If they didn’t want to sell it, we would all own it
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- Date published:
11:30 am, September 5th, 2012 - 85 comments
Categories: act, Maori Issues, national, privatisation -
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The National/Act government wants to sell essential public infrastructure assets that we all own and that returns a public dividend to a few of its mates who have the money, so some of its other mates can clip the ticket on the way.
If water-dependent assets are going to be sold to a few, Maori want their rights regarding water acknowledged and recognised. Fair enough. But if hydro-based power companies were not going to be sold, and stay in public ownership so we all have a stake in them, it becomes much easier to establish exactly what those rights are, and how they should be acknowledged and managed.
It’s private appropriation of public assets that causes the problem. Take that away and the problem is different, and the process of resolution much easier to work through.
Asset sales don’t make economic sense, cultural sense, legal sense, and increasingly political sense.
Time to stop them now, and by the way save the taxpayer a couple of hundred million dollars that otherwise flushes down the drain.
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- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...3 weeks ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...14 hours ago - Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...16 hours ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...16 hours ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...17 hours ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...17 hours ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...18 hours ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...20 hours ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...1 day ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...2 days ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...2 days ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...2 days ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...2 days ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...2 days ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...2 days ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...2 days ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...3 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...3 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...3 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...3 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...3 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...4 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...4 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...4 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...4 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...5 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...5 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...5 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...5 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...5 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...5 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...1 week ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...1 week ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...1 week ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...1 week ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...1 week ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...1 week ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...1 week ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...1 week ago
- From a library basement comes a fashion history
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...54 mins ago - Rousing farewell for Kiwi doctors flying out to Gaza aid flotilla
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...8 hours ago - Communities Against The Fast-track Heartened By ‘Overwhelming’ Public Response; Disgusted By ‘...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...9 hours ago - Renters Rights To Drastically Reduce Under Landlord GovernmentThe Government’s announced changes around tenancy rules set renters’ rights back by nearly a decade. ...9 hours ago
- NZPI Submission on Fast Track Approvals BillOur response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...9 hours ago
- Fast Track Invite List Includes Most Destructive Industries In New ZealandThe new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...9 hours ago
- Eugene Doyle: Helen Clark on why AUKUS isn’t in New Zealand’s national interestCOMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...10 hours ago
- Government releases list of organisations shoulder-tapped for fast-track consents
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...11 hours ago - The Week in Politics: Job cuts surge and Waitangi Tribunal troubleAnalysis - It's been a grim week for public servants, while trouble is also brewing between the government and Waitangi Tribunal. ...12 hours ago
- It never rains but it pours: intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...12 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaThe PM has defended how he's talked up NZ trade on his trip to Southeast Asia, after criticism from his own delegation. ...12 hours ago
- ‘It could be the death of the museum’: why research cuts at a South Australian institution have ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...13 hours ago
- Government signs off $41m clean energy deal with Asian Development BankThe government has committed $41 million to clean energy transition at the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition Mechanism. ...13 hours ago
- Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...15 hours ago
- Luxon: Waitangi Tribunal comments from coalition parties 'ill considered'Comments from ACT and NZ First ministers about the Tribunal were "ill considered" and "that message will be underscored" to them, the PM says. ...15 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation Facing Staff Cuts From Govt Funding SqueezeThe Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...15 hours ago
- I wholeheartedly recommend The President: a brilliant revival of a play of decay, terror and revulsi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...16 hours ago
- How the coolest little capital is shrinkingIt's not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it. ...16 hours ago
- Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...16 hours ago
- Ministers accused of Cabinet Manual breach with threats to Waitangi TribunalPrime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...16 hours ago
- Good news: midlife health is about more than a waist measurement. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...16 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford Graham
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...16 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18The 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 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) Hot off the press, this debut ...16 hours ago
- Department of Conservation closing Dunedin centre, but no jobs lostVisitor habits are changing and DOC needs to adapt in a financially sustainable way, its operations director says. ...16 hours ago
- Unions Collaborate With Thousands Of Job CutsWith New Zealand officially in recession, a swathe of mass sackings is currently sending shockwaves through the entire working class. ...16 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters in Manila after pledging greater defence cooperation with the Philippines. Watch live. ...17 hours ago
- Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreementThe contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...17 hours ago
- Some families push back against journalists who mine social media for photos – they have every rig...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...17 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation staff cuts loom, with funding falling behind rising costsChief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...17 hours ago
- The ‘devil comet’ 12P/Pons-Brooks has finally become visible from Australia. What can we expect?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Pons–Brooks visible from Utah, March 9 2024. James Peirce/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND If you’re a fan of all things space, you’ve doubtless heard about the “devil comet”, which has been captivating keen-eyed observers in the ...17 hours ago
- Rugby stadiums are sold as an economic asset – but NZ needs to ask if they’re really worth itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hamlin, Senior Lecturer in Marketing , University of Otago A multi-billion dollar stadium precinct has been proposed for Auckland, one of three proposals in front of Auckland Council for a new stadium in the city. The council is also considering revamping ...17 hours ago
- Auckland dog attacks: Callouts for attacks on other animals going upRoaming dogs are responsible for more than a thousand attacks on animals each year, and the number is growing. ...18 hours ago
- What access to puberty blockers means for trans young people and their whānauThe Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...18 hours ago
- NZ and Philippines pledge defence cooperation amid rising tensionsThe commitment came after a sit-down meeting between Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr overnight. ...19 hours ago
- How superblocks can help reimagine city lifeBarcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...19 hours ago
- Fire engineering expertise may take a big hit with job cuts at MBIEThe public sector cuts are poised to take out a big chunk of expertise at the country's building regulator. ...20 hours ago
- “Fast-track Law To Kill Kiwi”: Students Say Fight Against Anti-democracy Legislation Is Only Jus...Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...21 hours ago
- ‘We have thousands of Modis’: the secret behind the BJP’s enduring success in IndiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...21 hours ago
- Online schooling is not just for lockdowns. Could it work for your child?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Professor of Education (Adjunct) & Senior Manager (BCE), Charles Sturt University During COVID almost all Australian students and their families experienced online learning. But while schools have long since gone back to in-person teaching, online learning has not gone ...21 hours ago
- Hear me out: You can shove your reusable period productsYes, they’re better for the environment. No, that’s not a good enough reason for me to use them. Once every 26 days or so, my period arrives, and if struck by an act of God, I am caught red-crotched without products. How, after 17 years of this, do I still ...21 hours ago
- Rip It Up And Start Over – Fast-Track Approvals Bill Needs To Be Scrapped“It will cause significant harm to our environment and communities. It is completely at odds with New Zealanders’ relationship with nature and our need for a low-carbon, sustainable economic future." ...21 hours ago
- Maori Authority Warns Government On Fast Track LegislationThe Chair of the National Maori Authority, Matthew Tukaki, has warned a Parliamentary Select Committee that fast-tracking legislation is a perilous practice that undermines the core tenets of democracy, transparency, and accountability. ...21 hours ago
- Why the government’s haste in changing the health system could come back to haunt itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Tenbensel, Associate Professor, Health Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Since coming into power, the coalition government has adopted a simple but shrewd see-how-fast-we-can-move political strategy. However, in the health sector this need for speed entails ...21 hours ago
- Many suicides are related to gambling. How can we tackle this problem?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney Darya Sannikova/Pexels Whether you’re watching TV, attending a footy game, or eating a meal at your local pub, gambling is hard to escape. Although the rise of gambling is not unique to Australia, ...21 hours ago
- Things that go buzz in the night – our global study found there really are more insects out after ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia Have you ever wondered if there are more insects out at night than during the day? We set out to answer this question by combing through the scientific ...21 hours ago
- Why don’t Australians talk about their salaries? Pay transparency and fairness go hand-in-handSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol T Kulik, Research Professor, University of South Australia IR Stone/Shutterstock In Australia, it’s not the done thing to know – let alone ask – what our colleagues are paid. Yet, it’s easy to see how pay transparency can make pay ...21 hours ago
