Open mike 02/02/2011

64 comments on “Open mike 02/02/2011 ”

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1. Mickysavage 1

   2 February 2011 at 7:25 am

   Radio New Zealand reports that public private partnerships in the Education Sector are expected to save if implemented $800,000 in the next 30 years …

   And cost $6,000,000 to implement …

   And there is significant commercial risk that the department will not have the expertise to do the job properly …

   And the first contract is expected to be put up for expressions of interestt in the next couple of months …

   One simple question, why are they doing this?
   • Bored 1.1

     2 February 2011 at 7:41 am

     To skin a cat you must invest in a knife and start somewhere. NACT have shown their intent to feudalise everything they can, which takes time and costs our money, before by tax and after by user pays.

     If the electors of NZ are so fucking dumb that they will vote for their reduction to serf status they deserve it.
   • JS 1.2

     2 February 2011 at 9:45 am

     My child went to school which had a big building project in the late 1990s. Basically privatised and the Ministry had very little to do with it, except set a budget limit, as they were not required to have any other oversight to at the time. Consequence – one very large leaky building problem.
     • millsy 1.2.1

       2 February 2011 at 11:08 am

       To be honest, whoever decided to kill off the MOW (and sell its successor SOE), really needs a [deleted — r0b].

       The MOW would have over seen the design and building of a school much easier and cheaper than these dodgy cowboy builders.
2. jcuknz 2

   2 February 2011 at 7:38 am

   I think DPF sums up political blogs rather well this morning with ….It reminds me of the old saying that if John Key walked on water, then the headline would be “John Key can’t swim”.
   • lprent 2.1

     2 February 2011 at 9:34 am

     Actually I think he was talking about TV3 news.
     • killinginthenameof 2.1.1

       2 February 2011 at 2:33 pm

       Yes, it was when he was having a cry about an unfavourable story on tv3. As usual claiming leftwards bias, no sense of relativisim that man. Just like Clark though, if she cured cancer they would be complaining that she was putting doctors out of work.

       Also illustrates the depths to which the quality of the reasoning and critical thinking that the right has dropped to. First picking out a single story to claim an entire channel is biased, secondly, and much more a feature of current right wing discourse, working back from the output. I have a feeling it might be called ex post facto, basically when someone says something they dont like, its not because its true, its because they are bias. very little intellectual rigour
       • jcuknz 2.1.1.1

         3 February 2011 at 12:34 pm

         I am sure the reporter got full marks for doing an ‘in depth’ story when actually all it justified was a 20 second clip, such is infotainment on a short of news night. It is nothing particularly about left wing bias but rather as I wrote it sickening bias on blogs of both sides. One could well say if Goff walked on water they would report he couldn’t swim. And appropriate blogs would echo.
3. vto 3

   2 February 2011 at 8:42 am

   I was particularly perturbed by Christchurch Judge Jane Farish and her decision on the men who diddled the Marriage Celebrant rules. Or rather, her decision on one of the men.

   Judge Farish discharged the maori man without conviction on the basis that;

   1. He received most of his income through government contracts and if convicted he would lose that income stream.

   2. A conviction would weigh heavily on his ancestors.

   3. A conviction would weigh heavily on his children.

   Farish is a relatively recent appointment. Her judgments have been watched with interest. This one sticks out like dogs balls for being a more extreme example of some of her eyebrow-raising judgments.

   Perhaps a more astute (or rather, less worn out) legal mind can explain whether a persons ancestors or children have been used to justify a discharge without conviction before??

   And it would also be worth discovering whether or not such ancestor and children effects can be applied to non-maori.

   And one more further, is the state not meant to be secular??? Farish’s judgment directly means that the state is recognising that the man’s ancestors feel the effect of his conviction. So the court recognises life after death (of a form).

   I don’t about others but this judgment is particular disturbing is it not??? It seems to fall short in several areas.
   • happynz 3.1

     2 February 2011 at 9:02 am

     That is an odd decision, I’d have to agree.
     • Vicky32 3.1.1

       2 February 2011 at 7:23 pm

       I agree! It’s bizarre…
       Deb
   • M 3.2

     2 February 2011 at 9:27 am

     Will have to see what Kwisfirst make of this. There’s a small article about the Berrymans

     http://www.kiwisfirst.co.nz/
   • Thomas 3.3

     4 February 2011 at 12:57 pm

     Yes vto I agree wholeheartedly with your comments, this woman is nothing more than a rascist liberal, & is clearly treating people of Maori extraction differently than the ‘whiteys’….I’d say she is heading down a very dangerous road if she dosn’t clean up her act.
4. Treetop 4

