Open mike 12/03/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 12th, 2013 - 106 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…

106 comments on “Open mike 12/03/2013 ”

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  1. AsleepWhileWalking 1
    12 March 2013 at 6:19 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8410852/Wilson-made-calls-to-penpal

    .
    Wilson was jailed for 21 years in 1996 after being convicted of 22 sex charges against women and children between 1971 and 1994.

    Police visited the woman the day after one of his phone calls in late February, and told her that Wilson had been grooming her.
    ”I don’t think he was going to harm me, but I think he wanted to have a contact with a female. I had no intentions of contacting any of his victims.” They had been swapping letters for years, she said.
    ”It was very peaceful letters. There was no bad language or anything involved. It’s not my job to the judge. It’s God’s job.”
    He should not have been recalled to prison, she said.
    ”That’s a waste of taxpayers’ money and very vindictive and very nasty.”

    So….
    – she doesn’t “think” he was going to harm her (like all groom subjects) despite his history
    – she considers upholding bail conditions that were presumably put in place to keep the public and the previous victims safe a “waste of taxpayer money”
    – and she has apparently no empathy with Wilson’s victims who may feel deeply betrayed by her communicating with Wilson
    – neither does she have any insight about how Wilson could gain sexual gratification or power by learning about his previous victims via her
    – she has disengaged critical thinking ”It’s not my job to the judge. It’s God’s job.” which would likely to lead to bad decision making. Like sending a present under an alias for example.

    Clearly she has been very well groomed with Wilson using her natural compassion and forgiveness to his advantage. TG the police revoked bail before this woman was harmed because she clearly is a risk to herself and others as she is emotionally involved and unable to excercise impartial judgement over the situation. Thank God they picked up on the contact.

    • prism 1.1
      12 March 2013 at 11:54 am

      She sounds like a wet, cold flannel. There are some women so timid in their opinions and defence of their own persona that they might not like to disagree with anything a particular man said in an authoritative manner. They have no strong principles and can be mind-captured by a man who disrespects them, but the women will rationalise all negative behaviour.

    • geoff 2.1
      12 March 2013 at 8:20 am

      Export led growth is a fiction.

      The usual
      nonsense of imagining that the future lies in
      the rich countries outsourcing
      manufacturing, while the clever creative
      stuff stays in Europe was utterly
      undermined by the programme’s symbolic
      visit to an animation company.
      Britain likes to call itself the design capital
      of the world, yet even animation for the
      London Olympics is being made in China
      by sharp young Chinese who don’t see
      themselves as labourers. They have set
      their sights on the clever creative stuff that
      at the moment is mostly done in Europe
      and North America. Paxman concluded
      that this was not how complacent western
      governments saw things developing and he
      could see no easy way for the current
      imbalance of trade to be equalised. Rather
      the reverse.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.1
        12 March 2013 at 12:42 pm

        Export led growth is a fiction.

        That’s always been true. For it to work requires a far higher demand than is physically possible especially with the huge amount of productivity increase we’ve had and keep getting.

  3. just saying 3
    12 March 2013 at 8:21 am

    Giovani Tiso:
    http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.co.nz/

    …In this, the dusk of the neoliberal era, the storyline is so common that it has become difficult to muster any real outrage. That manager who is forced to resign by the catastrophic effects of his hubris or incompetence might keep drawing his seven-figure salary and look forward to a seven-figure severance, while all around him the lowly employees of his unravelling company are laid off without entitlements, no longer surprises us. Deep down, or more frequently right on the surface, we all know that the much celebrated risk-takers seldom take any risks. They are a caste more than a social class, insulated from the consequence of their actions; rewarded for failing as much as for succeeding….

    Note to Draco.
    The above link appears to go to the front page of bat-bean-beam. Despite having the blog piece open when I copied the link. There is an alternative link in the ‘feeds’ column

  4. Bill 4
    12 March 2013 at 8:48 am

    Is this really one of the supposedly more informative radio programmes in NZ I’m suffering through this morning? Asking a farmer if he has any idea what the weather will be; an earthquake thingee jiggy machine; dusty roads and phlegm…seriously?!

    • karol 4.1
      12 March 2013 at 9:29 am

      I wasn’t listening this morning – but on the farms and drought issue there are plenty of more informative stories out there to be told, rather than just asking when it’s going to rain.

      I’ve been off the grid for a few days, and visiting some rural areas in the North Island. It’s an eye-opener for a townie like me to see and hear first-hand how the drought is biting out there – it’s a key fact of daily living.

      It’s not just the endless sight of brown grasslands, but the reality of living on septic tanks; people already buying in water for daily use, with the sights of water tanks doing their deliveries; farmings having to stop milking because they can’t provide the vast quantities of water that cows need to produce milk; farmers worried about the already pregnant cows and autumn calving; farmers collaborating to release waters into local streams via dams; inside walls of houses cracking as the house dries out…. etc, etc

      Blinglish is right to talk of a change to farming practices – there’s a clear difference in how green the fields of drought resistant grass still looks. But surely there needs to be a more in-depth discussion about changing the kinds of food produced in drought-prone areas? Dairy farming is water intensive.

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.1
        12 March 2013 at 11:31 am

        Dairy farming is water intensive.

        Yes it is – between 15x and 20x more water is needed for a dairy farm than for a sheep and beef operation.

        I don’t believe that this drought is the worst n the North Island’s history. I think the water gap has been caused by far more farmers needing far more water now than they did even say 10 years ago.

