Bennett’s lame excuse

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, March 12th, 2009 - 15 comments
Categories: national/act government, wages, workers' rights - Tags: , ,

Morning Report asked Paula Bennett why the public sector had been cut out of the 9 day fortnight scheme this morning and her answer was that it was for businesses that have been hit by the effects of the recession and the public service doesn’t fall into that category.

That’s not true. Crown owned company TVNZ is very much being hit by the recession as its ad revenues fall (well, the recession and the government’s bloody-minded decision to demand a dividend). Some SOEs may also qualify.

Bennett’s response is the only attempt to explain why it is only private business that receives this subsidy I have heard from the the government. And it’s clearly wrong.

Instead of being so slippery the government needs to come clean and admit that the real reason they are not extending the scheme to the public sector is that they are ideologically opposed to the government being involved in society.

But that would be admitting that they were a government of rogernomes and crony-capitalists. No votes in that, eh?

15 comments on “Bennett’s lame excuse ”

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  1. Janet 1
    12 March 2009 at 10:52 am

    This is why we need an Agenda type TV programme and some intelligent interviewers. I would like to see Paula Bennett asked some of those questions from the previous thread (like Kiwisaver and WINZ recalculations) that are the tricky detail of this 9 day idea. Exactly what type of training will be set up to address the few available hours from the 10th day? And then about this ideological stuff which was obviously not left at the door of the jobs summit.

    Why was the skills strategy so ‘last year’ as she said in the House. What is replacing it?

    Because I think it will show that they really have no idea. Fiddling while Rome burns.

    Soundbites don’t feed families.

  2. Greg 2
    12 March 2009 at 11:13 am

    I wish you were right…… I really do, but in what way is this 9 day fortnight thing neo liberal? I bet Douglas hates it.

  3. Doug 3
    12 March 2009 at 11:14 am

    TVNZ should be sold the Govt does not need a Television Station in it’s portfolio. We are not in Communist China. The station should stand on its own feet if it was a private institution it would be entitled to a 9 Day fortnight. As for not paying a dividend that would give it an unfair advantage over TV3.

    • Ari 3.1
      12 March 2009 at 12:39 pm

      The point of owning a television station is so that we can run public service programs that inform or improve society without having to directly maximise their profit.

      Not paying a dividend to the government would be just like any other shareholder voluntarily reducing their dividend take during a recession for the long-term good of their investment.

    • Matt Holland 3.2
      12 March 2009 at 12:57 pm

      Get real Doug.
      Do you really want all substantial broadcasting in the country to be owned by huge overseas corporates that care infinitely more about what advertising revenue they can drag out of the country than the actual content they provide?

  4. Quoth the Raven 4
    12 March 2009 at 11:26 am

    Instead of being so slippery the government needs to come clean and admit that the real reason they are not extending the scheme to the public sector is that they are ideologically opposed to the government being involved in society.

    They’re conservatives they involve themselves heavily in society. They just involve themselves for the benefit of a few. That’s the whole idea behind crony capitalism (no real need to put crony in there it’s just capitalism). Speaking of cronyism Gordon Campbell has a good article today: The corporate welfarism that lies behind foreign aid programme changes.

  5. kino flo 5
    12 March 2009 at 11:34 am

    “TVNZ should be sold the Govt does not need a Television Station in it’s portfolio. We are not in Communist China. The station should stand on its own feet if it was a private institution it would be entitled to a 9 Day fortnight. As for not paying a dividend that would give it an unfair advantage over TV3.”

    Well, according to the guidelines I’ve see, TV3 will be able to take advantage of the 9 day fortnight, while TVNZ will not be able to. The advantage, if there is any, is in TV3’s favor.

  6. Kevin Welsh 6
    12 March 2009 at 11:42 am

    But she’s hip with the homies, how could she be wrong?

  7. uroskin 7
    12 March 2009 at 2:15 pm

    TVNZ has hardly a monopoly on public service broadcasting these days. Stratos TV does it so much better.

    captcha: business products

  8. David Farrar 8
    12 March 2009 at 4:58 pm

    Are you saying the state should subsidise the state to help keep state jobs?

    • Quoth the Raven 8.1
      12 March 2009 at 5:26 pm

      But’s it’s just fine for the state to subsidise private businesses a la 9 day fortnight aye DPF.

      • higherstandard 8.1.1
        12 March 2009 at 5:46 pm

        And where does all this money come from – excellent whatever happens the good old taxpayer funds it.

        I s’pose at least we can be slightly relieved is that the printing presses won’t being running red hot printing cash to flush down the toilet as per the USA.