The New Write - 21st December 2001
Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Young Nationals
21st December 2001
"Beer is
proof that God loves us and wants us to be
happy."
-Benjamin Franklin
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
2. ANDERTON REVEALS NEW BANK
3. GOVERNMENT BUNGLE BANS ALCOHOL IN PUBLIC
4. ALLIANCE STAFF BUSTED
5. TOP TEN PLEDGES HELEN CLARK WON'T BE MAKING NEXT YEAR
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
This is the last edition for the year - I'll probably start again in February next year.
Thanks to everyone for feedback and
contributions this year, it is always nice to know people
are paying attention. I even appreciate the abusive emails.
Just remember though, if you are so offended by The New
Write, there is a simple solution: don't read it. No-one is
forcing you to.
Have a great holiday and make sure you
have a break from politics.
Cheers Phil
2. Anderton Reveals New Bank
From www.thekumara.com
Deputy Prime-Minister Jim Anderton revealed the Alliance's answer to low New Zealand population levels last night: a new state-funded Sperm Bank, to be known as "MyWank".
"Jenny Shipley may have alerted us to the problem of low reproduction levels in New Zealand, but the Alliance has single-handedly delivered the answer," said Jim Anderton proudly. 'MyWank' will repopulate this country and thus increase economic development every time donors come into their local PostShop to tickle the old Elmo."
The Alliance
guarantee low set-up costs of the new enterprise: existing
Post Office booths will be converted into new 'donation
booths', and donors who forget to bring along their own
pottle will have to pay for a Post Office "Handy-Bag".
"Donors will be provided with fashion spreads from our
very own Ms Brunei and fashion supermodel, Helen Clark, to
help them... ahem squeeze the cream from their
brandy-snaps," explained Mr Anderton.
However, ACT were less than complimentary concerning the Government's new initiative. "I have in my possession leaked Treasury Reports showing that this hair-brained scheme will lead to messy problems all over New Zealand," stated Rodney Hide. "The Government's going to lose money hand over fist."
Customers managing to round up their tadpoles five times will also benefit from the 50 Fly Buys points on offer from MyWank for the effort. "More than enough incentive to oil the old pogo stick," said MyWank chairman, Jim Bolger.
3. GOVERNMENT BUNGLE BANS ALCOHOL IN PUBLIC
The Government last night accidentally banned alcohol from all public places in New Zealand.
The Bill before Parliament
was intended to give local bodies the power to ban alcohol
from certain designated areas. However a mix-up in wording
means it now applies to all public places, even people
walking out of bottle stores.
National MP Belinda Vernon
spotted the mistake in Parliament last night, just as the
Bill was about to be passed. However the Greens and ACT
refused to support a correction, and the Government decided
to pass the law anyway.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen
said he hoped police would use their discretion.
National Leader Bill English said the cockup was a
result of trying to cram things through under urgency. "It
will now be illegal to keep your six-pack in the boot of
your car."
"We always said this Government was backward looking, but we didn't mean to 1922."
4. ALLIANCE
STAFF BUSTED
Six Alliance staff have lost their Parliamentary jobs after it was found they were using taxpayer money to carry out Alliance party work.
An inquiry by Parliamentary Services found that money was used to produce a newsletter for Alliance members, and resources were even used on Matt McCarten's Mayoralty campaign in Auckland.
Jim Anderton criticised the previous Government for employing too many staff. However since taking office he has greatly increased the number of ministerial staff, and it has long been rumoured that taxpayer money was being used to run the Alliance Party from his office.
ACT Leader Richard Prebble said the Alliance was guilty of "systematic abuse" of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money and a full fraud investigation was required.
5. TOP TEN THINGS
MPS WILL BE DOING DURING THE HOLIDAYS
1. Michael Cullen to script another year's worth of "spontaneous quips".
2. The Greens caucus will decide once and for all
what hairdo Sue Bradford is going to have.
3. ACT MPs
will be writing yet another book to fill our letterboxes
during next year's campaign.
4. Bill English will be
busy photocopying Labour's 1999 manifesto on National's
letterhead.
5. Judith Tizard will be having a complete
change of pace and actually do some work.
6. Tariana
Turia will be selecting the next constitutional foundation
of New Zealand she wishes to flout.
7. Rodney Hide and
Simon Power to send Susan Bathgate a Christmas Card saying
"Look forward to seeing you first thing next year."
8.
Winston Peters will be reflecting on how ironic it was that
HE writes a bill that technically makes the transportation
of alcohol illegal.
9. Helen Clark will go tramping in
search of rare species: the takahe and anyone who believes
the Alliance rift has been healed.
10. Heather Simpson
will be trying find out who the heck writes St
Molesworth.