- ‘Character’ And Its Impact On Immigration StatusThe Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is sounding a warning to migrants, that running foul of the law may see them leaving the country prematurely. ...21 hours ago
- 20,000 more on jobseeker benefits than this time last yearThe government’s plan to get 50,000 people off jobseeker support by 2030 has had a rocky start, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Beneficiary numbers are up – and so are ...23 hours ago
- All of the Raglan Roast cafes in Wellington, ranked from worst to bestRaglan Roast is a staple of Wellington coffee culture. But with five branches across the capital, which one is the best? I am a die-hard Raglan Roast fan. It’s consistently the most affordable cafe in Wellington, and one of the only places you can get a coffee after 3pm. So, ...1 day ago
- Auckland uni students threaten rent strike over rising accommodation feesResidents of University of Auckland halls are being urged to withhold their accommodation fees from May 1, in a bid to force the university to take student concerns over rent hikes seriously. The University of Auckland is facing a strike from students over the cost of on-campus accommodation. The Students ...1 day ago
- Financial literacy should be on all of usOpinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Missy rustles to stardom in CanadaHineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...1 day ago
- Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the paceOfficial figures confirm New Zealand produced less climate pollution in 2022 than in any other year in the 21st century The post Emissions fall again – now NZ needs to up the pace appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolvedShane Jones says people voted for change, but opponents say small cuts such as ending a special oceans secretariat are starting to add up The post Warning of death from a million cuts as Oceans Secretariat dissolved appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Defence deal to counter Beijing’s aggression in South China SeaNew Zealand and the Philippines have signed a new maritime security agreement and stated their concerns over activity in the South China Sea, as Chinese vessels continue to flout international law. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos committed to signing a Mutual Logistics Supporting Arrangement by ...1 day ago
- Wellington’s ebb and flow of public servantsThe thousands of government “back-office” job cuts are causing widespread pain in the capital city. In today’s episode of The Detail, we speak to three journalists and a think tank researcher, looking at the larger picture around the cuts and what effect it will have on Wellington, a city that’s ...1 day ago
- New Zealand transport planning has gone off the railsOpinion: The famed American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham once said, “Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood!” Burnham wouldn’t have been referring to the transport plans in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past five years; projects so big they hadn’t the credibility to ...1 day ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 19 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slowsThe transport sector is currently in the slow lane The post Brakes on transport and logistics sector as demand for freight slows appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 19 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...1 day ago
- Grattan on Friday: Ethnic tensions will complicate the Albanese government’s multicultural policy ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When ASIO boss Mike Burgess delivered his annual threat assessment earlier this year, he stressed the rising danger posed by espionage and foreign interference. “In 2024, threats to our way of life have surpassed ...1 day ago
- Group plans work to improve safety of female MPsNew research shows harassment of elected officials - especially women - is on the rise. ...1 day ago
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I’m not sure this logic is sound. Maori are interested in the commercial aspects of water involved in these companies. They would still have this interest even if the State was the 100 percent owner. I have yet to see any major players from the Maori side argue that interest in gaining commercial water rights would diminish if there was no asset sales.
Goose Maori were Quite happy to leave water usage off the table so long as everybody benefited now only a few will benefit if it is partially privatised.
Gosman, have you gained qualifications in logic? If so, you must surely have failed any tests. What you spout about Maori is so frightfully ignorant as to be unworthy of comment. Never fear, however, for Maori will have plenty more to say, so much that even you might care to listen.
I am not sure your understanding of Kaitiakitanga is sound. Maori understand that water is for us all. They are happy for this. But once Key and his mates try to sell it for private gain then they object.
Try this analogy:
I let you live in my spare house for free. All good. You rent out a room and get some money for it why shouldn’t I get a share?
You mean you think there are people who will let you stay in their home and not charge you?
What sort of world do you live in?
This is not a way to investigate Te Ao Māori in good faith i.e. using it as a pakeha political convenience. Clearly today is going to be wierd.
these assets belong to the people of new zealand and not some transient gang of political bludgers who move in and move out taking as much as they can with them.
why not have a referendum.
that would be sound logic.
What is essential infrastructure about a coal company?
If power companies are so essential in terms of govt ownership, how do countries like the US, UK and Aus manage stable and efficient and cheap power systems without owning them?
They don’t.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44446563/ns/us_news-life/t/southern-california-hit-major-power-failure/#.UEbLqZZcj0c
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/07/02/power-outages-on-u-s-east-coast-could-last-all-week/
http://vielmetti.typepad.com/vacuum/2011/06/power-outage-maps.html
And yet the US tends to outperform us in terms of fewer supply interruptions and their power is significantly cheaper too. And NZ performance is better now than it was under a national system.
