Daily Review 25/08/2017

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1. Dspare 1

   25 August 2017 at 6:30 pm

   Thank you – yes!

   Labour leader announced this afternoon the party would start construction on a new Dunedin Hospital in its first term.

   Ms Adern said it would rebuild the hospital with existing funds and counted out a public private partnership (PPP)… Previous experience showed PPPs did not work, she said.

   “We reject the idea of a PPP as they have a disastrous record in the United Kingdom.

   “The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has condemned them as ‘a millstone around the neck’ of the London health system.

   “PPP contracts will only slow the construction process down.

   “There is enough money in the Government’s capital spending allowance to build the hospital without a PPP.”

   https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/jacindamania-hospital-announcement

   Both Dunedin North and South have Labour electorate MPs anyway, but I bet their party vote will be rising here on the heels of this announcement. There is a little bit of hedging by promising to; “form a group [of stakeholders]… to agree on a vision for this hospital”. But even that is better than National’s ram it through their way with lucrative contracts going to (alleged) donors
   • ScottGN 1.1

     25 August 2017 at 7:10 pm

     If Ardern is to have any hope of becoming PM on Sept 23rd, Labour will need to smash the party vote in the 2 Dunedin seats.
     • Dspare 1.1.1

       25 August 2017 at 8:43 pm

       Labour actually lost the party vote to National in both seats last election (though it was close in Dunedin North). With Turei standing in Te Tai Tonga this time I’d expect the Green vote to fall a bit in Dunedin (not meaning to deride Bould, but she just doesn’t have the same prestige as a candidate).

       But really, it doesn’t matter what part of the country they come from; Labour have to concentrate on getting party votes more than winning electorates.
       • ScottGN 1.1.1.1

         25 August 2017 at 8:58 pm

         MMP has pushed Dunedin South way out into Clutha and Otago. After the last boundary adjustments Middlemarch is in that electorate now. But you would have to think that Dunedin city is fertile ground for a Labour revival.
   • Draco T Bastard 1.2

     25 August 2017 at 7:12 pm

     Previous experience showed PPPs did not work, she said.

     Wonder if Labour’s got the spine to put that to referendum to make PPP’s outright illegal?

     Pretty sure that there’d be enough support across the general populace to do so and, if it’s been put to referendum, then it would be much harder for National to undo it.
     • WILD KATIPO 1.2.1

       25 August 2017 at 7:17 pm

       Actually , a good point, – there’s a lot of negative public sentiment on all sides about all this privatization by stealth goings on by National , and having it put forward by referendum would finally give people a voice . That would put the wind up all these free market racketeers for once and for all.
       • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1

         25 August 2017 at 7:54 pm

         As far as I can make out, general* privatisation has never been popular – the governments have pushed it against the will of the people.

         * Some privatisations made sense even to the general populace but not the big ones.
         • WILD KATIPO 1.2.1.1.1

           25 August 2017 at 8:07 pm

           … ” general* privatisation has never been popular – the governments have pushed it against the will of the people ” …

           Indeed. One only has to look at archival footage provided on this site and across the net to see the opposition to it. And time hasn’t changed that sentiment very much at all. The people in general do not want privatization of what belonged to the taxpayer.

           It was forced on this population , we were never consulted , – just were preached at , then before proper public consultation processes were undertaken , they proceeded to ram through sale after sale of our assets.

           It was undemocratic, treacherous, tantamount to treason and certainly theft by proxy . They never had our full consent or a mandate given them barring simply being elected , and that doesn’t mean they had a right to act with disregard to those who paid their salary’s.

           A referendum is what is required. Full support.
           • Dspare 1.2.1.1.1.1

             25 August 2017 at 8:25 pm

             Any referendum on future asset sales, or stealthier means of privatizing public resources (such as PPPs) would have to be more carefully worded than this one:

             “Do you support the Government selling up to 49% of Meridian Energy, Mighty River Power, Genesis Power, Solid Energy and Air New Zealand?”

             http://archive.electionresults.govt.nz/2013_citizens_referendum/

             Something that prevents the sale of state houses during a housing crisis would be good too!
             • WILD KATIPO …

               25 August 2017 at 8:34 pm

               Well its got to be done sooner or later , the fact that this toxic situation has not been adequately addressed for 3 decades by public demand to force these buggers on the back foot is an indictment on how slow acting we can be.

               That said , if you watch the tens of thousands who participated in anti asset sales / Employment Contracts Act demonstrations back in the 1990’s you get a real alarming sense of just how dictatorial these neo lib govts were.

               And that’s scary.

