Open mike 23/08/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, August 23rd, 2013 - 92 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

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…

92 comments on “Open mike 23/08/2013 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Jenny 1
    23 August 2013 at 6:43 am

    The Labour Party is at a cross roads

    The country is at a cross roads

    The world is at a cross roads

    Which way will we go?

    It is all but certain that human activity has caused a steady increase in global temperatures over the past 60 years, leading to warmer oceans and an acceleration in sea-level rise, according to the most recent climate change report by an international panel of scientists…..

    …..A report on Maryland sea-level rise released in June by the state’s Climate Change Commission estimated that the rise would range from slightly less than a foot to two feet by 2050, and from two to six feet by 2100, depending on several factors, including glacial ice melt.

    Up to six feet of sea-level rise can be devastating when effects from storm surge are factored in, said Donald Boesch, president of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.

    In addition to projections, the document reported several facts. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by more than 20
    percent since 1958 and 40 percent since 1750, “virtually all due to burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, and a small contribution from cement production”.

    DARRYL FEARS stuff.co.nz, 21 August 2013

    What does New Zealand do?

    We cancel a project that would inject $115m into household incomes over its construction period, create over a thousand permanent jobs, and would when completed power 170,000 New Zealand homes with renewable energy.

    Why?

    Because planet destroying coal fired electricity is so cheap and abundant

    “Waikato windfarm backtrack costs hundreds of jobs”
    “Estimated 1033 jobs blown away”

    …..Waikato District Council Mayor Allan Sanson said he was not too surprised by the news.

    “It was always going to be marginal in relation to the fact that there was already generating capacity and surplus available.”

    Waikato Chamber of Commerce CEO Sandra Perry said the news was just another disappointment for the region, especially for those in the energy sector following last week’s Huntly Coal Mine lay-offs.

    There you have it. Not only is the bankrupt coal industry laying off workers. It is keeping another 1033 hundred others out of work.

    It is way past time that our leaders in government rationalised the real cost of coal, the cost in human misery, illness and death, and the cost of pollution and climate damage. To justly reflect the real cost of fossil fuels and to make renewables competitive.

    If any government had foresight vision and the guts to do this. Renewables would then become viable, creating tens of thousands of new jobs.

    Instead our leaders crawl on their bellies to the fossil fuel moguls at every opportunity. Instead of investing in renewables, politicians offer the polluters $multimillion subsidies to come here to plunder our natural resources, to increase pollution, and to continue our dependence on fossil fuels.

    Humanity is facing an existential crisis like none ever faced before, we have no need for the corporate suits, or bureaucratically appointed leaders who have leadership handed to them.

    We need leaders leaders with vision, leaders with courage and conviction. Leaders with passion, leaders with boldness, inspired and informed by the past. But solidly rooted in the real world. Well aware of the danger we are in, and of the necessary measures needed to combat it.

    Leaders with a mandate to act.

    We need political scrappers

    Unafraid to fight for that mandate.

    Their task, to overcome the impasse that sees humanity careening down a road to certain destruction, and put us on another, safer saner track.

    Will the Labour Party have the courage and the foresight to choose such a leader.

    http://www.labour.org.nz/news/speech-the-dolphin-and-the-dole-queue

  2. Jenny 2
    23 August 2013 at 6:53 am

    Lynn Prentice has accused me of grandstanding, by raising the issue of climate change as a matter in this leadership contest. So let us see, how long the above comment stands.

    Will Lynn show his hand, this early in the piece. To try and keep climate change from being an election issue? As Lynn maintains, it is politics 101, that we can’t waste political capital on this issue.

    I am sorry Lynn but I missed that class. Though I am pretty sure that civilisation collapse and possible human extinction wasn’t discussed.

    • karol 2.1
      23 August 2013 at 7:00 am

      Arg. Comment in wrong place. Deleted original comment.

      Jenny – so much wrong with your assumptions above. Often I don’t read your comments because your judgements often seem poor, IMO, and then you get very aggressive when anyone disagrees with you.

