Thursday, April 09, 2009
Kia Kaha Helen, Good Luck in New York
I admire her for knowing when to go, and doing so with a great deal of grace and dignity. And for acknowledging all the people who helped her along the way.
"Close personal support for me as Prime Minister came from my private office and the talented teams led by Heather Simpson and Alec McLean; and to this day comes from my parliamentary staff, Jacque Bernstein and Dinah Okeby as it has always come from generations of personal secretaries, researchers, press secretaries, messengers, diary secretaries, typists, and receptionists in the past.
Personal protection came from the Diplomatic Protection Squad of the New Zealand Police who stayed very close to me for the whole nine years. To DPS and the New Zealand Police across our country, thank you for your support. You are New Zealand's unsung heroes and deserve much greater recognition for what you do to protect us all.
Over the 22 years since I first became a Minister of the Crown, I have been not just driven but fully looked after and supported by the government drivers in the VIP service of the Department of Internal Affairs. I have come to know many well, and they are my friends. As a former Prime Minister, I am privileged to continue using their service, so today marks not an end, but an interlude. As General McArthur once famously said, "I will return.""
Labels: Helen Clark
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Where angels fear to tred
Goff ready to venture at Waitangi where Clark feared to tread farts the Herald.
Actually, Clark attended Waitangi quite a few times, was treated atrociously, and rightly decided to stop going. Brash got mud in the face, and already Key has been shoved.
The Herald continues
Which makes Helen Clark appear rather work-shy, when she was often offering articulate comment on radio and TV at or before 7am.
Actually, Clark attended Waitangi quite a few times, was treated atrociously, and rightly decided to stop going. Brash got mud in the face, and already Key has been shoved.
The Herald continues
Mr Goff will also attend the dawn service this year - another break from the practice of Helen Clark, who habitually avoided early starts, including Anzac Day and Waitangi Day dawn services
Which makes Helen Clark appear rather work-shy, when she was often offering articulate comment on radio and TV at or before 7am.
Labels: Helen Clark, lickspittle herald watch, phil goff
Saturday, November 08, 2008
My velladicktory speech
Well done to the Labour Party. They have severely fucked me off at times over the past couple of years but for a left wing government to win 3 straight elections is a remarkable achievement, and Helen Clark has been a fantastic Prime Minister.
I remember being overseas for much of her early years but following the news closely through the interweb thingee and thinking quite often to myself that she will go down as one of NZ's great leaders (and I'm never wrong). I think the last couple of years has taken some of the gloss off that (Cullen hasn't helped), but compared to what I've grown up with (Muldoon, Bolger, Shipley, Moore, Palmer) there's not much competition apart from Lange perhaps. But I don't even know if he was a great leader. More of a great speaker. Key is going to make a decent prime minister because he has a good heart (I think). When he first became leader of the Nats a couple of years ago I immediately told comrade dc_red that I had just seen the next prime minister of NZ and I don't think it's all bad that he's fronting the country (comrade red may disagree). In his words: "Let me say this; whether you voted for National or not, tonight you have my pledge - I will lead a government that serves the interests of every New Zealander and it will be a government that values individuals' achievement and it will be a government that supports those that cannot support themselves and it will be a government we can all be part of."
But anyway, back on the Labour Party. They've done some terrific things (kiwisaver, working for families, civil unions, anti-smacking bill..., 3 dots and a comma). I honestly think the anti-smacking bill was great but I can understand why there was so much angst against it. Personally I'll probably give my children a few swifties when they're naughty. Like annoying me when the Warriors are losing or hiding my beer but I think people need to be more pragmatic about it. It's more the message that is being sent to fuckers that your first thought should be to what you can do to get your message across without smacking your child. I know it won't stop the cunts that dealt to poor Nia Glassie (RIP Honey) from doing what they did but maybe down the line it will some how infiltrate or permeate a few peoples brains that IT'S NOT OK. If it results in half a dozen silly prosecutions to save a life or stop several dozen despicable beatings then I'm 1 million percent for it. But if people want the government to allow them to beat their kids as they see fit I can only say "bring it on, cos I'll bitch smack dumb adults too fo fun times".
anyways, back to tha topick at hand.
