Open mike 10/09/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 10th, 2012 - 65 comments
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65 comments on “Open mike 10/09/2012”

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  1. Carol 1
    10 September 2012 at 8:00 am

    What is it with these investment types?

    What seems to matter above all to Terry Hall (as in his Stuff/Business Day Op Ed today), is the best time to invest – not whether the investment is good for most of NZers, or whether it’ll be good/bad for the economy long term?

    And it seems protests and campaigns (which reflect the fact that most Kiwis are opposed to privtisation of utilities) are just good PR for Might River Power’s asset sale….. and ha, ha, ha, ha…. stupid protesters, they are just providing this PR and not getting paid for it.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/7642726/Asset-sale-falters-as-NZ-shares-soar

    Somewhere, high up in the Beehive, someone must have said: “Bugger!” After months of planning all the ducks were in a row – the timing should have been perfect for the Mighty River float.
    …
    Did the opposition parties and the many protesters marching through streets and writing letters demanding that the Government abandon the partial privatisation programme realise that they were actually stoking demand for the shares? And that they weren’t getting a cent for their promotional efforts?

    • Bored 1.1
      10 September 2012 at 9:26 am

      Carol, having read the investment types for years I have come to the conclusion that there is no right time to buy but there is an “advantageous moment”. For the last century and a half we have had currency devaluation (or asset valuation), look at the property market as a case in point (and not the bubble period but the last 100 years). Investment has been simple and mainly safe whilst this trend has been a constant upwards movement, the “smart” investor picks the most “advantageous moment” to buy as this has a real impact on the time frame to get a return.

      If you look at Mighty River the most advantageous moment is when he price is lowest: who is going to pay a high sum when their is some doubt about title? The low price will suit investors as they will be working on the principle that the state will uphold “private property rights”.

      PS There is good news in the trends on price: it has tracked energy availability and consequent “growth”, that is all about to reverse. Investors are going to have to learn a new game.

      • aerobubble 1.1.1
        10 September 2012 at 11:21 am

        Dams grow old and Earthquakes undermine foundations. Its always in the interest of a seller to
        be ‘helped’ by the buyer beware ideal. Secondly, its not safe to say that middle to long term
        energy companies will do better, since much of their market is heating homes, insulation,
        roof heat exchanges, solar, all add up to growing undermining of energy profits. I think
        you should question why National no longer believe energy companies are assets of national
        importance. As for the peculiar relationship of an aluminum smelter and its whole own government energy supplier. Now the smelter will start buying shares and have a seat on the board, yeah that’s really going to help drive up profits.

        • mike e 1.1.1.1
          10 September 2012 at 11:36 am

          Now National are blaming Maori water rights and trying to lump air in as well HOOten spreading cynicism again.

        • Bored 1.1.1.2
          10 September 2012 at 12:46 pm

          Aero, I have a far more cynical approach to how power companies will act in the face of “competition” from insulation, solar etc. They will merely charge more, because like Telecom before them those who have to have the electricity will need to buy, whatever the price. The competitive market thing I have seen before, it wont stop what I would describe as “passive” cartel behavior.

          Another factor stopping keeping price up will be the capital cost of alternatives: those of us who can afford to buy these will leaving the less well off to bear the cost.

          A further factor that will mitigate against the fall of electricity prices will be the diminution of oil based energy, demand will shift. This is the primary reason why we must hang on to our electricity as a strategic asset. It is also a primary reason these rentier parasites want to own the generation of electricity.

          All up it says that we must NOT sell if we don’t want to become power peasants.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2.1
            10 September 2012 at 7:28 pm

            +1

            Power is a necessity and as such if a society puts it in the hands of profiteers then the poor of that society will be the ones who end up paying for the extravagant lifestyles the new owners think is owed to them.

    • blue leopard 1.2
      10 September 2012 at 5:45 pm

      @ Carol

      “Did the opposition parties and the many protesters marching through streets and writing letters demanding that the Government abandon the partial privatisation programme realise that they were actually stoking demand for the shares?”

      I reckon this is fallacious political posturing because I suspect “persons” (corporate groups included) with large profits need something more secure to invest in than the speculative markets, which are in a dire state of bubbledom.

      More detail at post 15

  2. Carol 2
    10 September 2012 at 8:48 am

    Looks like there’s a”new” leftie up against Hooton in Nine-to-Noon today: Josie Pagan:
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20120910

    Or could they just not find a truly left wing commentator, and are just recycling the old faux-leftie?

