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Open mike 11/10/2011

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 11th, 2011 - 116 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

116 comments on “Open mike 11/10/2011 ”

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  1. Pete George 1
    11 October 2011 at 7:21 am

    Just saying NO to all asset sales is nuts. And allowing creeping sales by stealth is dishonest.

    Dunne calls for debate over asset sales

    That’s what politicians and parties are supposed to do, debate important issues, not just shout from oner side of the argument and whisper from the other.

    But it’s an important stand to save Kiwibank, no to Aussiebank.

    • The Voice of Reason 1.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:45 am

      Dunne calls for a debate now? When he’s already had the benefit of a ministerial salary for 3 years at the whim of the privatisers and is now facing unemployment in a few short weeks. Wow, what a hero. What courage!

    • William Joyce 1.2
      11 October 2011 at 7:59 am

      Dunne calls – nobody listens.

    • Blighty 1.3
      11 October 2011 at 9:29 am

      “Just saying NO to all asset sales is nuts”

      Saying no to the proposed programme of asset sales is not nuts. Selling assets that return profits well above the Crown’s cost of capital, that’s nuts.

      Rather than pointlessly talking about opposing selling assets that neither major party is proposing to sell, tell us this: Why does Dunne support the nutty policy of selling Meridian, Genesis, Mighty River, Solid Energy, and Air NZ.

      • aerobubble 1.3.1
        11 October 2011 at 9:47 am

        Wishful thinking, if only we could release all that wealth tied up in state assets,
        if only credit agencies said downgrade would have happened under Labour,
        if only we could have a debate, geez, where have they been, well its clear
        where Nat/Maori/ACT and United have been, in LALA land.

        • Bored 1.3.1.1
          11 October 2011 at 2:59 pm

          Perhaps somebody needs to be brave enough to say “you sell them we will take them back with no recompense”…what investor is going to take that chance?

          • aerobubble 1.3.1.1.1
            12 October 2011 at 10:09 am

            Normally yes, but we just don’t know what the price of oil will be
            in three years time.

            Policy Labour should commit too is taking old cars off the road,
            and putting heavy fees on ‘historical’ and boy racer type cars,
            with removal order if they fall behind in payment.

            Petrol is now food, and we should not waste it on displays of
            oil waste. In fact government should pretty much wake up to
            the reality that testostrone wastes resources and direct the
            testorstrone to less economically precious resources.

  2. Bored 2
    11 October 2011 at 7:32 am

    A little insomnia had me reflecting the vitriol in which we hold Key at this site. I realised in the reaches of the night that I did not hold Key responsible for any of the crap going on: to do so was to accept the whole damned edifice of our current political / economic construct. Key is a mere cypher, a non entity, ableit a lying manipulating nasty little nothingness.

    So, to conclude: get with the Owsers, the 99%ers who are out there denying the validity of the whole construct. Criticise the whole thing, its not about a “personality”, its about a rotten system, not who “drives” it.

    • Pete George 2.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:39 am

      The best way to change it is to get in and force change. The next best way to chnage it is to vote for those who are prepared to drive change.

      One of the least effective things to do is to just keep criticising.

      • Bored 2.1.1
        11 October 2011 at 7:47 am

        Pete, you just dont get it do you: rotten edifices dont require votes to prop up. They require removal from the outside. Go inside and you get wood worm.

        • Pete George 2.1.1.1
          11 October 2011 at 7:54 am

          How do you propse to do that? Revolution?

          • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1
            11 October 2011 at 8:01 am

            A start would be Charles Chauvel winning and putting your party out to pasture permanently.

            • Pete George 2.1.1.1.1.1
              11 October 2011 at 8:12 am

              Charles has got himself into a bit of trouble over his abuse of the select committee process in relation to the video surveillance bill.

              • mickysavage …
                11 October 2011 at 8:16 am

                What the?

                What did Charles do?  Involve the public in formulating submissions by releasing the text of the bill and thereby improving it tremendously?  And you call this getting into trouble?

                You live in a strange world Pete G … 

                • Lanthanide …
                  11 October 2011 at 8:44 am

                  He’ll be linking to kiwiblog soon about an email supposedly written by Charles Chauvel, or something.

                • Pete George …
                  11 October 2011 at 8:45 am

                  Surely you know what he did Micky. You know a bit about legal stuff don’t you? You read other blogs like Lanthanide don’t you?

                  So the narrative from Charles is the brave Labour Party setting down their four bottom lines, holding fast to them, and forcing the Government to agree to them.

