by Russel Norman
A new website, theyworkforyou.co.nz, is working to make the NZ parliament more accessible and user friendly. It is based on the UK site theyworkforyou.com but is still under development. It is a bit more user friendly than the parliament website and more focussed on the needs of the citizen rather than the parliamentarian.
Published in Justice & Democracy by Russel Norman on Sun, January 28th, 2007
Tags: environment
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on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
i did some predictions for 2007 the other day..
thought i’d share them with you..
(and yes..!..the greens do feature..!..)
here you go then…
“..um…crowded house will re-form..and tour..
what..!..they already have..?
(and then..!..another farewell tour.?…i’m tired already..)
the who will re-form and tour..
what..!..they are already..!
the green party spokesperson on cannabis law reform..meriria turei..will go yet another year without ever mentioning that (troublesome) subject…
(former rightwing roly-poly bovver-boy..who had an extreme body/personality makeover..).rodney hide..will speak softer and softer..and will eventually need permanent amplification/a lip-reader..will go into rehab for anorexia/bullimia..and will eventually disappear in a cloud of protein-powder dust…
john key will sell to/impose on his national party the idea/coalition benefits of getting the maori party on-side..by supporting repeal of the foreshore and seabed bill..and a new ‘caretaker’ role of the foreshore for maori..caretaking that bars rampant development/protects/preserves the environment…
for post-election/coalition/longterm reasons key will attempt to ‘get close’ to the greens..
and at the prospect..far-left co-leader russell norman will break out in a rash…and develop a twitch..and a stutter..and a nervous ‘whinny..!..’
.
(should-have-been-green-party-co-leader (centreist) nandor tanczos will be seen to one side ..having ongoing schadenfreude moments at normans’ discomfort/expense….
(he is due a few more of those..nandor..and they will come his way..eh..?..)
(the next general election in new zealand is going to be very very interesting..and very very different from the last one(s)…)
many in national..esp the war-pimps/climate-change deniers.. will be in for a rough ride/year under their new leader/changed regime/priorities..
labour will continue doing what they have ’till now..(not much at all..)
and will continue to ignore the poorest/most in need/the environmental imperatives..as they tweak/fiddle with their program of middle-class welfare…
and the realities/realisations of their upcoming election/coalition woes will start to bite/worry many in labour..
(populist-pollie) winston peters will finally shed his (extremely-dated) wide-boy/gangster de niro wannabe look…
and will start to accentuate pastels…and white slip-on shoes..
(this will cause much confusion/anxiety amongst his followers..even tho’ this is the dress-code most of them favour..)
(former ‘christian party’ leader) peter dunne will have a mid-life identity crisis..will get this eyes lasered..and shave his (beloved) hair/pompadour off..getting a number one..and will start to favour muscle-shirts and jeans with rolled cuffs…
and (in vain) will attempt to court a ‘punk’ following..for his next political ‘outing’/party…
the blog old-school…right and left..farrar and russel brown..will set up some form of commercial/money-making blog enterprise…together..
(ideologically..they are much closer to each other than they may assume/presume..eh..?..they sorta meet/bang into each other in the centre on much..)
whoar.co.nz will get even bigger than its’ current daily average (since sept 06) of 65,000 page downloads..will (finally!/at last!) add sound and pictures…
and by the next election..will be rivalling the m.s.m…even more..
there you go then…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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Gee thanks Phil,
No doubt you are being enormously well-intentioned and not merely blowing your own “horn” on someone else’s blog.
This has what to do with the topic?
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nothing smokey..just some light relief..
not needed here..eh..?
and wot..?..5% hornblowing not allowed..?
you wouldn’t be a miserablist..?..would you smokey..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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I think the internet has great potential as a means to improve democracy. If I have a concern I can meet my local MP, or (maybe) recieve a stylised letter, but I see no reason why policy makers shouldn’t be subjected to rigorous public questioning on-line. I would like to see a questions section eg: Why are house prices so high? and allow people to criticise/ debate. The government work for us after all! This current government has overseen the demise of the beloved Kiwi lifestyle.
