Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Morning in Auckland

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  • Petra,

    The Nobel Peace prize was just awarded to the Chinese writer and human rights activist Liu Xiaobo

    John Key was just as weak and weaselly over the Nobel Peace Prize.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1010/S00059/pms-presser-no-praise-for-jailed-nobel-winner.htm

    John Key says he has no words of congratulation for a Chinese political prisoner who has won the year’s Nobel Peace Prize, but denies any pressure from the Chinese government.

    No spine, and no morals. Just a puppet on a string.

    Like Sue Kedgley - a politician that I hate to see leave as I always admired her integrity - I want to see NZ have a lobbyist's register, stating who the lobbyists are, who and what they are lobbying for, and to whom.

    Rotorua • Since Mar 2007 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    but denies any pressure from the Chinese government.

    Which actually makes it worse. Appalling statement, or lack thereof. What a small, small man.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic,

    @Petra:

    In chasing ratings and the advertising dollar they have bought into, and nurtured, the culture of hate. Hate is the new black, it seems. Bigotry, the hot new fashion accessory. Wear it anywhere. "Express Yourself" :(

    Those Facebook comments on Paul Henry's support page sounded startlingly like the "Leb and wog bashing day" during the Cronulla Beach riots. And it seems not much distinction is being made between Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • Jeremy Eade,

    I wonder how much though is teenage crazy humour baiting, ugly as it is?

    auckland • Since Mar 2008 • 1112 posts Report Reply

  • Marcus Turner,

    @Hilary, Russell and others

    Another good article: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/10/exclusive-ari-neeman-qa/all/1

    Since Nov 2006 • 212 posts Report Reply

  • Peter grower,

    Ross Mason compared my distrust of the Govt and its Census with being anti-vaccination.

    What a clown.

    What kind of muppet can draw a conclusion like that ??????.

    Census .............. vaccination. Yeah those two issues are really really similar.

    Back in the real world, I believe that our Census shows that there is twice as many Samoan woman living in Nz as Samoan males.

    I'm not sure if its a hang-over from the dawn raid days but it seems that Samoan males feel that those bastards from the Govt with their clip-boards are not to be trusted.

    I agree.

    Our Census results in large amounts of crap bogus data.

    It probably helps the Govt decide which minority it can scapegoat.

    Btw the Statistics Dept actually has some very heavy regulations compelling New Zealanders to submit and comply with their invasion of our privacy.

    Just so we dont forget who's in charge of us .................

    Since Dec 2006 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    It probably helps the Govt decide which minority it can scapegoat.

    Btw the Statistics Dept actually has some very heavy regulations compelling New Zealanders to submit and comply with their invasion of our privacy.

    Look! They've made a hat just for you.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    our Census shows that there is twice as many Samoan woman living in Nz as Samoan males

    You're completely wrong.

    I found the numbers on the stats website (table 3).

    Male: 64,530, Female: 66,573. Exactly what one would expect.

    Do you have any more ignorance you'd like to share with us?

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    FWIW John Key did congratulate Liu in the morning. Which does (admittedly in the face of some circumstantial evidence) suggest his claim about not knowing enough to talk was correct.

    Which some might also consider a bit sad.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Having looking through the list of previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, some of the ones you know are the more controversial ones.

    Yasar Arafat for example.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Yasar Arafat for example.

    Henry Fucking Kissinger.

    Which does (admittedly in the face of some circumstantial evidence) suggest his claim about not knowing enough to talk was correct.

    Or that he waited until after taking criticism, as per the Paul Henry thing. Both options are quite depressing.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    In order to make peace you've got to have made a war to start with.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

  • Martin Lindberg,

    Henry Fucking Kissinger

    That's Henry Alfred Kissinger.
    Common mistake.

    Stockholm • Since Jul 2009 • 802 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    TVNZ heads apologise to Gov Gen for Henry's remarks

    In a statement, Sir John and Mr Ellis said they would be making no further comment.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Peter grower,

    Thankyou for your correction RoB ,I dont know where that urban myth about Samoans started, or even where I first heard it . Do we have Census stats from the times of the dawn raids ????. Late 70's early 80's.

    How many "overstayers" facing deportation fill out census forms ?.

    But the statistics department does have rather heavy regulations compelling people to comply with whatever information they wish to gather from you.

    They dont just do the census.

