Open mike 16/05/2010

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 16th, 2010 - 15 comments
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15 comments on “Open mike 16/05/2010 ”

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  1. just saying 1
    16 May 2010 at 10:03 am

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3702807/John-Key-Man-in-the-hot-seat

    My heart sank when I read the above. Hell, if the Mcgillicuddy Serious Party could spin this well it could be a contender for government in 2011. And the timing is impeccable.

    I realise this is another example of of media ass-liking – the patsy questions chosen (and too often, the weakly worded nature of the non-patsy questions picked). But this peice of slick uber-manipulation is a perfect example of what the left is up against in Key.

    And it chills me to my bones

  2. Lazy Susan 2
    16 May 2010 at 10:04 am

    John Key looks like he’s in no danger of growing a spine any time soon judging by his response to the Sunday Star Times revelation that the Hotchins are living the high life in Hawaii.

    Having wiped out the life savings of thousands of hard working New Zealanders Mark Hotchin is currently holidaying with his family at a $43,000 per month rented home in the resort of Kahala, Hawaii.

    Shon Key had refused to comment on whether the high-class holiday was a good look but did know about Kahala “It’s very flash there, very nice” he said.

    Come on John what about standing up for those “hard working Kiwi’s” you are always prattling on about. Or are you frightened of pissing off your bosses.

  3. freedom 3
    16 May 2010 at 10:06 am

    “American authorities, who engaged in a frantic operation with the British oil giant involving 5,000 vessels and millions of miles of plastic booms to try to contain the leak on the surface, believe the spill now covers an area of about 3,650 square miles of ocean.” – NZ herald, Cahal Milmo 15/05

    spot the ridiculously innaccurate statement which only highlights the low quality of fact checking in today’s journalism
    hint: Earth’s circumference is 24,901 miles, 40075.16 km

    so The Herald, which cannot even bother including a metric conversion is saying there are enough booms in place to wrap around the Earth Eighty times.
    (millions being read as a minimum of two million)

  4. Jenny 4
    16 May 2010 at 10:14 am

    An announcement of an interesting ECOFEST public event.

  5. Descendant Of Smith 5
    16 May 2010 at 2:41 pm

    Hmmmmmmm

    In what is looming as another public relations predicament for Goldman Sachs, the banking giant admitted today that it made “a substantial financial bet against the Gulf of Mexico” one day before the sinking of an oil rig in that body of water.

    The new revelations came to light after government investigators turned up new emails from Goldman employee Fabrice “Fabulous Fab” Tourre in which he bragged to a girlfriend that the firm was taking a “big short” position on the Gulf.

    “One oil rig goes down and we’re going to be rolling in dough,” Mr. Tourre wrote in one email. “Suck it, fishies and birdies!”

  6. mike appleby 6
    16 May 2010 at 3:03 pm

    Q&A this am…Roger Douglas spouting on how outrageous it is tha7 10% of New Zealanders pay 70% of tax…quite oblivious to the other side of that argument..10% of New Zealanders earn 70% of income..the inequality there would not even register would it. How does one get so one eyed.

  7. Draco T Bastard 7
    16 May 2010 at 4:15 pm

    Interesting post over @ Red Alert on the SuperCity.

  8. joe bloggs 8
    16 May 2010 at 5:47 pm

    http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/q-phil-goff-interview-3543882

    GUYON ESPINER – interviewer
    …can you say that Labour would restore the general level of GST back to 12ý%, should you be elected in 2011?

    PHIL GOFF – Opposition Leader
    No I can’t make that promise…

    so much for “Axe the Tax” and Mr 7%

    • r0b 8.1
      16 May 2010 at 6:13 pm

      Axe the tax. Don’t put it up. Leave it where it is.

      That way the next Labour government won’t have to decide later whether it’s possible to reverse the increase – the question won’t arise. You’re right, politically Goff should just promise the earth (tax cuts North of $50) and then renege. But he has too much integrity. Unlike some.

      Simple really. Glad I could help.

    • mickysavage 8.2
      16 May 2010 at 6:31 pm

      These CT lines are pretty good. They make the indefensible almost defensible.

      I can guarantee that when the legislation is introduced to increase GST on Thursday Labour will vote against it. Hopefully all the other parties will as well although I am not holding my breath about ACT or the poodle (Dunne).

      The Maori Party may come through. The Greens and Anderton are sure to vote with Labour.

      In 18 months when Labour regains power it will review the books and see what sort of financial shape the country is in. It is entirely possible that like last time it will take decisions to increase the amount of tax the wealthy pay. Whether this means that GST will be decreased will depend on the circumstances at the time.

      Please can all wingnuts stop suggesting that Phil’s reluctance to say what fiscal decisions will be made in 18 months time mean that the current Government’s decision is somehow right.

  9. Herodotus 9
    16 May 2010 at 7:53 pm

    Houston we have a problem. On posting re Tau I get when resubmitting a contribution that “Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”, yet there is no record of the comment when I review, I am lost !!!

  10. Quoth the Raven 10
    16 May 2010 at 8:29 pm

    US actors, intellectuals protest Obama ‘crimes’

    NEW YORK — US actors and liberal intellectuals joined a list to be published Friday of nearly 2,000 people accusing President Barack Obama of allowing human rights violations and war crimes.

    “Crimes are crimes, no matter who does them,” the statement reads over pictures of Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush due to appear in the New York Review of Books.

    I couldn’t find the statement at the New York Review of Books it must only be in the print version. Then we also have this in the usually apologetic New York Times no less: The Threat to Miranda

    For nearly nine years, the threat of international terrorism has fueled a government jackhammer, cutting away at long-established protections of civil liberties. It has been used to justify warrantless wiretapping, an expansion of the state secrets privilege in federal lawsuits, the use of torture, and the indefinite detention of people labeled enemy combatants. None of these actions were necessary to fight terrorism, and neither is a dubious Obama administration proposal to loosen the Miranda rules when questioning terror suspects and to delay presenting suspects to a judge.

    A change to a fundamental constitutional protection like Miranda should not be tossed out on a Sunday talk show with few details and a gauzy justification. If Attorney General Eric Holder really wants to change the rules, he owes the public a much better explanation.

    I know the leftist sycophants don’t like me going on and on about Obama, but it’s good to see that Americans are finally waking up.

  11. prism 11
    16 May 2010 at 9:24 pm

    Re 15/5 caption contest at end of comments. Who is this philu? 13 comments with nothing much in them? Is this fat for clogging the pipes? Takes up a lot of space and I couldn’t find a joke either.

    • mickysavage 11.1
      16 May 2010 at 9:42 pm

      You should read what philu does to Farrar’s Open Mike comments. He drives the wingnuts spare. I have this sneaky admiration for the guy.

      Captcha funny!

  12. Draco T Bastard 12
    16 May 2010 at 11:59 pm

    Missed this over at Scoop.

    It is becoming clearer by the day that National’s changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme are unaffordable, ineffective and unsustainable, says Labour’s Climate Change Issues spokesperson Charles Chauvel.

    Nick Smith has now admitted that the number of companies eligible for an initial taxpayer subsidy to continue to emit greenhouse gases has ballooned from around 65 under the original scheme to about 800.

    So, NACTs subsidy to business from the taxpayers keeps on getting bigger. Meanwhile they’re cutting taxes on the rich (the people most likely to benefit from the Polluters Subsidy) and dumping more taxes on the poor.

    Yeah, a government for hard working NZers – NOT!