News from the state of Sandgropers

[GT93]

Udonmap has plenty of sandgroper posters. That's Western Australia for those unfamiliar with this important part of the world. I have never been to Western Australia but I understand with envy that it's closer to Thailand than NZ and way too hot. I'd guess it's way bigger than Texas and at least quadruple the size of the most important part of the UK, Scotland.

I thought I'd start a thread for Sandgroper news. This link is to a senior state parliamentary official caught wearing a balaclava and carrying a baseball bat:

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-le ... 3zqx6.html

Sandgropers can apparently earn good coin and still be a raving loon in their down time.

[Aardvark]

We have quite a few weirdo's in our Parliament, including chair sniffers ....

[downunder]

Who gives a toss? only West Australians. why don't you talk about something you know for a change, try N. Z., I am sure you would know more about N.Z. than anything to do with Australia to which you frequently grace us with your knowledge.

[GT93]

You Navy Blues supporters are difficult to please downunder. I thought the story was promising. A bit like some of the UK stories on Harris etc. There are a lot of active sandgroper posters and sod all Kiwi posters so I thought I'd throw up a title that might be used for other topics that would appeal to a larger group of posters. I intend to read up on Ardy's post. I recall something of that story.

I find Australian news interesting. Stand easy, I acknowledge I know less than Australians on Australia but sometimes a lot of it is just opinion and you don't need a Phd in Australian political history to have an opinion. Some of the Aussies such as Abbott, Hird and Malthouse who I express opinions on were big figures on the public stage when I was living in Melbourne. I have kept reading about them.

I think more than a few Kiwis would feel some empathy for Western Australia. Both places seem to feel geographically isolated and are trying to assert their identity in a bigger world. Your post only encourages that.

The Age and SMH websites I like to read have limits on the articles I can read per month. So I tend to get pushed over to Western Australia websites. That increases my interest in that part of the world.

[noosard]

GT tell us about Peters
Seems like an interesting person and party

[ronan01]

We have quite a few weirdo's in our Parliament, including chair sniffers ....

Aaaah the lost art of chair sniffing!

[GT93]

I'm pleased that when Ben Cousins is in trouble he's still an ex-Eagle and not an ex-Tiger. I hope he resumes the struggle to get his act together.

[GT93]

GT tell us about Peters
Seems like an interesting person and party

Oh man he's been around so long it would take a while. Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Peters

The first 3 paragraphs of the link give a summary. He's a Maori career politician who has made a career bashing advantages for Maoris and seeking favours for old people. Initially he was a centrist Tory but he left to form his own party. He's been in cabinet in coalition with both Labour and the Tories. I think he's probably a populist politician preferring a centre right position. He's been Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He usually self-destructs over something and the coalition breaks down after a year or two.

Oldies and people who think Maoris are given too much tend to vote for him and his party (NZ First). He's also at the anti-immigration end of our political spectrum but he's pretty mild by world standards for that end of the political spectrum.

When he's interviewed he loves to insult and to be aggressive to the interviewer and also to be mischievous. He can be very entertaining. He's about 70 now but still going pretty well. He likes to wear flash suits and used to consider himself a bit of a man about town. He used to get teased for looking Italian. He was a useful rugby player in his youth. Educationally he has a law degree and he practised law for a while at an elite firm.

Someone I know saw him recently in a restaurant and asked if he could take some photos with Winnie (as he's often called). Winnie thought the selfies were great fun and he was a great laugh.

[noosard]

Does Key's need to resign

"The Prime Minister has previously promised to resign if it is proven that the GCSB carries out mass surveillance of New Zealanders. His critics say that the latest Snowden revelations do indeed show that. So, should he resign? "
Herald NZ

[noosard]

Winston Peters panic sees National roll out the (pork) barrel
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/ ... d=11415763

What is key's panicking

[GT93]

Peters won the by-election so the government's small coalition majority fell by one. Peters, the wily old pensioner, ran an as expected clever campaign. The result probably means that passing some bits of the government's legislative programme will be more difficult but it's no big drama. Key has had to work with the support of smaller parties for all his time in office. He's a quite different political animal than Abbott.

