Posts by Christopher Dempsey
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It's nothing to do with Wellingtonians.
It's to do with Wellington as a political power base - Wellington as capital.
If the capital, where central govt is based and large bureaucracies are located were to be in Kaiapoi, then we would be sick of Kaiapoi.
Repeat: This has nothing to do with Wellington as a city or Wellingtonians. It has everything to do with the idea that a seat of government can dictate everything to another city.
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It seems to me that the best thing Labour could do now would be to come out and say "we will re-nationalise (localise?) every Auckland asset that is privatised in the current process at 10c on the dollar"
Don't hold your breath. Labour won't. Can't. Doesn't have spine. Doesn't understand that if one has spine, usually the other side backs down.
It's not that such a statement is politically tricky. It's not tricky at all. It's a pretty clear statement and pretty achievable. It's just that they fear the robber barons.
And, now an exercise for the class.
This is John Roughan's Herald column on the Super City and CCOs.
Can you tell what his point is?
He has one? Other than something to do with "see how intelligent I am!"? Roughan is merely the sober version of Lhaws.
Who the hell do these people think they are?
Masters of the (Right) Universe. Didn't you know that? They are in fact clones of Leona Helmsley. "We don't worry about democracy. Only little people worry about it."
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Wearing my political Hat...
In response to questioning from the select committee on the 3rd bill, I said that the Transition Authority had modelled new relationships between local Boards and CCOs on exactly the same relationship between community boards and Auckland City Council; a one way relationship where local boards will be dictated to and told to go away.
Nikki Kaye cried unfair. I said no. The existing model works and works well for Auckland City Council AKA National Party. Why shouldn't the Govt / Transiation Authority copy this model?
Whipping off said hat and going personal.
Wodders and the gov't aren't doing this simply for something to do (although that is a distinct possibility given the paucity of intellect in the current govt). There's a reason for it and it's somewhat opaque. I would like to think that the reasons are alturitic; probably not.
The whole of Auckland region and its assets will be stiched up tighter than a drum skin and manipulated to the n'th degree so that it can be sliced up for the market. That much is obvious.
The question: to whom? This bit I can't see.
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@ Tony - Calexico would have been neat. My partner's brother had them on the stereo when we were over at his place - he and his wife liked them ever since seeing them in the States somewhere...
I would have liked to have seen them as well... oh well, perhaps they'll come back for the AK11 festival! Which is not that far away yet!!
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I'm so lovin' the Flying Nun collection... gunna have to track it down on iTunes...
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Lovin' the Flying Nun collection - THANKS TO WHOEVER HAD A HAND IN IT!!
Woohoo!!
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Definitely.
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I'll echo everyone who recommends the Otago Rail Trail.
My partner and I were fortunate to cycle some of it last summer; we had planned on doing about 8k or so, but the lovely guys at the cycle depot said, that's boring, we'll drop you up at Lauder and you can cycle down. Which is what we did, and it was marvellous, but a long day.
We found out later that Lauder is near damn halfway, which explained my strong need for a stiff G&T at the end of a long day.
So I strongly recommend doing it slow and proper like - but you'll have to book ahead... like now.
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hmmm... I'm lovin' the heat really, but knowing it has to come to an end...
My summer was busy - tramping around Tongariro (magical even if the f**ken tramping boot bought expensively turned out to be one size too small, and now I have a bruised big toe as a souvenir) - we are going around Ruapehu next summer - will be magical!! That landscape around there is breathtaking...
Then we had Xmas with folks - which was lovely - particuarly the folks playing with the large purple flag we got for them - they loved it - bought from the Grey Lynn Festival.
Following that was a week in Perth and 5 days in Melbourne - Perth hot and sunny but dry - with two days of 44/46 temps. We went to see Avatar in 3D on one of those days. Melb a little cooler but still nice. Readings Bookstore should come with a danger sign - you can easily lose several hours in there.
Then following that was sailing for a week with family in the Hauraki Gulf.. Kawau, Great Barrier (via a lunch stop at Little Barrier - the bird life is remarkable - you can't land but anchor 20 mtrs or so offshore and the birdsong is dense and loud!) then Waiheke (Garden Cove), before final night at Rakino.
To top it off was my nephew's wedding in TGA - a nice affair.
So really, not at home much to enjoy Auckland... which I think a shame - cause a hot Auckland summer is a treasure to savour.
Next summer will be a home affair methinks, except for a weeks sail with family.
Jacqui - my brother has MD - thankyou for your work during Bow Tie Week.
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I note that the Fabians have a long and distinguished history, having read Shelia Rowbottom's fine biography of Edward Carpenter, and following that Geoffrey Ashe's fantastic history "The Offbeat Radicals: The British Tradition of Alternative Dissent", both of which outlines the rollicking situations surrounding the birth of Fabianism.