Open Mike 04/07/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 4th, 2017 - 62 comments
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62 comments on “Open Mike 04/07/2017 ”

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  1. Ed 1
    4 July 2017 at 6:46 am

    France is now just another captured state for the neoliberal elites. Just another country that fell for shock doctrine.

    who would have thought that the extreme ideas of Ayn Rand and Friedrich Hayek would take over large swathes of the world?

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/03/emmanuel-macron-to-set-out-his-vision-for-french-renaissance

    • Ad 1.1
      4 July 2017 at 8:46 am

      His speech indicated nothing of the kind.

      You’re just unused to clear leadership.

      https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/07/emmanuel-macrons-state-of-the-union/532566/

      • Sanctuary 1.1.1
        4 July 2017 at 9:41 am

        Macron won’t last 18 months.

        • Andre 1.1.1.1
          4 July 2017 at 9:45 am

          How and why do you reckon he’ll get turfed out?

        • Ad 1.1.1.2
          4 July 2017 at 11:21 am

          You’ve just witnessed a massive popular uprising that took the French parliament with a massive majority,
          in a mature European democracy against a racist demogogue,
          with both layers of government chock-full of En Marche citizens who are not professional politicians,
          with a young a qualified and charismatic leader setting out a programme of such boldness that we haven’t seen in many decades,

          and all you can do is …

          … wait for it to fail.

          You are the definition of why the left is failing.

          • adam 1.1.1.2.1
            4 July 2017 at 12:59 pm

            I think that is a bit of a flight of fantasy there Ad. Or a big case of wishful thinking.

            Do you have no idea of what his labour reforms represent?

            Why has he not removed the state of emergency sooner?

            Why all the pomp and the use of Versailles?

            Why such a boring speech saying bugger all?

            Me I’m looking at another neo-lib with more of the same, and bringing it to it’s natural conclusion. More crap for working people, more lies, and more of the same.

            If that is the left you envision Ad good luck to you, but you know a lot of people don’t want the same crap quietly buggering up their lives incrementally.

            I put it to you, the position you take, is why the left is failing.

            • Ad 1.1.1.2.1.1
              4 July 2017 at 1:14 pm

              Why not just take an intake of breath and see how the whole suite of policies go. And you can set out your own version of the left – just give us another wanky wishlist of bullet points why don’t you.

              And he can speak to both parts of parliament at once because there were specific reforms in the previous term enabling him to do so. It’s entirely lawful.

              I can’t find the full translated text online yet, but when it does and his Prime Minister sets out a bit more of the legislative programme tomorrow, then you can start flailing your arms about. In the meantime, French workers still go about their lives working 35 hours a week before the penal rates set in.

              • adam …
                4 July 2017 at 1:32 pm

                I like it, look i’m being lawful – it’s legal so it must be all right then. No point in history when laws were ever wrong – nope never.

                So did you miss the weekly protest over his labour reforms?

                You know just becasue one turd looks better than another turd, does not make it a diamond.

          • Ed 1.1.1.2.2
            4 July 2017 at 1:07 pm

            Believe that if you will.

  2. Cinny 2
    4 July 2017 at 7:20 am

    Garner and co are talking about booze and violence etc and what kids are watching etc on the wireless. That’s great and all, but a bit hypocritical when on Friday mornings Garner and Co taste and endorse different types of alcohol live on air, just before 9am. WTF? Walk the talk.

  3. Robert Atack 3
    4 July 2017 at 7:29 am

    Are we talking about this yet?

    [deleted]

    [please don’t link to the allegations, it puts this site at risk – weka]

    TVNZ,
    3 July, 2017

    Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett is threatening legal action over an online post accusing her, without evidence, of several historical criminal acts.

    The Social Housing Minister and new Deputy Prime Minister says she didn’t have time to consider the new report.

    According to a cease-and-desist letter sent to a North Island man by lawyers acting for Ms Bennett, a post and video were published on June 30 containing “material highly defamatory of the Deputy Prime Minister”.

    • Cinny 3.1
      4 July 2017 at 7:43 am

      Crikey I wonder what was on the post? Why does Paula not want to comment about it, it appears she would rather the whole thing go away. Must be pretty bad if she’s called in the lawyers. Is she hiding something?

      Cheers for the link Robert… and dang, interesting reading.