What bullshit assertions. ENRON anyone. US infrastructure is falling apart. They have a two trillion dollar infrastructure deficit.
And what about the widespread blackouts experienced in the US in July in the middle of the heatwave.
Someone is dreaming.
I think you’ll find the correct terminology is that profits aren’t as high and power provided as a national service could do without the profits altogether.
Bollocks.
http://www.skmconsulting.com/to-do-news/Archive/The-Auckland-CBD-Power-Failure.aspx
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/updated-power-outage-auckland-s-cbd-fixed-120199
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6132091/Ninety-per-cent-of-power-restored
Do you know what SAIDI, SAIFI and CAIDI are? Look them up and compare the 90s to the present to see how reliability is trending.
But thanks for pointing out all those failures by ‘people’ owned monopolies.
Will wonders never cease? We learn things and thus do things better. Amazing111!!1
The failure is the business model that we’ve had forced upon us over the last three decades. Have the power companies publicly owned and run as a public service and those failures are likely to disappear.
BTW, your distraction didn’t work. You said that NZs power system was better now, I proved that it isn’t.
Make up your mind. In the one post you both accepted “We learn things and thus do things better” and ‘proved’ that it isn’t better. I’m not quite sure how a couple of isolated power cuts in isolated locations is proof that things are somehow worse than weekly rolling power cuts over months and months across a much wider geography. It seems a highly unusual proof.
That was the physical aspect. The management has gone to hell.
/facepalm
You’re either truly as stupid as you make out or you’re wilfully misinterpreting what’s happening. The ones in the 1970s were planned to take into account limited resources – basic, real world economics. The latter ones were unplanned outages caused by crappy management which itself was brought about by the neo-liberal revolution we had in the 1980s.
california through the 90;s and early 2000’s
Imagine how much cheaper it’d be without profit taking private interests and the regulatory oversight required to keep them in some form of balance.
Aus is cheap because they burn valleys of coal and you’d be surprised how inefficient the entire system here is. The grid and distribution systems itself use SCADA type systems to ensure power keeps running with little human intervention.
They’re very robust, proven, and incredibly forgiving as they’ve been engineered to be that way for decades as some pieces are kept many years beyond useful life.
It’s the overhead of layers of parties, profit, beauracracy, regulation and the legal/audit costs they tow behind them that makes our power bills so large.
We have less than 5 mill, declining industry and 75% renewable generation, bring back the NZED !
NZED 😎
Ah yes the NZED, the days of rolling blackouts…
Really, when?.
The last systemic rolling blackouts in NZ were in the 1970s. These were regular and driven by long term supply insecurity rather than short term response to climate or network failures. It was a centrally planned and operated system then.
I can’t remember them in Auckland (which would have been the first place hit) and I’d have been quite aware of them from at least 1974. I was delivering the Star and would read the copy either then or when I got home every day.
I can remember them. Television broadcast hours were cut. Power was cut in the evenings and on weekends. Aucland may have been managed differently
Outsider when did Auckland have its major black out it was after privatisation.
We had oil fired power stations then oil shortages and you can Guarantee it was a National govt in power then.
Next in the early seventies our economy was expanding.
Now our enegy use is declining
Which one Mike? The central city one which went on for weeks was due to the failure of a community owned monopoly company’s poor management of its assets. Basically no checking and no accountability. The 06? one was due to poor maintenance management by the state owned monopoly
the 06 outage was only for a few hours not months
The state owned enterprise had under invested since its break up into parts from NZED.
Right wing bullshit meme of privatisation vs public ownership.
The real difference is leadership and investment. That’s when the advantages of public ownership can come shining through as the assets are run for the benefit of the country.
Don’t forget to storm the barricades on your way out cv.
It’s you and Draco that are pushing a simplistic ‘state is great’ line – its just faith based polemic.
I say the evidence in nz and overseas shows things are much more mixed. You have private dominated systems that work well and some that don’t, and the same with state dominated.
Insider I hear there were also blackouts during the 1930s. Is this the fault of the first Labour Government?
Yeah sorry dickhead, that’s not my position at all. Please just speak for yourself in future.
1998 – National-led government:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Auckland_power_crisis
But the Assets owned and operated by ‘we the people’ in he form of a council organisation. The kind of model being championed by a few here.
