Open mike 15/11/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 15th, 2012 - 76 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…

76 comments on “Open mike 15/11/2012”

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  1. Jenny 1
    15 November 2012 at 6:17 am

    Leadership is vital, of this there can be little doubt.

    Most of the greatest things worth doing by human beings cannot by achieved by individuals working alone, it requires teamwork, sometimes dozens or hundred or even millions of people working together. And teamwork requires leadership. Whether it is building a house or laying a road or crossing an ocean, or fighting a war. In human affairs Leadership is vital. Though for us humans, we are leaders, or led, not in the sense of sheep being led by a shepherd. All forms of human leadership, (no matter how they are organised), require at some level the consent of the led. i.e. That leadership has to be seen as legitimate. This goes no matter whether that leader is a king or a dictator or an elected head. People will even put up with bad leaders if they think they hold power legitimately. However, once legitimacy is lost, no leadership can persist, no matter what methods are used to shore it up. Once legitimacy disappears no amount of bureaucratic maneuvering or even massive violent oppression can preserve it, such tactics only delay the inevitable.

    To David Shearer the Labour Party parliamentary caucus, your attendants and supporters, I would advise;

    Don’t bother fighting a rearguard action to preserve minority selection for the leadership of the party, that battle is already lost. You may win the battle, but you will lose the war.

    Don’t resist this change, instead accept gracefully the greatest possible democratic selection of leader. Your organisation will be the greater for it.

  2. Jim Nald 2
    15 November 2012 at 7:20 am

    As I started to type this, Morning Report had been reading out a lengthy statement from Te Puni Kokiri that felt like it was going on forever.

    The Minister didn’t front up to answer questions invoking the excuse the matter was an operational matter, the Ministry didn’t front up and sent a long blah blah blah statement.

    I did not turn on RadioNZ to listen to Simon Mercep reading out long, mind numbing government propoganda. I hope this is a one-off and not to be repeated.

    • Paul 2.1
      15 November 2012 at 7:39 am

      I agree. RNZ continue not to hold to task ministers and organisations that refuse to front for ‘difficult’ interviews. Compare with the way Campbell Live has put Hekia Parata and other government ministers under the blowtorch for failing to agrre to being interviewed.
      Jim, maybe the solution is to email RNZ and express the viewpoint?

  3. muzza 3
    15 November 2012 at 7:28 am

    Australian police may interview NZ clergy

    New Zealand clergy face being interviewed by Australian police as part of a Royal Commission investigating how institutions – including churches – allegedly covered up claims of child sex abuse, a victims right advocate says.

    And in Lauda Finem’s take on it…

    Paula Bennett: NZ govt sees no need for sex abuse inquiry

    With this in mind Lauda Finem have been scanning our trans Tasman neighbours media for any sign that they would pick up on the story, but no not a peep, sure a couple of stories about the Australian situation but nothing on how New Zealand might have been impacted and or how the New Zealand church hierarchy may have been complicit in allowing pedophile priests to set up in New Zealand. We know for a fact that this was the case in the St John of God scandal, with the convicted brothers having been transferred between the two countries.

    So what about the New Zealand National Party controlled Government, where do they stand on all of this, if you were relying on the New Zealand media for an answer you would still be waiting. Australia’s channel Nine, however, was all over the story

    Be interesting to see where this all ends up, as the Catholic Church is simply a child abuse ring pretending to be a religious entity, I think that much is clear by now, as the history certainly back that up!

    The real powers of the globe are the ones who sit behind these fronts, but make full use of its “services”, and also have the ability to “disappear” these inconvenient situations quite quickly.

    Just what might a possible “Royal Commission” unearth I wonder…..More of the same, followed by a cover up, or perhaps straight to the cover up, or perhaps it all just magics itself away!

    • weka 3.1
      15 November 2012 at 9:56 am

      “as the Catholic Church is simply a child abuse ring pretending to be a religious entity”
       
      There are differences between child abuse rings and organisations that protect individual sex offenders. Best not to confuse or conflate the two.

      • muzza 3.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 12:37 pm

        There are differences between child abuse rings and organisations that protect individual sex offenders. Best not to confuse or conflate the two.

        And the difference would be what, as it relates to the historical actions of the CC, as it relates to covering and protecting itself, and thus hiding what it truly represents!

