Posts by Matt Jeffs

  • Hard News: Te Qaeda and the God Squad,

    From what I can see, from reading the NZ Herald online and Stuff NZ, Omar seems to have been arrested just on the basis of being politcally active, having allegedally held a firearm at some stage and being of middle eastern descent while living in New Zealand. I'm no expert on New Zealand law but since when did any of these things become illegall? Being politically active ... well should anyone who ever belonged to a politcal party, trade union or written an 'incandescant' Letter to The Editor be worried?
    As for handling a firearm. Should we then start banging up farmers. I'm sure a few of the country's cow cocky's get a bit 'ticked off' now and then. If anyone has read anything reliable that would highlight this individual as being of 'serious national threat to public safety' please inform me. At the moment I can't quite see how anyone actually has the brass to detain him.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Stories: Overseas Experience,

    Actually chucking up in a future Springbok's kitchen sink back in 1998 at a party in Sth Kensington - complete with dishes (nice) - is my crowning moment. The player in question will remain nameless of course. One of those beautiful moments that makes me proud to be a Kiwi.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Stories: Overseas Experience,

    Hows about landing in London the same day Diana died. Strange way to be introduced to a new city / country.
    I originaly intended to stay for 18 months work in a few pubs aroubnd London then see a bit of Europe. Well I'm still here 10 years later. Married with a mortgage and a bubba on the way just to complete the picture. About to finally go for my British citizenship (£655 and a rather odd citizenship test later) I should be a bonafide Pomgolian.
    Will move back to NZ in the near future....... just ensure those pesky Nats aren't running the country.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • OnPoint: Spoonfuls of sugar,

    Yeah Robin. I was also quite amused by the filtered comments the Herald decided to post on their readers comments page. The usual whingers claiming:
    'It would be more helpful if the Govt redirected the surplus as a tax credit blah blah moan whinge blah'...It's all going to hell in a hand cart..... blah moan blah....I'm soddin' off to live in Austrlia..blah blah' signed 'Incandescant [sic] of North Shore'

    Now my calculations maybe way out of kilter but even I could figure out that a $6.1b surplus ain't going to make that much of a difference spread amongst NZ's 2.1m workforce. It really will only translate to an extra few bucks a week and once its spent ..thats it its gone.
    Maybe I should put it in terms that some Herald readers understand
    'TAX = BETTER HOSPITALS, BIG NEW SHINY SCHOOLS, BETTER ROADS TO DRIVE THE 4x4 ON AND IMPROVED SOCIAL SERVICES FOR THOSE PESKY POOR PEOPLE TO USE'... Pictures may also help.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Mr Brown,

    It is odd, having been based in the UK since 1997 and seeing how the media, even the left leaning Gurdian, have slowley fallen out of love with New Labour. While they have achieved alot of fantastic things for Britain in the last decade, introducing the minimum wage, greater investement in public transport, affordable housing schemes for London based public sector workers... the list goes on..... the invasion of Iraq is always going to be the defining point of this govt's legacy and in a country with large muslim minority thats going to be hard legacy to forget about.
    However as a card carrying member of the Labour Party I will be casting my vote for Gordon Brown as party leader. This is mostly based on the best post war economic growth and stability he has delivered for Britain for the past decade and is continuing to do so. Alot of the media over here are gearing up for a Tory victory at the next election. I'm not so sure. Speaking to several Tory party activists over the past year there are many who are not happy with the way Cameron has taken their party to the left. For example he was photogrpahed at a demonstration in London 2 weeks ago in favour of improved rights for illegal migrant workers???!!!?? Could you ever have seen Thatcher doing that?
    But I do think the mood up here is changing. I think after 10 years of it voters have had a gutsful of spin politics no matter which party.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Island Life: Browned to perfection,