I see the Aussie states and Smoking Joe are troubled by re-distributing the GST revenue. To an outside observer, it looks like sandgropers get a raw deal. A Victorian pollie has said of Western Australia or its government: "And when they find themselves in deficit, when they find themselves in need, the first thing they do is cry foul. It's the mentality of an unreconstructed mendicant."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-09/t ... up/6381158

[GT93]

Does Key's need to resign

"The Prime Minister has previously promised to resign if it is proven that the GCSB carries out mass surveillance of New Zealanders. His critics say that the latest Snowden revelations do indeed show that. So, should he resign? "
Herald NZ

Mud rarely sticks to Key and he slips out of many political difficulties. I don't particularly trust him on national security but I trust the GCSB and SIS even less. NZ needs a Minister much more actively overseeing the spooks and Key is too busy as PM to do that. He has thankfully passed on some of his responsibilities in these areas to another minister.

It's an interesting question you raise. I'm not a big fan of Key but he is very good at his job as PM and it wouldn't be good to see him soon head off to Wall Street or wherever he may next land. He isn't a divisive figure like Abbott and is a great political net worker like Julie Bishop. So he has the skills to lead.

[noosard]

NEW Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key has apologised to a cafe worker who said he’d repeatedly pulled her ponytail when he visited the cafe near his home over a period of months, even after she’d told him to stop.
The worker wrote an anonymous post Wednesday on The Daily Blog website, saying Key began pulling her hair last year during his successful re-election campaign and continued the behaviour through late March. At first, she wrote, she didn’t say anything as she thought Key was probably trying to be “playful and jolly.”
Eventually, she wrote, she told Key’s security detail she didn’t like it and later told Key “No” repeatedly and wagged her finger at him. When he pulled her hair again on a subsequent visit, she said, she told him to stop “or I will actually hit you soon.”
“I really didn’t like it,” the worker wrote. “I felt powerless and tormented and I stepped out the back and I cried frustrated tears.”

[Aardvark]

Poor Dear

[GT93]

Yes, it's a big story. Key is heading for Gallipoli and he's going to be bombarded about questions over this while there. He's a real teflon man so no one is expecting him to have to step down over this. Imagine if Abbot had done this. Turnbull or Bishop would be PM inside 72 hours.

Media reports are coming out now that despite his laid back demeanour Key is a bully. Journalists knew straight way this was a true story because they often see this side of him but the public don't. He enjoys niggling people. For example a senior business journo named Fran says he enjoys calling her Franny because he knows she dislikes that name. Probably a bit of a poor dear there.

He comes from the macho world of banking so he's done well not to be caught out playing the fool before. He's a fast learner so I doubt he'll transgress like this again. But there might be another complaint from the past.

It'll blow over. It will be a shame if hides out in his mansion rather than getting out and about.

[GT93]

My commiserations to our sandgroper posters on the death of one Western Australia's most famous citizens - Alan Bond. I think he's as famous an Aussie as Warnie and Mick Dundee. In terms of fame or infamy he's top shelf.

I really enjoyed reading Paul Barry's book about Bond decades ago.

[Aardvark]

I can't believe there's talk of a state funeral for him ....

[Hages]

Where has there been talk of a state funeral...reputable source that is ??

[jackspratt]

Alan ....... Alan .......... Alan who do you say .............. Alan Bond ............ sorry, can't remember.

Bell Resources ............... $1.2 billion stolen ......... ah! now I remember.

If this criminal gets a state funeral, may the WA government be cursed with a pox on their house.

[cactus]

i thought he only stole from the banks, indirectly? just like ned kelly but maybe im wrong here so can someone refresh my mind, cheers