By: kiwi_geofreak
1/08/2009
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| I noted at home the other night, as did Dad, that NZ First had gone up in one of the more recent polls from 1% to 2% support, which I think gave it more than United Future. |
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By: of_few_words
1/08/2009
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| sshhh don't tell Mardale that she still thinks that they are around the 4% mark! |
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By: vixey_reid
1/08/2009
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"But as usual they have under estimated the New Zealand public and ofcourse you under estimate New Zealand First and Winston Peters at your peril."
Ohhhh most of us never underestimate the stupidity of the 5% of the voters that can get a party into power.
Winston certainly doesn't.
NZ1st will languish in the 1-2% range for this entire electoral term until Winston sees an issue such as xenophobia, Maori payouts, or Foreign Bogeymen investors and try to surf that wave home for a few months leading up to the election, to put him "over the top"
Ain't the current MMP system grand ;] |
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By: kiwi_geofreak
1/08/2009
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| They probably are. You can't get an accurate fix on a nation of 4 million people if you only ask a few hundred people. |
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By: kiwi_geofreak
1/08/2009
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| Do you have a better suggestion Vixey? |
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By: vixey_reid
1/08/2009
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Yes,, there are better proportional systems out there that don't deliver the same amount of "wag" to the "tail".
Can't recall their names at the moment, read about them a while back, I would googletrawl for them, but I should be getting to bed pretty soon, our second child is due,, literally,, tomorrow.. via induction. |
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By: astronoddy
2/08/2009
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| Kiwi, I'm just saying I don't think Winston Peters and New Zealand First have much chance of being re-elected and / or being put in a position of power again. He was right about the Winebox. Fay & Richwhite (u gotta love that last surname as a descriptor) didn't cough up 22 million to IRD to stop pursuing them through the courts for nothing. But he's thrown so much mud at so many for so long some of it eventually had to be right. Even his own party can't tell when he's going to change horses overnight. He doesn't communicate well with them. His sophistry doesn't just confuse the media, it apparently confuses his own party. The only NZ First party member who seemed to me to be articulate, intelligent, completely frank and honest, and who I have a lot of time for, is Ron Mark. And he's apparently dumped Winnie & NZF. |
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By: kiwi_geofreak
2/08/2009
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While Winston is leading, I tend to agree. If however they can get a bold leader who will listen to a broader range of people other than just their carefully cultivated elderly support base, I would not rule them out.
NZ First actually has a pretty good policy platform, which contrary to assertions from several here, is not derived from the Labour Party. It just doesn't have anyone who can frequently attract the under-60 vote. |
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By: allamfamily@xtra.co.nz
3/08/2009
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Mardale
Im sure you and all the other NZF supporters will still be a little concerned at Nationals strong Poll ratings obviously you would prefer Labour to be polling much stronger. National now 56%, Labour 31% NZF 1.8% ACT 1% MAORI 3%. Act of course will win an Electorate seat. NZF still have to find at least another 3.2% given they wont win an Electorate seat will be very tough for them go get back in!!. Some how have to appeal to the centrist vote that they lost last time ,but national has that well covered now. Danger is NZF is becoming another Alliance type party with one person (Winston) same as (Jim Anderton) NZF really need National to say they will work with them but I cant see that happening with all the National rhetoric that comes out of NZF as Peter Brown quite rightly pointed out in the Sunday Star times. |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
3/08/2009
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OMG for a party that apparently is a waste of space, not going to even poll at the next election, whose membership is dying by degrees according to certain posters you people have spent an awful lot of energy on us.
And if you believe me to be delusional, mistaken, naieve then leave me to it. Why bother - no I think you protest too much.
And now this interesting push to make people believe that New Zealand First is some how tied to Labour? Lockwood Smith said the same thing to me during the Election campaign - if you mean we don't intend to allow anyone to see off our country then your absolutely right - unfortunately for you the Labour Party, in partnership with the National Party, made that easier than anyone else had up until Mr English's recent "Open for Business" changes.
Vote for who you like - it's a democracy - but so will I. And I find that interesting that as a minor party - never said we were anything else - apparently unless we take over the country we have been unsuccessful. Would have liked to have heard you in the National Party Convention in 2005 - that would go for the comment about using the race card - that from someone who voted for Don Brash!! That's rich! |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
3/08/2009
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Just checking in again - another massive day on community and New Zealand First business.
As an extension on a previous blog about Lockwood Smith attending a community group presentation about the ACE cuts - it was an exceptionally well run meeting with these ladies really knowing their stuff. Lockwood, once he realised they weren't going to attack him but wanted to explain to him why it was important to our community and ask him to pass that on, I believe was really impressed by this group and the infomation they imparted.
To his credit, he took on board all the new information and unintended side effects of these cuts and has drafted correspondence to the Minister, Anne Tolley, hopefully bringing her up to speed as well.
You know I don't agree with him on many things, mostly to do with selling stuff and protecting our boarders, but he's a nice guy doing his best.
I guess that is something people find hard to understand - when you are going for someelse's job you can't spend all your time saying how great they are - you have to promote yourself and your point of view - doesn't mean that behind the scenes you can't appreciate your rivals good points and the fact that they are trying to improve their community as they see it.
As the Chairman of our local college Board of Trustees I have to work with Lockwood on community promotion - it was funny to see the senior managment tense up the first time we were in a joint promotion - appears other people have a bigger problem than Lockwood and I. |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
4/08/2009
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In our local paper
"A scheme that teaches children about sustainability and environmental issues is under threat due to cuts in Government funding.
