Open mike 01/07/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 1st, 2016 - 51 comments
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51 comments on “Open mike 01/07/2016 ”

  1. Paul 1

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    It was -2 degrees in Dunedin last night.
    It was 3 degrees in Christchurch last night.

    Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
    Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
    Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
    Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.

    The mainstream media may think that young millionaire Lamborghini drivers, the Game of Thrones and Samsung selfies are news items, but they are not.
    The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.

    “Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”
    This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.

    • disturbed 1.1

      I am deeply disturbed with what planet key is doing to NZ as we are being destroyed now by his disease called “the greed breed”.

    • Ben 1.2

      Surely John Key’s lack of action on Climate Change is providing a warmer environment for the homeless.

      I can hear the cries of anguish now “but stabilising global warming hasn’t helped the homeless!” Followed by a another ‘another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare’ post.

  2. Paul 2

    Hope for Britain’s sake they’re not sending Groser and the crew who signed the TPP!

    New Zealand offers UK its top trade negotiators for post-Brexit deals
    New Zealand has offered its top trade negotiators to the United Kingdom, relieving the British civil service as it prepares for the strain of seeking new deals with countries across the globe.
    The Telegraph understands that the Commonwealth country has made an offer to loan staff to the British civil service, which has few trade negotiators of its own.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/06/29/new-zealand-offers-uk-its-top-trade-negotiators-for-post-brexit/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b58VxhRSk9g

    • tc 2.1

      Interesting times, Boris and Gove played with matches and ended up burning their cosy clubhouse down that they were throwing rocks at their own party from.

      Now they along with Farage have to deliver on their BS spin in a climate where many are pretty pissed with their antics.

      Old Nigel may find it all a bit much once the national front types realise they got played and to quote the guardian as Boris has withdrawn already ‘ a man who will not clean up his own mess’.

      • Paul 2.1.1

        Yes, getting messier and messier over there.

        Boris Johnson’s allies warned there is a “deep pit in Hell” waiting for Michael Gove after the Justice Secretary stabbed his fellow Brexit champion in the back saying he was not up to being Prime Minister.

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11666710

        Meanwhile, it looks like the coup in the Labour Party is hitting some road bumps.

        Labour MPs divided over how to depose Jeremy Corbyn
        Angela Eagle has delayed an expected leadership challenge to Jeremy Corbyn for at least 24 hours as Labour MPs who wish to depose Labour’s leader remain divided over how best to mount a challenge.
        The former shadow business secretary was expected to declare that she was going to run as a “unity candidate” at a 3pm press conference.
        However, her associates claim she has decided to hold off because of the turmoil engulfing the Conservatives and to give more time for Labour MPs to pressurise Corbyn in to handing in his resignation.
        Her decision to stand was also delayed when the former shadow welfare secretary Owen Smith collected enough nominations to put his name forward, following concerns that Eagle may not be able to win over the party in a ballot of members.

        http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/30/labour-mps-divided-over-how-to-depose-jeremy-corbyn

    • save nz 2.2

      “Hope for Britain’s sake they’re not sending Groser and the crew who signed the TPP!”

      If it is Goser he will have drunk all the wine, before he manages to get there…

      If it is Key, he will have a great time on the golf course, do whatever the US and UK want and expand his personal wealth, networking and connections. He might stop in at Buckingham palace to say Labour made him do it (referendum to change the flag), no offence, Ma’am. Lets face it, Key is out of his depth in any way apart from financial Tory wizardry, (somehow managing to increase our debt to eyewatering proportions while having nothing to show for it and have people living in tents).

      Let’s hope for the farmers and our economy the delegate is Winston Peters. For the good of our country and relationship lets hope it is Winson Peters. National may not like him, but he is clearly the man for the job to get the best deal and the best relationship!

  3. Paul 3

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    Cruel.
    The MSD.

    Waatea 5th Estate “The Case of Katherine and the MSD”
    This should be compulsory viewing for all New Zealanders.
    What is this country coming to?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrkBnujxIQQ

    • gsays 3.1

      Not often I feel ashamed to be a kiwi.

      I hope this gets traction in the news cycle.

      Shame on the cold hearted msd staff.
      Instead of a net to stop people falling, msd have turned it into a drift net that pulls people down.

      What an appalling culture has been nutured in that government department.

    • gsays 3.2

      Why, as a society, are we so cruel, heartless,callous and uncaring towards women doing the most important job?

