Orewa'sRotary Club has once again proved to be a controversial venue for National's leader to hold a speech.

Known for Don Brash's race relations rant four years ago, tonight it was John Key's turn. However this time it was not for any policy announcement, but rather the fact that he apparently did not want the media there to cover it.

TV three's political coverage is often schizophrenic but this story was particularly annoying. 

1.  What was the point of the story?

2.  Where do they get off calling Don Brash's race relations speech a 'rant' - an emotive word which conveys an opinion.  They should just stick to the news and let the viewer form an opinion. 

Siding with Winston Peter's is like making a pack with the devil, but he does have a point about political journalism in this country.  And TV one isn't any better - remember their shocking story that someone in the National Party wasn't a fully signed up climate change believer. 

Don Brash , TV 3 , Journalism  

 

Hard hats ready as Labour braces for tough game

 

While John Key shared quality time with his family in Omaha and Bill English mixed pleasure with business in Samoa, there was no time for holidays in Labour-land.

To rub in the point, Helen Clark said of her National rivals: "They do tend to work pretty short weeks and years in my experience. I've found this job is pretty all-consuming."

 

 

Fran O'Sullivan: Downer's a voice worth hearing

 

At the 60th anniversary dinner, Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem delivered a strong message that Israel wants New Zealand to stand up for human rights around the world.

The subtext (delivered more directly in a subsequent official foreign affairs consultation in Wellington) was that New Zealand should take a more condemnatory approach to Iran, not just beat-up on Israel.  

But Downer is expected to be confirmed soon as special UN envoy for Cyprus and will continue to be a public voice on foreign affairs through his new blog.  Read it - it's probably the closest you'll get to obtaining a true conservative perspective than anything served up by National here.

 

John Roughan: Hager's horror the only thing ringing hollow

 

The scheme celebrated its first birthday on Tuesday with 718,000 members - more than double the number predicted in the first year. The only people complaining about it are those annoying economists who see the difference between individual gains and the national welfare.

They fear the scheme will not add to total personal savings, merely displace previous savings schemes.

In the Herald last weekend Maria Slade reported an estimate that as little as 9 per cent of the money in KiwiSaver accounts so far is new saving, a percentage the researcher reckoned would not cover the administration and compliance costs of the scheme.

Westpac economist Dominick Stephens said KiwiSaver had cost the taxpayers $497 million in its first 11 months, an amount that could have added to national savings if it had been left in the Budget's fund for future public pensions.

Even that fund is questioned by some savings professionals who point out that a superannuation scheme is only as good as the future economy that will have to pay out. From that point of view, the best retirement insurance is the investment made in the economy today.

Anyone who believes that the best investments are made by those who stand to lose if they get it wrong would argue the economy would be stronger in the long run if the KiwiSaver incentives were turned into personal tax cuts.

John Roughan: Hager's horror the only thing ringing hollow

 

Had Labour given an inkling at the last election of the premium they have had to pay to re-nationalise the railway, and the fortune it is going to cost to cover its likely losses, National's last campaign would have feasted on the information.

But now that the deed is done, the politics have changed. The purchase is the status quo and National will not dare put re-privatisation before the electorate this year, though that may be what it ultimately does with the trains if not the tracks.

Bush's Third Term

 

We're beginning to understand why Barack Obama keeps protesting so vigorously against the prospect of "George Bush's third term." Maybe he's worried that someone will notice that he's the candidate who's running for it.

 

Cameron and deja vu

 

Put this or other choices on tax or climate change or social justice or social responsibility to a member of Team Cameron and they soon reply “Ah but he is a pragmatist”. 

Hager’s return should make National very afraid

 

 

'If he [Hager] still has access to National’s emails, this is a massive problem.

Even assuming National has tightened up on its security and what it sends through the Parliamentary email server since 2005, there is always going to be enough email traffic to embarrass any political party if it falls into the wrong hands. Short of going back to carrier pigeon or stone tablets, there is little the party can do - email is an essential modern tool for political organisations".

Hollow Men heads for screen

Activist Nicky Hager's The Hollow Men, which detailed the inside workings of the National Party's campaign before the 2005 election using leaked personal e-mails from leader Don Brash's computer and other internal documents, has been turned into a feature-length documentary.

