The New Write

Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Young Nationals

25th September 2001

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster"
-Friedrich Nietzsche

1. INNOVATION AND LEARNING - NATIONAL POLICY FORUM
2. TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES
3. LABOUR BUYS OFF MAIN MAORI RIVAL
4. NEW YOUNG NATS BRANCH IN EPSOM
5. TOP TEN CREATIVE GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

1. LEARNING AND INNOVATION - NATIONAL POLICY FORUM

This weekend saw the latest policy forum held by National, this time on education, aimed at developing new policies for the next election.

The entire Young Nationals executive attended the forum in Auckland, which had a wide range of expert guest speakers. On Friday night Norman LaRoque presented a speech on "choice and competition in tertiary education" - or rather, lack of it, and how Labour is affecting universities around the country.

Various principals from vastly different schools gave presentations on Saturday, discussing issues such as bulk funding, zoning, curiculum and social issues. These principals included Tone Kolose from Wymondley Primary in South Auckland, as well as the heads of Rangitoto and McLean Colleges, two of the most well-respected secondary schools in the country.

Other highlights of the weekend included:

-Michelle Boags's hospitality, and fantastic cooking - she hosted all the Young Nats at her place on Waiheke Island, and cooked dinner, breakfast and lunch for everyone;

-Some vigorous debate on student allowances, and other policy options such as interest rebates and lowered fees;

-The lovely staff at the Hilton, home of Banksie's mayoralty campaign;

-The flying fox at Waiheke Island.

2. TRIBUTE TO THE UNITED STATES

This is one of many emails that began circulating after the attacks on the USA. At first it was thought this was a recent commentary, but it turns out this broadcast was actually by Gordon Sinclair in 1973, at the time of the Watergate crisis.

However it is still interesting reading today, especially at a time when various hippies, Greens, and sections of the Labour Party are sanctimonously telling the US they had it coming.

"This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth.

Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States.

When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes.

Nobody helped.

The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I'd like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane to equal the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-Star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don't they fly them? Why do all the International lines except Russia fly American Planes?

You talk about Japanese technocracy, and you get radios. You talk about German technocracy, and you get automobiles. You talk about American technocracy, and you find men on the moon - not once,but several times – and safely home again.

You talk about scandals, and the Americans put theirs right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets, and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian laws, are getting American dollars from ma and pa at home to spend here.

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down through age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them. When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke, nobody loaned them an old caboose.

Both are still broke.

I can name you 5000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don't think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I'm one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around. They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present troubles. I hope Canada is not one of those."

3. LABOUR BUYS OFF MAIN MAORI RIVAL

The appointment of Mr Derek Fox to chair the board of the Maori television service is a cynical manoeuvre designed to remove the prospective founder of a new Maori political party from the scene, says National MP Murray McCully.

The fact that the Minister of Maori Affairs has participated in the appointment process is highly questionable given that Mr Fox almost defeated him in the Ikaroa Rawhiti seat last election, and would very likely have defeated him in next year's election if, as was widely expected, Mr Fox had run again.

ACT MP Penny Webster said that "New Zealanders are sick and tired of appointments being made for cheap political reasons. We've seen it with the People's Bank, and now we're seeing it with the ill-fated Maori television channel.

"The Government is wasting millions of dollars on this channel when it was offered a much cheaper and more effective option by private broadcasters. They're going ahead with this for the worst possible reasons. The saddest thing is that the channel will do nothing to help those Maori kids behind with reading, or in trouble at school," Penny Webster said.

4. NEW YOUNG NATIONALS BRANCH IN EPSOM

A new branch of the Young Nationals was launched at a function in Epsom, Auckland on Sunday afternoon.

If you live in the area and want to get involved then contact national secretary Stephen Sharp who will put you in touch - email ssharp@ihug.co.nz

5. TOP TEN CREATIVE GOVERNMENT APPOINTMENTS

1. Ross Armstrong as Ambassador to Washington - to prevent Jim Bolger getting uppity, by proving that any nincompoop can do the job.

2. Helen Clark to be awarded the Neville Chamberlain chair of appeasement at the school of Middle Aged Hippies, University of Priviliged Upbringings.

3. David Benson-Pope to replace the wispy little girl in the Air New Zealand ads.

4. Heather Simpson to become Associate Minister of State as Judith Tizard can't cope with the workload alone.

5. Gary Toomey to head the RNZAF in the hope he can shut them down as quickly as he did Ansett.

6. Dr Mark Prebble as the new head of Womens Refuge.

7. Matt McCarten as mayor of Auckland to save having to fix the election result.

8. Phillida Bunkle and Parekura Horomia to head Housing New Zealand.

9. Ruth Dyson to head the Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Squad.

10. Keith Locke as the Armed Offenders Squad chief negotiator: "Come on out, man; we give up!"

http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/stmolesworth

6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

www.barmeister.com

Fantastic site for anyone who enjoys the odd drink or two. It includes nearly 3000 cocktail recipes, 500 drinking games, forums and a weekly newsletter which sends you a new drink recipe each week.

Thanks to Clint Heine for this website.

Any views expressed here are not necessarily those of New Zealand Young Nationals, or the New Zealand National Party.

Contributions, feedback, articles and subscriptions welcome.

Email newwrite@national.org.nz

Editor: Phil Rennie

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