      Surely folk who reckon they are having children so they can live the high life on the state, have gone the same way as the trickle-downers, climate change deniers.

      As is said in the clip, there seems to be sexism in play.
      ‘Benefit cheat/fraud’ implies wrong and theft.
      Tax avoidance/evasion implies clever.
      The former is punished severely often with incarceration.
      The latter gets high powered men writing laws to protect them.

      I caught something on the radio yesty- figures from UK suggest that the under payment of benefits/denial of entitlements dwarfs the fraud numbers.

    • TC 3.3

      Pullya benefits scripted carve up of MSD using many elves and sprites now fronted by ayatolley needs massive sunlight.

      The ticket clipping is obscene aside from the systemic damage nact have inflicted.

    • save nz 3.4

      Thanks Paul. That is a great episode. I saw it mid way through and it was unbelievable! When thedailyblog gets back up, worth watching.

      It is shocking!

      6 months of prison for a women with young children (who has had her infant murdered by a previous partner) for benefit fraud based on the violent and dysfunctional testimony of the ‘partner’ who gets away scott free by the sound of it.

      For those neoliberals out there who thinks society runs to a budget, we just spent over $100,000 on legal fees and prison fees and f&^ked up more kids by taking their mother away and got $1600 back she does not seem to even owe.

      If we take the ‘bankruptcy’ laws that say you can write off you debt because it means you will be more productive and can recover your life, you have to ask, how can someone recover their life and get off a benefit, get a job with a criminal conviction and hundreds of thousands in debt? More double standards against women and children.

      No wonder we have the highest abuse rates in the world! It starts with blatant discrimination of vulnerable women by government officials and our legal system.

      • Craig H 3.4.1

        Excellent points. IRD can and does write off debt for hardship other than core Child Support debt, and are actually reasonably proactive about it. Would be nice for other government departments (MSD…) to do the same.

  4. swordfish 4

    Frontrunner Boris Johnson stuns Westminster by pulling out of Tory Leadership Race

    Comes in the immediate wake of a whole swathe of Tory MP defections from Camp Boris and a series of newly-released Polls showing him trailing Theresa May among Tory voters, voters in general and the Party’s membership.

    The latest YouGov says it all.

    Compared to the February Poll of Tory Party members, Boris’s negativity ratings have increased substantially.

    There’s a kind of Tortoise and Hare scenario.

    Boris leads the Brexit campaign in his usual loud and colourful way / May (considered mildly Eurosceptic by many) takes a very low profile role in the Remain campaign (some might say, not entirely unlike Corbyn).

    As a consequence, Boris has his credibility destroyed among the large minority of Tory members who were pro-Remain, whilst May manages to maintain enormous cross-over appeal to both sides of the Conservative Membership.

    YouGov
    27-29 June 2016

    Tory Party Members
    Positive or Negative View of Potential Leader
    ………………………………………Boris Johnson………………………Theresa May
    Feb 2016…………………Pos 76% / Neg 14%…………….Pos 68% / Neg 11%
    June 2016……………….Pos 58% / Neg 30%…………….Pos 72% / Neg 13%

    June
    LEAVE supporters………..Pos 83% / Neg 6%……………….Pos 66% / Neg 18%
    REMAIN supporters…….Pos 16% / Neg 71%……………..Pos 84% / Neg 3%

    Boris’s support comes almost entirely (92%) from Tory members who voted Leave, whereas May’s support derives almost as much from Leavers (44%) as Remainers (56%).

    In the one-on-one match-ups, Boris beats all possible contenders except May. She wins easily by 55% to 38%.

    One-on-One by EU Vote

    ………………………………..Boris………Theresa
    LEAVE……………………….56%…………..38%
    REMAIN…………………….8%……………..84%

    Again, May with much greater cross-over appeal.

    All confirms the long-standing Iron-Law of Tory Leadership Contests: That the initial Front-runner NEVER wins.

    • Rosie 4.1

      Swordfish. You ARE the news. Thanks for this comment and all the previous ones providing information previously unseen by these eyes and casting light on angles I hadn’t considered.

      Have a good day. Stay warm.

  5. b waghorn 5

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11666513
    A kiwi in the UK’s take on brexit from someone who’s their

    • weka 5.1

      Nothing about the sociopolitical context that led to Brexit. The perspective on racism adds something. More angst about the middle classes losing privilege under neoliberalism not so much.

