Crisis or short memories? The ACT List.

I have often wondered out loud about the education one needs to become a journalist. It has become more obvious over the years with the rise of blogging that it can’t actually be that much. Blogs have taken over much of the news reporting in NZ and our so called “journalists” now use blogs and twitter to gather their news as they simply cannot bother to investigate or stand out from the crowd.

The ACT Party “crisis” as we are led to believe is yet another fail from the media fraternity and yet if they bothered to look at what they wrote about ACT merely 3 years ago they would see the absolute stupidity of what they write today.

Three years ago, ACT was a 2 MP party led by Rodney and Heather. They were polling as low as 1% and as high as 4% in opinion polls before the 2008 election, where they eventually got 3.65% at the election, turning the 2 MP party into a 5 MP Party, winning Epsom yet again and defying everybody in media yet again. Why doesn’t the media ever get it that ACT has always polled much higher on election day than they do beforehand? I used to think it was cute – when I campaigned hard for the party, which I did from 1996 – but now I think the media are just straight up stupid.

Today they have a new leader and have a popular ex Mayor of Auckland standing in their key seat. They have key people like Don Nicholson and John Boscawen there as well, not to mention the not so secret 3rd list spot for a notable and distinguished woman as well. It’s a strong top 5. It must be considering all the media and online attention the list received over the weekend.

It also signals a change in brand for ACT. ACT on Campus call it, ACT II – “clear break from the past and represents the future of the ACT Party.” AOC were never really 100% behind Rodney when the polls started to show their usual between election dip which led to the Brash coup. Indeed the AOC executive were openly clapping out loud at the coup and the president gave a “no comment” when asked by the media, while other board members of ACT were behind Rodney. However with AOC 100% behind this leadership team, and with two AOC candidates in the top 10, the party is doing its best to cleanse the party of its past. I am ecstatic that both Heather and Hilary were rejected by the party and the board as well. Heather says she left on her own accord, but as we all know only a few weeks beforehand she was angling to be the new leader of ACT inside Parliament and before that spent all of her last term in parliament trying to usurp Rodney. Hilary on the other hand came in with all guns blazing ready to back Rodney and to bring some of her common sense into Parliament. I know Hilary well, I helped campaign for her in Dunedin many years ago. Her lack of readiness and loyalty was rewarded accordingly.

As for the top 10. We are led to believe that it is still a Liberal party, with the exception of John Banks and Don Nicholson. Ranked 4 and 5. If ACT gets 5 MPs again then almost half of the parliamentary team will be conservative. Indeed there were a few conservatives on the list selection vote who were drawn to the party by the Don. Brash has only started to solidify his liberal tendencies while John seems like he’ll stick to the game plan and the mystery #3 will most certainly be at the liberal forefront of the party.

Is it enough to make ACT hugely different to National?

Will it ever attract the young urban liberals who would never vote National?

I would say probably not. The Association of Consumers and Taxpayers that I joined in 1995 is a far different organisation than it is today. When ACT was elected as the first (and only ever) brand new party in 1996 it was a celebration of youth, freedom, energy and positivity. It drew in people from all over the spectrum who believed in its philosophy and it was a lot of fun being there.

At least I am warmed by the fact that I am not eligible to vote this year as it would be very very hard for me to make my vote this year. But rest assured, it wouldn’t be for National nor would it be for a party that wants to increase taxes or reduce personal responsibility.

UNITE Union exploiting Earthquake victims

There are times that people should take stock of a situation and put politics aside in order to work for the greater good. Phil Goff and John Key stood together with the people of Christchurch as did most Kiwis at home and abroad.

There are people that see events like this as an opportunity to do something good for society, to help others – which I witnessed here in London as I helped facilitate several events from Kiwis here. Kiwis in London helped raise over 1 million pounds for the relief effort and the people of Christchurch.
Then there are those who think they can profit from human suffering and harness it to take advantage of a bad situation. Enter the UNITE Union, led by tax cheat Matt McCarten who have set up the organisation “Action for Christchurch East”, an organisation designed to prey on the Cantabrians who have been affected by the quake. Their blog is here and their profile links to another blog for Unite Christchurch.

Their latest “action” is to attack the incoming arrival of the National Prime Minister John Key as he and his caucus make a nearly unprecedented move to hold caucus from outside Parliament to show Christchurch that the Government is doing what they can.