    Martin suggested a tin hat for me.

    If he believes the natianal govt ( or those Labor jerks ,) use census information for our good, then I think the hat was made for him.

    What nice things have the Nats been saying about solo parents this week?????.

    How many more prisons do we need to build ????

    The census will tell us ....................

    And of course our Govt's never spin the stats do they ?????

    Of course not ................ they are honorable people, right honorable.

    Trust them

    Since Dec 2006 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    Census data is publicly available data. Any use the government puts it to can be countered by anyone else.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Peter grower,

    Of course kyle ....................... I can counter the spin and manipulation of stats that the Nats get printed on the front page of the DomPost or Herald.

    A recent example of such spin was the Nats claiming Welfare was going to cost 50 billion per year, if everybody on any benefit never went off it, ever.

    This 50 BILLION figure was front page DomPost.

    Any contradiction of this propeganda Stat ( it's nasty, right wing bullshit ) will not be on the front page of the dompost.

    There's no balance.

    People are tricked and fooled.

    And the solo parents with their vermin children get it .............

    Negative sterotype smears backed up with statistical spin.

    Its how our governments work.

    Fuck the census .

    I'm not helping them.

    Since Dec 2006 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Peter, the Census is not even the main source of lying by politicians (eg: that $50b example) so I'm not sure why you are singling it out. The stats don't spin themselves, and your refusal will not make any useful difference there.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    and your refusal will not make any useful difference there.

    But he will feel better about himself and who are we to suggest statistics should be entered for benefit of the country when we do know the power that be, will skew whiff whatever is needed for the benefit of the flavour of the day?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    There's no balance.

    People are tricked and fooled.

    Maybe, but I don't see what that's got to do with the census. There'll still be government spin and bias in media even without a census, and we'd lose a tool that can sometimes be used by government critics to show this. While a government genuinely trying to make the best decision for the people may botch it because they didn't have the necessary info to make the right judgment.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Sofie, if the issue is politicians misusing stats, then addressing that makes sense. Refusing to supply personal details for the Census will make absolutely no difference at all. None. It's also no substitute for therapy or an afternoon in the sun if feeling better is the aim.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Peter grower,

    My 50 Billion example was to show how the media and Govt use statistics.

    To help them lie in a short simple sound bite.

    'The bludgers are gonna cost us $50 billion and we cant afford it'.

    Any Government dominated by the nats or labor ( which is all of them ), is working for their vested interests and power base's.

    It's kinda sweet that you believe Steve, in a government ' genuinely trying to make the best decisions for the people'.

    You do know your talking about politicians ?????, those people who ignore science and evidence, who dog whistle, who pander to the mob, who decide things ........ politically.

    They are a pack of liars and my not doing the census hurts no-one. Its the status quo.

    With the Governor General I feel as connected to this one as any of his predecessors ............. which is not at all.

    They're all stuffy old wanks living it up in grand style on massive grounds which should be a nice central park in Wellington, for the people.

    They give out knighthoods to drug pushers or something.

    And live in a $30 million dollar house.

    Get rid of them.

    Since Dec 2006 • 30 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca,

    Sofie, if the issue is politicians misusing stats, then addressing that makes sense.

    Yes ,if I had that beef I'd complain in that direction. I'd also fill in the census cos I like to be involved if for nothing else than the right to do so. The likes of Peter Grower have always been out there. Surely he is that margin of error we always take into account for everything counted so he is counted anyway. Just felt he had that right to enter into the census his way. :)

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Margin of error meet the Margarine of terror...
    the spread of...
    known knowns
    known unknowns
    and
    unknown unknowns

    or as Onan said
    Know thyself

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks,

    It's kinda sweet that you believe Steve, in a government ' genuinely trying to make the best decisions for the people'.

    I didn’t say they act they way all the time, obviously, just there may be occasions when a government tries to implement a policy that’s good for society, albeit maybe in part because it coincides with their vested interests or what have you. Your notion that the governments of NZ have and always will act corruptly or maliciously, all the time in dealing with public policy issues is simplistic, to say the least. I don’t think we always have particularly good government, but we ain’t secretly being run by the Evil League of Evil.

    ... my not doing the census hurts no-one.

    Correct, it makes no difference whatsoever. It’s your reason for not doing it that I’m discussing. So far, that reason seems to be little more than paranoia.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

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