Open mike 08/05/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 8th, 2015 - 102 comments
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102 comments on “Open mike 08/05/2015 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    8 May 2015 at 6:08 am

    Interesting time to take a poll by the Herald about troops in Iraq.
    Just before ANZAC Day.
    Wonder why they thought they’d should take a poll to test opinion on Iraq at that time.
    Wonder why they didn’t take this poll 2 months ago.

    Guess the Herald relies on people neither wondering or thinking.

    • b waghorn 1.1
      8 May 2015 at 7:39 am

      The problem I had reading that poll is the wording of the poll , like most polls they trap people into getting the result the poll gatherers want.
      I think we should be doing something but I don’t think it should be sending a few trainers to keep us in with the yankss .

  2. Paul 2
    8 May 2015 at 6:15 am

    BNZ bank chief says there isn’t a housing bubble in Auckland..
    Given the profits the BNZ make thanks to the housing debt in Auckland, that’s hardly a surprise.

    Guess the Herald relies on people neither wondering or thinking.

  3. Paul 3
    8 May 2015 at 6:29 am

    Are Bell Investment Trust, the company that flew Key twice up to Kauri Cliffs by helicopter, the same company as this corporation with interests in mining?

    http://www.bellasset.com.au/unit-prices/global-equities/global-mining-investments-trust/

  4. philj 4
    8 May 2015 at 7:28 am

    MP’s report receiving threats etc from the public. I wonder how many incidents of MP’s threatening the public, or fellow MP’s? A few come to mind…

    • Murray Rawshark 4.1
      8 May 2015 at 9:52 am

      The fact is that they are far more dangerous to us (and our grandchildren) than we are to them. When was the last time an ageing member of the public through an overweight MP and his Slugboy mate down a flight of stairs?

  5. phillip ure 5
    8 May 2015 at 7:39 am

    ever wondered why mp’s are against property-taxes..?

    only seven of them don’t own properties..

    ..that cd well be a factor in their thinking..eh..?

    • b waghorn 5.1
      8 May 2015 at 7:50 am

      It would be interesting to know how many own more then one.

      • phillip ure 5.1.1
        8 May 2015 at 8:00 am

        most of them do…+ rentals/commercial-properties..

        self-interest on a stick..

        (details are in the list of mp’s pecuniary-interests – which was released yesterday..)

        yet this morn the media are full of stories about how the poor-luvvies have been ‘threatened’ by disgruntled-punters..

        (is that deliberate..?..the ‘threatening-news’ on the heels of the self-interest-list..?..to help cover their sorry arses..?)

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2
      8 May 2015 at 1:41 pm

      And that is why we need policy to be broadly set by referendum. Only then would we have a chance that the majority of people were not voting in basic self-interest.

  6. Clemgeopin 6
    8 May 2015 at 7:47 am

    Election result prediction from fivethirtyeight.com:update : LATEST:

    http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/

  7. Pasupial 7
    8 May 2015 at 7:54 am

    Eileen Goodwin at the ODT has been good with her continuing coverage of the SDHB. Most recently with the food outsourcing, but previously with the ED nurse uniform biohazard (instead of being washed inhouse, the nurses are expected to take them home and wash uniforms themselves), and the degradation of the hospital (rain leaking into operating theatres, plans to close the physio pool etc). Usually she tries for balanced reporting (though my quotes tend to be selective):

    The often vocal crowd applauded Mrs Gamble’s efforts, one saying ”thanks Mary” before they filed out of the room looking dejected and annoyed.

    Other comments included ”enjoy the frozen food”, ”we will remember this at the next election” and ”shame”, and there were complaints about ”shutting down democracy”, and ”too much secrecy”…

    Dr Chambers expressed concern the counterproposal could not be properly considered in the closed sessions with the union excluded and unable to answer questions.

    Mr Butterfield warned Dr Chambers to be ”careful” as financial issues could not be openly discussed.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/341514/hospital-decision-bitter-pill

    But this morning Goodwin allowed herself a more personal comment:

    The SDHB appeared nonplussed by the public concern, and a lack of communication was acknowledged by chairman Joe Butterfield this week.