Of course National, nor any politician can be perfect with the clean up and the task of rebuilding the city is enormous. But there is no case for UNITE to use the earthquake to push their agenda.

Their page runs down a list of the usual left wing gripes about the Government from:

Fletchers not paying high enough wages to builders in Chch
Rogernomics
The “Tory Government” – the NZ one, not the UK one, standard wording from Unite.
Global Economic System
Privatisation and State Asset Sales
The gap between the Rich and Poor “The wealthiest 150 New Zealanders - John Key included - increased their wealth by $7 billion last year”
Deregulation
The “annihilation” of organised workers.

But yet not one point is even on the same page as what the Government of the day has to do to rebuild a city destroyed by the quake. The city needs cash injections and a plan to bring in workers to the area and make it easy for them to get the job done.

Unite is feeding off the fear of frustrated citizens in order for it to gain support for their extremist policies. It isn’t the first time far left organisations have used misery and desperation to spread their ideology either. Matt McCarten should pay his PAYE taxes and stop sending his foot soldiers to exploit others.

Looking after your Leftie

Sent to me anonymously - but inspired from this post by Imperator Fish. Seems apt.

Your Leftie: A Care Guide
Commiserations! Your new Leftie is now ready for operation.

Below are the care instructions for your Leftie. Please read them before using your Leftie for the first time. Provided you follow these instructions you can look forward to many years of uninterrupted

Three-Year Warranty

Your Leftie comes with a three-year warranty. In the event you are dissatisfied with your Leftie for any reason during that period, please remember that you were dim witted enough to vote it in.

Care and Maintenance

Please follow the care instructions below in order to enjoy a long and frequently disappointing relationship with your Leftie.

Cleaning instructions: Your Leftie can be cleaned using a very wet cloth. But be careful about using solvents or strong spirits. When strong spirits or alcohol-based products are applied to your Leftie your Leftie may begin to become lecherous or lusty or emit noises difficult to silence. An alcohol-affected Leftie may emit unintelligible opinions, and should be ignored.

Handling: Your Leftie is fragile and will suffer if allowed out of its hermetically sealed box. It does not know life outside of the confines of a union or academia and most certainly should not be left around other people’s money. (OPM™)

Avoid strong light: Be careful about exposing your Leftie to direct sunlight. If exposed, Lefties could emit high pitch cries for ill deserved entitlement and dazzling hypocrisy.

Servicing: Your Leftie need to be regularly serviced. Thankfully Lefties are universally equipped to utilise both recharging sockets to ensure maximum performance.


WARNING

YOUR LEFTIE PRETENDS TO LIKE MINORITIES AND DIVERSITY BUT ONLY IF IT AGREES WITH THEM. THE PRETENCE IS ONLY TOLERATED FOR USE AS VOTING FODDER ©

DO NOT PUT REMOVE YOUR LEFTIE FROM ITS COMFORTABLE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS ENVIRONMENT. A LEFTIE WILL ATTEMPT TO CAMOUFLAGE ITSELF IN LOWER CLASS ENVIRONS FOR USE AS VOTING FODDER. ©



Troubleshooting guide

My Leftie will not work: Check to see whether your Leftie has been switched to the hypocrisy setting . This setting will be indicated by even minuscule exposure to unions and benefit entitlement. Despite having never in its life done a hard day's labour, your leftie may while switched to hypocrisy opining loudly about the greed of the working and upper classes. If this occurs immerse your Leftie in champagne until the crying stops.

My Leftie is making a whining noise: All lefties at one point or another will release whining noises depending on the mood of the day. Often this can be stopped with vigorous amounts of other people’s money (OPM) ™

My Leftie is turning into a Tory: Your Leftie will usually after a number of years automatically switch into Tory mode, often after leaving academic or union based environs and becoming self reliant.

My Leftie is trying to rig an election: This is standard operating procedure. Similar models such as “Chavez”, “Mugabe” and “Jong Il” already use this OS.

Rant free (for once)

Not much has happened over here since my last post. The looting have come to a swift end and the fools involved have met harsh but fair punishments.

