All posts tagged Clare Curran

Curran versus KiwiRail

Last week Clare Curran had a column in D Scene – Profits put ahead of safety at KiwiRail.

You can’t say you weren’t warned. A parliamentary inquiry into manufacturing this week heard there are no checks on the manufacturing standards of the wagons imported from China.

This week Jim Quinn from KiwiRail responded, claiming that Curran’s column “contains several factual errors”. Here are the points he addressed.

Curran: One of the most chilling revelations was that no quality checks are being taken on the standard of manufacture of the Chinese imported wagons. The inquiry, initiated by opposition parties, heard that welding on wagons and locomotives was substandard and no checks were undertaken to ensure they met our standards.

Quinn: Multiple levels of inspection were in place during construction and we have been very happy with the manufacturer’s response to any warranty issues.

Curran: I have since been told that a directive has been issued to KiwiRail staff that no-one is to stand on, or ride in the controversial IAB wagons. (That directive does not apply to New Zealand-built wagons).

Quinn: The no-ride instruction applied to this wagon is the same as applied to other similar flat-deck wagons – including the Hillside-built IAC class. It is due to the deck shape and the cut outs on it’s deck.

Curran: The wagons also have a speed restriction placed on them due to systemic flaws with their design and construction.

Quinn: The IAB wagons are being used successfully on our trains all over the network and there is no speed restriction on their operation. These wagons have  been instrumental in enabling us to meet increased customer demand for freight movements.

The cracking on the footstep is due to the design of the wagon, which is the same as for the locally built wagon – which also has a no-ride instruction. We are in the process of rectifying this design issue with the manufacturer.

This raises questions about either the integrity of the manufacuring inquiry, or the integrity of Jimm Quinn and KiwiRail. If anyone has anything to add to this your input is welcome.

by Pete George on March 21, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on March 21, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/03/21/curran-versus-kiwirail/

Chris Hipkins and “Contempt for democracy”

Labour whip Chris Hipkins has posted Contempt for democracy at Red Alert. He makes some points about the Government’s Charter Schools legislation process that are fair and reasonable for an opposition spokesperson to make.

Amongst that he also says:

Sadly, the government isn’t listening.

This whole process has been a sham.

A comment at The Standard takes issue:

Glen Forrester

Your eyes will roll at this. Chris Hipkins put up a story on Red Alert called CONTEMPT FOR DEMOCRACY on Saturday here http://tinyurl.com/cdekas6

Yesterday Chris deleted comments asking him if he thought the title was a bit hypocritical because he has been so criticized for his reaction to the democracy remits at the NZ Labour conference. Trevor or Clare might have done the deleting…

My comment never got through. I wasn’t even getting smart. I just said I thought it might be better to take critics on. Still in moderation or deleted though?!

I have screen captures of two other comments that were deleted. Anyone know how to post screen captures here at TS…

I had seen TS comments saying how Red Alert is censored like mad but I had not seen it myself. Do MP’s think you can censor voters when they go to vote? Daft.

Not exactly on topic but relevant to the question of democratic process.

Trevor (Mallard) and Clare (Curran) have reputations for very heavy handed message control and censorship at Red Alert – Clare admitted effectively banning me – but I don’t know if they still make the decisions there.

If true to recent form if Clare Curran found that Glen Forrester was a Labour Party member she might try to gag him from speaking at The Standard. Apparently she is still trying to get the Labour Council to squash critical and dissenting blog comments.

I think it would “be better to take critics on”, but that’s unlikely to suddenly start happening now.

Red Alert prominently claims:

These are the voices of Labour MPs on issues that we care about – and we’d like to hear what you think too.

Sadly, this party doesn’t want to listen.

This whole Red Alert has been a sham.

They do want to hear praise and supporting comments. But they have shown quite clearly that they don’t want to hear criticism, and they don’t want to answer reasonable questions.

It has been claimed by many, notably by Labour Party members and supporters, that Red Alert and the Labour caucus shows a contempt for democracy.

by Pete George on March 4, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on March 4, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/03/04/chris-hipkins-and-contempt-for-democracy/

Millsy responds on Curran gagging

Standard commenter ‘Millsy’ has responded to what he says is a misconception that he was another of the Labour Party members who were gagged by Clare Curran.

