Open mike 01/06/2012

70 comments on “Open mike 01/06/2012 ”

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1. Logie97 1

   1 June 2012 at 7:08 am

   Where else in the world would this happen. Nation A celebrates its independence from Nation B and Nation A’s citizens hold those celebrations in Nation B.
   • Te Reo Putake 1.1

     1 June 2012 at 7:27 am

     Good question, but I doubt we are the first. There must be many former colonies that have more citizens living in the former colonial power than at home. The Surinamese in Holland spring to mind, buts that only because I’m looking forward to a Dutch team with a large percentage of players of Surinamese heritage winning the Euro’s.
2. Pete George 2

   1 June 2012 at 7:32 am

   I had an opportunity to ask Bill English directly what the National position was on including all parties in the flexi-super discussion.

   English on flexi-super discussion: “we’ll certainly meet the terms of our agreement with United Future”. No enthusiasm for anything beyond that.

   And his closing comment on Super: “but the government is not going to change it’s position.”

   His failure to know some basic facts probably indicates an indifference to dealing with Super: “No one’s proposing significant change in the next fifteen years”.

   2027 is in fifteen years. UF’s flexi-super could take effect immediately, Labour proposed a phase in starting in 2020, and Act supported that (they would probably prefer an earlier start).

   But there’s an opportunity to ignore the Key brick wall and build the discussion around it.

   Details (far too much to post here): National’s toes dug in Super.
   • mickysavage 2.1

     1 June 2012 at 8:46 am

     Petey you have been told repeatedly that UF’s “flexi-super” policy will not make any difference because it is designed to be fiscally neutral.

     So introducing it into the debate does nothing except clog the debate and divert it into an irrelevancy. Doncha think?
     • Pete George 2.1.1

       1 June 2012 at 9:07 am

       No, whether it’s the right approach or not – that needs to be debated but there’s quite a bit of tentative interest (including from Labour) – doesn’t matter.

       It has a guaranteed Governmemt forum, probably the only one before 2015. How more relevant could it be?

       The UF proposal is fiscally neutral, yes. But that doesn’t fix that as the only way it can be implemented. Discussion can include reducing costs and raising average age of entitlements, if that’s what is ultimately decided.

       A choice of age is by far the best approach I’ve seen yet to dealing with demographics with varying life expectancies, and I think Laour should at least give it serious consideration.

       A discussion is for discussing different options and finding out what is wanted, what is practical and what may be possible. The more parties involved the better.
     • mikesh 2.1.2

       1 June 2012 at 10:23 am

       Flexi super may be “fiscally neutral”, but it could still be a useful way of smoothing out the baby boomer bump since many superannuitants will die before the deferreds take up their super.
3. felix 3

   1 June 2012 at 8:11 am

   Oh dear: http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/537504_10151003966976477_568131476_12027941_571272381_n.jpg
   • vto 3.1

     1 June 2012 at 8:18 am

     You know, surprisingly often when the blood starts to boil due to Key’s deceptive, shallow, arrogant and other entirely useless manner, the most descriptive word that pops to mind to describe him is … wanker
     • Pascal's bookie 3.1.1

       1 June 2012 at 10:26 am

       ha. As someone said on the twitter, our Prime Minister would seem to be somewhat of a dick, au.
   • happynz 3.2

     1 June 2012 at 8:56 am

     Immediately upon seeing that I thought of the Simpsons cartoon character Mr Burns saying, “Excellent”
     http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn142/torasap/Screenshot2010-07-23at164448.png
   • Rob 3.3

     1 June 2012 at 4:03 pm

     Probably the same reasons why Cunners sends his kid there as well.
4. Carol 4

   1 June 2012 at 9:18 am

   WTF? How’s this for a total contradiction of it’s mission?

