Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Pomp and Circumstance

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  • richard thomson,

    Money quote from David Garrett in that HoS story?

    "That was a stupid thing to say. But I might have said it stone cold sober."

    In context (Key's to the left of Helen, climate change ain't happening) it obvious he joined the right political party.

    owhiro bay • Since Mar 2008 • 9 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    At least I got a good laugh out of the responses...

    We aim to please.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Gordon Campbell has some informed comment on National's pledge to adopt Rodney Hide’s New Zealand Taxpayers Bill of Rights Bill as a government bill.

    Why would you adopt a gimmick measure that has been a failure everywhere else?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Dr Cullen is apparently easily the brightest member of the NZ Parliament since the retirement of Richard Prebble.

    I've often said that Roger Federer is easily the best tennis player since that one time my grandmother picked up a racket.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Hill,

    As far as I could tell, his position is that the globe isn’t warming. Or at least not warming significantly.

    I don't get Rodney at all. He has a science background (a degree in zoology and botany from Canterbury) and has penned the following ...

    Insect pest resistance : technological, biological and economic. dimensions (his masters thesis)

    Azinphos-methyl resistance in lightbrown apple moth : economic implications of management options.

    Why the brain explosion when it comes to something like climate change?

    Palmerston North • Since Mar 2008 • 25 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Gordon Campbell has some informed comment on National's pledge to adopt Rodney Hide’s New Zealand Taxpayers Bill of Rights Bill as a government bill.

    Well that's pretty scary.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Tom Beard,

    Gordon Campbell has some informed comment

    Doesn't he just. Wouldn't it be nice if "informed comment" were valued by the likes of, say, The Listener?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    We can has ministers

    Full list here (I thought for a moment that the gossip about Jonathan Coleman not getting Broadcasting was true):

    Who's not there? Maurice.

    Communications & IT and special responsibility for getting the Big Broadband Plan happening goes to ...

    Some guy you may not have heard of.

    Stephen Joyce will also be:

    Minister of Transport
    Associate Minister of Finance
    Associate Minister for Infrastructure
    14th in cabinet

    Right after he finds out where his office is ...

    But seriously, I'm betting that the broadband policy eventually enacted will not be the one National campaigned on.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Why the brain explosion when it comes to something like climate change?

    Because it's a mistake to equate intelligent with correct. I think most lawyers are intelligent people, but all of the time, half of them are standing for a false proposition (the guilt or innocence of the accused). Their cleverness doesn't make them right.

    You can always make a case for both sides. In fact, you should always try. But truth itself is quite independent of the cases made. The accused either did or did not do what they were accused of. The climate either is or is not affected by human behavior. It doesn't matter to the climate what the majority of scientist think about it, except in so far as their heads might radiate some heat. What does matter is the effect those scientists might have on our decisions. Even then, it is possible that even an overwhelming majority of scientists could be completely wrong. The history of science is littered with plenty of instances of this, usually just prior to theories that are more correct making huge credibility breakthroughs due to discoveries or inventions.

    But having said that, I don't advocate that you should ignore the majority of scientists, or cherry pick a minority, when you make massive political decisions. That would be irrational. To me the only scientific way forward on climate is to experiment, to actually try to have a human chosen influence on the climate. If we can't, the theory is debunked completely, or the solutions shown to be impractical. If we don't try we aren't being scientific, we are being dogmatic.

    Admittedly it's a huge experiment and it's taken quite a long time to convince me that it's worthwhile.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Deborah,

    Who's not there? Maurice.

    And Judith Collins is not Welfare. She's got Police, Corrections and Veterans Affairs.

    New Lynn • Since Nov 2006 • 1447 posts Report Reply

  • Ian MacKay,

    I would think that in general terms the truth or not of people causing Global warming would be overshadowed by the action to make the planet more sustainable and a nicer place to be in/on. Let's clean up the act (Act) anyway.

