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Thursday, April 29, 2004

Jonathan Marshall loses appeal 


The ex Queer Nation presenter has lost his case against Livingstone Productions - good job. He was seeking $40000 for lost wages and $10000 for humiliation - spot the irony. A low life willing to make up and publish anything about anyone was trying to have his former employer up on grounds of humiliation!

He was obviously quite upset though, going to ground and hiding under a rock after his sacking - yeah right.


Wednesday, April 28, 2004

There is no honour in abstaining 


My Right suspects that the Labour party thinkers are still trying to find a way to get Tariana Turia and Nanaia Mahuta to abstain from, rather than vote against the proposed Seabed and Foreshore legislation - to save face and to save a by election. But with statements like the one below - is there any room for that? I have said before, that disagree with her as much as I might, if she falls on her sword I will certainly respect her for that.

There will be much wailing and nashing of teeth here if they 'politic' there way out of a stand so staunch;
"I have heard the consistent call in my electorate – from Tirau to Tawa - to oppose the Bill and put forward their views to my colleagues. I have advised the Prime Minister, as directed by my constituency, of the clear opposition to the Bill from the people of Te Tai Hauauru.

I believe that in putting forward this view, I have done nothing wrong. However I do accept the doctrine of collective Cabinet responsibility.

The caucus has today given me and Nanaia Mahuta leave not to support the legislation. I appreciate the respect the Prime Minister has shown us, and the sincere efforts she and senior Ministers have made to accommodate the diverse opinions within the caucus."

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Going, going 


Tariana Turia is all but out of the Labour Party, if this mornings actions are anything to go by. Storming out of an all day caucus is clearly a sign that things are bad - especially considering she was the star attraction.
A spokesman for Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia said his minister, who walked out of an all day caucus at Premiere House earlier today, is not expected to make any further comment on her position in the Labour Party today.

The Prime Minister is presently holding a press conference concerning Ms Turia.
More to follow - but a by election will keep things interesting for a while at least. God only knows what she could spout given free licence - frightening.


Monday, April 26, 2004

Ding ding ding 


Peter Dunce and Winston Peters are having a go! Great stuff, Peter was upset at Winston making the fairly obvious and accurate observation that it was a bloody television gimmick (the 'worm') that has given him more than one other playmate in Parliament. Peters also called Peter a lap dog - hardly a vicious attack by Winnie's standards.

So it was mildly amusing to read Peter Dunne's rather limp response (via Press Release):
"“In his customary incoherent manner, Mr Peter has responded with a tirade of abuse, calling me a lapdog and making obscure remarks about worms and dogs,"” said Mr Dunne.

"“In the interests of conducting the politics of fact and not abuse, let me remind the country that during Mr Peters'’ disastrous rule as Treasurer and deputy Prime Minister, he

* had to sack one of his own party's ministers for refusing to follow the rules

* led an unprecedented walkout from a Cabinet meeting

* was himself sacked by his own party'’s Maori MP'’s because they had no faith in his leadership

* and spent millions of dollars of taxpayer money on a referendum on superannuation which turned into a referendum on his own performance. The final vote– 93% v 7% - was a resounding defeat for Mr Peters and his policies.

Mr Peters has also developed a reputation for getting involved in late-night brawls in Courtenay Place scarcely the mark of a man who claims he wishes to do nothing but good for the people of New Zealand.
Apparently you can still refer to past 'incidents' when 'off duty' (but is a Parliamentarian ever?) from the lofty ground that Peter likes to speak down from.

Peter - I for one look forward to you being on your lonesome after the next election, but even more than that, I look forward to Winston having you for lunch until then. It's called charisma, and in this battle I believe that wit (and sound bites) will win the day. A press release has never been read on the 6 o'clock news to my knowledge and that is where this battle will be won or lost.

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Gremlins - me thinks so 


Those recent visitors may have noticed a few 'technical issues' have taken hold, others may simply find themselves thinking that My Right is making more sense than usual.

Normal service, and blogging should resume very soon.

