Posts by simon g
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As others see us: the amendment in the eyes of overseas media (courtesy Google News):
"Kiwis to ban smacking" - Brisbane Times, AAP report.
"The controversial new law will make it an offense for parents to use force to discipline their children." - Int'l Herald Tribune, AP report.
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Apologies, Brian Tamaki seems to be saying it's a victory. My mistake.
But it is quite fun watching the opponents trying to decide between triumph and outrage.
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So far, against the new amendment we have:
Larry Baldock
Phillip Field
Brian TamakiStill waiting to hear from Christine Rankin, Simon Barnett, Bob McCroskey etc.
Judith Collins?
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Riddley
I disagree. To the wider (non-political junkie) public, the impression will be of the bill passing, Sue Bradford celebrating, and National supporting her. Labour and the Greens haven't lost more than they already had - but National may have done.
There will be anger on the conservative/religious right. Their vehicle was the Christian Coalition in 1996, United Future 2002, and National in 2005. It looks like they'll be needing a new one.
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Wow! Remarkable news on a late, late compromise ...
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Dave, are you suggesting that MPs should be paid by private interests, or not paid at all? Or that public universities are a bad idea?
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Family, Future and Freedom
Parents, Prosperity and Peace
Children, Challenge and Chocolate -
Well, Johnny English-Key hasn't been invisible. Just ... insipid:
In his first speech as National Party leader to a regional conference, John Key has called a halt to relitigating history and said National's vision for the future has three themes – economy, education and environment.
Mr Key told the Southern Regional Conference in Invercargill that Prime Minister Helen Clark has lost her mojo and National will win the next election.
"That's right, she's lost her mojo. Labour has lost the pulse of the people and it has lost New Zealanders' hearts."
Mr Key said National had fresh ideas.
"We owe a debt to those who came before us, but we do not honour them by re-entering the battles that have already been won and lost.
"We must not allow Helen Clark to dress our new national conversation in the dated clothes of our yesterdays.
"We are in a new century and a new millennium, with different and more complex challenges. The debates that Clark cut her political teeth on are over."
His comments came after former National Party prime minister Jim Bolger and former National Party colleagues attended a conference in Wellington examining "The Bolger Years".
Mr Key said: "__The next election will not be a choice between where we are and where we've been. The next election will be about where we go next.__" (my italics)
Mr Key also used a sailing metaphor to coincide with the America's Cup challengers' yachting series off Valencia.
"We need to raise our sails and catch the drift of this new millennium," he said.
In the lead-up to the election in 2008, National will continue to set the agenda with three themes – the economy, education and the environment.
"Today, I would like to send a very clear message; dramatically increasing the speed and coverage of broadband will be an economic priority for National. We are working on policies to achieve this objective and you can expect to hear more about them in future."
(NZPA)
It reads like a bad satire of vacuousness. We're in a new century already? Who knew?
Smile on, nobody home.
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I'm happy to be labelled a white boy - one's a fact, the other gives me back a couple of decades I thought I'd lost.
But seriously, I see no reason to be offended by Tze Ming's piece. And any throwaway jibes are absolutely nothing - nothing at all - compared with the misogyny and bigotry spewed out in various NZ forums on the net every bloody day. You'd have to be a saint not to feel the occasional urge to snip off a few pink balls in response. If I spent any more time on Kiwiblog (a habit I've now happily dropped) I'd be out there with the scissors myself.
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Helen Clark (hooray), in her Friday interview with Jim Mora (boo) on Radio NZ National (hooray, boo), said that she reads Public Address. So there's at least one female lurker you can reach by posting here.
And I suspect there are a lot of men like me that read Tze Ming's stuff and nod a lot, without ever bothering to type our agreement, admiration even. It doesn't exactly make up for the creeps out there, but, anyway, here's a nod for you.
My avatar is my byline photo, an exact likeness.