Wanganui or Whanganui?
That is the question people will be asking themselves from now on.
Well they could be following the decision by Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson about putting the "h" back in W(h)anganui.
After months of conjecture and controversy about the humble letter ‘h’, stirred up by both sides of the debate, Williamson finally ruled that the official geographic name for the city can either be – Whanganui or Wanganui.
Williamson said he decided to assign alternative names so people can choose to use whichever name they preferred. However, the Minister did decree that Government agencies will have to spell the city's name as Whanganui and update their signage and other material accordingly over time.
In defending his Clayton’s decision – you know; the decision you make when you do not really making a decision – Williamson said offering the alternative naming: "respectfully acknowledges the correct spelling of the Maori word Whanganui, while also respecting the views of those who have always known the city's name to be spelt "Wanganui".
Good on you Maurice – there are no files on you are there! That would have to be the most wonderful piece of political-speak used by a politician all year. In other words, Williamson says “since the racist rednecks and the radical natives can’t agree on what the correct spelling for this s(h)it (h)ole should be, I’ve kicked for touch and decided they can spell it whatever way they want because no one else in the country gives a w(h)uck.”
And bugger me if slick old Maurice hasn’t pulled it off. Surprisingly, it seems his non decision has quelled the warring parties on either side of this (h)orrible and boring debate.
Previously, eyeliner-wearing mayor, talks(h)ow (h)ost and professional w(h)anker Mic(h)ael Laws was beside (h)imself with apoplexy w(h)enever the was a mere mention of the letter ‘h’ being added to his city’s moniker. At the same time, the local (H)oris said they would not be (h)appy until their ancestors mana had been fully restored with the addendum an ‘h’ to the river city’s name.
This inane and tedious argument had been going on for months if not years, with no sign of compromise – until Maurice Williamson waltzed into town and said – why not use both! Game over, argument ended, love and peace breaks out in the River City.
According to Ken Mair, spokesman for the iwi that had fought to include the "h", said his people were "delighted" by the decision and anticipated within 10 years the city would be widely known as "Whanganui".
Maori Party co-leader and Te Tai Hauauru MP Tariana Turia said the decision was “uplifting”.
Michael Laws said he was pleased the minister had not wholly adopted the "stupid decision" of the Geographic Board. He also described it as a victory for the referendum process.
"This issue wasn't just important to Wanganui, but it was important to New Zealand and all New Zealanders."
Wow…give that man Williamson a Speights! Or better still; send him over to the Middle East as a key negotiator – his talents are obviously wasted as minister outside of cabinet.
In the meantime, I can’t see what all the fuss was about anyway. No matter how you spell it – Wanganui or Whanganui – the place is still a dump and by far the best thing about the town is leaving it!
Let’s (h)ope we never (h)ave to (h)ear about it or its silly name ever again!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The mayor and his late night dexts!
I have always known that North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams is an embarrassment and his latest actions have only reconfirmed this fact.
The latest evidence comes with the news that Prime Minister John Key has become another target of "obnoxious" and "aggressive" texts that arrive in the wee hours of the morning from the North Shore Mayor.
Williams – who has been labelled the ‘Lunatic of Lake Road’, the ‘Mad Mayor’ and the ‘Clown of Campbell’s Bay’ among other names - has long had a reputation as a late night abuser and for sending angry emails, text messages and voice mails to colleagues, council staff and others.
This latest incident follows a long line of late night/early morning dexting [drunken texting] that Williams has become infamous for. In October, he emailed his mayoral predecessor George Wood about 11.30pm describing him as a "buffoon" and a "disgruntled, failed has-been", as well as leaving abusive messages on his voicemail.
I had the misfortune of working at North Shore Council for six or so months when Williams was first elected. And in that short period of time he had alienated half his council, abused local reporters and was already carving out his well-earned reputation for sending obnoxious and abusive emails in the wee small hours to council staff.
One would have thought that by now if someone had not pulled Williams into line over his regular text abuse of councillors, reporters and staff – then they may want to point out that text abusing the PM at 3 am is not a great way to enhance either your own, your council’s or your city’s credibility.
