Posts by Craig Ranapia
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to David Haywood,
Isn’t the gelding bit a reference to Grover Cleveland’s illegitimate child scandal:
Well, that would display a fascinating (if somewhat random and totally irrelevant) knowledge of the historical minutiae of American presidential campaigns on Jones' part, considering he was being asked about a proposed rule change to allow woman-only shortlists. Thankfully, I'm in no position to know whether he Freudian slipped in his castration anxiety.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Matthew Poole,
Much as I’d hate to see it happen, it would at least be interesting to watch how he’d deal with the reality of Labour not being in a position to gain power if they don’t have the support of the Greens.
Well, to be entirely cynical, probably exactly the same position as Clark, Goff and Shearer. Appoint a pack of attack dogs to slag off your potential coalition partners as "haters and wreckers", tree-hugging loonie birds etc. until the day after the election, when you artlessly expect your new best friends to just GTFOI and come to Jesus.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Sacha,
I’d also like to see the next Labour leader firmly punish anyone like Shane Jones who slags his party’s natural coalition partner – or at least be honest enough to back him explicitly if that’s what they also believe.
Well, yes... but while I hate defending Shane Jones, you think Goff and Shearer didn't know exactly what he was doing? For the sake of argument, I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with Labour having strongly held policy difference with the Greens, Maori and Mana and vice versa. But, as you say, don't be passive-aggressive about it, and don't expect people who've been pissed on in eye-wateringly offensive terms by the likes of Jones to just "get over it" at your political convenience. (Again, I'm pretty sure Clark was smiling through gritted teeth when she publicly buried the hatchet with Jim Anderton. But when it was done, it stayed done and I think it would be fair to say she wasn't the only one who maintained pretty impressive self-control for longer than anyone was expecting.)
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Same as per what I said to Bart.
Fine, perhaps you could explain that to the Press Gallery. If a Government Bill is lost (or withdrawn or substantially changed) it’s not the end of the bleeding world unless it’s a matter of confidence or supply. And even there, I’d respectfully suggest even Winnie at his most ragingly ego-manical would think very carefully about denying supply. There are non-trivial political and electoral risks in having to explain to people why you've prevented the government from paying the bills.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Russell Brown,
Had Labour told Peters to get stuffed, there would have been no governing majority available to it. That is what the actual situation was.
In 2005? Well, whose fault was that – the Greens were told to fuck off, and the toxic relationship with the Maori Party “haters and wreckers” wasn’t a one way street. I really don’t know why so many people’s spines turn to jelly at the sight of Peters, but here’s another metric I have for leadership – doing the right thing when it’s not easy. Perhaps, just perhaps, there would have had to be genuine, good-faith bipartisan negotiations (and not just with the parties of the left) to advance its agenda. Even more crazy talk: Perhaps we all would have gotten used to the idea that it’s not Ragnarok if (shock! horror!) the Government of the day occasionally can’t pass bills. FFS, isn’t this what MMP was supposed to do?
Yes, because National spun it that way through their friends in the Medja.
Really, because that sounds an awful lot like the self-exculpating spin I was hearing from too many of my friends on the left. But carry on...
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Russell Brown,
NZ First did, and Peters declared he wouldn’t be part of any support arrangement that included the Greens.
It's way off topic until the election threads start next year, but I'm not going to party vote for anyone who's going to be part of any support arrangement with New Zealand First. It might be relevant for Labour members to start asking some searching questions of their potential leaders about wooing Winnie, and not stopping until they get hard answers they can't held accountable to.
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Hard News: Market Wisdom, in reply to Russell Brown,
But a man taking pictures of women’s underwear is not generally a good look.
No, but I'm pretty glad nobody came flying out the door of the Berlin "Erotik Boutique" where I just had to get a snap of the patriotic window display of German-made doo-dads. In retrospect, considering it was right next to the entrance of a 'porno-kino' it could not only have been awkward but rather dangerous.
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I don’t think that’s a problem for Labour – people leaving Labour to vote Green is OK, as they’re coalition partners next government.
That's a rather foolish presumption to make -- there is no constitutional or practical reason why the Greens should do any such thing, as opposed to doing nothing more than guaranteeing a Labour minority government confidence and supply, and everything else contingent on case-by-case negotiations. I know it's not a popular thing to say around here, but it's about time both Labour and National got house trained out of their FPP born to rule habits, for once and for all.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to ScottY,
Yes, as deputy. Not leader.
And Finance - which isn't exactly down the order of precedence with the caucus chai wallah, no matter which side of the House you're sitting on, but I concede the point of fact.
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Hard News: So long, and thanks for all…, in reply to Russell Brown,
. Regulatory reform is massively complex, which is why must governments bail out or do it half-pie.
Regulatory reform - however mild and ineffectual - also tends to piss of a lot of people who aren't doing badly under the status quo, so whatever issues I have with Cunliffe I wasn't expecting that to make him too many new friends. It never, ever does.
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