Monday, July 18, 2005

We're taking names

Good grief! Some commenters think the Code of Conduct complainants are so devious that they set up a blog and then criticise themselves on it so as to avoid being suspected of being authors of the said blog hmmm? By that logic, we could just as easily be the Diva himself. Perhaps we are! Perhaps the schism has finally occurred.

Since our astounding lack of understanding of (or interest in) the funding of art in Wanganui had to be corrected by none other than Matt Dutton (see comments to our last post) we're probably not anyone connected with the Save Our Serjeant campaign either.

Or perhaps that's also part of the devious campaign of misinformation? Please, you might support Michael but you don't have to start thinking like him. The air in the Fuhrer bunker at Guyton Street must be thick with conspiracy theories.

But onto more important things. Another commenter asks: "What do poeple (sic) think about Laws putting all his mates in well payed (sic) council jobs ? Think it's called the 'new' boys and girls club".

A good question. And here's another: let's compile a list, in comments to this post, of such people. Then we'll see if a resident is interested in putting in an Official Information Act request to see how much these people are paid. And maybe look into the appointments process.

Vintage Diva during his Winston days, really. Talking of which, there may be a bad case of deja vue about to occur there. More on that later.

Comments on this post are now closed.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Laws Watch

I wish to strongly refute your unfortunate insinuations against Michael Laws. I can attest that Mr Laws himself commissioned me to conduct an independent random survey of all Vision council members and Allan Taylor, not to mention Winston Peters. The result was unanimous and they all believe he is an honourable and honest man who is demonstrably incapable of passing himself off as something he is not, or of hiding behind false identities or anonymous personnae.

I am sure you will accept my assurances on this, as you will be aware that I am an internationally respected, fiercely independent and highly qualified academic.

Yours faithfully

Antoinette Beck
Researcher
Michael Laws University
Hawke's Bay

Anonymous said...

How many people in this sad piece of blogspace have a real job? ummm ... none.

Anonymous said...

Wankers unite. We're Lawswatch.

Anonymous said...

What mates? what well paid council jobs?

Anonymous said...

Let's see. Laws cronies in well paid jobs that he personally appointed them to. I'd be interested in that list - reckon it would be zilch. The guy gives away his own salary.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"The guy gives away his own salary."

Does he really? Who to?

Anonymous said...

Nice to see lying Laws being exposed on the Chron. front page again: faced with a complex issue such as demographics, he just made up a bunch of self-serving bullshit. Stuff informed debate, never mind the facts, look at me!

Anonymous said...

The new 'events' person is also his kids god-mother.

Anonymous said...

Council staff are not appt by Laws or any of the councillors. Chas' son in law was/is one of the council's senior policy officers but that doesn't mean cronysim either.

Anonymous said...

Memo Musa (CEO WDHB) said that health funding was being reduced because of population decline. That backs up Laws, not Pettis.

Anonymous said...

Pettis is in a cleft stick here: all governments (except for a NZ 1st one, which would examine tea-leaves) use census figures to determine funding allocations. Yes it's unfair if trends are reversed between censuses (censae?), yes it's unfair to Wanganui that this appears to be happening. Luckily for us, it's an election year.

Lying Laws just over-simplifies the debate, ignoring the increases in overall govt. spending, as Pettis points out. Perhaps he should stick to the increasingly desperate search for public assets to sell to pay for our Splash Centre upgrade.

Anonymous said...

All governments increase funding - its called funding for inflation. its Pettis lying not Laws. His argument is that Wanganui is not getting its fair share agst other provinces because of the 2001 Census. He's not lying - I'm an educationalist and it is obvious in our sector. Rolls determine funding and its simple as that.

Anonymous said...

"Attack the Sarjeant and they will come'
You guys are like bees to a honey pot. Laws marginalises the arts to deflect from all the other issues we could be discussing, and everybody jumps in. Come on wise up. This is a great site. The fact that Laws is trying to turn this blog into just those arts people having a rant means he is taking it seriously. We need some good debate, not the watered down version the Chron serves up.

Anonymous said...