      • mickysavage 3.1.1
        4 July 2017 at 9:18 am

        I have seen it. Way too potentially defamatory …

        • james 3.1.1.1
          4 July 2017 at 9:24 am

          Thats what I read also – Prob a good reminder for people not to link to it on this blog.

    • Ed 3.2
      4 July 2017 at 7:48 am

      Intriguing

    • Robert Atack 3.3
      4 July 2017 at 7:58 am

      If you listen to the guys 80 min rave, he is dying to have his/her day in court
      Come on Paula clear your name take the guy down or fuck off

      • Cinny 3.3.1
        4 July 2017 at 8:14 am

        I listened to a bit, will listen to the rest later, he sounds and looks absolutely genuine.

        And his claims…. I could totally see Paula doing those things.

        Will follow this with great interest.

        With Barclay, I was rather shocked, and the thing is it’s all true what the media have said is true, south island is a small place mhmmm. But with Paula, the claims don’t surprise me at all, sad. Will she do him for defamation? Or will she pay him to shut up, as is the way of the outgoing government.

        • Robert Atack 3.3.1.1
          4 July 2017 at 8:26 am

          Over 5400 views to late for a pay out?

        • james 3.3.1.2
          4 July 2017 at 9:24 am

          “sounds and looks absolutely genuine.”

          I have not seen it – but TVNZ said that he provided zero supporting evidence.

          Sounds more like you want it to be true than actually having any substance behind it.

    • ianmac 3.4
      4 July 2017 at 8:55 am

      The defence against defamation is if the substance can be found to be true.
      A court case where the substance is examined can be very damaging for both parties.
      Not proven is not the same as innocent.
      So Bennett is in a tricky position.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.4.1
        4 July 2017 at 10:50 am

        Yeah, if he’s in a position to know what happened or knows someone who knows and it supports what he says then Bennett is probably fucked.

    • Carolyn_nth 3.5
      4 July 2017 at 9:24 am

      Possibly Team Dirty Politics, working for their preferred PM in waiting?

    • savenz 3.6
      4 July 2017 at 9:49 am

      Shouldn’t the fraud office be investigating, after all, other beneficiaries who are deemed in relationships on little evidence are prosecuted and go to Jail [deleted] Should be pretty easy to track down people who knew her from those days and the guy in question.

      Can’t have one rule for all bene’s except Paula.

      [ffs engage your brain before commenting on this. I’ve no desire to sit on comments all day weeding out potential defamation. I’ll be short, sharp banning idiocy without warning] – Bill

    • The Chairman 3.7
      4 July 2017 at 9:58 am

      Thanks for posting, Rob. Some serious accusations being made. Wonder if anything will come of them?

    • Robert Atack 3.8
      4 July 2017 at 12:59 pm

      Sorry Weka, apologies

    • McFlock 4.1
      4 July 2017 at 11:25 am

      last humans dead by 2026?

      Almost tempted to bookmark it. Personally I think we’ll be closer to 8 billion by then, but each to their own.

      • weka 4.1.1
        4 July 2017 at 5:27 pm

        There’s some good ones closer in from the past few days, something about how we’ve only got one more year until x.

  5. Andre 5
    4 July 2017 at 9:28 am

    Why the NRA put out that ad inciting hate to sell more guns – it’s because they can’t sell fear of the idea of Democrats coming to take away their guns anymore (which has never actually happened).

    http://theweek.com/articles/709259/why-nra-turned-from-fear-hate

  6. Andre 6
    4 July 2017 at 9:43 am

    Interesting use for waste plastic – substituting for bitumen in road-making.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2017/07/03/plastic-roads/

    • AsleepWhileWalking 6.1
      4 July 2017 at 12:12 pm

      Hey that’s fantastic!

    • weka 6.2
      4 July 2017 at 5:31 pm

      How long does it last? What happens to the plastic when it breaks down?

      We still need to work within the limits of growth.

    • Macro 6.4
      4 July 2017 at 7:08 pm

      Mind you: the roads in the UK are – to use a polite term – total crap. So anything that survives longer that the current miserable stuff they use would have to be good. I did find the roads in Scotland a little better than the potholed tracks that constitute A class roads in England however. But once you hit the towns – both in Scotland and England – the local roads are appalling. Manholes and cess pits in the middle of the road, roughly patched. potholes galore; and then they added speed bumps as if they were needed! In 55 years of driving I have never experienced such abysmal roads (and that includes Asia).

