Random Politics

[ZoSo]

Hilarious. Tamihere ptII.

Labour MP Damien O'Connor has hit out at his party organisation, saying its candidates list was drawn up by "a gaggle of gays and self-serving unionists" who gave "straight shooters" little chance of success.

[Ab]

Any non-gay, non-unionist, non-ethnic-minority, non-female candidates on the list? See I know quite a few people in NZ who match that description and I hear that this list is all about "looking like NZ".

Sucks to be a pakeha guy from a non-union background in Labour these days. You might as well have a bullseye tattooed on the back of your head.

[aR Que]

Originally Posted by Mr Goff

people were chosen for their skills rather than backgrounds.

LOL. Does he know he's the leader of labour?

[Ab]

Also - you have to laugh really. You've got the Government basically twiddling its thumbs while all sorts of shit is hitting all sorts of fans and then Bill English says some criminally retarded bullshit about the wage gap with Australia being good for NZ (serious, wtf?), ooh boy when the media get hold of that it's gonna hurt, and then, you guessed it, A MICROSECOND LATER the Labour Party takes over the front pages with another piece of internal dirty laundry.

Tonight on the news: with the country facing a budget crisis, Bill English was quoted as saying some fucking retar---BREAKING UPDATE THE LABOUR PARTY IS INTERNALLY WRACKED BY BATTLES BETWEEN SCHEMING HOMOSEXUALS AND UNIONISTS, DETAILS TO COME!

Nice work, Labour. #winning.

[ZoSo]

Is it really only Parker & Nash in the top 30? damn.

[fixed_truth]

It does not truly represent the rank-and-file members and delivers a list that is not truly representative of those who vote Labour

I'm not sure that a persons sexuality or their union background necessarily defines them in such a way that means they can't/don't represent their constituents.

National seems to be full of people with backgrounds in business, law and farming yet they also argue that can represent people with more diverse backgrounds.

[fixed_truth]

double

[cyc]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

I'm not sure that a persons sexuality or their union background necessarily defines them in such a way that means they can't/don't represent their constituents.

The problem is that both Labour and National's claims of being representative of the people are patently false. The thing that's apparent with a lot of our MPs is that they represent the worst kind of identity politics -- a singular definition (or at least a dominant presentation) of oneself, which evolves around blindly proffering the favoured stances of that one identity, at the expense of everything else. What has most of the union ratbags in Labour ever done other than regurgitating the usual union rubbish? Not that many of National's MPs are any better, of course. But as a matter of real politik, this isn't a problem for National: there isn't an opposition.

I think I'll save myself from the hassle of voting in the upcoming elections.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by ZoSo

Is it really only Parker & Nash in the top 30? damn.

Fuck man, it's Twyford I feel sorry for. That dude just keeps getting kicked in the nuts by Labour.

Ranked 33!

That means Labour thinks he's less valuable than:

Rajen Prasad
Raymond Huo
Carol Beaumont
Kelvin Davis
Carmel Sepuloni
Rick Barker
Deborah Mahuta-Coyle
Stuart Nash
Michael Wood

Jesus, Mahuta-Coyle isn't even a current MP! She's a press secretary in Labour's parliamentary office, and that's apparently more valuable to the party than everything that Twyford's done.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by cyc

The problem is that both Labour and National's claims of being representative of the people are patently false. The thing that's apparent with a lot of our MPs is that they represent the worst kind of identity politics -- a singular definition (or at least a dominant presentation) of oneself, which evolves around blindly proffering the favoured stances of that one identity, at the expense of everything else.

For sure.
I think policy should be evidence based rather than purely ideological.

I found this speech by the head of the IMF quite intersting in the context of NZ's proposed financial reforms.

“In designing a new macroeconomic framework for a new world”, he stated, “the pendulum will swing—at least a little—from the market to the state, and from the relatively simple to the relatively more complex”.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn called for policymakers to pay more attention to inequality and social cohesion.
“The benefits of growth must be broadly shared, not just captured by a privileged few. While the market must stay center stage, the invisible hand must not become the invisible fist”.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by Ab

Any non-gay, non-unionist, non-ethnic-minority, non-female candidates on the list? See I know quite a few people in NZ who match that description and I hear that this list is all about "looking like NZ".

