Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: It would be polite to ask

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  • James Littlewood*,

    Actually, isn't this Geographic Board - or whoever they are - doing well? They've SO come out of the closet, what with W__H__anganui and the NI/SI thing. Yeah! Geopolitics is so back!

    Auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 410 posts Report

  • Graeme Edgeler,

    What is amazing that the LGC is actually consisdering this, given it was only requested by 10% of islanders who bothered to sign the petition. I'd have thought that 90% opposition would have been enough to laugh this out of court.

    10% is a lot to have sign a petition. And I'm not amazed, because the law requires that once 10% of people sign that petition that the LGC looks at it.

    That only 10% signed it does not imply that 90% are opposed. You have a reasonably hard time getting 10% of a population to sign a petition for something supported by 90% of the population.

    10% of registered electors signed a petition to force a vote on the question "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" I might suggest that you wait until August to see whether 90% of New Zealand voters disagree with them.

    Wellington, New Zealand • Since Nov 2006 • 3215 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    I've read the Local Government Act several times, but still don't quite get all the steps:

    - 10% of voters signed a petition, so it goes to the LGC

    - Must the LGC hold a referendum, or can they reject it on grounds (like Waiheke is the planned site for the new Mayoral Palace, and thus needs to remain in Megacity One)?

    - If Waihekians vote to join Thames Coromandel, is this binding?

    - Presumably the T/C people also get a say on whether they want Waiheke?

    - Could Waiheke petition/vote to become an independent council, in Waikato or as a unitary body?

    - How about Waitakere? Or Grey Lynn? Could they defect from Megacity One soon after its formation, or will it be "protected" from voter-based change?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Steve Parks,

    The first two in particular were of relatively minor news value and none would have led, IMHO, without playing up the controversy angle. This in particular wound me up:

    3 News searched for groups that use North Island in their title. We talked to the North Island Minisprint Club whose spokesman said they have no intention of becoming Te Ika A Maui Mini Sprint Club."

    I agree overall, except I don't think that board's proposal about the names of the north and south islands is a minor news story. It's a legitimate story all right, but handled poorly. That part about N.I. Minisprint was just moronic, frankly.

    My understanding of the proposal is just that the board will be making the names 'North Island' and 'South Island' official, and while doing so may add official Maori names as well. I don't see the concern.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report

  • johnno,

    Re. the Media7 discussions tonight. I would love to see Anthony Flannery, the Australian head of our State broadcaster's newsroom, answering questions as to why there are so few Maori and older people in his newsrooms.
    Jonno: WTF is the enitrely gratuitous and irrelevant 'Australian' reference about?

    Its about an Australian broadcasting executive bringing a model based on the commercial Australian environment to a quasi-state broadcaster in New Zealand. In my eyes, he has deliberately reduced the average age of the reporting staff, through sideways "promotions" and redundancies. In regard to the monocultural nature of the newsroom, the kindest thing I could suggest is that he is largely unaware of the bicultural nature of Aotearoa/New Zealand. This might explain his inability to pronounce Te Karere correctly. An unkind person might suggest that given the extensive and detailed focus-group research they do (down the audiences changing viewing habits of individual stories and reporters), the One News executives have decided that their target demographic (rich folk 25-54) prefer pretty young Pakeha faces, and have matched their recruitment policy accordingly.

    wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 111 posts Report

  • B Jones,

    Got to get rid of the surplus aitches.

    Nah, if you really want to be consistent with the whole Whanganui thing, you need to misspell them as spectacularly as Cook did: Toai Poonamoo and Ea Heinom Auwe.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    Re: the NI/SI naming issue, people use the names Mt Egmont and Mt Taranaki interchangeably and no-one seems to kick up a stink.

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

  • B Jones,

    Steve Parks - exactly. The way you've described the story in your second paragraph is accurate and certainly interesting and newsworthy, but it's a human interest or minor bureaucracy story rather than a lead. 6:15 to 6:30 territory, with a few teasers before the ads.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Re the supercity and all that--did anyone see the Tom Scott cartoon in the papers at the weekend, along the lines of the rest of the country ignoring the plight of Auckland (viz "no. I think it is the wind"). Really low brow thinking from Tom, denying the fact that where goes Auckland, so does NZ.