    Bleheim • Since Nov 2006 • 498 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    And Judith Collins is not Welfare. She's got Police, Corrections and Veterans Affairs.

    "In an attack on judges who are giving out tough sentences, [Helen] Clark wants to establish an independent sentencing council to set guidelines for judges. You can be certain that any such council will be full of namby pamby Lefties who blame “society” rather than criminals, for crime." (August 2006)

    The Associate Corrections Minister, Dr Pita Sharples, could not be reached for comment.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Quardle Oodle,

    Hey Rodney,

    I've got your first suggestion for cutting waste in Government.

    Why are you paying researchers when you have a Parliamentary Library Service staffed with experienced qualified researchers with access to a whacking load of print resources and truckloads of electronic information you can't get freely on the internet, at your service?

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 8 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Williams,

    Full list here (I thought for a moment that the gossip about Jonathan Coleman not getting Broadcasting was true):

    I have more than a few quibbles with National but again, I give credit to Key for making the most of the talent he has. That said, he may regret giving McCully Foriegn Affairs, he's hardly credible in NZ, let alone on a broader stage.

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Nick Smith: Minister for Climate Change Issues

    There's an open-ended Ministry :)

    I might phone him up and ask him to fix my roses, and sort my dogs out. Now that I believe that I can blame those issues on climate change.

    And we have two Ministers responsible for the Rugby World Cup. Great.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Caleb D'Anvers,

    Isn't it just great that Gordon Campbell's been shunted off to Scoop, while the front cover of this week's Listener is a big promotional shot of the PM with the headline "Kiwi Key"?

    The fact that such an extremist revenue policy is even being considered totally belies the Nats' attempts to paint themselves as Holyoake-style pragmatists.

    Since being shackled with TABOR, Colorado has fallen to 47th of of 50 in per capita state funding for higher education. 73 percent of its roads are now in a poor state of repair, because there isn't the money available to maintain them. It's third from last on access to pre-natal care, and dead last in the US for immunization uptake. (All of these figures represent considerable decreases on their pre-TABOR equivalents.) See Dianne Stewart, "Primroses and Politics: The Deceptive Allure of Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights", National Civic Review 94, no. 3 (2005): 55-58.

    If this gets anywhere near being passed into law here, we need to be out on the streets trying to bring this lot down. Seriously.

    London SE16 • Since Mar 2008 • 482 posts Report Reply

  • Idiot Savant,

    Possibly some subtle irony I'm totally missing in your statement

    Yes, there is.

    To find it, see here

    Palmerston North • Since Nov 2006 • 1717 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Reid,

    We can has ministers

    Key will be:

    John Key
    Prime Minister
    Minister of Tourism

    as well as the usual other stuff that goes with being PM.
    Gosh, he must be ambitious for... visitors to New Zealand? And the tourism industry I guess, which is of course an important part of the economy. But couldn't he have taken Foreign Affairs rather than let McCully at it?

    South Africa • Since Nov 2006 • 80 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Paula Bennett profile on Stuff. She has an impressive story.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Eddie Clark,

    Thanks, I/S. The comment makes much more sense now.

    Ignoring empirical evidence is fun!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 273 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Big ups to Pansy Wong, too: Minister of Ethnic Affairs and Women's Affairs.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • David Ritchie,

    I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to understanding the nuances of party policy, but can somebody explain how an MP from the anti-regulation, pro-business Act party be MP for Consumer Affairs? Perhaps there's a subtle pro-business slant to the CGA which I'm missing.

    Since Nov 2006 • 166 posts Report Reply

  • Luke Williamson,

    Can I please have a big round of applause and a giant "Good Riddance too" for the absence of Lockwood Smith on the front benches. Yee har!

    Warkworth • Since Oct 2007 • 297 posts Report Reply

  • andrew llewellyn,

    for the absence of Lockwood Smith on the front benches. Yee har!

    Or a Croke Stadium silence for Mr Speaker.

    Since Nov 2006 • 2075 posts Report Reply

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