Posts by Craig Ranapia
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
On tonight's show, Te Karere reporter Ripeka Timutimu, who followed Ardern along a string of campaign stops, frankly admits that it's very difficult not to get caught up in Jacindamania when it's happening around you.
Try harder - though I guess that ship has well and truly sailed, hit an iceberg and gone down with Kate Winslett clinging to the bow. Sorry, but I'm really out of patience with this because, in the great scheme of things, puff piece coverage of highly orchestrated photo ops? Not that important. When you're seeing someone who might actually be leading a government in two week getting away with vague waffle about major policy being determined by working groups long after the election? That matters.
-
Up Front: The Surprisingly Sincere Up…, in reply to izogi,
Can anyone with the legal knowledge comment on the rules around photographing one's marked ballot paper and posting it to social media?
This is really a thing? I know this comes across as pompous as hell, but I like the idea of polling places being secular sacred spaces and one of the things they're consecrated to is the secret ballot. If you want to tell everyone who you voted for, go to. That's your business, but that's where I draw the line.
-
Hard News: Dirty Politics, in reply to izogi,
A narrative of Winston over-claiming some super then paying it back doesn't seem ethically worse than Bill over-claiming a housing allowance then paying it back....
But it's somehow a complete nothingburger that Winston just had no idea he was getting the wrong rate of super for seven years, but Metiria Turei claiming a benefit she wasn't entitled to is an existential threat to civilization that required her (figurative) head on a pike?
I know a week is a long time in politics, but this is absurd and more than a little dishonest.
By the way, I have an honest to Blog pensioner in the house. He doesn't have any problem declaring his relationship status and every penny of income he's received every single time MSD asked -- which they've done more than once. He also knows what rate he should receive.
If you think other beneficiaries -- who can't whip out the chequebook when they get caught out -- aren't routinely put through hell for a lot less, you're dreaming. (Funny how our media Winnie stans have never thought to ask MSD how many people they've investigated, slapped punitive sanctions or prosecuted for similar "trivial errors." Sure don't recall Peters ever voting against "cracking down on benefit fraud.")
Still, I'm glad Winston is now all woke about privacy and "character assassination." Does this mean he'll stop doing it?
-
Hard News: Metiria's Problem, in reply to warren mac,
Realpoltik.
Ah, the fancy way of saying "there is no alternative" when you want to dodge responsibility for the alternative you've already chosen. YMMV, but I think we've got five weeks to not let Ardern and English slide on that one.
-
Hard News: Metiria's Problem, in reply to warren mac,
Even the Greens abstaining would get Labour/NZ First across the line. I doubt the Greens would vote against a change of government even though it would be painful to them to sit on the sidelines again.
And so what? Let's write the reality check, Winston can stomp his little cloven hoof all he likes, but he's not the only game in town. I know there probably isn't enough political spine going spare these days, but Ardern and English could co-ordinate clear signals that if Winston wants to pout his way into a constitutional crisis that's his call. But he doesn't get to unilaterally dictate the shape of New Zealand's government from the back seat.
If he doesn't take the hint, I'm sure voters would richly reward him for triggering a fresh election, or landing us with a minority government nobody's shown much stomach for before.
Again, I know the punditocracy has gone all in on the "Winston King/Queenmaker" storyline. Doesn't mean anyone else has to play along.
. -
Hard News: Metiria's Problem, in reply to izogi,
I wonder if the whole 5% thing in a poll must cause people to reconsider if they want to risk voting for a party that mightn't make it over.
It's also equally plausible that enough people might look at a poll that leaves Labour every bit as beholden as National to a bigot and his personality cult with zero counter-balance and decide not to risk it.
I know this is not the narrative Labour and the Greens Derangement Syndrome afflicted punditocracy are going all in on, but still...
-
Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Russell Brown,
That was lamentable. It was a perfect opportunity to renounce the whole stupid thing, and she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t want to throw Twyford under the bus or something, but I think it’s almost her only false move as Labour leader.
Then again, I was more shocked that Susie Ferguson let Ardern pull a classic "I'm so sorry if anyone was offended" play unchallenged, that typically lands people in the burn ward. To be diplomatic, not exactly Morning Report's finest moment.
And we just own that the problem with factually dodgy AF dog-whistling isn't the comms strategy. You can polish up a turd and put it in a pretty box, but it's still crap.
When I sought to work in the UK I could only apply under the Highly Skilled Migrant Program, which limited entry to those who met certain educational and professional criteria.
The irony being that a year ago, we were in London -- a city whose economy would collapse as it drowned in its own shit if every migrant was sent home tomorrow. As so often happens, it's easy to throw around "low-quality language" on the people you choose not to see. Certainly didn't see any English Roses pushing the cleaning cart in our hotel -- but I sure could have brushed up on my Polish conversation if I had any.
-
Speaker: Low-quality language on immigration, in reply to Russell Brown,
The recent Smart Talk at The Auckland Museum event on immigration is well on topic -- and the whole thing is worth a listen
Chaired by Noelle McCarthy and featuring writer and broadcaster Ali Ikram, researcher and Maori spokesperson for the Migrants and Refugee Rights Campaign Dr Arama Rata, filmmaker Roseanne Liang and Massey University’s Professor Paul Spoonley, who is heading a six-year research programme looking at the impacts of immigration and diversity.
"Nothing is less convincing than a New Zealander looking up from a butter chicken pie made by a Cambodian baker, complaining about immigration”
Well said Professor Spoonley, and it's funny because it is also true.
-
blog at The Standard posted just after the shit started to hit the fan. Lots of commenters asking for Paula Bennet to be subjected to investigation by the MSM.
Oh, fuck right off. I'm sorry, but the left-wing brometariat calling for another not-white woman to be hounded out of Parliament by another round of media beneficiary-bashing panty-sniffing moralism? That is missing the point to a distasteful degree.
Hey, let's also ask Bennett if she's got any "baby plans" in her future and whether that means she can't do her job. That should put the crap cherry on the bullshit sundae.
-
Hard News: A thundering clash of, in reply to Russell Brown,
It was quite striking that Morning Report made a point of saying that David Seymour had tried to shop them some bullshit rumours this week and they weren't having a bar of it. It was an unusually hot burn.
Gee, someone feeling a little guilty about taking an MP out over rumours from a family member that (gasp!) solo mothers get assistance from whanau? And as a lot of people have pointed out, but which a lot of commentators are whistling past, is that when any relationship fails it's not exactly hard to find someone who'll drag you through the mud. If I ever lose my mind and go into politics, feel free to track down my ex- who (I've heard) is still bitter I dumped his arse after catching him dicking my (also ex-) best friend. I basically don't have a functional relationship with my mother, I'm sure she has loads of dirt to dish on what a garbage monster I am.
Listen, in the end Checkpoint got their scoop, collected their scalp and it can't be undone. But I really don't need to see National Radio pretending it's any kind of ethical paragon here.