On wealth and overconsumption

Whilst New Zealand has been in the group of high income nations in times past that is no longer the case and unliklely to be the case while the responses are misaligned to the issues. The fundamental problems of New Zealand lie with lack of Capital and misallocation of the capital that is available. According to a UNU study:

Average wealth amounted to $144,000 per person in the USA in year 2000, and $181,000 in Japan. Per capita wealth levels vary widely across countries. Even within the group of high-income OECD nations the range includes $37,000 for New Zealand and $70,000 for Denmark and $127,000 for the UK.[figures at exchange rates] http://www.wider.unu.edu/events/past-events/2006-events/en_GB/05-12-2006/

At PPP per capita this is a summary table

Net worth per capita (PPP) Real GDP per capita (PPP)
China 11,267 3,844
New Zealand 55,823 20,008
Australia 90,906 27,193
United Kingdom 128,959 24,252
United States of America 143,727 35,619

By my reckoning that placed New Zealand at about number 63 in the world and 22 out of 24 in the OECD. With the bulk of that wealth in houses it means that New Zealand must work very hard to produce the income it has with the little free capital it has.

Everyone knows that consuming all or more than you earn makes it more difficult later as you need to play catchup. That applies to a nation and to individuals or families, whether those on benefits waiting for the next cheque or those who have no free income for their retirement.

The change from a long gentle decline to a healthy future will take decades not simple quick fix pretend plugs and buzzwords. When New Zealand has genuine wealth, national income will be supplemented by the additional investments. Investment income is compounding. A dollar invested today at 8% return is worth $4.60 in 20 years time with compounding. Constant consumption of income leads to long term poverty as you run out of income earning capacity.

A big part of the reason China is catching up on the US so fast is the difference between saving and consumption in the two countries. China saves about 30% of income despite it being much lower per capita.

My prescription is varied and will be elaborated over subsequent posts but starts with:

Invest all of the Cullen fund in New Zealand over time. The 40% is a start. I do not wish to engage with those who argue for diversification overseas. You have economic theory on your side but nothing more. Entrepreurs would never get sufficient investment if they relied on diversified portfolios. The young farmer has an unbalanced portfolio. It will take time for the money from the fund to be appropriately invested but it is time for us to back ourselves.

Change New Zealand depreciation rates to 100%. The tax restructure should include German depreciation rates. 100% for all capital spending in the first year. That would cost but it would improve the relative return for investors considering New Zealand as a location vs other countries. That leads to jobs and more investment in a virtuous cycle. The cost to the tax system is timing only. There would be a first year hit to tax revenue but this would pay itself over following years with higher taxable profits from higher returns.

The reality of housing is that people invest in houses as a safe investment. For very good reasons people do not trust NZX and finance houses. It is lunacy that the NZ tax system is skewed towards property speculators by allowing them to offset ongoing rental losses against other income and then no tax on Capital gains.

Head above the parapet again

I noted that No Minister seemed short of authors after losing the inestimable skills of FFM and Spondre to higher callings a few weeks ago and asked Adolf how desperate he was for new talent. Adolf and the lads accepted my half hearted suggesting of becoming an author with alacrity so you can guess how desperate they must be. Theres hope for you yet red. I have never met any of them face to face. They only know me from the old days at my sagenz.typepad.com and Sir Humphry's comments.

Blogging. Its what you do when you want to get something off your chest but nobody wants to listen to you. I have not been able to talk politics with my sister in about 25 years. She is now a councillor down south and once worked for helen clark. We all have skeletons in the family closet and I am most definitely hers. I left New Zealand shortly after the 99 election, having been a campaign manager in a marginal National electorate and being simply unable to understand how so many people could indulge in mass stupidity.

Dad on the other hand was involved in founding ACT. So the family is reasonably political but they have enough of me on Skype.

I am now based near Runneymede in the UK. I have 3 daughters of which 2 teenage and am a strong believer in the Meat Loaf school of daughter management (insist the boy picks her up when she reaches dating age and then sit outside with a shotgun across the lap.) I tell the oldest when she asks that 26 seems reasonable for her first date. I tell myself it is consistent to believe in the individualist concepts of libertarianism but practice authoritarianism with your kids so they understand how bad it can be. The UK is no better under Brown but there is more opportunity.

My family go back through 5 generations of New Zealand Waikato and Taranaki farming but Dad was born on the mainland. My wife and my children were all born in Hungary so expect some Eastern European references. I have a slightly different opinion on collectivism and the human spirit after experiences out there. We were in Romania a few weeks ago and some farmers were hand scything grass. Mum grew up on a farm 80 odd years ago and New Zealand farmers had got past that even then. Romania is in the EU. Think about efficient farming practices for a second there.

We have cows for neighbours but I can be in Trafalgar Square in less than an hour. I help an energy company bring forward peak oil but my personal political views and my professional path do not cross.

I dont intend to engage in tinker blogging, troll fishing or posting soft porn. I believe and defend the right to open unmoderated robust comment. But I am not obliged to respond. I dont see myself posting frequently and will try to follow up on informed comment even if days later.

Sunday night humour

A very old and dear friend from England sent me this clip.

An amazing medical breakthrough.

Life Giving Oxygen

There is a political corpse which is showing signs of resurrection.

Adolf has made a vow that the corpse will never be mentioned on his blog.

The last think New Zealand needs is the re-emergence of the oleaginous, corrupt and venal crook who poured tens of millions of my dollars into the racing industry in repayment for some hefty secret campaign donations.

I invite all my colleague authors to take the pledge.

The name shall not pass my lips until he is charged, convicted and jailed.

.

Five aren't we/you lucky questions for Sunday

1. Aren't we lucky Robbie Deans didn't get the All Blacks job?
2. Isn't Mahe Drysdale lucky Rob Waddell stuck to yachting?
3. Aren't we all lucky Netball is shown live on TVNZ so the whole nation, and not only those who have Sky, can watch the drubbing they received?
4. Aren't you lucky you now didn't take your accountants advice and buy 27 rental properties during the last 5 years using 27 different LAQC's and cross-guarantees on your family home?
5. Finally, aren't we all lucky Rod Oram is not the Minister of Finance!

The World is a Better Place

One of America's greatest cowards ever will be farewelled today and buried at Arlington Memorial Cemetery. Read the nauseating report of the pre-match function.



Cremation would have been more appropriate but then again, Mary Jo Kopechne now will be able to look down from Heaven and watch the longer version as Edward Kennedy burns in Hell for eternity.

