Open mike 08/06/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 8th, 2015 - 86 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 …

86 comments on “Open mike 08/06/2015 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  2. Clean_power 2
    8 June 2015 at 9:13 am

    It is only a matter of time: Greece’s day of reckoning will arrive and it will not be pretty for her people, despite all promised made by Tsipras and his radicals.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 2.1
      8 June 2015 at 9:21 am

      The derivatives leveraged to Greek default put the entire world economy at risk because of there size.

      Basically you can think of derivatives as buying insurance on someone else’s house – you then have an incentive to burn it down so you can claim on the policy. There is much money to be made out of Greece failing and much pain for all of us whether or not we understand the counterparty risk triggered by derivatives levered up to the trillions that turn toxic as soon as the default occurs.

      • aerobubble 2.1.1
        8 June 2015 at 12:50 pm

        An option to buy a share is used in hedging? The right to buy should the share go up in price at a lower price. So what happens when your Leemen brothers or whatever bank that collapses? The option is worthless. Does that mean in future companies could implode purposefully to take down the market? And should we be investigating financial terrorism? Was 9-11 the start of a financial world war?

    • Draco T Bastard 2.2
      8 June 2015 at 12:14 pm

      Probably true but that day of reckoning has absolutely nothing to do with what Greece has done nor what it’s trying to do but with what the predatory private banks have done.

  3. AsleepWhileWalking 3
    8 June 2015 at 9:16 am

    Prior to the mid 1990s the government subsidised the supply side of housing ensuring everyone had somewhere to live.

    From the mid 1990s the government began to shift to subsidies over to the demand side of housing. Selling state houses and introducing the Accommodation Supplement so those on low incomes could “choose” where to live.

    Unlike HNZ housing which was only available to those disadvantaged in the housing market, the Accommodation Supplement was available to all those who met a cash asset test, and income test.

  4. Chooky 4
    8 June 2015 at 10:03 am

    Does USA really want to get rid of ISIS?…Makes you wonder why we are involved in this USA led war

    By Robert Fisk of ‘The Independent’

    ‘Isis slaughter in the sacred Syrian city of Palmyra: The survivors’ stories’

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-slaughter-in-the-sacred-syrian-city-of-palmyra-the-survivors-stories-10297989.html

    • Colonial Rawshark 4.1
      8 June 2015 at 11:22 am

      Does USA really want to get rid of ISIS?…

      The US (and Israel) really really want to get rid of Assad. That’s their first priority.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.2
      8 June 2015 at 12:33 pm

      Considering that the US created ISIS – probably not.

      • Colonial Rawshark 4.2.1
        8 June 2015 at 9:46 pm

        so, who still thinks that it’s a good idea that we send NZ troops in to fight ISIS with the Americans. Because now it turns out that the rise of ISIS was not only predicted by the Americans because it knew that its allies helped shepherd it along, ISIS (or an entity like it) was seen by the Americans as being helpful in sorting out Assad and in limiting Iranian influence in the area.

        By the way, the US are experts at importing, training and arming militant Muslim extremists to take down whole governments. The Americans have been doing it since Soviet Afghanistan.

        • weka 4.2.1.1
          8 June 2015 at 9:57 pm

          I think many people’s eyes glaze over at this point, because haven’t we been here before, many many times.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.2
          8 June 2015 at 10:05 pm

          By the way, the US are experts at importing, training and arming militant Muslim extremists to take down whole governments. The Americans have been doing it since Soviet Afghanistan.

          Since before then:

          The CIA has publicly admitted for the first time that it was behind the notorious 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, in documents that also show how the British government tried to block the release of information about its own involvement in his overthrow.

          The US cannot be trusted as it is a rogue nation.

          • Colonial Rawshark 4.2.1.2.1
            8 June 2015 at 10:12 pm

            Just read this stomach churning piece on how the US engineered the “El Salvador” option to controlling the Sunni insurgency in Iraq in 2004. In essence, enabling Shia sectarian death squads and torture centres to suppress Sunni insurgents, driving a sectarian blood bath in Iraq which would take pressure off attacks on US forces. At the cost of tens of thousands of Iraqi lives a month.

            The US is a brutal and cruel imperial master.

            http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/06/el-salvador-iraq-police-squads-washington

  5. TheContrarian 5
    8 June 2015 at 10:55 am

    I can’t Bomber believe actually accused The Standard as being “pompous”. That’s rich coming from Bomber who it appears won’t leave the house without wearing a mustard coloured v-neck and sport coat.

