- stopped subsidisiing women who choose to have babies they see as cheques rather than human beings to be cherished?
- made a case for the government to get out of most businesses it is in, not just partial sales of power companies? In particular, has it sold off liabilities such as TVNZ and Radio Left Wing?
- has it closed down the thousands of single issue quangos, whose recommendations have little bearing to reality (owing to the single issue focus)?
- made the case for ending interest free and “walk-away” student loans?
- made much of a case for lower taxes rather than middle class welfare (WFF)?
- started making a case that government funding can be separated from provision in sectors such as education and health?
Above all, what steps has it taken to increase freedom rather than continue to pretend that government has all the answers? What steps has it taken to start making NZers aware that government can’t defeat Darwinism, and that personal responsibility is required.
Present policy settings have us on a path to bankruptcy, admittedly slower than if Labour were in power (not to mention the Greens, who seem to seek a mad dash to bankruptcy). There has only been tinkering around this; yes, positive tinkering, but far too little.
Perhaps National would like to do more, to become real centre-right, but I acknowledge that in a centre-left country like NZ, this is very difficult. Whether National should be considered centre-right, however, should be based on what they do rather than what they might want to do.
I guess there are two paths National can take, one to try to fix NZ’s ills, knowing that they will lose the next election; the second to try to stop Labour and heaven forbid the Greens taking power and making things worse. The choice seems to be the second option, which is not necessarily a bad choice, but it doesn’t make them centre-right.
As for the planet I am on, it is one in which the inhabitants care about NZ for the longer term, not just for the day or the next election. Fundamental reform is needed if we are to have a prosperous future.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 12:00 pm
Hear, hear.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 12:09 pm
Of course we can also (not be invited to) consider the sin of omission. For example, when a situation that leaves the Party vulnerable to criticism is tactfully ignored. It doesn’t show up on stats, and of course, requires no defense against subjectivity, because it never happened and leaves no trail.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 12:42 pm
It still intrigues the hell out of me that the RWNJ’s around here – you know who you are – bemoan the fact that National has lost its way, has strayed from its right wing roots, blah blah, blah (insert ad hom were all fucked and going to die cos they are SO left wing comment here)…
And yet they fail to realise that National campaigned on everything they are doing. As did two right wing parties, the CCCP and ACT. And National govern based on that fact. Please tell me why, oh RWNJ’s, why you expect National to be something they havent been for so many years, that over time has seen them move to more centrist ground, and support for further right wing policies fade to dust (key point that)…
Im almost certain it will be the very same refrain oft espoused at the standard, that they know best and the majority are deluded etc etc.
Humour me. No, really. Without abuse, without rancour. Why is it you demand National be something it clearly isnt, and hasnt been for a long time, when its obvious the electorate doesnt want extremes, or either left or right?
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 12:51 pm
hmmokrightitis – yes, it’s the same at The Standard, the most vocal are fairly leftish ideologists who want to pull Labour ‘back’ to something they have probably never been, certainly not for the last few decades anyway.
The ‘good old party’ delusion is similar to the ‘good old days’ delusion.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 12:56 pm
hmmok
I think it was my point too that National is not centre-right.
Perhaps you might consider me to be a RWNJ, so to clarify – policy settings are taking us to bankruptcy. In the long run, this will hurt those reliant on government the most.
Vote:Secondly, I do not think any person reflecting in an objective manner can claim that welfare is working; the evidence suggests the reverse is true. (This is not so say end government support; it is saying that we need to be radically different in our approach if we are to enhance the lives of those who get government support, and along with that a much more harmonious and safer society).
December 21st, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Very dissimilar to your incessant public leg humping of Peter Dunne, a vapid moron and the worst political prostitute in New Zealand’s history?
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Fair points JeffW; I think the statement that we are heading for bankruptcy is alarmist – our sovereign debt levels are comparatively low, and Mums and Dad’s are paying back debt at a clip not seen for many years. I think, outside of the greens and some idiots in labour, that our pollies understand we want fiscal restraint. God help us if the greens get near the levers of power and their idea for printing money comes to fruition, it will set us back a generation.
