Open Mike 02/05/2017

50 comments on “Open Mike 02/05/2017 ”

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1. RedBaronCV 1

   2 May 2017 at 7:01 am

   I see the Stuff business headlines have “Former prime minister John Key to become an Air NZ director “.
   Reading the company announcement there is a board meeting on the first of Sept (the date of his appointment) so I imagine that the shareholders are going to be asked to vote him in as a director on that day and they may choose not too. Fake news or just a misleading headline?? There may well be shareholders from major kiwisaver funds etc whose members aren’t too keen on the idea at all. Another case of the old boy’s network looking after it’s own??

   And where are Air NZ’s corporate ethics? Isn’t it time the shareholders passed some resolutions requiring the Board to observe stand down periods between public office & commercial activity before we get the USA revolving door syndrome.
   Perhaps also some limits on the number of other appointments board members can have.
   I’d look forward to the board promoting that. It would also help to break down the pale male stale board compositions
   • indiana 1.1

     2 May 2017 at 10:51 am

     Instead of thrashing your keyboard, go and become a major shareholder so you can influence the board on how they base their ethics.
     • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1

       2 May 2017 at 11:33 am

       We are major shareholders but it’s through the government which will act for their ex-leader rather than for the opinions of the actual shareholders.
     • RedBaronCV 1.1.2

       2 May 2017 at 10:41 pm

       Leaving aside the unwarranted assumption about keyboards (I am aware that shareholders go to meetings to vote for the board and anything else they want to discuss) I’d be more interested if there was some more discussion around the points raised:

       If the shareholders put a motion to the board for a stand down period between public & private office would the crown shareholding have to stand aside from the voting because of a conflict of interest.
       Why doesn’t the chairman of the board promote a range on candidates for the empty seat? Perhaps David Cunliffe for one?
       Has the board considered the baggage that Key potentially brings with him, Pike River, afghan villages, offshore tax laundering, ponytail pulling. This kind of baggage can bring a truckload of poor PR when it blows up (ask Pepsi & United) and that is expensive = not good for shareholders. At the very least Key is a divisive candidate.

       Quite apart from the crown shareholding individuals also own shares through the various kiwi saver investments and they may well not be keen on Key.
   • Draco T Bastard 1.2

     2 May 2017 at 11:31 am

     Another case of the old boy’s network looking after it’s own??

     Yep. That’s definitely what it looks like from here. He doesn’t have a friggen clue about airlines and so simply isn’t qualified for that position.
     • indiana 1.2.1

       2 May 2017 at 12:07 pm

       Why do you need a clue about airlines, Ken Douglas used to be a board member – who appointed him if you are so concerned about an old boys club?
       • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1

         2 May 2017 at 12:12 pm

         Why do you need a clue about airlines

         It would seem to be a good idea to have some experience in how an industry functions before getting to direct it.

         Ken Douglas used to be a board member…

         And that changes my position how?

         Please note: I hold that the upper echelon of our present major business model is an old boys club and thus is totally corrupt.
         • KJT 1.2.1.1.1

           2 May 2017 at 5:46 pm

           Total ignorance of the industry concerned, seems to be an essential qualification for Managers and Directors, these days.

           Never mind that the evidence shows companies that promote from within, do better.
       • KJT 1.2.1.2

         2 May 2017 at 5:43 pm

         His reward for selling out on the employment contracts act.
   • saveNZ 1.3

     2 May 2017 at 1:05 pm

     I was hoping that Key would leave the country with a role in some bank job taking money and assets from the third world, but nope, even they don’t want him these days.

     Now we’re still stuck with him. Like Shipley and Mainzeal, time to sell those shares right wingers and Kiwisavers.
     • saveNZ 1.3.1

       2 May 2017 at 2:34 pm

       Barack Obama’s $400,000 speaking fees reveal what few want to admit
       Steven W Thrasher

       https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/01/barack-obama-speaking-fees-economic-racial-justice
       • McFlock 1.3.1.1

         2 May 2017 at 2:46 pm

         Trevor Noah had an interesting response to that:

         “So the first black president must also be the first one to not take money afterwards?” Noah asked. “No, no, no, no, no, my friend. He can’t be the first of everything. F—k that, and f—k you.”
         • saveNZ 1.3.1.1.1

           2 May 2017 at 4:12 pm

           I think the author was hoping for something more community focused from Obama, not just a Politician for hire to the highest bidder, clone.
           • McFlock 1.3.1.1.1.1

             2 May 2017 at 4:14 pm

             What, like an international charity fund? Yeah, because that would make everyone happy /sarc

             Give the guy a few months off before he figures out what to do in the long run.
             • saveNZ …

               2 May 2017 at 4:19 pm

               He’s not taking time off he’s earning $400,000 per hour for a speech to wall street.