Firstly, I am not a Labour member, neither do I have any connection or affiliation with the Labour party. I have only voted for Labour twice, the other times being for the Alliance and NZ First. I have never voted for the Green party either (nor am I a member of the GP or have any affiliation with them). Nor am I a union member for that matter. It is just me, myself, and I. Off my own bat.

Back in December in preperation for a few changes in my personal life (which had been on the cards for some time), I informed “The Standard” that I would not be posting for a while at least, as these events would tie up the vast bulk of my time.

Some people, actually have lives outside of the political blogosphere — the challenge to bloggers is to reach those who do not have the time to sit on the internet all day, but that is for another post — I am not willing to discuss what these events are, seeing as a general rule, I do not wish to discuss my personal stuff online. Ill leave that for the teenagers.

I agree that it’s a challenge to get out of the blogosphere and reach out further. That’s something I work on too.

Anyway, as things go, things didnt quite pan out the way I expected them to, and I ended up having time to post on TS after all, though I had been working on a few personal projects that I thought I might kick off.

It was only co-incidence that at the same time, Curran had started her mini-pogrom, against CV (whom I regard to be more Labour than she will ever be) at the same time. I dont really blame people for thinking that 2 + 2 = 5 though. Anyway, I doubt that I would let her push me around.

And dont get so precious about what I called her. People on the right blogs have said worse about her, and you didnt get all gallant then.

I don’t recall “getting precious” about what Millsy called Curran. People on “right blogs” do say bad things about a lot of people, I sometimes challenge that when I see fit but I don’tt hink I have any responsibility to “get all gallant” about every bit of personal abuse. I get enough stick as it is for the battles I do pick.

I accept Millsy’s word about not being included in the Curran gagging but an odd coincidence, the way in which Millsy announced his exit from The Standard followed and seemed to mirror Colonial Viper’s exit statement and many at The Standard assumed the two were related to Curran pressure.

The Sprout even named Millsy as one of his friends being leaned on:

“My friends were heavied in an attempt to intimidate me to stop posting during the leadership contest between Shearer and Cunliffe. “

“So far it’s been CV, millsy, Peter Wilson, and me – that I know of – but who knows who else has been leaned on to shut up?“

Maybe the Sprout could explain that.

So now it’s on record the Millsy says he was not a Curran target.

by Pete George on March 4, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on March 4, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/03/04/millsy-responds-on-curran-gagging/

Curran responds to Trotter – devoid of substance

Chris Trotter fired a broadside at Labour MPs today over their behaviour at the Labour conference in November in a column Dishing out rewards to hungry enforcers.

I’m told there were six of them, and that they hunted as a pack. Their prey?

Delegates who had voted the wrong way.

Moving through the excited crowds at the Ellerslie Conference Centre last November, an angry group of Labour MPs was seen taking dissidents aside and telling them, in no uncertain terms, which way was up.

Leading the pack was Labour’s employment relations spokeswoman, Darien Fenton, and her grim lieutenant, Dunedin South MP Clare Curran.

No surprises there. Ms Fenton and Ms Curran were among the caucus members most alarmed by the Labour Party rank-and-files’ sudden outbreak of democratic distemper. The other members of the pack, however, came as a surprise.

On February 25, Mr Shearer’s new lineup is announced. The Pack are well rewarded. Ms Fenton and Ms Curran both rise two places in the pecking order, while Mr Twyford goes up three to take a seat on the front bench.

There were accusations against other Labour MPs as well, but that’s a bigger story.

Channel 9 in Dunedin asked Clare Curran about her role in this in Nightly interview: Clare Curran(video) -  transcript.

Rebecca Meek:

Chris Trotter published a scathing attack against a group of Labour MPs in the ODT today, calling them a group of angry attack dogs. He implied a group of Labour MPs were berating members of the party who were not being faithful to the current leader David Shearer.