Thursday, April 22, 2004

Lying tart 


Struth Dyson has been caught out again, she may be one of the sister-hood, but you do wonder how long it will be before Helen has had enough. The current trouble is that her swarmy, pleased with herself, there's no issue here answers about the stressed out souls at ACC were bollocks.
Not only had the National Union of Public Employees raised its concerns with Ms Dyson, it had received a response from the minister. He said Miss Clark had promised to set new standards of openness, transparency and honesty but standards had never been so low.
She lied, she got found out - and not for the first time;
She was also indirectly criticised three years ago when chief Employment Court judge Tom Goddard rejected her evidence of a meeting at which Social Services Minister Steve Maharey swore and criticised the way former Work and Income boss Christine Rankin dressed.

Justice Goddard said he preferred the evidence of Ms Rankin's witness. "There is definitely a pattern where, at the very least, you can say Ms Dyson is economical with the truth," Mr Carter said yesterday.
Now over to you Helen - I would love to see she of smug face rightly (back) benched again...

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Gagging for civil war 


Career activist and representative of himself has sent the Army packing from a beach near Wanganui. Apart from a fairly grandiose way of describing the fact that he kicked up a stink and the Queens Army wasn't in the mood for a race based incident - there is bugger all to the story. Other than to say that this sort of thing makes My Right's pale dome glow crimson (and knowing Second Lieutenant Nick Hodge - the Queens rep must have told him to back off very early in the piece).

This weeks prize for the least useful contribution to a delicate debate goes to Ken (night) Mair:
"We've taken a clear stance. We see it (the Government's plans) as straight theft and confiscation and we'll defend our lands as we see fit."

Monday's events had been amicable, he said. He contacted the exercise's organiser, Second Lieutenant Nick Hodge, who said he understood the group's concerns and would move the exercise to another location.
.

Ken Mair does his bit for intolerance

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

These pricks better not be getting a student allowance 


A group of protesters are occupying the proposed site for an open cast mine down South (probably with the full support of the "we won't allow coal to solve our power crisis Ministry"). This form of protest grates at the best of times - but the thought that I may be subsidising there lentils really annoys me.
Group spokeswoman Jo McVeagh said students from environment groups all over New Zealand made the three-hour trek into the valley on Sunday to join the occupation.

"Our week-long occupation sends a clear message to business leaders and politicians that, as New Zealander's, we will not allow our natural heritage to be ruined to satisfy the business sector's greed."
As for campaigning against 'business greed' - add me to your selfish people hate list - I quite like a hot shower in the morning.....

Stuff: Students Occupy Proposed Mine Site

Friday, April 09, 2004

Adjusting tax brackets for inflation 


Gordon Copeland is a United Future MP (you could be forgiven for not knowing). He is campaigning for tax brackets to be adjusted for inflation, on this occasion, the 'common sense' party is sounding like just that;
"The OBERAC for the seven months ended 29 February 2004 is actually $740 million above forecast, so the plain and substantial fact is that the Government could adjust the income brackets for inflation, boost family incomes by $620 million, and still find itself about $120 million ahead of forecast."

Mr Copeland calculates that the CPI adjustment would result in a tax cut of $1.65 per week for those earning below $43,300, $14.52 per week for those earning below $68,400 and $23.23 per week for those earning over $68,400.
Nice work Gordon. This dove tails nicely onto one of Preb's hobby horses - the number of people in the top tax bracket. Even if this was implemented - the number of people in the top tax bracket would still be well above what Labour was promising before the last election.

My Right might do some train spotting this weekend do some numbers.
Scoop: Copeland continues fight for fairer tax treatment

Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Now this takes balls 


When you are registering barely a blip in the polls - it is slightly unusual to call for an election, and that is why I like Richard Prebble. More wooden than a picket fence - he is none the less admirably principled;
"What is actually unusual is that Helen Clark thinks she has any mandate at all to be putting together, by secret backdoor negotiations, legislation affecting the total coastline of the country. While it is in no way Helen Clark's fault, the fact remains the electorate has not been able to give clear instruction to the politicians. Helen Clark, Winston Peters, Peter Dunne and now the Greens, need to remember that parliament is called the House of Representatives. None of these politicians have any electoral mandate for the secret deals they are negotiating.

"It is obvious the government doesn't have a majority and it should seek a fresh mandate from the electorate."


A break for 20% doesn't mean a kick in the teeth for a different 20% 


From today's 'Brash Report' Don dedicates the entire issue to trying to calm those in the top tax bracket who may fear that they have been forgotten. Regular readers of My Right will know that simplistic rantings on tax policy really don't go down well in these parts. No Right Turn found this out and had the good sense not to respond.

