Should Phil Goff resign?

[shrub]

I think Labour, fundamentally what they stand for alongside Greens, Alliance and Maori party are a bunch of idiots. They don't believe in hard work, they don't believe in above average growth or a booming economy.

So the less likely they're to win the elections the happier I am.

I don't think National believe in above average growth or a booming economy either. People talk about it, but it's like Santa Claus and God - show me some solid and measurable evidence that such things can exist before you expect me to believe in them. Show me strategies that might lead to economic growth and I'd probably be willing to believe, but novelty plastic wakas and cycle tracks don't make for a convincing argument.

But I do believe in hard work - only way I get to pay my bike rego.

[mashman]

so you're saying that if Phil Goff and John Key swapped party leadership jobs for the next 18 months (ass hat figure), Labour would get back into power?

[shrub]

so you're saying that if Phil Goff and John Key swapped party leadership jobs for the next 18 months (ass hat figure), Labour would get back into power?

Probably. It seems the main reason National won the last election was because everyone was sick of Helen Clark because she was ugly whereas John Key had a nice smile. And he had lots of money. Nobody seems to be all that interested in boring stuff like policies, evidenced by the way nobody here seems to actually know much about the different parties policies, so they're wasting their time pissing around with policies when they would be better learning how to amuse us.

Rodney Hide was good at that - I reckon the only reason Act are in parliament is because he did dancing with the stars because their policies are as logical as believing that cracking down on speeding and drink driving are by far the best ways to reduce the road toll and road user attitude and skill is not worth worrying about.

That's where I think Rhys Darby would be ideal - he has a nice smile and lots of money and he's even funnier than John Key. Billy Connolly would be better still, he's really funny and has truckloads of money. Crap smile though.

[admenk]

I hate to say it but people havn't been interested in policies for years - it's all about image and public perception. We can't vote based on knowledge anymore, in the same way we can't watch TV that is informative and requires us to think, or have a conversation that doesn't end with "like yer know".
If we all actually sat down and studied it properly, we'd be horrified at what we let these people get away with in our name.

[Swoop]

but novelty plastic wakas

I was initially informed that this waka was going to be a giant inflatable thingy, like you would see in a swimming pool.
"Brilliant idea!" says I. Instead of filling it with air, we could fill it with helium and float it around the sky like an airship!
Now that would be a marketing ploy that would attract a bit of international coverage.
But no. The bloody national party just goes with the billy-basic floating on water type. Pathetic.

[shrub]

I hate to say it but people hanvn't been interested in policies for years - it's all about image and public perception. We can't vote based on knowledge anymore, in the same way we can't watch TV that is informative and requires us to think, or have a conversation that doesn't end with "like yer know".
If we all actually sat down and studied it properly, we'd be horrified at what we let these people get away with in our name.

Sadly you're right. I can access the policies of every political party from my desk without leaving my office, whereas as recently as 1996 election I had to phone all the major parties to get them to send me stuff to read so I could make the best voting decision, yet nobody gives a shit. People vote for National because their mates at the pub think it's the manly thing to do and they vote for Labour because their friends at the cafe think it's the right thing to do. Or they voted for Labour or National because it's time to give the other guys a go, they got a bigger tax cut or because the party spin doctors told them that National are good for business and Labour are good for the people.

That's why I think the Labour party needs to hire Rhys Darby to be the leader. Or if he can't do it, a woman with great knockers or a former All Black.

[shrub]

I was initially informed that this waka was going to be a giant inflatable thingy, like you would see in a swimming pool.
"Brilliant idea!" says I. Instead of filling it with air, we could fill it with helium and float it around the sky like an airship!
Now that would be a marketing ploy that would attract a bit of international coverage.
But no. The bloody national party just goes with the billy-basic floating on water type. Pathetic.

I reckon National would have done that if the Squawks or Macchis could still fly, that way we could have had the Air Force shoot it down. It seems that the fact that they announce a plastic ground waka at the same time as announcing they were giving the A4s to museums is a little too much of a coincidence.

Imagine if John Key and Bill English went up in a Macchi or TA4 and got to fire the guns! Man, that would have been awesome!

