Open Mike 03/07/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 3rd, 2018 - 59 comments
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59 comments on “Open Mike 03/07/2018 ”

  1. bwaghorn 1

    They found the cave kids alive !!!!!

    • Sanctuary 1.1

      I saw that. A good news story!

    • AsleepWhileWalking 1.2

      Thank goodness!

    • Ankerrawshark 1.3

      Yes, wonderful news about the boys. Brave little guys. Here’s hoping they get them out ASAP. Poor kids

    • james 1.4

      What an amazing bit of awesome news.

      Its going to be difficult to get them out – but one of the best things I have read in a long time.

  2. Pat 2

    Landslide for Obrador….vows to eradicate corruption…. what chance success (or even life)?

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/02/amlo-mexico-president-five-things

  3. Jenny 3

    Generation Rent

    Is Kiwibuild doomed?

    Should the government be concentrating on a huge expansion on affordable state rentals instead?

    Harshal Chitale, Auckland Council senior economist, says their analysis shows middle-class income groups would now even be unable to afford a home at the Kiwibuild cap of $650,000.

    A household would need to be earning $118,300 a year to afford a $650,000 home with a 10 per cent deposit, he said.

    Auckland’s middle class plummeting down property ladder

    • AsleepWhileWalking 3.1

      Neither.

      IRRS (if we must have it) should be paired with an individual, not a building.

    • Herodotus 3.2

      Unfortunately this govt needs kiwibuild as it allows them to fund any state housing development and keeping debt levels manageable. The land has no cash cost add a house and sell for $650k then use the $300k from the sale of the land on a kiwibuild to fund he build of a state house.
      As some have stated this govt has sold itself to the reduced debt at the expense of what is best for nz 🤑
      IMO build state houses then we will not need so many heavily subsidised landlords

    • Draco T Bastard 3.3

      Affordable housing is where the price of a house is three to four times the average wages.

      $650,000 is about ten times the average wage.

    • saveNZ 3.4

      Is Kiwibuild doomed? Yep, they need to lower the house prices or increase the wages substantially or decline the population. What is the point of Kiwibuild if they flood Auckland with low waged foreign workers undermining Labour’s so called Kiwi jobs and foreign buyers now even recommended in a report to be bought in the mix to buy up the land and profit from it.

      The quasi private COO type companies are virtually given away free public land in secret deals that are not providing much affordable housing aka HCL and if the buyers end up being foreigners or new residents who then rent them out after the withholding period, and the renters need more accomodation supplement to pay for the rising rents in the aforementioned Kiwibuild houses, it is gonna be a joke.

      The NZ way seems to be market forces needing government money propping it up in a Kind of quasi public money for private profits. Not a nice story.

      If they want to get Kiwibuild to succeed they need to use local and resident builders even if they have to train them on mass themselves, use local land and probably not sell them at all, as the city needs cheap rentals the most. Then use the rents to make more, exactly how private developers do it, only the profit goes back to the state to make more rentals!

      If a developer can borrow money on 10% deposit I’m not sure how the government can’t do it, with free land they already own and cheaper interest rates????

      Of course that might lower the house prices and less profit to developers who will be screaming that their profits be guaranteed.

      Gosh and I always thought I paid taxes for the hospitals and schools and public services, I had no idea it was more important to use the tax money to prop up the profits of foreign and local developers and banks and keep their wages workers down and lowering in real terms the amounts given to hospitals and schools.

    • ropata 3.5

      Property market could be getting interesting

      Bubble deflating at last? Average asking price for Auckland homes down more than $82,000 (-8.3%), prices also down in BoP, Wellington & Canterbury https://t.co/tQiERbaLlg— John Johnston (@jjprojects) July 2, 2018

      Prices apparently falling faster than expected say mainstream economists.. But if you want my 2c worth prices are TANKING!! These folks should do some in the field research. They might learn something pic.twitter.com/jKF1JHMffK— Lindsay David (@linzcom) July 3, 2018

      Also, the Australian bank inquiry is not finished, but it will be having a cooling effect on the banksters’ ability to splash debt around
      https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-22/how-outrage-over-australian-banks-sparked-inquiry-quicktake-q-a

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4

    Baby bonus breeds welfare dependency!

    (No mention of landlord welfare addiction…)

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12081859

    • Observer Tokoroa 4.1

      Nice One AWW !

      Of course there was no mention of LandLords’ Addiction !

      How could you ever imagine Low IQ Soper blast the poor into total struggle – while leaving the fat addicted landlords basking in wealth stolen via rent from the same poor ?

      Where do we get nitwits like Soper from ? Who breeds them?

      Newstalk ZB constantly displays the brain crisis that our Nation is suffering. Toxic.

      • Ankerrawshark 4.1.1

        Speaking of brainless nit wits in the media, Garner et al have lifted their ban on Winston Peters, but he’s not appearing on their show. Good on ya Winston. It’s the same entitled patronizing crap from garner et al…….these are the fools like sooner “we’ll show them”

        • cleangreen 4.1.1.1

          100% Ankerrawshark,

          We are all squarerly right behind Winston on this crappy media activity, as it has lost its way entirely.

          Time to replace the useless Minister of Broadcasting and get a government Minister who can finally get what they promised us ‘a channel like “TVNZ 7” was’ with real investigative journalism to represent the truth finally as well as other views.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVNZ_7

          We do not ever want to hear the corporate and carpetbaaggers views for their feeding their overbloated greed.

          Get rid of Clare Curran put her on parking meter duty.

    • adam 5.1

      Don’t hold your breath.

      trump like key, is teflon – no shit is going to stick to the low life, lying ,society destroying, scumbag.

      • ropata 5.1.1

        Trump is the living embodiment of a failing bloated corrupt American Empire. Key is a saint by comparison, also a hell of a lot more intelligent. Key has a genuine rags to riches story that fits well with American bootstrap mythology, Trump is a silver spoon spoiled rich kid.

        But he’s unwittingly doing God’s work, exposing the true extent of villainy that has riddled the US political system. They can’t even impeach the fucker, he’s too useful to the corporate warmongers. His insanity is a great distraction from their war crimes in Yemen and Syria and Libya, and the atrocities in Iraq and Guantanamo and Palestine

        • soddenleaf 5.1.1.1

          No lover of Trump but oil retreat means a less integrated world economy, and so it’s remiss of us not to discuss how Trump dislocating and disconnecting is about pivoting into that new world. Break things, so leading to mending them in a new shape. I.E Trump is the crap leader for the crap times we are living through.

  5. marty mars 7

    Dead in a year – see your mana people? Your mana is in the tree and the tree is going.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/105184309/tne-mahuta-could-be-dead-within-a-year-from-kauri-dieback

    • saveNZ 7.1

      That is terrible. Marty mars.

    • Robert Guyton 7.2

      “Black says the crisis has been nine years in the making and believes MPI, who she says has muzzled scientists researching the disease, are partly to blame for its rapid spread.”

      9 years? That’ll be throughout the Key-led years, when National was in Government and the issue was theirs, yes?

      • ropata 7.2.1

        Also the Maori Party who enabled this bullshit for the sake of money (while spouting on about self reliance)

      • saveNZ 7.2.2

        It’s irrelevant who did it, the sad thing is people stood by and let it happen and there does not seem to be much interest in saving this heritage more a fight about funding for money to save it and who did it, being more important an issue. -As any RMA environmental person will tell you, it’s just an old tree, plant another one. Today’s politicians and spokespeople have zero interest in history or culture or mana in any sense of the words. Everything is about funding and is a commodity. Who cares about that sick tree/person when you can just get another one.

        Sadly even the Greens are coming across like this. Got some email about saving the oceans from bags from the Greens and give $3. For Fucks sake, what is $3 gonna do???? It’s not about the money it is about changing the policy. They are in government and paid by taxpayers to do their job which should be to put in a bill to ban plastic bags which costs nothing.

        Labour are just as bad. But I mention the Greens because they used to know better, whoever they had advising them seems to be a neoliberal or someone who maybe worked at American Red Cross Haiti campaign?

        Part of all the meet or greet seems to be to distract the politicians and take up their time instead of having them focus on the real stuff that ordinary people want. A house and job is part of it, but also emotional and spiritual stuff like trees and oceans, that just can’t be translated into money and therefore ignored in government policy.

      • Hongi Ika 7.2.3

        Talking to a farmer from Otago a month ago he said mycoplasma bovis had been around since 2012 ?

        • Gabby 7.2.3.1

          I hope he’s told MPI how he knows that.

        • alwyn 7.2.3.2

          According to Professor Keith Woodford who is an Honorary Professor at Lincoln University there is a very good chance that the disease was actually present in New Zealand as early as 2008.
          He says
          “Another industry person has come to me outlining a situation back in 2008 where there was a major outbreak of uncontrollable mastitis and lameness in a mob of cows that now, with hindsight, has all the distinctive characteristics of Mycoplasma bovis”.
          He also says
          “An American-trained vet with considerable experience with Mycoplasma bovis tells me that when he started practising in New Zealand some ten years ago he made a tentative diagnosis of Mycoplasma bovis in some New Zealand animals. However, there was no laboratory here with the expertise to confirm or deny that it was Mycoplasma bovis.”
          https://keithwoodford.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/mycoplasma-bovis-battle-fatigue-is-growing-but-government-claims-to-be-resolute/
          I know nothing of the subject so can’t give an opinion but he would appear to be in a position to have an informed opinion.

    • joe90 7.3

      About 15 minutes in the discussion turns to the possibility that Kauri dieback could be related to the disruption of seabird colonies, and their vast guano [phosphate] deposits, by human settlement.

      https://www.radiolive.co.nz/home/articles/weekend-variety-wireless/2018/05/kauri-set-to-be-listed-as-threatened-species.html

    • AsleepWhileWalking 7.4

      If anyone here can perform agnihotra close enough so a resonance point can cover the area Tane resides in this can reverse the dieback, especially if a group of people performed it.

      Info at agnihotra.com.au

      I’m in Wellington and don’t think I can relocate easily. Don’t care if you think I’m nuts – it’s Tane!

  6. saveNZ 8

    Trade deals are so beneficial, even if we win, we lose with ISDS. But zero spine from government to just ban it.

    Revealed: $39m cost of defending Australia’s tobacco plain packaging laws
    Exclusive: Two years after an FOI claim was lodged, the price of the six-year fight with Philip Morris has been revealed

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jul/02/revealed-39m-cost-of-defending-australias-tobacco-plain-packaging-laws

    Bet NZ can’t ban plastic bags either or a million other things in the future when they are found to be having negative effects, but government have to ask the lawyers permission first.

    Business trumps Social good because these trade deals are about profit for business as their primary goal and they reward their politician cheerleaders and provide for them afterwards with good jobs and benefits and donations to keep them in office as long as they serve them.

    • cleangreen 8.1

      Trade deals are not good for Kiwis as we will be treatened by all parties now, including the new Mexican agreement being setup.

      New President Lopez Obrador’’s government could usher in greater scrutiny of foreign investment and a less accommodating approach to the United States.

      We hear today on RNZ that this new left wing leader of Mexico is now since being elected yesterday, as he is threatening USA, even as Mexico are members of a free trade deal already with USA/Canada in NAFTA.

      Lopez Obrador’s nationalism, stubborn nature and put-downs of rivals have drawn comparisons to U.S. President Donald Trump.

      https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-election/mexico-votes-for-new-president-leftist-rebel-favored-to-win-idUSKBN1JR15F

      So as I say these are tough guys that will play hard and run all over our weaker Government.

      This TPP11 is not going to be fair or good for us.

    • Gabby 8.2

      They can recoup that by bumping the baccy excise.

  7. greywarshark 9

    David Seymour is thinking about what the euthanasia of his bill End of Life Choice Bill, could be called that referred to the practice in a way that was less clinical.
    I suggest Managed Demise.

    It is not as stark as suicide, and shouldn’t be like the usual idea of suicide – lonely, desperate, agonised, or despairing. It is actually hastened death that gives to the dying person the opportunity to choose for themselves when they want to die and then following some thoughtful rituals, to go in a resigned, peaceful way, with as little pain or sadness as is possible.

  8. saveNZ 10

    The future, $120k essential workers leaving town? If they can’t get competent doctors or even cleaners then even the rich will leave town! Society needs to be protected as a system not just about wealth. Society needs to value everyone!

    “He said he knows plenty of stories about people not being able to get workers to move to Queenstown.

    “I heard a story of a doctor who left town. She was earning probably $120,000 a year and she left because she couldn’t afford to buy a house and she’d never be able to.”

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/07/queenstown-struggling-to-find-renters-who-can-afford-the-city.html

    • cleangreen 10.1

      Yes i heard today on TV that a house outside Auckland is average price of $500.000 and is at a price that most will be able to afford.

      So if in Gisborne the houses are at a low price of 150.000 to $250.000 which many curently are should be a boom town where many will flock to now?

      My Dauger own tqwo houses in Gisborne and one was valued last week at $150.000 and the other at $250.0000 so we have seen these prices as proof of current cost.

      Many Auckland folks are comming here buying three homes as theyn sell there own house up in Auckland for up to one million.

      Things are out of balance now here.

      • Sacha 10.1.1

        How are jobs looking in Gisborne now? Or are most of these new home-buyers retirees?

    • bwaghorn 10.2

      That Dr should move to ohakune. We got houses we can’t get Drs.

    • Graeme 10.3

      About half the people who “move to Queenstown” don’t last 2 years. Or put another way, the town turns over half it’s population every 2 years.

      And it’s still go the highest growth rate in the country.

      Which makes it a really different town socially.

  9. Observer Tokoroa 11

    Guyon and his reports

    Yet another shot at Kelvin. Everyone who has an ear on the news knows that Labour has no intention of building Mega Prisons. It is all the same, determined to reduce the number of prisoners. That crucial fact has eluded Guyon.

    Therefore, The reports put together way back in 2017 are not in play. Time has passed on. The Justice Dept and Corrections Dept are walking the same path.

    Mr Bridges, Guyon and the lady spokesperson who accusatively opined some unknown stuff today – are an opposition working backwards.

    Yes, Guyon and the Lady are RNZ staff. As such they are Ssupposed to be unbiased. Pigs will fly too.

    What concerns me is that, The Maori Leader of the Opposition Mr Bridges, has not yet given any numbers of how many Maori persons he has understood to have been released from prison year to date.

    Similarly, The Maori deputy Leader of the Opposition Ms Bennett, has not as yet mentioned the numbers of Maori persons she has have been released from prison year to date.

    As Maoris as well as members of Parliament one would expect these two important politicians to advise New Zealand the numbers of Maori sent to Prison year to date. And the number of Maori released.

    Simon Bridges is constantly ridiculing Labour and Pinkos. I think he should attend to his own duties before he slams others hell for leather.

    Or does he wish to allow Maori to drift around like Browno logs in a lake ?

  10. Tricledrown 12

    MSD prosecuting beneficiary claiming loans are income have lost their case in 2courts now.
    Who ever brought this draconian prosecution it was illegal was it the minister or a over zealous employee
    Paula Bennett was the minister at the time this is the type of behaviour is par for her.

    • Gabby 12.1

      No doubt Sniggering Gyno will ferret out the brilliant mind at MSD who decided the matter should be pursued upwards through the courts, and have him/her on to explain.

  11. Tricledrown 13

    The National Party having to pay $600,000 to Eminem over loose yourself copyright used illegally maybe Stephen Joyce should be extradited for theft

    • Herodotus 13.1

      Per haps the Nats should have their Waitamata Trust assets confiscated for profiteering on proceeds of crime (stealing)

  12. Observer Tokoroa 14

    Don’t worry about the $600,000.

    Just lift it off the Poor. Like you always do.

    Its just a monthly meal to the Nat fat cats. Give Bill English a phone call – he has got ways and means too. He’s a capitalist through and through. Hates Kiwi Workers.

    Sing a song of sixpence.

  13. Eco Maori 15

    Good morning The AM Show I met a elderly man yesterday I took time out to talk to him he was concerned about his phone being down for a week he has been waiting to get it fixed I will go sort it out today.
    Yes Duncan Human caused climate change is OUR reality its not the glaciers in Atoearoa that will cause a humanitarian crisis when they are gone we get Alot of our water from Tairawhiti the glaciers in the Himalayas and many others provide water for billions when those are gone that’s when water wars will start unless they come up with a solution for that problem maybe rain catching put in place we’re the glaciers we’re.?????????!???? Some people already use this in dry places. This is a serious subject.???????????????????????
    I won’t say whom I’m backing to win the Russian football World Cup but one should be able to guess . I was busy doing voluntary work for my offspring yesterday to write my usual post as most of my voluntary work is for them I will do some today for the elderly gentleman.
    45 K is not much pay for a teacher??????.
    I like the warm coats Amanda and Nicky are wearing today Duncan. Ka kite ano
    P.S the ECO MAORI – – – – – was at work yesterday.

    • Eco Maori 15.1

      The AM Show Duncan the houseing problem and the teachers pay problems are problem that the right wing national party deliberately engineed they starved OUR education sector of finance all in the farcical aim of saying that the state cannot run education let’s privatetise Our education so there wealthy m8 could cream it 1.
      They did the same to our health sector with the same aim privatisation of health they like the Americans health system were if a common person breaks a leg they are stuffed so only the wealthy can afford proper health care.
      With the houseing problems that was engineed to create there Golden economy condemn a lot of state housing with the farcical PEEEEE testing industry ignore the fact that they had 60.000 new imergrints who all need housing ignore the fact that they need to ramp up building houses and there you go the perfect environment for the price of housing to go through the roof and who cares about the common people under the Bridge Ana to kai Ka kite ano

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