    But while communication has been abysmal, it is doubtful the public would have bought the idea of the 15-year deal with a multinational corporation even if the board was upfront about the details…

    The southern board arguably has the least to gain, and the most to lose, from the Compass contract.

    It is furthest from where many meals will be prepared, and has little need for equipment investment in its kitchens.

    Damage to the board’s brand and relationship with an increasingly disaffected public is arguably worth more than the projected savings from outsourcing…

    Mr Butterfield warned at yesterday’s meeting the South could face years of cuts.

    There is a sense of vacuum at the board, as no replacement has been named for the departing Mr Butterfield, whose retirement was confirmed in February…

    It is not the time to alienate the public, and if the board had no choice in adopting the food proposal, as many suspect, it should have made that clear.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/341513/handling-food-services-pr-debacle

    • weka 7.1
      8 May 2015 at 8:22 am

      Does that mean we won’t know who voted which way?

      • Pasupial 7.1.1
        8 May 2015 at 8:51 am

        Weka

        Looking over the minutes of the April SDHB meeting supplied with the agenda for yesterday’s meeting; there doesn’t seem to be any breakdown of voting.

        http://www.southerndhb.govt.nz/files/15533_2015050590054-1430773254.pdf

        So I’m not sure how this information could be uncovered, perhaps an OIA request. If nothing else, I can stand up at the meeting during next year’s election for board members and ask each how they voted. My guess is that is was only; Gamble and Chambers against, possibly Thomson as he’s also on the DCC and must know that he’d be putting his re-election chances at risk if he was seen to be not listening to the public on such an issue.

        This is all we have so far (from yesterday’s pre-meeting article), unless Goodwin asks followup questions:

        Board members Dr Branko Sijnja and Neville Cook said they had not decided yet. Tim Ward, Kaye Crowther and Richard Thomson declined to discuss it.

        Tuari Potiki, Tony Hill and chairman Joe Butterfield could not be contacted.

        Sandra Cook does not permit direct contact from media.

        http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/341376/dhb-member-speaks-out-over-outsourcing-plan

        • weka 7.1.1.1
          8 May 2015 at 9:22 am

          Thanks. I’m just refreshing my memory about the board structure with an eye on the elections. An opportunity next year to do some publicity on these people I think.

          7 elected members

          Up to 4 appointed members

          Chair and Deputy Chair appointed by the Minister of Health

          http://www.southerndhb.govt.nz/pages/boardmembers/

          Otago electees

          Branko Sijnja (undedided)

          Richard Thomson (refused to comment)

          Mrs Mary Gamble (opposed and spoke out)

          John Chambers (opposed and spoke out)

          Otago appointees

          Joe Butterfield (Chair) (could not be contacted. Tried to talk over Mary Gamble)

          Tuari Potiki (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha) (could not be contacted)

          Southland electees

          Tim Ward (Deputy Chair) (refused to comment)

          Neville Cook (undecided)

          Kay Crowther (refused to comment)

          Southland appointees

          Sandra Cook (Ngāi Tahu) (does not permit direct contact from media)

          Tony Hill (could not be contacted)

          • Pasupial 7.1.1.1.1
            8 May 2015 at 9:34 am

            Weka

            I don’t know if you read my coverage of the meeting yesterday, I didn’t see any comments from you. It was obviously a done deal from the minute the board sat down, really from last December. How the chairman treated the petition once the bulk of the public had been cleared out was particularly galling:

            http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-07052015/#comment-1011228

            • weka 7.1.1.1.1.1
              8 May 2015 at 9:54 am

              Thanks, I hadn’t seen that.

              Good to see the union considering legal action.

              I can’t do this, so just putting the idea out. I’d want to know under what conditions the Board is able to either exclude the public from a vote, or not tell the public who voted which way. They can exclude the public and media from parts of the meeting that affect commercial issues, but voting isn’t one of them.