Sucks to be a pakeha guy from a non-union background in Labour these days. You might as well have a bullseye tattooed on the back of your head.

I agree with Rex Widerstrom's opinion on this issue.

There’s a subtle distinction that needs to be made here. Labour hasn’t ranked its list on the basis of the sexual orientation of those candidates; if you don’t believe that, imagine for a moment the fate of a conservative (by Labour standards) working class gay candidate. If that’s stretching the imagination, try and picture Damien O’Connor as a gay man, but with the same attitudes to policy issues as he has currently.

The common thread that links the upper list rankings isn’t sexual orientation but conformity to a pattern of thought on a raft of issues, only a handful of them having anything to do with sex or sexuality. The other common factor for many is, of course, links to the former leader who spent her entire political life seeding the party with people who conformed to a particular world view. That many were gay was a secondary consideration, if it was a factor at all.

More important than “who’s gay and who’s not” or any questions of sexual politics is the question raised by David Garrett and others – would Norm Kirk or even Bill Rowling, and the people who formed the backbone of the party during their time, have any place in the Labour Party of today? And if not, who is representing the interests of working men and women today? Don't they deserve a voice? And isn't it time Labour relinquished the name?

[chubby]

would Norm Kirk or even Bill Rowling, and the people who formed the backbone of the party during their time, have any place in the Labour Party of today? And if not, who is representing the interests of working men and women today? Don't they deserve a voice? And isn't it time Labour relinquished the name?

seconded.

[BoyWonder]

Drop Labour and keep Rainbow?

[CCS]

How about the Civil Union of LBGT Party?

[Ab]

Bryce Edwards:

Is that the best that Labour could come up with? The Labour Party list for 2011 can be described as conservative, a poor use of the MMP list system, promoting non-performers and careerists, and effectively it amounts to ‘incumbency protection’. But more than anything else, the list proves once again that Labour cares more about ‘identity politics’ than ‘class politics’. Quite simply, the party is so consumed with the social backgrounds of its candidates – especially their gender, ethnicity and sexuality – that it forgets about socio-economics and actually being a workers’ party.

[adonis]

http://pundit.co.nz/content/self-ser...gle-of-garbage

A differing opinion on Labour's list.

[GM]

I swear there are more political blogs in this country than there are politicians.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by adonis

http://pundit.co.nz/content/self-ser...gle-of-garbage

A differing opinion on Labour's list.

The Labour party list comes under fact-challenged attack

[MrTTTT]

a gaggle of gays/a pride of homos

[chubby]

newsflash: Peter Dunne a hypocrite

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/heal...synthetic-dope

"I would have preferred to go stronger. The evidence was simply not there to go beyond that.

The worst case scenario would be if he imposed a total ban, which was then challenged in court and not upheld due to lack of evidence, he said.

mmm.. yes, that whole 'evidence' thing.
fucking Political Correctness gone mad if you ask me.


http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal/118-1226/1765/

MP Peter Dunne has recently been appointed as a Minister outside cabinet for two positions, Associate Minister of Health and Minister of Revenue. These appointments may be relevant to a wide range of health issues in New Zealand, the Pacific region, and elsewhere. This letter focuses on his record on tobacco issues, and considers some of the implications of his appointments.
For nearly 20 years, Mr Dunne has taken a public position opposed to tobacco control. In 1987, while an Undersecretary of Health in the Labour Government, he was reported as describing those who wanted a ban on tobacco advertising as ‘elitist zealots’.1 Since he left the Labour Party in 1994, he has consistently voted against tobacco control initiatives.

[Ab]

curse that pesky evidence!

[Ab]

I would like to offer my thanks to the Greens, a party which has often been the target of criticism from yours truly, for doing a very important job: being an Opposition.

[Saladin]

Originally Posted by Ab

I would like to offer my thanks to the Greens, a party which has often been the target of criticism from yours truly, for doing a very important job: being an Opposition.

