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Posted at 9:23AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Divorce is never an ideal outcome, but banning it will do sweet fsck-all to protect the family unit. More likely, it'll come to this.

And what's the road ahead for the Families Commission if Rankin wags the dog? California's Proposition 8, anybody?

Posted at 9:23AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Is National's judgment really this bad? Given the Commission is their coalition partner's hobby horse - and its existence seems to contradict their aim of reducing the number of public bodies - perhaps they're using the appointment of Rankin, who is so spectacularly unsuitable, to undermine it. Or is that giving Paula Bennett too much credit?

Posted at 9:30AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Maybe its all just noise, so they can say they lost the Mt Albert by-election because of the Waterview motorway, and ignore the reaction to the super-city.

Then they can just rodney that through.

Thinking like that makes me wonder what may be behind the Christine Rankin smoke screen.

Posted at 9:39AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

As a Mt Albert resident, and a long term despiser of Rankin and the groups she's connected to, the last 24 hours have transformed my general dislike of this government into something much stronger.

Time for a breakaway People's Republic of Mt Albert, perhaps...

Posted at 9:40AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Shay: Yes. It makes me wonder too given that before the election John Key was going to abolish the Families Commission. Perhaps this is a way to undermine it.
And I wonder about some of the issues that have caused public outcry. Are they smokescreens as Brian suggests?
And isn't it curious that National Radio this morning was no longer calling it the "Anti-smacking Bill?"

Posted at 9:42AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Mark. Come on down to Blenheim. Very sunny. No motorway. No traffic lights. And we have a McDonalds and a Briscoes!!

Posted at 9:43AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

It does seem really odd. They know that Christine R will immediately divide the populace and draw attention to her (and Commissions) every move. Definitely looks like a "Yes Minister" appointment.

Posted at 9:44AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

No Mark, come to Warkworth because we DON'T have McDonalds and Briscoes.

Posted at 9:45AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Sorry, being greedy . . . also Mark, you can now get back to Mt Albert, if you want to, in about 45 mins.

Posted at 9:48AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

I agree with Brian, this is just a smoke screen.

Rankin is a nutjob, but apart from pissing money down the loo there is not much power in the families commission. It could have done some good but it probably can't do much harm. That said it really pisses me off that every news story about her feels the need to refer to the completely irrelevant fact that she wears - gasp - women's clothing!

Meanwhile, serious stuff like Auckland City and questions about $2 billion of motorway will slip to page 3.

You have to admire political gameplaying at this level.

Posted at 9:52AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

I wonder of her appointment is something of a "ooh look at that shiny thing over there..." sort of appointment to take the heat off of a minister who wants the press to look somewhere else (perhaps while they lay a bunch of people off)

Posted at 9:54AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

You have to admire political gameplaying at this level.

I can understand why you would, but it's what disappointed me the most about these last few days.
Sensible, pragmatic discussion be damned - we need to play games with Duncan Garner.

Posted at 9:54AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Actually, I feel that the news story we're missing at the moment is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the surprise appointment of a businessman to chief executive and Murray McCully knifing NZ Aid and snaffling its budget for his own purposes. You have to wonder how he gets away with it.

Even the Herald editorial column is asking WTF about that.

Posted at 9:54AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

I get the feeling that when Stephen Joyce looks in the mirror he fancies he sees Karl Rove smiling back. It certainly seems the main political lessons absorbed by National in opposition were taken from George W. Bush's Republican party. As Bart mentions, we are seeing more and more evidence that the sort of chummy insider corruption and culture war divide and rule politics that characterised the Bush/Cheney regime is what is inspiring the direction of this government.

Posted at 9:57AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

completely irrelevant fact that she wears - gasp - women's clothing!

She's pre-op? (I've only lived here six years and don't know all the NZ backstories).

Posted at 10:02AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

there is not much power in the families commission. It could have done some good but it probably can't do much harm

Her track record has my spidey senses tingling in a way that I suspect means she's going to prove you wrong on that. :o(

Some folks complained of the previous government being arrogant?
Hell they were nothing compared to the autocratic arrogance being put on display by this current mob.
I can haz nu election soon plz?

Posted at 10:02AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Oh well, at least Don Brash and Owen McShane's key fears about dying like royalty and claustrophobia have been assuaged over petty concerns like kilometres of green spacing, dividing a community and destroying people's homes.

Posted at 10:07AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

From the stuff story:

Asked if Rankin was a safe pair of hands, Key said: "It's a part-time role. She's a part-time commissioner. She's not back running a major government department."

Wow. That's a vote of confidence. "Yeah, it'll be alright. She'll only be working mornings, hardly have any time to fuck things up." Somewhere in the National media office advisers are hitting their heads into their desks.

Posted at 10:07AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the surprise appointment of a businessman to chief executive and Murray McCully knifing NZ Aid and snaffling its budget for his own purposes.

I saw the NZ Aid story, but missed the jobs for mates appointment in Foreign Affairs.

