Open mike 05/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 5th, 2011 - 97 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

97 comments on “Open mike 05/10/2011 ”

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  1. Jenny 1
    5 October 2011 at 6:23 am

    Where does the left/right divide fall?

    The Labour Party will vote with the right wing parties to introduce the Orwellian Video Surveillance bill.

    For:

    Labour

    National

    ACT

    Against:

    Maori Party

    Green Party

    Mana Party

    No wonder flaxroots voters are confused and/or indifferent when it comes to voting time.

    • Bored 1.1
      5 October 2011 at 7:26 am

      Maybe Labour understand that there are tough times ahead with any amount of unrest…..

      I would invite readers to delve daily into the markets on http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/markets/overview/overview.asp . There are some interestingly rapid movements during the last month, commodities are well down, only Brent Crude over $100, light crude down near $70. Shares are crashing. What this all indicates is a deflationary spiral as prices have peaked, a lack of liquidity in the markets. Money is looking for safe hedges and has nowhere to go.

      What does it mean…tough times ahead with more disruption, more dissent. national as the next government (should they gain that poisoned challice) will end up needing all the police powers they can muster. The legitimacy of the current system is on the line, and rather than face the challenge positively they seem to want the right to repress whilst they loot our assets for their mates benefit.

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.1
        5 October 2011 at 7:41 am

        a lack of liquidity in the markets

        You need to ask one more “why”. Why, after the US Federal Reserve has pumped $16T in new cash into the financial markets via the major banks, is there still a “lack of liquidity” in the markets?

        And really, its a very simple issue. There is no shortage of money. There is an excess of debt and liabilities.

        In other words, this isn’t a liquidity issue, its a solvency issue.

        They can impoverish the middle class and under class all they like now, there are not enough assets in the OECD to compensate for the hundreds of trillions of potential loan and derivative bad (false) assets now hidden on bank balance sheets. At a time when the banks themselves have maximised their leverage in an attempt to maximise their profits, hence are woefully undercapitalised.

        Some of the largest banks in the world are operating at leverage ratios of over 30:1. This is exactly like taking a million dollar mortgage out with a $30K deposit. Guess what, if the housing market tanks by just 5% you are suddenly left underwater.

        That’s where all the banks are right now, except with trillion dollar bigger sums, and the markets set to tank by 40%-50%.

        • Bored 1.1.1.1
          5 October 2011 at 7:56 am

          Yes, solvency is the big underlying issue. Creating credit out of thin air gives short term liquidity but it all gets dissolved or has nowhere safe to go. Creating any more credit just increases solvency problems.Bail outs are just a waste of time propping up the edifice.

          • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1.1
            5 October 2011 at 8:11 am

            Yep. A “bail out” is simply more debt, creating a short term supply of money to help pay off debts already owed to banks.

            The Greek “bail outs” increase Greek debt further, and the money is paid straight to bankers.

            The Greek ‘socialist’ government is working hand in hand with the bankers and the corporatists against their own people.

            The Greeks defaulted in the first half of the 20th century, and they should do so again. And this time, they should get their tax systems and enforcement sorted out.

          • mik e 1.1.1.1.2
            5 October 2011 at 10:51 pm

            IT does have another side effect devaluing the American dollar forcing ours up if we don’t do something our export sector will get damaged again just when it is showing some resilience laissez fair for us social credit for them =disaster for our export sector just when we need it to keep our economy afloat , Their is a difference between borrowing and printing .Blinglish will have to borrow more if he doesn’t print and that will cost more and weaken our economy further.

      • freedom 1.1.2
        5 October 2011 at 10:57 am

        “Maybe Labour understand that there are tough times ahead with any amount of unrest…..”

        Wow, ‘ tough times ahead’, this is a valid reason for increasing the powers of the state?

        Tough times for whom, and unrest from where? More importantly, how will increasing the Orwellian surveillance powers of a Government address the financial minefields, the increasing costs and the ballooning employment shortages we know make up the bulk of the tough times ahead.

        Yeah let’s continue to ignore the problems that lead to the unjust laws and just give the State more and more of our freedoms. If we are to believe all the info distributed from our great leader the ‘serious crimes, the ones that desperately required National to remove even more of the freedoms fought for by our soldiers in bloody wars past, relate primarily to the cultivation and trafficking of marijuana.
        A subject which only highlights exactly how uninterested they are in solving the problem.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.1
          5 October 2011 at 11:52 am

          Wow, ‘ tough times ahead’, this is a valid reason for increasing the powers of the state?