              So, yep, OIAs, and legal opinions about whether the board can be required to be more accountable to the public. And educating the public on how this all works. I bet most people don’t know the processes that they could be involved in.

              (and sorry, I’m not up with what has already been organised in Dndn. Thanks for your work on this Pasupial, it’s getting this information out to the Southern area that is crucial).

              This whole thing is bad enough, but let’s not forget that these people are basically telling us they are incompetent to run the SDHB within budget and so are having to do crazy shit like this contract.

              That’s what’s in my mind thinking about next year’s election. We need public lobbying bodies that will put time and resource into educating the public about local body elections, who is standing and what their voting records are (ditto Regional Councils).

              • McFlock …
                8 May 2015 at 11:54 am

                Interesting that the public were excluded from the vote – when I was a rep on a local society, the general understanding was the the commercial discussions could be made with public excluded but subsequent votes based on those discussions were made in public. It wasn’t usual to break down who voted which way in the minutes (unless a member requested), but the vote itself was publ;ic so anybody could see.

                Dunno about the legality of secret voting in a public organisation, especially by the elected representatives, but it certainly defeats the purpose of having an election for them in the first place.

                • weka …
                  8 May 2015 at 12:36 pm

                  Yep. And there is too much of this shit going in local bodies now. It’s an area of activism that is sorely lacking.

    • Sanctuary 7.2
      8 May 2015 at 8:51 am

      The ODT – still reporting the news because foreign rent seekers are out of the ownership equation.

    • Kevin 7.3
      8 May 2015 at 9:18 am

      When did hospitals start having ‘brands’?

      • rawshark-yeshe 7.3.1
        8 May 2015 at 12:54 pm

        about the same time hospital food was required to make a profit.

        and why is no-one in the house pushing hard to discover how Tony Ryall wasted about $400 million on his proposed master plan for health ? The rumour that it will just be absorbed as losses for ADHB beggars belief.

  8. Tautoko Mangō Mata 8
    8 May 2015 at 7:56 am

    “The Government’s spent millions of taxpayer dollars kitting out a farm with top-of-the-line New Zealand equipment and hundreds of sheep to “compensate” a Saudi businessman.

    ONE News has learned that the Government has spent $6 million air freighting 900 pregnant ewes and farming equipment to Hamood Al Ali Khalaf’s farm in Saudi Arabia.

    According to Mr Al Ali Khalaf’s business partner, Sydney-based George Assaf, everything from the fencing to “the shed and the wool shed and the yards and the drafting machines, the weighing, the scales, you mention it, it’s all from New Zealand”.

    Mr Assaf says the deal was done to “compensate” the pair over a six-year-old ban of live sheep exports in which they say they lost hundreds of millions of dollars.

    He says New Zealand was told “unless you fix that part of it, we won’t sign” the free trade deal between New Zealand and the Gulf States.

    It’s said our treatment of the Saudi businessman is the reason the deal with the Gulf States has stalled.

    New Zealand will receive no profit from the Saudi farm, which Mr Assaf claims is worth $80 million.”
    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/nz-government-gifts-6m-offended-saudi-businessman-6309101
    This looks like bribery to me.
    Meanwhile DHBs outsource hospital meals for small savings.

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 8.1
      8 May 2015 at 8:16 am

      Bribery
      The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of something of value for the purpose of influencing the action of an official in the discharge of his or her public or legal duties.The expectation of a particular voluntary action in return is what makes the difference between a bribe and a private demonstration of goodwill.

      http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/bribery

      • Murray Rawshark 8.1.1
        8 May 2015 at 9:59 am

        I think the Americans have a law against it, put in place after the Lockheed scandals. I’m not at all sure that it’s effective, but we do need to try to stop official bribery and corruption.

    • Molly 8.2
      8 May 2015 at 9:04 am

      Makes me wonder:
      1. How many other “aggrieved” businessman we appease. (Isn’t another word for this – extortion?”
      2. Where do we find these extortion payments defined in the budget?

