If National wins ...

[elZorro]

It would seem that Belgarion has his posts intact, and is back online. Cheers, welcome back Belge. Had me very worried for a bit.

[elZorro]

I read some of the "newsletters" my wife receives from her teacher union. It is pure Labour propaganda, especially close to elections.

Sgt Pepper's post noted. I sincerely hope for your sake Iceman, that your wife's vote doesn't cancel out yours. Maybe you should grab those propaganda sheets (masquerading as newsletters) the instant they hit the letterbox, in case she is tempted to read them. Can't be too careful these days.

[craic]

Just got a call from an old workmate who is calling around for a visit. A dyed in the wool Labour man from his days as a teacher. Has been out delivering pamphlets for the Conservatives whom he now supports. Reason? He wants them to get 5% " to keep National honest" in the next term. I will hear the expanded version later. But now, even Dot com states that his revelations later are hardly likely to hurt John Key's popularity.

[westerly]

the teaching profession is probably further to the left than the wharfies were and they have been there for many decades.

The teachers union or the wharfies for that matter are no further left than Federated Farmers or the Chamber of Commerce ( which basically are unions of a different sort ) are to the right. It being the duty of both types to further the interests of their members.
The diminishing of union power may have been necessary thirty years ago but the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction with the far right attacks both open and hidden on those who need unions to look after their interests.
There was an interesting article in the Sunday paper on how technical advances are continually removing jobs even at the unskilled level. Private enterprise will show no interest in job creation and it will inevitably fall back on Govt. to create more jobs to avoid civil unrest. National will continue to advocate for lesser Govt. and lower taxes so there is not much hope of a solution there.

westerly
|

[Major von Tempsky]

Belge is back? How very disappointing! Pity. Does he have some blackmail info over Vince the Administrator? Why isn't the same set of rules applied as is applied to other people! Why will Vince comment on Moose, etc etc but he will never utter a word of explanation why Belge is not reined in?

EZ do you enjoy reading 5 consecutive posts from Belge so no one else can post? Do enjoy a seeing a nonstop stream of personal vitriol directed at other posters simply because they disagree with Belge on some point? Do you enjoy seeing some newbie having his intelligence, his qualifications, his origins, his membership of community organisations, his religion, where he lives, who he associates with all insulted so he never comes back to Sharetrader?
Unbelievable. One day someone will take a legal case against Belge and/or a legal case against Vince for not implementing his Moderator role impartially!
Naturally, as always, there WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO COMMENT ON THIS from Vince!

[elZorro]

The teachers union or the wharfies for that matter are no further left than Federated Farmers or the Chamber of Commerce ( which basically are unions of a different sort ) are to the right. It being the duty of both types to further the interests of their members.
The diminishing of union power may have been necessary thirty years ago but the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction with the far right attacks both open and hidden on those who need unions to look after their interests.
There was an interesting article in the Sunday paper on how technical advances are continually removing jobs even at the unskilled level. Private enterprise will show no interest in job creation and it will inevitably fall back on Govt. to create more jobs to avoid civil unrest. National will continue to advocate for lesser Govt. and lower taxes so there is not much hope of a solution there.

westerly
|

Really good points Westerly. When larger firms get government grants for R&D, they often don't use it to expand their workforce. They'll buy in robots, automate stuff, chop out staff with it, while keeping the R&D staff busy and paid for. Smaller firms will do the opposite, they will need more staff to do any research. They won't need new equipment much, they'll be trying to get it working closer to 100% utilisation. So Labour's R&D tax credits are much more aligned with job creation.

In my business, I try and keep the bulk manufacturing here in NZ, I resist automation when it makes no sense for smaller runs. I like to be able to say we hand-build things. Our customers get that message, too.

[Bobcat.]

Just got a call from an old workmate who is calling around for a visit. A dyed in the wool Labour man from his days as a teacher. Has been out delivering pamphlets for the Conservatives whom he now supports. Reason? He wants them to get 5% " to keep National honest" in the next term. I will hear the expanded version later. But now, even Dot com states that his revelations later are hardly likely to hurt John Key's popularity.

John Key's interview in front of a live audience on Shine TV's Family in Focus last night was very interesting. For those that missed it, he more or less endorsed the Conservative Party as a valid representation of New Zealanders subscribing to more conservative values than National around marriage (i.e. exclusively heterosexual -- not homosexual nor polygamist nor any other unnatural social preference), parental discipline of children (i.e. permitting non-abusive physical correction by way of a light smack), binding referendums (referring to a meeting he had with Colin Craig and Bob McCoskrie soon after the non-binding referendum by which over 85% of NZ'ers voted against the new anti-smacking bill), pro-life & euthanasia (i.e. acknowledging the sanctity of life all the way from conception to natural death), etc.