        Best for people not to miss the glaringly obvious!

  4. redfred 4
    15 November 2012 at 7:41 am

    FUCKEN PAULA BENNETT AND NATIONAL STARVING CHILDREN TO PUNISH BENEFICIARIES; WHY AREN’T WE RIOTING IN THE STREET?

    • Uturn 4.1
      15 November 2012 at 8:22 am

      While I understand your sentiment, to address the question literally,

      Rioting would destroy the nieghbourhoods where oppressed people live, weaking whatever community links they already share with an unsafe environment. Rioting elevates brutality, the exact opposite required for the support of oppressed people.

      No one in the current bunch of centre right/left care if the poor riot. Other than venting suppressed anger, nothing constructive from a rioters point of view, would come of it. The poor, the kind that have tasted hopelesness, don’t vote centre left/right. All it would do is give politicians an excuse to further demonise the poorer fringes. After the riot, politicians on both sides would use it manipulate people with either fear or pride.

      Rioting takes energy, lots of negetive energy, the kind that only comes from wholesale nothing-to-lose situations. NZ isn’t quite there yet. It requires built up dense populations with an already high violent tendency meeting a trigger that transgresses a widely accepted subcultural value. Civil forces often seek out and use these triggers to help them control populations through “controlled burns”. Rioting isn’t something anyone can ask people to do, it’s the emotional response of the collective mind.

      Strategically speaking, it would be better use of resources for communities to unofficially break away from the mainstream culture – as far as they can – and look after themselves in any constructive way they can, rather than devolve into rioting, self abuse and risk being controlled through violence. Frequent organised or impromptu protests of any size, acts of civil disobedience, basic sabotage, community agreements and support groups – these things vent and pre-empt anger before it becomes destructive, are achieveable, return positive morale results and train communities to out-think their adversaries.

      • redfred 4.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 9:31 am

        touche’ I was definitely having an emotional response. but, sort of my point, those affect are powerless and marginalised and the big fat middle and getting diabetes, don’t give a crap….okay so no riot, a protest, a march, a Hikoi,. I’m thinking the recent-ish anti mining protests coromandel Great Barrier (don’t muck up holiday spot) but we can’t get off our arse for state sponsored child starvation .

        “Twaddle, rubbish, and gossip is what people want, not action.. . . The secret of life is to chatter freely about all one wishes to do and how one is always being prevented—and then do nothing” Soren Kierkegaard

        • Rogue Trooper 4.1.1.1
          15 November 2012 at 11:45 am

          now, Kierkegaard, there’s another odd chappie I related to in my search; ohh, the labelling, the guilt, the shame, nah, just kidding 😉
          ol’ Soren was on to it.

      • Robert Atack 4.1.2
        15 November 2012 at 4:03 pm

        Good stuff Uturn +1

  5. Hilary 5
    15 November 2012 at 8:36 am

    The policy of National Ministers to refuse to be interviewed in the media with any opposition spokespeople (except in a short election period) is very arrogant . So much for openness and transparency. It is such a pity that the media goes along with it. Wouldn’t it be great to hear/see a debate between the National minister of Housing and Annette King, for example.

  6. Herodotus 6
    15 November 2012 at 9:12 am

    From this today:
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=10847352
    Household incomes have increased by a third in the last four years. Did I miss a pay rise or 2. Not sure if anyone knows the source or reference of this gem from English Increase of a 1/3rd ???
    The recovery is HERE folks and real.
    “Our problem is one of success.” from English

    • prism 6.1
      15 November 2012 at 4:19 pm

      herodotus
      That is a good link. Lots of laughs. It almost sounds like the tongue in cheek one from yesterday about Shearer standing down for Pagani, the female one I think.

      English says that house prices have gone up only 1.3% in nominal terms, is this after they are adjusted for inflation? Perhaps the salaries that have gone up by a third in the last four years are the parliamentary salaries. Probably they the only ones he bothers to be informed about. Or perhaps there is a sort of double book-keeping where all figures quoted are taken from the average upwards and the true universal figures are in tiny script at the end of the report so it’s easy to black out when an OIA is made. The losers at the bottom are a drag on society to NACTs. Unfortunately they have shaped society to funnel opportunity towards them, and removed the work opportunities for those now struggling and either under-employed on low wages or unemployed and losing hope.