      • prism 4.1.2
        12 March 2013 at 12:20 pm

        Blinglish is part of NACT’s disgraceful attitude to NZx and the main enterprise of the country. He says that the government isn’t going to do much for needy farmers, but NACT has been prepared to overturn democratic decision makers over water around Christchurch close to his own close-knit farm area connections, and have also supported the risk investors in the poorly-run SCF still in the same part of the country.

        I think that looking at farms of different sizes and ownership will show that the hard-working family farmers on their own property are getting different treatment to these farm investors who are onto a good thing sitting at home and virtually having a contractor to run the place for them, and likely to run the workers into the ground too. That’s what Crafar was after too but just couldn’t bring it off.

        There is an obvious need for feed in the North Island, and it needs to be available cheaply and allocated fairly. Yet there seems no interest from Blinglish in moving his well-clad bum to help out. There needs to be A Feed Allocation Officer from government working with Federated Farmers, and an offer from Kiwi Rail our very own public railway to provide relief transport with some assistance from the transport community too at cost.

        The help to the farmers seem to be limited to the very worst off, ‘to keep food on the table’.
        Federated Farmers need to be doing more stressed farms and farmers apart from suicide counselling. Yet what I’m hearing is that old stuff about resilience blah blah and how farmers are used to droughts, they are just part of the weather cycle. A 60 year one, and with knowledge that this will occur again. What the Fed Farmers are on about now is to manipulate legislation so they have free reign to all the water in NZ.

        Farming is our major earner in this country and we always hear how skilled our farmers are, so when they are in dire straits we can’t afford to let these clever businesspeople go down the drain. There’s talk about how farmers have to change their methods – one useful thing would be to stop over-stocking their land and sucking water from the river system to serve the excess animals. Another would be to link into Lincoln University lucerne and other feed research more. We probably have most of the answers to our feed and water questions in published papers or the knowledgable brains of professional thinkers.

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.2.1
          12 March 2013 at 1:26 pm

          Deal with the farm debt issue, and make sure it never repeats, and destocking land will not be a problem.

        • karol 4.1.2.2
          12 March 2013 at 1:29 pm

          Some good points there, prism. Chris Trotter has published a post on the Nat Party agenda to grab water – on The Daily Blog today.

          • prism 4.1.2.2.1
            12 March 2013 at 1:41 pm

            karol That was a very forthright and to the point piece by Trotter. I have copied some of it from The Daily Blog as we all need to get these points clear in our minds. And some bolded ones to be even clearer.

            The conservation groups attempting to protect New Zealand’s water resources from over-exploitation and pollution are caught in a vice. On one side, the Government is strengthening the power of central government to over-ride the rights of those affected by the plans of private industry. On the other, it is giving the ultimate responsibility for conserving (or not) our lakes, rivers and streams to local government.

            In the areas most likely to be affected adversely, these bodies are dominated by the local representatives of large-scale farming and commercial interests. The Government’s proposed changes deny conservationists the right to challenge these local councillors’ decisions or seek to have them overturned in the Environment Court.

            And if, in the unlikely event of a local authority ending up with a majority of councillors determined to resist the demands of local farmer and business elites, well, this government has already demonstrated its willingness to dismiss such irritatingly literal executors of the people’s willand replace them with appointed bureaucrats absolutely bound to do their masters’ bidding.

            • vto 4.1.2.2.1.1
              12 March 2013 at 2:04 pm

              Dirty thieving greedy farmers and their political lackeys.

              Let the farmers live in their shit and run out of water. Who gives a shit when they run out of water after stealing it.

              Fuck their attitude and approach to the rest of the country.

              You reap what you sow – and looky at that, the farmers have run out of water……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

            • millsy 4.1.2.2.1.2
              12 March 2013 at 7:28 pm

              There is a desire from an unholy trinity of farming, business and iwi to monopolise our water assets and the groups that will miss out are the domestic and recrational users.

              The single mother who has to bath her kids will end up paying more for water than the farmer who uses it to irrigate is fields.

        • Colonial Weka 4.1.2.3
          12 March 2013 at 2:13 pm

          Actually I think tourism might be our major earner.

          • vto 4.1.2.3.1
            12 March 2013 at 2:18 pm

            Actually, colonial weka, nobody is “our earner” anymore. We are completely and utterly part of a globalised economy so no sector “earns” anything for “New Zealand”, we all just earn for ourselves, independently and individually.

            This whole idea that somehow farming pays for NZ is complete and utter bunkum.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.2.4
          12 March 2013 at 2:15 pm

          There’s talk about how farmers have to change their methods – one useful thing would be to stop over-stocking their land and sucking water from the river system to serve the excess animals. Another would be to link into Lincoln University lucerne and other feed research more.

          And the most useful, IMO, would be to replant the native forests and leave them there. Don’t get anywhere near as much evaporation from the floor of a forest as you do from wide open farm land which means our subterranean aquifers wouldn’t deplete as they would get more water into them. Unfortunately, the capitalist paradigm sees forests as unproductive land because it’s not making some rich dude richer.

          • Bill 4.1.2.4.1
            12 March 2013 at 3:11 pm

            Or/and mimic natural grazing cycles. Allow grass or pasture to grow to maturity before allowing it to be grazed. As well as building up soil health and mass (which in turn sequestrates carbon), water retention is markedly increased and because roots have time to grow to their full extent (eg deeper), the grasses become more resistant to drought.

  5. ad 5
    12 March 2013 at 10:26 am

    Good gravy did David Clark just get lucky or what.

