Posts by George Darroch
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Most people I meet aren't stupid. But they're not necessarily well informed. And there is a world of difference between the two.
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It also plays on the Government's biggest weakness. Quite wrongly, the public seems to have connected the trucking protest with their own cost of living issues (rather than decreasing the subsidy to a business sector). What they should have done is come out batting, and tackle the issue head on, and talk about cost of living, talk about petrol, talk about what the truckers want and what the Government is doing. When you're on a run chase and running out of overs, 'issue management' won't do it.
Instead, they've tried to bury it under a story that was seen as an attack on Key the person rather than the credibility of his policies and party.
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It's been a while since I've read the standing orders...
and [may] not contain—
(b) arguments, inferences, imputations, epithets or ironical
expressionsWhich would rule out a very large number of the answers the Government has given in the last term. It's a moot point anyway now, as there will very likely be a new speaker next term. I do hope the next one has more respect for the function of parliament, and a more demanding interpretation of the standing orders.
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Anette King doesn't remember the good ol' days when people like my parents would stock up on cigs and liquor
Interesting that you mention the black budget. I have no strong views on that particular Labour Government, but their prospects were certainly harmed immeasurably by what was rather a small act in the scheme of things, but one that had strong emotional resonance with ordinary voters who felt like they were being victimised.
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I see Margaret Wilson is speaking at the next Drinking Liberally.
Can someone please ask the Madame Speaker why she does not require that members answer oral questions, instead allows them to merely address them?
It may be fun to hear a Minister insulting Gerry Brownlee, or Winston Peters exercising his wit, but it certainly isn't informative. When the Government refuses to answer a question, it is an insult to the public they are accountable to.
The problem isn't unique to the current Government; there is long precedent, but this Government has done nothing to change the situation.
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I'm not convinced that it's the best way to get kids to exercise, but I'm not SPARC, and presumably they know a lot more about this subject than I do.
I'm also not knowledgeable enough to know if a whole of Government approach is being taken to child health, looking at housing, food, transport, sport and physical activity, health, and media/television/internet etc. I know the moves of the Government to tackle bad foods in schools etc takes on some of these issues. It is, predictably, savaged by National as an act of the "nanny state".
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I'm off for a drink (and perhaps to plan my emigration [...] to Australia)
Don't come to Australia! I'm only here for a free post-grad education. Go to the happiest places on earth; Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Iceland, Bahamas, Finland, Sweden, Bhutan, Brunei, Canada. Besides, everybody has lived in Australia. How many of your friends have lived in Iceland?
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Wot is an "astroturfer"?
A professionally organised and coordinated campaign designed to appear as "grassroots" activism. Astroturfing at Wikipedia.
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The RTF savaged him big time when he launched a campaign against bigger trucks on the roads.
Oh, I forgot about that for a moment. A 60 tonne truck does a huge amount more damage to the road than a 40 tonne truck. I wonder what a properly weighted RUC on that rig would be?
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Remember, aim for their heads
Time to stock up on lawnmowers.