          In the eyes of Right Wing Authoritarians it is. Labour has been centre-right for a while now and it now seems to be shifting into the authoritarian mode along with National, Act and United Future.

          More importantly, how will increasing the Orwellian surveillance powers of a Government address the financial minefields…

          It won’t but it will allow the government to oppress the populace to protect the thieves capitalists.

          IMO, Anybody who’s voted Labour before because they were the party of the working class should now either be voting Mana, Alliance or Greens. None of the other parties are there for the majority of the populace.

    • g says 1.2
      5 October 2011 at 8:13 am

      amen, jenny.
      i had just put a comment on another posting here but will repeat it here.
      i seem to be missing something here, i thought the tories where all for less (nanny) state in our lives and yet we get this legislation.
      equally i see a major left wing party struggling to get traction in polls, rushing to the aid of the tories to help them push thru this disgusting piece of lawmaking.
      it has helped to decide where this one will vote come november and it aint gonna be for the nat lite crew. sorry guys.
      peace.

      • Colonial Viper 1.2.1
        5 October 2011 at 8:21 am

        The Tories are for anything which will secure their status and power when citizen uprisings occur. Just watch the UK.

        And it is a shame that after 9/11, UK Labour led the charge into increased surveillance and CCTV powers, more than what was ever necessary to combat the IRA.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.2.2
        5 October 2011 at 11:55 am

        i seem to be missing something here, i thought the tories where all for less (nanny) state in our lives and yet we get this legislation.

        That’s what the Tories say that they’re for but any reading of history will show the exact opposite. The Tories are the dictators that they warn people about.

  2. Pete George 2
    5 October 2011 at 7:27 am

    Should MPs be party puppets or individual representatives?

    John Key is famous for being an open and accessible PM, amicable and chatty, but National have become famous for saying as little as possible about stuff that matters.

    Phil Goff looks more like he’s on slogan autopilot, but Labour MPs like Trevor Mallard, Clare Curran and Darien Fenton have generated publicity for speaking their own minds – for better or worse.

    The Maori Party speaks as “our people” while Hone Harawira says what he likes.

    Peter Dunne has made it clear UnitedFuture is “not a one man band”.

    Should there be strict party message control?

    Should parliament be a house of parties or a house of representaives – or a balance of both?

  3. logie97 3
    5 October 2011 at 7:42 am

    Isn’t this current public discussion around the future of the RWC just another example of the wider cultural cringe that we as a nation suffer from. (“Please world, love us, please! Please endorse that our decision to live here was the right one!”)

    We talk about whinging Poms.

    Where else in the world would you get such a debate dominating the media.
    And at an event as it enters its final and high profile stage.

    Strange thing is at school Kiwi kids are taught that the game is bigger than the man …
    (People, the sun will continue to rise in the East whether the ABs are there or not)

    • Vicky32 3.1
      5 October 2011 at 6:40 pm

      We talk about whinging Poms.

      Oh yes, my goodness yes, you do! Anyone old enough to remember that git Bickerstaff and his “punch a Pom a day” campaign? All in fun, he said… sadly my ex-husband took that as an instruction, and guess who the “Pom” was that he had ready to hand? 🙁

      • Puddleglum 3.1.1
        5 October 2011 at 11:29 pm

        I remember the seventies well.

        As a ‘pommy youth’ I well remember the shadow the ‘bash a pom a day’ sentiment cast over my family. I guess to many New Zealanders it was just harmless fun at the expense of the plummy voiced English (which we weren’t/aren’t) or part of Muldoon’s anti-union barrage (Dad was a shop steward).

        To my family it was simply an experience of hostility and non-belonging. I remember Mum crying and just wanting to go ‘home’.

        Having said that, I had very good friends (some of my best friends – still – are New Zealanders :)). 

        And don’t get me on to my ‘identity’ – I’ve given up on that as a bad joke. 

        • logie97 3.1.1.1
          6 October 2011 at 2:22 am

          Yeah but the likes of Deaker has a soft spot for the Irish, Welsh, or Scots. But they despise the English.

          It seems that people can wave the flags of any nationality here in Godzone and say they are proud of their “homeland”, but look out if you are English or from areas of Asia.

          • Vicky32 3.1.1.1.1
            6 October 2011 at 5:23 pm

            but look out if you are English or from areas of Asia.