To fill in the gaps and explain what’s been going on is Labour’s MP for Dunedin South Clare Curran.

Now you’ve been referred to as a grim lieutenant in today’s ODT, and part of a group of angry attack dogs, what’s your response to that?

Clare Curran:

Well, I’ve known Chris Trotter for quite a long time, and I think he’s a great writer, ah, I think he might be, um, better at writing fiction these days, ah, and, but I think he’s also a bit like a dog with a bone, and he tends to live in the past a bit in his writing, and, ah he also has hasn’t been a member of the Labour Party for a very long time, but he likes to give us the benefit of his very strong views, so I guess that’s what I’ve got to say I mean, um, you know I that’s not the way I um saw it, and ah you know we had a great conference, and we’ve we’re a united party moving forward.

After spending most of a ramble trying to discredit Trotter she makes a non specific denial “I mean, um, you know I that’s not the way I um saw it” and then either paints a rather creative picture of “a great conference” and then is in total denial or total PR mode claiming “we’ve we’re a united party moving forward“. Charles Chauvel, Chris Trotter and many others have very contrasting views of a party that is divided and toxic.

And I’ve heard from different sources (other than Trotter) that Clare Curran has been intimidating party members – I blogged about some in Curran needs to answer gagging accusations:

My friends were heavied in an attempt to intimidate me to stop posting during the leadership contest between Shearer and Cunliffe. Clearly someone in Wellington didn’t like me saying their pony was a rightwing puppet who couldn’t lead a party to save himself. Despite me only stating the obvious, it spurred a pretty awful and nasty intimidation campaign. They knew the people being threatened weren’t me, but they knew too that doing that to my friends would quieten me. How shitty North-Korean is that?

So far it’s been CV, millsy, Peter Wilson, and me – that I know of – but who knows who else has been leaned on to shut up?

We’re not like the disgrace of an MP who has hounded CV into silence because she can’t handle honest criticis…

I have the evidence, as do others. It exists, and if the behaviour doesn’t stop, it may just come out.

The MP in question also hails from Dunedin. In my view she has simply lost the plot.

This is an actual problem. There was a threat of “outing” by a MP that came up during the lobbying at conference.

The lobbying at the conference which is where this round of it seemed to have started was pretty intense and I’ve had quite a four people independently describing it to me.

I now know the facts, via a private source, but I still don’t know why the Standard won’t publish the full story, because it really is appalling behaviour by a half witted bully of an MP.

But you should know that this incident leaves me very angry indeed and I firmly believe the MP concerned should be de-selected and expelled from the party.

There have been more descriptions and accusations since. Some of these comments are from unknown identities, some are from identified party members.

And to shut down dissent in the party seems to be continuing. IrishBill commented on Monday:

I should probably mention that she’s still trying to get the National council to put rules in place for members who blog and censures for those who are deemed to have blogged inappropriately.

Curran has certainly not answered criticism with “I mean, um, you know I that’s not the way I um saw it“.

UPDATE: a relevant comment from Trotter’s Bowalley blog:

Chris Trotter said…

You have to remember I was a Labour Party man long before I was a political columnist – and although I haven’t been a member for more than 20 years, I was still disgusted at the way the caucus responded to the rank-and-file’s assertion of their rights.

by Pete George on March 1, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on March 1, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/03/01/curran-responds-to-trotter-devoid-of-substance/

Labour BBQ

Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson supervising Dunedin MPs David Clark and Clare Curran at a BBQ.

Grant Robertson BBQ

From David Clark’s Facebook.

It’s not known if David Shearer was invited.

by Pete George on February 18, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on February 18, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/02/18/labour-bbq/

Clare Curran versus Colonial Viper revisited – conflicting claims

More detail of the Labour MP gagging and intimidation campaign against party members critical of the party on political blog The Standard has been revealed.

This shows a conflict in claims between Clare Curran and prolific Standard commenter and Labour Party member Colonial Viper. Curran denies she “sought disciplinary action against any individual“, but Colonial Viper seems to contradict that.