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7026998/Freeview-pay-per-view-may-arrive-in-time-for-Christmas
   • Vicky32 4.1

     1 June 2012 at 5:48 pm

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7026998/Freeview-pay-per-view-may-arrive-in-time-for-Christmas

     I’ve never thought of Freeview as actually free… I have to choose between a new TV ($600 or so) or a set top box + aerial ($200). So free? Er – I don’t think so…
     At least that doesn’t fit my definition of free! 🙂
5. Penny Bright 5

   1 June 2012 at 10:36 am

   http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/lombard-directors-pay-ca-120188

   Remind me again why John Banks and Don Brash were never CHARGED as former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd for signing Huljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009 which contained untrue statements?

   ‘One law for all’ – sort of thing?

   Penny Bright
   ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

   http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com
   http://www.penybright4epsom.org.nz
6. Pete George 6

   1 June 2012 at 10:51 am

   Chris Trotter dumps on his granny experience.

   Does David Shearer really have the emotional heft of a Norman Kirk? I don’t think so.
   More and more Labour is beginning to resemble those dementia patients at Silverstream Hospital.

   Some of Labour’s caucus, like Trevor Mallard, are prone to violent episodes; others, like Shane Jones, test the boundaries of political probity in the most disconcerting fashion.

   The most pitiful to contemplate, however, are the likes of David Cunliffe and Grant Robertson. They know there are alternatives out there, they can see them, but their colleagues will insist on hauling them back to their beds.

   How sad it will be if New Zealand’s oldest political party is forced to end its days looking out at a world it is no longer able to change; weeping tears of silent rage as younger politicians, with the courage to look beyond tomorrow, get ready to inherit today.

   You have to read the whole post to get the Silverstream connection.

   http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2012/06/political-dementia-or-is-labour-in-need.html
   • Dr Terry 6.1

     1 June 2012 at 2:56 pm

     Pete, I am sure you make good points, but I deeply resent your put-down through discriminatory remarks concerning dementia patients anywhere, let alone Silverstream hospital. You might be one of them not too far hence.
     • mike e 6.1.1

       1 June 2012 at 5:57 pm

       DTit seems pompous git already has medium and short term memory loss wasn,t the hair piece in coalition with labour not that long ago. Has PG forgotten to be mister agree with everybody and sit on the fence all the time.Sounds like they’ll need all the kings horses and men to put pg back on the fence again.
     • Pete George 6.1.2

       1 June 2012 at 6:20 pm

       Dr Terry, I have no idea how you see “discriminatory remarks concerning dementia patients” in what I wrote, which was very little, most of that is Chris Trotter’s post.
7. weka 7

   1 June 2012 at 11:01 am

   We had a discussion the other day about Whanau Ora funding $60,000 to a rugby club (the A Modest Proposal post). Lots of people took Winston Peters’ word that the funding was for ‘economic and sociological research’, and assumed that the club didn’t have the skills or knowledge to make good use of the funds. The media spent a day or two cut and pasting what Peters had said.
    
   By yesterday National Radio had managed to find out some actual, real details about the projects that the funding was for (as opposed to Peters’ self-serving spin). Hateatea posted a link to this yesterday, but I see that no-one has replied, despite there having been over 90 comments on this subject. So in case anyone missed it, here is what National Radio reported.

   Rahui Rugby and Sports Club in Otaki is defending its use of a Whanau Ora grant which is facing political criticism. For two days running New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has attacked the funding during Question Time in Parliament. But the club says it’s justified in receiving the $60,000.

   President Rex Kerr says the money was used to secure the right to host a Heartland Cup game between Ngati Porou-East Coast and Horowhenua-Kapiti.
   Alongside that game a special Maori rugby festival was run to capitalise on the Rugby World Cup visitors, and celebrated all things Maori.

   He says many Maori groups were there, as well as organisations who promoted healthy living, budgeting, and the campaign against family violence.
   Mr Kerr says people were also able to receive a free health check during the event.
   He says the money was also used to fund research, which looked at how whanau work together, their involvement in sport, and their interaction in community.

   The study was carried out by Te Wananga o Raukawa, the Maori tertiary provider in Otaki. The money was made available through the Whanau Innovation, Integration and Engagement Fund.

    
   There is a bit more in the article with comments by Turia on Whanau Ora.
    
    
   http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/107125/rugby-club-justifies-whanau-ora-grant
    
    
   Strangely, I can’t seem to find any other media reports on this update. Now why would that be?
    
