On Gattung’s revisionist history of Telecom
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- Date published:
10:57 am, March 5th, 2010 - 15 comments
Categories: business -
Tags: David Cunliffe, gordon campbell, Mike Williams, telecom, theresa gattung
Over at Scoop, Gordon Campbell takes Theresa Gattung to task for her revisionist history of Telecom in the Dominion Post this morning.
One hates to kick someone when they’re down but when it is former Telecom CEO Theresa Gattung and she is peddling a book in which she professes herself to be shocked (shocked!) by the size of the remuneration packages currently being paid at Telecom, the urge is irresistible. Gattung, like David Lange before her, seems more than willing to criticize the organization she once headed, as if she bore no residual responsibility whatsoever for its current condition.
On her complaint that the “$7 million salary and incentives package for current CEO Paul Reynolds is intolerable, but her own $3 million package was OK and the $5.4 million payout she received in 2007 was also value for money”,
Once you get to seven figure salary and incentives packages, I would have thought the little number at the front becomes almost irrelevant. Both her and Reynolds’ remuneration packages are and were obscene. I’d have thought it would be quite hard to pocket $35 million remuneration packages every year and still claim that you were being discriminated against on the basis of your gender. Apparently not. Put it this way: did Gattung do a really good job of positioning the company for the more competitive environment in which Telecom now finds itself? Did she manage to negotiate productively with a Labour government that was intent on reform, and on ending Telecom’s capacity to screw consumers and the economy for the greater benefit of Telecom shareholders? Hardly.
On accusations that David Cunliffe was devious and dishonest in his regulation of Telecom:
The reality is that Telecom had wielded its power without compunction for at least 15 years, ever since Richard Prebble turned a state monopoly over to the tender mercies of Telecom’s new owners for peanuts, and without putting any safeguards for consumers (or for business) in place. It was a situation that couldn’t last. The Lange government had created a monster, and National’s Maurice Williamson sat by idly watching this out of control corporate beast pile up the profits at everyone else’s expense, for the entire 1990s.
Yet ultimately, and by her own account, Gattung was finally outfoxed by David Cunliffe and his Boy Scout wiles, for goodness sake.
And good bloody job too. If Labour did anything wrong it was in not going far enough. Telecom’s disgraceful treatment of its engineers followed by the current shambles with XT suggests Labour would have been better off bringing it back into public ownership and running it properly.
On the claim that Mike Williams offered her a spot as a Labour MP:
Gattung’s clanging naivete is best illustrated by her anecdote about then Labour Party President Mike Williams supposedly sounding her out on becoming a Labour MP. Memo to TG: this is a negotiating tactic called messing with your mind. I’d wager that it is her particularly blunt set of personal sensors rather than gender discrimination that explains why a local firm recently thought twice about taking her on in a leadership role.
Like most of the would-be Atlases who dominate New Zealand’s business elite, Gattung is unable to admit her own failures and face up to the fact that a large part of the responsibility for Telecom’s current position comes back to her failures of management.
Remember that next time you hear a business executive preaching “personal responsibility” to the poor.
[John Minto’s recent piece on Telecom as an example of the failure of privatisation is also worth a read.]
