While John Key shared quality time with his family in Omaha and Bill English mixed pleasure with business in Samoa, there was no time for holidays in Labour-land.
To rub in the point, Helen Clark said of her National rivals: "They do tend to work pretty short weeks and years in my experience. I've found this job is pretty all-consuming."
At the 60th anniversary dinner, Israeli ambassador Yuval Rotem delivered a strong message that Israel wants New Zealand to stand up for human rights around the world.
The subtext (delivered more directly in a subsequent official foreign affairs consultation in Wellington) was that New Zealand should take a more condemnatory approach to Iran, not just beat-up on Israel.
But Downer is expected to be confirmed soon as special UN envoy for Cyprus and will continue to be a public voice on foreign affairs through his new blog. Read it - it's probably the closest you'll get to obtaining a true conservative perspective than anything served up by National here.
The scheme celebrated its first birthday on Tuesday with 718,000 members - more than double the number predicted in the first year. The only people complaining about it are those annoying economists who see the difference between individual gains and the national welfare.
They fear the scheme will not add to total personal savings, merely displace previous savings schemes.
In the Herald last weekend Maria Slade reported an estimate that as little as 9 per cent of the money in KiwiSaver accounts so far is new saving, a percentage the researcher reckoned would not cover the administration and compliance costs of the scheme.
Westpac economist Dominick Stephens said KiwiSaver had cost the taxpayers $497 million in its first 11 months, an amount that could have added to national savings if it had been left in the Budget's fund for future public pensions.
Even that fund is questioned by some savings professionals who point out that a superannuation scheme is only as good as the future economy that will have to pay out. From that point of view, the best retirement insurance is the investment made in the economy today.
Anyone who believes that the best investments are made by those who stand to lose if they get it wrong would argue the economy would be stronger in the long run if the KiwiSaver incentives were turned into personal tax cuts.
Had Labour given an inkling at the last election of the premium they have had to pay to re-nationalise the railway, and the fortune it is going to cost to cover its likely losses, National's last campaign would have feasted on the information.
But now that the deed is done, the politics have changed. The purchase is the status quo and National will not dare put re-privatisation before the electorate this year, though that may be what it ultimately does with the trains if not the tracks.
We're beginning to understand why Barack Obama keeps protesting so vigorously against the prospect of "George Bush's third term." Maybe he's worried that someone will notice that he's the candidate who's running for it.
Put this or other choices on tax or climate change or social justice or social responsibility to a member of Team Cameron and they soon reply "Ah but he is a pragmatist".
"Can I assure her that neither I, nor my family trust, was an owner of shares in Tranz Rail at that time, and she has misled the House."Miss Clark made no comment, taking the back route out of Parliament. Through a spokesman she says she accepts Mr Key's word. He now wants her to say sorry.
"Sorry would be nice, but I won't hold my breath," says Mr Key.
News cartoons - NZ Herald
Quite extraordinary goings on in the house today.
1. The PM couldn't answer any questions on the cost of the KiwiRail but instead smeared John Key with an allegation that he personally benefited from the sale of the rail in 1993 (at least that's what I think she was alleging).
2. Rodney Hide rode to his rescue - way to go Rodney, he really got to the guts of the matter.
2. Key didn't respond to the allegation initially (why..?) but later tabled a press release revealing the PM is talking rubbish.
It was hard to tell who was more in trouble - Helen Clark or John Key.
The pitfalls of political economics were evident in the Prime Minister's remarks yesterday. "One locomotive can pull the equivalent freight of 65 trucks," declared Helen Clark. But one locomotive cannot take that freight to 65 different destinations. The train will need trucks to deliver much of its cargo at one end of the journey or the other, often both. Multiple handling probably costs more than single long haul saves. Witness Toll's wish to keep the railway's profitable truck depots.
Hager's return should make National very afraid
'If he [Hager] still has access to National's emails, this is a massive problem.Even assuming National has tightened up on its security and what it sends through the Parliamentary email server since 2005, there is always going to be enough email traffic to embarrass any political party if it falls into the wrong hands. Short of going back to carrier pigeon or stone tablets, there is little the party can do - email is an essential modern tool for political organisations".