   So, as it turns out, the project does look like appropriate use of govt funding.
   • Deano 7.1

     1 June 2012 at 11:21 am

     it says the money was used to buy the right to host a rugby game.

     That’s not an appropriate use of social welfare money.

     the fact that other services, with separate funding, came along to a separate festival doesn’t make it right.
     • weka 7.1.1

       1 June 2012 at 11:28 am

       How much of the funding was used to acquire the hosting rights?
        
       What were the intended benefits of using the game to connect with the community? How effective was the outreach in terms of good outcomes for Maori in the area?
        
       If you don’t want to allow Maori themselves to determine the best way to reach their people and effect change, how would you suggest that the govt do this? We know that mainstream social and health services are failing Maori, because too often they’re not being offered in culturally meaningful ways, so what should happen instead? Please be specific in this, give examples, because the rugby club projects information looks specific enough to compare to.
        
        
       • rosy 7.1.1.1

         1 June 2012 at 11:52 am

         This fits in well with other health and social promotions that take health out of the doctor’s surgery and into the places people are – especially important for hard to reach populations. The best examples of these are promotions for men in pubs that have been going on in the UK and Ireland for a few years and have been picked up in NZ. For example this in Christchurch in 2010

         A series of talks at Bailie’s Irish Bar in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square will promote men’s health as part of International Men’s Health Week.

         Event organiser Donald Pettitt, of Canterbury Men’s Health, said similar events in England and Ireland had been successful.

         Among topics covered in the 7pm talks today, tomorrow and Thursday are heart and prostate health and how men get over health challenges.

         “Most people tend to blame men, but I say the health systems haven’t reached out enough. We’ve neglected men,” Pettitt said.

         A great initiative by the rugby club – men and Maori – 2 hard to reach populations in one go – or maybe even 3 – seems there would be a fair few rural people in those teams.
       • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.2

         1 June 2012 at 2:47 pm

         How much of the funding was used to acquire the hosting rights?

         That is irrelevant, it shouldn’t have been used to buy the hosting rights at all. The clubs would have been having the game anyway and so that extra subsidy wasn’t needed. All the rest seems like good spending it just should have been at whichever club won the hosting rights.
         • Hateatea 7.1.1.2.1

           1 June 2012 at 6:05 pm

           Actually, Draco, it was an inter-provincial game so would normally have been held at the Horowhenua Kapiti homeground where ever that is (probably Levin) so it is possible that in order to have the game in Otaki and attract more people to their festival event, it may have been necessary to compensate the other ground. I am only guessing, I don’t know the details.
            
           Choosing the game with Ngāti Porou East Coast was a brilliant idea as the Ngātis travel en masse and create a real buzz. Although I couldn’t find a report on the game that wasn’t behind a paywall, Hekia Parata’s newsletter would indicate that there was a good turnout and a number of well health and social service providors who were there to promote their services and messages.
            
           It saddens me that there are so many here who would rather believe Winston Peter’s dog whistle than congratulate an effective initiative by a small community. Does it matter that it was initiated by a rugby club? Really?
           • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.2.1.1

             1 June 2012 at 6:40 pm

             it was an inter-provincial game so would normally have been held at the Horowhenua Kapiti homeground where ever that is (probably Levin) so it is possible that in order to have the game in Otaki and attract more people to their festival event, it may have been necessary to compensate the other ground.

             You’re making shit up there.

             Hekia Parata’s newsletter

             Who’s honesty is above question.

             Does it matter that it was initiated by a rugby club?

             Nope, good on the rugby club, it’s the ticket clipping that I find immoral.
             • Hateatea …

               1 June 2012 at 6:57 pm

               What shit am I making up, Draco? I ‘opined’ or ‘speculated’ that there may have been a cost to have a game that would normally have been held on the Horowhenua Kapiti’s home ground played on a club ground. The union would miss out on the income generated from a game that has such appeal that several bus loads travelled from Gisborne to attend. It would not be unreasonable for the union to seek compensation given the straitened circumstances that many unions find themselves in at the moment. Anyway, why should my logical ‘speculations’ be less credible than those of Winston Peters??
               • weka …

                 1 June 2012 at 8:22 pm

                 Or indeed Draco’s own speculations.
               • Draco T Bastard …

                 1 June 2012 at 8:43 pm

                 You’re making up the idea that having it at a specific location resulted in more people attending. And you just contradicted it with The union would miss out on the income generated from a game that has such appeal that several bus loads travelled from Gisborne to attend.

