Open mike 15/02/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 15th, 2012 - 96 comments
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96 comments on “Open mike 15/02/2012 ”

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  1. Jenny 1
    15 February 2012 at 6:15 am

    Today is one of the most famous anniversaries in the history of the New Zealand Trade Union Movement.

    Today, the 15th of February 1951, is the very day, 61 years ago that marked the start of the 1951 lockout.

    Sixty one years ago today, eight thousand wharfies were locked out of their jobs for 151 days from the 15th of February to 15th of July 1951.

    The similarities don’t stop with the date.
    On this day 61 years ago the entire waterfront workforce was dismissed to destroy the union.

    Today in a copy of those employer tactics of the past, the whole Maritime Union workforce at the Ports of Auckland is to be dismissed to destroy the union.

    Three days after the 1951 lockout began the National government declared a state of emergency, making it illegal to publicise the workers point of view.

    Today in a copy of those tactics of the past, Ports of Auckland Ltd. is using an injunction to make it illegal to publicise the workers point of view.

    Today in a deliberate copy of the union tactics of the past. The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) has just as the Watersiders Union did in 1951, have called, for a partial strike. (In 1951 while making themselves available for normal duties the wharfies refused all overtime beyond 40 hours. Today while making themselves available for normal duties the wharfies are refusing to do any work on containers handled by contractors.)

    In drawing attention to the obvious parralels between the two disputes, The Watersiders are giving their answer to those in the Labour Party and on this website who argue that this dispute “ain’t” nothing like 1951 therefore we should withhold our support.

    Eddie in his post “1951 it ain’t, for now” argued that the Greens and Occupy and Labour should withhold their support from the wharfies.

    One of the reasons Eddie gave for not supporting the wharfies was the difference in scale. Eddie said it is only 300 workers in one port.

    Only 300 workers in one port are involved at present and there have been a few hours delays for a handful of ships on the 5 days of striking.

    EDDIE: “1951 it ain’t, for now”

    The differences Eddie highlights are quantative but not qualitive, (the sheer differences in numbers reflecting the huge increases in productivity between now and then).

    Now as then, this is a fight to the death, for the soul and even the existence of a watersider union on the waterfront.

    Now as then, win or lose, this dispute will have far reaching consequences for the whole union movement in this country.

  2. Bored 2
    15 February 2012 at 6:53 am

    A little way away in a far off country a daily newspaper headline read “Memorandum Macht Frei”. For anybody who believes that a Chamberlain approach to far off places can come back to bite you very hard this should raise alarm bells.

    Greece this morning is in turmoil, the end result of a romance with free and easy credit from banks. From the lie of perpetual growth to pay for all. From the corruption of financialisation of whole economies.

    This is the lie Key has sold us too, tax cuts through borrowing, money for the wealthy, supposedly to “trickle” down. “Growth” to pay and create jobs. At some point the receiever comes to the door…”Mr Key, you failed to pay us the interest….bail out with austerity for the poor attached”.

    Athens coming to NZ soon, courtesy of the National Party.

    • muzza 2.1
      15 February 2012 at 10:52 am

      New Zealand government official stats show $318 billion NZ originated private institution credit money. They then treat as assets and deduct what has been invested overseas and come up with what they call Net International Investment Position which appears much less alarming despite that money competting to find profit in an international financial system where the international debt is also unrepayable from the day its born.
      Even if the foreign investments from NZ where able to be repatriated in quick time they would come back to only the wealthiest few who control them and not benefit wider society as implied. Just more smoke and mirrors;
      http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/ParlSupport/ResearchPapers/3/4/6/00PlibCIP121-New-Zealand-s-International-Investment-Position.htm

      $318 billion debt based money supply at annual interest rate of 7% equals $22 odd billion interest repayment that is essentially rent upon a revolving line of credit that circulates as our money supply.
      Given most of that interest finds its way back to the same largest owners of larger international banks who own largest stake holdings in Australian banks who own NZ banks, it puts to shame the 1.3 billion they give back in tax and shout from the roof tops as being so beneficial to the prosperity of the nation

  3. Wharfie 3
    15 February 2012 at 7:01 am

    Partial strike action commences today at the Port of Auckland.Our members are refusing to service any cargo on or off Connlinx trucks.This is a company 90% owned by the Port of Auckland.The company contracted the containing moving in the Port out to themselves and made our members who used to undertake this work redundant.Tomorrow any machine that touches cargo off this company will be blacked.

