Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Citizens

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  • Sacha,

    You mean Berlin, Nic? :)

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    As long as he brought the lovely Julia Deans with him of course.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Based on figures from 2004? Try 2008 Annex Table 25.

    That would be total, rather than core crown figures (the difference is explained well upthread). Try again.

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • WH,

    And what happens if you take the second derivative?

    He mails you another copy of his book...

    Since Nov 2006 • 797 posts Report Reply

  • Grant Dexter,

    In the end, I suspect the Police decided to charge the Otara liquor store owner on the basis of information that isn't (and shouldn't be) in the public domain, but will form the basis of a case that will be fully tested at trial -- where the defendant will receive a vigorous defence, and all the protections of due process. Which, ironically enough, Garth McVicar would he happy to flush even further down the proverbial crapper.

    Possibly. Though I have no idea who Garth McVicar is. Did he used to open the batting for ND?

    I did jump the gun a little bit. There have been a raft of stabbing stories and I think I confused a few of the details from one with this one.

    Taipei, Taiwan • Since Mar 2007 • 256 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    a convicted statutory rapist calling me a soft cock.

    Prison's too good for 'em. Prepare the miniature guillotine.

    And someone tell the "upbeat Prime-Minister-in-waiting" (yuk) that this policy will go down a treat.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Prison's too good for 'em. Prepare the miniature guillotine.

    My point, red, is that it wouldn't hurt Ron Mark to have a little think about how he was the beneficiary of exactly the kind of wooly-woofter "liberalism" he's now decrying.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Meanwhile, nice to see the Herald really got to the nub of the PERFU with this headline:

    **Cullen rains on Key's parade**

    Because, of course, the sun's a ball of butter for Cullen...

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • dc_red,

    Yes, I got your point, Craig, and I agreed with it.

    I was making a joke to the same effect: i.e., that his mentality would vastly increase penalties for offenders like himself.

    Oil Patch, Alberta • Since Nov 2006 • 706 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia,

    Yes, I got your point, Craig, and I agreed with it.

    Good. :) Sometimes it's hard to tell, but you've got to wonder if the only way you last in Winston First is having any sense of irony, or shame, surgically excised.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • DaveC,

    <quote>Based on figures from 2004? Try 2008 Annex Table 25.

    That would be total, rather than core crown figures (the difference is explained well upthread). Try again.</quote>

    Take it up with Russell I/S, I was commenting on his going hyperbolic over the 2004 version of the same table.

    Since Nov 2007 • 22 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington,

    That, and his album is freaking lovely....

    Thought the first 2/3s or so was pretty good but it kind of tails off in the end like he didn't quite know how to finish it.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    Take it up with Russell I/S, I was commenting on his going hyperbolic over the 2004 version of the same table.

    you might be more wise taking on prebble on his making shit up.

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Savidge,

    In regard to the Nat's sentencing policy, I think Key has wasted a golden opportunity here.

    I reckon he would have been much more effective had he incorporated some policy on preventative solutions as well. For all his twaddle on 'boot camps' in the past, he should know that there are already many organisations doing critical work in youth mentoring etc that are disgracefully underfunded. I know at least one highly-regarded and successful program that, even as a CYFS-accredited provider, receives less than 5% of its annual budget from govt funding. And the program can't expand at the rate it is being asked to by communities due to funding issues.

    If he had put the two issues together into a more, dare I say it, holistic policy announcement, he may have won over more than just the hang 'em high brigade.

    Somewhere near Wellington… • Since Nov 2006 • 324 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Take it up with Russell I/S, I was commenting on his going hyperbolic over the 2004 version of the same table.

    I think "colourful" is a better description than hyperbolic ...

    But the point stands: Prebble said NZ's govt spending as a proportion of GDP was almost the highest in the OECD, when in fact it is below the median.

    And you only get to say it's growing fast because it was so low for Cullen's first five years. The difference between this year's figure and that for 1999, National's last year in office, is marginal.

    There's a PDF version of the table here for people who found the Excel document unwieldly.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    you've got to wonder if the only way you last in Winston First is having any sense of irony, or shame, surgically excised.

    Or a brave, Python-esque commitment to spreading ironic political humour whilst maintaining a straight face...

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Something I'd point out is that even under the most radical past governments, spending wasn't much lower than today (in 1999 it was a mere 1% less than the forecast for next year).

    That's because most core public spending is on essential services like health, welfare and education. Most public servants are frontline staff like nurses, teachers and policeman - Wellington based administrators are a small minority.

    No government has any chance of releasing funds for radical tax cuts without seriously reducing services, e.g. abolishing free healthcare or education. (I'm assuming that a National government would never cut the budget of the "oppressive services"). So any reduction of tax has to come out of borrowing or redistribution. One difference between parties is whether they want to distribute from rich to poor or vice versa.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    Prison's too good for 'em. Prepare the miniature guillotine.

    You were being ironic, some people aren't...

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    You were being ironic, some people aren't...

    How far up on the Allport scale would these fellas be? I'd estimate a 2.5.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Ben Austin,

    So anyway, I for one am glad that the NZ Herald is making good use of the internet and all it offers for the election campaign.

    I want to say "what the fuck?"

    London • Since Nov 2006 • 1027 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    As I said the rate of growth in this measure is the second highest in the OECD, so it is possible that Prebble was referring to this and was misquoted, or misspoke. Either way it is emphatically not the second lowest in the OECD, and saying he is "raving, drooling out of his tiny mind wrong ..." on that basis strikes me as a little unfair.

    Perhaps Russell was misquoted and he meant to say "Prebble is a silly twit who makes shit up for political purposes." Difficult to say...

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    You were being ironic, some people aren't...

    There's a cheery bunch of folks:

    "I would like to see our government reintroduce the death penalty. It's simply not good enough locking the grossest offenders up for life in some cushy cell with underfloor heating and widescreen television. The most serious crimes should carry the highest price ticket," one said.

    I like the use of the word 'ticket' there. Makes execution sound like a good seat at the rugby.

    Also at that page, and really quite fun: [[http://www.stuff.co.nz/vote08/0a28758.html|Whack a poll]. Hit John Key and Helen Clark with a big hammer.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Ugh. You get the idea.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    I should be working. Instead I'm fixing your links:

    Whack a poll

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    Are we all familiar with the number of people currently in prison for murders committed after they served time for an earlier murder?

    I believe it's three.

    According to this, Burton is the only one ever?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10432311
    Burton... is believed to be the first New Zealander to have been sentenced to jail twice for murder, although there have been others that have killed two or more people.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

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