The PM has rightly ignored Williams' texts. As he says: "They're never worthy of a reply. The messages were in an aggressive tone...I'm not going to respond to obnoxious messages at this time of the morning."
The PM said the messages became public because a reporter who knew about them had called him and asked about them. Key says Mr Williams "tended to rant and rave" about Auckland's new super city council and the messages sometimes disturbed his sleep.
When asked what time was too late to text people such as the prime minister, Williams confirmed his buffoonery and stupidity by replying: "Are text messages time-sensitive are they? "Sometimes something pops into your head and you send off a message."
No Andrew, wrong! As pointed out earlier, this kind of dexting may explain away the actions for an early morning text message to an ex, following a big night on the town, because the Dexter wants a drunken shag. But it falls way short of appropriate behaviour for the Mayor of the country’s fourth largest city to be communicating with the nation’s prime minister!
Now we hear that Williams says he can't remember sending a text message to Prime Minister at such an ungodly hour! He told news media didn't recall sending a message to Mr Key at 3.30am, although he admitted he sent many messages late at night and some were to all the North Shore MPs.
Williams has suggested there was a conspiracy against him and the text message were being raised now because he strongly opposed a bill that was going through Parliament this week setting up the laws around the new super city.
Wrong again, Andrew! As someone who has had his own problems with the sauce, I suggest Mr Williams is exhibiting all the behaviours of a man who likes to loosen up his email and text communications with a bottle or four of cheap and nasty plonk. The guy is obviously an angry, nasty, serial Dexter [for those of you who missed it earlier, this is a person who gets drunk and then sends off texts and emails rants] and he needs serious help.
The good news is it is less than 12 months away until the new Auckland Council comes into force and the North Shore Council and its embarassing Mayor will disappear. All we will be left with are the shameful feelings and hazy memories of North Shore City's last mayor’s embarrassing behaviour. A bit like a nasty hangover – which I am sure Andrew Williams is all too familiar with!
The latest evidence comes with the news that Prime Minister John Key has become another target of "obnoxious" and "aggressive" texts that arrive in the wee hours of the morning from the North Shore Mayor.
Williams – who has been labelled the ‘Lunatic of Lake Road’, the ‘Mad Mayor’ and the ‘Clown of Campbell’s Bay’ among other names - has long had a reputation as a late night abuser and for sending angry emails, text messages and voice mails to colleagues, council staff and others.
This latest incident follows a long line of late night/early morning dexting [drunken texting] that Williams has become infamous for. In October, he emailed his mayoral predecessor George Wood about 11.30pm describing him as a "buffoon" and a "disgruntled, failed has-been", as well as leaving abusive messages on his voicemail.
I had the misfortune of working at North Shore Council for six or so months when Williams was first elected. And in that short period of time he had alienated half his council, abused local reporters and was already carving out his well-earned reputation for sending obnoxious and abusive emails in the wee small hours to council staff.
One would have thought that by now if someone had not pulled Williams into line over his regular text abuse of councillors, reporters and staff – then they may want to point out that text abusing the PM at 3 am is not a great way to enhance either your own, your council’s or your city’s credibility.
The PM has rightly ignored Williams' texts. As he says: "They're never worthy of a reply. The messages were in an aggressive tone...I'm not going to respond to obnoxious messages at this time of the morning."
The PM said the messages became public because a reporter who knew about them had called him and asked about them. Key says Mr Williams "tended to rant and rave" about Auckland's new super city council and the messages sometimes disturbed his sleep.
When asked what time was too late to text people such as the prime minister, Williams confirmed his buffoonery and stupidity by replying: "Are text messages time-sensitive are they? "Sometimes something pops into your head and you send off a message."
No Andrew, wrong! As pointed out earlier, this kind of dexting may explain away the actions for an early morning text message to an ex, following a big night on the town, because the Dexter wants a drunken shag. But it falls way short of appropriate behaviour for the Mayor of the country’s fourth largest city to be communicating with the nation’s prime minister!
