Paul Moon: ‘We’ll slaughter the bastards’.....

....how Bob Jones and the New Zealand Party changed politics in 1984

With New Zealand’s 11th election under the MMP proportional system due in November, it’s easy to take the influence of minor parties for granted. But just over 40 years ago, things were very different.

In 1984, with the conservative National government of Robert Muldoon seeking a fourth term, the major obstacle for any opposition party was the first-past-the-post electoral system itself.

From BreakingViews Archives: Bob Jones - Colonialism Nonsense

Try and imagine the carry-on in Britain if its government announced special privileges for the original Anglo-Saxon and Celt citizens.

Nearly 40% of today’s Brits are of non-traditional ethnicity. Take those of Indian ethnicity. They have the highest educational standards of all Britain’s diverse ethnicities. They also have the highest incomes and are the least likely to be in prison. The current cabinet is dominated by Indian ethnics, many of four generations back and most pundits are picking the current, (Indian ethnic) Chancellor as Boris’s successor.

But here in New Zealand the government’s posture, if in charge in Britain, would be that you citizens of Indian ethnicity, must step back and allow special privileges to the poor suffering original Anglo-Saxon and Celt inhabitants.

That is a parallel of what is happening here in New Zealand with maoridom.

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: New Zealand is duller without Sir Bob Jones

Very sad news this afternoon that Bob Jones has passed away. 

It's not altogether a surprise – he was getting on in age, and he had been feeling unwell and slowing down for at least a couple of years. 

But still, it is the passing of a great, colourful, larger than life character. 

Sir Bob Jones: Trump Trumped

Trump is a world-class ignoramus.

Prior to taking office in January, he claimed he’d sort out the Ukraine situation on day one. On that undertaking Putin played him like a fiddle.

Meanwhile his tariffs proposition have left global money markets in turmoil. He dismisses that now, after the event, as “medicine”, necessary to “reform” the system.

Sir Bob Jones: Liz Gunn

The Liz Gunn prosecution was scandalously corrupt and has been exposed as such by High Court judge Justice Peters.

The initial prosecution was before District court judge Forrest who described Gunn as “rude, overbearing and offensive”.

Sir Bob Jones: The taxation enigma

One of our very best financial journalists is the Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan.

In a deservedly scathing attack on the insanity of the government’s recent introduction of $100 tourist Visa fee for Chinese visitors, Fran trotted out some hard statistical facts. These are,

Sir Bob Jones: World class ignorance

Stuff reported on the shock horror allegedly felt by the organisers of a 420 strong stall-holders in a Wellington street festival when it was discovered one particular stall flogging jewellery included a small swastika.

As Stuff correctly pointed out, the swastika was and continues to be a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

Sir Bob Jones: The way we are

I’ve come to the conclusion that humanity can be divided into two categories.

First and by far the largest group are those who largely accept the world as they find it. They might occasionally grumble about some things but will do absolutely nothing about them.

Sir Bob Jones: Restaurant realities

Seemingly daily the Herald and Wellington’s The Post feature stories on restaurant closures. Their proprietors are always quoted saying it reflects the depressed economy.

Doubtless that’s a factor but the same phenomenon would be ocurring even if we were in an economic boom.

Sir Bob Jones: Revolutionary ideas

The media are having a field day, slamming the quality and delivery of school lunches.

I must be a genius as I’ve come up with a revolutionary solution to this problem.

Sir Bob Jones: Common sense from Australia

Recently I signed an everyday, minor event statutory declaration for the Australian government, this as is customary, requiring a lawyer’s witness signature. Except in fact, no longer so.

I say that as the form was accompanied by a government leaflet re the Aussies’ Statutory Declaration Act which advised that the witness to my signature could now be any registered practitioner in a lengthy range of activities, such as a doctor, nurse, Police officer, MP, pharmacist, veterinary surgeon and so on.

Sir Bob Jones: Facts and fantasies

Derek Quigley, the former minister in the last term Muldoon government (1981-1984) who led a failed 1982 coup attempt to replace Rob as leader with a very reluctant Brian Talboys, has written his autobiography.

Derek’s now in his early 90s and lives in Spain with his second wife.

The book was of interest to me for two reasons.

Sir Bob Jones: Maori nonsense

Recently The Herald reported the recovery at Massey University’s Wildbase Hospital, of a kiwi that had been hit by a car.

What got to me was the advice from the DOC biodiversity officer that the kiwi’s name “Tairei”, had been gifted to it by a maori outfit.

That’s world-class bullshit and a frequent occurrence. To gift something one must own it. No-one owns language.

Sir Bob Jones: Taxation realities

Over my half century as a newspaper columnist, beginning back in the mid 1960s, whenever my topic was an economic one I took pains to stress that economics is emphatically not a hard science of absolute rules.

Initially, that was scorned and to some extent, some commentators still treat it that way. Instead, I stressed it’s a social science about human behaviour and as we all know, and endure, human behaviour is rarely rational.

The tale I’m about to recount is a fascinating illustration about the economic damage of direct (income) taxations.

Sir Bob Jones: The coming insurance crisis

The catastrophic California fires will hit every New Zealander in the pocket. That’s because all insurances world-wide, are pooled.

That’s hardly surprising after all if you’re in the insurance business your first and most important client and thus initial step as an insurance company, is to insure yourself.

Sir Bob Jones: Pedantry or sloppiness

In an editorial on the thousands of submissions to Parliament on David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, the NZ Herald wrote, “the issue has been discussed and debated around water coolers and…”.

What absolute nonsense!

Sir Bob Jones: Climate Change

We’re being hammered from all sides by climate change proponents and made to feel guilty for everything from driving cars to the most innocuous activities.

But the climate has always constantly changed without any human input. Think the Ice Age for example. Archeologists are constantly unearthing evidence of now hot places once being cold, and the reverse.

Sir Bob Jones: More crime and punishment madness

The Post reports a man was attacked by a ratbag in Porirua, resulting in his face being so massively shattered, he had more than 140 nuts and bolts inserted in his face to strengthen the rebuild.

The offender’s colleague also attacked another bloke, hitting him with what the judge described as a “cowards punch”, leaving his face badly gashed.

Both accused pleaded guilty.

Sir Bob Jones: Fashionable foolishness

Is the Land Information Minister Chris Penk bi-sexual?

I pose the question given the opening line in Stuff’s The Post ascribing him in the fashionable plural, normally in brackets, such as (he, him, it) and the like but in this case, specifically “Land Information Minister Chris Penk have declined the proposal to rename “Petone”, “Pito-one”.

Sir Bob Jones: Judith Collins naivety

The recent fracas at Auckland’s Northern Club, involving Judge Emma Aitken, her medical specialist partner, and in a separate incident, barrister Michael Reed K.C, brought much delight to the media, so much so, Wellington’s Post for example, joyously front-paged it word for word, two days in a row.

That said, I was astonished by Attorney General Judith Collins reaction, specifically, this “very serious” matter, was “not what I expect from members of the judiciary”.