But the problem is these democratic institutions are set up but then a bunch of penny pinching tories get elected and make a name for themselves by cutting costs and saving on maintenance.
And then shyte like this happens.
Blame the right people insider.
And then explain how Enron, the pinnacle of free market enterprise, screwed things up so badly.
Well, up to that date, Enron was the pinnacle of free market fraud.
No CV Enron was also a failure of regulation e.g. Auditors, disclosure and the regulators. Also with the 401k employees pension fund
http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/1329
sad thing is I see history repeating itself. There will be more Enrons, and with the crap regulation with Kiwisaver and other pension funds many retirees and pension fund investors to incur more pain. We need more regulation and regulators with real muscle.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10831491
Sure. But only if you consider deliberate fraud, outright lying to shareholders and investors, destruction of data, and neck deep collusion between Enron’s executive management and their auditors, as ‘a failure of regulation’.
Me, I just call it financial fraud. Or more specifically, a control fraud.
Best you start trawling the yearbooks for any references to your assertion because I reckon you’re making shit up.
Take it with the electricty regulator. I’m sure they’ll be fascinated by your insight and throw all their research out of the window.
And you know what happened in the 1970s, yes?
You’ll have to be a little more specific because in the seven years, 1971 – 1978, I worked for the NZED I was never aware of the rolling blackouts you describe.
Check out http://www.ea.govt.nz/our-work/consultations/wholesale/market-design-review-issues-paper/
Be more specific. Have you any evidence of blackouts in the seventies or not? I’m picking not.
insider’s ridicuolous penchant for assigning power failures down to private vs public ownership just shows the shallowness of right wing thinking.
Have you read the paper with the big chart listing the various cuts shown in the 70s? I think not
Yep, that’s right, I’m not wading through the document. Better things to do. Be more specific, fool.
They weren’t cuts but public conservation measures. There’s a big difference. I certainly recall having to do the same thing since the implementation of faux competition and the profit drive.
That has got to be the biggest piece of newspeak today. There were cuts. Regular ones.
If you’ve got a limited supply then you don’t get to do everything that you want to do. Basic economics. The limited supply wasn’t due to the functioning of the state power system but basic physical limitations. Those limitations were recognised and conservation measures put in place. Same thing happens today when we get dry years.
If power had been in private we would have been far worse off.
You don;t get regular cuts and restrictions over three or four consecutive years in a centrally planned system just due to weather. This was a systemic failure, and that can only have been because in this case central planning did not work.
To sayit would have been worse if privately operated is not only slightly childish but ignores the complete lack of blackouts in similar if not worse weather circumstances in the following 40 years.
yeah dude because the weather never goes into 3 or 4 year wet cycles or dry cycles 🙄
All you’re railing against is the fact that Nature Rules OK.
Unfortunately once again the hydro inflow data just doesn’t back you up. The seventies cycles were no better or worse than the following 30 or so years.
And I’m afraid your spouting of gobbledegook doesn’t count for much.
and your continual avoidance of inconvenient facts (or ‘gobbledegook’ as you delightfully like to call them) regularly shows you up as a blowhard. Do you stick your fingers in your ear and go ‘wah wah wah I’m not listening’ at the same time?
And on page 56 Table 3 of this document it states:
This clearly implies that the economy was growing more rapidly than normal … umm … which party was in government during this period in question?
Hot water was also rationed in the 50s and, I think early 60s in Auckland. The water heating was switched off at the supply for a certain amount of time each day. In my family in my childhood, we could only get enough hot water for a couple of baths a day. People tended to not have showers installed in those days.
I think the unrestricted access to electricity is pretty recent….. and we may go back to rationing before too long, given peak everything.
The ripple control on hot water is still there. Used to get really irritated at one place in the mid 90s with a crap relay or something. Would make a loud distinct click..
the kirk govt expanded the economy at breakneck speed something that hasn’t happened since nor likely to ever again.
That was also about when the marsden B was meant to commission to run on oil for peak loads. Bad choice of fuel. Don’t think they could afford to run it.
Sure, because if power had been privately owned, the dams would have filled up faster.
Actually, if you look at the history of electricity in NZ, you can see it’s development really only became “sufficient” in the late 70s.