Now we hear that Williams says he can't remember sending a text message to Prime Minister at such an ungodly hour! He told news media didn't recall sending a message to Mr Key at 3.30am, although he admitted he sent many messages late at night and some were to all the North Shore MPs.
Williams has suggested there was a conspiracy against him and the text message were being raised now because he strongly opposed a bill that was going through Parliament this week setting up the laws around the new super city.
Wrong again, Andrew! As someone who has had his own problems with the sauce, I suggest Mr Williams is exhibiting all the behaviours of a man who likes to loosen up his email and text communications with a bottle or four of cheap and nasty plonk. The guy is obviously an angry, nasty, serial Dexter [for those of you who missed it earlier, this is a person who gets drunk and then sends off texts and emails rants] and he needs serious help.
The good news is it is less than 12 months away until the new Auckland Council comes into force and the North Shore Council and its embarassing Mayor will disappear. All we will be left with are the shameful feelings and hazy memories of North Shore City's last mayor’s embarrassing behaviour. A bit like a nasty hangover – which I am sure Andrew Williams is all too familiar with!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Hot air hits Denmark
All the ‘good’ people of planet earth are feverishly excited – just like little kids on Christmas Eve – with the much talked about and highly revered Copenhagen climate change conference finally underway.
These 'good' folk are adamant – along with internationally-respected climatologists such as Robyn Malcolm, Lucy Lawless, Keisha Castle Hughes and other scientific luminaries like Stephen Tindall, Cliff Curtis, Peter Gordon and Rhys Darby – that all the world’s environmental problems will be suddenly be resolved at the conclusion of this momentous talkfest.
But as the great Daryl Kerrigan – the wise and understated patriarch from the movie ‘The Castle’ – was fond of saying when unrealistic expectations were expressed: “They’re dreaming”!
Copenhagen – or as the purists like to call it – COP15 (short for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), will be nothing more than a two-week talkfest involving politicians and officials from 192 countries.
For starters with more than 15,000 people officially attending the conference — that’s not counting the protesters and activists who have also travelled to the Danish capital and expected to make their presence felt outside the Bella convention centre – it will have produced a carbon footprint bigger than an African nation.
That is not just cynical hype – it is actually a fact. The U.N. estimates the 12-day conference will create 40,584 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, roughly the same amount as the carbon emissions of Morocco in 2006. Talk about global warming . . . the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference will produce a lot of hot air and not a lot else!
Mind you, facts are not often an important ingredient in the climate change debate – witnessed by the huge efforts from climate change supporters to dismiss the climate-gate email storm which blew up on the eve of Copenhagen.
The goal of Copenhagen is to come up with an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with what some scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst climate change projections: melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, expanding desertification, widespread drought, famine and species extinction.
Fat chance! Theoretically, a Copenhagen treaty will either replace or extend the current Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. But such a deal almost certainly won’t be agreed to over the next fortnight. Vast gaps remain between rich, rapidly developing and poor countries on what an agreement should look like.
The first few days of the convention will be dominated by bureaucratic negotiations. The talks will not peak until the final two days, when about 100 national leaders are expected to take over. Those attending include Australia’s Kevin Rudd, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US President Barack Obama – along with John Key.
Key only decided to go very late in the piece. He always said it was going to be nothing more than a talkfest. But once the rock star of world politics –Barack Obama – signed up to go (and Lucy, Keisha, Robyn et el demanded he attend), the former money trader’s inner politician kicked in and saw a good photo opportunity. After all in political terms; green is the new black!
You can’t blame key or any of the other politicians attending for wanting to cash in on the opportunity to extend their political livers.
However, let’s hope one real outcome from Copenhagen is the ability for climate change to be debated rationally and sensibly.
At the moment we have on the two sides of the argument screaming at each other and any real objectivity is being lost.