      We had businesses that used to keep the country humming, but the reasonable tariff protection that was enough to keep them trading and profitable was abandoned in return for dairy and meat entry into our trading partners. We traded away the industrial revolution to go back to the agricultural economy and we haven’t been all that good at filling the gap with the hi-tech ones that were to be our saviours. Now we can’t even bother trying for the green and new innovative market.

      Got off the original subject of housing but it all flows from the same ineptitude. Pollies offer themselves up as clever, wise, experienced. When they aren’t can we sue. Under the Trade Protection Act. We’ve been done.

  8. felix 8
    15 November 2012 at 10:26 am

    John Key showed his true colours in the house yesterday:

    Thank goodness David Parker’s watching Fox News ‘cos he might learn something, as opposed to that lefty stuff he seems to be embroiled in normally.

    Seriously Mr Key, even in your homeland the U.S.A, a country with a far more right-wing political environment than ours, Fox News is waaay out on the far right and an object of derision that even the republican party are beginning to distance themselves from.

    John Key, out of touch, hard-right extremist.

    • King Kong 8.1
      15 November 2012 at 10:33 am

      Is saying that Key is from the USA an attempt to stir up NZ’s own “birther” movement.

      And hard right extremist…really?

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 10:38 am

        Key wasn’t born in the USA, but his Bankster mindset and his Bankster loyalty to other Banksters is.

      • felix 8.1.2
        15 November 2012 at 10:41 am

        “Is saying that Key is from the USA an attempt to stir up NZ’s own “birther” movement.”

        No, it refers to the fact that he prefers to reside in Hawaii (to which, privately, he is known to refer as “home”), and prefers to spend his money in the U.S. saying that their economy really needs it.

        “And hard right extremist…really?”

        According to his endorsement of Fox News as a media outlet from which one “might learn something”, yes.

        How else can you possibly reconcile his statement?

        • gobsmacked 8.1.2.1
          15 November 2012 at 4:39 pm

          Yes, Felix, that happens a lot.

          Here’s how it works – Key’s “off the cuff” jokes at public appearances are usually prepared. But … when responding to a question, and hearing something for the first time, there are only a few seconds thinking time. So, he’s unprepared. The true character comes out.

          Key heard “Fox News” and the brain went “Good”. Then he blurted.

          He would never say that in a prepared speech. But he does in the House, under questioning. (On a previous occasion he commended Alan Sanford, the guy who got done for fraud in the West Indies).

          Of course, a quick-witted Labour MP heard “Fox News” and immediately leapt up to say “In the light of that answer, does he agree with Karl Rove … etc” and totally nailed Key. Yay!

          Nah, just kidding. They did the only thing they know – some more shouting.

          And so it was, that the New Zealand PM’s crazy endorsement of a far-right broadcaster effectively “never happened”, never got noticed, because Key got away with it, because the opposition let him. As usual. (Except on the blogs, but nobody reads those, eh?).

          (Fast forward to the election campaign … PM says Nelson Mandela’s a wanker, David Shearer looks blankly at him, tries to remember what he was told to say, and then asks his next prepared question).

          • Anne 8.1.2.1.1
            15 November 2012 at 4:53 pm

            … when responding to a question, and hearing something for the first time, there are only a few seconds thinking time. So, he’s unprepared. The true character comes out.

            Yes, and remember his reaction to the unfortunate fellow who tried to climb over the debating chamber balcony? It gave him a fright so what did he do? Took it out on Phil Goff sitting opposite and made the throat-cutting gesture as if it was Goff’s fault. That was one of the best “true character” incidents of them all.

          • gobsmacked 8.1.2.1.2
            15 November 2012 at 4:57 pm

            I got the name wrong – Allen Stanford. Question 4:

            http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0903/S00149.htm

            The PM thinks he’s a great guy. He’s in jail.

      • QoT 8.1.3
        15 November 2012 at 8:38 pm

        NZ’s own “birther” movement.

        Serious question, KK. Do you actually understand what the US birther movement is about? Because implying anyone’s trying to set up the equivalent in NZ is kinda, um, seriously funny when you do.

