Island Life: What I saw at the product launch
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Yup, unless she is seen to be working for Auckland Central in a big way, it will be National's only flirtation with that electorate. My folks are still reeling that they're living in a blue electorate for the first time in their lives.
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I have a good friend who is very happy that we have ditched this government that has created such an economic mess over the past 9 years. He operates at a different level of business to me and I find it hard to argue against his knowledge. My own perceptions of the economic situation in NZ are different to his and I voted accordingly.
He like most of NZ wanted a National/Act government - and got it.
Interesting comment Bart, I work for myself as a tax consultant,so I probably also operate at a different level of business to your friend but after working in Australia and Britain and dealt with US issues, I'm very wary about the mantra about lower regulation (with Act it's a cult belief). The economic mess we're in is one created by deregulation and poor savings culture. There are very few countries in the western world whose government books are in as good shape as the outgoing government's were. I'm most interested to hear some specifics of his criticism.
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Incidentally, the criticism of Nikki Kaye does seem churlish. She seems a bit vapid, yes (going on a two minute clip on Campbell Live) but going out door knocking and overturning a sitting minister with strong name recognition deserves respect. The journalist who interviewed her said she'd knocked on her door.
I don't live in the Auckland Central electorate but I have to say I haven't been impressed with Tizard as Minister for Auckland. I notice Russell made a few comments a while back about her failings over the copyright bill.
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She seems a bit vapid, yes (going on a two minute clip on Campbell Live)
If Kaye had just discovered the cure for cancer, AIDS and the common cold, she would have come across as 'a bitvapid' on Campbell Live. Don't know if you're a long time lurker, second time caller, Terry, but "what the hell happened to Three's news and current affairs?" is a question that comes up as often and unpleasantly as bad shellfish. I'd say the only clear win Three has had over TVNZ for a long time was the only debate they ran. Campbell got a lot of stick for trying to derail the Two-Headed Talking Point Monster, but at least he made the effort. Sainsbury, on the other hand, swung between the extremes of 'the lights are on, but nobody's home' non-moderation, to asking questions that would have been cringe-worthy on breakfast TV.
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if you've got any evidence that John Key was involved in any fiscal chicanery
Craig, I'm not on the woe-is-us bandwagon but you're trying way too hard here. Key does not need your defense of his proudly proclaimed role in creating new forms of chicanery - including the dodgy derivatives and suchlike that are intimately linked with the global money mess. That was just his job, perfectly justified in that worldview (as Bart's friend might attest).
Now we can talk about dung being good for growing gardens but it's disingenuous to pretend Key's hands aren't dirty. I can certainly understand people not trusting that the poacher has reformed. I am surprisingly optimistic that it won't matter in the end - and perhaps you and I can agree on that.
And I suspect the Soul crowd overlooking the sparkling Viaduct on a Sunday arvo has less sleazy wideboys than the early hours of a Friday.
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In addition to Nikki Kaye's active campaigning, Judith Tizard resting on her laurels, and boundary changes, there was another factor in the Ak Central seat - the Green candidate Denise Roche providing a spoiler effect.
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oul is just a bar/cafe in Ponsonby conveniently located halfway along. Makes really good coffee, if I remember right, is quite large, and therefore a good venue for a large celebration.
I know the bar you mean, but that's not Soul... Can't remember what it's called though.
Soul is in the Viaduct, and whilst it is sometimes known as Property Developer HQ I'm not yet going to completely tar and feather my new MP for her choice of venue.John Key having Johnny English as his favourite movie on Facebook - now THAT I'm up in arms about... :>
SPONGE! It's called Sponge. Stream-of-consciousness>Edit -
Now we can talk about dung being good for growing gardens but it's disingenuous to pretend Key's hands aren't dirty. I can certainly understand people not trusting that the poacher has reformed.
Pehaps, but while the Labour Party is giving the Rogernome Severus Snape a makeover into Albus Dumbledore, perhaps everyone gets the benefit of the doubt? :)
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the Green candidate Denise Roche providing a spoiler effect.