    • Professor Longhair 2.1
      10 September 2012 at 9:30 am

      I predict a re-enactment of Passchendaele. Again.

      Maybe that useless husband of hers can hold her hand when it’s over and try to stanch the bleeding.

      • Bored 2.1.1
        10 September 2012 at 9:35 am

        The identical armies fighting the old war the same way all over again with the same predictable results……..

    • prism 2.2
      10 September 2012 at 9:42 am

      Haven’t they had Josie Pagani for a while. Their idea of a leftie – my idea of a well-educated middle class woman spouting out the predictable truisms of the comfortable class whose thinking about the world is exemplified in its image of the three monkeys minus one – Hear no evil, See no evil, but feel free to Speak evil.

    • felix 2.3
      10 September 2012 at 10:08 am

      They could find one. There are plenty around and they’ve found them before. So if they don’t have one it’s probably because they don’t want one.

      • Carol 2.3.1
        10 September 2012 at 10:11 am

        And they could have spelled her name correctly, too. How many times has she been their tame leftie?

      • prism 2.3.2
        10 September 2012 at 10:19 am

        felix
        I liked Leila Harre – have never forgotten her as she was so clear about her ideas and pleasant to listen to.

        • felix 2.3.2.1
          10 September 2012 at 11:07 am

          Yeah she was good, as was Sue Bradford.

          • Bored 2.3.2.1.1
            10 September 2012 at 12:49 pm

            We also had Trotter and Bomber appear briefly. Seems to me however all that happens when a “lefty” gets on the radio is that the “left” give them as much s**t as the “right” do. We are truly a house divided.

      • Professor Longhair 2.3.3
        10 September 2012 at 11:12 am

        Leila Harre always handed out a whupping to Matthew Hooton. Maybe the SPCA had something to do with her not being asked back for a year or so.

    • Carol 2.4
      10 September 2012 at 11:10 am

      So Josie is off to a good start…. praises school dinners idea, 1st….. then goes on to slam the logic of Shearer’s speech and the failure to pitch to potentially “new” Labour voters, or to recognise the long tail of failure in NZ’s education system… that 20% fail rate implied.

      Oh… no…. that % has just grown. Josie just mentioned possibly 40%!

      • Carol 2.4.1
        10 September 2012 at 11:15 am

        And what a joke! Both Hooton and Josie dishing out advice to Labour as to what they should do.

        • felix 2.4.1.1
          10 September 2012 at 11:29 am

          Nothing wrong with that, the right wingers are always giving Labour advice.

          The problem is that Labour takes notice.

          • Socialist Paddy 2.4.1.1.1
            10 September 2012 at 12:47 pm

            Aye.  The right were heavily in support of Shearer becoming leader.

          • Vicky32 2.4.1.1.2
            10 September 2012 at 6:35 pm

            Nothing wrong with that, the right wingers are always giving Labour advice.

            I count amongst those right wingers, many, perhaps most of the Greens, although IMO they’re sneaky barstewards! 🙂
            Faux left.

      • felix 2.4.2
        10 September 2012 at 11:25 am

        More retardedness from Pagani. She’s concerned that 40% of kids aren’t reaching the top, or even the middle.

        FFS.

        Also nice to hear her stories about sending her kids to school in France. Heartland Labour stuff that.

        • Carol 2.4.2.1
          10 September 2012 at 11:32 am

          Yes, clearly both Josie and Hooton are focused on pitching to middleclass voters (and the middle and upper sections of the middleclasses as well). The rest don’t seem to exist in their view.

    • mike e 2.5
      10 September 2012 at 11:39 am

      Hooten played the race card so many times its not funny.
      So thats the rights new policy as theyn have no policy play the race card that will move NZ forward
      yeah right.

    • Tim 2.6
      10 September 2012 at 4:31 pm

      Well unfortunately the lady with “ISSSSHHHHHHyouse”, her producer or that Extemely, Utterly, Indisputably, “every-man’s BEST friend – in the-afternoon” wouldn;t know what right, centre, or left actually is or was.
      Sometimes I wonder why the likes of a Slack and others even bother. I spose his balls must have been feminised by all that cycling and Devonport living.

  3. Ed 3
    10 September 2012 at 8:55 am

    The following article is quite kind to National in giving a possible coherency to National’s authoritarian “me first” looting:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/christchurch-earthquake/7637382/The-business-of-NZ-Inc

    I suspect Jim Anderton is right in believing in cock-up theories over conspiracy theories – but the cock-ups do appear to favour Gerry’s mates.