    He gets his first career Members’ Bill through, without a fight, and without the Government stealing the policy, on a hugely popular issue.

    David Clark just got us more holidays.

    Does this guy have hard work in his political muscle or was he just sensationally lucky?

    • McFlock 5.1
      12 March 2013 at 11:41 am

      According to Sun Tzu, it should be difficult to tell the difference 🙂

    • Anne 5.2
      12 March 2013 at 1:43 pm

      He was initially lucky that his private members bill was selected in the ballot process. So was Louisa Wall. Not casting aspersions on either MP, but there are other Opposition MPs who would have made equally as good a fist promoting their bills had they got lucky. Even so, congratulations to both of them.

  6. Rogue Trooper 6
    12 March 2013 at 12:21 pm

    David Clark is Excellent!
    English and Key, not so much…

    RNZ- English, on “Extended Government Assistance for farmers; there shouldn’t be expectations of long-term assistance.”

    Key / English: regardless of the referendum signatures Asset Sales will go ahead (Shearer has registered) and “sure as little green apples, majority of signatures will turn out to be bogus”; might as well have a big book burning while they are at it; according to Waikato schools the methods of teaching / assessing reading and writing are not effective anyway.

    on this Bank Fees class action; an expected return of 1-17c in the dollar (Lawyers 25% if win), Three years to action and according to Dom hard-copy (not on web-site, tricky) a win far from guaranteed.

    from “60 Minutes”-China’s domestic residential and retail property investment across peak (may have something to do with o /seas investment initiatives), while domestically, commercial property investment still growing.

    (Stuff TV news sometimes, when the first item is Stuart Bloody Wilson; freakin’ voyeurs!

    Fish and Game on the RMA water management reforms; local body politicians will defer to farmers on Water Conservation Orders; “changes will wreck waterways”.(Fizzy Lime anybody?)

    just Killing ‘Em Softly http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/killing_them_softly/
    (groovy soundtrack)

    • Penny Bright 6.1
      12 March 2013 at 9:48 pm

      Wonder how many of those who have ‘Registered and Interest’ in Mighty River Power shares, actually intend to buy any?

      Now that the hype and hysteria is subsiding – and folks start to get a handle on how truly SELFISH they are being, to buy into the sellout of electricity assets, when SO MANY Kiwis can’t even afford to have a heater on in winter?

      INVESTORS BEWARE!

      Seen this?

      “Press Release, Molly Melhuish, Energy Analyst
      22 February 2013

      Prospective investors are warned

      Investors are warned that Mighty River Power is no longer a safe, utility-type investment prospect.

      For years, New Zealand’s generator-retailers enjoyed a predictable revenue stream from captive residential consumers. This enabled them to build so many new power stations that there is now a glut of wholesale electricity. Wholesale prices have fallen by a quarter or even more.

      Mighty River Power’s power purchase costs fell by 22% in the last six months, yet they hiked retail prices by 2%. They had to, to maintain the dividend stream expected by their shareholder.

      Residential consumers will no longer tolerate rising prices at a time when wholesale prices are falling. This is not market pricing, it is price gouging of captive consumers.

      Investors are warned that consumers dispute the pricing process that made our prices rise “to enable new generation to be built”, but fails to give us the benefit of market pricing in an electricity glut.

      Ends
      Contact: 04 568 4873, 027 230 5911
      ________________________________________________________________________

      BOYCOTT MIGHTY RIVER POWER!

      PLEDGE NOT TO BUY ANY SHARES!

      WE ALREADY OWN MIGHTY RIVER POWER!

      HELP DRIVE DOWN THE PRICE OF MIGHTY RIVER POWER!

      Switch Off Mercury Energy!

      Penny Bright
      A Spokesperson for the Switch Off Mercury Energy community group

  8. Rogue Trooper 8
    12 March 2013 at 12:29 pm

    following on from Bernard
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/8406518/Hot-house-prices-may-force-rate-rise
    rates picked to rise (amid a weak job market as well; Deutsche Bank; freakin lying NAct pollies)

  9. muzza 9
    12 March 2013 at 12:56 pm

    http://pundit.co.nz/content/the-responsibility-to-protect-syrians

    Jane Young – Pathetic!

    Is this the level of journo mindset which prevails in NZ!

    • prism 9.1
      12 March 2013 at 1:14 pm

      She writes a thoughtful piece. muzza what is so bad?

      • Bill 9.1.1
        12 March 2013 at 1:26 pm

        Comment no.1, directly under the article, goes some way to providing an answer to the question ‘what is so bad?’ about such a ‘thoughtful’ one eyed piece exhibiting, by now bog standard, obvious features of selective amnesia

        • SpaceMonkey 9.1.1.1
          12 March 2013 at 2:44 pm

          Agreed. Comment #1 was more worthy of being called journalism than Jane Young’s piece.

      • muzza 9.1.2
        12 March 2013 at 2:03 pm

        Hi Prism, hope you’re well.

        JY, appears to have…

        A: Deliberately written a dumbed down article
        B: Lied
        C: Has no idea about the complex reality of what is happening in the ME
        D: Not read any/enough about the well writen (including MSM), analysis about the Syrian/ME situations
        E: Drunk the juice
        F: All of the above

        It astounds me, but does not surprise me, given the amount of material available not only about Syria, but Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia et al, Jane Young manages to write this simplistic, one eyed drivel.

        Poor in the extreme!