Aw, that's really beginning to annoy me a bit. Whatever you think of the Greens and ACT, they're not actually there to be Denis to the major parties' Maggie -- walk three steps behind, carry the handbag, try to keep the embarrasing noises to a bare minimum.
I don't want to kick Tizard in the head when she's down, but when you get right down to it blaming turnout (and seriously over-egging the pudding while doing it), boundary changes and other candidates is tired. None of this should have been a surprise, and anyone with a grain of political nous should have noticed that after Pansy Wong had taken significant bites out the majority in 2002 and 2005, National certainly thought Auckland Central was worth targeting.
Brendon Burns and Ian Lees-Galloway faced exactly the same challenges -- and they had the added complication of open races, following the retirement of much higher profile incumbents. They managed to close the deal, even if both Christchurch Central and Palmerston North join Auckland Central in the marginal column.
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For the benefit of non-Aucklanders
and Aucklanders who don't get out,
can you please elaborate on what Soul Bar is and what Casablanca was ?
Soul is a bar/restaurant in the Viaduct Basin run by Judith Tabron who is a very good restaurateur. The food is excellent and the location superb.
Unfortunately, the bar tends to fill with a party crowd of questionable taste - perhaps once described as 'white-shoed', with all the connotations that denotes.
Casablanca, nick-named Catch-a-Wanker, was a club in the heart of Parnell during the late 80s/early 90s - similar (and according to my usually reliable source, the same) crowd (of men, at least). I think I went there once. At most, twice.
Am I a snob? Yes. Someone has to have standards.
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- the Green candidate Denise Roche providing a spoiler effect.
Craig has already dissed this point, but it's basically not true. Roche received fewer votes in Auckland Central (as did the Green Party) than Nandor and the Greens got in 2005. Judith went around telling people that Denise had endorsed her for the candidate vote--she'd done nothing of the sort--and ended up annoying the Greens. Meanwhile Kaye treated Roche with respect on the campaign trail.
Unfortunately, the bar tends to fill with a party crowd of questionable taste - perhaps once described as 'white-shoed', with all the connotations that denotes.
Not on a Sunday afternoon though Mark. It's just a nice place to eat on a Sunday afternoon.
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Oh look - I know - I'm trying to draw a 'guilt-by-association' thing with Nikki. Brushing tar and all that.
I'm sure she's a lovely woman who will prove to do great things for her constituents (whoever they may be). ;)
FGS - why couldn't Nandor have been back in the race? He would have had a good chance.
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Don't know if you're a long time lurker, second time caller, Terry, but "what the hell happened to Three's news and current affairs?" is a question that comes up as often and unpleasantly as bad shellfish. I'd say the only clear win Three has had over TVNZ for a long time was the only debate they ran. Campbell got a lot of stick for trying to derail the Two-Headed Talking Point Monster, but at least he made the effort. Sainsbury, on the other hand, swung between the extremes of 'the lights are on, but nobody's home' non-moderation, to asking questions that would have been cringe-worthy on breakfast TV.
I haven't been lurking for a while so other than picking up on a general distaste for Duncan Garner I wasn't aware of the debate over TV3's news & current affairs. But now that you mention it...
I agree with you about John Campbell's handling of the debate. Sainsbury was utterly crap in the first one and not much better in the final ("The Decider"). It seems strange to have questions coming from three different sources (YouTube, Sainsbury and the panel) and as far as I could see no-one properly following up the initial question. But then when profits are put ahead of democracy what can you expect. It's illuminating, and damning of both TVNZ and TV3, that the US Presidential debates were carried live on all FTA TV channels WITHOUT INTERRUPTION. Democracy doesn't come in 7 or 8 minute bites.
As an aside what puts me off about TVNZ is that it always seems to be about them rather than the news/subject matter. There's a distasteful arrogance about the channel that smells as fresh as a week old snapper.
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