Open Mike 03/03/2017

53 comments on “Open Mike 03/03/2017 ”

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1. Adrian 1

   3 March 2017 at 7:28 am

   The Police are once again trying to be the determiners of how we should live our lives in light of their inference in the Kumara Races this week.
   Since when was it the job of the Police to be the social engineers of NZ cultural life.
   They seems to have appointed themselves not as the law keepers but the lawmakers in regards to all sorts of areas.
   That is not their job.
   • Cinny 1.1

     3 March 2017 at 8:00 am

     This is interesting…from Westland Mayor Bruce Smith..

     “If they want to outlaw it [BYO], what it will do is kill the Kumara races. And where is the benefit? Tell them to stick to Auckland and tidy the mess up up there and leave us to ourselves.”

     Is the success of the Kumara Races determined on whether people can bring in their own booze to the event? Crikey that’s sad. I thought it was a community event, why the reliance on booze for a good time or a successful event?

     Since when was it the job of the Police to be the social engineers of NZ cultural life

     The police are the ones who pick up the pieces from road deaths and family violence due to alcohol. Is NZ culture really so steeped in booze that people are angry at the police for wanting to protect their community from drinkers.

     Maybe locals should speak to List MP Pugh about the topic, she lives in Kumara.

     http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11810757
   • The Chairman 1.2

     3 March 2017 at 8:53 am

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89964633/karl-du-fresne-we-dont-need-police-acting-as-moral-custodians
     • Cinny 1.2.1

       3 March 2017 at 9:59 am

       Interesting opinion piece on free speech. This bit ” talkback host Tim Beveridge got to the heart of the matter when he said the real problem in the Huntly incident wasn’t racism or xenophobia; it was drunkenness.”
       • mauī 1.2.1.1

         3 March 2017 at 10:30 am

         I disagree with Beveridge, unfortunately his opinion has as much depth as most of the other Newstalk radio hosts, which is pretty shallow.

         The woman was interviewed a day or two after she abused the muslim women and said she was battling a number of mental health conditions and wasn’t getting the help she needed and proceeded to burst into tears.

         I think if we had a properly functioning mental health system there would only be a small chance that she would have been drunk and that this incident would have ever occured.
         • Barfly 1.2.1.1.1

           3 March 2017 at 12:59 pm

           Dual diagnosis, alcoholism and depression, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals
           • mauī 1.2.1.1.1.1

             3 March 2017 at 1:21 pm

             This article says bi-polar, social anxiety and PTSD, which are very treatable and if the mental health system is shying away from helping people with those conditions (which from the article it sounds like it is) then we really are in a mess.

             http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/02/huntly-muslim-attack-woman-responsible-makes-cry-for-help.html
             • Barfly …

               3 March 2017 at 5:41 pm

               No argument as to what the article says ….but the video shows someone heavily intoxicated. I modify my earlier statement.

               “Dual diagnosis, mental health problems and alcoholism, is quite common and difficult to treat. It is also met with little or no enthusiasm by many mental health professionals”

               I am talking from real life experience as to alcohol and mental health problems and the difficulties around accessing treatment.
   • Cinny 1.3

     3 March 2017 at 9:55 am

     “All three districts on the West Coast have higher rates of alcohol related deaths than New Zealand as a whole, with the highest rate in Westland, followed by Grey and Buller. The rates of wholly attributable alcohol related deaths are more than twice the New Zealand average”

     “The West Coast overall has higher than the New Zealand average rate of alcohol involved traffic crashes (11.6 vs 7.8/10,000 population)”

     https://www.cph.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/greydraftlapsubmission.pdf

     The WestCoast has a massive drinking culture problem, maybe that’s why people are upset about the BYO at the races, they are upset, because they are the ones with a drinking problem, and worried they won’t be able to take in their precious booze to the races. Do people go to these races for the horses and social aspect or for the drinking and gambling?

     A family event is a place for everyone to feel safe, kids included. Why the reliance on booze to make an event a success? It’s not just the drinking on the day, it’s what happens afterwards as well. I’m not anti alcohol, but I’m anti the damage it causes, trying to prevent that kind of damage and suffering is a good thing.