The football season has kicked off and my beloved Arsenal have started with a draw against Newcastle. Joey Barton has proved he is a prize twat with no qualms about playing by his own rules. The sooner NUFC kick him out the better. A bad week for the team has meant injuries have mounted up and signings have yet to be made that could make a difference.

On the same subject, how brilliant that QPR has been bought by F1 and Air Asia supremo Tony Fernandes. The previous owners were crooks who have been bought out in time to give the new owner a chance to bring in new signings before the window closes.

In New Zealand we are slowly heading towards the rugby world cup with ridiculously high expectations that we'll win the thing. Add that to spending on structures and things like plastic wakas during a recession, while our businesses and hospitality industry seems hell bent on ripping everybody left right and centre, and I expect if we do lose, New Zealand will be a very unhappy place to be.... that is until the election campaign kicks off.

The election will be the last one Phil Goff will be fighting ever. National have this election sewn up. The Maori Party are in a heap of trouble, while the Greens will coast in with 8% and Labour will be kicked hard, but will perform better than expected - if you expect them to be wiped out that is. Mana will drag in another 2 MPs that will turn the voters off MMP forever. I have seen the ACT Party list voting forms and made my selections - an interesting choice of youth and experience, male and female, North and South Island. I will not say who I lent my vote or support to - however if anybody felt it was a good idea to put a certain Dunedin based current MP in a reachable position to get back in, then they need their heads read. Heather Roy didn't leave on her own terms - and I'd hoped others may have got the hint. It seems not. Thankfully others have stepped forward who have the right idea and as a result have got my vote.

Not that it matters, I cannot vote in this years election due to me living offshore for too long. While I am sure there will be a great gnashing of teeth and screamy leftie wailing over the campaign - I don't give two figs about it. They will be crushed and National will stay on their pragmatic slow path to wherever they seem to wish to lead NZ. It won't be a country that will ever stop or want to stop the handout culture wholesale - people will always vote for the party that will give them more for doing less. But this is a universal theme for Western nations and we'll pay the price for our folly sooner rather than later.

Doom and gloom? Not at all. Most people will still blame others for their failures or their countries lack of economic growth rather than doing their bit to improve it. Thankfully I have people that read this blog who actually want to change things and make life better for themselves and others.

So what does this mean? Why the post about nothing? Well after 2611 posts over 6 years and almost 500k page views I have decided this will be my last year of blogging. I will be ceasing my posting and ramblings after the election this year and not a moment too soon. I have said all I need to say and have done a lot to back up my words - with deeds and actions - and have sacrificed a lot to fight for what I believe in. Sometimes when it's all said and done, there are more important things in life to think about and I have plenty more exciting things planned for my life.

As I said to my colleagues in Campus ACT, known as Prebble's Rebels back in 05 - politics won't get you laid or make you friends or even give you real life experience. Getting out there and living life will do that for you. I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment today!

Bring on the last few months of blogging!

Meet the Mana Party Women Affairs Spokesman

Charming words of advice to womynist blogger Boganette..



A party that is full of bullying "high spirited" activists that include people like John Minto - who has a history of bullying younger women and nutbars like Martyn Bradbury who wasted countless hours screaming abuse on his blog against a young female ACT candidate.(incidentally she took all of a few minutes to slap him down again)

So the party who hates White Motherfuckers also has a lot of hate for the mothers as well it seems.. especially if you're white, of course.

No wonder the minor parties are being excluded from the main leaders debates, putting Hone Hater on TV any longer than we do already would just be awful.

UPDATE...

Apparently the spokesman is female... stay classy Mana! This could get nasty.

The Fightback begins...

There were 16,000 cops on the streets of London last night. So much for fighting for a cause as the cowards stayed indoors last night on a nice warm evening.

Instead copycat looting and destruction occurred up north in places like Manchester.
(I wonder if my commenter Mr Snuggles saw any up his part of the country?)

Watch Manchester Police deliver northern justice to these idiots...


Meanwhile in London, the court cases have begun and the rule of law is prevailing!

The Daily Mail - always a fun read - has the following headers:

Courts sit through the night to handle high volume of offenders
Primary school worker admits burglary at Richer Sounds
Duo who made off with trolley full of power tools admit theft
Father caught in stolen Lacoste trainers and body warmer weeps
Convicted rioters warned they could lose council houses

And the photos are interesting too. Read it all here.

