ACT's The Letter Monday 7 March 2005
The Letter
Monday 7 March 2005
WHAT'S UP
We pass over
National's promise to keep Kiwibank, and the Cullen fund,
etc. Labour is in continuing trouble with NCEA. Mallard is
about to discover that having a Crown representative sign
cheques for the Wananga will not help. The Crown already has
four representatives. Rongo Wetere only agreed to the Crown
representative when Parekura Horomia assured him government
funding, predicted to be quarter of a billion dollars this
year, would continue. We are sure Mai Chen, of lobby law
firm Chen & Palmer, will have told the Board that the Crown
representative must continue honouring all existing
contracts. Mallard's appointment of a Pakeha to sign the
cheques may satisfy the media but will not stop Ken Shirley.
There is more to come. The Wananga is now a global
commercial empire. Ken's speech to the ACT party conference
this weekend will be very interesting.
LABOUR
TROUBLES
As Lenin famously observed those closest to you
on the political spectrum are your biggest enemies. The
public campaign by the Engineers Union for an across the
board 5% wage rise is creating a fear of wage inflation and
election year interest rate rises. The Letter believes the
union's statements were motivated by falling membership and
a desire to be seen to be doing something. Employers are
aware of skill shortages. Unions are afraid that employers
are increasing workers' pay before the unions ask. It is the
government's 20% increase for nurses that has started wage
inflation. Other health professionals will demand the same.
The rapid increase in election year spending and massive
rises in state wages must be causing the Reserve Bank to
review interest rates.
APPOINTING MARGARET WILSON
When
MMP was introduced it was thought the Speaker would be
parliament's man. The Standing Orders were changed to
introduce a unique procedure whereby each MP must vote
individually. Fond hope. The vote on Thursday followed
strict party lines and only confirmed a backroom deal. In
December the PM stunned Cabinet by announcing she would
propose Margaret Wilson as speaker. Mark Burton thought it
was his job and Annette King also wanted it. Only Cullen and
the surprised Wilson knew of Clark's decision. There was no
cabinet discussion. At the caucus Clark announced there had
been four candidates, a sop to Ross Robertson who does know
the Standing Orders, and that she and Cullen had decided on
Wilson. No discussion. The United party's Peter Dunne was
then told and reminded that under their coalition agreement
he had agreed to vote for whoever Labour put up. A similar
meeting followed with the Greens. Again no discussion as to
whether Wilson, who has never asked a question in
parliament, was qualified. Speeches given by Dunne and Rod
Donald about how their parties keep the government
accountable are hollow. If third parties combine they can
ensure the Speakership is a non-party independent
position.
DIS-UNITED
It is a very unhappy caucus. On
present polling only Dunne seems likely to be returned along
with up to three others. The jockeying for list placing is
intense. United's Deputy Leader was Anthony Walton, the head
of The Rock church, who got too friendly with members of his
congregation and left hurriedly for Australia. Dunne, who
never wanted to fill the position, persuaded his caucus to
do the closest thing to keeping it vacant and appoint Judy
Turner. Caucus does not believe she deserves to be number
two on the list. Next problem, the Outdoor Recreation NZ
party, who got 1.28% last election. They merged with United
last year on the understanding that three of their
candidates would get high list placings. United MPs are
threatening to bolt if that happens and the Outdoor party is
threatening to leave if they are not accommodated. Dunne's
repeated claims that United is not a Christian party also
upsets MPs like Paul Adams. His church is profoundly unhappy
that United is supporting the godless civil union promoting
Labour party. Six of United's MPs have taken to holding
prayer meetings before caucus.
THE GREENS
No Green MP
has ever retired or lost their top nine list placing.
Donald's assurance to ambitious party members that being
number ten gaurantees them a seat in parliament lacks
credibility. Pressure is mounting to drop non-entities like
Mike Ward. (Truthfully, you did not know there is an MP
called Ward.) The Letter predicts that if they make it back
there are likely to only be six Green MPs. Competition for
list placings is brutal.
PROMOTING IDEAS
The Mayor of
Middlesbrough, Ray Mallon, is speaking at ACT's Annual
Conference this Saturday, via video link. As Chief Constable
of the crime-ridden city he introduced "zero tolerance for
crime" policies and dramatically reduced crime. The public
were delighted. The Labour party was horrified. He was
suspended, so he ran for Mayor and won.
ACT'S ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
As part of ACT's policy to have world-class
speakers Charles W Baird, Professor of Economics at
California State University is also speaking. Baird is a
leading free market thinker. We believe he might be the
highlight but others will think we are too modest as Richard
Prebble is the dinner speaker on Saturday night. You don't
have to be an ACT member to register for the conference,
being held at Auckland's Sky City this weekend.
http://www.act.org.nz/conference2005.
OUR POLL
Last
week we asked if you thought that courts should grant
offenders name suppression just because they are famous. 96%
said no. This week "Do you think National will have any
policies by the election?" Vote at
http://www.act.org.nz/poll we will send the result to
National's caucus.
ENDS