Just attended the protest by the Ulysses Motorcycle Club and friends at Parliament (photos to follow). Biggest demonstration here for a while with at least 600 bikes and probably 1000 people. Bikers are prepared to pay their fair share in terms of ACC, but increases of $500 a year are simply not fair.
Annette King spoke on behalf of Labour MPs present (myself, Charles Chauvel and Chris Hipkins) and made the point that National’s approach is fundamentally undermining the ACC scheme. It was never designed as a user pays insurance scheme. If each category of person pays to meet the costs of accidents in their field then we can expect to see rugby players and clubs paying huge levies and the elderly and farmers as well.
It was great that the bikers I spoke to at the rally understand that they are only one of the groups under attack from National’s changes. I think National have badly miscalculated the strength of feeling here, and the fact that Kiwis understand that the only people who will win from a user pays, privatised ACC are lawyers and insurance companies. Watch out for a big protest from the biker community on November 17th. It will be big.
Posted in ACC. |
Daniel Vettori has made a lot of his ’strategic advantages’. He is all over our TV screens advertising glasses, sorry, eyewear. He runs like the man with the shortest hamstrings in the world, but manages to roll in off 6-8 paces and bamboozle the world’s best batsman. He swings a bat like he has the fear of god he will drop it, but is now among the greatest all rounders in the history of the game.
But has it all gone too far now? The New Zealand cricket team is in danger of looking like one of those teams at primary school where there was one guy (I am thinking of you Brett McCormack) who was captain, opened the bowling, opened the batting and made sure he was under every skied shot.
Vettori is hugely talented, and has a remarkable cricket brain. He has, literally, grown up as an international cricketer. He knows cricket, in all of its forms, better than almost anyone in New Zealand. But, to state the obvious, taking on the roles of selector and part time coach will have to lead to burn-out. I actually like the idea of a captain on the field who is fully in charge. One of the sad things about a sport like American Football is the way everything is scripted by coaches. But there is a limit.
New Zealand cricket is in an interesting place. We are not in the glory days of the 80s, but equally we are not throwing players like Robert Kennedy or Kerry Walmsley to the lions. There is a core of experience and some good young players coming through, watch out for Kane Williamson this year. What is needed now in my view is some patience, and a structure built around Dan and the boys that takes some pressure off them. Fundamentally this means a coach (or coaching staff) who Dan and the senior players respect, and strong management. It was clear Andy Moles was not providing that, and I am not sure about Dave Currie either. Clearly John Wright should figure in thefuture, but he will not be the only answer. Perhaps Rixon on a short term contract until someone like Mike Hesson from Otago is ready.
Whatever the case, we have a summer with both Pakistan and the Aussies to deal with, and Dan will be mighty tired by the end of it. Especially if he insists on rolling the pitch every morning.
Posted in Sport, Music and other time wasting activities. |
The ” oh go on, twist my arm’ approach from National on beginning the privatising of ACC as part of its agreement with ACT gave me pause to remember this episode from the 2005 election campaign.
A memo written by the head of the Insurance Council said the following in describing National’s 2005 policy.
“The details of the policy have been deliberately kept out of the announcement after consultation with the Insurance Council.”
He went on to say that National’s announcement would be
very positive for the industry, particularly the scope of the competition across all accounts”.
This has always been where National wants to go with ACC. This approach is fundamentally against the spirit of the ACC scheme. As Sir Owen Woodhouse has said the involvement of private insurers driven by a profit motive will fundementally undermine the scheme
Posted in ACC. |
This piece from Campbell Live says it all really.
Posted in Broadcasting and Economy. |
Just back from the PMs Literary Awards held at Premier House. Congratulations to C.K. Stead, Brian Turner and Ranginui Walker for winning this year. The awards were created by former PM Helen Clark and Creative NZ to acknowledge established writers who have made a sustained contribution to our literary scene. The prize money is, for once in literary awards, very good, and the winners are always incredibly grateful.
I have great admiration for all the writers, but I have a particular affection for Brian Turner. Apart from a mutual love of cricket and Central Otago landscape I have always admired Brian’s style of writing that evokes the land and the natural world with an economy of language and a huge depth of feeling.
So, here is one of his poems I like a lot. This one is for Clare.
Otago Peninsula
There, beneath a portcullis of rain
lie the bones of time-rent men and women.
They lie awash in the slush
that saddened and sometimes defeated them.
Scabby hedges cling to the slopes
of hills yoked by sky.
Here the whole range of earth’s colours
sprawl on paddock, stone wall and crumpled sea.
Nothing is left untouched by sparse sunlight,
slanting rain, fists of wind punching
the ribs of the land. Here, under tough grasses
and the crust of sheep and cattle tracks
crumble the fondest dreams and prophecies.
No one came who stayed to conquer, no one came
who was not beaten down
or turned away for another time.
Posted in Arts. |