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    4 July 2017 at 11:29 am

    Petrol study says profit margin has risen, price differences ‘not explained’

    It is not your imagination – something does indeed appear to be wrong with the petrol market, a government study has found.

    Energy and Resources Minister Judith Collins said a report into the retail fuel market had found “features which may not be consistent with a workably competitive market.”

    The gross profit margin on fuel at the pump had doubled to about 30 cents a litre in Wellington and the South Island over the past four years, the report found.

    Higher profit margins in the South Island and Wellington were also “not explained by higher costs in those areas”.

    Collins said the study didn’t say for sure whether fuel prices were reasonable or not, but she noted the report’s authors said “we have reason to believe that they might not be”.

    And the ‘competitive’ market fails yet again.

    Really, the whole point of competition is to reduce profits. When that’s not happening then we should be questioning if competition is worth keeping.

    • ropata 7.1
      4 July 2017 at 1:31 pm

      Judith Collins’ response to the report…

      Outcome of the study, we need another study 🤔 https://t.co/LUduWRlEQT— Greater Auckland (@GreaterAKL) July 3, 2017

      • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1
        4 July 2017 at 2:59 pm

        I kinda agree with her there. This study shows prima facie evidence that something isn’t right but it also didn’t have full access to the information that the companies held so it can’t come to any firm conclusions.

        Although it shouldn’t be another study per se but this one continued and given teeth to demand the information that the companies withheld previously.

    • inspider 7.2
      4 July 2017 at 3:33 pm

      So a nz owned company (including the cullen fund as major shareholder) has racked up margins encouraged by the government regulator.

      So much for the benefits of state intervention and the perils of foreign ownership that standardistas frequently extol.

      If I were Collins I would force access to storage facilities on advantageous terms in wellington and the south island for gull and other independents.

      Driver hours limits is what stops gull delivering south of Levin as their only storage is port of Tauranga

      • Draco T Bastard 7.2.1
        4 July 2017 at 4:25 pm

        This, this, THIS!

        So much for the benefits of state intervention and the perils of foreign ownership that standardistas frequently extol.

        The state hasn’t intervened, the other companies which are all doing the same things are foreign owned and the market is failing – as per usual.

    • Ad 7.3
      4 July 2017 at 5:10 pm

      The Greens could always propose putting petroleum under the Electricity Commission as a price regulated activity.

      Re-name it an Energy Commission.

      Much easier than trying to get cartel legislation through the House.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.3.1
        4 July 2017 at 6:31 pm

        And what, in your view, would be the Energy Commission’s primary function?

        If I was going to do something like that I’d liken it to NASA with it’s main purpose being the R&D of renewable energy generation. Having look in the real costs of fuel would be a part of that.

    • Blade 7.4
      4 July 2017 at 8:45 pm

      ”And the ‘competitive’ market fails yet again.”

      So what we have is a cartel of petrol companies allegedly acting in unison much of the time. Sounds like corporate socialism. Wouldn’t it be wacky if The Commerce Commission recommends government regulate the market.

      Ironies abound. Tories stifling free enterprise, cheered on socialists. Poor people, gulp, getting cheaper petrol. Rich people and share holders losing profit. And electric cars eventually making all this academic.

      But hold on. Electric cars mean the government loses petrol tax of 60 plus cents per litre. No worries, an electricity charge on electric cars, probably similar to road users charges will be implemented.

      And we are back to square one.

      • Cinny 7.4.1
        4 July 2017 at 9:32 pm

        Not into confining myself to square one Blade… will take the vortex and travel to 369 instead.

        Diesel would be cheaper, most ships, trucks and buses and even some trains run on diesel. Ships don’t have road user charges, am guessing trains don’t either.

        Fuel is not just for cars… then there is the lawnmower, weedeater, chainshaw, log splitter, generator etc etc etc. Forestry, Horticulture, Agriculture, Fishing industries…

        hold on.. thinking… why would the fishing industry get super cheap diesel compared with what people pay at the pump? Do any other industries get highly discounted fuel.. anyone know please?

        • Draco T Bastard 7.4.1.1
          4 July 2017 at 9:56 pm

          why would the fishing industry get super cheap diesel compared with what people pay at the pump?

          IIRC, it was the fishing industry that lobbied to get road taxes out of diesel because they don’t use the roads. Which is probably reasonable really.

          Do any other industries get highly discounted fuel.. anyone know please?