I expect/know along wiv all you foolios that National will be quite hamstrung over the next 3 years with the economic strife and will be unable to go too far to the right as NZ struggles IN ALL SECTORS, including the Parnell investment banker ghetto. They will make some lame attempts at undermining a few things that Labour has set up, like cutting Kiwisaver (I'm sure I grew up hearing that you should save 10% of your earnings for retirement so how the fuck 2% + 2% is adequate for retirement is way the fuck beyond me), and reducing working for families (to give small tax cuts to rich singles so they can spend it on pre mix drinks in swanky bars).
Actually on the 2% kiwisaver thing, I have to ask, why did people say things like "I'm glad they are talking about reducing it to 2% because then I might be able to afford to sign up"??? 2% + 2% of the average wage of 40,000 equals about 1,600 dollars a year. Multiply that by 40 years working life and you have 64,000 plus interest. Now I'm very sorry but if you think you will be able to last for more than 5 years in retirement on say 120,000 in 2050 when a world cup ticket is going to cost $1,200 for the terraces then you are the dumbest cunt I've ever met.
And I've met some.
On the bright side from tonight (and I'm actually not too glum), that smarmy prick Peters is gone and even better, that weasel Ron Marks is also fading into the abyss.
It could be an interesting few years because potentially Dunne and Anderton could call it quits next time round meaning that we have 5 parties represented in parliament. It's hard to see anybody in any of the current parties falling out with their crew and forming their own party + getting enough support to gain representation.
Maybe MMP will move into a more simple phase with a left wing party, centre left party, a centre right party, right wing party and the Maori party and that will make elections in NZ slightly more simple (in the meantime at least).
And before I go, a parting shot to MMP.
Who the fuck came up with the 5% threshold for getting into parliament. That is total and utter bullshit. Progressive's get .9% and get one representative (UF the same) and ACT get 3.7% (the precise number of losers there are in NZ purely by coincidence I'm sure) and get 5% in while NZ First get 4.3% of the vote and get nobody in. Yes, I know I was celebrating that a minute ago but it IS NOT democracy.
It is utterly ridiculous. It should be: more than .8% and you get somebody into parliament (that's based around the 120 seats in parliament shideeel fo da spinning wheel. And cut the number of electorates down to 50. They are freakin redundant. We have mayors for that regional and local representation shit. The MPs need to focus on running the country, not receiving $20,000 for allowing some dodgy fuck to be allowed to come live in NZ from a 3rd world cunt tree. We don't need wankers visiting Huapai offices once in a blue moon and saying they are for whatever their voters are for with regard to the Whenuapai Airbase once every few months.
Now that would be real representation.
righty oh, mad props to the left,
peace out 08
and good luck to the new Labour leader in 09, Stacy Jones.
PS Why do newly elected leaders/parties say the country has "voted for change". That seems to me to be a bit like saying "we offered nothing, but the population was getting bored with what they had". Why don't they say the country has "voted for us" instead.
PPS "I do hope that all that we have put in place doesn't go up in flames on a bonfire created by the right wing of politics."
Don't worry Helen. The fagnuts that have arrived back in parliament are more likely to set themselves on fire. There will be some attempts to set alight the good that labour has done, and we, the vigilant public will do our best to ensure that they are trying to spark it all up with wet matches. Wet in their own pissed pants.
I remember being overseas for much of her early years but following the news closely through the interweb thingee and thinking quite often to myself that she will go down as one of NZ's great leaders (and I'm never wrong). I think the last couple of years has taken some of the gloss off that (Cullen hasn't helped), but compared to what I've grown up with (Muldoon, Bolger, Shipley, Moore, Palmer) there's not much competition apart from Lange perhaps. But I don't even know if he was a great leader. More of a great speaker. Key is going to make a decent prime minister because he has a good heart (I think). When he first became leader of the Nats a couple of years ago I immediately told comrade dc_red that I had just seen the next prime minister of NZ and I don't think it's all bad that he's fronting the country (comrade red may disagree). In his words: "Let me say this; whether you voted for National or not, tonight you have my pledge - I will lead a government that serves the interests of every New Zealander and it will be a government that values individuals' achievement and it will be a government that supports those that cannot support themselves and it will be a government we can all be part of."