    • Chris 8.2
      15 November 2012 at 3:20 pm

      He might kicked into touch soon.Selwyn Manning on Bombers show said that people in the inner circle of the National Party are not happy with the happy chappy.Maybe he should be job hunting.
      Starring roll in a remake of Laurel and Hardymaybe.

  9. rosy 9
    15 November 2012 at 12:10 pm

    Despite a ceasefire being brockered by Egypt:
    Israel strikes

    The bombardment of Gaza continues. Strikes appear to be concentrated in the north. Multiple observers on the ground report near-continuous strikes, apparently a combination of air strikes and naval fire.

    Haaretz puts the number of rockets fired from Gaza today at 83. The IDF says 25 rockets have been intercepted by the Iron Dome defense system.

    It seems this will go on for sometime. I wonder how Egypt respond apart from withdrawing it’s ambassador.

    • Vicky32 9.1
      15 November 2012 at 6:51 pm

      It seems this will go on for sometime. I wonder how Egypt respond apart from withdrawing it’s ambassador.

      I’ve been listening to the news about it on the BBC WS all day. Scary stuff!

      • fatty 9.1.1
        16 November 2012 at 12:17 am

        The IDF has just claimed that this cyber-bullying justifies the next 5 bombings of Palestinian orphanages: “Al-Qassam Brigades’ teasing is out of control and can no longer be tolerated, we have no option but to bomb their children” …World leaders NATO and the UN say they condemn excessive teasing. Murray McCully rings the Israeli Ambassador and asks if all Jews are as funny as Larry David.

  10. Jackal 10
    15 November 2012 at 12:12 pm

    National to fund electric cars?

    Of course this is just more National party propaganda with the government actually doing nothing in the way of protection our environment…

  11. prism 11
    15 November 2012 at 12:53 pm

    Gavin Ellis on radionz before noon was scathing of the criticisms of Shearer by The Standard bloggers particularly because many are anonymous, mentioned Eddie and Irish Bill.

    Some editorials in published media are anonymous aren’t they? Surely the effort to express ideas referring to facts and with a reasonable scenario of future effects if someone remains as leader, shouldn’t mean that member of the public must be named. We do try to keep extreme opinions down to a few occasional curses. Being known can make life difficult when mixing with opposing family and at work etc when one is not a journalist and then it’s part of the job. And in some places they kill investigating journalists don’t they?

    • Jackal 11.1
      15 November 2012 at 1:18 pm

      Yep! In some places people are routinely killed for speaking out against the establishment. With David Farrar publicly calling for funding to be cut for RIANZ because of what Home Brew Crew said about John Key, is it any wonder that people want to retain anonymity when such a vindictive response is openly published, and agreed upon by lots of right wingers? ‘We don’t like what you say so tell us who you are so we can fuck you up’ doesn’t really cut the mustard as a valid argument if you ask me.

    • BLiP 11.2
      15 November 2012 at 1:25 pm

      .

      We’re all a bunch of big meanies . . . KKK according to Fran . . . hackers and terrorists according to Clare Curran. Watch out for increasing invective against “cyber bullies” and “Anonymous” and “blogs” followed by cross-party laws forbidding this or that or saying what you want. Step by step. The battle is on to quell the internet and reduce its status from that of the town square to little more than the inside of a shopping mall.

      • prism 11.2.1
        15 November 2012 at 4:05 pm

        Not the inside of a shopping mall. More like looking in a tea cup to see the future in the tea leaves, which are likely to reveal one’s own preferences.

    • Pascal's bookie 11.3
      15 November 2012 at 4:11 pm

      “Gavin Ellis”. Sounds fake to me.

    • Bill 11.4
      15 November 2012 at 6:36 pm

      Just listened to the 9 – noon segment.

      ‘The Standard’ being equated to ‘Pravda’ and the ‘Chinese Peoples Daily’?!

      Ideas thoughts and opinions to be given no weight…apparently the individuals behind the thought, opinion or idea is what matters?

      Crazy stuff.

      And to cap it off, Richard Long’s piece where he opines that DS ‘should be given a chance’ should have received more coverage because…because..erm…oh, that’s right…because it was written by Richard Long!

      Meanwhile, the opinions of Brian Edwards, Chris Trotter, Vernon Small et al, ain’t worth jackshit because…erm, well….just because they aint. Apparently..