ETS a "rort"

From TheAge:

TRADING of emission permits around the world will become a financial rort that fails to reduce carbon emissions - and will ultimately be scrapped in favour of a simple carbon tax, a former senior official in the Clinton administration has forecast.

Robert Shapiro, former US undersecretary of commerce and author of Futurecast, predicted that the US Senate would reject the emissions trading scheme proposed by President Obama, which is now before it.

There was a party at the last election that said if anything needed to be done on carbon emissions then a carbon tax was the least worst option - it is fiscally neutral also. Now, which party was that again? From memory it rhymed with "sacked" (which is what Mayor of North Shore City, Andrew Williams, will be in about 12 months).

Who would have thought ACT would be agreeing with the Clinton crowd.

Hat Tip: The Briefing Room

The six billion dollar man

If Nick Smith is successful in passing his ETS legislation it will cost New Zealand families Six Billion Dollars for no environmental gain. We could reduce emissions 200% below 1990 levels and it wouldn't affect the climate at all. All it can do is make us Six Billion Dollars poorer.

I will be posting this every week for the next month or three just to keep reminding everyone.

If you get bored with it go read Red Alert or The Standard.

The Trough List

Has been an interesting week.

1. Forget about the likely uproar about using shipping containers for jails. My mate has just got back from Zimbabwe where he spent 2 days and nights locked up in a remand cell. The charges were trumped up and thrown out by the court. The interesting stuff is that the cell measured 5m x 2m, with the toilet taking up the end metre. Concrete block with concrete floor and no bedding. Food provided by friends. Entertainment provided by singing and elephants seen through the small window in the door. Reckons he could build the whole thing for $20k.

Total number of prisoners per cell? Will tell you at end of post so you have to read the rest.

2. John Key having a plan so cunning regarding the anti smacking debate that no one can understand it ( Adolf excepted). Why he didn't use the CIR and John Boscawen's private members bill to absolutely throttle Bradford, the Greens and any other commie he could lay his hands on, is one of life's mysteries.

If I believed in conspiracies, I would be tempted to think he is being held to ransom over this, because he is misreading the mood of the country.

He got voted in with a big majority because we were sick to death of Clark's corrupt government. I suspect that he thinks people will still vote for him next election because the thought of another rooting by Labour is too much to bear. If that is his thinking then say goodbye to real democracy now.

3. Just like leopards, Governments will never really change spots. They are now so big and all encompassing that individual liberties and freedoms are just something to be trampled and ignored. The sad thing is that good people say "stuff it". Why should we bust our balls to contribute to a country whose government only wants to continually exert more and more control. They already tax both ends of the stick, production and consumption. If Key takes away the hope of the people then he is no better than Clark. We will quickly become a society of takers rather than givers.

4. Is this the end for the wonderful institutions of private charity, as the government becomes all things to all people?

5. The number of different cultures I have dealt with in the last two weeks is now 42. Sold some stuff to a Mongolian.

If we are to be a melting pot of so many people then maybe our economic recovery is actually not the most important issue for the government to deal with. That will happen anyway, mostly from factors outside our control. Trade will always go on. It is what we do.

What we need is a government that works to protect the best of what we have. We are quickly heading for a New New Zealand.

That requires a clear goal so we adjust to our new circumstances but do not loose the best of what made up the Old New Zealand.

We need real leadership, not middle of the roaditis.

All I see is John Key veering off to the left, reinforcing everything that we got rid of Labour for foisting on us.

By ignoring and criminalising 87% of the population, while we may have no choice to vote for you to ensure that Labour never corrupts our country again, don't expect us to give you the time of day. We will be too busy safeguarding our own futures rather than our countries. And that is sad.

6. 20

Ted Kennedy: Friend or Foe?

I am not a big reader of political history although I can confess to reading two books on Hitler along with one on the 1960's British PM, Harold Wilson and his alleged dealings with the KGB. I've also read a few books on NZ political history and also, of course, all of Roger Douglas's and Prebs' books. I've just finished a book on Richard Tomlinson on the inner dealings within MI6.

In terms of the Kennedys, I've read a couple of books on JFK but they're more to do with the assassination rather than his presidency per se. I know hardly anything about Edward Kennedy so when he died I relied on media and of course the blogs to describe his life. Ah yes, the blogs. From the Right:

I’m trying to think of something positive that any one of those damned Kennedys did for America. I’m coming up empty.

As a Pom who grew up in the 70’s & 80’s, three letters are all that I need to sum up my opinion of Mr Kennedy: IRA.

Good riddance.

These terrorist supporting assholes caused a great deal of trouble in ireland and mainland Britain and I hope Ted kennedy is burning in hell.

They say in politics, the scum rises to the surface. Which explains why Ted carried on for another 40 years.

One word: Criminal.

Then from the Left.

The Labour team have been really saddened by the death of US Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy overnight.

I think Edward Kennedy will be remembered not just as a part of a progressive political dynasty, but also as an icon of liberal democratic politics the world over. Of course he will always be recalled fondly for his work with the Special Olympics movement, and by those who fight for better health care for the vulnerable.

Edward Kenney believed strongly in Government’s ability to help people improve their lives. I think that’s a vision shared by Labour, and by many readers and contributors to this blog.

I don't think you could get a clearer view of the differences between the Left and Right in this country, or should that be the wrong and the right?

John Key. Political novice, a man of conviction or?

The smacking issue.
First let me say I really don't care one way or the other what they did or in fact end up doing.
I have made the decision to become Italian in my regard for the laws of this country. I shall follow the laws that cause me the least inconvenience and all others will be disregarded. That is my personal choice and as long as my finely tuned sense of right and wrong does not slip I should manage to avoid becoming a statistic.

John key has this week made a decision that will see his personal popularity slip, of that there is no doubt. But have any of the enormous legion of bloggers and commenters actually asked themselves why?

I have.

And here are the only two answers my brain can come up with.

1. He has a deeply held belief that smacking is wrong and is prepared to face criticism from the majority and put his job at risk because he believes they are wrong.

2. He is a political novice who can be easily swayed by frantic lobbying by colleagues and advisers within the beltway. Blind arrogance this early is a nightmare for us all.




If the answer is 1. Good for him. He is wrong but I can respect an opinion that is firmly held and will defend him in much the same way I defend Willie Jackson.

If the answer is 2. He should resign.

discuss

Comment of the YEAR

Without doubt the best so far this calendar year.