    As for the eskimo 'story', it is fairly banal. What is next under threat--Pinky bars (for their homophobia?) Or jet aeroplanes (because they are too militaristic)? This just gives more fuel to the tedious 'anti-PC" mob.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    Somewhat of a side track: can one still purchase Space Man candy sticks? You know, the ones which look somewhat like a rocket, but a lot more like a cigarette, but of course they were never intentionally sold as cigarette lookalikes,were they?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    What is next under threat

    next they'll be banning those fake candy ciggies.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    Sam F...snap...

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    sarcasm tags far too late

    Also, blasphemy - the Internet reveals that Space Man candy doesn't come with the suspicious glowing red tip any more, and the graphics have been ruined.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Simon Grigg,

    but of course they were never intentionally sold as cigarette lookalikes,were they?

    Here in Indo, Philip Morris sponsor underage gigs and your $2.50 entry fee includes a free packet of ciggies. Oh, and also run ads everywhere which say Pria Punya Celeria..essentially cigarettes make men strong. The last frontier......

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report

  • Emma Hart,

    Somewhat of a side track: can one still purchase Space Man candy sticks?

    Yes you can, but they don't have the red bit on the end that made them look like, um, the rockets were firing or something.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    Sure is hivemind in here today...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Keir Leslie,

    As for the eskimo 'story', it is fairly banal. What is next under threat--Pinky bars (for their homophobia?) Or jet aeroplanes (because they are too militaristic)? This just gives more fuel to the tedious 'anti-PC" mob.

    Eh, if a Maori girl went to Canada and found some `cannibalistic south seas tribals' lollies I bet she'd be legitimately pissed, or if the Aussies found `kokoda trail white devils' candy in Japan, or whatever...

    Really, she actually seemed to have a good point.

    Since Jul 2008 • 1452 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    misspell them as spectacularly as Cook did: Toai Poonamoo and Ea Heinom Auwe.

    Possibly a reasonable transliteration of the way the people he met pronounced them?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Sam F,

    Hmm. Polar theme, fur coat - make a few minor tweaks to the moulds and sell the damn lollies as Li'l Eds.

    There, done, local into the bargain, and the value should work out the same once Pascals balance the extra height against the slightly thinner build.

    It's the least we can do for the great man.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1611 posts Report

  • Rich Lock,

    if the Aussies found `kokoda trail white devils' candy in Japan

    Well, given that this is freely available in the dairy section of the average Australian supermarket, I think they'd be on somewhat shaky ground....

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report

  • Richard C,

    It's a legitimate story all right, but handled poorly. That part about N.I. Minisprint was just moronic, frankly.

    Did wonder (after the customary bellowing) if it was a ploy to get more people visiting their website.

    Combine two stories that seem tailor-made for an ill-tempered, Your Views like rant and their new, 6.30 'what people are reading about on tv3.co.nz' feature and: maaahvellous, the forums are busier than a bee in a bottle.

    Then again, I've just checked and there's no sign of spleen in the '3 interact' section so a) it didn't work, or b) I was completely wrong...

    Waiheke Island • Since Oct 2007 • 27 posts Report

  • Angus Robertson,

    Really, she actually seemed to have a good point.

    By the end of the week there will be a hate crime complaint against Cadbury at one of the Canadian HRCs.

    Auckland • Since May 2007 • 984 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    looking at the way television fails to provide for commercially-unattractive older viewers

    Maaaaat-loooooocckkk!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • B Jones,

    Of course Towai etc was a reasonable transliteration for a first contact ship's captain. But if Wanganui should be retained as part of our Pakeha history of screwing up other languages, then so should Cook's spellings, which at least have better documentation in support of them :-P

    It's interesting that while one 3 News reporter managed to google up the Nth Is Minisprint Club, nobody bothered to google Eskimo. According to wiki, Canadians sure as hell think it's offensive, but Alaskans use it uncontroversially as an all-encompassing term to describe the various arctic groups collectively. I used to have a penpal who described herself as Eskimo. Not that the original namers of the lollies and pies probably considered what they prefer.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 976 posts Report

  • Paul Campbell,

    A friend of mine pointed out today that most non NZers expect the islands to be called "North Island" and "South Island" while we strangely include the article as part of the name.

    He suggests we officially rename them as "The North" and "The South"

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report

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