                 It would not be unreasonable for the union to seek compensation given the straitened circumstances that many unions find themselves in at the moment.

                 Actually, it would be. The competition should have gone ahead as per normal with the research added on top. That would have produced an accurate result. Changing the outcome of that result changed the result of the research making it inaccurate and thus worthless.

                 Anyway, why should my logical ‘speculations’ be less credible than those of Winston Peters??

                 Because they’re only speculations. Winston Peters raised questions which need to be answered – your speculations don’t do that.

                 EDIT:
                 You don’t do research by guaranteeing people who wouldn’t normally be there turn up.

                 Or how about this idea: Everyone gets a free bi-annual check-up based upon the beginning letter of their last name. And, being risqué, we’ll even supply a few Gingernuts for the trouble of turning up at your local GP.

                 No special subsidies to rugby clubs that way.
                 • weka …

                   1 June 2012 at 8:52 pm

                   “Winston Peters raised questions which need to be answered”
                    
                   No he didn’t. He manipulated the situation by grossly distorting reality. The only questions that got asked were ones about things that didn’t even exist (a rugby club doing ‘sociological and economic research’). And no-one is really trying to answer them, apart from that bit on RNZ. It was a setup, intended not to generate true knowledge, but instead to fuel Peters career, and racism in general.
                    
                   I don’t know how competition rugby works, or the geographies involved, so I don’t follow the rest of your argument. But I can’t help but wonder if a similar thing is not happening again. Judgement on things that we don’t have enough information for.
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     1 June 2012 at 11:35 pm

                     …that didn’t even exist (a rugby club doing ‘sociological and economic research’)

                     A rugby club isn’t set up to do research – they’re set up to play rugby thus a rugby club asking for funds to do research should, be automatically refused.

                     I don’t know how competition rugby works,

                     That’s obvious. Having a game has financial “ups” for the place that the game is held at and so clubs and other bodies try to get such games happening where they are. The point being that if you want research then you don’t influence the decision about where it’s to be by supplying funds but accept where it’s to be held within normal operating process.

                     But I can’t help but wonder if a similar thing is not happening again.

                     Of course you don;t as that would mean accepting that you were/are wrong.
                   • weka …

                     2 June 2012 at 12:01 am

                     I still don’t see anything that tells us enough information to know whether the research was compromised by the funding being given to a rugby club. You’re guessing on that Draco. My point all along has been that we don’t have enough information to make sound judgement. 
                      
                     (I also disagree that ‘ticket clipping’ by the club is wrong. It depends on what they do with the money and how successful they are in their project).
                      
                     The other day you were convinced that the sports club shouldn’t have been given the funding. Now, with a bit more information, you agree that some of the project was validly funded. This is my whole point: that in order to judge the situation we need detail. We would need to see the actual project proposal as well as the funding one.
                      
                     In the absence of that it does of course make sense to ask questions (I asked quite a few in the course of this discussion). It doesn’t make sense to make accusations based on guessing, and in the cases of some people, prejudice.
                      
                     It’s unfair to characterise this as a refusal to see anything negative in Maori. I’m just not willing to go straight to that on the basis of no evidence.
                      
                      
                   • rosy …

                     2 June 2012 at 12:20 am

                     we’ll even supply a few Gingernuts for the trouble of turning up at your local GP.

                     For lots of reasons people don’t turn up to the GP, Draco. Not even for free gingernuts. e.g. GPs are part of officialdom in some peoples’ minds – meaning they can report you to social welfare, immigration, your parents maybe police. Or they may tell give you messages you don’t want to hear, or something/someone is preventing you getting to the GP….. and so on.

