Open mike 18/07/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 18th, 2024 - 36 comments
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36 comments on “Open mike 18/07/2024 ”

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  1. Dennis Frank 1
    18 July 2024 at 6:38 am

    The GP's lawyer has released her report:

    investigator Rachel Burt said she heavily doubted the credibility of both Tana and husband Christian Hoff-Neilsen, saying the evidence provided was "lengthy and often unclear"… Burt opined that it was "more likely than not" that Tana was aware of several allegations of migrant worker exploitation made against Hoff-Neilsen's business and that she was "operationally involved" in the e-bike business over a long period.

    Burt's investigation was not asked to review the substance of the allegations but to establish when Tana became aware of the claims, what actions she took, how involved she was with the business, and whether she informed the Green Party of the disputes. https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/17/green-party-releases-summary-of-darleen-tana-investigation/

    "Darleen described herself as a founder of the business in her CV provided to the Green Party 2022 and talked about the e-bike business as being her business in her candidate profile," Burt said in the report. "While, in her interviews with me, Darleen said from the outset, the business was Christian’s business, I find she was integrally involved from the early days as it developed into a much larger business stretched across multiple stores.

    "I find she became a 50% shareholder and director in recognition of her contribution to the business, and that over these years of 2014 to 2019 the business was a family business with Christian and Darleen heavily involved in all aspects of the business." Burt's investigation also concluded Tana worked both front of house with customers, assisting with basic repairs and sales, and undertook the more back office functions such as payroll, contracts, liaison with suppliers, and accounts.

    That does give the Greens a sound basis for ejecting her, so now she can provide her side of the story to the public if she wants to save her reputation. If she did relinquish her involvement in the business when she entered parliament, natural justice requires her to account for whatever migrant exploitation happened regardless. I suppose she could defer that until the complainants go to court though.

    • mikesh 1.1
      18 July 2024 at 9:23 am

      I see from this morning's paper that the business has now gone into liquidation, so it looks as if the business may not have been viable without the exploitation. So perhaps it may have been a case of no business no jobs.

    • Ad 1.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:18 pm

      If Swarbrick waits until the Green AGM to put to members to expell, Greens will be slapped around in Parliament next week.

      Really useful to keep sustained tactical leak of report to media, to ensure when they finally stick the fork in Darleen they'll know she's done.

      Slow weekly leak is the standard manoevre.

      • weka 1.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:33 pm

        you make it sound like CS can do what she wants. She can't (or she could, but it would cause another whole set of problems in the party).

        • bwaghorn 1.2.1.1
          18 July 2024 at 1:36 pm

          So not really the leader, more 1 of the head spokes people.

          • weka 1.2.1.1.1
            18 July 2024 at 1:51 pm

            co-leader of a caucus that uses a form of consensus decision making, which sits within a wider party that has particular processes for making decisions that stop leaders from being able to do stupid shit. It's a form of democracy that shares power rather than centering it on one person.

            • Obtrectator 1.2.1.1.1.1
              18 July 2024 at 2:06 pm

              It's a fine way of making policy and reaching decisions that are not time-critical, and mostly I'm wholly in favour of it. But in a crisis, you often can't afford all that faffing around. Sometimes the leadership has to have "somewhat of monarchical in it". It's why you have leaders in the first place.

              • weka …
                18 July 2024 at 4:56 pm

                I agree, but this isn't an immediate crisis and there are good reasons not to override protocol when under pressure.

      • Dennis Frank 1.2.2
        18 July 2024 at 1:37 pm

        Sensible advice but I'll be surprised if they apply it. They seem stuck in ideological stance-driven postures. Using a time-tested strategy is too much like realpolitik to them I suspect. However their poll rating continues to hold up, so they will confidently feel that they are doing politics effectively…

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    18 July 2024 at 6:48 am

    The govt dog triad uses Cerberus as model. He guarded the gates of hell in the minds of the ancient Greeks. Another of the three heads barked recently:

    he called himself an “old-fashioned lefty” on the New Zealand Herald’s The front page podcast on Friday. https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/17-07-2024/is-david-seymour-who-he-claims-to-be-an-old-fashioned-lefty

    He's so naive he still believes in education. Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops – forcing kiwi bike shop businesses to employ migrants instead – he needs to think again.

    If he really is an old lefty he will get the govt to subsidise this, that & the other. He can use Helen Clark as a model. Subsidising a hip-hop tour to the USA was a brilliant idea. Clearly the yanks didn't have a clue about how to do hip-hop, so they needed kiwis to go over there to show them how. The parallel with Rocket Lab & NASA is obvious.

    • Ad 2.1
      18 July 2024 at 1:19 pm

      I'm so old-school I believe in education.

    • SPC 2.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:41 pm

      Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops

      An unsubstantiated reckon.

      If there was a shortage of local bike mechanics, there would be a work visa – it was because the employee was not able to work in the job, they could be exploited (below MW …).

      For a local (getting more than the MW in Auckland) there would still be the issue of affording local housing cost on Waiheke Island, or travel over each day.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 2:32 pm

        Yep. I would say there was no shortage of NZ Bike Mechanics. More like the Bikes and Beyond clown show didnt want to pay (well, as proven anyway !) Kiwi Workers. And "thought" they could get away ripping off migrants : (

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 2.3
      18 July 2024 at 2:19 pm

      Given that the system has trained young kiwis to prefer a career on the dole to working in bike shops – forcing kiwi bike shop businesses to employ migrants instead – he needs to think again.

      FFS ! Are you channelling Bill English and sir Key?

      IMO you were/are pretty disingenuous….or maybe just trolling?

      • Dennis Frank 2.3.1
        18 July 2024 at 3:55 pm

        Think what you like. I'd go for an alternative explanation if anyone were capable of producing it. All I've seen over the years is a total lack – from the msm as well, not just from leftists. Evidence-based would suffice…

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3
    18 July 2024 at 8:40 am

    The NACTFirst Govt and their Climate "Plan" is of course, nothing more than a fob off, Promise everything/Do the absolute minimum…and let them Future people sort it..as usual.

    Those who actually know say…

    The Government is facing heat over its draft emissions reduction plan – with climate experts saying it ignores decades of advice, places too much faith in technology that does not exist and will result in higher emissions.

    Massey University professor emeritus Ralph Sims was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for five major climate mitigation reports.

    the science is very strong and we know we're getting more extreme [weather] events.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/522424/greenhouse-plan-not-realistic-places-nz-reputation-at-risk-experts

    On that, I found this an interesting read……

    How much of our extreme weather is due to climate change?

    a branch of science was born: extreme event attribution studies, or climate attribution for short.

    2023: the year of storms

    The project team worked out that 10–15 per cent more rain fell because of global warming.

    And ( I, and I'm sure most aware people are also)

    Professor Myles Allen

    says climate change is overwhelmingly caused by four products: coal, oil, gas, and cement. Those products are made and sold by fewer than 100 companies.

    “So that's where we need to focus the conversation.”

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/2018936992/how-much-of-our-extreme-weather-is-due-to-climate-change

  4. PsyclingLeft.Always 4
    18 July 2024 at 9:18 am

    And straight from the Tobacco Industries spokesperson Casey….

    NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products

    However, someone who I actually respect :

    Janet Hoek, a Professor of Public Health at the University of Otago, told RNZ that the move seemed weighted in favour of the tobacco industry.

    "Certainly that is something that tobacco companies would have been keen to see happen," Hoek said. "This is not advice that is coming from the Ministry (of Health). It certainly seems to be advice that is suiting tobacco industry interests."

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/522429/nz-first-minister-casey-costello-orders-50-percent-cut-to-excise-tax-on-heated-tobacco-products

    Big Tobacco sure getting their moneys worth ….: (

  5. Karolyn_IS 5
    18 July 2024 at 12:52 pm

    Ah, well, as many of us expected, it's back to the future with our current govt. An increase in unhelpful beneficiary sanctioning. As Ricardo Menéndez March says, it'll just make it harder for those sanctioned to make ends meet and get out of poverty.

    Meanwhile increasing numbers of people are on benefits making jobs harder to get.

    • weka 5.1
      18 July 2024 at 12:55 pm

      this is madness. I want to know how all the layoffs play into this. I really don't understand policy that makes so many people redundant and then sanctions people that can't get a job anyway. What is the point?

      • Barfly 5.1.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:06 pm

        "The cruelty is the point" – Adam Serwer

        • weka 5.1.1.1
          18 July 2024 at 1:33 pm

          hard to reach any other conclusion.

          • aj 5.1.1.1.1
            18 July 2024 at 6:59 pm

            Willis et al would probably have some talking points for cover, like it's an opportunity for a career change and an improvement in earning potential. But they couldn't give a flying f**k, it's a basic lack of empathy.

            • weka 5.1.1.1.1.1
              18 July 2024 at 7:22 pm

              I just keep thinking all those redundant workers are doing to take up the jobs and the people down the 'skills ladder' get pushed further down and then onto the dole.

    • SPC 5.2
      18 July 2024 at 1:54 pm

      Payment reductions are only really appropriate for those living at home with parents.

      For others it impacts on whether they can remain housed, pay bills etc. Then it would be more appropriate to place them on a spending card (at full payment) for a time.

      Their other nonsense is taking money out of a benefit to pay back debts to W and I – these should be paid back on obtaining employment.

      • Karolyn_IS 5.2.1
        18 July 2024 at 1:57 pm

        Good points. I have an idea there may be problems with spending cards. But that goes back to my memories of the last Nat-led govt. Especially agree with your last point.