But there is probably more chance of peace breaking out in the middle east, Mrs Woods trusting Tiger again or a binding agreement coming out of Copenhagen – than the two sides of the climate change argument encouraging open and emotive-free debate on the issue!
These 'good' folk are adamant – along with internationally-respected climatologists such as Robyn Malcolm, Lucy Lawless, Keisha Castle Hughes and other scientific luminaries like Stephen Tindall, Cliff Curtis, Peter Gordon and Rhys Darby – that all the world’s environmental problems will be suddenly be resolved at the conclusion of this momentous talkfest.
But as the great Daryl Kerrigan – the wise and understated patriarch from the movie ‘The Castle’ – was fond of saying when unrealistic expectations were expressed: “They’re dreaming”!
Copenhagen – or as the purists like to call it – COP15 (short for the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), will be nothing more than a two-week talkfest involving politicians and officials from 192 countries.
For starters with more than 15,000 people officially attending the conference — that’s not counting the protesters and activists who have also travelled to the Danish capital and expected to make their presence felt outside the Bella convention centre – it will have produced a carbon footprint bigger than an African nation.
That is not just cynical hype – it is actually a fact. The U.N. estimates the 12-day conference will create 40,584 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, roughly the same amount as the carbon emissions of Morocco in 2006. Talk about global warming . . . the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference will produce a lot of hot air and not a lot else!
Mind you, facts are not often an important ingredient in the climate change debate – witnessed by the huge efforts from climate change supporters to dismiss the climate-gate email storm which blew up on the eve of Copenhagen.
The goal of Copenhagen is to come up with an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions in line with what some scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst climate change projections: melting ice sheets, rising sea levels, expanding desertification, widespread drought, famine and species extinction.
Fat chance! Theoretically, a Copenhagen treaty will either replace or extend the current Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. But such a deal almost certainly won’t be agreed to over the next fortnight. Vast gaps remain between rich, rapidly developing and poor countries on what an agreement should look like.
The first few days of the convention will be dominated by bureaucratic negotiations. The talks will not peak until the final two days, when about 100 national leaders are expected to take over. Those attending include Australia’s Kevin Rudd, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US President Barack Obama – along with John Key.
Key only decided to go very late in the piece. He always said it was going to be nothing more than a talkfest. But once the rock star of world politics –Barack Obama – signed up to go (and Lucy, Keisha, Robyn et el demanded he attend), the former money trader’s inner politician kicked in and saw a good photo opportunity. After all in political terms; green is the new black!
You can’t blame key or any of the other politicians attending for wanting to cash in on the opportunity to extend their political livers.
However, let’s hope one real outcome from Copenhagen is the ability for climate change to be debated rationally and sensibly.
At the moment we have on the two sides of the argument screaming at each other and any real objectivity is being lost.
But there is probably more chance of peace breaking out in the middle east, Mrs Woods trusting Tiger again or a binding agreement coming out of Copenhagen – than the two sides of the climate change argument encouraging open and emotive-free debate on the issue!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Media have a Tiger by the tail
Many people often mistakenly credit Shakespeare with penning that most wise advice around practising deception. However, it was actually Sir Walter Scott who wrote: Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!
You get the impression that these seemingly innocuous words are something that golfing legend Tiger Woods – as have countless politicians and many other famous people have done over the years – will come to appreciate and understand. Especially as his time in the unfamiliar territory of an increasingly negative, media spotlight continues to shine.
One would have thought that if the champion golfer had not picked up on this mantra – then at least his PR advisors and media managers might have. But it seems to have passed right by Tiger’s plethora of image advisors – despite the no doubt substantial amount of charge rate they are stinging their famous client.
Woods recently withdrew from a tournament to benefit his charity foundation as he continued to lie (maybe in more ways than one) low after his recent car crash that has caused a media storm. In a statement, Woods said he would miss the Chevron World Challenge due to injuries suffered in the one-car accident near his Florida home last week.
Nothing unusual in his statement, except for the fact that usually the media savvy and accessible Woods only made it via his personal website. Adding fuel to the fire, he then also called off a press conference. Basically these two acts have ended any hope Woods and his spin doctors might have had that this would put an end to the flurry of media speculation surrounding the crash.
