The Hon Andrew Little MP has had a good first week as Leader of the Opposition. Some are saying what a breath of fresh air this straight-shooter is.
He’s been an MP for three years. And in the context of Labour, which has factions within, that’s a good thing. A guy who isn’t tainted by the system, of favouring one lot over another, or of having got into the role by playing games.
He’s also learned not to pick fights that are a waste of time. While some on the left would have attempted to drag on the PM’s latest gaffes over Inspector General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn’s findings, Little is looking like a leader by saying: âIt’s time to say game over, John. Front up, admit the truth, tell New Zealanders. Say sorry and we’ll all move on.â
He even acknowledges that once upon a time, the Prime Minister ‘was once a reasonably straight shooter but no longer.’
That outsider’s perspective that Mr Little has is going to stand Labour well, and already New Zealanders are seeing that it won’t be “politics as usual”.
Same-again politicians, as both left and right have seen, can be very dangerous to our system, with their tendency to be more and more disconnected from everyday voters.
Labour might have its first pragmatic leader in years. That début address made good watching, and this is a guy who claims public speaking is his weak suit.
Archive for November 2014
Little Big Man was antiestablishment, as is big man Little: straight talk is what Labour needs
28.11.2014Tags: Andrew Little, Aotearoa, John Key, Labour, leadership, New Zealand, politics, TV, Wellington, Whanganui-a-Tara, YouTube
Posted in leadership, New Zealand, politics, Wellington | No Comments »
Bypass Auckland when you can
21.11.2014It’s a shame I had to write this to Auckland Airport today (salutation and closing omitted):
Iâd like you guys to know that on Monday night, your inter-terminal bus never came. Passengers (around 20) were waiting at the stop at domestic from 9.45 to 10.15 p.m. The airport staff I spoke to were really surprised at this, too.
I donât mind the walk but there was an elderly lady among the passengers who didnât enjoy the gales blasting through that night. I helped her with her huge bag to international, and I am sure another passenger would have helped her if I wasnât there, but itâs a shame this had to happen.
During our walk, we never saw the bus pass us, so it looked like the 10.30 p.m. finishing time that you advertise was not observed that night.
I hope you can look into it.
And Novotel, no, it is not cool that if someone orders a drink at the restaurant, pays for it, and decides to finish the remainder in his room, that you would try to charge him again the following morning (note: at 6.30 a.m., before any cleaning crew came) for consuming an ‘in-room beverage’. Thank you for not charging when I disputed it, but, again, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. (Having no free power outlets by the desk but two where the kettle is also seems a bit odd.)
It’s more reason for travellers to come to Wellington, where we’re fairer.
Tags: Accor, Aotearoa, Auckland, business, customer service, New Zealand, Novotel, TÄmaki Makaurau, travel
Posted in business, culture, New Zealand | 1 Comment »
Top 10 terrible TV show ideas
06.11.2014I chose my professions because I would be absolutely useless creating TV shows. Here are my top 10 ideas, none of which would likely fly on telly.
Downtown Abby. Eight Is Enough sequel. Abby and Tom Bradford move to a swanky San Francisco apartment, now that the kids have left home. But good help is hard to find these days. Dick van Patten and Betty Buckley reprise their roles.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Fast. Set during the Troubles, about an Irish lad growing up in Bogside, a predominantly Catholic part of Derry City, being touted by gang elements. After getting into trouble playing football outside his school, his mother decides to send him to his uncle and aunt in a wealthy Protestant enclave in north Belfast.
Samantha Who. Doctor Who spin-off, carrying on the adventures of the Doctorâs daughter who was extrapolated from his DNA in âThe Doctorâs Daughterâ. Since the Doctor has left, she has adopted a new name, and is trying to discover more about her fatherâs past.
The Apprentice: Death Row Edition. They’ve tried the celebrity version; now it’s the turn of people who have been forgotten by society. The winner gets out of jail. The loser each week, unfortunately, has to hear the words, ‘You’re fried!’
Life on Veronica Mars. Kristen Thomas wakes up 35 years ago after being struck by a Chrysler Le Baron. Is she mad, in a coma, or back in time?
The Postman Pat. Pat drives his Royal Mail van in a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Colombo. In the tradition of the foreign-set Van der Valk, Zen and Wallander, the BBC sets its new cop drama in Sri Lanka, with a glass-eyed, raincoat-wearing detective with a penchant for kottu.
OâJack. Similar idea to the above, but set in Northern Ireland, about a bald RUC detective who is partial to OatïŹeldâs toffee, solving crimes on both sides of the divide.
American Horror Story. A reality show with cameras following the 2014 mid-term Senate elections.
Game of Thrones. Yet another home makeover show, but focusing only on the water closet. Participants have to deal with plumbing, toilets, tiles and interior design. Minor appeal perhaps, but youâd never think those other ones would do so well, would you?
I jest, but I really would watch some of these (except for The Apprentice: Death Row Edition, which is just sick) over some of the crap on television today.
Tags: humour, TV
Posted in humour, TV, UK, USA | 1 Comment »
Shanghai, 1987 v. 2013
05.11.2014Originally on my Tumblog, but the graphic wouldnât fit properly with the template.
Amazing. There’s an entire generation who will have no concept of Shanghai being a city without skyscrapers.
Tags: architecture, China, photography, Shanghai, urbanization
Posted in China | No Comments »