      So all in all, I’d say “Well done!” to ‘Standard’ posters for getting the feel of people out there. Ellis essentially complained that there were 200+ comments on Eddies post because… well I don’t know why…must be something to do with it all all being anti-democratic. Or something.

  12. muzza 12
    15 November 2012 at 1:07 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/7945141/Trust-a-bank-like-a-fox-in-a-henhouse

    Unfortunately, interest-rate swaps have done serious harm to many farmers. The sale of swaps in New Zealand mirrors a scandal in Britain where banks have reportedly put aside £630 million (NZ$1223m) to compensate clients wrongly sold interest-rate swaps.

    Have they put aside taxpayer bailout funds, or just printed it off.

    There, a parliamentary committee on banking standards was formed to consider the issue and the Financial Services Authority stepped in to help customers get redress.

    Anything like this in NZ, perhaps Maggie Barry can chair it, she is/was on the finance & expenditure select committe, is obviously immensely knowledgeable, so why not!?

    Here, Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills has said farmers who suffered from using swaps have only themselves to blame. “At the end of the day I’m a great believer in buyer beware and personal responsibility,” he told interest.co.nz.

    Good to know that Bruce is in the pocket then, innit!

    Wonder if Auckalnd Council can get back some of the $167m it lost this year on the same swaps…./sarc

  13. aerobubble 13
    15 November 2012 at 1:29 pm

    Tasers not only take liberty away (normal police physical detainment with a bit of ruff and tumble and cuffs), but also remove freedom and happiness.

    Tasers remove the right to choose to come along peacefully.

    Tasers are kidnap, they remove even the freedom to control ones own body.

    Police should not be replacing routine physical detainment with tasers, this is a escalation in violence.
    Tasers are useful, they are purposed to lower physical harm to police officers, quite rightly, but only use in the most extreme cases, where a gun would have been used, or very great harm is likely to Police themselves.

    But worse, Tasers can be used by criminals in crime to effect criminality much easier than before, removing the chance of victims to retaliate.

    • TheContrarian 14.1
      15 November 2012 at 2:47 pm

      Jesus, sounds like it could have been written by Ralph Wiggun

      “These berries taste…burning”

      • Pascal's bookie 14.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 2:56 pm

        The Simpsons is a liberal plot.

        • ianmac 14.1.1.1
          15 November 2012 at 5:46 pm

          No doubt they will post on eating arsenic is quite good for you as long as you don’t eat too much. You will probably know it is too much children when you fall down dead. We Conservatives have wisdom you know.

          • Pascal's bookie 14.1.1.1.1
            15 November 2012 at 6:15 pm

            Well, there is a post about the royal commission of inquiry into sexual abuse, and the covering up of sexual abuse, within the Roman Catholic church in Australia.

            the post explains how this just goes to show how Christ like the priesthood, (and the holy mother church), really is.

            not kidding.

      • Rogue Trooper 14.1.2
        16 November 2012 at 11:37 am

        would that be Ralph “Wiggum” 🙂

    • PlanetOrphan 14.2
      15 November 2012 at 6:36 pm

      ?Afraid to much information might fry their brains and damage them emotionaly?
      For f’sake M8, knowledge is power u idiot(s).

      Don’t look directly at the sun ever … it burns your retinas morons.
      Look at it sideways and very briefly only once and sit in a dark room afterwards.
      If ya missed it ya missed it, get a pinhole thingy next time.

      • Pascal's bookie 14.2.1
        15 November 2012 at 6:56 pm

        IKR.

        The update is a moment of fucking zen. She didn;t get to kill the buddha tho, buddha done fried her eyes some. More with the making of the tea, godchild.

        But hey right. I’d be delighted to be surprised, but doubt that I would be, about what she would advise about teaching children the ‘dangers’ of sex and drugs.

        Lies to children, about staring at the fucking sun, are a teaching thing. You update shit, as child grows, or they update it themselves.

        Science, ffs.

        All science is taught on the ‘lies to children’ approach.

      • millsy 14.2.2
        15 November 2012 at 8:50 pm

        Reminds me of the time when I was a child, my father would warn me in no uncertain terms not to look at the light emitted by someone doing electric welding, I cannot remember what he said in his warning (apart from ‘dont look at the light’ in a raised voice), but I do know that I always avoid looking directly at someone welding to this day.