[Bald Eagle]

Or if he can't do it, a former All Black with great knockers .

There fixed it for ya.

[shrub]

There fixed it for ya.

yeah, that works. Rodney Hide used to have great knockers, but he wasn't a former all black.

[jazfender]

they should all resign.

[Delerium]

I reckon National would have done that if the Squawks or Macchis could still fly, that way we could have had the Air Force shoot it down. It seems that the fact that they announce a plastic ground waka at the same time as announcing they were giving the A4s to museums is a little too much of a coincidence.

Imagine if John Key and Bill English went up in a Macchi or TA4 and got to fire the guns! Man, that would have been awesome!

Fire them at eachother?

[Pussy]

Goff wouldn't know a train was up him till it blew it's whistle

[AllanB]

On a global level NZ are doing OK. For now ........ regardless of who is in charge.

I still want to know from Mr Cullen where the 8 billion surplus he wanked on about disappeared to in the 12 months prior to the last election. I personally got nothing out of 9 years of labour. I have received a tax cut from National - very appreciated as it helped pay for my motorcycle registration .......

IMO Phil picked the wrong time to accept leadership of the party - it was doomed last election, predictably this one as well and the time to be a opposition leader will be 2015. Shame really as as a person I think he is probably a pretty straight up and nice fella. Gawd knows why he is in politics if I'm correct!

[SPman]

..and the time to be a opposition leader will be 2015.

If Key and his cronies get back in, there won't be anything left to govern in 2015.
Again, if people really took an interest in the way politics and government is carried out in this country, they'd be appalled - but - they'd rather watch Dancing with the stars than take any concern in their future!
Goffs a nice chap but frigging useless as a leader - a bit like Bill Rowling.
Also he's old guard - too tied up with the 80's-90's Labour party.

[oldrider]

I think Labour are missing the point and Phil Goff is the wrong person to lead an effective opposition, let alone a government.

They need to look at National and follow their lead if they want any hope at regaining the treasury benches, especially at a time when we are facing a continuing recession, Christchurch is devastated and unemployment is rising. Over the last 3 years National, especially John Key have been innovative and creative in their leadership.

I look back to the jobs summit - I thought it would come up with all kinds of boring and dull strategies designed by economists and business people, but no, we got a cycle track! I love cycling off the road (the road is for motorcycles) and that was awesome because it means people can ride bicycles in really cool places.

Then we had our Dear Leader mincing down the catwalk in RWC clothing - he looked so good! And he was wearing a really cool bracelet that gave him superhuman powers - what a legend - can you imagine Clark, Shipley, Bolger etc doing that?

His joke about recovering the bodies from Pike River when it was pretty obvious that there wasn't anything to recover but ash was in bad taste though, and shows he's not that good at black humour. Hopefully his speech writers will learn from that one.

I was stoked about the BMWs - in tough times when paying rego on the bike is a challenge, the fact that you and I had the chance to co-own a brand new 7 series Bimmer was just the ticket. Pity we can't borrow it, but we can watch it drive past (not at 180 kmh though). I also liked the finance company we bought.

Now there is the plastic Waka - oh how my heart soared when I learnt of this. A massive great plastic novelty Waka that people can walk around in is the best thing ever! Better than the sillly salmon at Rakaia or the oversize carrot at Ohakune, my hope is that when the RWC is over they set it to sea and get the navy to sink it for us all to watch.

And Act and the Maori party have played a magnificent job in support. Hone's antics had me in stitches and Act's little soap opera was brilliantly scripted and well acted - better than Outrageous fortune in my book and Rodney looks so sharp these days with his hawt lady.

National have been magnificent in how they have performed. In tough and austere times we need a good laugh and unless Phil Goff stands down and hands the leadership to Rhys Darby I'll be voting National this election.

National and Labour should just come clean and form an "official" coalition, forget about the upcoming election, save the money and get on with slowly ruining the country together but out in the open for a change!

There will not be any difference in the outcome anyway, never has been, never will be, they just keep bleeding us until we have nothing left to give!
(Cynical? yes,thieving bastards? yes! True? yes! IMHO)