A total of 685 schools, including Leigh, Pakiri, Tapora and Tauhoa Schools and Mahurangi College, are enrolled in Enviroschools, which was introduced in 2003.
Enviroschools Foundation national director Heidi Mardon says the cuts are a major blow, but may not be fatal. Although the Foundaiton is 80 percent funded from Government coffers, the programme itself is funded regionally by organisations such as Auckland Regional Council, district councils, universities and charitable trusts."
I can only imagine that once Rodney gets his super city through that the council funding for this education programme will go as well so that will be that. But then ACT campaigned on the fact that Global Warming was a lie so I guess it fits with their long term beliefs. |
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By: allamfamily@xtra.co.nz
5/08/2009
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| Its very good to see the new Mardale coming of age and actually finding something positive about some National Candidates. Must be the poll results |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
5/08/2009
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allamfamily - you guys need to get over yourselves. I have been working with Lockwood Smith in my community for ages. I have National Party supporters and funders as close friends and some of them ever funded both Lockwood and I at the last election. Get a grip.
However I do not agree with their politics. It's not a difficult concept - I don't believe the answers they are using are to the long term benefit of my country. And as opposed to some of the arm chair critics that sit here and type drivvel into these blogs I am actually at the meetings in my community. I am actually trying to get training for young people.
As far back as the election I noted that one of the good things done in the first 100 days was the removal of blocks on early excemptions from secondary school so kids could go into an appreticeship.
I don't believe your poll results so you could probably stick those in a pipe and smoke them.
But I do 100% believe that unless New Zealand First is in the next parliament we, New Zealanders, are all going to be renting our country from overseas landlords and this government - just like the Labour one - is moving once again to make that even easier to achieve.
This government has dedicated itself to a 95 million saving (cuts) in state funded staffing inside our schools in the next four years - that's teachers mate - while at the same time putting 35 million in this first year into private schools - this was the price of their vote.
They are wrong - they are short-sighted and they are dangerous. |
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By: bigpumpkin21
5/08/2009
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""don't believe your poll results so you could probably stick those in a pipe and smoke them.""
Whats there not to believe about them Mardale.. Labour will be in the political wilderness for a while yet... |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
5/08/2009
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Evening All. Busy day yet again. Spent far too much time on these blogs yesterday so had to make up the time today. Anyway - pretty much caught up with all the paper work - another day another round of meetings tomorrow.
I suppose the lesson for today from the headlines might be that "perception if everything".
Have a good one people |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
5/08/2009
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sorry folks - that should read "perception is everything".
Too much typing today - fingers not performing. |
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By: darleydale@xtra.co.nz
5/08/2009
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| "They are wrong-they are shortsighted and they are dangerous".Good one mardale,that says it all. |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
6/08/2009
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Morning All. Just a small comment about the pacific forum and it's retiring chair encouraging Fijian's to "rise up" against the current regime. I agree with John Key that this is not someone to be advocating but for different reasons. It has been reported that John Key has said that it is not a good idea because you can't distinguish "a good coup and a bad coup". I think that the advice is very dangerous from the point of view that the guy suggesting it is not the person who could end up getting shot by the police and army who are currently supporting the coup leader.
Hard to know how difficult life is or isn't in Fiji at the moment as all reporters that didn't print it how he liked it have been removed.
I think it's a good rule of thumb to not ask people to do something that one is not prepared to do oneself. |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
6/08/2009
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Another interesting point. I watched mainstream news last night and also Maori TV news after that. Totally different news. Apart from the problem with North Shore beaches at the moment there was almost no comparison between the items.
An item on Maori news was about a new programme introduced by Government called "Community Max" - which sounds like a work for the dole scheme - I haven't heard about it on main stream so will have to do some research over the next couple of days. |
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By: bigpumpkin21
6/08/2009
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| Hey Mardale how are you. I hope your not wasting my money on non essential items.. |
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By: mardale@xtra.co.nz
6/08/2009
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BP - I am doing exceptionally well thank you. And nope - haven't received a cent of YOUR money so no chance of my wasting it.
Spent the morning working with members of our business community and at risk teenagers - showing them the value of staying in school at least until they achieve NCEA level one in maths and english. Then spent the afternoon at the Primary School working on our application to the Maori Language Week Competition - our teachers, students and parental community worked really hard on initiatives over the months working up to Maori Language week and I figured we should be proud of what we achieved.
We have just under 160 children in our combined Kapa Haka group - this is out of a total role of 530 with 81% of our school identifying as of European descent and 12% identifying as of Maori descent (and yes I know that doesn't add up to 100% but the rest is made up of alot of other small groups). The best part of the week was the combined Kaumatua Day with Mahurangi College Kapa Haka as well. This gave us over 300 students putting on a performance for their Kaumatua and other elders of our community. The local rest home bused in many of their residents. Started with a powhiri and then had a cup of tea and shared kai. We moved all the seats around and the kids gave us some fantastic performances - two items from each of the four Kapa Haka groups. Great day.
Tomorrow - have to work on some New Zealand First membership business and then complete some paperwork for the College on possible grants - we are building a new auditorium and need to raise $500,000 for all the bits and pieces that go into it e.g. the curtains, stage lights, seats etc etc etc.
Well have a good evening folks and will check back in tomorrow. |
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By: bigpumpkin21
6/08/2009
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| mardale if you are getting working for families you are getting some of my money.. |
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By: alsplace1701
6/08/2009
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| Hey BP, can I have some of your money???? |
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By: bigpumpkin21
6/08/2009
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| Yeah just sign up for a benefit Als.. Like half of these NZ first bludgers.. Better do it quickly though, there's not much left... |
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