   2 February 2011 at 10:07 am

   Over for the Berrymans, but at a great personal and financial cost. The fact that 150,000 was paid out indicates that the government are accepting some liability for the army. Dr Moodie now has to decide whether or not he is going to pursue the judges for culpability of the armys construction of the bridge and the secrecy that surrounded/’s the construction. The transoms on the bridge gave way due to their construction and I think it was unreasonable for the Berrymans to know the transoms were rotten due to the bridges age.
5. pollywog 5

   2 February 2011 at 10:35 am

   Yay…Kiwibank increased it’s penalty rate for missed direct debit and automatic payments from $7 to $15 yesterday ?

   so on top of making up the missed payment, you now have to reimburse the bank double the previous rate for doing fuck all except punish you for it…

   How does that work. Whats the justification ?
   • ianmac 5.1

     2 February 2011 at 10:42 am

     Most other banks had been charging $25. They were forced to bring it down to $15 while good old Kiwibank lifted theirs up to the standard $15. Good on them.
     • pollywog 5.1.1

       2 February 2011 at 10:52 am

       …but why does it cost 15 dollars to start with ?

       It’d be different if they honored the payment gave you a weeks grace and charged you for it.

       As is, it doesn’t cost the bank anything to do nothing but they’re charging us for it

       it’s just another gouging tax on the poor cos the power companies do it too…
       • infused 5.1.1.1

         2 February 2011 at 11:17 am

         Because you fucked up? They are trying to stop you from fucking up in future?
         • Lanthanide 5.1.1.1.1

           2 February 2011 at 12:14 pm

           The fuck up may be completely out of control of the person the bank is penalising, though.

           What if you had a really large AP or DD coming out the day after you were paid, like $2,000 or something which worked out to be 60% of your total pay. And for some reason your work is 1 day late paying you – you end up bearing the brunt of a $15 fee for your work’s mistake.

           If your answer is “you should have enough money in your account to cover your DD/APs at all times”, then that’s not very realistic is the DD/AP is actually a very large part of your monthly income and you have all of your savings in term deposits.
     • KJT 5.1.2

       2 February 2011 at 1:54 pm

       It should not cost anything more than a $2 filing fee.

       I think Kiwibank has now been instructed to match their prices to the Cartel as they were embarrassing them by charging much less and still making a profit.

       Couldn’t have a State owned bank running more efficiently than private ones. It spoils the picture.
   • Draco T Bastard 5.2

     2 February 2011 at 12:54 pm

     Solution – don’t use automatic payments or direct debits. With internet banking there is no need.

     The one that really pissed me off is when I got charged an overdraft fee of $15 after the bank put me in overdraft of $2. I just closed the account on that one.
6. pollywog 6

   2 February 2011 at 10:51 am

   So the Savings Working Group have decided that ‘Kiwi’ mums and dads are broke as and fairly much living hand to mouth cos they don’t make enough to save…

   …then how the fuck are we supposed to invest in shares when National privatise the power companies ?

   take a fucking loan out yeah ?..but aren’t we supposed to be paying down debt not getting our selves deeper into it ?
   • ianmac 6.1

     2 February 2011 at 11:09 am

     Some others have named the “Mums and Dads” whom will be able to invest like , Fay, Ritchwhite, Brierly, Key, etc. Sorry but Pollywogs are not eligible. Or those of us on Super.
7. Deadly_NZ 7

   2 February 2011 at 11:27 am

   And as usual here the Granny Herald with more political Bullshit and NO comments section. They are driving this 85% of GDP bullshit really hard.

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10703487

   Lets hope that the real message is getting out and people are now awake to the fact that this government could not lie straight in bed.
8. r0b 8

   2 February 2011 at 12:57 pm

   Moved several comments to new post on the election announcement.
9. Scott 9

   2 February 2011 at 1:00 pm

   What are New Zealand troops doing in Egypt?
   http://readingthemaps.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-are-kiwi-troops-doing-in-egypt.html
10. William Joyce 10

    2 February 2011 at 1:44 pm

    The inept, do-nothing, toadie Murray McCully…”said commercial flights were still the preferred option, as taxpayers would be disgruntled if they had to pay for an expensive aircraft to evacuate a handful of citizens.”