  4. logie97 4
    15 February 2012 at 7:46 am

    People with disabilities.

    Talk back radio and blog sites like the sewer have a lot to answer for. They have unleashed
    a nasty, mean and selfish trait in the New Zealand psyche. It is appalling to hear what is being expressed regarding Mojo Mathers and the issues in the house. $30,000??? WTF. (Noone appears to have batted an eyelid over the obscene amounts of profit the banks are salting away…)

    • marsman 4.1
      15 February 2012 at 9:09 am

      They of course ignore the fact that Bill English is being paid $30,000 per annum to live in the house he owns and which was paid for by 20 years of rorting.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 2:41 pm

        Of course they do, if they didn’t then they’d have to face the fact that their self-selected leaders are corrupt and there’s no way that they will do that.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 5.1
      15 February 2012 at 9:19 am

      But The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell is my real name and my comments are all quality.

    • mac1 5.2
      15 February 2012 at 9:59 am

      “Revising conventional wisdom on cats, media
      from NewsCred Blog
      02/14/2012
      Contrary to common wisdom, cats make you popular — particularly online.”

      This little gem comes from the same page linked to by felix above. Does it explain Key’s popularity when he talked about his cat on the infamous radio hour?

      Does it explain felix’s popularity online?

      As for the article on pseudonymity itself, are both researcher and article writer confusing ‘quality’ with ‘popularity’? The quality of a comment was gauged by whether it got a positive as in a ‘like’ or whether it got a negative rating or was dumped as spam. That seems like a popularity rating and not a
      way of rating of quality which should be independent of popularity but judged on intrinsic factors.

      • felix 5.2.1
        15 February 2012 at 10:19 am

        Yeah surely quality is fairly subjective anyway. I agree it seems more like a popularity index, but I guess they’re just measuring what can be measured.

        No surprise about cats though, cats are awesome 😀

  6. Uturn 6
    15 February 2012 at 9:25 am

    And now a note on what time does to language:

    In 1951, at least, the word ain’t was a contraction of the words am not and definitely not is not. 1951 it ain’t, translates: 1951, it am not.

    These days, any word can mean anything a person wants it to, which is the least of our problems since a writer can now uz txt spk qwite ezi. No one seems to have issues with using don’t and didn’t and now those of you who aren’t asleep can use ain’t correctly, too.

    • Carol 6.1
      15 February 2012 at 9:37 am

      Actually I always thought it was a contraction of “are not”, but it turns out it is both and has a history going back centuries:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contractions_of_negated_auxiliary_verbs_in_English#Ain.27t

      In 1695 “an’t” was used as a contraction of “am not”, and as early as 1696 “an’t” was used to mean “are not”. “An’t” for “is not” may have developed independently from its use for “am not” and “are not”.

      • Olwyn 6.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 10:00 am

        The only place I can think of, apart from songs, where it is still in common usage is in the saying “Ain’t that the truth.” Songs, though, show where it is able to make sense. It ain’t me babe = It is not me babe. Ain’t misbehavin’= I am not misbehaving, etc.

    • Colonial Viper 6.2
      15 February 2012 at 11:03 am

      Yeah that’s the post modern anything means anything approach. The Right uses it so easily and so blatantly to steal the language and symbolism of the Left and twists it for its own uses. And usually, the Left sits back and let it happen.

      • Olwyn 6.2.1
        15 February 2012 at 11:37 am

        It is not quite the same thing, although I appreciate your point. “Ain’t” is an old fashioned slang word that is able to be used in various places where a contracted “not” is in order. Whereas the right recontextualises left wing concepts so as to rob them of their original meaning. Freedom from bondage is applied to the “free market” for example, and a woman’s right to paid work justifies the pitchforking of solo mothers into low-paid insecure jobs, etc. It works best where it is subtle, and draws the left into a conversation that it didn’t intend to have. The left wing concern about children going hungry, for example, implies that the poor need more money, but is likely to be translated by the right into the idea that the poor need more policing. And then the left finds itself disarmed. You said you wanted us to do something about child poverty, say the right. Well we’re doing something. The good thing about the Occupy Movement is that it has created a conceptual space that cannot easily be appropriated in this way.

    • Vicky32 6.3
      15 February 2012 at 6:06 pm

      These days, any word can mean anything a person wants it to, which is the least of our problems since a writer can now uz txt spk qwite ezi. No one seems to have issues with using don’t and didn’t and now those of you who aren’t asleep can use ain’t correctly, too.

