Twitter

ᔥ The Age

Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone and his big-spending daughter have hit back at a Victorian MP who labelled her a “billionaire bogan”.

Tamara Ecclestone used Twitter to respond to federal Labor MP Kelvin Thomson’s attack on her lavish lifestyle during a speech in Federal Parliament this week.

“Surprised Kelvin Thompson (sic) has the time to watch and comment on #billiondollargirl being an MP,” she wrote.

Loks like Kelvin Thomson has been learning how to waste time from Trevor Mallard.

Oh dear…cue “outraged” people:

In the battle of the sexes, sparring over who should do the washing is nothing new – but one clothing company sparked a Twitter outcry after the chauvinist label in a pair of its trousers was judged below the belt.

Madhouse, a nationwide chain of discount men’s clothing stores, was branded “shameful” and “outrageous” by hundreds of Twitter users yesterday, because of the label’s washing instructions to ‘Give it to your woman’.

The Wellington Phoenix have shown somewhat more balls than Labour’s invisible leadership:

The person engaged to do live match updates on the Wellington Phoenix’s Twitter account has been red-carded by club officials after some distasteful tweeting during Sunday’s A-League victory over Gold Coast United.

Some tweets, best described as edgy, pushed the boundaries for a club’s official account, but others stepped over the mark with sexual references that several followers regarded as highly inappropriate.

One post in particular, involving a save by goalkeeper Mark Paston, had a strong sexual theme while others were in bad taste.

“Pav was sent through by Ifill – he had a couple of bites of the cherry like he was at a prom. It fell to Ward who eventually scored.”

“Lia is filling his boots at LB [left back]. Meanwhile, Lochead (sic) is filling his pants at home.”

Tony Lochhead missed the game through illness.

Among those offended were former Phoenix chief executive Tony Pignata, who tweeted: “Phoenix Twitter person makes the club look very amateur. Bad, bad look … no need for that type of humour.”

Trevor Mallard is cock a hoop about scoring a trip to the UK. He even skited about it on Twitter and Facebook in the interests of full disclosure:

Full disclosure I’m going to London for the 61st Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice and Procedure. Clerk’s office funds.

— Trevor Mallard (@TrevorMallard) March 1, 2012

Well…in the interests of full disclosure he is attending the 61st Westminster Seminar on Parliamentary Practice & Procedure. The seminar is described as:

First held in 1952, the Westminster Seminar has long been a fixture in the CPA calendar. It is designed as an intensive period of study primarily for newly elected MPs and early-career clerks from across the Commonwealth.

One wonders if it might have been better for Trevor to have attended the 34th Westminister Seminar when he was commencing his career. By attending this one it simply looks like he is either troughing it up or his caucus and leader have decided that he needs remedial lessons in being an MP.

I wonder if there was a caucus vote and given his embarrassments of the past month having him out of the country for two weeks was a way of smoothing the path for his more permanent exit.

It seems getting free mobile internet is easy and free to get…but you have to be famous…and slag off Telecom on Twitter:

Actor Stephen Fry has implored New Zealanders to demand better broadband, describing the service as “pathetic”.

Mr Fry took to Twitter this morning saying the broadband here is“probably the worst” he has ever encountered after trying to upload a charity video for a dinner function.

“Rise up, Kiwis and demand better? You wouldn’t allow crap roads with pot holes and single file. [That's] what you’ve got [Broadband wise]…” he wrote.

The English actor is in Wellington for the filming of the Peter Jackson film The Hobbit.

“I know, it’s feeble to moan. I’m on set now. It’s 6:15 and the wifi here is good. But I have So many videos and sound files to upload.”

He then said a “smart guy” could make “a fortune and a fool of the complacent Telecomm [sic] and their contemptuous attitude to customers. Phew! Rant over.”

Telecom then responded on Twitter.

“Ouch – we can send a mobile bband stick, to see if that’s better? DM an address if keen. Is your WiFi with us, do you know?”

Wouldn’t it be great if Telecom looked after our own population before smart mouthed, whingy, pommy bastards.

Last night Annette King tweeted about the cricket so I asked if she got her tickets off Trevor Mallard. This was her reply:

@Whaleoil heard of cricket on TV ,a comfortable armchair and a balmy Wellington evening? No ticket required. Still on the benefit?

