The little word ‘so’ has recently taken on a new meaning for New Zealanders. People have started using it as a space-filler at the beginning of an answer, in the same way that they use ‘well’. In reply to the question, ‘How are you going to get the country out of this recession?’ you might have heard:
‘Well, we’re going to kick-start the economy by selling off the Southern Alps.’
Now you may hear:
‘So, we’re going to kick-start the economy by exporting beneficiaries.’
This sounds a bit odd – and it is a bit odd. Starting a sentence this way turns ‘so’ into a type of conjunction and implies that you are expanding on or explaining something that has preceded it:
‘Social Welfare is costing too much and we need more exports, so we’re going to…etc’
But in this strange new construction nothing has preceded ‘so’. You’ve got a conjunction hanging in mid-air with nothing to join up.
More than a quarter of the under-25s haven’t bothered to get themselves on the electoral roll. Again. The media and the politicians are wailing that they’re not showing civic responsibility, that they’re not exercising their democratic right, that they don’t care about politics. Again.
Every election year we go into this chant about the irresponsibility of the young; every election year we seem surprised that the same old pattern reoccurs, as if some miracle or mind-shift might have happened in the ensuing three years.
Well, we shouldn’t be. We should be amazed and grateful that so many young people actually do enrol and vote, because we’re giving them damnall incentive to do so.
In other democratic countries Civics is taught in secondary schools. The kids learn how government works nationally and locally, how policy is developed, how it becomes or fails to become law, and the part citizens play in determining their own future.
In New Zealand first-year Law students have to be taught all this, first-year Politics students have to be taught all this - and nobody else gets taught this at all. So it’s not very surprising that our young people have little or no interest in politics. It’s very hard to be interested in something you don’t understand and even harder to become interested in something you know nothing worthwhile about.
Of course they always have the endless knee-jerk opinions of those around them. They may listen, may parrot, may believe. It’s what they do believe that’s the worry. If they listen to the voices in the bars, the voices in the street and the voices in the workplace what they’re likely to hear is that politicians are rogues and vagabonds, that those in Parliament are intent on making our lives as difficult and as costly as possible and that there’s no point in voting because one lot is as bad as the other. Read the rest of this entry »
On The Nation this weekend, ex-pat Owen G. Glenn magnanimously offered to pour over $100 million into youth initiatives after the election. Here are a couple of extracts from the interview:
Q: Are you giving any money this election to any political party, or just advice?
A: Well, I’m giving everybody advice, aren’t I? I’m coming back in October and I’m going to hold a press conference. And I’m going to announce some pretty major initiatives.
Q: Is that money going to be spent here?
A: In New Zealand.
Q: For?
A: Mainly for New Zealand youth. I’m going to put my money where my mouth is. Then I’ll be happy to answer any questions you want to ask me. [laughs]
Q: Well, let’s explore it. And I’m not going to ask you to shoot your bolt right here and now…
A: It’s not ready…
Q: So we’re talking about hundreds of millions invested in New Zealand youth?
A: Let’s say at least a hundred. …..
Q: Does it matter who wins the election as to whether or not you proceed with the plan?
A: I think very much so.
Q: So you would think about not doing this initiative…
A: Well look, let’s put it in perspective. I think National has a better shot at it, particularly if ACT is part of it. Because, if I say ACT goes a little bit hard on the Right, if there is temper [?] there, they’re not bad people, actually very good people.
Q: OK. Can I ask you then: you’re prepared to invest hundreds of millions in New Zealand education, for young people…
A: I said at least a hundred million…
Q: … if National and ACT win the next election?
A: That’s correct.
When we’re strapped for cash, performing dentistry on a gift horse could be regarded as bad form. Never mind that $100 million is a drop in the bucket compared with Government’s spending – it’s a very large drop in a very small bucket.
The problem is that the generous Mr Glenn has probably committed an offence under the Electoral Act 1993 by tagging on the proviso that he will give the money only if National/ACT win the election in November: Read the rest of this entry »
We’re in Rarotonga, which feels like our second home these days, having a busy time doing very little. Hence the ominous silence on the media/political/current affairs front.
Relax – the Patron Saint of Unpopular Causes will be back with you shortly.
You cannot hope to bribe or twist (thank God!) the British journalist. But, seeing what the man will do Unbribed, there’s no occasion to. – Humbert Wolfe
Once upon a time aspiring radio and TV stars were sent off for voice coaching before they were allowed to pollute our airways. At the very least they had to have pleasant voices and excellent diction.
No longer. Our TV screens are now populated in prime time by young women whose voices could etch glass at 40 paces and men who happily mangle the language to the point of incomprehensibility.
My current personal favourite is the new dialect of Sainsbury, to be heard on Close Up most evenings at 7pm. I’ve heard the odd Sainsburyism from news reporters on both One and Three and once, to my astonishment, from Mike McRoberts. It’s clearly the coming fashion and we should all adopt it as soon as possible.
Visitors filling in time between World Cup matches may require help with translation before they can fully appreciate Close Up. They may be so impressed with what they hear that they want to start speaking Sainsbury themselves. Here’s a little pronunciation guide for the uninitiated and the eager:
Harold – as in ‘Harold is that dodgy Toyota you’re selling?’
Harris – as in ‘Harris it that you can’t kick the damn ball between the posts?’
Hurrah – as in ‘Hurrah you, now that you’ve had liposuction?’
Harrever – as in ‘Harrever will you get that money out of the country, Mr Hotchins?’
Harroffen – as in ‘Harroffen will Hone hongi Willie before the election?’
Harrintristing – as in ‘Harrintristing! And where did you dispose of the body?’
Feel free to expand this guide – your contributions of any new Sainsburyisms are welcomed.