       

      I do! I very much have an issue with errors, especially those involving apostrophes and contractions.. (It’s part Aspergers and part being an English teacher and I never use ain’t!

       

  7. phillip ure.. 7
    15 February 2012 at 9:28 am

    http://whoar.co.nz/2012/anarchism-is-not-what-you-think-it-is-and-theres-a-whole-lot-we-can-learn-from-it/

    “…The word anarchism has been so stripped of substance that it has come to be equated with chaos and nihilism.

    That’s not what it means…”

    [email look alike deleted].

    • Uturn 7.1
      15 February 2012 at 9:51 am

      The people who think anarchism is chaos also shriek that socialism will force “everyone to live in caves”. The problem is they just can’t grasp that alternative, sometimes more effective, ways of living existed before capitalism came along.

      From the article you link to there is a comment on how guilds operated:

      “…sovereign in its own sphere, but could not develop rules that interfered with the workings of other guilds. ”

      Capitalism, or “growth”, depends on people being allowed to steal from and interfere with the property and rules of their neighbour. The wail of “living in caves” is the fear that theft would once again be called theft.

      • Bored 7.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 10:16 am

        Thanks UTurn, its amazing how labels stick. Socialist states and capitalist states hate anarchism in equal doses, it is the devil incarnate to both parties.

        At the heart of the issue is the point you make: respect for the rules and property. Capitalist / corporate / socialist states manage this through coercion, as represented by the mechanisms and the power of the state. That individuals might manage these affairs removes the “power” from their central control. A totally heretic position….God forbid you dont follow blind dogma.

    • Bill 7.2
      15 February 2012 at 10:35 am

      Don’t know if you’ve noticed how often anarchist sentiment is tapped into by politicians who seek popular support for their programmes?

      ACT (and just about every other right wing libertarian outfit I’ve come across) do it extensively. And L’nin (that lovely left wing Authoritarian) did it too. In fact, if you listen closely, the ideas and sentiments of anarchy are all over the political sphere.

      But people seeking power over others need to ensure there is never any political expression of the underlying ideas or concepts they dress their political shit up in. So the terms of ‘anarchist’ or ‘anarchy’ are demonised and cast aside in order that their conceptual basis can be quietly and safely trawled, twisted and finally processed as unrecognisable end products (Right Wing Libertarianism or Corporatism on the one hand and Dictatorial Socialist States on the other.)

      • AAMC 7.2.1
        15 February 2012 at 5:24 pm

        Interestingly, the internet is essentially an functioning Anarchy – currently being reigned in with the likes of failed SOPA, PIPPA and impending ACTA – perhaps because it is teaching a working Anarchsit model to the generation who has grown up on it.

        The Occupy movement is essentially an Anarchist movement, spearheaded and conceived by Anarchists, and it’s defining feature is Direct (consensus based ) Democracy. The other thing technology seems to have taught this generation which certainly didn’t come from their Libertarian Babyboomer parents is sharing.

        Yet of coarse the pop understanding of Anarchisim suggests it is incongruous with Democracy..

        • AAMC 7.2.1.1
          15 February 2012 at 5:31 pm

          On that note, Adbusters call out to programmers to build new social network, that JP Morgan & Saudi Govt can’t buy shares in..

          http://theglobalsquare.org/call4coders

        • Carol 7.2.1.2
          15 February 2012 at 5:42 pm

          Actually, this boomer was well into anarchism in my 20s, especially anarcho-syndicalism. And back then, I knew a few of my age group, and some slightly younger uni students who were strong advocates of anarchism too, both HEre and in London. London feminists (full of boomers Iin the late 70s & early 80s) tended to be describe the women’s movement as operating according to anarchist principles.

          I suspect that many younger folk may not fully embrace anarchism as a principle, even though they are strongly into the Internet. But I welcome the re-invigoration of anarchist ideas that the Internet has brought.

          Individualist liberals and libertarian boomers were a much stronger feature in the US than in NZ or the UK.

          • AAMC 7.2.1.2.1
            16 February 2012 at 8:44 am

            Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting these ideas or radicalism is in any way new, what I’m suggesting is interesting is that they’re being ingested as a way of being as a byproduct of the way we interact with technology.

            Re the Babyboomer dig, that’s a generalization obviously, of coarse much social progress was made by those who engaged..

