Posts by Hilary Stace
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Legal Beagle: Referendum Fact Check #6:…, in reply to Graeme Edgeler,
Thanks Graeme. I should have known that my comment would become a challenge to a fact checker. But I disagree with David Farrar (who justs 'leans right' - yeah right). And Jane Clifton - not known - hasn't he read her Listener columns of the last two decades? By far the greatest majority are right wingers with that first lot veering to the far right, and the 'not known' all at least leaning to the right.
Of that list I would be more interested in classifying who is very mild left (on a good day), although several of them are unpredictable at times (none are what I would call staunch left although Michelle A'Court probably comes closest - and strangely enough is the only woman).
But less than a third of the whole list are women and I still bet none of the regulars are non pakeha and/or under 40.
Note that this is only my opinion as a disenfranchised occasional listener to the Panel so I hope no one sues PAS.
Left leaning (on a good day)
Michelle A’Court
Jeremy Elwood
Duncan Webb
Brian Edwards
Mike Williams
David Slack
Chris Trotter
Finlay MacDonald
Gary Moore
Scott Yorke -
Legal Beagle: Referendum Fact Check #6:…, in reply to merc,
If I could bear to listen more often to the Panel I would tally up the regular contributors. My guess is 10% female, 1% under 40, 1% not pakeha, 90% centre right to extreme right (increased since Bomber was fired).
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Legal Beagle: Referendum Fact Check #6:…, in reply to Tom Semmens,
The panel is very right wing, and overwhelmingly male, middle aged or older, comfortable and smug. And women are represented by those like Michelle Boag and Rosemary McLeod. The fact that they have Jordan Williams and David Farrar as if they are independent commentators shows how far public broadcasting has gone from reflecting the public. (I noticed JM et al weren't even calling for 'balance' by having Sandra Grey on as an alternative voice, which would have happened had they had just Sandra Grey as a commentator.)
Once we had Sunday Supplement where people with left wing and feminist views were occasionally allowed access to the airwaves. When it cut that option Radio NZ promised there would be even more opportunity for the public to contirbute - but I have yet to see it.
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Hard News: Presentation and Reality, in reply to Sacha,
It was mentioned in the local paper.
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OnPoint: 3 News Exclusive Investigation…, in reply to Sacha,
It's already happened. So discriminatory because it will affect women whose caring responsibilities have finally ceased, or those who have lost their jobs and can't afford to pay the fees upfront. Women/poor/older people - so what?
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OnPoint: Fiscal Responsibility is the…, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
Allan Peachey was the MP I bailed up in the supermarket three years ago ( just before Christmas) after the new govt had just passed the National Standards act through all its stages in less than 24 hours. My concern was about autistic students and I raved about it at the time on PAS. He was very gracious and consequently Autism NZ met the select committee several times to discuss their concerns. (The select committee even put out a summary report a few weeks ago). He was always polite and concerned and I thought a good and fair chair of the select committee. Apparently he wasn't that pleased about national standards, and I'm pretty sure he didn't approve of the way they were hammered into schools.
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Peter, depends where you are. Wellington Central is currently having several a week, always has, and they are always crowded. They are organised by residents' associations and various interest groups. The local young feminists collective has one tonight to ask the parties why there are no women candidates in Wgtn Central.
I guess you have to ask you candidates as they will know. Strangely enough some candidates have been instructed by their parties not to attend such as National's Katrina Shanks in Ohariu, which is not fair on her as she is quite a good local member (Ohariu has 4 MPs).,
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I was following those Oklahoma earthquakes on twitter (I follow earthquakes everywhere) and there were several, and some quite big and house damaging.
There is also the tar sands issue in the US which is fracking related and yesterday protestors surrounded (ie encircled) the White House. Naomi Klein and various others tweeted about it, but I don't think it made the news here.
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That postdoc funding issue is very big in NZ. The money is getting tighter and more elusive and the criteria now favours those several years postdoc and employed. So those who have just finished doctorates (and who are usually not securely employed), including some very clever scientists, are left with few options for funding and of course tend to go overseas and be lost to NZ.
A few weeks ago a postdoc student from Canterbury started an open letter to the funders about the issue and within a few days had several hundred signatures from those affected, The LP policy appeared soon after.
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Central government transport policy currently seems to be developed from the point of view of a private car driver, as the default position. But the default position should be that of a non driver. Only a proportion of adults have access to private cars and probably a greater number of people are too young to drive, or choose not to, can't afford to, or are unable to. Some disabled people, for example, will be dependent on public transport all their lives. The non driving population will become an even bigger proportion of the population over time, so it seems crazy not to plan for the needs of the majority.