But anyway, back on the Labour Party. They've done some terrific things (kiwisaver, working for families, civil unions, anti-smacking bill..., 3 dots and a comma). I honestly think the anti-smacking bill was great but I can understand why there was so much angst against it. Personally I'll probably give my children a few swifties when they're naughty. Like annoying me when the Warriors are losing or hiding my beer but I think people need to be more pragmatic about it. It's more the message that is being sent to fuckers that your first thought should be to what you can do to get your message across without smacking your child. I know it won't stop the cunts that dealt to poor Nia Glassie (RIP Honey) from doing what they did but maybe down the line it will some how infiltrate or permeate a few peoples brains that IT'S NOT OK. If it results in half a dozen silly prosecutions to save a life or stop several dozen despicable beatings then I'm 1 million percent for it. But if people want the government to allow them to beat their kids as they see fit I can only say "bring it on, cos I'll bitch smack dumb adults too fo fun times".
anyways, back to tha topick at hand.
I expect/know along wiv all you foolios that National will be quite hamstrung over the next 3 years with the economic strife and will be unable to go too far to the right as NZ struggles IN ALL SECTORS, including the Parnell investment banker ghetto. They will make some lame attempts at undermining a few things that Labour has set up, like cutting Kiwisaver (I'm sure I grew up hearing that you should save 10% of your earnings for retirement so how the fuck 2% + 2% is adequate for retirement is way the fuck beyond me), and reducing working for families (to give small tax cuts to rich singles so they can spend it on pre mix drinks in swanky bars).
Actually on the 2% kiwisaver thing, I have to ask, why did people say things like "I'm glad they are talking about reducing it to 2% because then I might be able to afford to sign up"??? 2% + 2% of the average wage of 40,000 equals about 1,600 dollars a year. Multiply that by 40 years working life and you have 64,000 plus interest. Now I'm very sorry but if you think you will be able to last for more than 5 years in retirement on say 120,000 in 2050 when a world cup ticket is going to cost $1,200 for the terraces then you are the dumbest cunt I've ever met.
And I've met some.
On the bright side from tonight (and I'm actually not too glum), that smarmy prick Peters is gone and even better, that weasel Ron Marks is also fading into the abyss.
It could be an interesting few years because potentially Dunne and Anderton could call it quits next time round meaning that we have 5 parties represented in parliament. It's hard to see anybody in any of the current parties falling out with their crew and forming their own party + getting enough support to gain representation.
Maybe MMP will move into a more simple phase with a left wing party, centre left party, a centre right party, right wing party and the Maori party and that will make elections in NZ slightly more simple (in the meantime at least).
And before I go, a parting shot to MMP.
Who the fuck came up with the 5% threshold for getting into parliament. That is total and utter bullshit. Progressive's get .9% and get one representative (UF the same) and ACT get 3.7% (the precise number of losers there are in NZ purely by coincidence I'm sure) and get 5% in while NZ First get 4.3% of the vote and get nobody in. Yes, I know I was celebrating that a minute ago but it IS NOT democracy.
It is utterly ridiculous. It should be: more than .8% and you get somebody into parliament (that's based around the 120 seats in parliament shideeel fo da spinning wheel. And cut the number of electorates down to 50. They are freakin redundant. We have mayors for that regional and local representation shit. The MPs need to focus on running the country, not receiving $20,000 for allowing some dodgy fuck to be allowed to come live in NZ from a 3rd world cunt tree. We don't need wankers visiting Huapai offices once in a blue moon and saying they are for whatever their voters are for with regard to the Whenuapai Airbase once every few months.
Now that would be real representation.
righty oh, mad props to the left,
peace out 08
and good luck to the new Labour leader in 09, Stacy Jones.
PS Why do newly elected leaders/parties say the country has "voted for change". That seems to me to be a bit like saying "we offered nothing, but the population was getting bored with what they had". Why don't they say the country has "voted for us" instead.
PPS "I do hope that all that we have put in place doesn't go up in flames on a bonfire created by the right wing of politics."
Don't worry Helen. The fagnuts that have arrived back in parliament are more likely to set themselves on fire. There will be some attempts to set alight the good that labour has done, and we, the vigilant public will do our best to ensure that they are trying to spark it all up with wet matches. Wet in their own pissed pants.
Labels: fo life, Helen Clark