            • Carol 7.2.1.2.1.1
              16 February 2012 at 8:59 am

              Well it also isn’t that much of a correct generalisation of comparative generalisations of different generations. It’s by no means that clear-cut, and it ignores the strong and dominant political forces coming from the wealthy and powerful elites.

              I see too much re-writing of history about boomers. The whole hippy movement, even in individualist US, was about sharing, helping others, and about rejecting materialist acquisition of wealth. It was a time when there was much media and popular attention given to the hippy, grass-roots, commune movement, for instance, and many young kiwis got into that.

              Unfortunately, some who were well into that (eg Tim Shadbolt and his rural commune), later got absorbed into the neoliberal system – a shift which came from the elites above, in contrast to the more grass roots hippy movement.

              Nevertheless, as a result of boomer-dominated hippy anti-materialist, left-leaning values, notions of sharing and a gift economy were built into the Internet architecture and gave rise to such notions as open source software.

              And while many people today have absorbed some of the sharing fundamentals built into the Internet architecture, at the same time have absorbed (shonkey) individualist, materially and financially acquisitive neoliberal values.

              • AAMC …
                16 February 2012 at 1:06 pm

                I’m afraid the destruction wrought by the majority of the babyboomer generation far outweighs any good the minority of the countercoultre achieved. As the planet is testament.

        • Carol 7.2.1.3
          15 February 2012 at 5:56 pm

          PS: the geeks who laid down the original architect of the Internet, were grad students and others around the Paolo Alta-Silicon Valley area, who were strongly influenced by the Californian hippy ideals of the time, and that influenced the anarchistic elements that underlie the Internet today.

    • Bill 7.3
      15 February 2012 at 10:47 am

      A wee side note relating to the article. What Darwin was saying by ‘survival of the fittest’ was that what fitted best was what survived; not that everything had to fight and struggle for survival and dominance

      • ianmac 7.3.1
        15 February 2012 at 11:04 am

        Bill @7.3. He also highlighted the part that chance plays. A tiny modification way back could have caused say horses to be the dominant species and humanoids faded out. A biologist much younger than Darwin (working in Indonesia I think) floated the idea of survival of the fittest to Darwin when writing to him years before Darwin published. Darwin of course gets the credit but he did not mean that the toughest, meanest fight the way to the top, although looking at humanity these days you might wonder. Politics huh?

        • Colonial Viper 7.3.1.1
          15 February 2012 at 5:37 pm

          Fortunately most parts of mother nature don’t represent a contrived never ending gladiatorial contest or cage fight like Parliament is.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.4
      15 February 2012 at 3:21 pm

      Quoting Article quoting Muatal Aid

      He found the view of the social Darwinists contradicted by his own empirical research. After five years examining wildlife in Siberia, Kropotkin wrote, “I failed to find – although I was eagerly looking for it – that bitter struggle for the means of existence…which was considered by most Darwinists…as the dominant characteristic – and the main factory of evolution.”

      Kropotkin honored Darwin’s insights about natural selection but believed the governing principle of natural selection was cooperation, not competition. The fittest were those who cooperated.

      “The animal species, in which individual struggle has been reduced to its narrowest limits, and the practice of mutual aid has attained the greatest development, are invariably the most numerous, the most prosperous, and the most open to further progress. … The unsociable species, on the contrary, are doomed to decay.”

      Social Darwinists still exist although the term has dropped from common usage – their natural home in NZ is now in National and Act. And they’re as wrong today as they were a hundred years ago.

      Kropotkin forms a large basis of my thoughts on the matter of governance and society.

      • Carol 7.4.1
        15 February 2012 at 3:24 pm

        Yes, “survival of the fittest” means, those species most suited to survive in a given environment – it’s species level, and not about individual strength etc.

      • vto 7.4.2
        15 February 2012 at 3:32 pm

        Spot on DtB.

        It is quite clear that one of the main reasons for human ‘advancement’ over other species has been its internal cooperation and not its internal competition.

        That certain people alive today cannot see this dooms their own survival – which is in fact to the betterment of wider human survival and advancement of course. The fewer of these buffoons around the better.

  8. just saying 8
    15 February 2012 at 10:20 am

    Lprent,
    Is there any way of measuring the number of external links followed by readers on a blog like this?
    It would be interesting to know the number of different links, and the total number followed, as part of the bigger picture including visits and page view numbers.
    Just curious really. And procrastinating something much more important…

    • lprent 8.1
      15 February 2012 at 11:41 am

      Yes. We have that on several stats packages. The WP stats does it. For instance in the last 30 days, these are the top clicks from the body of the site (posts, comments, blogrolls) and note that these are the actual landing pages…

      scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1201/S00136/teapot-tapes-uploaded.htm 325
      tumeke.blogspot.com 264
      patbrittenden.com/2012/01/18/its-not-about-race-or-age-or-gender-or-religion-its-about-poverty 260
      whaleoil.co.nz/2012/01/not-involved 239
      bowalleyroad.blogspot.com 222
      nzherald.co.nz 167
      norightturn.blogspot.com 167
      facebook.com/NZNATS 155
      imperatorfish.com 152
      robertwinter.blogspot.com 131
      kiwiblog.co.nz 119
      stuff.co.nz 118
      thejackalman.blogspot.com/2012/01/teapot-tape-released.html 117
      tumeke.blogspot.com/2012/01/teapot-tape-now-online.html 116
      soundcloud.com/goldenturkey/2johns2cups 115
      blog.labour.org.nz/2012/01/31/my-christmas-gift-to-david-farrar-2 115
      blog.labour.org.nz 111

      As you can see we generate a lot of clicks, but the fall off is pretty rapid. Yesterday for instance we did about 450 clicks out over about 200 links (over half only got one click).

      If we look over the last year, we basically see the blogroll

      tumeke.blogspot.com 4,941
      norightturn.blogspot.com 3,557
      bowalleyroad.blogspot.com 3,483
      blog.labour.org.nz 3,248
      nzherald.co.nz 2,396
      kiwiblog.co.nz 2,053
      robertwinter.blogspot.com 1,895
      brianedwardsmedia.co.nz 1,447
      stuff.co.nz 1,383
      imperatorfish.com 1,330
      pundit.co.nz 1,315
      asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com 1,200
      dimpost.wordpress.com 1,174

      Again with some pretty rapid falloffs.

      I also jigged the system for google analytics to also do be able to do outward click analysis long ago. They have some more useful stats about paths people tended to take through and out of the site. Which is why I know that most of the readers use the front page to land, and select a post, and then use next and previous posts rather than navigating up and down. But there really isn’t a strong pattern for clickouts.

      Of course we’re only really seeing what sites people navigated to from clicks on this site, and it excludes the ads.

      • just saying 8.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 12:13 pm

        Thanks for indulging my curiousity LPrent.

        Surprising. I thought sites like facebook would feature more prominently with the links to parliamentary clips etc.

        It seems most visitors don’t follow links, even those within the body of blog posts (with some exceptions). I guess it’s mainly a matter of time and personal interest. Personally I love the links and some commenters on open mike provide some beauties too.

        The more I follow things online, the less I follow the mainstream media. Seldom watch the TV news, but when I catch it I feel like I’m living in a parallel universe.

        • Draco T Bastard 8.1.1.1
          15 February 2012 at 3:29 pm

          Yeah, once you’ve spent time getting news and researching the background of that news online the MSM just doesn’t seem to be connected to reality.

        • lprent 8.1.1.2
          15 February 2012 at 6:41 pm

          Facebook doesn’t get many outgoing links. However we do get a lot of incoming links from them. Since I put the recommendatory buttons in, it has gone from being a low contender to being second after the search engines.

  9. ianmac 9
    15 February 2012 at 11:09 am

    Just been reading about Russia in the 50s and 60s. An intense drive to increase outputs of goods was spurred on by bonus payments to managers who met the annual targets of production. So Performance Pay is a Communist construct! The difference was that in Russia defined targets had to be met whereas here Bonus to Bankers, CEOs, Consultants are paid regardless of success.
    Bring on the Commies!

  10. travellerev 10
    15 February 2012 at 11:45 am

    The future of New Zealand anyone?

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 10.1
      15 February 2012 at 11:58 am

      I don’t know about you, but I am not planning to convert to Mormonism.

    • muzza 10.2
      15 February 2012 at 1:35 pm

      Seems to be a common theme when reading such articles often contain sentences such as “This is the type of idiocy that passes as policy in the eurozone. ” – People like to fob off bad decision making as some sort of accident…

      At what point will people come to realise that there is much more at play than “idiocy” when making decisions.

