If National wins ...

[elZorro]

Oh, I don't know, elZorro.

I'm inclined to think that when it comes to lowering the floor, everyone's had their fair go with the digger.

I've known a few MPs over the years and like you, I wonder how they manage to stay in office. I've also wondered how some of them ever got selected in the first place. I lean to the suspicion that perhaps they know where the bodies are buried.

Regardless, it's National who are looking fairly shady at the moment. Bill English was complicit in a cover-up, and John Key as PM offered money from his own taxpayer slush fund to keep it quiet. Why was Todd Barclay so important to them in 2016?

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/2...nglish-barclay

[blackcap]

Regardless, it's National who are looking fairly shady at the moment. Bill English was complicit in a cover-up, and John Key as PM offered money from his own taxpayer slush fund to keep it quiet. Why was Todd Barclay so important to them in 2016?

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/2...nglish-barclay

El Zorro, I know you may be fizzing all over this but the average family man/woman does not really care as long as the WFF keeps coming, the job pays the bills and their individual situation stays the same or improves. Fortunately for National more than 50% of ppl in this country are in that boat. They do not really care what some 26 year old punk may or may not have been taping on a dictaphone in the deep south.

[dobby41]

El Zorro, I know you may be jizzing all over this but the average family man/woman does not really care as long as the WFF keeps coming, the job pays the bills and their individual situation stays the same or improves. Fortunately for National more than 50% of ppl in this country are in that boat. They do not really care what some 26 year old punk may or may not have been taping on a dictaphone in the deep south.

And that is the sad part really - people don't care about honesty and integrity anymore.
Shonkey used to say 'the public don't care' and he got away with some amazing stuff.

To Bills credit he just doesn't look as comfortable lying as Shonkey did.
But he still lies!

[BlackPeter]

In that case vote Labour, since our party is meant to look like a cross-section of NZ's best.
...

Oh, I see - and I assume Labour uses the same principles to pick their leader, don't they ? Cunliffe and Little being the cream of the cream, leaders of the best NZ society produces? EZ, don't make NZ smaller than it is ...

But I think you meant to say that Labour is meant to be a cross section of a particular group of NZ people, and hey, some of them are good and there are some not so good (as with any other party constituency). Labour's speciality is to pick the latter as leaders, though admittedly - sometimes they miss.

However - if they pick accidentally a good one (like Shearer), than they kick them out before lunch time ...

So yes - looks like National made a mistake in picking Todd Barclay as candidate - but at least they didn't promote him to party leader .

[blackcap]

Barclay already forgotten.. looks like Labour have been playing naughty boys:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/poli...rseas-students

[craic]

How many of these are you billeting, el Zorro?

[GTM 3442]

Regardless, it's National who are looking fairly shady at the moment. Bill English was complicit in a cover-up, and John Key as PM offered money from his own taxpayer slush fund to keep it quiet. Why was Todd Barclay so important to them in 2016?

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2017/06/2...nglish-barclay

One of the laws of nature is that as the sun moves, so does the shade. I think it might be a law of politics too. Maybe even a law of human behavior.

[Bjauck]

Another record annual immigration level has been set. 72,000 extra people to house and provide infrastructure for. NZ citizen returnees equal NZers leaving.

On a per population basis, that would be equivalent to about a million immigants into the UK and 5 million immigrants into the USA. The USA actually had a legal migration level of about one million. What would the political pressures have been like in the US and the UK if they had experienced the scale of immigration that NZ has?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigr..._United_States
http://business.scoop.co.nz/2017/06/...on-tops-72000/

[winner69]

Another record annual immigration level has been set. 72,000 extra people to house and provide infrastructure for. NZ citizen returnees equal NZers leaving.

On a per population basis, that would be equivalent to about a million immigants into the UK and 5 million immigrants into the USA. The USA actually had a legal migration level of about one million. What would the political pressures have been like in the US and the UK if they had experienced the scale of immigration that NZ has?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigr..._United_States
http://business.scoop.co.nz/2017/06/...on-tops-72000/

You are sounding like a Labour spokesperson with that rant

[Bjauck]

You are sounding like a Labour spokesperson with that rant

Rant? Really? I am neither apologist or spokes person for any party. It was a comparative observation and discussion point. fwiw, I am non-aligned and have not yet decided how I'll vote.

However I don't think Auckland housing and infrastructure is coping adequately for its existing population. If that coincides with Labour opinion, then so be it.