                     That’s the whole point of a going to a setting people normally use.
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     2 June 2012 at 12:25 am

                     I still don’t see anything that tells us enough information to know whether the research was compromised by the funding being given to a rugby club.

                     Research is inherently compromised if that research affects the outcome. Giving money to shift the social action studied affects the results.

                     The other day you were convinced that the sports club shouldn’t have been given the funding. Now, with a bit more information, you agree that some of the project was validly funded.

                     No, I still think that the sports club should have been given none of the money.

                     Now, with a bit more information, you agree that some of the project was validly funded.

                     No, I agree that the objective was valid but that the objective was ruined by the money given to the sports club to shift it.

                     I’m just not willing to go straight to that on the basis of no evidence.

                     There’s plenty of evidence – money given to a sports club for research is prima facie evidence of corruption.
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     2 June 2012 at 12:27 am

                     That’s the whole point of a going to a setting people normally use.

                     That would be nice except that it wasn’t the place that people normally use. It was shifted as a result of the grant.

                     And people going to the doctors almost always hear things they don’t want to hear.
                   • rosy …

                     2 June 2012 at 12:54 am

                     except that it wasn’t the place that people normally use
                     I used the word ‘setting’, not ‘place’ deliberately.

                     And people going to the doctors almost always hear things they don’t want to hear.

                     You might be right… or not – a lot of people might be pretty relieved when they are reassured about something by a doc. The thing is there is a lot of research out there showing that some groups won’t go to see the doctor or other health professionals. They especially don’t go to see a doctor for check-ups, advice, family or mental health problems – men, Maori, and young people are 3 such groups – so a doctor needs to go see them in a neutral setting.

                     I reckon a rugby club is a pretty good way to test if the message can get to target audiences outside a usual professional setting.
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     2 June 2012 at 3:27 am

                     I don’t mind it being at the rugby club grounds, I mind that the limited funds available was used to move the place where the game would normally be held. This changes the results of the research which was supposedly part and parcel of the funding as well.
                 • Hateatea …

                   1 June 2012 at 9:29 pm

                   I may have misread the comments from the President of the rugby club but I picked up that there were several components to the funding application, ie the research, the ‘fee’ for the rugby game and the festival / health promotion event.
                    
                   Nowhere did it say that the research was carried out at the rugby / festival / health promotion. You infer that it was and that the results were therefore skewed. I picked up something different.
                    
                   Either way, just sitting here at my computer, I discovered that there was far more to the story than Winston Peters’ beatup. You choose to still see merit in his rants while I see that there is far more going on.
                   You are not interested in a positive slant to the story. Fair enough, I would rather communicate with someone who has a more open mind. Enjoy your weekend. I intend to enjoy mine
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     1 June 2012 at 11:40 pm

                     The point is that the match wouldn’t have happened at the place it did have without the funding thus making the research inaccurate. Research is supposed to be about what happens, not influencing what happens.

                     You choose to still see merit in his rants while I see that there is far more going on.

                     I still see merit in his questions. Sure, there was more going on but that doesn’t outweigh the need for answers.

                     Fair enough, I would rather communicate with someone who has a more open mind.

                     My mind is open, the problem is that your mind is closed to anything that may construe Maori in a negative light.
     • Hateatea 7.1.2

       1 June 2012 at 12:37 pm

       Typical to pick out only one phrase of the whole report and turn that into proof of a rort thus excluding all the commentary on the free health checks and other community outreach that was attached to the day.
        
       Perhaps you have to be part of Heartland rugby and, in particular, familiar with the passion that is integral with Ngāti Porou East Coast and Horowhenua Kapiti. It must have been a cracker game, they are marketing dvd’s of it!

       A link for those who like to research for themselves (I couldn’t seem to find a newspaper report and no time to look for more)
       http://www.hekiaparata.co.nz/uploads/ePanui-October1.pdf
       • just saying 7.1.2.1

         1 June 2012 at 12:47 pm

         Thanks for the information Hateatea.
   • Pete George 7.2

     1 June 2012 at 11:28 am

     Good response on this, worth promoting so I’ve repeated it in a post and will circulate it elsewhere.