      At what point does the continual “idiocy” beceome a deliberate act? 5, 10, 20, 30 years recently…..

      Nah its all a massive accident!

  11. Monique Watson 11
    15 February 2012 at 12:41 pm

    Well I can see the outsourcing is on it’s way outside NZ – with the IRD upgrade, which I’ve blogged about.

    http://nowoccupy.blogspot.com/2012/02/creating-more-jobs-in-silicon-valley.html

  12. Jackal 12
    15 February 2012 at 12:51 pm

    National’s slack internet security

    There are many holes in the government’s Internet security, mainly because there are so many operators that don’t know what they’re doing…

  13. Kotahi Tane Huna 13
    15 February 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Stuff: High Court orders Government to reconsider Crafar farms sale deal … 🙂

    • Carol 13.1
      15 February 2012 at 1:52 pm

      http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/6422866/Reconsider-Crafar-farms-deal-Government-told

      Indeed!

      Justice Miller said the application for review was granted and the decision by Land Information Minister Maurice Williamson and Associate Finance Minister Jonathan Coleman was set aside.

      The judge directed that the ministers reconsider the application by Shanghai Pengxin subsidiary Milk New Zealand.

      • vto 13.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 2:32 pm

        Ha! Yeesssss…!!

        Keep the issue in the spotlight.

        I may get repititive but it is for very good and simple reason…… namely, that having land owned by people who do not live in New Zealand is bad for New Zealand.

        And they don’t even NEED to own the land. They claim they are investing in business, right? So invest ion the business, but they don’t need to own the land to do that.

        Keep the issue alive! It is one of some paths to greater prosperity, of that there is no doubt.

      • mickysavage 13.1.2
        15 February 2012 at 2:39 pm

        I have had a quick squizz at the judgment.  Justice Millar seems to be saying that the Ministers overstated the economic benefits of the purchase.  The same benefits would have been available if the local bidder bought the farms. Interesting decision …

    • McFlock 13.2
      15 February 2012 at 1:54 pm

      Time until Fran O’Sullivan calls the High Court racist (sorry, “xenophobic”): 4… 3… 2… 1…

      • muzza 13.2.1
        15 February 2012 at 3:56 pm

        So if the ministry overstated ecenomic benefits, thats just a flash way to say “they lied” no!

        The “It will create jobs” , followed by, there might be 2 possibly 3 training positions really was a give away to the fact that someone was talking CRAP!

        Let’s have all the BS come out now, and lets watch the spin machine in action again!

      • DH 13.2.2
        15 February 2012 at 4:56 pm

        I found the court summary quite interesting, it gelled with what I read in the OIO report here….

        17. One submitter claimed that the Applicant’s proposal contains no benefits to New Zealand. In particular, the farming plans relating to herd and farm improvement are nothing more than what an average New Zealand farmer would do if given the chance to purchase the properties

        (OIO) Response
        19. The Overseas Investment Act does not require an overseas person investor to do more than a New Zealand investor would do to the land. Instead, the Overseas Investment Act tests only whether the investment will or is likely to benefit New Zealand, a part of New Zealand or a group of New Zealanders, and whether that benefit will be substantial and identifiable. That test is by reference to a number of benefit ‘factors’ which must be considered by the relevant Ministers.

        My thoughts at the time was the OIO could not state anything to be a benefit unless they knew what other buyers intended and compared one against the other. Their response above didn’t make any sense to me, and clearly the judge thought so too.

    • RedLogix 13.3
      15 February 2012 at 2:42 pm

      To borrow an expression from OleBiscuitBarrel… colour me gobsmacked!!!!

      What has yet to come out is the Ministerial interference in the LandCorp bid. Unfortunately I’m not 100% on my source and I can’t quote them properly; but the gist of the conversation was along the lines that LandCorp was instructed not to put in an acceptable bid for the farms.

      • Draco T Bastard 13.3.1
        15 February 2012 at 3:48 pm

        Now that would be evidence that needs to be presented at a court.

        • Colonial Viper 13.3.1.1
          15 February 2012 at 4:58 pm

          One Ministerial resignation possibly from Parliament as well. Now that would set an interesting dynamic for the year.

          • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 13.3.1.1.1
            15 February 2012 at 5:09 pm

            Don’t get too excited. They will reconsider, apply the different criteria and come to the same result.

    • just saying 13.4
      15 February 2012 at 2:58 pm

      Today is a good day!

