tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post801836764320310214..comments2023-08-10T21:14:14.933+12:00Comments on Insolent Prick: Practical Application of Labour’s Electoral Act ReformsInsolent Prickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12438163323894858558noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-71371749529847837982007-05-04T07:11:00.000+12:002007-05-04T07:11:00.000+12:00I freely admit I am too thick to have anything to ...I freely admit I am too thick to have anything to add to posts with political content. I don't even read them. How about some more sordid tales of your thoroughly despicable sex life?Mrs Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13864664806865081684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-18561654359644128152007-04-21T13:02:00.000+12:002007-04-21T13:02:00.000+12:00I love the blog that you have. I was wondering if ...I love the blog that you have. I was wondering if you would link my blog to yours and in return I would do the same for your blog. If you want to, my site name is American Legends and the URL is:<BR/><BR/>www.americanlegends.info<BR/><BR/>If you want to do this just go to my blog and in one of the comments just write your blog name and the URL and I will add it to my site.<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>DavidUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09654569114369015472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-33990952150464172752007-04-21T03:40:00.000+12:002007-04-21T03:40:00.000+12:00What's the difference between telling members to v...What's the difference between telling members to vote for Labour and advocating for a Labour-led government? The money and resources are still going towards the same goal.<BR/><BR/>Do you think any union expects the same rewards from a National Govt. Of course not, so that's why they are putting their hands out as often as they can now, so that they can keep the Labour grvay train in power.Just my opinionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16614554113040355062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-45812790265927479382007-04-21T00:32:00.000+12:002007-04-21T00:32:00.000+12:00No, Rasputin, I won't.I don't link to pinkos.I als...No, Rasputin, I won't.<BR/><BR/>I don't link to pinkos.<BR/><BR/>I also don't link to blogs that have no content. To date the only content your blog includes is the fact that you are a pinko, and one other post.<BR/><BR/>I do note, however, that the one post you do have rails against the taxes you pay. On that basis, I am surprised you confess to being a Labour supporter.<BR/><BR/>You would do well to stop writing a blog, and focus instead on developing a coherent view of the world.<BR/><BR/>And it is very poor form to go spamming other people's blogs to get them to link to yours.Insolent Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438163323894858558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-57599661609892305012007-04-20T12:30:00.000+12:002007-04-20T12:30:00.000+12:00Insolent Prick...we like your Blog. Like this deb...Insolent Prick...we like your Blog. Like this debate<BR/><BR/>Will add it as a link. can you please add ours! <BR/><BR/>http://redrasputin.blog.com/<BR/><BR/>Thanks<BR/>Red RasputinAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-53503389114983483712007-04-19T08:40:00.000+12:002007-04-19T08:40:00.000+12:00Of course the Government won't intervene on your b...Of course the Government won't intervene on your behalf in Air New Zealand. Air New Zealand is a publicly listed company. If the Government were to intervene on your behalf, the stock price would go through the floor, and the Crown would be short of a cool billion. Not even Michael Cullen is stupid enough to do that.<BR/><BR/>The EPMU, and the CTU, had fundamental roles in writing the Employment Relations Act, which gave a massive benefit to unions. We are seeing today the outrageous bribe of $650 by CYFS to PSA union members, to celebrate the PSA's anniversary. That is a complete fucking rort, and would only happen under a Labour Government.<BR/><BR/>You cannot honestly say the EPMU doesn't tell its members to vote Labour, yet then admit that the EPMU "advocates for a Labour-led Government."Insolent Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438163323894858558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-51789082344733062482007-04-17T23:05:00.000+12:002007-04-17T23:05:00.000+12:00IP:As someone working inside the EPMU I can assure...IP:<BR/><BR/>As someone working inside the EPMU I can assure you that,<BR/><BR/>a) While the EPMU has good access to Labour through its affiliation to the party, this rarelyif ever translates into actual policy. Where was the govt during Air NZ? Where are they now with what's happening at TVNZ?<BR/><BR/>b) The EPMU never tells its members to 'vote Labour', nor would they necessarily follow the orders of the union leadership in any case. What the union does do is advocate for a Labour-led government and highlight what the alternative would be for working people. I see nothing wrong with that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-72881976900586236762007-04-13T09:37:00.000+12:002007-04-13T09:37:00.000+12:00No, Chris. You cannot cherry-pick which third par...No, Chris. You cannot cherry-pick which third parties can or cannot raise issues during an election year.<BR/><BR/>Let's say this brand new drug curing a particular kind of cancer hits the market during election year. The Labour Minister says the Government won't fund it. So let's say in response the Cancer Society puts together a petition to the Minister, and an open letter to all political parties, with public advertising, calling on the Government to fund it.