               But enough is enough , – we all know what they are all about now , – and its time to politely tell them in no uncertain terms to ” piss off and don’t try to rise above your stations. WE pay your salary’s and you WILL do as we say”.

               End of story.
             • Chris …

               25 August 2017 at 9:32 pm

               Try telling fucking IHC that. Evil bastards.
             • Draco T Bastard …

               25 August 2017 at 11:02 pm

               1. It has to be a government initiated referendum – then they have to pay attention to it. The government can, and pretty much always do, ignore citizens initiated referenda.
               2. That referendum was so limited because of the rules requiring it to be on a single issue. Making it broad like: Shall we ban all state asset sales? wouldn’t have been allowed. But a government referendum isn’t restrained by such rules and so can be quite wide.
               3. Although that referendum was only about a single issue I believe it correctly showed the populations objection to privatisation.
         • Stuart Munro 1.2.1.1.2

           25 August 2017 at 11:24 pm

           I think you have to distinguish between asset looting and genuine PPPs – the former should be wound back and the fraudsters involved jailed.

           Real PPPs can work if they don’t have monolithic power – a good left example would be Rewi Alley’s Gung Ho – an organization that created small businesses by providing start up capital somewhat in the way the DFC was set up to before it was captured by a bunch of wannabe merchant bankers. It would make some sense for example, for the incoming government to offer seed capital for new builders to increase the speed with which their housing roll out engages with the crisis.
     • Bearded Git 1.2.2

       25 August 2017 at 9:24 pm

       She got a huge round of applause when she said the hospital wasn’t going to be PPP.

       The Nats are on the wrong side of history here-PPP’s have been a dog’s breakfast in the UK.
2. WILD KATIPO 2

   25 August 2017 at 6:59 pm

   ‘ Business profits leap ahead while wages struggle to outpace inflation’

   So screams the headlines on Stuff.

   Business profits leap ahead while wages struggle to outpace inflation …
   https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/…/business-profits-leap-ahead-while-wages-struggle-to-…

   Company profits jumped 8.6 per cent last year, while the real average hourly-wage stood still. Statistics NZ said the combined operating profits of New Zealand businesses climbed by $5.2 billion to just over $65 billion.

   That was helped by a 17 per cent jump in the operating profits of larger businesses that employ more than 20 staff, which rose to more than $29b. Meanwhile, the mean-average hourly wage rose just 1.3 per cent, with the increase only matching the rate of inflation.

   Council of Trade Unions economist Bill Rosenberg said the statistics were more evidence that the share of income going to wages and salaries was falling. “That indicates wages are not keeping up with what the economy’s income could actually afford.”

   But Kirk Hope, chief executive of BusinessNZ, said the ‘ increase in company profits meant jobs were more secure ‘ .

   How interesting, … what with the Employment Relations Act , 90 day trials, and legislation designed to enable employers to lock Unions out of stepping foot on business premises… he would say that ,… wouldn’t he.
   • Draco T Bastard 2.1

     25 August 2017 at 7:20 pm

     Business profits leap ahead while wages struggle to outpace inflation

     More of the Blighted Future from National.
3. AsleepWhileWalking 3

   25 August 2017 at 7:00 pm

   https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/96142430/christchurch-mens-prison-guards-illegally-planted-covert-listening-devices

   Reminds me of the video surveillance in the womans prison. Still creepy.
4. chris73 4

   25 August 2017 at 7:17 pm

   This whole Jacindamania thing happening is reminding me an awful lot of the support Clinton was getting from the media and the internet

   I just hope that when National are returned to power (probably with NZFirst) that the left and the media in NZ don’t react as badly as was seen in the USA
   • WILD KATIPO 4.1

     25 August 2017 at 7:58 pm

     Non issue though really , isn’t it,… it aint gonna happen. Truth is , the Dipper is yesterdays news. So I wouldn’t be too worried about mass civil outbreaks. Labour will be the next govt and all your worrying will be for nought.

     Happy days.
     • chris73 4.1.1

       25 August 2017 at 8:02 pm

       Thats a possibility of course however Jacinda is (at the moment anyway) really only popular with young people whereas Bill is still the leader of choice for those older and older people tend to vote more than young people do

       But hey its been a funny old election thus far so who knows
       • Bearded Git 4.1.1.1

         25 August 2017 at 9:29 pm

         She was SO relaxed and SO good at communicating in her speech in Dunedin today. Audience in the palm of her hand. After seeing this I can see she will be PM. Tears in my eyes when she said no to PPP in style.
       • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2

         25 August 2017 at 10:57 pm

         http://www.idioms4you.com/img/angif-bark-up-the-wrong-tree.gif
       • Grey Area 4.1.1.3

         26 August 2017 at 8:36 pm

         Then again I’m older and Double Dipton is not my leader of choice. I’m out tomorrow doorknocking for the Greens. I don’t trust Labour but Jacinda Ardern is still the best chance of getting our country back.
   • McFlock 4.2

     25 August 2017 at 8:08 pm

     difference 1: trump had personal appeal for some of the electorate. Blinglish doesn’t.
     difference 2: We have MMP, so the winning of the popular vote wins the election.
     • WILD KATIPO 4.2.1

       25 August 2017 at 8:17 pm

       Cheers ears.

