1. EDITORIAL: MORE ON YOUTH RADIO
2. OPINION: WEST COAST - THE TARGET OF CHOICE FOR WACKO-GREENIES?
3. A SIGN OF THE TIMES
4. OPINION: THE ELLA HENRY DEBACLE
5. TOP TEN POWER SAVING TIPS
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

1. EDITORIAL: MORE ON YOUTH RADIO

My editorial on a youth radio station a couple of weeks ago seems to have touched a nerve - I’ve had heaps of feedback since then, some positive, some not so.

Most criticism ignored the actual policy points I made - instead they focused on the fact that a youth radio station was (briefly) National Party policy in 1999, before the election. Yes I am well aware of that fact, and that too was a stupid idea. Stupid is as stupid does, as Forrest Gump says. However, that doesn’t mean it will be our policy again, at it certainly doesn’t mean I (or the Young Nationals) agree with it.

The Young Nationals are an autonomous group, free to think for ourselves. If we agreed with the senior party on everything there would be no point in our existence.

Nor was I accusing Labour or the Alliance of inventing the idea of a YRN; that idea has been around for many years. Maybe in the 60s and 70s with the regulated AM spectrum there was a need for it, but certainly not now when New Zealand has a very crowded radio market.

For every person who is unhappy with content in The New Write, I offer them a right of reply. The only person who took this offer up was Andrew Dubber, a lecturer in media studies at AUT, with his proposal for a children’s station. However he then slagged me off again in a radio discussion list, calling me a liar. Oh well.

This offer still stands to anyone, even lefties. I am interested in hearing the arguments in favour of a YRN so please send me a brief opinion piece if you support the idea. As Oliver Wendell Holmes says in the above quote, the marketplace place of ideas is the best way to discover the truth, and virtue of opinions.

I also noticed that a left-wing broadcaster called Russell Brown had a dig at me on the b-net radio stations last week. I am told that this guy also has a show on National Radio, on the topic of - wait for it - media bias! Ye gods. At least this fine publication is open and honest about it’s bias.

2. OPINION: WEST COAST - THE TARGET OF CHOICE FOR WACKO-GREENIES?

By Grant Tyrell, NZ Young Nationals Policy Chair

The Government has started a trend. Every 9 months or so West Coasters are told by some try-hard Wellington bureaucrat that they are not allowed to make use of their own natural resources. These politicans are saying that it is more important to sooth collective chardonnay consciences of PC urban 'greenies' than have real jobs for West Coasters.

Macraes, the mining company at the centre of the dispute, has gone through an exhaustive RMA process over the last 11 years. It has invested literally millions of dollars including a multi-million dollar bond to ensure that the company sticks to guarantees that environmental impact is minimal and that the area will be returned to its natural state when mining finishes. What is worse, Sandra Lee vetoed the project after after all the submissions were heard and after Macraes gained RMA approval - that's a bit like being shot down after passing the last hurdle.

But according to the Minister it's all OK because the government coughed up $120 million last time the Coast was shafted. Apparently this deal covers every subsequent time these so called greenies stick it to the Coast. The Greens of course think this is a great decision with Rod Donald telling the Coast's rogue MP Damien O'Connor that the Coast should be 'concentrating on sustainable projects' instead. Nice one Rod, that is exactly what they were doing with the sustainable logging of native forests. The West Coast led the world in sustainable forestry but this was conveniently ignored by those who feel the need to be a 'conservationist' - but not in my back yard.

Finally there is the Damien O'Connor element. I have some time for this guy, any one who calls Helen Clark ignorant must have something going for him. He has stood up for the Coast each time his government has put the boot in but he can only maintain the image of a trapped hero for so long. Like it or not, Mr O'Connor is part of the government and thus part of the problem. It is his government which hammers the coast - and he votes for it every single time. He has to realise that this Government does not listen to him or his constituents and he should seriously consider resigning and standing as an independent - that would be the honorable thing to do.

The decision to stop the mine would not be so bad if it was really about the environment, but in this case it is all about the backyard greenie vote in Auckland.