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- Release: Willis’ resignation call means only one thing – $2 billion more cutsMassive cuts to public service are on the cards as Nicola Willis has promised to resign if she doesn’t deliver tax cuts but is refusing to make the same commitment if she doesn’t raise enough income from her bungled foreign buyer’s tax. ...1 week ago
- Release: A faster justice system focused on victimsLabour will help more victims of crime achieve justice faster by introducing a formal class-action regime, modernising consent laws and increasing the use of technology to speed up hearings. ...1 week ago
- Release: Gaping hole confirmed in National’s tax planA whopping $2.1 billion dollar hole has been confirmed in National’s tax scheme in a new report released today. ...1 week ago
- Labour pledges biggest ever increase to training DoctorsLabour will deliver the largest ever increase to the number of doctors trained each year, adding an additional 335 doctors a year to our health workforce from 2027, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced. ...1 week ago
- PREFU Exposes Political PromisesToday’s PREFU has some alarming statistics showing an economy deteriorating and the cost of unaffordable government expenditure, mainly in the 2022 and 2023 budgets. Despite this alarming economic and fiscal picture, political parties are making unaffordable promises, talking about a surplus by 2027, or four years time, all of which ...2 weeks ago
- State of books makes clear case for wealth taxThe case for a wealth tax has never been stronger. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour pledges free cervical screeningIf re-elected Labour will make cervical screening services free to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 years, delivering better cancer care for over 1.4 million New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Chris Hipkins sets out 9 key pledges to New ZealandLabour Leader Chris Hipkins has set out nine key pledges to be achieved in his first full term as Prime Minister. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour's Plan 2023Labour is running a positive, forward-looking campaign that's focused on fixing the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe and investing in education, health and housing. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Coalition of Cuts and Chaos would be NZ’s most unstable governmentStatements from David Seymour and Winston Peters have called into question whether National would be able to lead a functional government if they were in a position to do so after the election. ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Ocean Act – Marama Davidson SpeechHe mōhio ō tātou tīpuna ki te tirotiro taiao. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens will demand Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to lead ocean rescue planThe Green Party will protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, create an independent Ocean Commission to advise the government, and put a Green Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in charge of making it happen. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National's dodgy tax scheme couldn't be done – according to John KeyNational's shaky tax scheme has received a further blow after it’s been revealed that John Key received advice when he was Prime Minister that the scheme being proposed by National couldn’t be done, Labour Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson says. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: No new funding, no timelines – National’s empty housing policyThe National Party’s housing policy is vacant; with no new funding and no timelines attached to its delivery says Labour Housing Spokesperson Megan Woods. ...2 weeks ago
- Bills lower, climate happier under Green Party planLabour’s announcement of an energy rebate is a step in the right direction, but the Greens’ Clean Power Payment would do much more for households. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Household rebates for energy efficient homes under LabourA re-elected Labour Government will help Kiwi households to be more energy efficient and reduce emissions from household energy use, Labour Spokesperson for Building and Construction and Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, announced today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour will deliver largest Police service in historyA Labour Government will deliver a further increase of 300 additional frontline Police officers, new ways to crackdown on gangs and strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki and challenges other parties on housingThe Green Party is welcoming the launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki, and affirms its commitment to clear the social housing waitlist in 5 years - and challenges other parties to say they will do the same. ...2 weeks ago
- National put climate action into reverse gearThe National Party’s plan to install EV chargers while at the same time making it harder for people to buy an EV is bizarre and ridiculous. ...2 weeks ago
- Immigration settings updates
Judicial warrant process for out-of-hours compliance visits 2023/24 Recognised Seasonal Employer cap increased by 500 Additional roles for Construction and Infrastructure Sector Agreement More roles added to Green List Three-month extension for onshore Recovery Visa holders The Government has confirmed a number of updates to immigration settings as part of ...7 hours ago - Poroporoaki: Tā Patrick (Patu) Wahanga HohepaTangi ngunguru ana ngā tai ki te wahapū o Hokianga Whakapau Karakia. Tārehu ana ngā pae maunga ki Te Puna o te Ao Marama. Korihi tangi ana ngā manu, kua hinga he kauri nui ki te Wao Nui o Tāne. He Toa. He Pou. He Ahorangi. E papaki tū ana ...19 hours ago