Also, I know when I was growing up we just didn’t have all the electricity-guzzling equipment people now take for granted:
in my (middleclass) house:
no fridge until somewhere in the mid to late 1950s;
no washing machine until mid to late 1960s;
only one radio til some time in the 60s – no record players
no TV til late 60s, but then only one b/w set
no sure when we got heaters, but mostly we just had an open fire in the living room
And this history shows that development of electricity supply was limited during WWII:
http://www.contactenergy.co.nz/web/aboutus/nzelectricityindustry
The main blackouts I remember were in 1997. Someone let the lights go out in Auckland..
Ah, supply restrictions resulting in the populace having to save power but not actual power outages.
So, things haven’t been as good in the supply of power since the 1980s. Hmmm, broken up and commercialised in the early 1990s…
Outsider Where’s the cheap in Australia get your facts upto date.
Carbon taxes have put an end to cheap power because over 80% of Australia power is generated using coal.
The politicians have always tried to divide NZ using Maori rights.
The fact is Maori are another group of civilians in NZ who voice their beliefs.
They have historical and documented precedents on their side when they do it.
Their voice and opinion has just as much merit as any other group in NZ.
It’s not about numbers it’s about civilised debate, a good idea is always worthy.
The fact that they have a Historical precedent to help them get their beliefs heard is beneffiting everyone.
From what I know they have never tried to claim money for the use of water.
It’s about maintaining the water ways of NZ, which we can’t do if they are “Owned” by some third party (All the shareholders would be a third party).
They always “Listen” to the politician but the reverse is rarely true.
So I Bless them as Good Civilised People and hope they can help find a solution for all NZers.
Wow, insider was right, for two years there were outages which were so serious that twenty years later the electricity industry needed reforming.
/
Figure 8: Retail demand conservation measures during dry periods
1973 – July-Sept – Supply authorities ordered to cut
consumption by 5%. Water heating restrictions. TV broadcast
hours reduced. Power cuts in some areas in evening peak
periods & weekends
1974 – Feb-July Public conservation campaign. Water
heating restrictions. Public lighting restrictions. TV
broadcast hours reduced. Rolling blackouts
1973-4 was the time of the “oil crisis”. There was a lot of concern about long term energy shortages. I went to the UK for the first time early 73 on a ship. The ship had to go slower than usual to conserve fuel. When I got to London, the friends I stayed with were talking about just having lived through the a year or two of some 3 day work weeks. This was partly due to a miners strike but also due to the “oil crisis” of 1973:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Day_Week
despite insider’s rampant misdirection DTB is right. Private profit is a dead loss on the community. Add to the fact that core infrastructure like energy has to be run strategically for the benefit of the nation: our power generation needs to be 100% NZ owned and managed.
Core infrastructure with natural oligarchical properties need to be managed differently.This was an argument that Gareth Morgan postulated.
The assets and revenue (cost increases) are based on revalued asset cost (so called fair value) and not on their historical cost.This is in effect a windfall profits stream and is widely used eg airport companies.
Morgan suggested that if the accounting change generated a capital gain constraint, that there would be two significant responses.First the assets would return across the ledger very quickly, and price increases would reduce to the cpi creating market stability for both large and small users.
This would broaden the tax base ,and stabilize inflation from internal forcing.
As an interesting aside Rusal the Russian alu producer,has agreed to invest in modernization of one of its plants (efficiency) following large scale protests after threats to reduce production (and jobs) due to the high cost of energy.
The government energy supplier agreed to reduce the existing energy increases.
Unemployment in the RF has reduced to 5.1% which is the level at the start of the GFC.
Just by coincidence Russia also happens to have one of the largest foreign currency reserves in the world, as well as one of the largest gold reserves in the world.
And they can still send men into space. The US can’t.
And yet they never put a man on the moon, or successfully landed a probe on Mars, or sent probes to the outer planets, and so forth and so on if you must insist on spouting irrelevancies.
They certainly manage to beat the US in the area of millions slaughtered in the 20th century and appalling civil rights today – not that any of this is relevant of course…. Shall we sing the Third International now?
You’ll note that Pop1 is being rather picky about what the Russian Space Program achieved.
Not especially – I’m just questioning its relevance to the topic. After all, a lot of the rocket technology on both sides was due to the work of Nazi scientists and Hitler made Germany into one of the most industrially advanced and wealthy countries in Europe – that’s if you’re actually trying to make some sort of connection between technological capacity and ideology.