From Colin Espiner's 'On The House' blog. Get this:

Mr Been #17 04:01 pm Aug 27 2009

I think the big winners this week are the kids of NZ. Prowackers can join ACT and call it PROWACT.

Doncha just luvvit?

The Good Ship Rimutaka

It has been announced that Rimutaka prison will undertake the first pilot sheme for prison cell containers.



This is a major step forward for prison practice in NZ and will allow us to lock up a hell of a lot more bad bastards who otherwise might be left to predate upon society.

Adolf understands there is to be a hikoi organised by the Maori Party demanding most of these facilities be reserved for Mana Whenua.

Question for the day

How did we get to the position in this country where a Prime Minister believes it is his job to interfere in a private estate dispute yet it is not his job to listen to 1.4 million voters in a referendum?

ACT billboards in 2011

Bring back the smack: Party Vote ACT!

Legalise Smack: Party Vote ACT!

Add yours in comments.

Very disappointed in John Key

As a National voter, I'm very disappointed in John Key's decision to

1. Not allow a conscience vote for John Boscawen's bill to legalise light smacking for the purposes of child correction.
2. indicate National will vote against something that National voters and many centrist voters want (and probably left wing voters too, judging by the recent referendum).

It is one thing to be centrist in an appeal to middle NZ, and another thing to be centrist in an appeal to the Greens and left-liberal Labour voters. One works electorally (say for promises on Superannuation or sale of SOEs), while the other is a certain recipe for angering your own supporters.

No doubt social conservatives like Judith Collins, Bill English and Simon Power will be watching Mr Key's handling of this issue quite closely. Families don't like having nanny state stickybeak into how they raise their children - especially when most parents do a damn fine job.

Unbelievably Dangerous

As predicted by Adolf, PM John Key has announced National will support John Bascowan's bill to neuter the anti smacking legislation.

In an agonized howl of Marxist agony, Sue Bradford describes the decision as 'unbelievable' and the measure as 'very dangerous and to be opposed at all costs.'



Somehow her earlier comment "NOW THE CHILDREN WILL BE SAFE" doesn't seem to help her credibility with some two children per week bashed to death since she uttered her unbelievably dangerous and vacuous words.

Update: This is bizarre. The news item to which I'm linked originally appeared before 2.00 pm. Half an hour later, in question time, John Key advised the decision on the bill would be announced at 4.30. No other media are carrying the story.

Update 1645: Take your pick. Newstalk reports National will NOT support the bill.

ON TOLERANCE

Tolerance is a virtue and I hope that as I have grown older I have become more tolerant from the time when I was attending the RNZAF Command & Staff College where my opinions had me labelled as being to the right of Genghis Khan.

But why should I be tolerant of parents who shun parental responsibility?

And why should I be tolerant of those who blame criminal behaviour on their upbringing?

Why should I be tolerant of immigrants who do not want to assimilate into mainstream New Zealand society?

Why should I tolerate a tax system open to rorting?

Why should I be tolerant of a sub-standard education system designed to legitimise failure?

Why should I tolerate those who think that Government knows best?

Why should I be tolerant of those who think socialism is the answer?

Why should I be tolerant of beneficiaries who abuse the system?

Why should I be tolerant of the so called financial whiz kids whose mismanagement cost ordinary Kiwis hundreds of millions of dollars?

Why should I be tolerant of a society that makes ordinary law abiding persons who pay their taxes and sacrifice much to give their children the best start possible in life feel like an endangered species?

Tolerant yes, but tolerance has its limits.

Be Careful What You Ask For

The nitwits to our immediate North have been moaning about how terrible will be the Supercity; how they wanted to retain their rural identity. So the gummint listened and gave them what they wanted.

Local leaders are surprised to hear that the Government is planning to split Rodney District in two, leaving urban Whangaparaoa and Orewa in the Super City and the area north of Waiwera being merged with Kaipara District Council.

The split is understood to be a compromise to appease a strong desire, particularly among northern rural communities, to be excluded from the Super Auckland Council.

But now they don't want it.

Why, because all the while they've been quietly bludging off their southern neighbours for the cost of their transport and sewerage systems.

"Auckland ratepayers currently help pay for services in Rodney and Kaipara, including public transport, stormwater management, biosecurity and pest control," he said.

"If the northern boundary was changed, the money for these services would need to be found elsewhere.".........

........"Mayor Penny Webster said the council was appalled that the Government would consider splitting Rodney.

"All it is going to do is to deliver to the people of northern Rodney an uneconomic entity."

Well, in for a Penny, in for a pound, I say. They'll have to pay for the bloody lot yourselves and about time too. She looks big enough to be able to handle it.

Steady on, Tau Henare

Steady on, Tau Henare.

Until you bring in National five extra seats, I suggest you avoid labelling Rodney Hide a buffoon.

Also, if the media ask you to respond to tit-for-tat comments, you ought to say nothing, and fob off the comments as saying that it's the responsibility of people with a higher pay grade to comment. You are more interested in taking the fight to Labour.

Says the Stuff article:

Mr Henare questioned why he should sacrifice his career when Dr Sharples wasn't prepared to resign his portfolio over a point of principle.

"Why should I sacrifice my career when other people aren't? That's the question I put to you [and] absolutely I'm not going to. The call has been made by the Minister of Maori Affairs that we should cross the floor. Maybe he should resign."

Uh huh. But why say this publicly? Are you not aware that your destiny in wrapped up in the National Party list? Therefore I suggest you find ways to promote a National led government rather than hinder it.

And if you can't do that, then maybe it is you who should resign. National doesn't need this sort of distraction.

Mr Henare said he would go along with the cabinet decision against Maori seats.

"They're the cabinet. They make the rules. We have to follow the rules."

Oh good. Maybe he does get it after all. Pity about the outburst up front then.

further update: Apparently Tau Henare also described Hide as a "jerk-off". There goes the list ranking Tau. Enjoy Parliament for the current term. It will be your last.

Rise of the girly-men

From Stuff: Half of male students induce vomiting after booze sessions

Over half of male university students make themselves vomit after bingeing on alcohol.

New research by Canterbury University psychologist Natalie Blackmore found 57.58 per cent of men and 42.26 per cent of women students reported self-induced vomiting after drinking alcohol.

Dunno about you, but I always found that no self-induced vomiting was required - it always turned up eventually anyway. Mind you, I'm only a little fella...

Common Sense Prevails..............

...................but not at Radio Left Wing or at The Herald. Even their Yarpie immigrant cartoonist seems to lament our failure to adopt apartheid for our largest city.