The Mail has also smashed PC Liberal dogma out of the park with this hard hitting article, well worth a read.


Up and down the country the people are fighting back. Sikhs in Southall defended their streets while Manchester and Millwall fans hit the streets to dispense with any troubles in their patches. Police were not supporting the vigilante behaviour but in all honesty probably needed the help after the silly buggers on ther streets all this week. If I was a looter I'd be more scared of being found by one of them than the cops...



UPDATE - Liberty Scott does a damn good job at smashing the left wing down.

See some cool pics here too!

UPDATE 2

And it keeps on getting better... apart from the fact that some of the people charged are getting weak punishments. However it is heartwarming seeing on the news, police going door to door, getting people. Smashing in their front doors and pulling them onto the streets for all to see. The images on TV of cops zooming in and getting photos of everybody possible.. brilliant!

This girl should hopefully lose her chance to be at the Olympics. Good on her mother for informing police and SHAME on her for denying all charges.

The website calling for looters who are in council houses to be thrown out has CRASHED. Oh my!

Meet more of the scum pulled off our streets...

Another VSM fail...

The OUSA President has blogged his opinions on Voluntary Student union Membership (VSM) this week. As a (very) long time pro freedom activist I felt I should rebut some of his remarks.

Firstly I’d like to state that my opinion around the VSM (voluntary student membership) issue is non-biased. Now as you all gasp in disbelief over the student’s presidents claim that his opinion around a parliamentary private member’s bill that looks to make the revenue stream of OUSA disappear and potentially destroy his association is ‘non-biased’ let me explain why. I am a Scarfie. I live on Hyde Street in a freezing cold flat and drink southern gold like it is going out of fashion.

An OUSA President, one that is at the helm of an organisation that is addicted to spending the $2million plus per annum it collects from students cannot possibly be non biased. It’s impossible. It’s no point pretending to be an average student with no possible ulterior motive – the facts speak for themselves – OUSA is a compulsory union, the same type of union that the Council of Trade Unions was before they became voluntary.
Right away Logan admits OUSA isn’t doing its job properly. He admits the revenue stream “may disappear”... that doesn’t sound like a bloke that values the organisation that he is in charge of does it?

I have been in this job for a little over two months now; can you comprehend how fabulous it would look on my C.V to be ‘the’ president, effectively the CEO of a multi-million dollar organisation and the man who lead it through a complete restructure? It would be tackling an issue which would be, dare I say it, the most challenging of any president in OUSA’s 123 year existence, don’t worry though I would do a bloody fine job of it. Now to slap that alongside my commerce degree would look pretty nifty.

So far he has done an awful job of it. He was the public face of “selling” Radio 1. He was hated by many students for even suggesting it – despite it being the right idea. It failed anyway, and he needs to find another way to restructure OUSA. Surely he must attempt to cut subsidies to Radio 1? He also ripped up student protester posters – hardly the work of a man who represents “all students” is it? His (most likely drunken) rant at Sir Roger Douglas’s Facebook page is more proof he isn’t representative to his members. His conduct on the protest against the PM (more proof he doesn’t represent his members) was appalling as well.

He has to admit that he doesn’t represent the views of the majority of students. More students voted for National, ACT and United than they did for the Greens and Labour at the last election. ACT and National MPs and activists have continuously supported a VSM policy since the 90’s. At NO stage have they said they would not pursue this policy – however it is a matter of priorities. The conduct of student unions up and down NZ have made this law a greater priority for this government and behaviour from presidents like Logan, against the student body has meant priorities have changed.

So why I am opposed to VSM? Is it that I actually want the best for the students? Well yes it is. I am of the firm belief that Scarfie life is so stimulating because of our students associations’ existence. Sure you are forced to pay a compulsory fee, but for that you get services and events that are actually relevant to you and actually materialize, it’s like compulsory fun.


“Compulsory fun”? Surely a joke? If he wanted the best for his members, why would he spit at the political beliefs of the students who voted for a pro VSM party at the general election? How can Logan say that students will no longer be “Scarfies” if they are no longer forced to join a union?

How many students are actually involved in normal student union activities? Elections barely get 10% of support. Student Union meetings have been constantly under quorum and have been changed to online meetings to save face. OUSA has a long history of failed quorums – in the past they used to count anybody sitting close to the meeting as participants. Logan has fallen into the trap that so many have fallen into – that OUSA is responsible for all of the fun on campus and that students are unable to organise themselves.