     Sketpticism of Peters’ criticisms is always justified.
     • mike e 7.2.1

       1 June 2012 at 6:00 pm

       PGYou know what you get with peters .
       Not like yourself undermining your own leader on the education Farce!
       • Pete George 7.2.1.1

         1 June 2012 at 7:02 pm

         It might help if you use facts to back up your abuse.

         I’ve hardly commented on the education farce – I think I said it was a ballsup, but I speak for myself so haven’t got anyone to undermine.
         • Pascal's bookie 7.2.1.1.1

           1 June 2012 at 7:07 pm

           Fair enough.

           Dunne has been doing enough undermining of himself on this issue anyway.

           What do you think of the way he uses twitter? Pretty negative politics innit?
           • Pete George 7.2.1.1.1.1

             1 June 2012 at 7:32 pm

             Sometimes, not something I would ever do of course….

             It’s hard not to get sucked into what might attract attention, and then hard to judge how far to go without backlash.
8. Carol 8

   1 June 2012 at 11:09 am

   Peters will continue to attack Whanau Ora for any reason he can find – like Brash he doesn’t like any policies targeting Maori, however much such policies might be needed.
9. Kotahi Tane Huna 9

   1 June 2012 at 11:23 am

   Yay! Innovation, exploration.

   Boo! The privatisation of space.
   • prism 9.1

     1 June 2012 at 12:25 pm

     Privatising space
     There has to be something interesting to do with all that wealth sloshing round in the top 10% of the financial system. It so exceeds what is needed by prudent saving individuals, or countries etc.

     There used to be devaluation of currencies, and I remember reading how many Russians under Communism had managed to hide undeclared earnings which were reduced to rubble (rouble?) by an official change in money value. Sounds like a good idea to level the playing field somewhat. Let’s go back to the good old past, with bad old practices that weren’t so devastating to our world and living conditions.

     I understand that one of the factors driving up prices of famous original paintings is that criminal-gang treasurers find them secure investments for their extorted heaps of cash and credits. The wealth out there enables the plutocrats to buy the land under our feet, the sky over our heads, the necessities of life while denying even the comparatively small necessary portion for people’s humble needs to enable them to live simply.
10. Katy 10

    1 June 2012 at 11:48 am

    Here we go. Dunne & Turia are showing concerns over bigger classes and less teachers.

    http://www.3news.co.nz/Backlash-from-Govt-partners-over-education-plans/tabid/1607/articleID/256349/Default.aspx

    This Education Policy looks to gain a fail mark with a Capital F.

    Panadol for Mr Key, Mr English and Ms Parata?.
    • Pascal's bookie 10.1

      1 June 2012 at 1:01 pm

      This is what Dunne has been saying twitter:

      An hour ago: “I am a little concerned most of the messages on education at present are coming from teachers, rather than parents”

      https://twitter.com/PeterDunneMP/status/208349360273096706

      Yesterday: “Principals show “subdued anger” to Education Minister – would they tolerate same from their students? Double standard?”

      https://twitter.com/PeterDunneMP/status/207703119264620545
      • aerobubble 10.1.1

        1 June 2012 at 1:17 pm

        I don’t have kids, but would love kids to be well educated to pay higher taxes when I retire.

        I find that cutting teachers and claiming they will produce better quality to be an oxymoron.

        Uneducated even.

        Key PR is designed to make us like his policy because he had to lose face and back down to just cutting up to two teachers. Does he think we are still living in the 90s! When such PR gimmicks were used to redirect policy rather than cut back core funding.
    • Dr Terry 10.2

      1 June 2012 at 3:07 pm

      You would settle for panadol? How about long lasting anaesthetic?
11. travellerev 11

    1 June 2012 at 12:45 pm

    Yesterday I wrote an open letter to John Key with regards to his fact finding mission to Europe. He wants to get first hand information as to the state of Finance of Europe. He will also meet with the head of NATO and the unelected president of the European Union amongst others. In my open letter I argue that he has no real reason to go to Europe and that he already has first hand information about the financial situation in Europe.
    If you like this open letter I hope you will copy and paste it and send it to everyone you know. Especially to those still thinking the suns shines out of Johnnie “Derivatives” Key’s behind.
12. just saying 12

    1 June 2012 at 12:53 pm

    This years Queens birthday honours are a horror. I don’t even want to link to them – Idiot savant has a link at No Right turn.