    • Muttonbird 5.2

      Featherweight opinion piece.

      So, the poor dear doesn’t know what to do? Get at the back of the line, lady.

      • b waghorn 5.2.1

        It must be amazing being able to hate every normal human on the planet . dick heads.

  6. mary_a 6

    What’s going on at The Daily Blog. Can’t open it. Message keeps coming up with a connection error. Anyone else having the same problem?

    Hope it’s not under attack again!

    • whispering kate 6.1

      Me too mary_a, haven’t been able to get through either. Hopefully Martyn will get it underway soon.

    • David H 6.2

      I dunno whats happened, but the Plesk page that comes up says you either. 1 put no content up or 2 the provider has suspended your page. Hmmm..

  7. Ad 7

    While we’re worried about little old Britain having a little old leadership change, spare a thought for Saudi Arabia. The last stable Muslim nation between Pakistan and Nigeria. A two minute clip from Bloomberg:

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-30/the-slow-motion-crisis-in-saudi-arabia-in-two-minutes

    Saudis are confronting a future of cheaper oil, in a country where oil is everything. Can Saudi Arabia wean itselfoff the proceeds of oil?

    Its plan is to sell 5% of Aramco with the biggest listing of all time, and get that to help form a sovereign wealth fund worth up to US $2 trillion. That’s enough to buy Apple, Microsoft, Google (Alphabet), Exxon Mobil, and still have plenty of change.

    There’s the resistant clerics.
    There’s 80% vof the workforce being foreign.
    There’s nearly half of the population under 25, and they make up 30% of the unemployed.
    There’s no friends and no stability on any border.
    There’s the inability to keep generations of patrimony going.
    There’s patriarchal suppression of pretty much everything, and massive clerical resistance to change of pretty much anything.

    In terms of the future stability of the Middle East, unlike the US invading multiple times, they have a plan.

    But it’s the biggest roll of the dice we will see in our generation.

  8. Kay 8

    Could I run something past you please, I’m interested in your comments.

    I get the Supported Living Payment for uncontrolled epilepsy.
    In the last few years dealing with WINZ has become so stressful it’s become a seizure trigger for me and I can directly link 3 WINZ run-ins with emergency hospital admissions. (Been dealing with them since the late 1980s and this has never been an issue till 6 years ago, note the timing).
    I recently had to voluntarily surrender the remaining $5/week Special benefit because of how crazy the 3 monthly reviews have become and because it’s too medically dangerous for me to go near a WINZ office.

    There’s a contraceptive pill that prevents hormone-induced seizures for me.
    But the only one that actually works (they are not created equal) is the only one that’s not funded, and it costs about $5/week, or $250/year. That’s a lot out of a benefit, I can get 3-4 meals out of that.
    I did try the funded version but it made no difference.
    I recently stopped said pill mostly because that $5 was starting to become difficult. (I also pay full price for another drug, that was funded when I started it but then funding changed to a generic and I could never make the switch so it’s pay for the brand or nothing. That happens frequently in NZ).
    Not being on the pill caused some serious seizure problems that landed me in A&E for the day, only just avoiding being admitted.

    Last time I heard- quite a few years ago- just an admission to A&E was $300 so I hate to think was that is now, but even if it was $500, well that’s 2 years worth of that pill cost gone in just a few hours on an avoidable admission.
    My GP went into battle with the Health Ministry about funding for the pill because of it’s use as a medical drug, but no success.
    There was never any help from WINZ at the time (every excuse under the sun) plus I had to give up with them for the sake of my health anyway.

    That’s the saga, I’m not after sympathy or anything, or even whining about lack of money, but what I cannot for the life of me figure out, is DO THESE BLOODY IDEALOGUES WHO ARE SO HELL BENT ON DESTROYING THE WELFARE SYSTEM EVEN KNOW (OR CARE) ABOUT SIMPLE COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS?????

    Surely, even to those Nat voters who despise people like me simply for existing, (apologies, “beneficiary” wasn’t on my career plan when I started Uni) why is it so hard to comprehend that a few dollars for to help with medications and not putting us in the eat/heat/treat situation, is actually a hell of a lot cheaper than the avoidable cost to the public health system? Or because it’s not the welfare budget don’t you mind your hard working taxes being spent on us that way?

    My scenario is just a small one, but it’s common. Taken to the extreme people die.