    • Carol 3.1
      10 September 2012 at 9:26 am

      Well, I don’t think there are the contradictions that the author identifies to discredit particular philosophic approaches of the government. So called “neoliberalism” was always a PR front for the powerful elites to do whatever they deemed necessary to shift the wealth in their direction. This is indeed made easier by NZ’s top-down form of government, and limited amount of checks and balances in the system (eg without an upper house).

      Key’s NZ Inc can operate easily in this environment, while continuing to mouth a lot of neoliberal free-market PR. Both running the government like a business, and the need to deal with regular elections, make for a short term approach. Anyway, running the public sector like a business has been integral to the “neoliberal” shift.

      Klein’s disaster capitalism is also consistent with this: it involves having an underlying philosophy that favours the elite, and the willingness to be opportunistic in the face of unexpected disasters.

      Of course, with the likes of Brownlee in charge of some things, cock-ups will also happen…. and these do sometimes provide openings for the opposition to make the running….. they aren’t doing this as well as they could.

      • Bored 3.1.1
        10 September 2012 at 9:46 am

        Two comments:

        First: Business is fundamentally the same for the players regardless of whether we are neo lib or Keynesian or whatever in terms of government. Business rules toward profit apply under any regime and the pathology of the resulting relations to production (to coin Marx) will be the same. Interestingly this approach also applied to Soviet enterprises, with the same predictable social results.

        Second: good point on running governemtn like a business. The end result is that you cease to be a citizen with citizens rights: you become a client, a consumer and a tax payer. The relationship fundamentally changes to one measured not by your rights but by cash etc. Public servants become managers,….it sounds subtle but it is significant.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.1.2
        10 September 2012 at 1:45 pm

        This is indeed made easier by NZ’s top-down form of government, and limited amount of checks and balances in the system (eg without an upper house).

        An upper house is not a check on abuse of power. If the same party controls both houses then both become a rubber stamp for what the government wants to do. MMP is a better check on such abuse but we’ve essentially ended up with a single party in power ATM and so the abuse has become more obvious than normal. If we want checks and balances on the abuse of power then those need to be in the hands of the people and not the politicians.

        Anyway, running the public sector like a business has been integral to the “neoliberal” shift.

        Agreed and, after 30 years of doing so, the inefficiencies are really starting to show through.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.2
      10 September 2012 at 1:36 pm

      Quoting article:

      A top-down corporate approach to running New Zealand – one people united under a single business plan – sounds reassuringly centralist and commonsense.

      It promises to move us beyond the stale old political dichotomies of Left v Right, or liberal v conservative.

      A top-down corporate approach is full on conservative and antidemocratic. I think the liberals will have something to say about that.

      “The problem with New Zealand democracy is that we don’t have very good checks and balances on central government power.”

      That’s true. In fact, the lack of limits on executive power is clearly shown with NACTs sell off of our assets against the will of the people.

      Edwards suggests this centralising tendency has a lot to do with New Zealand’s legacy as a settler colony – the need for a strong hand to carve out a new country.

      Bollocks, it has to do with a few peoples desire for power and nothing else.

      This is also what the Auckland super-city merger was about, she says. With globalisation, cities too are in international competition for people and investment. So the same NZ Inc logic of intervening to foster the conditions for more rapid growth applies.

      “The goal is to create space for business to flourish. It is about freeing up the resources for certain actors, the bigger corporates, to have more opportunities. It isn’t about the little local businesses. With actions like the Roads of National Significance, it is about how it will benefit the larger players.”

      Got to agree with that. This government has always been about catering to the big multi-nationals while ignoring the local community.

  4. Carol 4
    10 September 2012 at 9:10 am

    Green MP Kevin hague is continuing on the ACC case. Press Release from yesterday:

    http://www.greens.org.nz/press-releases/truly-independent-medical-assessments-must-be-top-priority-new-acc-board

    The newly constituted ACC Board needs to demonstrate its commitment to culture change in the organisation by immediately changing the way it commissions the services of specialist medical assessors, Green Party ACC spokesperson Kevin Hague said today.
    …
    There is no doubt that ACC has a standard practice of using specialist medical assessors who are likely to make an assessment favourable to ACC,” said Mr Hague

    “The many claimants’ stories I have on file show, in particular, it is common for ACC medical assessors to have views which are unusual in their specialty, and who are willing to offer opinions outside of their recognized scope of practice.

