Daily review 02/07/2019

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, July 2nd, 2019 - 43 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

 

Happy birthday to you …

Daily review is also your post.

This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Don’t forget to be kind to each other …

43 comments on “Daily review 02/07/2019 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Robert Guyton 1
    2 July 2019 at 6:13 pm

    What's the world coming to???

    To top it off, there's a total eclipse of the sun tomorrow!

    https://www.businessinsider.com.au/solar-eclipse-south-america-pacific-2019-7?r=US&IR=T

  2. marty mars 2
    2 July 2019 at 6:13 pm

    Great news – I hope it is true and is actioned very quickly.

    It's premature to celebrate, but there appears a strong chance Dunedin's famed Hillside railway workshops may be given a second chance at life.If so, it would be directly attributable to policy changes and significant cash injections the current Government is making in rail services and infrastructure.

    And it would come as an incredible turnaround from the still-fresh closure of one of the most recognisable features of Dunedin's industrial economy.

    The 2012 decision to sell a section of the workshops and close the rest meant the loss of 90 jobs and, perhaps more importantly, risked symbolically terminating Dunedin's long history and reputation as an engineering hub. But the city, as it tends to do, took the blow and recovered.

    … What's changed? Obviously, the government. Labour was loudly opposed to Hillside's closure and, to its credit, appears to be putting its money where its mouth was.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/reincarnation-must-be-sustainable

  3. SPC 3
    2 July 2019 at 6:18 pm

    It's time to stock up on the pop corn.

    Cast an eye over Whaleoil and Kiwiblog, and maybe also The Daily Blog, in the following days for reaction to todays news – Justice Kavanaugh and Israel Folau move aside, for some men across the realm are going to be getting a little paranoid about what a little green woman is planning to do.

    Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, Jan Logie, said everyone who had been harmed by sexual violence deserved to have justice delivered without going through more, avoidable, trauma.

    The changes target the judicial process, and included giving sexual violence survivors the right to choose how to give evidence and undergo cross-examination. This could be via audio-visual link or a pre-recorded video. In the cases of a re-trial, the survivor’s evidence could be recorded to avoid having to give it again.

    There would also be more “certainty” for judges to intervene in “unfair or inappropriate questioning, and to address common myths and misconceptions about sexual violence”, a statement from Logie’s office read.

    Logie said the reforms had responded to Law Commission recommendations and reflected the calls for change that had been coming from the sector “for over a decade”.

    “They will make a significant difference for victims and survivors of sexual violence while ensuring trials are a fair and robust process.”

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/113925341/changes-to-sexual-violence-laws-aimed-at-avoiding-revictimisation-of-survivors

    It’s pretty moderate reform, and long advised, but given the way the right plays identify politics and the fear and paranoia card, as with the Global Immigration Compact, it’s sort of predictable they’ll get wake up tomorrow very microaggressive – the poor dear snow flakes.

  4. alwyn 4
    2 July 2019 at 6:37 pm

    I appear to have missed an item from this site. When the last Government made grants toward films being made in New Zealand such as the New Zealand made films by Peter Jackson in the form of LOTR and The Hobbit there were screams of rage from the New Zealand Labour Party and its brainwashed acolytes who make many of the comments on this site.

    Now in Government the Labour Party appear to have forgotten all about their own complaining and now want to subsidise TV series for the World's richest man. Even after he settles his divorce he will still be worth about 150 BILLION dollars.

    Surely regular commenters here have been complaining?

    Our PM admits that there are still incentives available despite the Labour Party's promise to repeal laws set up for the production of the films.

    "Ardern said there is an incentive regime in place to attract filming, but she had nothing to confirm as to what incentives were offered."

    "She said the production incentive regime is fully transparent.". She isn't going to tell you about it though seems to be her story.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/393416/very-high-level-talks-secure-filming-for-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/113918358/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-denies-safety-talks-over-amazons-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series

    Where are all the complaints by the KDS sufferers? Is it all right because it is different when the left do it?

    Or are those who complained about the highly successful system implemented by the last National Government total hypocrites?

    Actually about the only comment by the PM I believe is this one, and in particular the last few words. Just like Sergeant she can truthfully say "I know nothing"

    "She said Amazon would have asked Parker questions around security and safety in New Zealand if they "indeed were asked" but she simply didn't know what conversation was had."

    • higherstandard 4.1
      2 July 2019 at 6:49 pm

      Surely you don't expect to come to a political blog and not encounter rank hypocrisy ?

      • SPC 4.1.1
        2 July 2019 at 6:52 pm

        Such as Alwyn supporting it when National does it, but expressing no support for Labour doing so?

