Open mike 04/08/2014

84 comments on “Open mike 04/08/2014 ”

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1. riffer 1

   4 August 2014 at 6:44 am

   Some music to brighten up your day/ From Wellington’s wonderful bluesman Darren Watson, who’s a friend of Labour. The song is called Planet Key, and the video, by Jeremy Jones, is such fantastic.

   http://vimeo.com/102441715
   • David H 1.1

     4 August 2014 at 8:41 am

     Oh I did like the Slug n Smug. A very very good song and video.

     Try it for a 🙂 today
   • Bearded Git 1.2

     4 August 2014 at 8:45 am

     Brilliant riffer-just shared on Facebook.
   • Hami Shearlie 1.3

     4 August 2014 at 11:25 am

     Its BRILLIANT, so cutting! It doesn’t miss it’s targets!! And its really catchy!!
   • CnrJoe 1.4

     4 August 2014 at 12:30 pm

     that’s just the best
   • Rosie 1.5

     4 August 2014 at 1:27 pm

     WOW!!!! Awesome track and amazing video. That is a stunner.

     It needs to get ALOT of airplay
     • fisiani 1.5.1

       4 August 2014 at 5:00 pm

       Great track. A sure vote winner for Key. The left don’t get humour. The smugness is all on the Left who genuinely think this resonates with voters. All real people see is John Key the success.
       • Arch Rival 1.5.1.1

         4 August 2014 at 11:06 pm

         He’s an idiot, that Fisiani.

         Every day on http://archiedarival.blogspot.co.nz/ I’m putting up a new John Key Lie of the Day, with links where you can hear and see Key doing the lying.
         Much of the raw material I got from this site, thank you.
   • felix 1.6

     4 August 2014 at 5:24 pm

     Great tune Darren. Lovely stuff.
     • fisiani 1.6.1

       4 August 2014 at 8:23 pm

       Great tune and video. It will win hundreds of votes for John Key. The Left don’t get how to do humour obviously from the comments above.
       • felix 1.6.1.1

         5 August 2014 at 6:55 am

         Which comment are you referring to, srylands?
       • trickledrown 1.6.1.2

         5 August 2014 at 7:29 am

         Fishyanal you haven’t come up with one funny thing since you have been posting on this site nor have you come up with one original idea..
         In the whole World their are no right wing comedians funny that!
         • tricledrown 1.6.1.2.1

           5 August 2014 at 7:59 am

           Fishy plenty of clowns like yourself though you should be made to watch good morning Vietnam for a week nonstop fitianal you and the right remind me of the jerk that Robin Williams opposed in that movie.
           the right are to anally retentive to be funny fishy to busy trying to play monopoly to be team players!
2. Tom 2

   4 August 2014 at 7:21 am

   Have a chuckle and make your own billboard…
   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Im-relaxed/906405082708477
   • Rosie 2.1

     4 August 2014 at 1:35 pm

     More lols. Excellent!

     There’s no satire these days so we to go down the home made road if we are to turn the mirrors back on those in power.
3. phillip ure 3

   4 August 2014 at 7:31 am

   does this remind anyone of anyone..?..

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/03/bill-maher-internet-political-correctness_n_5645586.html?ref=topbar

   (you know who you are..!..)
   • The Al1en 3.1

     4 August 2014 at 8:14 am

     “after lamenting the PC culture of the internet where people “lay in wait” to attack someone for saying something they don’t agree with.”

     Do you think he includes making passive aggressive attack posts in his piece?
     If not, he should, he would have knocked it out of the park.
   • Tracey 3.2

     4 August 2014 at 4:25 pm

     Being introspective is good for the soul, well done phil
4. phillip ure 4

   4 August 2014 at 7:46 am

   i wonder if this will have the desired effect..?

   …(my five cents/tinnys? worth on that med-pot show that screened on sunday last nite..)

   http://whoar.co.nz/2014/the-segment-on-medical-marijuana-that-screened-on-sunday-last-nite/
5. lprent 5

   4 August 2014 at 8:13 am

   Pretty noisy from the baidu spiders this morning.

   Hopefully I have quelled them now.
6. bad12 6

   4 August 2014 at 8:41 am

   Could Christine Rankin be just the ‘tool’ needed to chisel Epsom from the grasp of ACT, every little bit helps,

   Rankin, if She drags in more of the ACT vote than that She takes off of National will make the electorate a much easier ask for Labour and Green supporters in Epsom to use their electorate votes ‘tactically”,

   We can only hope that both Parties, Green and Labour, spend plenty of energy in the Epsom electorate this election identifying and convincing their supporters how crucial ‘tactical voting’ could be in September,

   Rankin,likely to only be able to scrape a couple of thousand votes from Epsom may like the whole Conservative % of the party vote be a ‘gift’ for the left this election un-thought of a couple of weeks ago…
   • Puckish Rogue 6.1

     4 August 2014 at 10:18 am

     Not likely, Epsom will go with Act
7. One Anonymous Bloke 7

   4 August 2014 at 8:42 am

   Don’t cross Cray-Cray. He’ll send Rankin to spoil your party 😆
   • bad12 7.1

     4 August 2014 at 9:07 am

     Hell hath no fury apparently, a Colon scorned is said to be extremely upsetting to the bowels of some, Slippery the Prime Minister might live to regret passing that particular prune in favor of the more ‘known’ quantity of Winston Peters,

     Colons Conservatives seem to take votes from across the spectrum, National/Labour/NZFirst, for National and Labour the effect is pretty much neutral, for NZFirst tho, especially if the latest Roy Morgan is anywhere near accurate, the deliberate targeting of the ‘waiting for God vote’ by Craig might well see Winston pushed into enforced retirement…
     • Tiger Mountain 7.1.1

       4 August 2014 at 9:44 am

       ‘Spankin’ Rankin” has no show but will annoy the Nats one way or another. Lets give Goldsmith the win he so desperately doesn’t want.

       2011 Election Results – Epsom Electorate
       Candidate Valid Votes Share (%)
       BANKS, John (ACT) 15,835 44.10
       GOLDSMITH, Paul (NAT) 13,574 37.80
       PARKER, David (LAB) 3,751 10.45
       HAY, David (GP) 2,160 6.01
       KAN, Simon (CNSP) 342 0.95
       BRIGHT, Penny (IND) 124 0.35
       O’DEA, Pat (MANA) 66 0.18
       GOODE, Matthew (IND) 59 0.16
       Interestingly ACT came in 5th on the party vote after Nat. Lab., Green and NZ First at just 2.55%.
     • Jilly Bee 7.1.2

       4 August 2014 at 1:46 pm

       Hope this works

       Christine Rankin is a moron. Nothing do with Conservatives or standing in Epsom, just need to dilute my calling Cumliffe a moron some more.— Perfect Mike Hosking (@MikePerfectHosk) August 4, 2014

       Just proves that Mike Hosking is an absolute pratt to putt it mildly. Is his misspelling of David Cunliffe’s surname a typo or deliberate? It appears that the actual graphics haven’t appeared, but it’s a tweet from him.
8. One Anonymous Bloke 8

   4 August 2014 at 8:46 am

   Shame.

   The solution is to stop collecting crime statistics, and tax cuts.
9. North 9

   4 August 2014 at 8:48 am

   Ha ! SSLands nutting away on Open Mike yesterday about Jonah Lomu’s endorsing TheGodKey.
   https://twitter.com/JONAHTALILOMU/status/495059431894155265

   Poor Jonah. Off the field he was always a hapless, naive fool. Still remember the clinical way in which the narcissistic short man Holmes secured his griefing up over very personal, very private family matters on prime time TV. Duped again it would seem.

   Still, there is that spare knighthood floating around somewhere…….the one ThreeHandKey offered to Richie McCaw (who declined bemusedly) and then mouthed off all over town that he’d offered it.

   Political value in this latest stunt ? Not much I’d expect. Whom, now, is Jonah Lomu ? I’ll check back after the expected parading of one-time working class hero The Mad Butcher Leitch.

   The National Party’s fascination with cheap celebrity what ?
10. joe90 10

    4 August 2014 at 9:12 am

    Did the kidnapping of IDF soldier Hadar Goldin cause the breakdown within the hour of the most recent truce or were hostilities resumed to cover up the implementation of the Hannibal directive?.

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

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Directive#Incidents_where_the_directive_was_invoked
    • Chooky 10.1

      4 August 2014 at 9:20 am

      @ joe90 …it is more sinister than a simple case of retribution….Israels long term strategy …Crimes Against Humanity…Genocide?…there are gas and oil issues in the mix

      ‘Israel’s Military Strategy:”Obliterate Them Completely”. Overwhelming Evidence of Genocide, Precise Data on Death and Destruction in Gaza’

      Death Toll Exceeds that of “Cast Lead”, 2008-2009

      By Prof Michel Chossudovsky

      “Genocide directed against Palestinians has become a “New Normal” according to the Times of Israel.

      Under certain circumstances –according to the Times of Israel article–“Genocide is Permissible” because it is directed against Palestinians who are “terrorists” and who should be “obliterated…..

      http://www.globalresearch.ca/israels-military-strategyobliterate-them-completely-overwhelming-evidence-of-genocide-precise-data-on-death-and-destruction-in-gaza/5394678

      http://www.globalresearch.ca/turning-a-blind-eye-to-israeli-atrocities-middle-east-peace-envoy-tony-blair-parties-as-gaza-burns/5394625

      http://www.rense.com/general84/guess.htm

      http://washingtonexaminer.com/hamas-keeps-gazas-economic-future-bottled-up-by-blocking-natural-gas-development/article/2551529?custom_click=rss
      • vto 10.1.1

        4 August 2014 at 12:04 pm

        Yep, the genocide by the jewish nation continues unabated.

        Oh, and the infanticide.

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/10343523/Deadly-Israeli-strike-on-UN-school-condemned

        Israel is evil.
        • joe90 10.1.1.1

          4 August 2014 at 12:35 pm

          The arrogant Netanyahu has no intention to make any sort of peace.

          http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/39692/fibi-netanyahu

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrtuBas3Ipw
          • vto 10.1.1.1.1

            4 August 2014 at 1:29 pm

            Netanyahu may be a big man but he is certainly not wise is he….

            Ghandi, Mandela, people like this are wise

            Netanyahu, H1tler, people like this are fools
          • infused 10.1.1.1.2

            4 August 2014 at 2:25 pm

            Can you blame him when Hamas keeps breaking it?
            • joe90 10.1.1.1.2.1

              4 August 2014 at 3:42 pm

              Breaking what, the truce the IDF broke when troops entered an Hamas tunnel where they met resistance and rather than let Hadar Goldin be kidnapped the Hannibal directive was enacted and he was murdered by his own comrades. That truce?.
    • Puddleglum 10.2

      4 August 2014 at 8:47 pm

      Chomsky’s take on the Gaza situation.

      Interestingly, he contrasts reaction to that situation to the official outrage voiced over the downing of the Malaysian airliner.

      As ever his analysis is intense with a dry sarcasm that strips away the rhetorical veneer of pro-Israeli reactions and exposes all the bald inconsistencies inherent in maintaining that position.
11. fambo 11

    4 August 2014 at 9:34 am

    It was interesting to watch Campbell Live on Friday evening (the only time I every watch TV when visiting the olds) and see John Campbell say that after so much bad news it was time for some happy news to end the week with – so far so good.

    Then follows a story on a far north century old hotel that has closed down with the land and building now owned by the local iwi who have decided that they don’t want to allow one last drink up by the locals to mark the hotel’s closing as their elders feel alcohol has harmed Maori in the district for such a long time. At this point everyone in New Zealand is invited to give their opinion on whether the local iwi were right or or wrong in turning it down.

    Interesting piece of positive news – start a divisive debate along racial lines.

    Then it had a weird story about a country school that has gone to almost no students to about 90 in a year or tow, somehow inspired by someone donating some money. However, the amount of money is never disclosed and how this and anything else was done to achieve these results is quite unclear, including just where all these new pupils were coming from. Very odd storyt that seemed to be making some sort of point but delivers no useful information. It was described as a public school but whether it had anything to do with charter schools was kept completely in the dark.
12. JK 12

    4 August 2014 at 10:00 am

    And then, Fambo, there is the story in today’s Herald about marvellous happenings in Kawerau – turning around youth from life of crime etc etc – and comment that similar pilot funding has done the same things in other small towns such as Kaikohe.
    Well – I’ve been told the Kaikohe township pilot started off with a coordinator new to the town, that its floundering, and although the local community put up a similar pilot scheme, the funding went to the stooges appointed by the Govt .
    What is more, this story appears on the very day that Labour is due to announce its own scheme for turning youth unemployment into a future of hope, apprenticeships, jobs, etc etc.
    Surprise, surprise !!
13. adam 13

    4 August 2014 at 11:14 am

    Stumbled onto one of my favourite quotes from Orwell. Thought it was a timely reminder of what happening in the here and now.

    “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations.”
    ― George Orwell
    • Puckish Rogue 13.1

      4 August 2014 at 11:55 am

      I prefer:

      “That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.”

      Take note Greens
      • vto 13.1.1

        4 August 2014 at 12:02 pm

        what? sounds all out of context and a bit useless
        • weka 13.1.1.1

          4 August 2014 at 1:39 pm

          I think the point is that if ‘we’ (presumably the middle/upper classes) don’t run things to ensure democracy for all, then the working classes will rise in violent revolution, and that the GP should be scared of that because they’re so anti-democracy for poor/working people. So yeah, out of context, time wise, geographically, culturally and politically. Or perhaps PR could point to some specific anti-working class policies from the GP.
          • Colonial Viper 13.1.1.1.1

            4 August 2014 at 2:03 pm

            If wielding firearms = guaranteeing democracy, then the USA sure has one heck of a lot of democracy going on at the moment.
            • aerobubble 13.1.1.1.1.1

              4 August 2014 at 4:05 pm

              Yeah. Strange how a bunch of communists realized that to destroy capitalism all they had to do was get rich by denuding economics of any science. ACT are fifth column communists. Force the working classes to hold their guns close and also ramp up debt on them so they rise up and remove the capitalist system.
          • Puckish Rogue 13.1.1.1.2

            4 August 2014 at 3:52 pm

            More that the Greens want to make semi-autos illegal and from there it’ll be a short step to making firearms available to only a select few and then removed completely
            • aerobubble 13.1.1.1.2.1

              4 August 2014 at 4:07 pm

              Rubbish.
              • Puckish Rogue …

                4 August 2014 at 4:15 pm

                Whys it rubbish? They want to get rid of our defence force and make it some sort of “peace keeping” malarky so disarming the entire population isn’t that strange
                • Colonial Viper …

                  4 August 2014 at 5:19 pm

                  We need to completely re-purpose our Defence Forces away from imperial interventions to a homeland/Pacific self protection and civil works role.
                • weka …

                  4 August 2014 at 5:56 pm

                  “They want to get rid of our defence force and make it some sort of “peace keeping” malarky so disarming the entire population isn’t that strange”

                  Link to actual policy please.

                  Actual GP policy on gun control:

                  Gun Control

                  In order to reduce risks associated with guns and their use in crime, the Green Party will:

                  Make private ownership of fully functional semi-automatic weapons illegal.

                  Investigate the benefits and costs of a low fee, centralised gun registration system and database.

                  Reduce the licensing period from ten years to five, in line with practices in the UK, Australia, and Canada.

                  Review the vetting procedures in the firearms acquisition certificate, to ensure that they are in line with best practice.</i>


                  https://www.greens.org.nz/policy/justice#P12
        • minarch 13.1.1.2

          4 August 2014 at 2:07 pm

          “That rifle on the wall of the labourer’s cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there.”

          from my cold dead hands eh…..
          • Puckish Rogue 13.1.1.2.1

            4 August 2014 at 4:00 pm

            I don’t agree with everything the NRA says or does (assuming you’re referring to former head of the NRA Charlton Heston) In fact if the USa followed what NZ does they’d be a much better place but as I understand it gun laws are set at State level

            There no reason other than ideological for semi-autos to be banned in NZ
            • joe90 13.1.1.2.1.1

              4 August 2014 at 4:13 pm

              There no reason other than ideological for semi-autos to be banned in NZ

              Do you have something planned because killing lots of things quickly is the only reason one would need a semi-automatic firearm.

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramoana_massacre

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_massacre_%28Australia%29
              • Puckish Rogue …

                4 August 2014 at 4:26 pm

                Sure do, shooting semi-autos is fun and are not in any way the major firearm used in crime and simply because you don’t like them is no reason to impede on my legal right to do the hobby I enjoy

                The firearms laws were changed after Aramoana (which happened over 2 decades ago) which is why the laws don’t need to be changed because they’re working

                The Greens want to protect people then they can go and sort out that which kills people more than guns do: health, disease, cars etc etc
                • vto …

                  4 August 2014 at 4:39 pm

                  Well I’ll be damned …. we have a real live NRA nutter amongst us in puckish rogue, parading all the useless one-liners he can muster in order to “have fun” doing something which only NRA nutters get their rocks off on …. and that is something to be very very afraid of.
                • weka …

                  4 August 2014 at 5:59 pm

                  “Sure do, shooting semi-autos is fun and are not in any way the major firearm used in crime and simply because you don’t like them is no reason to impede on my legal right to do the hobby I enjoy”

                  Am curious now. Where do you shoot your semi-automatic rifle? Any reason it can’t be done in a controlled setting like a gun club?
                • felix …

                  5 August 2014 at 7:11 pm

                  “The Greens want to protect people then they can go and sort out that which kills people more than guns do: health, disease, cars etc etc”

                  Funnily enough the Greens have lots of policy to sort out cars, but you lot scream like babies every time they’re mentioned.
            • RedBaronCV 13.1.1.2.1.2

              4 August 2014 at 7:46 pm

              Aramoana. – and other overseas massacres. You want the the time delay of people having to stop and reload. And why would you average citizen need a semiautomatic- you’d hardly go hunting with it.
14. weka 14

    4 August 2014 at 12:02 pm

    I’ve been away for a while… is this a known bug? The standard keeps dropping my name and email from the comment fields. Seems to hold them for a period of time, then they’re blank. Blank multiple times over a day so they’re not being held very long. Or is it Firefox?

    [lprent: Probably time that cookies are told to remain. I will check after work. ]
    • Ergo Robertina 14.1

      4 August 2014 at 12:08 pm

      My name and email has been dropping out that way for 3-4 weeks, and it seems to have affected others as well.
    • Ergo Robertina 14.2

      4 August 2014 at 12:11 pm

      Hi Weka,
      Oops, filled out my email field incorrectly and went into moderation; yes, have had the fields blanking for 3-4 weeks, and it seems to be affecting other commenters too.
      • weka 14.2.1

        4 August 2014 at 1:34 pm

        thanks ER. Has anyone said anything to Lynn?
        • Rosie 14.2.1.1

          4 August 2014 at 1:42 pm

          Hi weka. Same, for the last few weeks. I did mention it to Lynn but got distracted for a few days and didn’t go back and check if there was a reply from him.

          I have been toying with the idea of having a zany new handle every time.
        • lprent 14.2.1.2

          4 August 2014 at 2:49 pm

          Not meant to be happening. Will look at after I get home.
          • Rosie 14.2.1.2.1

            4 August 2014 at 2:55 pm

            Ta 🙂
15. joe90 15

    4 August 2014 at 12:23 pm

    Move on, nothing to see..
    /

    In 2006, manufacturing was the biggest employment sector in New Zealand with 11.6 per cent of people employed in the sector. The 2013 Census revealed that this figure had dropped to 9.8 per cent of the population, with 29,472 fewer people employed in the sector since 2006.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11303447
    • blue leopard 15.1

      4 August 2014 at 12:46 pm

      National party slogans:

      “Facts don’t count”

      “Analysis of the facts doesn’t count”

      “We are the ones that get to say what reality is”

      “There are no problems in NZ if we shut our eyes”

      “It is all good here because we say so.”

      “Don’t listen to the truth – buy our unique brand of fiction”

      “Ban education for all”

      “Sweet lies are preferable than having a grasp on reality”

      “Vote for Sweet Lies”

      “Go back to sleep”
      • infused 15.1.1

        4 August 2014 at 2:23 pm

        Breaking News:

        The World Changes!
        • blue leopard 15.1.1.1

          4 August 2014 at 2:38 pm

          That could only be breaking news to a typically poorly informed Nat supporter.

          Those who are curious about the world and have an interest in history and what others’ think know that people have known about the ever-changing nature of the world for well over two millennium.
16. Penny Bright 16

    4 August 2014 at 1:25 pm

    FYI

    There is a US Chamber of Commerce briefing at the MFAT office on Quay St at which Minister of Trade, Tim Groser will be speaking.

    TOMORROW: Tuesday 5 August
    5pm
    139 Quay St Auckland City.

    Where’s the ‘People’s Briefing’?

    Where’s the ‘open, transparent and democratic accountability’ with these Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) negotiations?

    What sort of ‘PARTNERSHIP’ excludes the public?

    After 30 years of neo-liberal ‘Rogernomic$’ – haven’t the public learned that what’s good for big business isn’t usually good for the the public majority?

    How come over 600 corporate ‘trade advisors’ get to see the TPPA text – but the public don’t?

    http://www.citizen.org/TPP

    Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): Job Loss, Lower Wages and Higher Drug Prices

    Have you heard? The TPP is a massive, controversial “free trade” agreement currently being pushed by big corporations and negotiated behind closed doors by officials from the United States and 11 other countries – Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. In one fell swoop, this secretive deal could:

    offshore millions of American jobs,
    roll back Wall Street reforms,
    sneak in SOPA-like threats to Internet freedom,
    ban Buy American policies needed to create green jobs,
    jack up the cost of medicines,
    expose the U.S. to unsafe food and products,
    and empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards.

    Although it is called a “free trade” agreement, the TPP is not mainly about trade.
    Of TPP’s 29 draft chapters, only five deal with traditional trade issues.

    One chapter would provide incentives to offshore jobs to low-wage countries.

    Many would impose limits on government policies that we rely on in our daily lives for safe food, a clean environment, and more.

    Our domestic federal, state and local policies would be required to comply with TPP rules.

    The TPP would even elevate individual foreign firms to equal status with sovereign nations, empowering them to privately enforce new rights and privileges, provided by the pact, by dragging governments to foreign tribunals to demand taxpayer compensation over policies that they claim undermine their expected future profits.

    We only know about the TPP’s threats thanks to leaks – the public is not allowed to see the draft TPP text.

    Even members of Congress, after being denied the text for years, are now only provided limited access.

    Meanwhile, more than 600 official corporate “trade advisors” have special access.

    The TPP has been under negotiation for five years, and the Obama administration wants to sign the deal by early 2014.

    Opposition to the TPP is growing at home and in many of the other countries involved.

    Whose interests are being served by the TPPA?

    Follow the dollar ……..

    What do you expect from this John Key led National Government, when this ex-Wall Street banker is STILL a shareholder in the Bank of America?

    http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/00CLOOCMPPFinInterests20141/2e04287ad20ee5da12a308149e59bb16d7f47ce5

    “Rt Hon John Key (National, Helensville)

    2 Other companies and business entities

    Little Nell – property investment, Aspen, Colorado

    Bank of America – banking ”

    “The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government”!

