tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post7511554808904122741..comments2024-03-19T15:05:56.959+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: Ms O'Sullivan's Curious CommentaryChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-85668655077451678452012-11-16T16:13:33.866+13:002012-11-16T16:13:33.866+13:00Micky Savage, are you a lawyer by any chance? Just...Micky Savage, are you a lawyer by any chance? Just wondering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-32413348386880158292012-11-15T22:03:18.771+13:002012-11-15T22:03:18.771+13:00Betrayal. Chris I felt so angry today, still feeli...Betrayal. Chris I felt so angry today, still feeling it, when I heard National radio's report of the closure of the Hillside workshops in Dunedin. <br /><br />And I know when I see David Shearer and David Parker that they wouldn't have done any different, they'd have closed Hillside too and shrugged their shoulders, had they been in govt.<br /><br />They have to go. They HAVE to go!<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-30918638512430914502012-11-15T20:08:56.054+13:002012-11-15T20:08:56.054+13:00As someone who also remembers the years before ...As someone who also remembers the years before 'Rogernomics' I find it curious that few people recall to mind the malevolent influence of Robert Muldoon. The great keeper of the 'nanny state' in its many guises.<br /><br />We were told we were deeply indebted and, in exchange for the sale of a few trifles - Railways, who employed those appalling ferry people who always went on strike for the school holidays, and Ministry of Works and Development whose people worked in Gangs! and built clunky things that lasted, some other things, we could leave behind the colonial and dominion days (with all the cronyism around overseas funds and buying cars) and be Modern. At Last!<br /><br />It was all good - until October 1987 - and we've been either repenting or sitting around the airstrips waiting for Cargo to arrive ever since.<br /><br />And Labour lost the plot. 'They came for the old European Commie union rabble rousers - but I wasn't one of Them'. Oh dear me no! I just took my annual increment - a natural reward for hanging about on the job - and sneered at those unionist fools who had risked to go for a Greedy Pay Rise. Nasty.<br /><br />And that false superiority has increased year on year. 'We're not like that! My boss is great. S/he just can't afford to let me have a pay rise in These Hard Economic times.' <br /><br />And most unions let it happen. A collective betrayal. A persistent unwillingness to adapt to reality. To remind those new-minted Citizens of the Real World that, if they could be fired they were still workers, still vulnerable to the demands of enterprises, still optional and disposable at whim.<br /><br />A lack of some fine trait that coulda shoulda swished Prebble and Co from their perches before the rot became the norm and the Lotto mentality settled in.<br /><br />For me both Shearer and Cunliffe and the majority of the Opposition have failed because they have no vision that is better than Muldoon's, or Douglas's.<br /><br />And they've all failed because they simply cannot stop themselves making useless awful laws to 'prove they're worth their pay and perks.<br /><br />It's the work of the people to realise the vision. It's the work of the government to balance powers - as felicitously as possible. And that hasn't happened for decades.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-80836277466580247002012-11-15T18:50:35.678+13:002012-11-15T18:50:35.678+13:00I am in quite a unique position to judge Cunliffe ...I am in quite a unique position to judge Cunliffe and Lange. I was on Lange's LEC for a number of years and both of my parents were former chairs of the LEC. I have also been on Cunliffe's LEC ever since he was elected.<br /><br />Cunliffe and Lange both have a fearsome intellect. But Lange's weakness was that he was sloppy and left the running of things up to others. Cunliffe is way more a Helen Clark than a David Lange in terms of control and management.<br /><br />Also Lange was not strong in economics and left it all to Douglas to the detriment of us all, whereas Cunliffe will take a hands on approach to things.<br /><br />And they were both religious, Cunliffe is the son of a Minister and Lange was heavily involved in the Methodist Church. They were both heavily influenced by Christian ideals as were many of the first Labour Government.<br /><br />If Cunliffe becomes leader he will not be a Lange.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16293708548352713924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-73544903570891672022012-11-15T17:57:19.010+13:002012-11-15T17:57:19.010+13:00"Comparing Cunliffe to Lange doesn’t work&quo..."Comparing Cunliffe to Lange doesn’t work"<br /><br />True overall, anon1103; just hastily making the narrow point that Lange was similarly able to "kick tory ass in a debate" and that picking the leader with the greater rhetorical skills doesn't necessarily lead to heaven. As we know to this very day.<br /><br />It's the entire caucus that needs the red-hot poker of the blogosphere - and of the entire membership. And that can only come from the kind of sound structure that the Alliance council (ok and Jim) refused to countenance, and which Lab has the golden opportunity to found this very week.<br /><br />Cunners or Shearer is secondary: and with the overweening influence of the media still rampant - and Cunners presenting an easier target - IMHO Shearer with a red-hot poker appropriately inserted has the greater potential to either by-pass the scribes or woo them - and the membership.<br /><br />But whatever whichway happens in coming weeks, it's Unity, stupid. Watch the polls if this continues. If forgiveness can't be found, and the troops inspired (yes, a la the early Alliance), it's continuing tory hell for us all.<br /><br />akAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-53334147563507027202012-11-15T16:07:57.865+13:002012-11-15T16:07:57.865+13:00You better hope not, Anonymous@11:03AM, because th...You better hope not, Anonymous@11:03AM, because their lack of faith forced Anderton to take the argument out of the party and to the people.<br /><br />They rewarded him with enough votes to keep Labour out of power until such time as they were ready to go to the country alongside Anderton - rather than in opposition to him.