You get representation which acts to protect your interests without any effort needed on your part. You get the student support centre, food-bank, advocacy, free legal advice, queer support, and always a friend to talk to, a squash club, a yacht club, a rowing club, clubs and societies building, monetary grants, Unipol, events such as paint parties, capping show, international food night and the list goes on and on. When students come to University it is quite often their first time away from home and its awesome that this support is here for us all during our studies.

The representation you receive is extremely limited. It is limited to those who share the political views of the association. Let’s put aside the obvious political bias for a moment. Nobody in NZ can advocate for 20,000 people no matter the beliefs they have. OUSA cannot represent the beliefs of all their members, it’s impossible.
If you are lucky enough to have access to the OUSA budget, you will see the advocacy, food bank, legal advice and support centre occupies a miniscule part of the OUSA budget. Logan has also stated that in order to get a degree, all students have to fund a squash club, rowing and yachting clubs and a whole variety of interests that students may choose to engage in during their studies. Why is it good enough for non students to do this in the real world and yet not for students? Do all students appreciate that they are funding political and sporting activities and must do in order to get a degree?

So let me discuss with you the real implication of this bill. Should VSM pass we would quite simply not be able to provide all the great services we currently deliver all for students.

Nonsense.

However, that’s not to say they would all go. It’s just that the University would pick up the tab for them. Now you’re kidding yourself if you think your mate the University would just eat into its own cash reserves in order to provide such services for you. The levy that you pay now would either, stay the same, or more lightly increase to compensate for additional overheads (and the fact that University’s quite like money).

OUSA has cash reserves and assets. Logan has not mentioned this at all. He has not said how much OUSA would need to break even. However this is still quite telling that Logan is admitting that revenue will fall. After all, all students will need to do at enrolment is to tick a box. If he is stating that OUSA can’t even get students to tick a box then he knows that students do NOT value their membership.

So it’s the University providing the services for you and not students and of course the University probably will not want to fund all services, for example student media (Critic, Radio One) and most probably any sort of event that involves drinking as it has become apparent that the incoming vice-chancellor is dead against the social climate Otago is famous for.

Student media like Radio 1? The same station that is bleeding cash profusely and needs to be sold or restructured desperately?
Is Logan saying that drinking events will be cancelled at University because of VSM? Can you see how stupid that sounds. It’s a blatant lie. Logan knows this. He lives on Hyde Street... I lived on Hyde Street. Every year the residents on this street holds a massive drinking event. It’s NOT controlled by the student union. For Logan to state this is such a shame for a student who describes himself as an average student.

What OUSA would look like under VSM is a structure that provides core functions. For example we would maintain our student support, and hopefully the student media, although my guess is that cost cutting measures would probably make it a bit shit, unless for example Critic and Radio One could become profitable or near enough break-even.

No Logan. It would provide what the MEMBERS want. Your OUSA survey stated that Radio 1 was their least valued service on campus. Listen to your members!

We would charge a zero dollar levy and at the start of every semester we would have to painstakingly chase around after students making sure all of them (or near enough) are signed up as members as the proposed VSM legislation would mean that Universities could not even inform students of the associations’ existence, sound suspicious?

Lies, lies and more lies. Who said OUSA would charge a zero levy? Does Logan have a say in how the 2012/13 and future years budgets will be set? Who said they would chase it up? Who said the University would not inform OUSA of members?

By having all students signed up it then means that we can go to the University and say “Hello, we represent all students and therefore we would like to sit in on all of your councils and committee’s” we would do this so students are still represented within the University and can advocate and fight for them.

You can’t do that today! OUSA doesn’t represent all students today and is seen as weak by the University. The powers that be know that OUSA cannot get the support for more than 10% of its members.

Currently all tertiary students have a united voice in this country by means of the NZUSA (New Zealand Union of Students Associations’) which is a great thing to have for times like this when Politian’s try screwing students over. There are 14 University and Polytechnic student’s associations that belong too, and wholly fund NZUSA. It is my belief that should VSM come in, NZUSA will be student’s associations first cost cutting measure and once a few pull out there will be a domino effect as the remaining members could not fund NZUSA on their own. It would be a real shame considering what NZUSA has done for students historically over its 80 year existence.

