Daily Review 15/08/2016

Written By: - Date published: 5:30 pm, August 15th, 2016 - 28 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Len Brown

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 …

28 comments on “Daily Review 15/08/2016 ”

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  1. Anne 1
    15 August 2016 at 6:52 pm

    http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/08/john-key-lied-about-gcsb-circumventing.html

    In light of today’s news, worth highlighting Idiot/Savant’s latest blog.

    … it is very clear that by receiving Fullman’s information, the GCSB was intercepting it. And as that interception was not authorised by the GCSB Act (being explicitly contrary to the section 14 prohibition on intercepting the communications of New Zealanders), it is a breach of s216 of the Crimes Act.

    The government clearly owes Fullman an apology and compensation for unlawfully invading his privacy. But more importantly than that, someone at the GCSB needs to go to jail. And the Prime Minister who lied to us about what they do? He needs to resign, now.

    • Matthew Whitehead 1.1
      15 August 2016 at 7:38 pm

      Yeah in any reasonable world that would be the end of the PM…

      • ianmac 1.1.1
        15 August 2016 at 9:17 pm

        Can’t understand how Key avoids the blame so easily and the commentary talks about Andrew’s alleged poor judgement instead.

        • ianmac 1.1.1.1
          15 August 2016 at 9:22 pm

          Just read PM, 7:38pm today
          “He said that he was “totally comfortable” with the actions the agencies took and said that they did not circumvent the law.

          “I’m very confident that they acted lawfully and professionally and like all situations there are always many sides to the story.”
          There you are then. No problem.
          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11694361

        • Anne 1.1.1.2
          15 August 2016 at 9:30 pm

          There’s a massive difference between Andrew Little publicly ticking off an MP for poor judgement, and John Key lying to NZ citizens about something as important as a probable unlawful GCSB operation. Yet not a word from the MSM about John Key, but ballistic missives hurled at Andrew Little.

          Something is rotten in the state of the NZ Fourth Estate.

          • Wayne 1.1.1.2.1
            15 August 2016 at 9:51 pm

            On the new security legislation Grant Robertson (on Radio Live in Duncan Garner’s slot) said Labour would be voting for the first reading to the Select Committee. He did say Labour would want to see some changes, particularly tightening up the definition of national security. He acknowledged that the process for this Bill had been quite consultative.

            And I note, unlike in 2012, there is not much adverse public comment. Presumably because there have just been altogether too many terrorist incidents, primarily connected to ISIS, though many seem to have been inspired rather than directed.

            When the cost of missing a terrorist group (even the “lone wolves” seem to have direct support) is dozens of people dead, then most people will want their nation’s intelligence agencies to be focusing on people who are a risk. And there are indicators of who are the risks such as looking and researching ISIS sites (beyond the casual look), getting passports, finding out how to commit terror acts, planning trips with the intent of joining ISIS (though surely planning trips has reduced as ISIS is obviously being defeated – but that might mean more acts in ones own country) etc.

            Most people will want this type of activity to be monitored, and Labour will be very much aware of that.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2.1.1
              16 August 2016 at 9:58 am

              And I note, unlike in 2012, there is not much adverse public comment. Presumably because there have just been altogether too many terrorist incidents, primarily connected to ISIS, though many seem to have been inspired rather than directed.

              IMO, it’s probably more due to the lack of effect that the people had last time. The people realise that this government isn’t listening to them and are acting as pure dictators.

            • DoublePlusGood 1.1.1.2.1.2
              16 August 2016 at 6:17 pm

              “Most people” – not when it is made clear how much it costs and how such monitoring can just be counterproductive.

            • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1.2.1.3
              16 August 2016 at 6:30 pm

              Most people will want this type of activity to be monitored

              So what? Most people want to live in a country without homeless working families and you people can’t deliver that, despite the existence of countries that can. Oh noes, my precious taxes, you bleat, while shovelling money to your owners.

