Open Mike 05/10/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 5th, 2016 - 117 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

117 comments on “Open Mike 05/10/2016 ”

  1. dv 1

    I am confused.
    Key says hard to measure count the kids in poverty,
    BUT YET
    the moe can measure kids at risk for school funding!!!!

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11722436

    PS well done LPent

  2. ianmac 2

    Yes. Thanks Lyn. Absence makes the heart grow fonder- or something. 🙂

  3. pat 3

    National government strategy on CC resembles its plan on the Auckland housing crisis….a lot of spin and no action….”its complicated”

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/201818700/nz-ratifies-paris-agreement-to-fight-climate-change

  4. Richard Rawshark 4

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11722306

    Heralds apparently spent some money on a proper opinion writer. One who writes an article in the style I quite like, sarcasm that is poignant and makes you think a little.

    yep I like their new opinion writer, should add a little required balance that nanny had been so lacking for so long if she stays on this sort of mid ground tune.

    • Puckish Rogue 4.1

      Shes just another ranty hypocrite in my opinion but if you like her writing then its all good

    • Cinny 4.2

      Oh dang, what a read, loved it. Thanks so much for posting the link. Looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

      This part had me in stitches…

      “Our own Prime Minister is pretty much off his rocker but, hey, let’s not labour the point. Unless, it’s all Labour’s fault. Which it probably is. It’s just got to be their fault he got in that cage and bent down and picked up the soap on command. Or that he’s overseen the new and unprecedented era of wadeable versus swimmable rivers. Or that children living in poverty are way harder to count than rodents. Even if they don’t move as fast. Even when you offer them $5000.”

    • Draco T Bastard 4.3

      But there’s another kind of covert madness at work. A potentially apocalyptic one.

      It’s not really covert. We’ve just been conditioned to accept it, to worship those who are it and to chase being it…

      …and that’s being rich.

      We cannot afford rich people and chasing being ever richer is destroying society and the environment around us.

    • alwyn 4.4

      Did they really have to put her photo at the head of the article?
      I clicked on your link and the first thing I found was a photo that looked just like Donald Trump! Same eyes and hair tone.
      Poor thing. She deserves sympathy.
      Quite put me off my breakfast.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.4.1

        Ah, a typical nasty RWNJ.

        Doesn’t like what the person said and so attacks her looks.

        Tell me, would have done that if the author had been a male?

        • alwyn 4.4.1.1

          I made no comment at all about what I thought of the article.

          Your imagination is therefore running completely out of control when you claim “Doesn’t like what the person said and so attacks her looks”
          I neither said that I didn’t like what she said and I didn’t “attack” her. I sympathised with her.

          And yes, if any other journalist’s photo reminded me so strongly of Trump I would have sympathised with them too.

          Actually I have previously commented that one of the Wellington City Council candidates has a photo on his billboards that appears to have been copied from the John Key photo from the last election. I don’t know whether Simon Woolf is going to gain or lose from the resemblance.

          • Draco T Bastard 4.4.1.1.1

            I neither said that I didn’t like what she said and I didn’t “attack” her. I sympathised with her.

            Why would you need to sympathise with how people look?
            The answer is that you don’t, don’t even have to bring it up, and thus it was an attack on her and what she wrote and not sympathy.

            • Puckish Rogue 4.4.1.1.1.1

              I actually agree on this, you see this all the time (on the left and right) where people feel free to point out other people physical attributes

              Its not right, its not helpful and its just plain wrong

            • alwyn 4.4.1.1.1.2

              When I saw her photo I was reminded of Donald Trump.
              That man is so appalling that it would put anyone of their breakfast.
              Do you seriously expect me to think kind thought about “The Donald” rather than be totally horrified by the man?

      • Puckish Rogue 4.4.2

        Not cool bro, not cool at all.

        Can we all please stop making reference to what people look like and focus on what they say/do instead

      • Reality 4.4.3

        Oh Alwyn – so presumably when you look in the mirror there is a face looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire. So you have therefore given yourself the right to judge someone’s appearance who does not match your gorgeousness. How shallow.

        I thought the column was brilliant and so refreshingly clever.

        • alwyn 4.4.3.1

          “looking back at you that is stunningly attractive, with a great hair style, wearing smart attire”.
          Well no. I see someone who is getting distinctly old, wearing old clothes and looking like anyone else of my age.
          The only thing I can claim is that I still have my hair, although it is now totally white.

          I didn’t even say she was not gorgeous, did I? I merely commented that she reminded me very strongly of Donald Trump. Could it be that you don’t approve of The Donald’s looks? How judgemental of you.

          Oh well, I assume in the future no one on this site will describe Cameron Slater as being fat and everyone will ignore Gerry Brownlie’s excessive weight.

          • framu 4.4.3.1.1

            “I didn’t even say she was not gorgeous, did I?”

            you definatelky implied it.

            Just stop digging the hole and admit that it was a low blow

    • TheExtremist 4.5

      Too ranty for me – kinda like Bomber. Much rant with little substance.

      Also:
      “Our own Prime Minister is pretty much off his rocker but, hey, let’s not labour the point. Unless, it’s all Labour’s fault.”

      It should be ” let’s not belabour the point”. Grinds me gears!

      • Richard Rawshark 4.5.1

        ahhh but using the word labour instead of belabour ie sarcasm was deliberate do you not think?

        • TheExtremist 4.5.1.1

          Possibly, but could still have worked spelled correctly.

          As a former journo and comms manager I am a self-confessed grammar Nazi

  5. Morrissey 5

    Jesse Mulligan: “Sometimes when I read this stuff I get
    the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble…”

    RNZ National, Tuesday 4 October 2016, 4:47 p.m.
    Jesse Mulligan, James Nokise, Chris Wikaira

    Incredibly, RNZ’s sorry light chat show The Panel just keeps getting worse. I’m sorry to have to say that in his occasional hosting stints, comedian Jesse Mulligan has shown himself to be as ill-informed and smug as the regular host Jim Mora. The following farcical exchange was horrible to listen to, not only because of Mulligan’s abysmal ignorance—it’s obvious he has read virtually no “stuff” on Syria—but also because of Professor Gillespie’s mealy-mouthed performance. It seems he’s more concerned with avoiding a browbeating from his notorious right wing Waikato colleagues Ron Smith and Dov Bing than he is with informing the audience. The end effect of five minutes of Al Gillespie is similar to sitting through five minutes of a Donal Trump speech—you feel you’ve wasted your time, and you actually feel stupider at the end of it…..

    JESSE MULLIGAN: So let’s move on as well, and we’ll go international now, with a look at the world with Al Gillespie. The United States has suspended Syrian ceasefire talks with Russia, and they made the call after frustrations with Moscow and its ability to live up to a ceasefire agreement. That announcement comes two weeks after the most recent attempt at a ceasefire fell apart, when a humanitarian aid convoy trying to reach besieged areas of rebel-held Aleppo was destroyed by an air strike. Al Gillespie of the University of Waikato joins us now. Al, hullo there, how ARE you today?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Hey Jessie, I’m well. Thank you.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: [extended intake of breath to convey how serious he is] Who do we believe: United States or Russia?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Well, there’s two sides to it. The Americans said they’ll only go back into the talks if the Russians stop bombing Aleppo, and the Russians say they can only stop bombing Aleppo if the Americans distinguish between the moderate rebels and Al Qaeda, which is a legitimate target.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: Aaaaand is your understanding that the Russians have a POINT in that respect or do the United States deny it?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: I, uh, I, …[baffled world-weary sigh]… there’s no-o-o-o-o black and white any more in, in Syria, especially in Aleppo. And often the sides, some of those that are moderate and not meant to be targeted, blend with the ILLEGITIMATE, more religious extremists which CAN be targeted. It’s pretty hard to get a clear dividing line.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: How bad news IS this, that talks have broken down between the U.S. and Russia?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: It’s very bad, I mean we can’t even get a ceasefire at the moment, so we can’t, you need a ceasefire before you can start talking about a peace plan. We need to be thinking that this conflict could go on for many years from here.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: Why do ceasefires break down, Al, if uh, if no one enjoys war? [snickers nervously]

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: There’s no trust on the ground. No one believes that it’s safe to bring in aid, water, or food, and so unless you can get the most basic modicum of trust, you can’t build up.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: So how do you CREATE it?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: You get the teams, well you need two things. One, people have to get tired of fighting, and neither side has to believe that they can WIN. At the moment, there’s so much money, men, and ammunition going into the fight, both sides believe that they still have the upper hand. And then you need to have confidence-building measures, and right now they can’t even achieve THAT.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: [speaking very slowly, to convey thoughtfulness] Sometimes when I read this stuff I get the sense that Russia are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ for trouble, are L-L-L-LOOKIN’ to create tension with the U.S. Is that fair?

    ….Long pause….

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: [slowly, deliberately, to convey deep thinking] Ahhhhhmmm, partly, partly not. I mean, Russia’s there by a treaty it had with Syria from the early 1970s, a legitimate treaty for a defensive alliance, and Assad is still to a degree in power, so Russia’s doing what it was bound to do by treaty. The problem is, that at some point, as long as you’re propping up these sides the war will continue and you may have to, everyone just back out and see what the actual outcome is.

    ….Long pause…

    JESSE MULLIGAN: Meanwhile, there’s this OTHER story around today, that Russia have walked away from the protocol on weapons-grade plutonium control. Can you give us a bit of background to that, Al?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: Certainly. So the nuclear arms treaty’s like a collection of documents which regulate nuclear weapons. One of the protocols was about the reduction of plutonium, surplus plutonium, so it would not be diverted to create more nuclear warheads. The Russians have suspended their talks in this protocol exactly the same day as the Americans suspended their talks about the ceasefire in Syria. It’s a blow to nuclear arms control, it’s not MASSIVE, but it’s certainly starting to wobble the architecture.

    …Long pause…

    JESSE MULLIGAN: And once AGA-A-AIN, if we look at both parties, do both parties have some culpability here, or is it the Russians MAKING TROUBLE?

    PROFESSOR AL GILLESPIE: U-u-u-u-u-ummm, both parties have some —the Russians are saying that they can’t trust the Americans with the technology that they’re using to turn their plutonium into a safe form of nuclear material, and the Americans are saying that if they work together they can come to a compromise. So there’s good and bad on both sides.

    JESSE MULLIGAN: Mmmm-kay. Finally today, the Colombian peace deal veto. You better give us some background to this as well, Al, it’ll be the first time a lot of people have HEARD about this….

    …ad nauseam…

    Anyone wishing to, unlike Jesse Mulligan, do some serious study of what is happening in Syria, should bypass the likes of Al Gillespie and read or listen to someone who knows what he’s talking about. There is no one better on this than Noam Chomsky….
    http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/17/noam_chomsky_on_syria_conflict_cut

    • Adrian Thornton 5.1

      Typical of the relentless dumbing down of National radio, it drives me fucking crazy.
      I have emailed 9-noon a number of times the about pointlessness of having that private prison loving centrist Mike Williams on the voices from the right and left on Mondays, what a complete waste of time, he more often than not ends up agreeing tacitly with Hooten’s position, and why wouldn’t he, they are basically two sides of the same coin….don’t get me started.

      • Morrissey 5.1.1

        Williams doesn’t “tacitly” agree with Hooton, Adrian, he makes a point of saying “I agree with Matthew” several times in every show, almost as often as he chortles along with Hooton whenever a politician like Jeremy Corbyn is mentioned.

        Maybe he learned to ingratiate himself with superior personalities when he was a high school classmate of Paul Holmes.

        • Adrian Thornton 5.1.1.1

          I know I was trying to be diplomatic, I have also replied to quite a few of Williams opinion pieces in the Hawks Bay today, however our local newspaper isn’t that interested in community conversation so only publish comments spasmodically.
          I can’t understand RNZ’s logic of not actually having a hard hitting left intellectual on the show to challenge Hooton, and spark real debate. Surely even from their own rating perspective that must make sense?

          • Morrissey 5.1.1.1.1

            They have occasionally put decent opponents up against Hooton, much to his evident discomfort. Laila Harré never let him get away with anything, and Andrew Campbell stymied him regularly.

            I’m sure the RNZ National management had a role in getting rid of those difficult people and replacing them with patsies like Williams.

            Ratings aren’t important: conformity is all that matters.

      • Adrian 5.1.2

        Thanks Adrian for sorting out thre ” 2 Adrians ” thing.

    • Wensleydale 5.2

      JESSE MULLIGAN: Why do ceasefires break down, Al, if uh, if no one enjoys war? [snickers nervously]

      That alone should get him thrown out of a window. I mean, does he come to work drunk or something?

  6. Colonial Viper 6

    Thanks for getting the site back up and running, lprent.

    • Draco T Bastard 6.1

      +1

    • alwyn 6.2

      I think it was a very opportune outage. It will have saved red faces all round.
      The more devoted Andrew-philes would have been in a terrible dilemma if they had been able to comment yesterday morning.
      After listening to Little’s repeated promises on Morning Report to pay all parents a $60/week benefit for the first year of a babies life there would have been paens of praise about what great leadership Labour were offering and that we now saw what a wonderful man Little was.
      Then, about four hours later they would be stuck with having to explain how he had never said any such thing and that he was being grossly misinterpreted.
      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11722111
      Even the Herald seems to have decided he had stuffed up again.
      Only four hours from cock of the walk to a feather duster.

      I must admit I was quite surprised how much I missed the presence of this site though. I think I need to take a holiday. Thanks for fixing my fix.

      • Bearded Git 6.2.1

        Little’s interview was way better than John Key’s pathetic effort. Little said it would take 2 terms-6 years- to make a real difference to child poverty, which is about right, and floated the old Labour $60 policy as one way of alleviating this. So at least he committed Labour to do something about this scandalous situation-nobody announces actual policies this far out.

        Did we see a massive article in the Herald critisising Key’s pathetic do-nothing, the market will sort it out, what about the rodents, interview response? No.

        p.s Great to have TS back!

        • Colonial Viper 6.2.1.1

          ittle’s interview was way better than John Key’s pathetic effort. Little said it would take 2 terms-6 years- to make a real difference to child poverty, which is about right

          Meanwhile, that poverty permanently damages the life prospects of 300,000-400,000 children, while the six figure types in Wellington fret around in the Koru Club.

          How long does it really take to raise benefits by $30/week and make the first $5,000 earned in wages/salary exempt from income tax and WINZ calculations?

          • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1.1.1

            How long does it really take to raise benefits by $30/week and make the first $5,000 earned in wages/salary exempt from income tax and WINZ calculations?

            And how long would it take for the capitalists to raise prices so that they could grab all the extra money for themselves thus ensuring that it would make no difference for the poor?

      • Chuck 6.2.2

        Yep Andrew Little reversed away faster from his earlier comments than a Italian tank driver in WW2 from the front line.

        Little clarified the “policy” needs more work, as in who / how they were going to pay for it.

        • Puckish Rogue 6.2.2.1

          No no you don’t understand, John Key tells lies, whereas Andrew Little is the victim of the MSM reporting what he says

          • reason 6.2.2.1.1

            The two most interesting things about John key are….

            His bailout and the amount of money he took from u.s.a pension funds …

            2008: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds)in companies and business entities
            Little Nell – property investment
            MerrillLynch – investment banking
            JacksonMining – gold mining ……………………

            And after then the bailout ………….

            2009: 2 Interests (such as shares and bonds) in companies and business entities
            Little Nell – property investment
            Bank of America – banking
            Jackson Mining – gold mining

            The other interesting thing is how the media, wikipedia and his biography do not mention his good fortune and millions in charity ……..

            The truth looks like a millionare taking millions in charity from ordinary citizens for his worthless investment in ponzi merrill lynch ( merrills share price had been climbing rapidly before imploding )

            Key seems to support fraud both overseas and here in NZ ……….. “” a contentious exemption of professional services firms – mostly lawyers, accountants and real estate agents – from being covered by anti-money laundering laws passed in 2009.” http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11706741

        • halfcrown 6.2.2.2

          “Yep Andrew Little reversed away faster from his earlier comments than an Italian tank driver in WW2 from the front line.”

          I find that comment in very bad taste,

          Have you heard or read anything about the Italian Frogman during the second would war? They would be some of the bravest people in the conflict

          • Gabby 6.2.2.2.1

            The Italian frogmen had the sense to stay well away from tanks. Well, not oxygen tanks. Or water tanks probably.

    • Puckish Rogue 6.3

      5 eyes just letting everyone know they’re lurking in the shadows and can strike at any time…

    • Infused 6.4

      Time to stop hosting it in his sex dungeon and put it on something like aws, hell even digital ocean. Isn’t The Standard a charity?

    • Chooky 6.5

      +100%…but why do I always have to repeat my name and mail in the box every time?

    • Richard Rawshark 7.1

      Bit like English’s budgets then?

      Or Murray McCully’s Saudi deal

      Or the CHCH convention centre

      etc

      • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1

        I think the difference is though that KDC was attempting to help National lose the election (like it seems Julian Assange is with Hilary Clinton) whereas National has been trying to win elections

        On that score Assange seems to be as successful as KDC

        • Richard Rawshark 7.1.1.1

          Without media traction or faux outrage, no one gave a shit.

          ..,and just because the government and media didn’t take it on, doesn’t mean what they said wasn’t true.

          • Puckish Rogue 7.1.1.1.1

            What did KDC have? Some dodgy email that couldn’t be proven, wow

            • Draco T Bastard 7.1.1.1.1.1

              Ah, no, he had Edward Snowden and all of his facts to back up what he said and a couple of award winning journalists as well.

              • Puckish Rogue

                Ah yes “facts” (see what I did there?) and all those “facts”, all the money, all the hype and all the journalists and yet it was a big fat nothing

                The truth will out and KDC got outed

              • james

                Really – so what facts did he have to back up that fake email again?

    • Chooky 7.2

      diddums…I know it was a disappointment to you but Julian is not going away..despite Hillary’s drone threat

      ‘Assange: WikiLeaks will publish all US election docs by Nov. 8’

      https://www.rt.com/usa/361533-assange-documents-elections-usa/

      • Puckish Rogue 7.2.1

        I’d actually prefer Trump over Clinton to win the presidency by the way

        I think Clinton has more knowledge of how to cause damage then Trump does

        I’m more ticked off that nothing was released, like KDCs moment. I want to see…something but all its been is one big let down

        “We’ve got something and we’re going to show it, not today but soon”

        and it never happens

      • TheExtremist 7.2.2

        Hillary’s drone threat?

        You mean that completely unsourced and unverifiable claim from a single “news” source? The Clinton conspiracies get wilder by the day.
        I wouldn’t be surprised if pretty soon someone claims she used HAARP to make Chemtrails rain GMO gluten seeds on Haiti.

        Seriously, Clinton as a poor choice for president is obvious, there is no need to make shit up when her record speaks for itself.

        • marty mars 7.2.2.1

          Clinton has caused all the bad shit that has happened over the last THIRTY, I say again, THIRTY years. From fukashima, plastic gryes in the ocean, earthquakes, mountineers not making it, famines, reruns of pissweak UK shit series, all the way to mass murderers, drinking games that arent really games, the middle east and the west and east east too, racial and sexual intolerance, the mullet haircut putin having inappropriate liasons with that tiger. The list – endlist ///sarc

          Wake up Clinton is everwhere – check out the video and change Elvis to Clinton –
          https://youtu.be/mpb4ZAAP6Z4

        • Colonial Viper 7.2.2.2

          Not sure about Clinton wanting to drone Assange – but given that Assange is an enemy of the US security state that would seem likely.

          Also you seem to have forgotten that Sec State Clinton was a leading figure in the Obama Administration’s record breaking use of illegal/extra-judicial drone assassinations – under Obama the US droned far more people than GW did.

    • joe90 7.3

      We wus trolled. (video inside)

      Alex Jones went absolutely insane over Wikileaks, and it was REALLY fun to watch. (by @MattBinder) pic.twitter.com/CuVYznqs7j— CAFE (@cafedotcom) October 4, 2016

  7. Cinny 8

    Is anyone else on the unpublished electoral roll?

    The Tasman District Council are making it very difficult for me to cast a special vote. Apparently I have to drive to their HQ in Richmond (30mins on the open road) and cannot cast a special vote from their service centre in Motueka. I was wonder if any whom live over the hill in Golden Bay on the unpublished roll, and if they have to go all the way to Richmond to vote (an hour and a half drive on the open road), because they aren’t allowed to cast their special vote from the Golden Bay service centre, just like I’m experiencing.

    To bad if people on the unpublished roll can’t get to Richmond to cast their special vote.

    Are other councils making it difficult for those on the unpublished roll? I didn’t have this problem with the general election.

    And they wonder why voter turn out is low.

    • james 8.1

      Did you apply to the local electorial officer at the local council to be issued with a special declaration vote?

  8. rhinocrates 10

    On the crisis of relevance for the social-democratic beige left parties:

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/03/europe-centre-left-spain-socialist-party-leader-coup

    Essentially, if they just try to be fluffy tories, real tories do a better job of being tories and those they’ve abandoned for their Pt Chevalier dinner parties look to the far right or radical left. In order to keep either out of office, they find themselves directly complicit with the tories as junior partners. The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.

    • Olwyn 10.1

      The problem for the radical left is that its still too fragmented and incoherent to achieve much effect in parliaments and finds itself blocked.

      The deeper problem is that the right now have all the levers. The right, having persuaded populations that they would all end up as shareholders, and that unemployment etc. were just temporary pains, changed tack as soon as they had what they wanted (all the levers). This left the centre left parties, who had geared themselves toward making sure the shareholder society would be inclusive, with nowhere to go. One of two things has to happen. Either the right themselves will start to reconfigure their aims, fearing that being top dog in a fractured, disabled society makes one vulnerable to worse threats than mere trade unions, or the left will build up the numbers to give them a run for their money even without the levers. While the lack of levers keeps the left fragmented, things have come a long way from movements like “occupy” to Sanders, Corbyn, Podemos, etc.

  9. Bearded Git 11

    Real Clear Politics has Clinton with a poll lead of 3.8% and a 322-216 lead on the state by state electoral vote map. Not quite a real clear lead but the trend is good.

    • Colonial Viper 11.1

      A passing blip 🙂

      • Chooky 11.1.1

        hope so…hope Clinton goes down the gurgler

        • Chooky 11.1.1.1

          ‘Hacked Clinton Foundation files show ‘pay to play’, bank ties’

          https://www.rt.com/usa/361608-clinton-foundation-hacked-guccifer/

          “Documents reportedly hacked from the Clinton Foundation servers have identified major Democratic donors and troubling ties between TARP aid given to banks and their political contributions. One folder is outright labeled “Pay to Play.”

          A Hacker calling himself “Guccifer 2.0,” who claimed responsibility for previous breaches of the Democratic National Committee and the congressional Democrats, published the documents on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the vice-presidential debates.

          “I hacked the Clinton Foundation server and downloaded hundreds of thousands of docs and donors’ databases,” the hacker wrote on his blog. “Clinton and her staff don’t even bother about the information security.”

          The Clinton Foundation has denied the hack, with president Donna Shalala saying that “none of the files or folders shown are ours.”…

      • Lanthanide 11.1.2

        Taken a long time for it to pass…

  10. Penny Bright 12

    Your future Auckland ‘Peoples’ Mayor – in action!

    😉

    http://councillive.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/video/240216-governing-body-meeting-part-3

    Scroll through to 8 minutes for my presentation to the Auckland Council Governing Body Meeting of 24 February 2016.

    This is where I outline why I think Auckland Council failed to follow lawful due process regarding the ‘out of scope evidence’ provided to the Independent Hearings Panel, and I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs’.

    (This is one of the 27 Auckland Council Governing Body meetings to which I have presented since 1 November 2010).

    Kind regards

    Penny Bright

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    • Chooky 12.1

      Penny…I wish I was in Auckland so I could vote for you!…you would be a brilliant democratic colourful people’s Mayor!

      • Chooky 12.1.1

        All chookys of Auckland unite to support Penny for Mayor!

        …she would be much better than any of the boys …in the past

        …she would sort Auckland out with style and flair and democracy

    • james 12.2

      Penny,

      Ill bet you your outstanding rates bill that you are not our next Mayor.

    • Richard Rawshark 12.3

      Penny, I only have a couple of words

      alalalalalalalalallalalalalal

      lolz, never seen anything so out there in my entire life as that video of the live university debate.

      after that, no one could possible ever take local elections seriously again.

    • Sacha 12.4

      “I defended the lawful rights of citizens from ‘the leafy suburbs”

      Thank goodness someone is defending our coastal nimbys from their future. Imagine if they had to rely on their own meagre resources to hold back change. Will someone think of the lawyers?

  11. Tony Veitch (not the partner-bashing 3rd rate broadcaster 13

    Clinton vs Trump . . . again!

    Just watched Max Keiser – at about 10 minutes in, an interview with David Stockman, Ronald Regan’s budget advisor.

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

    A couple of quotes:

    “[Trump] hasn’t spent 30 years in the system, he hasn’t memorised the playbook, he’s not part of the status quo and therefore he is the disrupter that we need in the environment that we’re in today,”

    “[Hillary] talked about a basket of deplorables, I think you really need to turn the tables, the basket of deplorables are the policies that she’s been associated with and her generation of leaders ever since the 1980s.”

    An intersting interview.

  12. The Chairman 14

    So Key asserted the Government is committed to reducing the number of children in poverty (albeit without setting targets).

    Therefore, if National are genuinely committed, will they be extending WFF to all low income children (as called for by Professor Susan St John)?

    Will they adjust WFF for past inflation and index it annually to wages?

    While Labour are committed to setting targets, unfortunately they’ve yet to commit to the WFF measures mentioned above. Therefore, we can’t expect Labour to apply political pressure on this one just yet (and perhaps not at all).

    It’s a shame Labour haven’t got their policy together yet, it results in a weaker opposition.

  13. xanthe 15

    http://thehackernews.com/2016/10/wikileaks-google-election-leak.html

    Wikileaks 10 year anniversary press conference with assange and others, Somewhat long winded but I learned some new stuff. Well worth it

    • joe90 15.1

      I learned some new stuff

      Really?…..do tell…

      • xanthe 15.1.1

        watch and learn 🙂

        • joe90 15.1.1.1

          I watched a fund raiser, was harangued about a new book and eventually trolled by an alleged rapist who revealed nothing new about Clinton, and he seemed to throw cold water on the notion that any revelations he had in store would destroy Clinton’s campaign.

          You?.

  14. The Chairman 16

    Trump (the so-called anti-establishment presidential candidate) wants to slash the corporate tax rate by over 50% with no strings attached.

    The reasoning for this is he hopes to attract businesses back to the States to help boost employment and stimulate the economy.

    Unfortunately, Trump made no mention of stipulating criteria (living wage, employment expectations, etc) companies would have to meet to receive the tax cuts while ensuring his objectives are met.

    Wonder how his anti-establishment supporters feel about that one?

  15. Bill 17

    fyi Lynn.

    Could only sign into the back end of the site. Every time I hit the front end, it appeared I was automatically signed out. Then I submitted a comment and I was suddenly signed in again. Sort of.

    Still can’t access private posts on the front end. Can access them on the back end, but not to comment .

    And depending on how I navigate around the front end, I appear to be variously signed out or signed in.

    windows 7 chrome

    • Colonial Viper 17.1

      I’ve been hitting the “Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans” locked out warning all day.

    • Anne 17.2

      Same here. If I’m allowed access to TS , comments also deleted. Except (hopefully) this one which I’ve sent via Firefox rather than google chrome.

      • Manuka AOR 17.2.1

        I couldn’t access the site for a few days – till today. See if this goes through..

  16. Manuka AOR 18

    I was locked out so changed browser – This message:

    Your access to this site has been limited

    Your access to this service has been temporarily limited. Please try again in a few minutes. (HTTP response code 503)

    Reason: Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans.

    Important note for site admins: If you are the administrator of this website note that your access has been limited because you broke one of the Wordfence firewall rules. The reason your access was limited is: “Exceeded the maximum global requests per minute for crawlers or humans.”.

    If this is a false positive, meaning that your access to your own site has been limited incorrectly, then you will need to regain access to your site, go to the Wordfence “options” page, go to the section for Rate Limiting Rules and disable the rule that caused you to be blocked. For example, if you were blocked because it was detected that you are a fake Google crawler, then disable the rule that blocks fake google crawlers. Or if you were blocked because you were accessing your site too quickly, then increase the number of accesses allowed per minute.

    If you’re still having trouble, then simply disable the Wordfence firewall and you will still benefit from the other security features that Wordfence provides.

    If you are a site administrator and have been accidentally locked out, please enter your email in the box below and click “Send”. If the email address you enter belongs to a known site administrator or someone set to receive Wordfence alerts, we will send you an email to help you regain access. Please read this FAQ entry if this does not work.

    This response was generated by Wordfence.

    [lprent: That usually happens when you have too many calls to the site within too short a timeframe. It is there to prevent the site getting overwhelmed by bots masquerading as human. But I’ve been playing with the cache, and didn’t really have time to fine tune it last night. I’ll have a look at it after I get home and make some dinner. ]

    • Manuka AOR 18.1

      There was also a link to click and a box to put your email address – these are not showing on the c/p

  17. The Chairman 19

    The disclosure bill, which is now under review by select committee, has the singular feature that it arguably does not increase disclosure.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/85000994/john-key-keeps-lid-on-hidden-billions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago
  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
    The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Navigating an unstable global environment
    New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States.    “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ welcomes Australian Governor-General
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for Winter
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership
    New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Joint US and NZ declaration
    April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research.   “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government redress for Te Korowai o Wainuiārua
    The Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Focus on outstanding minerals permit applications
    New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.  “While there are no set timeframes for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research Call
    The New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Tenancy rules changes to improve rental market
    The coalition Government has today announced changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to encourage landlords back to the rental property market, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “The previous Government waged a war on landlords. Many landlords told us this caused them to exit the rental market altogether. It caused worse ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Boosting NZ’s trade and agricultural relationship with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay will visit China next week, to strengthen relationships, support Kiwi exporters and promote New Zealand businesses on the world stage. “China is one of New Zealand’s most significant trade and economic relationships and remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products, accounting for nearly 22 per cent of our good and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific and Gaza focus of UN talks
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.    “Small states in the Pacific rely on collective ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-18T09:42:23+00:00