One issue that really gets my blood boiling is Nicky Hager and Dr Brash's stolen emails.  When the main opposition party, or any party for that matter, cannot correspond in confidence then that is a huge thread to our democracy.  More of a thread than the Electoral Finance Act and Winston Peters combined.  Nicky Hager is nothing more than a terrorist. 

Strong words for sure, but that's how strong I feel about this issue.  The use of stolen emails would be justified in the minds of some if Hager unearth a ghastly secret.  But Nicky Hager could not find a smoking-gun even with access to hundreds of Dr Brash's emails.  Much of what Hager 'revealed' had already been aired by the media.  This shows the media are doing their job and such skullduggery is totally unnecessary.

In the USA the Watergate scandal sparked a massive federal investigation and resulted in the resignation of a President.  What happens in New Zealand; the police took a year to tell us they had nothing.  The Labour government provides money so the stolen emails can be made into a play and a film.  It would be a joke if it weren't true.

The media are reluctant to link Labour with this crime, but I suspect that Helen's much talked about 'neutron bomb' is really just more stolen emails.  Even if Labour had no part in stealing the emails, they are a party to the crime by using them for political purposes.  It is also well known Helen and Heather stand over the police, so the investigation into the theft would hardly be impartial.  Helen has expressed NO abhorrence to what has happened despite the implications for our democracy. 

I could still respect Helen if my only disagreement with her was over political philosophy.  Hell I could even be converted on a point or two.  But Helen's involvement in this is disgusting and reveals her true unprincipled nature.  As Dr Brash said this Labour government is indeed the most corrupt in New Zealand's history. 

^This is my most strongly worded post to date and unlikely to be topped. 

By-election 'sends message to Rudd'

Nationals candidate Darren Chester triumphed with 63 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in yesterday's poll, against Labor candidate Darren McCubbin's 37 per cent.

"I think it's an extraordinary result that you have a 7 per cent swing against Mr Rudd only seven months after he has won the election, which would be one of the largest swings against a newly elected government, I think, since Federation."

Jim Bolger to chair new rail company

"Full details, including the structure of the company, its name and even the new paint job for the trains, will be announced at the official hand over from Toll to the government in Wellington on Tuesday. ONE News will bring you the story.."

John Armstrong: Does National have a Cullen in its ranks?

"This is the Cullen that the public has tired of and grown to dislike - the quick-tongued, arrogant-sounding smarty pants who was grudgingly slow to get his head around personal tax cuts."

Nandor shatters shackles of time

"Nandor Tanczos left Parliament yesterday, saying he was going away to cleanse his soul and wouldn't need to know the time any more."

^Cleanse his soul... cleanse it with dope perhaps .

Referring to Question Time:  "It's a time when I'm most ashamed of being a member of Parliament," he said.

"You all know what I'm talking about."

That was a reference to the abusive shouting and bad behaviour that go on during question time.

^I agreed.  Nandor was/is my favourite green MP.  It's easy to disregard him because of his dreadlocks, but he has many positive qualities.  He's not from the psychotic far left of the party and advocates negotiating with both sides of the house.  He's apparently pretty onto it  with IT issues.  He also showed good manners in the house - his dislike of shouting matches is something akin to Don Brash.

As a non-dope smoker I respect his principled stand on the issue, and dare I say it, even his right to smoke dope. 


Dope, Nandor Tanczos , Greens

Quote

We must go for nuclear power, says AWU | NEWS.com.au

""If we are going to be a green Labor government, then we have to look at nuclear," Mr Howes told The Australian newspaper."

"Mr Carr and Mr Howes are pushing for Labor to drop its long-standing policy of rejecting nuclear power. "

"Mr Carr said nuclear power was the critical bridge between the carbon era and energy from renewable resources. "

^Not only are the Australians having the nuclear debate, but it's being debated within the Australian Labor party!  Over here Helen Clark has completely shut down debate on this issue within her own party & the nation through scare tactics.  It's the hallmark of this PM to put short-term political convenience over the long term needs of the country.  She'd rather dick around with anti-smacking laws rather than address the shortfalls in our energy strategy.  The irony is that if the lights started going out in NZed, or if the price of electricity sky-rocketed more than it has, domestic violence and smacking is bound to increase.

Nuclear, Climate change