Open mike 12/05/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 12th, 2013 - 59 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…

59 comments on “Open mike 12/05/2013 ”

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  1. Boonman 1
    12 May 2013 at 7:18 am

    Hi everyone. Rodney Hide speaking and it’s great to be me. I just wanted to let you know a bit about the Labour-Green power plan. Here are 10 reasons why it is just plain wrong, you know, like I was when I rorted the taxpayer out of heaps of perk-based cash.

    1. Electricity prices are working: The Labour and the Greens say the market isn’t working, but it is. Prices are only rising as much as they should. The market is working completely correctly because when I switch the light on my lights go. That’s the market working.

    2. Electricity prices are fair and reasonable: You know, generators hardly pay anything to make hydropower, but it’s no longer sufficient to cover demand. And remember, if we all turn on the lights at the same time, and make toast, and put on our electric blankets, that increases demand. And simple economics suggest that I should be able to make more money out of the situation because I’m a MRP shareholder, if I was.

    3. Quick! Turn up the swimming pool: Poor people don’t have swimming pools so they don’t use as much power as people who live in Ilam or Orakei. Rich people have bigger houses too. And other houses. All the savings will go to the rich people. That’s just stupid. We’d rather have tax cuts. But then again, some of us don’t really pay much tax anyway so $6 a week is like a large flat white, or something. Poor people won’t get as much of a saving so we shouldn’t do it.

    4. The lights will go out: As soon as the government starts up a single market, our generators will not be motivated by simple supply and demand. No. They will be motivated by Sir Robert Muldoon, God rest his soul. We all remember what happened with Pharmac – no we have no drugs to treat ‘flu’ outbreaks when they happen.

    5. We all lose as taxpayers: the Government owns quite a lot of power generation, so any drop in revenue will mean less government money. And if we continue to sell these power generating companies, revenues will drop even further, so we shouldn’t sell them either. Um… ignore that last bit.

    6. Businesses shut, jobs gone: Both the Labour and the Greens are promising more business and more jobs. There is no way businesses will hire more people if their overheads are falling. It’s just not logical. If I owned a business and I had more money and the economy was growing because people had more money because they were paying more for power, the last thing I would be doing is thinking about hiring more people.

    7. What about the planet? The Labour and the Greens have said for years we should be paying higher prices for power because of oil or the greenhouse or something. I wasn’t really listening. If they really want to stop global warming then they should let power companies charge heaps for their product. I’m no scientist, but surely if people don’t turn their heaters on because they can’t afford power, the earth will not be as warm.

    8. We have choice and competition: There are over 4 million people in New Zealand. We are all able to switch power companies any time we want. I remember Meridian came knocking at my door with a better deal. We changed. The next day Mercury Energy turned up with an even sweeter deal. We changed again. The next day Genesis turned up with an amazing deal AND a meat pack. Again we changed. This is a free country. I can do whatever I want. I’m sure the power companies are sending people out into the poorer suburbs of Auckland and Wellington to get better deals like this.

    9. Shearer-Norman power: The power market is one of the easiest to enter. The Labour and the Greens claim companies are making “super-profits”. If that were the case, they could set up their own power company and fund their election campaign – and lower power prices for everyone. It’s just like charter schools: a school is quite easy to set up because kids are everywhere. All you need is a building, a reem of paper and some HB pencils to provide a quality, unregistered, unmonitored education for those kids. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this, but there is a link there, believe you me. And it will be bad.

    10. It’s cheaper to hand out money: The Greens and the Labour would be better to hand out money to help poor families pay for power. While they’re at it why don’t they hand out money for everything the poor can’t afford. Housing, food, school, healthcare. Talk about fence at the top of a cliff. In the last 30 years New Zealand has had a proud tradition of putting the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. Why should we stop now.

    In summary, Greens/Labour bad… m-kay.

    • tc 1.1
      12 May 2013 at 7:37 am

      Yes they should just call Hides column a party political statement on behalf of the government, nice summary boonman saves me wading through his biased dribble.