Yet one would not have to be the slickest pen in the PR pencil case to realise that interest around a 2.30 am car crash involving the world’s highest earning and most recognised sports star would go away without proper explanation.
Rumours have been rife since authorities discovered Woods dazed and on the ground, fading in and out of consciousness, and took him to a nearby hospital with facial cuts and bruises. All the while, he has refused to speak with police regarding the accident.
This had only added to the suspicion already circulating over the crash and the factors leading up to it. Then add in the gossip reports claiming Woods is having an affair with a pneumatic New York nightclub hostess, with more front than your average southerly squall. Who just so happened to be in staying at the same Australia at the same time Woods was competing there. She has now hired a well known celebrity lawyer to do all her talking – so things are only getting more intriguing.
So in the absence of more details, speculation has swirled about the accident. The most notable of which, involved Woods fleeing in the vehicle from an attack by his Swedish model wife, who used a golf club to smash in the rear windows of the vehicle as Woods tried to flee, causing him to lose control.
Meanwhile, Woods is not obliged to speak with police about the accident and he has chosen not to. Instead he sent an attorney who has provided the golf star's driver license information, proof of insurance and vehicle registration as required under Florida law.
Here’s a PR tip for you Tiger; when the media have a tiger by the tail they do never let go. Best to front up, man up and if need be, fess up.
Then the current media storm will blow over, with today’s news being used to wrap tomorrow’s fish and chips in!
You get the impression that these seemingly innocuous words are something that golfing legend Tiger Woods – as have countless politicians and many other famous people have done over the years – will come to appreciate and understand. Especially as his time in the unfamiliar territory of an increasingly negative, media spotlight continues to shine.
One would have thought that if the champion golfer had not picked up on this mantra – then at least his PR advisors and media managers might have. But it seems to have passed right by Tiger’s plethora of image advisors – despite the no doubt substantial amount of charge rate they are stinging their famous client.
Woods recently withdrew from a tournament to benefit his charity foundation as he continued to lie (maybe in more ways than one) low after his recent car crash that has caused a media storm. In a statement, Woods said he would miss the Chevron World Challenge due to injuries suffered in the one-car accident near his Florida home last week.
Nothing unusual in his statement, except for the fact that usually the media savvy and accessible Woods only made it via his personal website. Adding fuel to the fire, he then also called off a press conference. Basically these two acts have ended any hope Woods and his spin doctors might have had that this would put an end to the flurry of media speculation surrounding the crash.
Yet one would not have to be the slickest pen in the PR pencil case to realise that interest around a 2.30 am car crash involving the world’s highest earning and most recognised sports star would go away without proper explanation.
Rumours have been rife since authorities discovered Woods dazed and on the ground, fading in and out of consciousness, and took him to a nearby hospital with facial cuts and bruises. All the while, he has refused to speak with police regarding the accident.
This had only added to the suspicion already circulating over the crash and the factors leading up to it. Then add in the gossip reports claiming Woods is having an affair with a pneumatic New York nightclub hostess, with more front than your average southerly squall. Who just so happened to be in staying at the same Australia at the same time Woods was competing there. She has now hired a well known celebrity lawyer to do all her talking – so things are only getting more intriguing.
So in the absence of more details, speculation has swirled about the accident. The most notable of which, involved Woods fleeing in the vehicle from an attack by his Swedish model wife, who used a golf club to smash in the rear windows of the vehicle as Woods tried to flee, causing him to lose control.
Meanwhile, Woods is not obliged to speak with police about the accident and he has chosen not to. Instead he sent an attorney who has provided the golf star's driver license information, proof of insurance and vehicle registration as required under Florida law.
Here’s a PR tip for you Tiger; when the media have a tiger by the tail they do never let go. Best to front up, man up and if need be, fess up.
Then the current media storm will blow over, with today’s news being used to wrap tomorrow’s fish and chips in!
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