    “Dr Du Plessis, who was interviewed in Melanie Reid’s story is far from unique.
    …
    “The Green Party has suggested several ways of doing this to the Minister. One is to engage with the specialists’ professional colleges to have them appoint medical assessors. Another is simply to extend the contracts ACC already has with District Health Boards so that DHB specialists make the assessments,” said Mr Hague.

    Mr Hague has also raised with the Minister ACC’s intention to now exercise greater control of the clinical “gateway” into the scheme.

    But with Rebstock in charge, can we expect the ACC Board to listen to the Greens?

  5. joe90 5
    10 September 2012 at 9:23 am

    The Atlantic on the extortion of taxpayer money by professional sport.

    http://theatln.tc/PTZLjd

    • tc 5.1
      10 September 2012 at 10:14 am

      The Glazers are good at this, threatened to relocate their NFL team if they didn’t get a shiny new stadium.

      Their takeover of Manyoo has been a masterclass in bleeding out the cash cow also.

    • NickS 5.2
      10 September 2012 at 2:00 pm

      And you can probably guarantee the owners are regular “welfare BAD” republican supporters…

  6. prism 6
    10 September 2012 at 9:37 am

    Jokey Hen after Russia disappointed he couldn’t bag a free trade agreement. Jokey Hen at the pacific forum denigrating China our present hope for survival. This man should have duct tape applied to his mouth every morning. I understand there is a comedian who makes a good living from an act like this.

    We have a long trading association with Russia. Even when they were awful ‘Reds’ and their money wasn’t freely exchangeable internationally we traded with them – our butter for their larders (whoops I mean Ladas, cars that is. Incidentally a USA woman living here was very upset then because they were produced by prisoners who weren’t receiving wages. Doesn’t this happen now in the USA and perhaps here?)

    Anyway I digress, but just make the point that we have found ways to trade with Russia and it doesn’t require our Prime Minister to hang all our hopes on his high political contacts and acumen. Hah!

    Radionz 8.20 this morning – http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport
    NZ – Russia deal has great potential, but huge pitfalls
    New Zealand firms will have to wait for at least a year to get free access to the Russian market, and there’s no guarantee it will ever happen. (6′40″)
    Download: Ogg Vorbis MP3 | Embed

    • Janice 6.1
      10 September 2012 at 10:23 am

      Hopefully the interpreter understood all Johnny Boy’s fractured words and got them correct, it would be awful if we were also committed to Russia’s contexts!

  7. captain hook 7
    10 September 2012 at 11:09 am

    Vlad says kweewee is just trying to get another notch on his belt.
    in other words it is just more tory weasel words.

  8. joe90 8
    10 September 2012 at 11:13 am

    Exceptional upward mobility, a myth.

    http://www.psc.isr.umich.edu/pubs/pdf/rr12-766.pdf

    ABSTRACT

    We study the role of parental wealth for children’s educational and occupational outcomes
    across three types of welfare states and outline a theoretical model that assumes parental
    wealth to impact offspring’s attainment through two mechanisms, wealth’s purchasing
    function and its insurance function. We argue that welfare states can limit the purchasing
    function of wealth, for instance by providing free education and generous social benefits,
    yet none of the welfare states examined here provides a functional equivalent to the
    insurance against adverse outcomes afforded by parental wealth. Our empirical evidence of
    substantial associations between parental wealth and children’s educational success and
    social mobility in three nations that are marked by large institutional differences is in line
    with this in line with this interpretation and helps us re-examine and extend existing typologies of mobility regimes.

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    10 September 2012 at 12:29 pm

    Good write up on the TPPA by Gordon Campbell:

    Arguably then, if we do see our future trade interests as being part of Asia, we should detach ourselves from the TPP as discreetly as we can. Because, to repeat:

    (a) The TPP is little more than a Washington–led security alliance in the guise of a trade pact, and is being directed tactically against a China that we should be seeking to befriend;
    (b) US farmers will ensure that the TPP cannot deliver us the freer agricultural access that would be the only worthwhile quid pro quo for the level of concessions the TPP will require of us. And of course;
    (c) The TPP negotiations and the level of concessions they entail pose a genuine threat to our national autonomy, and;
    (d) The negotiations are being conducted amidst a total secrecy blackout that makes a mockery of Parliament and the democratic process.

    The TPPA is getting worse for NZ by the day.