      The man who sold out auckland has as much credibility as arrogant Gilmore.

    • Alanz 1.2
      12 May 2013 at 8:40 am

      This deserves a stand-alone post somewhere. Suggest you spell the name ‘Rortney’ to avoid any doubt about identity 🙂

    • ghostrider888 1.3
      12 May 2013 at 10:24 am

      Love It,
      “Feel the rhythm with your hands
      or (Steal the rhythm while you can)

      All my friends are Indians
      (All my friends are brown and red)

      Come on while I get off
      Come together with your hands.”

  2. North 2
    12 May 2013 at 8:07 am

    Is there a pejorative tone in this NZ Herald article about the experienced Auckland lawyer involved in a large number of Christchurch earthquake court claims ?

    I detect such a tone frankly.

    If I’m not wrong what’s that all about I wonder ? Concern for the interests of established Christchurch law firms ? Or the insurance companies perhaps ? Concern expressed, by way of pejorative rather than direct statement, in the MSM. Who is being served here or is this just some rubbish pumped out by some cub reporter ?

    Seems the man did a not too bad job for his clients in a recent well publicised case. Certainly his clients appear to be reasonably satisfied.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10883016

    • Murray Olsen 2.1
      12 May 2013 at 8:21 pm

      My guess is that he’s upsetting the Chch legal establishment, who would no doubt be in cahoots with the insurance companies and the businesses that are doing well out of the reconstruction. It was weird, because it seems like he’s doing a reasonable job.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1
      12 May 2013 at 12:08 pm

      There is no council or state owned land that the private sector does not want

      QFT

      And this government is giving it to them taking us back to the days of feudalism. We’ll end up a society with land barons and serfs – just as National intend and their rich mates want.

  4. Jenny 4
    12 May 2013 at 8:10 am

    The end of state housing.

    Is this a privatisation to far?

    A National government plan to transfer state houses to private charities has been revealed.

    Govt plans to ditch Housing NZ properties
    (transferred to charities as outlined by Housing Minister Nick Smith)

    Why not go the whole hog and transfer public hospitals as well to private charities. Just as they were in the 19th Century.

    There is a reason why social provision was taken out of the hands of private charities.

    Do you want a church as your landlord?

    How about some rich Remuera dowager?

    Do we want rich donors to again decide who are the “deserving poor”?

    Will you have to be a “Good Christian”? Will you have to make ‘The Pledge” to get your family off the street?

    And haven’t the major private charities and churches got huge property portfolios already?

    No doubt humiliating those less well off will bring a warm glow to the hearts of the toffs.

    And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property, as they see fit, or “because the need is greater somewhere else”. Then we will truely be back in the 19th Century, with mass homelessness and begging urchins on the streets. Giving these private charities even greater opportunities for the rich to publicly display their philanthropy. How else will they be able to keep on receiving their knighthoods and royal investitures, but by grandiose public displays of their largesse. Given to the suitably grateful deserving poor. And not those terrible Chartists or other ingrates who dare to question why they have been reduced to beggars for a place to live.

    • freedom 4.1
      12 May 2013 at 8:15 am

      and it is one more Policy with no mandate

    • North 4.2
      12 May 2013 at 8:35 am

      It’s all in your final paragraph Jenny:

      “And when these private charities decide to, in turn, divest themselves of their private property………”

      It’s a two stager: (1) Off to the private charities, and when they can’t afford upkeep and maintenance (which is fully anticipated of course), (2) Off to private money which will “manage” without a hint of charity (which is fully anticipated of course).

      Result: no more social housing. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer.

      As planned ? “God, I don’t know (despairingly).” Eventually we’re going to need a “Spring”.

  5. Paul 5
    12 May 2013 at 8:40 am

    This government has no shame.