            That is so true! My students are for the most part Asian, which is something I’ve learned not to talk about, if I don’t want to hear stereotypes and ignorant abuse. “They’re taking our jobs”, etc..
            I remember a student at Unitec in tears over the abuse she got from a bus driver when she asked a question about his route. My son and his friend Jinkoo were catching a bus near their school Western Springs College and they got on together. Jinkoo (Korean, and quite dark-skinned) started to ask something and the driver responded with “I’m sick of you bloody Chinese coming here, you don’t even speak English, and your bloody stupid questions…”. WSC doesn’t have uniforms, goodness knows how old this driver thought they were, but they were just kids! Jinkoo grew up in Germany until he was 8, then in Titirangi. His English is perfect, and his response was scathing!

             

        • Vicky32 3.1.1.2
          6 October 2011 at 5:14 pm

          As a ‘pommy youth’ I well remember the shadow the ‘bash a pom a day’ sentiment cast over my family. I guess to many New Zealanders it was just harmless fun at the expense of the plummy voiced English (which we weren’t/aren’t) or part of Muldoon’s anti-union barrage (Dad was a shop  steward)

          I was glad at the time that my Dad hadn’t lived to see it! When we girls started school, we had our Dad’s Scouse accent, but we were gobsmacked to be mobbed by 6 year olds screaming “Get back to Pongolia, garn!” My Dutch friend Ellen actually did get punched for speaking Dutch in the street, she was 5 years old, her sister 4.. (Her father then declared that they would all speak English in the home from then on.) New Zealanders seem deeply suspicious of and hostile to “foreigners”..

  4. felix 4
    5 October 2011 at 8:31 am

    Oh frack.

    It’s been the subject of much mirth that our glorious leader John “100% pure compared to other countries” Keys doesn’t seem to know what a percentage is.

    But this latest bit of innumeracy has me stunned. From question time yesterday:

    When Standard & Poors were giving a meeting in New Zealand about a month ago what they did say, was there was about a 30% chance, ah, that we would be downgraded, that’s what happens when you’re on negative outlook, they did go on to say though, if there was a change of government then that downgrade would be much more likely.

    Everyone catch that?

    Keys is now crowing that the likelyhood of something that has already happened would be even higher if National weren’t in govt.

    Keys dropped the ball. But it’s a good thing Keys is in charge, ‘cos if it were someone else they might’ve dropped the ball.

    FFS people used to let this idiot play with their money? Oh that’s right, we still do.

    • Bored 4.1
      5 October 2011 at 8:36 am

      There used to be lots of money slopping around for the idiot to play with….but now?????

      “100% pure compared to other countries….” the fekker should have been standing in the stream with me opening day watching effluent dumping, I would have submerged his TV friendly little nostrils deep into it for as long as it took for him to wise up..

      • vto 4.1.1
        5 October 2011 at 9:57 am

        Yep Bored, just after opening day on a river in the back of beyond seemingly clear and 100% pure as they come. After not too long me net and screens all clogged with dairy farm shit. And there aint even hardly none dairy farms in this catchment !!

        Fertiliser use up 700% in last decade.

        Imagine if everyone’s business could just dump their refuse in the street.

        • felix 4.1.1.1
          5 October 2011 at 10:05 am

          Speaking of, how’s the season down there apart from the cowshit and chemicals?

          • vto 4.1.1.1.1
            5 October 2011 at 10:10 am

            Oh you know felix, there not much about …… just cupfuls or enough for a feed …..

            • Bored 4.1.1.1.1.1
              5 October 2011 at 10:23 am

              Seasons opening was beaut…who needs rugby?

              Got broken off and then thrown off on the Tuki, rainbows, one large, one little….took a fish out of the top of the Manawatu. Rainbow, 1.5Kgs. Some council idiots plough the Hawkes Bay rivers to”help” river flood flows..buggers the pools big time.

              Season looking good if you are prepared to walk into difficult spots around Tararuas / Ruahines. Those streams dont turn to black bottomed slime drains (courtesy of fertilizer / dairy) like the lower country streams. The Manawatu, Mangatainoka, Makakahi, and to the Ruamahanga have been pretty much stuffed with algae by mid season for the last few years. Its a disgrace, and Keys willful ignorance of this makes me despise him more.

              • grumpy …
                5 October 2011 at 1:49 pm

                I think vto is talking about whitebait. Only a week to go before heading off to the Coast to give it a crack myself……

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2
          5 October 2011 at 12:03 pm

          Businesses do dump their refuse in the street. The difference is that it can actually be picked up and is organised to be so. Farm refuse can’t be and no in government is bothered about either cleaning it up or preventing it from being dumped in the first place.