    The honours always piss me off, but this lot are the nadir surely?

    As for Sir Michael Cullen – cognitive dissonance anyone?
    • Bored 12.1

      1 June 2012 at 2:52 pm

      Cant be bothered with the Sir this and Lady that crap either. I know people who have selflessly worked and contributed to their community for eons yet will never get a gong.Its all a load of crap.
      • Draco T Bastard 12.1.1

        1 June 2012 at 3:15 pm

        +1

        Especially considering that with a lot of the people that get these honours I’d rather punch than address as sir.
    • Dr Terry 12.2

      1 June 2012 at 3:13 pm

      I am appalled to learn that Cullen should have so much as considered this spurious “honour”. But one can be sure that he “feels humbled” and that it “really it belongs to others” etc,. plus all that usual humbug.
13. aerobubble 13

    1 June 2012 at 1:11 pm

    So you know its wrong, it will endanger the children, but it can wait…

    A boy racer was raging his car in his driveway, two children a few metres away looked on.

    Lucky for us noise regulation don’t apply to boy racers, and young 7-8 year olds can call
    noise control when the noise is too loud, and hell kids that age can’t be harmed, noise
    doesn’t impact on them until they intentional harm themselves by pushing the volume high
    on the walkman when their adults.

    When the adults, the parents of our planet, sit around the kitchen table and worry about
    the finances while ignoring their other roles as guardians of children, why should I
    care if some boy racer is destroying the eardrums of his cousin and their sleepover friends?

    When a plastic soup swills around the pacific, who gives a crap that it breaks down and enters
    our kids food chain. As long as we have a zero quality budget, what’s it matter.

    We have science, we have noise laws, not so that egotistical narissitic can prove how capable
    they are at ignoring their responsiblities to themselves, their families, their environment,
    just its their right to use their money to shove it in everyone’s
    faces and ignore the consequences because it makes them feel powerful – like the raging car
    they own.

    As a commentator recently claimed on National Radio, if you don’t pay income tax then you
    are a bludger and dont merit a mention, despite the fact that those making paper capital gains
    profit because its so lucrative to do so in NZ have too much say in keeping it that way.
    While National have shifted the weight of tax capture to the poorest, raising GST and lowering
    the amount of progressive taxes the wealthy must pay for a fair society (which I might add
    did not create growth when the taxes dropped, but just bailed out the most indebted a bit longer
    and accelerated the inequality gap).

    We are entering a period of peak oil which means that much of the valuation and
    estimation of wealth is wrong, and with so many large claims (money) in circulation there
    is always going to be a judgement day, when inflation hiding fails. And the real cost of
    not culling the boy racer mentality that pervades our child endangering ruling elites, media and society, falls due.
    Moro could tomorrow stop letting right wing tweeps talk nonsense, but that would lead to the moron class
    calling him a left wing ideologue, which is absurd since they went extinct in the 80s with the rise
    of Murdoch.

    In the week when parents took their kids to a creche in the Middle East Mall, and didn’t wonder
    or were concerned about the fire exits, fire drills, of their kids creche in the heart of a
    building, why? because it looked well looked after, like our nations fiscal books. Because the
    managers had gone to PR classes to dress up a pig and sell it as an angel? Like so many in
    governments across the world. Its us that are so gullible, and our gullibility is killing the children,
    and Key naffy nats will continue shonkey policies that solely worry about keeping the books looking
    perfect. What’s the olde saying, …while rome burns.
14. Draco T Bastard 14

    1 June 2012 at 3:19 pm

    It appears that the Justice and Electoral Committee are finally getting pissed off with the police failing to prosecute people and parties for breaches of electoral law:

    There has been further criticism of the police for delays in investigating electoral law breaches and calls for the job to be handed to another body.

