Question time
Last time we sat round rubbing our crystal ball (that will do with the double entrendes - Ed.) it failed us abysmally.
So we'll leave it demurely covered by a gypsy scarf in a corner of the cave and instead ask our readers their answers to an interesting question put to Watchers by an email correspondent:
Given the performance of the Vision team up till now, the brand must have lost most of its pre-election shine. Seems even Ms Baker-Hogan was a last minute and somewhat reluctant recruit. So who amongst the present crop of Vision Councillors, do you think, will sign onto the ticket at the next election?To which we'd add: will there be any defections mid-term? (Watchers, incidentally, doubt there will be). And will the supposedly non-Visionites like Rangi Wills just quit the pretence next time and wear the party colours?
Comments on this post are now closed.
28 comments:
LawsWatch wrote:
"Seems even Ms Baker-Hogan was a last minute and somewhat reluctant recruit."
You don't usually get it THIS wrong, LawsWatch. She was always goibng to be the candidate and was telling acquaintances in September so she could juggle work commitments. I know because I'm one of those workmates and she's very keen on getting onto council.
All of them except M Laws and S Pepperell would be a safe wager because both, for personal reasons, probably won't be in Wanganui. Of the rest, they'll have councillors in McKinnon, Hughes, Higgie, Lindsay and Baker-Hogan which gives them scope to recruit 2 or 3 more and still hold the balance if even Dot McKinnon was not to win the mayoralty.
Saw the Philippa Baker-Hogan hoardings for the first time today. Vision's logo is on all the ones I saw in the top right-hand corner. If you remember rightly in 2004 they had 2 candidates on each sign so there was always going to be a change. They're professionally done, the letter-box drop and advert campaign can't be far away.
Well, anonymous @ 4.57, about two weeks before her nomination was announced she confided to a Watcher (whom she clearly didn't know was a Watcher) that she wasn't going to nominate. To be fair her reluctance, while not all that clearly stated, seemed to our informant to be related more to her workload than any doubt about the Vision team, policies, or brand.
Vision's logo is on all the ones I saw in the top right-hand corner.
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Yes, if you use a microscope you can just make it out.
Well, I could see it driving past on the London Street intersection1
The point is that it is there and Philippa Baker-Hogan was also publicly announced as the V-candidate because I thought to myself what lucky buggers they were for getting someone like that to stand. Only Michael Laws himself would out-rate her in terms of profile, she even has a park at Aramoho named after her.
Crystall ball time - Martin v McKinnon v Dahya v Bullock for the mayoralty. If others stand, then Martin will have the same problem as last time. Lots of candidates including all those Wg Holdings and Wang Inc boys and some sort of alliance between Vision and Ratepayers (to confirm what's already there), and Westwood, McGregor, Laws and Peperell will retire. The arts fraternity should start organising candidates NOW and fund-raising. 2007 will be a battle for the soul of Wanganui. It may already be over by then if this council's LTCCP leaves the new council few options. This lot will have learned from the last lot and will leave less (if any) "wriggle room".
It may already be over by then if this council's LTCCP leaves the new council few options. This lot will have learned from the last lot and will leave less (if any) "wriggle room".
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What a lot of Mickeyavellian shite.
Michael Laws is a complete fuckwit, so I hope these delusions are his. It would be sad to have two complete fuckwits.
It's only the beginning of 2006 and we have a by-election coming up. Why on earth would we worry about the end of 2007 local govt elections? Give us a break!
LawsWatch - isn't that last entry by an obviously drunk moron at 1.20 in the morning the ind of abuse moderation you're supposed to be protecting us from? I penned that entry and I'm not the mayor - I didn't come here to be abused by people afraid to engage in constructive political debate about Wanganui. Matt Dutton seems, from his posts, to be a serial abuser.
Good pieces from both the mayor and Philippa Baker-Hogan in the Chronicle - the by-election has started early and the Chronicle has already taken sides.
Mickey has given the next Council the perfect excuse to tear up his LTCCP the way he's done with the last one. All you have to do is say it's hopelessly out of date (like Mickey's 80's style management ideas) and ignore it. Sauce for the goose.
Lindsay has told work mates he's out, so has Pepperell ( because 'she hates him') and Higgie looks to worn out to continue, remember she such a nice person, all Law's 'crap' is getting to her.
McKinnon will stand but she's lost a lot of friends, Hughes will do as he's told, ... and who knows about B-Hogan, lets just wait a see.
Yes, anonymous @ 9.20 am, the comment about which you complain does push the envelope. We apologise for the personal hurt, but the fact that you choose to comment anonymously (as is your right) means no one else knows who the commenter is insulting, and thus you're not subject to public ridicule by name.
We're trying to stick to our original pledge of deleting only comments which name non-elected people and then seek to abuse them. FYI, one of the worst offenders at present seems to have Matt Dutton in his sights, whereas Matt invariably signs in before commenting.
As for the tenor of anaonymous @ 1.20 am's comment, much like the Mayor's intemperate rants (and invariably he does name names and seeks to shame, as he did in the Chron rcently), we believe it says more about the person speaking than the target of their abuse.
Does Sue Pepperell still attend council meetings?
Lindsay has told work mates he's out, so has Pepperell ( because 'she hates him') and Higgie looks to worn out to continue, remember she such a nice person, all Law's 'crap' is getting to her.
McKinnon will stand but she's lost a lot of friends, Hughes will do as he's told, ... and who knows about B-Hogan, lets just wait a see.
3:07 PM, January 07, 2006
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This is the kind of post that makes this blog less than authoritative. No facts, no proof and no names - just someone inventing what they wish was true. So wrong on Lindsay - I attended a work function before Xmas and he said he was loving his job and keen to stand again because there was so much work to do in "the heritage area" (I'm assuming policy). Everyone knows that Sam Hoyle and Sue Pepprell are partners and Sue will go with Sam when he gets transferred.
But I like this blog, think it contributes to debate and provides a great source of sometimes useful info.
That said, since I've been visiting here I've read posts about Vision breaking up (they never do), that no-one is standing for them in the by-election(they get Baker-Hogan), that Laws is being reined in (he seems to get everyone he wants) and so on.
There are trolls who post here and this above post I refer to is just disinformation. Sure, hate the guy but at least the rest of us deserve facts or assertions supported by facts.
Answer to anon at 7.24pm.
I get the Council minutes sent out and she seems a religious attender. The one who is never there is Cr Ray Stevens. His attendance record would have to be less than 30% on what I've seen.
What a cop out LawsWatch. You say that you'll eradicate abusive posts and then seek to defend one on the ground that the mayor made an 'intemperate outburst" criticising (rughtly in my view) the Code complainants for writing letters but not standing themselves. That is hypocrisy. Not as bad as criticising the council but not having the balls to stand, but hypocrisy still.
Not as bad as criticising the council but not having the balls to stand
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So, more abuse. Your calling people cowards for participating in democratic debate makes you the hypocrite. If you're right (which of course you aren't) you would have to say that Bob Walker is also a coward for not standing. Bob would say "I've got Phillipa standing for me". You'd get the same answer from CW, EC or JK or myself.
While you're trying to intimidate people into silence, I happen to know that at least three of them are actively involved with providing help and support to one of the declared candidates. Your tactic of abuse, whether on this blog, or in your hate mail, or your offensive nuisance phone calls, simply strengthens people's resolve.
Your rhetoric yells out democracy, but your behaviour has the stink of something a little more efficient.
This is the kind of post that makes this blog less than authoritative. No facts, no proof and no names - just someone inventing what they wish was true. So wrong on Lindsay - I attended a work function before Xmas and he said he was loving his job and keen to stand again because there was so much work to do in "the heritage area" (I'm assuming policy). Everyone knows that Sam Hoyle and Sue Pepprell are partners and Sue will go with Sam when he gets transferred.
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No Facts or proof,... then you go on to say Lindsay loves his job, without naming yourself.
Anyway, I'm only repeating what is common knowledge at Lindsay new work place, sorry if it bothers you but even with his signed contact to the Vision Team, he can't help but chat to friends. Oh, I believe here has only been one Heritage meeting so far without much progresses ... but here's hoping.
As for Sue, she crossed swords with Laws early on and was telling people she'd wouldn't stand again even before the brake-up of her marriage. As I do know Nicki, I get the feeling it's all too much for her ... she's far to much of a good person.
Maybe some people in here 'hate' the mayor. I'm not one, but I do think he is not a team player and therefore not suitable to be representing the whole community, we ever know what he will say next!
Have a nice day ....
ANON said
not standing themselves. That is hypocrisy. Not as bad as criticising the council but not having the balls to stand, but hypocrisy still.
Sorry I'm new to this blog, but surely the last mayor of Wanganui had people 'criticising' his term but weren't made to feel they should stand for council? Wanganui just needs a councillor to look fairly at the cities issues.
Anyone read ML's SST column today?
Is he saying what I think he's saying there at the end?
I walked past a Baker/Hogan election hoarding today and the Vision logo is top right hand corner along with the words "Urban Ward". Easy to see walking but harder in a car at 50kmh. However it does have the words "Energy/Results/Vision" on the sign written large so the association is obvious. Margaret Campion is advertising in the newspaper, but where are the rest?
Yes I read ML's SST column today and yes, I do believe he is saying at the end that he and his partner are pregnant again. Congratulations to them.
To the various anonymii posting comments naming various people and then abusing them... no, we won't publish them. Why? Because they name people who aren't elected officials, not even candidates, but are private citizens, entitled to their privacy. Got that? That's why we've also deleted comments about the Mayor's family (other than his wife in relation to her position on Horizons). If, say, we call you a nincompoop for trying to post such things, your privacy is left intact because you're anonymous and thus no one (oncluding us) knows who you are.
But it is obviously ok to leave in comments abusing ML, even those posted anonymously. Oh yes, makes perfect sense.
Laws Watch said...
"Well, anonymous @ 4.57, about two weeks before her nomination was announced she confided to a Watcher (whom she clearly didn't know was a Watcher) that she wasn't going to nominate"
Really Lawswatch, you have to grow a brain. Do you really believe that P B-Hogan DIDN'T know who she was talking you? You underestimate her. And over estimate yourself. Of course she knew exactly what she was doing. Two weeks before the announcement, with speculation rife, she is hardly going to 'confide' her intentions to anyone, given the fact that a plnned and orchestrated campaign was about to be launched. Once again, Watchers, you have been sold a dummy.
Could it be that Allan Anderson is going to be our best anti-Diva candidate. Forget Campion and Simmonds, Anderson should be our pick.
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