<BR/><BR/>That is not structurally different from the No More Rates campaign, or the Build Auckland Roads Now campaign, or the kind of public political activities that third party special interest groups engage in all the time. Putting a limit of $60,000 on third party groups in the whole election year does not just target the Exclusive Brethren: it takes out every other public organisation.Insolent Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438163323894858558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-81282709075951778522007-04-13T00:54:00.000+12:002007-04-13T00:54:00.000+12:00OK, yes I agree with your point in part, but I wou...OK, yes I agree with your point in part, but I would be surprised, and indeed disappointed, if campaigning on 'issues' was the target of the proposed restrictions. There is a difference between campaigning on an issue and campaigning for or against a party. I agree that this is an area that needs careful consideration. For example, if the Cancer Society were to publish a brochure summarising their own position on the funding for cancer research, and then a summary of each political party's policies, and how they match up to those, in my view this is not the sort of campaigning we should restrict. If on the other hand, the Cancer Society were to start running ads saying 're-elect the govt' or 'change the govt' - that clearly is campaigning for or against a party and should be covered. As I said in my initial comment, there are some big definition issues to be resolved.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13976335233713313377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-25032323033246721612007-04-13T00:09:00.000+12:002007-04-13T00:09:00.000+12:00Chris,You have patently misunderstood my point.My ...Chris,<BR/><BR/>You have patently misunderstood my point.<BR/><BR/>My point is that unions do not need to communicate outside its membership on labour market issues to put their issues on the political agenda under a Labour Government. All the union has to do is call up the Labour Party minister, and it is instantly on the agenda.<BR/><BR/>For groups such as the EMA, the Plunket Society, and the Cancer Foundation, a key part of their brief is to raise public awareness of their issues: they don't have proximity of access to ministers.<BR/><BR/>Secondly, the nature of union campaigning is primarily amongst its membership anyway. Unions tell their members to vote Labour. They are affiliated to the Labour Party, and are a key part of Labour's campaign.<BR/><BR/>Not so with the EMA, the Cancer Society, or Plunket. They go out and explain to their members which issues are of concern to the organisation, but they don't go so far as to promote political parties during an election. The EMA is not going to go out during an election and tell its membership to "Vote National", or "Not Vote Labour".<BR/><BR/>Labour's attempt to silence third party groups during an election year will stifle public debate. We would not have had a Pro MMP campaign under these third party rules. Referenda campaigns, full stop, will be confined to spending less than $60k per year.<BR/><BR/>It is quite clear that "communicating with membership" does not go so far as to take out advertising in newspapers, radio, or on television. It does extend to sending literature directly to members.<BR/><BR/>This is a preposterous attempt by Labour to silence any group wishing to bring public attention to its issues during an election year.Insolent Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12438163323894858558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-12802866405213456592007-04-12T23:12:00.000+12:002007-04-12T23:12:00.000+12:00All of which brings the rule of law into utter con...All of which brings the rule of law into utter contempt (assuming they pass it) and if done under the legislative process suggested. I hope it leads to civil unrest because this proposed incursion on our rights is unprecedented. <BR/><BR/>Pity our millitary has been so neutered. Is that comment seditious? It would be in North Korea, oh well, best I wait for the knock at the door.<BR/><BR/>But then as a nation on one benefit or a "tax relief" arrangement of one kind or another I don't see much of a problem for the army to contain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14039752.post-71407648682938257712007-04-12T22:58:00.000+12:002007-04-12T22:58:00.000+12:00Your argument has a major weakness. It assumes tha...Your argument has a major weakness. It assumes that the rules would be different for unions than it would be for employer groups. If unions could communicate with their members through public campaigns, so could employer groups, the foundation for the blind etc. <BR/><BR/>I do agree with you, however, that if there are to be exemptions for some types of activity, they will need to be tightly defined. If the EPMU, for example, were to print of thousands of leaflets promoting Labour Party policy and hand them out in the street, that would clearly be campaigning. Similarly, if the EMA were to take out a full page ad in the NBR communicating its support for National or ACT policies to its members, that would be campaigning too. <BR/><BR/>In principle, the notion that membership based organisations should not be prevented from communicating with their members is a good one, but there are some real issues of definition that would need to be sorted out.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13976335233713313377noreply@blogger.com