Not once did he mention anything positive about Winston Peters in that regard...who by the way is on record as supporting euthanasia.

Key would clearly prefer to work closely with Colin Craig and his party, and so don't be surprised if in some way he makes that a reality later this month.

A vote for the Conservatives is increasingly unlikely to be a wasted vote, especially for those less liberal and permissive amongst us. Unlike many of the alternatives, at least Craig and his supporters have a moral compass. I did begin to wonder if Key has perhaps lost his when he stated that because society is changing, our laws must reflect the wishes of the people wanting to marry as homosexuals...but then stumbled when McCoskrie asked him if that meant at some point in the future he would support polygamy, marrying a relative or someone very young, or some other version of marriage merely because an active minority lobby group promoted it and society became a bit more tolerant of it.

God created Adam and Eve...not Madam and Eve...nor Adam and Steve...for good reason. It's not just generally better for children to have a mum and dad married as man and wife, society is healthier for it. To protect property rights, we allowed civil unions for homosexuals who at the time claimed that's all they wanted when in fact their agenda was to undermine and redefine the traditional family unit.

To degrade the institution of marriage by redefining it to accommodate unions that are non-heterosexual and/or involving consenting minors or multiple partners would be a mistake. To reverse this trend (as the Conservatives will facilitate by way of a binding referendum) will give NZ'ers the opportunity to protect and promote what is not only good for women & children but what also brings out the best in men.

Government of the people for the people would be a refreshing change. I say bring on the binding referendums...

Go you good thing.

BC

[slimwin]

Homo sexuality is very normal in the natural world bobcat. Not my cup of tea but I'm not a bigot over it either.

[iceman]

Sgt Pepper's post noted. I sincerely hope for your sake Iceman, that your wife's vote doesn't cancel out yours. Maybe you should grab those propaganda sheets (masquerading as newsletters) the instant they hit the letterbox, in case she is tempted to read them. Can't be too careful these days.

I am not sure what she votes mate and however she votes, I can't see how that would possibly cancel out my vote ! It is her decision how to vote and not one that I try to influence. I know it is not unusual for leftwingers (Nicky Hager etc) to steal other people's personal mail but it isn't my style EZ, so I will not follow your kind advice

[Bobcat.]

Homo sexuality is very normal in the natural world bobcat. Not my cup of tea but I'm not a bigot over it either.

It's not bigotry to know the difference between right and wrong, my friend. There is no such thing as a 'gay gene'. Putting it bluntly, homosexuality is both voluntary misbehaviour and a psychological disorder. I accept that is more difficult for some people to know how to relate normally to the opposite sex but this is not due to how we are designed nor to any inclinations (orientation?) one has when born. Factors in one's upbringing are the best explanation as to why some unfortunates experience difficulties relating to the opposite sex:

e.g. being raised by a dominating mother...or by an ineffective father..or more recently by tax-payer funded sexuality 'education' programmes (indoctrination) in secondary and now primary schools, whereby pubescent children are not only told how to locate and stimulate the clitoris (yes, it's true) but also told to accept and explore homosexual behaviour, and that to do otherwise is 'homophobic'.

The world has gone mad. For our own good, and the good of others, we must get back to basics...to what our Creator has made crystal clear in his instruction manual to mankind.

From Romans Chapter 1:

"Since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse...

God game them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonour their bodies amongst themselves...

God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their lust for one another, committing what is shameful. "

Live and let live? I don't think so. The problem for the rest of us is societal. First tolerance...then comes acceptance...and then imitation. That's the slippery slope. Instead, we must protect our children and others whom we love (yes, including those caught up in homosexual lifestyle) by declaring and promoting the truth concerning behaviour that is morally right (for good reason, and as revealed by Scripture) vs that which is not right.

Keeping perspective, we are all tempted by sin and at times give into temptation (since we are all sinners). To varying extents, we are all enticed by the lust of the eye or the lust of the flesh (for sexual gratification, for money, for fame, for possessions, for power & influence, etc) and so really nobody is in a position to condemn his fellow man as though we are somehow more righteous (since there is none who are righteous, not one...except of course the Son of Man, God's own Son - Jesus Christ) but crikey, let's recognise what's not right and live accordingly, can we not? To do otherwise is a sign that we have lost our moral compass, and risk influencing our community in a way that's not healthy and less than God-honouring.