- COVID-19 funding returned to GovernmentThe lifting of COVID-19 isolation and mask mandates in August has resulted in a return of almost $50m in savings and recovered contingencies, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. Following the revocation of mandates and isolation, specialised COVID-19 telehealth and alternative isolation accommodation are among the operational elements ...21 hours ago
- Appointment of District Court JudgeSusie Houghton of Auckland has been appointed as a new District Court Judge, to serve on the Family Court, Attorney-General David Parker said today. Judge Houghton has acted as a lawyer for child for more than 20 years. She has acted on matters relating to the Hague Convention, an international ...24 hours ago
- Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilienceThe Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...2 days ago
- Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-upAnother $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...2 days ago
- Taupō Supercars revs up with Government supportThe future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...2 days ago
- There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarterThe economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...2 days ago
- Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springsThe Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...2 days ago
- More support for victims of migrant exploitationTemporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...3 days ago
- Strong export boost as NZ economy turns cornerAn export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...3 days ago
- Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te KarakaThe Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...3 days ago
- Further business support for cyclone-affected regionsThe Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...3 days ago
- New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underwayDefence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...3 days ago
- Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General AssemblyForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...4 days ago
- Midwives’ pay equity offer reachedAround 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...1 week ago
- New Zealand provides support to MoroccoAotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...1 week ago
- Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilienceThe Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...1 week ago
- Government invests in Greymouth’s futureThe Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...1 week ago
- Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ MeetingForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...1 week ago
- PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflationEconomy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...2 weeks ago
- New cancer centre opens in ChristchurchPrime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...2 weeks ago
- Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience$12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...2 weeks ago
- New Wildlife Act to better protect native speciesThe 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said. “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...2 weeks ago
- Further safety initiatives for Auckland City CentreCentral and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...2 weeks ago
- Govt confirms additional support for Enabling Good LivesThe Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand gets AAA credit rating from S&PStandard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...2 weeks ago
- Appointment of Environment Court JudgeChristchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...2 weeks ago
- NZ’s biggest ever emissions reduction project hits milestoneNew Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today. The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Paki Leslie Māngai NikoraPokia ana te tihi Taiarahia e Hine-Pūkohu-rangi Hotu kau ana te manawa! Horahia ana te whārua o Ruātoki e te kapua pouri Tikaro rawahia ko te whatumanawa! Rere whakamuri kau ana te awa o Hinemataroa Ki te kawe i te rongo ki te mātāpuna i nga pōngaihu Maungapōhatu, tuohu ...2 weeks ago
- 50,000 charges laid in crack down on gangsPolice Minister Ginny Andersen has today congratulated Police in their efforts to crack down on gangs, after laying 50,000 charges against gang members and their associates through the hugely successful Operation Cobalt. As at 31 August, Police have: Laid 50,396 criminal charges against gang members and their associates Issued 64,524 ...2 weeks ago
- Farmers and cyclone-affected properties supported with tax rule changesThe Government has confirmed details of the tax changes to the bright-line test for cyclone-damaged properties, with the release of the required legislative amendments. Revenue Minister Barbara Edmonds has released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be considered by the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the next Parliament, as it ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand wins CPTPP dispute against CanadaMinister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor has welcomed the CPTPP Panel’s ruling in favour of New Zealand in our dispute against Canada, a significant win for our primary sector exporters. The Panel found that Canada’s dairy quota administration is inconsistent with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...2 weeks ago
- New intensive turnaround programme launched to break the cycle of offendingThe next phase of the Government’s response to youth crime is underway, with an intensive programme for the country’s most prolific young offenders launched today in Auckland, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said. The programme, announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in July, will see up to 60 recidivist young ...3 weeks ago