If I was going to make that connection then I’d point out that a supported populace does better technologically than one that isn’t even if that support is of the authoritarian type. To put it another way, a government active in R&D and manufacture produces better results than the free-market.
Pop said:
After 40 years, the US won’t again. If that makes you feel better.
Just by coincidence Russia also happens to have the lowest govt debt gdp ration in the G8.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/charts/russia-government-debt-to-gdp.png?s=rusdebt2gdp&d1=20000101&d2=20120906
Surprising is that the decrease occurred after suspension of the sale of strategic energy assets
Yep. Putin gave those energy oligarchs some very clear guidelines to follow…”or else”.
Indeed the role of the Oligarchs is ubiquitous.There is a nice paper on the GFC and Oligarchs ie unbridled power.
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/MSTIR/world-economy/Crisis-2008-2009/Documents/09-093%20The%20Financial%20Crisis%20of%202008.Rev.pdf
Another ingredient that helped create the mix that nearly brought the U.S. financial industry to its knees was the cozy relationship that had built up over the years between Wall Street and Washington. As Johnson noted, “Oversize institutions disproportionately influence public policy; the major banks we have today draw much of their power from being too big to fail. [Wall Street] benefited from the fact that Washington insiders already believed that large financial institutions and free-flowing capital markets were crucial to America’s position in the world.” By the time of the crisis, 90% of all the money deposited in the United States was in 20 banks.
It was no secret that Wall Street firms were big political contributors. The securities and investment industry—which included Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman, and Bear Stearns—gave $97.7 million to federal political candidates during the 2004 election and $70.5 million for the 2006 congressional election.
poi the same people that caused the GFC(18 current or former directors of the federal reserve) are profiting because the govt has handed them 4 trillion in interest free loans
Strangely enough, or maybe it’s not strange, Nationals’ Sell the Assets campaign appears to take no notice of the reason why many of our assets are/were Government owned.
It was /is the very same reason that most responsible Companies won’t be interested now.
If NZ was a vibrant large country filled with many consumers Private Business would have built the Dams and there Reticulation systems many many years ago. They would have also built Large Ports, Railways and alternate Transport Systems. Maintained and improved them over
the years.
But it wasn’t that attractive then and it isn’t now.
It is however attractive to ” Thrash the Donkey Merchants” & “Profit few at the expense of the many Merchants” and get a quick buck
and get out fast.
Let’s be honest here Fat Cats. None of you then, or now, would as mentioned, build a new Port, Dam, Railway or Road off your own bat.
Not now, just as you wouldn,t back in the latter part of the 19th Century. New Zealand wasn’t large enough in user uptake to make these things profitable enough. These Government assets weren’t Govt owned because of some ideological love of Government ownership. It was done for practical reasons. The infrastructure was considered necessary for a small group of Pacific Islands to become more in tune with the developing world economy and to encourage more settlement in NZ.
This situation still exists. Globalist economic fairy tales re the better running of these assets. And “Why should Governments own
Power stations”, rhetoric doesn’t stack up!
What does stack up is the Greedy Rhetoricians lust to make a fast buck at the expense of generations of poor isolated peoples desire and bloody hard work to have more comfortable and decent Lifestyle at a reasonable cost. These reasons are just as valid today. It buggers
belief that we should forsake these very same reasons and pay some greedy ass more, for what we have had for years.
Not to give these assets to a bloated few money hungry Corporations. Whose interests lie far beyond a decent and equitable lifestyle
for the peoples of these far flung Islands’.
But that’s alright we can buy them back.Oh wait a mo, we already have. Isn’t this having to pay the thieves to get your stolen
property back!!
Of course the first electric power scheme built in NZ was funded by private entrepreneurs through a public share issue
And what? How did it pan out for them?
And from memory wound up being subsidized by the city to prevent bankruptcy. Or are you thinking of the one that was put in for the mine?
Of course we could check ourselves if you’d put in a link, I could find out which fairy story you are peddling.
Partial stories with unstated moralities are ok for children. But realities seldom contain nice beautiful princesses – they usually have bad PMT and neat making obsessions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_sector_in_New_Zealand#History
So, we have electricity in the country pretty much solely due to government action.