Posts by tony j ricketts

  • Hard News: Rip It Up: A history of us, a…,

    Congratulations. New to NZ in 1980 Rip It Up was crucial to my getting to grips with the scene. And as part of my first job I had to edit/design/lay out a technical college monthly paper, printed by the Rodney & Waitemata Times, so I know about the waxer too, as well as reprographic pencils!

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: The Brexlection, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    The Guardianista remainers come across as a bunch of self pitying whiners who still refuse to accept the outcome of the referendum, whilst using every weapon of intellectual snobbery at their disposal to paint Brexit supports as nostalgic little Englander morons.

    sad but true – remember that The Guardian was a Liberal paper until well into the 60s – and remember too the way they distorted and dissembled about Corbyn from the day he was nominated. It’s the paper that dobbed in a Civil Servant whistle-blower in the 80s, rather than risk prosecution of the editor.

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Food and dancing,

    Lovely stuff, Russell. I lived in Auckland for twenty years, and one of my favourite places to take visitors from overseas was the Savage Memorial, a place of such elegant understated beauty and calm, built to honour a great socialist.

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Legal Beagle: It’s Carter/Docherty Day;…,

    I've been phone-calling and doorknocking for my party's candidates, and most of those who say they don't like party politics in local politics seem to take on board the point that it gives some useful clues as to the values of candidates with labels.

    I don't know of any NZ research that might show whether there is any effect of either party or local group (like Auckland's City Vision) on voter behaviour.

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Hard News: Media Take: Three decades on…,

    I went to a public meeting at Henderson High School, and can vouch for the extreme nastiness of Hay and Tait. Fran Wilde can be enduringly proud of the way she handled the situation.

    I recall anti-bill leaflets named Hay and Tait as sharing an address.

    looking forward to the programme - kia kaha to all concerned

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Polity: Custard, in reply to izogi,

    . It all gets reported, and then the next day comes. I routinely run into people who are sick of the government, but they're sick of all politicians because what Rob's described is, to them, what government is, no matter who's running things.

    Sorry I'm late, just got back from England.

    This is exactly what Nicky Hager describes as the intent of the right, because their opponents are more likely to refrain from voting when they feel like that. Venality is what the right actually want from their politicians.

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Polity: Father of the Bride,

    When the news is today about public mistrust of bloggers, please accept my thanks for this, Rob, and others like it, Russell. The best blogs make the essential links between the individual/specific and the wide world we are all part of, as well as the links between emotion and intellect.

    Kia kaha

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Polity: Home-spun non-truths, in reply to Rob Stowell,

    I love the idea of a UBI. I love the way, for example, it could change society and the way we thing about work. If no-one wants to clean toilets, no-one HAS to. So toilet-cleaning might get you a good wage.

    Jenny just showed me a Listener piece about lousy pay for skilled responsible truck drivers leading to a shortage of truck drivers – this could really improve how we think about the value of labour.

    And isn’t National Super a form of UBI for us oldies? It works well!

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: The Future, in reply to Alex Coleman,

    Could be the Maori Party walks from the coalition.

    It will be in National's interest, as well as Maori Party's, if just a few months before the election they have a parting of the ways.
    The Maori Party will have a little more cred that they are not National stooges, which could increase their parliamentary representation.
    The National Party would be able, if they need coalition partners after the election, to make 'concessions' to bring the Maori Party back to the top table. Their stance on zero-hours contracts show how this could work.
    Listening to Marama Fox lately, I'm picking she's the one charged with setting up this narrative over the next year.
    And John Key has the choice of election date to consider - look at how he used the early date last time to such effect, especially on Labour with its then-new leadership.

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

  • Speaker: The real problem with the ‘Kiwimeter’,

    Why is this the first I have heard or read about this survey? If it is because I haven't watched anything on TVNZ this year, does that mean I am in a statistically negligible minority?

    wellington • Since Aug 2012 • 41 posts Report Reply

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