I think the primary issue for me is the call for ‘radical’ change. The electorate doesnt want radical. It wants reasoned and mature, incremental change, not knee jerk ‘over here, quick, run this way’ change, and FWIW, I think thats a really good thing. Radical change is problematic, and over turned by successive gubbermints, hence why the electorate favours ‘middle of the road, steady as she goes’ governing – the costs, both in fiscal and societal terms of radical change are high, weve been there, done that.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:04 pm
JeffW 11:43 +1
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:12 pm
@nickb
Calling Dunne a political prostitute is an insult to prostitutes. I’ve known a few in my time (no, not in that way) and they’ve all been forthright about their profession.
Dunne, OTOH, would not only repudiate the title but believes himself to occupy a lofty, unsullied perch from which he is fit to criticise the behaviour of others in the Chamber.
But by far and away his biggest sin is to have caused so many people to root for Charles Chauvel
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:16 pm
Tell that to the Greeks where the entitlement mentality has taken hold of the population and caused economic chaos.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:21 pm
It’s now entirely reasonable to want “radical” change in a way that it wasn’t ten years ago, because the economic model we’ve been using is borked (apologies to the recently departed). This is the salient fact of our time, whether the electorate realise it or not. First party to find an effective response wins, and it doesn’t look like being National, or Labour for that matter.
The elephant in the room is that someone is going to have to find a way to say “no” to the baby boomers. Until then, those greying losers will continue dragging everyone else down by voting themselves entitlements and taking up good jobs they’re too old for.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Jesus Rex, please…”root for Charles Chauvel” can I not read that whilst digesting lunch please????
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 2:36 pm
nickb – tch tch. You seem to be the incessant one, you have a habit of picking up on any non-excuse to have yet another a wee rant totally divorced from what’s been said.
You must be also due a long holiday. I suggest you try and forget (for a while at least) how annoyed you are at seeing Peter Dunne deservedly praised so much for being the most successful long serving MP in Parliament.
He has been a part of the glue that has held our admirable MMP system together so well.
And National are indebted to him for providing such reliable and trustworthy support this term, without him the Maori Party would not only have the Treaty, they’d also have the legislature by the balls – you may prefer Dunne wasn’t there to prevent that but most people appreciate the stability.
Did you see DPF named Dunne as the runner up best small party MP? It’s a wonder you didn’t blow a fuse over that. Don’t worry, he’ll be back next year, still an MP, still a Minister, but mostly keeping out of the limelight and the spotlight.
(I thought I might as well get a few digs in post your abuse, thanks for the prompting).
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Peter Dunne also split the atom, conquered Everest and gave votes to Women.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:20 pm
P.G., your loyalty is admirable…..and misplaced.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Ah, and I should have mentioned that Dunne is a great Santa to many children of Ohariu. (Admittedly last year’s beard wasn’t flash)
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:25 pm
Manolo, I’ll admit he is deficient in one way, he can’t satisfy the demands of looney lefties and ranty righties at the same time while immersed in boiling oil, but that’s not really the brief of a liberal centrist.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:45 pm
Is that the same Peter Dunne who described his colleague Paul Adams as “middle of the road?”
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:51 pm
… and only had to part his hair once.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Peter Dunne should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his single-handed maintenance of political stability in New Zealand. It would have been easy to have principles or set political view, but he bravely thrust conscience aside to occupy ministerial office irrespective of who might govern.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Mike – have a look at this diagram
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ChristianPoliticsNZ.png
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Seen it before, Rodders, but it deserves a wider audience for intense chuckle-making.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:02 pm
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Of course, when Peter Dunne writes his Pulitzer Prize winning autobiography he will need a much bigger diagram to show all the weirdo outfits associated with his cause over the decades.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Mike – like the People’s Front of Judea?
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:10 pm
‘Splitters!’
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:13 pm
Gene Simmons has bedded fewer women than Peter Dunne.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Good to see you have highlighted another of Dunne’s strengths, recognising and separating from conservoreligious nutters who try to use politics to promote their bible bashing agendas. Another strength, admitting that letting them in was a major mistake.
And Colin Craig hasn’t learnt from that.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:32 pm
What about repeating all of Redbaiter’s posts from last year.