In December there were claims that Curran threatened party members critical of Labour in social media and effectively gagged them until the end of the year. Colonial Viper (and others) stopped commenting at The Standard for the rest of the year.

From Curran needs to answer gagging accusations:

My friends were heavied in an attempt to intimidate me to stop posting during the leadership contest between Shearer and Cunliffe. Clearly someone in Wellington didn’t like me saying their pony was a rightwing puppet who couldn’t lead a party to save himself. Despite me only stating the obvious, it spurred a pretty awful and nasty intimidation campaign. They knew the people being threatened weren’t me, but they knew too that doing that to my friends would quieten me. How shitty North-Korean is that?

Most of the focus was on Colonial Viper, a prolific commenter at The Standard.

Curran subsequently confirmed that she was involved. From Curran confirms, but key questions unanswered:

Ms.Curran said the people she complained about were party members, some of whom were using pseudonyms and had contributed to other party members being attacked and the Labour Party being undermined.

”There are questions about the conduct of anonymous bloggers who belong to the party but may be bringing it into disrepute, and it’s an issue the party needs to grapple with in the digital age.”

Ms.Curran said she had sought discussion at the party council level about what was an ”acceptable” standard of behaviour, particularly when a member was expressing views anonymously, in a way in which was intended to damage other party members and the party overall. She also made suggestions about how the party could deal with the issue professionally.

”Not at any point have I sought disciplinary action against any individual.”

Colonial Viper has just commented on this incident at The Standard:

This Viper certainly sees the irony in your “faceless commentators” remark, Mr Mongoose, since Clare, Trevor, and a substantial portion of both the Labour Caucus and NZ Council know exactly who I am.

And I don’t just “claim” to be a Labour Party member, I’m a Labour Party member, donor, activist, and organiser that the ABCs threatened in person, and then wanted to revoke the membership of via disciplinary proceedings in front of NZ Council.

But in this incarnation of the Labour Party, this is simply situation normal :twisted:

There is a direct conflict in claims here.

Curran provided a statement that was reported in media in which she said: “Not at any point have I sought disciplinary action against any individual.”

Colonial Viper names Curran and Trevor Mallard as being involved, and claims “the ABCs threatened in person, and then wanted to revoke the membership of via disciplinary proceedings in front of NZ Council.“

If this is correct (there is no guarantee of that but it is supported by comments made by muliple people at The Standard in December) then either Curran was not being truthful, or:

  • she sought action against multiple people, not an individual
  • it was someone else who “sought disciplinary action”

This is topical gain because Labour seems to have begun an attempt at engagement of it’s MPs at The Standard, and Curran is one of several MPs who have commented there over the last week or so. She said:

Hi there The Standard. Would like to comment occasionally.

Her comment ignored the recent tumult her actions initiated at The Standard. Unless she is open and honest, and makes a significant attempt to address the accusations of threats of intimidation and the apparent gagging she initiated, she will find it difficult to be taken seriously. Her comment was viewed with obvious suspicion. QoT (a blog author) responded:

Clare just wants to comment “occasionally” so expecting her to do anything more than a key messaged hit-and-run is demanding way too much.

If genuine engagement was intended Curran would have, well, engaged, and responded to questions. And she would have said something of substance instead of repeating party PR fluff.

She will need to do far more than that if she wants to repair a very damaged relationship with The Standard. An explanation and clearing the air of last year’s furore may not be pretty but it is essential if ‘engagement’ is seriously being considered by Labour’s strategists.

by Pete George on February 12, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on February 12, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/02/12/clare-curran-versus-colonial-viper-revisited-conflicting-claims/

Not a Labour blog, not ‘The Standard’, a compliant cadre of comrades

Well, obviously The Standard is not a Labour blog, another post yesterday, this one by Zetetic, attacking Labour and Trevor Mallard’s twitty tweets yesterday attacking Russel Norman – Hatin’ on the left. The Standard has become very Labour unfriendly – a place of hatin’ on the left.

