WB has taken an interest in DPF’s blog (http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/09/labour_never_learn.html) and quotes “Labour have learnt nothing from the Electoral Finance Act. It was a partisan attempt to skew the electoral laws in their favour. And they have done it again their announcement of an expert panel to review electoral administration and political party funding.”
So, WB decided to look at who exactly is on the panel;
First we have
Professor Stephen Levine who was the founding Head of the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington
Academic Number 1
Next we have
Associate Professor Andrew Geddis of Otago University
WB notes that his book :Andrew Geddis: Electoral Law in New Zealand: Policy and Practice: Wellington: Lexis/Nexis: 2007. along with Nicky Hager’s : The Hollow Men: Nelson: Craig Potton: 2006 is recommended by the the LGBT (Lesbian Gay etc etc) community with the comment “as long as the government and its allies make the suggested positive amendments recommended from Andrew Geddis, Nicky Hager and the Campaign for Open Government” (http://www.gaynz.com/articles/publish/31/article_5093.php)
Academic Number 2
And bringing up the rear is
Dr Jean Drage from Canterbury University
WB understands that her background combines research and teaching in political science, local government and women and politics. Apparently she is currently completing new research on women in local government whatever the F**K that is supposed to mean
Academic Number 3
So we have three academics all from Arts Faculties, who are a so called expert panel to review electoral administration and political party funding.
Surely if one was going to appoint an “expert panel” to review electoral administration and political party funding the panel would include a lawyer, an accountant and a political scientist drawn from a wider cross section of Ivory Towers (with cross party support) rather than a trio of artistic types drawn from the southern fringes of the country.
2 comments:
Actually, Andrew Geddis is a lawyer (or at least he teaches law) rather than being an "artistic type" (although he's quite a good singer).
He's also NZ's no.1 expert on electoral law, so it's hardly a surprise that he's chairing the committee.
Bryce
www.liberation.org.nz
Actually Bryce I wonder if you are also of the "artistic type of the left persuasion" as I notice your website has Labour in very bold print as opposed to your other entries. I am reminded of my time at uni when it was far easier to argue the left side of politics in order to receive an "A" rather than the convoluted hoops one had to do to convince a lecturer that ones conservative views merited his or her reading of them let alone marking them in an objective way
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