    • save nz 8.1

      @Kay, no the neoliberal dumbos do not even follow their own ideology in which case they would have an efficient system!! What a terrible story and way to be treated. It is not even about saving money, it is about a punishing regime, that makes no sense. In fact they are wasting massive amounts of money. It’s crazy.

      We can all only hope we can get a change of government for a more humane and less Kafkaesque way to treat our fellow citizens.

      Hopefully we will get, Nexit.

      • Drum 8.1.1

        Kay….if you live in Auckland track the support group Sue Bradford’s involved with. They go into battle with WINZ and are often very successful.

    • Rosie 8.2

      Kay, I don’t know how to answer your question except to say “what save nz said”.

      I feel very frustrated after hearing your story and knowing it’s amplified by thousands of unwell people around NZ. I have no idea what it does to a persons outlook and self esteem over time, being treated like you’re a nuisance getting in their way, being belittled first by those that are meant to help and then by stupid unkind people.

      Geez, my only experience with WINZ is as an agent for my mother and advocating on her behalf for her disability allowance and secondly applying for her residential care subsidy. In that very short amount of time, winz have literally made me pull out my hair with their patronising way they speak to me, their failure to get the basic things done and their total and absolute indifference to my mothers situation and her vulnerability.

      So, I don’t know who long term winz “clients” cope with the effort required just to get what you need and still be able retain self belief and hold their head up high.

      Lastly, your scenario isn’t a “small one”. It’s a life changing, life effecting one. I hope you have good support from some quarters.

      I guess the only thing that can change in your favour is a change to the government and a commitment from a new government to fully review the culture at winz and implement necessary change.

      Take care Kay.

      • Kay 8.2.1

        HI Rosie, thank you for your kind words.

        “So, I don’t know who long term winz “clients” cope with the effort required just to get what you need and still be able retain self belief and hold their head up high.”

        In a nutshell, a lot of us no longer do. It’s a fight for $5 in my case and a fight not worth my physical- and mental- health. I personally know others, and there’s plenty of anecdotal reports around of people who have been forced to make the hard decisions about what medical treatments they can continue with. I’ve had to abandon necessary physio treatment for injuries from seizures because the ACC surcharge is just too much. (I can’t remember which Govt got rid of the full physio subsidy but that was disasterous for many on low/fixed incomes).

        It would be really interesting to find out just how many hospital admissions involving people with chronic health problems can be directly linked to financial problems. We hear from time to time about low income families not picking up antibiotic prescriptions because they can’t afford the charges and the child subsequently ending up in hospital. I’ll bet anything that every every hospital doctor in the country has stories. But not officially, of course. That would be way too embarrassing for the Minister so a formal enquirey, or even survey will never happen.

        Frustration is the word, but what to do? Even the Greens no longer speak out for us (supporting beneficiaries is just too politically toxic I guess) so there’s no one at all in the political establishment. When you’re trying to reason with the RWNJs and post on forums, write to MPs or whatever it is you do, can you point out just how much the welfare policies they’re embracing are costing the health system? Maybe it might sink in to the odd one…

        (ps. I’ve exercised personal responsibility- shock. horror, us bludgers actually have that trait- and restarted that pill. More creative budgeting but I can put together a better budget than Bill ever could. Aside from not wanting to waste precious public hospital resources, if it’s possible to stop a few tonic clonic seizures every month well that’s a no brainer. They’re really not fun.)

        • Rosie 8.2.1.1

          Hi Kay.

          Your response needs a more considered reply then I can give as I’m restrained by time I’m sorry. Hopefully we can talk again another time son.

          I just want to respond to this:

          ” I’ve had to abandon necessary physio treatment for injuries from seizures because the ACC surcharge is just too much. (I can’t remember which Govt got rid of the full physio subsidy but that was disasterous for many on low/fixed incomes).”

          This was the new National coalition government that removed the full subsidy from our ACC physio appointments. I think it came into effect in 2009. I have also had to abandon much needed physio for injuries in the last 7 years, which makes me angry and hinders my mobility.
          I wrote awhile ago to then ACC opposition spokesperson, Iain Lees Galloway and Kevin Hague, ACC spokesperson from the Greens about restoring the subsidy to all physio’s should we get a Labour Green coalition in government. This was back in 2014. Mr Galloway, said in a very nice way, no. Kevin Hague never replied.