      Are you saying you expect Lynn to delete your comment above because he disagrees with you on a point of political strategy? Just shows your poor judgement. By all means have your say. But your confrontational brinkwomanship is pure bullying, as well as ill-judged. As is always the case, you comments will stand as long as you don’t infringe TS rules.

      • Jenny 2.1.1
        23 August 2013 at 7:22 am

        Are you saying you expect Lynn to delete your comment above because he disagrees with you on a point of political strategy?

        karol

        He already has, all but. Moving it into the oubliette and not even giving direction to where it had gone in an effort to stop people reading it.

        That is why I have pasted it here again.

        And yes I do get angry. Because I expect better from the left.

        • karol 2.1.1.1
          23 August 2013 at 7:52 am

          Jenny, do you not read what people say? You have just shown yet again, that your perception is off.

          There’s no arguing with someone who does not read and understand what is written in front of them.

        • bad12 2.1.1.2
          23 August 2013 at 8:20 am

          Jenny that is utter bovine defecation, it was moved to Open Mike because it’s content has little or nothing to do with the leader of the opposition quitting,

          Have a look at most comments that get moved,the comment usually appears from whomever moved it once it has been moved,

          The real laugh here is that you are obviously begging for a fight, sooner or later you will put up one a bit to s**t comment to far and then will cop what any of the Wing-Nuts who carry on in the vein that you are gets,

          There will be little sympathy for such martyrdom over what is essentially your position which is simply untrue, just laughter at you…

          • Jenny 2.1.1.2.1
            23 August 2013 at 9:21 am

            Instead of blocking and dumping my comments and attacking me personally. Don’t you think it would be far more astute to actually argue against the points I raise. And if you can’t muster any counter argument then just leave them in place?

            [lprent: I have never dumped your comments. That is an outright lie. They have been moved several times. Top-level off topic comments in a post are often moved to OpenMike to prevent them disrupting the post.

            However I’m tired of this bullshit martyrdom play. 6 week ban (4th of October). That should give me more time to deal with the site and the actual trolling that will happen over the period of this leadership debate.

            You can find another over worked sysop to bug. YourNZ or No Minister would seem to be a good choice. They’d probably appreciate getting the real info on climate change direct from Arctic News. 😈 ]

            • Tracey 2.1.1.2.1.1
              23 August 2013 at 9:36 am

              Do you genuinely believe that leading with a climate change platform is what will win the leadership and then win the election? Perhaps people are reading your post and thinking you see it as the main vote winning platform?

            • bad12 2.1.1.2.1.2
              23 August 2013 at 9:49 am

              Your points Jenny, the ones that are not outright bullshit have been ‘argued’ with you ad nauseum,

              But, back you come with the same old tripe ”wah wah wah the Greens have sold out on climate change wah wah wah” in spite of the fact that it has been shown to you that every week in the Parliament the Green Party has a go at National over climate change,

              Because in your little world the mass media do not report these ongoing examination of National’s attitude to climate change in the Parliament by the Green Party you choose to see this as the Green Party having sold out,

              Your attitude of posting what are in essence absolute bullshit as a comment and then demanding debate upon what simply is not the truth is tiresome and only worthy of the Wing-Nuts who leak over here from the sewer,

              i like most usually choose to surf past your comments…

              • Lanthanide …
                23 August 2013 at 11:23 am

                Well said.

              • Murray Olsen …
                23 August 2013 at 9:27 pm

                The sad thing is that if Jenny did say anything worthwhile, I’d miss it because I’ve given up on reading her unsubstantiated raves. At least I try to keep my own unsubstantiated raves short.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  23 August 2013 at 9:35 pm

                  You’re all climate change deniers, condemning the human race to a future of alternate roasting and drowning, and every other biblical end to the world! If only a political party would run on this platform they would sweep the 2014 election. Struth!

    • Granted 2.2
      23 August 2013 at 11:40 am

      I have no issue with your commentary about environmental issues. But I think your approach (and is purely an opinion which we are all entitled to) sums up why Labour can not get its act together.

