Thirty million dollars to guarantee 3000 jobs, a third of them high paying, for three years? Only a fool, or someone blinded by the childish religion of free market ideology, would see that as a bad out come.
So step right up John Roughan (and it is John, you can pick up the stink of his writing style a mile off) in the NZ Herald’s editorial this morning.
Hell, if we could build an aircraft factory that provided 3000 jobs in Hawkes Bay and an ship building industry in Northland that provided 3000 jobs and 3000 more jobs in railway workshops in Wellington and Dunedin for another ninety million over three years I’d say go for it. Forty million a year in the midst of a downturn to keep 12,000 jobs ticking along? A bargain! That fact that it took the political imperative of a flagship government policy of blind adherence to market doctrine to show some common sense is so mind bogglingly ironic you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
And the way in which the decision to offer the $30,000,000 has been promptly attacked by every right wing commentator in the country, is neat evidence of the sterile thinking and lack of imagination that dominates our economic debate or, as it was neatly put by the Chinese the other day, how “…hostage to a blinkered devotion to laissez-faire market ideology…” that debate is.
Additionally, there is the Government’s $30 million, which it says is the price that had to be paid to provide “greater certainty” for the smelter workers, the Southland region and the electricity industry. In each case, it does nothing of the sort. New Zealand Aluminium Smelters will be able to terminate the contract from January 2017 provided it gives 15 months’ notice. In effect, the earliest closure date for the smelter has been moved back just one year. It would have taken a longer-term deal to offer anything approaching greater job security for its workers.
So in effect the 30million is for a guaranteed 12 months work for the approxiamately 800 staff at the plant.
The start of a closure package for the smelter possibly with this govt bias to doing what the money masters overseas decree .How much more will it cost ?
Add in the rumored job restructuring, and that in interviews, govt ministers arent moving the discussion away from the meridian share float and i think we can safely call this for what it is
It has announced it will hold onto its struggling aluminium business, Pacific Aluminium, which it has been trying to sell.
Mr Walsh said the company had been unable to sell the business.
“Following a comprehensive review we have also determined that the divestment of Pacific Aluminium for value is not possible in the current environment and it will be reintegrated into the Rio Tinto Alcan group.”
Despite crying poor, Rio Tinto’s profit for the six months to the end of June was $US1.7 billion dollars.
What the 30 million dollars has brought is 4 years for the Southland economy and the smelter workers to transition away from the smelter and into other areas.
Every one knows the smelter’s going, but now people can see a time line and plan for it’s closure.
That’s what the 30 million dollars is all about and really it’s a very small price to pay .
It’s more the unofficial line.
No one is going to come out and say the smelter will close in exactly 4 years time, that would just cause a lot of short term pain for no reason at all.
What they’re doing is giving Southland time to develop other areas before they announce the closure.
Sudden change is not good for people and especially politicians.
your ignoring all evidence and focusing on how it sounds inside your head.
Its no big secret that the smelter will close and close soon – this deal only pushes the first possible closure date out by about a year
very little of the commentary is about helping southland
quite a bit of the commentary is about providing stability to the market for the upcoming share float
we now hear rumors that the workforce is being massively restructured
and the plant is likely to be sold and sold soon
as a said – if it was really about helping southland, shit, if it was even about pretending to help southland to distract from the share float, then that is what we would be hearing from ministers via the media
Yes framu I agree with you – very little about this is related to jobs or Southland – the share float is the real issue for them. Rio Tinto will pull out as soon as they want to, they have the weight to basically choose what is best for them and I don’t imagine they’ll give Southlanders too much consideration in that.
What the 30 million dollars has brought is 4 years for the Southland economy and the smelter workers to transition away from the smelter and into other areas.
No it hasn’t. That would have occurred if Rio Tinto said that they would be closing the smelter down over the next four years.
Every one knows the smelter’s going, but now people can see a time line and plan for it’s closure.
No they can’t as the smelter has been “saved” by taxpayer money for another year. Southland will probably expect another handout in 2017.
That’s what the 30 million dollars is all about and really it’s a very small price to pay .
No, it was just a waste of money made so as to boost Rio Tinto’s profits.
This site has just been launched to encourage people to have their will done and create a “bucket list” to maximise their remaining time in their current body.
Looks good. I thought it might be like the Public Trust who, in exchange for assisting you in writing a free will have themselves appointed executor and thus are able to extract large amounts of money in “expenses”. But this site doesn’t do that so I’m looking into it.
Two charities who will benefit from both my life and any dying I do will be Wellington Rape Crisis and the Beneficiary Education and Advisory Service as they both embody my moral and political values (although neither is actually a political organisation). I also know people in both organisations so feel confident any donation will be used with integrity and the upliftment of the wider community.
To create a will using our simple will creation tool, it costs only $NZ49.95. You then own the Will you create, and can be rest assured your family is protected. Live the day!
What you get:
Access to our easy 6 step Will creation tool
A PDF version of your Will for you to Print, Sign and have Witnessed.
Download your Will whenever you need to
Instruction sheet explaining what the clauses in your Will mean
Information explaining how to validate your Will
Comsumer NZ have a guide to making wills which seems to be available free online without needing to subscribe. Basic, but a good starting point.
I note that it was updated in August 2012, after Public Trust discontinued its freely available service (they still do some in very restricted circumstances.)
The first (using the Public Trsutee I wanted to leave half a lifetime’s earnings and expertise to a first son and family. WHAT a fucking hassle!
Still – I’m living out that will to this day: whereby my attempts to give a lifetime to date was to son, his wife and gradnson with I hoped was his due before I actually karked it. (i.e. so I could actually be assured that they would not have to encounter the struggle of student debt, neo-liberal inspired ugliness of greed and selfishness, and witness it whilst still alive)
The second (firstly by way of Ugly Trust, then money making solicitor – now I understand the true meaning of the term), my daughter and second born – to be left by former partner – wife and subsequent.
WHAT a complicated messs of bullshit and kakabeans.
It seems that when wants to live frugally, to live in minimalist lifestyle, to hand on one’s wealth to the next generation (ESPESCIALLY having witnessed most of my contemporaries having left a load of death, desperation and baby boomer debt and aspiration – with a lik and a promise), one can’t easily.
Instead, one has to hope that what a first child is given by me – hoping to give a start, is replicated by an estranged wife to the second. Thankfully it now has and will be.
I/we both (i.e. myself and an ex) CANNOT easily be leave the next generation an entitlement to the wealth of our lifetimes UNTIL we ekshly kik the proverbial. Far easier a foreigner or alien to come hither, lay claim to some form of ‘property’ at the expense of fellow nationals, jet in once a year (or less even), and leave their legacy.
Oh well – the best we can hope for is that the assholes won’t come near to any overflow from my wealth – until …. well let’s just say hopefully death is quick and easy, and if not , down to an undetected BIG BIG OD, whereby a first born gets mine, and the second gets my ex, AND any overflow benefits a local community (and anonymously, and those I hold dear).
But truely – easier said than done!
It’s a hard life being a once high earner, latterly and suddenly reduced to SFA when one identifies with the left rather than the right.
Things really are designed for the bullshit artists and the Jellybeans – the Keysters, the charletans, the aspirational rent seeker, contribute-nothing/collect-all Phil Steins.
They’re designed for the Keys, the En-tree-pren-ooooo-ers, the “Oim-so-great” money fuckers, rentiers and traders in misery and debt (seems I can’t easily just leave wealth anonymously for example)
…… still, that figures looking at a Natzi front bench with dishonestly earned wealth.
Best thing is it’s an incentive to stay alive!
Even better thing is that in the overall scheme of things, they won’t come out tops.
Never mind though – might have to be a grandson/daughter that pisses on graves rather than me
Yes, I’ve been thinking dying is too much hassle. Actually, the Mai Chen Will, for $50.00 looks like it will suit my needs – don’t have a spouse or children, but need to ensure I leave enough for my rels to pay my funeral and other death expenses.
Without a Will, I’m told it can take for ever for the rels to get the money to pay for me having been so inconsiderate as to die.
The blond hair has thinned and receded, the face, beaten by 60 years of the Queensland sun, is lined. But the toothy grin is still there.
Why, said Peter Beattie, this was the political battle of his life. It would take a 1.6 per cent swing to deliver the seat of Forde to his grasp. ”I am the underdog,” he insisted, keeping a straight face.
Ah, yes, but had he done any deals with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a frontbench seat, should he step over that 1.6 per cent barrier and get to Canberra … and did he have ambitions of replacing Mr Rudd as leader, he was asked? ”I’m happy to be a backbencher,” said the former nine-year premier of Queensland.
Key has no problem with using his mate Fletcher and others in the Police/Intelligence community to protect and extend his grip on power. Eagleton and his office can command theses forces at will.
Has Key used theses agencies to spy on Labour and the media?
Has Shearer been kept in his leader position (unwittingly) by theses manipulating pricks?
“Has Key used theses agencies to spy on Labour and the media?”
When (because of his track record with the truth) you can’t trust your PM a suggestion like this can’t be laughed at. Could even explain the Lab. “caucus leaks”.
What would Robertson do if he was offered ill gotten info and/or assistance by conduits of theses players?
Would Robertson find the opportunity to secure his succession to Shearer too tempting?
Adrian, look at the names of the board and bear in mind the links between board and hollowmen is likely golf/dinners/bbq’s etc all nice and social with no electronic records.
Though he was killed four years ago, Troy Kastigar of Minnesota remains an articulate recruiter for al-Shabab, al Qaeda’s franchise in Somalia that has been part of a long-running Islamic insurgency against the internationally backed but very weak central government in the capital, Mogadishu.
IntelCenter, a private firm that tracks extremist media, providedproduced the video and an accompanying analysis tofor The Washington Times.
From the we control the production line of terrorists home made videos……
Learn what is behind the drive by the government, by the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income, to usher or push sick and disabled beneficiaries into open employment on the already competitive job market:
“Medical and Work Capability Assessments – Based on the controversial bio psycho-social model, aimed at disentitleing affected from welfare benefits and accident compensation: The Aylward Unum Link”:
‘An article summarising comprehensive, revealing research results’
As we know by now, WINZ are contracting out services to private, non-government operators, who will be paid handsome fees to place people with mental and other illlnesses, with disabilities, and also sole parents into jobs. The fact that such fees are paid on performance will in itself lead to the affected persons being pressured to take on jobs they get offered. Whether they may like such probably just casual, part time, unfulfilling, undemanding and low paid jobs or not, and whether they may cope or not, the expectation will be put onto them, so most will give in and accept being pushed into whatever jobs. It will be a risky experiment, likely to cause harm to at least some, and it will certainly not solve much, as most employers will only take on sick and disabled for the attractive fees they may also get. Once that subsidy is taken and pocketed, the incentive to keep the sick and disabled workers on will vanish.
There are some key players involved, and of course, the whole ideas stem from persons like a Professor Mansel Aylward from a department at Cardiff University, who also did nicely out of payments by controversial private disability insurer Unum Insurance from the US, who sponsored his work.
Key persons that promote his ideas in New Zealand include a Dr David Beaumont, who “advised” both ACC and MSD on policies, and he happens to run his own business called “Pathways To Work”, down on the South Island, earning from the government to place disabled and incapacitated into work.
The New Zealand government and Social Welfare Minister Paula Bennett have fallen for the disputed and perverted “bio psycho-social model” approach by Aylward and his colleagues (e.g. Gordon Waddel), and as it offers them an opportunity to rid WINZ off long term beneficiaries with health and disability issues, they just love the idea to outsource and have private agencies do the difficult jobs for them, similar to what has been going on in the UK for some years now.
National really don’t care if the systems they put in place work or not, for them, it’s all about profit and how they can divert taxpayer money to them and their rich mates.
I am getting a bit fed up with kweewee. Every time you turn round he is off complaining to the cops to get him out of hot water.
he is like the school yard creep who has found a way of keeping the troops in line but it all turns to crap when it is exposed to reality.
what a crybaby.
This may be of interest to some, the teachers union write to an aspiring charter school operator and his response.
Now about the clip telling Shearer…at first glance I thought it was done by someone from the right because the production values look quite high whereas something from the left would look cheap
However if you’re clued up enough to produce this then you’d know that Shearer is who the right want as leader so, on the balance of probabilities, I’d say its someone from the left
This is the version that right wing fan Sean “Plonkit” has been raving on about on his Radio Live show this morning. It appears to be the same clip that ‘The Daily Blog’ already published a week or so ago. It shows how slow mainstream media is these days, to catch on with what is happening.
We’ve had the debate – reality shows us that they’re a waste of time and money. Which brings us to the conclusion that National are destroying our education system for a reason.
Well no you’re wrong charter schools are not a waste of time or money, the reality is that the teachers unions (not the teachers) are trying to protect their racket
BS, the teachers and the teacher union (can’t have the latter without the former) are trying to protect our children from the destructive systems that NACT are putting in place.
Bollix the union is there to protect its members…teachers. Once you give parents choice you break the monopoly and thats what the union is scared of
Actually, the union is there to provide organised resistance to privatising and corporate forces.
“Protecting its members” is just a single aspect of that, because privatising and corporate forces benefit from attacking teachers, their families (and workers in general).
A lot of parents want the choice of a largely public education system – anyone who wants a private system can always choose to pay for it. Entirely. Without tax payer subsidies. By themselves.
What racket? The one where they work long hours, contribute to extracurricular activities without pay, deal with disruptive kids, endure idiot Tory parents who know everything, cop shit from all sides, and all for ridiculously low pay? Funny sort of racket. Nothing like the rackets enjoyed by PERFed out coppers who get contracts to drug test beneficiaries and sit on their asses raking it in, for example.
If teaching was as much a racket as these idiot Tories claim, they’d all be lining up to do it. Why aren’t they?
MO
I was just talking to a long-term teacher about how she has advocated for a part-time teacher aide which she has never been granted before.
She has a number of behavioural problems with ADHD etc and one boy who has never been managed by the other teachers so she was asked to take him on and has broken through and gained his interest and the ability to control his erratic behaviour.
She used her methods of being firm, setting standards of behaviour and insisting on them, giving direction and not standing over the negative one, and taking the recalcitrant ones through their behaviour faults so they understand what the problem is, and she is ready to encourage and praise and facilitate them. All this takes time, experience, fortitude, positive thinking, planning, intelligence, teacher learning and understanding etc.
And also you may not be well supported by your school management system even when you are successful and know you are a good teacher by the good results you have. And there is so much superior ignorant bullshit coming from either parents who don’t manage their own role well, or superior upper class types who want their moneys-worth of education and more, and the pollies sneer when they want to deflect attention from their own failures. And yet the teachers keep on because they are dedicated and they keep winning, eventually, and the class achieves and they know they have Done Good. It surely is not easy.
I was looking at some National Party people today and thinking about ones I know.
What would be a profile of them compared to the profile for Labour. These perceptions of themselves then drive the perceptions they have of the other party/ies.
National to me seem to be the sort who dye their hair (women) because its part of conforming to the stereotype of a well-dressed and presented woman, women would 99.5% wear makeup, dress fashionably. Men suits, smart casual, good cars. They see themselves as go-getters, no-nonsense, hard workers getting on with life, aiming to earn good money and spend it on attractive objects and items. Individualistic. Superior. Not highly principled.Vaguely concerned about international connections but mainly as to where they can gain most advantage. Not much principle. Snobbish, I’m better than you and them (the benes), feeling deserving so when they become benes in some way that’s different and fair to them as more useful citizens than other benes.
Labour is regarded by them as incompetent and full of wish lists and supporters are regarded by them as not highly principled, unlike National Partyites, well most of the time. Labour is for either the lower classes or for academics or professionals who have a serious lack of reality and judgment and want things for the country only available in lala land. The reasons behind most people voting for Labour is because they haven’t got the gumption to go for a party that is leading a group who ‘are going places’.
The National-drawn people are unable to analyse and critically and objectively view the politics we live under and methods. They don’t have a higherstandard that they will work towards, if they do have a vision it is kept for slogans alone, not to be implemented. They are not introverted, or thoughtful, or interested in studying history except to pick on certain events that illustrate that might is right or noting failures of power and control in the past, and noting how to avoid that recurring. In other words anything they learn will be selective and skewed to their future advantage.
Nicely put Rosetinted. In short: they’re selfish, self centred and shallow thinkers who don’t care about anyone outside their closed insular circles. They assuage their feelings of guilt by supporting charities and attending charity balls. Their ultimate ambition is to be considered a member of the Beautiful People. (sarc.)
Trying to point out politely (maybe too politely) that this is as big a piece of steaming cow dung as I’ve ever read on here and thats saying something
Its as accurate as me saying all lefties are pseudo-communist, envious, dole bludging, ne’er do wells
Who cares whether the paras were excellent. What about the content? Are voters like this or not? Are they driven by these perceptions or not? Why? How come we can’t run the country better than we do? Who is influential the pollies or the voters?
If you vote in a party because they seem overall to be better but have one really bad policy how does one stand against that mandate whitewash? I am government , therefore I have a mandate.
What’s the use of making silly patronising comments. If anyone makes silly comments they should be trying to be funny or satirical or something. If not they should go outside and stand on their head and let some blood rush into their brain. That’s how humans recharge themselves, I think I read it in a report from Russia or maybe China. Probably one of them that are on the other side of the world. They probably want to see things from our perspective../sarc
Agreed. It also looks like it will be a long session at the slow rate the answers are coming up (and not in question order). Still, some good questions from some good people, so Dunne is probably having trouble working out his spin.
EDIT – or his non-answers such as that to #4 that has just come up! LOL – how thick is he? And now #5 and #9.
I just got a letter from David Shearer … that’s nice … except it was paid for by me which is a long standing bone of contention be it Labour or National or whoever from the beehive. Tells me he will save me hundreds of dollars with my power bill … that is a laugh since the balance of probabilities is that it won’t and might cost me … but whatever these politicians have their funny ideas.
What really disturbed me was the ‘argument’ quotes from an old lady at a Grey Power meeting who said she was afraid to turn on a light or her electric blanket becuase of the effect on her power bill … shocking … that nobody bothered to explain power consumption and how little such things use …. shocking becuase nobody told her to think about the things which really eat up the power such as heater, water heating, and ovens, about drawing curtains as soon as the sun goes behind the hill and so on ….
So thankyou David for adding to my belief that Labour are a hopeless bunch.
My view is that besides setting up by Legislation a single desk ‘buyer’ of wholesale electricity the Labour/Green electricity reforms should take one more step,
Labour/Green should also set up a nationwide retailer charged with offering the cheapest price possible to consumers without incurring a financial loss…
They should go the whole hog and renationalise electricity, make it so that it’s supported by taxes and that every household gets a free amount of power – enough to run the basics. Anything above that free amount is charged for.
They should go the whole hog and renationalise beer, make it so that it’s supported by taxes and that every household gets a free amount of beer – enough to run the basics. Anything above that free amount is charged for.
That’s the lolly-water brewed by jafas, not the original recipe.
On an unrelated note, I can’t abide Export. But when they did that original recipe production run a few years back, I loved the depth of flavour. It’s almost as if going into uniform high-volume mass production somehow lowers the quality of the product…
Beer, is not essential infrastructure, nor is it an example of market failure.
It is also not reliant on large scale networks, the capital costs to start a brewery are not huge and you can brew plenty of your own, if the supply fails…
Cheaper power however. will also mean cheaper beer :-).
There’s a couple of differences that you seem incapable of realising:
1.) There are many types of beer that anyone can make, there is only one type of electricity
2.) The necessary integrated smart grid to bring about the best possible distribution of power is a natural monopoly. Having more of them just adds unnecessarily to the cost.
3.) Having the state, and thus the people, owning the generators and running them at cost is much, much cheaper than having private competing firms running them for a profit due to all the added bureaucracy that such competing firms introduce (which is cheaper? 1 CEO for $200k or 5 for $2m each) and the dead weight loss of profit.
Basically, what it comes down to is that you’re an ideological idiot.
Silly billy, Govt doesn’t have to grow and sell all food, the statutory producer boards did very well thank you, and have created giants like Fonterra.
You really are a bit ignorant of the socialist reality of NZ, aren’t you?
and you think that the Government running the generators at cost with no market will result in less bureaucracy?
I think red meat exporters and Fonterra quality control could have done with a bit MORE bureaucracy in recent times, from what we’ve seen reported, eh?
and you think that the Government running the generators at cost with no market will result in less bureaucracy?
Yep. Don’t need anywhere as much of it:-
1.) Don’t need advertising
2.) Don’t need multiple duplication of managers all doing the same job just for different companies
3.) Don’t need multiple office space and so freeing buildings for other uses
The market is supposed to be there so as to determine how much supply is needed. This rather remarkable outcome is determined through statistics and planning which a monopoly will actually be better suited to doing (comes down to their being only one type of electricity only). What competition does in this gathering data and planning is make it so that the information that one company gathers isn’t shared with the other companies which must result in the individual companies making the wrong decisions. We, the consumers, end up paying for those mistakes usually in the form of government handouts and guarantees.
Competition adds costs for no purpose and the market brings about failure. This is what we see in telecommunications. Twenty years of privatisation has left us with a network far below the standard it should be at and would be at if Telecom hadn’t been sold and the government having to put in extra taxpayer money to bring it up to that standard. The full costs to the public, once dividends are taken into account, are over $17 billion dollars and that’s just telecom – add Telstra, Vodafone, 2 degrees and it goes up even further.
didn’t you tell me the Government should grow and selll food?
Yep, just like farmers who own multiple farms do – they go out and hire managers.
“Labour/Green should also set up a nationwide retailer charged with offering the cheapest price possible to consumers without incurring a financial loss…”
Yes because around the world Government owned monopolies usually provide such excellent service.
Maybe the RMs can nationalise the supermarkets too. “NZ Food.” or “Kiwi Eat”
jcuknz
It’s a pity that Labour tend to bring up examples such as the one you mentioned as though it is a reflection of most of us. Is the old lady supposed to be representative for their constituents.
I remember someone from Auckland being quoted on how expensive electricity was. She was spending $300 a month. That was a hell of a lot and could not be given as an example of the average person in difficulty. What could have been said was that people who were finding electricity too dear could have an 0800 number to phone and be given assistance on how power could be saved, through a number of ways. Just making sure that she wasn’t heating the kitchen from turning on the stove might be one.
Picking on the saddest little story-with-photo to act as a mascot for a policy does not impress. The idea of Labour having no idea of what to do and just responding with a knee-jerk reaction to the poor and needy is not going to galvanise the population who think they know what they’ve got to try somebody who is making up policy as he goes. Of course that is what NACTs are doing really with their focus groups, but perception is everything these days.
Today’s ‘golden turd award’ for efforts to Jonolism goes to the Heralds economics editor Brian Fallow for this quote,
”4.3 billion dollars in profits due to ‘market inefficiencies’ during dry years, the exercise of unilateral market power imposes little cost on consumers when there is plenty of water”, unquote,
The above quote appears to be the ‘work’ of Professor Frank Wolak and can be found in the Herald article by Fallow in the economics section of the Herald on line,(click on the business section first), the headline for this spurious piece of Jonolism is titled, ”Setting the record straight on power” and it’s contents are about all we can expect from another of the card carrying Fifth Column Herald journalists who cannot bring themselves to address any issue truthfully,
Putting aside the term ‘market inefficiencies’ as who in their right mind knows what Fallow supposes Wolak means with it’s use it is simple to see the absolute LIE inherent in both the Professor’s words and Fallow’s repetition of them,
It’s simple, in ‘a market’ if the amount of water available to generate electricity was effected by ‘a dry year’ and this provoked ‘price increases’ then it is obvious to even the most dull that in the years when there is plenty of water there would be ‘price decreases’,
That of course is how a ‘real’ market is supposed to work, in a market where the consumer is in effect ‘trapped’,(how many of us can live without electricity), price ‘fixing’ will occur, and that is exactly what has occurred in the wholesale and retail of electricity pricing in New Zealand,
Price fixing occurs when during the dry years the wholesale price of electricity rises and the retail price charged then increases,
Price fixing becomes apparent when in the wet years the wholesale price either does not drop back to the level of the last wet year, or, the wholesale price of electricity drops for the retailer but the retailer does not pass on that wholesale price decrease to the consumer,
i would challenge that Jonolist Brian Fallow to create for us a chart of all the wholesalers and all the retailers showing everybody both the wholesale and retail prices of electricity by year and indicating dry and wet years,
Brian Fallows pathetic excuse of an excuse for the New Zealand electricity market’s Price Fixing over the past decade earns Him a coveted Golden Turd Award…
Interesting how Wolak’s words have changed. Here’s his first reference to the 4.3 billion:
By comparing the actual wholesale prices with hypothetical competitive benchmark prices, Professor Wolak estimated that the wholesale prices charged over the period 2001 to mid-2007 resulted in an extra $4.3 billion in earnings to all generators over those that they would have earned under competitive conditions. This suggests that wholesale prices were, on average, 18 per cent higher than they would have been if the wholesale market had been more competitive, and the gentailers had not been able to exert market power. Less competition was especially evident in the wholesale market during the dry years of 2001 and 2003, when additional earnings attributable to the exercise of market power are estimated at $1.5 billion in each of those years.
So we have an extra $4.3 billion being charged because of monopoly powers and then an extra $1.5 billion charged in each of the dry years.
”Setting the record straight on power” and it’s contents are about all we can expect from another of the card carrying Fifth Column Herald journalists who cannot bring themselves to address any issue truthfully, (bad12)
I don’t know these jonos but it sounds as if they couldn’t part their hair straight. (Is that why so many men shave their heads now?)
quite right bad12.
dont let him wrigle off the hook either.
too many posters here are busy with irrelevant minutae when the substantive issues, policies and the cretins that dreamed them up are never brought to book.
I dont give a shit about the market.
the question is who got the money?
A while ago, years, there was a OZ film about a Autistic kid, who would go into a fit when loud noises occurred. So now there’s adverts on late night TV for a noisy car, that its a branded as the thing to be seen driving. Now, living in a street with an excessive number of these extra noisy cars passing by, sometimes late at night, I was wondering wtf. Its like a local auction or car dealer has a range of these motors and has to drive them around the town at all hours.
The point here is that it is possible for companies to pay their workers a living wage, make money, and give their customers an excellent product, all at the same time. The idea that we have to choose between paying workers well and having successful businesses is just false. That choice only exists when the owners insist on squeezing billions out of their workers.
The low wages that John Key promised our businesses are solely to boost profits for the few. The lowering of wages is a process that’s been in place since 1984 and the Rogernomic Revolution and it is not doing our country, our society, any good.
That’s what I thought. It’s like if he was talking about Hone and said “You lost three debates, each time to a Maori” and then claimed it was OK because he was just being accurate.
The biggest politic mystery of my lifetime is why Goff didn’t join ACT with his mates. He could go out riding his midlife crisis machine with John Banks, with a lycra clad duck following along behind.
A new study showing the inequality within our health systems
The Burden of Disease study, which was released yesterday by the Ministry of Health, measured “health loss” or how much healthy life was lost due to premature death, illness or impairment.
Amongst the report’s findings was that Maori had about a 75 per cent higher rate of health loss than non-Maori.
The data confirmed research that Maori experienced higher exposures to risk factors for poor health, more injury, more disability and poorer outcomes when they interact with health services, the New Zealand Medical Association said.
“The fact health loss in Maori is almost 1.8 times higher than in non-Maori and that this occurs earlier on in life is unacceptable.
“Addressing these issues must be a priority for us all – government, society, industry and health professionals,” Dr Peterson said.
A priority for us all. I agree with that – it’s about time we took our collective heads out the sand and addressed this real and important issue – it will take us all making it a priority to make progress.
I think that the issues are systemic and therefore any solutions must come at the system level. There have been good initiatives that have encouraged Māori to interact with health services in better ways, those initiatives have broken down some barriers on both sides a bit. Until we reduce the risk factors for poor health, have fewer injuries and disability for Māori then these trends will continue. A big factor in those issues is poverty. All that iwi and whānau can do is keep encouraging their people to seek health assistance and knowledge. If we as a country made it a priority then we would be addressing all of the issues raised above, holistically and historically.
I’m not sure if I understand what you mean by ‘systemic issues’.
I certainly agree with you on the reduction of risk factors for poor health and I’d like to see iwi and the DHBs work more closely together on issues around cardiovascular disease in particular and ensuring vaccinations are offered and up to date.
While I agree that poverty is a factor in health amongst Maori even after adjusting for incomes via the decile ratings within the various DHBs the Maori population is doing worse health wise than they deserve to.
Farrar’s bulls**t, echoing Wolak’s bulls**t, ‘it will reduce competition’, that presupposes that there is any meaningful competition in the market as it is now,
I dunno, but not that. Sure, fishing’s fun, but unless you are catching and releasing, (which is just torturing animals as far as I can tell) then it’s not just recreation.
The recreation/commercial split makes it looks like games vs work so of course the working people should get first dibs. Fuck that.
It’s all of our fish and if people want fish for dinner then they should be able to go and catch it.
If they can’t, or don’t want to, then yeah, people should be able to buy fish at the shop. As long as that doesn’t mean people who want to fish, can’t.
Calling it ‘recreational fishing’ implies that a NZer catching fish for the family dinner, is a less worthy use of the resource than selling it. And that’s just fucking daft.
Actually how about just “Fishing”? It’s the commercial fishers who are going beyond what ought to be anyone’s ordinary right, so they get the extra descriptor.
What’s confusing about it? Seemed pretty clear to me. It’s a law blog more than a news site, and it isn’t really explaining the case so much as the trial, and how it went for Wishart, he lost big time.
For legal types their attention to (spelling) detail is poor:
The jury found that the material published about former Wellington Treasury official and diplomat Lindsay Smallbone that related to matters of sexual perverion and more was also published recklessly.
The confusion was that at first I thought Wishart must have written the book, then wondered if Mrs London was his wife – had to ponder:
The 10 day trial related to material published in the book published by Wishart’s company and co-written by himself and his wife, Paulette London, regarding the abduction of Mrs London’s children off a London street decades ago.In the course of telling their story, which Mr Wishart considered to be essentially a biography, they described various activities that characterised Mr Smallbone as sexually perverse, voyeuristic and otherwise deviant.
Excuse me, I am having to beg here, for this to be copied in, aye?
I spent half an hour to get this loaded! It a a centenary for the Communist Party of Chile to celebrate, but that is not what we want in NZ, right, or wrong?
Anyway, I offer, music and dance to the occasion. I also observed some jihadist videos tonight, so just out of curiosity, dear John Key, dear SIS and GCSB, I must now be put onto your WATCH list, please, if you may have missed me so far. I am an ENEMY of the nation, and count me in, please!
That is because you lazy layabouts sucking the tax payer dry have nothing better to do. Fuck YOU all SIS, GCSB and hangers on that stupify and dumb down people. If you want to shut me out, you have to KILL me, thank you!
The Herald showing how to frame a question to change the debate.
No longer….an investigation in why we are dropping are standards.
Instead …’unrealistically high expectations”
Channeling Tory speak.
The Herald’s leading question
Should the 100% Pure slogan go?
Yes – it’s setting an unrealistically high expectation
No – it is still an important part of New Zealand’s image
Not sure
Where are these options?
Yes – being clean and green adds value to our exports, gives us a point of difference, preserves the environment for our grandchildren, provides healthier food for our population and creates better quality jobs for New Zealanders
No – the government needs to raise its game on environmental matters
Not sure
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Does breathing contribute to CO2 ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: KiwiRail’s seemingly endless requests for more money is damning. At one point, KiwiRail assured Robertson when he was the Finance Minister that the worst-case scenario would be an extra $300 million before requesting $1.2 billion a few months later. Not what most people ...
No one knows what it's likeTo be the bad manTo be the sad manBehind blue eyesNo one knows what it's likeTo be hatedTo be fatedTo telling only liesHave you ever wondered what life must be like for Mike Hosking? Seeing things in black and white through blue tinted specs? In ...
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past two week’s editions.Share More Than A FeildingBike bling, London Read more ...
Hi,I think we all made it through another week — congratulations. I’ve been digesting the new Arab Strap record, which is astonishing. In other news, I’m going to be doing a Webworm popup in Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday July 13. I’ll bring a bunch of merch, and some other ...
The Fast-Track Approvals Bill enables cabinet ministers to circumvent key environmental planning and protection processes for infrastructure projects. Its difficulties have been well canvassed. This column suggests a different way of thinking about the proposal. I am going to explore the Bill from the perspective of its proponents with their ...
New Zealand First Cabinet Minister Shane Jones has become the best advertisement against the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill. In selling the radical new resource consenting processes, in which ministers can green light any mine, dam, or other major development, Jones seems to be shooting the proposal in the foot. ...
Buzz from the Beehive Associate Education Minister David Seymour is urging the PostPrimary Teachers Association to put learning ahead of ideology. He wants the union leaders to call off their teachers meetings around the country where they hope to muster the strength to undo the government’s plans to establish several ...
