The Great, the Forgetful, and the Fallen

It has been a fascinating week here in Aotearoa – Land of the Long White Cloud (thats New Zealand for those of you who are not in the ‘know’).  All manner of ups, downs, dramas and saucy scandals. Where to start?

The Great 

A very big shout out to two amazing Kiwi woman who are shinning so bright on the world stage that surely you must be able to see them from Mars!!  

• NZ writer Eleanor Catton has won the Man Booker Prize for her outstanding (and apparently very long) debut story – ‘The Luminaries’. (832 pages – so I am expecting it to be one of those value for money kinds of reads – I expect I will eventually get to read it) Not only does she set the record as the longest read for this award but she also is the youngest to win.  The second Kiwi to win the award – the last ironically 28 years prior – Keri Hulme for ‘The Bone People’.  Well Done Eleanor!!  (as an aside – I see the Canadians are claiming this as a National victory as well … reminds me of a certain pavalova incident..)

• NZ Muscian Lorde (aka Ella Yelich O’Connor from Aucklands North Shore) has won the 2013 APRA Silver Scroll music awards for her single ‘Royals’.  Youtube song ROYALS  A fabulous hit that is currently sitting at No 1 on the US billboards.  Pretty awesome if you ask me – she is 16!!!

• The All Blacks win against Aussie – always a celebration!  A fabulous game to ‘boot’. 

The Forgetful 

Have you ever noticed how often John Banks (ACT Leader and Epsom MP) seems to have amnesia?  He should see his GP – I would hate to think his memory loss is attributed to a medical condition.   Let me clarify.

A judge has ordered he stand trial on electoral fraud.  As a result he has had to stand down from his ministerial role.  It seems the matter at hand is that both Sky City Casino (are they not waiting on a vote in parliment to build the new Convention Centre in return for a few hundered new pokies…) and Internet Mogul Kim Dotcom had both donated large sums of money but had been put down as ‘anonymous’.   Mr Banks has pleaded ‘not guilty’ and claims he knew nothing of the donations.  Now, its not my place to pass judgement, I am hardly a Court Judge – BUT – it would seem that if it was me, I would find it hard to forget those two particular players ‘donating’ money.

I would have to add that after the ‘tea cup’ saga – its a little tricky to not think that where there is smoke there is fire.  Read more on the tea cup saga  Oh well, I guess time will tell.  

The Fallen

A sad affair – pun intended – of newly elected for a second term, Mayor Len Browns fall from grace this week as revelations of a 2 year affair with someone he worked with, emerged.  I don’t think this particular sordid mess is over and I think there may well be some more twists and turns as the next week or so goes by.

I will refrain from my opinion but suffice to say that I tend to agree with something I saw on social media the other day where someone said ‘Considering how effective he was while he was ‘distracted’ – just imagine how effective he will be now his distraction is over’.  Or words to that effect.  I thought it was a pretty good statement.

Having looked at some of the facts and revelations it does seem very messy, and from what I can see, not leaving any parties looking that squeaky clean really.  I feel for his family, and it shames me we have this kind of underhand political machinations in place.

Its not all doom and gloom for Len – apparently Aucklanders would still vote for him to be Mayor. Len still has Aucklands support

So maybe, after this calms down, and people move onto the next new ‘news’, we can get onto moving our great city forwards.  After all, it didn’t take long for Kiwis to forget some other well know NZers who have also had their own ‘falls from grace’.  We are after all, only human, and humanity is far from faultless.

Of course, there was much more in the news this week – from both here and offshore (debt ceilings lifted, wild weather and various famous musicians visiting), but sometimes short is sweet.

May the day be kind to you!