One that’s obsessively oversensitive to being seen as ‘The Standard’. Examples abound.

mike

Man why in hell are you continually posting anti-Labour stuff on this site? Your headlines are starting to make this place look like the front page of the Herald. Please go off and start your own party and let prejudiced people continuously throw shit at you – whatever – but please just get outta my face. And don’t give me the bullshit about ‘democracy’ and entitlement to ‘opinions’, neither of those words cover your pontificating – you’re worse that a chauvinist preacher shouting damnation from a pulpit. Crawl under a stone and leave us in peace. Please.

[lprent: Take your own advice - 2 months ban. Basically arseholes who attack authors don't deserve my time reading them. This isn't a "Labour" site - read the about. And you are a fool. ]

Who is the fool? mike didn’t say it was a “Labour” site.

Then ex Labour MP Stuart Nash comments, and gets reprimanded.

Stuart Nash

I agree with Mike – why all the anti-Labour shit on this site? Astounding and totally counter-productive. Was looking through a couple of old ‘Standard’ newspapers I have, as well as a few of the Labour Party Journals. Surprise surprise, not one anti-Labour comment at all. In fact, it was about spreading the word in a positive fashion. Hmmm. Not a bad idea me thinks.!

[lprent: It is a "labour movement" site, not a Labour party site. It is in the about. And politics is running under a MMP environment with multiple parties of the left.]

And another site Standard author chimes in:

r0b

This isn’t a Labour Party blog, Stuart, it’s a labour movement blog, an unruly collection of voices from the left. And historically we idealistic lefties have never been a particularly cohesive force (alas).

Then MP Clare Curran pops in a comment – The Standard has been pleading and demanding engagement from Labour MPs, this should be appreciated. Unless you are a pedantic Standard moderator…

lprent 14.1

Please don’t address the machine. From the policy.

Attacking the blog site, or attributing a mind to a machine (ie talking about The Standard as if it had an opinion), or trying to imply that the computer that runs the site has some kind of mind control over authors and commentators is not allowed. Making such assertions will often get the sysop answering you, because he considers that those are comments directed at him personally.

Talking as if there was a “Mass” just pisses me off because it so clearly isn’t the case. You need to view it as if every person here holds their own opinions and is happy to argue with virtually everyone else at the drop of a hat – because that is why people come to places like this.

The nearest thing there is here to a consensus is whatever I program and the policies that the moderators choose to enforce. Since those policies are mainly orientated to protect the ability of the site’s arguing individuals to carry on doing so, you get me answering.

Please don’t waste my time… Talk to individuals or to the contents of the post.

So MPs are implored to engage at The Standard and then get told not to waste lprent’s time. Go figure.

This part is funny:

You need to view it as if every person here holds their own opinions and is happy to argue with virtually everyone else at the drop of a hat – because that is why people come to places like this.

You can argue with “ virtually everyone else at the drop of a hat” – unless of course that person is a Standard author or moderator, arguing or criticising them is a banning offence.

Since those policies are mainly orientated to protect the ability of the site’s arguing individuals to carry on doing so…

…unhindered by criticism. The individuals who are allowed to argue are those who are left, who haven’t been harrassed off or banned or can’t be bothered with the double standards.

The nearest thing there is here to a consensus is whatever I program and the policies that the moderators choose to enforce.

That sums up much of The Standard culture.

lprent often open brags about his ‘behaviour modification’, his attempts to program the The Standard participants.

Even MPs are subject to programmed behaviour modification. Implored to engage – so they can obediently subject themselves to lectures and criticisms.

The Standard authors and moderators choose to enforce policies for sure, selectively, eliminating criticism and critics they don’t want while enabling and dishing out attacks and abuse.

“An unruly collection of voices from the left” – yeah,  those who are left after lprent has applied his rules.

They may be a compliant cadre of comrades. Just don’t call them ‘The Standard’.

 

by Pete George on February 11, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on February 11, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/02/11/not-a-labour-blog-not-the-standard-a-compliant-cadre-of-comrades/

Cross party support for select committee webcasts

In response to a Davaid Farrar post at Kiwiblog…

Select Committee webcasts

I’m pleased to see this initiative. Select Committees are an important part of Parliament and this should allow more people to see what happens at them.