    • Rolling-on-Gravel 5.3
      19 July 2024 at 1:41 am

      This is why I consider Upston worse than Simmonds – Upston has to go.

      She has previously said heinous stuff about beneficiaries before especially cancer patients and it may be likely that she will make that particular dream come true someday soon.

  6. SPC 6
    18 July 2024 at 2:00 pm

    It seems that states in Oz are taking safe staffing on hospital wards seriously.

    Over 10,000 locals registering with them in the past year – to well over 20,000 in total.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/17/its-just-better-why-kiwi-nurses-are-moving-to-australia/

  7. Mike the Lefty 7
    18 July 2024 at 2:24 pm

    The media have been crowing about falling inflation.

    The National government is taking credit for it whilst in reality it has just been the beneficiary of extraordinary good luck.

    A bumper produce crop for the last season sees vegetables and some fruit the lowest prices they have been for three years.

    Meat prices have fallen, slightly.

    Building construction costs have fallen slightly.

    The price of crude oil has fallen a bit over the last year.

    None of which is under National's control, anymore than it was under Labour's.

    Not that it stops National from claiming the credit for it, of course.

    Balanced of course by rising rates, double digit rates rises for most areas of the country. New prescription fees, new RUCs and if the rumour is correct, new RUCs will be introduced to ALL vehicles. Huge increases in insurance premiums. Doctors fees will also probably be rising in the next few months. Rents still rising well above the rate of inflation and (as we expected) NOT falling after National reinstated interest rates subsidies for landlords. The promised tax cuts will not compensate for all this.

    One thing I heard on Morning Report yesterday interested me: On their business news an economist stated that although overseas-sourced inflation is slowing, domestic inflation is still higher than it should be.

    That bit of news has been kept pretty quiet by people who don't want National's (dodgy) reputation as economic wizards put under the microscope.

    • SPC 7.1
      18 July 2024 at 2:39 pm

      Domestic inflation is 5% – 4.5% rent, 10% rates – 15% insurance. Tradeables inflation is now near zero. But is now at c1% per quarter – so will come down to 4%. Thus the current 3.3 will come down to under 3%.

      The main driver is now lack of infrastructure (water for councils, for government old age care, school and hospital building and social housing) investment cost and climate change (and earthquake) threat to insurers and shortage in public health delivery (primary and hospital staffing).

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.2
      18 July 2024 at 2:43 pm

      I guess it depends on why inflation is falling. I'm no economist, but a collapse in consumer demand would act against inflation I expect. And people don't spend when jobs and government spending are being slashed.

    • aj 7.3
      18 July 2024 at 7:34 pm

      .. new RUCs and if the rumour is correct, new RUCs will be introduced to ALL vehicles.

      This is a very interesting 18 minute discussion and it sounds like being a far from simple exercise. My PHEV does about 50km on battery, fair enough for RUC to apply, but any longer trip I'm paying both RUC and fuel taxes.

      What would road user charges for all cars look like?

      Mark Stockdale principal technical advisor at the Motor Industry Association and Terry Collins, principal adviser in the transport policy and advocacy team at the Automobile Association, both join Kathryn for a discussion on the challenges to a universal RUC system.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018947149/what-would-road-user-charges-for-all-cars-look-like

  8. SPC 8
    18 July 2024 at 2:45 pm

    It is sort of right to direct Pharmac to prioritise drugs to getting people work capable (ACC does this with by funding health care).

    The question is whether this is at the expense of the supply of drugs to others.

    This problem is avoided by funding it separately, or having this money come from ACC (including sickness where it impacts a workers ability to continue in work).

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/07/18/govts-pharmac-directive-could-exacerbate-inequity-expert/

    • KJT 8.1
      18 July 2024 at 4:38 pm

      It is called. "Eugenics". Something which should have been dustbinned in the past.

      • aj 8.1.1
        18 July 2024 at 7:44 pm

        "Eugenics"

        The ACT party has called for Pharmac to take a “productivity focus” to decisions on who gets funded medicine.

        “A lot of the treatments and the innovations being brought forward can actually deliver economic benefits because you’re treating people who can work longer or go back to work when that wasn’t possible.”

        “It would be good to be able to take a more holistic approach to what these treatments are bringing.”

        When asked if that meant more economically productive people should be prioritised for treatment, Stephenson said: “Not necessarily, but when you’re looking at the value of these treatments, that should be taken into consideration.”

        “If your treatment can return someone to work faster, how does that benefit the whole of society? And then those bodies that are making those value judgements can decide whether that should be put into the equation.”

        https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/09/03/act-calls-for-productivity-focus-for-pharmac/

  9. Bearded Git 9
    18 July 2024 at 4:08 pm

    I thought Gina Woolston was great when talking about the homeless on RNZ's First Up this morning.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/first-up/audio/2018947274/building-relationships-with-unhoused-using-empathy