Courtesy of St Molesworth - www.geocities.com/stmolesworth
6. WEBSITE OF THE
WEEK
www.hotornot.com
The original website where you can send in photos of yourself for people to vote on, and you can vote on other people, from a scale of 1 to 10. Sounds shallow and stupid, and it is, but strangely addictive.
FYI I rated 8.6
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
1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
This is the last edition for the year - I'll probably start again in February next year.
Thanks to everyone for feedback and contributions
this year, it is always nice to know people are paying
attention. I even appreciate the abusive emails. Just
remember though, if you are so offended by The New Write,
there is a simple solution: don't read it. No-one is forcing
you to.
Have a great holiday and make sure you have a
break from politics.
Cheers Phil
2. Anderton Reveals New Bank
From www.thekumara.com
Deputy Prime-Minister Jim Anderton revealed the Alliance's answer to low New Zealand population levels last night: a new state-funded Sperm Bank, to be known as "MyWank".
"Jenny Shipley may have alerted us to the problem of low reproduction levels in New Zealand, but the Alliance has single-handedly delivered the answer," said Jim Anderton proudly. 'MyWank' will repopulate this country and thus increase economic development every time donors come into their local PostShop to tickle the old Elmo."
The Alliance
guarantee low set-up costs of the new enterprise: existing
Post Office booths will be converted into new 'donation
booths', and donors who forget to bring along their own
pottle will have to pay for a Post Office "Handy-Bag".
"Donors will be provided with fashion spreads from our
very own Ms Brunei and fashion supermodel, Helen Clark, to
help them... ahem squeeze the cream from their
brandy-snaps," explained Mr Anderton.
However, ACT were less than complimentary concerning the Government's new initiative. "I have in my possession leaked Treasury Reports showing that this hair-brained scheme will lead to messy problems all over New Zealand," stated Rodney Hide. "The Government's going to lose money hand over fist."
Customers managing to round up their tadpoles five times will also benefit from the 50 Fly Buys points on offer from MyWank for the effort. "More than enough incentive to oil the old pogo stick," said MyWank chairman, Jim Bolger.
3. GOVERNMENT BUNGLE BANS ALCOHOL IN PUBLIC
The Government last night accidentally banned alcohol from all public places in New Zealand.
The Bill before Parliament
was intended to give local bodies the power to ban alcohol
from certain designated areas. However a mix-up in wording
means it now applies to all public places, even people
walking out of bottle stores.
National MP Belinda Vernon
spotted the mistake in Parliament last night, just as the
Bill was about to be passed. However the Greens and ACT
refused to support a correction, and the Government decided
to pass the law anyway.
Finance Minister Michael Cullen
said he hoped police would use their discretion.
National Leader Bill English said the cockup was a
result of trying to cram things through under urgency. "It
will now be illegal to keep your six-pack in the boot of
your car."
"We always said this Government was backward looking, but we didn't mean to 1922."
4. ALLIANCE
STAFF BUSTED
Six Alliance staff have lost their Parliamentary jobs after it was found they were using taxpayer money to carry out Alliance party work.
An inquiry by Parliamentary Services found that money was used to produce a newsletter for Alliance members, and resources were even used on Matt McCarten's Mayoralty campaign in Auckland.
Jim Anderton criticised the previous Government for employing too many staff. However since taking office he has greatly increased the number of ministerial staff, and it has long been rumoured that taxpayer money was being used to run the Alliance Party from his office.
ACT Leader Richard Prebble said the Alliance was guilty of "systematic abuse" of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money and a full fraud investigation was required.
5. TOP TEN THINGS
MPS WILL BE DOING DURING THE HOLIDAYS
1. Michael Cullen to script another year's worth of "spontaneous quips".
2. The Greens caucus will decide once and for all
what hairdo Sue Bradford is going to have.
3. ACT MPs
will be writing yet another book to fill our letterboxes
during next year's campaign.
4. Bill English will be
busy photocopying Labour's 1999 manifesto on National's
letterhead.
5. Judith Tizard will be having a complete
change of pace and actually do some work.
6. Tariana
Turia will be selecting the next constitutional foundation
of New Zealand she wishes to flout.
7. Rodney Hide and
Simon Power to send Susan Bathgate a Christmas Card saying
"Look forward to seeing you first thing next year."
8.
Winston Peters will be reflecting on how ironic it was that
HE writes a bill that technically makes the transportation
of alcohol illegal.
9. Helen Clark will go tramping in
search of rare species: the takahe and anyone who believes
the Alliance rift has been healed.
10. Heather Simpson
will be trying find out who the heck writes St
Molesworth.
Courtesy of St Molesworth - www.geocities.com/stmolesworth
6. WEBSITE OF THE
WEEK
www.hotornot.com
The original website where you can send in photos of yourself for people to vote on, and you can vote on other people, from a scale of 1 to 10. Sounds shallow and stupid, and it is, but strangely addictive.
FYI I rated 8.6
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