              Since you can’t deliver the basic human rights that are the only reason worth tolerating you, what good is your lip service to the national interest?

          • Leftie 1.1.1.2.2
            15 August 2016 at 11:05 pm

            Tens of thousands of plus 1’s Anne.

    • Wayne 1.2
      15 August 2016 at 10:05 pm

      Fullman did say in a TV interview there was wild talk over the kava bowl about assassinating Frank Banimarama. And I imagine there was enough of that going about that caused SIS and GCSB to take an interest. That sort of thing tends to frighten the authorities – after all it may not be wild talk. You can see why they would want to find out whether it was or not.

      It is also worth recollecting that GCSB thought the legislation enabled them to assist an SIS enquiry. That concept was not dismissed out of hand in the Report on the GCSB interceptions, which is why the Report was not definitive that the interceptions were actually illegal. Instead it said they could be.

      The response of the new Bill will be to allow GCSB to assist SIS, though apparently on strict conditions, rather the the loose formulation of the previous legislation. Presumably the level of control through a proper warrant process has meant the Labour feels confident enough to support the Bill to Select Committee – presumably the Parliamentary Intelligence Committee.

      • Anne 1.2.1
        15 August 2016 at 10:48 pm

        So the SIS requested the assistance of the GCSB. Did they ask the GCSB to do something that was almost certainly unlawful? The GCSB claim they believed it was okay because they were dong it for the SIS. To me that smacks of arrogance and entitlement… we can do what we like and if anyone queries it we’ll just say “we believed we were allowed to because it was for the SIS”. Just as nobody else is allowed to break the law, neither is the GCSB – or indeed the SIS – and someone needs to be held accountable. And since the ultimate responsibility for the security services lies with the PM of the day… it should be John Key.

        As for Frank Banimarama… he carried out an illegal military coup and imprisoned the leading politicians of the democratically elected Fiji government. (That’s my recollection anyway) He then went on to ban elections and encouraged turned a blind eye to his military thugs committing acts of violence against Fiji citizens (and throwing them into prison) for no reason other than they supported the democratically elected govt. He also (from memory) shut down the free press and tossed out diplomats who dared question his conduct.

        In light of the above, what the hell was/is the NZ government doing sucking up to the bastard?

        • Wayne 1.2.1.1
          16 August 2016 at 7:16 am

          Anne,

          All of what you say is true of Banimarama. But by 2012 it was clear he was there to stay, and in fact was moving to elections. But even as a dictator New Zealand still would not want assassination plots being hatched against him. As it turned out it was just wild talk, but it was enough to cause concern, hence the SIS and thus GCSB interest.

          As for GCSB assisting SIS, both agencies thought they had the legal power under the old act to do so, and indeed they had acted that way for many years including under Helen Clark.

          In fact I was told this is how they acted in 2002 when I was briefed by the Director (they briefed relevant opposition spokespeople from time to time, and presumably they still do). It was not arrogance, it is what they thought they had the legal right to do. Whilst I personally thought it was a bit of a stretch of the relevant provision (and I told the director that at the time), it was at least able to be credibly argued. It was not an absurd argument.

          • left for dead 1.2.1.1.1
            16 August 2016 at 8:32 am

            Keep these comments coming Wayne, more the monkey climbs………………..

          • Anne 1.2.1.1.2
            16 August 2016 at 9:52 am

            … agencies thought they had the legal power under the old act to do so, and indeed they had acted that way for many years including under Helen Clark.

            I can’t state the following categorically of course, but I suspect there was one big difference. I doubt Helen Clark had any knowledge whatsoever that the agencies (the GCSB in this particular case) were acting outside the law. On the other hand John Key obviously did know and not only did he not care… he subsequently lied about it. It is well known he (or his minions on his behalf) has also used both agencies in the past to undermine Labour – including at least one former Labour leader – and that was utterly reprehensible and he should resign on those grounds alone.