      • Tautoko Mangō Mata 8.2.1
        8 May 2015 at 9:29 am

        MMMMMmmm
        The Taxpayers Union (see p 102-105 “Dirty Politics” by Nicky Hager ) has come out
        against the Saudi handout
        7 MAY 2015
        FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
        The Taxpayers’ Union is demanding answers from the Government after One News revealed tonight that taxpayers flew 900 sheep on Singapore Airlines to Saudi Arabia and forked out $6 million to kit out a privately owned farm to “compensate” a Saudi businessman. Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, says:
        “Why on earth is the Government forking out for a business to leave New Zealand? The objective of a FTA is no excuse for a taxpayer handout to an individual businessman. If the businessman has a good case for compensation from our government, that process should be managed by lawyers, not politicians. A full explanation of the dispute should be made public.”
        – See more at: http://livenews.co.nz/2015/05/07/mr-taxpayers-pay-to-relocate-hawkes-bay-farm-to-saudi-arabia/#sthash.I7SLKydg.dpuf

        plus Matthew Hooton has an article in the NBR (behind paywall headed “Gulf Games Fail To Deliver”
        “John Key’s dissembling over live sheep exports is a case study of why so many businesspeople have lost confidence in him.”

        Sounds of metal on Whetstone?

        • vto 8.2.1.1
          8 May 2015 at 10:02 am

          “John Key’s dissembling over live sheep exports is a case study of why so many businesspeople have lost confidence in him.”

          One thing people have never understood properly – John Key has never been a businessman. He has been a broker / ticket-clipper. Nothing more.

          John Key has never been a businessman.

          • Draco T Bastard 8.2.1.1.1
            8 May 2015 at 1:56 pm

            +111

            Correct. JK is not a businessman. He’s a ticket-clipper and Yes-man for the rich.

            • s y d 8.2.1.1.1.1
              8 May 2015 at 2:29 pm

              I heard Mr Hooton on NatRad the other day blaming the lack of the Gulf FTA on Helen Clark. He then went into further detail as to why this was the case.
              Live sheep exports to Saudi were banned by Aus & NZ (under HC) after a ship carrying hundreds of sheep was refused entry and sailed about until such time as the sheep perished.
              Soem time after this Hooton asserted that JK assured the Saudi ‘businessman’ that live sheep exports would resume.
              Based on this assurance some $50 mil was ‘invested’ in NZ sheep farms by the saudi.
              JK then reneged on the agreement to allow live sheep exports – 1 pissed off Saudi.
              MH then mumbled that that perhaps HC wasn’t to blame and maybe it had something to do with someones ‘word’ being worth diddly…

              Mr Hooton can fill in the detail

    • rawshark-yeshe 8.3
      8 May 2015 at 10:09 am

      On top of vile politics without ethic, it is horrific animal cruelty at the very least. TVOne News also announced many sheep had died shortly after arrival due to a bad storm. And let’s be clear, these were pregnant ewes. Hard to imagine the stresses for them enduring at least 20 hours in a Singapore Airlines jet at 38,000 feet. ( What? Yes. Maybe Air NZ didn’t want to touch the job ?)

      And what kind of awful conditions will these poor animals be forced to endure for their whole lives, and then in to cruel death.

      I didn’t think it was possible to think even less of Key than I did yesterday. Yet, lo, he sinks ever deeper.

      By whom and how was this signed off last year ?

      • rawshark-yeshe 8.3.1
        8 May 2015 at 10:39 am

        Curiously, the clip with Heather du Plessis Allen reporting on the deaths of many of the pregnant ewes seems to be expurgated from the TVOne News website.

        wtf

    • Charles 8.4
      8 May 2015 at 10:22 am

      If Nathan Guy had chosen his words better, there would be no argument. So was he telling the truth, and hiding something, or attempting clumsy pre-emptive dialogue and making a mess of something simple? Without his utterance of “invested” there’d be no room for the suspicion of bribery.