February 17, 2012 9:23 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@annetterongotai

Annette King

Nice to see the caring left showing itself again.

As a matter of fact Annette the answer is no.

But I have to ask…Do you feel that way about all beneficiaries?

I do so love politicians and Twitter #nfwab

Clare Curran continues to show us why she is the Queen of New Zealand Political Social Media, by focusing ont he things that matter…like international kissing day:

What happens on International Kissing Day I wonder

February 5, 2012 7:07 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@clarecurranmp

Clare Curran

Cactus Kate gave her something to forget that tweet though:

@clarecurranmp dare u 2 stand next to John Banks and see

February 5, 2012 7:48 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@CactusKate2

Cactus Kate

Clare Curran, once again proving that Twitter is never good news for politicians.

For some reason I missed this but Jane Clifton has some good advice for politicians, and in particular labour politicians addicted to social media:

STEP AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD: MPs’ command of the social media is a fine thing – up to a point. Alas, too many have made themselves look uncharacteristically boorish and petty through ill-considered cyber-blurts. Labour’s usually good-natured Darien Fenton slagged the much-loved Sir Peter Leitch for being too friendly with the evil Tories and even suggested a boycott of his butcher shops. It’s a tragically short hop from Twitter to twit, but the lure of instant gratification is dangerously over-stimulating for most MPs.

Another victim was Trevor Mallard, goaded into a bike race by right-wing blogger Cameron Slater. Mallard won comfortably, but as Slater cheerfully characterises such encounters, the trouble with wrestling with pigs is that you get dirty, while the pigs absolutely love it. Repeat to self before posting: These golden words will be public and permanent. Do I really want history to record that I called someone a weasily little scrote?

This pig had fun last year.

From @LOLGOP

OVERHEARD AT THE NEWT VICTORY PARTY: What's with the bowl full of keys?

January 22, 2012 2:05 pm via FacebookReplyRetweetFavorite

@LOLGOP

LOLGOP

There was an article in the NZ Herald about candidates seeking information from the Electoral Commission about what was allowed and what wasn’t on hoardings, advertisements and  campaign materials. This is to be commended that candidates are actually seeking to comply with the law.

This of course is in stark contrast with the Labour which constantly broke electoral law and was repeatedly referred to the Police for investigation for breaches.

Right at the bottom of the article though was this interesting paragraph:

And handing out copies of the Hollow Men book at Wellington Railway Station was ruled to be “treating” – giving gifts to influence voters.

Interesting, “treating” is a corrupt practice. Were those people referred to the Police? If not why not?

Now if handing out books is a corrupt practice what would handing out free DVD’s of the Hollow Men movie be?

ON THURSDAY, Labour MP Trevor Mallard was hobbling around the press gallery on crutches dishing out free copies of the DVD The Hollow Men, based on the book of the same name by activist Nicky Hager.

Labour ordered 100 copies of the DVD on news of Dr Brash’s coup. Unsurprisingly, it seems to be almost more excited by Dr Brash’s second coming than even the ACT board or membership.

You might say that Mallard was only handing them out to the press gallery, but you’d be wrong:

Labour MP Trevor Mallard gave copies to the Parliamentary Press Gallery and other journalists who wanted a copy. More than 100 had been given.

His local electorate committee was paying for them and they were getting a discount price. The spending would not come out of election spending as it was outside the three month campaign period but Mr Mallard said he would check that.

I wonder if he did check? Because that little paragraph in the Herald article would suggest he did. But it looks like the advice was ignored because more than a 100 DVDs were given out. Twitter provides some of the evidence of Mallard’s “treating”.

Thanks @TrevorMallard for the DVD of The Hollow Men. Really appreciate it. Awesome doco.

May 7, 2011 4:39 pm via Twitter for MacReplyRetweetFavorite

@Paddyrick

Patrick Broadbent

and

@brianedwardsmed Trevor Mallard's gift of The Hollow Men just arrived in my post.

May 9, 2011 12:05 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@muerk

Teressa Rooney

and on Trevor’s Facebook wall…

Well, the evidence appears to be all there.  I wonder if the Electoral Commission would entertain investigating?