      Labour need to elect a leader who has the skills to run caucus and manage many ego’s. So it should be based on their ability to clearly articulate policy, clearly show leadership skills, and clearly portray some overall acumen when it comes to the economy.

      Electing a leader based on their personal agenda’s will get labour where they currently are – in opposition.

      Helen Clark was a leader, thats what I admired about her – how she held the team together.

      So who will be your leader – not who has an agenda that matches yours.

  3. Pascal's bookie 3
    23 August 2013 at 7:03 am

    Read the news.

    Look at what narratives journos are running. Think about what narratives are useful to the left, and which ones are not. Feed the the former, and starve the latter. Even if that means not responding to something some fuckwit says. Respond in private places.

    In short, act like members of a political party that has its shit together.

    • karol 3.1
      23 August 2013 at 7:07 am

      You mean, news like this from Vernon Small?

      Moves were under way last night to avoid a messy leadership runoff, but the wider party may push for a contest that would give unions and the wider membership a say.

      So Team Robertson have learned nothing, still want to avoid membership having a say in the choice of leader, and are feeding the MSM with tales to make it seem the most likely and best way forward?

      • Pascal's bookie 3.1.1
        23 August 2013 at 7:32 am

        It’s complicated and us punters are in the dark to an extent. We don;t know who is talking and journos won’t say, and we don’t even know if journos are using the quotes in ways the quote givers intend. Don’t read too much into what journos conject. Especially about ‘the wider party’ or the electorate.

        Don’t feed the ‘irreconcilably divided party narrative’ though. Don’t feed Key’s narratives either.

        I’d suggest talking to mps. Let your feelings be known. Be polite and concerned. talk about what narratives are in the media that suck, and explain to them how frustrating that is, as an activist, to see the party undermined by storylines that don’t reflect the reality of a party that is ultimately on the same side.

      • Tracey 3.1.2
        23 August 2013 at 8:03 am

        ” David Cunliffe is not as popular in the caucus as he is outside” Vernon Small

        If true, then caucus need to remember they get 34 votes in an election (assuming no one votes for a Cunnliffe led Labour party.

        People who make decisions in the Labour party need to understand this is a contest, someone will “win” and someone will “lose. The idea is that at the end EVERYONE pulls together to create the NZ they claim they want, not waste energy on undermining the one who “won.”

        If this party and some of its supporters don’t grow up, and quickly, the Greens wont be enough to save us from NACTUNITED.

      • bad12 3.1.3
        23 August 2013 at 8:47 am

        My view is that Vernon Small is practicing Jonolism here, Vernon plugging Grant Robertson could be said to be anointing Grant with the tainted chalice,

        Small even calls a democratic vote by the Caucus/Union Affiliates/Membership as messy like it’s something to be avoided at all cost instead the increased democratization of the Party which it is,

        My hope is that those in Labour with the mana to intervene in these things attempt to put together a Cunliffe/Robertson ticket which i believe is the best combination of leadership which has the ability to not only unite the Party but more importantly has the ability to consistently knock the shine off of the current Prime Minister,

        The stuff poll is a giggle, running first at the moment is Jacinda Adhern, closely followed by Cunliffe with Grant Robertson gaining third with the next substantial number of votes…

        • Tracey 3.1.3.1
          23 August 2013 at 8:51 am

          agreed. His article about why Shearer resigned is mostly about Robertson becoming leader and why democracy should be avoided.

          Why do journalists seem to despise democracy so much?

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.3.1.1
            23 August 2013 at 11:30 am

            Because it gives people a say in their own governance.

            • Colonial Viper 3.1.3.1.1.1
              23 August 2013 at 2:47 pm

              The fucking journalists are going to be the ones first up against the wall when all this spying security state stuff comes to pass…you would think that some of them would have enough self preservation instincts left to push for more democracy, not less.

    • McFlock 3.2
      23 August 2013 at 11:59 am

      nice

  4. karol 4
    23 August 2013 at 7:12 am

    And it seems, according to Clare Trevett on the NZ Herald:

    But the Herald has learned MP Maryan Street was preparing a motion of no confidence in Mr Shearer for Tuesday’s meeting.

