Yesterday saw some amusing snark from Peter Dunne over Gordon Copeland's leap of faith, with Dunne reminding people that Copeland - a self-proclaimed "man of integrity" - had supported the United Future caucus' position that list (but not electorate) MPs should resign on leaving their party. I don't for a moment think that Copeland would apply the same rules to himself that he would seek to impose on others - but what if he did? Who would be the next United Future MP if he resigned?
Here's the first 10 places on United Future's 2005 party list:
- Peter Dunne
- Judy Turner
- Gordon Copeland
- Marc Alexander
- Larry Baldock
- Murray Smith
- Paul Check
- Janet Tuck
- Bernie Ogilvy
- Paul Adams
Of these, Alexander famously left the party citing "religious differences". Murray Smith is currently serving as party vice-president - or at least was the last time UF's website was updated. He's also a fundy originally from Future New Zealand, so may not be sticking around. Baldock has already left. Paul Check was the leader of Outdoor Recreation New Zealand and likewise departed after the election. No-one knew who janet Tuck was during the election campaign, and we know even less about her now. Which may leave "Dr" Bernie Ogilvy as the last man standing. Though given that he was also a fundamentalist whackjob, there may not be much hope there either...
"Though given that he was also a fundamentalist whackjob" - how come you dont apply these same labels to muslims which preach extreme views, say members of al qaeda?
ReplyDeleteYou speak of tolerance and upholding human rights, but describing individuals, which in the 2002 election earned 5% of the vote in such a manner is hardly the standard which you expect from others.
Why are your comments any different to say the racism that you condemn in your post about the changes in british housing policy earlier in teh week or your calls that don brash was racist?
Janet Tuck is also form Outdoor Rec, and so has since left United Future. Paul Adams has also left united future. This means if Copeland resigns, the next MP might be Graeme Reeves (no 11 on list), who is a former National MP from 1990-1993.
ReplyDeleteBernie Ogilvie is the party secretary for Future NZ - hes left UFNZ. So the next person will be Murray Smith, but as vice president he can still be elected, cant he.
ReplyDeleteDoes it legally matter, for the purposes of the Electoral Act 1993, if the person is still a member of the party?
ReplyDeleteG7 - yes.
ReplyDeleteSection 137 of the Electoral Act deals with filling list vacancies - apposite parts of which read:
"If that candidate is still alive, the Chief Electoral Officer shall inquire of the Secretary of the political party on whose list the candidate appeared, whether the candidate remains a member of that party.
(4)If that candidate is still alive and remains a member of that political party, the Chief Electoral Officer shall then inquire of that candidate whether that candidate is willing to be a member of Parliament, and if that candidate so indicates his or her willingness, the Chief Electoral Officer shall declare that person to be elected [[by notifying the person's election in the Gazette]]."
I see Judy Turner is taking over from Muriel Newman as the darling of the men’s rights extremists at John Potter’s website for her advocacy on their behalf:
ReplyDeletehttp://menz.org.nz/2007/feministation-of-education/#comments
I doubt that support for a Ministry of Men’s Affairs has increased since some of these guys launched a petition in 2004 and got only 129 signatures – many of them from overseas, and somewhat short of the 50,000 goal.
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/455002338
Sadly, I haven’t seen any media criticism of this extraordinary and inaccurate claim by Professor James Chapman in the speech to graduating teachers that Turner was supporting:
“The disparity [between male and female achievers] was now so great that New Zealand rated with "quite poor and impoverished countries" that, in spite of male dominance in their societies, showed little in terms of male educational achievements.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4068509a7694.html
Results of the OECD PISA 2003 study of 15 year old students refute his claim:
In mathematics, the OECD average gender difference favouring males was 11 points; New Zealand males scored 14 points higher than New Zealand females
In reading, the OECD average gender difference favouring females was 34 points; New Zealand females scored 28 points higher than New Zealand males
In science, the OECD average gender difference favouring males was 6 points; New Zealand males scored 16 points higher than New Zealand females
http://educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz/publications/downloads/pisa-03-sumrep-04.pdf
Forgot to add this from the PISA study results:
ReplyDelete"The New Zealand student mean score in each of reading, mathematics and science placed New Zealand within the group of second highest performing countries for
each subject area, along with countries such as Australia, Canada and Japan."
Professor Chapman's reported comment that New Zealand rated with "quite poor and impoverished countries" is absurd.
Reigion and politics are both forms of opinion, unlike race which is something you're borne with.
ReplyDeleteIt's perfectly acceptable to attack anyones opinions, whether they happen to involve Islam or Libertarianism. It isn't acceptable for governments to persecute people for being Muslims or Libertarians, though unfortunately ours does (Zaoui, Jim Peron).
That is my opinion, and you're perfectly entitled to call me an anarchist nutjob, an apostate or anything else because of it.
If an electorate MP leaves the party they were elected for, does the party get another list MP? I thought not. It didn't happen when Tariana Turia and the others started the Maori Party, did it?
ReplyDeleteIf they resign as an MP, then presumably there is a byelection. I don't think that affects lists either?
"Why are your comments any different to say the racism that you condemn in your post about the changes in british housing policy earlier in teh week or your calls that don brash was racist?"
ReplyDeleteDon't expect common sense here
this blog makes about as much sense a lot of the time as Jordan Carters