    They gave a massive tax cut to the rich of this country, then turned around to the rest of the country and said we have no money. We need to sell our assets to get some money. And who could afford to buy those assets…the rich.
    If there is one story that should be at the front of every opposition election campaign in 2014, it is this.
    The only New Zealanders this government gives a damn about is the 2.5 %.
    Look at what they have done, not what they say.

  6. veutoviper 6
    12 May 2013 at 8:55 am

    A ‘must read article’ by Tracy Watkins on Stuff this morning in light of the proposed changes to the GCSB Act

    An American expert who came to New Zealand to write a report on border security claims he was subject to heavy-handed tactics by intelligence agencies that seemed determined to shut him down.
    ….
    In an extraordinary series of allegations, he says he was threatened with an investigation by the Security Intelligence Service, locked out of his office at NZ Customs, had his computer hard drive and research materials seized while colleagues reported his rubbish bins being searched – he believes by the SIS.

    Lebamoff was at one stage so concerned by the reaction of New Zealand authorities to his border security report he says he feared being stopped as he tried to leave the country.

    In an even more bizarre twist, he says he was warned off by the director of New Zealand’s Intelligence Co-ordination Group, Roy Ferguson, who is based in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).

    Adding weight to Lebamoff’s claims, Ferguson does not dispute the meeting and acknowledges he became involved as a matter of national security. He also confirms that a representative of the US Embassy was at the meeting. The embassy has refused comment.

    It all adds up to what seems like an extraordinary over-reaction to a report that largely concluded the major threat to New Zealand’s borders was not terrorism but a biosecurity breach. ….

    Full article is here
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8624285/US-scholar-embroiled-in-NZ-security-row

    • Colonial Viper 6.1
      12 May 2013 at 9:44 am

      Seems like his report is not what senior officials wanted to hear.

      Seems like senior officials wanted to start a hackneyed old “terrorism drumbeat” up in order to justify some of the changes we tot he GCSB etc are now seeing.

      • veutoviper 6.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 10:10 am

        I agree.

        I suspect that we will see more about this, in view of his refusal to sign a Deed agreeing not to publish his report. Dotcom’s lawyers may well be interested in the report …..

    • ghostrider888 6.2
      12 May 2013 at 10:33 am

      looking forward, seen this Pan overview Pt.III? Bogard optimism my friends.
      from the disciple Jesus loved.

    • Ugly Truth 6.3
      12 May 2013 at 5:45 pm

      Lebamoff says after being summoned to the meeting at a building in Wellington’s Pipitea St he was given a lecture on the importance of the New Zealand-US relationship.

      “He [Ferguson] said he didn’t want to damage that; there were things in my report that could potentially damage that. I had no idea what he was talking about. He gave me no specifics.”

  8. Saarbo 8
    12 May 2013 at 9:29 am

    Tony Ryall on q&a finished his interview by using a rugby analogy that National were “ankle tapped” by Labour/Greens. I thinked he cocked up and was meant to say that National were “Head high tackled” but got his rugby analogies mixed up, nothing wrong with an “ankle tap” Tony. Thinking about it, “Ankle tap” perfectly sums up what the Greens/Labour did, now they need to come over the top and clean the bastards out.

    • Tigger 8.1
      12 May 2013 at 10:23 am

      I suspect Mr Ryall’s error has something to do with the fact that his interest in rugby is with what lies below, rather than above, a rugby players belt…

      Shoes, I mean, of course. Mr Ryall’s well known as a clothes horse.

      • ghostrider888 8.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 10:29 am

        more like a lying nag

      • Alanz 8.1.2
        12 May 2013 at 10:46 am

        Ryall trying to talk about rugby reflects quite appropriately National trying to have something to say about Labour-Greens policy.

        If media do not get Gilmore’s personal stuff to run this week, maybe someone can deflect it to Ryall knowing something more personal than having his ankle tapped. About time that came out.

        • Tigger 8.1.2.1
          12 May 2013 at 11:40 am

          I’m sure all that dirt is useful for keeping Ryall in line. But if he should ever find himself on someone’s wrong side them I imagine a whole bunch of stuff could come tumbling out.

