The leftward and other blatherings of Span (now with Snaps!)

Sunday, May 21, 2006

So what have I missed?

A plea to my readers here, in fact to NZ´s political bloggers in general.

Currently I´m on a mini OE, right now I´m in Spain. I hear it´s cold in NZ. It´s not cold here. It´s 33.5 C here, and that´s at 5pm in the afternoon.

But I digress.

Being overseas means not having much internet access. NZ news isn´t exactly on the front pages over here on the continent (even when they are in English). In fact the only NZ news I´ve seen was in Russia, when Russell Crowe´s smoking on stage stunt made the briefs of the St Petersburg Times.

So what I´m asking for is for you (yes, you) to nominate, in the comments section or on your own blogs (and please post a link in the comments here so that I can find it) the following:

Your top three NZ political/political blogging events since March 26th, each described in TEN WORDS OR LESS.

Time is money, and internet time is big money. I´ve paid up to $20 NZ an hour just to read the NZ Herald online (a pitiful experience - are weather and Dancing with the Stars the only news in NZ?) so I´m relying on you, dear readers, to come through for me. I unfortunately don´t have time to surf around the blogs on the occasions I do get online, so please take pity on me and feed my news addiction here instead. Extra points for brevity.

PS Can someone kindly explain, preferably in one sentence, this rumour I vaguely hear about Russell Brown and Murray from Silent Running being the same person?

10 comments:

Aaron Bhatnagar said...

A boring budget: big on transport spending but scant little else. A budget that made both Greens and National unhappy. Cullen now thinking about future tax cuts after the roasting he got from media and the opposition.

Telecom Local Loop unbundling: should have been the big budget event but got leaked 2 weeks in advance. $2 billion wiped off Telecom's value on the NZX. Competing telcos and ISPs jumping for joy. Cunliffe made a subsequent blunder by suggesting that Telecom would reduce its dividends, wiped a further $200 milllion off TEL. Most commentators in favour, only ACT and a few in National unhappy with Telecom's property being interfered with.

General politics: Brash had a bad week 2 weeks ago, then a very good budget week. national launches new billboard campaign - talking up recent tax cuts in Australia. Talk of a purge within Labour to clean out old faces and bring in new ones off the list, Labour overspending in election looks like a rort that the cops won't examine, Labour may lose dog microchipping, opposition getting legislation drawn on private members ballot past their first reading, Green leadership looks like Norman vs Tanczos, most polling shows Nat and Lab around 40%, greens around 7%, NZF 3%, UF 2%, MP 2%, Act 1%.

Span said...

Thanks Aaron, any lefties care to comment from their perspective?

One thing that strikes me as a bit odd about the Labour purge is that it's taking so long. Next on the list, Lesley Soper, has been waiting quite a while to come back in, and each time I hear about the forthcoming resignation that will give her a seat back it seems to be further and further away... Why the hold-up, especially as there seem to be 4 likely to go in the next year?

Aaron Bhatnagar said...

Charles Chauvel is the one apparently agitating to get into Parliament.

Psycho Milt said...

I also look forward to explanations of this Russell Brown = Murray rumour...

Big news of recent times:

1. Maia now has an anti-Capitalism Bad; Tree Pretty site run by American anti-Maias.

2. Krimsonlake is video-blogging, and looks so cute with a cigarette.

3. I've canned my blog and joined Sir Humphreys. No, seriously.

Sigh - all those happened in the last couple of weeks. My memory is shot to bits.

Span said...

PM:

1. Ok that's weird.
2. Ok that's not surprising (the cute bit)
3. Ok that's... WHAT?!

Explanations please, anybody!

Psycho Milt said...

They asked, and hardly any bugger was reading my own blog. So basically, they're doing me a favour. And let's face it, isn't there something to be said for finding a post entitled "In praise of unions" on SH?

Span said...

Don't tell me I have to actually read SH now then? ;-)

Span said...

Hey I tried to find that anti-Maia site but no dice - incidentally PM your link goes to Kiwiblog...

I heard that it was http://capitalismgood.blogspot.com but that didn't work, anyone got any suggestions?

Ta in advance

Psycho Milt said...

D'oh! http://capitalismgreat.blogspot.com

Oh, and welcome back!

Span said...

Cheers PM, that is hilarious!