3. A SIGN OF THE TIMES

Cuba and North Korea will be officially represented by ambassadors to New Zealand for the first time, after an accreditation ceremony at Government House yesterday. Cuban ambassador Carlos Castillo Calana and North Korean ambassador Kim Pyong Hong are based in Jakarta and will visit from time to time.

4. OPINION: THE ELLA HENRY DEBACLE

By Chris Gollins, The Breeze FM political correspondent

Every now and then a window opens on the sort of people who're now running this country - as it did with the Ella Henry affair.

While you might have been shocked to think that a racist, offensive bully like her could have wound-up in such a position - she's not the issue. The real issue is the woman whose consistently appalling judgment put Ella Henry in a position of responsibility. I'll come back to this. But just for a moment some facts.

The media repeatedly referred to Henry's partner driving through an orange light on a school crossing. Really? The cop said the light changed to red as the car went through. I'll believe the cop.

Our death rate for children being hit by cars is one of the highest among developed nations. It's 13 times that of Sweden's. The majority of the children killed are "black" - as Ella Henry would say. As a Human Rights Commissioner I'd have thought she might have recognised the human rights of the kids about to tackle a hazardous crossing as being reasonably significant. But she clearly didn't give a toss about those kids. Not the way she delivered such an offensive assault on the constable who's made it one of his personal missions to try and safeguard those mostly brown-skinned kids.

But back to the woman who's been most exposed in all of this - Associate Justice Minister - Attorney General and Labour Minister, Margaret Wilson.

Has there ever been a New Zealand politician as lacking in judgment as this Minister?

Her background isn't impressive. She's been a leading figure in the law faculty at Waikato University. On a sliding scale of 1 to 10 a law degree from Waikato struggles for a one. If you can spell treaty you get the degree. If you can spell Waitangi you're halfway to a Phd.

Despite the shocking facts of Ella Henry's abuse of the police, her position and her obvious deep-seated racism, Margaret Wilson would have let her continue in her job. If it hadn't been for media and Opposition pressure, Wilson and Helen Clark would have hidden the truth about Henry forever.

For Margaret Wilson it just gets worse - worse even than her original Marxist, Employment Relations Bill that gave the country a insight into how far from the rails of reality this woman's mind can travel.

Wilson's the Queen of Cronyism. If you're an old mate from the extreme left with no chance of a real job, give her a call. She's got at least one vacancy to fill. Fellow traveler Ros Noonan got the top Human Rights job and Susan Bathgate - who chairs the Human Rights Complaints Review Tribunal got a job on the Employment Relations Authority without even applying or being interviewed. What are friends for - or should I say woman friends? The Bathgate appointment marks the first time in more than a 100 years that a judicial officer's been politically, rather than on merit.

She's got style, this Margaret Wilson. It's very like the style we're presently witnessing in Zimbabwe.

5. TOP TEN POWER SAVING TIPS

1. Replace Pete Hodgson on the "switch it off" ads with the infinitely more charismatic and dynamic David Benson-Pope.

2. Put a turbine in front of Paul Holmes during his show.

3. Harness the static electricity between Sandra Lee and Damian O'Connor.

4. Tap into all the energy Judith Tizard hasn't used since she became a minister.

5. Introduce strict New Zealand music quotas so everyone will switch off their radios.

6. Show more New Zealand On Air so everyone will switch off their TVs as well.

7. Follow Nandor Tanczos' example and save on heating by burning your furniture.

8. Move Sue Bradford and Jeanette Fitzsimons into inner city apartments to save on gas-guzzling car trips to their respective life-style blocks.

9. Just have Helen Clark personally order everyone to save more power.

10. Disconnect the power in Auckland for a few weeks; after all, they're used to blackouts.

Courtesy of St-Molesworth: http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/stmolesworth

6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

http://bized.ac.uk/virtual/economy/
Does economics get you all hot and excited? Does accounting turn you on? If so this is the site for you! This is an economic simulator where you can fiddle around with macro-economic variables and see how they affect your virtual world.

Hours of fun for accounting and commerce students!

Thanks to Ross Browne for this website.

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