    Plans were also being made to send a delegation to him before that to ask him to stand down rather than force the confidence vote.

    The MPs involved were certain the motion would have succeeded if it had been required.

    Ms Street would not comment yesterday, but it is understood she decided to front the motion because of growing concerns among MPs over Mr Shearer’s inability to fire as leader and his poor poll ratings.

    • Paul 4.1
      23 August 2013 at 7:26 am

      The Herald is a mouthpiece for large corporates.
      What do you expect them to be saying?

    • Tracey 4.2
      23 August 2013 at 8:05 am

      I trust Shearer to have done what he thinks is best for the party. He seems to be that kind of guy. For all that people have written and said about him no-one that I can recall, has called him egotistic.

    • bad12 4.3
      23 August 2013 at 8:57 am

      i am pretty sure that Dave Shearers final straw was being Narked on by Slippery the Prime Minister for having engaged in a little private politicing over the GCSB Legislation,

      i have the sneaking suspicion that it wasn’t only the Green Party that Shearer didn’t bother to talk to about that little meeting with the PM,

      If my sneaking suspicion is correct and Cunliffe wins the leadership contest for the Labour Party leadership then i fully expect Poetic Justice to triumph at the 2014 election where the 30 pieces of silver Slippery will have earned by having ‘set up’ Shearer will be turned to brass by a Cunliffe lead Labour kicking this abysmal awful Government back to the Opposition Benches where they richly deserve to be…

  5. Raa 5
    23 August 2013 at 7:26 am

    This country needs consistent, competent, inclusive, united, socially-just, and ethical leadership with a good dose of feet-on-the-ground common sense. At the moment it is not getting it.

    I am agnostic when it comes to personalities, but I think the choices are fairly clear.

    Whoever it is, he or she needs our consistent and united support in these times.

    The ongoing tremors around Seddon show how fragile things can be.

  6. Sanctuary 6
    23 August 2013 at 7:32 am

    I was depressed that RNZ tried to interview Richard Prebble for an “insiders” take on the party leadership this morning. Prebble loathes Labour and has not been anywhere near the party for – what? – twenty years??? Why would you even bother? It is like interviewing a bitter old man about balls left out on the neighbours lawn.

    However, my gloom lifted when the phone line went dead and the interview terminated after about 30 seconds.

    • Tracey 6.1
      23 August 2013 at 8:06 am

      Yes, he and Michael Bassett always joined the wrong party, realised and turned it into national…

  7. Not a PS Staffer 7
    23 August 2013 at 7:34 am

    This is the time for all those frustrated and/or disillusioned lefties to come back to the Labour fold.

    Do you want to change the economic order?
    Do you want to shrink the gap between the low-tax paying well to do and the highly-taxed PAYE worker?
    Do you want to see export led growth in well paid jobs?

    Get behind the Labour Party. Call on Cunliffe to put himself forward.

  8. Huginn 8
    23 August 2013 at 7:46 am

    The NSA & Director of National Inteligence issue a rare joint statement debunking yesterday’s Wall Street Journal report on Section 702 collection

    Press reports Based on an article in today’s Wall Street Journal mischaracterize aspects of activities conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The NSA does not sift through and have unfettered access to 75% of the United States’ online communications.
    The following are the facts . . .

    http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/_files/speeches_testimonies/2013_08_21_Joint_Statement_ODNI_NSA.pdf

  9. logie97 9
    23 August 2013 at 7:49 am

    The Labour Party don’t seem to get it …

    Tim Barnett was talking on Morning Report with Geoff-the-aran-sweater-Robinson.
    Robinson “John Key says the Labour Party is a deeply divided party.”
    Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.

    One day we will get the leadership of the party responding to such a comment from Key with a straight forward response… something like, “Yeah, well he would say that, wouldn’t he!”

    • Tracey 9.1
      23 August 2013 at 8:08 am

      …or Mrs Collins and Mrs Tolley speaking out about civil liberties and being slapped down by Mr Key looks quite divisive too.