        • Jimmie 14.2.2.1
          15 November 2012 at 9:40 pm

          Your dad was correct – if you look at someone welding with unprotected eyes you will suffer what is known as ‘arc eye’.

          I’ve heard it described as a similar feeling to someone getting a hand full of sand and rubbing it into your eyes.

          Mild doses will heal but still not good for you.

  15. Colonial Viper 15
    15 November 2012 at 3:23 pm

    I see the Tories have managed to permanently fuck the train workshop down in Dunedin, by selling a bit of it off and closing the rest down.

    Very difficult for NZ to make its own rolling stock any more, even if a Labour Govt wanted to, because the capability has been destroyed.

    Smart old Tory strategy.

    • McFlock 15.1
      15 November 2012 at 3:57 pm

      Yeah.
         
      Tossers. 

    • the pink postman 15.2
      15 November 2012 at 4:06 pm

      Just announced that 90 workers have been sacked from NZ rail. .If we are to believe the polls this means they will go up,for the Nat’s . Pigs might fly!

    • Draco T Bastard 15.3
      15 November 2012 at 6:15 pm

      That would be normal Tory fuckwittedness – don’t make anything of value because it’s cheaper to import it.

    • millsy 15.4
      15 November 2012 at 7:23 pm

      Not to mention the fact that this is nothing less than an erosion of KR’s in-house heavy enginerring capcity.

      30 years ago we had Otahuhu, Hutt, Addington, Hillside and Eastown.

      How we just have Hutt — and even then they are going to probably take that apart…

      The Nats know better than to sell rail all at once — its going to be bit by bit.

  16. McFlock 16
    15 November 2012 at 3:56 pm

    Oh wow, Labour back up to 32.5% in Roy Morgan.
         
    I guess the posts saying that 29% wasn’t a blip, it was the beginning of the end, and so on, were all a bit Chicken Little.
       
    Not to say Labour doesn’t have issues it needs to sort out, but still…
         
    Of more interest is that Nat have gained 2% two polls running, which might be a bit worrying if it continues for the next one.  

    • fatty 16.1
      15 November 2012 at 4:08 pm

      Of more interest is that Nat have gained 2% two polls running, which might be a bit worrying if it continues for the next one.

      Yeah, National/MP/ACT/UF/Con up 0.5% and Lab/Green/NZF/Mana down 1%.
      The trend continues…fortunately there’s an opportunity this weekend

      Morgan poll.

      [lprent: added charts. The GCR isn’t good. Labour bounced back most of the last drop – but all of the potential coalition parties went down as well. The overall trend is done for left coalition. ]

    • lprent 16.2
      15 November 2012 at 5:15 pm

      Look at the GCR. That is the problem.

      Fortunately I suspect that Bill English has unexpectedly given us a boost. He is starting to sound like Muldoon when he blames that statisticians for reality being different from what he envisaged.

  17. Robert Atack 17
    15 November 2012 at 4:14 pm

    Can I do this?

    [lprent: I’ll let it through. ]

    David Shearer’s Column
    2012 November 14
    by Kapiti Independent Reporters
    Labour has the tools to deal with unemployment
    By David Shearer for the Kāpiti Independent

    On a recent visit to the West Coast, I caught up with some of the Spring Creek miners who’ve just lost their jobs.

    One miner who should be celebrating the arrival of his new-born son told me that he’s now worried about paying the bills, may lose his house and is considering moving his family away from Greymouth so he can find work.

    Another guy I spoke to moved back here from Australia so he could train as a miner. But 10 weeks into his apprenticeship, he had the rug pulled out from under him and he’s now out of a job.

    I’m hearing stories like this right across the country and last week, we were hit with the shocking new statistic that unemployment has now reached 7.3%. That’s the worst rate in 13 years, since National was last in Government.

    There are now 175,000 people unemployed. The situation is particularly dire for young Kiwis with one in four aged between 15 and 19 out of work. Māori and Pasifika families are being hit hard too with the unemployment rate topping 15%.

    The government says it’s a ‘blip’. It is simply throwing its hands in the air and saying ‘there’s nothing we can do’.

