Posts Tagged ‘Act Party’

1. Straddling the high wire … and surviving

   Published on Friday, July 2nd, 2010

   Less than two years ago as we led into the November 2008 election, the preservation of our fight against the evils of climate change, in the form of the emissions trading scheme, was sacrosanct.

   Only ACT railed against it, National promised to be pragmatic while Labour told us the ‘end is nigh’ if we dared to scupper it.

   We’re now into day two of a watered down ETS, and based on the furore in the media the end is certainly nigh – in terms of the impact it is predicted to have on our disposal income.

   Media would have us believe the only people in NZ that now support an ETS is a National Party that has lost touch with the electorate.

   Across the Tasman, one of the reasons put forward for the dramatic rolling of Kevin Rudd as Australian PM is that he did not follow through on his commitment to introduce an ETS!

   It would appear that while we want to see ours gone, Australians are keen to have one imposed on them.

   Perhaps our Government is paying more attention to the words of the Acting British High Commissioner, who in an address in Wellington last month was pretty blunt when he talked about Europe’s position on climate change.

   Buried in the text was the warning ‘…don’t underestimate how important climate change and low carbon issues are to us. It is at the heart of what we believe and central to our governments’ policies. It is driving our business and is a massive issue for many of our citizens. We are prepared to judge ourselves and others by how we respond to the challenge’.

   For a diplomat that is pretty strong language. Perhaps he has been even blunter in his private discussions with our trade emissaries about the impact not doing our bit could have on our future food trade with Europe?

   Being successful in politics has always included the ability to balance yourself strategically on the high wire. This Government is mastering the art fast.

   

2. What a wonderful bizarre world we live in!

   Published on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

   There are occasions when you can only but shake your head in disbelief at the antics played out in our media.

   Take for example the reaction by the majority of the media to the suggestion by ACT MP David Garrett that there might be some value in considering paying ‘bad parents’ $5000 if they agreed to be sterilised.

   The media went berserk, making it the leading news item of the day. Politicians and every sort of self appointed social or liberal commentator climbed into the debate. Someone even managed to manufacture a link with Hitler.

   You could be forgiven for believing that the suggestion was on the verge of becoming law rather than the musings on a blog by a MP who was unknown to the majority of us.

   The most poignant comment that I saw was that from the Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan, who quietly pointed out that many middle class parents pay for their own sterilisation once they have completed their families.

   Shame on you Fran for effectively killing off the debate when your colleagues were just getting started! And shame on the middle class for following the teachings of Hitler!

   Having recovered our breath we then moved on to the Destiny Church’s ‘cash cult’ expose. Not to worry that we have heard it all before, including stories about the extravagant living style of its leader Bishop Tamaki.

   It all started because part of the Brisbane congregation did what every right minded person would do if they disagreed with the ‘cult’s’ requirements around tithing and gifting – they walked out.

   The only nugget I gathered from the coverage was that TV3’s John Campbell has now adopted the practice of gate crashing other presenter’s interviews (Willie Jackson’s) to get a story if anyone dares to decline his demand that they appear on his show.

   Can we now look forward to the day when Willie gate crashes John’s programme?

   To mimic the words taken to the world by the late Paul Fuemana, ‘how bizarre, how bizarre’.

   

3. Is Rodney Hide the consummate PR man or just someone looking for attention?

   Published on Monday, November 2nd, 2009

   When a child does something they know is a bit naughty and are likely to get found out, we call this attention seeking behaviour.  So could it be that the Hon Rodney Hide was seeking more than a suntan when he took his partner on the now contentious trip overseas?

   Was the ministerial trip yet another clever PR strategy to remain in the public eye, or perhaps Rodney Hide was boldly stating that he does whatever he wants and the consequences be damned? Apparently he has been forewarned of the potential public scrutiny now also being suffered by his partner and family.

   Whatever the motivation this time, Mr Hide does do headline-catching with aplomb; I mean who could forget the yellow jacket he sported continually during the election period? The man was a walking rosette for the Act Party and prior to this I would’ve been hard pressed to name their party colour, but now it is burnished in my mind – permanently!

   His stint on Dancing with the Stars was impressive and revealing in more ways than one. Rodney is not averse to getting some of his kit off. That said, the pre-transformation body of Mr Hide made the front page when his attempt at the Auckland Harbour crossing came unstuck a few years ago.

   So perhaps one can appreciate his motivation for wanting to show the world his physical improvements. The Act website shows a lovely picture of Mr Hide at the opening of the Diocesan School for Girls Aquatic Centre in March this year.  It offers the perfect combination of children, community spirit in his electorate and an opportunity to see the real man.

   So I do take my hat off to Mr Hide for his efforts in keeping his name in the media, but as the equally press-friendly populist Winston Peters learnt at his peril, not all media coverage is good coverage.