      “It’s said our treatment of the Saudi businessman is the reason the deal with the Gulf States has stalled.”

      Is there something wrong with addressing old issues before moving forward in business, if the values of differing cultures are present? Even if the “compensation” was for a justifiable (animal cruelty, say) ban and had annoyed the Saudi businessman, it still wouldn’t have mattered. Want to do business? Have to play by a set of rules acceptable to the business partner. Can’t seriously be asking/expecting the Nats to become a divison of PETA or somesuch?

      • Draco T Bastard 8.4.1
        8 May 2015 at 2:05 pm

        Is there something wrong with addressing old issues before moving forward in business, if the values of differing cultures are present?

        What issues? If a single businessman is having issues because of something our government did then he can take it through the NZ courts. They don’t get to stop a trade deal between countries. The only thing that can be said about this is that one country was acting as an agent for a businessman which is pure corruption on their part and at which point NZ should have pulled out of the deal and not gifted millions of dollars to a businessman.

  9. Gosman 9
    8 May 2015 at 8:06 am

    The joys of State controlled TV under Socialism.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/05/venezuela-first-lady-maduro-tv-show

    Isn’t this similar to what many of you leftists want to see more of in NZ?

  10. Ron 10
    8 May 2015 at 9:09 am

    OMG Based on exit polls Tories have increased their majority.

    • te reo putake 10.1
      8 May 2015 at 9:12 am

      Early days, Ron, but still worrying! I blame the SNP 😉

      • Ron 10.1.1
        8 May 2015 at 9:31 am

        Nah Its not SNP or anyone but Labour. They seem to have no idea how to appeal to the people. Personally I still think they had the wrong Miliband.

        • DoublePlusGood 10.1.1.1
          8 May 2015 at 10:47 am

          Nah, it’s the wannabe upper-class-twit-of-the-year types that think that the Tories represent their interests and keep voting for them.

      • The Murphey 10.1.2
        8 May 2015 at 11:05 am

        Pointing fingers

        Missing the point

  11. phillip ure 11
    8 May 2015 at 9:12 am

    exit polls show tories winning british election..

  12. Pasupial 12
    8 May 2015 at 9:14 am

    UK election exit polls not looking good:

    Conservatives: 316

    Labour: 239

    SNP: 58

    Lib Dems: 10

    Plaid Cymru: 4

    Greens: 2

    Ukip: 2

    http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2015/may/07/election-2015-live-final-votes-cast-as-battle-for-power-looms

    Which would give; Conservatives + LDs 326 seats out of a possible 650, barely enough to govern. Will have to see what the final results are, may even go down to recounts and overseas/ early votes.

    [snap to Ron & P Ure]

    Update:

    The exit poll says the DUP are on course to get 8 seats. So, if they joined up with the Tories and the Lib Dems, that would take the figure to 334.

    Labour and the SNP would have 297 seats.

    • mickysavage 13.1
      8 May 2015 at 9:18 am

      Time will tell Gosman. The poll seems way out compared to other polls.

      • Enough is Enough 13.1.1
        8 May 2015 at 9:20 am

        Which probably tells us more about the pre-election polls then anything.

        It looks like it will be a depressing night across the UK for the workers of that great land.

        • higherstandard 13.1.1.1
          8 May 2015 at 9:30 am

          “It looks like it will be a depressing night across the UK for the workers of that great land.”

          Maybe so but what’s more discouraging for those who wanted a change of government not winning on the night or winning on the night expecting change and then getting your hopes dashed with the same old cak from Westminster on high despite the change of government.

    • thatguynz 13.2
      8 May 2015 at 10:31 am

      Hard luck for who? By all means enlighten me as to why I should give a flying continental about an election on the other side of the world?

  14. te reo putake 14
    8 May 2015 at 9:37 am

    YouGov Exit Poll:
    CON – 284
    LAB – 263
    SNP – 48
    LDEM – 31
    UKIP – 2
    GRN – 1

    Narrow majority for Tory/Lib Dem/DUP if it holds.

  15. adam 15
    8 May 2015 at 9:43 am

    Just to lighten the mood

    Clarke and Dawe.

  16. vto 16
    8 May 2015 at 9:59 am

    Just like house prices, the farming sector has its head in the clouds as well….

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/agribusiness/68327503/median-price-for-all-farms-up-to-28000-a-hectare

    talk about baloney

    completely unsustainable

    spectacular splattery explosion imminent in the property sector

    • b waghorn 16.1
      8 May 2015 at 12:52 pm

      I’ve already seen 2 dairy support blocks up for grabs one under the urgent sale banner the other a mortgagee . With a $4 dollar advanced payout predicted for next season the trickle could become a flood.

  17. Chooky 17
    8 May 2015 at 10:21 am

    How to speak to a cat

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201753567/how-to-speak-cat

    “In his book, How to Speak Cat, veterinarian Dr Gary Weitzman has endeavoured to decipher just what a cat is saying with its meows, tail movements and purring.”

  18. greywarshark 18
    8 May 2015 at 10:42 am

    This interview might offer some insight into mass voter thinking. It’s a development scientist? or some term.
    She is talking about a happiness curve where you are at the bottom around 40 and enjoy life more as they get older.

    But also she talks about people’s attitudes during economic changes upwards. And also then downwards I think. She says that poor people in the USA no longer believe that working hard will be the basis of improving one’s life. However in Latin America, athey do amonst low and middle class. There might be something useful that explains the USA and it appears to me that people hang onto beliefs even when the reality around them indicate they are not correct in their thinking, that it is false.

    Apparently it is uncertainty that is the main unhappiness factor. When people in the USA had counted their losses after the crash and knew how they stood, their happiness level went up to a similar level as before. That’s what I think she said! So deep analysis and renegotiating thinking.
    She has written book – Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires.

    The audio will come up soon. Below is the blurb.

    10:05 The Happiness U-Curve – how middle age blues are cured by getting older
    Carol GrahamCarol Graham researches what makes people happy, finding that the lowest times in peoples’ lives occurs when they are in their forties, but after that their life satisfaction improves. It’s called the happiness u-curve and it’s a pattern that’s repeated all over the world, no matter what the socio-economic conditions of the country. So why do people get unhappy in their forties, but then get happier in their fifties?

    Carol Graham is a fellow at the Brookings Institution and a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland who has written several books about happiness, including one about the paradox of “happy peasants and miserable millionaires”.

  19. joe90 19
    8 May 2015 at 12:16 pm

    heh

    Republican state Rep. David Simpson of Longview argues marijuana comes from God and therefore shouldn’t be banned by government. The tea party stalwart has repeatedly championed what he calls the “Christian case” for legalization.

    http://www.click2houston.com/news/texas-house-committee-oks-full-marijuana-legalization-bill/32861194

    • vto 19.1
      8 May 2015 at 12:19 pm

      That argument could be run for everything, couldn’t it? For both good shit and bad shit.

      It amazes me how humans have got as far as we have

  20. phillip ure 20
    8 May 2015 at 1:25 pm

    this hideous/vile/uncaring rightwing-trout is also a panellist on the mora show..

    ..where she comes across as all of the above – with thick as a fucken brick thrown in for good measure…

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/68347499/ali-jones-homeless-people-not-christchurch-city-councils-problem

    • greywarshark 20.1
      8 May 2015 at 2:10 pm

      Bio on Ali Jones –

      At Ali Jones PR and Communications, “professional ethics” is our touchstone. We won’t waste your time or your money. We won’t play games and we know our stuff.
      Mark Twain once said “Always do right – this will gratify some and astonish the rest.” He also said “If you have nothing to say, say nothing.”

      She can talk the talk but walk…..?

      She used to host a radio show in christchurch which was dropped in 2009, replaced with the network show, but then started again with someone else.