- Government extends report date for COVID inquiryThe Government has agreed to a request from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 for extra three months to deliver its final report. The Royal Commission was established in 2022 to strengthen New Zealand’s preparedness for any future pandemics. It was originally due to conclude mid-2024. “The Commission has ...3 weeks ago
- Wainuiomata school property upgrade making great progressThe Wainuiomata High School redevelopment is making great progress, with two more classroom blocks set to be complete by the end of the month, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The Prime Minister visited today to see first-hand the progress of the redevelopment which is continuing at pace and is ...3 weeks ago
- RWC2023: Boffelli lifts Pumas to win as Manu Samoa rues lost chances
By Iliesa Tora, RNZ Pacific sports journalist in Saint-Étienne, France Argentinian winger Emiliano Boffelli scored all his team’s points as they defeated Manu Samoa 19-10 at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, France, yesterday in a Rugby World Cup pool D match. That gave the Pumas their first win at the ...1 hour ago - National announces new parent visa category
The new multiple entry parent visa category would be valid for five years and could be renewed for a further five years. ...2 hours ago - Disappointing the past and failing the future
This essay by Emma Ng is from the book Present Tense: Wāhine Toi Aotearoa – A Paper Record, edited by Catherine Griffiths. It’s part of a wider project of posters which aim to ‘record the current landscape of women in design and give visibility to the unsung diversity of Aotearoa design’. ...2 hours ago - Election 2023: All the latest developments on 23 SeptemberThe Labour Party and National Party are both open to reversing a ban on over-the-counter sales of pseudoephedrine, proposed by the ACT Party. ...3 hours ago
- ‘I could not hand my keys over’: Katrina Hobbs on why she loves House Rules NZThe House Rules NZ judge talks Tip Top, The Traitors and why she’ll never watch The Kardashians. Katrina Hobbs might be a judge on House Rules NZ, but there’s little chance she’d leave her home in the hands of complete strangers. “I’ve got to confess, when I first read about ...3 hours ago
- Short story of a Labour candidate
"I’m as born an optimist as Chippy himself": Vincent O'Sullivan imagines a Labour Party candidate, essentially campaigning for themselves with a snowball's chance in hell I was born the week Norman Kirk, that Leviathan of Labour, died. It is obvious Nature intends me to follow in his wake. ...6 hours ago - VOTE2023: Q&A with Ingrid Leary and Ben Peters
In this week's episode of VOTE2023, we talk to Labour MP for Taieri Ingrid Leary and TOP Dunedin candidate Dr Ben Peters on key issues including political representation, climate change, and tax This series is made by politics students and aims to entertain and inform viewers about their potential representatives ...6 hours ago - The Week in Detail: From Tarras airport to the 'wasted vote' myth
Every weekday, The Detail makes sense of the big news stories. This week, a new proposal to burn the South Island's rubbish problem away, the bluster behind parties' fiscal talk, the dispute over the Tarras Airport development, how strategic voting in a general election really works, and tiny Naseby's pitch to become ...6 hours ago - Transom's times come again
One of the country’s top swimmers is to trial for the NZ team for the first time since 2017. This time she could qualify for the Paris Olympics in multiple events. Dave Crampton reports. In February 2020 Laticia Transom was one of New Zealand’s top freestyle swimmers. She would have ...6 hours ago - Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ (AJP) Candidates Hit the Campaign Trail Nationwide
Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ (AJP) candidates will be on the campaign trail this weekend across the country spreading their message of compassion and advocating for animals across New Zealand. Registered just last month, AJP has swiftly assembled ...7 hours ago - Their house, my garden: My war with the landlordsIn the first instalment of a new column about gardening while renting, a planter box is vetoed, the rent is raised, and the value of dirt is brought into question. Last summer, we barely got one tomato and three beans out of the garden. Everything, weather-wise, went wrong, but mostly ...7 hours ago
- A portrait of Lorde as a teenage pop prodigyA decade ago The Spinoff founder Duncan Greive spent three months shadowing Lorde as she became a star, a period which started with ‘Royals’ as a local chart topper and ended with her as a global pop phenomenon. He was given unparalleled access across dozens of meetings, shows, studio sessions, ...7 hours ago
- A country for old men
Winston Peters plays to his strengths in the Act Party heartland of Remuera, less than 24 hours after calling its local MP his “imitator” In 1996 at the age of 11, a motorised toy car I was driving on stage in a school play inexplicably cut out. No one was coming to ...7 hours ago - Long Read: Make voting sexy again
This is The Detail's Long Read – one in-depth story read by us every weekend. This week, it's a Make Voting Sexy Again, written and read aloud here by Nadine Anne Hura, and published on The Spinoff. Nadine joins The Detail's Alexia Russell to discuss why she felt compelled to write about New Zealand's clutch ...7 hours ago - View from The Hill: We can’t prepare for a future pandemic without fully looking at state governme...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra arly a year ago, a privately financed inquiry, led by Peter Shergold, a former head of the prime minister’s department, undertook an inquiry into Australia’s handling of the COVID pandemic. The report, Fault ...13 hours ago