You have to hand it to the Greens, for letting the public have a say. I wonder if National and Labour are watching?. I think if your policies are sound there is nothing to worry about.
JH
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phil u Says:
January 29th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
john key will sell to/impose on his national party the idea/coalition benefits of getting the maori party on-side..by supporting repeal of the foreshore and seabed bill..and a new ‘caretaker’ role of the foreshore for maori..caretaking that bars rampant development/protects/preserves the environment…
————————————–
Like Hell!
JH
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how about a bet ..?..jh….?
the loser to acknowledge the overwhelming insight/predictive qualities of the winner..?..on this forum..?
and as smokey notes..i am a ‘hornblower’…so that will more than do for me..eh..?
(i look forward to your (heartfelt) words of praise/commendation….)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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phil u Says:
January 30th, 2007 at 6:15 am
how about a bet ..?..jh….?
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Giving Maori a caretaker role undermines the democratic nature of our society and is based on (among other things) the myth of (current) superior indigenous knowledge of the environment.
It would create a precident and strengthen the resolve of those who believe that they (and they alone) are “the people of the land”.
The Green Party seems to be promoting a two tier society.
JH
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um..jh..anything i may say i/has absolutely nothing to do with the ‘official’ word from the green party..eh..?
far from it..(heh-heh..!..)
and could you tell me why you have such problems with those (environmental-care-taking/preservation) aspects of maori culture..?
why that role would be so unsuitable..?
and it would/will be a joint role…govt and maori..(each ‘over-seeing’ the other..)
show me a better model..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
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Phil,
your egotistical trolling on this blog beggars beleif!
Those who want to read your opinions can find them on our blog homepage, you’re on the sidebar, please stop posting stuff people can find elsewhere if they want to, especially when it has nothing to do with the topic on offer!
Or else I’ll be posting angry femisist rants that have nothing to do with your topics on your pages….
katie
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i love your work too..katie..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
and hey..!..katie..my mumblings are easily ‘seen from afar..’..
just don’t read them..eh..?
(especially if it puts you in ‘angry femisist rant’ mode..eh..?..)
(what an unusual threat..!..)
(now..what set you off..?
that’s right..you don’t react very well to ‘russell-jokes’..do you..?..)
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speaking of democracy in Aotearoa…
I saw Last Resort at the Paramount in Wgtn last night. An exceptionally enlightening look at the dynamics involved in setting up the new Overseas Investment Office and its impact on land ownership in NZ. The doco used one Mahia development as an example of how maori have been systematically ejected from large tracts of traditional land.
Go see the movie. Last night in Wellie tonight. Seasons in Dunedin and ChCh commence Feb. See their site for details. Take a look at the trailer, and a news report.
See it if you can.
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Phil u
I am sure you have some valuable contributions to make to this forum but I am also sure that I am not the only one who finds what you write near impossible to follow.
Any chance you might be able to write in a more “reader friendly style”?
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Any true Democracy does not have apartheid seats in its Parliament nor race based laws.
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Democracy in New Zealand… About time we got off our lazy buts and became a republic eh? Republic of Aotearoa/Republic of New Zealand… Either way I just want my homeland to be a Republic. You know Scotland will probably beat us to it. At least the issue is getting debated over there and people can democratically decide, the issue doesnt even get a mention before elections. No, only tax cuts and crime and health and education get a mention. Im on the otherside of the world at the moment and am surprised am constantly surprised by peoples reaction when they find out we are still part of the British Empire. If we want to be known as Kiwis with can do attitudes when we travel abroad we need to be completely free from the Britsh Crown. Instead of being laughed at because that old lady in a palace in London is our head of state and is on our money. Grrrr. Sorry just needed to get that off my chest. apologies if it is a little off topic. And also, what I saw on Stuff.co.nz about Scotland breaking out of the United Kingdom seems a little on the conservative side from what I can gather over here.
Cheers
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