Posts by George Darroch
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why should we lead the world with the emissions trading scheme?
We're not. The European Union has been running an emissions trading scheme for 3 years now. That's 27 nations we're not leading. And Australia is literally only months behind and intends to release draft legislation late this year to become law in 2009.
We have a completely different set of emissions sources than Australia, and a different set of priorities and needs. The idea of signing our climate policy over to Canberra seems like not a particularly good idea. Our trading market is large enough to work effectively (and as I understand it the new legislation includes the right to trade internationally anyway - although I'd like to confirm whether this is the case).
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"the Maori Party wouldn't go with Don Brash (but did)"
The last 3 years of Maori Party- National Government have been better than I expected.
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People, the election has already been decided. Diebold accidentally leaked the results.
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Rich, if they can demonstrate that the RAM or satanist membership was interfering with their duties (as the EPMU would likely have been able to at some stage), then as I understand it they would have a good case to ask the person to deal with the situation, and if no improvement is forthcoming then to dismiss them. But that's not what's being fought over here. The EPMU alleges breach of employment agreement, and the other side alleges the agreement was unlawful anyway. There are of course other complications, but that's the heart of the matter as I understand it.
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Idiot/Savant blog has not allowed comment for a long time so consquently I only read it every couple of days
Thank god. He shut them off before it became a sewer - not an easy choice, and I detect a hint of resentment when he talks about commenters on other sites that lower the standard of argument.
I'm of the opinion that most sites would be better without comments, frankly. Reading them is usually a complete waste of time, and detracts attention from the article in question. If you have a response, get a blog and write your arguments out well, rather than scrawling them down.
That said, there are obviously places where I feel that commenting is worthwhile for all involved!
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Oh, with the Tan ACT conversion, I've talked to him and can assure readers here that his sentiments are sincere. He genuinely believes that ACT will protect workers rights, the environment, ethical foreign policy, and reduce crime.
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yet again, the public is left with the impression that National's actual policies are a mystery to its own spokespeople
Yet again, I'm left with the impression that National's actual policies are quite well known to its own spokespeople.
Either they have no idea what their policies are (which I find highly unlikely - what have they been doing for 9 years then?), or they are unwilling to put them under public scrutiny. Either is a bad look, but the latter is a worse one. English and Key would rather National looks confused than deceptive.
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Perhaps some of the most interesting chemical stories this Olympics - players banned from using performance enhancing substances to 'dope' table tennis bats.
Sticking glues on the bat, in other words. The effects on the players of those glues were rather harsh.
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I actually know Jordan's capable of better. I certainly don't think he's going to be running around Hunua hosing down the voters with rhetorical silage.
Quite. You bring up the point that politically identified bloggers need to treat their readers with respect, and do more than simply repeat talking points and slag off their opposition. If you're going to hold a line, you need to provide intelligent commentary and analysis - otherwise you're going to get boring and partisan quite quickly.
And if, like the Standard 2/3 of your posts are about how "hollow" John Key is, then your high quality statistical work is going to look tainted by the piles of poo surrounding it.
The problem is, as always, that fewer journalists are expected to create the same amount of content (more profit), in a way that suits the advertisers. Papers and NZ TV networks are after all simply a means to sell advertising. Quality is going to suffer.
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Wasn't today just brilliant?
The waltz of Usain Bolt over the line. Absolutely surreal.
The unstoppable Phelps in the 4x100 mens relay - with the New Zealand team recording an amazing 3.34 and still coming fifth.
There are other NZ athletes worth mentioning, but for me it's all about Valerie Vili representing. I've loved her since her evocative fist pumping "motherfucker!!!" after her win at Osaka last year... what a legend.
And 19-0 against the Springboks.
Can't get much better that.