What are police for? "Fighting crime" is the obvious answer. If there's a burglary, they should show up and investigate. Ditto if there's a murder or sexual assault. Speeding or drunk or dangerous driving is a crime, so obviously they should respond to that. And obviously, they should respond to ...
Michael Reddell writes – I got curious yesterday about how the Australia/New Zealand real exchange rate had changed over the last decade, and so dug out the data on the changes in the two countries’ CPIs. Over the 10 years from March 2014 to March 2024, New Zealand’s ...
Graham Adams writes that 20 years after the land march, judges are quietly awarding a swathe of coastal rights to iwi. Early this month, an hour-long documentary was released by TVNZ to mark the 20th anniversary of the land-rights march to oppose Helen Clark’s Foreshore and Seabed Act. The account ...
David Farrar writes – The Herald reports: Suspended Green MP Darleen Tana has passed an unpleasant milestone: she has now been absent for as many parliamentary sitting days as she has been present for this year. Tana is on full pay while she is suspended, and will benefit from a ...
Peter Dunne writes – It is no coincidence that two Labour should-have-been MPs are making the most noise about public sector cuts. As assistant general secretary of the Public Service Association, Fleur Fitzsimons has been at the forefront of revealing where the next round of state sector job ...
Bryce Edwards writes – It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a ...
This is one of the (extra) weekly columns on music or movies. Plenty of solid analyses of Possession exist online and most of them – inevitably – contain spoilers. This column is more in the way of a first-timer’s aid to getting your initial bearings. You don’t need to have ...
I am painting in oil, a portrait of a manWho has taken all the heart aches,And all the pain he can stand.I am using all the colors of blue,I have here on my stand.I am painting in oil, a portrait of a man.This has been an interesting week for me. ...
Helen Clark joins the Hoon as a special guest talking whether Aotearoa should join Aukus II, and her views on the fast track legislation and how Luxon and the new Government are performing. File Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts ...
With an election due in less than nine months, Britain’s embattled PM, Rishi Sunak, gave a useful speech earlier this week. He made a substantial case for his government, perhaps as compelling as is possible in the current environment. Quite an achievement. His overall theme was security, first pulling ...
Open access notablesPublicly expressed climate scepticism is greatest in regions with high CO2 emissions, Pearson et al., Climatic Change:We analysed a recently released corpus of climate-related tweets to examine the macro-level factors associated with public declarations of climate change scepticism. Analyses of over 2 million geo-located tweets in the U.S. showed that climate ...
You can be all negative about these charter schools if you want, but I’m here to accentuate the positive. You can get all worked up, if you want to, by the contradiction of Luxon saying We’re going to make sure that every school in the country is teaching exactly the same ...
Losing The Room: One can only speculate about what has persuaded the Coalition Government that it will pay no electoral price for unreasonably pushing ahead with policies that are so clearly against the national interest. They seem quite oblivious to the risk that by doing so they will convince an increasing ...
Name suppression decisions can be tough sometimes. No matter your views on free speech, you have to be hard-hearted not to be torn by the tug of the competing arguments. I think you can feel the Supreme Court wrestling with that in M v The King. The case for ...
The Merchants of Menace: The Coalition Government has convinced itself that the “Brahmins’” emollient functions have become much too irksome and expensive. Those who see themselves as the best hope of rebuilding New Zealand’s ailing capitalist system, appear to have convinced themselves that a little bit of blunt trauma is what their mollycoddled ...
When National first proposed its Muldoonist "fast-track" law, they were warned that it would inevitably lead to corruption. And that is exactly what has happened, with Resources Minister Shane Jones taking secret meetings with potential applicants:On Tuesday, in a Newsroom story, questions were raised about a dinner Jones ...
Buzz from the Beehive One day – hopefully – we will push that Russian rascal, Vladimir Putin, beyond breaking point. Perhaps it will happen today, when he learns that Foreign Minister Winston Peters is again tightening the thumbscrews. Peters announced further sanctions, this time on 28 individuals and 14 entities ...
How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought New Zealand to the brink of economic and cultural chaos.TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition Government’s failure to retain, and build upon, the public ...
“Members of Parliament don’t work for us, they represent us, an entirely different thing. As with so much that has turned out badly, the re-organising of MPs’ responsibilities began with the Fourth Labour Government. That’s when they began to be treated like employees – public servants – whose diaries had ...
It’s becoming a classic case study for why lobbying deals with politicians need greater scrutiny. Former National Minister Steven Joyce runs a lobbying company with a major client – the University of Waikato. The University desperately wants $300m+ of taxpayer funding to establish a third medical school in New Zealand, ...
Time To Choose: Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into AUKUS’s “Pillar 2” – or they are going to China.HAD ZHENG HE’S FLEET sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks ...
Henry Ergas writes – When in Randall Jarrell’s Pictures from an Institution, a college president is accused of being a hypocrite, the novel’s narrator retorts that the description is grossly unfair. After all, the man is still far from the stage of moral development at which the charge ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ reports: The Education Review Office says too many new teachers feel poorly prepared for their jobs. In a report published on Monday, the review office said 60 percent of the principals it interviewed said their new teachers were not ready. ...
New Zealand’s economic performance and the PM’s vision Michael Reddell writes – When I wrote yesterday morning’s post, highlighting how poorly both New Zealand and its Anglo peer countries have been doing in respect of productivity in recent times (ie, in the case of New ...
Hi all,Firstly - thank you! You guys are awesome. The response I’ve received to last night’s mail has been quite overwhelming. It’s a ghastly day outside, but there are no clouds in here.In case you didn’t read my email and are wondering what on earth I’m talking about you can ...
If there was still any doubt as to who is actually running this government – and it isn’t the buffoon from Botany – then this week’s announcement of a huge spend up on charter schools has settled the matter. While jobs and public services continue to be cut in the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gaye Taylor As widespread drought raises expectations for a repeat of last year’s ferocious wildfire season, response teams across Canada are grappling with the rapidly changing face of fire in a warming climate. No longer quenched by winter, nor quelled by the ...
Half of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd’s directors and its chair resigned en masse last night in protest at Christchurch City Council’s demand to front-load dividends File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The chair of Christchurch City Council’s investment company and four of its independent directors resigned in protest last ...
The University of Waikato has reworded an advertisement that begins the tender process for its new $300 million-plus medical school even though the Government still needs to approve it. However, even the reworded ad contains an architect’s visualisations of what the school might look like. ACT leader David Seymour told ...
As a follow-up to the Rings of Power trailer discussion, I thought I needed to add something. There has been some online mockery about the use of the same actor for both the Halbrand and Annatar incarnations of Sauron. The reasoning is that Halbrand with a shave and a new ...
This isn’t quite as dramatic as the title might suggest. I’m not going anywhere, but there is something I wanted to talk to you about.Let’s start with a typical day.Most days I send out a newsletter in the morning. If I’ve written a lot the previous evening it might be ...
Buzz from the Beehive The promise of tax relief loomed large in his considerations when the PM delivered a pre-Budget speech to the Auckland Business Chamber. The job back in Wellington is getting government spending back under control, he said, bandying figures which show that in per capita terms, the ...
Yesterday de facto Prime Minister David Seymour announced that his glove puppet government would be re-introducing charter schools, throwing $150 million at his pet quacks, donors and cronies and introducing an entire new government agency to oversee them (the existing Education Review Office, which actually knows how to review schools, ...
Seeing that, in order to discredit the figures and achieve moral superiority while attempting to deflect attention away from the military assault on Rafa, Israel supporters in NZ have seized on reports that casualty numbers in Gaza may be inflated … Continue reading → ...
David Farrar writes – Newstalk ZB report: The man responsible for a horror hit and run in central Wellington last year was on a suspended licence and was so drunk he later asked police, “Did I kill someone?” Jason Tuitama injured two women when he ran a red ...
Muriel Newman writes – Former US President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation.” The fight for ...
Why Courts should have said Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Karen Chhour Gary Judd writes – In the High Court, Justice Isacs declined to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal to compel Minister for Children, Karen Chhour, to appear before it to be ...
Bryce Edwards writes – The number of voices raising concerns about the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill is rapidly growing. This is especially apparent now that Parliament’s select committee is listening to submissions from the public to evaluate the proposed legislation. Twenty-seven thousand submissions have been made to Parliament ...
An average of 166 New Zealand citizens left the country every day during the March quarter, up 54% from a year ago.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy and housing market is sinking into a longer recession through the winter after a slump in business and consumer confidence in ...
The government has made it abundantly clear they’re addicted to the smell of new asphalt. On Tuesday they introduced a new term to the country’s roading lexicon, the Roads of Regional Significance (RoRS), a little brother for the Roads of National (Party) Significance (RoNS). Driving ahead with Roads of Regional ...
School is outAnd I walk the empty hallwaysI walk aloneAlone as alwaysThere's so many lucky penniesLying on the floorBut where the hell are all the lucky peopleI can't see them any moreYesterday morning, I’d just sent out my newsletter on Tama Potaka, and I was struggling to make the coffee. ...
Hi,I wanted to check in and ask how you’re doing.This is perhaps a selfish act, of attempting to find others feeling a similar way to me — that is to say, a little hopeless at the moment.Misery loves company, that sort of deal.Some context.I wish I could say I got ...
I have hitherto been fairly quiet on the new season of Rings of Power, on the basis that the underwhelming first season did not exactly build excitement – and the rumours were fairly daft. The only real thing of substance to come out has been that they have re-cast Adar ...
On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
“The thing is,” Chris Luxon says, leaning forward to make his point, “this has always been my thing.”“This goes all the way back to the first multinational I worked for. I was saying exactly the same thing back then. The name of our business needs to be more clear; people ...
Buzz from the Beehive It’s been a momentous few days for Children’s Minister Karen Chhour. The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for her. And today she has announced the Government is putting children first by introducing to ...
In 2014 former Australian army lawyer David McBride leaked classified military documents about Australian war crimes to the ABC. Dubbed "The Afghan Files", the documents led to an explosive report on Australian war crimes, the disbanding of an entire SAS unit, and multiple ongoing prosecutions. The journalist who wrote the ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – According to the respected Pew Research Centre, “In seven of eight [European] countries surveyed, the most trusted news outlet asked about is the public news organization in each country”. For example, “in Sweden, an overwhelming majority (90%) say they trust the public broadcaster SVT”. ...
David Farrar writes – Kata MacNamara reports: Details of Tony Blakely’s involvement in the New Zealand Government’s response to the pandemic raise serious questions about the work of the Covid-19 Royal Commission of Inquiry over which he presides. It has long been clear that Blakely, a ...
Chris Trotter writes – Are you a Brahmin or a Merchant? Or, are you merely one of those whose lives are profoundly influenced by the decisions of Brahmins and Merchants? Those are the questions that are currently shaping the politics of New Zealand and the entire West. ...
RNZ reports – It’s supposed to be a haven of healing and spiritual awakening but residents of the Kawai Purapura community say they’ve been hurt and deceived. It’s the successor to the former Centrepoint commune, and has been on the bush block opposite Albany shopping centre since 2008. It ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. Usually we have a video chat to go with this wrap, but were unable to do one this week. We’ll be back next week.Several reports ...
