So in NZ we have this Labour govt. who have been in like 9 years. Most of you will be aware of Auntie Helen.
They did some really good stuff earlier on but this last term has been horrible. I was certainly a labour supporter when I arrived. Helen has been a superb manager of the country.
They only just held onto power in the last election though, and the legislation this last year especially has been crappy.
1) Party Pills Ban
2) Child Smacking Legislation
3) Auckland Airport Ruling
4) Handling of Carbon Credits/Kyoto Compliance etc
5) Social Order Policy
All terrible.
1) We have legal 'ecstasy' and 'speed' analogues here based on BZP. Kinda weak ass but if you don't drink and only have a light meal before taking them they are pretty enjoyable. Also they are non-addictive and generally far less harmful than their illegal brethren.
So loads of people use them (supposedly nearly 1/8 of the entire population (# including children and the elderly) have used them) and as a consequence there is little demand for real speed, e, or coke and all are really expensive over here and rarely used.
Anyway they are getting banned. Because they are dangerous. Because earlier in the year some wanker took a 7x dose alongside a whole bunch of actual coke and a considerable volume of alcohol and died in coma.
The media made it huge because it was more exciting than cows and his mother was able to opine repeatedly that it was the party pills themselves, and not the ludicrous drug cocktail that killed him. Politicians in tenuous positions pandered to the 'public mood' and for some reason they are now getting banned. Retarded.
2) It is now illegal for anyone to physically discipline any child at any level of severity for any reason or any situation whatsoever. This is retarded. We already had laws to prevent real child abuse, but it was found by the media that child abuse still occurred!!1!OMG!! Again, weak government bends like kelp and oppressive retard law is passed. Already a couple of people have been arrested for preventing their toddlers from killing themselves.
3) A Canadian Pension firm wanted to buy Auckland Airport. Pretty much the entire business community were down with it. Wasn't even a big story but there was a thing where the govt was criticised about not holding onto NZ assets for NZ, and so when this happened the gov had to show it didn't suck so it passed some retarded last second legislation to enable them to block this and certain other types of sales of 'nationally important' stuff. It is horribly put together and if you read it implies that NZ has communist levels of control over certain corporate behavior. It may well put off big business, and anyway, the Canadians still are going to buy the thing anyway with some careful stock purchase (which is good, but higlights how crap the legislation is.)
4) Carbon Credits. Don't worry world, labour and the greens would like that I personally will pay enough carbon credits for you all. Hmm Carbon credits - Money which I understand I am paying because I have released CO2 into the atmosphere. Quite how mother nature will spend my cash now I have already released the gas is beyond me, but I'm more worried about if she even gets it. It seems that it just gets absorbed back into big business profit margins... Hmm...
5) For ****s sake sort out all these little grafitti spraying ****s.
End of rant.
NZ is still a very nice place to live, and it is generally quite sensible but this time I am voting National.
They will probably lower tax and will generally interfere less, and hopefully rescind some of this crap too.
This little shift to the right may also co-incide with my daughter's arrival on the planet, but that is purely co-incidental.
They did some really good stuff earlier on but this last term has been horrible. I was certainly a labour supporter when I arrived. Helen has been a superb manager of the country.
They only just held onto power in the last election though, and the legislation this last year especially has been crappy.
1) Party Pills Ban
2) Child Smacking Legislation
3) Auckland Airport Ruling
4) Handling of Carbon Credits/Kyoto Compliance etc
5) Social Order Policy
All terrible.
1) We have legal 'ecstasy' and 'speed' analogues here based on BZP. Kinda weak ass but if you don't drink and only have a light meal before taking them they are pretty enjoyable. Also they are non-addictive and generally far less harmful than their illegal brethren.
So loads of people use them (supposedly nearly 1/8 of the entire population (# including children and the elderly) have used them) and as a consequence there is little demand for real speed, e, or coke and all are really expensive over here and rarely used.
Anyway they are getting banned. Because they are dangerous. Because earlier in the year some wanker took a 7x dose alongside a whole bunch of actual coke and a considerable volume of alcohol and died in coma.
The media made it huge because it was more exciting than cows and his mother was able to opine repeatedly that it was the party pills themselves, and not the ludicrous drug cocktail that killed him. Politicians in tenuous positions pandered to the 'public mood' and for some reason they are now getting banned. Retarded.
2) It is now illegal for anyone to physically discipline any child at any level of severity for any reason or any situation whatsoever. This is retarded. We already had laws to prevent real child abuse, but it was found by the media that child abuse still occurred!!1!OMG!! Again, weak government bends like kelp and oppressive retard law is passed. Already a couple of people have been arrested for preventing their toddlers from killing themselves.
3) A Canadian Pension firm wanted to buy Auckland Airport. Pretty much the entire business community were down with it. Wasn't even a big story but there was a thing where the govt was criticised about not holding onto NZ assets for NZ, and so when this happened the gov had to show it didn't suck so it passed some retarded last second legislation to enable them to block this and certain other types of sales of 'nationally important' stuff. It is horribly put together and if you read it implies that NZ has communist levels of control over certain corporate behavior. It may well put off big business, and anyway, the Canadians still are going to buy the thing anyway with some careful stock purchase (which is good, but higlights how crap the legislation is.)
4) Carbon Credits. Don't worry world, labour and the greens would like that I personally will pay enough carbon credits for you all. Hmm Carbon credits - Money which I understand I am paying because I have released CO2 into the atmosphere. Quite how mother nature will spend my cash now I have already released the gas is beyond me, but I'm more worried about if she even gets it. It seems that it just gets absorbed back into big business profit margins... Hmm...
5) For ****s sake sort out all these little grafitti spraying ****s.
End of rant.
NZ is still a very nice place to live, and it is generally quite sensible but this time I am voting National.
They will probably lower tax and will generally interfere less, and hopefully rescind some of this crap too.
This little shift to the right may also co-incide with my daughter's arrival on the planet, but that is purely co-incidental.
)