    • Bill 9.1
      10 September 2012 at 1:00 pm

      You might find this article kind of interesting DtB. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NI08Ad02.html

      The People’s Republic of China has decided to counter-program against the TPP with the RCEP – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a proposed free trade zone encompassing ASEAN, China, Japan, India, Australia, and South Korea.

      • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1
        10 September 2012 at 2:06 pm

        Quoting article:

        Staunch US ally New Zealand stood boldly ready to hedge its bets:

        I LOL’d 😈

  11. gobsmacked 11
    10 September 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Yet again, communication failure from Shearer …

    Newstalk ZB –

    A Maori claim on commercial wind use isn’t sitting well with the Greens.

    Ngapuhi member David Rankin, along with two colleagues, has lodged an application with the
    Waitangi Tribunal for the commercial use of wind and has lodged a pre-emptive claim for any commercial wind farms in Northland.

    Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei doesn’t think the claim has merit.

    “It undermines the very serious claims that are going on at the moment around water. I don’t think it’s a wise claim to make, and I don’t think it’s justifiable.”

    Labour leader David Shearer says at first glance it looks peculiar to him as he’s never thought of wind being anything other than the wind.

    “I’d have to have a look at what they’re trying to do but at the moment, I guess I’d be sceptical about it.”

    Meanwhile Prime Minister John Key says those sorts of assets are there for the entire country.

    “My view is pretty clear. No-one owns water, no-one owns wind, no-one owns sunlight, no-one owns the sea. I could give you quite a long list if you like.”

    So we can see that …

    1) The Greens get top billing, because Metiria Turei is clear.

    2) Key is repeating his familiar line – it’s deliberately misleading, it’s a dog-whistle, but .. it’s clear.

    3) Shearer doesn’t know what to say. He sounds surprised.

    The possibility of a wind claim was being discussed last week. So, did nobody in Shearer’s office say “Here’s what will happen, so be prepared. What’s your response?”. Or did they tell him and he forgot?

    Again and again – basic Labour failure to anticipate and communicate. Why?

    • Morrissey 11.1
      11 September 2012 at 6:21 am

      Your analysis of Shearer’s muddled “statement” is spot-on.

      We used to keep being told how Shearer was tough and would eventually develop into a smooth and competent leader. After all, they said, he had “faced down warlords in Iraq”.

      Who came up with that line? Was it those PR masterminds John and Josie Pagani?

  12. Tim 12
    10 September 2012 at 4:10 pm

    I’ve not YET read any of the above but i am currenlty watching Skoi News Srtay Lia.
    Needless to say they’re on about “boat people” AGAIN!

    Firstly………can SOMEONE inform our politicians and media that seeking asylum IS NOT ACTUALLY ILLEGAL. IF Jonky or Joolya think it is, then perhaps they should FIRST rescind by whatever means it talkes, the international law both countries signed up to. IF gubbamints under a Gillard or a Jonky want to change the rules – then they should first have said they no longer want to be signatories to the international law that those who preceeded them signed up to. Simply trying to implement tactical solutions out of expediencey and panic never really works, as they may come to learn soon enough.

    Secondly …….. Elsewhere on some other soshul netwerking blog (I’m not an addict of soshul netwerking), I predicted that there would be proposed legislation that (at least past) pot-smoking [illegal activity] ferral Kapiti redneck has proposed. Sure enough – it’s come to pass. Cheers Nafe..

    Thirdly ………I’ll make another suggestion. It IS that Jonky (in his bid to provide some sort of relief to Joolya’s itching undercarriage) has already made certain promises – or at least given her an “understanding”
    !700 refuge seekers have arrived on AUstralian Territory (which in itlelf could be challenged).
    I’ll make a predication. ONCE the law has passed where people obeying already entrenched international law, and law that both NZ and OZ signed up to becomes overwhelming – Cnut likker, Putin likker, ANYONE likker if there’s a dollar init…… will “offer assistance.

    WE actually bailed out the Austrralians once before – under different circumstances agreed. Something they’ve NEVER had the decency to accknowledge and something they’re desperate to forget!

    I made the first comment -where-ever it was when Jonky and Joolya were kissing as he visited OZ. The timing was very interesting. VERY shortly after – we began having little exercises …… We were PRACTICING what we’d do if we (as NZers) were to be inundated by those bloody “illegal”, pesky Ali Gill soilim seekers roiving on boats.
    It’s not just Pulla Bent that licks a keezus…….. old Nafe is desperate to get respectable too.

