Posts by Craig Ranapia
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The trouble with this line is that it’s bullshit. Yes, the numbers are the same – but they were achieved by wholly different means.
It’s also weirdly beside the point if you believe, as a non-trivial number of people do, that any pokie machines are a very bad thing on almost any imaginable grounds no matter how, or when, or even where, they arrived.
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I’m sorry Craig, but I’m just not buying these sorts of pious little Goody Two-Shoes routines that always just coincidentially happen to focus on Labour’s finances anymore.
Fine, Tom. My actual opinion on this hasn’t changed in seven years, but whatever gets you through the night, cherub.
that
And for Rich’s benefit.Anyway, while you get all uptight about this,…
Yeah, I do get “uptight” about people obeying the Electoral Act, not least because it’s pretty awesome (but not to be taken complacently) to live in a country that has an international reputation for free, fair and credible elections run by agencies that are respect for being corruption-free and independent of partisan interference.
I’m really sorry both National and Labour seem to have problems complying with (not exactly onerous) electoral law on a depressingly routine basis, but diddums. You people can't keep your books in good order, but you want me to trust you to run a country? Yeah, right.
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Legal Beagle: $420,259.33, in reply to Tom Semmens,
Political parties in NZ tend to run on the smell of an oily rag and don’t have money to retain legal departments for interpretations.
To use a technical term, Tom, boo-fucking-hoo. There's tens of thousands of incorporated societies and registered charities in this country whose volunteers have to put in the time and effort to obey the law. Dismiss it as "sanctimonious blah blah" if you like Tom, but I'm pretty down with being on the committee of a registered charity that takes its compliance with the Charities Act seriously. (An Act, BTW, that was passed under the last Labour Government.)
And as Graeme pointed out, it doesn't cost a thing to pick up the phone and ask the Electoral Commission for advice. That's kinda sorta their job, and most people would say they do it rather well.
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Legal Beagle: $420,259.33, in reply to izogi,
I don’t think this is a valid excuse, nor does it show anything but unacceptable performance for the important role they were in and maybe that kind of thing should warrant a penalty for parties or individuals on its own, but……. malice… incompetence… yadiyadiyada.
Well, I think it's fair to point out that "yadiyadiyada" is not the attitude successive National and Labour governments have taken to beneficiaries, superannuatants and student loan holders. If my partner decided to not declare over $400K in extra income to the IRD and the MSD, I don't think "but I sincerely thought I didn't have to" would get a particularly sympathetic hearing.
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Legal Beagle: $420,259.33, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
I don’t think I’d use Whalespunk as my lawyer, thank you..
Well, he couldn’t do a worse job that whoever is advising Tim Barnett nowadays. Even putting the legal issues aside, what the fuck was Barnett thinking in not (as Graeme pointed out) showing some basic political judgement in disclosing on the side of caution? When you’re piously intoning that the other bastards are so crooked they require a corkscrew to eat soup, it kind of helps if you don’t lay yourself open to charges of hypocrisy. At least, you might think so.
Labour got very lucky that the lamestream media were in full Gilmorepalooza mode, as well as the Police continuing with their “don’t know, care even less” approach to breeches of electoral law. But the only sure thing about luck is that it runs out.
I am so concerned that now I am wondering if the boss is going to bring in donuts for morning tea again today or not.
Good-o, Tom. I expect you be equally unconcerned if National has a little "Oh, but it's so complicated" brain-fade about properly disclosing over $400K in donations, and (yet again) nobody gets prosecuted. Yes? Now if only the tax and welfare authorities were similarly civilized in their treatment of easily confused beneficiaries and individuals who don't have slick tax advisors.
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Hard News: Competing for Auckland, in reply to BenWilson,
I never thought Auckland would be nuts enough to vote in John Banks
Well, Ben, I can't say either Banks or Brown gave me the political tingles three years ago, but at least the turnout was (marginally) above 50%. You don't have to like the outcome of any election, but it would be really sweet not to belittle anyone who at least got off their arse long enough to post back their ballot.
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Hard News: Competing for Auckland, in reply to Sacha,
A glorious retirement village by the sea.
No no no, Sacha. Pay attention!
Another group who could be redirected out of Auckland are those who wish to live in retirement homes. Banning the building of any more in Auckland could be followed by rate or compliance cost reductions to developers who build their retirement homes further afield.
And if you're one of those tiresome old fucks who can't drive - or afford to run a car - and still requires reasonable access to medical services? This isn't just ignorant beyond belief, but downright callous.
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Hard News: Competing for Auckland, in reply to Sacha,
Taking the argument to new lows, Canute is alive and well in Warkworth.
That was a... deeply odd piece. I'm sure there are any number of coherent and reasonable criticisms to make of the Unitary Plan, but that urinary tract didn't contain any of them. Apart from the whole "exile the crusties to the provinces to die" bit, I'm pretty sure it was cut and pasted from a New Zealand First manifesto.
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Hard News: Competing for Auckland, in reply to Russell Brown,
*cough* I'm probably going to double down stupid on this, but would Bernard Orsman like to share with the PAS family where he and the NZ Herald's senior editorial staff life? You know, since biology is destiny and geography is credibility and all...
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On this discussion,could we open a swear jar (all proceeds to charity) for "McMansion," "lifestyle block" and "sardine tin". One of the many forms of imaginative poverty in this discussion is the failure to grok the idea that not everyone does, or should, have a raging stiffy for a quarter acre pavolva nightmare. If that's you thang, fine. Bad construction and ill-conceived design has no more intrinsic merit in a house than an apartment block.
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