Someone's been reading the dim-post again

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by chubby

newsflash: Peter Dunne a hypocrite

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/heal...synthetic-dope

"If it looks like cannabis, smells like cannabis, we ought to be able to treat it like cannabis,"

Well, it neither looks or smells like cannabis from what I understand.

More interestingly, it seems like it's now pretty much permanently legal to get stoned on this stuff in NZ. I wonder how this will impact pot sales...

[chubby]

left-wing blog angst.
hard times to remain positive for some of us.

http://thestandard.org.nz/im-sorry-im-out/

Labour should have said: ‘we want special legislation and a commission for Christchurch but this law is a naked power grab beyond any justification. We have been lied to repeatedly through out this process, so we do not feel we can trust Brownlee with these powers. If the following amendments are made (give amendments limiting the power to override legislation to only specified Acts, putting power in Commissioners’ hands not Brownlee’s, and establishing proper rights of appeal) we will vote for this law. Otherwise, in good conscience, and as representatives of the people of New Zealand entrusted by them to defend their democracy, we cannot.’

I don’t know why that didn’t happen.

[Ab]

I must say, Twitter is slightly more entertaining now that Trevor Mallard has time on his hands.

[^BITES^]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

"If it looks like cannabis, smells like cannabis, we ought to be able to treat it like cannabis,"

Well, it neither looks or smells like cannabis from what I understand.

More interestingly, it seems like it's now pretty much permanently legal to get stoned on this stuff in NZ. I wonder how this will impact pot sales...

It looks .. and smells like off/old oregano with some parsley added in ...and tastes like the back end of a new york city rats cunt.

Won't impact shit. My friend enjoys it as he can buy it over the counter and he can spark it up at work (considering the work he does ... he could do it with the normal shit as well lol), I'd personally prefer to smoke my own pubes.

Love this tho:
"They said they were dangerous but in their conclusion they were less harmful than cannabis – the real thing," ... ahahhaah ... righto.

[Saladin]

Originally Posted by Ab

I must say, Twitter is slightly more entertaining now that Trevor Mallard has time on his hands.

Is he #winning?

[Ab]

Actually yes he just called Cameron "Whaleoil" Slater a softcock

[Golden Teapot]

Well I expect to see our loony left posters out protesting the inappropriate use of language by a senior labor leader (god - I almost couldn't type that word). You know, just like they were all upon their high horses over a flippant comment from a right Leader.

[crocos]

Originally Posted by Ab

I must say, Twitter is slightly more entertaining now that Trevor Mallard has time on his hands.

You following @trevormallardmp or @TrevorMallard? It's actually scary how close the tone of the real account gets to the parody account.

[Ab]

Originally Posted by crocos

You following @trevormallardmp or @TrevorMallard? It's actually scary how close the tone of the real account gets to the parody account.

https://twitter.com/#!/trevormallard...54922621550592

[crocos]

Canada: Where publishing election results before ALL polls have closed is illegal.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/mobil...tml?id=4647769

[xor]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=10721508

twice failed politician going for the trifecta.

[ZoSo]

Yeah interesting shit with the mana party starting up as well. ACT being crushed at this stage seems inevitable.

Surprised Labour hasn't tripped up this week. Ah well, few days left to go I spose.

[chubby]

must be an exciting time for john and bill.brash would be a perfect excuse/hatchet man/fall guy for their more neoliberal plans....
the ones for which an actual mandate probably cant be created till their third term.

[xor]

Good, I look forward to it. They need to cut the fat.

[chiQ]

http://twitpic.com/4qc5k1

[GM]

Originally Posted by chubby

must be an exciting time for john and bill.brash would be a perfect excuse/hatchet man/fall guy for their more neoliberal plans....
the ones for which an actual mandate probably cant be created till their third term.

A political sage in my office suggests this too... it's suspicious the tax payer funded 2025 taskforce document is so in-line with what could possibly be an ACT manifesto as well.

Brash and Banks are practically twins and probably very attractive to the NZ first vote too. The question is, where are the lefties?

[Golden Teapot]

National is the new left. National are quite left compared to the international right.

labour should disband with the moderates going to National and the radicals forming a new alliance.