I laughed out loud at this image over at Tumeke this morning, in a post from Bomber. I’m not entirely sure who gets the image credit, but perhaps it is best ascribed to John Key himself, as quoted in the NZ Herald:

Do [New Zealanders] want to put in a National government with a fresh view that will work going in one direction with a small group of parties, or do they want a potentially five-headed monster?

[Frog: It turns out it was Tane over at the Standard who deserves credit for the awesome image!]

Photo credit: The Telegraph

THE Greens just don’t get it. Sometimes, if you want to get things done, you have to sup with the devil. Principles are fine, but sometimes power is quite nice too.

And then:

The Greens have arrived at that dance sporting the prettiest dress and the shiniest shoes. But like the girl who declines all suitors while she waits for Mr Right, they are again destined to go home alone.

So in summary we shouldn’t have quite so many principles and we should put out more easily so we don’t go home alone? Well this girl doesn’t believe she needs a man to make her life complete.  She’s going to get things done independently.

The special lights and sirens can be ordered from the United States for about $US300 ($NZ520), but police had rigged their own up for about a 20th of the cost.

The siren was more like an air horn than those found in police cars, and would definitely grab people’s attention, Mr Bernards said.

Seven officers have been through the required training and two are expected to be out on their bikes in the Nelson area at any given time.

Mr Bernards said police involved with school groups on bicycles had already nabbed two offenders - in one case a policeman had been able to come up on a drug dealer without him hearing, and a shoplifter had been chased.

He hoped the idea would eventually spread around the country.

Me too. And the article also answers the first question to my mind.  Will they go for American-style shorts or British-style long trousers?

The riders will have special uniforms, the shorts arrived yesterday, and helmets are also decked out in police livery.

So the answer is CHiPs. Good ol’ sunny Nelson, eh?

Photo credit: bcbeatty and mondogogo

Poor old John Key!  That doesn’t sound like much of a life, surrounded by DPS guards.  At least they seem to have isolated the threat as coming from within his own caucus.  My suspicion is that it might be Wayne Mapp.

Two parties which New Zealand has just elected into power, National and Act, voted in favour of the New Zealand Government joining the USA-led war coalition. This coalition invaded Iraq on 20 March 2003. For those of you that missed my previous post here’s that vote from Parliament’s “Debate on Iraq” held on 18 March 2003, two days before USA led the invasion of Iraq:

Hon RICHARD PREBBLE (Leader-ACT NZ): I move, That this Parliament

recognises the threat Iraq’s non-compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions and 4126 Debate on Iraq 18 Mar 2003 proliferation of weapons of mass destruction pose to international peace and,

noting the UN Security Council on 8 November 2002 in resolution 1441 unanimously voted that Iraq has not complied with previous UN resolutions and was in material breach of its obligation and gave Iraq a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations or “face serious consequences”,

further notes the report of the UN arms inspectors that Iraq has not provided an accurate, full and complete disclosure,

this House disassociates itself from the New Zealand Government’s position at the United Nations to oppose a second UN Security Council resolution and deplores the announcement of France to veto any such resolution and this House records its support for the United States of America, Great Britain, and Australia’s preparedness to enforce UN Resolution 1441 and calls on the New Zealand Government to offer all practical support to the “coalition of the willing”.

A party vote was called for on the question, That the motion be agreed to.

Ayes 35
New Zealand National 27; ACT New Zealand 8.

Noes 84
Labour 52; New Zealand First 13; Green Party 9; United Future 8; Progressive 2

It’s a while ago now and National seems to have learnt its lesson since then. Let’s hope Act has too. Otherwise Peacenik Dunne is going to be feeling rather lonely in his new homeland.

But now the research is in. Brainy children are likely to grow up and vote green. According to the The Times:

Cleverer children are more likely to vote for the Green Party or the Liberal Democrats in a general election than other parties when they become adults, research suggests. The study, by the University of Edinburgh and the UK Medical Research Council and published in the journal Intelligence, indicates that childhood IQ is as important as social class in determining political allegiance. The IQs of more than 6,000 subjects were recorded at the age of 10, before any secondary schooling. Twenty-four years later they were asked about their voting habits.

Go figure. I guess we knew this instinctively.