          “It would be really interesting to find out just how many hospital admissions involving people with chronic health problems can be directly linked to financial problems”.

          I reckon it would be high. Higher than in previous decades.

          My brother lives with epilepsy. He had a serious tonic clonic seizure a few years ago, the worst in his life. He was lucky not to die from his injuries and was left exhausted and off work for months. Drivers license suspended etc. He has money though, private insurance etc so got through without having to worry about that side of things.

          It is morally unacceptable that you to live with your illness, with only grudging support at best, from your government, and without the means to easily purchase the appropriate medication.

          Kia Ora

  9. Colonial Viper 9

    Caitlyn Jenner supports Trump – too “macho” but good for womens issues; says Hillary Clinton is a “fucking liar” and a “political hack”

    Comments that the economy and jobs are absolutely crucial issues for America.

    http://www.eonline.com/shows/i_am_cait/news/747403/caitlyn-jenner-says-donald-trump-would-be-very-good-for-women-s-issues-calls-hillary-clinton-a-f-king-liar-watch

  10. adam 10

    This is just another reason why I have a soft spot for the SNP.

    You may have heard by now D.Trumpf is now going around the world begging for campaign finances, lets put aside that is illegal. Lets also put aside he knows it’s illegal.

    Lets just embrace a MP who is a fine example of a human being.

    NATALIE McGARRY you are a wonderfully honest individual. My hope is the system won’t grind you down. Hugs and bikkies from the south pacific.

    For the best bit, scroll down to her email response. It is just wonderful.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/donald-trump-fundraising-email-mp-natalie-mcgarry-reply-warm-hope-his-repugnant-campaign-will-fail-a7108701.html

    • Colonial Viper 10.1

      Just a wee reminder of how much money the Clinton Foundation received from foreigners looking for favours from Hillary during her term as Secretary of State (I posted this in OM a day or two ago):

      From a Clinton Foundation document revealed by a hacker. (Please forgive the caps, they were in the article).

      Here are some of the section titles:

      *THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS TIED TO SAUDI ARABIA WHILE CLINTON SERVED AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      *AN EMBATTLED BUSINESSMAN WITH “TIES TO BAHRAIN’S STATE-OWNED ALUMINUM COMPANY” GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

      *A VENEZUELAN MEDIA MOGUL WHO WAS ACTIVE IN VENEZUELAN POLITICS DONATED TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION DURING CLINTON’S TENURE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      *GERMAN INVESTOR WHO HAS LOBBIED CHANCELLOR MERKEL’S ADMINISTRATION GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, SOME OF WHICH WAS DURING MRS. CLINTON’S TENURE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT

      *THE CEO OF AN AMSTERDAM BASED ENERGY COMPANY DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION AND LATER ANNOUNCED AT THE 2009 CGI MEETING A $5 BILLION PROJECT TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER GENERATION IN INDIA AND CHINA

      *INDIAN POLITICIAN AMAR SINGH, WHO HAD DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, MET WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN SEPTEMBER 2008 TO DISCUSS AN INDIA-U.S. CIVIL NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

      *THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DONATIONS FROM INDIAN BUSINESS INTERESTS PRIOR TO HER BECOMING SECRETARY OF STATE

      *BILLIONAIRE STEEL EXECUTIVE AND MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COUNCIL IN KAZAKHSTAN LAKSHMI MITTAL GAVE $1 MILLION TO $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION BEFORE CLINTON BECAME SECRETARY OF STATE

      *SOON AFTER SECRETARY CLINTON LEFT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE CLINTON
      FOUNDATION “RECEIVED A LARGE DONATION FROM A CONGLOMERATE RUN BY A MEMBER OF CHINA’S NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS”

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-21/clinton-foundation-vulnerabilities-document-leaked-after-foundation-says-it-was-hack

      • adam 10.1.1

        Oh please, the real Hilary problem is her main super pac funded her campaign for democratic nomination. Again illegal, but not unheard of.

        Sheesh when did you become a fan boy for dumpft?

        • Colonial Viper 10.1.1.1

          I agree that Trump’s campaign funding legalities are an issue. But unlike Clinton he’s trying to get funds from the Scottish.

          Not from Saudi Arabia, China, India or Kazakhstan.

          Further, Trump is clearly desperate for money. Reports say that the Clinton campaign currently has 30x more money than his. It’s not hard to see why.

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