  14. Jackal 14
    15 February 2012 at 3:20 pm

    Doug White – Asshole of the Week

    Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn’t know the mine had exploded as he applied for another job, the overall mismanagement of Pike River mine is highly despicable!

  15. Penny Bright 15
    15 February 2012 at 4:57 pm

    COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR THE PETITION WHICH MAY HELP GET RID OF JOHN BANKS – ACT MP FOR EPSOM:

    Interesting that neither the old Securities Commission, the SFO, the Finance Markets Authority (FMA), or the Police have lifted a finger to apply ACT’s ‘one law for all’ to either the ACT Party MP for Epsom, John Banks, or the former ACT Party Leader Don Brash?

    In fact, I have it in writing from the the SFO, the Finance Markets Authority (FMA), and the Police that they will not lay charges against Banks or Brash, which, in my considered opinion, is a form of political protection, which I believe is corrupt.

    Both John Banks and Don Brash were equally former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, whom, along with Peter Huljich equally signed Huljich Kiwisaver Registered Prospectuses which contained untrue statements.

    Under the Securities Act 1978 s.58 (3) that is an offence.

    Where is the ZERO TOLERANCE for ‘white collar’ crime in New Zealand?

    In my considered opinion, in NZ – ‘perceived’ to be the least corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International’s 2011 ‘Corruption Perception Index’ – the balance of power is arguably being held by a yet-to-be charged or convicted ‘white collar’ criminal – John Banks ACT MP for Epsom.

    However – all is not lost.

    When one door closes, another door opens.

    Currently there are signatures being collected for a petition which requests:

    “That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the decisions regarding prosecutions relating to the Juljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009.”

    I do not anticipate any major problems in getting an MP to present this petition to the House.

    For more background information, check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz

    Penny Bright
    [email deleted]

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 15.1
      15 February 2012 at 5:21 pm

      Fuck you are boring, Penny.

      • CnrJoe 15.1.1
        15 February 2012 at 5:25 pm

        yeah yr handle is so entertaining too

        [lprent: I have to confess that was partially my fault. Whilst chastising OleBiscuitBarrel last year, I told him that he was a gormless fool. He adopted it as his handle. But I have to say that it is one of the more unique and entertaining handles around 😈 ]

      • Penny Bright 15.1.2
        15 February 2012 at 5:37 pm

        So – why bother engaging?

        😉

        Cheers!

        Penny Bright

        • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 15.1.2.1
          15 February 2012 at 5:57 pm

          Penny, you don’t engage. You cut and paste press releases. I’d rather talk to randal.

    • marsman 15.2
      15 February 2012 at 5:26 pm

      Good on you Penny!

      • CnrJoe 15.3.1
        15 February 2012 at 5:54 pm

        rather you than me Penny but fight the good fight

      • mik e 15.3.2
        15 February 2012 at 7:49 pm

        penny as I’ve said before in politics less is more .Your track record in politics proves me right .
        I agree with your plight but you are obviously not very bright .
        Abbreviate your message and people won’t be turned off by your boring posts!

        • Jackal 15.3.2.1
          15 February 2012 at 10:14 pm

          I think the style over content argument is passé. It is conformist boring rubbish that people like Penny and Phil u get all the time by those who do not agree with their message. The only reason it would apply is that the style is somehow detrimental to the message, which is subjective to the reader. It would seem you’re more averse to the message than the style mik e. Either way, you have the choice of not reading it.

    • ianmac 15.4
      15 February 2012 at 6:12 pm

      Imagine the effect if the charges were enforced. Far reaching indeed. Good on ‘yer Penny.

  16. Vicky32 16
    15 February 2012 at 6:21 pm

    http://ilcorsaro.info/mondo/285-il-mito-del-fannullone-greco
    Sorry this is in Italian, but it’s very good about the myths told about the Greek people, and what’s really going on!
    The title means ‘The myth of the lazy Greek’.
    Here’s an extract and my translation:
    “Prendiamo i greci. I dati dell’Ocse mostrano chiaramente che i greci lavorano in media più ore all’anno (2.109) degli altri europei: i tedeschi per esempio lavorano 1.419 ore. Si può ovviamente obiettare che le ore lavorate non significano lavoro effettivo, che si può rimanere 12 ore sul luogo di lavoro e passarne la metà a cercare ricette esotiche su internet. Questo porta ad analizzare la produttività del lavoro, concetto più complicato da calcolare perché dipende da fattori che non sono in rapporto con l’assiduità (il livello tecnologico, la qualità dell’organizzazione produttiva e così via).”
    “Take  the Greeks. The OECD data show clearly that the Greeks are working longer hours on average per year (2,109) than  other Europeans, the Germans work 1,419 hours for example. You can of course argue that the hours worked do not mean actual work, that you can stay 12 hours at work and spend half your time searching for exotic recipes on the Internet. This leads us to analyse labour productivity, a concept more complicated to calculate because it depends on factors not related to the attendance (the technological level, quality of production organization and so on)…. (and so it does, that is, attempt that analysis. )