               He’s hitting the post political gravy train at full speed. Like all the other’s before him of course.

               I’m not sure I could see Sander’s giving a $400,000 speech to Wall Street. Just saying….
               • McFlock …

                 2 May 2017 at 4:24 pm

                 Actually, I could, if he’d made president. And he’d probably have plonked most of the money into charity.

                 But we’re still talking one speech in three months after moving house. Get back to me in five years and tell me if Obama’s made no effort to use his rep to make the world a better place.
   • KJT 1.4

     2 May 2017 at 5:40 pm

     I thought the highly subsidised politicians pension was to prevent the sort of corruption, where they are paid off like this after politics.

     Of course this is standard operating procedure for right wing politicians.

     A lucrative directorship in one of the companies whose hands they have washed while in power is so normal, many do not even see it for the political corruption, that it is.
2. JanM 2

   2 May 2017 at 8:08 am

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/92070680/chris-trotter-path-to-a-progressive-governments-future-blocked-by-the-past

   With friends like this do we need enemies?
   • The Chairman 2.1

     2 May 2017 at 11:44 am

     Trotter has a valid point. And we could do with more left wing think tanks. However, his solution (a three-year inquiry) leaves a lot to be desired.  
3. lprent 3

   2 May 2017 at 8:18 am

   The server has simply stopped twice in two days, which is kind of annoying. Neither occasion threw up anything in the logs to indicate what the issue is. In both cases a hard reset was required.

   Unfortunately I’m also pushing to get the code for a project out the door and the hardware into the ovens for tempature testing and then off to EMC testing. So I’m already doing 12-14 hour work days.

   So any fix will have to wait until I either have working code on the last version of the hardware, or a weekend. Please be patient. It takes time to either head home or to get someone to press the button.
   • lprent 3.1

     2 May 2017 at 9:39 am

     Looks like TDB has been having problems as well.

     Tried to leave this comment on a post about HDCA. But the site was a slow as listening to Nick Smith try to explain his water criteria, and about as productive. I’ll post it here in case it never shows up. Bomber appears to have a limited understanding of the HDCA.

     It is likely that any immediate action by the plaintiffs will be to

     1. Ask the court for a take down order.
     2. Ask the court for a name suppression order

     Neither of these require that you are informed by the court until after they are granted as they are both supposedly for a pending civil action.

     Whoever is the presiding judge, only has to be satisfied that:-

     1. There is a prima facie case that could be made (note it doesn’t have to be a winnable case).
     2. That Netsafe has been involved and has decided that they couldn’t mediate a solution.

     Now I am of the opinion that Netsafe are completely failing in their duties under the HDCA (see below).

     But I’d suggest that you lodge an immediate request for a hearing and/or injunction to either prevent those court orders from happening or to rollback those court orders if they are presented to you. Probably the latter, as it isn’t that likely that the mischievous litigants will want to get more legal pain into their lives.

     But Netsafe are more of a longer term problem. I suspect that I might expend some effort and time (when I have some available) to bring them or their employer (the MoJ) into a court so that the courts can determine some working procedures for them

     Netsafe are required by the Act to consider the Bill Of Rights Act when considering these complaints. In my view they do not consider it to be anything apart from a nuisance rathe rthan a fundemental part of NZ law. Instead they appear to completely take the part of the complainant rather than doing the job specified in the HDCA.

     Your reaction to their intervention was in essence a BORA statement, which they have clearly ignored.

     Similarly, their approach asks to set aside parts of the Privacy Act and site privacy policies. They appear to seek contact with unspecified persons for purposes that are not clear and for reasons that are not specified. In short, they don’t give enough information to system operators to decide what should be done under the various provisions of the “safe harbor” section.
4. CLEANGREEN 4

   2 May 2017 at 8:20 am

   Red Barron I’d say it was a good point you make here,

   A case could be made that a conflict of interest is there if it can be found the past PM has a monetary gain (conflict of interest amongst these plans as he did when he had undisclosed shares in Tranz Rail?