      Please not Little, I nearly fell asleep listening to him on TV3 the other day and he is too easy a target because of his union background.

      • David H 9.1.1
        23 August 2013 at 9:30 am

        My biggest hope is that Mallard is shown the back benches, and is given a hint or 3 that it’s not necessary to put his name forward next year. Along with Goff, King, Fa Foi, and Hipkins. The ABC club needs to learn that they are not the be all, and end all of he Labour Party. Unfortunately, they have been damaging the Labour brand for years. This needs to stop NOW!

    • Pascal's bookie 9.2
      23 August 2013 at 9:01 am

      “Barnett responded with a denial and a long diatribe.”

      sigh.

      “haha look John Key can say what he likes, but if he spent a bit more time on his portfolios and a bit less reciting Bob Hope jokes he wouldn’t have a 100% pure gcsb shambles on his plate”

  10. North 10
    23 August 2013 at 7:54 am

    Right on PB @ 3 and Logie 97 @ 8 above !

    It was delightful to see the noisy fool Potty Gower ignored by Shearer as he left Parliament yesterday, as much as that was perfectly understandable in the moment. In contrast Robertson fell over his words just a little in response to said noisy fool.

    The likes of Gower are positively fizzing at the moment. It’s Christmas time for them in the “look at me” stakes. Let their odious gases float off into the ether. And when that frustrates them to the point of childish rancour……..smash them with a few well conceived words.

    I mean there’s no profound depth or grey matter there. Their callow vanity is their chink. Rise above !

  11. phillip ure 11
    23 August 2013 at 8:00 am

    f.w.i.w…from a non-insiders’ point of view..

    ..i want cunnliffe as leader..and ardern as his deputy..

    ..(i see them as the most effective pairing..and the one that will appeal most to most of the electorate..)

    ..and that there be no revenge-moves against any losing faction..

    ..the likes of shearer/robertson need front-bench roles..

    ..and internicine-warfare will guarantee defeat..

    ..and a third-term for key..

    ..and as a country/people..

    ..we can’t afford that..

    phillip ure..

    • Not a PS Staffer 11.1
      23 August 2013 at 8:27 am

      An Ardern Cunliffe dou would help achieve the objective of uniting the party and winning the 2014 election.
      So would Louisa Wall (who actually won an electorate) and Sue Moroney (who actually won an electorate) and many other Labour women.

      Ardern, like Jones and Little, never won an electorate. IMO they are second class MPs.

      Ardern, like Jones, has not won the hearts and minds of the Party Membership: they both decided that the way up the Labour ladder was to play the Caucus insider game.
      Ardern has a very aloof manner when she fleetingly attends membership gigs. Auckland Central is not coming back to Labour soon unless she changes her game.

      Ardern needs to develop a little humility, show respect to the membership and earn her stripes.

      • BM 11.1.1
        23 August 2013 at 8:53 am

        Sue Moroney lost by 4500 votes to Tim Macindoe.

        • felix 11.1.1.1
          23 August 2013 at 9:31 am

          Macindoe is Ham West I think. Sue ran against Bennett on the East side.

          But anyway it’s Hamilton bro, you could stick a blue rosette on a retarded scarecrow and win, (which, funnily enough, is exactly what National did in both cases.)

          • Chris 11.1.1.1.1
            23 August 2013 at 10:24 am

            Not sure where you get that from, both Hamilton East and Hamilton West have had a roughly equal number of Labour and National winners:

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_East_(New_Zealand_electorate)
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_West_(New_Zealand_electorate)

            Moroney has actually had a go at both of these (Ham West in 2011 and East in 2008).

            • Tigger 11.1.1.1.1.1
              23 August 2013 at 1:55 pm

              Louisa Wall won a seat. She sold gay marriage to a majority conservative government. Not only that, she did it with grace and class. Move her up in the next shuffle at the very least.

              • Chris …
                23 August 2013 at 2:05 pm

                Not sure if this was a reply to me or not. Anyhow, I don’t put much weight on the fact that Louisa Wall won a seat. The Manurewa seat would be one of Labour’s safest seats in the country so would not have required anything from her to win it.