    NO PUBLIC SAY – NO TPPA!

    https://www.facebook.com/ItsOurFutureNZ

    It’s time to ROLLBACK ‘Rogernomic$’ and corrupt corporate control – not extend it.

    Open the books!

    Cut out the private sector contractors and consultants!

    Return essential public services back to direct democratic control, with
    ‘in-house’ employees, under the ‘public service’ – NOT commercialised or privatised model!

    The neo-liberal mantra that ‘public is bad – private is good’ – has been proven over the last 30 years to be a complete and utter rort and fraud perpetrated on the public.

    In my considered opinion, the only ones who have benefited from public services being run in a more ‘business-like’ (privatised) way – is those businesses who have secured the contracts.

    It’s time for the public majority to benefit from our public monies at central and local government – not a corporate minority – helped by politicians who serve their interests.

    The TPPA will extend this corrupt, powerful corporate control, both nationally and internationally.

    ENOUGH!

    My very clear position as a fiercely independent anti-corruption and anti-privatisation Public Watchdog, is that this NZ National-led Government must NOT sign the TPPA.

    Penny Bright

    2014 Independent Candidate for the Helensville electorate

    2009 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
    2010 Attendee Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference
    2013 Attendee Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference
    2009 Attendee G20 Anti-Corruption Conference

    2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate (polled 4th with 11,723 votes)
    • Tautoko Viper 16.1

      4 August 2014 at 3:14 pm

      If you are able to join the protest there at 5pm at 139 Quay St, Auckland then this would be fantastic.
      It’s our future website has a good rundown on the positions taken on the TPPA by the political parties.
      http://www.itsourfuture.org.nz/elections-2014-voting-against-the-tppa/
    • RedBaronCV 16.2

      4 August 2014 at 7:50 pm

      any chance of anyone leaving a mike in the room accidentally? or will an OIA get the speech
17. lprent 17

    4 August 2014 at 2:56 pm

    Looks like there is an issue with the cron picking up the feeds. Drat…
    • greywarbler 17.1

      4 August 2014 at 10:17 pm

      @ lprent 2.56
      It’s not the end of the world to have to put name/mail in. In Firefox if I forget a get a good service with a notice and then can return and find my comment still there. And on Firefox I have name/mail saved and just have to put the first letter and up comes the details for me to click.
18. quasimodo 18

    4 August 2014 at 3:09 pm

    National has just Nationalised Novopay.

    Steven Joyce deserves credit for biting this bullet.

    Novopay is sold by Talent2, formerly known as Morgan & Banks.

    Andrew Banks graduated from Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, travelled globally, ran a Sydney restaurant, and moved into personnel management to form Morgan & Banks in Sydney.

    It coincided with the early application of the internet to job search and competition with sites such as < http://www.seek.com.au > – Melbourne based but with significant investment and involvement by James Packer contributing pressure for M&B to expand beyond Australia.

    Strangely, it is now difficult to find anything about this period on the net.

    http://www.about-monster.com/content/tmp-worldwide-acquires-morgan-banks

    http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:9jT0btMJA7MJ:www.nida.edu.au

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novopay#Talent2_background

    Both major parties in NZ are implicated in one way or another.

    Joyce has done the right thing, but it exposes the small pond of people and ideas that is NZ politics.

    If ‘Talent2′ cannot get it right in NZ, what are their prospects to do this globally ?

    We look forward to seeing Steven Joyce crossing the house on other matters of national importance.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10344928/Questions-remain-about-Novopay-deal
    • tricledrown 18.1

      4 August 2014 at 5:23 pm

      You can’t blame labour for any of this mess as they were going to trial it for 6 months in Canterbury to see if it had any faults and if those faults could be fixed . Nationals Hekia Parata went ahead and fully implemented right across the country knowing full and well it needed trialling HEkia Parata has used Novapay to bully teachers!
      • ianmac 18.1.1

        4 August 2014 at 5:29 pm

        I believe that the original contract via Labour was changed and scope extended when National took over. So Labour cannot be blamed as the later Novopay contract had nothing to do with them.
19. North 19

    4 August 2014 at 4:51 pm

    This is President Obama in the last day or so:

    ‘Obama said the United States “unequivocally condemned “barbaric” Hamas and the Palestinian factions that were responsible for killing two Israeli soldiers, and abducting a third almost minutes after a ceasefire had been announced”.’

    WTF is this man on ? Do we hear him describe as “barbaric” the artillery shelling of a UN establishment offering refuge to 3,000 rendered homeless (15 including children killed) – when the IDF had been given the location co-ordinates of that establishment THIRTY THREE times, the last occasion being only a couple of hours before the hit.

    I despise Obama frankly hearing that. Particularly when the US continues to fund the IDF to the tune of $US 3,000,000,000 (3 billion) ANNUALLY.
    • Dumrse 19.1

      4 August 2014 at 7:58 pm

      “Do we hear him describe as “barbaric” the artillery shelling of a UN establishment…”. We also didn’t hear him say anything about the UN envoy who was talking about the rockets found in the Gaza UN school compounds. Bastard isn’t he ? One eyed or what ?
20. Tautoko Viper 20

    4 August 2014 at 5:15 pm

    Latest from Snowden- US implicated

    Cash, Weapons and Surveillance: the U.S. is a Key Party to Every Israeli Attack

    https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/04/cash-weapons-surveillance/
21. Hami Shearlie 21

    4 August 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Heard Chris Finlayson on Radio Live tonight with Grant Robertson and Duncan Garner – it seems that Finlayson has decided to copy Steven Joyce’s method of being interviewed – tried to talk right over the top of Grant Robertson and got mighty nasty at times too, he kept on the “xenophobia” rant over the latest farm sale to the Chinese!! Crosby Textor must have had a master class for all the Nats on how to drown out all opposition to their short-sighted policies! No mention of it in the Herald that I saw, and certainly the media aren’t exploring the story of the Conservation Land that the Nats have given to the purchasers of the Crafar Farms!
    • Herodotus 21.1

      4 August 2014 at 7:11 pm

      From 4-5pm on newstalk Mr. Slater employed the same technique. Almost makes you want to switch over to listen to Jono playing this …
      https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=202fjZZO-tI
    • vto 21.2

      4 August 2014 at 7:20 pm

      It is because they have no answer and nothing decent to say

      So they begin to shout like drunks in a pub
22. Herodotus 22

    4 August 2014 at 7:59 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/personal-finance/news/article.cfm?c_id=12&objectid=11302589
    Assuming these purchases are made in a company the profits are taxed at 43 per cent (being 15 per cent GST and 28 per cent company tax rate). – And Andrew Bruce is knowledgable in the area !!!!!
    Well he may not know this but, the coy purchasing the property would be able to claim a refund of 15% of the purchase price from the IRD: reducing their cash cost and the required borrowings. Even if there is no GST applicable to the sale under 2nd Hand Goods GST would still be able to be claimed, and 100% of the income is the companies there is no GST attributable to the rent received. The truth has been lost in this article in its attempt to portray that landlords are paying more than their fair share, also given the $1.2b subsidy from Housing supplements from the govt
    http://www.interest.co.nz/property/60426/govt-reviewing-accommodation-supplement-rent-subsidy-housing-minister-heatley-says-go
    If these did not exist then IMO rents would be dramatically reduced as they allow for a greater rent to be paid that the current tenants would be unable to afford.
23. bad12 23

    4 August 2014 at 10:08 pm

    InternetMana roadshow in Wellington tonight, 4–500 people, a pretty full house, solid applause for all with especially strong support for both Annette Sykes and Lailla Harre,

    More tomorrow when i have sorted the event through in my nut…

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