Open mike 22/01/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 22nd, 2016 - 62 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

62 comments on “Open mike 22/01/2016 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Morrissey 1
    22 January 2016 at 7:16 am

    Australia’s sudden burst of “conscience” leads to banning of two American scumbags;
    All of this would be more convincing if they’d banned a far worse American scumbag.

    Those moral paragons in the Australian government have just banned a sleazy “pick-up artist” called Jeff Allen from entering the country. This follows last year’s ban of another sleaze-ball, Julien Blanc.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/01/18/jeff-allen-visa_n_9013828.html?ncid=edlinkauhpmg00000001

    This is, of course, commendable. But it begs the question: how come the Australian government lionized President Bill Clinton a few years ago? Compared to Clinton, Jeff Allen and Julien Blanc are Albert Schweitzer and Fred Hollows.

    Of course, deliberate blindness over the issue of Clinton is nothing new. The Australian government is on the same wavelength as one of our leading broacasters….
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-03102015-2/#comment-1077820

  2. b waghorn 2
    22 January 2016 at 7:37 am

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/294654/farming-limits-to-hit-land-values-study
    Surely any carbon tax on farming should be used to help farmers transition to a more sustainable method of farming and cover any dramatic cuts to land values. ?

    • weka 2.1
      22 January 2016 at 1:35 pm

      Yes and no. This is tricky. Where farming is traditional, eg family farms where people are making a living and they want to do the right thing eg fence off water ways or transition to regenerative agriculture, I’d love to see them supported in multiple ways.

      Where corporates or business owners are using the farms/the land to make shit loads of money and they are being forced to do better by the environment against their will, I don’t know what to do with those people/businesses but am loathe for them to have any more access to public resources than they already do. If they want to run a business model that’s corporate and industrial rather than actual farming, let that model figure out how to pay for all the costs and requirements (that’s what the model claims it can do anyway).

      Problem is the grey area in between.

  3. Tautoko Mangō Mata 3
    22 January 2016 at 8:44 am

    TPP
    Michael Geist is writing a series of articles on the implications of TPP for Canada. His latest article states

    the net effect of a recent European privacy case and the TPP provisions is that Canada could end up caught in a global privacy battle in which Europe restricts data transfers with Canada due to surveillance activities and the TPP restricts Canada’s ability address European concerns.

    Interestingly, at least one TPP country identified the potential risk of a clash between European privacy rules and the TPP. Australia obtained a side letter with the United States that largely addresses the concern. The letter states:

    Should the Government of the United States of America undertake any relevant additional commitments to those in the TPP Agreement with respect to the treatment of personal information of foreign nationals in another free trade agreement, it shall extend any such commitments to Australia. The United States will also endeavor to apply extensions of privacy protections with respect to personal information of foreign nationals held by the United States Government to Australian citizens and permanent residents.

    I cannot find an equivalent side letter for NZ on the MFat site, so I suspect that there may be a corresponding problem for NZ with the EU.
    http://www.michaelgeist.ca/2016/01/the-trouble-with-the-tpp-day-14-no-u-s-assurances-for-canada-on-privacy/

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 3.1
      22 January 2016 at 9:10 am

      TPP—Nice!

      Japan minister who negotiated for TPP accused of corruption

      TOKYO (AFP) – A Japanese minister who was the country’s top negotiator for a huge trans-Pacific trade deal was accused of corruption on Thursday (Jan 21), piling pressure on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of parliamentary elections this year.

      Weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun claimed on Thursday that Economy and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari, who also serves as Japan’s chief negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and his staff accepted a 12 million yen (S$148,000) “bribe” from a construction firm.

      The allegations against a key ally of the prime minister come ahead of upper house elections in July and as the government looks to ratify the TPP, a massive multination deal of which Japan has been a key player.

    • savenz 3.2
      22 January 2016 at 11:12 am

      @TMM – Lets face it, Groser is not capable of getting any decent deal for NZ, my guess we have zero side agreements in our favour but Grosser signed every side agreement he was asked to sign. If the signing countries are stupid enough to keep going with TPP which is effectively giving their country over to a group of international corporate lawyers to decide their fates rather than their own government, then more and more problems are going to arise in particular by NZ by allowing a nincompoop like Groser to be able to negotiate it. Complexity itself is a problem.

      All the experts are saying it is the worst agreement imaginable, at a time where corporations have become so greedy they are using Lawfare to seize even more power, money and control and when significant world problems like climate change and food insecurity are going to require governments to be more nimble and able to react quickly, now hindered under TPP.

      Love how TPP is binding but the Paris climate change agreement voluntary.

      Who in their right mind is going to sign such ridiculous agreements?

    • Once was Tim 3.3
      22 January 2016 at 2:15 pm

      Does anyone know …… IF NOT signing the TPP precludes us from entering into agreements with non-TPPA members?
      Serious question. I’ve just listened to some fuckwit calling themselves Steven Jacobi?? on RNZ News at 14:00 who seems to be yet another desperado shill running flak for the TPPsters.
      His view (to cut a long story short) is that NOT signing will mean devastation for NZ.

      I’m left wondering whether or not this pillock was one of the’bizzniss enterage’ led by a Proim Munsta Master of the Universe that went on that Sth American jaunt way back……trying to grease up to Sth American nations, but who came across to most in attendance as crass, arrogant little fukwits from somewhere that amounts to a pimple on the arse end of the globe.

      He seems to have a really limiting tunnel vision that is so fucking imbecilic its almost comedic.

      If fuckwits like Steven are the best oracles of our economic competency (alongside Key and Groser, amongst others) – then we really ARE in trouble.

  5. greywarshark 5
    22 January 2016 at 10:46 am

    Does anyone know if after putting a comment on Facebook, if it can be edited or removed by oneself? If you have time I would like to know now. I can’t see any button I can use to regain control of it.

    • Naturesong 5.1
      22 January 2016 at 10:52 am

      You should be able to edit and/or remove your own comments from facebook. I have done it in the past.

      Facebook does keep a record of but not display the original comments and subsequent revisions.

      Twitter though; post in haste, regret at lesiure.

      • greywarshark 5.1.1
        22 January 2016 at 11:39 am

        Thanks Naturesong. The edit button is not obvious so will have to check it out and get informed. I got help from family (up with the technology) which has sorted out the problem this time. But I really need to do that background work ready for next time when it comes.

        • b waghorn 5.1.1.1
          22 January 2016 at 12:08 pm

          Hold your finger on the comment that brings up the options .

        • weka 5.1.1.2
          22 January 2016 at 1:38 pm

          On my OS it shows as a small grey inverted V on the top right of the post, which brings up a drop down menu with an edit option.

          • greywarshark 5.1.1.2.1
            22 January 2016 at 2:46 pm

            You are a helpful group. I will investigate when I have done something other than sit at this damn keyboard for too much of today. Thanks muchly.

            • Gangnam Style 5.1.1.2.1.1
              22 January 2016 at 5:53 pm

              & if you see someones comment has been edited you can click ‘edited’ & see what the edit was. Which can be quite interesting.

        • Jenny Kirk 5.1.1.3
          22 January 2016 at 8:41 pm

          there’s an upside-down v on top righthand corner of some facebook pages which helps you edit/delete things.

  6. Manuka AOR 6
    22 January 2016 at 10:49 am

    A heartfelt request for the NZ govt “and people” to do the honourable thing and make good on a promise given. Courtesy of Toby Manhire (dead serious this time):

    “So we are asking the New Zealand Prime Minister Mr John Keys [a forgivable slip; after all, the New York Times called him Jeff Key] and the Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse, along with the whole Government of New Zealand and the people of New Zealand, to remember and honour the deal with Australia. Everyone who has signed this letter has had their claim for asylum processed. We all had genuine claims that were accepted.”

    “The “deal” they refer to is that agreed between Key and his then counterpart Julia Gillard in 2013, providing Australia with the option of placing up to 150 refugees for resettlement in New Zealand a year. The arrangement echoed an earlier deal which saw New Zealand take in 401 people from Australian offshore detention centres between 2001 and 2007″ http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11577593

    • Magisterium 6.1
      22 January 2016 at 12:59 pm

      What’s Manhire’s point?

      New Zealand has offered to do something, Australia doesn’t want to play. The End.

      • greywarshark 6.1.1
        22 January 2016 at 2:51 pm

        This no a play, or a sports match Magisterium,. Your pseudo sounds grand but is actually pseudo?

      • Manuka AOR 6.1.2
        22 January 2016 at 3:12 pm

        These refugees need NZ visas to be issued promptly – not delayed for any more months. And to be allowed to come and live here permanently, a place where they can live in safety.

  7. savenz 7
    22 January 2016 at 11:15 am

    Just out “the fifth in a series of expert peer reviewed papers on the implications of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) for New Zealand was posted on the TPP Legal website today.
    The paper examines the key economic issues that likely to be impacted by the TPPA – the predicted economic benefits of the TPPA for the New Zealand economy, the implications for agricultural trade, the impact on value chains for New Zealand exporters, the potential for regulatory ‘chill’ and the degree to which it fulfils the aim of being a ‘21st Century agreement’.
    The paper was co-authored by Tim Hazledine, Professor of Economics at the University of Auckland Business; Rod Oram, business journalist and author; Geoff Bertram, Senior Associate at the Institute for Policy and Governance at Victoria University; and Barry Coates, researcher and former Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand. The peer reviewer was John Quiggin, an Australian Laureate Fellow in Economics at the University of Queensland.”

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/01/22/the-economics-of-the-tppa-tppanoway/#comment-321525

  8. savenz 8
    22 January 2016 at 11:18 am

    From the above article

    “It is striking how little the TPPA will deliver. Without the TPPA, our GDP will grow by 47% by 2030 at current growth rates. The TPPA would add only 0.9%”, says Barry Coates, who co-authored the section on modelling with Tim Hazledine.
    “Even that small benefit is a gross exaggeration. The modelling makes unfounded assumptions, and the real benefits will be far smaller. If the full costs were included, it is doubtful that there would be any net economic benefit to the New Zealand economy.”

    http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/01/22/the-economics-of-the-tppa-tppanoway/#comment-321525

  9. reason 9
    22 January 2016 at 11:19 am

    I watched “The Hollow Men” the other night as I had not seen it before.http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/the-hollow-men-2008

    A few things really struck me.

    How Key has followed the Brash Doctrine ……… and been far more dirty while at it.

    John Key knifing Bill double dipper English in the back and supporting Brash …. he picked up the deputy leaders job under brash for this betrayal……. I imagine he smiled at English during the assassination

    Other Info and quotes from the nats or their backers ……

    Doug myers “The chequebooks always ready for political parties ….as long as they get the things right”…………………..
    I’d say with $75 million spent on alcohol per week in NZ ……. and the Government picking up the tab of over a $3 Billion dollar shortfall in Alcohol abuse costs versus Alcohol tax…….. that National have delivered for Doug and co very handsomely ……

    David Richwhite regarding the railways swindle/privatization —-“In the long run the new Zealand public will benefit from an improved railway network and operation.” ….this is the same line used by the tr0lls here and is the present ‘logic’ behind Serco, charter schools etc

    Some narration ……
    “The high value donars gave their donations to trusts, which passed it on anonymously to the party. Over one and a half million was to come in via the Waitemata & Ruahine trusts. Both of PO. Box 2244 Auckland”……” In public senior party mp’s and officials denied knowing the identity of donars, but privately they knew perfectly well who was writing the cheques”…….

    “The donars were invited to private fundraising dinners….the media was excluded …… a table cost $5000 the tobacco industry brought 2″ ( coincidentally the number of tobacco industry mp’s the nats presently have in Govt ), ………..Don Brash or John Key made the speeches.”

    Brash engaged in a bit of refugee bashing ……. pukish would approve

    Brash promised 3.9 billion in tax cuts … Key wanted to give more ….But Labour won the election, Cullen payed down govt debt instead ……Which saved nationals ass when the GFC struck …..

    The GFC was of coursed caused by the financial industry and people like john Key……….Our present prime minister is like a Dingo babysitting your children*

    “Brian Sinclear met Maxim s Scott McMurray to discuss to discuss a $100,000 campaign aimed at shifting the evangelical Christian votes away from small Christian parties to national”. ………….”Don Brash told church goers that National would provide more money for their private schools” …

    fast forward to John Keys first term in Govt….. “$35 million gifted to private schools (4% of students). Elite private school Wanganui Collegiate (400 students) receives $3.9 million bail out despite Ministry advice not to.”http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2014/03/the-destruction-of-new-zealands-public.html

    Regarding Brash/Key, the Nats ……and their exclusive Brethren election coalition….

    “Brashs assistant ( press secretary ) Anita Ferguson prepared a response ….” As far as Don is aware he has never met Stephen Win ( Brethren schemer) ….If you want to talk dirty politics you are talking to the wrong party “ ..from a email she sent to Bryan Sinclair, Murray McCully and Richard Long” ……

    And film in The Hollow Men doco of Brash putting it into action :………..
    “Reporter: Do you know who is responsible for it ?.
    Brash: I don’t
    R: What do you think about the accusation from the greens on this matter?.
    Brash: Well I suspect its another dirty trick.. ah.. accusation at national, ….. we’ve had nothing to do with this,…at all ……. We don’t engage in that type of polictics. …….”

    John Key …………” In relation to the exclusive brethren …. I never pulled their women’s long lovely hair ”….“Nah I made that up ……and pony tails are sin-full ………. but at the end of The Hollow Men Key finishes the documentary with lies at his very first press conference as leader of the National party …….. Unlike Brash he has not been punished for his blatant dishonesty which over 75% of voters acknowledge …… if we exclude Northland .

    ……………………………………….

    John Key : “We’ve moved on, I didn’t open the email from the Brethren, lets move on”. http://www.converge.org.nz/watchdog/14/02.htm

    * John Oliver ………. you might as well hire a dingo as your babysitter

    • alwyn 9.1
      22 January 2016 at 11:41 am

      I started reading this, never having seen this program, until, after a couple of lines,
      I came across this howler.
      Talking about John Key you say “he picked up the deputy leaders job under brash for this betrayal”.
      Is this really what the program said, or were you not watching it very closely?
      For your information the “deputy leaders job under brash” was held by Gerry Brownlee.
      Have a look at the first line in this link
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Brownlee
      If this was your work I don’t think I need bother reading any further.
      If it was actually in the program I won’t bother watching it. It’s version of history is unlikely to bear much similarity to reality is it?
      Willing to say who stuffed up?

      • Pascals bookie 9.1.1
        22 January 2016 at 12:07 pm

        Fair catch, Brownlee was Deputy leader, and spokesman for maori affairs, obvisuly placeholding innit,

        Key and Brash are known to have ‘spoken about the leadership’ several times though, so the core point that there was deal done seem legit:

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9926764/Key-Brash-discussed-the-leadership

      • reason 9.1.2
        22 January 2016 at 4:08 pm

        My recollection of his position was faulty…… there was so much filth from the nats to absorb ……………… I stand corrected and The Dingo JK was the opposition finance minister of course.

        The betrayal was apparently because Key had lied to English in that he said he’d vote/support him and not Brash in a leadership challenge……….

        A tr0ll poster like yourself is far more likely to feature in a a documentary of sleaze,dishonesty and poor morals rather than watch one ……………

        The Nats come out looking like they really are …………….. Dirty as fuck 🙂

        • alwyn 9.1.2.1
          22 January 2016 at 5:33 pm

          “JK was the opposition finance minister of course”
          You presumably mean “spokesman” rather than “minister”.
          Even then you are misleading.
          Don Brash was the National Party Leader from 28 October 2003 until 27 November 2006. When he became the leader he retained the job as Finance spokesman. Key became a DEPUTY Finance spokesman but that isn’t the real thing. After all you might remember that Michael Cullen was Finance Minister after the 2005 election. Do you remember who were associate finance ministers? That is the Government equivalent of Key’s position.
          I’ll give you a clue. Their initials were PG and TM.

          Key was promoted to the Finance spokesman position but not until August 2004, ten months later.
          From the Herald
          ” Key was thrust into the limelight as fully-fledged finance spokesman in August 2004″
          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10523317
          Can you get anything right? Do you think you should learn what really went on?
          Or do you feel the only way to cover up for your ignorance is to spew such garbage as
          “A tr0ll poster like yourself is far more likely to feature in a a documentary of sleaze,dishonesty and poor morals rather than watch one”.
          What an idiot you are.

          Now, are you willing to answer the queries I put at the end of my comment. To save you the trouble of looking back I’ll repeat them.

          “If this was your work I don’t think I need bother reading any further.
          If it was actually in the program I won’t bother watching it. It’s version of history is unlikely to bear much similarity to reality is it?
          Willing to say who stuffed up?”

  10. Sabine 10
    22 January 2016 at 11:55 am

    interesting clip on agro forestry at the other end of the link for those that like these sort o things.

    https://www.facebook.com/organicconsumers/videos/10153584285114934/?fref=nf

  11. woowoo 11
    22 January 2016 at 12:37 pm

    the link between donald trump and classical fascism…http://readingthemaps.blogspot.co.nz/2016/01/trumps-fascist-theatre.html

  12. joe90 12
    22 January 2016 at 12:52 pm

    And they’re off.

    Kyle Feldscher Verified account
    ‏@Kyle_Feldscher

    No joke, the entire first email released by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is redacted

    https://twitter.com/Kyle_Feldscher/status/689924353065144320

  14. Gangnam Style 14
    22 January 2016 at 1:01 pm

    http://thespinoff.co.nz/22-01-2016/dear-mike-hosking-i-saw-your-waitangi-rant-and-i-can-help/

    “First of all, though you didn’t directly really refer, I’m sure you as a clever guy understand the Treaty of Waitangi. You know, all that stuff like how it came about, what is in it, its role in New Zealand history and society – all pretty complex stuff. I mean, surely you wouldn’t just talk about a topic without knowing much about it. Surely.” Dr Hirini Kaa

    • miravox 15.1
      22 January 2016 at 9:11 pm

      What’s that? Rape and otherwise abuse vulnerable people? For a small country we hold our own, punch (ha!) above our weight, put the country on the map and all that.

      If you mean the prison sentence – watch this space…

  16. Paul 16
    22 January 2016 at 5:11 pm

    Jim Mora’s awful Panel

    What they talked about:
    1. What the Panelists Michelle Boag and Brian Edwards have been up to.
    2. The first person to be arrested for non-payment of a student loan has taken place at Auckland airport.
    3. Tax expert Kristina Andersen discusses the student loans system.
    4. The wonders of meditation
    5. How well protected is Crown land?
    6. Michelle Boag chats about her holiday in Queenstown, while downplaying the state of the global economy because rich young people come to NZ on holiday and makes a snide comment about Metiria Turei
    7. Brian Edwards praises the Auckland Council for Westhaven promenade and the trams at Motat.
    8. TVNZ is to launch a male-targeted channel.

    What they did not talk about:
    1. The TPP
    2. The global economic meltdown.

    The dumbing down of RNZ and its march to the right on Mora’s dreadful show continues.

  17. Gangnam Style 17
    22 January 2016 at 5:34 pm

    TVNZ to start a new channel, aimed just for men, that will fix their woes.

  18. Muttonbird 18
    22 January 2016 at 7:11 pm

    Buried deep within Bryce Edwards’ opinion piece I found this and wondered what on earth could have triggered such a change.

    Geoff Bascand, the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank, defended the policy change in a newspaper column on Tuesday. Bascand said the policy was “consistent with the Official Information Act” and was a “common, fair and reasonable response” to an increase in OIA requests of almost 300 per cent in the past five years.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11578094

    Specifically, what conditions have brought about this dramatic increase in OIA requests?

    Is there a concern amongst the public and the media that we are must fight harder for information?

    Has the National Party’s reliance on Dirty Politics brought to our attention that our public service isn’t serving what we expect of democracy and that the revelation the the SIS colluded with the prime minister’s office in order to discredit the then leader of the opposition?

    Or is it the National government’s general and slipshod method of governance with respect to the overuse of urgency in Parliament, the use of taxpayer funds for party specific purposes (Parmar, Bridges), arbitrary ministerial decision making (Bridges again), the attack by ministers (Collins) on the judiciary and public servants (Collins, McCully, and Key), and the seeming abandonment of select committee process in favour of policy-by-polling (Bennett) which is responsible for the spike in the media and public wanting more answers to serious questions?

    Thanks to NRT for their OIA request for information on OIA requests in the last financial year for the purposes of providing clear data with which we can measure the honesty of this government.

    Sad too that the Transparency International global Corruption Perception Index didn’t pick up on our prime minister’s cordial relationship with attack blogger Cameron Slater in their 2014 results.

    • weka 18.1
      22 January 2016 at 8:44 pm

      Looks like another one of National’s nails in the coffin of democracy. As always it’s hard to tell if it’s deliberate or just another consequence of the neoliberal world view that sees everything as having a price.

      • Muttonbird 18.1.1
        22 January 2016 at 8:58 pm

        Same thing, isn’t it? The new world which they seek to usher in where everything has it’s price means that power and democracy is bought.

        The sly application of a loose law in the OIA process means that the NZ taxpayer pays for the information once through taxes, and then an individual and the media must now pay again.

        Is the 300% increase in OIA applications in the last five years due to the conditions under which this government operates, or is it due to the media and bloggers getting too cute with the process. If the latter is so, then why?

        • Pat 18.1.1.1
          22 January 2016 at 9:01 pm

          one cause of OIA increase will be ChCh quakes and OIA requests re EQC…..it is the only way to get any information from them

          • Muttonbird 18.1.1.1.1
            22 January 2016 at 9:49 pm

            That the OIA was required in that situation is shocking.

            • Pat 18.1.1.1.1.1
              22 January 2016 at 9:52 pm

              yes…and it continues, and is just as much a problem for the media and community support groups…and opposition MPs by all accounts

  19. hoom 19
    22 January 2016 at 7:15 pm

    Can anyone provide some more detail on this story?
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/76164078/opinion-wellington-neighbourly-fence-war-could-set-precedent

    All the reportage I’ve seen has been entirely one-sided in favour of the old rich white man which seems very suspicious.
    I assume he’s some kind of ‘Business Community stalwart’?

    I feel that he seems to be the kind of guy who wishes for a smaller State, less ‘red tape’ & especially no interference in what he does on his own property.

    Yet he is claiming a right to protect his view of the harbour over the neighbours’ right to do what they want on their own property.

    I suspect that if the complainant was non-white & poor there would be a very very different coverage of the story.

    From the pics I suspect that the issue started because the neighbour didn’t appreciate the way that the glass edged deck gave unlimited views of his back yard/house & was told to bugger off when he complained about it.

    • mickysavage 19.1
      22 January 2016 at 7:18 pm

      I think he has a grievance. The other owner built a humungous fence masquerading as a fort that blocked his view for “privacy reasons”. The structure did not provide any extra privacy but ruined the view. I think neighbours should be respectful of other neighbours expectations.

    • greywarshark 19.2
      22 January 2016 at 10:17 pm

      Just because someone has a load of money doesn’t mean that they should lose rights if someone chooses to be a dipshit, and a cunning smartarse as well. The neighbour who built the fence must have wanted perfect privacy so they wouldn’t be able to view the roof of his house. How he got permission to build a high fence that shut his neighbours in like a prison wall I don’t know. It was said to be a fort, but it stretched for half a kilometre? across his back boundary.