    • Colonial Viper 16.1
      15 February 2012 at 10:21 pm

      The myth of the ‘lazy greek’ has to be repeated to justify to the German populace why it is their bankers’ moral right and imperative to subjugate that country.

    • rosy 16.2
      15 February 2012 at 10:30 pm

      Vicky32, you might like this article as well…

      To put it succinctly, in the European South, people are paid too much, work too little, receive excessive public benefits and retire too early. Unlike the industrious Germans.
      There is a small problem with this diagnosis of the Euro crisis. It is false on all counts…

  17. Colonial Viper 17
    15 February 2012 at 6:33 pm

    Awesome infographic: the true cost of war

    Apparently a million US dollars is not that much money. In $100 bills it would fit in a decent sized, single strap, over the shoulder satchel.

  18. hoom 18
    15 February 2012 at 6:54 pm

    Key says Mondayising Public Holidays would ‘cost’ the economy $400 million.
     
    These are Public Holidays already, the workers of NZ are already entitled to them.
    The reality is that the workers of NZ are being duped out of $400 million worth of holidays due to a silly loophole in the law.
    The ultimate irony for me was seeing photos of foreign owned stores & Embassies closed on these Mondays, with their NZ staff given the day off.
     

  19. RedLogix 19
    15 February 2012 at 9:33 pm

    DeSmogBlog releases a trove of whistleblower documents that confirm a lot of things we already suspected:

    Internal Heartland Institute strategy and funding documents obtained by DeSmogBlog expose the heart of the climate denial machine – its current plans, many of its funders, and details that confirm what DeSmogBlog and others have reported for years. The heart of the climate denial machine relies on huge corporate and foundation funding from U.S. businesses including Microsoft, Koch Industries, Altria (parent company of Philip Morris) RJR Tobacco and more.
    We are releasing the entire trove of documents now to allow crowd-sourcing of the material. Here are a few quick highlights, stay tuned for much more.

    • Macro 19.1
      15 February 2012 at 9:56 pm

      And there’s a lot more!
      Particularly with respect to Heartland funding of the so-called NZ (now International) “Climate Science Coalition”
      As John Mashey in a comment on “Hot Topic” explains:

      “The read might draw inferences about the likely effects of:
      a) Heartland sending $ to foreign non-charities. NO-NO
      b) Foreign non-charities engage in clearly non-exempt activities (the IRS-?E codes). NO-NO
      c) Some of those involved in the NZ non-charities show up and make comments that repeatedly support the non-exemptness.
      Already gone, but nice icing on the cake. When reading “puppets,” I sometimes had to hold back from commenting, lest I spoil the fun.
      But all that’s on the record now.

      It is very likely that neither the non-charities nor Heartland understood the US tax implications. Of course, if NZ citizens got money for a non-charity and spent it, without declaring income … well that’s for Kiwis to sort out.”

    • Draco T Bastard 19.2
      15 February 2012 at 10:49 pm

      Awesome. Show up those who are funding the lies.

  20. prism 20
    15 February 2012 at 9:41 pm

    The personal search function is one I like – to keep track of my comments and those responding. I made some yesterday but they don’t come up on request. Is this something that gets dropped on occasions?

    • lprent 20.1
      15 February 2012 at 10:41 pm

      Not meant to. It runs on a cron process. I will look at in the morning as I’m in bed and doing a ssh console from the iPad is strictly an emergency procedure

    • lprent 20.2
      16 February 2012 at 8:53 am

      Ok the problem was that sphinxsearch (the program that runs the search) had an update, and it appears that it was putting the lock files in with ownership coded to its own user id. That meant that the web process that had been running it was unable to run the daily updates.

      I’ve shifted the period update to shift to the sphinx user.

      I’ll check when I get to work to make sure that it has actually run.

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