    Yeah, right!
    Because we really would rather pay Children’s Commissioner John Angus $4500 over six months so he can get to work earning $199,00 including “unspecified benefits”.
    Or paying Supreme Court Judges to go quietly so people wont look too hard at their blatant conflicts of interest.
    Or paying for more unnecessary research into a 0.05 drink driving limit.
    Or funding business trips to China for the Wongs.
    Or double dipping for the double dipping douche of dipton
    Or paying the salary of the beneficiary bouncer while she gets an education in the US (she should stayed here – I could have lectured her on a thing or two)
    Or paying Walking Access Commission Mark Neeson over $11,000 to visit Canada, Scotland and England to research the high-tech, economically strategic world of walking.
11. Lanthanide 11

    2 February 2011 at 1:56 pm

    NZIER review shows 90-day fire-at-will bill has increased employment and jobs:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4608499/90-day-trials-boost-labour-market-NZIER
12. big bruv 12

    2 February 2011 at 2:44 pm

    Hey…look at this.

    The 90 day trial is working well.

    http://nzier.org.nz/publications/90-day-trial-periods-appear-successful-nzier-insight-25
    • Draco T Bastard 12.1

      2 February 2011 at 4:23 pm

      Data are now available to analyse these impacts in the policy’s first several months in operation.1 NZIER has conducted an initial analysis of the publicly available data from Statistics New Zealand’s Linked Employer-Employee Database (LEED),

      Except that no such data is available as the government made no provision to collect data about the fire-at-will bill so the data that they’re using is analysed out of the actual data collected and then saying that their analysis says something that the data wasn’t collected for.

      Basically, they’re guessing.
    • millsy 12.2

      2 February 2011 at 11:07 pm

      Yes, working well at turning workers into expendable units, to be thrown away at will.

      What does that tell people if employers will only hire people if they can get rid of them. This law effectively sends the message that loyalty towards workers do not matter.

      Soon as we chuck this mob out the door, the better
13. KJT 13

    2 February 2011 at 2:54 pm

    More sell offs.
    http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10703491
    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      2 February 2011 at 6:01 pm

      We really need to stop these sell-offs. If we don’t we’re going to be screwed.
14. Tigger 14

    2 February 2011 at 3:01 pm

    Key’s ‘fuck-list’ comments hit England.

    Best quote: PR expert Claudia Macdonald, managing director of Mango Communications, agreed with Key’s approach, saying his comments were “refreshing” to hear from a Prime Minister.

    “The days of tightly buttoned-up politicians with carefully managed facades are waning,”

    Oh come on! As though the revelation of this list wasn’t carefully managed. The list stunk of artificiality.
    • Lanthanide 14.1

      2 February 2011 at 3:11 pm

      Yeah, maybe our journalists might give this the attention it deserves, now.
      • Tigger 14.1.1

        2 February 2011 at 3:28 pm

        Key’s committed to a weekly session with Veitch. Desperate for friends now that his bff Henry has abandoned him.

        Who on earth told him cuddling up to a woman-beater was a way to cement his appeal among teh female vote? Even my right-wing sister is horrified by this news – and she’s true-blue.
        • marty mars 14.1.1.1

          2 February 2011 at 6:20 pm

          oh dear – goff has come out with this – “Meanwhile, Labour leader Phil Goff said Liz Hurley “was pretty close” to being on his top five hot women list.”

          http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4609295/Sexist-row-Key-stands-by-hot-Hurley-comments

          what sad losers key and goff are
          • Pascal's bookie 14.1.1.1.1

            2 February 2011 at 6:24 pm

            ffs
          • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.1.2

            2 February 2011 at 6:24 pm

            Oh, ffs, didn’t he learn from all the negativity that going on about who’s “hot” or not doesn’t look good?
            • mickysavage 14.1.1.1.2.1

              2 February 2011 at 6:34 pm

              /bash head into desk repeatedly/*
              • Anthony C …

                2 February 2011 at 6:53 pm

                Once again who is advising this guy?

                Idiot.

                How hard is it to say “I have a top 1, my wife it’s why I married her”. Now he not only looks like Key’s Lapdog, but he’s joined the stupidity.
                • Salsy …

                  2 February 2011 at 10:35 pm

                  What a complete idiot… could he be more stupid?
          • The Voice of Reason 14.1.1.1.3

            2 February 2011 at 7:15 pm

            Well, at least he’s not the only Labour MP with a problem engaging the brain before the tongue:

            http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0202/1224288769977.html

            And I predict the slogan halfway down the page will get an airing at the election. Gotta be a shoo in for the Vote Norml campaign!
            • just saying 14.1.1.1.3.1

              2 February 2011 at 7:51 pm

              Spookily Goff’s response was all but predicted by Scott at Imperator Fish in his satirical evisceration of Key entitled ‘Key Captures Critical Demographic after radio show’.

              “A Labour government would be an inclusive one,” said Mr Goff yesterday, standing at the bar in Showgirls with his hands in his pants.

              “We are a party for all New Zealanders. It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white, brown or yellow, rich or poor. If it’s female and hot then I’ll tap it.

