Keep our assets petition is live!

28 comments on “Keep our assets petition is live! ”

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1. Carol 1

   28 April 2012 at 9:31 am

   And today, Auckland, it is important for as many bodies to be on the street as possible!
2. aerobubble 2

   28 April 2012 at 9:33 am

   So many against so few, the National party are dopes, they can’t honestly think they are smarter than the crowd. They honestly believe that all those submissions won’t come back to halt them when oil prices jump more and the only recently sold off to foriegners energy company shares go through the roof? But hey National did not see the financial collapse, did nothing to stop the financial sector imploding, has no policies to create internal NZ investment. Its a myth that National knows how to run a modern economy. Look at them, they are a bunch of ideological freaks. Nakedly despoiling everything they touch.
   • Justin 2.1

     28 April 2012 at 1:09 pm

     I wish it were stupidity…we might have a chance of convincing them the error of their ways, I suspect it is simply arrogance…they know we don’t want it but are cynical enough to peddle the ‘we have a mandate’ line. It is worth a shot and I’ll put as much effort into preventing it as I can, but I fear they will blunder on regardless…they have an ideological plane to catch.
     • Colonial Viper 2.1.1

       28 April 2012 at 1:13 pm

       Bill is right.

       This is not National stupidity.

       This is smart, consistent, National deliberateness.

       They are enriching their own small circle while making the rest of us poorer and more vulnerable.
       • chris73 2.1.1.1

         28 April 2012 at 2:52 pm

         “Us”?

         You suddenly gotten poorer?
         • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1

           28 April 2012 at 2:56 pm

           Sheeezus chris73, unlike the neoliberal definition, “poorer” means more than solely on financial terms!
           • chris73 2.1.1.1.1.1

             28 April 2012 at 3:03 pm

             Good try, some people will believe you I guess
3. weka 3

   28 April 2012 at 10:02 am

   The first thing I am going to say is that the petition needs to be made really clear that it’s about having a referendum. People are going to look at that petition page and not sign because they think that they’re being asked the question if they support asset sales (i.e. it’s not clear that it’s a petition about a referendum rather than a petition about asset sales).

   Also, the petition form implies that email addresses and phone numbers are required, whereas afaik only a name, address and signature is.

   Getting these things right is important if we want to get as many people signing as possible.
   • Eddie 3.1

     28 April 2012 at 10:39 am

     This is pretty important, so let me state it clearly: there is only one petition form approved by the Clerk of the House, anything else is invalid. So don’t anyone go making different versions.

     The design of the form is constrained by the law.

     The petition form states that by signing you are asking Parliament to hold a referendum. The phone and email section isn’t complusory and campaign members will make that clear to anyone who is hesitant about providing them. the coalition members are only asking for that info to communicate with people for further action.
     • weka 3.1.1

       28 April 2012 at 11:07 am

       Are you saying the petition will only be signed if someone from the campaign is there? I was imagining it being left in public places like libraries or cafes.
       • Eddie 3.1.1.1

         28 April 2012 at 12:47 pm

         the $15 minimum wage one was at places like subway, if a worker brought it along and the boss didn’t mind/didn’t see. I imagine workers who join in this campaign will do the same thing this time but I don’t think they’ll be leaving petitions at places then coming back a few days later to pick them up/replace them. generally, people don’t like to leave lists of people’s vital information and contacts lying about the place.

         being part of the campaign is no big thing. you can put your name on the green or labour list and they’ll give you a call. they’ve got over a thousand volunteers already but we need to double that at least.

         I understand there will be a little list of dos and don’ts (including something like ‘what if people don’t want to give their emails?’ answer: they don’t have to, but we’re asking so we can contact them later for future action eg at the time of the referendum)
         • weka 3.1.1.1.1

           28 April 2012 at 1:28 pm

           I’m used to seeing petitions left in all sorts of places, often for ages before they’re picked up again.

           If the petition is left with a poster or something else that explains things that’s better. But honestly, people in a hurry are going to look at that page and think they are being asked to sign something that supports the question (i.e. asset cuts) and they will move on. The wording for the referendum seems sound, thankfully, but the petition really isn’t very clear.
           • Eddie 3.1.1.1.1.1

             28 April 2012 at 4:51 pm

             well, maybe they will. the design is constrained by the rules of the Clerk. it looks a lot like the $15mw one, which also asked for emails. The important thing, which really settles any discussion is that this is the only valid petition form so arguing the toss on layout is irrelevant.

             Also, note that double-sided forms will not be accepted by the clerk if you’re printing these off yourself to get friends and family to sign.
             • weka …

               29 April 2012 at 2:15 pm

               Fair enough Eddie. It’s just a bug bear of mine. We need to make it easy for people, and not just those that are already committed and aware of the issues.
   • freedom 3.2

     28 April 2012 at 3:59 pm

     Weka, i thought everyone had an opportunity to contribute to the structure of the petition when the Clerk of the House of Representatives asked for public submissions on the wording
     • weka 3.2.1

       29 April 2012 at 2:14 pm

       I think you mean everyone who knew they had the opportunity and cared/had the time/had the skills.
4. shreddakj 4

   28 April 2012 at 11:39 am

   All you Auckland-based commenters better be there today down on Queen Street. Power in numbers.
5. Fortran 5

   28 April 2012 at 1:02 pm

   [sorry – you’re currently on a 2 week ban. — r0b]
6. Tombstone 6

   28 April 2012 at 3:05 pm

   I’m in Christchurch and keen to sign the petition – where I can go to do this? I also know plenty of others who will also sign it – possibly another 40+ signatures.
   • Draco T Bastard 6.1

     28 April 2012 at 3:57 pm

     Volunteer
     Greens
     Labour
   • Eddie 6.2

     28 April 2012 at 4:52 pm

     Good on ya.