          • vto 4.1.1.2.1
            5 October 2011 at 5:26 pm

            Yes, well it is the fundamental issue. How many businesses are still allowed to dump their refuse in the public estate like streets or creeks? None.

            There seems to be some kind of implicit understanding that the farming sector can so dump. Similarly with the mining sector, though less so.

            The farming one stems of course from NZ’s historical agricultural development when such things were relatively somewhat understandable. But that has morphed and changed to such an extent that if pre-european NZ was subjected to a resource consent application for the agricultural practices as practised today it would not progress very far methinks …

            Farms should stop dumping anything outside the farm gate. Big ask for the current generation and would take time but that is what needs to happen. And people get grumpy WHEN ANOTHER FUKCING SHAKE RUMBLES THROUGH MID-SENTENCE … AAARRRRGH! … now where was my brain cells … ah yes, people get grumpy when that sector fails to acknowledge that very particular and major point.

            time for a drink now

  5. randal 5
    5 October 2011 at 9:04 am

    What about TripleD (dipton double dipper) saying on morning report about the deposit guarantee scheme, “nobody knew how to do it”.
    Well why the hell didnt they find out?
    Oh I see, they needed the opportunity to dispense funds to their mates under a cloak of legality.
    Nice work if you can get it.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1
      5 October 2011 at 9:09 am

      Umm, randal. Labour set it up. You know that, right?

      • Lanthanide 5.1.1
        5 October 2011 at 9:17 am

        You should listen to the interview. English barely mentioned that Labour were the ones who set it up – I figured he’d be crowing from the rooftops that that was the case.

        • Carol 5.1.1.1
          5 October 2011 at 1:55 pm

          Actually National/Key said they backed the bank deposit guarantee scheme when Labour first announced it:

          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10537163

          National supports the Government’s plans to offer a guarantee of $150 billion in retail banking deposits, but says there still many unknowns about how the scheme will work.

          National leader John Key was briefed by Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard this afternoon about the plan after the Government announced the policy at the Labour Party campaign launch.

      • marsman 5.1.2
        5 October 2011 at 10:06 am

        But Labour did NOT sign SCF on for a second time, that was Bill English, within days of being in office.

        • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1.2.1
          5 October 2011 at 10:22 am

          Makes no difference, marsman. If they hadn’t extended it, SCF would have gone into liquidation in the first period specifically to get the advantage of the scheme.

          • freedom 5.1.2.1.1
            5 October 2011 at 11:10 am

            you cannot have it both ways, If they were unstable, the Government should not have extended the Guarantee, If they were fine then they simply manipulated the NZ Govt to make a buck

            So either Blingless was an idiot signing them an extension or the SCF are guilty of serious misconduct

            • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1.2.1.1.1
              5 October 2011 at 11:40 am

              If the government had not extended the guarantee, SCF would have triggered the payout earlier while under the protection of the original term extended to them by Labour.

              • freedom …
                5 October 2011 at 11:58 am

                so you are saying English knowingly extended the guarantee to a failing company.
                Thanks for clearing that up.

              • Draco T Bastard …
                5 October 2011 at 12:13 pm

                http://thestandard.org.nz/key-we-were-told-scf-would-fail/

                On November 19th 2008, Key and his ministers were sworn in. That very day, Treasury Head John Whitehead signed the deed admitting SCF into the retail deposit guarantee scheme “on behalf of the Minister of Finance” Bill English.

                Labour didn’t sign SCF into the scheme – National did and they did so while aware that SCF was not up to the terms of the scheme.

                • Dv …
                  5 October 2011 at 1:41 pm

                  To be fair this was the first scheme. But there are some real questions to be asked about allowing SCF retain Govt Guarantee later.

                  • ianmac …
                    5 October 2011 at 2:02 pm

                    Fascinating to hear Bill English on Morning Report clouding the issue so thoroughly that the answer was not his problem and he was not responsible. The good thing was that he actually fronted up.

                  • freedom …
                    5 October 2011 at 2:17 pm

                    I do not care who it was that originally signed SCF on. It could have been Tinkerbell trembling in fear when she signed, asCaptain Hook held a shimmering longblade to her tiny throat. It is irrelevant. If SCF had failed during the term of that agreement then the relevant questions would be asked. The FACTS plainly show that the EXTENDED coverage was signed on by National, THREE TIMES My earlier statement stands

                    ” either Blingless was an idiot signing them an extension
                    or the SCF are guilty of serious misconduct ”

                    I have seen figures reported at various places that show as much as a billion dollars was added to the risk value in the period between National coming to power and the actual collapse

                    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell …
                      5 October 2011 at 3:08 pm

                      If they hadn’t given the extension, SCF would have gone into liquidation while it was still covered. Same result.

