RNZAF’s next helicopters

 In the next few weeks the new RNZAF training and light utility helicopters will be announced.  They’ll be ”a quantum leap forward” from the current museum pieces. There’s been little news on which types are being considered. The new helicopters will undertake roles currently by the Iroquois but not requiring the NH90’s capabilities.  

There are few contenders.  The two most likely aircraft are versions of either the A109 or EC135, recently introduced by the Royal Australian Navy and the Swiss respectively.  

Neither type seems to have any commonality with NH90 or the Seasprite, so either could win on price.

New terror plot links uncovered

Tame Iti’s networks are legend.  

Kyle Chapman’s plan to counter ‘radicles’

 With the recent Police raids, arrests and talk of terrorism, silliness throughout the blogosphere was inevitable. 

On one side there seems some inability to conceive that the Police had any legitimate reason for making arrests.  In a more remote corner of blogland, we’re told  by former National Front leader Kyle Chapman that we need to, “counter these radicles and the reds/anarchists”.  

Given Chapman’s past association with the Direct Democracy Party, whose leader used to be vocal about his paramilitary goals, it is more than a bit ridiculous for him to begin fretting about his children now. 

Noel Leeming’s ‘Real Deal’

 Noel Leeming’s recent Erin Brockovich campaign grates; aside from being odd.  

It’s difficult to take the message about doing “the right thing by their customers” seriously when Noel Leeming has a history of selling questionable services.    The Consumers’ Institute has noted that many customers haven’t seen the ‘right thing’ being done.

Amusingly, Brockovich has already given Noel Leeming’s sister firm a slap for their ads.  Notably, while Noel Leeming is making a fuss about its corporate responsibility neither its sister nor parent companies do.  Looks like Erin and charity spending are just alternatives to billboards.

Good for the charity though!

 

Collapse already!

 The Geneva Finance saga is starting to become tiresome. 

This week’s announcements raise two questions.  First, when Geneva stated things weren’t dire nine days ago did they have a clue about the firm’s situation or were their statements errr… ’aspirational’.   Second, what’s the value of an S&P rating when a newly rated B- can turn into a default the next week?   If it’s a liquidity problem, as it appears, how did S&P not see this only one week ago or did BOS just pull the plug due to the downgrade?  

BTW: life savings + junk bonds = muppet.

Does a Christian party have a chance?

With its Muppet Show style announcement the Copeland/Destiny party destroyed itself before it began. Both are embarking on new failures.

While the Christian Coalition did very well in 1996, the Christian Heritage Party had provided years of groundwork.  Since 1996, Caphill’s set Christian politics back a century or so.   Destiny will always be too divisive for broad appeal. Copeland’s undermined his credibility.

Since 1990, aside from sitting parties’ schisms, only ACT entered parliament as new. All new parties have had high profile MPs.   Copeland and Lewis can’t win electorates and neither have the political skills of Prebble.

Manukau City Council Mayoral Results

The final result provided two surprises given September’s Herald-Digipoll.  The scale of Len Brown’s win was unexpectedly large, getting nearly as much as second, third and fourth polling candidates. 

Arthur Anae’s third placing ahead of Little and Jackson was also unexpected.  

Otherwise nothing too exciting.  High profile candidates did well, low profile candidates didn’t.  David Collings fared poorly for an incumbent councillor and was lucky to hang on to his council seat.  

Paul Pavletich mustn’t have even tried given his low placing amongst the more… umm… anti-establishment candidates. 

Wellington City Council Election Results

The preliminary results haven’t provided any surprises.   The dumping of Alick Shaw and Jack Ruben being interesting and relieving respectively. 

The mayoral ‘race’ presents a few lessons.  The most stunningly obvious one is that being an incumbent helps.  Kerry won by a mile and the next five slots were filled by the incumbent councillors (even Ruben!?!?).  The classic effect of low turn-out.

McGrath has shown how not to run an expensive campaign (he may have spent nearly $20 a vote).  The four last placings demonstrate that campaigning requires building a profile before and during the campaign.

Chinese Navy in Wellington

As China reasserts itself as a global power, it wants to be seen not only as powerful but friendly.   Adopting a traditional approach to building relationships the People’s Liberation Army Navy visited and had an open days in Wellington and Auckland . 

Onboard the Haerbin there were more smiling sailors than you could shake a stick at.  The local Chinese community was also out in force.  Interestingly, a banner on the ship apparently read “Welcome patriotic overseas Chinese and the friends of New Zealand to our ship”; a clear appeal to the Chinese ex-pats.

Falun Gong were uncharacteristically absent.

 

Local body elections 2007

Voter turn-out looks to be at record low levels. 

There’s a chance this could throw up a few surprises.  While polling can give a good idea of the views of potential voters, the low turn-out can make that group quite different from actual voters.  Some candidates’ supporters will be more motivated to vote than others.   This could lead to the final results not being that close to the polls.

Of course, there’s so little knowledge of most candidates and so much apathy for local government in general, there’ll be few candidates with substantial and motivated support bases.