    Electoral law expert Graeme Edgeler told a select committee inquiry into the 2011 election that police were quick to consider issues such as people voting twice, but when more complex issues were sent to police “it seems very little happens because police perhaps do have more serious things to do”.

    Mr Edgeler said minor breaches should be dealt with by a fine so police time was not wasted but candidates would realise there was a consequence for breaching the rules.

    The Electoral Commission has made a similar call in its report to the committee on the election, saying it was concerned about the priority police gave to referrals on more complex electoral law issues. It suggested another enforcement agency or a Crown solicitor be charged with investigating breaches.

    And I/S has a good point at the bottom as well:

    Pretty obviously, the police are not up to the job. Time to give it to someone who is. The question now is whether our politicians want the law to be enforced, or whether they will act out of self-interest to support the current farce.

    It’s obvious that the present system isn’t working and so it’s time for a change.
    • Murray Olsen 14.1

      1 June 2012 at 11:47 pm

      How many police had time to work on Key’s spurious complaint about the teapot photographer? When it suits them, they find time.
15. weka 15

    1 June 2012 at 4:42 pm

    According to Jim Moira’s panel this afternoon, the best way to score drugs in a new place is to hitchhike.
     
    They also discussed whether it’s more dangerous to hitchhike now than in the past. Their guest seemed to think it was very risky for pretty young women to hitchhike now, but I’m wondering how he or anyone would know (and whether ugly or older women are therefore safe). Does anyone keep statistics on how many people (young, pretty, female or otherwise) hitchhike, and compare that to the number of assaults, thefts and deaths now and in the past?
16. Katy 16

    1 June 2012 at 4:58 pm

    Protesting University students are blocking streets in Auckland again, this time it appears that some have been arrested.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810121
17. Katy 17

    1 June 2012 at 4:59 pm

    Protesting University students are blocking streets in Auckland again, this time it appears that some have been arrested.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810121
18. Katy 18

    1 June 2012 at 5:04 pm

    Protesting University students are protesting in Auckland again, this time there have been a few arrests.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810121
19. Katy 19

    1 June 2012 at 5:08 pm

    OOPS! Sorry about the extra entries.
    • ianmac 19.1

      1 June 2012 at 5:17 pm

      Katy. There is a new post on this @ http://thestandard.org.nz/lessons-from-greece/comment-page-1/#comment-477728
      • Katy 19.1.1

        1 June 2012 at 6:02 pm

        Thanks.
20. starlight 20

    1 June 2012 at 6:30 pm

    “Clear farmer mandate vital’ or the share trading scheme will not go ahead.
    ‘50% or just over is not a clear mandate’ says the co-op chairman Henry
    Van der Heyden.
    Key always states that he has a ‘mandate for asset sales’ because he won
    the election,perhaps key should ponder that he actually scapped in and
    took two swans that wouldn’t be in politics anyway if it wasn’t for
    questionable antics,so has he a mandate to ‘sell nz off’ the answer is no,
    most nzers will be here when he is long gone from these shores,so what
    does he care.
21. Vicky32 21

    1 June 2012 at 6:39 pm

    Just heard the sport nitwit on 3 News say after an item “Oh we still love George W, don’t we?” and just as I thought ‘what the…?’ one of the women said “steady on”!
    I have always assumed that loving Dubya would be a prerequisite for a job with MediaWorks and it appears that I was right…
22. Draco T Bastard 22

    1 June 2012 at 11:53 pm

    Now this is going to have sweeping effects across the world:

    But on Thursday, Judge William Alsup ruled that Oracle does not have the exclusive rights to the structure, sequence, and organization the 37 Java APIS in question.

    “To accept Oracle’s claim would be to allow anyone to copyright one version of code to carry out a system of commands and thereby bar all others from writing their own different versions to carry out all or part of the same commands,” read the ruling from Alsup. “No holding has ever endorsed such a sweeping proposition.”

    Oh yeah, that effectively means that people can create their own versions of MS APIs. Goodbye Windows monopoly.

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