              “My message to ordinary New Zealanders who are struggling through these hard times and who happen to be female and sexy is this: show us your tits, love!
          • higherstandard 14.1.1.1.4

            2 February 2011 at 7:54 pm

            Who cares ?
            • Draco T Bastard 14.1.1.1.4.1

              2 February 2011 at 7:59 pm

              The people who were going to vote Labour?
          • orange whip? 14.1.1.1.5

            3 February 2011 at 7:30 am

            So can we get rid of Goff now or do we just throw the election?

            Seriously, I don’t care either way but if I find out later that I campaigned for a left-wing govt and all the while the biggest left-wing party wasn’t even playing, I’m gonna be hella pissed.

            Labour, you don’t have so many friends that you can afford to fuck them around.
15. Pascal's bookie 15

    2 February 2011 at 3:46 pm

    Radical cleric calls for ethnic cleansing in middle east.
    • Draco T Bastard 15.1

      2 February 2011 at 7:53 pm

      He said any peace agreement has to recognize that “the Jewish people have indigenous rights to the land in which they occupy and live and it goes back not 60 years or 80 years but it goes back 3,500 years.”

      Sure, they held the land 3500 years ago – the Romans kicked them out about 2000 years ago. I think that pretty much annuls any claims that the Israelis can make to the Fertile Crescent.
16. Chris73 16

    2 February 2011 at 3:56 pm

    Anyone seen the findings of the NZIER on the 90 day trial?

    Its over at kiwiblog if anyones interested
    • BLiP 16.1

      2 February 2011 at 4:49 pm

      Economists doing what they do best – in the absence of evidence and with a pro-market bias, have a guess.
    • mcflock 16.2

      2 February 2011 at 4:59 pm

      I won’t bother to guess whether they love it over there.

      Personally I was somewhat underwhelmed – I felt the assumptions and evidence were possibly not as reliable as the trumpeted outcome. But what the hey.
      • Chris73 16.2.1

        2 February 2011 at 7:29 pm

        No doubt if the results had been the other way round I’m sure the comments might be different 🙂
        • Draco T Bastard 16.2.1.1

          2 February 2011 at 7:57 pm

          Any conclusion that they could reach would be doubtful because there is no specific data being collected about the fire-at-will bill. It has to be extrapolated out from the statistics that are collected and that would mean controlling for more than just the three variables as they’ve done. The reality is that they can’t say that the fire-at-will bill has changed anything.
          • Chris73 16.2.1.1.1

            2 February 2011 at 9:57 pm

            Just remembering when this was announced the unions and the labour party were saying this was going to lead to mass sackings etc etc even though they didn’t have any data/findings at all

            But thats their job I suppose
            • Draco T Bastard 16.2.1.1.1.1

              2 February 2011 at 10:26 pm

              Actually, they said that it would be abused and, lo and behold, it has been.
              • Colonial Viper …

                2 February 2011 at 10:34 pm

                Also you can cause fear amongst a group of people simply by brandishing a potent weapon around, you don’t actually have to fire it that often.
        • mcflock 16.2.1.2

          4 February 2011 at 1:37 pm

          Hang on – does the smiley face mean that you don’t really think that if a study by paid economists was so vague but supported left wing interpretations, we’d all be crowing about a slim statistical test run under some pretty questionable assumptions?

          Generally what I seem to recall around here when the stats support the left (and reality has a well known liberal bias 🙂 ) is that usually there’s someone pretty middle of the road who can put the breaks on enthusiastic over-interpretation. It might be a positie “hmmm” as opposed to a negative “hmmm”, but the few times I’ve been on kb it’s seemed to be an emotional rollercoaster, with dramatic swings between mania and depression at the release of monthly results.
          • lprent 16.2.1.2.1

            4 February 2011 at 2:45 pm

            …but the few times I’ve been on kb it’s seemed to be an emotional rollercoaster, with dramatic swings between mania and depression at the release of monthly results

            I always get the impression there that it is populated by people with their long-term memory having been suppressed. It has obviously been replaced with a borg style myth repetition device. Bores the hell out of me.

            I actually find that big bruv is one of the more readable commentators at kb because his borg transformation appears to be faulty 😈
17. logie97 17

    3 February 2011 at 12:42 am

    For those of us who might use Microsoft Explorer, when do we say enough is enough and source alternatives

    http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/almost-two-million-risk-being-hacked-4011823

    captcha: conclusion

Links to post

1. The Standard: posted on 29 January 2011 at 8:56 pm
2. news4trends.com: posted on 30 January 2011 at 12:48 am
3. The Standard: posted on 1 February 2011 at 5:02 pm
4. Key press conference « The Standard: posted on 2 February 2011 at 12:12 pm

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