    • maui 6.1
      8 June 2015 at 12:37 pm

      What’s not to like? The PM cosying up to his state propaganda machine, naming babies and probably delivering them next on live tv! Watching it gave me the feeling that some more dirty tricks are at play here.

  8. Anne 8
    8 June 2015 at 11:41 am

    Dear Standardistas,

    I have a serious problem. Perhaps someone can help me. I listened to the RNZ political spot this morning and – apart from an innocuous bit of union bashing – I agreed with pretty much everything Matthew Hooten said. Do you think I should contact Mike Williams and ask him how he copes with the “I agree with Matt” condition?

    signed
    Worried.

    • mac1 8.1
      8 June 2015 at 11:47 am

      Anne, it’s the first rule of propaganda. Repeat the lie, never change the message, and people will come to agree with you…………………

    • Charles 8.2
      8 June 2015 at 12:57 pm

      Leaving aside any personal comment on who M.Hooten might be or his political orientations, let’s look at the style of his rhetoric:

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201757498/political-commentators-mike-williams-and-matthew-hooton

      In two early examples, nothing he (the speaker) says made a judgement on whether anything was right or wrong, so the door is left open for people to “agree” as long as they look at it all from their perspective, not the perspective of the political speaker.

      e.g. (I’ll paraphrase loosely)

      “McCully didn’t follow protocols…etc etc [description of transgressions]…”, well is that a good or bad thing and would you or the people you support use that “back door” process? Nothing is said on that point. The speaker says journalists say it is all ok, but the speaker says “I don’t think that’s right”. Does he mean the action was wrong, or does he mean the opinion of journalists was wrong, or does he mean he thinks the action was wrong, but it was the right thing to do to assure a particular end result? The implication is there, that a conclusive comment could be made, but none is made: good or bad, something to be condoned and encouraged, or not. The speaker doesn’t specifically say, so anyone who agrees with him is giving him the benefit of the doubt that he agrees with one side, their side, when he may not, and in effect is only agreeing with themselves.

      “Journalists used to hunt in packs… some called it bullying, now they don’t….”
      Is that good or bad? Bullying is emotive language. Bullying, we’re told, is “bad”, so they should’ve been stopped… is that what he was implying? Who or what actions is he justifying so emotively? Is the political speaker making a further attack on journalists, or lamenting the loss of collaboration between colleagues? Could be either. Was, or is, the political speaker involved with anything that might have created the environment that journalists can now only “hunt solo”, even if they should do, or want to do, otherwise? “Hunting in packs” is a statement of fact, obvious in it’s loaded meaning, but not relevence, so what would anyone be agreeing with when it is said?

      There is no proof that anything the speaker says is linked to the any other statement or topic that follows, or that a consistent perspective is being used. Apply these examples to what was said in the panel discussion, and see how much agreement there is now.

    • weka 8.3
      8 June 2015 at 12:59 pm

      It’s part of why Hooton is good at his job, sometimes he’s actually reasonable and makes sense.

  9. Colonial Rawshark 9
    8 June 2015 at 11:42 am

    103 years later – these cartoons perfectly predicted the impact of Wall St and the big banks on US popular democracy

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-06-07/thats-uncanny-102-years-later-wall-street-turned-out-just-man-predicted

  10. weka 10
    8 June 2015 at 1:04 pm

    I don’t care about the size of Martyn Bradbury’s ego and I don’t care about the eccentricities of his personality, but telling outright lies about the standard being a Labour party blog (one piece of evidence is that Slater thinks it is) is well beyond what is ok. I no longer consider Bradbury to be trustworthy to the left (for whatever my opinion is worth). This isn’t about the standard vs TDB (I read both), or lprent vs Bomber (really, who gives a shit), it’s about someone on the left telling actual lies about the left and doing it from a position of power and responsibility in a way that is going to undermine the left, and create confusion for anyone trying to make sense of Dirty Politics who hasn’t been following closely (including the media and bloggers who have influence, but also just general readers). That’s fucked. Very very fucked.

    Bradbury: As I said above, The Standard was set up by the Labour Party, the original creation of it was as a Labour Party newsletter for christ’s sakes. It’s a Labour Party blog, that’s why Slater was trying to hack it, to attack the Labour Party.

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/06/06/compare-how-long-slaters-complaint-gets-investigated-to-investigations-against-him/#comment-289059

    • TheContrarian 10.1
      8 June 2015 at 1:06 pm

      It’s Bomber. What did you expect?

      • weka 10.1.1
        8 June 2015 at 1:34 pm

        You’re personal feelings about him, and your need to make comment about that, don’t help. My point is, the personality stuff is irrelevant, it just clouds the reall issues, in this instance, that he’s telling harmful lies (and probably doing so intentionally), and what that means for the left.

        • TheContrarian 10.1.1.1
          8 June 2015 at 1:41 pm

          My personal feelings about him are driven by exactly this sort of blowhardy, bullshit, pompous idiocy.

          • weka 10.1.1.1.1
            8 June 2015 at 1:48 pm

            I don’t care. Your continual focus on personality is a distraction.

            • TheContrarian 10.1.1.1.1.1
              8 June 2015 at 1:52 pm

              So far as I can tell you are the only one getting distracted.

              • weka …
                8 June 2015 at 2:32 pm

                🙄

                • TheContrarian …
                  8 June 2015 at 3:22 pm

                  That rolling eyes icon distracts from the real issues here, Weka.

                  • emergency mike …
                    8 June 2015 at 4:00 pm

                    Agree with weka. Telling Bomber off for wearing the wrong clothes does nothing to help our position. I often find his personality pompous and annoying too, so what? Who cares? Do us a favour and make a grown up argument instead.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      8 June 2015 at 5:54 pm

                      “My personal feelings about him are driven by exactly this sort of blowhardy, bullshit, pompous idiocy.”

                      ^You see here I was actually agreeing with Weka.

                      My attempt at humour re: Bombers fashion sense was supposed to understood in that context…an attempt at humour…

                    • weka …
                      8 June 2015 at 6:17 pm

                      No, you weren’t. You were just going on about his personality, again (hint, it’s in the words blowhardy, pompous etc). You’ve yet to make a single comment on this today about an actual issue that isn’t about you disliking Bomber.

                    • TheContrarian …
                      8 June 2015 at 6:25 pm

                      Sure, Weka, but in the context of what you were talking about – his utter contempt of the truth which makes him an arrogant blowhard.

                      The same as Slater’s utter contempt of truth makes him an arrogant blowhard….I’m sure you’ll have the same faux outrage against me defining Slater in those terms too.

                    • weka …
                      8 June 2015 at 9:36 pm

                      As I said, I don’t care how you feel about them. I’m more interested in what Bradbury is doing. I don’t care if he’s a blowhard or not. You obviously think the important bit is his blowhardiness (or your feelings that he is). I think the important bit is the lie he is telling and what that means (and no, it doesn’t mean he is a blowhard, really who cares about that?)..

                      I get that you can’t tell the difference.

    • adam 10.2
      8 June 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Actually the original newsletter was The Maoriland worker. It was not till the 1930’s that it changed it’s name to The Standard. The news sheet ceased publishing in the 1960’s. One last point – it was not started by the labour party, but by the Shears Union.

      So yeah Weka, I do believe you are right in calling Boomer a liar on this one. He deliberately misrepresent The standard, not only as it presently stands, but historically as well.

      • Colonial Rawshark 10.2.1
        8 June 2015 at 3:20 pm

        NIce to see someone remembers the important details 🙂

      • lprent 10.2.2
        8 June 2015 at 3:32 pm

        A link for those interested

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

        1910 – Robert Ross invited by the FOL from Melbourne to edit the paper
        1911 – Robert Hogg (later editor of New Zealand Truth) was Manager.[3]
        1913 – Contributors Edward Hunter (Billy Banjo) and Harry Holland charged with sedition.[4]
        1913–1918 Harry Holland appointed editor.[5][6]
        1922 – Publisher John Glover prosecuted (unsuccessfully) for blasphemous libel. New Zealand’s only trial to date for blasphemy.[6][7]
        1922 – The manager John Glover lent £100 interest free to Walter Nash.
        1930s – Renamed to “the Standard”.
        1960 – Ceased publication.[8]

        Anyone want to put up something about the modern Standard on wikipedia? For that matter there doesn’t appear to be anything about the old Standard.

      • Bill 10.2.3
        8 June 2015 at 9:01 pm

        Hmm. In the interests of clarification, I posted the following over at TDB. I’m in moderation and don’t really expect the comment to become public.

        ‘The Standard’ has, and had, nothing to do with the Labour Party Martyn.