                    • freedom …
                      5 October 2011 at 3:14 pm

                      Gormless, ( at 3:08) still has trouble with the FACTS that hundreds of millions of dollars of liability were added to the guarantee AFTER National extended the scheme for SCF. What about that data is so hard to understand?

    • joe90 6.1
      5 October 2011 at 11:25 am

      An interview you wont see.

      Transcript:

      Fox: Jesse, so Ray, your partner here, your ..

      Ray: comrade.

      Fox: Your colleague, she’d seen the protests in Greece and Europe and elsewhere. Did you guys take your cue from that? Are you hoping to cite certainly what was a lot of the tension, if not police activity. I know over the weekend there were over 100 arrests and you guys got things fired up. Are you taking your cues from the international movement and how do you want to see this? If you could have it in a perfect way, how would it be?

      Jesse: Well I don’t know, its really difficult to answer questions leading to those conclusions. I’d say that we didn’t take our cue leading off of anybody really. It became a more spontaneous movement. As far as seeing this end, I wouldn’t like to see this end. I would like to see the conversation continue. This is what we should have been talking about in 2008 when the economy collapsed. We basically patched a hole on the tire and said let the car keep rolling. Unfortunately it’s fun to talk to the propaganda machine and the media especially conservative media networks such as yourself, because we find that we cant get conversations for the department of Justice’s ongoing investigation of News Corporation, for which you are an employee. But we can certainly ask questions like you know, why are the poor engaging in class warfare? After 30 years of having our living standards decrease while the wealthiest 1% have had it better than ever, I think it’s time for some maybe, I don’t know, participation in our democracy that isn’t funded by news cameras and gentlemen such as yourself.

      Fox: But, uh, yeah well, let me give you this challenge Jesse.

      Jesse: Sure.

      Fox: We’re here giving you an opportunity on the record […] to put any
      message you want out there, to give you fair coverage and I’m not
      going to in any way

      Jesse: That’s awesome!

      Fox:…give you advice about it. So, there is an exception in the case, because you wouldn’t be able to get your message out there without us.

      Jesse: No, surely, I mean, take for instance when Glenn Beck was doing his protest and he called the President, uh, a person who hates white people and white culture. That was a low moment in Americans’ history and you guys kinda had a big part in it. So, I’m glad to see you coming around and kind of paying attention to what the other 99 percent of Americans are paying attention to, as opposed to the far-right fringe, who who would just love to destroy the middle class entirely.

      Fox: Alright, fair enough. You have a voice, an important reason to criticize myself, my company and anyone else. But, let me ask you that, in fairness, does this administration, President Obama, have any criticism as to the the financial situation the country’s in…?

      Jesse: I think, myself, uh, as well as many other people, would like to see a little but more economic justice or social justice—Jesus stuff—as far as feeding the poor, healthcare for the sick. You know, I find it really entertaining that people like to hold the Bill of Rights up while they’re screaming at gay soldiers, but they just can’t wrap their heads around the idea that a for-profit healthcare system doesn’t work. So, let’s just look at it like this, if we want the President to do more, let’s talk to him on a level that actually reaches people, instead of asking for his birth certificate and wasting time with total nonsense like Solyndra.

  7. Lanthanide 7
    5 October 2011 at 9:22 am

    I’ve been looking at the comments on the stuff political blogs for a while now. Every time John Pagani writes a blog he gets dozens of incredibly vitriolic, and often very uninformed, people commenting. A lot of them repeat the lies that Labour left us in a huge deficit hole and wasted all the money etc. They’re all generally very very anti-Labour and very pro-National.

    When DPF writes a blog the comments are sort of 60/40 supportive or anti, with the anti ones saying stuff about him deliberately manipulating the media spin for his paymasters.

    Yet when a new post goes up in the What (S)he Said blog, which is by Andrea Vance and John Hartevelt who are in the parliamentary press gallery, the comments are usually a lot more anti-national.

    It makes me think there’s a whole bunch of righties just waiting for DPF and Pagani’s blogs so they can go in an astroturf hither and yon. But they ignore What (S)he Said and as a result we get more honest commenting going on.

    • Morrissey 7.1
      5 October 2011 at 12:18 pm

      I thought Pagani’s role was to act as a punchbag for Paul Holmes, Richard Griffin, Matthew Hooton and whoever else on the right wants a workout on an agreeable patsy.