    Hey – brings me to another point…….i..e. Public Servants would actually do themsleves a favour if more blew whistles. The ones that don’t have obviously NOT woken up to the fact that our Public Service (Including SSC) is no longer politically independant.

    I await the first load of (ex-AUSTRALIAN) “illegals” “boat people” ” queue jumpers” etc.
    (NONE of the caracterisations are actually true – shame ter is not 4th Estate left).

    And – if Public Servants are in any doubt…….perhaps they cudda shudda wudda been watching 60 mis last night.

    For me (as an ex PS) it was the BEST thing I ever did. Though the revelation that certain CEO’s and Snr Mgmnt are often lying, incompetent. bigoted, state security risks on a cruise, ….though that reevelation is sometimes recognised, it actually show JUST how fragile the system is.
    If you can embarrass them – they’ll react.

    John Fucking Key aye! Oi Oi Oi. They actually really operate on EGO.
    The were Poe Bronsons and various others that stepped in his shoes way before he ever did.

  13. Tim 13
    10 September 2012 at 4:21 pm

    Oh…..PS
    Oifer Dole Unce His twear frens in Stray Lia en thear Priom Minsta of the re sint loss of Jool lears far the.
    Es bruths en ssssstas, your pain is ear pain. In the ENZEK sprit, we stend ferrrm with you.

  14. Tim 14
    10 September 2012 at 4:25 pm

    Hey watch Joolya ditch Jonky though when she wakes up to the fact that the guy is a total pratt.
    Enuff Fnear tho. Earta here

  15. blue leopard 15
    10 September 2012 at 5:37 pm

    I hope that more of us become more savvy with regard to the derivatives market. I find it difficult to understand this subject, (as I believe most do) yet we need to engage with it. I suspect this sector is pivotal to addressing the major issues arising in our country and world-wide and needs to become central to our dialogue.

    If I am understanding correctly,

    ~any tangible asset is likely to sell like hot-cakes due to the state the derivatives market is in (preferable to have your name on something tangible in the event the derivatives bubble bursts)

    ~the derivatives market is not regulated and has ballooned becoming 10-20x larger than world gdp

    http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2008/10/the_size_of_der.php

    ~and is effecting real world prices.

    “In the past, prices were based largely on supply and demand, but they are now driven up by investors placing self-fulfilling bets on higher prices for oil, wheat and other products.
    The study finds strong evidence of a direct causal link between speculative buying and selling, and changes in commodity price curves resulting in increasing prices.”

    http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/21/markets/oil-gas-prices-speculators/index.htm

    • yeshe 15.1
      10 September 2012 at 11:10 pm

      Blue Leopard … if you haven’t already, find The Big Short by Michael Lewis; an amazing book from last year on how the whole banking and markets system functions — it is beyond belief, and beautifully written .. reads like fiction, so extraordinary it is.

  16. muzza 16
    10 September 2012 at 9:26 pm

    For sure this would have been put up, I managed to miss this takeover.

    Kaipara District Council Supplied Four government-appointed commissioners will replace elected councillors of the heavily indebted Kaipara District Council.

    “It is likely the commissioners would be required until 2015. For this reason, the Government proposes to defer the 2013 election for Kaipara District Council until October 2015.”

    1: Corruption
    2: Payoff for corruption
    3: Govt commisars sent in to cover it all up
    4: Possible deferred elections

    Nah we don’t have corruption in NZ eh bro,

    Mr McKerchar, 61, was chief executive when the council illegally struck rates and was also at the helm in the lead-up to its debt blowout.
    He had refused to discuss whether he contributed to the council’s poor financial health.

    Argh, the brothers strike another blow for the rest of us!

    • Draco T Bastard 16.1
      10 September 2012 at 11:33 pm

      Last week it was reported that the former chief executive of the council, Jack McKercher, had received severance payments totalling $240,000 when he quit.

      So why did Mr McKerchar get a quarter million payout if he was in charge when dirty deals going down? You get fired for that and then put in prison.

      • blue leopard 16.1.1
        10 September 2012 at 11:51 pm

        perhaps too ‘big’ to jail?

      • muzza 16.1.2
        11 September 2012 at 7:21 am

        Its just another very clear signal of the direction we are allowing this country to be taken in!

        Was the payoff was hush money, these bros always stick togeher!

        People, don’t care, or don’t know, does this guy just get to hang out without any consequence of his actions?

        What does this say about out society, and what is it telling people to behave like!

