Open mike 18/06/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 18th, 2016 - 48 comments
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48 comments on “Open mike 18/06/2016 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    18 June 2016 at 6:55 am

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    It was -2 degrees in Christchurch last night.

    Not very warm to be sleeping in a car.
    Not very warm to be sleeping in a container.
    Not very warm to be sleeping in a garage.
    Not very warm to be sleeping on the street.

    The media may think John Banks’ ‘multi-million dollar Auckland CBD penthouse’ , Dagg’s ‘eureka moment’,and Kylie Jenner struggling with the Kiwi accent are all important news items, but they are not.

    The majority of the media is doing everything they can to support Paula Bennett and move homelessness off the headlines.

    “Try walking in my shoes, it’s not actually that easy.”

    This was the challenge TA set to Prime Minister John Key. But really it’s a challenge for us all.

    • b waghorn 1.1
      18 June 2016 at 7:20 am

      Is it naive of me to wonder how a life time public servant like banks can afford a luxury apartment with silk wallpaper?

      • Paul 1.1.1
        18 June 2016 at 7:27 am

        John Banks can’t recall.

        • save nz 1.1.1.1
          18 June 2016 at 9:32 am

          +1 Paul. Love how it was a US citizen that nobody had previously heard off and without a new trial, that got Banks off – justice seems so different for politicians than the Teina Pora case. sarc.

          Banks also sold off the Auckland council housing when he was Mayor and pushed through Charter schools.

          No wonder he can afford a plush apartment.

          • Paul 1.1.1.1.1
            18 June 2016 at 9:35 am

            A lot of dodgy millionaires and billionaires appreciate politicians like Banks.

            • save nz 1.1.1.1.1.1
              18 June 2016 at 9:41 am

              Lucky now with Keys 0% tax havens no question asked dodgy anonymous donations to politicians are so much easier!

              No wonder Key is so popular around the world!

              Although I have to say considering how ‘popular’ Key is supposed to be, he is surprisingly ineffective at getting any good deals for NZ or helping NZ citizens around the world.

              But maybe that is not the point.

      • Visubversa 1.1.2
        18 June 2016 at 9:12 am

        He has never served the public. He has served the interests of big business – which he has desperately tried to be part of. He has been involved with small businesses, he was a co-owner of part of the Tony’s restaraunts when there were quite a few of them in Auckland, and he hit the headlines with connections to some bunch selling some sort of bee products. He has made money from business. I worked in one of his restaurants in the 1970’s. The chef had Sunday nights off and Banks used to come in and try and do the grill cooking himself. It was a drams ‘cos if he got more than 3 steaks on the grill at once – he panicked and gave everyone around him a hard time. Sunday nights we worked hard to recommend anything but steak.

      • Ski 1.1.3
        18 June 2016 at 12:52 pm

        John Banks is a capable businessman, he has owned a number of very successful companies and has accumulated wealth – there you go.

      • joe90 1.2.1
        18 June 2016 at 10:30 am

        Other delights from the New Observer – FL Homo Shootings: “Hoist on own Petard” or Cox Murder: Democratic Hypocrisy and Germany: Invaders Have Multiple Wives but my absolute fav is “Transgender” Mental Illness Spreads.
        /

      • Wayne 1.2.2
        18 June 2016 at 6:42 pm

        I read the attachment. Following the uprising by the Syrian people the US lead by Obama was very consistent in saying Assad had to go. This email adds noting new to that narrative.
        It was the Syrian people who started the uprising against Assad and it was he who has brutally put them down.
        The Syrian uprising was not caused by the US, despite what Kevin Hestor says. This is just more disinformation by the Hilliary haters.

        • Jenny 1.2.2.1
          18 June 2016 at 7:55 pm

          Kevin Hester needs to wake up. Assad is a mass murder. Who has secured Israel’s northern border and allowed his country to be used as destination for CIA special rendition for the purpose of torturing suspects held in CIA custody, because the US constitution forbids torture in the US.

          Assad was the favourite of the West being the only Middle Eastern ruler to overnight as a guest of the Queen in Buckingham palace. For his service to Western imperialism in the Middle East, Tony Blair once tried to lobby parliament to give a British Night Hood to Assad.

          Assad has been slaughtering his people from the safety of the air since 2011 after his people revolted and many of the army refused to follow Assad’s orders to shoot them down and instead joined the people and turned their guns on the regime.

          This war could have been ended long ago if the west had allowed the Syrian people access to anti aircraft weapons. Instead the west has stood by while Assad has carried out his genocide.

          • OneTrack 1.2.2.1.1
            18 June 2016 at 8:18 pm

            Your plan is to give anti aircraft weapons to Islamic State? Of not them, then who?

        • One Two 1.2.2.2
          18 June 2016 at 9:45 pm

          Nobody seriously believes that, not even you

          PNAC

  3. Paul 3
    18 June 2016 at 7:12 am

    Cruel, uncaring

    Salisbury School facing closure: ‘My daughter has nowhere to go’
    A parent of a pupil at Salisbury School has spoken of his anger and disappointment over the proposal to close the special needs school saying his daughter has “nowhere else to go”.
    It follows the announcement yesterday that the Ministry of Education had initiated consultation over the future of the school, due to a declining roll and the financial viability of the residential Nelson girls school.
    Matt Clayton, himself a secondary teacher, said Salisbury School was an “amazing” facility, that had turned his 14-year-old daughter’s life around in the year-and-a-half she had attended. He was “disgusted” the Ministry could consider closing it, he said.
    ……
    “In my opinion, they’ve set this up from the beginning to close it, and I’m just disgusted with them,” he said.
    “What kind of society do we live in where we’re always prioritising money over the welfare of the citizens?”
    Ms Parata denied she had been intent on closing Salisbury School, or that she had tweaked the process to ensure its falling roll.’

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11658541

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11658541

    • ianmac 3.1
      18 June 2016 at 9:03 am

      Yes Paul. It was always going to happen because of the school having won the case to stay open in 2014, caused a Ministry backlash. Parata does not like being foiled so the Ministry made it almost impossible for new pupils to be enrolled. Hence the roll dropping to 14. This will justify the closure and as Smith says the land in a central location is very valuable. Money before the kids being front and centre.

    • save nz 3.2
      18 June 2016 at 9:36 am

      +1 Paul – I hear Scenic hotels are short of money, like Sky City and Saudi Businessmen.

      There is also plenty of money for convention centers in Christchurch that after 60 million still have not got anywhere in the build. NO problem!

      Brighter futures for Real Estate NOT families

      should be the Natz new slogan.

  4. Paul 4
    18 June 2016 at 7:17 am

    20 billions dollars spent on ‘defence’ – and yet we have no homes to live in to be defended in.

    ‘Imagine the number of state houses and affordable apartments this country could build over the next 15 years with even half the $20 billion currently promised to the NZ Defence Force. Surely, in a democratic state, it is the adequate provision of health, education, housing and employment that should take priority over the vast sums required to purchase the most up-to-date weapons of war? If national defence does not mean ensuring the basic welfare of every citizen – then what does it mean?’

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/80986483/Chris-Trotter-How-many-houses-could-we-get-for-20-billion-spent-on-defence

    20 billions dollars spent on ‘defence’ – to defend our sovereignty and yet we give it away by signing the TPP.

  5. Paul 5
    18 June 2016 at 7:31 am

    I predict this won’t be news in the western media.

  7. Penny Bright 7
    18 June 2016 at 9:00 am

    As an Auckland Mayoral candidate – I strongly recommend that Auckland citizens focus disapproval of Auckland Council (and CCOs) performance, in the form of submissions to the Local Government and Environment Select Committee on this latest proposed legislation to spread the CCO model and Council amalgamations:

    Seize the moment!

    Email your complaints and experiences about Auckland Council and CCOs directly to the ‘law makers’.

    http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/sc/make-submission/51SCLGE_SCF_00DBHOH_BILL69266_1/local-government-act-2002-amendment-bill-no-2

    “Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill (No 2)
    Should your local authorities work together more?

    Does your community need more options when it comes to reorganising the council, and should councils make greater use of joint council-controlled organisations for services?

    Tell us what you think.

    The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 28 July 2016 ”

    Penny Bright
    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
    “Activists – get things done.”

  8. weka 8
    18 June 2016 at 9:20 am

    Reposting this (from Paul the other day I think)

    Ten Ways to fix NZ’s Welfare State.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11657642

  9. Penny Bright 9
    18 June 2016 at 10:03 am

    It seems that my nine year, one person ‘rates revolt’ for transparency in the spending of public rates monies on private consultants and contractors by Auckland Council (formerly Auckland City Council) and CCOs, is finally getting the attention from the lawmakers that it deserves?

    “Conclusion

    We would like to thank the OAG for its report on the governance and accountability of CCOs. The report provided us with useful information that helped us consider Ms Bright’s petition.

    We also would like to thank the petitioner for coming down from Auckland to speak to us about her petition.

    We agree that ratepayers should be able to easily access information about how public money collected through rates is spent.

    We support the petitioner’s plea for transparency and standardisation of the information that Auckland CCOs provide to the public. …”

    http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51DBSCH_SCR69296_1/924613ec7fb831c4e74bd062f73287ac2ceb5081

    Penny Bright
    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate
    “Activists – get things done.”

    • te reo putake 9.1
      18 June 2016 at 10:17 am

      Excellent result, Penny! Here’s hoping Parliament acts on the recommendations and the council takes note, too.

      • Penny Bright 9.1.1
        18 June 2016 at 12:59 pm

        Thank you te reo putake.

        Kind regards

        Penny Bright
        2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    • save nz 9.2
      18 June 2016 at 2:48 pm

      +1 Penny

      • North 9.2.1
        18 June 2016 at 8:50 pm

        Go Penny ! I think maybe when Ze-Good-Lord was handing out Ze-Balls he/she missed Ze-Non-Man-Key and you ended up wiv’ Ze-Balls meant for him. And Ze-Good-Lord made a very good choice……because why would you waste Ze-Balls on Ze-Non-Man-Key and further he/she knew that you would use Ze-Balls much better than Ze-Non-Man-Key. Whom he/she nevertheless bleezed wiv’ Ze-Defining-Arsehole. Go Penny !

  10. joe90 10
    18 June 2016 at 11:12 am

    The great news keeps a’comin.

    We’re officially living in a new world.

    Carbon dioxide has been steadily rising since the start of the Industrial Revolution, setting a new high year after year. There’s a notable new entry to the record books. The last station on Earth without a 400 parts per million (ppm) reading has reached it.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antarctic-co2-hit-400-ppm-for-first-time-in-4-million-years/?WT.mc_id=SA_TW_ENGYSUS_NEWS

    • One Two 10.1
      18 June 2016 at 2:27 pm

      396, 397, 398, 399….

      400

      Arbitrary values

    • Jenny 10.2
      18 June 2016 at 8:27 pm

      The Green Party held an AGM where they marginalised debate on climate change, in favour of a “Centrepiece Swimmable Rivers Campaign”

      Ignoring the fact that warmer air holds more moisture and is responsible for record flooding events around the world which have turned normally placid rivers into raging deadly torrents. Will destroy all their efforts.

      The Green Party need to wake up. As the climate crisis deepens, having somewhere nice to swim will be the least of our worries.

      https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/a-climate-of-apathy/

      Can you spot the missing two words?

      http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11651056

      While the Green Party are busy wading in the environmental shallows, unseen and not mentioned on the signs warning against swimming, is a monster waiting to eat them whole.

      • Colonial Viper 10.2.1
        18 June 2016 at 8:44 pm

        I am told that the Greens understand the true scope and crisis of the climate emergency we are facing…

        • Jenny 10.2.1.1
          18 June 2016 at 11:21 pm

          A citation for that would be nice CV.

          CV even if you were to find a citation describing the Green Party’s understanding of the true scope of the crisis; (which I hope you can).

          Understanding the true nature of the climate emergency is still not the same as wanting to do something about it.

          When there is so much they could be doing….

          The Green Party as an organisation have shown very little political will to face up to the climate crisis.

          • Kiwiri 10.2.1.1.1
            18 June 2016 at 11:29 pm

            The Greens don’t wanna scare the horses?

            • Jenny 10.2.1.1.1.1
              19 June 2016 at 12:09 am

              The horses need to be scared, they need to be terrified.

              That is, if we are to mobilise the forces we need to fight climate change. The sort of fear that saw society mobilise to fight terrorist bogeymen like Isis, or Al Qaeda, (remember them?)
              The threat presented to humanity by climate change is far greater by many magnitudes than that presented by these little terror groups.

              When it comes to climate change our political leaders are so, Ho Hum; cleaning up dirty rivers so that we can swim in them are our priority.

              • Jenny …
                19 June 2016 at 12:44 am

                A sober look at the possibility of moving to 100% renewable economy.

                http://ecowatch.com/2016/06/15/our-renewable-future-heinberg/

                It seems that it is possible.

                All that is missing is the political will.

                So who is going to supply it? not the Green Party who are busy prioritising swimmable rivers. Not National who are committed to business as usual. Not Labour who support deep sea oil drilling fracking and opening new coal mines.

        • Jenny 10.2.1.2
          19 June 2016 at 6:59 am

          “I am told that the Greens understand the true scope and crisis of the climate emergency we are facing…”
          Colonial Viper

          Many years ago I remember reading a startling quote from a German intellectual and academic who had fled the Nazis.

          He said that he could forgive even some of the top leaders of the fascist regime. (They were ignorant brutes). But, he said those he couldn’t forgive, were his fellow intellectuals and academics in the universities, who knew fascism was wrong, and could have spoke up, but said nothing and went along with it. Some of them even lending the regime false credibility they knew had no factual base.
          In his opinion it was the educated intellectuals who knew better who should have been on trial at Nuremburg. Who because they knew fascism was all based on intellectual falsehoods racism and lies should have been the ones on trial and held to account.

          When millions are dying from the extreme weather and climatic events predicted by the scientists, and if a Nuremburg type hearing is ever called to afford blame and try the guilty for this man made tragedy. Those politicians and leaders with foreknowledge old enough to have acted to prevent the tragedy, and who were in in a position to do so, but instead did and said nothing, these are the people who should be the first in the dock to be held to account.

          https://www.rt.com/news/347111-nazi-auschwitz-trial-hanning/

  11. marty mars 11
    18 June 2016 at 12:06 pm

    I recommend this talk very highly – What happens to the people we save.

    This is about gunshot wounds and the US and obviously relevant to recent events. It is also relevant to us here in this country because we also patch people up and send them off to fend for themselves. After trauma people need help – physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually if they are that way inclined – families and whānau need help, communities need help, the people that support all of these people need help. EMPATHY via active and genuine listening. That helps.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXSqOQ1odNI&w=560&h=315%5D

    [FYI, it seems you’re among a clutch of commenters who are dropping into moderation (Hell, I’m dropping there myself if I’m not signed in!). Don’t know why it’s happening and won’t be around for the rest of the day to release stuff. Anyway, thought you should know] – Bill

  12. North 12
    18 June 2016 at 8:09 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11659052

    “Nothing to see here……” as they say. Man made a mistake. Apologises. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Course this will be seen differently by the MSM arse-suckers. But doesn’t alter the fact. Effete Non-Man doesn’t have the balls to apologise. Ever ! Oh, except to Slater Porn.