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10533576

   Has anyone lost connect to TDB? My server comes up with “Bad gateway 502”?
   • mary_a 4.1

     2 May 2017 at 5:52 pm

     Re TDB. Had that happen yesterday a couple of times Cleangreen (4). Seems to be OK today though. Natzsafe doing its rotten thing perhaps?
5. ianmac 5

   2 May 2017 at 9:07 am

   Brian Easton has an interesting take on Bolger’s years as PM. Hoodwinked like Lange?

   “The problem was more general. Bolger seems to have had only neo-liberal advisers without any leavening of sceptics. Surrounded by the true believers, Bolger became one, while gullible journalists passed the beliefs onto the public.”

   http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/bolger-and-neoliberalism#comment-44954
   • Draco T Bastard 5.1

     2 May 2017 at 11:50 am

     +111

     Great column on how NZ lost it’s way due to the incompetence of the neo-liberal True Believers.
   • Rosemary McDonald 5.2

     2 May 2017 at 11:54 am

     Yep.

     Easton describes almost exactly why ongoing disability policy ‘transformation’ will fail to address the most significant issues facing our community.

     https://publicaddress.net/access/disability-as-a-wicked-policy-problem/

     PS…Does Easton have a role as an ethical economics adviser to any Party standing against the incumbents in the upcoming election?
   • WILD KATIPO 5.3

     2 May 2017 at 3:00 pm

     Perhaps Bolger should have listened to their critics such as Hugh Price , then,… it wasn’t as if there wasn’t enough of them at the time…

     New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
     http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html
6. AsleepWhileWalking 6

   2 May 2017 at 10:28 am

   Heard of a “blood mine”? There are thousands of these unregulated mines, using children as modern day slaves to source cobalt for iphones, electric cars, and other tech gadgets …

   There is a call to action with social media to attempt to pressure Congo, Trump, and key CEO’s such as Elon Musk to stop using blood cobalt in technology.
   • joe90 6.1

     2 May 2017 at 10:59 am

     Congo, Trump, and key CEO’s

     AFAIK overturning regulations restricting trade conflict minerals remains on Trump’s to do list.

     The Trump administration has prepared a new executive order that would extinguish regulatory controls designed to prevent US companies profiting from and encouraging the spread of “conflict minerals” that are inflaming violence in Congo.

     A draft executive order, composed last week and obtained by the Guardian, proposes a two-year suspension of a portion of the Dodd-Frank financial reforms that requires US firms to carry out due diligence to ensure that the products they sell include no minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or neighbouring countries. The regulation was widely applauded as a mainstay of attempts to cut the umbilical chord between big business and violent warlords who have spread unrest throughout the Congo and caused the deaths of more than five million people since the 1990s.

     https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/feb/08/trump-administration-order-conflict-mineral-regulations?CMP=edit_2221
     • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1

       2 May 2017 at 11:52 am

       As I’ve said before: If we held to the standards that we say we hold we wouldn’t trade with the US or any of its companies.
   • Molly 6.2

     2 May 2017 at 12:03 pm

     Russell Brand had a posting on the cobalt issue a few weeks ago.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhMdEMNy5HY

     When you start investigating modern-day slavery it becomes apparent how prevalent the practice is – which we, as western consumers benefit from without thought or knowledge.

     As we don’t have transparency in our supply chains, even the supposed choice of an informed consumer is lost to us as a method of encouraging better practices with our consumer spending.
7. rhinocrates 7

   2 May 2017 at 10:43 am

   Republican representative outed as misogynist rape proponent ‘Red Pill’ troll:

   http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/04/25/the-republican-lawmaker-who-secretly-created-reddit-s-women-hating-red-pill.html?via=twitter_page

   I can’t help but think that Republicans will find it more offensive that he’s found to be an atheist.
   • Draco T Bastard 7.1

     2 May 2017 at 11:57 am

     I can’t help but think that many Republicans will be offended that he was outed.

     I doubt if any of them will be offended that their representative is a misogynist arsehole.
8. joe90 8

   2 May 2017 at 11:08 am

   Buffoon in chief – “I Don’t Stand by Anything”.

   But in early March, Trump wrote on Twitter that Obama had illegally ordered surveillance of Trump Tower in the days and weeks leading up to last year’s election, an allegation for which neither the president nor any White House staff member has been able to offer definitive proof. Trump raised the allegation in his interview without prompting, but then appeared unwilling to discuss it further when CBS anchor John Dickerson asked him whether he stood by the accusation.