    Well I think there’s plenty we can do. Labour has some concrete ideas, including paying employers the equivalent of the dole if they’re prepared to take on apprentices. We’d require companies that win major government contracts to take on one apprentice for every $1 million of taxpayers’ money they receive.

    We would also give businesses tax breaks for research and development, so they can find new markets for their innovative ideas and create high-value jobs. We’d support the manufacturing and exporting sector by giving the Reserve Bank a wider mandate to tackle the high and volatile dollar.

    National’s path takes us towards fewer jobs, lower wages and more of our people heading to Australia.

    Labour’s path is about creating a new, clever economy – one where the Government backs businesses and workers.

    November 14, 2012

    Hi David
    I know you understand a lot of what I’m about to write, and the above comment is just you saying what you like to think (or hope) people want to hear.
    I am A-political – if thinking you are all useless and just mouth pieces for ‘the system’ is neutral?
    But I also understand you are a good and fair representation of ‘the masses’, as George Carlin says ” Garbage in garbage out”, politicians are just a reflection of selfish humans. We vote for whomever offers us the best for our immediate future.
    Having energy and climate change @ # 24 on your parties list of priorities is a clear give away that you are not focused on reality.

    As you know the world past peak oil back in 2005 – 6 as confirmed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k22q5KZibtI&feature=plcp (Dr Fatih Birol on National Radio) of which NZ is a paid up member, and someone you might have heard of or had personal dealings with, specifically Helen Clark, who said on 18-4-2006 at a parliamentary press conference “We’re probably not to far short of peak production, if not already there … and that concentrates the mind ….” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxIp5h0Xtuc . but as we have seen it didn’t concentrate anyone’s mind did it.

    Peak oil means peak growth, as we have witnessed globally since 2007-8, that heralds peak employment, from now on each time the global economy starts to pick up, it will hit the available energy ceiling, and that is why we are stuck with escalating unemployment.
    As an aside you must also understand that a growth based saving scheme like Kiwi Saver has a very limited future, if it is not already dead in the water?
    Talking up the chance of apprenticeships and growing employment is denial of these facts. But like I said, I know you are just giving the prolies want they want to hear.

    In the past 100 – 200 years we have dug up and injected back into the atmosphere several periods worth of ‘global warming’ gasses, it has only been the slowly (but speeding up) melting ice that has protected us from total climate devastation (think Sandy) . I guess as we are so far past the point of no return, it will not change what is set in motion anyway, so we might as well mine baby mine, and lets forget Kyoto 2, which National are totally happy with.
    I might think you are listening if you take over the portfolios of energy and climate change, to give them the priority they deserve. or at least move Moana up your list.
    Maybe you could start telling the truth, that will defiantly set a precedent, but as I found out back in 2005 you don’t get any votes 😉 Maybe you could start talking about the power of communities, how when the chips are down it is your neighbours you will eventually have to rely on.
    My website is full of letters from previous ministers of energy, from Pete Hodgson to Gerry Brownlee all of who are saying peak oil (according to the IEA), will not happen until 2035 – 37, if Labour are still in this mind set then heaven help us.
    I am happy to send you several documentaries on DVD that back up what I am saying.

  18. fisiani 18
    15 November 2012 at 5:21 pm

    Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a rise in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National Party to 45.5% (up 2% since October 8-21, 2012). Support for Key’s Coalition partners shows the Maori Party 2% (down 1.5%), ACT NZ 0.5% (unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (up 0.5%).

    Support for Labour is 32.5% (up 3.5%); Greens are 10.5% (down 2.5%), New Zealand First 5% (down 2.5 %), Mana Party 1% (up 0.5%), Conservative Party of NZ 1.5% (down 0.5) and Others 1% (up 0.5%).

    If a National Election were held today this NZ Roy Morgan Poll says it would be too close to call.

    So is the rise in Labour support due to the magnificent leadership of David Shearer or the leftward lurch of the Labour party as advocated here many a time to win back support that had drifted to the Watermelon Greens or the xenophobic Winston Firsts

  19. BM 19
    15 November 2012 at 6:34 pm

    How can the Nova pay system cost the taxpayer 30 million dollars?
    There’s no well in hell it costs 30 million to develop a pay roll system, what the fuck is it with government and IT.
    Who’s getting a kick back?