  2. marty mars 2
    15 August 2016 at 6:54 pm

    A good use for robots

    “The idea started with a desperate email from a woman in a UK hospital. She was afraid of being discharged at the end of her treatment because she had been evicted from her home and had nowhere to return to while in recovery.

    The email landed in Joshua Browder’s inbox. He’s the creator of DoNotPay, an online robot that has successfully challenged more than 160,000 parking tickets for drivers in London and New York City…

    DoNotPay is a chatbot designed to provide legal assistance. Users visit the website and “chat” via text message with an automated service that asks them relevant questions. Once completed, the bot translates the user’s information into a legally sound document that can be used to appeal parking tickets.

    Browder, whom the BBC dubbed the “Robin Hood of the Internet,” has now turned the bot’s attention to homelessness.

    “I started to receive a large number of messages about evictions and repossessions,” he said. “I felt bad that I didn’t have the knowledge to personally help people, especially since they were being made homeless.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11694152

  3. Draco T Bastard 3
    15 August 2016 at 8:22 pm

    The New Economy: A Living Earth System Model

    This paper by David Korten, published alongside three others, is one of many proposals for a systemic alternative we have published or will be publishing here at the Next System Project. You can read it below, or download the PDF. We have commissioned these papers in order to facilitate an informed and comprehensive discussion of “new systems,” and as part of this effort we have also created a comparative framework which provides a basis for evaluating system proposals according to a common set of criteria.

  4. adam 4
    15 August 2016 at 8:48 pm

    How is this for ironic, those crazy americans stealing ideas off us.

    We been doing this for years – Thanks instant finance…

    • ianmac 4.1
      15 August 2016 at 9:15 pm

      Those car and personal loan agencies are now regulated in NZ but it doesn’t seem to be fair. Let alone the 19% interest on Credit cards.
      Sub Prime car market is evil!

      • adam 4.1.1
        16 August 2016 at 12:01 am

        ianmac, the regulations are a joke. No one enforces them, and there are no one willing to deal with it. You as the lender can take them to the disputes tribunal. If you can prove that they actually broke the law – rather than bended the regulations. They can counter with breach of contract. Failing that, good luck getting it into the district court – just doesn’t happen.

        I’ve seen cases where the monthly repayments are 50% to 200% over what should be a normal interest and loan repayment. How I hear you ask? You factor in the ‘ongoing additional charges’ – which are all perfectly legal. If the person signs the contract. Regulations mean nothing in a free market with no moral constraints – some will always find ways and means around any regulations.

  5. Muttonbird 5
    15 August 2016 at 8:55 pm

    Had to laugh. This is Bryce Edwards’ opinion, apparently…

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11694247

    Not so much his opinion and everyone else’s opinion as far as I can tell. Bryce seems to be channelling Farrar in a new found cut and paste method of writing.

    Hope Bryce didn’t get paid for that – very lazy column.

    • b waghorn 5.1
      16 August 2016 at 7:02 am

      The heading on that piece should have been
      ‘The Dirty Politics Machine Is Winding Up For The Next Election’

  6. mauī 6
    15 August 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Minister says no to internment camps for the homeless – that would be too obvious, they might breed or begin working together.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/83200290/minister-rejects-report-advising-military-camps-be-used-to-house-the-homeless

  7. Pat 7
    15 August 2016 at 11:12 pm

    news doesn’t improve….

    “But generally, Di Lorenzo says, looking at what is happening, he thinks climate change is increasing both the frequency and severity of marine heatwaves. So much so, he wonders if climate models are wrong, and underestimating the fluctuations in temperature that will occur as the globe warms.

    “The real system – if you look at the observations, and this is a paper I will publish very soon – the increase in variance is much much stronger than what models are predicting,” he says. “Maybe our models are too conservative.””

    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/15/the-blob-how-marine-heatwaves-are-causing-unprecedented-climate-chaos

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