The Transport Minister has set a hard 'fiscal envelope' of $6.54 billion for transport capital spending. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The economy is settling into a state of suspended animation as the Government’s funding freezes and job cuts chill confidence and combine with stubbornly high interest rates to ...
To be precise, the term “anti- Zionism” refers to (a) criticism of the political movement that created a modern Jewish state on the historical land of Israel, and to (b)the subjugation of Palestinians by the Israeli state. By contrast, the term “anti-Semitism” means bigotry and racism directed at Jewish people, ...
This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Because hurricanes are one of the big-ticket weather disasters that humanity has to face, climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging. With the official start to the hurricane ...
Yesterday the Mayor released what he calls his “plan to save public transport” which is part of his final proposal for the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP). This comes following consultation on the draft version that occurred in March which showed, once again, that people want more done on transport, especially ...
And it's a pleasure that I have knownAnd it's a treasure that I have gainedAotearoa’s coalition government is fragile. It’s held together by the obsequious sycophancy of Christopher Luxon, who willingly contorts his party into the fringe positions of his junior coalition partners and is unwilling to contradict them. The ...
The Select Committee hearing submissions on the fast-track consenting legislation is starting to become a beat-up of regional councils. The inflexibility and slow workings of the Councils were prominent in two submissions yesterday. One, from the Coromandel Marine Farmers Association, simply said that the Waikato Regional Council’s planning decisions were ...
Back in April, the High Court surprised everyone by ruling that Ministers are above the law, at least as far as the Waitangi Tribunal is concerned. The reason for this ruling was "comity" - the idea that the different branches of government shouldn't interfere with each other's functions. Which makes ...
Buzz from the BeehiveTolling was mentioned when Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the government was re-introducing the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme, with 15 “crucial” projects to support economic growth and regional development across New Zealand. All RoNS would be four-laned, grade-separated highways, and all funding, financing, and ...
or the past 14 years, ever since the Spanish government cheated on an autonomy deal, Catalonia has reliably given pro-independence parties a majority of seats in their regional parliament. But now that seems to be over. Catalans went to the polls yesterday, and stripped the Catalan parties of their majority. ...
David Farrar writes – Radio NZ report: Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said the Electoral Commission should make sure the system ran smoothly and “taking away the right of thousands of people to vote” was not the answer. “Thousands of people enroled and voted on the day. If ...
Don Brash writes – There was a rather revealing headline in the Herald on Sunday today (12 May). It read “One in 8 Auckland homes on market were bought during boom, may now sell for loss”. The first line of text noted that “New data shows one in ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – At a time when universities are understandably nervous regarding the establishment of the University Advisory Group (UAG) and the Science System Advisory Group (SSAG) it may seem strange – or even fool-hardy – to state that there are long-standing issues in the tertiary sector ...
The Government’s introduction of legislation that would enable landlords to end tenancies with no reason marks a dark day for the 1.4 million people who rent their home in Aotearoa. ...
The Minister for Mental Health has found the Suicide Prevention Office and mental health support for 111 calls slipping through his fingers, says Labour spokesperson for Mental Health Ingrid Leary. ...
Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate deception. ...
The Green Party says the Government’s misguided policy on gangs will fail, following the announcement of the establishment of a national gang unit and district gang disruption units to target gang activities. ...
“With Police pay negotiations still unresolved after six months in Government, Mark Mitchell has today rolled the Commissioner out for a rebrand of their approach to gang crime,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said. ...
The Government bringing back 50 charter schools will not increase achievement and is a distraction from the core mission of the education system, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Te Pāti Māori is showing extreme concern over the Environment Select Committees adoption of a lucky dip draw to determine hearings for the Fast Track Approvals bill. Of the 27,000 submissions, 2,900 requested to present. All organisations will be heard; however, the remaining 2,350 submitters will be subject to a ...
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced that the Government will make it easier for lines firms to take action to remove vegetation from obstructing local powerlines. The change will ensure greater security of electricity supply in local communities, particularly during severe weather events. “Trees or parts of trees falling on ...
Wairarapa Moana ki Pouakani were the top winners at this year’s Ahuwhenua Trophy awards recognising the best in Māori dairy farming. Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced the winners and congratulated runners-up, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, at an awards celebration also attended by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister ...
"On the 27th of March, I sought assurances from the Chief Executive, Department of Internal Affairs, that the Department’s correct processes and policies had been followed in regards to a passport application which received media attention,” says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden. “I raised my concerns after being ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins has announced the appointment of three new District Court Judges, to replace Judges who have recently retired. Peter James Davey of Auckland has been appointed a District Court Judge with a jury jurisdiction to be based at Whangarei. Mr Davey initially started work as a law clerk/solicitor with ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour is calling on the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) to put ideology to the side and focus on students’ learning, in reaction to the union holding paid teacher meetings across New Zealand about charter schools. “The PPTA is disrupting schools up and down the ...
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly today announced the appointment of Craig Stobo as the new chair of the Financial Markets Authority (FMA). Mr Stobo takes over from Mark Todd, whose term expired at the end of April. Mr Stobo’s appointment is for a five-year term. “The FMA plays ...
Surf Life Saving New Zealand and Coastguard New Zealand will continue to be able to keep people safe in, on, and around the water following a funding boost of $63.644 million over four years, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey say. “Heading to the beach for ...
New Zealand and Tuvalu have reaffirmed their close relationship, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand is committed to working with Tuvalu on a shared vision of resilience, prosperity and security, in close concert with Australia,” says Mr Peters, who last visited Tuvalu in 2019. “It is my pleasure ...
New Zealand is gravely concerned about the situation in New Caledonia, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The escalating situation and violent protests in Nouméa are of serious concern across the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “The immediate priority must be for all sides to take steps to de-escalate the ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met today with Samoa’s O le Ao o le Malo, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, who is making a State Visit to New Zealand. “His Highness and I reflected on our two countries’ extensive community links, with Samoan–New Zealanders contributing to all areas of our national ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has announced that he has approved Waiheke Island ferry operator Island Direct to be eligible for SuperGold Card funding, paving the way for a commercial agreement to bring the operator into the scheme. “Island Direct started operating in November 2023, offering an additional option for people ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters today announced further sanctions on 28 individuals and 14 entities providing military and strategic support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Russia is directly supported by its military-industrial complex in its illegal aggression against Ukraine, attacking its sovereignty and territorial integrity. New Zealand condemns all entities and ...
A year on from the tragedy at Loafers Lodge, the Government is working hard to improve building fire safety, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “I want to share my sincere condolences with the families and friends of the victims on the anniversary of the tragic fire at Loafers ...
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New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
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Thirty million dollars to guarantee 3000 jobs, a third of them high paying, for three years? Only a fool, or someone blinded by the childish religion of free market ideology, would see that as a bad out come.
So step right up John Roughan (and it is John, you can pick up the stink of his writing style a mile off) in the NZ Herald’s editorial this morning.
Hell, if we could build an aircraft factory that provided 3000 jobs in Hawkes Bay and an ship building industry in Northland that provided 3000 jobs and 3000 more jobs in railway workshops in Wellington and Dunedin for another ninety million over three years I’d say go for it. Forty million a year in the midst of a downturn to keep 12,000 jobs ticking along? A bargain! That fact that it took the political imperative of a flagship government policy of blind adherence to market doctrine to show some common sense is so mind bogglingly ironic you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
And the way in which the decision to offer the $30,000,000 has been promptly attacked by every right wing commentator in the country, is neat evidence of the sterile thinking and lack of imagination that dominates our economic debate or, as it was neatly put by the Chinese the other day, how “…hostage to a blinkered devotion to laissez-faire market ideology…” that debate is.
To quote from the editorial:
So in effect the 30million is for a guaranteed 12 months work for the approxiamately 800 staff at the plant.
The start of a closure package for the smelter possibly with this govt bias to doing what the money masters overseas decree .How much more will it cost ?
well that didnt take long
Rio tinto rumored to fast track tiwai point sale.
Add in the rumored job restructuring, and that in interviews, govt ministers arent moving the discussion away from the meridian share float and i think we can safely call this for what it is
I wonder if they actually can sell it.
Despite crying poor, Rio Tinto’s profit for the six months to the end of June was $US1.7 billion dollars.
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-08/rio-tinto-profit-result/4874382
What do zombie movies tell us about capitalism?
http://www.readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/zombies-in-utopia.html
Everything. Never be a debtor be, as one cut, one chance encounter, and you become a zombie too.
What the 30 million dollars has brought is 4 years for the Southland economy and the smelter workers to transition away from the smelter and into other areas.
Every one knows the smelter’s going, but now people can see a time line and plan for it’s closure.
That’s what the 30 million dollars is all about and really it’s a very small price to pay .
then that would be the official line – but its not
It’s more the unofficial line.
No one is going to come out and say the smelter will close in exactly 4 years time, that would just cause a lot of short term pain for no reason at all.
What they’re doing is giving Southland time to develop other areas before they announce the closure.
Sudden change is not good for people and especially politicians.
your ignoring all evidence and focusing on how it sounds inside your head.
Its no big secret that the smelter will close and close soon – this deal only pushes the first possible closure date out by about a year
very little of the commentary is about helping southland
quite a bit of the commentary is about providing stability to the market for the upcoming share float
we now hear rumors that the workforce is being massively restructured
and the plant is likely to be sold and sold soon
as a said – if it was really about helping southland, shit, if it was even about pretending to help southland to distract from the share float, then that is what we would be hearing from ministers via the media
we arent
What is agenda 21’s primary aim again – Oh yes, that’s right, it’s about driving people from the rural areas, and herding them into larger cities!
Take a look around small town NZ, both main islands, and see it in action on a daily basis!
Yes framu I agree with you – very little about this is related to jobs or Southland – the share float is the real issue for them. Rio Tinto will pull out as soon as they want to, they have the weight to basically choose what is best for them and I don’t imagine they’ll give Southlanders too much consideration in that.
edit @risi- yes 4 billion US
You missed the 4 BILLION $ profit margin they made clown
No it hasn’t. That would have occurred if Rio Tinto said that they would be closing the smelter down over the next four years.
No they can’t as the smelter has been “saved” by taxpayer money for another year. Southland will probably expect another handout in 2017.
No, it was just a waste of money made so as to boost Rio Tinto’s profits.
Hey hey fellow lefties,
This site has just been launched to encourage people to have their will done and create a “bucket list” to maximise their remaining time in their current body.
https://www.willtolive.co.nz
Looks good. I thought it might be like the Public Trust who, in exchange for assisting you in writing a free will have themselves appointed executor and thus are able to extract large amounts of money in “expenses”. But this site doesn’t do that so I’m looking into it.
Two charities who will benefit from both my life and any dying I do will be Wellington Rape Crisis and the Beneficiary Education and Advisory Service as they both embody my moral and political values (although neither is actually a political organisation). I also know people in both organisations so feel confident any donation will be used with integrity and the upliftment of the wider community.
I’m interested. But writing up the Will on their site is not free: costs $50.00
PS: Courtesy of Mai Chen.