Logan is out of the loop regarding NZUSA membership. Most of NZ student unions are already pulling out or considering pulling out of NZUSA. NZUSA costs OUSA over $100k p/a. It is a drain on OUSA to be paying for 3 full time students activists in their Lampton Quay office, especially as the NZUSA do very little for Otago students.
The polytech next door to Otago Uni has pulled out and many are following.

But the sting in the tail... membership to NZUSA? It’s VOLUNTARY!

NZUSA is the reason students today have interest free student loans and student allowances which are vital to student life. How quickly will they disappear if the students do not have a united voice to fight for them? We know that the National Party hate the massive financial burden that the student loans and allowances impose. Maybe this is the reason for the government wanting students’ associations’ gone? You may say that’s all very conspiracy theorist of me, but I cannot see any other reason why the National Party are showing such interest in a shaky party like ACT.

More proof that Logan represents ONLY Labour voting students. Is he willing to admit that he doesn’t represent the majority of students that voted in National at the last election? Despite the Labour election bribes, more students rejected Labour in 2008. Why then should students pay for Logan, OUSA and NZUSA to campaign against them?

The argument for VSM is that students should get a choice, whether this is the true motivation for the Politian’s is questionable. I agree the current membership system is not perfect, but the solution should be what the students want and should be based on students input. It is not a decision to be made by those who it does not affect, such as politicians. The government needs to work with student’s associations to find an agreeable solution, an enduring policy which recognises the key stakeholders, the students, like you.

Not once has Logan talked about freedom of association. Interesting isn’t it? He has ignored the calls from students to allow them the freedom to not join a union. He has rejected over half of his membership’s opinions to push his own agenda – which coincidentally is the same agenda of the Labour Party.

What does this ordinary student got to fear? Ordinary students don’t give a toss about OUSA and throughout the decades OUSA has failed to engage themselves with the masses. They chose to pursue far left policies and then later snuggled up to Labour and the Greens. They sat back and never fought the University when iconic student bars were closed down by the Universities. They say back for 9 years when Labour was in Government and ignored calls to tighten their budgets, instead raising levies higher and higher and ignoring the growing nationwide momentum supporting VSM.

Logan has the chance to be a great president. He needs to can the bullshit and look at the bigger picture. Why don’t students vote? Why do they never attend student meetings? If he could sell OUSA as being meaningful to students rather than the common perception that its captured by hippies and left wing career student politicians then he will be successful. At the moment he is part of the problem and the sad thing is he will blame VSM when OUSA falls over – not realising that he had its future right in his hands and lost the opportunity.

Stay Calm and Stop Looting!

Loads going on here in London lately. We may have seen the worst here, but the copycat looting has spread to Birmingham, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bristol and Manchester.. amongst other towns. It aint pretty and the damage caused is not only going to take a long time to mend - it will also drive huge wedges between sections of our society.

There are so many reasons for this occurring. It isn't a single issue, it's several.

Rather than me saying what I think, I am a foreigner in this country - it isn't my place to say why.

The sad thing is that people who are on minimum wage who are working in the stores that are being trashed are having their lives torn apart. They will lose their jobs and this is going to hurt NOT benefit the poor who the rioters are claiming to represent. Small businesses destroyed. Low income families houses burned down. It's crazy and has to end.

Click here to see the awful BBC interview with 2 girls bragging about the looting.



This next pic is crazy...


And finally a clip of looters robbing an injured man


If you're living over here and have anything to share, I'd like to hear from you.

The Long Awaited, and Possibly Inevitable, Return of Strange Internet Dating Profiles

Labour - unable to even organise a protest in student town

Labour MP Clare Curran has posted a little video of some students protesting in Dunedin, my old University, against the visit of the Prime Minister.

If I recall, every time the National Party sent a PM to Otago there were always protests. There has NEVER been a time at Otago, most certainly since the 90's that OUSA and their mates have ever not held a protest against a National PM. The difference here is the numbers were a lot smaller today!

The video is even more telling. Here we have 200 or so students and non students (spot the workers) who are crying out for the student union to make membership compulsory.
If you look carefully at the video you will see in attendance protesters from one or two trade unions and also the Alliance Party. Trade Unions were made voluntary many years ago and Labour would never reintroduce compulsory trade union membership again.
The Alliance are on life support and have their main support in Dunedin - but little elsewhere - as they are irrelevant to NZ voters.

