Posts by Russell Brown
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But the big argument is still the price tag. Like the poor bastards in the vicinity of St Lukes living on borrowed time, the SH20 route has been around for yonks. A tunnel would just socialise the losses that were built into the privately affected property prices.
Much of SH20 route is indeed going through land set aside for the purpose, but the Waterview section is a real problem -- to the construction cost, you need to add 400 houses lost, and many more property owners needing to be compensated. The Waterview primary school would potentially have to be scrapped and rebuilt elsewhere.
Cam Pitches on the Campaign for Better Transport blog said yesterday:
It is worth repeating that the difference between the full tunnel option and the next best partly above ground option is small in the context of the size of the project - $200m. This has to be the tunnel or nothing.
Even the "overground" options call for cut-and-cover underground sections. If you ignore Joyce's fiddly maths and take out the SH16 upgrade, the tunnel isn't that much more expensive than other reasonable options. There is no cheap way of doing this.
BTW, the Waterview Connection has its own Wikipedia article.
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I may not understand a word they're saying but at least I'll have something pretty to nod and smile at.
You're so shallow.
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To the point of interviewing some male fashionista about this worrying state of affairs - who got free advertising for his 3 shirts for $300 deal emblazoned on his shop window beside him.
That was actually not-publicity-shy Cameron Brewer of the Newmarket Business Association. He'd probably agree to being interviewed naked if it got him on the telly.
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If anyone is tempted to brush off the Wansy Pong cracks, don't.
Nah. She's not remotely like Pansy Wong. She sounds to my ear like a commercial radio host.
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I'm sure there'll be a few more awkward moments for Shearer but I'm impressed that of the three candidates, he's had the least to input into all the silliness.
I suspect that will be the plan: don't say anything silly. It's not a particularly sophisticated plan, but it just might work.
I do think Norman hurt himself a bit with his cracks about Shearer.
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To be fair the Lee "scoop" was an NZPA one. This serves as an apology and correction in this morning's story about Lee's selection:
Labour seized on National Party documents yesterday that called Ms Lee "Mt Albert's list MP", saying this meant a backroom deal was done before last night's selection meeting.
Prime Minister John Key said the fact she was referred to as a list MP meant she was simply the buddy MP for Mt Albert, a system National had in place for other electorates. He would be happy to work with whoever was selected
Much as Phil Twyford is Labour's buddy MP for Auckland Central.
On the evidence of her interview on RNZ this morning, Ms Lee talks very fast and could become annoying on repeated exposure. But her rejoicing in the Greens' presence in the race -- because that might let her win! -- was certainly bracingly frank.
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The Herald's scoop on Melissa Lee's perfidious pre-selection -- also breathlessly run in Nightline tonight, with Goff gleefully offering comments --appears to be bollocks.
Perhaps now someone can run a, y'know, valid story.
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You had just been informed a smidgen upthread that you don't need to worry about that. Apparently. Focus, Brown!
I told you I was sick.
And, you know, I hovered over that one: it was a science story in The Independent after all (and by their science editor as well, which has traditionally been a warning sign) I should have known better. Nothing in the story explicitly validates the claim about mutation. It's just "scientists say". Bah.
But another thought: I don't buy McCauley's Survivors style scenario as anything other than a remote possibility, but if a couple of novel viruses did get away, I could see big social changes; certain obligations incumbent on being in public places, lots more handwashing and facemasks, etc.
One thing to remember is that the 1918 virus appeared as a mild flu, then swept back as a terribly virulent one.
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ohh, now that's not going to cause a mild panic, is it?
McCauley was guilty of some extremely dramatic forecasts if bird flu caught on, too:
"There's no reason to say the virus will not continue to evolve so that it can transmit directly from one person to another. There's a realistic chance that could happen.
"If it does - if the virus becomes adapted to man and can transmit efficiently - there'll be no point in selling a vaccine. You might as well give it away at that stage, because money would be meaningless. The world order would change."
Woah. Dude ...
But that doesn't invalidate the central point that risk escalates dramatically when novel viruses jump species. Your best bet is to contain the virus as quickly as possible, because the alternative is losing control and hoping things don't go too badly. So I'll actually wear a little media drama if it amplifies public health information.
Meanwhile: Canadian guy infects pigs after returning from Mexico. That's a little unnerving.
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And meanwhile on the Herald website ...
National is holding a meeting in Auckland suburb Mt Albert this evening to select its candidate - but someone in the party has already decided who it is going to be.
The National Party Mainland Conference agenda lists Mt Albert candidate MP Melissa Lee as a speaker.
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