   “I don’t stand by anything. I just — you can take it the way you want. I think our side’s been proven very strongly. And everybody’s talking about it. And frankly, it should be discussed,” Trump said. “That is a very big surveillance of our citizens. I think it’s a very big topic. And it’s a topic that should be No. 1. And we should find out what the hell is going on.”

   When Dickerson pressed Trump for further details, the president replied that “you don’t have to ask me” because “I have my own opinions. You can have your own opinions.” Dickerson followed up that he wanted Trump’s opinion as president, prompting Trump to say “OK, it’s enough. Thank you,” and abruptly ended the interview.

   http://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/01/trump-surveillance-claims-cbs-interview-237831
9. The Chairman 9

   2 May 2017 at 11:32 am

   Does anybody else find it interesting that while tobacco tax increases are contributing to the increase in dairy robberies, shop owners (lobby group) aren’t calling for them to end?

   The shop owners lobby group want police stations reopened, the right to defend themselves and more police patrols. However, the police aren’t generally called until after the fact. Therefore, it’s interesting shop owners aren’t calling for more preventive measures such as putting an end to tobacco tax increases.
   • indiana 9.1

     2 May 2017 at 12:09 pm

     …or they can elect not to sell them and as a result would not be targeted for would be robbers who only want to smoke.
     • The Chairman 9.1.1

       2 May 2017 at 12:20 pm

       Most say the sector is to competitive, thus not selling them would put them at a disadvantage.

       Moreover, they would be required to be sold somewhere as they are still a legal product. Therefore, shifting where they are sold would merely move the problem elsewhere.
       • saveNZ 9.1.1.1

         2 May 2017 at 4:14 pm

         Someone told me that a massive amount of tobacco purchases are impulse buys, i.e. they buy at the petrol station when purchasing petrol.

         Their view wa,s with electric cars, and not stopping at petrol stations, tobacco sales will go down further.

         Good for environment and good for health. Go electric cars!
10. joe90 10

    2 May 2017 at 12:13 pm

    Quite the wee theocracy they’re putting together.

    .

    (CNN) President Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of the Army, former army doctor Mark Green, is a self-identified “creationist” who delivered a lecture arguing against the theory of evolution.
    Green’s views and past statements are facing scrutiny ahead of his confirmation hearing, which has yet to be scheduled. If confirmed, Green wouldn’t be the only prominent doctor and member of the Trump administration to reject evolution. HUD Secretary Ben Carson has also made similar arguments and once said the theory of evolution was encouraged by Satan.

    Green, a Tennessee state senator, has faced opposition from Democrats and LGBT groups over his past anti-LGBT comments. In one comment, from September, Green said, “If you poll the psychiatrists, they’re going to tell you that transgender is a disease.”

    http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/01/politics/kfile-trump-army-secretary-pick-theory-of-evolution/index.html
11. WILD KATIPO 11

    2 May 2017 at 12:13 pm

    This may be a little off topic, – but STILL affects not only ‘ tourism ‘ … but our very environment. I posted regarding Pike River on The Standard regarding this article :

    ‘Andrew Little: Together, we will fight for justice for Pike families ‘

    This comment :

    ……………………………………………………………………

    The “in-ground resource value” of New Zealand’s extensive ironsand deposits could be between $1 trillion and $5 trillion, says state-owned energy company Solid Energy.

    The iron ore contained in ironsands off the west coast of the North Island has been estimated to be worth a trillion dollars, but Solid Energy chief executive Don Elder said that “the industry view is increasingly that (the value) could be substantially greater than that”.

    The final value would depend on the price of steel, and the availability of technology to smelt ironsands, he told Parliament’s commerce select committee yesterday.

    “Resources are attracting margins or profits in the order of 20 percent of the revenue.”

    Prices seen in 2008 would mean profit margins of 50 percent or “significantly higher” could be available from ironsands.

    A New Zealand-based company, Trans Tasman Resources Ltd (TTR), and overseas rivals are looking at exploiting New Zealand ironsands, and TTR has suggested that a domestic steel mill could use local high-grade coking coal to refine the ironsands.

    Dr Elder said Chinese companies had cheaper labour and capital and could do such projects faster, but New Zealand had an advantage in the availability of the water needed for such a refinery.