At 50s and 55s you will see a poster saying "Let me choose". Dreadfully ironic as the bill being debated does exactly that. Once the bill passes, all students will have the choice whether or not they wish to join the student union.

Some people say that students will take the money and not join. But that's untrue. Students today don't see the money that goes to student unions as it comes out of their student loan. They won't miss the money nor will have extra money to spend on student activities or books.

Some say that students simply won't join and unions will fall over and collapse. Why? OUSA and other unions have been given 2 decades plus warning about VSM and chose to ignore it. Auckland chose VSM and are still alive whilw Waikato students rejected compulsion at least 3 times and it took a near secret vote to bring it back to compulsion... and is still desperately unpopular and an organisational shambles.

Surely for any organisation to survive, the people running it should make it attractive to join. The EPMU Union does this well and so does the UNITE Union. The local bowling club also does this - and if they don't then they have to wind up and try again. Why should student unions, that collect over $1 million dollars a year be excempt from being accountable to their members?

The Facebook group of the protest had over 1100 people attending and of course students being students this was a bit of a fail too. Considering more students in the past have protested against the Nats - it is more proof that Dunedin isn't against John Key and the right - and more proof that Labour cannot even organise a decent political protest.

Doing what's Right

I was disappointed to see Colin Craig announce the formation of the Conservative Party, in a move which really seems like a bit of publicity stunt. My reason for this disappointment is that, despite the polls, National needs allies to form a government.

Take a look at your peril and believe the hype that National will poll over 50% on Nov 26. They won't. Each and every election, a party that polls >50% quickly falls the closer to the election (2002 and 2008). The reason is quite simple - the closer they get, the more people's minds get made up. In fact, 2008 was the highest total poll rating for National and Labour at circa 79%. My evidence is in the following graph - look at the 2008 lead in to the election (see below). Now, back to my point about Colin Craig.

It is quite clear that National will need either ACT or the current combination of government partners to be in power again. That means having a real right wing party that can support National and have a clear message based on economics (sorry Don, the Maori thing's a bit old) and the usual ACT principles. The hope is that ACT will get 5% (I still believe they will), but it also means having a contingency, and that means winning Epsom. So, if Colin Craig tries to split the vote in Epsom, and if Labour and Green voters vote for the National candidate, there is the potential ACT could be out of parliament all together. And that would mean Jordan Carter's hopes could be fulfilled. http://jtc.blogs.com/just_left/2011/07/polling-a-path-to-the-light.html

That's why to have a John Key-led government, with a solid economic backbone, those on the right need to do the right thing, and ignore Colin Craig's attention seeking.

TB12.

Premier League around the corner

The English Premier League is just round the corner. As a Manchester United fan, I obviously want to see my team take it out. However, I can see both Chelsea and Arsenal hot on our heals (both ran us close in a forgettable season last year).

In checking the TAB odds, the favourites are as follows:

1. Man United $2.75

2. Chelsea $3.25

3. Man City $4.25

4. Arsenal $8.50

As for my pick, I think it's too close to call. Week-to-week it's going to be a grind.

TB12

Disgraceful behaviour

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2011/08/petulance.html

David Farrar features some appalling behaviour by Carmel Sepuloni in the House. She was almost named by the speaker. The rules in the House are being upheld admirably by the Speaker, it's just a shame that Sepuloni was so arrogant that she was literally forced to apologised. Sepuloni knows the rules, she should simply follow them.

TB12

ACT hoodwinks Labour - VSM rolls on...

Grant Robertson and Labour were smashed today in Parliament and you can see him freaking out in all his glory here... the filibuster is over and the VSM bill is allowed to be debated.. finally!

Grant tries to explain himself here but the lies and bullshit are just unstoppable.. not to mention ridiculous rhetoric about students, "For me student associations are like local government. Enrolling as a student makes you part of a community, and the student association is the organisation that helps govern that community"

Get over yourself Grant. You go to University to get a degree not to pay for people like you to get into left wing politics. How much money did Otago students (and indeed all Kiwi students and taxpayers) pay you while you were in OUSA? Students don't want to be forced to pay for failing radio stations and left wing newspapers in order to get a degree. This isn't just about freedom of association, this is also giving freedom for students to not be forced to fund union pet projects to get their degree.