     Whose job is it to tackle the drinking problems on the WestCoast? Or is it easier to turn a blind eye and have a go at the police?
     • Psycho Milt 1.3.1

       3 March 2017 at 10:45 am

       Do people go to these races for the horses and social aspect or for the drinking and gambling?

       Both. Is it your or the Police’s place to tell them what they should do instead? No.
       • Cinny 1.3.1.1

         3 March 2017 at 11:59 am

         It is the job of the police to protect the community would you not agree?
         • Psycho Milt 1.3.1.1.1

           3 March 2017 at 12:09 pm

           I would not. “Protect the community” is a very vague term that could encompass all kinds of intrusion into people’s everyday lives. First and foremost, the job of the Police is to investigate crime and apprehend the perpetrators – other things are peripheral, and busybodying people who’d like to have a drink at the races goes way beyond peripheral. That kind of thing should come under the heading of “exceeding their mandate.”
     • greywarshark 1.3.2

       3 March 2017 at 11:59 am

       Booze is embedded in most of our lives, to some extent, and it is hard to get community events for adults going anyway, so why not some booze, but has to be bought there? And then control that. The more problems we have, the more the booze is overdone, and then more problems we have.

       Stopping a rare social event that is enjoyed by many and enables some business in the area and the horse owners etc. would be wrong. The climate is getting so punitive onto the people from the higher ups – the class system oppresses, the blame system demeans, and the deliberate impoverishment of so many by the actions of those higher up, is making life grim and unhappy and makes us all less kind and more hard on each other. Back to early colonial times with the squatters and their progeny winning. Nothing learned, nothing ennobling gained.
     • weka 1.3.3

       3 March 2017 at 12:16 pm

       I’m a little unclear. Have there been alcohol-related violence problems at the Kumara races? If so, then why doesn’t the council sort that out? If not, what’s the problem?
2. The Fairy Godmother 2

   3 March 2017 at 7:46 am

   Early childhood teachers have known for some time that this government does not care about quality but is more interested in big numbers stating lots of participation so it was good to see this morning an opionion piece by Dr Sarah Alexander published in the Herald this morning. As an early childhood teacher who has worked in for profit centres I totally identify with what Dr Alexander is saying. The focus of management is about passing ERO by meeting all the minimum standards so they can stay licensed and continue to be funded. The problem is that the minimum standards are really poor.
   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11810800.

   Also, as I mentioned in Daily Review last night there is a move to form a new union for ununionised ECE teachers in the private sector. I am really excited by this and hope that there may be light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. I hope that this group of teachers find their voice so they can advocate for themselves and the children.

   https://www.childforum.com/news-early-childhood-education-latest/1483-early-childhood-education-union-plan.html
   • JanM 2.1

     3 March 2017 at 10:31 am

     I too am a recently retired ece teacher/lecturer and it has broken my heart to see what has happened to the pre-school sector in this country as a result of the focus on profit rather than the quality of education and care of children. It is no longer just the for-profit centres that are affected now – the bug has spread to both kindergartens and registered charities (one of which has some of the worst centres in NZ!).
     Once I would have been excited and encouraging if someone came to me wanting to study to be an early childhood teacher – like I was when I began. Now I would advise them to steer clear if they value their sanity.
     I also need to say, though, as a lecturer with a lot of experience of visiting centres, that there are some shining exceptions – I used to tell any student who was in one to stay put – there are bears in the jungle!!
     • The Fairy Godmother 2.1.1

       3 March 2017 at 12:26 pm

       Thanks for that Jan M totally agree with you. Ece is generally, apart from a few shining spaces not a very good place for teachers or children. I am hopeful that if teachers get organized and are prepared to take action we can change things. I also think a Labour Green government would help.
       • JanM 2.1.1.1

         3 March 2017 at 1:21 pm

         A Labour/Green government would definitely help, and not just in the ece sector – teachers at all levels are just about at the end of their rope.
         My children were lucky enough to go to kindergarten back when that was a definite plus – my grandchildren went to a community day-care which I would describe as ‘good enough’ – as in no harm done, but no great advantage either. The thing is, of course, that the standard of teaching has less impact on the children of educated parents, so they’ll be ok.
         Speaking of which, one of the things I noticed on my rounds was that the highest standard of centres was often to be found in the poorer areas – the ones chasing the dollars were not interested; they were in the more affluent areas.
         • The Fairy Godmother 2.1.1.1.1

           3 March 2017 at 3:19 pm

           Agree there mostly but some centers in poorer areas cut standards do they can make a profit without charging any parent fees. They do 30 hours free and just rely on moe funding so minimum standards pressure on teachers paid hourly rates to attend parent nights staff meetings etc with no pay.
     • The Fairy Godmother 2.1.2

       3 March 2017 at 12:35 pm

       I’m very glad my children all went to playcentre and spent the rest of their ece years with family and playing at friends houses. If grandchildren come along I will do everything I can to keep them out of ece centres unless there is a massive change.
3. marty mars 3

   3 March 2017 at 9:03 am

   I was one who poo pooed Susan Devoy when she got her role as race relations whatsit. And I have watched her education, her realisations about the truth of this country and the way one Treaty PARTNER has been and is treated. Like Judd in Taranaki she has heard and felt the stories, the histories and, sorry to get sad, the pain and suffering of yesterday and today.

   Once people actually engage with the indigenous culture they cannot not be affected and that can happen to most if they give themselves the opportunity. Onya Susan.

   The first homes opened in the 1950 and by the 1970s, almost half of all kids in state care were Maori. In 1978 89 per cent of admissions to Hokio were Maori and Pasifika.

   In 1985, Maori boys made up 78 per cent of all youngsters held in six social welfare homes across Auckland.

   …More recently the Ministry of Social Development tracked the lives of more than 58,000 people born in 1989 in a retrospective study.

   Of those who were in prison by the time they were 20: 83 per cent had a previous Child, Youth and Family record.

   The ministry itself found they were 15 times more likely to end up with a Corrections record by the time they were 20, 107 times more likely to be imprisoned before they turned 20.

   This tells us that those children who progress across care and justice services fare poorly and we know Maori children are particularly highly represented here.

   …Today, Maori New Zealanders make up more than half of our total prison population, a damning indictment on a system that is many times more likely to arrest a young person if he is Maori. Maori girls and women are even more over-represented.

   Even the United Nations recognises the systemic causes that are at play, regularly urging our Government to search for “solutions to the root causes” which lead to disproportionate incarceration rates for Maori.

   Hundreds of witnesses gave evidence to Judge Carolyn Henwood’s Confidential Listening and Assistance Service about the abuse they suffered while children in state care: a large number of Maori men interviewed did so from their prison cells.

   We need an inquiry into what went on in our state-run institutions because it is the right thing to do.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/89960820/dame-susan-devoy-calls-for-inquiry-into-abuse-of-maori-children

   Yep lets find out how bad it was so it can be stopped and never started again and so the poor people who suffered can speak their truth and feel heard. It IS the right thing to do for all sorts of reasons.
   • Carolyn_nth 3.1

     3 March 2017 at 9:22 am

     Thanks for the link, marty.

     The history also looks to me like part of the continuing legacy of colonisation.

     The history covered in the quote above is largely within my lifetime. And 65 years before that would be about 1885 – and that was when colonisation was in full swing. Not so long ago really, to have impacted negatively on the lives of Māori born mid-20th century… and so the legacy continues.
   • Rightly or wrongly 3.2

     3 March 2017 at 11:19 am

     I think the question to ask is why did these kids end up in state care in the first place?

     If the answer is that they came from dysfunctional, broken homes then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.

     Once in the system I suspect most people realize that it is basically a bottom of the cliff system that wait til the kids turn 16 and kick them out.

     I suspect a specialised education program for these kids would work that ensures they reach 16 knowing the 3 R’s, basic life skills, and receiving specialized counseling would acheive better results.
     • marty mars 3.2.1

       3 March 2017 at 11:36 am

       “Years ago in a small town a Maori boy was caught stealing lollies at the local Four Square.

       A report labelled him a “thug” and he was made a state ward. He was 10 years old. Put in a boy’s home where he was physically and sexually abused, he ended up doing very long stretches in isolation.

       He’d spend months at a time in a single cell. While there his parents died. When he was let out he was sent to live with a series of strangers, some of whom sexually and physically abused him.

       He was to spend time in and out of prison. He was an old man by the time he made meaningful contact with his whanau again. By then he’d lost so many things: language, whakapapa, whanau, childhood.”

       That is the anecdote that Susan uses and I would suggest it is not atypical. The key to remember was that he was a “Māori boy” and boys like that get bigoted, racist treatment often, and sadly for him, them and us, this continues to this day with things like racial profiling and so on.
     • Molly 3.2.2

       3 March 2017 at 11:43 am

       Given your reply, I’m guessing that you have had very little to do with either families in crisis, or the state system.

       Some of these kids are very adept at “life skills”, however the life skills that they need to survive and thrive are not the 3 R’s. Reading and writing – on their own – are no panacea.

       A specialised education programme for these kids – more alienation from community – would more than likely be poorly designed, and even more poorly executed.

       “Specialised counselling” by effective counsellors may be of some use, but only as part of a concerted effort to lift people out of financial poverty and bring about a healthy form of community support systems.

       “… then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.”
       I despair that you – quite wrongly – as a matter of fact, think you have any information that allows you to make such a blanket condemnation as a “suggestion”.

       Failure to understand systemic problems require systemic changes and solutions are one of the reasons we continue to fail our children and our families in crisis.

       And the comment is about the failure of the state system to improve the lives of these children. In fact, the further damage done to the already vulnerable by the state.

       Do you have it in you to critique that without redirecting?
       • greywarshark 3.2.2.1

         3 March 2017 at 12:09 pm

         Molly
         Good on you – good points. Everyone who has learned to tie their own shoelaces think that they know so much about society and those who don’t tie shoelaces or even have shoes and let us have the ‘benefit’ of their ‘wisdom’ at every opportunity.

         Probably they are the sort that wouldn’t bother taking their puppy to training school and know less than a compost worm about how behaviour is induced or learned. I have much respect for compost worms, they know what to do and they do it well and don’t venture out of their territory. Know nothings should keep their mouths shut, breathe through their noses, and do a bit of study about society and how attitudes and habits are formed through a registered university, not from a private, right-wing or religious tract. And then if they are of the mean uncaring fault-seeking disposition they can at least get their facts right.
     • joe90 3.2.3

       3 March 2017 at 12:03 pm

       If the answer is that they came from dysfunctional, broken homes then I suggest that the kids had been irreparably damagd before entering the state system.

       If you had a clue you’d know that in the main these kids, both Māori and Pākehā, came from different, and usually poor, but entirely functional homes and that their removal and subsequent treatment by Eurocentric authorities rendered them irreparably damaged.
4. joe90 4

   3 March 2017 at 9:26 am

   Keep on digging.

   (1/10)

   1. It's important to keep track of how Sessions story has changed JUST IN THE LAST 12 HOURS https://t.co/7RZ1FKoe0y— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 2, 2017

   https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/837308812453376001
   • marty mars 4.1

     3 March 2017 at 9:36 am

     “President Donald Trump said he has “total” confidence in Attorney General Jeff Sessions and that he sees no need for Sessions to recuse himself from any investigation of Russian meddling in US politics.

     Trump voiced his support for Sessions in response to a shouted question before speaking at an event aboard a Navy aircraft carrier in Virginia. Sessions has come under fire from Democrats and some Republicans after the Justice Department acknowledged that he, at a time he was acting as a prominent surrogate for Trump’s campaign, had contacts last year with the Russian ambassador.”

     http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/90009106/trump-says-sessions-has-his-full-confidence-as-questions-mount

     Yep, going down…
     • joe90 4.1.1

       3 March 2017 at 9:50 am

       Dude called it.

       Now we go nuclear. IC war going to new levels. Just got an EM fm senior IC friend, it began: "He will die in jail."https://t.co/e6FxCclVqT— John Schindler (@20committee) February 15, 2017

       https://twitter.com/20committee/status/831872441597194241
     • mauī 4.1.2

       3 March 2017 at 12:57 pm

       More dubious news broadcast by the Clinton Fake News Network to undermine both Trump and Russia. How people buy into this fanciful world of Russia rigging the election, Trump and Russian prostitutes, etc with sketchy evidence is a worry.
       • marty mars 4.1.2.1

         3 March 2017 at 1:18 pm

         you have been sucked in I’m afraid – the evidence is damning – didn’t someone already resign for lying about their russian relationship? More to come for the same reason – which may rock your world I think…
   • joe90 4.2

     3 March 2017 at 10:02 am

     Total confidence – out like Flynn.

     BREAKING: Trump says he has "total" confidence in Jeff Sessions, amid calls for the attorney general to resign or recuse himself.— The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2017

     https://twitter.com/AP/status/837378370451222528
     • marty mars 4.2.1

       3 March 2017 at 10:17 am

       yep and we know the cover-up is what drops them in the end – don and steve will have to speed up the demonisation of the press if they want to escape this wave.
     • marty mars 4.2.2

       3 March 2017 at 10:49 am

       “Under growing pressure from Democrats and Republicans alike, Attorney General Jeff Sessions agreed Friday morning (NZ time) to recuse himself from an investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

       His action followed revelations he twice met with the Russian ambassador and didn’t say so when pressed by Congress.

       Sessions rejected any suggestion that he tried to mislead anyone about his contacts with the Russian, saying, “That is not my intent. That is not correct.”

       The attorney general said he made his decision after his staff recommended that he recuse himself from any investigation related to the Trump campaign, since he had been involved in that campaign.

       Sessions said his announcement “should not be interpreted as confirmation of the existence of any investigation.””

       http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11811235

       another liar be caught, fire be starting…
       • adam 4.2.2.1

         3 March 2017 at 1:25 pm

         Fire to what marty mars?

         As I’m looking, that is a fire with Russia, and don’t know about you, but that scares the shit out of me.
         • marty mars 4.2.2.1.1

           3 March 2017 at 1:50 pm

           I spose I was thinking of someones pants 🙂

           the fact is these liaisons between the trump team and russia have occurred – best they see the light of day – that will reduce any war mongering imo
           • adam 4.2.2.1.1.1

             3 March 2017 at 2:21 pm

             Not so sure. I wish I had your confidence.

             http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/322002-dem-senator-we-should-determine-if-russian-election-hacking-was-act-of
5. AsleepWhileWalking 5

   3 March 2017 at 10:03 am

   Simon Black points out the stupidity of thinking that a cash ban will affect criminals.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y37Vux-lZqU
6. Carolyn_nth 6

   3 March 2017 at 11:03 am

   A new NZ news website to go from it’s summer version to launch itself proper on 13 March 2017. It claims it will provide independent quality news coverage.

   Newsroom website:

   It has chorus as a partner (see article under the “Articles” tab) , and this article on the site welcomes Victoria University to the Newsroom team.

   Newsroom.co.nz is being developed by editors Mark Jennings and Tim Murphy, and plans to concentrate on “things that matter”.

   It will have an editorial team of 14 based in Auckland and Wellington, supplemented by expert contributors reporting from around the country.

   That’s Tim Murphy formerly of NZ Herald and Mark Jennings formerly of TV3. So I’m not expecting anything too independent from the current neoliberal status quo.
7. Bearded Git 7

   3 March 2017 at 12:08 pm

   National cops out again today and lets the multinationals (facebook, google, apple etc) off any meaningful tax clampdown even though every man and his dog realises they are rorting the system and costing the NZ public $500m a year.

   In Oz and the UK they have introduced a diverted profit tax. Pussy Cat Collins says this will not be introduced here. This is a do-nothing government particularly where it helps its greedy mates.

   Chance here for Labour to introduce a strong tax policy at the election including a diverted profits tax.
8. Molly 8

   3 March 2017 at 12:13 pm

   Given the large number of posts on housing at the moment, could I put forward a suggestion for a future book club read?

   Danny Dorling’s – All that is Solid (2014) is written about the UK housing crisis, but does have quite a few chapters that relate to our continuing and developing housing crisis here.

   I got it from Auckland Libraries which has a few hard copies and an ebook.
9. adam 9

   3 March 2017 at 12:34 pm

   Great interview on the Jimmy Dore Show with Australian journalist Caitlin Johnstone

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDj9tY5s3RY
   • Bill Drees 9.1

     3 March 2017 at 4:54 pm

     I always thought Aussie women were not a bad as Aussie males. Wrong.
     • adam 9.1.1

       3 March 2017 at 4:59 pm

       Bill Drees, do you really want to put on public display your low IQ?
     • Ad 9.1.2

       3 March 2017 at 5:10 pm

       Bill as an avid Scotland watcher, what’s the chances of another referendum?
10. marty mars 10

    3 March 2017 at 2:30 pm

    what is nick smith?

    “Being too strict about New Zealand’s recreational water quality would unnecessarily deny Kiwi families the right to swim in the country’s rivers and lakes, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/90005985/water-quality-plan-not-perfect-but-better-says-nick-smith

    a friend of the tick from dipton that’s who
    • weka 10.1

      3 March 2017 at 2:51 pm

      I don’t get to this point very often, but am fast approaching the wanting to punch him in the face place, lol. A complete and utter fuckwit.

      “Rivers don’t have a constant level of E.coli – they vary all over the places,” Smith said. “The key policy question is when it varies all over the place what would you describe as a swimmable river?”

      If you can’t answer that, then you shouldn’t be the Minister of Shit in Rivers. It’s really easy. Those of us that grew up and then spent our lives swimming in rivers all know that the thing that has changed is mass increase in industrial dairy and stocking rates. There’s not mystery here except for why you are basically saying that money is more important than fresh water. I’m tempted to say fuck you and the shitting horse you rode in on, but it’s hardly the horse’s fault. Instead just fuck you and your soulless excuse of an existence.
    • adam 10.2

      3 March 2017 at 3:29 pm

      That sounds punch drunk from smith.

      Gets back to my point early marty mars, these guys are a lost cause, totally off the farm, and into cuckoo land.
11. esoteric pineapples 11

    3 March 2017 at 3:32 pm

    A stunning article. The New York Times reporting the Obama administration scrambled during its final days in office to preserve evidence of Russia’s collusion with the Trump campaign. Citing unnamed former officials, the Times says Obama’s aides left a “trail of evidence” across different government agencies to prevent the incoming Trump administration from covering up or destroying the evidence, the trail including passing sensitive information to Congress, keeping evidence at a relatively low classification level so a number of people could see it, also sharing information with European allies.

    “The efforts to preserve the intelligence continued until the administration’s final hours. This was partly because intelligence was still being collected and analyzed, but it also reflected the sentiment among many administration officials that they had not recognized the scale of the Russian campaign until it was too late.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/us/politics/obama-trump-russia-election-hacking.html?smid=fb-share
12. NewsFlash 12

    3 March 2017 at 3:48 pm

    Recent Colmar Brunton poll reveals “Housing” as the number one issue concerning voters.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/housing-revealed-most-important-issue-in-helping-kiwis-decide-vote

    And then there’s this from the dipper, the headline still exists, but the extract has been removed mysteriously.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/prime-minister-blames-housing-shortage-nature-lovers

    It would appear that the Nats are so far out of touch with society that they make Trump look good.
13. Bill Drees 13

    3 March 2017 at 4:13 pm

    For election geeks and others.

    The was a General Election in Northen Ireland yesterday. The the count starts in a few hours. The government collapsed 10 months after the last election due in the main to a scandal called “Cash for Ash”.
    It is expected that the Democratic Unionist Party and its leader, Arlene Foster, will loose votes to all the other parties. The election will probably show a shift in voting patterns with STV votes crossing historical sectarian lines. It is possible that Sinn Fein, under Michelle O’Neill, becomes the largest party.
    An exciting election.
    Here are some links.
    http://sluggerotoole.com/2017/03/02/looks-like-there-may-be-big-changes-in-the-post-for-tomorrows-count/
    http://www.newsletter.co.uk
    http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/
    https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0302/856565-assembly-election/
14. Whispering Kate 14

    3 March 2017 at 8:47 pm

    Does anybody know if the law allows foreign companies or multi national companies to contribute to political parties in this country. I am wondering if the Diverted Profits Tax was declined by Government because of all the money coming into their coffers from non-resident companies. We all know the Chinese wealthy are generous in their donations. If these companies are allowed to give funds to our political parties then maybe its time that it was outlawed and only NZ residents and wholly owned NZ companies should be permitted to donate.

    Then we might see our political parties coming down hard on these parasitical overseas companies rorting the system and not contributing and paying their way, but political parties sure as hell will not outlaw it if it means a backlash and they find they are punished and short changed of funds in their war chests as a consequence.

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