Hopefully eventually we’ll see all select committees available for viewing over the Internet, and also archived for future reference.

…Clare Curran has tweeted:

@clarecurranmp

Have been pushing for this with @garethmp and @nikkikaye #opengovernment “@KiwiblogDPF: Select Committee webcasts

Good to see cross party support for this.

Maybe webcast scrutiny will encourage MPs to respect the select committee process and submitters more.  And parties, organiosations and lobby groups who organise mass submissions will also be more exposed.

DPF linked to:

Parliament has announced:

Later in 2013 public hearings of evidence before select committees will be webcast live on this website. This will be part of a pilot to assess how this type of service could be delivered in the future. …

During the pilot, one select committee hearing will be webcast at a time. Webcasting will be able to occur only from certain select committee rooms, but committee rooms will continue to be allocated on the basis of committees’ needs; this will not involve any judgment about the newsworthiness of committee business. A committee intending to hear evidence in public and allocated a room with webcasting facilities will be able to choose whether those hearings are webcast.

by Pete George on February 10, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on February 10, 2013

http://yournz.org/2013/02/10/cross-party-support-for-selec-committee-webcast/

Labour’s Mike and Molly – reality expressed, and probably ignored again

Whale Oil has posted on an interesting comment on an interesting thread at The Standard – Labour’s Mike Smith gets a grass roots reality check.

Mike Smith is being told how disconnected loyal labour voters feel from what’s left of their party.

Mike has been told how disconnected loyal labour voters feel, if he cared to read and take notice. But the message is obviously not getting through.

Molly Polly gave a detailed version of what many at The Standard are saying – there is widespread disillusionment and anger amongst Labour activists and supporters at the direction and leadership of parlianmentary Labour.

But I don’t think Mike Smith or Labour leadership will have had any reality checks. There have been similar messages at The Standard for months.

A couple of weeks ago Clare Curran heavied some TS commenters to shut them up. That silenced a handful but simply provoked more bittter expression from an increasing number of others.

And the Mud-slinging post by Mike Smith shows that’s still the caucus approach – to try and shut down dissent at TS, Red Alert, wherever they think they can do it. He targeted one author specifically but also all critics:

“None of them have the interests of Labour at heart. It is an old problem for Labour, when the outside left links with the far right to drag Labour down.”

But Labour leadership is blind to the fact that they are the ones seen as not having Labour interests at heart. All they have is self preservation in their heads, by any means they can think of. And their continuation of their “support us or you’re enemy” blind arrogance shows that a multitude of reality checks are being ignored.

(It’s kinda ironic, beause the Standard culture is heavily ‘if you’re not one of us you’re enemy’ as well, and they are blind to being just the same sort of repellants as their leaders.)

by Pete George on December 29, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on December 29, 2012

http://yournz.org/2012/12/29/labours-mike-and-molly-no-reality-in-sight/

Red Alert revamp?

Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson hinted at a major revamp of Red Alert next year in one of his rare blog posts:

In terms of Red Alert, watch out in the new year for a re-launch with a different approach and way of doing things. Exciting times ahead.

If that includes ditching the paranoid censorship it may improve Red Alert substantially. It has been severely stifled by extreme moderation.

One of the most common comments in the blogosphere is “I’ve been banned from Red Alert” – and that’s seen across the political spectrum.

When I questioned my apparent banning with Clare Curran she said she didn’t trust me. If MPs can’t trust people to engage in honest discussion then they won’t be trusted, and they have a lot more to lose from that than us voters. And ex-voters. And ex-Labour voters.

Red Alert has turned a potential to engage into a part embarrassment. It will take a lot to turn that around.

The first step should be keeping MPs fingers off the ban buttons if they want to be seen as anything other than propaganda pushers and protectors. MPs should be encouraged to participate (much more than they have) but they can’t be players and referees at the same time.

Whatever Labour do to try and revive Red Alert it will be a challenge, starting with overcoming a severely tarnished reputation.

by Pete George on December 27, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Pete George on December 27, 2012

http://yournz.org/2012/12/27/red-alert-revamp/

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