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Today’s Daily Blog Watch Round-Up of matters that have attracted the attention, assessments, and articulations of this country’s leading bloggers…
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NZ Left Blogosphere
On Tumeke today, Tim Selwyn gives an excellent analysis of Susan Devoy’s first two interviews in the media as our new Race Relations Commissioner. Tim dissects her ‘performance’ on Native Affairs and Campbell Live, and arrives at the conclusion that she is simply not up to speed for this most sensitive of roles. See Devoy: Job interviews.
Having watched both interviews, I think Tim has sussed it 100% – Devoy is in way over her head. For a job that pays $200,000+ one would think that Justice Minister Collins could’ve found someone a tad better. (But really, that’s not what this is all about, eh, Ms Collins?)
Tim also writes about the passing of the marriage equality bill – ! Marriage Equality . Tim features a clip from National MP, Maurice Williamson, who gave one of the wittiest, good natured speeches I’ve ever heard in Parliament. Ok, Maurice can be a bit flaky sometimes (see: 3D printers a border security threat – minister) but with this one, single speech, he has justified his presence in Parliament. God knows that humour is not in great abundance in Parliament. Nice one, Maurice.
The Jackal writes about Two victories! – marriage equality and the Mondayisation of ANZAC DAY. Jackal points out that these two victories offset darker aspects of National’s other law-making such as Charter Schools; welfare “reforms”; extending GCSB’s spying; and the odious Crown Minerals amendment. The latter will not even go before a Select Committee for public submission.
Open Parachute covers the marriage equality bill passing, and report’s Colin “My-God-Is-Bigger-Than-Your-God” Craig as predicting doom, gloom, and a plague of Ladybugs on your House after MPs voted in favour of something as outrageous as… equality.
Marriage equality, retribution and moral progress and Colin Craig – the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Religious Ignorance, said,
“Last night was not a vote of the people of New Zealand. If it had been, the answer would have been no.” [sic]. Next year’s election will be the opportunity for New Zealanders to finally have their say. . . . . we expect our support to continue to increase.”
Let’s wait and see, Colin. If your Party wins 61 seats in Parliament, feel free to abolish marriage equality. I promise I won’t say a word. *snort!*
On Scoop, our favourite nutty group, the 78% opposed to bill (“NO”) and only 22% supported it (“YES”)” – has not been more widely reported in the msm. The un-named individual writing this piece demanded to know,
“Why has there been a total media blackout on this highly significant TV3 poll result that strongly suggest that the majority of MPs have misjudged the strength public opinion against this bill.”
Probably because txt-polls are about as reliable as reading tea leaves/chicken entrails; astrology; and having chit-chats with denizens from the Spirit World. The
Fixing the electricity market, writes Idiot/Savant in No Right Turn is a welcome solution to Max Bradford’s failed electricity “reforms” in the 1990s. Those same “reforms” which sent power prices skyrocketing in the decade that followed. I/S makes a good argument for implementing Labour’s policy.
I/S sez, ” Those thinking of stealing part of Mighty River should take note“.
Indeed.
On The Dim Post, Danyl sez that According to reports, a somewhat peculiar practice took place in High Priestess Collins’ office in the Beehive. However, the Old Gods were satisfied with the offering, so all is well.
Danyl points out a serious flaw here; Reinhart-Rogoff in New Zealand. However, even if that particular brand of neo-lib economic theory is flawed – so what? When did that ever stop the neo-libs from their mad march over the fiscal cliffs? Um, never.
On a serious note, Danyl has this pertinent point to make;
“Say you’re John Key, you want these law changes, the opposition has called for an inquiry into Intelligence, and you genuinely believe that there are serious attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction using New Zealand technology. Why don’t you just agree to the inquiry? No QC or Governor General or former civil-servant, or whoever ends up running it is going to ignore a serious, legitimate plot to aquire WMDs. If the threat is real they’ll almost certainly recommend the same changes Key wants to make, and he’d get to score a victory over his opponents instead of spend political capital pushing through changes that make it look as though he’s engaged in a cover-up.”
Indeed.
The $64 zillion question now is; will the Great Unwashed swallow Key’s bollicks? And will they like the taste and come back for more in 2014?
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Blogpost of the Day
Going to the chapel to educate the congregation, and describes her own personal situation with family regarding her own sexual orientation and relationship. It’s a moving piece of writing, and one can appreciate the very personal nature of what she has shared with us.
She also offers sound advice as to where to go from here, as the struggle for true equality and an end to bigotry is yet to be won. LudditeJourno finishes with,
“The kinds of difference Marriage Equality will make to queer and trans* peoples lives are important. This was a social change moment – and make no mistake, we won it. The people arguing against equality looked like bigoted hate-mongers. But we still had to listen to their vitriol, had to protect ourselves from its impact on our sense of self in a world where those things sadly do not just sound ridiculous – which is how they should sound.
It’s time to celebrate – and to work out what else we need to dismantle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia for good.”
Well said. *big hugs*
The Civilian celebrates marriage equality by stating categorically stating that Marriage is destroyed forever,
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As The Civilian reports,
“On behalf of the vast majority of my Labour colleagues, we feel very privileged to have been able to make history tonight by destroying marriage for everyone,” he said. “We are so proud that our gay brothers and sisters now have the legal opportunity to ruin the marriages of others by having their own.”
Yay!
And on The Standard,
- Classic Nat press releases – Anthony Robins pokes fun at the Nats whose only response to Labour’s plan to seize back control of our electricity assets is to call it names. “Stalinism”. “Nth Korean school of economics”. “Neo liberal nuttiness”. Oh wait, that last one is true… Funny, what’s the worst thing that can happen under Labour policy to bulk-buy electricity for the Masses? Cheaper power? Oh nooooo!!!
- Anthony continues further in his piece, NZ Power, and analyses what Labour is proposing. And it seems a pretty good deal – so much so that the Nats are stumped as to how to derail it. (References to the defunct USSR do not make a very convincing response.)
- Best (so far). The bill passed well, by
- And in The disconnected: the future of the left?– ‘From Backstage to Centre stage: Making the Working Class Matter’, that was published on the Daily Blog yesterday.
Plenty to read. Go. Test on Monday.
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MSM Article of the Day
From Fairfax media, this headline,
Gay marriage opponents licking wounds
One could suggest that those “wounds” were of their own making, and self-inflicted.
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Dick of the Day – Celebrating & Snorting at the Silliest Remarks on the World Wide Web
Posted as a comment on Watching the ice melt;
Gosman says:
It’s not necessarily bad news for Europe and Russia.
What is clear is that it poses challenges to adapt. The outcome might be bad or it might be good. We don’t know at this stage.
As they say, ignorance of the law is no excuse.
Neither is ignorance of science.
~oo~
