Open mike 07/03/2016

105 comments on “Open mike 07/03/2016 ”

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1. Paul 1

   7 March 2016 at 6:16 am

   The media promotes fear.

   Fear of crime
   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/crime/news/article.cfm?c_id=30&objectid=11600999

   Fear of Islam
   https://www.rt.com/op-edge/325102-muslims-attacks-media-britain/

   Better to be scared than questioning why the 1% have everything.
   http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/18/richest-62-billionaires-wealthy-half-world-population-combined
   • BM 1.1

     7 March 2016 at 7:55 am

     Of course they do.
     Fear sells.
     • Paul 1.1.1

       7 March 2016 at 5:38 pm

       And I sense you condone it
   • katipo 1.2

     7 March 2016 at 12:57 pm

     ….and this promotion of fear can “activate” certain groups in society into becoming proponents of authoritarianism.

     “…According to Stenner’s theory, there is a certain subset of people who hold latent authoritarian tendencies. These tendencies can be triggered or “activated” by the perception of physical threats or by destabilizing social change, leading those individuals to desire policies and leaders that we might more colloquially call authoritarian.

     It is as if, the NYU professor Jonathan Haidt has written, a button is pushed that says, “In case of moral threat, lock down the borders, kick out those who are different, and punish those who are morally deviant.”….

     http://www.vox.com/2016/3/1/11127424/trump-authoritarianism
2. Gosman 2

   7 March 2016 at 6:24 am

   Grim reading for leftists however all is not lost apparently. The revolution can be saved with a managed float and perhaps the country has more stashed away than originally thought.

   http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/11832
   • vto 2.1

     7 March 2016 at 6:29 am

     ha ha, and where is Zimbabwe gosman? If only the world were so black and so white you funny man
   • Paul 2.2

     7 March 2016 at 6:50 am

     How is El Salvador coming along?
     How is Ukraine coming along?
     • miravox 2.2.1

       7 March 2016 at 9:57 am

       And the environmentalist murders in Honduras?
   • Halfcrown 2.3

     7 March 2016 at 7:51 am

     How’s the economy going in the Ukraine?
   • Stuart Munro 2.4

     7 March 2016 at 8:48 am

     Perhaps we should worry about Venezuela after our failed finance minister and failing prime minister show that they can break even without borrowing $20 billion a year.
   • pat 2.5

     7 March 2016 at 8:53 am

     must be the beginning of a new working week…i see our resident troll are back on the clock.
     • greywarshark 2.5.1

       7 March 2016 at 9:54 am

       Do you get paid Gosman? Or simply a volunteer, but you ought to get an honorarium, or a nice bottle of whisky from the group leader each Christmas. Perhaps we should protest about the principle of you deserving compensation if not receiving some reward. Just let us know who you work for and we will decide what approach would be most suitable. We of course are trying to hold onto principles, but you wouldn’t be conversant with such matters.

       You definitely do a good job of adding to the smoke and confabulation around the running of our nation. If it was cigarette smoke, it would be bad but yours is more noxious coming from lower regions.
     • Rodel 2.5.2

       7 March 2016 at 7:03 pm

       Who.Oh no not Grossman again!
       • pat 2.5.2.1

         7 March 2016 at 8:15 pm

         lol…I see i missed the “s” off trolls
   • adam 2.6

     7 March 2016 at 12:29 pm

     Hows your boy Ron Paul doing?
3. Paaparakauta 3

   7 March 2016 at 8:15 am

   Keyistas in the “National” party are attempting to use a symbol associated with rugby on a new national flag despite mounting medical evidence of life-changing injury.

   http://deeperweb.com/results.php?cx=%21004415538554621685521%3Avgwa9iznfuo&cof=FORID%3A11%3BNB%3A1&ie=UTF-8&q=rugby+injury&as_qdr=

   Nationalism is the last refuge of the scoundrel
   • Stuart Munro 3.1

     7 March 2016 at 8:51 am

     I’d leave off the -ism.

     Nationalism comes in positive and negative forms – some of which may be necessary to resist the ills of globalisation.

     It is National that is the refuge of scoundrels.
4. Rosie 4

   7 March 2016 at 8:57 am

   I do apologise for bordering on spam with my repetitive woeful cries about the fact that Justin Lester, Deputy Mayor of Wellington and Mayoral candidate has a conflict of interest as he sits on the executive of the Wellington branch of the NZ Property Council (and other issues, background and history).

   But now it’s becoming clear why this hasn’t been declared as a conflict of interest – the council don’t see it as one, not when they are considering creating a council body who purpose is to be a property market player:

   “This year’s draft Annual Plan includes a new climate change strategy, with a focus on reducing car ownership, as well as plans for a new council-controlled organisation that can play the property market.”

   WTF?

   and more WTF?

   “The formation of an Urban Development Agency has also been proposed. The new council-controlled organisation would be able to purchase land, enter into agreements with developers, and prepare ‘master plans’ for urban growth and big projects that boost economic development.”

   The seedy links the council already with developers, (and they already have agreements with developers) instead of being destroyed for the public good will now be formalised and entrenched.

   So ratepayers who can barely afford to cover their rates as it is because they are on inadequate wages or fixed wages, can’t afford to buy their first house, or struggling with their own mortgage will now get to fund the council and it’s property development fantasies. Our $$$ will be used to invest in an unstable volatile “product” that is exposed to the ever changing winds of the market.

   So we are well and truly stuffed here in Wellington. This year we have a choice between the faux left that run council now and National Party aligned Nicola Young, so either way we will end up with the same.

   How can it be stopped?

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/77592281/wellingtons-rates-and-debt-set-to-increase-as-city-council-eyes-big-projects
   • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1

     7 March 2016 at 9:22 am

     What makes you think climate adaptation projects will be more expensive than doing nothing?
     • Rosie 4.1.1

       7 March 2016 at 9:45 am

       I didn’t say anything about climate adaptation projects being more expensive that doing nothing. I have no idea how you got to that conclusion.

       I’m talking about the duplicity that exists between developers and the council, how that unhealthy relationship may possibly be formalised and how the ratepayer will provide the funds for the council’s property development fantasies – we can’t afford to prop this plaything up.

       If you’d read my previous comments about WCC and it’s amazing lack of interest in developing ANY climate change strategy (we are faux green as well as faux left) you would assume I would welcome some sort gesture towards mitigating climate change.

       The idea to get more cars off the road is a good start but it is merely a token gesture. Reasons being:

       a) Wellingtonians are the highest users of public transport in the country already. This can be built upon by reducing fares on public transport and providing free public transport in the weekend, as has been proposed by actual Green councillor, Iona Pannett, but rejected.

       b)I have spoken at length with councillors, and council officers about the lack of climate strategy for the mass development projects they are so fond of. As I’ve said many times on TS, there has been no environmental protections in place on these development areas, let alone measures put in place to reduce the impact development ultimately has on climate.
       Huge tracts of land have been turned into housing. This means more tarmac, less vegetation, more people sucking up resources like air conditioning as there is no shade provided by tree’s – these areas are hotter than traditional suburbs with established trees. There is no expectation for developers to plant tree’s to offset increased carbon levels. Very little public transport has been put in to these new areas, so people drive cars to work instead of catching the bus. There is no commercial zoning in these developments, so people have to drive several KM’s to get to the nearest shops and service centres.

       These poorly designed developments have a detrimental effect on the environment.

       Our council are a bunch of hypocrites when they pay lip service to climate change.
       • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1.1

         7 March 2016 at 9:52 am

         You’re focusing on the costs to ratepayers as well as potential conflicts of interest; your link describes climate projects as being (at least partially) behind the cost increases.

         Sounds like it’s just a smokescreen.
         • Rosie 4.1.1.1.1

           7 March 2016 at 10:25 am

           What do you mean smoke screen? The extra costs are the stupid convention centre and the latest Peter Jackson project we have to fund.
           • weka 4.1.1.1.1.1

             7 March 2016 at 10:33 am

             I really think that OAB has misunderstood what you are talking about Rosie. Make of that what you will 😉
             • Rosie …

               7 March 2016 at 10:38 am

               Thats what I figured. Am I not making sense?
               • weka …

                 7 March 2016 at 10:41 am

                 You’re making sense. People aren’t listening to each other very well at the moment. Don’t know why. OAB does lots of small, fast comments which suggest to me he is at work and can’t devote a lot of time to looking at things indepth, or taking time to check things out (that’s also a social skill that to many here lack). But his comments to you today look weird even allowing for that.
           • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1.1.1.2

             7 March 2016 at 10:48 am

             I mean that from what you’re saying, they’re using climate issues as a smokescreen: the article makes much of the increased spending that will have to occur as a result, when the real purpose is simply to channel public funds to developers.
             • Rosie …

               7 March 2016 at 11:19 am

               OK OAB. I was using the article as reference only, not analysing it’s reporting of WCC’s options.

               What I am doing is trying to highlight the sheer hypocrisy of the WCC around their potential implementation of climate change strategy when they’ve had their heads in the sand for years and years and refuse to acknowledge the unnecessary damage development does.

               And, yes, agreed, the real purpose is to channel funds to developers.
       • saveNZ 4.1.1.2

         7 March 2016 at 1:40 pm

         +1 Rosie
   • weka 4.2

     7 March 2016 at 10:39 am

     Without looking very closely at it (only reading your comment not the link), I’d say that in theory council’s investing in property to have more control over subdivision development and thus housing is potentially a useful thing (because it’s been left to private developpers for too long). But in practice, in this neoliberal environment, it looks like a disaster waiting to happen. That they use the word ‘play’ the market in a document suggests just how far up their own arses they already are that they don’t see anything wrong with that.

     I don’t know what you can do other other than what you already do. Write submissions, make oral submissions, organise. Have you talked to the GP? Are they putting up candidates this year on the GP ticket?

     There’s been a lot of jiggery pokery done to local bodies in recent years, I haven’t kept up with it, but it concerns me that we don’t look at how National have been fucking with that as much as with health, education, welfare etc. It’s been low hanging fruit for them and we’ve ignored it to our detriment.
     • Rosie 4.2.1

       7 March 2016 at 11:35 am

       Yes, on the surface weka, it could look like council investment in private residential development could be socially beneficial, after all this council has been very good at refurbishing social housing stock to a comfortable and safe standard and building good quality new social housing.

       But you’re right, the neoliberal approach is the one they are taking. This has been confirmed to me through my ongoing conversations with certain councillors.

       As for getting things done, I have tried to organise at a local level on our development and others but have been met with silence. (The northern ward roughly sits within the same footprint as the Ohariu electorate, very conservative).
       Ironically the only councillor supporting me is a right winger, who is more aghast at the behaviour of the council than anything. he legit though, completely on the level. The Green Party councillor won’t respond to my emails. I’ve had meetings with council managers, at the council and meetings with a councillor at my house.

       I’ve really run out of options as just one person.

       As for the National Government, you’re right there too, they have had a profound influence in Wellington in regard to the SHA Accord and roading.

       Can’t speak for other regions. Thats why it’s always good to hear from other commenters about what’s happening in their turf, both at a local and government level. Often the regional political news doesn’t make it to the MSM, so it’s good to stay connected in other ways.
       • weka 4.2.1.1

         7 March 2016 at 1:48 pm

         Hmm, maybe try phoning the Green one, or doorstepping them?

         It’s not good nationally from what I can tell, although some areas seem to be doing good things in isolation.
         • Rosie 4.2.1.1.1

           7 March 2016 at 4:48 pm

           After 18 months of this fight with the council and the developers I’m kind of pooped. They win.
           • weka 4.2.1.1.1.1

             7 March 2016 at 4:49 pm

             Fair enough Rosie.
       • Petertoo 4.2.1.2

         7 March 2016 at 6:01 pm

         Rosie – while it is true that the WCC has done a good job of refurbishing some of its social housing stock, the reason may have been lost in some of the mists of recent history. The investor sharks were circling until the government put the kaibosh on the intended privatisation of some of the council housing stock. The deal ended up with a healthy dollop of taxpayer funding and a ‘no-sale’ edict.
         Otherwise, and more pertinent to your comments, the Council (elected and administrative) have a lengthy grab-bag of strategies to aid and abet a coterie of favoured developers who can already do much as they please with the wink and nod of planning and compliance staff which constantly frustrates local communities throughout the city. In most cases, the developers eventually get largely what they want, unless cases are taken to the Environment Court. The quandry then is, how many small groups of ratepayers can affort to front against the high paid lawyers engaged by Council and developers who act as a ‘tag team’, along with their so called ‘expert’ witnesses who, on occasions, prove to be little more than paid obfuscators. The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers. Recently it seems, they also had ex-employees contracted to cover full-time staff who were engaged in the MDH propaganda campaign. It all seems pretty incestuous and getting closer to something more sinister. The latest utterances regarding the proposed new CCO is taking the situation into the ball-park of the questionable deals like those of WWL and subsequently City Shaper which is under the same developer friendly leadership.
         • Rosie 4.2.1.2.1

           7 March 2016 at 7:58 pm

           Petertoo. I hadn’t been aware of the intention to sell off some of the housing, or only vaguely aware perhaps….was that mid to late 2000’s? During Clark’s Government and during Prendergast’s time? I had only just recently arrived back in Wellington. Or was it more recent?

           “The other interesting feature of the Wellington Council is that it engages its former employees as ‘Independent’ Commissioners and has an open door policy when private sector ex-colleagues are engaged by developers.”

           You mentioned this recently. It’s fascinating, as is your statement about ex employees being engaged in the MDH campaign.

           You really do seem to have some very detailed knowledge of the motivations and processes of some councillors and council officials. I really would like to know the full story – after having spent 18 months dealing with these people, both developer and council and having my eyes opened to some disturbing behavioural patterns and alliances. But I only have part of the picture. I want to see the whole picture. It will also help me join a few dots that I haven’t been able to connect.

           Would you consider writing a guest post about the matter?
           • Petertoo 4.2.1.2.1.1

             7 March 2016 at 11:13 pm

             Rosie – a number of people have been around the traps a bit but so far, the Council/developer cabal have been fortunate in that they have only had to deal with small isolated individuals and inadequately financed community groups. That said, the Council and their fellow-traveller developer friends invariably get pegged back, even by amateur litigants, at Court hearings if cases proceed that far. It is unfortunate that no-one has yet been sufficiently motivated to write a guest post, this commentor included but this will doubt change if there is evidence of the metaphorical brown paper bag or two filled with cash. In the meantime, it is suggested you keep an eye on wellington.scoop.co.nz which constantly exposes gems of information for those of a justified cynical disposition.
             As an additional comment, it is not fair to be too hard on some of the Councillors. The Council administration, no doubt with some guidance from the spin-meister, Richard McLean, seem to do a good job of ensuring that any criticism is sanitised before it gets to them.
             • Rosie …

               8 March 2016 at 9:36 am

               Thanks for the reminder about scoop. They DO have some interesting council snippets that would never make it to the Dom Post.

               I do look forward to a time when you may be able to do a guest post – you’ve got a good writing style and you have more of a 360 degree view than me. I’m a relative newbie to the shenanigans at WCC. I was naive enough to trust them earlier on due to the political colours of a good number of the councillors.

               Now, it’s anything but that. As a Labour member I can’t bring myself to attend the electorate AGM next week as Justin Lester will be speaking. He has been an active enabler, contributing to my problems with the developer in my neighbourhood and standing by as I was abused by these powerful men.

               He damn well better not give any speeches about the rights and equality of women, ever.
   • saveNZ 4.3

     7 March 2016 at 1:39 pm

     +1 Rosie
   • saveNZ 4.4

     7 March 2016 at 1:48 pm

     +1 Rosie. Auckland Council is now apparently spending 2 million a MONTH on outsourced planners.
     On top of over 1 billion in IT blowouts.

     http://publicaddress.net/hardnews/the-unstable-supercity/

     You are very wise to be worried.
     • Rosie 4.4.1

       7 March 2016 at 2:57 pm

       These Auckland problems are just on my periphery at the mo and having scanned through your post on TS and the public address it would take some digesting.

       Just quickly are the outsourced planners local but being paid more in fee’s than council employees would be, or are they so outsourced that they’re from another country? – (Outsourcing design tasks to other countries happens in the engineering sector, so it wasn’t a funny ha ha question).

       It’s a very National Government way of working – outsource work to “consultants” and pay more while reducing job security for those who have the knowledge of the systems.
5. Agora 5

   7 March 2016 at 9:08 am

   I have just voted in the flag referendum and could not help reflecting that the system is broken due to the
   closure of local post offices. I have to trek to mine a few suburbs away.
   • Rosie 5.1

     7 March 2016 at 9:49 am

     Indeed. A friend of mine who works for the PWUA said something like 1300 “street receivers”, those street side boxes used to post mail, have been removed in recent years. Posties receive a lot of complaints from the public about inconvenient this is.
     • Gangnam Style 5.1.1

       7 March 2016 at 2:37 pm

       & small post offices all around the country too.
       • Rosie 5.1.1.1

         7 March 2016 at 2:58 pm

         annnd some of the large ones in suburban centres.
6. greywarshark 6

   7 March 2016 at 9:39 am

   Can someone wise in the ways of the web and the intellectual ownership industry advise me why the link to some NZ Vimeo content that I had put in one of my comments just disappears after a short time? Are people not allowed to show examples of performances, work on line if done by Vimeo? Youtube can be invoked with little trouble, and is a great way to bring content to new viewers or refresh memories of past content.

   I should mention that it was a song written for an advertisement for AMP. I don’t think it is still being used by them though I wouldn’t know as I gave up TV on changeover from digital.
   • weka 6.1

     7 March 2016 at 12:52 pm

     I would ask Lynn first. It always helps if you link to what you are referring to so people can see what is going on directly.

     Links are still visible in the search engine but not the actual comments

     http://thestandard.org.nz/?s=vimeo&isopen=none&search_posts=true&search_comments=true&search_sortby=date

     Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key

     Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key
     • weka 6.1.1

       7 March 2016 at 12:54 pm

       Looks like it’s not just grey’s couple of comments. Here’s a comment from Draco where the link is no longer visible,

       What poverty?: Emirates declares 1st Class a success
       • weka 6.1.1.1

         7 March 2016 at 12:55 pm

         Draco’s comment should have https://*****.com/71074210 in it (* = vimeo) as per the search results above.
       • lprent 6.1.1.2

         7 March 2016 at 1:06 pm

         Freaking odd.

         I can see what is happening inside the code. It has a div with an iframe. But the other side (ie vimeo) as it set as being off.

         I’ll have a look later in the day.
         • weka 6.1.1.2.1

           7 March 2016 at 1:16 pm

           Lots of others are missing too, but I found this one with the link still visible

           Answering climate change myths
         • greywarshark 6.1.1.2.2

           7 March 2016 at 1:17 pm

           Thanks weka and lprent
         • weka 6.1.1.2.3

           7 March 2016 at 1:18 pm

           is it the difference between http and https?
7. Sabine 7

   7 March 2016 at 10:58 am

   Does Farming need a Plan B? – an interesting read.

   http://www.brct.org.nz/cuppa-tea/hugh-campbell/high-time-for-a-plan-b-for-new-zealand-agriculture/

   “Plan A was based on a future promise that told us to stay the course. Things will come right once our trade negotiators have prevailed. This is now not going to happen. We will have some small successes in opening up new markets, but the big step change promised since the Uruguay Round now won’t happen. We need a Plan B that can actually address the problems, shocks, surprises that are starting to overwhelm us here and now.

   Actually, we need multiple Plan B’s. One of the most hypnotic and seductive aspects of the liberalization plan was that it presented governments and policymakers with a ‘one size fits all’ answer to any policy problem. It would be a dire mistake to respond to the monolithic quality of Plan A by suggesting that there is a fully formed one size fits all Plan B just waiting to be implemented. Achieve resilient transitions to a more sustainable future will require many solutions of varying size fitted to problems of varying scale. We will need to draw on the reservoir of marginalized and neglected alternatives that sit outside Plan A. We will need to know as much as we can about small-scale food provisioning, medium-scale networks of food production and consumption, and the relationship between food systems and energy systems. We will need to pay attention to how specific communities and localities are trying to create their own Plan B’s in fitting these things together into credible transition pathways. In order to do so, we must first recognize that Plan A no longer provides a full or sufficient answer to the challenges of agriculture and food in the 21st century. “
8. John Shears 8

   7 March 2016 at 11:06 am

   Power outages.
   The NZH reports this morning that there was an outage in the Auckland CBD ( http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601121)
   Most consumers were only out for a short period but 88 for about 5 hours.
   BTW Outage is not in my dictionary but I think it is a very neat and clever word
   Not reported by the NZH is another outage in Milford on Saturday 5.3.16, which lasted from about 2pm to 8.30pm.

   It was reported by Stuff who said that the cause was that a seagull
   had broken the line which must have been weakened by wind and age? One person was hospitalised for electric shock.

   Is it then appropriate that the lines company is called Vector?
   The 2nd meaning of Vector in my dictionary is ” The carrier of a disease or infection”.

   BTW Outage is not in my dictionary, NZ Oxford.
   • greywarshark 8.1

     7 March 2016 at 11:14 am

     Private providers of electricity services in the USA have vectored in mass outages that are called brown-outs, not quite black-outs.

     Brownout (electricity) – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownout_(electricity)
     A brownout is an intentional or unintentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system. Intentional brownouts are used for load reduction in an emergency. The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag (or dip).

     This will no doubt be adopted here, as being more efficient than aiming for 100% provision at any time whatever the load, which involves over and under capacity, and that would probably lead to lower profits.
     • gsays 8.1.1

       7 March 2016 at 2:05 pm

       in the film enron; the smartest guys in the room, brownouts (unscheduled maintenance on a generator or two) were a deliberate ploy used in california to up the spot price of power therefore making massive returns to enron.
9. adam 9

   7 March 2016 at 12:39 pm

   As some one who had to fight to get on a waiting list.

   Big thanks to Idiot/Savant for this piece.

   http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2016/03/a-waiting-list-by-another-name.html
10. joe90 10

    7 March 2016 at 12:57 pm

    Could be a duck….

    Matthew Reichbach
    ‏@fbihop

    Trump rally photo is… something.

    Trump rally photo is… something. pic.twitter.com/1AR7qMNgAx

    — Matthew Reichbach (@fbihop) March 6, 2016

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cc0Ok4_W8AAdCru.jpg

    http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/271932-trump-makes-rally-attendees-swear-to-vote-for-him
    • joe90 10.1

      7 March 2016 at 1:06 pm
      • Chooky 10.1.1

        7 March 2016 at 2:18 pm

        a GINGER in action politiking…i know he is a badass but i still prefer him to Hillary

        of course Bernie is the BESTEST
11. One Anonymous Bloke 11

    7 March 2016 at 2:03 pm

    Always frisk your local MP. The little fucker’s wearing a wire.
    • Gangnam Style 11.1

      7 March 2016 at 2:41 pm

      I got the impression in one of the earlier articles about this was the implication that it was normal with National MPs to record everything.
    • weka 11.2

      7 March 2016 at 3:19 pm

      Either that’s the wrong link or Stuff have removed any reference to recording. Always best to cut and paste 😉
      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2.1

        7 March 2016 at 3:23 pm

        Not the wrong link – I’m hoping readers can join the dots. Too obscure?
        • weka 11.2.1.1

          7 March 2016 at 3:24 pm

          I couldn’t see anything in that about recording at all. ODT link below is reporting it up front.
          • One Anonymous Bloke 11.2.1.1.1

            8 March 2016 at 7:16 am

            Yes, that’s what I was hoping they’d join the dots to. Definitely too obscure. Oh, well.
    • weka 11.3

      7 March 2016 at 3:23 pm

      The “employment issue” in a National Party electorate office is understood to involve a claim a secret recording was made by Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.

      Long-serving staff member Glenys Dickson left Mr Barclay’s Gore office last month after 18 years in the job.

      The circumstances of her departure have been kept under wraps.

      The Otago Daily Times asked the National Party if it was investigating a claim about a secret recording, but party secretary Greg Hamilton said in a statement it was not the role of the party to investigate or comment on staffing matters.

      Mr Barclay said he could not comment because it involved staff.

      Last week, Gore branch secretary Maeva Smith said an “employment issue” was behind Mrs Dickson’s departure.

      At the weekend, electorate chairman Stuart Davie resigned, calling his position untenable, but he declined to comment further.

      It is understood some southern party members feel the matter warrants further investigation.

      A central issue is whether the recording was made, or whether its existence was an unfounded claim.

      A party member, who declined to be named, said that the issue was sensitive for the party because of the prominence of surveillance and spying issues during its time in office.

      The Parliamentary Service, which employs electorate secretaries, declined to comment.

      Mrs Dickson had worked for Deputy Prime Minister Bill English when he was Clutha-Southland MP.

      Yesterday, Mr English declined to comment, but earlier this week told reporters in Wellington the resignations reflected a transition phase in which an MP builds their own team, and he was not concerned about the situation.

      Queenstown electorate secretary Barbara Swan has also resigned, and is working out a notice period.

      Earlier this week, Mr Barclay apologised for releasing Ms Swan’s resignation letter to a media outlet.

      Mr Barclay (25), who grew up in Dipton and Gore, was elected to Parliament in 2014 after Mr English opted to become a list MP.

      His youth and previous employment at Phillip Morris New Zealand prompted comment when he was selected for the blue-ribbon seat.

      http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/375242/claim-secret-recording
      • Gabby 11.3.1

        7 March 2016 at 9:45 pm

        Wee Toddy Baccy must be angling for a role with the SIS.
        • weka 11.3.1.1

          7 March 2016 at 10:04 pm

          Wee Toddy Baccy, that’s good.
      • repateet 11.3.2

        7 March 2016 at 9:57 pm

        For a moment there I thought you said Mr Barclay had grown up!
    • McFlock 11.4

      7 March 2016 at 3:27 pm

      gotta love the local news:

      The “employment issue” in a National Party electorate office is understood to involve a claim a secret recording was made by Clutha-Southland MP Todd Barclay.

      Gotta love good faith employers, eh…
      • Rosie 11.4.1

        7 March 2016 at 4:50 pm

        If the kid was found to have made a recording the woman that resigned could take a personal grievance against him for recording their conversations without her knowledge.
        • McFlock 11.4.1.1

          7 March 2016 at 5:13 pm

          Indeed.
          and if he was recording conversations that he wasn’t party to, it’s a criminal offence.

          If recordings were taken, after all. Unless it was at a photo-op where everyone could expect to be recorded.
          • weka 11.4.1.1.1

            7 March 2016 at 5:27 pm

            Our PM, bold as brass hypocrite.
    • Rosie 11.5

      7 March 2016 at 4:24 pm

      Yeah, there was a chat about this on Open Mike last Friday.

      Nats need to respond to the membership who want an investigation and grant it………. If they have any sense of responsibility to the membership they would.

      And how neurotic/paranoid/nutty is that kid if he IS recording conversations.
      • b waghorn 11.5.1

        7 March 2016 at 4:57 pm

        “And how neurotic/paranoid/nutty is that kid if he IS recording conversations.”
        Probably means he’s got got a bright future in national.
      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.5.2

        7 March 2016 at 5:30 pm

        What makes you think he hasn’t caught them doing something illegal? They are National Party types, after all.
        • McFlock 11.5.2.1

          7 March 2016 at 5:44 pm

          Well, none of the staffers seem to have been put on the fast track to candidate selection. Does their reputations good…
      • cowboy 11.5.3

        7 March 2016 at 9:15 pm

        Looks like the tom toms are getting louder for Barclay.

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/77630096/disquiet-over-mp-todd-barclays-performance-could-spark-selection-challenge

        My understanding is the challenge could come from the Queenstown guy who pulled out at the last minute in the last pre selection process. From recollection his name was Simon Flood and he was…drumroll please…. a currency trader…. that had parachuted in from Singapore to contest the seat.

        Interesting dynamic in this seat because it is a mix of ultra rural heartland Southland and cosmopolitan Queenstown. The Queenstown faction have always wanted a Queenstown advocate which is fair enough given the distinct issues they face so maybe they now sense their opportunity. Of course that will not be popular with the rural base who have plenty of issues of their own to deal with at present.
        • weka 11.5.3.1

          7 March 2016 at 9:35 pm

          Queenstown population 13,000
          Gore 12,000
          Clutha Southland voting age population 51,000

          Queenstown doesn’t look that special in what is essentially a rural seat.

          Can’t find the voter age population for the individual towns, but here’s the polling place breakdown from 2014.
          • cowboy 11.5.3.1.1

            7 March 2016 at 9:59 pm

            Fair point Weka. I suspect though if Barclay has been so woeful or infact has acted illegally as an employer and Queenstown can get a credible candidate up, then it could all be on. Although Barclay is based in Gore and is originally from Dipton his rural credentials as a tabacco lobbyist are hardly overwhelming. Does this disarray signal the chance of another Northland upset?
            • weka 11.5.3.1.1.1

              7 March 2016 at 10:09 pm

              One would hope that Labour, the Greens and NZF would try talking to each other. Probably shouldn’t hold our breaths though.

              I’m not sure what the rest of Southland would think about a Queenstown candidate. I guess it would depend on who it was. I can see how Baccy could easily lose the nomination next time round, he’s a really bad fit for that electorate. And now the National Party nationally appear to be saying that Clutha Southland should suck it up and get used to things being run by the suits. It will indeed be interesting to follow.
              • Cowboy …

                7 March 2016 at 10:34 pm

                Labour had what seemed to be a credible candidate last time. I think she was a health professional or the like but she was heavily defeated. I think someone with a strong rural background would poll well here.
12. ianmac 12

    7 March 2016 at 3:24 pm

    Skulduggery by Parata?
    At Rangiora High School they administer a Trust which owns about $16million worth of land. This Trust has operated for about 100 years and the Trust is usuallyv mostly by the BOT and Principal. The school was running well until the Ministry spotted the $16million. The Trust refused to give it to the Ministry to fund repairs and build a new hall.
    After a Commissioner was put in to get at the millions, Ministry fired the BOT and suspended the Principal Peggy Burrows hinting at Financial malpractice. No such malpractice exists as an audit has cleared them all but now Peggy has been fired by the Commissioner anyway.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11601495
13. repateet 13

    7 March 2016 at 3:28 pm

    Peggy Burrows sacked.

    Another principal sacked in Invercargill won her Employment Court case and was awarded $158,000. That principal compared Hekia Parata to Hitler which was a bit unfair on Adolf.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/77622719/rangiora-high-principal-peggy-burrows-sacked

    Some background:

    https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/in-cold-blood-terror-as-an-instrument-of-control-in-state-education-part-1/

    https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/in-cold-blood-the-rangiora-horror-show-part-2/

    https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/press-release-from-nz-first-urgent-action-required-at-rangiora-high/

    https://networkonnet.wordpress.com/2016/02/08/rangiora-invidious-deception-but-truth-now-out-burrows-suspended-to-get-at-schools-money/

    I’m not sure if the Minister and her motley Ministry crew will be compared to Hitler in this case. I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.
    • Chooky 13.1

      7 March 2016 at 4:29 pm

      The old School Inspectorate, independent educational experts working directly to the Department of Education, would have nipped any problems in the bud a long time ago and before it got to this crisis point whereby a very good, highly qualified woman School Principal is sacked.

      The Labour Party under Rogernomics and David Lange made a huge mistake by bringing in ‘Tomorrow’s Schools’

      http://schools.reap.org.nz/tanui/Jubileepages/Tomorrows%20Schools.htm

      http://www.ppta.org.nz/events-info-forms/doc_view/26-tomorrow-s-schools-yesterday-s-mistake

      Hekia Parata does not have the experience or educational qualifications or ethics to be judge in this matter … she is captured by John Key’s and ACT’s privatising agenda for Charter Schools…a USA model whereby privatised schools are run by corporations …(replacing State run schools which employed highly qualified educational professionals) …and a model which has failed

      http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/07/06/growing-evidence-charter-schools-are-failing
    • Daveosaurus 13.2

      7 March 2016 at 6:09 pm

      “I don’t know how corrupt, vindictive and plain nasty Hitler was.”

      Unutterably vile, petty, vindictive and mean-spirited. Much worse than Trump – he was even worse than Cruz (who is much more evil than Trump. Cruz is the one who’s promising to legislate Government discrimination against minorities if he gets elected).
14. Stuart Munro 14

    7 March 2016 at 4:04 pm

    Fairly bad in fact – I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Man-Called-Intrepid-Incredible-Narrative/dp/159921170X – outlines a lot about Hitler et al from an external perspective. Jung has a nice anecdote in Psychology and the Unconcious too. The Gnats are probably more like the Italian Fascists – crookeder but less about racial destiny.
15. adam 15

    7 March 2016 at 4:24 pm

    Worth watching.
16. rod 16

    7 March 2016 at 4:51 pm

    Best Joke of the year, when he was asked what he gave to Rupert Murdoch, as a wedding present, Guest, Barry Humphries replied, a set of Jumper Leads. Hilarious,
17. weka 17

    7 March 2016 at 4:59 pm

    Why automation is a bad idea,

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFRoYhTJQQ
    • ianmac 17.1

      7 March 2016 at 5:19 pm

      E-Lev-in Will never be the same. Ouch!
      • weka 17.1.1

        7 March 2016 at 5:25 pm

        Good spelling of a Scottish accent!
18. seeker 18

    7 March 2016 at 5:29 pm

    @joe90 12.57pm

    Regarding Trump’s hideous behaviour of making the crowd vote for him, there is a really apt word for this ‘trumpery’. It is actually an old word which means foolish words or actions and has a secondary meaning of worthless and useless. All of which I gleaned from Bryan Gould’s brilliant post below.

    http://www.bryangould.com/trumpery-is-the-last-thing-we-need/

    ….especially as we have had almost eight years of trumpery from key……. I knew there was a word for his unappealing and unacceptable behaviours.
    • joe90 18.1

      7 March 2016 at 6:13 pm

      Mr Drumpf is rather proud of his heritage.

      Donald Trump appears to take aspects of his German background seriously. John Walter works for the Trump Organization, and when he visits Donald in his office, Ivana told a friend, he clicks his heels and says, “Heil Hitler,” possibly as a family joke.

      Last April, perhaps in a surge of Czech nationalism, Ivana Trump told her lawyer Michael Kennedy that from time to time her husband reads a book of Hitler’s collected speeches, My New Order, which he keeps in a cabinet by his bed. Kennedy now guards a copy of My New Order in a closet at his office, as if it were a grenade. Hitler’s speeches, from his earliest days up through the Phony War of 1939, reveal his extraordinary ability as a master propagandist.

      “Did your cousin John give you the Hitler speeches?” I asked Trump.

      Trump hesitated. “Who told you that?”

      “I don’t remember,” I said.

      “Actually, it was my friend Marty Davis from Paramount who gave me a copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s a Jew.” (“I did give him a book about Hitler,” Marty Davis said. “But it was My New Order, Hitler’s speeches, not Mein Kampf. I thought he would find it interesting. I am his friend, but I’m not Jewish.”)

      Later, Trump returned to this subject. “If I had these speeches, and I am not saying that I do, I would never read them.”

      http://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2015/07/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-prenup-marie-brenner
19. Chooky 19

    7 March 2016 at 8:26 pm

    Sanders attacks Clinton over Wall Street ties & ‘disastrous trade agreements’

    https://www.rt.com/usa/334754-sanders-attacks-clinton-debates/

    “Bernie Sanders has attacked Hillary Clinton over her record with corporate America and “disastrous trade agreements” destructive to the US economy, as well as multibillion bailouts that robbed the state of jobs – all at the expense of the US middle class….

    ‘Assange: Vote for Hillary Clinton is ‘vote for endless, stupid war’ which spreads terrorism’

    https://www.rt.com/news/332022-assange-clinton-vote-war/

    ‘Michael Savage: Only Trump Can Beat Hillary Clinton’

    https://www.rt.com/shows/politicking-larry-king/323154-larrry-king-politickin-michael-savage/
    • The Chairman 19.1

      7 March 2016 at 9:09 pm

      Ralph Nader Slams Bernie Sanders for Endorsing Hillary Clinton
    • joe90 19.2

      7 March 2016 at 9:27 pm

      Yes, let’s just ignore Sanders’ shilling for the NRA, Lockheed Martin and the war machine and his commitment to an ongoing drone programme.

      Fuck it, while we’re at it let’s just forget about Sanders’ part in the export of nuclear waste to some place far far away where brown people live, too.
      /

      https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-nra-helped-put-bernie-sanders-in-congress/2015/07/19/ed1be26c-2bfe-11e5-bd33-395c05608059_story.html

      http://gui.afsc.org/birddog/bernie-sanders-lockheed-martin-f-35-jets-vermont

      http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/09/bernie-sanders-loves-this-1-trillion-war-machine.html

      http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernie-sanders-troubling-history-supporting-us-military-violence-abroad

      http://thinkprogress.org/world/2015/08/31/3697175/bernie-sanders-wouldnt-end-obamas-drone-program-promises-to-use-it-very-selectively/

      http://social-ecology.org/wp/1998/10/the-texas-vermont-maine-nuclear-dump-bringing-environmental-racism-home/
20. The Chairman 20

    7 March 2016 at 9:14 pm

    The Government is being accused of going easy on Chinese authorities when making trade deals for the infant formula industry.

    Dozens of Kiwi brands made by small businesses going down the drain.

    There were 200 brands – and now there are just 20.

    Michael Barnett of the Infant Formula Exporters Association said “MPI have allowed them to control that process, so we’ve ended up with a small group of privileged exporters.”

    He says many of those exporters are Chinese-owned companies based in New Zealand.

    https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/business/infant-formula-agency-accused-government-going-easy-china?autoPlay=4785655384001

    Thoughts?
    • Kiwiri 20.1

      7 March 2016 at 9:29 pm

      My inside contact says follow the money.
      I say .. also follow the political and personal relationships.
    • Stuart Munro 20.2

      7 March 2016 at 9:52 pm

      No-one who knows the culture would’ve expected anything different. But where were our government? Drunk? Asleep? Or bought and paid for?
21. The Chairman 21

    7 March 2016 at 9:27 pm

    Despite the growing attacks on Donald Trump from within the Republican establishment, all three of his challengers vowed to support Trump if he wins the nomination.
22. Mike C 22

    7 March 2016 at 9:32 pm

    Has anybody else seen Pete Georges new profile picture on YourNZ ???

    Something ain’t right.

    Think he’s having a mental break down.
    • te reo putake 22.1

      7 March 2016 at 9:43 pm

      I’m still giggling at his description of himself as a “better democracy campaigner”.
23. North 23

    7 March 2016 at 10:05 pm

    “Eminem” anyone ?

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