Every noticed how a reduction in the top rate is a 'tax cut', reducing the lower rates is 'relief'? What the Doc has finally put into a simple sentence is that a growing economy (that Labour currently boast about), and a disciplined public sector (which Labour shafts buy requiring them to buy them another term) can combine to enable reductions in tax rates across the board. Get it right and this can be close to a perpetual cycle where tax rates can reach the lowest possible sustainable level. Read this, he says it better:
National is committed to reducing personal income tax rates, and committed to a flattening of the tax structure. The current high rates at relatively low levels of income are a nonsense and must be reduced. Talented Kiwis will not put up with mediocre aspirations, and are not indifferent to the levels of taxation they face. They want to live in a dynamic market economy, not one strangled by an interfering government.
(later) Reducing tax rates over time does not require a government to slash spending,– what is required is that the growth rate of government spending is kept a little below the growth rate of the economy. That requires discipline.

National will provide that discipline, and deliver a sustained reduction of tax rates over the longer term, as an essential part of a strategy to boost the incomes of all New Zealanders, and make New Zealand a place where we, our children and grandchildren, will choose to live and work.
I could list a plethora of rhetoric from the Left about robbing Poor Peter to pay Rich Paul, and maybe will do soon - in the meantime NRT et al, please accept it doesn't have to be that way.

Tuesday, April 06, 2004

If we must have it - give it a chance 


Round house ridicule of Maori TV today after it failed to register on the AC Neilson media ratings. My Right for one has been quietly impressed with the delivery and packaging of the end product. That said, it will be a long time before I forgive the administrative negligence and indignant self righteousness.

But this criticism, so early on in the piece, does concern me a little;
National MP Nick Smith said the Nielsen Media Research survey was carried out for the first seven days of the Maori Television which started broadcasting last month.

It "found not one person, zero, was found to be watching any of the Maori Television Service programmes," Dr Smith told Parliament.

Answering on behalf of Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen said he was surprised by the survey.

"That's surprising since I've met a number of people I know who have been watching Maori Television programmes. Of course other people may have been watching the nightly news to see how the member's getting on with his legal problems."
I for one have surfed, stayed for a while and occasionally enjoyed. For all the shite they have been through getting it of the ground and on the air, the final package doesn't look too bad. Fair play to the folk on the ground.

Monday, April 05, 2004

Art and Politics have collided 


Why Gerry Brownlee is providing self confessed (as soon as he himself actually says it) wanker, Tame Iti, a great deal of free publicity for his up coming exhibition opening is a mystery to me - but good on him for fronting.
National Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says he has not been put off opening an art exhibition by Maori activist Tame Iti which has been billed as "Meet the Prick".

Iti, a Tuhoe artist, said the billing was not necessarily referring to Mr Brownlee.

"When I'm talking about 'the prick'. . .it's really about the system, the Crown, who is the system," he told National Radio.
Apparently, according to Mr Iti, if you believe in the laws of this country, you too are a 'prick' - nice.

Only when it suits please Professor 


My Right is no fan of career academics (they usually occupy the Labour Party benches for starters), but this seems particularly dismissive from Jim Sutton. A stinging attack on a piece of opinion / research from Professor Jane Kelsey, the same sort of academic ideologue that helps shape so much Labour Party policy (ERA anyone?), but obviously, when the findings don't suit, attack the author huh Jimbo:
'BEAT-UP'

Mr Sutton later said the report was "an enormous beat-up by Prof Kelsey", and a political rather than academic work.

"There is absolutely no merit in the story whatsoever," he said.

"New Zealand does not go around bullying Pacific Island countries, quite on the contrary we concentrate our overseas development assistance in the Pacific, and we try to help them.

"They have no show in the world of having a modern standard of living if they don't trade."

Prof Kelsey cost the Government a fortune in Official Information Act "fishing expeditions", Mr Sutton said.

"To me she is a complete waste of time.

"She has gone off around the Pacific looking up her old mates. . . anti-globalisation campaigners who always take the view that trade is bad, and that developing countries should be allowed to lead their simply blissful village lives without considering what that means in the way of poverty and ill health, and has come home with a nice glow thinking everyone in the Pacific agrees with her."

"Her career is to be radical and controversial, so that gets the students queuing up to prove how they reject the values of their parents, by signing up to her courses in large numbers."
Full story from Stuff here.

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