Daily Review 23/07/2015

23 comments on “Daily Review 23/07/2015 ”

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1. millsy 1

   23 July 2015 at 6:16 pm

   Its official. Bill English doesn’t think things like power, rail and even water should be in public/community control and ownership.
   • Gangnam Style 1.1

     23 July 2015 at 7:35 pm

     Or NZPost, & as an employee of NZPost myself I was always wondering if we were being run into the ground on purpose (I always suspected as much), so here we go then.
     • millsy 1.1.1

       23 July 2015 at 11:17 pm

       I am picking, running into the ground. Here in Waitara (a few k’s from NP), the postbox outside the goddamn postshop has a sticker on it saying it will be ripped out at the end of the month. WTF? Really.
   • greywarshark 1.2

     23 July 2015 at 7:40 pm

     I see Red.
     (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKj4upY1VYI)

     Bill English admits he hates our country having control of its own assets and profiting from them paying out to the taxpayer. He wants to subvert our governance system and asset strip everything that the people in the past built to provide the basics for a flourishing country. Now he likes the system of specially developed projects that will survive the dose of utter neglect or deliberate destruction from the Agent Orange of this neo lib National government, that is anything but national.

     “Speaking at the conference organised by the Commerce Commission, Mr English said the Government had no business being in business.
     He highlighted several areas that he said could benefit from either more competition or better regulation of monopolies, including council water supplies and electricity lines companies…
     (Same old, more competition blah, council water supplies next, electricity lines companies. Roll up you investors, I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts, See them all standing in a row.)

     The risk here is partly around economic efficiency, but it’s also about the destruction of community wealth… The Government knows about this because we own a whole lot of assets whose value is being eroded by competition and technology…..

     In response to questions, Mr English said it was unfortunate that taxpayers’ money was sunk into assets that were losing value.
     “Why do you want us to keep owning broadcast media – it was worth a billion, it’s worth $300 million today, and soon it will be worth nothing. Same with post offices – was worth a billion, worth $300 million today, soon be worth nothing.
     (He means rising in value as based on market valuation. Taxpayers do not value just on current capital worth – intelligent planners with the strategic interests of NZ assess value in a different way.)

     He said a new area for the Government was introducing competition in government services. He said social services had been dominated by “good intentions and spending lots of money” with not enough emphasis on outcomes and changing people’s lives.
     (Oh the irony. Oh the lies, the fudging of the value of lives that National are ‘changing’. And once we would have assumed that they actually want to change them for the better. He is actually telling us that they are going to grow the beggar class, the demeaned. Those who they will beat down, who can’t provide for themselves and also their families. And this because of government destruction of our economy, which will be aided by TPPA which they are wetting themselves to join in a wet dream of advantage to the top 10%.)

     He is looking quite haggard. Soon he will be craggy enough for a Mt Rushmore type depiction. Perhaps National can put those disdained criminals to some work of lasting memorial and carve his face in stone with a suitable motto under.
     http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/279498/no-plans-to-sell-soe-%27relics%27-english
     • Skinny 1.2.1

       23 July 2015 at 8:49 pm

       Slugger Bill is softening up the public for the final round of state assets stripping. I don’t recall National campaigning on selling off state housing to foreigners. So now they have boxed that one off it time to push on. this lush will become ‘urgent’ as they discover their game is up and they are likely to be turfed out at the next election.
2. Anne 2

   23 July 2015 at 6:43 pm

   Little by little (pun intended) Little is keeping to his word:

   https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/exclusive-tpp-will-prevent-ban-on-foreign-ownership-q02778

   I can hardly wait for the day he becomes prime-minister – a real prime minister! We haven’t had one of those for 7 long years.
   • whateva next? 2.1

     23 July 2015 at 6:54 pm

     Just imagine it, a real Prime Minister! We can get back to normal lives instead of this reality TV lifestyle we are all expected to live these days, and journalists can report news again.
     Lotto adds urging us to “imagine” wealth beyond our dreams, and Sky promoting a “happy place” will lose their potency, and we can have informative, thought provoking programming that enlighten us, broaden our minds rather than close them down, Yay!
   • mickysavage 2.2

     23 July 2015 at 6:56 pm

     Excellent statement and positioning by Andrew.

     I am sure the left will unite and support this position 😀
     • maui 2.2.1

       23 July 2015 at 7:03 pm

       Yep, great call from Labour, looks like they are deciding to stand up against the TPP and not just go middle of the road.
     • Tautoko Mangō Mata 2.2.2

       23 July 2015 at 7:10 pm

       Fantastic news on Labour’s bottom line on the TPPA! After hearing Clayton Cosgrove speak last night being so pro free trade (even though he did support Fletcher Tabuteau’s Bill to Select Committee), I thought that Labour were going to screw up again by trying to fence sit.
       Congratulations, Labour, for spelling out your position clearly. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu!
   • Olwyn 2.3

     23 July 2015 at 7:55 pm

     I was delighted to hear Andrew Little make such a clear stand. Thanks Anne, for putting it up.
     • Atiawa 2.3.1

       23 July 2015 at 8:37 pm

       Absolutely. Now pick the bones out of that.
       • Tautoko Mangō Mata 2.3.1.1

         23 July 2015 at 8:57 pm

         “UN experts voice concern over adverse impact of free trade and investment agreements on human rights”

         Me: (It is worth reading the whole report. I have just posted the final recommendations,)

         “We recommend that:

         All current negotiations of bilateral and multilateral trade and investment agreements should be conducted transparently with consultation and participation of all relevant stakeholders including labour unions, consumer unions, environmental protection groups and health professionals.