                  There are two issues here. The first is that the first press release from Chauvel was done after deliberations had started on the bill. It is a clear breach of privilege. The House has risen so it is not possible to have a complaint considered by this Parliament and anyway amazingly Chauvel is actually Chair of the Privileges Committee.

                  But undermining the integrity of the select committee process is only part of Chauvel’s efforts to promote himself. The actual truth is even more incredible.

                  I understand the press release from Chauvel setting out Labour’s four bottom lines was done around 60 minutes after Chauvel had been briefed on what changes the Government had agreed to. He already knew the Government’s position when he wrote that press release.

                  It would be good to hear Charles’ side of the story, maybe he can put the record straight.

                  Lantanide – this unfolded on Red Alert and the issue was first raised there.
                  http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2011/09/30/bottom-lines-on-search-and-surveillance/

                  It was that and press releases issued by Chauvel that suggest he has been at the very least deceitful about his self proclaimed importance.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    11 October 2011 at 8:58 am

                    Chauvel in. Dunne out.

                  • mickysavage …
                    11 October 2011 at 8:59 am

                    So the tories attempt to trample over the rule of law and all sorts of Parliamentary customs and Charles is in the gun for putting out a press release?
                     
                    He deserves a medal.

                    • Pete George …
                      11 October 2011 at 9:04 am

                      Really? Is that standard Labour practice – breaking the rules doesn’t matter if you are promoting yourself?

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      11 October 2011 at 9:07 am

                      United First – led by Hanger On Dunne
                      PG – Hanger On of a Hanger On

                    • McFlock …
                      11 October 2011 at 11:19 am

                      Testing the boundaries ofthe rules are fine if you’re fighting unneeded draconian retrospective legislation.
                       
                      Flogging a dead molehill to make it the mountain that got away won’t get UF back to 10%. How’s the view from Dunne’s coat-tails?

              • Colonial Viper …
                11 October 2011 at 8:19 am

                LOL

          • AAMC 2.1.1.1.2
            11 October 2011 at 9:17 am

            It’s already happening Pete, it just hasn’t made it here yet and the media is complicit in hiding it. But you can watch it, in many many cities around the world, live, here… #99percent #occupywallstreet #globalchange

            Here is an article which nicely sums up your lack of understanding of this movement..

            “To be fair, the reason why some mainstream news journalists and many of the audiences they serve see the Occupy Wall Street protests as incoherent is because the press and the public are themselves. It is difficult to comprehend a 21st century movement from the perspective of the 20th century politics, media, and economics in which we are still steeped.”
            http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/05/opinion/rushkoff-occupy-wall-street/index.html

            Here is a very inspirational and somewhat depressing talk by Vandana Shiva on the “lunacy of economic growth”

            +1 Bored, the whole system is in fact F$$KED!

            • Pete George 2.1.1.1.2.1
              11 October 2011 at 9:34 am

              I agree that the media is complicit. But it has made it here although it is early days. There are different ways of going about it. One way is what I’ve started to do, only just getting going. The election is a means, not an end.

              • AAMC …
                11 October 2011 at 9:47 am

                No, Bored is right, there needs to be a total paradigm shift, tinkering with a failed system doesn’t cut it anymore, nature won’t allow it. Ignore that at your children’s peril!

                I’ll vote, but for the first time in my voting life, I’ll only do it out of contempt for the Authoritarian Regime we currently have in power, not because I believe it will change society’s trajectory.

                Listen carefully and openly to Vandana’s speech, then tell me the current system works. 250,000 Indian farmers dead at their own hands because of Monsanto, the success of GDP growth!

                  • Bored …
                    11 October 2011 at 2:50 pm

                    Thanks AAMC, it seems pretty hard for people to accept that the current regime is F****D. The question of what to do is very vexing but when you are heading towards the cliff at full tilt it pays to take notice. Vadana Shiva is a great advocate of doing the right thing, and gives us some leads here, and she certainly has no trust for the system doing the right thing.

                    My thinking is that to try and reform from the inside invariably ends up with compromise and acceptance of the principles you fought….look at the grandchildren of the voters of 1935. The Savage / Fraser government reformed from the inside and the grandchildren of those voters who benefited most then destroyed it by voting for the likes of Douglas and Key. The insider principle corrodes and corrupts, often very quickly. Compromise dilutes.

                    In our case we might look toward the past for examples..St Francis set the example from outside the establishment, Gandhi, King, Mandela stating the obvious and refusing to bend, to sell out.

                    As a conservationist I have learned that if you give away 30% in negotiations you are left to defend 70%…then the bastards come back and get another 30% so you are left with less again. And they will keep coming…the only answer is total commitment to a realistic position, no compromise.