    “If you could process those in New Zealand, it’s a much much better value opportunity and would certainly compete with doing the same thing in China under the right circumstances, with the right technology”.

    ……………………..

    There are many overseas company eyeing up those same resources , as well as NZ ones. Opencast mining is cheaper to conduct and – less prone to negative publicity such as the tragedy at Pike River. You will also recall when John Key first came to power, he and Brownlee were keen to exploit minerals in our national parks . However the rest of us were not and the momentum was lost.

    And as an example of what I meant , I posted this directly below :

    ………………………….

    BTW :…

    Pike River was ONE of the mines that was envisioned to help supply that ‘high quality coking coal’ for the NZ iron sand smelting process….

    As well… the same company that owned the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia , USA , … that had a similar methane /coal dust explosion killing 29 workers with only 2 escaping ( just like Pike River) … several months before Pike River – ALSO HAD FINANCIAL INTERESTS IN PIKE RIVER.

    Go figure , people !!!

    There’s a lot more riding on this whole thing than meets the eye with some pretty powerful local and offshore vested interests who are working to ensure Pike River evidence never gets to see the light of day.
    …………………………

    ( Update : Bathhurst Resources was a direct investor in Pike River Coal Mine – which has DIRECT RELEVANCE to the articles in today’s news in the articles below ….)

    ……………………………………………………………………….

    NOW TODAY WE SEE THIS ,… in the NZ Herald – AND hot on the heels of the latest release on Pike River :

    Forest & Bird says Government has secret mining plans for Denniston …
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11848323

    ‘Secret’ coal mining plans on the West Coast alarm Forest & Bird | Stuff …
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/92107750/Secret-coal-mining-plans-alarm-Forest-Bird

    Forest & Bird says Government has secret mining plans for Denniston …
    mining.einnews.com/…/378838187-forest-bird-says-government-has-secret-mining-p.

    ……………………………………………………………………..

    And historically , – the Forest and Bird Society know all too well how these deceptive mining operators work through Government.

    Forest & Bird Magazine 352 May 2014 by Forest & Bird – issuu
    https://issuu.com/forestandbird/docs/forest___bird_magazine_352_may_2014

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
    
    • saveNZ 11.1

      2 May 2017 at 4:16 pm

      Scary stuff there, WILD KATIPO.
      • WILD KATIPO 11.1.1

        2 May 2017 at 5:06 pm

        I reckon ! – second time I’ve had my posts shifted !!!

        L0L ! – just kidding guys !!

        🙂

        Ill be a bit more careful next time !!!
12. Karen 12

    2 May 2017 at 12:37 pm

    Fantastic take-down of Matthew Hooton by Andrew Geddis on the Pundit. Hooton will be fuming.

    http://www.pundit.co.nz/content/why-matthew-hooton-is-wrong-again
    • Red 12.1

      2 May 2017 at 2:36 pm

      Why just looks like an academic got his knickers in a twist about pretty boring topic, who cares
      • adam 12.1.1

        2 May 2017 at 4:31 pm

        You obviously Red.

        That said, a very funny piece by Andrew. Especially the last few paragraphs.
13. Pete 13

    2 May 2017 at 2:38 pm

    I’m watching Melissa Lee and Coleman making out they’re friends of poorly paid workers after the recent moves to pay equity in the aged care sector.

    They’re taking a triumphant stand making out how fucking wonderful they are. Bastards.
14. heman 14

    2 May 2017 at 3:10 pm

    In Other news:
    Reserves for sale in NZ. Get in quick!
    http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1316097812
    • Dv 14.1

      2 May 2017 at 5:26 pm

      The took it down
      Bummer
15. Grafton Gully 15

    2 May 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Another reason to eat vegetarian on top of avoiding the damaging health and environmental effects of dairy and meat.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/asia/chinas-appetite-pushes-fisheries-to-the-brink.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=1
16. Red Hand 16

    2 May 2017 at 7:50 pm

    “A4M is focused on spreading awareness about innovative, cutting-edge science and research, in addition to treatment modalities designed to prolong the human life span”. https://www.a4m.com/our-mission.html

    “Ghoto said last year that he lived “a long life because I have people that love me looking after me”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/02/oldest-human-dies-in-indonesia-aged-146

    Loving friends and relatives. Loving friends and relatives. Loving friends and relatives. Cutting edge scientists and researchers. Cutting edge scientists and researchers. Cutting edge. Scientists and researchers.

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