Putting to one side the mostly ignored truth that the inclusion or exclusion of reserved Maori seats is already prescribed in the Local Government Act and is the sole preserve of the new City Council, lets take a look at the delicious politics of it all.

The whingers, moaners ans shouters from the left (and the right) just don't seem to 'get' John Key. He is a man who is versed in playing the long game, with the odd king hit thrown in along the way. That's what currency traders do. The successful ones are unpredictable.

Adolph reckons the long game being played here is the run up to the 2011 election. Messrs Turia and Sharples knew all along that they would not get mandated Maori seats so they will be looking down their shopping list to see what they can buy on special from Supermarket National now that Council Maori Seats are off the shelf.




They can look forward to the pre-stock take sale in mid 2011 when there will be bargains galore. NACTional owes them one and they all know it.

Meanwhile, National will look forward to its old friend John Banks doing the right thing (for Auckland and for Maori, of course) by bringing on a rate payers' referendum on the introduction of reserved Maori seats on Auckland Council. This referendum will play out about three months before the general election and will loudly remind middle New Zealand why it voted out Labour in 2008. Messrs Sharples and Turia will make all the running and Labour will be forced to publicly support them.

The real beauty of it all is that Rodney Hide and John Key won't have to do or say a thing. Banksie will say it all for them and absorb all the flak.

Not for nuthin' forty years ago did Adolf and his mates call politics 'The Comedy From Canberra."

Photo Montage

Miss Universe



























Mr Gay Europe.

Health spending unsustainable

I'm surprised no one has covered this issue yet.

Maintaining the recent rate of growth would require ever larger slices of national income to be spent on health. "Clearly, this is unsustainable," the draft report says.

What does the Health Minister intend to do about it?

Mr Ryall had earlier given assurances the Government would continue the growth in health spending set out by the previous government, saying the review was about improving frontline services, not reducing the health budget.

Let's face it, just living in New Zealand is virtually unsustainable these days. As our GDP shrinks and government grows we get this, along with unsustainable superannuation and Lindsay Mitchell's get-rich-quick schemes.

The smart ones have gone to Australia while the likes of me work my butt off to pay for others to get free physiotherapy and have babies.

Sexting

The Cook drew to Adolf's attention a programme on television this evening.

Apparently our children have discovered a new way of attracting people for whom they have an attraction or even an infatuation. The deal is, you take a picture of yourself in some provocative nude pose and text said picture to the person of your dreams.

Adolf wonders how long it will be before people while in the penultimate stages of orgasm, text their friends to tell them all about it.

Let's face it, for the current generation, is texting on the motorway any different from copulation at speed?

Comments Policy

There has been recent internal discussion on comments policy at No Minister.

Currently there is no broad policy, so here is Adolf's policy for his blog posts. It is unashamedly stolen from Chris Trotter and subsequently embellished.

"Rules:

The blogosphere tends to be a very noisy, and all-too-often a very abusive, place. I intend No Minister to be a much quieter, and certainly a more respectful, place.
So, if you wish your comments to survive, you will have to follow the No Minister/Adolf rules.

These are based on two very simple principles:

Courtesy and Respect.

Comments which are defamatory, vituperative, snide or hurtful will be removed, and the commentators responsible permanently banned. In particular, comments directing personal abuse at the blog host will be dealt with severely. Comments which are thoughtful, witty, creative and stimulating will be most welcome, becoming a permanent part of the No Minister/Adolf discourse.

However, I do add this warning. If the blog seems in danger of being over-run by the usual far-Left suspects, I reserve the right to simply disable the Comments function, and will keep it that way until the perpetrators find somewhere more appropriate to vent their collective spleen.

Dog Tucker

Looks as though we will see the gummint owned regulator prosecuting the gummint owned airline.

Adolf lived and worked in Australia, engaging in commerce as an employee of a multinational, a self employed person and as a senior executive of a couple of local companies. He was there when the dreaded PJT (Prices Justification Tribunal) was introduced and he saw the way Australian authorities dealt with price fixing. Their attitude is far more vigorous and robust than the prevailing 'let sleeping dogs lie' climate here in New Zealand suggests.


Dr Mark Berry, Commerce Commission chairman.

Therefore, I think the highly paid fellow whose picture graces the Herald's piece will be in for a pretty rough time - and quite rightly. Only a fool of the highest order would leave a paper trail like this:-

"Thompson later wrote to Menen to point out that Emirates was undercutting Air NZ despite the earlier guarantee.

"After your comments on Emirate SkyCargo's selling approach, I was interested to hear from our cargo sales people that we lost some of our consolidation cargo from the Brisbane to Auckland service last weekend to Emirates, at, what we are told, rates far more attractive than Air NZ's," he wrote. "Similar activity is also occurring in the Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne markets." the Age quotes.

The Age says that in an email two weeks later, Menen the gave a further assurance that Emirates was not undercutting Air NZ and had no intention of doing so.

He also said that Emirates' local cargo managers in Australia and NZ had been told to contact Qantas and Air NZ's local managers to agree on rates.

"The best would be all parties communicating openly with each other on local basis and create a relationship based on catalyzing the market rather than aim for getting a share of each other's market," he wrote."

I wonder if Mr Thompson will face double jeopardy. Convicted and fined both in Australia and New Zealand. He deserves to.

And where is Air New Zealand's major shareholder in all this? Will Mr Thompson put up the "I was only following the boss's example" and quote all the corruption, dishonesty and deception perpetrated by the Bilious Bitch, the Fiscal Fool and their cronies?

The Unelectable Leading the Inconsolable

The inconsolable left who have lost battle for Auckland City and the plot have found themselves a self appointed cheer leader in the unelectable Mayor of North Shore City whose latest antics make Jubilation T Cornpone look like a conquering hero. (You have to scroll down the link a short way to read about JTC) Oh, all right then, here it is.

"....the Confederate General Jubilation T. Cornpone was, by virtue of his incompetence, so instrumental in the defeat of his own army as to be a hero of the Republic."

The Moron Mayor has issued a SECOND press release lauding the virtues of taking the airs along the beaches of the North Shore. Not for this brave medical marvel the dire warning of public health professionals. Not for him the grim news that a young girl this morning is desperately ill after imbibing some of his toxic sea water.

North Shore City staff and executives must be red faced as they contemplate this sensible notice on their website and then read the following piece of crap masquerading as, of all things, a press release.