                    • AAMC …
                      11 October 2011 at 3:54 pm

                      And so, although I’m nervous about the timing around the RWC and how it’ll be received, it’s essential that all of us encourage all we know, to participate in the #OccupyNZD events, so they are not a farce like the 350 march I walked with and observed the other day. We’re a bit behind the rest of the world – again – in our awareness in NZ, I fear it will look like a lunatic fringe if it isn’t significant.

                • Jenny …
                  11 October 2011 at 5:43 pm

                  I’ll vote, but for the first time in my voting life, I’ll only do it out of contempt for the Authoritarian Regime we currently have in power, not because I believe it will change society’s trajectory.

                  AAMC

                  I am curious AAMC, who are you casting your vote for?

                  And why them?

                  • AAMC …
                    11 October 2011 at 11:00 pm

                    Probably The Greens, because they are the closest – despite status quo mantra – to economic and ecological reality.

                    But they too seem to have been seduced by the system.

                    To clarify my earlier statement, it’s the first time I have felt my vote didn’t really matter, it’s not the first time I’ve voted.

          • Deadly_NZ 2.1.1.1.3
            11 October 2011 at 2:48 pm

            Better than standing there Combing your hair!!! or if your like me Polishing the dome??

          • Bored 2.1.1.1.4
            11 October 2011 at 2:57 pm

            Change the way we think: coercive revolution is too ineffective as it only replaces a power elite with another. Its like Tolkeins “rings of power”, you cant wield them constructively. Doing the right things and rejecting the wrong things that authority demands is the best tactic. In the case of the OWSers they have deliberately rejected the MSM, they know it is a corrupt and hollow vessel.

            • AAMC 2.1.1.1.4.1
              11 October 2011 at 4:00 pm

              and they’ve rejected demands or negotiations with the establishment, they want to network their way to real change rather than to tinker with what has so plainly failed.

      • mickysavage 2.1.2
        11 October 2011 at 7:47 am

        And the really worst way is to get into Parliament and act like a lapdog poodle while grooming your coiffure and supporting the crap that is going on.

        • Tiger Mountain 2.1.2.1
          11 October 2011 at 9:16 am

          Be interesting to see next polls, can UF lift party vote from zero point zero (0.0)? or maybe as a first go into negative ranking.

      • mik e 2.1.3
        11 October 2011 at 11:21 pm

        How many years has dunne nothing been in parliament Dunne is as bad as key muddling through sits on the fence takes every photo op.

    • mickysavage 2.2
      11 October 2011 at 7:50 am

      Agree with you Bored but …

      Key is a formidable PM because he is the perfect PR construct.  The Nats have learned,  they no longer use authoritarian male figures for leaders, they use leaders that smile and wave and are cheerful and who at a superficial level resonate with traditional Labour supporters.  Then below them the carnage happens but they divert attention from what is really happening.

      Key needs to be called out on this.  The past week has seen his credibility severely shaken and we need to keep doing this. 

      • Draco T Bastard 2.2.1
        11 October 2011 at 8:40 am

        Key needs to be called out on this. The past week has seen his credibility severely shaken and we need to keep doing this.

        QFE

        Hold the fucker in the light so that everyone can see what a manipulative, lying douche-bag he is.

        • Jim Nald 2.2.1.1
          11 October 2011 at 10:23 am

          Now you know why that particular Eagles song has been humming in your head??

          “You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
          and your smile is a thin disguise.
          I thought by now you’d realize
          there ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes.”

          Perhaps a competition on The Standard to personalise the lyrics to suit our Pinocc-key-o? The winner gets to be in the front row to smile and wave him off to Hawaii.

    • William Joyce 2.3
      11 October 2011 at 8:09 am

      You’re right but is there an appetite for such a radical change?
      This tinkering at the edges and having no new solutions is highlighted when we consider killing the poor

      • Draco T Bastard 2.3.1
        11 October 2011 at 8:46 am

        You’re right but is there an appetite for such a radical change?

        Well, we can do the change pro-actively or we can wait to have the change forced upon us…

        Oh, wait, we went with the latter option back in the 1950s when some fuckwit thought everyone having a car was a Good Idea because it made a few people a lot of profit.

  3. mickysavage 3
    11 October 2011 at 7:42 am

    Dear John Key

    I thought that I should share something with you that you could use for political advantage.

    There are pixies at the end of my garden and it is all Phil Goff’s and Labour’s fault.

    Look forward to the question in Parliament.

    Regards,
    Trustworthy Source. 