        The Maoriland Worker, later called The Standard, was a leading New Zealand labour journal of the early 20th century.

        It was launched in 1910 by the Shearers’ Union and was initially published monthly (Frank Langstone was involved).[1] It was soon taken over by the New Zealand Federation of Labour and became the official organ of the federation.[2]

        The journal ceased publication in 1960. At the time it was called The Standard, and was published weekly.

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

    • marty mars 10.3
      8 June 2015 at 2:58 pm

      Yes I agree weka. Deliberately telling a lie to sow misinformation and muddy the waters so that your pet project can be enhanced or seen to be better is low and dishonest. Bomber has bombed and friendly fire ain’t friendly especially when aimed – the martyr-dum of martyn.

  11. MateyMay 11
    8 June 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Anyone else catch Key’s cringe appearance on breakfast this morning (A link to the vid for those who want it http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11461572)
    Funny, how in the midst of all the politcally shadiness being pushed at the moment, the prime minister gets to gleefully announce the pregnancy of a popular television presenter, while still ducking from anything resembling a robust interview. As woman around Pugh’s age I’ll say that this is sort of chit-chat you’d expect to have at a saturday brunch with the girls… not with the prime minister on national TV. To be fair Pugh seems pretty uncomfortable, while Key looks as happy as a kid who’s just managed to deliver his lines in the school play without stumbling (**looks out to mum and dad “Did i do good, you guys???”)

    • Chooky 11.1
      8 June 2015 at 5:39 pm

      pathetic infotainment …surely a NZ Prime Minister has more important things to talk about…I cant imagine Norm Kirk doing that

      • te reo putake 11.1.1
        8 June 2015 at 6:36 pm

        Nor Helen Clark, chooky. I always got the feeling she hated sucking up to the ‘soft’ media.

        • b waghorn 11.1.1.1
          8 June 2015 at 6:46 pm

          I don’t know if its possible but Little and the green leaders should be trying to get on both channels for a casual chat once a week this is a new era.

        • Chooky 11.1.1.2
          8 June 2015 at 8:09 pm

          yes Helen Clark is a professional

    • Alpha Z 11.2
      8 June 2015 at 7:17 pm

      Hopefully the pregnant presenter was smart enough not to have a pony tail for Key to indulge in his trichophilic gratification.

  13. maui 13
    8 June 2015 at 3:58 pm

    TV3 programming decisions going from bad to worse it seems, and still waiting for the fall out of dropping Campbell to kick in.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv-radio/69201129/shortened-tv3-news-suffers-ratings-slump

    • tc 13.1
      8 June 2015 at 4:55 pm

      TV3 have shown contempt for the viewer with JC’s demise and this slide will continue and show them just how crucial he was to the overall ratings of the 6-7.30 slot.

      Experienced TV news folk know this but you have a banksta and a reality TV copy/paste queen calling the shots now or puling the trigger on a loaded gun they get handed, either way results the same.

      weight loss and road cops either side of the news…..Classy !

    • Chooky 13.2
      8 June 2015 at 5:41 pm

      good that TV3 losing viewers

  14. Karuna Nelson 14
    8 June 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Where is this open mike I am in Auckland

  15. tinfoilhat 15
    8 June 2015 at 4:19 pm

    I’m no expert in the IT space so can someone tell me if these eye watering sums are reasonable or whether the NZ public are being taken to the cleaners.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/69181626/inland-revenue-picks-us-firm-for-technology-overhaul

    • Colonial Rawshark 15.1
      8 June 2015 at 5:07 pm

      With a couple of consulting partners supervising at $2500/hr, a few senior consultants on at $800/hr, and a team of recent graduate analysts charged out at $450/hr (all excl GST, and those are per person rates), you do the math…

    • tc 15.2
      8 June 2015 at 5:14 pm

      Business transformation is a nebulous Term that can mean anything from one or more new IT systems to a reorganisation, new roles/redundancies etc etc so it can have large chunks that have nothing to do with technology

      The IRD is a complex and difficult environment so the governance and security aspects are deep with change being slow and cumbersome, it’s also full of opinionated idiots who get to influence outcomes (I include ministers in this) with no experience in such a project.

      vendors factor that in such as the involvement of 1 particular architect at a site meant any value was doubled before being given to the client as that’s the impact 1 person can have….imagine committees full of them.

      CR’s point above also weighs in with alot of overhead required just to get basic stuff done.