21 August 2009

Mayor and Rimu back on the North Shore beaches

The Mayor of North Shore City, Andrew Williams, has made the most of a short break during today’s glorious spring weather to take his beloved 15 year old golden retriever Rimu for another beach walk on the North Shore.

“It was such a gorgeous afternoon here in the “Sporting Capital of New Zealand” that I couldn’t resist taking Rimu for a brisk walk from Campbells Bay to Mairangi Bay. And it’s a great way for me as Mayor to catch up with many locals in the community who were also out today enjoying the beaches of the East Coast Bays.”

“However, as I caution everyone, I kept Rimu on the leash, under good control at all times, and we kept well away from any seaweed or anything washed up on the beach” says Mayor Williams. “The sand was in fabulous condition, with the tide out, and the coast was looking just stunning.”

“My advice to people continues to be, obviously be more cautious than usual and keep a tight rein on your dog. Don’t let them get anywhere near seaweed or any washed up objects that could be potentially harmful. It boils down to simple common sense. The toxins have been found in washed up sea slugs and other marine life. Just make sure that your pet does not sniff out and chew on anything.” says Mayor Williams. “But if you have a dog that simply cannot resist fossicking, then it would be advisable to keep them away from the beaches meanwhile. as is also the case for obvious reasons with young children.”

“Rimu loved his hour long walk, and the Mayoress and I will be out walking him on our fabulous East Coast Beaches over this weekend. Hopefully the weather will stay as good as it was today, as I need the exercise having broken my leg a few months ago.” says Mayor Williams.

++ENDS

Whaeloil is right. It's time for the Mayor to resign or to be arrested for his own protection before he's shot.

SO MANY QUESTIONS, SO FEW ANSWERS

1. How healthy is it for the Labour Party to have their leader resident in New York?

2. Would Henry still be coach if the ABs had LOST by 1 point?

3. What was/is wrong with the Chester Burrows amendment?

4. Who was Dave Haerora?

5. Why didn't I mark my ball 30cm from the hole instead of stepping up and hitting it to see it lip the cup and end up 60cm away?

6. When will Ron Mark announce his intention to seek the Labour nomination for Wairarapa?

7. How long before the 'shambles' around our two new (but overweight) Offshore Patrol Vessels stranded in Melbourne is resolved?

8. How is it that the NZ seconded commander (of the Niue Police Force (11 officers for 1890 people) was promoted to Commissioner (Major General equivalent) and who picks up the tab (and who is he the father of)?

9. What is the answer to the NZ drink/drive culture?

10. Why up in the Far North is 'rob a tourist' considered a legitimate family sport?

11. Why does the Umawera Petrol Station charge $1.21c for a litre of diesel?

12. Is Jim Anderton still alive or is it a cardboard cutout we see in Parliament?

The list goes on.

MacDoctor, Call Your Office

The execrable Herald does its level best to shill for Labour with a self proclaimed 'exvusive' in which it shouts that cabinet is about to accept Rodney Hide's recommendations for the exclusion of reserved Maori seats on the super city council. Somehow this is seen by the paper's editors as a rift with the governing coalition. When there's no news, you make it up. I think I'll wait to see what Cabinet actually does decide.

"EXCLUSIVE:
The Cabinet is expected to reject Maori seats on the Auckland Super City council today."

Expected by whom? Do tell. Graeme Henry? Daniel Vettori, Tau Henare or some cub reporter at the Herald?

What's missing from this speculation masquerading as news is the fact that the matter of Maori seats actually is the preserve of the council itself, using the existing provisions of the Local Government Act. Strangest of all, Labour and this sorry daily newspaper were themselves the loudest advocates of referenda for the merger in the first place but now they want the gummint in Wellington to decide this important 'Auckland ' issue.

Adolf looks forward to the day when a John Banks led Auckland City Council puts to Auckland region's ratepayers a referendum on reserved Maori seats for Auckland City Council. Adolf's vote will be a loud "Haere ko e ki te tiko' which is a quite impolite but no nonsense way of saying 'NO'

So Why Did They Ask For Them in the First Place?

School so-called 'donations' that is.



They were never really donations. They were extra fees charged by spendthrift boards of trustees who did not know how to say "NO" to socialist teachers who think every school has a prefab down the back, full of little pixies printing money. These extra fees were dressed up in bullshit clothes and made to look respectable by euphemistically calling them "donations." Funny thing is, Adolf read recently of a school which was employing a debt collection agency to encourage parents to 'donate.'

We see now, that one school has found it can do without them.

Adolf calls for ALL state schools to immediately drop these extra taxes on families who are struggling to live within their means. It's time for school boards to live within their means. Just like families, schools will have to learn to cut out that which is nice and focus on that which is necessary. Perhaps they might need to go back to their core business. Readin,' Ritin' and Rithmetic.

Leave sex education, political studies, saving the earth, denigrating God and other tasks to parents.

Oh to be a fly on the wall....

Photo courtesy of the photographer.
G

PM Pledges New Approach

I think we would rather have our democracy put back on firm foundations, John.

Democracy Mum says it all

Copied from Democracy Mums comments at Kiwiblog.
Because no one can really say it better.

An Open Letter the Prime Minister

Dear Mr Key
There are two things in my life that I value above all else. My children and our democracy. My children are a little older now and no longer need to be reminded with a gentle smack from time to time, (when all other options have failed) the difference between right and wrong. They are growing into fine young adults of whom my husband and I are immensely proud. Our democracy on the hand, still feels like it has some valuable lessons to learn.

Last night the people of New Zealand told your Government exactly what it thought of Sue Bradford’s legislation.

The result was a resounding NO. 87% people believe that good parents should not be criminalised for giving their children a light smack as part of parental discipline. The same type of smack that you now admit you also gave your children when they were little.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2776861/Key-says-no-to-changing-smacking-law
During the last general election 45% of voters turned out to support your Government which means the NO vote for this referendum has enjoyed unparalled support from people across all party affiliations. The people of New Zealand have spoken with one voice.

Sue Bradford would have us believe, that the referendum has no credibility because no one understood the question in the first place. But the New Zealand people are not stupid and figured out which way to vote and cast their ballots accordingly. Substantially more people turned out for this referendum than any of last year’s local body elections, and more than twice those who voted on the firefighter’s referendum.

So what will you do now?

I do not want to hear “comforting words from cabinet”I along with the rest of 87% of voters expect a law change.