     40 signatures is a great contribution.

     you’re free to download a copy yourself, get the signatures then mail it to the address on the form. Remember, single side only, no alterations to the form.

     If you want to do more, visit the Labour or Green volunteer pages.
7. Robert Atack 7

   28 April 2012 at 5:37 pm

   Everyone is delusional
   The sell the assets crowd think there is a future worth investing in, and the don’t sell think there is a future worth investing in, or at least keeping the assets to offset future expenses etc.
   When the dark truth is – There isn’t going to be a human survivable future full fucking stop ……………
   Stop worrying about what the utter wankers in Wellington are doing, nothing they do will make the situation any worse or better. When we are in total societal breakdown, along the lines of say Dili when East-Timor went to crap, the only thing that will matter to you all is ‘were is my next meal going to come from, and I hope no one steels it from me.’

   If you are unlucky enough to have children, then I suggest, as about the only ‘future proof’ investment, you spend as much time with them now, sort of like ‘time banking’, because a whole lot sooner than anyone can imagine, you and/or them will not be around.

   I’m torn between laughing/crying at the people protesting anything/everything and the progress at any cost no matter what crowed. Including the Alex Jones nutters who think ‘they’ are going to control us, quite simply like I said above, it will be “I will do anything for food” or you will die.

   All of the western population, and 6 out of 7 in the ‘east’ have to go before we see an “equilibrium” with the planet. And as we are now @ 396+ and rising even that reduction in humans will do nothing to change what is already in motion.

   Bitching about National/Labour is something to do, as long as you know it is futile, then I guess it fills in the day.

   I can still remember the time before the crash
   when we all drove around in cars and I had lots of cash
   and anything I wanted, I’d just go out and buy
   I’d even drive a mile or two – just to buy a pie

   but then the oil wars started and everything collapsed
   the supermarket shelves were stripped before a month elapsed
   and people all turned really grim and gained a hungry look
   we’d steal from anyone at all we’d kill for things to cook

   and everywhere disease and grief and bodies left to rot
   while gangs of grim and brutal men would kill and steal and plot
   and people fled the cities and countless numbers died
   and everything was so so bad not even mothers cried

   our house was one of many then, a normal family home
   but it was stripped and burnt for fuel when we had left to roam
   and I remember mum and dad, my little sister too
   but they were killed and eaten back sometime in ‘22

   and now I know I’m dying, I’ve left no living heirs
   nobody is alive to know there’s not a soul who cares
   there’s only me so damned hungry I’m gnawing at the trees
   there’s no-one left to kill and eat oh God please help me please

   and as I stagger on and on through burnt and plundered homes
   I see the the signs of rage and ruin and countless human bones
   I hear the starving pack of dogs that follow close behind
   and I am now so close to death I hardly even mind

   I fall and screaming dogs begin to rip and shred my life
   my mind drifts back to days of oil and to my kids and wife
   oh life was so so simple then and life was so so good
   but all we had we wasted, we never understood

   **** we would have long ago eaten the dogs****
   • fabregas4 7.1

     28 April 2012 at 6:25 pm

     Cheer up!
   • chris73 7.2

     28 April 2012 at 6:35 pm

     Try downloading a funny movie, it might make you feel better. I suggest starting with either the waterboy or caddyshack.
     • Robert Atack 7.2.1

       28 April 2012 at 8:28 pm

       I’m not depressed or down hearted, I’m way over the angst, I’m a bit like someone with terminal cancer, I’m at the stage of acceptance. And in the end we are all in a club of one, so I don’t mind that I am one of the only people who can accept reality.
       Bought an IPhone the other day, added a Tom Tom App and a car holder. I think the fastest way to bring down the system is to keep using it. What with my Kindle, recording things, video cameras, and miscellaneous gadgets I’m having trouble using all my toys.
8. Poission 8

   29 April 2012 at 7:21 pm

   I went to the forum on asset sales with Peter Harris and Gareth Morgan, where both imparted some interesting points.

   Highlights from Peter Harris.

   -The asset sales will only reduce the budget deficit for a limited time, ie the reduced income flow will enhance as the underlying expenditure /income will still be present.

   – the GDP debt ratio is low to comparative oecd countries.
   – The policy is ideological not fiscal
   – The returns on investment by the energy companies are due to revaluation and not due to increased asset ie generation.(which is why prices have increased)

   Highlights from Gareth Morgan.

   – The ideology is from the capital markets forum where the arguments is that the NZ capital markets are too small and need to expand to encourage lower cost investment.
   – The limited number of energy companies will limit benefits for consumers.
   – There needs to be better encouragement of new technology that will broaden the market.
   – Taxation needs a rethink ie broadening to include assets especially non productive that are balance sheet driven .
9. Steve Wrathall 9

   30 April 2012 at 8:09 pm

   As you’re all so opposed to foreign capital coming into NZ, I’m sure you’re all outraged at the extra $B/month that is being borrowed and and are urging the govt to reduce your pension/benefit/middle class welfare in order that the govt wouldn’t need to find this money. Right? Yes? Thought not
   • felix 9.1

     30 April 2012 at 8:28 pm

     “As you’re all so opposed to foreign capital coming into NZ”

     Nah I’m opposed to NZ capital leaving NZ.

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