If National wins ...

[Vaygor1]

Grant Robertson would make an adequate opposition leader but he will never make it as Prime Minister. Stuart Nash might be a better bet although I haven't seen him in action for a while. Parker needs to go too. However they've got two terms to sort themselves out before they have a serious attempt.

I agree and Kelvin Davies should get added into the mix too. But presently, none of them fit all four categories in my view. Time will help fix the 'experience' issue. More time than 3 years I think.

[westerly]

Yes, that was a master stroke by the "far right think tanks of the US and Australia" to involve Mr Kim in the election!

I think not.

I think Kim came out of a strong dislike of John Key. He should be sent back to Germany where they are not enamoured of US hacking. They may be able to use him?
As for the think tanks , evidently many in the National Party are not enthused by them either. That is if they haven't already been purged.

westerly

[slimwin]

Wheres the evidence charter schools work?

[Vaygor1]

Wheres the evidence charter schools work?

There's loads. This for a start...

http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/~/med...ng-term_wp.pdf

Disc: No interest or affiliation whatsoever with any educational institute or union.

[nextbigthing]

Even a relatively efficient Sealord factory can't survive in the primary sector. What they were doing is a lot more organised than most operations. We need a lot more businesses that have a good margin, so they can be good employers. We need an edge to everything that we do.

How is an $18.50 minimum wage going to help places like Sealord?

[fungus pudding]

How is an $18.50 minimum wage going to help places like Sealord?

Don't try and bring logic into the argument. That's not fair.

[jonu]

If they were such nice guys, why all the guns without permits, and what were they doing with Molotov cocktails?

I didn't say they were nice guys, but the kids on the bus are a different matter. By the way guns without permits are not unusual in poor rural communities. Labour used to be a party of the working class, now it's a party of the out of touch psuedo intellectual. Jim Anderton said on the radio this morning, pre 1984 they had a membership of 100k, now it's about 10k. I'll say it again-Helen Clark was no saint. And I'm no fan of John Key either.

[craic]

Heard John Key on the radio this morning when he praised Stuart Nash among other things. But there is a risk with Nash. In Napier National got almost exactly twice the number of Party votes that Labour got. Now factor in a significant Conservative vote here and Stuart Nash may have trouble holding his seat next time. He has worked on two local issues for the past three years and he will not be able to deliver on either. If he gets the top job he will have to swallow his pride and claim a place on the list.

[nextbigthing]

Snapiti, you heard the man, go fetch him a crayfish

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti...ectid=10543281

PS seems there's nothing he can do, it's pretty legal.

[elZorro]

Snapiti, you heard the man, go fetch him a crayfish

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/arti...ectid=10543281

PS seems there's nothing he can do, it's pretty legal.

NBT, you are a few years out of date. But National are still trying it on.

You were implying that Sealord could have carried on if they could just hold wages down lower. Maybe, but what would be the point? The longer they stay fishing out the nearby seas, the further they'll have to travel to get enough fish, and fuel isn't getting cheaper either. Fish farming or aquaculture might be a better idea, after all land farmers have developed good systems.

Both have RMA issues, but National will be able to sort that out soon. In fact the farming lobby is already calling for that in the press. Allow more irrigation, ease up on checking waterways. We'll be watching.

How about NZ develops smarter manufacturing businesses in regional and city centres close to existing populations, more hi-tech, niche markets, and leaves more basic processing and manufacturing to other countries, unless we have ample and renewable resources close to hand? Like milk, meat, wool, horticultural and nearby fish stocks.