Ugh this is getting really disgusting. I know governments try and do all the disgusting stuff in the first year so 2 years later at election time people have forgotten but this is ridiculous.

Posted at 10:12AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

I don't particularly like Rankin's appointment but, unlike others in the blogosphere, I don't think she will make much difference, and I don't think the sky will fall down.

She's a divisive character, and I wonder how much a person with her personality type can actually achieve in an environment such as the Families Commission.

The most interesting thing to me is that Key appears to have lost the plot on this one. He's alienated two of his support parties, and the appointment's been roundly condemned throughout the media. And for what benefit?

I was looking up Mr Sax on teh Intewebs yesterday. An interesting character, to say the least.

Have you also noticed how every nutjob/fundie/string-em-up/climate-change-denier group in this country seems to have links with Muriel Newman?

Posted at 10:22AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Actually, I feel that the news story we're missing at the moment is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the surprise appointment of a businessman to chief executive...

And that his name was confirmed in the public domain prior to the appointment. What does that say about the organisation (or Minister's office) tasked with keeping NZ's secrets?

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday he was unhappy Mr Allen's name was in the public domain before he was officially appointed, "and I have made my unhappiness known".

He did not believe it was a leak from the Cabinet or from the ministry. "I do have a sense of where it came from and I am grumpy about it."

That wouldn't be Mr Farrar would it?

Hat tip: SamIam at The Standard

Posted at 10:25AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

The "smacking" referendum is coming up soon.

Previously it looked like Key could just ignore it. Probably a low turnout, a silly question, a law that changes little ... no need to revisit The War of 2007 all over again. Mumble something soothing about "listen" and "monitor" and then leave it behind, with a sigh of relief.

Appointing Rankin makes that harder. The media have their go-to person, all ready with a headline quote, with an official title to boot. If National want to dig up Section 59 again, this is the way to do it. But why would they?

Posted at 10:29AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

The Christine Rankin thing just boggles the mind. Even though it barely affects me at all, I can't remember the last time I was as ANGRY about a political issue as I was last night watching her on Close Up. The insufferable, arrogant, self-deluding twit.

Its all about lefties persecuting her (i.e. her getting fired and LOSING her personal grievance claim). She thinks she's gutsy and courageous (how - by dancing incompetently on Dancing with the Stars). She's non politically correct (i.e. hates gays and Maori). And thinks she has great experience for the role (i.e. running a major department so badly she got fired).

Why is this person still in the public eye, and why is she getting an appointment like this? I really though, no matter how much I disagreed with their politics, this batch of Nats were not social reactionaries. Looks like perhaps I was wrong there.

Posted at 10:29AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Have you also noticed how every nutjob/fundie/string-em-up/climate-change-denier group in this country seems to have links with Muriel Newman?

The 6, no, 3 Degrees of Muriel Newman. Something that Paul L could dig dirt on.

The last I heard from Muriel, her latest fad was the concept of Terra Nullius in regards to the Maori.

Posted at 10:30AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

roll over Nanny state - here is Daddy state

big Daddy and his friends know best

I have often thought of this govt as the National equivalent to the David Lange led Labour one. John Key's, arrogance and ambition is being most deftly used by those ultra right wing diehards in his govt to be the acceptable, though facile face of an incredibly conservative social and and political agenda.There also seems to be a childish eagerness to renounce all things agreed to by the previous Labour led govt.

Posted at 10:36AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

Actually, I feel that the news story we're missing at the moment is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.....and Murray McCully knifing NZ Aid and snaffling its budget for his own purpose

No we're not missing it.We're not reporting it. Some journos just need to read the right blogs rather than print one sided opinion pieces from McCully, that's all.
http://big-news.blogspot.com/search/label/NZAID

Posted at 10:42AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

I popped over to see what Mr. Farrar had to say on the subject, but it appears that after his telling off by his beloved leader he has decided to play it safe and go with a culture war diversion by rarking up his base with an utterly irrelevant video of George Galloway.

Oh Dear.

Posted at 10:42AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

and the appointment's been roundly condemned throughout the media. And for what benefit?

The benefit is Rankin is above the fold and the important shit they are doing is page 3.

Posted at 10:47AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

It is genuinely difficult to see how she could work effectively with organisations like Barnado's given her comments about them in the past.

Not at all.

Posted at 10:51AM on 13 May 09. Permalink.

The 6, no, 3 Degrees of Muriel Newman. Something that Paul L could dig dirt on.

You called? Yes, she has her fingers in every pie; but then they are all in it together: Rankin, Sax, the Grants, a whole bunch of former sportsmen; what they have in common is lots of money and lots of prejudices. They cannot abide the professional conduct of social services and education, so they use their money and influence to undermine it.

For that reason I am less relaxed than Russell about the appointment of Bruce Pilbrow. For a start, he has no expertise: his background is in marketing, not any social profession. But then neither do his employers, the Grants. They have strong opinions about how children should behave but no professional knowledge; their opinions are at variance with the knowledge of professionals. Yet, they have turned their opinions into a nice little earner: you might note that everything provided by Parents Inc comes at a price.