    • McFlock 15.3
      8 June 2015 at 5:31 pm

      Even if it were strictly IT software/hardware upgrades (it’s not), for a client the size of IRD it’s probably not too bad value. Remember the fuckup with novopay, and apply it to our entire tax system from PAYE to GST to company tax, and… eeep.

      It’s a long-term project with phased implementation and an entire refit of the processes as well as the IT infrastructure, so it’s more than a few consultants knocking out some bullshit.

  16. Penny Bright 16
    8 June 2015 at 4:28 pm

    FYI folks!

    Upcoming Public Meeting in Auckland for concerned citizens and ratepayers who are opposed to MORE Auckland Council proposed rate$ increases!

    WHEN: Wednesday 10 June 2015
    TIME: 7.30 – 10pm
    WHERE: Mt Eden War Memorial Hall
    487 Dominion Rd, Balmoral

    You can see by the range of speakers – the range of concern and opposition across the political spectrum!

    (Please be advised that ALL political parties currently represented in Parliament were invited, as was Auckland Mayor Len Brown.)
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    PRESS RELEASE
    RAY CALVER & DICK CUTHBERT
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    ANOTHER SPEAKER ADDED TO LINE UP

    The Auckland Rates Increases Public Meeting, taking place on Wednesday June 10, now has additional speakers to add to the line up. Ray Calver says

    “We are delighted to be able to welcome Parmjeet Parma from the National Party and Hinurewa Te Hau from the Maori Party.

    This brings the total number of speakers addressing the meeting up to 9.”

    The confirmed speakers are now

    · Stephen Berry – Affordable Auckland Mayoral candidate
    · Cameron Brewer – Orakei Councillor
    · Penny Bright – Mayoral candidate
    · Jo Holmes – Auckland Ratepayer’s Alliance
    · Damien Light – United Future
    · Bill Raynor – Grey Power
    · Parmjeet Parma – National MP
    · David Seymour – Act Epsom MP
    · Hinurewa Te Hau – Maori Party

    “Following speeches, time will be put aside for audience members to either ask questions or give statements on how they believe we should proceed in opposing the rates increases. This will be followed by tea and coffee giving audience members an opportunity to talk with our speakers.”

    The Auckland Rates Increases Public Meeting will take place from 7:30pm on June 10th at Mt. Eden War Memorial Hall, 487 Dominion Road.

    Ends
    ________________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

  17. Morrissey 17
    8 June 2015 at 5:05 pm

    Jerry Collins-balls
    Just how bad can the commentary get?

    The frenzy following the death of Jerry Collins hasn’t, on the whole, been as obscene or absurd as what we were subjected to for the visit of that coke-snorting, whore-pestering, peasant-smiting “playboy” beneficiary and scrounger a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, hapless “consumers” of the New Zealand media over the last three days have been exposed to some of the most bewildered, ignorant and unpleasant commentary to be found outside of an ACT Party policy or a Sensible Sentencing Trust klavern.

    BEWILDERED…..
    “It’s a travesty for the rugby world,” intoned a commentator during the Hurricanes-Highlanders game on Friday night. He meant to say “tragedy”, of course, but he was doing a rugby broadcast, where ignorance reigns supreme, so no one picked him up on it.

    IGNORANT…..
    On Saturday afternoon, Brendan Telfer interviewed Dominion Post rugby writer Toby Robson, who after a few gracious words about Jerry Collins, went on to spoil it by displaying a breathtaking level of sporting ignorance that hasn’t been heard on radio since the departure of Martin “Moron” Devlin….

    BRENDAN TELFER: He was playing for a second division club.
    TOBY ROBSON: Yeah, he’s been playing for a club called Narbonne. I don’t know what standard it would be, whether it’s club level or what it is….

    It’s club level in France, of course, which is provincial level in New Zealand. But Robson appears not to know this, or indeed to know anything about French rugby—“a club called Narbonne”—which begs the question: Why is he allowed to write about the game?

    UNPLEASANT…..
    Anyone unwise or undiscriminating enough to be listening to RadioLIVE at 2:20 p.m. today (Monday June 8th) would have heard the host desperately making his case….

    WILLIE JACKSON: [shouting passionately] Yeah he WAS! Jerry Collins was a ROLE MODEL!!

    Now, when someone asserts something like that, with extreme truculence—other examples are: “Bruce Hutton had integrity beyond reproach” or “You KNOW me. I am a GOOD man” or “Never, ever would I ever knowingly sign a false electoral return”[1]—-he, or she (probably Michelle Boag) is almost always trying to cover up something unpleasant. The unpleasant truth about Jerry Collins is that, in spite of being a wonderful athlete and a genuinely nice guy, he did have another, more disturbing, side to him. While he neither brought death and disaster to anyone in Afghanistan nor launched into extended racist rants on radio, it is a fact that the last time he was in the news was when he was arrested in Japan for carrying knives. [2] Willie Jackson went on to express his extreme displeasure that Television One had dared to mention that unsavory incident on its Friday night coverage of the tragedy. “I sat there, getting angrier and angrier,” he raged to a caller.

    Perhaps other Standardistas are able to furnish other examples of nonsense spoken about Jerry Collins.

    [1] http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-09102014/#comment-907232
    [2] Jackson once announced live on air that if his “missus” ever fooled around on him, he’d “put a knife through her heart”. Even his co-hosts, John “JT” Tamahere and Dean Lonergan, a gruesome twosome if ever there was a gruesome twosome, were appalled by that one.


    • tc 17.1
      8 June 2015 at 5:21 pm

      Thanks morissey, definitely not missing much by not listening but appreciate your diligent summaries none the less.

  18. Penny Bright 18
    8 June 2015 at 6:08 pm

    Seen this?

    http://www.aut.ac.nz/midyear-pg/story2?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=article2&utm_content=headline1&utm_campaign=midyearPG-2015

    NEW ZEALAND’S HUMAN RIGHTS REPUTATION AT RISK

    A report on the status of human rights in New Zealand says serious fault lines are developing and that the country’s reputation as a global leader is at risk.

    “A three-year study of the six major human rights treaties New Zealand has signed, shows we’re better at talking about human rights than walking the talk and implementing our promises made internationally,” says Auckland University of Technology’s Professor Judy McGregor, co-author of Fault lines: Human rights in New Zealand.

    “The detailed research shows we’re slipping behind in areas such as child poverty, gender equality, systemic disadvantage of Māori, and the rights of disabled people to challenge the State.

    “For example, we keep telling the United Nations we were the first to grant women the vote, but we still don’t have equal pay for women or pay equity for carers. Nor do we have adequate paid parental leave, and we continue to suffer completely unacceptable levels of violence against women. We say how good we are, but the reality is we’re in trouble.”

    Funded by the New Zealand Law Foundation, Fault lines was written by Professor McGregor, human rights lawyer Sylvia Bell and Waikato University’s Professor Margaret Wilson. Each has significant practical experience of working in human rights.

    URGENT ACTION NEEDED

    The report suggests New Zealand needs to take urgent remedial action to retain its point of difference as a human rights leader. It is also critical of the level of understanding of Members of Parliament on human rights treaty obligations.

    In addition, the report says New Zealanders’ strong belief that we are good at human rights has blinded us to the fact that we are falling behind other countries in implementing economic, social and cultural rights on the ground, despite our treaty obligations.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

    It suggests 13 recommendations to help New Zealand retain human rights leadership including a comprehensive rewrite of human rights legislation, a new parliamentary select committee to deal with human rights, and the urgent repeal of non-human rights compliant legislation to reinstate the rights of all New Zealanders to complain about discrimination.

    The recommendations also suggest a new, more proactive role for the Māori Affairs Select Committee in monitoring New Zealand’s response to the United Nations about closing the inequality gaps. More New Zealanders should be nominated for significant UN human rights treaty bodies and journalists need better training in the reporting of treaty body reports which remain largely invisible to the public.

    WHAT THE REPORT COVERS

    New Zealand has ratified six international treaties covering political, civil, economic, social and cultural rights, racial discrimination and the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.

    Fault lines, examines each of the treaties and New Zealand’s engagement in the Universal Periodic Review, an overview of human rights progress. The report is based on interviews in New Zealand and at the United Nations, case law, analysis of treaty body reports and personal observation.

    Professor McGregor says the backing of the Law Foundation, which is New Zealand’s major funder of independent legal research, was critical to producing the report.

    The report is online at Fault lines: Human rights in New Zealand.

  19. Penny Bright 19
    8 June 2015 at 6:16 pm

    To WHOM exactly are NZ Dairy farmers indebted?

    http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.nz/2015/06/warnings-about-corporate-takeover-of.html

    Monday, 8 June 2015

    Warnings about a corporate takeover of the dairy industry in New Zealand

    Questions need to be asked about what happening to the dairy industry and the New Zealand economy.