Every day in my community I see harassed young mums, with pre-schoolers, in the supermarket, taking older children to school. Sometimes despite their best efforts, their little ones throw a tantrum, or will not get into their car seats. As a direct result of this legislation these mothers are now too frightened to given their children a light smack, for fear of being reported to CFS by some ‘well meaning’ bystander.

This is the unintentional impact of Sue Bradford’s law. It is being felt throughout the country in every electorate, your own included where over 90% voted against this legislation. The law is wrong and it needs to be changed.

Just as micro-chipping dogs, did nothing to reduce vicious dog attacks, this law in its current form will do absolutely nothing to reduce New Zealand’s appalling rates of child abuse. The people who are killing our children on what now seems a weekly basis are not the mums and dads who lightly smack their children.

Mr Prime Minister. You have proved yourself to be a fair and compassionate leader. You are well liked and work hard on behalf of our country.

Aristotle, (a man who knew a thing about democracy) once said“Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.

Please listen to what the people of New Zealand have said and give parents back their peace of mind and focus instead on the real causes of child abuse in our country.

CONGRATULATIONS KEY AND RUDD

Sincere congratulations to Messrs Key and Rudd and their respective governments with the news that their military Chiefs of Staff have been directed to explore the establishment of an ANZAC Ready Reaction Force in being.

Many of us have advocated such a move for years. Those of us who served with one of the ANZAC Battalions in Vietnam know the concept works. Many of us were trained in Australia; we share the same doctrine and, we have respect for each others abilities. But more to the point, New Zealand does not have the ability to deploy and sustain an infantry battalion in anything more than low intensity operations and that is a major problem. An ANZAC Ready Reaction Force would provide us with a much enhanced capability.

Key was at pains to point out that it does not mean that where Australia goes, we go too. I guess that in 90% of the time our positions will be in sync but there will be occasions where both countries might agree to disagree. That needs to be recognised.

There will be challenges to work through including the differences in pay and allowances and the fact that Australia will not be keen for New Zealand to freeload off them.

But the positives far, far, far outweigh the negatives and certainly for this old soldier it is a step in the right direction too long in the making.

87/11

That's the indicative smacking vote result in favour of the Nays.

What a croc. We all know that 87% couldn't decipher the question and plainly meant to vote yes. I call for a recount.

On the other hand, it could add a bit of weight to this letter.

New author: welcome Hamish Collins

Subsequent to the sad departure of FFM, No Minister has been searching for an immigrant into New Zealand who is versed in politics and who can provide a different perspective on central government politics from a centre right perspective. And so we give you Hamish Collins.

Hamish is semi-retired and his family is not from New Zealand. He contacted us asking if he could blog with us as he has visited us anonymously for a wee while and thought he could contribute more substantially as his time dictates. Some of us here at No Minister have met with him and are confident he'll make a positive contribution.

Although he is not from New Zealand (but does live here), Hamish still has many contacts in New Zealand politics and business. And so as one door closes here at No Minister another one opens: welcome Hamish Collins.

Well what else would she say...?

The Greens pet commie had this to say on the expected reult of the CIR:

She says tonight’s vote count will not provide an objective picture of community attitudes.

“How that is expressed tonight will be fundamentally flawed whatever the result,” she says.

“Even if we had a referendum result on our side, I still think it would be flawed because the referendum question was so flawed.”

Bollocks, bollocks, and bollocks again bradford.

Allow me to translate for the benefit of the exceedingly retarded in our midst:
"I am never going to admit that my legislation was a piece of shit and hated, like me, by the vast majority of New Zealanders. The question isn't flawed but to say it is is the best argument I can come up with and still save a bit of face
I am a greenie, a communist, and as such I know better than all of you so there."
G

Numbers. Scary numbers.

Feeling old?
Feeling like a speck?

What's Labour's position on Maori seats on Auckland Council?

It appears Labour has backed down on its position on guaranteed Maori seats for the Auckland Council.

In May Shane Jones proposed a bill to guarantee Maori representation on the Council. And in June Labour showed its hand by departing from the Royal Commission recommendation that a Mana Whenua seat be created. That's right, they disagreed with the Royal Commission on Maori seats.

But today over at Red Alert, Grant Robertson was even more pithy and vague:

David: Labour believes strong Maori participation is critical to the success of the Auckland. Just as the Maori seats in Parliament guarantee a Maori voice in Parliament a similar arrangement could work well on the Auckland Council.

The sad reality though is that these decisions are not going to be taken by Labour. It is really interesting that Mr Farrar and others try to divert the conversation. The issue here is about what National will do.

Could work well? What about "necessary"? Or even "imperative"? And even ACT believes strong Maori participation is critical. So there is nothing new there. In typical Labour spinspeak, Robertson's comment equates to pseudo mumbo jumbo.

Phil Goff needs to portray himself as a centrist, almost on the right, and gain back some of the centre ground John Key has gobbled up. He needs to show the country he stands against apartheid-type seats. He won't be able to do that with race-based legislation.

So Labour has backed down.

Long After The Battle Was Lost

On May the 23rd, 2009, the battleship USS Missouri slowly steamed into the Hauraki Gulf and a reincarnated General Douglas MacArthur signed the deed of surrender which ended the bitter war between Imperial Labour and the Allies of Auckland. The surrender document was entitled:

Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau Reorganisation) Act 2009

Sadly, news of the surrender did not filter through to all the participants and thirty four years later in December 2043, a shrunken, starving skeletal figure was captured in the jungle of Campbell's Bay, the last of the hold outs from the great thirty year Auckland City Council War. The man's story bore a striking resemblance to the life of Japanese intelligence officer Hiroo Onada who survived for thirty four years in remote Philippines jungles, after the original General MacArthur took the Japanese surrender in 1945.

Luckily for Philippinos in 1945, Lieutenant Onada had no ammunition.

Unluckily for Adolf and his fellow rate payers of North Shore City, 1n 2009 the hold out Moronic Mayor has access to all our hard earned rates money.


A brief perusal of his press releases since the battle was lost in May 2009 indicates some 85% of his PR team's (three full time salaries and on costs) effort has been devoted to his futile attempts to maintain a political profile by being seen to fight the merger. Add to this, the costs of various surveys and advertising campaigns and it's not too hard to see well over a million dollars wasted so far.

How much better off would we be if he could just kneel on the floor behind his desk and ritually disembowel himself.

The Trough List

Having suffered severe withdrawl symptoms from not putting my 2 cents worth into No Minister, I am thinking that I will post once a week under the Trough List title.

Basically a list of things that have caught my attention during the week, both good and bad.

