Posts by Graeme Edgeler
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
I gave my October tax cuts to charity, as did several acquaintances.
Gave? Or Give?
You know they're ongoing, right? =)
-
It is affordable to start funding private schools, however, apparently. How do you feel about that one?
Every student moved from the public system to the private system saves the government/taxpayer money. Money that can be spent on other things.
:-)
-
In a society which supposedly values secularism in education and egalitarianism and merit in society, allowing those who can afford it to try and skew the playing from s early as possible makes no sense at all, and apart from the fig-leaf of "choice" I can't see any reason for private schools at all.
Meddling bloody UN and their pesky human rights.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26:
Article 26
1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
-
I tried to work out what Sir Michael Fay was knighted for.
Wikipedia also had very little to say about what three-term Labour MP Margaret Shields did for her soon-to-be Damehood.
-
I think you're overlooking the word "or" Graeme - it's achievement or service.
Sure, but not community service. Service to the Crown or Nation. Community Service is the QSO/QSM.
-
Isn't the line supposed to be that they recognise service to the community?
No. That's the Queen's Service Order.
The New Zealand Order of Merit (the one which comes with the Knighthoods at its upper levels) is:
"for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."
Or, in short, the awards are a real celebration of success =)
-
(I wonder if I can draft a member's bill for that...?)
You might well need to assent of the Sovereign before it passes...
-
And yes Graeme is right, I'm bitching about the old scheme and calling it the current one. I couldn't tell you what the current one entails I hate the old one from when I heard about it as a kid so much
David Farrar had an explanation. Basically it's now just a subsidised super scheme. For every $1 put in from an MP's salary (up to 8%), the taxpayer adds $2.50. However, that the taxpayer will do this is taken into account when the Remuneration Authority sets the salary.
-
The ongoing free air travel is a horrendous benefit for doing a job for... 9 years I think. Douglas is just doing what many other ex-MPs do, he's just got called on it because he happens to be a current MP.
I can't get up in arms about Douglas, but the whole ongoing entitlement is a pile of crap. I'd love to see a private members bill get put forward to remove it (I suspect it would have to be from "this date forward") and then watch political parties try and justify their votes to keep it for themselves (which I'm sure most would do).
It already has been removed 'from "this date forward"'. This date was, I think, the expiry of Parliament in 1993. The vast majority of current MPs will never qualify for this perk. Douglas gets it because he was there for long enough so long ago. Along with the gold-plated super scheme and some other post-three term perks this was removed and MPs' salaries were given a significant bump. I guess we didn't feel like back-paying the pay increase in order to buy them all out of their other entitlements.
-
when I started my degree I was planning on doing the post grad journo year, with an eye on sub-editing
Pity. The Herald could use a sub-editor. Or at least someone to tell them that Steve Chadwick is a woman.