Next week: How to copy Key – an exercise in syllable reduction.
The interview mainly consisted of criticisms gleaned from NZ commentators, which were then put as propositions. This allowed the PM to counter them, which he did without difficulty. Stephen Sackur’s lack of knowledge of New Zealand and its politics meant he was unable to follow up Key’s answers and probe deeper. All we got was the next proposition. It sounds knowledgeable, but it’s surface stuff and easily batted back. More like practice in the nets than a real game. That aside John Key handled this HardTalk interview well and seemed relaxed and confident.
Major criticisms:
Someone had raced round and found a batch of model kiwi and waka and other Newzild stuff and scattered it round the set. Tacky, tacky.
And Key’s diction! The trick seems to be: Never use four syllables if you can get away with two. It may be OK for speeches at the United Nations – they have simultaneous translators – but the overseas audience would have needed subtitles to get the drift of his answers in this interview.
Last night we watched Alister Barry’s documentary The Hollow Men. An excellent film, based on Nicky Hager’s book of the same name.
If the details of the 2005 election have faded into the mists of time this is an eye-opener. It’s also well worth reminding ourselves about some of the shenanigans that went on, with Don Brash now leading the Act Party.
This is your chance to get a copy of the documentary. Trevor Mallard has copies to give away. If you email your name and address to me at: judy@brianedwardsmedia.co.nz, I’ll send it on to him. Trevor’s only request – pass it on when you’ve watched it!
And my own suggestion – read the book as well, for the extra details. Apart from being a brilliant piece of investigative journalism, it’s a real page-turner. The Hollow Men, by Nicky Hager, published by Craig Potton.
UPDATE Still a few DVDs available – Trevor has a secret store!
NZ on Screen have unearthed my television play Casualties of Peace, much to my amazement. I thought it had been wiped years ago. There was a shortage of tapes and we just re-recorded over everything.
It was made in 1982, starring Judie Douglass, Peter Vere-Jones and Michael Hurst, playing a teenager. It was Michael’s first major television role and he won an award for it – Best Newcomer, from memory. A very young Fiona Samuel appears in it as well, with Kevin Wilson, Ken Blackburn and Joanne Simpson.
World War II lingered on for our returned soldiers and haunted their families for decades. The vets would gather together to make sense of their experiences, and to find again the camaraderie and mateship of service life. My childhood was filled with war stories, with strange men who would turn up at our door and spend hours reminiscing with my father. He seemed younger and more alive when they were there.
This play was based on my father, these lost men and their conflict with the next generation, whose view of the Vietnam war was so out of step with their own lives and beliefs.
Came across this – it’s an ad, but it’s still a nice little piece:
And here is the original it was copied from:
The Power of Words is a remake of the film Historia de un Letrero, which won the first prize in the short film category at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008. Thanks to Ivan Strahan in Donaghadee for the link!
A large bouquet to Campbell Live last night for letting the people of Christchurch speak for themselves. This montage of frustration told a very different story from one we’re hearing from officialdom about the EQC and the accuracy and speed of assessments. A classic was the 34 second assessment caught on CCTV.
This made excellent television – a far cry from the stumbling, bumbling interview by Mark Sainsbury on the Tupperwaka in which he
Asked such searing questions as:
Are you ashamed of your culture? (To Shane Jones)
Is this a jack-up? (To Ngarimu Blair of Ngati Whatua)
Are you saying that Pita Sharples is bribing the Maori people of Auckland? (To Shane Jones again. And no, Mark, that was the Act Party)
This mock-tough interviewing just comes across as rude and boorish. Patsy questions which are patently ridiculous. This was a subject that deserved some serious debate. It’s not going to get it on Close Up, that’s for sure.
This Media Release from International Ice Hockey was passed on to us by Kerre Woodham. English as a Second Language?
Press Release Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No broken ice for International Ice Hockey
After the devastating earthquake which shock Christchurch businesses to a holt on 22nd February the future of events in the city looks bleak as many venues have been left in tatters and most events planned for Canterbury have pulled out. But not for the promoters of International Ice Hockey USA vs Canada who vow that the event will go on.
International Ice Hockey’s game two is set for Christchurch’s CBS Arena on 30th July and with the venue coming out un‐scaved the event promoters see no reason for Christchurch residents to miss out on the action sport event of the year. Read the rest of this entry »
My good friend Max Cryer drew this to my attention. I thought you might like it too. And, by the way, if you want to spend an interesting, entertaining and infuriating hour or so, check out Hitchens’ confrontations with that bullying moron from Fox News, Sean Hannity.
I grew up at a time when being ‘on the dole’ was shameful, when single women were forced by circumstance and social pressure to give up their babies, when women with children often stayed in bad marriages because financially there was no alternative. We weren’t very tolerant, we weren’t very caring. ‘You made your bed – now lie in it!’
I’m still a card-carrying member of Gary McCormack’s Pull-Yourself-Together Party, so I was surprised at my own anger this morning when I read the Prime Minister’s statement that beneficiaries go to food banks because of their own ‘poor choices’. He said:
‘…anyone on a benefit actually has a lifestyle choice. If one budgets properly, one can pay one’s bills. And that is true because the bulk of New Zealanders on a benefit do actually pay for food, their rent and other things. Now some make poor choices and they don’t have money left.’
Well, here is the news: Some people have unexpected bills, Mr Key. Some people’s cars break down, because cheap, old cars are all they can afford – seen a repair bill lately? Some people need dentistry – seen a dentist’s bill lately? Some people need to pay the rent, which they can’t afford even with an accommodation supplement – seen the news on Auckland rentals recently?
Asked such searing questions as:
