Open mike 17/06/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 17th, 2024 - 37 comments
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37 comments on “Open mike 17/06/2024 ”

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  1. Tony Veitch 1
    17 June 2024 at 8:04 am

    What's the bet Luxon finds the money down the back of the couch for an upgrade of the VIP Airforce plane!

    We can't have the PM embarrassed on the international stage – but we can let cancer patients suffer and die.

    It is, after all, a matter of choices!

    • dv 1.1
      17 June 2024 at 8:13 am

      What's wrong with commercial flights?

      • Kay 1.1.1
        17 June 2024 at 8:56 am

        Sorry, I can't find the links I was hoping for, but 2 of the big reasons appear to be it being a "security nightmare", plus the number of people (delegates and press) that always accompany the PM.

          • Matiri 1.1.1.1.1
            17 June 2024 at 5:24 pm

            One of the 52 delegates is Greg Foran – Air NZ CEO. Was able to rustle up 50 empty seats and divert a Narita bound flight to Brisbane to pick them all up!

            • thinker 1.1.1.1.1.1
              17 June 2024 at 5:40 pm

              Journalists should be noting in their diaries for the final bill coming out or at the latest the government's travel bill stats.

              The lions share ought to show up on luxons own account since he diverted a plane just for himself and 3 others.

              What an embarrassment for NZ (the flights I mean).

              Strange logic about "security nightmare" as the Royal Family use commercial flights, no probs. I'd put my money on the "Come join me on NZ Airforce One" buzz for certain people who now have (at best) egg on their face.

              Will the government have to pay for Air New Zealand's CEOs ticket on Air NZ?

        • dv 1.1.1.2
          17 June 2024 at 9:25 am

          ok I suppose that's a good reason.

    • Bruce 1.2
      17 June 2024 at 8:36 am

      Looks like the plane has more insight regarding carrying dead weight than NZ voters.

    • Tiger Mountain 1.3
      17 June 2024 at 9:38 am

      In reality PMs do have to do international travel and take various hangers on. Easier logistics for media, ministry officials and business to travel together. So…what about a dedicated leased modern AirNZ plane?

      Luxury Luxon might like his own ‘rock star’ style private jet and let the others make their own arrangements–but he would expect us taxpayers to fund it.

      • Cricklewood 1.3.1
        17 June 2024 at 10:45 am

        Dont think Air NZ has enough working planes to meet their own demand. Goes back to the issue with the Rolls Royce engines.

        Realistically we need to replace the existing, hopefully it would be something we could get cross party consensus on.

        • Bearded Git 1.3.1.1
          17 June 2024 at 10:58 am

          Hugely expensive to replace the planes Crick, and then they sit around unused for most of the time.

          Much cheaper for the country if Luxon an other pollies and their entourages fly first class everywhere on Air New Zealand. At least we own half of this so the exchequer will get some of the profits.

          • Graeme 1.3.1.1.1
            17 June 2024 at 12:12 pm

            The airforce fleet has a fairly high utilisation, but there's a minimal fleet so they don't have much cover if something breaks.

            The aircraft also serve to train people to operate and maintain them, so even when they are on the ground the aircraft are 'working'. That training component implies that the ideal airframe for RNZAF's needs may not be the latest new built kit but something to give maintainers something to do. The 757s, like the 727s before them certainly fill that role.

          • Cricklewood 1.3.1.1.2
            17 June 2024 at 12:24 pm

            Without doubt its expensive, Im not convinced flying commercial is the answer either given the often unusual itenaries on the trips and having a functional defense force passenger plane would surely be invaluable in the event of a natural disaster either here of the pacific to get people in and out.

            • Bearded Git 1.3.1.1.2.1
              17 June 2024 at 3:40 pm

              Crick-It's a problem of small nations really. Australia would also only need such plane for the PM and entourage and yet its GDP is seven times that of NZ.

              • Cricklewood …
                18 June 2024 at 7:12 am

                Did hear on the radio we're also using it to get people / gear in and out of Antarctica.

      • alwyn 1.3.2
        17 June 2024 at 6:18 pm

        "Luxury Luxon might like his own ‘rock star’ style private jet".

        Really? When did he ever say this?

        The only New Zealand Prime Minister I can remember who wanted a plane dedicated to providing travel for the incumbent PM was Helen Clark. She was also the last one who used first class travel for overseas trips.

        She backed off very, very rapidly when the public reaction to the proposal surfaced. It did not go down very well at all.

    • David 1.4
      17 June 2024 at 9:51 am

      I don’t see the problem with the government of New Zealand having a airforce jet to fly senior state officials to important overseas state events. Irrespective of which party is in power.

      New Zealanders in general really need to grow up and start acting like adults

      • Bearded Git 1.4.1
        17 June 2024 at 11:03 am

        David-see my post above re flying first class on Air NZ.

        I bet you are one of the people constantly whinging about the previous government spending $51 million investigating a cycle bridge over the harbour, but now you propose to waste far more money than that on an incredibly expensive plane. Grow Up!

        • David 1.4.1.1
          17 June 2024 at 12:45 pm

          Air NZ fly scheduled flights, they don’t have first class, and only limited business class seats are available on each flight.