Comsumer NZ have a guide to making wills which seems to be available free online without needing to subscribe. Basic, but a good starting point.
I note that it was updated in August 2012, after Public Trust discontinued its freely available service (they still do some in very restricted circumstances.)
http://search.consumer.org.nz/search?p=R&srid=S2-USCDR02&lbc=consumeronline&w=making%20a%20will&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.consumer.org.nz%2freports%2fwills&rk=1&uid=39883584&sid=2&ts=custom&rsc=BON%3at%3aq%3aa6jetiFc&method=and&isort=score
Wills are frought! Is that the word?
The first (using the Public Trsutee I wanted to leave half a lifetime’s earnings and expertise to a first son and family. WHAT a fucking hassle!
Still – I’m living out that will to this day: whereby my attempts to give a lifetime to date was to son, his wife and gradnson with I hoped was his due before I actually karked it. (i.e. so I could actually be assured that they would not have to encounter the struggle of student debt, neo-liberal inspired ugliness of greed and selfishness, and witness it whilst still alive)
The second (firstly by way of Ugly Trust, then money making solicitor – now I understand the true meaning of the term), my daughter and second born – to be left by former partner – wife and subsequent.
WHAT a complicated messs of bullshit and kakabeans.
It seems that when wants to live frugally, to live in minimalist lifestyle, to hand on one’s wealth to the next generation (ESPESCIALLY having witnessed most of my contemporaries having left a load of death, desperation and baby boomer debt and aspiration – with a lik and a promise), one can’t easily.
Instead, one has to hope that what a first child is given by me – hoping to give a start, is replicated by an estranged wife to the second. Thankfully it now has and will be.
I/we both (i.e. myself and an ex) CANNOT easily be leave the next generation an entitlement to the wealth of our lifetimes UNTIL we ekshly kik the proverbial. Far easier a foreigner or alien to come hither, lay claim to some form of ‘property’ at the expense of fellow nationals, jet in once a year (or less even), and leave their legacy.
Oh well – the best we can hope for is that the assholes won’t come near to any overflow from my wealth – until …. well let’s just say hopefully death is quick and easy, and if not , down to an undetected BIG BIG OD, whereby a first born gets mine, and the second gets my ex, AND any overflow benefits a local community (and anonymously, and those I hold dear).
But truely – easier said than done!
It’s a hard life being a once high earner, latterly and suddenly reduced to SFA when one identifies with the left rather than the right.
Things really are designed for the bullshit artists and the Jellybeans – the Keysters, the charletans, the aspirational rent seeker, contribute-nothing/collect-all Phil Steins.
They’re designed for the Keys, the En-tree-pren-ooooo-ers, the “Oim-so-great” money fuckers, rentiers and traders in misery and debt (seems I can’t easily just leave wealth anonymously for example)
…… still, that figures looking at a Natzi front bench with dishonestly earned wealth.
Best thing is it’s an incentive to stay alive!
Even better thing is that in the overall scheme of things, they won’t come out tops.
Never mind though – might have to be a grandson/daughter that pisses on graves rather than me
Yes, I’ve been thinking dying is too much hassle. Actually, the Mai Chen Will, for $50.00 looks like it will suit my needs – don’t have a spouse or children, but need to ensure I leave enough for my rels to pay my funeral and other death expenses.
Without a Will, I’m told it can take for ever for the rels to get the money to pay for me having been so inconsiderate as to die.
The blond hair has thinned and receded, the face, beaten by 60 years of the Queensland sun, is lined. But the toothy grin is still there.
Why, said Peter Beattie, this was the political battle of his life. It would take a 1.6 per cent swing to deliver the seat of Forde to his grasp. ”I am the underdog,” he insisted, keeping a straight face.
Ah, yes, but had he done any deals with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a frontbench seat, should he step over that 1.6 per cent barrier and get to Canberra … and did he have ambitions of replacing Mr Rudd as leader, he was asked? ”I’m happy to be a backbencher,” said the former nine-year premier of Queensland.
Fyi,
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/comeback-hope-on-a-swing-and-a-prayer-20130808-2rkxy.html
Key has no problem with using his mate Fletcher and others in the Police/Intelligence community to protect and extend his grip on power. Eagleton and his office can command theses forces at will.
Has Key used theses agencies to spy on Labour and the media?
Has Shearer been kept in his leader position (unwittingly) by theses manipulating pricks?
“Has Key used theses agencies to spy on Labour and the media?”
When (because of his track record with the truth) you can’t trust your PM a suggestion like this can’t be laughed at. Could even explain the Lab. “caucus leaks”.
What would Robertson do if he was offered ill gotten info and/or assistance by conduits of theses players?
Would Robertson find the opportunity to secure his succession to Shearer too tempting?
Some say Robertson us the ultimate Machiavellian!
Who are these some?
Who knows, but it would be nice to know if there were any emails or telrphone messages between members of the Meridian board and Keys office?
Adrian, look at the names of the board and bear in mind the links between board and hollowmen is likely golf/dinners/bbq’s etc all nice and social with no electronic records.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/8/martyred-american-muslim-extremists-still-recruit/
From the we control the production line of terrorists home made videos……
Learn what is behind the drive by the government, by the Ministry of Social Development and Work and Income, to usher or push sick and disabled beneficiaries into open employment on the already competitive job market:
“Medical and Work Capability Assessments – Based on the controversial bio psycho-social model, aimed at disentitleing affected from welfare benefits and accident compensation: The Aylward Unum Link”:
‘An article summarising comprehensive, revealing research results’
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15188-medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-bps-model-aimed-at-disentiteling-affected-from-welfare-benefits-and-acc-compo/
As we know by now, WINZ are contracting out services to private, non-government operators, who will be paid handsome fees to place people with mental and other illlnesses, with disabilities, and also sole parents into jobs. The fact that such fees are paid on performance will in itself lead to the affected persons being pressured to take on jobs they get offered. Whether they may like such probably just casual, part time, unfulfilling, undemanding and low paid jobs or not, and whether they may cope or not, the expectation will be put onto them, so most will give in and accept being pushed into whatever jobs. It will be a risky experiment, likely to cause harm to at least some, and it will certainly not solve much, as most employers will only take on sick and disabled for the attractive fees they may also get. Once that subsidy is taken and pocketed, the incentive to keep the sick and disabled workers on will vanish.
There are some key players involved, and of course, the whole ideas stem from persons like a Professor Mansel Aylward from a department at Cardiff University, who also did nicely out of payments by controversial private disability insurer Unum Insurance from the US, who sponsored his work.
http://unumusinsurance.blogspot.co.nz/2010/12/florida-appeals-court-rules-public_31.html
Key persons that promote his ideas in New Zealand include a Dr David Beaumont, who “advised” both ACC and MSD on policies, and he happens to run his own business called “Pathways To Work”, down on the South Island, earning from the government to place disabled and incapacitated into work.
http://www.pathwaystowork.co.nz/dr-david-beaumonts-message-to-doctors-conference-medical-certification-can-be-fraught-with-problems-for-gps
http://www.pathwaystowork.co.nz/contact-us
The New Zealand government and Social Welfare Minister Paula Bennett have fallen for the disputed and perverted “bio psycho-social model” approach by Aylward and his colleagues (e.g. Gordon Waddel), and as it offers them an opportunity to rid WINZ off long term beneficiaries with health and disability issues, they just love the idea to outsource and have private agencies do the difficult jobs for them, similar to what has been going on in the UK for some years now.
Shame on Paula Bennett and her consorts!
It’s shameful that the neo-liberals are still blindly adopting failed experiments from other countries.
A quick search on The Guardian site reveals a long list of documented problems with the English scheme. And now it is going to be foist on NZ
http://www.theguardian.com/society/atos
National really don’t care if the systems they put in place work or not, for them, it’s all about profit and how they can divert taxpayer money to them and their rich mates.
+1 So true
I am getting a bit fed up with kweewee. Every time you turn round he is off complaining to the cops to get him out of hot water.
he is like the school yard creep who has found a way of keeping the troops in line but it all turns to crap when it is exposed to reality.
what a crybaby.
Cosgrove slays English on Nine to Noon:
Government deal on Tiwai Point aluminium smelter
The clip is quite long because a fair proportion of it is English saying “umm, ahh, umm”
I am not a great Cosgrove fan, but that was a good interview by him, particularly his critique of English’s spin.
Loved Cosgrove’s comment at the end that English “could not run the bathwater, never mind a business …”
Yes cosgrove sorted english out in that interview and I too smiled at that bathwater comment veuto
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/08/union-bullying-target-responds/
This may be of interest to some, the teachers union write to an aspiring charter school operator and his response.
Now about the clip telling Shearer…at first glance I thought it was done by someone from the right because the production values look quite high whereas something from the left would look cheap
However if you’re clued up enough to produce this then you’d know that Shearer is who the right want as leader so, on the balance of probabilities, I’d say its someone from the left
Whoever it is they did a good job
What clip is that?
Maybe it is this one, that was published on TDB not long ago?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUArGWZ3A7w
That is, unless there is a newer one out by now.
In any case, the pressure on Shearer is not getting less.
Sorry but I won’t be going to that shit-hole theatre to see any clip, can you do an honest review?
This is the version that right wing fan Sean “Plonkit” has been raving on about on his Radio Live show this morning. It appears to be the same clip that ‘The Daily Blog’ already published a week or so ago. It shows how slow mainstream media is these days, to catch on with what is happening.
http://www.radiolive.co.nz/VIDEO-Whos-behind-this-video/tabid/504/articleID/37188/Default.aspx
It appears to have been loaded onto YouTube on 24 July already.
You’re not interested in the charter school debate then?
Debate starts.
Charter schools are bad and evil.
Debate ends.
Succinct and accurate. Thanks BM.
We’ve had the debate – reality shows us that they’re a waste of time and money. Which brings us to the conclusion that National are destroying our education system for a reason.
Well no you’re wrong charter schools are not a waste of time or money, the reality is that the teachers unions (not the teachers) are trying to protect their racket
Wrong, every count.
Here’s what charter schools are about:
http://www.alternet.org/search/site/charter%20school
Read some of those articles and learn how they work in practice. Once you done some reading, you might be ready for a debate.
I can’t be arsed adding links where charter schools are shown to be good (to close to knock off time)
lol
can’t be arsed spouting tory propaganda unless you’re on the clock, eh? Don’t blame you.
BS, the teachers and the teacher union (can’t have the latter without the former) are trying to protect our children from the destructive systems that NACT are putting in place.
Bollix the union is there to protect its members…teachers. Once you give parents choice you break the monopoly and thats what the union is scared of
Yeah, teachers don’t give a crap about children. Duh.
Actually, the union is there to provide organised resistance to privatising and corporate forces.
“Protecting its members” is just a single aspect of that, because privatising and corporate forces benefit from attacking teachers, their families (and workers in general).
A lot of parents want the choice of a largely public education system – anyone who wants a private system can always choose to pay for it. Entirely. Without tax payer subsidies. By themselves.
+1
Well said. And if the government stopped subsidising the private schools in the country most would close.