    Any politcal journo in NZ worth their salt could've driven a bus through Turia's argument. At some point in the not too distant past she would have some european ancestory herself... I'd put money on it. Thus rendering her argument completely hypocritcal. New Zealand's rate of net immagration is still very low in comparison with many other OECD countries.
    Really I feel that Turia is doing herself and maori no favours with her little xenaphobic outburst. There is an issue in New Zealand of continuing marginalisation of maori when it comes to employment opportunities and higher education that does need to be redressed.
    I think more of the hot air Turia is expelling on her , pointless 'No Euro's' immagration policy could've been better used to highlight the institutionalised racism that still prevails from some white NZers toward maori. Start dismantling the 'maori equates to crime, high unemployment, doemstic abuse and drink drug abuse stereotypes'. These attitudes are held by people who already live in NZ. Not new migrants. After that rant I need to go trade in my NZ passport for a Republic of Curmudgeon one.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Auckland Earthquake - Some Mistake Surely?,

    Groan..... after reading a few of the Readers comments on the Stuff website it looks as though some of our fellow kiwis aren't engaging the 1 sq foot of real estate between the ears before they hit the submit button with regards to their obssesive opinions of Aucklanders.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Auckland Earthquake - Some Mistake Surely?,

    Blimey. Just read the news at work here in the UK on the Stuff website. Hope all is okay down there in the Shakey Isles. Forgot that Auckland isn't used to quakes. Used to have 'em all the time in Whakatane when I was a kid.
    Some of the readers comments on NZ Herald website are classic.
    A couple I've pasted in:

    'I have to say that rumble couldn't have come at a more intense time while watching Lost. Well we thought so. Everyone thought the big bass drop effect that plays on lost before the adverts shakes the house with the subwoofer.'

    'I live in Hillcrest and while reading the last of the articles I hadn't finished from the Herald on Sunday about Stephen Flemming, my chair moved like a rocker for about 2-3seconds. Haven't felt one for years.
    Not as strong as the one I experienced in Taurang back in 1963'

    'Live in Albany. Felt absolutely nothing - what earthquake?'

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Random Play: Alt.Nation: Word . . . Up,

    Stephen. Yes the UK papers are rabidly partisan but you know that when you buy them. You wouldn't buy The Guardian and expect to have wall to wall stories telling us how brilliant free market globilisation is. The whole point is you have a choice. There isn't a be all and end all sole daily that sets itself up as being the all knowing gospel telling the general populous what its opinions should be.
    As for Felix using the The Sun as a guage of the UK media Thats a pretty lame attempt to exonerate the NZ media for its shortcomings. The Sun is a red top rag. It's a tabliod. It makes no pretences to be a daily broadsheet.
    Also I would have thought NZ is ripe for a more debate style or rival driven media given our defined divisions of right & left politics being far more acentuated than they are here in other countries. Our sized population shouldn't be an excuse either. Ireland with a population of 4 million still manages to have a relative choice of print media choices. We need more constructive debate on Govt and opposition polices through the media in NZ. Because at the moment I can't see it happening.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

  • Random Play: Alt.Nation: Word . . . Up,

    Having lived in the UK for nearly 10 years it is refreshing to live in a country where both sides of a political argument are widley reported. You have the Guardian and The Independant reporting on the left and The Times and The Telegrapgh for the right. They make no bones about their political opinions as they know that for every argument coming from the left there has to be an equally well thought out and well written argument from the right. Having returned to NZ on several occasions and reading what passes as media in our country it really is quite sad that daily broadsheets such as the Herald make its own right wing argument on a regular basis but there is no mainstream or credible outlet for the left at all.
    For nearly 20 years kiwi's have had to put up with the increasingly right wing Herald and it's virtual monopoly as the countries sole daily broadsheet. After listneing to the Herald's Fran O'Sullivan voicing her John Key fan club credentials on Richard Beniston's slot on BFM last week it is painfully obvious that there has to be a New Zealand answer to the Guardian to at least give kiwis the chance to get both sides of the argument. At the moment our media is in pretty sick state of affairs.

    UK - ex Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 36 posts Report Reply

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