The Week That Was

It has been a wee while between posts and plenty has happened in that time.

- Elizabeth Windsor celebrated sixty years as the head of state of the United Kindgom over the weekend. I have decided to refer to her as Elizabeth Windsor in the future as hereditary titles are disgusting and have no place in the 21st century. Some people want New Zealand to wait until Elizabeth Windsor passes before moving to a republic, but I say bugger that, it's time to remove this archaic institution. It would have been a great moment to start when...

- John Key met with Elizabeth Windsor this week. He gave her some Kapiti Cheese and she asked for a status update on the ChristChurch Cathedral, but didn't care to ask about the 200,000 children living in poverty in New Zealand ,the thousands deciding life is greener on the other side of the Tasman or the changes to the welfare system (You might think the world's largest welfare beneficiary would be interested in that sort of thing but I guess not).

- The Green Party had their AGM and celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Values Party. As they go from strength to strength in the polls they are preparing for a future in which they will be part of the government and not on the outside and how this will effect the consensus decision-making the have practiced.

- Education Minister Hekia Parata has been forced to back down over planned class size changes after practically every man and his dog came out against them. It has been one big embarrassment for the government and the questions now is will she stay or will she go?

There were some other small bits and pieces going on:
- Bronwyn Pullar was cleared of blackmail by the police and now ACC has some serious questions to answer.
- Philip Mountbatten was appointed to the Order of New Zealand. WTF???
- Robyn Malcolm tested over the legal limit at a random breath test.
- Vodafone wants to buy TelstraClear.
- In an attempt to deflect attention away from Hekia Parata, Paula Bennett announced the sterilisation of abusive parents (That may be a slight exaggeration).
- Christchurch got snowed on.
- and my man Julian Savea got named in the All Blacks' starting line-up for the first test against Ireland.

Lastly, its economy might be going to hell in a handbag but it's good to see Greek politicians are not letting that get in the way of an open and reasoned discourse: