Bill Dalton

Recently I sat and watched the NZ cricket team demolish the English cricket team in a rain shortened one dayer. And I loved it.

I loved it for a variety of reasons – but most of all because it was a real two finger salute to that egotistical pillock Adam Parore.

One of the stars was Jesse Ryder. When Jesse was selected, Parore said that he was too fat to play top class cricket. Parore said there was no room at the top for a fat man. Well – on behalf of all fat men – and Jesse Ryder hardly qualifies – I’ve got news for Mr Loudmouth Parore. A few extra pounds will not stop a talented fellow like Jesse Ryder performing at the top level.

Why do the media go to people like Parore for comment. Sure he had some cricket talent but what has he done since. Perhaps his greatest achievement is his ability to sell pictures of his family to some womens’ gossip magazine.

Anyway- enough about Parore – he is of no consequence – the win was fantastic for New Zealand cricket and will be a great confidence booster for the team. Make sure you are at the game in Napier.

Parliament opened last week with the usual rubbish dished up in the house. Helen Clark claimed that there was no quick fix to New Zealand’s problems – an amazing statement considering she has been in power for 8 years.

John Key pointed out to her that fact and her trusty – “I’m not part of the Government” – Lieutenant Winston Peters got up and – well actually I’m not sure what he said. As usual he talked in riddles.

The usual election year jockeying for position is going on. The Greens are sending out old Nachos to pasture so they can bring in their deputy leader to gain publicity before the election.

NZ First has clearly done a deal with the government and Donnelly is off to Rarotonga to bask in the sun. That allows them to add some firepower in terms of Dail Jones.

Don’t you think all this makes an absolute mockery of democracy. We elect one bunch and then they decide who is really going to represent us.

I am still waiting to hear from any party that is prepared to hold a binding referendum on MMP.

They’ll get my vote.

I am sure – if my kids were asked to name one word that came to mind, when discussing their upbringing – it would be the word consequence

If there was one thing I drummed into their little brains it was that their actions would have consequences. If they behaved well, there would be positive and good consequences, and if they were naughty there would be negative or bad consequences. And I make no excuses for the fact that sometimes that meant a smack on the bum.

So I was delighted when John Key announced the National Party’s policy on troubled youth yesterday. Delighted, because for too long these young yobbos have been able to roam our streets, tagging and terrorising, stabbing and stealing, and society seemed powerless to stop them.

For those dregs of society, unsociable and unlawful behaviour had no consequences.

So I applaud John Key’s announcement – the policy may need a little modification but at least he has recognised the problem and decided to do something about it.

Contrast this policy with Labour’s track record in the area of youth crime. In eight years Labour has totally failed to recognise and address the growing problem.

And in response to John Key’s address, Annette King came out with a statement that epitomises Labour’s whole approach to governance.

She said that National’s policy was short sighted because it concentrated on the minority who are trouble makers and ignored the vast majority who were good citizens.

How bloody silly is that? The policy announced, was specifically developed to deal with the trouble makers – that is the whole point of the exercise – a point clear to you and I, but obviously lost on Annette King.

Labour and its army of law drafters, has inflicted so many unnecessary laws and regulations on us over the last eight years, and now it would appear they want us to ignore the huge and growing problem of delinquent youngsters whilst we concentrate on those who are productive members of society.

Talk about putting your head in the sand.

Anyway, at least it’s election year.

Let me say I am delighted that at long last, New Zealand’s Labour Government, has decided to put tax cuts on their agenda. But I am also disappointed.

Disappointed because, reportedly intelligent people like Prime Minister Helen Clark and Finance Minister Michael Cullen, expect us to believe, that the proposed implementation of tax cuts, in an election year, is entirely coincidental.

They are trying to tell us that Treasury advised them, up until now, that the tax surpluses they, the government were receiving, were temporary and could not be used for tax relief. That only now, was Treasury advising that the tax surplus was bedded in and that tax relief could be given.

I have two words – that can be used on the radio – for Clark and Cullen’s position – Absolute Garbage.

It has been evident for some considerable time that New Zealanders have been over-taxed. Ask the directors of all the companies – both listed and unlisted – who have moved to Australia – not to mention the individuals – why they made the move? Without a doubt they will tell you that New Zealand’s tax system is the reason.

As a brand new local body politician, I am acutely aware of the appalling public perception of politicians. The sort of garbage Clark and Cullen are now talking will only strengthen the feeling of the public that politicians can not be trusted.

The truth is that our government has built up a war chest of tax surpluses, and they are going to release that tax arsenal on the New Zealand public in 2008.

I have too much respect for my fellow New Zealanders to believe they will be taken in by such deceit.

At the end of the day the truth will prevail.

I am beginning to wonder what we New Zealand males are becoming. Firstly we hear that the All Blacks are being offered counselling to help them cope with being beaten out of the Rugby World Cup in the quarter finals. I have to say, that to me, is as bizarre as it gets.

These guys are supposedly fit, tough professionals. Professional sportsmen – and sport is about winning and of course losing. Sure they choked – sure they lost – but surely they can put the loss behind them and move on. My view is that calling in shrinks is pathetic.

And now we have got Trevor Mallard – Labour’s bovver boy. Labour’s big tough mouth who is great at dishing out the dirt on others. Clearly he can give it but he can’t take it.

One personal taunt, of exactly the same nature as he hands out and he loses his rag. He calls Tau Henare out of the house and whacks him. I must say Mallard must be equally pathetic at using his fists as he is at using his brain because Henare never had a mark on him.

So what is the outcome from all this? Trevor is to have counselling. Poor little Trevor has been under stress lately so he needs a shrink to hold his hand. His marriage has broken up and his Dad has died. Well sorry Trevor but about 60% of marriages break up and sooner or later we all lose our parents and we don’t go around thumping people or having to seek counselling.

Is this the sort of person we want as a Cabinet Minister – as a leader – as one who makes decisions that affect us all?

It could be argued, of course, that Mallard is an example of what the New Zealand male is becoming. I mean – if the All Blacks need counselling because they lose a test match – I suppose it follows that a Cabinet Minister thinks it is OK to seek counselling when he loses his temper.

We seem to be losing the concept of personal responsibility – of being personally responsible for our own actions. The All Blacks were over rotated – over reconditioned – we’ve heard it all before. Mallard had left his wife, lost his father and was under stress.

Excuses excuses. Whatever happened to “Pick yourself up – dust yourself off and start all over again.”