What racket? The one where they work long hours, contribute to extracurricular activities without pay, deal with disruptive kids, endure idiot Tory parents who know everything, cop shit from all sides, and all for ridiculously low pay? Funny sort of racket. Nothing like the rackets enjoyed by PERFed out coppers who get contracts to drug test beneficiaries and sit on their asses raking it in, for example.
If teaching was as much a racket as these idiot Tories claim, they’d all be lining up to do it. Why aren’t they?
MO
I was just talking to a long-term teacher about how she has advocated for a part-time teacher aide which she has never been granted before.
She has a number of behavioural problems with ADHD etc and one boy who has never been managed by the other teachers so she was asked to take him on and has broken through and gained his interest and the ability to control his erratic behaviour.
She used her methods of being firm, setting standards of behaviour and insisting on them, giving direction and not standing over the negative one, and taking the recalcitrant ones through their behaviour faults so they understand what the problem is, and she is ready to encourage and praise and facilitate them. All this takes time, experience, fortitude, positive thinking, planning, intelligence, teacher learning and understanding etc.
And also you may not be well supported by your school management system even when you are successful and know you are a good teacher by the good results you have. And there is so much superior ignorant bullshit coming from either parents who don’t manage their own role well, or superior upper class types who want their moneys-worth of education and more, and the pollies sneer when they want to deflect attention from their own failures. And yet the teachers keep on because they are dedicated and they keep winning, eventually, and the class achieves and they know they have Done Good. It surely is not easy.
I was looking at some National Party people today and thinking about ones I know.
What would be a profile of them compared to the profile for Labour. These perceptions of themselves then drive the perceptions they have of the other party/ies.
National to me seem to be the sort who dye their hair (women) because its part of conforming to the stereotype of a well-dressed and presented woman, women would 99.5% wear makeup, dress fashionably. Men suits, smart casual, good cars. They see themselves as go-getters, no-nonsense, hard workers getting on with life, aiming to earn good money and spend it on attractive objects and items. Individualistic. Superior. Not highly principled.Vaguely concerned about international connections but mainly as to where they can gain most advantage. Not much principle. Snobbish, I’m better than you and them (the benes), feeling deserving so when they become benes in some way that’s different and fair to them as more useful citizens than other benes.
Labour is regarded by them as incompetent and full of wish lists and supporters are regarded by them as not highly principled, unlike National Partyites, well most of the time. Labour is for either the lower classes or for academics or professionals who have a serious lack of reality and judgment and want things for the country only available in lala land. The reasons behind most people voting for Labour is because they haven’t got the gumption to go for a party that is leading a group who ‘are going places’.
The National-drawn people are unable to analyse and critically and objectively view the politics we live under and methods. They don’t have a higherstandard that they will work towards, if they do have a vision it is kept for slogans alone, not to be implemented. They are not introverted, or thoughtful, or interested in studying history except to pick on certain events that illustrate that might is right or noting failures of power and control in the past, and noting how to avoid that recurring. In other words anything they learn will be selective and skewed to their future advantage.
Nicely put Rosetinted. In short: they’re selfish, self centred and shallow thinkers who don’t care about anyone outside their closed insular circles. They assuage their feelings of guilt by supporting charities and attending charity balls. Their ultimate ambition is to be considered a member of the Beautiful People. (sarc.)
You certainly are wearing rose-tinted glasses in your perception of both National and Labour voting people.
Uh huh…no generalisations there at all
Lolz Winston, it was clearly written specifically as a generalisation.
th’ fuck are you on about?
Trying to point out politely (maybe too politely) that this is as big a piece of steaming cow dung as I’ve ever read on here and thats saying something
Its as accurate as me saying all lefties are pseudo-communist, envious, dole bludging, ne’er do wells
But to criticise a piece clearly intended to be written as a broad generalisation by calling it a generalisation?
That makes no sense. I might as well criticise your comment by saying it’s been typed into a browser.
W#inston
generalising ! Obviously you fit part of the profile – that you can’t coolly analyse.
Thanks for that. I thought the first three paras were excellent.
Who cares whether the paras were excellent. What about the content? Are voters like this or not? Are they driven by these perceptions or not? Why? How come we can’t run the country better than we do? Who is influential the pollies or the voters?
If you vote in a party because they seem overall to be better but have one really bad policy how does one stand against that mandate whitewash? I am government , therefore I have a mandate.
What’s the use of making silly patronising comments. If anyone makes silly comments they should be trying to be funny or satirical or something. If not they should go outside and stand on their head and let some blood rush into their brain. That’s how humans recharge themselves, I think I read it in a report from Russia or maybe China. Probably one of them that are on the other side of the world. They probably want to see things from our perspective../sarc
Ooops, managed to put the following on yesterday’s OM instead of todays.
This could be interesting at 1pm today
Dunne Tweet
“I am doing NBR ASK ME ANYTHING session 1pm today. Leave a question now: nbr.co.nz/ask-peter-dunne”
http://www.nbr.co.nz/ask-peter-dunne
Hes not off to a good start.
Couldn’t address the first question honestly.
Agreed. It also looks like it will be a long session at the slow rate the answers are coming up (and not in question order). Still, some good questions from some good people, so Dunne is probably having trouble working out his spin.
EDIT – or his non-answers such as that to #4 that has just come up! LOL – how thick is he? And now #5 and #9.
I just got a letter from David Shearer … that’s nice … except it was paid for by me which is a long standing bone of contention be it Labour or National or whoever from the beehive. Tells me he will save me hundreds of dollars with my power bill … that is a laugh since the balance of probabilities is that it won’t and might cost me … but whatever these politicians have their funny ideas.
What really disturbed me was the ‘argument’ quotes from an old lady at a Grey Power meeting who said she was afraid to turn on a light or her electric blanket becuase of the effect on her power bill … shocking … that nobody bothered to explain power consumption and how little such things use …. shocking becuase nobody told her to think about the things which really eat up the power such as heater, water heating, and ovens, about drawing curtains as soon as the sun goes behind the hill and so on ….
So thankyou David for adding to my belief that Labour are a hopeless bunch.
My view is that besides setting up by Legislation a single desk ‘buyer’ of wholesale electricity the Labour/Green electricity reforms should take one more step,
Labour/Green should also set up a nationwide retailer charged with offering the cheapest price possible to consumers without incurring a financial loss…
They should go the whole hog and renationalise electricity, make it so that it’s supported by taxes and that every household gets a free amount of power – enough to run the basics. Anything above that free amount is charged for.
Cannot disagree with you about nationalizing the whole ugly little soap opera that the ‘electricity market’ was always going to and has become,
That seems as easy as it being a matter of ‘will’, how to keep it that way tho i would dare suggest would take a one party state to achieve…
They should go the whole hog and renationalise beer, make it so that it’s supported by taxes and that every household gets a free amount of beer – enough to run the basics. Anything above that free amount is charged for.
Depends on the beer, do you want lion red, rheineck etc etc that lefties tend to drink…
You haven’t been allowed out for quite some time, have you?
In the people’s republic, everyone will have access to Speights (original recipe), bud.
Will it be compulsory?
What, the stuff that makes you fancy hoary old shepherds instead of nice young barmaids.
Yech!
There is an Aussie sheep joke in there somewhere.
Roll all the Lion Red, Waikato and Speights brewing into one operation (if it isn’t already) and repackage it as Victory Draught.
That’s the lolly-water brewed by jafas, not the original recipe.
On an unrelated note, I can’t abide Export. But when they did that original recipe production run a few years back, I loved the depth of flavour. It’s almost as if going into uniform high-volume mass production somehow lowers the quality of the product…
Who’da thunkit?
Thats a policy I can agree with
Drink black Mack and chardonnay myself.
Or a nice vibrant little Merlot.
Beer, is not essential infrastructure, nor is it an example of market failure.
It is also not reliant on large scale networks, the capital costs to start a brewery are not huge and you can brew plenty of your own, if the supply fails…
Cheaper power however. will also mean cheaper beer :-).
Sorry about srylands.
It assumes everyone is driven by ideology and incapable of considering the merits of a proposal against any other measure.
There’s a couple of differences that you seem incapable of realising:
1.) There are many types of beer that anyone can make, there is only one type of electricity
2.) The necessary integrated smart grid to bring about the best possible distribution of power is a natural monopoly. Having more of them just adds unnecessarily to the cost.
3.) Having the state, and thus the people, owning the generators and running them at cost is much, much cheaper than having private competing firms running them for a profit due to all the added bureaucracy that such competing firms introduce (which is cheaper? 1 CEO for $200k or 5 for $2m each) and the dead weight loss of profit.
Basically, what it comes down to is that you’re an ideological idiot.
“There are many types of beer that anyone can make, there is only one type of electricity”
Well, two really 😉 But that’s just splitting electrons
you’re a bright spark 🙂
Oh I’m a shocker 😀
Anymore bad puns and you know where you’re heading …
Hah!
lol
You are the ideological idiot. You ignore the role of markets. But you dismiss markets. Because you are an idiot.
That guy Wolak didn’t really work for you did he?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuYs6miJEZY&feature=youtu.be
and you think that the Government running the generators at cost with no market will result in less bureaucracy? You ever worked in Government?
Oh damn I just remembered – didn’t you tell me the Government should grow and selll food?
Enough said.
You deserve to be ridiculed. Fortunately your state control wet dream will never happen.
Silly billy, Govt doesn’t have to grow and sell all food, the statutory producer boards did very well thank you, and have created giants like Fonterra.
You really are a bit ignorant of the socialist reality of NZ, aren’t you?
I think red meat exporters and Fonterra quality control could have done with a bit MORE bureaucracy in recent times, from what we’ve seen reported, eh?
Yep. Don’t need anywhere as much of it:-
1.) Don’t need advertising
2.) Don’t need multiple duplication of managers all doing the same job just for different companies
3.) Don’t need multiple office space and so freeing buildings for other uses
The market is supposed to be there so as to determine how much supply is needed. This rather remarkable outcome is determined through statistics and planning which a monopoly will actually be better suited to doing (comes down to their being only one type of electricity only). What competition does in this gathering data and planning is make it so that the information that one company gathers isn’t shared with the other companies which must result in the individual companies making the wrong decisions. We, the consumers, end up paying for those mistakes usually in the form of government handouts and guarantees.
Competition adds costs for no purpose and the market brings about failure. This is what we see in telecommunications. Twenty years of privatisation has left us with a network far below the standard it should be at and would be at if Telecom hadn’t been sold and the government having to put in extra taxpayer money to bring it up to that standard. The full costs to the public, once dividends are taken into account, are over $17 billion dollars and that’s just telecom – add Telstra, Vodafone, 2 degrees and it goes up even further.
Yep, just like farmers who own multiple farms do – they go out and hire managers.
“Labour/Green should also set up a nationwide retailer charged with offering the cheapest price possible to consumers without incurring a financial loss…”
Yes because around the world Government owned monopolies usually provide such excellent service.
Maybe the RMs can nationalise the supermarkets too. “NZ Food.” or “Kiwi Eat”
jcuknz
It’s a pity that Labour tend to bring up examples such as the one you mentioned as though it is a reflection of most of us. Is the old lady supposed to be representative for their constituents.