          Added to the above, Air NZ wont fly direct to many destinations we need our state officials to go to. Airlines usually need permission from the host country to land at places they don’t normally fly scheduled flights to.

          An RNZAF flight carrying NZ state officials will be automatically cleared to land where the host country will allow. The RNZAF airplane carrying NZ State officials may have other protections than a commercial airline will not.

          I have no interest in cycle bridges and was not aware it was up for discussion

    • Bill Drees 1.5
      17 June 2024 at 11:30 am

      They use the Air Force jet, rather than commercial flights, because the cost of flying a bevy of jourmalists is not exposed. If they used commercial flights they either have to pay for the journos or risk no media coverage. The journos are complicit in the BS.

    • observer 1.6
      17 June 2024 at 2:21 pm

      I wouldn't object to the government spending money on a long-term option, subject to proper scrutiny. It makes no difference if the PM is Luxon or Hipkins, Ardern, Key … it's a recurring problem. Needs fixing.

      What I do object to is the bullshit politics from Luxon in opposition, which goes straight in the memory shredder as soon as he becomes PM. Like so many other Luxon promises, they were false.

      "This latest kerfuffle has seen National leader Christopher Luxon pledging to fly commercial or charter planes for any overseas trips he takes should he become prime minister at this year’s election."

      The New Zealand PM’s ancient plane is embarrassing – but an upgrade risks too much of a backlash | Henry Cooke | The Guardian

    • SPC 1.7
      17 June 2024 at 3:46 pm

      The Australians will have two spare planes in July.

      The Federal Government will spend more than $450 million for two new Boeing 737 business jets from unspent money in last year’s Defence’s budget for flying the Prime Minister and his Cabinet around, The Australian has reported.

      The jets are due to be delivered in July, replacing two 20-year-old Boeing 737s, and will be used by the Prime Minister, the Governor-General and other government ministers.

      https://thenightly.com.au/politics/taxpayers-to-pay-450m-for-anthony-albaneses-two-new-luxury-boeing-737-business-jets–c-14723362

    • tWig 1.8
      17 June 2024 at 4:25 pm

      We've been here before, this is not the first breakdown. Is it really worth discussing by the media, except as an aside. What happened in the political meetings beforehand? Smoke and mirrors by the media to cover the thinness of international policy coverage .

  2. SPC 2
    17 June 2024 at 11:38 am

    A study about the Five Eyes shared information system has come to us of the public.

    That border checks can include devices was a known, this explains the architecture being built.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2024/06/the-truth-about-the-shadowy-migration-5-and-what-they-know-about-you.html

    One can only wonder about bio-metrics and personal electronic device ID and the direction of people to phone banking (needing an identified phone to use cards online). So the system can include those who do not travel.

    The NSA uses the term "Treasure Map" for a reason.

    Beyond it is police digital photo records (DNA/fingerprints), the public street CCTV etc and NW suburban street cameras.

    Privacy is now offline and inside the home.

    PS Warning – there is high tech for gangstalking people in the home.

    • aj 2.1
      17 June 2024 at 12:27 pm

      Nothing in this new report surprises me. Ever since the Snowden whistleblower leaks and 5 Eyes, it's obvious our 'privacy' has been totally compromised.

    • roblogic 3.1
      17 June 2024 at 12:05 pm

      Marama Davidson will be taking a few months off for health reasons.

    • Ad 3.2
      17 June 2024 at 1:15 pm

      Shoutout to Marama the most humane and empathic MP we have.

      Kia kaha Marama.

      • observer 3.2.1
        17 June 2024 at 2:09 pm

        Seconded. All aroha to her.

        And credit for using the press conference and her own case to encourage more women to get checked. One high profile headline in the news is worth any number of ads. She might have saved a life today.

      • Patricia Bremner 3.2.2
        17 June 2024 at 3:54 pm

        Yes, all the very best for a full recovery. yes

  4. Descendant Of Smith 4
    17 June 2024 at 12:57 pm

    Bunch of fuckwits.

    "The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden's presidency, Reuters found – even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation. The Biden White House issued an edict in spring 2021 banning the anti-vax effort, which also disparaged vaccines produced by other rivals, and the Pentagon initiated an internal review, Reuters found.

    A senior Defense Department official acknowledged the US military engaged in secret propaganda to disparage China's vaccine in the developing world, but the official declined to provide details."

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2024/06/investigation-pentagon-ran-secret-anti-vax-campaign-in-the-philippines-to-undermine-china-during-covid-pandemic.html

  5. lprent 5
    17 June 2024 at 2:20 pm

    That was odd. All of a sudden my internal network went off. Everything looked like it was working.

    That included the network gateway for the server, therefore the standard web server.

    Rebooted the network switch and everything came back online.

    Adding a backup switch now and changing the cable routing to remove the single single point of failure.

  6. SPC 6
    17 June 2024 at 4:05 pm

    Spanish more to solar panels for their homes.

    It’s interesting they have done this before much take up of heat pumps (cooling in summer).

    And think they need to move to battery storage (for the grid) now, despite still having a low EV take up

    They are looking at battery storgae but

    https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czkkgnp1d2xo