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  • Labour to invest in regional road rail
    Labour will invest in a rapid rail network connecting Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga, and double funding to help complete important regional roading projects, says Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern.  “The ‘Golden Triangle’ of Auckland, Hamilton, and Tauranga contains half ...
    Labour
    13 hours ago

  • Rattled Nats announce slapdash roads policy
      The Government rattled by the polls, has announced a poorly thought through slapdash policy for new Roads of National Significance, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Michael Wood.  “There is a complete lack of any answers in National’s plan to build ...
    Labour
    1 day ago

  • Let’s do this – Labour’s election campaign launched
    The Government I lead will be a government that listens, then acts. A Government that leads, not follows, says Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern at the launch of the Labour Party’s 2017 election campaign at a packed Auckland Town Hall. “I ...
    Labour
    1 day ago

  • Government must apologise over rebuild debacle
    The Prime Minister owes the public of Otago and Southland an apology and then he must come up with an unredacted copy of the business case for the Dunedin hospital rebuild, says Labour’s Health spokesperson David Clark. "For too long the interests of ...
    Labour
    4 days ago

  • Government caves to multi-national tax avoiders in the shadows
    News that the Government has secretly caved in to the demands of multi-national tax avoiders come as no surprise, but will disappoint Kiwi taxpayers, says Labour’s spokesman for Revenue Michael Wood.   “It has been revealed that a United States ...
    Labour
    4 days ago

  • Cheaper to stay at The Langham than emergency housing motels
    Labour’s comprehensive plan to fix the housing crisis and ensure there’s enough state housing, means we won’t be paying through the nose for emergency accommodation like the current Government has to, says Labour’s Social Development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni. “National has ...
    Labour
    4 days ago

  • Government must come clean on water
      News that the National Government is secretly working behind closed doors on its own water charging schemes shows their utter hypocrisy on this issue, says Labour’s water spokesperson David Parker.  “They have been carping on about Labour’s plan for ...
    Labour
    5 days ago

  • Government pays twice the price for emergency housing motels – with two more on the way
    Under Labour’s plan to build at least 1000 state houses each year, New Zealand wouldn’t be paying more than double the valuations for motels to house Kiwis needing emergency housing, says Labour’s Social Development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni. “Under questioning today, ...
    Labour
    5 days ago

  • HAM shows country needs Labour on housing
    The latest Housing Affordability Measure report shows affordability dramatically worsening for Auckland first home buyers, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford. ...
    Labour
    5 days ago

  • Canterbury kids get more support for mental health
    Children in Canterbury and Kaikoura will get dedicated mental health support to help them overcome the trauma of the earthquakes, says the Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern. “We’ll fund an extra eighty mental health professionals for the next three ...
    Labour
    6 days ago

  • Statement on Julie Bishop’s comments
    It is highly regrettable that the Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has chosen to make false claims about the New Zealand Labour Party. I have been utterly transparent about this situation. I stand by my statements this morning that I ...
    Labour
    6 days ago

  • Labour stands with Pike families
    A Labour Government will stand with the families of Pike River and reaffirm its commitment to safe workplaces by ensuring there will be a Minister responsible for Pike River, says Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern. “The Pike River disaster ...
    Labour
    6 days ago

  • Yes to Sallies – Labour will build more state houses
    The Salvation Army’s latest report ‘Taking Stock’ shows why New Zealand needs a Labour-led Government committed to a massive house building programme, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford. “When the Sallies say the country needs 2000 extra state houses a ...
    Labour
    6 days ago

  • New Zealanders deserve better than scaremongering over water
    New Zealanders need to hear from National about how they will fund the clean-up of our rivers and lakes for future generations. Instead, National has broadened its scare-mongering, says Labour’s Water spokesperson David Parker. ...
    Labour
    1 week ago

  • School Leavers’ Toolkit to equip young people for adult life
    Labour will give school leavers the practical skills and knowledge they need for adult life with a new School Leavers’ Toolkit, says Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern. “Our teachers and schools do a great job of teaching our children ...
    Labour
    1 week ago

  • Pay equity to be a priority for Labour
      Labour will make sure that the country’s mental health workers are a priority when it comes to pay equity negotiations, says the Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern.  “It is very important for me to right the wrong created ...
    Labour
    1 week ago

  • Labour’s positive education plan
    Today’s announcement on learning support is more tinkering and proof that only a Labour Government will deliver the resources that schools and parents are crying out for, says Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins.  “We have a positive vision for a ...
    Labour
    1 week ago