    • Pete George 3.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:49 am

      That’s a bit confusing, I guess you mean that National and Key are responsible for their poxie pixies and Labour and Goff are responsible for their own poxie pixies.

    • higherstandard 3.2
      11 October 2011 at 8:20 am

      I thought Chris Carter was in Kabul ?

      • Tigger 3.2.1
        11 October 2011 at 11:03 am

        You do realize calling a gay man a pixie isn’t a slur, hs. Wrong mythological creature…

        • McFlock 3.2.1.1
          11 October 2011 at 11:26 am

          It’s just so embarrassing when bigots get their epithets confused. One never knows where to look – does one criticise them for the opinion they meant to express, or just let the entire episode slide by in a wave of incomprehensibility?

        • higherstandard 3.2.1.2
          11 October 2011 at 9:02 pm

          Yes

    • The Voice of Reason 4.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:58 am

      I like the Iranian Government’s description of the protests as ‘the American Spring’. Very droll, even if it’s not seasonally accurate. D’ya think Nato will enforce a No Fly zone over the Pacific Northwest? Or perhaps Blair will be sent in to start a dialogue …

    • aerobubble 4.2
      11 October 2011 at 10:12 am

      Its quite predictable that there will be protests fromausterity. So makes total sense that
      states need to vent the anger. Maybe like using social media to agitate youth to riot,
      or starting up sit ins just as the northern hemisphere goes into winter. Glad we
      pay big bucks to the state to distract us even by choosing how protest manifests itself.
      Personally the best vote anyone can give is to shut their wallets on the big end of town.
      Use building societies, buy at the farmers market… etc. This will be more chilling that
      any bunch of well meaning sit in protests.

  5. logie97 5
    11 October 2011 at 8:14 am

    Now John Armstrong.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10758128

    I remember a campaign about trust – does the rest of New Zealand remember that?

    Let’s see.
    Tranzrail shares.
    Visit of Lord Ashton.
    Standard and Poors statements.
    He has been caught bare faced LYING, about those.

    What was the murkiness about his electoral registration – Helensville and Parnell addresses?

    So what do we now make of his explanation about “throat cutting” in the house?

    Makes you wonder about his honesty around involvement in events before he entered parliament, going back to the Elders issue.

    Feel free to add to the litany.
    Afghanistan and the S I S role for starters.
    Reasons for setting up his blind trusts.

    Apparently his former colleagues referred to him as the “Smiling Assassin” – what could they have meant by that?

    • Jim Nald 5.1
      11 October 2011 at 10:17 am

      John Key showing S&P eyes and body language?
      Lowering standard and poor with the truth!
      Tsk tsk.

  6. Reality Bytes 6
    11 October 2011 at 8:14 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10758125

    Would probably make a good ‘caption here’ type post 🙂

  7. thejackal 7
    11 October 2011 at 8:21 am

    Rena Cleanup Failures

    I felt pretty disgusted that authorities failed to stop children playing with the toxic oil that washed up on Bay of Plenty beaches early yesterday morning. It was simply outrageous that concerned citizens had to mount a cleanup, while authorities were conspicuous by their absence…

  8. Pete George 8
    11 October 2011 at 9:01 am

    A weak diversionary evasive attack is a poor defence.

    Chauvel accuses National allies of email hacking

    The letter was written as if it came from Auckland lawyers and attacked a political column by Fairfax journalist Andrea Vance about the Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill that appeared in the Dominion Post.

    “It’s pretty nasty stuff actually, I mean it’s one thing to promote yourself . . . but I think having a swipe at, or in fact calling for a journalist to be pushed aside just because you feel you didn’t get enough credit, I thought is not a nice insight on character.”

    There has been a lot said here about supposed political coercion of media. This is not a good look either.

    • The Voice of Reason 8.1
      11 October 2011 at 9:16 am

      “A weak diversionary evasive attack is a poor defence.”
       
      Never a truer word said, Pete. You can defend your leader by weak diversions all day long, but you are never going to be an MP. You’ve Dunne your dash, I’m afraid.

  9. John Dalley 9
    11 October 2011 at 9:08 am

    Will the grounding of the Rena, become Nationals “Corngate”
    I suggest it will if thios grounding turns in to a split and sunken ship.

  10. The Buck's Tops Here 10
    11 October 2011 at 9:14 am

    I saw dear leader Key on TV3 this morning proudly claiming that “for the first time ever, New Zealanders are saving more than they earn” !!!! I’m not sure what is more disturbing… that a PM can spout such stupidity, or that an interviewer can hear such nonsense and not say “John, that doesn’t really make sense…” Idiots being held to account by incompetents….. I despair for this country.