                However, I agree with the comment about gay marriage she has rightly got a lot of credit for that and she definitely deserves rewards for it.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  23 August 2013 at 2:44 pm

                  She also sold the Bill to a lot of social and religious conservatives in her own electorate. Not an easy thing to do, and not that she convinced everyone, but people knew that she listened to them and did so seriously.

                  • Tamati …
                    23 August 2013 at 2:51 pm

                    Last night I had a strange dream.

                    Helen Kelly was elected Labour leader and was parachuted into the Christchurch East electorate. Probably won’t happen but isn’t it about time she moved into Parliament?

                    • lprent …
                      23 August 2013 at 3:01 pm

                      Presumably she will if and when she wants to and can get a selection (none of these things are givens).

                      In the meantime as a word of caution, please remember that she is an author here, and I have this thing about protecting site authors that is expressed in the policy.

                      In this if’ness scenario… If she does get elected and goes into parliament, then she will no longer be writing here as a site author. How could she bear to give that up (oh and maybe the union work as well) 😈

                    • Tamati …
                      23 August 2013 at 3:21 pm

                      All I can say is it worked well for Bob Hawke. I think there should be space for “captain’s picks” every now and then.

                • Tracey …
                  23 August 2013 at 2:57 pm

                  An openly gay woman winning a seat in a Christian dominated electorate was no mean feat.

                  • Tamati …
                    23 August 2013 at 3:26 pm

                    Christchurch East isn’t Christian dominated. Christchurch Central elected a gay M.P. several times, then kicked out his hetero replacement. It is, however, one of the most deprived electorates outside South Auckland (It also has some wealthy areas further north). Any good Labour candidate should be able to win here, it is just a matter of getting out the vote.

                    • Tracey …
                      23 August 2013 at 3:33 pm

                      weren’t we talking about Wall and Manurewa???

                    • felix …
                      23 August 2013 at 3:38 pm

                      Thought we were talking about Moroney and Ham East…

                    • Chris …
                      23 August 2013 at 5:01 pm

                      Yeah this thread has jumped quite a bit randomly.

                      Anyway fair point Tracey, I do still think that it wouldn’t matter who Labour stood in that seat they would win it, but it probably would have been harder for Louisa Wall compared to many other candidates.

  12. geoff 12
    23 August 2013 at 8:16 am

    2 gigantic old fuckwits on radio nz right now.

    good to hear they are backing cunliffe at least.

  13. geoff 13
    23 August 2013 at 8:32 am

    Haha Richard Prebble thinks Robertson will be the next leader! What an endorsement!

  14. bad12 14
    23 August 2013 at 9:06 am

    Helen Kelly on RadioNZ, ‘ the Union Affiliates will use their vote to elect the Labour Leader they think has the best chance of winning the 2014 election’,

    Good skills Helen, my pick to achieve that goal would be a Cunliffe/Robertson leadership, they are Labour’s best performers in the House…

  15. bad12 15
    23 August 2013 at 9:11 am

    On RadioNZ right now, Labour’s Shane Jones, ‘scratch’ him from your race card people He has just said He doesn’t see Himself as Party leader…

  16. lprent 16
    23 August 2013 at 9:58 am

    Ok. The site looks stressed but stable. But there isn’t much spare CPU available to cope with peaks.

    I’ll put another server on line between now and tomorrow sometime to spread the load when the site peaks up. Or increase the amount of CPU this one can access. I’d better head to work.

    I suspect that we are going to need it

    • just saying 16.1
      23 August 2013 at 10:29 am

      Thanks for keeping her ticking over LPrent. I suspect it’s going to get significantly and progressivley busier the closer we get to the election.

    • weka 16.2
      23 August 2013 at 12:20 pm

      Am still getting ‘Your access to this site has been limited’ messages.

      • politikiwi 16.2.1
        23 August 2013 at 11:39 pm

        Ditto for me. Seems pretty aggressive, too – I can only open one page every few seconds.