I have so much to say on this but have said plenty already. Just sit back and enjoy this.

VSM Victory in sight?

When I started at University, I often wondered what the $150 compulsory fee was I was charged with the rest of my tuition fees. To be honest, I had no idea.

After spending some time around campus, I got to witness some of the extraordinary protectionist behaviour and the cronyism of a select few for no reason other than reasons only known to them - specifically the services provided by the union to students.

What baffled me further was voluntary unionism was widespread, except when it came to university unions. Despite a tough fight in 1999 (led by Clint Heine at Otago), the VSM crusade lost. A shame. But what do you expect when the University book shop "gifted" $10k to the OUSA to fight the campaign. The cheek! The $10k made it tough to fight, and is always with University politics, only a small number (10-15%) actually vote. VSM averted for OUSA and co.

But after today, victory could be in sight. I sincerely hope so. Interestingly, this has had no coverage in the media who instead focus on the most petty minded and banal of topics such as the $250 John Key was given to appear on Letterman. Oh, and the $10k Tourism NZ paid a PR company to get the PM on. Hmm, how that's important is beyond me. But I digress. Today the ACT bill for VSM was read in the House. For those who have fought long and hard, I commend you. Victory is in sight.

TB12

Debt Ceiling Crisis: Republicans Win, Commiecrats Lose - Blair Mulholland

Well, economic Armageddon has been averted. I am almost disappointed.

It would be very easy, if one supported laissez-faire politics, as I do, to look at the bare facts of the Debt Ceiling Compromise just passed in the US House of Representatives, and label it a disastrously weak capitulation in the quest for smaller government. "Satan Sandwich" is too goddamn right. It spends more money now to make just a fraction more savings later. The problem of government overspending remains unsolved. Gabrielle Giffords walked into the House in triumph today, but by voting for the bill has repaid her own dodged bullet by kicking my daughters - future American taxpayers - in the shins.

I watched the vote today live on CSPAN and was hopeful enough congressmen would buck the whips and give the house of cards that is the US economy the big middle finger. It didn't happen, and I was sad for my daughters.

But even though many Democrats voted against the proposal also, consequences are always the primary consideration. What would be the consequence of a default? Well, anyone who thinks that it would have made the Democrats agree to the necessary cuts is dreaming. The blame would have been on Republicans. Every American, and us Green Card holders as well, would have been affected. The trend towards political disaster for the Democrats next year would have reversed. Obama would get a second term, the Dems would retake the House, and we would all be eating many, many more Satan Sandwiches as the decline of the United States hit fourth gear.

The Dems knew all this, and that they held all the cards. Unfortunately for them, the GOP had far bigger problems than the Donks. While they knew a default would see them out of power, the bulk of them would have kept their seats for being staunch. No such luck if they compromised. Tea Party primary challengers would have ousted Boehner and pals faster than Phil Goff loses his memory for whatever position he took on an issue last week.

What the GOP needed was a deal that stopped the crisis, but got enough concessions from the other Democratic-controlled branches of government to make them sulky and look like losers. And in this, they have been wildly successful. Donks have been all over the news tonight whining and bitching about the dead rats they have had to swallow for their precious programs laden full of Other People's Money. A few right wing blogs, and Rush Limbaugh will complain too, but those folk need to wake up and realise that what the GOP has done is keep the game alive. Yes, they are, as Senator Tom Coburn put it "treating pneumonia with Tylenol [paracetamol]", but the real game, the real battle, is to take the Presidency and the Senate in 2012, because then you can make as many cuts as you want. If you march up to Washington and fight now, you are just going to end up like General Santa Anna did when he marched up to my new home town in 1836: You'll beat the crap out of the locals, but you won't be able to finish what you started.

The Republicans won this one, or at least survived it with about as much honour intact as they were ever going to get. The Democrats have failed and now look weak, not least because they underestimated the GOP/Tea Party resolve, and now look petulant. They should be celebrating the preservation of their spending against a hostile House, but instead they have made the GOP look like winners, and made them winners in the process.

Roll on 2012! I may do a post on the various Republican contenders soon, and give my views...