- NZ election 2023: From ‘pebble in the shoe’ to future power broker – the rise and rise of Te P...ANALYSIS: By Annie Te One, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington In his maiden speech to Parliament in 2020, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told his fellow MPs: You know what it feels like to have a pebble in your shoe? That will be my job ...15 hours ago
- Will taxing short stays boost long-term rental supply? Other policies would achieve moreSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Phibbs, Emeritus Professor, University of Sydney The Victorian government, like many governments around the world, has announced new regulations on short-stay accommodation. The government says Victoria has more than 36,000 short-stay places, which are reducing the number of homes available for ...17 hours ago
- Act wants over-the-counter pseudoephedrine back
Act’s released policy platform aimed at senior citizens would also rescind restrictions on a chemical used to make methamphetamine Act leader David Seymour is angling for the senior vote with a new suite of policies aimed at improving healthcare for the elderly and reforming the Retirement Commission. But while he ...18 hours ago - From 'pebble in the shoe' to future power broker – the rise and rise of Te Pāti MāoriIn 2020, Rawiri Waititi told his fellow MPs his job was to be a change agent for Māori. Three years later, how does the party grow its platform and base, Annie Te One asks. ...19 hours ago
- NZ election 2023: Both Labour and National face multimillion dollar ‘climate hole’By Eloise Gibson, RNZ climate change correspondent While attention is focused on economists finding a $500 million-a-year hole in National’s tax plans, a similar-sized hole in climate costings is hiding in plain sight — and it applies to Labour, too. National appears to have the bigger gap, however. The gulf ...19 hours ago
- Planning laws protect people. A poorly regulated rush to boost housing supply will cost us allSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Harris, Senior Research Fellow, Acting Director, CHETRE, UNSW Sydney The housing crisis is firmly on the Australian policy agenda. Governments see a rapid increase in supply as the main solution. The importance of supply is not disputed. But more housing ...20 hours ago
- ‘Remain calm’, Fiji’s Pio tells public over firebombing incident in SuvaBy Meri Radinibaravi in Suva The Fiji government has warned the public “don’t panic” as news of an alleged firebombing incident at Totogo Police Station in the heart of Suva sent shockwaves around the community. The incident yesterday also spurred questions about the safety of citizens in the country as ...20 hours ago
- RWC2023: Manu Samoa motivated for ‘huge game’ against ArgentinaBy Iliesa Tora, RNZ Pacific sports reporter in Saint Étienne, France Manu Samoa have made only three changes to their starting lineup to maintain consistency and ensure game flow against Argentina in a must-win Pool D clash in Saint-Étienne on Saturday morning (NZ time). Head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has ...20 hours ago
- Planning laws protect people, who’ll pay for an unregulated rush to boost housing supplySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Harris, Senior Research Fellow, Acting Director, CHETRE, UNSW Sydney The housing crisis is firmly on the Australian policy agenda. Governments see a rapid increase in supply as the main solution. The importance of supply is not disputed. But more housing ...20 hours ago
- Feeling controlled by the chaos in your home? 4 ways to rein in clutter and stay tidySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamal Abarashi, Lecturer, International Business, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department, Auckland University of Technology Maintaining a tidy home is a never-ending challenge. And tidiness goes beyond aesthetics – it contributes to a person’s mental wellbeing. So what are the best strategies for ...21 hours ago
- Kids dressing up as frail older people is harmless fun, right? No, it’s ageist, whatever Bluey say...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Mitchell, Geriatrician working in clinical practice. PhD Candidate at The University of Melbourne studying ethics and ageism in health care. Affiliate lecturer, Deakin University Shutterstock A child once approached me, hunched over, carrying a vacuum cleaner like a walking ...21 hours ago
- No, the RBA review won’t mean handing the bank’s decisions to part-time outsidersSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Renee McKibbin, Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Misinformation is circulating about recommendations concerning the Reserve Bank board made by the RBA Review, of which I was a member. Among the claims are that the new monetary ...21 hours ago
- Luxon’s visit to Auckland’s Viaduct was the opposite of Judith Collins on Ponsonby RoadIf the Ponsonby Road walkabout was the final nail in the coffin for Judith Collins’ dreams of being prime minister, Christopher Luxon’s afternoon at Auckland’s Viaduct may be the last boost of confidence he needs. The contrast between Collins’ visit to the affluent Auckland suburb on October 7, 2020 and ...21 hours ago
- Dame Jacinda Ardern on her 'very different' life post-politicsDame Jacinda Ardern says she wasn't burned out and could have stayed as PM, but didn't think she could do the job well any more. ...21 hours ago
- Hipkins defends Labour's handling of Halbert concernsLabour leader Chris Hipkins said without a direct complaint or communication from the people affected, the whips could not follow up. ...22 hours ago
