Let’s go to school with Labour to learn 1+1= 3 and “compulsory” te reo means “aspirational”

Alf has never thought of the English language as a cultural treasure.

Rather, it is probably the most invaluable tool in his toolkit as the member for Eketahuna North – an instrument for communicating his profound thoughts to a political audience, in much the same way as a surgeon needs a scalpel, a builder needs a hammer and a road builder needs a bulldozer.

Or a Labour politician needs a leader.

Come to think of it, Alf is putting the English language to good use right now.

A boisterous Opposition is noisy enough – but now they want their bawling brats in there too

If you can’t stand the heat, as they say, get out of the kitchen.

And if you don’t like the hours, get another job.

That’s Alf’s advice to Labour’s Nanaia Mahuta, who has been sounding just a tad pathetic while braying about it being unfair to expect nursing mothers to be in Parliament late into the night.

It’s good to see The Boss has climbed in on this issue, saying (here) he does not believe Parliament’s hours should be reduced to make it more “family friendly”.

Having children while in Parliament was “challenging but do-able”, he said, and it was up to each party to ensure nursing mothers had the support and time out needed.

It may well be challenging.

But more important, it was a matter of choice, presumably, that Ms Mahuta opted to become a mum as well as an MP.

Hipkins had been rubbished already by critics left and right – but (yawn) here comes a cultural riposte

Dunno where Tariana Turia has been, these last few days.

Somewhere far behind the eight ball, apparently.

She has just despatched a media statement (here) to dismiss accusations of conflict of interest against our Hekia as “ridiculous”.

Co-leader of the Māori Party, Tariana Turia, has spoken out about the ‘ridiculous’ accusations levelled at Hekia Parata over a supposed conflict of interest with a ‘second cousin’.

“If Hekia’s whānau is anything like ours, there will be literally hundreds of whanaunga that might be described as a second or third cousin, twice removed – or whatever the correct terminology is” said Mrs Turia.

Alf had thought this matter was no longer on the commentariat’s agenda.

Yawn.

Is is there anything left to discuss???

Do we really want more of this taxing business of trying to talk to IRD people?

Dunno if The Boss has paid his taxes on line recently.

Mrs Grumble gave it a go, a week or so ago.

Her bank statement shows the transaction was successful and the money finished up in the hands of the Government, no doubt to help provide domestic purposes benefits for fecund females with a greater urge to fornicate than find jobs.

She has received two letters from IRD since then.

They remind her that her payment is now overdue.

Phoning the IRD to try to sort things out resulted in her being advised about the advantages of enrolling in voice ID .

Then she had to answer questions put to her by a recorded voice.

It’s a tiresome and vexing procedure.