      Buck proposed the concept at a housing taskforce meeting on homelessness last week. The issue went to the council’s communities, housing and economic development committee meeting on Thursday. The committee instructed staff to further investigate the plan and give a full report to the council on May 28. Jones did not want further information sought.

      This is Jones. What a misanthropic harpy. How come she got elected to the Chch council to represent all the people in Christchurch? (From phil ure’s link)
      I get where Vicki is coming from, but this is not part of what we should do. It not our core business. This is not social housing. This is kids, this is drug addiction, this is families and criminality. There's a whole lot of stuff in here we should not be dealing with.

    • adam 21.1
      8 May 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Welcome to the workers bash – coming some more from this government. Mind you it is the Talley’s Group – not know for being particularly nice human beings to begin with.

  22. greywarshark 22
    8 May 2015 at 1:47 pm

    Radionz news

    Strike kills leader who claimed Paris attack
    Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi, shown in a social media video posted by the group.
    A US operation has killed the senior Al Qaeda figure who issued a claim of responsibility for the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, reports say.
    I say WTF. I guess if its good enough for Israel, for Russia, then USA says it’f okay.

    Ethics classes for finance sector
    Commonwealth Bank (CBA) signage and ATM, Sydney, 2014.
    Australia’s biggest banks have announced support for an overhaul of the financial planning sector, including mandatory exams and ethics classes.
    Isn’t that sweet. All the little boys and girls with neat hair and clean nails on how to look good in public, and how to keep the govt surveillance out of your drawers.

    Swede risk not flagged, group says
    Swedes
    A group investigating the deaths of Southland stock which ate herbicide-tolerant swedes last winter was never told there was a risk with the crop, it says.
    The new super crop with enhanced whatisname and a chemical condom against the nasty spray that kills other plants has possible side effects. Who’d have thunk?

    Farmer waits nervously for swaps payout
    Farm
    A man forced to sell his farm after losing millions in an interest rate deal is waiting to see how big an imminent payout is before deciding whether to fight on. (AUDIO)

    Isn’t it a disgrace that National can’t even control the financial system here so that their supporters aren’t taken to the cleaners by overseas banks or mendacious finance houses with alluring insurance schemes against ruin from the financiers’ own outrageous market manipulations. Protection money it is called when the Mafia does it.

  23. phillip ure 23
    8 May 2015 at 2:19 pm

    new bill makes it really easy for john key to get legal-pot at his holiday-compound in hawaii..

    http://whoar.co.nz/2015/bill-makes-it-easier-for-john-key-to-get-legal-pot-when-at-his-holiday-compound-in-hawaii/

  24. Rosemary McDonald 24
    8 May 2015 at 2:52 pm

    A few days ago I posted this…. http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-05052015/#comment-1010262 …to zero response.

    Fine, totally ignore another win for the little people over the tyranny of the Government.

    In days of old there would be celebrations and dancing in the streets when a small group of already marginalised New Zealanders took a complaint of discrimination against the government…and won.

    There would have been rioting in the streets when that hard fought battle got a bitter and evil response from the Government, which provoked

    this….http://pundit.co.nz/content/i-think-national-just-broke-our-constitution

    Then nearly two years on from that constitutional outrage, another win on the same issue.

    Its very difficult to explain the “big picture” here in a way that those completely unfamiliar with the case could grasp.

    But I’ll take the time to try.

    The care of people with disabilities is funded by the Government under the auspices of the Public Health and Disability Act…a Labour piece of legislation if I recall correctly.

    The government will fund disability supports to people over the age of eighteen….but only if families are unwilling or unable to.

    There is no penalty for opting out to family members who do not provide the assessed care.

    But those who do provide the necessary care, and are unable to work outside the home are severely and significantly impacted….unless, of course, you were one of the at least 272 family carers who were being paid….but that just complicates the issue…so we’ll move on.

    So, who does provide the care to those who need it in the absence of willing and able family carers?

    Companies with contracts with the Ministry of Health: Disability Support Services.

    You may or may not remember these guys…..from various MSM reports of neglect, abuse, assaults and deaths at their hands.

    Not all of them.

    But enough to make a significant proportion of the disability community unwilling or unable to trust them. Enough of these compainies were unable to provide care for some with very high and complex needs, so family HAD to provide the care.

    Hence, the Family Carers Case.

    And decisions from the Human Rights Review Tribunal, the High Court (x2) and the Appeal Court (x2) saying that if the person is eligiable for government funded disabilitiy supports THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHO PROVIDES THOSE SUPPORTS.

    Sorry to shout…but …are you actually listening?

    One of the potential outcomes of this case is to loosen the stranglehold of those contracted providers (some multinationals) on the $1.2 billion of government funding for MOH:DSS supports.

    Some of these companies now have contracts with MSD, the DHBs and ACC.

    Think about that for a minute…while the current incumbents are formulating a plan to privatise social services and child, youth and family services.

    We are talking about a SHIT LOAD of taxpayer money up for tender to ….well….any company who cares to bid.

    Like Compass. Or Serco.

    Now….let’s think about the TPPA….an issue that Labour has yet to make any clear and unequivocal statements about….an issue that scares the shit out of any Kiwi that has given it more than a passing thought.

    Prof Kelsey tells us about contracts with multinationals that would leave our government exposed to legal action if we exercise our democratic and sovereign right to pass laws and have policies that undermine the ‘return on investment’ of these companies.

    Now, quietly, and under the radar of the Left, there has been a wee little battle going on, that if the Government had responded in a fair and reasonable manner, would have had the potential to cause a significant reduction in income for companies that the Government has contracts with.

    Which I wonder is what the government hid from ALL of us in the Regulatory Impact Statement…you remember….the one with pages and pages of blanked out bits.

    Think about that….the government passing legislation that removes people’s rights and casts them forever into the margins….and THEY HIDE THE REASONS WHY.

    Rant over.

    • adam 24.1
      8 May 2015 at 4:45 pm

      Laws – good people don’t need them, and the bad people will just change them to suit themselves.

    • Chooky 24.2
      8 May 2015 at 9:44 pm

      Rosemary McDonald +100…scarey

      …where is the New Zealand Labour Party on this?!….they should be jumping up and down!

      • Rosemary McDonald 24.2.1
        8 May 2015 at 9:55 pm

        Labour could have dealt to this prior to the 2008 election. They did a Pontious Pilate and had it go to the HRRT.

        They did verbally protest on the 17th May 2013….but, as yet, I have seen no public comment from any party since the release of this latest Appeal Court decsion.

        Having the Appeal Court tell the Government they have passed legislation that is not fit for purpose….to put it mildly…should have at least got a publicised mention in the House.

        Maybe if it had a ponytail attached?

        Methinks there is more to this than immediately apparent.

  25. adam 25
    8 May 2015 at 4:44 pm

    Jill Sobule – greatest living folk singer?

    Great take on USA politics

    • weka 25.1
      8 May 2015 at 5:26 pm

      I got pulled over in west Texas
      so they could look inside my car
      he said are you an american citizen
      I said
      yes sir
      so far
      they made sure I wasn’t smuggling
      someone in from Mexico
      someone willing to settle for america
      ’cause there’s nowhere else to go

      Ani Difranco (also a contender for great living folk singer).

    • joe90 25.2
      8 May 2015 at 5:55 pm

      Key & Peele

      Where there ain’t no pain, ain’t no sorrow

  26. phillip ure 26
    8 May 2015 at 6:15 pm

    heads-up..!

    don’t even think of taking the piss out of trp for his election-prediction..

    ..he’ll ban yr arse..

  27. phillip ure 27
    8 May 2015 at 6:28 pm

    i was in the habit of watching prime news..and then 3 news..

    ..but no more..

    ..as any significant content on prime is repeated on 3 news a few minutes later – word for fucken word..

    ..they really are trying to play us for fucken fools..

    ..but no more..

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