         All draft treaty texts should be published so that Parliamentarians and civil society have sufficient time to review them and to weigh the pros and cons in a democratic manner.

         Ex ante and ex post human rights impact assessments should be conducted with regard to existing and proposed BITs and FTAs.”

         So it’s not just us who thinks that the whole TPPA process has been shonky!

         The Parties should detail how they will uphold their human rights obligations if they ratify the BITs and FTA’s under negotiation.

         Given the breadth and scope of the agreements currently under negotiation, robust safeguards must be embedded to ensure full protection and enjoyment of human rights.”

         https://dezayasalfred.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/un-experts-voice-concern-over-adverse-impact-of-free-trade-and-investment-agreements-on-human-rights/
     • Colonial Viper 2.3.2

       23 July 2015 at 9:15 pm

       yes clearest stand yet from Labour on the TPPA

       I want to know what Labour will do in Govt if National pass the TPPA this term, however.
       • Olwyn 2.3.2.1

         23 July 2015 at 9:26 pm

         I would like to know that too, but I was still pleased to at least hear a straightforward stand on it. In fact it is astonishing that an agreement with such wide-reaching effects can be passed into law by a government with a wafer-thin majority.
         • Clemgeopin 2.3.2.1.1

           23 July 2015 at 10:45 pm

           I am hoping that there are at least a few conscientious MPs from National who will think through things carefully for the good of NZ and its people, rather than what is good for USA, other nations, the corporates and the wealthy.

           The biggest problem is that the agreement, the debate, the discussion, the clauses and fine prints are all secret.

           Besides that, we have an untrustworthy, lying and dodgy outfit ruling the country. We MUST be vigilant. Hopefully at least a few Nat MPs are honest and true.
           • Sabine 2.3.2.1.1.1

             24 July 2015 at 11:20 am

             can you name these honest and true National MP’s because they have been very quite and silent on any issue.

             I don’t actually believe that there is a ‘National” MP’s in parliament. There are self serving Men and Women in parliament disguising as “National’ Mp’s.
   • Michael 2.4

     23 July 2015 at 10:20 pm

     Glad to see this. That’s the perfect position to take.
3. mickysavage 3

   23 July 2015 at 6:46 pm

   Well done to the Problem Gambling Foundation who has comprehensively won in the High Court on reviewing the Government’s decision not to renew contracts.

   The decision had the feeling of a political hit job because PGF strenuously opposed the Sky City deal, in fact a Tau Henare tweet pretty well confirmed this.

   The decision is here (https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/problem-gambling-foundation-of-nz-v-attorney-general/at_download/fileDecision)

   Will try and post on it in the next few days.
   • Nordy 3.1

     23 July 2015 at 7:19 pm

     Spot on MS………noticed the decision myself today…. it brought a smile to my face.

     However, only temporarily, given the effort and cost required to get this decision reviewed/overturned.

     What an ‘ugly’ government we have….this situation is yet another shameful episode in the continuing story of greed and corruption.
4. Gangnam Style 4

   23 July 2015 at 9:25 pm

   Just watching the HBO documentary on Scientology called Going Clear. One thing that really struck me is something they do called ‘Fair Game’, where they silence & bully any critics, using re markedly similar tactics to Dirty Politics.
5. Weepus beard 5

   23 July 2015 at 9:33 pm

   But Key said “misinformation” was circulating.

   “One of the claims that had been made, I think, was that someone had been thrown off a balcony – in fact, actually, Serco say that the person jumped off the balcony, or tripped, or fell.

   “There’s different versions of these things, and it’s really important in these situations to acknowledge there are a whole lot of vested interests that will make claims for a variety of different reasons – some things are very unsubstantiated.”

   This was Key today and I found it to be incredibly John Key, particularly the last bit where he suggests an evil, subversive intent by those who question his government’s policy or, shock horror, someone who might want compensation for the death of their son while in the care of a private prison.

   Sowing public distrust of the opposition in this way has become the norm for this govt and it reflects in a changing New Zealand society too. From the top, people are being pitted against each other and are being encouraged to distrust one another like never before.
   • Anne 5.1

     23 July 2015 at 10:33 pm

     John Key won’t win out this time. Kelvin Davis is respected across the board. He’s down to earth and people relate to him. They will listen to him and know it’s true.

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