    • happynz 10.1
      11 October 2011 at 9:52 am

      I saw dear leader Key on TV3 this morning proudly claiming that “for the first time ever, New Zealanders are saving more than they earn” !!!!

      I guess that would be a first, since that hasn’t happened anywhere at any time. Save more than they earn? Huh? Dear Leader either has mad math skillz not seen in this dimension, or he is just pulling any old statement from his backside. I suspect the latter.

  11. Tiger Mountain 11
    11 October 2011 at 9:23 am

    Reporting the expected, but no Prime Minister on National Radio this morning as per usual. He was invited apparently. The house has risen, so what is ShonKey doing, seemingly not even up to Geoff Robinson’s once over lightly ‘interrogation’.

  12. The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 12
    11 October 2011 at 9:34 am

    Trotter on Mana:

    For a while there it looked as though the Mana Party just might turn into something worthwhile – a second chance for all those who were dismayed to see the Alliance crash and burn over Afghanistan back in 2001-2002.

    But, no. Mana’s announcement that Kereama Pene, a minister of the Ratana Church, is to contest the Tamaki Makaurau seat has put an end to all that.

    Mr Pene is a flamboyant character who has, at one time or another, been a supporter of the Mana Motuhake, Labour, Destiny and Maori parties. He is also on record as saying the Prime Minister, John Key, is “ a person who should be admired”.

    Not content with singing the Prime Minister’s praises, Mr Pene has also publicly declared that: “National is actually the group that have done most of the great things for Maoridom over the past 20 years.” Identifying (erroneously) the Treaty Settlements Process, the Waitangi Tribunal and the Kohanga Reo Movement as National Party achievements, Mana’s Tamaki Makaurau candidate told the NZ Herald: “You’ve got to give praise where its due.”

  13. aerobubble 13
    11 October 2011 at 9:57 am

    In the media, several times now, its been emphasised that you can discriminate.
    Yes, you can fire someone because they are ugly, or give you the hebbees,
    does not matter about the toll to the bottom line, to rehire, like when have
    managers lost jobs when they are also the small business owner. Yes,
    you can fire someone who isn’t related to you!! to free up the position for
    someone who is. But its worse, what it amounts to is the MSM basically
    saying if you can get away with it, sure discriminate, but what’s really
    stinks is that to prove discrimination you have to show that intent in the
    mind of the discriminator, as long as they don’t let on, that its because your
    small, or large, or have big hands, disabled, or just politically or ethically
    different. But of course this is a awful way to lead a country, to provide
    consent to discriminate.

    But wait its worse. Because discrimination is rife in NZ, you can’t even
    phone government departments on the free phone number from a mobile.
    Those second class citizens who don’t have access to landlines now have
    to pay through the nose to get access to their tax dollar paid for services
    because mobile technology COST too much. And wait I’m not thinking
    about bennies, I talking bottom line, for want of a horse the battle
    was lost, and the kingdom fell. When someone resorts back to writin
    letters, the whole efficiency gain from technology advance goes out the
    window. But hey its worse than that, it forces even more off the grid,
    and now they are pushing web access to government services, like
    everyone can line up at the local library to do their business in half an
    hour.

    We are losing touch with fiscal discipline when government thinks
    penny pinching, a product of cutting bureaucrats, is sensible.

  14. thejackal 14
    11 October 2011 at 10:57 am

    Save Our Rail Northland Public Meeting Tonight

    Save Our Rail Northland are holding a public meeting at Forum North, Whangarei on Tuesday the 11th of October 2011 from 7 p.m.

    Save our Rail Northland are a group of citizens concerned that KiwiRail is planning to close down the North Auckland and Dargaville Branch Railway Lines. The aim of the Save Our Rail Northland campaign is to: Prevent the mothballing of the North Auckland Line and the Dargaville Branch Line…

  15. joe90 15
    11 October 2011 at 10:59 am

    Financial world dominated by a few deep pockets.

    “This is empirical evidence of what’s been understood anecdotally for years,” says information theorist Brandy Aven of the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh.

    The analysis is a first effort to document the international web of relationships among companies and to examine who owns shares — and how many — in whom. Tapping into the financial information database Orbis, scientists from ETH Zurich in Switzerland examined transnational companies, which they defined as having at least 10 percent of their holdings in more than one country. Then the team looked at upstream and downstream connections, yielding a network of 600,508 economic actors connected through more than a million ownership ties.

  16. joe90 16
    11 October 2011 at 11:15 am

    Vulture capitalist Paul Singer funding the smearing of Wall Street protests.