<br /><br />That was nine years Labour wasted - and all because Helen and her pals weren't prepared to "go down in a hail of gunfire with Jim Anderton".Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-43249249837696793622012-11-15T11:03:24.227+13:002012-11-15T11:03:24.227+13:00Comparing Cunliffe to Lange doesn’t work. Cunliffe...Comparing Cunliffe to Lange doesn’t work. Cunliffe, as the post suggests, saw the opportunity presented by the fallout from the financial crisis and tried to redefine the political argument. Presented with the chance for leadership, he couldn’t persuade 16 of his colleagues to support him. And it isn’t because there are too many neo-liberals in the caucus – the right is just as venal, ambitious and wiling to subdue principal for the lure of office as any other faction. Cunliffe can’t get his colleagues to like him or believe in him. His look-alike is Anderton between 1984 and 1989 – all the ideas but couldn’t instil his parliamentary colleagues with the courage or confidence to trust him. The result will probably be similar.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-87824623713253168592012-11-15T00:24:31.009+13:002012-11-15T00:24:31.009+13:00“Shearer’s vision can unite Labour”, solemnly down...“Shearer’s vision can unite Labour”, solemnly down with the sinking ship?<br /><br />Fran O’Sullivan isn’t stupid, but considerably malicious.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-61721891407839203582012-11-14T23:10:35.160+13:002012-11-14T23:10:35.160+13:00Cunliffe had his chance, but failed to support Phi...Cunliffe had his chance, but failed to support Phil Goff, who nearly made it despite Cunliffe. What does Cunliffe represent?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05952914908453937218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38494929611928644862012-11-14T22:15:12.546+13:002012-11-14T22:15:12.546+13:00Lovely post, but the only trouble is, Lange was th...Lovely post, but the only trouble is, Lange was the Cunners of his day. Faith in a figurehead is fatuous. One head, one caucus vote.<br /><br />Shearer's still the more likely Trojan Horse, but this time who's stepping up to fill his gut? <br /><br />If those bloggers keep blogging - as opposed to slogging - it's over, rover. Again.<br /><br />akAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-86378817211080076112012-11-14T21:09:55.969+13:002012-11-14T21:09:55.969+13:00At Last, the leader of the Labour Party has been i...At Last, the leader of the Labour Party has been inadvertently exposed by Fran O'Sullivan. David Shearer is actually a right wing mole from the round table. David Shearer is a rampant capitalist, a neo-liberalist ideologue implanted into the heart of the left. His mission is too make sure Labour is just National in disguise and create divisions and disunity in the entire grass roots Labour movement and in so doing destroy it.<br /><br />God help us. Katnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-67982932529217051152012-11-14T20:36:50.701+13:002012-11-14T20:36:50.701+13:00It's interesting Chris that you still allow so... It's interesting Chris that you still allow someone who logs in as 'anonymous' to describe Fran O'Sullivan as 'a tiresome nitwit' where exactly is the debating point in that comment? He/she then goes to call into question Farn's motivation. Is this the best commenst you can command?Jigsawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13906156865367357834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-35902529869454437772012-11-14T20:15:11.330+13:002012-11-14T20:15:11.330+13:00You have, bitterly, reminded me of the angst I fel...<br />You have, bitterly, reminded me of the angst I felt in 1984 and 1987, after being a loyal foot soldier for the LP since my teen age years (and that was back in 60's).<br /><br />The "Rogernomics" betrayal (and Prebble's "Save Rail") made me walk away.<br /><br />Now on election days I have to choose between who do I distrust least.<br /><br />Not good for a fair decent democratic nation.<br /><br />I do not think I am a minority of one.<br /><br />What the hell does the Labour Party stand for?<br /><br />San Fairy Ann.peterpeasanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07258344040688251441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-6962706824926109692012-11-14T18:59:58.525+13:002012-11-14T18:59:58.525+13:00I suspect Fran is starting to lose it, she is very...I suspect Fran is starting to lose it, she is very supportive of Chinese purchasing our assets re crafar farms and nek minute she is suggesting that a consortium of Kiwi's get together to purchase F&P, huh. She is what is called in marketing circles, a slow adopter (and a mixed up one at that).Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14931458944485834874noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-51732234232871590982012-11-14T14:40:47.661+13:002012-11-14T14:40:47.661+13:00I hadn't noticed myself being anonymous either...I hadn't noticed myself being anonymous either. I'd have thought that Fran could have seen through the thin veil of 'lprent' to the Lynn Prentice hidden behind it.<br /><br />It isn't exactly rocket science.<br /><br />Nice post.lprenthttp://thestandard.org.nznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-47604076010419762962012-11-14T14:01:52.618+13:002012-11-14T14:01:52.618+13:00"the government which, in the six bitter year..."the government which, in the six bitter years between 1984 and 1990, tore New Zealand’s social-democratic society to pieces."<br />Yes, Chris, they were bitter years indeed. It's still painful to recall the betrayal of everything Labour had striven for over one's lifetime.Fernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12706837774091073272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-20645091087944966622012-11-14T13:41:27.644+13:002012-11-14T13:41:27.644+13:00You're too kind, Chris. To be taken in by neol...You're too kind, Chris. To be taken in by neoliberalism is the sign of a small mind trailing in the wake of out and out nutcases. Adam Curtis has a series of good documentaries about this. <br /><br />Her columns bear witness to the fact that O'Sullivan is a tiresome half wit. Such people only have jobs because they shill for the wealthy. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com