Daily Review 27/04/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 pm, April 27th, 2016 - 20 comments
Categories: Daily review - Tags:

Environment less important than economy

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 …

20 comments on “Daily Review 27/04/2016 ”

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  1. b waghorn 1
    27 April 2016 at 6:41 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/79340968/kiwirail-considered-closing-the-entire-rail-network
    Of course the rail network should be treated the same as the roads , but the bats are to stupid to get it!!

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 1.1
      27 April 2016 at 6:44 pm

      Fucking bats!

    • NZJester 1.2
      27 April 2016 at 8:34 pm

      It is a pity that the average car road user is heavily subsidizing trucks at the expense of rail profitability.
      Trucks do the most damage to the roads via wear and tear but they pay only a fraction of that cost, While the cars that do the least amount of wear and tear to the roads are paying the bulk of the maintenance costs.
      If trucks had to pay their real share of road maintenance costs for the actual damage they do it would soon be apparent that the maintenance and fuel costs of transport by rail per KG of goods transported would be shown to be the more economical form of transport. Not only that the amount of pollution produced by a train per kilometer and per KG of goods transported is a fraction of that produced by trucks.
      Roads with less heavy trucks on also become a lot safer.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1
        27 April 2016 at 10:07 pm

        Not only that the amount of pollution produced by a train per kilometer and per KG of goods transported is a fraction of that produced by trucks.

        Especially when they’re electric and that electricity is provided by renewable means.

        The reason why this government at least and probably a Labour led one as well won’t see these truths are because of one reason: Profit.

        There’s more profit to be had when uneconomic means are used.

        This is the true reason why government services were attacked. It’s got nothing to do with efficiency as a government monopoly is far more efficient than private competition.

  2. RedLogix 2
    27 April 2016 at 6:52 pm

    Meanwhile over the ditch:

    Labor has established a four point lead over the Coalition in two-party preferred terms, leading 52% to 48% in the latest Essential poll.

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/27/australian-election-labor-pulls-ahead-of-coalition-in-new-poll

    • swordfish 2.1
      27 April 2016 at 7:23 pm

      Interesting swing. 50/50 split in the 5 previous Essential Research Polls.

      ALP appears to have the momentum.

      (I notice, too, that Essential finds far more Australians prefer Clark (45%) to Rudd (21%) as UN Sec Gen)

  3. swordfish 3
    27 April 2016 at 7:05 pm

    Speaking as a life-long Liverpool supporter, sometime Anfield spectator (and indeed simply as a human being) .. a very good day for the bereaved families of Hillsborough along with those who survived the disaster.

    Bad day for a corrupt South Yorkshire Police Force, the wider British Establishment, former members of the Westminster Elite (both Tories and utterly spineless Blairite Cabinet Ministers like Jack Straw) and the scum – the absolute scum – end of the UK media: with a particular emphasis on that most obnoxious of creatures – Rupert Murdoch – and his band of well-paid, immoral, low-life minions and enforcers.

    • RedLogix 3.1
      27 April 2016 at 7:28 pm

      Yes I watched a couple of items on it early this morning.

      The tragedy was one thing; I can forgive people making mistakes and terrible judgement calls … because hell we all make them.

      But the aftermath was nothing more than an abuse of power, privilege and the exposed underbelly of spineless snobbery at it’s ugliest. And a clear consequence of the toxic atmosphere prevailing in Thatcher’s Britain.

  4. swordfish 4
    27 April 2016 at 9:39 pm

    New UMR Research Poll (April 14-18) finds 57% “concerned” about New Zealand’s new (post-Panama Papers) reputation as a tax haven, 23% “not concerned”.

    46% said the Key Govt had handled the fallout “Poorly”, with just 21% saying it was being handled “well”.

    52% said the Shewan review was an “inadequate” response to the issue.

    As expected, large majorities of Labour, Green and NZF supporters were critical of the Key Govt’s handling of the issue. But, interestingly, a significant 40% of Nats described themselves as “concerned”, with only 36% of Tories “not concerned”.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      27 April 2016 at 10:09 pm

      Should be a fertile ground for the Opposition parties to capitalise on. Also suggests why National was so weak in the latest RM.

      • swordfish 4.1.1
        27 April 2016 at 10:21 pm

        Yep. Story breaks in early April (4th-5th ?), Shewan Review announced April 11.

        Roy Morgan fieldwork = 4-17 April.

  5. Pat 5
    27 April 2016 at 10:58 pm

    “They are unanimous in their hate for me — and I welcome their hatred.”
    FDR 1936

    Something for Labour to consider….National declared almost 4 million in donations 2014…..Labour is broke.

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders-fundraising-220129

    I note Sanders achieved this level of financial support AFTER he welcomed their hatred

  6. Incognito 6
    27 April 2016 at 11:18 pm

    Yesterday, in a comment of mine I linked to on an article by Rob Stock covering the topic of asset-rich but cash-poor elderly: Grey Power to lobby for Government-run reverse mortgage scheme.

    Today, Rob Stock wrote a companion article Councils eye equity release scheme for elderly homeowners.

    All action seems to be taking place at the level of Local Government although Grey Power is going to lobby Central Government.

    I wonder why political parties have not jumped on this. Labour made some ‘noise’ about a UBI and a flat tax and it went awfully quiet after the initial uproar. Did they get scared?

    Cash-poor pensioners might not be Labour’s key constituency but here’s a growing social issue that has created a political vacuum as far as I know.

    We ‘enjoy’ a FIRE economy and pensioners are not reaping any benefits from this; their rates have gone up, their insurance premiums increased, and the returns on their savings, if they have any, have gone down. I cannot see an end to this triple whammy and neither can Bryan Gould according to his piece in the NZ Herald House prices won’t cool until banks restrained.

  7. jcuknz 7
    28 April 2016 at 8:13 am

    When folk write about moving goods by rail rather than road I believe that many if not most truckies ‘own’ their own vehicles and are heavily indebted to enable them to do this. that as a result the margins are very slim for all except the banks.
    So I fear that a move to rail transport will cause a tremendous and disasterous upheaval for hard working driver owners … akin to that facing the dairy industry.

    I agree with and support earlier comments but it needs to be done carefully to avoid the baby going out with the bathwater.

    • weka 7.1
      28 April 2016 at 8:36 am

      Good point. Was this meant to go in the RSNZ report thread?

    • Bea Brown 7.2
      28 April 2016 at 3:34 pm

      Radio NZ a while back had someone on who said 90% of goods landed at the Port of Auckland was delivered within 20 kilometres of the port. So, if true, moving to rail or to another port wouldn’t make any economic sense at all.