Activist Nicky Hager's The Hollow Men, which detailed the inside workings of the National Party's campaign before the 2005 election using leaked personal e-mails from leader Don Brash's computer and other internal documents, has been turned into a feature-length documentary.
One issue that really gets my blood boiling is Nicky Hager and Dr Brash's stolen emails. When the main opposition party, or any party for that matter, cannot correspond in confidence then that is a huge thread to our democracy. More of a thread than the Electoral Finance Act and Winston Peters combined. Nicky Hager is nothing more than a terrorist.
Strong words for sure, but that's how strong I feel about this issue. The use of stolen emails would be justified in the minds of some if Hager unearth a ghastly secret. But Nicky Hager could not find a smoking-gun even with access to hundreds of Dr Brash's emails. Much of what Hager 'revealed' had already been aired by the media. This shows the media are doing their job and such skullduggery is totally unnecessary.
In the USA the Watergate scandal sparked a massive federal investigation and resulted in the resignation of a President. What happens in New Zealand; the police took a year to tell us they had nothing. The Labour government provides money so the stolen emails can be made into a play and a film. It would be a joke if it weren't true.
The media are reluctant to link Labour with this crime, but I suspect that Helen's much talked about 'neutron bomb' is really just more stolen emails. Even if Labour had no part in stealing the emails, they are a party to the crime by using them for political purposes. It is also well known Helen and Heather stand over the police, so the investigation into the theft would hardly be impartial. Helen has expressed NO abhorrence to what has happened despite the implications for our democracy.
I could still respect Helen if my only disagreement with her was over political philosophy. Hell I could even be converted on a point or two. But Helen's involvement in this is disgusting and reveals her true unprincipled nature. As Dr Brash said this Labour government is indeed the most corrupt in New Zealand's history.
^This is my most strongly worded post to date and unlikely to be topped.
Nationals candidate Darren Chester triumphed with 63 per cent of the two-party preferred vote in yesterday's poll, against Labor candidate Darren McCubbin's 37 per cent."I think it's an extraordinary result that you have a 7 per cent swing against Mr Rudd only seven months after he has won the election, which would be one of the largest swings against a newly elected government, I think, since Federation."
"Full details, including the structure of the company, its name and even the new paint job for the trains, will be announced at the official hand over from Toll to the government in Wellington on Tuesday. ONE News will bring you the story.."
"This is the Cullen that the public has tired of and grown to dislike - the quick-tongued, arrogant-sounding smarty pants who was grudgingly slow to get his head around personal tax cuts."
Nandor shatters shackles of time
"Nandor Tanczos left Parliament yesterday, saying he was going away to cleanse his soul and wouldn't need to know the time any more."
^Cleanse his soul... cleanse it with dope perhaps;).
Referring to Question Time: "It's a time when I'm most ashamed of being a member of Parliament," he said.
"You all know what I'm talking about."
That was a reference to the abusive shouting and bad behaviour that go on during question time.
^I agreed. Nandor was/is my favourite green MP. It's easy to disregard him because of his dreadlocks, but he has many positive qualities. He's not from the psychotic far left of the party and advocates negotiating with both sides of the house. He's apparently pretty onto it with IT issues. He also showed good manners in the house - his dislike of shouting matches is something akin to Don Brash.
As a non-dope smoker I respect his principled stand on the issue, and dare I say it, even his right to smoke dope.
Dope, Nandor Tanczos , Greens
We must go for nuclear power, says AWU NEWS.com.au
""If we are going to be a green Labor government, then we have to look at nuclear," Mr Howes told The Australian newspaper."
"Mr Carr and Mr Howes are pushing for Labor to drop its long-standing policy of rejecting nuclear power. "
"Mr Carr said nuclear power was the critical bridge between the carbon era and energy from renewable resources. "
Smack referendum next year, says Clark - 26 Jun 2008 - Politics: New Zealand Political News
"will inevitably lead to voter confusion, congestion in polling places and put at risk the timing of the parliamentary count." - According to the PM.
On the House - stuff.co.nz:
"It’s ironic that National has escaped unscathed despite also voting for it, but that’s another matter."