I remember someone from Auckland being quoted on how expensive electricity was. She was spending $300 a month. That was a hell of a lot and could not be given as an example of the average person in difficulty. What could have been said was that people who were finding electricity too dear could have an 0800 number to phone and be given assistance on how power could be saved, through a number of ways. Just making sure that she wasn’t heating the kitchen from turning on the stove might be one.
Picking on the saddest little story-with-photo to act as a mascot for a policy does not impress. The idea of Labour having no idea of what to do and just responding with a knee-jerk reaction to the poor and needy is not going to galvanise the population who think they know what they’ve got to try somebody who is making up policy as he goes. Of course that is what NACTs are doing really with their focus groups, but perception is everything these days.
Today’s ‘golden turd award’ for efforts to Jonolism goes to the Heralds economics editor Brian Fallow for this quote,
”4.3 billion dollars in profits due to ‘market inefficiencies’ during dry years, the exercise of unilateral market power imposes little cost on consumers when there is plenty of water”, unquote,
The above quote appears to be the ‘work’ of Professor Frank Wolak and can be found in the Herald article by Fallow in the economics section of the Herald on line,(click on the business section first), the headline for this spurious piece of Jonolism is titled, ”Setting the record straight on power” and it’s contents are about all we can expect from another of the card carrying Fifth Column Herald journalists who cannot bring themselves to address any issue truthfully,
Putting aside the term ‘market inefficiencies’ as who in their right mind knows what Fallow supposes Wolak means with it’s use it is simple to see the absolute LIE inherent in both the Professor’s words and Fallow’s repetition of them,
It’s simple, in ‘a market’ if the amount of water available to generate electricity was effected by ‘a dry year’ and this provoked ‘price increases’ then it is obvious to even the most dull that in the years when there is plenty of water there would be ‘price decreases’,
That of course is how a ‘real’ market is supposed to work, in a market where the consumer is in effect ‘trapped’,(how many of us can live without electricity), price ‘fixing’ will occur, and that is exactly what has occurred in the wholesale and retail of electricity pricing in New Zealand,
Price fixing occurs when during the dry years the wholesale price of electricity rises and the retail price charged then increases,
Price fixing becomes apparent when in the wet years the wholesale price either does not drop back to the level of the last wet year, or, the wholesale price of electricity drops for the retailer but the retailer does not pass on that wholesale price decrease to the consumer,
i would challenge that Jonolist Brian Fallow to create for us a chart of all the wholesalers and all the retailers showing everybody both the wholesale and retail prices of electricity by year and indicating dry and wet years,
Brian Fallows pathetic excuse of an excuse for the New Zealand electricity market’s Price Fixing over the past decade earns Him a coveted Golden Turd Award…
Interesting how Wolak’s words have changed. Here’s his first reference to the 4.3 billion:
So we have an extra $4.3 billion being charged because of monopoly powers and then an extra $1.5 billion charged in each of the dry years.
Source: http://www.comcom.govt.nz/the-commission/media-centre/media-releases/detail/2009/commercecommissionfindsthatelectri
Yes Wolak obviously has 2 faces, perhaps He has been reminded by the Government that it is they who ultimately control His pay packet,
The real, and only question that needs be asked is ”has anyone had their electricity retailer lower the price they charge per kilowatt hour, ever”…
”Setting the record straight on power” and it’s contents are about all we can expect from another of the card carrying Fifth Column Herald journalists who cannot bring themselves to address any issue truthfully, (bad12)
I don’t know these jonos but it sounds as if they couldn’t part their hair straight. (Is that why so many men shave their heads now?)
quite right bad12.
dont let him wrigle off the hook either.
too many posters here are busy with irrelevant minutae when the substantive issues, policies and the cretins that dreamed them up are never brought to book.
I dont give a shit about the market.
the question is who got the money?
A while ago, years, there was a OZ film about a Autistic kid, who would go into a fit when loud noises occurred. So now there’s adverts on late night TV for a noisy car, that its a branded as the thing to be seen driving. Now, living in a street with an excessive number of these extra noisy cars passing by, sometimes late at night, I was wondering wtf. Its like a local auction or car dealer has a range of these motors and has to drive them around the town at all hours.
If a Business Won’t Pay a Living Wage, It Shouldn’t Exist
The low wages that John Key promised our businesses are solely to boost profits for the few. The lowering of wages is a process that’s been in place since 1984 and the Rogernomic Revolution and it is not doing our country, our society, any good.
Naughty old Goff, eh
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9023655/Phil-Goff-slammed-for-sexist-comments
Weird thing to say. Even weirder that he doesn’t think it’s weird.
That’s what I thought. It’s like if he was talking about Hone and said “You lost three debates, each time to a Maori” and then claimed it was OK because he was just being accurate.
Well to be fair, for a guy to be beaten by a women is pretty embarrasing because women are obviously inferior to men
Hope that clears it up 🙂
Or teasing Paul Foster-Ponyclub for losing to a chubby gay. Just being accurate.
Yes but at least he lost to a man and not a woman…
Yes, if I remember correctly ,the list goes something like this
worst:
– a Gay Woman
– a Woman
– a Gay man
– a Maori Man
– every one else fairly much equal
– White Man top of the heap obviously.
I’d like to think you were being ironic, but that’s not far removed from the tripe you usually post here.
The biggest politic mystery of my lifetime is why Goff didn’t join ACT with his mates. He could go out riding his midlife crisis machine with John Banks, with a lycra clad duck following along behind.
A new study showing the inequality within our health systems
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10910616
A priority for us all. I agree with that – it’s about time we took our collective heads out the sand and addressed this real and important issue – it will take us all making it a priority to make progress.
Do you have any suggestions at to how iwi and whanau might address this along with the health sector ?
I think that the issues are systemic and therefore any solutions must come at the system level. There have been good initiatives that have encouraged Māori to interact with health services in better ways, those initiatives have broken down some barriers on both sides a bit. Until we reduce the risk factors for poor health, have fewer injuries and disability for Māori then these trends will continue. A big factor in those issues is poverty. All that iwi and whānau can do is keep encouraging their people to seek health assistance and knowledge. If we as a country made it a priority then we would be addressing all of the issues raised above, holistically and historically.
I’m not sure if I understand what you mean by ‘systemic issues’.
I certainly agree with you on the reduction of risk factors for poor health and I’d like to see iwi and the DHBs work more closely together on issues around cardiovascular disease in particular and ensuring vaccinations are offered and up to date.
While I agree that poverty is a factor in health amongst Maori even after adjusting for incomes via the decile ratings within the various DHBs the Maori population is doing worse health wise than they deserve to.
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/08/fallow_on_power.html
Just in case anyone missed this
See 17 above. Wolak was misquoted in the Herald article (17.1)
Farrar’s bulls**t, echoing Wolak’s bulls**t, ‘it will reduce competition’, that presupposes that there is any meaningful competition in the market as it is now,
As a consumer i see none…
So you don’t think generators compete?
Oh Farrar is your channel…..
So has Phil Goff apologize yet?
Hi Brett.. You’re obviously busy to be trolling here…
justasking if mr temper is man enough to say sorry.
He won’t, it seems. But it shows how backward some of the attitudes are among some of the senior Labour MPs.
Russians.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/58649/russia-s-anti-gay-law-spelled-out-in-plain-english
http://www.policymic.com/articles/57373/russian-neo-nazis-are-torturing-gays-on-youtube
George weighs in.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/08/george-takei-explains-why-we-need-to-learn-from-history-and-not-hold-the-winter-olympics-in-russia/
Pretty swish advocacy website about the future of what’s wrongly called ‘recreational fishing’:
http://www.legasea.co.nz/index.php
Beaut astro-turfing.
Who for? this guy made it:
https://twitter.com/Scorz_/status/365730398375919616
Big game/charter operators I reckon.
“wrongly called ‘recreational fishing’”
What should it properly be called?
I dunno, but not that. Sure, fishing’s fun, but unless you are catching and releasing, (which is just torturing animals as far as I can tell) then it’s not just recreation.
The recreation/commercial split makes it looks like games vs work so of course the working people should get first dibs. Fuck that.
It’s all of our fish and if people want fish for dinner then they should be able to go and catch it.
If they can’t, or don’t want to, then yeah, people should be able to buy fish at the shop. As long as that doesn’t mean people who want to fish, can’t.
Calling it ‘recreational fishing’ implies that a NZer catching fish for the family dinner, is a less worthy use of the resource than selling it. And that’s just fucking daft.
Yeah I get you now. Food Fishing?
Actually how about just “Fishing”? It’s the commercial fishers who are going beyond what ought to be anyone’s ordinary right, so they get the extra descriptor.
+1
It all seems to be about the commercialisation of every resource we have and then the transfer of those resources into private hands.
Here’s a bit of friday news:
http://lawfuel.co.nz/news/944/major-defamation-loss-for-wishart
That news item is badly written and confusing. This is a better explanation of the case as of July 29.
.
What’s confusing about it? Seemed pretty clear to me. It’s a law blog more than a news site, and it isn’t really explaining the case so much as the trial, and how it went for Wishart, he lost big time.
For legal types their attention to (spelling) detail is poor:
The confusion was that at first I thought Wishart must have written the book, then wondered if Mrs London was his wife – had to ponder:
The US dictatorship is flexing its muscles:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23627656
“Snowden link to encrypted email service closes”
This may appear trivial to some, it is damned serious!
Excuse me, I am having to beg here, for this to be copied in, aye?
I spent half an hour to get this loaded! It a a centenary for the Communist Party of Chile to celebrate, but that is not what we want in NZ, right, or wrong?
Anyway, I offer, music and dance to the occasion. I also observed some jihadist videos tonight, so just out of curiosity, dear John Key, dear SIS and GCSB, I must now be put onto your WATCH list, please, if you may have missed me so far. I am an ENEMY of the nation, and count me in, please!
That is because you lazy layabouts sucking the tax payer dry have nothing better to do. Fuck YOU all SIS, GCSB and hangers on that stupify and dumb down people. If you want to shut me out, you have to KILL me, thank you!
Viva Chile, viva la revolution, via Novo Zelandia, por favor!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhpSwSBbdxM
Fuck Key, Natzional, fuck the government and the brainwashing crap society imposed on people that should be free and speak freely!!!!
Celebrating 100 years of the Communist Party of Chile is worth this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd8-FPLY6Ao
But since posting this my browser and internet connection is going crazy, I do not wonder more as to why!
We live in a SURVEILLANCE DICTATORSHIP! Get it, or keep on slumbering!
Good night, I better sign off, and keep on the fight and struggle, they hate you for doing so!!!
The Herald showing how to frame a question to change the debate.
No longer….an investigation in why we are dropping are standards.
Instead …’unrealistically high expectations”
Channeling Tory speak.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10910755
The Herald’s leading question
Should the 100% Pure slogan go?
Yes – it’s setting an unrealistically high expectation
No – it is still an important part of New Zealand’s image
Not sure
Where are these options?
Yes – being clean and green adds value to our exports, gives us a point of difference, preserves the environment for our grandchildren, provides healthier food for our population and creates better quality jobs for New Zealanders
No – the government needs to raise its game on environmental matters
Not sure