        • alwyn 4.1.1.1
          2 July 2019 at 7:12 pm

          But I do support it. My comment wasn't about the incentives being provided. It was about the hypocrisy of people who judge whether an idea is good or bad based on who suggests it. My views are quite consistent and don't depend on who proposed the idea. A good idea is a good idea regardless of who suggested it. I realise that such an approach may, of course, be difficult for you to understand

          • SPC 4.1.1.1.1
            2 July 2019 at 7:40 pm

            You made no expression of support for Labour doing it, and I understand your reluctance to do so. Trying to climb up on a high horse afterwards is setting a standard for yourself one does not expect you to pull off. You’re welcome to try though.

      • marty mars 4.1.2
        2 July 2019 at 6:58 pm

        alwyn expects the world to pander to his every whim and fancy – the world says piss off noddy – thus it is as it always is

    • SPC 4.2
      2 July 2019 at 6:50 pm

      Go read Open Mike.

    • marty mars 4.3
      2 July 2019 at 6:55 pm

      brainwashed acolytes – lol – that's clean thinking hard workers – your insultdar is off there al

    • Incognito 4.4
      2 July 2019 at 7:00 pm

      Alwyn, indeed you have restricted access to the site and can only see certain comments that are tailored to the profile we have built of you. If you want Premium Access, I can arrange this for you but you’d need to agree to the Terms of Service Agreement. Meanwhile, please keep up the good work and always, and I mean always, go leftwards around roundabouts. It is much safer that way and it won’t hurt you.

        • New view 4.4.1.1
          2 July 2019 at 8:16 pm

          No one answered your criticism, just criticised your motives. No surprises there. Many articles that ask the question about this Government don’t get much air time here.

          • Psycho Milt 4.4.1.1.1
            2 July 2019 at 10:19 pm

            Calling it criticism is polishing a turd. The complaint seems to be that locals here haven't directed the level of criticism against Ardern's government that they directed against Key's government when it arbitrarily declared employees to be contractors to satisfy some high-ranking visitors from Hollywood studios. That complaint is ridiculous, given that Ardern's government hasn't done anything as shitty as that. On the other hand, feel free to explain why we should give a shit.

            • New view 4.4.1.1.1.1
              3 July 2019 at 6:28 am

              Locals here seem to pick and choose who they criticise. Alwyn has brought the turd subject up because nobody else here has. Maybe it’s because this Government is a bit two faced maybe not. Another article that hasn’t had much air time here is the criticism of our PM for not bothering to view the video of the much talked about Oranga Tamariki incident. If I’m wrong and the issue has been discussed at length here please correct me. Like Alwyn tries to do. you should hold those to account whether they be from the left or right. If JA needs to be chastised for not doing her homework so be it. The only reason people like Alwyn and myself bring these opposing points of view up is because the very left leaning commenters here rarely seem to. If you don’t give a shit that’s ok too.

          • Muttonbird 4.4.1.1.2
            3 July 2019 at 6:42 am

            Hey [deleted]. I answered at 7:16pm. His comment, as usual, was fake news and had no validity.

    • joe90 4.5
      2 July 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Sundowning, eh?

    • Rapunzel 4.6
      2 July 2019 at 7:02 pm

      Either you are unaware of redress of the terms for workers that will happen or chose to ignore them. It seems the workers are happy with the better, clearer conditions and the work that will come.

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12240140

      • alwyn 4.6.1
        2 July 2019 at 9:33 pm

        When I read a statement that

        "While the mechanisms – including the dispute resolution process and who exactly will be covered – are yet to be worked out in detail, it is hoped the new collective agreements will provide industry-wide standards."

        I find it very hard to see that they plan to change anything at all. After all they don't know who it will cover. Strikes will still be illegal. The "Hobbit Law" is not going to be revoked.

        Now how can you possibly claim that "It seems the workers are happy with the better, clearer conditions". Which workers? What conditions? how can anything that is not defined possibly be "clearer". You really are brainwashed and living in fairyland aren't you?

      • Rapunzel 4.6.2
        3 July 2019 at 7:00 am

        Brainwashed and living in fairy land?

        I based some of what I wrote on a what one poster, I am sure it was the one immediately below "Muttonbird" as they seem to have quite a close understanding of the industry, which also looks to be more than you have as well. The rest was as much as an avid follower of NZ news over time and what I can recall of what happened then mainly in regard to the conditions that were negatively changed for "workers" in that sector.

        The changes back and clarity that have been achieved I know were reported on either prior or after last Xmas as being eagerly anticipated by the "workers".

