Posts by Grant Robertson
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Hard News: A Golden Age for the Arts?,
Apologies for the link-whoring, but here is my contribution. http://blog.labour.org.nz/2013/05/17/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold/
Very keen to get feedback from the creative community about what is needed and wanted from government. A few examples of what I have been hearing in my relatively short period as Spokesperson are in the blog, but there is much more I am sure.
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Hard News: Reading the Numbers,
Not wanting to be picky, but the issue of the cuts to technology teachers was picked up on Friday, and David Shearer was commenting on it that day, e.g. in this TV3 story
http://www.3news.co.nz/Intermediate-schools-a-casualty-of-Budget/tabid/1607/articleID/255618/Default.aspx -
Martin got to his Brian Wilson place
brilliant. that is the best description of Martin in top form I can think of. I remember my brother writing a review of a Chills gig in Dunedin in the early 90s where he described Martin as being 'brushed by the hand of god". but I think you have topped it. wish I had been there.
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Speaker: Fifteen minutes of Fame,
fair call Michael, just getting carried away with the performance.
I am not certain that Samoa will beat England, but I am prepared to go with Zinny on the possibility that it might happen given his closeness to the English scene. and, wouldn't it be great?
I didn't see all of the England game, but what I did I think they will be run off the park by most of the professional teams.
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Island Life: The Evasive Mr Key Has 2…,
Craig, I think that the Street case too is another where disclosure would have been an ethically righteous thing. It is as bad and objectionable in a leftwing connection as in a right one, and I'm afraid the only reason I've never been concerned about it is that until you blew their cover, I never heard about it.
perhaps you never heard about it because Craig has his facts wrong.
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Island Life: The Evasive Mr Key Has 2…,
sorry Craig, but the fact that the Listener has never bothered to tell its readers that Joanne Black's husband is Key's chief advisor rankles with me. It is a totally different matter from the employment of Kevin Taylor's partner at MFE. Black has written a specific piece about Key, which as noted is more than friendly, where was the disclaimer? I remember when Denis Welch first wrote for the Listener after standing for the Alliance in 1992 he was kept miles away from political stories.
good article indeed, with some interesting responses from Key. If Matthew is reading, a small point Labour's interest free loans are not for just while you are studying. That was the 1999 policy- things got a whole lot better last time.
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just back from the States and every Democrat person I spoke to felt that there was a strong chance of Gore entering the race. The feeling is that Hilary is likely to shake off Obama, but that when it comes down to it most Dems just don't sthink she will actually win the election- enter Al, stage left.
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Speaker: Part 19: Beating Sri Lanka,
oh dear, another fizzer of a game at this World Cup. A reminder that the English are a very ordinary team. Just how they won the tri-series I really don't know. End of the road for Vaughan?
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Speaker: Part 19: Beating Sri Lanka,
Rob, don't judge Sri Lanka by this morning. They did not play Vaas, Malinga or Murali. It would be like expecting us to beat anyone decent without Bond, Vettori and Oram. I reckon you should think again about your $50....
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Speaker: The Re-Branding of Maxim,
At the risk of being called a pseudo-academic again by Craig, I think the "research report" is a load of crap.
Firstly the methodological problems of an internet survey run deep. Given this is Maxim I have considerable doubts as to the identity of who actually completed the survey. Secondly the catogerisation exercise outlined in the report lends itself to some very strong value judgements about what people were "really trying to say". Thirdly the questions that were asked were unlikely to throw much light on actual views- except for the very specific one on role of the individual, which as I said in the post is where Maxim want to take this 'debate'.
anyway, my point is not that there are not a variety of views on the meaning of social justice (be they naturally occuring or forced out), more that Maxim have very deliberately chosen this phrase because it has been associated with the left of politics for so long.