  • Pike footage raises questions over government’s actions
    The Government’s seeming determination to turn a blind eye to new questions about what happened at Pike River Mine is troubling, says Labour’s West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Solution to rent rises lies in building houses and stopping speculators
    The spread of rental increases from the big cities to the surrounding regions shows why we need to get on top of the housing shortage build homes our families can afford, and lock out the speculators, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Clean rivers don’t cost $18 a cabbage
    National is falling into a bad pattern of promising the world and not saying how they will fund it, says Labour’s Water spokesperson David Parker. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Time for honest answer on transport funding
    National needs to explain how they will fund the $6 billion funding gap in their 10-year Auckland transport plan, says Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Time for true numbers on overseas speculators
    It’s time for the Government to give accurate figures on the number of houses being bought by overseas speculators, says Labour’s Land Information spokesperson Raymond Huo. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Fair and sustainable trade: A Green Party vision for New Zealand’s trading relationships
    Trade is a cornerstone of the New Zealand economy. It provides us with the things we want and need, and enables us to pay for those with exports that generate business opportunities and jobs. However, it should be recognised that ...
    GreensBy Barry Coates
    2 weeks ago

  • Clean rivers for future generations
    Labour will lead a nationwide effort to restore our rivers and lakes to a clean, swimmable state, says Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand really can do better on health
    Labour’s commitment to affordable access to high quality healthcare will provide a better service for New Zealanders than the current Health Minister, who will not apologise for statements that he made that wrongly criticised hard-working staff in the Southern DHB’s ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Labour’s plan the answer to motorway chaos
    Labour’s plan to build a light rail network and improve heavy rail and bus services across Auckland is the only answer to the kind of motorway congestion Aucklanders endured this morning, says Labour Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford. ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Labour to build rail to Auckland Airport
    A world class city needs a rail connection from the CBD to its international airport – that’s why Labour will build light rail to Auckland Airport as a priority, says Leader of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern.  “Let’s get Auckland moving ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Is pay equity just too hard for this Govt?
    You are hard pressed these days to find someone that openly admits their misogyny, that men should still be paid more than women. Politicians proclaim that they want to see women paid more, but do their actions back it up? ...
    GreensBy Jan Logie
    2 weeks ago

  • Labour’s commitment to our Rainbow nation
    The Labour Party has reaffirmed its commitment to New Zealand’s rainbow community with its 2017 Rainbow policy, featuring the goal to end HIV in New Zealand by 2025. Grant Robertson says Labour continues a long and proud tradition of advocating ...
    Labour
    2 weeks ago

  • Labour’s vision for Auckland more than reheated roads
    Labour is more ambitious for Auckland than the reheated set of transport projects proposed by National, says Labour’s Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford. ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • Waiting urology patients are the tip of the iceberg
    The 10 patients waiting for urology surgery at Dunedin Hospital are just the tip of the iceberg, says Labour’s Health spokesperson David Clark.  "Hundreds of patients are waiting for follow-up appointments, but they are not deemed serious enough to be ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • Maori Landowners Misled by Maori Party
    Māori landowners are being misled by Government hui being held throughout the country promoting the troubled Māori Land Service (MLS), which underpins the Crown’s unpopular Ture Whenua reforms, says Labour’s Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri. ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • Government’s Johnny-come-lately approach to multinational tax won’t wash
    It’s a case of baby steps for a Government that still allows multinational companies to avoid paying their fair share of tax, says Labour’s Revenue spokesperson Michael Wood. “After nine years in government, five years after the issue of multinational ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • Auckland congestion up there with the world’s worst
    Traffic congestion is costing Auckland up to $2 billion in lost productivity according to the latest report from the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Michael Wood.  “This is a disaster and underlines the need for ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • Experience in Youth Parliament 2016
    Being a Member of Youth Parliament was an unexpected, but fabulous opportunity for me. It provided me a way to connect with other young people who have some things in common, and to learn what it is like to be ...
    GreensBy NZ Green Party
    3 weeks ago

  • Labour backs renters’ call for warm, healthy homes
    80 per cent of renters wish their home was warmer and drier, and that’s what Labour will deliver, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford. ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

  • We can – and must – do better for Kiwi jobs
    Labour has the plan to get more young New Zealanders into jobs and tackle concerns raised in the latest statistics which show an extra 3000 young Kiwis are neither earning or learning compared to the same time last year, says ...
    Labour
    3 weeks ago

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