Debate about what ? what influence does this blog have? If Code complaints getn dismissed, Carol's petition goes nowhere, the older councillors fall in behind Laws, and he initiates new policies every day, what hope do we have? I admit to being bloody dispirited. We're getting nowhere. what do we have to do to stop this terrible juggernaut?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Debate about what ? what influence does this blog have? If Code complaints getn dismissed, Carol's petition goes nowhere, the older councillors fall in behind Laws, and he initiates new policies every day, what hope do we have? I admit to being bloody dispirited. We're getting nowhere. what do we have to do to stop this terrible juggernaut?

11:04 AM

Nil carborundum desperandum. These fools and their petty predjudices will have their day, and then Wanganui can elect someone competent next time. The Gallery will continue going from strength to strength, as the huge turn out for the Milbank dinner demonstrated. Michael Laws' psychosis will cause him more trouble than us, and we'll emerge from it wiser. Who can tell what will be good luck, and what will be bad, in the long run?

Let them sell the art, we can always make more.

Anonymous said...

I agree it's very dispiriting. One of the worst aspects of this new style of government is the spin that is put on everything, mostly outright lies but it just gets passed on by our local media and the national media only get interested when he's doing his pyscho acts.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the national media will change their tune if he appears on the NZ First list? That's the time for the real rattling skeletons to come out of his closet. It won't just be Wanganui's problem any longer.

Anonymous said...

Thankyou for your responses but I'm not convinced Laws won't get re-elected. The oldies like him and I'm amazed at my friends and associates who think that putting the boot into the arts fraternity is good fun. They also love his nil rate increase which for most people means they'll pay less rates. Populists don't stop being popular delivering populist policies.

Anonymous said...

Why would Laws want to be a list MP? he'd get less money and have less influence. wishful thinking my friends.

Anonymous said...

Can someone tell me which councillors we support next timee? None of them seem particularly brilliant to me and that means we'll need a team to take Laws and his Vision mates on.

Anonymous said...

Try not voting any Vision Party, I made that mistake last time. And, boy, am I disappointed.

Anonymous said...

He can be our leader AND a MP.
Less time to hang around a crying baby.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
He can be our leader AND a MP.
Less time to hang around a crying baby.

12:59 PM

Well out of order. Leave family out of politics.

Anonymous said...

Why would Laws want to be a list MP?

Read his book. He's got more scores to settle in Wellington than Joe Bonnanno in New Jersey. And when he's finished with the pollies that did him wrong, there's always the institution of parliament itself to extract vengeance on.

How about the irresistible role and sick power of being the kingmaker's kingmaker.

How about the irresistible whiff of media celebrity as he plays his games in the chamber?

How about the prospect of Winston heading for the retirement home sometime soon and handing on the poisoner's chalice?

That's just for starters ...

Go figure

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
All governments increase funding - its called funding for inflation. its Pettis lying not Laws. His argument is that Wanganui is not getting its fair share agst other provinces because of the 2001 Census. He's not lying - I'm an educationalist and it is obvious in our sector. Rolls determine funding and its simple as that.

10:02 AM

So do rolls determine funding, or the census figures? If rolls have dropped that tends to support the census, or at least to point to an aging population. Either way that would create different funding priorities in the health sector.

In any event, to describe it as "simple" is simplistic, to put it mildly.

I think Pettis has a point when she quotes increases in govt spending, but I the main thrust of her argument is that by spinning the debate away from reality, Laws is doing Wanganui a(nother) disservice.

Here's a joke:

Q. How can you tell when Michael Laws is lying?

A. His lips move!

Laws Watch said...

Welcome, anonymous commenter. But please do stay away from using the "L word" about the Diva, or anyone else for that matter. Sensitive wee souls such as he are known to be very litigious. If he's offended by it and emails us nicely, we'll delete the above comment. But we haven't had to do that yet (to pro- or anti-Diva-ites) and don't want to start now. Thank you :-)

Anonymous said...

When was the last time a blog ever got sued? Youre being paranoid.

Anonymous said...

Well, I said it was a joke. Still, 'nuff said guvnor.
*tugs forelock*