        My thanks, also, for keeping the site up and running. I actually the site was served from CloudFlare or some sort of similar CDN? There were international traffic issues, if I recall…

        • lprent 16.2.1.1
          24 August 2013 at 8:02 am

          It had to be when we were serving hundreds of pages per minute (usually we peak at 50)and getting arbitrary spiking. The problem is that the site is highly dynamic. So a CDN serves the statics like graphics. But the index and post pages have to be calculated.

          But it is now the weekend and I have some time to deal with the peak situations that showed during the GCSB and resignation. So I will ramp servers up and relax it.

  17. Tracey 17
    23 August 2013 at 10:05 am

    Isn’t this the real target??

    “Australia has old-fashioned union arrangements and needs “a dose of Margaret Thatcher,” says Mark Adamson, the British chief executive of Fletcher Building.

    On a media call following the release of Fletcher’s annual profit, Adamson said he had been “amazed” at both the level of salaries and inefficiencies in Australia. He took the top job at Fletcher last October, having run the company’s Laminex & Panels division, based in the US.”

    “Telecom says it will keep cutting costs, as it this morning reported an earnings lift in a year where it laid off more than 1200 workers. ‘ With a smile and a cheer from CEO and shareholders.

    • Colonial Viper 17.1
      23 August 2013 at 11:09 am

      What a sanctimonious lackey of the 0.1%. Doesn’t even mind stating baldly that he wants to thieve from his workers to give to the elite.

      Go long guillotine manufacturers, I say.

  18. millsy 18
    23 August 2013 at 11:09 am

    Grant Robertson as Labour leader?

    NO FUCKING WAY.

    This is nothing to do with him being gay BTW, although the local Taliban might get their rocks off running a smear campaign, and Colin Craig might have a crack at picking up a few PI votes.

    GR is more at home in a Newtown cafe rather than a workingman’s club in Wainiuiomata or a state housing suburb in Otara.

    Cometh the hour, cometh the man. David Cunliffe is the only pick. With Little as deputy, the dour enforcer, smashing all opposition to trade unions.

    GR of course would be useful in Tertiary Education, and Shearer would tackle the foreign affairs portfolio, with his experience with the UN.

    It very much looks like that this will be a defining moment in the history of the Labour Party, where Rogernomics and Third-way Blarism give way to a new 21st century socialism.

    • Tracey 18.1
      23 August 2013 at 11:13 am

      He and others need to learn patience. There is almost no job worth having that you didn’t work hard to get to and put in the time.

      I bump into heaps of young lawyers, who think they are worth more than $75k per year… after 3 years in the job. Bide your time, learn, experience, and become better for it.

    • bad12 18.2
      23 August 2013 at 12:40 pm

      Lolz, and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,

      That’s one hell of a laugh, as part of the ‘other Dave campaign’ a while back someone put up a video of Dave Cunliffe campaigning in South Auckland at the 2011 election, off the back of a flatbed truck with a loud hailer Dave’s contribution made me cringe,

      Yelling at the mostly brown faces about what National was going to do ‘to them’ i could almost see those little cartoon bubbles above the heads of His audience flashing in concert a collective ‘WTF’,

      Not once did Dave Cunliffe promise even 1 extra State House for these people, the last to be hired and the first to be fired, what was Labour going to accomplish for those people of South Auckland, well from what that particular speech to the crowd promised the answer was Nothing, simply trying to use fear as a tactic to leverage votes was in that particular piece of electioneering the stuff of ‘lead balloons’

      You seem to be suggesting here that Grant Robertson, when not involved with the machiavellian smoke and mirrors of politics simply hob-nobs it with the Haves, this is far from the true picture as i KNOW that Robertson is active right across His electorate from the Soup Kitchen, to the Town Hall, to the Night Shelter, i have bumped into Him in all three of those places,

      Casting aspersions as what you have done which intend to show Robertson as some form of ‘snob politician’ is taking politics down to a petty level,

      Having said all of that, i have a strong belief that Cunliffe and Robertson should both stand for the leadership of the Labour Party so as to allow everyone to see democracy in action, i further believe that whoever of those 2 should win should offer the Deputy position to the runner
      up,

      • Jenny Kirk 18.2.1
        23 August 2013 at 1:44 pm

        “and you are of course telling us that Dave Cunliffe is right at home in the Otara HousingNZ estate,
        That’s one hell of a laugh ……”, this from Bad12.

