Humble servant of the Nation

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We’ve always known it. We are miles ahead of the New Zealanders.

Last night in tortured reminiscence of our own political events post the 2010 election, NZ king/queen maker, Winston Peters announced he would support Labour and the Greens in loose coalition and allow Labour to form minority government. Thus Jacinda Ardern became NZ’s fourth prime minister in the last 18 years.

We have proven we can manage that feat in the space of about 18 months.

Bill Shorten got so excited he forgot how to spell or at least forgot how to spell the name of the freshly anointed political big wig of New Zealand, omitting the second ‘r’ from Ardern.

A correctly spelled missive was quickly dispatched but it did make me wonder. For the last 50 years the Americans have been having fun with our prime ministers’ names. From the simple misunderstanding over Malcolm Fraser’s preference for using his middle name as the more familiar to his first, all the way to our current PM who is known in Washington DC as Marlon Tumblington at last check.

Full column here.

319 Comments

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    The Carrier Pigeon could yet make a reappearance, Mr Insider. The National Broadband Network Company (NBN) is trialling cheaper and less intrusive technology to take fibre to the driveway of homes, in a bid to divert criticism the mixed rollout is creating a digital divide in Australia. The technology known as fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) is a less costly alternative to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connections.
    http://tinyurl.com/y8u86syu

    • Bella says:

      It appears the New Zealand NBN is all fibre to the premises with extraordinary download speed. Good for them.
      No lies or spin will alter the fact that the Fibs are solely responsible for stuffing up what was going to be a world class rollout in Australia.
      Looking after the national interest has never been their plan.

      • Jack The Insider says:

        Very fast speeds available in Dunedin only at this stage as they move to FTTP across the country in the comng years. Speeds of around 1000mbps in Dunedin, an educational hub and home to film makers and gaming developers. Me, I’m on 25. They’re going to kick the shit out of us in technology and media industries.

      • Boadicea says:

        Not sure the roll-out was ever going to be a goer, Bella. Tasmania was the first off the block prototype for some strange reason.
        I am lucky to have FTTP. Happy with 25mbs, could have 100 if I paid more.
        Watching them dig up the small suburb of Battery Point for the best part of two years, it was obvious that it wouldn’t he viable. I said so in this blog at the time. Labor were running the show then too.
        $91k was spent hooking up one remote property in Tasmania. How daft is that!
        Contractors were being screwed on price and if it looked too hard they just walked away.
        What a shambles.

      • smoke says:

        downloaddownloaddownloaddownload……upload….anyone. upload?? Productive stuff

      • Jean Baptiste says:

        Fibre here. Greased lightning.

    • Dwight says:

      Only if the are CFMEU pigeons.

  • Penny. says:

    I see another Director James Koback has been accused of sexual harassment by at least 38 women. He sounds a particularly revolting kind of guy.

  • Dwight says:

    Pirates attack the NBN? Johnny Depp’s revenge on Barnaby Joyce?
    Aaaarrrrr – rated.

  • Huger Unson says:

    How about these 5 POTUSs, Jack?
    https://twitter.com/PhilMcCausland/status/921908440045322242
    No hats, no glinting brass.

  • Tracy says:

    Well done on the EPL Jack, you’re sneaking up on the rails

    • Jack The Insider says:

      And without really knowing what’s going on in the EPL.

      • Perentie says:

        Which is just about right, I reckon. The pointy end of the Champions League and the World Cup is very good. Watch any more soccer than that and you just start being reminded how lucky we are to have Australian football.

        • JackSprat says:

          “Soccer?” – Football my good man -Football.
          A sport designed for people who can only handle a high every 20 mins and a real high, when a goal is scored, about twice a match on average.
          Boring as ……

  • Boadicea says:

    I feel as if I’ve been on another planet. Missed the heat of the SSM debate whilst travelling, and here in Macedon we have ABC 4kids round the clock for the benefit of the 16month old toddler. It’s quite interesting. He knows the ins and outs of the TV remote and takes command.
    I haven’t yet sighted or heard Jacinda speak.
    It’s quite refreshing . My favourite is Shaun the Sheep – which may be a good tune up for when I get back to the unreal world and news of UN Zud.

    • Perentie says:

      Shaun is Jacinda’s half brother. He’s a sheep, she’s a horse. Ardern, racing under the name Hardham due to a pronunciation/translation issue, finished about 10th in the Caulfield Cup but wasn’t highly fancied.

  • Trabvitch says:

    More on music.

    Took Alex (my step son) to the Enmore Theatre on Friday to see The Angels. Memories from 36 years ago when I first saw them. Great night, and they can still play. Bernard Fanning was not disappointing as a substitute for Doc.

  • Trabvitch says:

    Hi Milton,

    Sitting here working late at night, with music in the background on TV – a Jimmy Barnes show from the 90’s. He had Deb Conway on. A dead ringer for Ms Unn Zud, but the teeth are not as pronounced. I have always had a soft (?hard?) spot for Ms Conway.

  • jackSprat says:

    Solar panels on the roof have now been in 7 years.

    29.32 megawatthrs generated at an average of 11.46 kwh

  • Milton says:

    Are my gems and pearls going through to spam Jack?

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