        • McFlock 9.1.2.1
          12 March 2013 at 2:14 pm

          🙄

          • muzza 9.1.2.1.1
            12 March 2013 at 2:31 pm

            Hey McFlock, chin up me old china plate

          • Bill 9.1.2.1.2
            12 March 2013 at 5:38 pm

            McFlock, is the ‘rolly eyes’ a reference to something muzza has said in the above comment or just to the fact that muzza has commented? If it’s the former, then I for one would appreciate a bit of clarity on exactly which part of what muzza said you’re referring to. If the latter, then it’s bully-boy bullshit and has (regardless of any previous disagreements or whatever) no place here. 🙂

            • blue leopard 9.1.2.1.2.1
              12 March 2013 at 5:40 pm

              @ Bill
              +1

            • McFlock 9.1.2.1.2.2
              12 March 2013 at 9:15 pm

              It was a response to muzza providing half a dozen assertions without a single piece of supporting evidence or indeed a clear assertion of what muzza assumes the facts to be. With a bonus on the reference to juice.

              Mind you, prism seems to think that they got all the info they needed, so what do I care?

              • muzza …
                12 March 2013 at 9:41 pm

                McFlock you are showing yourself to be pretty short on wit my friend!

                My evidence is the appaulingly simplistic, misleading, one dimensional article I linked to from JY on pundit.

                The *half dozen assertions* were points made having read her article, your request for evidence goes against the numerous articles linked to and posted on this site and elsewhere about the Syrian conflict, there has been many a discussion here.

                Go trawling, you know exactly the sort of reports about the Syrian *conflict* that I’m talking about, the telegraph, guardian etc and even some of the yank establishment MSM commenting on what have become well known analysis, which Jane Young makes no reference to, the 6 points are some options as to how this managed to happen.

                Your response above is a weak response to Bill calling you out!

                • McFlock …
                  12 March 2013 at 10:12 pm

                  Yeah whatever dude.
                  Frankly I thought the article a bit light, but then it’s not exactly a geopol or ME specialist site. Hardly fair cause for your crowing.

                  Secondly, you were apparently explaining why you were “astounded but unsurprised” to someone who had not trawled the internet (a remarkably apt expression, btw). In the obvious absence of shared knowledge, explaining in depth your belief as to what the facts are, and some nice trawling grounds where someone might get an accurate and unbiased précis of the situation, would be useful.

                  • muzza …
                    13 March 2013 at 7:54 am

                    Further weak comments from you McFlock, it matters not what the sites specialty is, which is generalist in any case given the varied contributers at pundit.

                    The point is, there is no excuse for such uninformed writing on such a complex, serious issue. Either do some reading, at leadt attempt to build an informed picture, then write, or dont bother.

                    You may recall Michael Valley writing on this site about the Syrian situation, his articles were absolute rubbish, and he got pulled to bits here over it, and has not been seen here writing about the ME again, after the 2 or 3 attempts he did have.

                    No excuse McFlock, not by people who call themselves journos, which Jane Young does!

                    • McFlock …
                      13 March 2013 at 11:10 am

                      Lol. You still haven’t bothered to point out where you think her summary of the situation was incorrect.

                      I wouldn’t ask for or expect an in depth summary from a non-specialist journo on a “generalist” site. I would expect it from a site dedicated to e.g. international affairs.

                      It does actually matter what the site editors’ focus is. For example, one might be shocked and appalled at the lack of attention authors here give to celebrity pregnancies. And everyone else would call them a dick for expecting such coverage on TS.

                    • muzza …
                      13 March 2013 at 11:43 am

                      McFlock – I don’t need to point it out, the summary speaks for itself, and ive been over this ground many times on this site, and have referred you to the Michael Valley posts, to assist you in some further TS reading.

                      Go away, do some reading, then report back, until then , see ya!

                    • McFlock …
                      13 March 2013 at 12:36 pm

                      It might be a shock to you, but not everybody bookmarks or even visits the entirety of the multitude of links placed here by people of varying political perspectives and grasps on reality.

                      Whereas you, who obviously rate the issue quite highly, would be reasonably expected to have appropriately sourced links to hand to provide “cliff notes” for those of us who haven’t done the extensive research that you obviously believe you have done.

                      Seriously, what JY claim, specifically, was misleading or incorrect? Or is the entirety of your criticism simply that the analysis was too simplistic because the article wasn’t long enough?

        • prism 9.1.2.2
          12 March 2013 at 8:20 pm

          Thanks muzza – I think your answer was very full and rounded. I waded through the Young article that in a shorter form would be okay to appear in a women’s magazine that likes to carry occasional serious items to give them some gravitas. I’ll read more and learn more about this conflict. I obviously need to get a bigger picture.

      • Ugly Truth 9.1.3
        12 March 2013 at 8:51 pm

        Hi Prism,
        I agree with muzza. For a little background on intervention in Syria, I suggest that you read up on Benghazi.

        https://ajmacdonaldjr.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/more-benghazi-details-emerge-but-questions-persist/

        One of the places in Libya most awash with such weapons in the most dangerous of hands is Benghazi. It now appears that Stevens was there — on a particularly risky day, with no security to speak of and despite now copiously documented concerns about his own safety and that of his subordinates — for another priority mission: sending arms recovered from the former regime’s stocks to the “opposition” in Syria.

  10. prism 10
    12 March 2013 at 1:09 pm

    Listening to Jokeyhen talking about Solid Energy’s strategic decisions – he is very demeaning. The whole thing about having SOE’s is that they can make business decisions without having politicians pulling the reins. I think that is a bit dangerous but that has been the ideology.

    And now Jokeyhen is pecking away at them because they tried to introduce new ideas to deal with future needs. But Key was looking at the money being produced, not the investment into national energy infrastructure needed. Basically the guy doesn’t want to move into the 21st century but to stay in a time warp close to 2000 that doesn’t stray beyond 2008.

    • ianmac 10.1
      12 March 2013 at 1:22 pm

      Do you think prism that it is significant that up until today the Ministers involved with Solid Energy had nothing really to say and avoided interviews. But when Don Elder says he will meet with the Select Committee and give open and frank answers, then suddenly Key and English open up and lay what seems to me groundwork for how hard the Ministers worked to prevent Solid Energy disaster.
      No doubt the next step will be to demand that Solid Energy would be better off in private hands. Watch this space.

    • SpaceMonkey 10.2
      12 March 2013 at 2:53 pm

      John Key’s mind is locked on the pre-GFC price of his Bank of America shares compared to what they’re worth today (they’ve lost around 80% of their value since 2008) and he’s been in mourning ever since.

      • bad12 10.2.1
        12 March 2013 at 3:11 pm

        Rumor has it that Slippery’s 50 mill has now shrunk to 45 off of the back of the Global Financial Crisis…

        • SpaceMonkey 10.2.1.1
          12 March 2013 at 3:56 pm

          Only lost $5 million? I guess that’s the benefit of being on the inside…

  11. Poission 11
    12 March 2013 at 1:24 pm

    To big to prosecute the large financial institutions have attained sovereign state status.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/eric-holder-banks-too-big_n_2821741.html

    .

  12. Morrissey 12
    12 March 2013 at 2:04 pm

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34253.htm

    The Amazing Rise and Fall of Presumption Of Innocence

    March 11, 2013 “Information Clearing House” –

    The most bizarre part of Section 1021(b)(2) of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is that almost no one has heard about it.

    And whoever has heard about it, doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s almost as if someone took Dr. Goebbels’ “The bigger the lie, the more it will be believed” dictum and mutated it into a 21st century super weapon: “Tell the truth, but make it so shocking that no one wants to hear about it.”

    No one wants to hear about the military having the power to detain you on American soil, without due process, indefinitely, at the discretion of the President. It sounds too Stalin. It reeks of conspiracy theory. Besides, it’s clearly unconstitutional. So let’s go get some lunch.

    That’s why on December 4, 2012, the new NDAA passed the Senate with a 98-0 vote. Almost everyone was out at lunch.

    Except seven individuals who decided to sue Obama instead. But other than that, the resulting rumpus was minor.

    Since February 13th, “The Seven” are on their way to the Supreme Court. But no one wants to hear about it. A few individuals against the United States government sounds too Matthew McConaughey, unless you’re a natural-born activist.

    Former New York Times war correspondent Chris Hedges, the leading plaintiff in the case against Obama, writes about “NDAA and the Death of the Democratic State.” But no one wants to really read about it. Most aspiring journalists and independent minds who become curious about NDAA find that there is a deafening silence around the topic. When they try to raise questions, the silence deafens them further.

    Then there are the conspiracy buffs. They distance the problem from the main stream audience even further. No one wants to be associated with folks who think that the President could be a reptile.

    And then there is Noam Chomsky…..

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article34253.htm

  13. karol 13
    12 March 2013 at 2:37 pm

    What has Shane Jones ever done for the Labour Party, the labour movement/left, and/or Maori?

  14. Penny Bright 14
    12 March 2013 at 2:38 pm

    Could be interesting tomorrow, Wednesday 13 March 2013, at the Auckland Town Hall, 10am, when the Auckland Council Performance and Accountability Committee meets?

    Will ‘anti-corruption whistle-blowers’ Gary Osbourne and Penny Bright be granted ‘speaking rights’ at Public Forum – or not?

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    12 March 2013

    ‘Open Letter’.

    Councillor Richard Northey
    Chair of the Performance and Accountability Committee,
    Auckland Council

    RE: Your refusal to grant speaking rights to Gary Osbourne.

    “I decline speaking rights for this meeting on the grounds that this issue was addressed by the submitter at the Governing Body on 28 February.

    Cr Richard Northey”

    From: Judith Moore
    To: ‘Gary Osborne’
    Cc: Jason Marris ; Warwick McNaughton
    Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2013 11:24 AM
    Subject: RE: Speaking Rights

    Good morning Mr Osborne

    Further to your request to speak to the Accountability and Performance Committee 13 March 2013, I have forwarded your request to the chair of this committee including the updated information you have given to me. I am in receipt of this response from the chair:

    I decline speaking rights for this meeting on the grounds that this issue was addressed by the submitter at the Governing Body on 28 February.
    Cr Richard Northey

    Regards

    Judith Moore | Democracy Advisor
    Democracy Services
    Supporting: Cr Noelene Raffills and Cr Cameron Brewer.
    Involved in the following committees/subcommittees:
    Accountability and Performance, CEO Review.
    Ph. +64 9 307 7288 DDI| Extn. (40) 7288 | Mob. +64 21 708 401 | Fax +64 9 30 77579
    Auckland Council, Level 14, Civic Building, 1 Greys Avenue,

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Councillor Richard Northey – may I respectfully suggest that you reconsider your above-mentioned decision?

    Gary Osbourne has arguably SIGNIFICANTLY new subject matter to raise on this issue – unless of course you think that a request to the Minister of Local Government for an inquiry into the authorisation by the CEO of Auckland Council, blocking of correspondence between concerned citizens is effectively a ‘non-event’?

    Perhaps you could remind me of the last time the Minister of Local Government was formally requested to inquire into a matter concerning Auckland Council?

    Please be reminded that this is the PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE of Auckland Council?

    This is a SERIOUS matter of PERFORMANCE and ACCOUNTABILITY – is it not?

    I look forward to your confirmation that both Gary Osbourne and myself ,( I have yet to have my request for speaking rights confirmed), have been granted 5 minutes each speaking time, as requested at Public Forum, Performance and Accountability Committee, Auckland Council, Wednesday 13 March 2013, 10 am at the Auckland Town Hall.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    ‘Open Letter’

    10 March 2013

    Dear Judith,

    This is a formal request for speaking rights at ‘Public Forum’ at the
    upcoming meeting next Wednesday morning 13 March 2013, 10am Auckland Town Hall – Accountability and Performance Committee.

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/meetings_agendas/committees/Pages/accountabilityandperformancecommittee.aspx

    TERMS OF REFERENCE

    The Accountability and Performance Committee will have responsibility for:

    • Monitoring the performance of the Council against the Long Term Plan and Annual Plan;
    • Monitoring, setting policies and reviewing the performance of the CCOs against
    organisational, CCO and SOI’s targets;
    • Considering the Councils Annual report and recommending to the Governing Body for
    adoption;
    • Financial performance of Council functions; and
    • Delegation of powers to subcommittee(s).
    The Committee will be supported in its work by the following:
    • The Council Controlled Organisation Strategy Review Subcommittee;
    • The Chief Executive Review Subcommittee; and
    • The Tenders and Procurement Subcommittee.

    Relevant legislation includes but is not limited to:
    Local Government Act 2002;
    Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009;
    Port Companies Act 1988; and
    Companies Act 1987

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    SUBJECT MATTER:

    1) The total amount of money spent to date by Auckland Council on legal fees/ costs relating to all Court proceedings arising from or pertaining to Occupy Auckland prosecutions, and related matters.

    2) Why I believe it is totally inappropriate/ unlawful for the CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay to investigate himself, regarding the complaints I and others have made about his role in authorising the ‘blocking’ / filtering / effective censorship of emails from some citizens going directly to elected representatives.

    3) Progress (if any) on ‘opening the books’ and making publicly-available the following details of ‘contracts issued’ by Auckland Council and Auckland Council CCOs:

    a) NAMES of contractors / consultants.
    b) SCOPE of contracts issued.
    c) TERM of contracts issued.
    d) VALUE of contracts issued.

    4) Progress (if any) on transparency and accountability of Auckland Council elected representatives and staff responsible in any way in the awarding of Auckland Council or CCO contracts, in the form of a publicly-available ‘Register of Interests’, in order to minimise possible ‘conflicts of interest’.
    ……
    _________________________________________________________________________________________

    Looking forward to the lawful democratic rights of citizens, plus commonsense prevailing.

    Kind regards,

    Penny Bright

    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    Appellant, Occupy Auckland vs Auckland Council Appeal.

    2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate

  15. Sanctuary 15
    12 March 2013 at 2:49 pm

    Looks like John Armstrong has been briefed and got his orders – http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10870637 – on the latest excuse from this government for it’s economic failure.

    Armstrong’s piece is the first shot in the Beehive’s excuse making that despite (or rather because) of austerity there will be no surplus before the 2014 gemeral election.

    No surplus.

    Not due to economic incompetence on behalf of Double Dipton – that grossly over-rated and grossly over-promoted ex-treasury tea boy – and the rest ofwideboy economic dunderheads like John Key. Oh no. It’ll be the drought. After the earthquake. After the GFC.

    Because if we’ve learnt one thing from Don Elder it is that he and the others in the frat boy elite like John Key and Bill English are never, ever actually responsible for anything.

  16. Morrissey 16
    12 March 2013 at 2:53 pm

    Poor old Populuxe1 is not the only one to uncritically buy into the campaign of denigration against an official enemy. Evidently one Justin Timberlake is not just a musical genius, he is also a thoughtful and discriminating person who thinks for himself. Oh yes. …

    Justin Timberlake rubbishes Hugo Chavez

    That well known wit and erudite political commentator, Justin Timberlake has seen fit to rubbish Chavez on Saturday Night Live using Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’ as his vehicle.

    The song contains such hilarious lyrics as, “You lived your life like a candle in the wind… if a candle could pull out two pistols at a press conference.” You want more? Okay. “You said the US causes earthquakes and you outlawed Coke Zero. And on your shoulder stood your parrot with a matching red beret.”

    We came, we saw, we didn’t laugh…

    http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1363022838.html

    • Bill 16.1
      12 March 2013 at 5:31 pm

      Just as well we don’t live deep within a system that is rife with propaganda, innit? And that Justin Timberlake is simply, albeit tastelessly, excercising free speech and freedom of expression; the right of any free mind.

      • Morrissey 16.1.1
        12 March 2013 at 9:08 pm

        Yes, just like the Ku Klux Klan, the ADL and Anders Breivik/Nevil Gibson.

        • Bill 16.1.1.1
          12 March 2013 at 9:28 pm

          Hmm, not quite. There’s them that merely echo official and dominant themes (Timberlake and Gibson) and thems that use them as foundations on which to build ever more twisted and sinister edifices. (KKK, ADL, Breivik…)

  17. Morrissey 17
    12 March 2013 at 3:17 pm

    Irony-free Radio
    Radio New Zealand National, Tuesday 12 March 2013

    Recently some old fool from Grey Power has been making like Winston and sounding off against immigration. Of course, plenty of National Radio listeners are concerned about the “problem”. Just after the 3:00 news, Jim Mora read out a letter from a listener, expressing grave concern that “immigrants might be coming from countries which have corruption, nepotism and little concern for the environment.”

    Mora read that out without even the slightest hint of irony.

    • SpaceMonkey 17.1
      12 March 2013 at 4:11 pm

      Sounds like they’re worried about ex-pats returning home… 🙂

    • North 17.2
      12 March 2013 at 7:15 pm

      Jim Mora is incapable of finding much wrong with the way things are in New Zealand, or anything really. I do grant this – he’s ignitable about poor grammar and bad manners.

      Old Jimmie’s real missions in life are; (1) to be extraordinarily well paid as befits he who talks like the unthumbed pages of a dictionary, and (2) to be acknowledged for his prodigious intelligence, and (3) the former and the latter goals met (of course), to being fulsomely, terminally, “affable”.

      Oh yay ! Can’t even pronounce “Hone” correctly.

      • Morrissey 17.2.1
        12 March 2013 at 9:05 pm

        I do grant this – he’s ignitable about poor grammar and bad manners.

        Even then, he’s extremely selective about what passes for good and bad manners. He said nothing one day when Dr Michael Bassett said that Nicky Hager is a Holocaust-denier. And neither did the other guest on “The Panel” that day.

        So flagrant, shameless lying and defamation is not bad manners, at least as far as Jim Mora is concerned.

    • prism 17.3
      12 March 2013 at 8:26 pm

      morrissey
      😀

  18. yeshe 18
    12 March 2013 at 4:06 pm

    Now Joyce has found the money to set debt collectors on teachers overpaid via Novopay ….. unbelievable monsters.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10870792

  19. Dave Kennedy (bsprout) 19
    12 March 2013 at 4:17 pm

    Imagine the current National Party trying to run a election campaign based on honest governance like they did in the 60s…
    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/03/democracy-national-style.html

  20. Rogue Trooper 20
    12 March 2013 at 4:34 pm

    on the Q.T;
    Poorlah-‘31% of Gateway assessments-emotional, psychological and behavioural dysfunction
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQutPF0Q-wo
    (you can never go back to the scene of a perfect crime; go back (not) and fix that you mofos)
    meanwhile, back in NZFirst (last, Winston, very sad man, even Grey Power are split over your dog-whistling) Race-Card on Chinese immigrant / parent ratio categories; strong upward trend in in parent category trend from China :); just to repeat, even Grey Power is splitting chairs over this…

    Woodhouse-“it’s about skilled migrants (wealthy as well) and their parents meeting the “criteria” Ha Ha Winston. and then, and then, Horans’ junk starts sinking on the same tide…

    N.Smith (a Doctor of What?)-let’s increase urban sprawl in Ak (and fuel some more oil import consumption while we are at it aye!)

    Tolley- on recovery of assets from crime; “nobody should profit from misery in the community” (unless you’re a brewer Baron or a liquor outlet…)

    Hipkins, Machiavellian Manouevres aside, appears to be dogged (that Coleman appears a contemptible un-cool-man) while Chippie flustered the Speaker as well. “Disorder”
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PldpBJEn4vQ

    Attorney General Bio-Security Report (how long before these things reach the “house” ?
    -the MPI “under-prepared for significant Bio-hazard Incursions, and as O’Connor pointed out, NZ more dependent on bio-security than any (most) other countries. 🙁

  22. Rogue Trooper 22
    12 March 2013 at 5:21 pm

    (holdin’ off readin’ the Book of Revelation for a bit 🙂 )

  23. blue leopard 23
    12 March 2013 at 5:38 pm

    Well done to Russell Norman @ question-time today.

  24. emergency mike 24
    12 March 2013 at 6:21 pm

    “Ombudsman office at crisis point

    The Ombudsman’s office says it is struggling under its heaviest workload ever, and wading through a backlog of thousands of complaints.”

    Worrying 3mins on RNZ about the Ombudsman being swamped with complaints to the point of being unable to deliver, and NAct politicians exploiting this. No increase in funding has been forthcoming despite public warnings from the ombudsman’s office a year ago.

    The speaker says ‘the public will judge’ when they don’t answer questions, the MSM have their tongues up John Key’s anus, and the public can’t get a response from the OIA in time. Who’s holding the government to account?

    • Penny Bright 24.1
      12 March 2013 at 10:05 pm

      If New Zealand was genuinely the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ (along with Denmark and Finland according to the arguably bogus and non-transparent Transparency International 2012 ‘Corruption Perception Index’ – we should arguably be the most transparent?

      If the Public Records Act 2005 was implemented in a proper way, there should be FAR more information publicly-available.

      If that were the case – people wouldn’t have to then request this information via the Office of the Ombudsman?

      Commonsense really.

      Penny Bright
      ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

  25. North 25
    12 March 2013 at 6:47 pm

    Wow……..what’s happened with Mr Bean’s mouthy wee cuzzy Patrick Gower ?

    3 News tonight – “In my opinion the politicians are gutless (latter word angrily)………it’s up to the people to decide whether Liu (Shane Jones/immigration fame) should be a New Zealand citizen.”

    So if he’s an activist all of a sudden can we expect him to fish below John Key’s Crosby Textor sophistry (to glamorise it) ? Another mark of how these up-themselves dorks fancy they’re part of the story.

    Present the facts tele-goon. I’ll make up my own mind !

  26. Rogue Trooper 26
    12 March 2013 at 7:54 pm

    further from the “box”
    -droughts gonna effect the prices of green veges (onions not so much); good to be growin’ ones’ own.
    -English on the drought-“a significant effect; will affect the economy for a couple of years to come; nothin’ like all your cows in one herring-bone, or rotary for that matter (where have i read that before?)
    next? power rationing from low hydro-electric reserves
    -resistance to anti-biotics-“pose a catastrophe threat (may set medicine back a century) as no new anti-biotics been developed in the last 25 years (due to a market failure); the ol’ “science priests”aye.
    🙂
    and Eugenie Sage was helpful in Q.T also.

    that “notorious tr*ll” is not anonymous; he’s the son of a former band member…

    -Key in South America? “no big bang announcements” (other than our continued role in the trafficking of coke i spose…

    -meanwhile in ChCh, regarding psych. health; “optimism is starting to run out”; “complexity of cases has increased”-CDHB

    however, the good news; Agnetha Faltskog’s come-back; “A” 🙂 🙂 🙂
    http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/abbas-agnetha-faltskog-releases-single-427208

  28. Penny Bright 28
    12 March 2013 at 10:10 pm

    LOOKS LIKE THERE WILL BE A ‘BUNFIGHT’ AT THE AUCKLAND COUNCIL PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMMITTEE, WED 13 MARCH 2013, 10 AM AT THE AUCKLAND TOWN HALL:

    Please be advised that I WILL be taking Speaking Rights, having now been declined on what I consider to be an UNLAWFUL basis. NOT a good look for Auckland Council – especially in election year? SPEAKING RIGHTS DENIED: 3:51 PM (10 minutes ago)

    (REPLY FROM AUCKLAND COUNCILLOR RICHARD NORTHEY – DENYING ME SPEAKING RIGHTS)

    Good afternoon Ms Bright

    Further to your request to speak to the Accountability and Performance Committee 13 March 2013, I have forwarded your request to the chair of this committee. I am in receipt of this response from the chair:

    These 4 matters have either been recently considered or dealt with by the Governing Body or by an appropriate Council Committee at the Submitter’s request or else are the subject of an LGOIMA Request by the submitter.
    Therefore the request to present in public input is declined.

    Cr Richard Northey
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    COUNCILLOR CATHY CASEY SUPPORTS MY RIGHT TO SPEAK:

    Hi Penny

    I support your right to speak.. If the Committee Chair does not allow you to address us, I will move that we suspend standing orders and allow you to have your five minutes. I need a seconder.

    Happy Tuesday!
    ……

    Dr Cathy Casey
    Councillor, Albert-Eden-Roskill Ward
    Governing Body, Auckland Council
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright MY REPLY TO COUNCILLOR CATHY CASEY: 13 March 2013.

    Thank you Cathy.

    I am not particularly looking forward to going back to the ‘bad old Auckland City Council days’?

    After 22 arrests, it ended up 21 -1 to me, and a number of District Court judgments which ‘fine-tuned’ the LGOIMA process, to defend the basic democratic rights of citizens.

    If Councillor Richard Northey were to exercise his ‘judgment’ based upon the LAW and previous legal judgments, in my opinion, we wouldn’t be having this problem.

    I am getting SO sick of some elected representatives and senior Council staff – just MAKING IT UP – when it comes to the lawful rights of citizens?

    Looking forward to confirmation of a number of Councillors, queuing up to second your motion.

    Even better, Councillor Richard Northey, exercising rather more sound judgment based upon the LAW, and reconsidering his (unlawful, in my opinion) denial of 5 minutes speaking rights at the Public Forum of Auckland Council Performance and Accountability Committee.

    Kind regards,

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’.
    Occupy Auckland Appellant (in my own name).
    2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    WHAT I WILL BE SPEAKING ABOUT:
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    1) The total amount of money spent to date by Auckland Council on legal fees/ costs relating to all Court proceedings arising from or pertaining to Occupy Auckland prosecutions, and related matters.

    2) Why I believe it is totally inappropriate/ unlawful for the CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay to investigate himself, regarding the complaints I and others have made about his role in authorising the ‘blocking’ / filtering / effective censorship of emails from some citizens going directly to elected representatives.

    3) Progress (if any) on ‘opening the books’ and making publicly-available the following details of ‘contracts issued’ by Auckland Council and Auckland Council CCOs:

    a) NAMES of contractors / consultants.
    b) SCOPE of contracts issued.
    c) TERM of contracts issued.
    d) VALUE of contracts issued.

    4) Progress (if any) on transparency and accountability of Auckland Council elected representatives and staff responsible in any way in the awarding of Auckland Council or CCO contracts, in the form of a publicly-available ‘Register of Interests’, in order to minimise possible ‘conflicts of interest’.
    ……
    _____________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright

    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    Appellant, Occupy Auckland vs Auckland Council Appeal.

    2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate

  29. AsleepWhileWalking 29
    24 March 2013 at 4:51 pm

    AUSTRALIA:

    Tasers used on children despite being against manufactures recommendations:

    Stun guns have been deployed 149 times against juveniles in NSW alone since 2008 with the youngest offender just 10 years old.

    Nearly half of the juveniles were under 17, one quarter were under 16, 18 were under 15 and six under 13.

    http://www.news.com.au/national-news/police-can-set-tasers-on-children/story-fncynjr2-1226604074278

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