It's All So Confusing

Thanks to those who have hailed me today across the blogosphere. When I learn how to list others I will start to collate a lkist of worthies. Inventory - thanks for the link.
http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/

I started out yesterday looking at the discussion on kiwiblog about the EFB (I am not sure it it qualifies as an 'obsession' but heck, it sure is compelling stuff. No Right Turn has come out in support of David Farrer (relax, it isn't what you think):

http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2007/11/access-to-parliament.html

Within the debate I asked if the EFB is in danger of causing some kind of democratic meltdown should an incumbent Government challenge the legality of a contested seat.

No one answered. Because I ask stupid quesions? I don't expect to be understood in my own lifetime.... it is one prediction that becomes increasingly provable as I age, but still.

I asked because New Zealand has a real 'it sould never happen here' attitude, but I am sure the Americans had the same attitude right up until George Dubya Bush had Florida and the Presidency of the United States called in his favour by the Supreme Court. - see opening chapter of 'Dude, Where's My Country?' Where indeed?

The point being that confusion about the law is a bad thing. It encourages certain behaviours, when the object of the Law should be to protect us from certain behaviours.

John Marshall QC of the Law Society is requesting that the amended version go back to Select Committee. We all know that won;t happen. It is vital for some, that the Law is passed preferably before the New Year. 'Ooh! Just what I always wanted!'

The Herald is continuing its critique of the EFB and quotes Dr. Helena Catt of the Electoral Commission:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10477647

Also on Nine to Noon:
that’s our fear, that everywhere where we’ve got areas where interpretation isn’t clear that the parties will start using that as part of their attack on each other and that’s not going to do anything to encourage public interest in politics, trust in the election campaign.

I am interested in the complete acquiescence of the 'left' over the whole EFB issue. They appear hell-bent on defending this as some kind of evangelical angel of vengeance against the evils of 'big business' buying elections.

But I noted that even on Radio live 'The New voice of Talk Radio' Willy Jackson and John Tamihere are starting to talk about the EFB. and Willy suggested that the Unions had been curiously silent about the law.

In my view, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is highly probable that it is a duck. So when you have a large organisation in charge of millions of dollars and in collusion with our political masters, that is a blueprint for corruption. So what is the EPMU for example?

Don't get me wrong, I have a Union background and am sympathetic to Unions. But I have to query what is the diffrence between unions and big business when it comes to the seductive effect that wads of cash have on governments?

To my mind it is a sad reflection on the ideals of the left, that the EFB is illustrating that it is just like the right, only better-branded.

Speaking of the crisis of the left (well it's in the back of my mind)

Farrer did post this:

All Labour had to do was convene multi-party talks in late 2006 or early 2007 and seek agreement on some key issues. They would have been able to get them. They didn’t even try. Then they should have produced a Bill which just added on a few clauses to the Electoral Act, and it would have sailed through.

This does tie in with my growing sense that the - far from vindicating the charge that National is corrupt - rather indicates that this EFB thing is a mess of Labour's own making.

Is it the beginning of the end of 'The Third way'? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Way_(centrism)

Will Annette King come out fighting tomorrow? http://www.beehive.govt.nz/Biography.aspx?MinisterID=5

Was John Key really under one of those masks at the demonstration yesterday? http://www.thestandard.org.nz/

All this an more in our next thrillling instalment.