  8. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 8
    5 October 2011 at 9:59 am

    Every time John Pagani writes a blog he gets dozens of incredibly vitriolic, and often very uninformed, people commenting.

    Like Lprent.

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1
      5 October 2011 at 12:17 pm

      No Stalebiscuit, like you.

    • lprent 8.2
      5 October 2011 at 1:05 pm

      I wasn’t ill-informed, it is unfortunately, a subject that I know rather too well (as John already knew). John Pagani however was quite ill-informed on the subject he was writing on – which is why he got my comment pointing out one aspect of why he was ill-informed. Apparently he didn’t like by characterization of his motivation for writing such cobblers.

      In any event, the comment didn’t survive there. So I repeated and expanded it here.

  9. Lanthanide 9
    5 October 2011 at 10:09 am

    Japan is to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean next month with military security to protect its boats from the radical environment group Sea Shepherd which has promised to launch “Operation Divine Wind” or kamikaze against them.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/5734445/Japan-to-whale-again-with-extra-security

    But I thought John Key had fixed it, with an amazing compromise solution that no one else was capable of thinking of, ’cause he’s so smart?

    • Puddleglum 9.1
      5 October 2011 at 11:42 pm

      Sigh! Lanthanide, you have to stop trying to undermine the utter reality of John Key’s promises and claims about what he’s doing with … reality.

      Play fair. 

  10. joe90 10
    5 October 2011 at 10:32 am

    The World is going mad has gone mad, edition #I’mlosingcount.

    C. Peter Wagner, a prominent figure in the Apostolic world with connections to a potential U.S presidential candidate , interviewed by NPR:

    On the tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan being connected to the emperor of Japan having sex with the sun goddess

    “That happened many, many years ago, and that created a spiritual atmosphere over Japan which was an atmosphere ruled by the powers of darkness. The sun goddess is not a very nice lady. The sun goddess is a power of darkness, which is headed up by the kingdom of Satan. And so the sun goddess wants natural disasters to come to Japan. Sometimes the hand of God, which is more powerful, will prevent them. And when he decides to prevent them and when he doesn’t is far beyond anything that we can predict.”

    • freedom 10.1
      5 October 2011 at 11:15 am

      they elected Bush and he said , speaking as President, in front of real people and all that,
      “God wanted me to be President”

      the world has been nuts a very long time

    • Vicky32 10.2
      5 October 2011 at 6:53 pm

      On the tsunami and nuclear meltdown in Japan being connected to the emperor of Japan having sex with the sun goddess

      Oh my giddy aunt! How completely nuts… He needs to learn, shit happens..

      • logie97 10.2.1
        5 October 2011 at 10:04 pm

        Why the surprise? This creationism crap is worming its way into schools. It comes from the cell groups that set themselves up in the libraries of our teacher colleges. The graduates go out into the world and this drivel slowly permeates the classrooms – particularly, but not exclusively, in the lower decile schools where the communities are receptive and indeed request it – the communities’ boards recruit them. (Further confirming the warnings that were given when Picot set in train the self managing schools model).

  11. thejackal 11
    5 October 2011 at 11:01 am

    Auditor General Slams Treasury

    A few days ago the Auditor General released her report on the way the Treasury implemented and managed the Retail Deposit Guarantee Scheme…

  12. Treetop 12
    5 October 2011 at 11:25 am

    It’s a toss up between English and Heatley as being the worst cabinet ministers. Both have caused immense financial hardship to those in the lowest income bracket.

    I am concerned about how much Heatley has wasted on his screwed up housing policies. The man simply does NOT get it that his newly developed social housing unit will not deliver affordable rental properties to those who do not qualify for a HNZ property.

    Housing not likely to buy flats
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/economy/news/article.cfm?c_id=34&objectid=10756481

    NZ has such an aging population who require medical treatment. Unless there is a robust, affordable secure housing policy, the elderly in particular are going to require more health resources. This can be said for children as well and people with permanent health conditions which impede working more than several hours a week.

    Heatley has 40 million for his social housing unit EXPERIMENT, which has redirected money away from housing people in need, while far too many HNZ homes are unoccupied.

    • Dv 12.1
      5 October 2011 at 12:55 pm

      I vote Tolley!

    • millsy 12.2
      6 October 2011 at 10:33 am

      Dosent help that the HCC is full of Tea-Party wannabes, and Julie Hardaker is trying her best to be like Michelle Bachman without the god-bothering.