It should only need one. You could just take the words: homo, queer, progressive, commie, leftist, scum, moron, knuckledragger, toss them into a bag and just tip them out print them as they fall. Oops, better add ‘gorilla’ to that line-up.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:38 pm
DPF, a phenomenal effort this year considering this isn’t your paying day job(!?). Hope you manage to take a decent break and all the best for the new year. Cheers, Cam.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:47 pm
And let’s not forget that in his spare time he’s also bass player for the aptly named band The Contortionists who are described by Uncyclopedia as:
So his music career mirrors his political one. You think I’m kaing this up? Read on…
Adopting the stage name Zombie Jesus, Dunne is said to be:
Furthermore, under “Achievement”, Uncyclopedia informs us that:
Coincidence? You be the judge…
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 4:53 pm
I think economically some of what national has been doing is quite good. On the economic front they are mainly doing what they said they would do. However they are still raising taxes, last term it was GST, this term it is tax on petrol. And they are struggling to make any real entitlement reform. And they have done nothing about youth unemployment. We need youth rates to get the kids back to work.
However on the social front I would suggest that national has betrayed its ethos as a Conservative party. Under this government and this Prime Minister Parliament is planning on bringing in gay adoption, gay marriage and euthanasia. None of these were in any party manifesto and quite frankly if John Key had said prior to the last election, these things are coming in and I will not be bringing them in myself but I will be voting for them, I think he would have done poorly at the last election. In fact I don’t think he would be Prime Minister today if he had told the electorate that he would allow these major social changes to come in under his watch.
I believe also it is little understood how far reaching the Waitangi Tribunal has become, how expensive and how much they are giving away to Maori interests. It appears to be that they are close to giving away sovereignty to some parts of New Zealand. Under national the call for Maori sovereignty has grown. John Key is giving away our country to stay in bed with the Maori party. Again when he was elected the understanding he gave to the electorate was that National would move to settle claims full and finally by 2014. I would suggest they are further away from that goal than when they took office.
So John Key is pandering to the rainbow wing of the Labour Party and the sovereignty wing of the Maori party so that he can continue to be a popular Prime Minister and get re-elected for a 3rd term. The cost of this is the betrayal of the Conservative ethos of the party which he represents.
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 6:16 pm
Lol….
Vote:December 21st, 2012 at 6:21 pm
so what % of total post made is the above list?
also have to agree with the comment made regarding what is ‘missing’ – how often you don’t comment on something or pump out posts to deflect
in saying that I scan here (at minimum) most days
Vote:December 22nd, 2012 at 6:00 am
The old ‘if you don’t criticise absolutely everything (that I don’t like) then you’re a fraud’ line.
There’s obviously a few Peter Dunne fans here, so a link to his Christmas message.
Vote:(Warning, it’s not all Ho Ho Ho, there’s a bit of hmmm.)
December 22nd, 2012 at 6:22 am
An inspired line on the whorish Dunne by comrade mike. Was it dictated from New York?
Vote:December 22nd, 2012 at 6:26 am
While the UN does lots of good work, as you well know Manolo, Peter Dunne has a regrettably low international profile.
Vote:December 22nd, 2012 at 6:39 am
Quite the contrary. The whorish Dunne is a role model to African satraps and dictators on how to stay in power and lengthen the free ride at other people’s expense.
Vote:December 22nd, 2012 at 6:46 am
I makes me laugh when people criticise Dunne (or the Maori Party) for doing what they can to work with the Government of the day. What should they do, vanish to the back benches every second term so they are not seen to be siding with the Government?
The more parties putting themselves forward for coalition agreements the better.
There are valid things to question Dunne on but whinging at him for trying (very successfully) to be a part of Government is a very dumb diss.
Vote:December 22nd, 2012 at 7:20 am
And I call bullshit on that too.
I’ve queried Dunne a number of times on his position on parliamentary votes and apart from two conscience issues (where he voted in line with wider sentiment) he always referred to the coalition agreement or to party policy and principles.
Can anyone give any examples to show that Dunne has acted against his coalition commitments or set party policies this year?
Vote: