Chief Stipe

Yeah well she paved the way for Jacinda. Ruth was caring for TWO young children while Minister of Finance.

The first time I've met a horse and smelt horse pooh. What about this photo from Ruakaka's January 5 meeting 2019. The Kids Open Handicap Sprint.

That's cool Huey. The point I was making was, granted not very well, we need places like Ruakaka. If RITA continues with its current strategy then Ruakaka goes. When I first visited the course on race day I was actually impressed. Barryb's birdshit and dead flies aside. It took me back to my Hokitika days. Actually attending the race meeting for the first time at Hokitika was the first time I ever patted a horse. Been a curse ever since. The January 5th 2019 race day which I posted a link to had a foot race for children down the home straight - well not the entire straight. There looks like 50 kids lined up! I'm picking that for many that would be their first day at the races. When was the last time we saw something like that at Ellerslie or Trentham?

If you stopped to think instead of playing the man then you'd understand that what was revealed late this week has a bit more to play out.

Firstly, and I don't want to divert the discussion, I supported the tour because I valued the freedom of being able to associate and watch the sport I loved. I did NOT support apartheid. I, perhaps naively at that time, believed that politics and sport should not be mixed. The 1981 Springbok Tour at University was my "Vietnam War." It was what going to University was all about. Growing up and fighting for causes. I could do what I wanted to do. Maybe Covid-19 is this generations "cause." BUT what I firmly believe is that my view and actions were as important as the other side in bringing about change. Secondly I'm not "name dropping" as you call it to justify ANY argument that I may have (your comment though hints at your age - so maybe you are not naive because of your age) but to validate that I'm not partisan purely because of red or blue or left or right. Duncan McIntyre's (McIntyre was the Minister of Agriculture and for a time the Deputy Prime Minister during Muldoons government for those who are too young to remember) son was Angus. Angus was a Senior Lecturer in Resource Management at Lincoln College when I attended. As was Rodney Hide. Both were well respected academics in their fields. Now Angus had long hair, a beard and wore sandals. Rodney was always in a suit. Angus's father was a Cabinet Minister at the time and attending lectures I could never reconcile the two. BUT Angus was a brilliant lecturer and academic and lecturer and I learnt heaps about public policy. Rodney was the same. Neither Angus or Rodney would have made successful politicians - too many brains and not political. Sadly and I guess given the current situation Angus died from an asthma attack while on an academic transfer in the USA. As for Duncan McIntyre - I was chairman of the Selwyn Young Nationals at the time his was Minister of Agriculture. Lincoln University (College) was in the Selwyn Electorate - Ruth Richardson was our MP. We went from not existing to being the largest Young Nationals branch in New Zealand inside a year. Our focus was entirely political it wasn't social. We held political forums where we invited Ministers and Industry Leaders and other protagonists to speak to a particular topic. One forum was "The Meat Industry Reform." Believe me in 1981/82 reforming the meat industry was one of the big political issues. We had speakers from across the political spectrum. I still have vivid memories of the day my Vice Chairman and I went to the Meat Workers Union office to talk to and invite the President to our forum. There was the Russian flag on the wall behind his desk and Fidel Castro tapes sitting on his desk. LOL my vice and I couldn't believe it but we talked to him and he agreed to come and speak representing the workers. Derek Quigley was another and represented the Cabinet. We had reps from the processing plants and so on. Anyway to cut a long story short. Late that night after the forum I got a call from a reporter from RNZ Morning Report asking me what had happened at the forum. I just told it the way it was. I didn't realise that the phone conversation was being recorded. Anyway a week later at the local National Party Committee meeting Ruth Richardson is giving her monthly report on the state of the nation and she says how proud she was to hear the chairman of her Young Nationals Branch on RNZ Radio Report. Being a politician she was turing a positive light on what I had said for the electorate committee. Because what I had said was, in a nutshell, that the National Government's Meat Industry Reform "was a waste of time." There were members, cabinet ministers and others saying to Ruth - "Can't you control your Young Nationals?" So my name is in Hansard where a Labour Minister asks the Right Honourable Duncan MacIntyre "what does the Minister of Agriculture have to say about the Chairman of the Selwyn Young Nationals comment on Morning Report that the Meat Industry Taskforce is a complete waste of time?" The thing is Holy I'm not driven by ideology or (quotes) but by what I think is right based on facts and logic. I'm the first in a team to stand up and say "I agree" but also the first to stand up if - "I disagree."

Watch this space Curious.

Yes and I'm proud of it. A science degree. I also took classes on the side in Resource Management Policy - these were taught by Duncan McIntryre's son and Rodney Hide at Lincoln. With regard to my Science Degree I had to do 36 weeks of practical work before I was eligible for graduation. That practical work was actually getting out onto properties in the industry and doing hard graft. I'm also proud of the fact that my first year at University was 1981 and that Lincoln was the only University that supported the Springbok Tour of that year. Am I proud because I supported Apartheid - no because I didn't. I'm proud because we stood for what we believed in.

I was asking you to translate it so we can all understand. But all I get is another quote. What does Parker say mean to you?

Nup. Addington doesn't have fibre.

Pot Kettle Holy! Your regurgitation of tired phraseology is verging on a continuous stream of vomit! When I was at University I used to love meeting people like you at parties. I went to Lincoln College (University) and your types went to Canterbury University. Occasionally we would cross pollinate. I remember one party where I discovered the young lady (she went to Lincoln) I was pursuing was being pursued by a guy from Canterbury. I was studying Horticultural Science - turns out the other guy was doing a Bachelor of Arts in Political History. Never being one to retire into the corner I started talking to him. He turned out to be an arde(r)nt communist. Now I've never been one to remember quotes nor long passages of political doctrine but that's what I started hearing from this dude. By the way he had a pony tale and was wearing sandals. Nowadays he would be a Green supporter but then there wasn't many of them around - they were fringe types you invited to a party because they had a good supply of dope. My approach in situations like this is - what do you believe in? Out roll the quotes. Hmm Ok what does that mean - out rolls another quote. Hmm Ok help me understand in your words. He tries. But very hard for him when he couldn't transfer the quote philosophy to practical examples. So I start transferring for him - using examples from our everyday life. Things like - Have you ever picked strawberries to make money during the holidays? Yeah man course I have. So I have a strawberry farm and according to your quotes you are saying I should pay all the pickers the same regardless of how hard they work?.....you see where this is going. I keep doing this and he starts repeating his quotes - he has run out of new ones and has somehow lost the ability to think. He starts getting angrier and angrier. Starts shouting - "when the revolution happens you will be the first against wall" - another quote! People intervene to take him outside. Well that was easy I thought. Now where is that chick? Shyte she's hooked up with someone else! So Holy it is only because of lock down and I'm bored that I spend time debating with someone who rolls out quote after quote. She had really nice breasts..........?

You see where you and I differ is I'm somewhat apolitical when it comes to doing what is right. It isn't a Labour - National thing. Sure philosophically I lean to the right of the political spectrum. Possibly only because it is the right that consistently applies the economic theory that I think is best and consistently lets people get on with business and the freedoms associated with that. I believe the compass of Governments should be limited to those things where the market fails. My first memory of being politically aware dates back to 1972. I ran for Parliament as a National candidate in 1984. In 1987 I voted for Roger Douglas and his team to continue the reform that they were undertaking. I respect our Parliamentary Democracy and the Westminster System it is based on. I object vehemently when I see the principles enshrined in our system of Government overridden or abused. That is one of my biggest objections to the way Adern has managed Covid-19. She dissolved Parliament and instituted a system of Totalitarianism.

Parker would get an A+ for that effort in tautology and obfuscation. Holy can you translate what it means to we mere minions? Bridges point is that advice should have been available to ALL especially now. But how could it when Adern closed Parliament! Mind you that is probably acceptable to you as that is how the Communist Politburo operates. Adern and Parker are doing a sloppy cover up. The reason they are facing legal action is because they acted ILLEGALLY! They had the time and unfortunately the power to make it legal! They are so inept that they didn't do that! THEY opened the Crown up to legal action. I'm not particularly a fan of Bridges but Labour has gifted him a lifeline.

Sounds like the Viaduct. I think you are exaggerating somewhat. People keep going back. Accept if for what it is - a popular country race track, has had nothing like the subsidies the big tracks have had and one that has the full support of its local and regional community.

You do need to get out more Holy. Put Das Kapital down and broaden your horizons. Ever heard of the NZ Pandemic Management Plan? The one John Key used during the 2009-2010 Swine Flu pandemic? You must know it - the one Adern threw out the window causing you to duck.

Don't understand what you mean. As a politician? You have to admire and respect his mastery of the political art. He is a Maori Muldoon. He has been the consistently the most dominant NZ politician in the last 35 years. His run has finally come to an end - father time has caught up with him. Don't be surprised when he leaves Parliament that he doesn't remain amongst the living for very long. Do I like his policies? NO. Do I like him as a person? NO. I've met him several times and found him to be an arrogant unsociable loner.

LOL. Holy that's the oldest trick in the book normally played by lawyers when doing disclosure. Essentially what you do is dump everything you can find remotely related to the case and disclose it to the other side EXCEPT you "overlook" some key one's which you "find" late in the process. "Our apologies your honour but we overlooked these documents which we hope you understand given the sheer volume of documents that we have released." The Judge wearily nods his head knowing full well that he has pulled the same trick many times before. In this case the Government will have to be legally challenged to get them released. So it isn't what WAS released its what WASN'T released. Reminds me of a story. I was the plaintiff in a case and my lawyer and I were going through the disclosure process. I had all sorts of documents in a big box. In there was a Ski ticket. I said "I suppose we don't need this." I explained the tenuous connection to the case. My lawyer smiled and said "throw it in, it will puzzle them and they will waste time trying to work out what relevance it is." Same story here.

That's quite good for you Holy. That's the second time this week someone has posted something that has had me rolling around the floor laughing my arse off. You weren't being serious were you? By the way a "handful" usually means FIVE. This time it is ZERO i.e. Zero which is five LESS than five.

Complete the following: A suitable caption; Name the winner; The Jockey; The Win dividend. Bonus points in the event of a tie - name who ran second and it's jockey. Don't mention Health and Safety rules please unless you are being humoress or humorless.

Check out Ruakaka's Jan 5 meeting. Their Christmas meeting was the same. http://www.ruakakaracing.co.nz/Gallery/TabId/10801/emodule/39351/egallery/2167/Default.aspx Not only do they have a good grass track to train up on in late winter but they have a good synthetic one as well - 150m from the main track - picture below.

But you are not comparing horses with horses. Ruakaka doesn't get the Premier funding dates that Trentham gets which is reflected in the horse quality. Ruakaka only has one Spring meeting and that's the Northland Breeders Stakes day. I was lucky to see Catalyst win that! May I suggest that is more perception than actual fact. The Christmas at The Races day I told the group I was with that Gibbs/Bradley normally dominate. By Race 5 they thought I was an idiot and contrary to what they were led to believe I actually knew nothing about horse racing. Thankfully they abandoned the dominant trainer strategy for the rest of the day! I agree although the cone isn't the actual winning post. The camera angle on TV seems to cut out the winning post and the cone sticks out like a sore thumb. The only purpose I can see for the cone is perhaps it is a sighter for the jockeys.

No comments on Adern's email to her Cabinet Ministers? Or do you, as an Ardernt apparatchik, believe that the leader can sideline the Politburo anytime she wants?

Maybe that has something to do with those trainers that set up the satellite stables there during the latter part of the winter. Both you and Barryb say it is boring to watch - why? How is it much different the rest of New Zealand racing? I agree and I find it strange given the positive things I've seen there. It makes me think that there is some constraint - technical or otherwise that prevents them from fixing it. Wouldn't surprise me if it was the TAB saying they can't run a cable out to it!

I have to disagree with your analysis of Ruakaka. When was the last time you were on course? I've been on course 3 times in the last 18 months. Once for their Christmas at the Races day. The hospitality options were sold out weeks in advance. We had to go on a waiting list. The crowd was one of the bigger ones that I've seen in recent times. The facilities were clean, the food fantastic and the alcohol cheap. Our group had a great time. We were in a large room in the main public grandstand. A glorious view of Bream Bay and the Hen and Chickens. I've been twice since (would go more but circumstances don't allow it). Used their free bus service from Whangarei. The bus does a circuit of a wide area stops including many of the popular watering holes. It is usually near full. Fun on the way home! Their members and owners facilities seem new and are packed every race meeting. I have only had the pleasure of viewing from a distance. The racing surface is great. The races competitive considering the dates they get in the season. Saw Catalyst win the Northland Breeders Stakes. The placement of the main stand is great for viewing. Aside from the large number of horses trained on the track many of the big trainers from further south set up satellite stables during the winter to get their horses ready for the spring. The club involves the local communities and race sponsorship is strong. Their annual pub vs pub punters challenge is another big day. The only thing I could find wrong was the winning post. Aside from the fact my horses didn't often get their first it needs to be bigger. Maybe that's the problem the horses I backed couldn't see it. The club is financial and their turn over to stakes ratio is as good as anyone's. In short I can't knock Ruakaka at all. What I do know is their local supporters will be a tad pissed off with the decisions. I would add to that my view was different until I attended the races there. I used to think that Ruakaka was just a Logan benefit but after doing some in the field research have come to a different conclusion. Ruakaka is of benefit to racing as a whole and is one of the last bastions of what made racing great in this country.

So it's HER fault. The woman must have some bad mojo.

Where's Winnie in all this? He is old school Parliament and as well wouldn't take kindly by being told by Ardern to keep his mouth shut.