    The campaign to marginalize and destroy the growing 99 Percent Movement is in full swing, with many in the media attempting to smear the people participating in the “occupation” protests across the country. However, several of the so-called journalists deriding, and in some cases sabotaging the movement, have paychecks thanks to a billionaire whose business practices have been scorned as among the worst of the financial elite.

    Previously

    A cautionary tale.

    http://www.opednews.com/articles/Occupy-Organizers-Beware-by-Rob-Kall-111009-752.html

    edit: RWNJs original article.

  17. AAMC 17
    11 October 2011 at 11:31 am

    #occupywallstreet as the reclaiming of popularism by the Left for the first time since the 30’s.
    Hmm… coincidence that this coincides with the new Depression? Sure, the 60’s was about casting away a lot of social conservatism, was anti war & corporation, was for a less blighted future, love and peace and all that. But it wasn’t driven by inequality. If the sense of inequality could coalesce with the desire to build a more realistic future…

    http://www.democracynow.org/2011/10/10/occupy_wall_street_emerges_as_first

    ties into what you’re saying Bored…

    OWS anthem

  18. freedom 18
    11 October 2011 at 11:47 am

    An honest piece about the OWS movement in the NY Times, yes really
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/opinion/panic-of-the-plutocrats.html?_r=4&smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto

    “This [tax payer funded free ride ] can’t bear close scrutiny — and therefore, as they see it, there must be no close scrutiny.”

  19. AAMC 19
    11 October 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Looks like the campaign is going to deliver some good material for the countercultural media

  20. fatty 20
    11 October 2011 at 12:04 pm

    BREAKING NEWS….
    John Key has just announced that Gerry Brownlee is in charge of the Rena disaster…”The good people of Christchurch were suprisingly happy with Gerry’s postquake leadership, despite doing nothing, eating their food and clogging their sewers, the response to Gerry has somehow been positive. Gerry has the added advantage that he resembles a whale and smells like grease, we hope he can do as little for the good people of Tauranga as he has for the good people of Christchurch.”

  21. Colonial Viper 21
    11 October 2011 at 1:09 pm

    Love the ad for the new BMW X6 on The Standard’s front page.

    Will pop down to the showrooms Sat morning and pick one up in met black. Always good to support The Standard’s advertisers.

  22. ianmac 22
    11 October 2011 at 1:19 pm

    Reply from RNZ, John Barr re my email about Bomber Bradbury. Good that they replied but of course a “softening” of the story as expected. PR in full swing. Para 6 &7:
    ……Participants on The Panel on Afternoons with Jim Mora are given plenty of latitude to express personal opinions but it is expected that these will be presented for engagement and discussion and that panellists will conform to Radio New Zealand’s editorial policies and broadcast standards. A relationship of trust and confidence between the programme presenter, producers, and panellists is essential for the programme to be effective.

    Mr Bradbury’s comments on The Panel on Afternoons last Thursday were inconsistent with information he had provided to programme producers before going on air and Mr Bradbury later apologised to the programme’s Executive Producer.
    It was made clear to him that while his invitation to appear as an occasional guest on The Panel was being withdrawn, it was not a ‘lifelong ban’.

  23. Pascal's bookie 23
    11 October 2011 at 1:43 pm

    “between 130 and 350 tonnes of oil leaked out of the Rena this morning.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10758195

    “A spokesman said the massive new spill meant oil was now spewing from a main fuel tank on the vessel.

    He said oil was continuing to leak from the tank and was heading south west towards Mt Maunganui.

    “One of the main tanks has been breached. It is very significant in the scheme of things.”

    Meanwhile, the Awanui – which had been used to pump fuel off the Rena – was not on the water today because of minor damage received yesterday.

    It was not known when it would return to the Rena.”

    But there is no reason for concern about our oil spill response, silly greenies, drill baby drill.

    • Colonial Viper 23.1
      11 October 2011 at 2:42 pm

      Future law changes will mean that there are no problems in future. Really. Seriously. Obviously because current laws allow ships to get holed but with a slight change, oil rigs and tankers won’t.

      Seriously.

    • Bored 23.2
      11 October 2011 at 3:08 pm

      As a kid I remember the Tory Canyon up on the Cornish coast leaking huge amounts of oil. The Harold Wilson government asked the RAF to set fire to it by bombing it…a spectacular failure, hardly enough to appear effective Cold War warriors…pathetic really. The oil fires went out as the weather set in breaking the tanker up. Oil everywhere. Mess.

      Only thing I can say, Wilson at least did something, Jokey Hen???????????