    • PlanetOrphan 19.1
      15 November 2012 at 6:40 pm

      It’s to cover all the implementation penalties M8!

    • McFlock 19.2
      15 November 2012 at 6:46 pm

      It doesn’t seem inconsistent pricing for a large scale system. We’re not talking about setting up an MSAccess db for a one-site shop.
         
      How much do you think it should have cost?

      • PlanetOrphan 19.2.1
        15 November 2012 at 7:01 pm

        An off the self system could have been implemented incrementally for $5000 per school.

        And that would be expensive from memory.

        How many schools where there 10,000 + – ?

        Probably wrote NovaPay in Pearl …. Freakin Morons M8’s!

        • PlanetOrphan 19.2.1.1
          15 November 2012 at 7:14 pm

          I wonder if they need a regexp expert …. $150/hour M8! 😀

          Supporting Open Source my ass M8!.
          The Gnats’ thought they could do it on the cheap M8!

        • McFlock 19.2.1.2
          15 November 2012 at 9:02 pm

          2.5K schools.   
             
          So at $5k / school, that’s a little over twice your estimate. Then there’s the fact that a lot of the problems aren’t to do with site-by-site implementation, but rather it’s multi-user/multisite issues. Scaling, in other words. 
                 
          At a surface level, it looks to me like the contractor thought they could just OTS one of their existing products and make a killing, but didn’t realise the effect of issues around things like complex leave calculations for teachers, or the HR organisation of the education sector is more complex.
               
          And the state of the public service at the moment means that for issues to be identified and solved an IT-savvy liaison needs to have enough time to follow the development process properly, be around long enough to fully understand what was agreed, and have a vested interest in exposing the problem rather than just leaving it under the rug until they get moved on.
                  

          • PlanetOrphan 19.2.1.2.1
            15 November 2012 at 9:21 pm

            Indeed, well said M8!

          • Jimmie 19.2.1.2.2
            15 November 2012 at 9:46 pm

            I dunno why it would cost $5K a school?

            In our business we use ACE Payroll which is so simple to use (Everything in big font and simple English), costs around $200 per year for ongoing support, and even if each school purchased it and paid their own teachers it would be a whole lot cheaper.

            Sometimes I think IT folk just like adding zeros on when invoicing for IT work.

            (No offence lp)

      • BM 19.2.2
        15 November 2012 at 7:06 pm

        Well you have to ask, it’s a pay roll system, why the need to build one from scratch and what was so wrong with the previous system that it needed to be scrapped and a new one created?
        Why couldn’t an existing system be adapted this has a bit of an INCIS stink to it.

        • PlanetOrphan 19.2.2.1
          15 November 2012 at 7:11 pm

          So the Gnats’ can follow through on their threats against the Teachers Union of course M8!

  20. Rogue Trooper 20
    15 November 2012 at 7:34 pm

    comparison to Pravda; now that is interesting. 🙂
    maybe people may start to focus less on their hair etc and more on global socio-political events before the mandatory haircut.

  21. PlanetOrphan 21
    15 November 2012 at 7:35 pm

    Anyone want a stack smashing lesson? 👿
    It’s quite easy …. overwrite the stack pointer (a register) with a value …. preferably a lower one.
    This happens when regexp gets alot more data than it was expecting …. say 10K worth , that’s how you smash pearl people.

  22. fatty 22
    15 November 2012 at 7:46 pm

    Can someone please explain why I hear the claim that neoliberalism was discredited with the global financial crisis, and that John Key & Co are the only ones still with the neoliberal ideology.
    Have other countries really moved away from neoliberalism? I know that there has been austerity…maybe a bit more regulation, but isn’t this just the same old shite?
    Or is the argument that the GFC discredited neoliberism rather than changed it? I can only really see a stronger version of neoliberalism today, compared to 2007.

    • Colonial Viper 22.1
      15 November 2012 at 8:18 pm

      There is a slow ground shift in academic and policy discourse, but the economists and politicians who have power are still buying into the orthodoxy. Unfortunately, true change is not likely to happen until this particular generation passes on. In the final analysis, the wealthy are simply looking for ideological, theoretical and political vehicles with which to protect their elite privilege.

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