- Feeling controlled by the chaos in your home? 4 strategies to rein in clutter and maintain tidiness ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamal Abarashi, Lecturer, International Business, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department, Auckland University of Technology Maintaining a tidy home is a never-ending challenge. And tidiness goes beyond aesthetics – it contributes to a person’s mental wellbeing. So what are the best strategies for ...22 hours ago
- Act wants to reverse pseudoephedrine banThe Act Party would reverse the ban on over-the-counter pseudoephedrine as part of a policy to help seniors. It’s been 12 years since products containing pseudoephedrine were reclassified from a class C to B2 controlled drug because of its use in the production of methamphetamine. But Seymour said that the ...22 hours ago
- Week in Politics: Leaders' debate fails to catch fireAnalysis - The leaders' debate Chris Hipkins had to win but didn't, more bad polling news for Labour, and ACT and NZ First reluctantly agree they could work together, writes Peter Wilson. ...22 hours ago
- Newsletter: September 22 2023 – Items of interest and importance todayNew Zealand Politics Daily is a collation of the most prominent issues being discussed in New Zealand. It is edited by Dr Bryce Edwards of The Democracy Project. NZ Politics Daily: 22 September 2023 ELECTION Jack Tame (1News): For Christopher Luxon, the Winston strategy has changed Peter Dunne (Newsroom): Is this the long ...22 hours ago
- Spoilt Policy: Why We Must Keep GST Simple And Free Of Food Carve-outsA new report published by the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union analysing the impacts of taking GST off fresh fruit and vegetables concludes that the policy would be expensive, complicated, poorly targeted and would see most of the benefits going to supermarkets ...22 hours ago
- Review: Baldur’s Gate 3 dramatically levels up the Western RPGOne of the biggest games of the year seeks not to reinvent the wheel, but instead make the best wheel possible, writes Sam Brooks. What’s all this then? Baldur’s Gate 3 is the biggest role-playing game of the year, give or take a Final Fantasy or a Starfield. It is, ...22 hours ago
- 30 years of the web down under: how Australians made the early internet their ownSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kieran Hegarty, Research Fellow (Automated Decision-Making Systems), RMIT University Blacktown City Libraries, CC BY-SA The internet is growing old. While the roots of the internet date back to the 1960s, the popular internet – the one that 99% of Australians ...22 hours ago
- Why is Rupert Murdoch stepping aside now and what does it mean for the company?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne At age 92, media mogul Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chairman of Fox Corporation and News Corp but will stay on in the role of chairman emeritus, presumably ...22 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Basketball’ by Dan GoodwinA new poem by Dan Goodwin. Basketball You will be dead by 30. You will never have close relations with friends or family. You will never have a partner. You should drop out of university. Environments like that can be stressful. Our priority right now is to keep you alive, ...22 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending September 22The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Canongate, $50) We suppose it’s ...22 hours ago
- ACT reveals seniors policy including reversing pseudoephedrine banThe ACT Party wants to bring back over-the-counter pseudoephedrine, make it easier to get some other drugs, and make changes to the Retirement Commission. ...23 hours ago
- Clean-up begins in Queenstown, road closures remain in SouthlandThe clean-up is beginning in Queenstown, with mayor Glyn Lewers telling RNZ the town is beginning to clear debris flows and geotechnical engineers are assessing hills in the area. The rain is easing off, he says. Southland MP Joseph Mooney said late this morning that Queenstown town centre was open ...23 hours ago
- Kids dressing up as older people is harmless fun, right? No, it’s ageist, whatever Bluey saysSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Mitchell, Geriatrician working in clinical practice. PhD Candidate at The University of Melbourne studying ethics and ageism in health care. Affiliate lecturer, Deakin University Shutterstock A child once approached me, hunched over, carrying a vacuum cleaner like a walking ...23 hours ago
- New Zealand Election Debate Points To Bipartisan Agenda Of Austerity And WarBy Tom Peters, Socialist Equality Group 21 September 2023 Original url https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/09/21/hexy-s21.html The first televised debate of the New Zealand election campaign, between incumbent Labour Party Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and opposition National Party leader Christopher ...23 hours ago
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The CEO who surprised everyone with her kamikaze swansong speech openly admitting her company’s successes were built on exploiting the ignorance of its customers.
Not only ignorance but the simple fact that the customers of a monopoly don’t have any power to influence that monopoly.
Telecom’s shareholders should be blaming her and her team for the fall in their share prices over the last three years, not David Cunliffe. Their chronic underinvestment and anti-competitive attitude made LLU a necessary reality, when, it could really have happened on Telecom’s own terms. I would even go further, and say that Paul Reynolds, whilst grossly overremunerated is reasonably competent, and that the problem with the XT network lies in the culture of management fostered by Gattung and her predecessor, one Roderick Deane.