        Well – I have news for you, Bad12. David Cunliffe IS right at home with state housing low income people.
        I watched him give a straight-forward down-to-earth clear presentation of the country’s economic state and what could be done about it to an audience of low income, state housing residents (mostly Maori) in a low decile area of Whangarei. They lapped it up. They understood him,.
        They asked him questions ….. and they wanted more. They kept asking the school principal where the meeting had been held for weeks afterwards if that David Cunliffe would come back again to explain more details. You cannot buy that sort of testimony, and of course absolutely no-one from the media (let alone rightwing MSM) were there to witness it. But it happened.

        Cunliffe has the ability to reach out to people, and at the same time he’s quick, articulate, and can foot it with someone as slippery as John Key.

        • bad12 18.2.1.1
          23 August 2013 at 2:07 pm

          Which just goes to show you that no-one is all good or all bad, but, the video from the 2011election certainly in my opinion highlighted Dave Cunliffe in less than a good light,

          We are yet to see if that last bit is simply an urban myth Jenny Kirk, only time will tell if David Cunliffe can truly kick the shine of the Slippery little shyster Key…

  19. phillip ure 19
    23 August 2013 at 11:50 am

    cunnliffe + robertson – cunnliffe + little – cunnliffe + ardern..

    ..they all work for me..

    ..phillip ure..

  20. NZFemme 20
    23 August 2013 at 12:12 pm

    From The Guardian:

    “American soldier formerly known as Bradley issues statement saying he hopes to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible”

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/22/bradley-manning-woman-chelsea-gender-reassignment

  21. Jason 21
    23 August 2013 at 12:52 pm

    National. Time for a change.
    A change of credit downgrade from A+A+ to AA.

  22. Jason 22
    23 August 2013 at 12:55 pm

    National. A brighter future.

    Climate change resulting in more sunny days.

  23. Jason 23
    23 August 2013 at 12:57 pm

    National. ABC, (Anyone but Collins). ABk, (Anyone but key).

  25. Draco T Bastard 25
    23 August 2013 at 3:43 pm

    Chris Slane cartoons (@Slanecartoons): Dirty Pipes

  27. Liam 27
    23 August 2013 at 6:01 pm

    Hi
    Ever since the recent upgrade my ipad always defaults to the mobile view. Can this be changed or something. I just use safari. I have to scroll to the bottom of the page and choose desktop view.
    Is anyone else having this?

  28. Draco T Bastard 28
    23 August 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Turei: Govt ignored warning

    The Green Party, which obtained the documents under the Official Information Act, said it showed Social Development Minister Paula Bennett had ignored the facts when crafting the new requirements.

    “The Ministry of Education told Paula Bennett that the primary concern was that there wasn’t enough provision for early childhood education for 3 year olds, and that the key barrier for Maori, Pasifika and lower-socioeconomic families was suitable supply,” said Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.

    “She is demonising these families when she has been told over and over again by various ministries that her social obligations and work obligations will cause more harm.”

    And National is proved to have ignored the facts and thus will be causing massive harm to people.

  29. xtasy 29
    24 August 2013 at 2:55 am

    I am a bit intrigued by this one, Rafael Correa, Presidente del Equador, admittedly a hero to protect Julian Assange, but not a hero for press freedom. But hey, here he is singing along Quilapayun from Chile. I wonder how sincere that is, but then again, I will not endeavour to prejudice.

    The world is changing every day, in and out, so prepare for surprises.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNdn_l05I4o

    Viva Chile, viva el libertad!

  30. xtasy 30
    24 August 2013 at 3:06 am

    Viva la revolution, viva el chile – y el continente de sudamerica!

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.