Posts by Craig Ranapia
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to nzlemming,
Delaying the announcement of redrawn electorate boundaries as long as they did meant delaying selection of candidates for Labour, which is of no benefit to the left.
It's also meant "delays" for every other party, Mark. And here's a crazy idea, Mark: Perhaps its NOT the job of the Representation Commission to be of "benefit" to any party or faction? Nor is it their job to determine the internal affairs (including candidate selection) of Labour, National or any other party.
If you think otherwise, then you're welcome to lobby for relevant changes to the Electoral Act and best of luck to you!
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
Nor is it impossible (and a damn sight more likely) that Winston himself, or someone close to him, got a little loose-lipped over a few jars and the hot goss ended up being repeated into Cameron Slater's quivering lug-hole. Because nobody in political/media circles could see the irony in Winston Peters having a downlow assignation or three, could they?
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Not that I actually care, but hasn’t Peters confirmed that… well… Cameron Slater was right? Sorry about that – but it’s not as if Kim Dotcom exactly lives like J.D. Salinger.
And nor is it particularly surprising that Winston tried to change the subject by pulling serious (and absurd) allegations out of his arse that the media faithfully transcribed.
-
Oh, I don’t know. It says right there in the story how this one time they climbed on top of the shop and ran from roof to roof. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want some fscking rapper jumping around on my roof like some Batman causing mayhem and riot in my backyard.
No, but that's a rather long way from inciting a crowd to assault a police officer. The only media report I can find of this alleged riot is rather more restrained. Know what I can't find any evidence of -- any member of Odd Future being charged with, let alone convicted of, any criminal offence arising from the signing at Newbury Comics.
The 3 News site published a "clarification" from INZ that raises more questions than it answers. At least to me.
Immigration NZ Border Operation Manager Karen Urwin says despite public perception, the decision to block them had nothing to do with the lyrical content of their songs.
Ms Irwin says Immigration NZ made the decision around 2pm yesterday after receiving information from another Government agency.
The information related to incidents Odd Future had been involved with in the past – notably one in 2011 where a police officer was assaulted by a fan during a public appearance, and another last year where Tyler verbally blasted an activist who had tried to get a concert shut down.
"Because the lead singer has got 1.7 million followers on Twitter and because of the comments he made about her and the things he tweeted about her that poor woman was effectively harassed and threatened and we consider that kind of behaviour pretty serious," she says.
Under Immigration legislation, people who are believed to be a threat to public order can be refused entry to the country – though Ms Urwin says this is the first time she can recall it being applied to a musical act.
"Generally it's aimed at organisations like white supremacists and neo-Nazis, people who have come in here to be public speakers, holocaust deniers – those kinds of people."
But whether the ban is because of Odd Future as a whole is unclear – the group has already played three New Zealand shows, including two earlier this month in Auckland and Wellington.
"I think the key thing is that Tyler the Creator wasn't there. I think he seems to be, from what I can see, one of the main instigators," says Ms Urwin.
"I'd say that they probably would [be allowed in without him] since he seems to be the person who creates most of the trouble, but that's a matter for them – and if that's what they would like to do in the future, make an application to that effect, then we'd happily consider it."
So, you've voided the visas of five people based on guilt by association with someone who is almost certainly a heinous dick, but still hasn't actually been convicted of any offending that would constitute a clear and present public order threat.
Way to go.
-
Hard News: Friday (Thursday) Music: Mad Props, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
The details are enbargoed
They’re a bit more than that – and can I make one thing perfectly clear. I’m not Whale Oil. I totally support the strict and extensive suppression orders surrounding the details of McGrath’s alleged sexual offenses against children in Australia, and he’s perfectly entitled to exhaust all his legal appeal options here.
But Immigration’s decision to void Odd Future’s visas was done with considerably more dispatch, and the more I read about it, on rather dodgy grounds. Should the Rolling Stones be worried about their April 5th concert in Auckland – after all, their management’s spectacular failure of judgement when hiring security for a concert at the Altamont Freeway arguably resulted in a man’s death.
-
Hard News: Friday (Thursday) Music: Mad Props, in reply to George Darroch,
And Odd Future have been blocked from entering New Zealand, at the behest of an anti-violence group. It seems a little strange.
I'll just leavethis here -- apply as required. But isn't it wonderful that Odd Future can get their visas cancelled considerably more quickly than we can extradite an actual convicted child rapist to face similar charges in Australia.
Jesus, there are days I'd like to just stop being a human being and start welcoming our new cockroach overlords.
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
the Immigration Minister
*cough* Justice Minister, of course. Sorry for the error.
-
Because once you are in power, even on matters that you feel really, really strongly about, you need to be able to pretend that you are coming to decisions with a mind that is amenable to change based on the facts before it.
That's government.
And with all due and sincere respect to Andrew, we've got to start at least expecting a bit better. Taking Dotcom out of the equation (please), Judith Collins already has on her desk Brother Bernard McGrath's extradition to Australia to face 252 sexual abuse charges. She better have a LOT more on her mind than "that's government" because this shit got real a very long time ago.
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to Alex Coleman,
Jesus wept. Just saw the PM on Prime news, Soper let him get away with saying the Greens would ride over the authority of the courts and blah blah.
Hear that noise? It's the sound of a dentist making a fortune when I grind my teeth down to the gum line.
-
Hard News: The Uses of Dotcom, in reply to Rich of Observationz,
But if Labour gets in and Dotcom subsequently gets to the end of the classic legal path, then Cunliffe’s government will be under an obligation to “intervene” by reviewing all aspects of the situation and deciding whether to extradite.
I don’t think it’s a semantic split end to say that’s not an “intervention.” No matter who wins the next election, the Immigration Minister has a long-standing statutory obligation to assess all extradition requests.
I’m with Russell – Cunliffe should have chosen his words with more care in the first instance, but this has passed through silly and had landed on farcically obtuse. Unless there’s porn star hard evidence to the contrary, it’s long past time to take DC and Norman at their word.