        Your gripe and need to try and belittle me and my opinion on how I read the news on this is meaningless. It's probably as a result of the political inconvenience to your beliefs as it is policy that, while it does not redress everything, removes a lot of the negatives that the National govt allowed in its deal.

        I am entitled to the view, my view, and that it is that it's a better deal from what I have seen reported.

    • Muttonbird 4.7
      2 July 2019 at 7:16 pm

      You entire comment is fake but that is what we have come to expect from you.

      Although it was probably always thus, I first noticed it when you claimed Kiwibuild houses were being sold on the open market. This was a lie and your comment above does not stand up to scrutiny either.

      I suspect it was never Labour labour policy to not have a film incentive scheme and with my own eyes I have heard JA speak about the need for one, saying 'you either have a film industry or you don't – there is no middle ground'.

      It's true the current levels of rebate was set during the last government but they had to be dragged to the table by none other than James Cameron. Dildo-head, Steven Joyce famously would not budge for years under intense lobbying by the industry, saying, 'he did not want to enter a race to the bottom'.

      Well, fuck me. He, the minister of economic development, didn't even put on his running shoes! It was only when Cameron invited he and Key to dinner in 2014 to tell them that they were about to preside over the death of the NZ film industry that they woke the fuck up. They didn't introduce the incentive scheme, they merely raised the rebate to a level similar to our competitors after deliberately dragging their heels for so long.

      I suspect they were piss weak gun shy because of the massive benefits they had just given Warner Bros in terms of crushing employment dissent in this country. They wouldn’t risk taking even more benefits in the form of raised incentives for Hollywood to the NZ public so soon.

      I'm not too sure why you think the incentive scheme is not transparent. It is a robust government run scheme subject to all the normal scrutiny and probably more than the usual scrutiny.

      The only thing I'll give you is that Parker always prefaces comments on the scheme with the idea he and a lot of Kiwis find it hard to swallow (that's where some of the commenters on this site come in). I'd like to see him and others actually quantify the benefits a lot more than they do which I believe are constantly under reported.

      Most of the issues during the Hobbit wars was about employee status and union bashing, not incentives.

      Dr Bryce in 2010:

      In fact the only statement that I’ve seen from the Labour frontbench has been Trevor Mallard’s…in which he actually lambasts the National Government for not having offered Warner Bros even more taxpayer funds to film here: ‘why isn’t the government at least thinking about raising our production rebates, to keep us in this very lucrative game?’ Mallard talks about his time as the Minister of Economic Development and how he bent over backwards to make things sweet for Hollywood employers, and he argues about how the 15% rebate deal could easily be extended to a 25% level and it’d still be ‘a bargain’ for New Zealand.

      https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2010/10/we-are-not-for-the-hobbit-workers-and-we-are-not-against-them-labour-party.html

      The NZ film industry is an important export industry and oh look, it uses the power of our natural environment without destroying it.

      I short, you are full of shit, as usual.

      • alwyn 4.7.1
        2 July 2019 at 9:24 pm

        Oh dear. As David Lange said, don't you think you should sit down and have a nice cup of tea.

        Now what did you actually say when National were giving the grants? Come on. I'm sure your head won't explode if you were one of those who complained about it and now have to admit it.

        “with my own eyes I have heard JA speak”. You have an interesting physique.

      • Rosemary McDonald 4.7.2
        2 July 2019 at 9:49 pm

        It has been announced that the Labour-New Zealand First-Green government is going to, as a matter of urgency, repeal the Hobbit law, urgent legislation enacted by National in 2010 in a clumsy attempt to stop workers on film sites from acting collectively.

        I hope they do. With a few others I would like to jump up and down and dance on its grave and remember the victims and curse the villains.

        https://thestandard.org.nz/the-repeal-of-the-hobbit-law/

        A long read Muttonbird, but well worth the effort.

        Kinda marries the employee status and union bashing with the incentives.

        You may very well believe Muttonbird that the NZ film industry is an important export industry, but how on earth do you get it down your gullet when it is so contaminated with the shit it was borne from?

        • Muttonbird 4.7.2.1
          2 July 2019 at 10:37 pm

          It's an interesting one. The rebate didn't lift until 2013 or 2014 and it had caused a significant amount of damage to the industry by then. I know because I was affected. As I said I believe they didn't move it because of the huge fallout over the hobbit laws.

          That kind of disproves Irishbill's concern that WarnerBros was 'going to get further breaks' for The Hobbit.