So to kick it off

1. Last minute Labour rorts knowing fool well they were goners.

2. Rodney Hide once again showing he is prepared to put his balls on the line, trying to slow down our long, slippery slide to living in a bi- multicultural society. Bi Culturalism for the Maori and multi for the rest of us. On average I would deal with NZers of at least 2o-30 different nationalities each week.

3. The cost of Arthritis and muscle pain to the country. Having sold tens of thousands copper bracelets and rings over the last 20 years, I am amazed how many people absolutely swear by them , including my 79 year old Mum.

4. Had to add this one. The Peace Foundation is nothing more than a trough. What a surprise.

5. Radio adverts that play phones ringing in the background. Damn annoying.

Feel free to add in the comments if you wish

Cheers

Lou

Suicide Watch

There are many ways to end one's political life but list MP Tau Henare just found a new one.

You send an e-mail to your mates, falsely alleging a conversation took place in which a coalition party leader indicated he would pull out of a support agreement and then you send a copy of the e-mail off to the most aggressively anti National TV channel in the land. In one moment of self inflated folly he has achieved more for Labour than all their dismally incompetent frontbenchers could ever have hoped for.

Here's what TV3 reported:

"It was revealed last night that a senior National MP sent an email to his caucus colleagues telling them ACT had threatened to end its relationship with the Government if it "gave in to Maori" and agreed to having special Maori seats on the council."

And here's a picture you will never see repeated.



Tau Henare yesterday joined a very select group on Adlof's shit list of disloyal pseudo National Party members. That is, those who profess loyalty while all the while working to undermine the common effort, thereby giving comfort to the enemy.

If he was honest, Henare would resign and join the Maori Party where he can happily indulge his dream of Apartheid for New Zealand. Actually all he needs to do now to be a truly eclectic MP is join the Greens upon which he can stroll the corridors of parliament humming "I've Been Everywhere, Man."

Fortunately, most MSM outlets have picked the bullshit in the story.

Rodney Hide openly flagged his opposition to reserved Maori seats in local government BEFORE entering into a support agreement with National. There's nothing new in his assertion that he would resign as Minister for Local Government should such a measure be passed by Parliament.

The real story is 'Where to next, Tau?'

Adolf can predict that Mr Henare's position on the National list for the 2011 election will be 121st competing for 120 seats in parliament.

Geoffrey Palmer doesn't speak to the cops obviously

From Granny today, another brainfart from Sir Geoffrey:

Being drunk in a public place should be made illegal and fines should be given to those caught, Law Commission president Sir Geoffrey Palmer told politicians today.

From the North Shore Times a few weeks ago:

Alcohol bans in public reserves are putting pressure on police and courts.

There were 342 more alcohol-related arrests in 2008 than the previous year after the establishment of overnight liquor bans in a number of reserves.

"The rise in arrests has caused a near unmanageable situation for the courts. Police are also feeling the effects, especially in the custody area," North Shore police area commander inspector Les Paterson says.

You know what, bans are easy in principle but very impractical in lots of ways. It's the easy way out and too many politicians and lawmakers settle for this default position without any thought.

Signed by:

Exasperated.

CHOOSE YOUR 'WASTED SPACE'

OK guys and gals ... homework for today is to nominate the MP you consider to represent the most wasted space in Parliament. Lets limit it to List MPs this time round as they are a special breed indeed.

My nomination is Dr Ashraf Choudhary, Labour List MP.

Choudhary has distinguished himself over the years. Many will remember his campaign to do away with the Cross in Palmerston North's Civic Square on the basis that it was offensive to Muslims. Then of course he showed the courage of his convictions; torn between not wanting to alienate Helen and the tenants of his religion he choose 'courageously' to abstain from voting on the Prostitution Reform Bill. Finally, many will recall his endorsement of the Koran punishment of stoning to death homosexuals and people who have extra-marital affairs .... bet that got Chris Carter going (I digress).

There are others but he, IMHO, wins hands down.

PhorgetPhil

Update: Here's the Hansard version of Goff's latest triumph:

"Hon Phil Goff: How many National backbenchers have raised with him their view that these funding cuts are unsustainable, such as National MP Jackie Blue, who has emailed adult and community education groups offering to help them to oppose the Government cuts in this area?

Hon BILL ENGLISH: The Prime Minister is delighted that National’s backbenchers are in touch with their communities. That is the reason that there are so many of them here and the reason that the Labour Party does not hold a single electorate seat outside a metropolitan area."

Even the people at Hansard know Goff rates only lower case treatment.


The phorgetphil leader of the dismal opposition has made a speech about Afghanistan which has caught the attention of a dozen or so people on the left. No Right Turn hi-lites what ironically he called 'the key bit.' (You'd think the dosy buggers' spin doctors would find another adjective after nine whole bloody months, wouldn't you?)



"Nor am I keen to sacrifice the lives of New Zealanders for a narco-state that provides 93% of the world’s opium production, enriching warlords and government figures, and a state which suffers from endemic corruption."

Sounds wonderful but the only trouble is it's no different from the state of the place when Helen Clark authorised the last three (was it?) deployments.

The silly little fellow was massacred today by Bill English as he slogged through his tortuous preplanned deadly boring questions with his one syllable at a time dead slow primer two -e nun ci a tion of e ach vo wel in e a ch sy la ble so th at the pr ess ga ll er y could w ri te it all d ow n-delivery.

He asked some damned fool question about Jackie Blue and Blenglish simply laughed and said "Yes I'm very pleased to see National Party back benchers looking to support the interests of their constituents. That's why there are so many of them here and why there are NO LABOUR BACK BENCHERS from any provincial or rural electorate in the house."



Pure gold, it was. 24 carat pure gold, And English at his best is dull and boring.

When Will They Ever Learn?

The ACToid ravers and Whaleoil, that is.

Cast your mind back over the last fortnight's agitated shouting about and abuse of Bill English by Cactus, Whale and assorted fundamentalist ACToids and the few remaining live left activists.

It's not a pretty picture, with some, who should know better, hysterically calling for his resignation. The most bizarre of these calls followed just the mere mention that a CGT could be considered within a wider package. The shouters derided the CGT but somehow forgot about the wider package. They were blinded by the spittle flying back into their faces.

On the other hand, for a pragmatic and balanced view from someone who in not impaired by mental scotoma, go no further than this morning's opinion piece from Richard Long.