      Heatley is probably in the pocket of the slumlords union Property Investors’ Federation.

      Fortunately, the Tea Parters on my council are a) most of the time all bluff and bluster and b) too caught up into having admission fees established for the local art gallery to be any sort of threat to council services.

  13. Morrissey 13
    5 October 2011 at 12:13 pm

    An athlete with a heart and a brain…

  14. joe90 14
    5 October 2011 at 1:02 pm

    See, drugs are good.

    • Draco T Bastard 14.1
      5 October 2011 at 1:17 pm

      This is one of the first studies to link a single treatment with a drug in a laboratory setting to a long-lasting change in personality.

      Single treatment – that’s got to be better than ongoing treatments of prozac.

      • Lanthanide 14.1.1
        5 October 2011 at 1:55 pm

        Not as profitable.

        • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.1
          5 October 2011 at 2:17 pm

          Profit is a dead weight loss so I’m not overly concerned about that especially considering that it is the profit drive (pure greed) that is destroying the environment.

    • felix 14.2
      5 October 2011 at 2:42 pm

      Err, shrooms increase your “openness to new ideas or experiences [and] awareness of feelings in the self and others”.

      Did we seriously need to spend lab time to tell us that?

      • Draco T Bastard 14.2.1
        5 October 2011 at 4:09 pm

        No, we needed the lab time to tell us that those effects were good for us rather than the End of Civilisation which seems to be the reason why such drugs are banned.

  15. Draco T Bastard 15
    5 October 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Overwhelming opposition to battery hen cages

    “The majority of voters for all main political parties want the government to phase out battery cages. When asked whether animal welfare laws should prohibit cages, 70 per cent of the respondents said they should. When told the government is considering phasing out battery cages and asked if they agreed with this, 81 per cent said they did,” says SAFE campaign director Eliot Pryor.

    So, is the government listening to the public on this or are they still defending the use of battery hens?

    Voters feel poorly informed on MMP alternatives

    However, the Horizon poll finds 64% say they are not well enough informed or not informed at all on Preferential voting (64%); Single Transferable Vote (62.2%) and

    Supplementary Member (71.3%). Only on the former electoral system, First Past the Post, do a majority (58.1%) feel informed or well informed, while 28% feel ill-informed on it.

    Asked if they would like the electoral Commission to send them information about the alternative voting systems to MMP, 74.2% say yes, 25.8% no.

    Well, at least people are asking for the information. Now hopefully that will be made available to them. Although I’m pretty sure that NAct will prefer to keep people uninformed.

    Horizon Poll

    Among voters who are registered, intend to vote, have decided which party to support or who don’t know but express a current preference, Mana has 2.2% (up from 1.9% in July). The Maori Party has 1.1%. Some 21% of those supporting Mana voted for the Maori Party at the 2008 general election.

    National has 39.5% (up 2.2% since July), Act 4.8% and United Future 0.8%.

    Labour has 27% (no change), the Green party 10.7% (+ 0.5%), New Zealand First 7.3% (+1.3%).

    Actually, the most important point of that poll is that Labour would only be able to form a coalition with the support of Mana. Phil Goff should, about now, be feeling really stupid for saying that he won’t work with Hone.

    This one’s the most disturbing though. Apparently, most people believe that employers should have a say in your recreation.

    • Colonial Viper 15.1
      5 October 2011 at 10:09 pm

      This one’s the most disturbing though. Apparently, most people believe that employers should have a say in your recreation.

      Stockholm syndrome in action.

  16. Carol 16
    5 October 2011 at 3:16 pm

    Whao! What just happened in the public gallery in Parliament? It happened as Goff was beginning his speech in the general debate, and apparently our friendly PM blamed the incident on Labour.

    • ianmac 16.1
      5 October 2011 at 3:19 pm

      Dunno but the Chairman referred to the “Member has been removed.” What?

    • RobC 16.2
      5 October 2011 at 3:21 pm

      I think the speaker got it wrong. But the PM obviously said something during/just after the kerfuffle in the gallery that got right up the nose of the opposition.

    • Carol 16.3
      5 October 2011 at 3:32 pm

      Stuff has breaking news that a man tried to jump into the debating chamber.

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5738033/Man-tries-to-jump-at-parliament

      The incident interrupted a speech by Labour leader Phil Goff and several MPs leapt to their feet out of concern.

      Prime Minister John Key looked visibly shaken as was escorted out of Parliament a short time later by his security detail.