      • Tim 8.1.3
        12 May 2013 at 3:00 pm

        🙂 exactery! In another life he’d be measuring inside legs (for the purpose of sartorial elegance of course).

        • ghostrider888 8.1.3.1
          12 May 2013 at 3:46 pm

          looking for gherkins to pull the plug on, or gooseberries to dine for.

    • North 8.2
      12 May 2013 at 12:17 pm

      Saarbo, Ryall must’ve had a briefing from that noted front row forward Boss Hogg Bennett because he did allude to the head-high earlier in the interview.

      Maybe the erroneous mention of the ankle-tap came from a movement commonly seen in traditional dance performed by strikingly muscular Polynesian men.

      Tigger at 8.1 ………Tigger Tigger Tigger !

      Bad Boy ! Tony Ryall’s dress sense is impeccable. Take for example the boldly checked table-cloth business shirts underneath the perennial barristerial pinstripes. This riot of colour and clash fabulously finished off with dots or paisley in madly eyecatching half/full windsor knotted ties.

      One can see the hand of Gok Wan in there somewhere, or maybe not.

  9. Tony P 9
    12 May 2013 at 9:43 am

    Remember School Journals along with other ministry published material when you were at school. Well this is what the govt is doing to them.

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1305/S00109/government-urged-to-save-the-school-journal-and-learning-media.htm

    • veutoviper 9.1
      12 May 2013 at 10:17 am

      There was also a discussion on this on RNZ National’s Nine to Noon programme last Wednesday morning, which can be heard here

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2554342/uncertain-future-for-soes.asx

      • ghostrider888 9.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 3:55 pm

        yet, the article about “Deer Hunting with Jesus” that mac 1 linked to laments lossed opportunities to read. He wept.

    • ianmac 9.2
      12 May 2013 at 12:03 pm

      After 1989 (1991?) at the beginning of Tomorrows Schools, School Publications very nearly were abolished by the then new National Government. The School Journals are unique to NZ and for one thing provide “books” to kids who have no books at home. They are brilliant and if they went out of business to satisfy a business market model there will be some very angry children, parents and teachers!

      • Morrissey 9.2.1
        12 May 2013 at 3:37 pm

        They are brilliant and if they went out of business to satisfy a business market model there will be some very angry children, parents and teachers!

        None of that matters to “market” cultists and dogmatists like Messrs Joyce, Key and English.

    • ghostrider888 10.1
      12 May 2013 at 1:07 pm

      Heh, China can show us the “Way”

      • Colonial Viper 10.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 1:09 pm

        One point Oram failed to really emphasise is that Huawei has had massive government support, financial backing and contracts every step of the way.

        • ghostrider888 10.1.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 1:14 pm

          yeah, I wonder what happens locally with procurement, oh, that’s right 🙂 (only a matter of time Colonel, only a matter of time; and with cabbages and caulis only $1.98 (untrimmed) on the weekends at the big yellow store, less physical gardening to do!)

          now, where was that anglo-saxon parchment of Chris’s…

        • Matt 10.1.1.2
          12 May 2013 at 1:30 pm

          Even European manufacturers are reluctant to get behind EU investigations into Huawei and ZTE subsidies for fear of being shut out of the China market, so Huawei has a double-whammy market advantage that could never be emulated in NZ.

          I have no idea how this would be anything but deflating to an NZ business with global ambitions.

      • ghostrider888 10.1.2
        12 May 2013 at 1:11 pm

        however, Shoplifters (and staff) thefts Soar : UNITE 😀

  11. Jenny 11
    12 May 2013 at 12:50 pm

    When and how the US will become involved in Syria is becoming clearer.

    One thing is for sure. It will not be for humanitarian reasons to halt the killings. Or liberate the Syrian people.

    It will be to attack those they see as their political enemies. At the top of the US hit list is not the murderous Bashar Assad but one of the rebel forces Al Nusra. A far from homogeneous Islamic liberation movement which makes up part of the united front against Assad.

    http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/americas-hidden-agenda-in-syrias-war#full

    The commander – a moderate Sunni and an influential rebel leader from Damascus who said he has met intelligence operatives from Western and Arab states – said the US officials were especially keen to obtain information about the identities of Al Nusra insurgents and the locations of their bases.

    Then, by the rebel commander’s account, the discussion took an unexpected turn.

    The Americans began discussing the possibility of drone strikes on Al Nusra camps inside Syria and tried to enlist the rebels to fight their fellow insurgents.

    “The US intelligence officer said, ‘We can train 30 of your fighters a month, and we want you to fight Al Nusra’,” the rebel commander recalled.

    Opposition forces should be uniting against Mr Al Assad’s more powerful and better-equipped army, not waging war among themselves, the rebel commander replied. The response from a senior US intelligence officer was blunt.

    “I’m not going to lie to you. We’d prefer you fight Al Nusra now, and then fight Assad’s army. You should kill these Nusra people. We’ll do it if you don’t,” the rebel leader quoted the officer as saying.

    It looks likely, that if the rebels are seen to be close to defeating the Assad regime, and the end of the civil warn is drawing near to a close. The US and their well paid and supported agents (probably repackaged unemployed Assad loyalists) will act to extend and prolong the blood letting by exploiting the sectarian differences among the rebels.

    What are the Syrian people to do in such circumstances?

    They will have no choice but to declare, “We are all Al Nusra” and “An attack on one, is an attack on all”.

    Only by keeping the united front whole, have the Syrians any real chance of a lasting peace.

    The rebel commander who described meeting US intelligence officers in Jordan said he had refused to give them any information about Al Nusra.

    Although not a supporter of Al Qaeda’s ideology, he said the Americans were being too clumsy and would only undermine the revolt against Mr Al Assad.

    “There are three strands of Al Nusra – the minority are serious Al Qaeda people, some are just in for the glamor of fighting jihad and the majority are ordinary Syrians who just want to save their country,” he said.

    Since that meeting the rebel commander has not bothered to talk to Western or Arab intelligence agencies, despite what he described as frequent invitations for more talks. Rather than wait for foreign governments to supply weapons, his group has imported their own advanced explosives and begun manufacturing their own munitions.

    “They [foreign governments] are not fighting for the same things as us,” he said. “Syrians are fighting for our freedom, while they just want us to bleed to death fighting each other.”

    • Matt 11.1
      12 May 2013 at 1:13 pm

      I’m convinced.

    • Pascal's bookie 11.2
      12 May 2013 at 1:44 pm

      It looks likely, that if the rebels are seen to be close to defeating the Assad regime, and the end of the civil warn is drawing near to a close. The US and their well paid and supported agents (probably repackaged unemployed Assad loyalists) will act to extend and prolong the blood letting by exploiting the sectarian differences among the rebels.

      What are the Syrian people to do in such circumstances?

      They will have no choice but to declare, “We are all Al Nusra” and “An attack on one, is an attack on all”.

      Jenny, Syria is a lot more complicated than you make it out to be. Who are the “Syrian people” you are talking about here? The country is riven along multiple faultlines, see this article here for a quick breakdown of them :

      http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Columnist/2013/Apr-17/213992-syrias-six-simultaneous-conflicts.ashx#axzz2RyicrYMY

      And this one:

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/in-syrias-war-the-lines-that-matter-arent-red/2013/05/09/b29ac688-b808-11e2-92f3-f291801936b8_story.html

      The simple fact is that there is a civil war being fought, based on sectarian divisions within Syria. Supporters of the carious sects are aiding their allies. The west doesn’t have any natural allies in terms of those sectarian differences, and that is why it has largely stayed out of it.

      The west does however have perceived interests in the war. the Assad regime has large stockpiles of weaponry. Whatever happens, something will happen to those weapons and that’s largely what the west is concerned about. The FSA is not lilly white. The West is under no moral obligation to help them. It’s a civil war. Their war.

      Intervening in a civil war, where you don’t have any real ties to the place is a fraught business. The intentions of the Sunni majority are not clear. They themselves are in fact divided. They are in fact linked to Iraqi Sunni groups. This is not surprising due to the fact of tribal and family links.

      On the other side you’ve got Hezbollah openly saying that they will be defenders of the Golan. There are multiple angles to this. Firstly they are supporting the regime in Syria for the Shia sectarian reason. Secondly, a sunni regime in Syria would be less likely to allow Iranian arms to travel to lebanon on their roads, Thirdly the support they give now will pay dividends should the Assad regime fall. Hezbollah can move a ‘franchise, if you like, into Syria to be the defenders of Syrian Shia in the same way they are in Lebanon. And Syrian Shia are going to need defenders from any new Sunni led regime.

      So when you say “the syrian people” who are you talking about, and who are you excluding?

  12. geoff 12
    12 May 2013 at 1:07 pm

    Scottish comedian, Frankie Boyle, on the Keiser Report (2nd half of vid):

  13. big brother and the screw u co 13
    12 May 2013 at 1:32 pm

    Hurry Hurry selling fast NZ to the highest bidder dont worry about a democratic govt or international governance capitalism is king .You to can own a country just ring KEY BROKERAGE @FORMERNZ GOVT
    Wait theres more we will throw in the Southern Basin Oil reserves plus all the mining you want
    No elections to worry about just come on in with your nuclear power and WHY

    Thats about it now

    PS Bring your Army just to be safe

  14. aerobubble 14
    12 May 2013 at 2:49 pm

    Hamilton is far to wealthy, it simple needs loud cars droning continuously driving around the city center to drive retial customers away, why council does not do anything about them???

  15. One Anonymous Knucklehead 15
    12 May 2013 at 5:30 pm

    “…undeserved further stress”.

    Even in disgrace he equivocates. A perfect expression of everything the National Party represents.

    • Mickysavage 15.1
      12 May 2013 at 5:46 pm

      Yep Gilmore has resigned. Taken out by his own team…

      • Rhinocrates 15.1.1
        12 May 2013 at 5:48 pm

        A pity. I hoped that he would stay on as a continuing embarrassment.

        • halfcrown 15.1.1.1
          12 May 2013 at 6:54 pm

          I am glad the prat has gone and the smokescreen has lifted, to show more worrying concerns like the GCSB bill. THAT is what we should now concern ourselves over, not some low life arrogant rightwing shit.

  16. prism 16
    12 May 2013 at 7:09 pm

    I’ve been listening to Radionz Te Ahi Kaa on at 6.06 pm Sundays. I recommend this to keep in touch with the positives and advances and successes of Maori which we don’t tend to hear or read about otherwise because they don’t get featured.

    Maori have been contending with the Government again with Jokeyhen saying that bandwidth for 4G is not a taonga. Of course it is vital for Maori in this technological age but gummint seem to always want to give them the old car down the back yard that needs fixing as their idea to help Maori get with it in the IT age.

    They were mentioning Maori they didn’t get television until they went to the Privy Council. Each time they have come up against gummint intransigence in Court they have won. And it has been stated that these tech systems are taonga. But still National and right wing Labour have a bigoted, prejudiced attitude that doesn’t want to see Maori advance.

    And apparently Telecom and Vodafone have ‘special advisors’ in Mobie that understand and probably facilitate their interests but 2 Degrees, no.

    Of course keeping up with Maori news is made easy if you listen on Radionz throughout the day to Te Manu Korihi –
    ‘Providing news on Māori issues, Te Manu Korihi features four times each weekday, in Radio New Zealand National’s leading news programmes Morning Report (6.27am and 8.45am) and Checkpoint (5.45pm and 6.45pm).’

  17. ghostrider888 17
    12 May 2013 at 8:20 pm

    test

  18. ghostrider888 18
    12 May 2013 at 8:43 pm

    having trouble with the cloud