          Probably. Aircraft cost more person in fuel than cars do and yet it’s cheaper to fly from Wellington to Auckland than it is to drive.

        • Blade 7.4.1.2
          4 July 2017 at 11:15 pm

          Try the Joe fuel cell.

      • Draco T Bastard 7.4.2
        4 July 2017 at 10:06 pm

        Still spouting Billshit I see.

        So what we have is a cartel of petrol companies allegedly acting in unison much of the time.

        Who said that they were acting in unison? They’re maximising profits by copying each other.

        Tories stifling free enterprise

        Tories always stifle free-enterprise while proclaiming that they’re making things better.

        Longer patent times and stronger copyright leading to Patent trolls. That then leads to less innovation because people can no longer afford to develop anything as the trolls sue them into bankruptcy.

        Selling off state power assets to the private sector that then raise power at greater rates causing a decrease economic activity.

        Cutting state services which decreases money flowing into the economy resulting in less economic activity. Getting consultants to do public services instead which a) costs more b) reduces the services rendered and c0 results in even less money flowing into the economy due to the profit being taken out of it.

        Electric cars mean the government loses petrol tax of 60 plus cents per litre. No worries, an electricity charge on electric cars, probably similar to road users charges will be implemented.

        And here’s me thinking you RWNJs believed in user pays. So, why shouldn’t road users pay for the roads that they use?

        • Blade 7.4.2.1
          4 July 2017 at 11:11 pm

          Still as nasty as ever I see, Draco The closer to the bone the cut, the more you spit.

          ”Who said that they were acting in unison? They’re maximising profits by copying each other.”

          Bullshit: Caltex, Mobil and Shell were fined by the CC 1.7 million for price collusion in Auckland. Talk about semantics- maximising profits!!
          If they are copying each other…where’s the profit?

          ”Tories always stifle free-enterprise while proclaiming that they’re making things better.”

          We don’t have a Tory Party in case you haven’t noticed. I guess that’s lost on you. Why the hell do you think Labour are losing the election?

          ”And here’s me thinking you RWNJs believed in user pays. So, why shouldn’t road users pay for the roads that they use?”

          Because Einstein, electric cars are being promoted as a green and cheaper alternative( once prices come down). So dozy New Zealanders will convert big time to electric cars thinking of the money they will save. Then the bean counters say to the government you are now losing out on X amount of tax. We know what comes next….
          Then we may have a complicated user pay structure, and taxes, for both petrol, diesel and electric vehicles.

          Oh, and here’s something to blow your mind. It takes 20 minutes to charge an electric car. What happens when electric cars outnumber petrol driven vehicles? Do you think maybe charging stations will have a two tier charging fee, one general charge fee, one electric charge fee, given the lesser number of electric cars that will be processed each day?

          Don’t sweat it, Drac. I don’t think it will be in your lifetime…then again…maybe you should sweat it.

    • McFlock 8.1
      4 July 2017 at 12:30 pm

      Wow. Talk about misrepresenting the case.

      “The government” (as in “the courts”) made a ruling that trying million-to-one shot medical treatments that according to multiple medical opinions (from specialists in two countries) is futile would just prolong the child’s suffering. Nothing to do with socialised medicine or trump.

    • joe90 8.2
      4 July 2017 at 4:02 pm

      Shades of the Terri Schiavo awfulness; pro-life ghouls looking to polish their cred with a not yet dead baby’s suffering, I reckon.

      Here is #CharlieGard Supreme Court statement, sensationalism aside'Irreversible', 'pain', 'US clinician:recovery vanishingly small' pic.twitter.com/IxqlOODVRT— Roshana Mehdian (@RoshanaMN) July 3, 2017

      https://twitter.com/RoshanaMN/status/881981300680404992

    • Draco T Bastard 8.3
      4 July 2017 at 6:27 pm

      Why do people insist that all life is worth living no matter the pain and suffering the person being forced to live is going through?

      Sometimes it really is better simply to let someone die rather than to prolong their life. This is one of those cases.

  9. AsleepWhileWalking 9
    4 July 2017 at 2:43 pm

    This is the new low NZ has sunk to – and good on the charity as it is much needed. Nobody should have to be in constant worry of leakage and humiliation when using either rags or toilet paper because they can’t afford sanitary items.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/334419/charity-delivers-free-tampons-to-teenagers

    And Flick + Xero include tampons as part of their office supplies…how cool is that!