      • William Joyce 16.3.1
        5 October 2011 at 3:40 pm

        Prime Minister John Key looked visibly shaken as was escorted out of Parliament a short time later by his security detail.

        Yeah, for change of trousers!
         
        He looked pale, slouched in his seat, and didn’t move. For a moment I thought he was dead……and then he moved *sigh*
         

        • gobsmacked 16.3.1.1
          5 October 2011 at 3:51 pm

          Not classy, WJ. Sure, it’s a “joke”, but still … not a good one.

          A very disturbing incident in Parliament, could have been even worse. Thankfully it wasn’t.

      • Carol 16.3.2
        5 October 2011 at 3:50 pm

        Update:

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5738033/Man-tries-to-jump-at-parliament

        The incident interrupted a speech by Labour leader Phil Goff and several MPs leapt to their feet out of concern.

        At the time Prime Minister John Key was shouting across the House “shame on Labour”. Question time had just finished and MPs were engaged in a general debate.
        […]
        Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said security guards were on the scene “very, very quickly”.
        […]
        “[We were] shocked because you don’t know why he was wanting to leap. When he went out he made a few statements that were fairly clear what he was about. I’d rather not go into that.”

        The man was heard calling out about Work and Income, Prime Minister John Key and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

  17. Lanthanide 17
    5 October 2011 at 3:22 pm

    John Key’s office cleaner wants more than $43 to spend on groceries each week for her 4 children and 4 grandchildren:

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5737904/John-Keys-cleaner-campaigns-for-better-wages

  18. thejackal 18
    5 October 2011 at 3:31 pm

    Dene MacKenzie Biased

    I happened to read an article today entitled Key Nats’ ace; Goff sidelined, published on the Otago Daily Times website today. The fictional piece is so obviously a beat up that I’m surprised it reached publication…

    • mik e 18.1
      5 October 2011 at 10:57 pm

      If you said anything else as a reporter for the ODT you would be fired immediately his boss is the national and ACT leader in Otago.

  19. Ianupnorth 19
    5 October 2011 at 5:27 pm

    From todays Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10756735

    Dalefield School principal Kevin Jephson said the standards would reward only those pupils “who arrive at school from extremely advantaged backgrounds such as inherited intelligence, emotional security, financial prospects and pro-active parenting”.
    “The many children who come to school less advantaged not only demonstrate their lack of readiness to learn at higher academic levels but also inflict on the school their many and varied social problems.”
    National Standards had allowed politicians and bureaucrats to “get in by the back door” and influence policy and practice in schools, which under parent control were “more relaxed and human”, he said.
    Now boards of trustees face the axe for not implementing National Standards and teachers are hamstrung and demotivated by “countless restrictive practices”.
    “With the tyranny of officialdom flooding our schools they will soon descend into mediocrity and then over time become ripe for closure and mergers.”

    (funny that is already happening in Dunedin and Kawerau, and the rumour mill suggests those are ‘pilots’ for future amalgamations)
     

    and…
    “We at Dalefield cannot afford to wait any longer for the minister to wake up and rescind an unworkable, treacherous and anti-child educational law.
    “It is time for the lawmakers to stand up and apologise to our citizens for wasting precious taxpayer funds and degrading high performing schools on a political whim.”

    I’d love to see Tolley do that! And finally

    “We have a duty to the children of this country to maintain the very high educational standards we have now and not just let our children’s futures and our high international rankings be destroyed by a political neoliberal ideology which has captured the present government,”

    • ianmac 19.1
      5 October 2011 at 8:15 pm

      Well said Kevin Jephson and well spotted Ian.
      Last week buried in a column somewhere I saw a quote from Anne Tolley to the effect that National Standards were just a beginning and that she had many more things to improve NZ education. Ominous.
      And watch that Mandate that National will seize in order to justify massive changes.

  20. randal 20
    5 October 2011 at 5:36 pm

    So what about the wairarapa times age running a meet john key forum and putting a two inch bannner for key on the bottom of every page for a week?
    When the goebbles golum come back to life?

  21. Draco T Bastard 21
    5 October 2011 at 8:49 pm

    The full text of ACTA has been released. The first sentence in it:

    Noting that effective enforcement of intellectual property rights is critical to sustaining economic growth across all industries and globally;

    Is completely contrary to reality. Preventing people from applying their imagination and coming up with ideas, which is what IP enforcement does, actively prevents development of the economy.

    Go watch Everything is a Remix to get some idea.

    As it’s a document designed to protect capitalism by preventing competition I’m sure it goes downhill from there.

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