You see, the difference between the idiots and the professionals is that the pros know that before you make dramatic changes you need to get the people on side. The hallmark of this John Key/Rodney hide/ Pita & Tariana administration (Dunny is just the unnoticed soiled tissue sticking to the inside of the bowl) has been it's ability to take the long view and get the people onside BEFORE moving to make changes. All the leaders know that precipitate action will see them hand the reins of government back to Labour, either in 2011 or 2014 and they are going to make damned sure that does not happen.


Here's what Mr Long has to say:

"Just what do the Nats have to do to bring down the political house of cards?Nothing yet has loomed as the circuit-breaker to end their political honeymoon."

It's all in the implementation, Mr Long. It's all in the implemention and John Key is a master implementer.

"There is nothing like using an economic recession as a reason to get unpopular measures across.

We will know the Nats are confident in their own high approval rating if they canvass a GST increase and a partial sell- down of selected state assets (to improve the budget deficit and introduce private sector oversight to the state-owned enterprise sector)."

Adolf's pick is that by 2011 we will see a campaign based on a revised tax system with increased GST, reduced income tax, a CGT on speculative property profits, the removal of LAQC tax dodges, a cap on welfare benefits, a substantial diminution of WFF and the sale of minority shareholding in SOEs to NZ citizens.

Adolf currently is helping put back on track a church parish which has been rent asunder by bitter division. This happens from time to time.

The problem was that the leader who had a wonderful vision for the future tried to bulldoze it through too quickly. The vision is still a good vision and likely will eventuate but not under his leadership. Basically, he lost the confidence of the people by failing to take them along with him before he made his moves. In political terms, he just lost the election.

The similarities between this episode and today's national political scene are striking.

That 'Peters' Name Won't Go Away

One news has a story about a shonky apartment rental operator. Her name is Esther Peters.

Adolf wonders if she is related to the shonky Spencer Trust operator with the shonky bloodstock donations and the shonky deals with scampi and the barefaced lies to the privileges committe and the shonky trip to Vegas and the unreturned gummint vehicles and the still unrepaid stolen $158,000.

Has anybody got a copy of the family tree?

Back to not working

As some may have noticed, I haven't been visiting No Minister much the last few weeks. First my Dad died (posted about here); then I got back from bereavement leave to find things hadn't gone any too smoothly at work in my absence; then we got burgled, thereby losing our computers. Unsurprising then that I've been doing little more than necessary admin work and the occasional comment.

A tale of urban decay in bud. Our house has always been an absolute sitting duck for burglars - full of large, wide-opening wooden-framed windows with 1970s catches on them - but we've never had any trouble until lately. It's a nice neighbourhood, so the sort of dumbass losers who break into houses stick out like a sore thumb on the streets around here. Or at least, they used to. Here's the deal: your neighbourhood of 1970s "executive homes" was once a place where rich people lived but is now cheap enough for property investors to be buying the places up and renting them out. They're still reasonably flash places so the rents aren't cheap, but sooner or later someone rents to petrolhead losers. Suddenly a nearby street's covered in skid marks, there are broken alcopop bottles and junk food packaging all over the footpath every Saturday and Sunday morning, and the cops are regular visitors. All bad enough, but the worst feature is that the kind of dumbass losers who break into houses are now seen on your street on a regular basis, so no-one calls the cops when said losers are walking around inspecting the neighbourhood for targets.

The guys who brought the petrolhead renters into our neighbourhood were eventually able to evict them (and then got to rebuild the interior of the house), but it was a bit late for it to help us. A couple of weeks before they left, someone got in our place and stole a PS3 and a bag to put it in. There was no sign of forced entry, so we figure we must have left a door unlocked and the dumbass losers were going round trying doors.

A more worldly character than me would have improved his home security setup at that point, but I settled for making sure doors were locked when we left the house. And of course, the dumbass losers came back once we'd had time to replace the PS3 on insurance and this time did force entry and took a lot more stuff. So, now we're forking out for two lots of insurance excess payments, locks for all the windows, deadlocks for the remaining un-deadlocked doors (yeah, that wonderful indoor/outdoor flow through the many doors, and the private tree-lined section don't seem quite so wonderful now) and an alarm system. Plus the inevitable cost of stuff that insurance doesn't quite replace to the level you had before.

There's one upside to all this: the dumbass losers didn't wear gloves. The cops seem to be uninterested in taking fingerprints from a burglary scene as a general principle, but in this case they did. Regular readers may recall I bought a new TV recently - well, the dumbass losers fancied this TV and tried to get it off its wall mount, but failed. Modern TVs are surfaced with smooth, shiny plastic that shows up fingerprints, for which reason I cleaned it reasonably thoroughly after installing it, only a few weeks before the dumbass losers turned up. So, here it is with various fingerprints all over it, and the cops can see the point in getting someone to check whether they're mine or not. Next morning, Forensics came round and took the prints, and also got a good set from the bottom of the window frame the losers entered through - right where someone opening it from outside would grab it. The day after that I went down the cells to hand over my own prints and eliminate them from further investigation.

So, maybe one day the last laugh will be mine. Mr Dumbass Loser at some point will be caught and arrested, and after his prints have been run through the system they'll be adding burglary of Psycho Milt's house in August 2009 to the charges. Excellent. Now, if only there was a prospect of some actual punishment being applied afterwards...

JUST WHAT PART OF UNSCR 1833 DON'T THE SOCIALIST LEFT UNDERSTAND?

The entirely predictable howls of outrage from the Socialist left following the decision by Government to recommit elements of the SAS back into Afghanistan leaves many of us with a sense of deja vu.

At last the chance to relive the glory days of the 60s and early 70s and to indulge once again in the ritual anti-american rhetoric on which they cut their teeth.

And all those fields to conquer yet again; soldiers to spit on, letters to write to wives/partners of servicemen wounded-in-action expressing the wish that they never recover, children to be told by teachers that their soldier father is a murderer. The list goes on ... so much to do, so little time.

Never mind that their poster boy Barak Obama has raised US troop levels in Afghanistan. Never mind that the UK, Canada, Australia and 20+ other countries are involved with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

And excuse the collective amnesia that it was a Labour/Progressive Government that first sent the SAS into that theatre and were happy to bask in the reflected glory of Willie Apiata's VC.

And just keep repeating the mantra that the New Zealand Defence Force should only be deployed in support of UN mandated operations.

And completely ignore the fact that the ISAF is a mandated UN operation authorised by United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1386 and successive resolutions (the latest of which is UNSCR 1833).

Question ... are the Socialist left intellectually dishonest or just plain thick?