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Archive for the ‘personal’ Category

Kaye Challenge first test

Posted by on October 4th, 2009

Nikki Kaye challenged me to beat her in the Taupo Cycle Challenge. It is on the last Saturday in November. I’m sure we have both had lots of advice. Most people have told me I don’t have a chance of beating a woman about half my age who did the Coast to Coast solo last year. The essence of the technical advice  is that cycling is a bit parasitic. I should tuck in behind Nikki and let her do most of the work , let her lead out so I can make the last move in a sprint, except if there is a fast bunch that can drag me along.

I’m not very experienced at bunch riding so went in the Wellington Vets Featherston Funride. 80k. Very flat when compared to Taupo.Went in the middle group 10min behind leaders and got in a good bunch which after a while went ok.

Reinforced for me the advice that being in a bunch can save 20+% of effort. Might do another before the big day.

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Filed under: personal
9 Comments

Note to self: things to do in Australia

Posted by on September 28th, 2009

I’m off to Australia this week, with partner John, to meet his two new grandsons, Chance and Chay (yes, well they are Australians) and so John can meet for just the second time his two-year old granddaughter, Mala  - (and before you ask, we’re paying).

Because I can never separate the personal from the politics, I’ve made a list of things to look into including:

  1. Why Australian cleaners are now paid $21 an hour when ours are still paid $12.55, when they’re employed by the same contractors.
  2. What Rudd has done differently to Key to end the recession earlier and with lower unemployment than NZ.
  3. Why increasing workers’ rights in Australia is not seen as reducing productivity or harmful to business when in New Zealand it’s seen as the opposite.
  4. How many firms have really gone bust because they have to pay the same minimum redundancy pay I am proposing in my Redundancy Protection Bill.
  5. What’s happening with the National Transport Commission report that said that excessive client power and poor pay and conditions for truck drivers were a major cause of the high levels of deaths and injuries on Australian roads – and whether Joyce should take note.
  6. What forms of contracting arrangements for independent contractors do they have that give them more rights and collective bargaining power.

Should be a great trip!  I’ll send photos.

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Filed under: business, economic, infrastructure, labour, personal, transport, union, workforce
9 Comments

Why I voted YES

Posted by on August 2nd, 2009

When it came down to it, it was quite easy to tick the YES box on the citizens initiated referendum. The referendum is a farce. It’s a ridiculous question. We all know it. And while I had been tempted to render the vote invalid by saying so, I decided (as I always do) that my vote was worth something. Because I just cannot countenance the consequences of an overwhelming NO vote.

This is the first time I’ve ever voted in a way that doesn’t quite represent what I actually believe.

I believe that all parents have the right to bring up their children as they see fit. I believe that the vast majority of parents are good parents, who do their best and mostly do a good job. I’m one of them. I don’t always get it right.

I have smacked my children. Rarely, and I don’t think it’s a great way of disciplining them.

More strongly, I believe that children, as do adults, have the right not to be abused. Not to be beaten and assaulted. And I could not live with myself if, by voting NO, it encouraged a situation where a law was reintroduced which allowed parents who assault their children to get away with it. That was all the repeal of Section 59 was ever about.

So I could not put myself on the side of the people who ticked NO because they want the right to beat their children. Never.

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Filed under: children, democracy, personal
62 Comments

A Leap of Faith

Posted by on July 26th, 2009

He was raised in a humble Christchurch house by a single mum. He was picked on, bullied at school. But Kase Craig had a dream and a second hand pair of tap shoes. And with just that, at the age of five, he set about crafting a career as an international dancer. It’s taken years of slog, sweat and sacrifice. This month the curtain went up in one of the most fabulous opera houses of Europe and Kase Craig realised his dream. It is a story of courage and commitment. It’s New Zealand’s very own Billy Elliot story and the true life story of Kase Craig.