  24. ak 24
    11 October 2011 at 2:55 pm

    Correct Viper. And we have it on the PM’s authority that the Renal failure would have been much worse under Labour. Seriously. He has an email.

  25. thejackal 25
    11 October 2011 at 3:13 pm

    Hero of the Week Award – Sue Kedgley

    Today, the so-called Hon Kate Wilkinson, wrote a blog called Greens wrong on Food Bill. It’s an open attack on the Green party and more specifically Sue Kedgley, who has been tireless in her quest for food standards and labeling to ensure safe and healthy food…

  26. William Joyce 26
    11 October 2011 at 3:45 pm

    Steven Joyce caught lying over Rena accusations
    Source : Scoop
    The Green Party has released email correspondence showing that Steven Joyce lied on TVNZ’s Close Up show last night when he said, “I have not had a single request of my office or of the Ministry for any briefing from any opposition politician whatsoever.”
    “The Green Party did seek a briefing on the Rena situations directly from Steven Joyce. He lied when he said we hadn’t,” said Green Party oceans spokesperson Gareth Hughes.
    “We even received a response from Steven Joyce’s office saying they had referred our briefing request to Maritime New Zealand.
    “Our attempts to receive a briefing started on Friday when we unsuccessful tried to get hold of Maritime New Zealand to request a briefing for when I was in Tauranga on Saturday.
    The Green Party is concerned that Steven Joyce may also be lying about other aspects of the salvage and clean-up operation.
    “Locals have raised serious concerns about the lack of communication. It would be worrying if the little information they are getting is inaccurate,” said Mr Hughes.
    “Now is not the time to mislead the public. There is a serious ecological matter that needs dealing with that requires honesty and transparency from the Minister.”
    Copies of email correspondence are here: http://blog.greens.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/20111010joyceofficeemails.pdf

  28. logie97 28
    11 October 2011 at 5:01 pm

    Don’t you love it when you get such authorities as The Penguin on programmes like “Afternoons”. One, they push the party line and then, when they talk about general topics, they show what empty vessels they are.

    Today, the Penguin advised us that there is a typed page of “correct pronounciation” in the RNZ studio. FFS Farrar, it’s pronunciation… “Better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt”

    • ianmac 28.1
      11 October 2011 at 5:28 pm

      Notice how the Penguin promoted the National Party policy to cut benefits such as Interest Free Loans, and Working for Families, and State Services etc? If these cuts are not made we will face a serious crash. (Funny that Key is upbeat about prospects?) Not as bombastic in his opinions but certainly a slippery election promotion and so well received as fair comment by Jim without a dissenting opinion.

    • Draco T Bastard 29.1
      11 October 2011 at 6:07 pm

      The plutocrats really don’t care how obvious it is any more. They think that they’re untouchable.

    • Puddleglum 29.2
      11 October 2011 at 6:59 pm

      Hmmm … bright young rising star leaves prior to his political prime, to pursue a lucrative position with a bank. All under the watchful eye of a well-‘finance and banking sector connected and networked’ PM.

      Obviously even political ambition has its price. 

      I wonder who’s in line [now] once Key departs?

      Of course, it would be complete conspiracy theory-land to think that conveniently timed ‘jobs for the boys’ buy-offs happen in politics so I suppose we just note and then move on. 

      • Colonial Viper 29.2.1
        11 October 2011 at 9:14 pm

        Hey what fat cat corporate jobs are the exiting Labour MPs gonna get from the private sector I wonder.

  30. Puddleglum 30
    11 October 2011 at 7:01 pm

    I’ve received a ‘bounce’ for my email to Peter Cavanagh at RNZ – which I thought I sent yesterday. No such email address, yet I used the link provided (here).

    Maybe that address has been shut down because of overload? Or, maybe, the link didn’t work?? 

  31. freedom 31
    11 October 2011 at 7:04 pm

    a single quote about Occupy Wall Street that is all the motivation any free person should need
    truth is truth

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 31.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:07 pm

      Yeah? Check out the stupid hippies:

      • willie maley 31.1.1
        11 October 2011 at 8:49 pm

        So biccy you are quite happy with the status quo?

        • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 31.1.1.1
          11 October 2011 at 9:25 pm

          If the alternative is living like those looneys, I’ll take this thanks. [now repeat, please].

          • felix 31.1.1.1.1
            11 October 2011 at 10:21 pm

            Do you know why they were repeating like that?

            It’s called “human microphone”. It allows people at the back to hear what the speaker is saying when you’ve got limited (or no) amplification equipment.

            • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 31.1.1.1.1.1
              12 October 2011 at 7:47 am

              Did you see the look on John Lewis’ face when he was told that he could not speak (by someone who was speaking) because doing so carried on implication that he was better than everyone else?

  32. randal 32
    11 October 2011 at 7:14 pm

    Hippies aren’t stupid you gross user of the worlds resources.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 32.1
      11 October 2011 at 7:16 pm

      You talkin’ to me? You are really going to have to learn how to use the reply function, randy.

  33. Penny Bright 33
    11 October 2011 at 7:43 pm

    Seen this folks?

    Who in NZ has even HEARD of ‘post-separation employment’?

    It’s an internationally recognised form of ‘corrupt practice’ in those countries which actually have a domestic legislative ‘anti-corruption’ framewok in place – UNLIKE NEW ZEALAND!

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10758292

    As the new head of Westpac private bank – is National Government Minister of Commerce and Justice, Simon Power, going to be involved in lobbying, advocating or having business meetings with members of the future government, parliament, public service or the defence force on any matters on which he has had official dealings as Minister in his last eighteen months in office?

    If so, and if National Government Minister of Commerce and Justice, Simon Power was an Australian Federal Government Minister – this would be seen as a form of ‘corrupt practice’ and a breach of their Standards of Ministerial Ethics, as a breach of ‘Post-Ministerial Employment’ requirements:

    http://www.dpmc.gov.au/guidelines/docs/ministerial_ethics.pdf

    “Post-ministerial employment

    2.19. Ministers are required to undertake that, for an eighteen month period after ceasing to be a Minister, they will not lobby, advocate or have business meetings with members of the government, parliament, public service or defence force on any matters on which they have had official dealings as Minister in their last eighteen months in office.

    Ministers are also required to undertake that, on leaving office, they will not take personal advantage of information to which they have had access as a Minister, where that information is not generally available to the public.”

    In my considered opinion, the ‘revolving door’ between public office and the private sector is on permanent rotation at both central and local government level in NZ.

    What did Simon Power do to help ensure, as Minister of Justice, that our domestic legislative framework was sufficiently in place to enable NZ, ‘perceived’ to be ‘the least corrupt country in the world’ (along with Denmark and Singapore – according to Transparency International’s 2010 ‘Corruption Perception Index’) to ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption?

    Or would such an anti-corruption domestic legislative framework effectively be a ‘conflict of interest’ for those vested interests who work in the commerce, finance and banking fields?

    As Simon Power is going to be – once he takes up his appointment as the Head of Westpac Private Bank?

    That’s a fair question – isn’t it?

    Penny Bright

    Independent ‘Public Watchdog’
    Candidate for Epsom

    Campaigning against ‘white collar’ CRIME, CORPORATE WELFARE, CORRUPTION (and its root cause) PRIVATISATION.

    • Ianupnorth 33.1
      11 October 2011 at 9:13 pm

      Didn’t Westpac re-tender for the government banking business? Was Power involved in this?

    • mik e 33.2
      11 October 2011 at 10:10 pm

      ANZ HEAD of wealthy account holders same job different organization

      • mik e 33.2.1
        11 October 2011 at 11:32 pm

        I heard a report on the radio it was anz it and i am wrong it is westpac head of wealthy individuals banking sector

  34. randal 34
    11 October 2011 at 7:58 pm

    I dont have to do anything. this is a free country.

  35. jaymam 35
    11 October 2011 at 8:01 pm

    For a “law and order” party, ACT are being very naughty by parking a billboard trailer for Banks in the Epsom electorate with an expired licence and no WOF displayed.
    And the trailer was parked by a National Party supporter. What does that mean?
    See it currently in the Shore Road carpark. It also wasn’t licenced a month ago when it was seen in the area. Are ACT immune to laws or something?

    Plate L641Y TRAILER BILLBOARD 2008 in Silver
    Valid on: 11 October 2011 at 7:44pm today
    * Licence expiry: 2011, June 16th (expired 3 months 3 weeks 5 days ago)
    * Latest licence issued on: 2010, December 17th at 10:49
    * Subject to WOF inspection?: Yes
    * WOF expiry: 2012, September 2nd (in 10 months 3 weeks 1 day)
    * Last inspection: 2011, September 2nd (Pass)
    ***** WOF NOT DISPLAYED *****

  36. Draco T Bastard 36
    11 October 2011 at 11:26 pm

    From here:

    Someone be nice enough to embed the image please.

    [Sorry – I can’t seem to make that happen in comments – Lynn? r0b]

    [lprent: done. well it was there. Now it has disappeared from my iPad at the other side. ]

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