      If it was a fence he would have been required to talk to his neighbour and seek agreement. Then it would have had height restrictions. So cunning on his part to get it through as a fort. And so unreasonable to try and diminish a neighbour’s existing property in order to gain advantage himself. And the fort builder must have a mint of money, fencing is very expensive. So just a bad case of the Me first, last and foremost by the sneaky neighbour. (I/ve been reading about this and this is what I have gathered. I put some links about it a few days ago.)

      I think it is a situation that many people have with self-centred neighbours. If you have good ones, you’re lucky. Keep the good vibes going between you. Also the law gives rights, and provides sanctions as well to property owners. And ultimately the land is the property of the Crown, and all the rights conveyed under the law are by necessity under Her Majesty’s control, so sometimes land wlll ‘be taken’ for public needs but with compensation.

      • hoom 19.2.1
        23 January 2016 at 12:28 am

        Yeah its quite possible the fence builder is actually an ass.
        But it bothers me that there is really no coverage of his side of the story.

        It just seems likely that there would be something more complex than ‘asshole builds a fence that blocks the neighbours’ view’.

  20. Muttonbird 20
    22 January 2016 at 7:22 pm

    Anyone going to Andrew Little’s picnic in the park on 31 January? If so, is anyone up for a cabal?

    Neatly, he’ll be speaking from the band rotunda in Albert park where Auckland’s ever increasing numbers of homeless congregate to share, unmolested, a bit of social interaction.

  21. greywarshark 21
    22 January 2016 at 9:50 pm

    Ukraine. Chernobyl’s location. The women, especially the old ones, who live there have been the subject of a documentary. – ‘The Babushkas of Chernobyl’
    http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/doc-nyc-2015-women-directors-meet-holly-morris-the-babushkas-of-chernobyl-20151116

  22. Colonial Viper 22
    22 January 2016 at 11:35 pm

    Labour on 27.5% in the latest Roy Morgan. Some 100th anniversary celebration this will be. If you pile in the Greens and Winston, you’ll get a coalition which might have a majority of 1 or 2 over National plus Maori Party.

    And this is the best Labour can manage halfway through a third term National Government which is utterly rudderless and starved for ideas.

  23. cogito 23
    22 January 2016 at 11:50 pm

    From The Guardian…. about oppression in China:

    “I want you to understand the sense of fear that Chinese people feel every day
    Nanfu Wang

    I’m not a paranoid person, but my experience making a film about human rights in China gave me a sense of fear that I think westerners don’t comprehend.”
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/22/i-want-you-to-understand-the-sense-of-fear-that-chinese-people-feel-every-day

    When one reads accounts like these, it makes one realise how crucially important it is for us to stand up for and defend our freedoms.

  24. Rosemary McDonald 24
    22 January 2016 at 11:58 pm

    Our own Flint here in NZ…?

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/north-canterbury/75970641/crunchy-occasionally-yellow-tap-water-plagues-district

    and you really couldn’t make up shit like this…

    “The majority of the Hurunui’s 12,000 residents live with tap water connected to supplies given an “E” grade by the Ministry of Health.

    It is the lowest grade possible and represents an “unacceptable level of risk”, according to the Ministry.

    In the last analysis conducted in 2014, supplies for Cheviot, Amberley, Waiau and Waipara all recorded excessive E.coli levels and failed protozoa tests – placing them in the bottom 3 per cent of supplies nationwide.

    Seven rural water schemes in the district are on a permanent boil notice.”

    BUT…

    “The district council says it is more of a “nuisance” than a health issue.”

    AND…

    “The council has until 2025 to meet national drinking water standards, which it said could cost up to $14 million, as most of its water supplies do not meet the standard.

    It had previously told the Ministry of Health the standards were unfair, as much of the district’s water was consumed by animals.”

    Towards a brighter future…