This is the trailer to TVNZ’s Sunday programme tonight. I had the privilege of meeting Kase in my New Brighton electorate office on Friday. He was brought up in New Brighton, where his Mum still lives, and attended New Brighton Catholic Primary School, which he visited the other day, and Cathedral College, in town until his extraordinary international journey began. I hope that people watch Kase’s story tonight.

Not only is he a determined and talented dancer, he is also a thoroughly charming and intelligent young man with a future full of many possibilities ahead of him. I say that because he has been given a good grounding, with a mother who supported him and believed in him every step of the way. He is as proud of her as she is of him. He reminds me of what is important in this world and that is to ensure that all children no matter their circumstances of birth are given every opportunity to achieve their full potential in life.  And what potential he has!  I predict his ballet career is only going to be one part of his future and we will be hearing a lot more about him in the years to come.

Seemed appropriate to have Michael Joseph Savage looking over Kase’s shoulder in light of his story.

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Filed under: labour, personal
12 Comments

Bachelor – Caption Comp

Posted by on July 1st, 2009

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Filed under: consultation, personal
31 Comments

A true story

Posted by on June 18th, 2009

I got this in my email today:

–

From: Twitter
Date: Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Subject: Katrina Shanks is now following you on Twitter!
To: Charles Chauvel

Hi, Charles Chauvel.

Katrina Shanks (katrinashanks) is now following your updates on Twitter.

A little information about Katrina Shanks:

0 followers
1 update
following 2 people

You may follow Katrina Shanks as well by clicking on the “follow” button on their profile. You may also block Katrina Shanks if you don’t want them to follow you.

The Twitter Team

–

For those of you who don’t recognize the name, Katrina is the National Party List MP who stood in Ohariu for the Nats in the last two elections. I have to say, it’s nice to have her follow my lead. A bit like real life, I guess ;)

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Filed under: humour, personal
8 Comments

Saluting MP mums

Posted by on May 10th, 2009

Today is Mother’s Day. Despite the turnoff of the commercialisation of a day meant to celebrate the important role that our mothers play in all our lives, I believe that most people do spend some time thinking about their mums and acknowledging how special they are.

While I am a mum, of course I also have a mum. Today she is in Christchurch with my dad who has been in hospital for more than a week recovering from a significant operation. Usually we have a family get together. That won’t happen this year and I can’t wait to have them back home. But I do get to spend the day with my boys who need their mum and don’t get to see enough of me. I want to reflect on that because I passionately believe that while we need more mums in parliament to be able to truly represent our communities, there’s a cost to be paid.

When I stood for Parliament last year I wrote a piece called Mixed Emotions, in which I admitted being afraid of how being an MP would affect my family, particularly my children. Six months on from the election I’m doing my best to do the ‘work and family juggle’.  It’s working out, but sometimes it feels as if I’m turning myself inside out.

And I know I’m not alone. There are other mums in our Parliament. Some with older kids and some with younger. Not many with younger children though, because it’s just too hard. There are some single mums too who are MPs and I’d like to acknowledge them and salute their courage. So here’s to the mums in New Zealand’s Parliament (not forgetting all the other mums).

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Filed under: personal
4 Comments

Today for lunch I might eat my words

Posted by on May 9th, 2009

Only a few months ago I was giving a family member a hard time for entering the world of blogging. I think they’re still grumpy that for Christmas I gave them a copy of “No one cares what you had for lunch: 100 ideas for your blog.”

I’m prepared to have that one come back and bite me. In fact, when MPs enter the blogging world, I guess we have to be prepared for things to repeat on us. The internet is a fast moving forum and, if this site fulfills its function, we’ll be posting our thoughts in a pretty open way and at a pretty rapid pace (but perhaps not as rapidly as others, which may mean a bit of a lag in checking comments.)

There are risks but I think it’s a worthwhile trade off. Let’s see how it goes, or at least how long it takes for you to start recommending “100 ideas” for this blog.

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Filed under: personal
3 Comments

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