          On the employment laws. The industry is made up of a lot of different roles and people are employed basically for the length of a shoot. For most productions, shooting crew and most production crew are casual workers on contracts. Those shows which run continuously have employees.

          I have witnessed a lot of different viewpoints on work conditions. Most Kiwi crews just want to get it done – that's the way we are. But they know when they're getting screwed and usually they stand up when it becomes unsafe. There are somewhat unbreakable rules such as 10¾ hour days, no forced turnaround (12 hours between wrap and crew call the next day), paid travel time, etc but that's not to say there aren't rogue producer's out there.

      • Shadrach 4.7.3
        2 July 2019 at 10:12 pm

        "I first noticed it when you claimed Kiwibuild houses were being sold on the open market. This was a lie and your comment above does not stand up to scrutiny either."

        I'm not aware of the specific claim Alwyn made, but KiwiBuild homes have indeed been offered for sale on the 'open market'.

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/111074456/huapai-kiwibuild-homes-had-already-been-for-sale-on-open-market

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/110468062/six-wanaka-kiwibuild-houses-on-open-market

        • Muttonbird 4.7.3.1
          2 July 2019 at 10:42 pm

          We've been through this.

          The Huapai houses were not built and were not Kiwibuild when 'on the open market', and the Wanaka houses were not 'on the open market' because buyers had to meet Kiwibuild criteria.

          • Shadrach 4.7.3.1.1
            3 July 2019 at 11:22 am

            "The Huapai houses were not built and were not Kiwibuild when 'on the open market',"

            So what? They are Kiwibuild houses that were on the open market. As I said, I haven't seen Alwyn's original comment, but those houses failed to sell on the open market and then were brought in to the Kiwibuild fold.

            "…the Wanaka houses were not 'on the open market' because buyers had to meet Kiwibuild criteria."

            You could describe every house sale as being subject to 'criteria'. In the case of the Wanaka homes, you could drive a truck through that criteria. It's why the author of the article described it as an 'open market'.

            It beggars belief that anyone is even defending this cluster f&*k any longer. Kiwibuild should be taken out and put out of it's misery.

    • Ad 4.8
      2 July 2019 at 7:23 pm

      I support this kind of subsidy.

      I'd prefer state capital went into infrastructure that's available to multiple users.

      But when it comes to the big series and big films, every country bids for them with outrageous subsidies and I would prefer they came here.

      But I am opposed to the stripping of union rights in the film industry under the Key government, and pleased to see that the Ardern government has restored them.

      • SPC 4.8.1
        2 July 2019 at 7:44 pm

        In the comments on Open Mike the problem of the impact on housing of inbound workers came up.

      • millsy 4.8.2
        3 July 2019 at 12:27 am

        Remember that "Go South' program that screened on Prime a few months ago?

        The government is better off funding something like that, and sticking it in overseas theatres and TV networks.

  5. Fireblade 5
    2 July 2019 at 7:27 pm

    Another right-wing Trump supporting racist is distributing anti-Muslim material. He was filmed wearing a "Make New Zealand Great Again" cap when the Police visited.

    "Police wouldn’t comment on the specific case today but the Deputy Commissioner for District Operations, John Tims, told 1 NEWS they have been "following up" on reports from the public"

    "We've got some experts, high tech crime, absolute experts in their field who are looking at social media, trying to identify who those people are that are concerning to us," he says.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/family-says-rights-have-been-infringed-police-crack-down-distribution-offensive-material

    • greywarshark 6.1
      2 July 2019 at 8:20 pm

      That's something to watch bwaghorn. I have put it into last How to Get There.

  8. Pat 8
    2 July 2019 at 9:16 pm

    "Prof Andrew Shepherd at Leeds University in the UK said: “The rapid decline has caught us by surprise and changes the picture completely. Now sea ice is retreating in both hemispheres and that presents a challenge because it could mean further warming.” He said it would also be important to find if the ice’s thickness has changed, as well as its extent."

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/01/precipitous-fall-in-antarctic-sea-ice-revealed

    non linear

  10. Sabine 10
    2 July 2019 at 10:30 pm

    its all good, all natural, just a bit too much nitrate in the soil, just fast growing grass, just a few cows gorging themselves on new grass………just don't mention 'fertilizer' 'build u' 'toxic levels of nitrate' …..

    lots of cows die near cambridge due to toxic levels of nitrate in new grass

  11. veutoviper 11
    2 July 2019 at 10:42 pm

    Sabine,WTB has also posted on this today on this week's How to get there post at 13 and 13.1. You might want to see his coo Ernst. Cheers. Won't attempt to link as on IPad and hopeless at putting in links etc.

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