    Is New Zealand just a victim of low commodity prices and the collapse of the world economy or – as some suggest- is there a move of financial and banking interests to bankrupt New Zealand farmers so they are ripe for a takeover.

    Do we have a Fifth Column of corporates and their representatives in politics who are acting, not in the national interest, but are, in fact, acting to sell New Zealand off – something we have witnessed in this country since 1984?

    A week or so ago there was a revealing interview about the high debt levels of farmers and how many are being squeezed by low commodity prices.

    Today there was an interesting item about a review in Fonterra, which is now mentioned as a low-achieving company like Solid Energy (throw under the bus by this government) before it.

    Fonterra “transformation” review underway …..

    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    Anyone got some current stats which show the banking and financial interests who are poised to profit from NZ dairy farmers going ‘belly up’?

    Penny Bright

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

    • Chooky 19.1
      8 June 2015 at 8:17 pm

      Good points Penny ….and provocative questions …hope you are not correct re

      “Do we have a Fifth Column of corporates and their representatives in politics who are acting, not in the national interest, but are, in fact, acting to sell New Zealand off – something we have witnessed in this country since 1984?…

      Kathryn Ryan also did a good review of the issues today:

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201757487/fonterra-transformation-review-underway

      ” As dairy farmers around the country tighten their belts in the face of continuing low milk prices, Fonterra has a major review of its business performance underway. The company has instituted what it calls a “performance improvement programme” called “Velocity”. Nine to Noon understands the dairy cooperative has has brought in external consultants McKinsey’s `Recovery and Transformation Services’ unit, which specialises in helping distressed companies, underperforming business units and in implementing large-scale restructuring and transformation. Jacqueline Rowarth is Professor of Agribusiness at Waikato University. Russell Macpherson is immediate past president of Federated Farmers, Southland. Fonterra shareholder and farmer, Will Wilson is an agricultural consultant, company director and part owner and director of several dairy farms.

  20. Nic the NZer 20
    8 June 2015 at 8:02 pm

    Why no-one should vote for the Australian Labor Party
    http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=31107

    Much of which also applies to the NZ Labour party.

  21. marty mars 21
    8 June 2015 at 8:54 pm

    RIP Jerry and Alana

    • North 21.1
      8 June 2015 at 9:25 pm

      Yeah, a Samoan mate with aiga connections who’s staying here at the moment asked me to check out his ‘in English’ Facebook tribute. I could. We got that down then he asked me to check out his tribute in Samoan. I couldn’t. How the fuck could I ? The Samoan tribute is special and not for this palagi to tamper with. So, so sad. I grieve with Porirua. Hope that wee girl if she endures finds comfort in knowing that she came from fineness.

      • North 21.1.1
        8 June 2015 at 10:02 pm

        Hope the NZRU see fit to agree to the All Blacks/Samoa Test in Apia being a memorial to Jerry. I’m sure the ABs themselves would love it. It’s so memorable when driving along the main road from Apia in near twilight to see supremely athletic youngsters darting, dummying, stepping, all over the village green which is peppered with lumps of volcanic rock ‘hurters’. And everyone laughing expellingly, rejoicing, completely into it.

        Fa’a Samoa !

  22. North 22
    8 June 2015 at 9:14 pm

    Just watching The Gauche But Devilishly Cunning Everyman Fuck on Maori TV Native Affairs. The words “lawful” or “lawfullly” used used 4 or 5 times in the first 90 seconds. Like that’s all that matters, “at the end of the day”. Fuck proceeding with a view to the gross-society-twisting of being just “lawful”. Snake. If only by the effluxion of time ShonKey will be gone. Leaving our society seriously depleted. Thank you Michelle Boag and others. You don’t have to give a fuck. You can tra-la-la forever. Because you’ve never had to suffer the consequences of what you’ve done. You’ve actually profited from it for God’s Sake !

    Forbes is brilliant. I win the big Powerball on Saturday…..her and Campbell. Somewhere, somehow. People with heart !

  23. McFlock 23
    8 June 2015 at 9:59 pm

    On a separate note entirely, the US air force’s new super-dooper does-everything-for-a-massive-cost multi-role cyber-wank jet is scheduled to take part in a combined services exercise. It can’t aim its gun and can only carry a couple of bombs, so I assume the pilots will yell “bang” as they fly over the area.

    That’s what one and a half trillion gets ya, apparently.

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.