Nice stuff…..Cunliffe did an excellent job and had no end of heavy hitting telecom lawyers and the usual obstructionist/confusion tactics (as endorsed by TG herself as stock in trade tactics for telcos) being used but eventually he prevailed, all kiwi’s owe him for that.
Gattung admits it was about profit above all so by default she takes responsibility for failure to invest in the network…..annual reports show depreciation exceeding re-investment…..a very bad sign in a technology dependant business.
Gattung’s simply a lightweight, chosen by Deane and co because they wanted someone they could direct and is a marketing type when they should’ve appointed a techy/engineering type to ensure they kept up……the telecom board is the problem but no surprises they all blame the gov’t….pathetic. Deane’s such a whinger…..Boyd’s a joke also.
Note the outgoing sacrificial Lamb (Mount) crowing about a great job on separation which was meant to have been done and dusted yet Joyce keeps giving them extensions…..What The ?
I agree.
Cunliffe should wear Gattung’s criticism as a badge of honour. Gordon Campbell’s comment should be repeated:
It was absolutely vital that Telecom was broken down and he achieved it.
The nat rollout of superfast broadband, provided of course by Telecom, is a surreptitious attempt to roll back Cunliffe’s reforms. It should be avoided at all costs.
her interview on RadioNZ this morning was classic arse-covering stuff – you have to admire her chutzpah if nothing else!
Gattung can spin the past all she likes, but the most telling blow against her is that she’s proved to be completely unemployable post-Telecom.
As the HR types say, “past performance predicts future performance.” – and on that basis, who in their right mind would want a repeat performance of Theresa?
Spot on Clarke..,…aside from that shambolic Wool consolidation body (ah the hand of Norgate ….again) TG’s a marketeer who admitted they mudkateered to enhance the bottom line…..stupid stupid stupid…..that’s why there’s so many lawyers at the ‘top’, they never admit anything so nothing sticks to them.
So stupid loose comments and no tech savvy leaves her with little to offer.
So unless anyone wants a female markateer culpable for wiping off half a business’s value and recuding it’s market dominance forever she’ll struggle and deserves to….her arrogance is out of place except at her former employer where it’s thriving under the grumpy scot.
While i dont have an ounce of sympathy for Gattung, she is only the puppet with the proverbial hand shoved up its backside. Rodderick Deane and the rest of the board should be held just as culpable as Gautting for the fiasco that is Telecom.
“Messing with your mind”? Yeah right.
The President of a party doesn’t risk making a personal offer unless it’s serious… there’s always the possibility that the person being wooed will say no and blab and… err… make you look like a dick. Or if your greedy, ambitious, unsuitable target actually says yes and blabs it… err… makes you look an even bigger dick.
If they wanted to “mess with her mind” maybe Clark shouldn’t have left her boot prints all over Paul Swain when she over-ruled him on local loop unbundling after a cosy meet with Gattung.
Perhaps Cunnliffe, as an effective Minister and communicator and thus a threat to the ordained succession, would have been moved aside for Gattung as Comms Minister in her first term… now that would have been fun to watch.
You’re probably right about the “messing with your mind” thing, Rex – based on two incontrovertible bits of evidence:
– Mike Williams doesn’t really do subtle, so the idea that he would develop and run a disinformation campaign against TG specifically to further the government’s LLU ambitions is stretching credulity a bit far
– However Mike does have the “loose cannon” reputation …
Theresa Gattung’s legacy to Telecom as a marketing guru and acolyte of Rod Deane was serial convictions courtesy of the Commerce Commission, a reputation in the market for inferior product, deviousness, incompetence, concern only for shareholders, and underinvestment in people and products. That even National have not given her a job must be extremely embarrassing for her.
So, she’s a dyed in the wool Tory and demonstrately incompetent.
And Mike Williams saw her as an ideal Labour candidate. Hmmm.
Maybe we got off lightly with Phil Goff?
I think we should ask Mike Williams for his side of the story before giving Gattung’s story any credence.
Exactly. It’s not as if Gattung has given us much evidence to trust her to tell the truth now is it?