       🙂
5. Pat 5

   25 August 2017 at 7:30 pm

   bag him all you like but Chris Trotter knows his onions….https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2017/08/its-question-of-values-my-friends-what.html
   • Bearded Git 5.1

     25 August 2017 at 9:35 pm

     I don’t think the Green’s need Trotter’s advice-he is not a Green but rather an old-school Labour man.

     If he was being fair he would have mentioned the 9% and 8% they had polled at the same time as the 4.3%, or the fact that the Greens have polled 10-11 per cent over the last 6 years.
     • Pat 5.1.1

       25 August 2017 at 10:03 pm

       judging by the past couple of weeks the Greens could with all the advice they can get…particularly from those a little removed from the fray with the advantage of distance and perspective
       • KJT 5.1.1.1

         27 August 2017 at 4:44 pm

         From those who don’t know anything about the Greens, and get their information from Hosking.?

         Yeah, right!
6. In Vino 6

   25 August 2017 at 7:40 pm

   I am now much more dissatisfied with Hosking’s “clarification”. I have viewed both original statement and clarification, and I believe he is guilty of not understanding his own loose language.
   His original words were: “…you can’t vote for the Maori Party unless…” Voting for the “Maori Party” implies that he is talking about the Party Vote (or the List vote as he called it.)
   He now claims it was obvious that he was talking about the Electorate Vote. I don’t think so.
   To make it obvious he was talking about the Electorate Vote he should have said:
   “…you can’t vote for the Maori Party candidate unless…” But he missed out that vital word ‘candidate’.
   To most casual listeners it would seem that he was talking about the Party Vote.
   I now hope that the Maori Party sue him. He has not even understood the meaning of his own loose words, and has utterly failed to either explain or undo the damage he did.
   And we are supposed to accept that this incompetent spinner will be an impartial moderator?
7. Gristle 7

   25 August 2017 at 9:00 pm

   Can somebody please give me a good explanation of why 2 officers and a PE instructor are to be sent to Afganistan?

   Bill English said these 3 people are being sent there because terrorism is a real threat to NZ. Sending 3 soldiers to counteract terrorism either overestimates the capability of those people, or alternatively, it is a complete waste of time.

   I’ve watched Wonder Women and Captain America, so I know how one person (with an American accent) can change the course of history. Even when armed with this insight I am still coming down on the “complete waste of time” side.

   But if this is the case, why 3 soldiers? You know, one more than the two NATO asked for. Did somebody need a campaign medal, or have they done something that really pissed off the Chief-of-Staff?
   • Gabby 7.1

     27 August 2017 at 10:52 am

     The two officers need someone to issue orders to. Good god man, have you no sense of order?
8. Ed1 8

   25 August 2017 at 9:28 pm

   I heard Bill English announce a big new policy – they are going to increase fees for overseas tourists on some of the Great Walks, purportedly because they were running at a loss. My understanding is that they have been consistently priced to break even – but National probably know that a OIA request can happily be deferred until after the election. Its a trivial policy, designed to “balance” a trivial increase in revenue against billions of dollars in tax cuts and election bribes, but indicative of the desperation they must be in to be dredging up all the small ideas they can come up with . . .
   • Bearded Git 8.1

     25 August 2017 at 9:40 pm

     Agreed Ed-pathetic policy. Is that the best Bill can do? At the same time Jacinda was announcing a new hospital in Dunedin guaranteeing:

     1. That it will be started in Labour’s first term (3 years ahead of the Nats)
     2. That it will not be a PPP (unlike the Nats)
     3. That it will be built in the centre of town (no guarantee from Nats)

     The friendly, clear and relaxed (dare I say genuine?) style with which she announced all this was very impressive.
9. adam 9

   26 August 2017 at 1:39 am

   So, well corporations are the enemy. They do deceit, and only worship money. They do not care about you or your family.

   The biggest oil company lied for 40 years knowing that Global Warming is a major issue.

   https://www.wired.com/story/more-evidence-exxon-misled-the-public-about-climate-change/

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