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Open mike 23/02/2015

Written By: - Date published: 6:30 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 130 comments
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130 comments on “Open mike 23/02/2015 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    23 February 2015 at 6:41 am

    Radio NZ reporting that Sky City told the government 14 months ago it could not afford to build convention centre as promised.
    Will the media hold them to account?

    • tc 1.1
      23 February 2015 at 7:12 am

      Makes skycity appear clean as, top corporate citizen and all that and the MSM puppets will be looking elsewhere and hand wringing over Sabin or excusing them for the lui donation etc.

      Skycity and NACT colluded from day 1 over this deal and it’s just been a case of how them and their MSM acolytes feed the sheeple given the election had to be negotiated.

    • mickysavage 1.2
      23 February 2015 at 8:32 am

      Joyce was just on Radio NZ and I have never heard him sound sicker. He took umbrage at the suggestion that he had deliberately lied to the public and disputed that he had the necessary intent. Good way to confirm that he may have inadvertently lied …

  2. Paul 2
    23 February 2015 at 6:44 am

    The New Zealand Herald does not regard the fact the government is considering sending our troops to Iraq today as important enough news to make any of its top 10 stories online.
    Apparently our taxi fare gap is more important.

    • Skinny 2.1
      23 February 2015 at 7:30 am

      National run a non democratic process by choosing not to put it to the whole of the House, instead they have chosen the Banana Republic route of letting cabinet choose. Both the Tory-Maori party and United Future are not in favour of the role our troops are too play.

      What a disgraceful breech of democracy by Key and his cronies. These 100 troops would be better employed combating an invasion on our own shores, the Queensland fruit fly.

      • Lanthanide 2.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 9:20 am

        They were talking about this on Morning Report this morning. Under Labour, apparently the only time a decision like this was put to the house was in late 2003 when they were voting whether to send the SAS back to Afghanistan or not. The other decisions were all made by the Labour cabinet.

        • thatguynz 2.1.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 10:30 am

          That doesn’t make it right – particularly for those of us that don’t support Labour so the “but they did it too” argument doesn’t really sit too well.

          I’d dearly love to see a clean up of parliamentary process. Its pretense of “democracy” is losing it’s veneer on a daily basis – irrespective of who is pulling the levers of control.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 2.2
      23 February 2015 at 7:43 am

      The best way to stop NZ participating in wars is to discourage all youth from joining the armed forces in the first place.

  3. b waghorn 3
    23 February 2015 at 7:02 am

    John Stevens giving a very good interview on 1 news this morning.
    Stopped short of calling Key a liar about the SAS going to Afghanistan in 2009 . pointed out the the Iraq war was built on lies and finished with saying reporters weren’t asking the right questions about our going to fight Isis.

    • Paul 3.1
      23 February 2015 at 7:10 am

      Could you provide a link?

      • b waghorn 3.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 7:24 am

        No sorry it will be on delay at about 7-50 . The liar in chief was just on at 7-15 answered most questions buy talking about what Clarke did and confirmed that there will be no vote on going to Iraq I wish she had of asked him if it was because he would lose.

        • freedom 3.1.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 7:34 am

          Guyon raised that point about the vote on RNZ
          http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168253
          The interview does not exactly scream ‘our PM is a man with a plan”

          • phillip ure 3.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 7:45 am

            the only ‘plan’ he has..

            ..is to be a spear-carrier/mercenary for the americans..

            ..it’s all quite simple really..

            ..as we again go to war/kill..

            ..for reasons craven and base..

            • Skinny 3.1.1.1.1.1
              23 February 2015 at 8:43 am

              Oxymoron Key says “he is confident if put to a vote the other party’s would support sending non combat troop to the Middle East.” Really so don’t bother giving a democratic vote?

              Meanwhile more fruit flies get discovered.

        • mary_a 3.1.1.2
          23 February 2015 at 8:22 am

          @ b waghorn –

          And the reason Key won’t put sending troops to Iraq to the vote, is because he would be out voted.

          Parties AGAINST NZ military involvement, training role possibly leading to combat –

          Labour
          Greens
          NZ First
          United Future
          Maori Party

          Parties FOR NZ military involvement regardless of role –

          National minus one MP (Sabin)
          ACT

          To lose would be a slap in the face for Key and National. So to keep onside with his US buddies, he goes for over riding the democratic process of a Parliamentary vote! Isn’t this what dictators do?

          • ScottGN 3.1.1.2.1
            23 February 2015 at 8:33 am

            When Espiner listed the parties in the Parliament who would vote against deployment in their interview Key mumbled on for a bit and then when pressed petulantly said they could always wait until after the Northland byelection.

          • saveNZ 3.1.1.2.2
            23 February 2015 at 8:46 am

            @ Mary
            Yes that is what dictators do.
            Also they rig elections by stitching up their rivals with false allegations.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.2.3
            23 February 2015 at 8:55 am

            National have always been a party of dictators. We’ve seen this time and time again over the years.

      • phillip ure 3.1.2
        23 February 2015 at 7:40 am

        key said that ‘combat troops will not be going to iraq’..

        ..but hasn’t he also said that the s.a.s.will be going..to guard the trainers..?

        ..and aren’t the s.a.s…’combat troops’..

        ..which is true..?

        ..and yes..these are the same lies clark/goff/key told us about our ‘non-combatant’ role in afghanistan..

        ..and we all know what a pile of steaming-lies that was..

        ..as is this..

        and does ‘training’ work..?..has it ever worked..?..answer:..no..

        “..In the past 50 years –

        – has there been any case of the U.S. successfully training local troops –

        – to prosecute a war against insurgents?..”

        (cont..)

        http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41042.htm

        • Chooky 3.1.2.1
          23 February 2015 at 8:54 am

          Americans are desperate for support on the ground in Iraq against ISIS

          …New Zealand soldiers will be pawns in a war which is NOT New Zealanders’ ( Helen Clark kept us from the illegitimate invasion of Iraq) .

          The Iraq war debacle was initiated by United States and Israel….they should be the ones cleaning up their own mess on the ground against ISIS.

          John Key will be responsible for repercussions on New Zealand and New Zealanders .

          Americans now admit their invasion of Iraq was an absolute disaster

          ‘Americans have to die on battlefield to destroy ISIS – US military strategist’

          http://rt.com/shows/sophieco/232635-us-isis-middle-east/

          John Nagl , Counterinsurgency Expert:

          “The invasion of Iraq in 2003 I think was not just a mistake, but perhaps a biggest mistake the U.S. has ever made in foreign policy. It’s a four trillion dollar mistake, it caused enormous damage in the region, to the people of Iraq and certainly to my army and very-very many of my friends. So, the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a disaster, a fiasco, unnecessary and poorly conducted. We played the endgame very-very badly and that failure of American foreign policy in 2011 necessitates today America returning to Iraq in force.”

        • Murray Rawshark 3.1.2.2
          23 February 2015 at 6:07 pm

          SAS are already in Iraq. The Army person who told me thought it was public knowledge.

          • lprent 3.1.2.2.1
            23 February 2015 at 6:13 pm

            If there is an active war zone around with some of our normal allies special forces in action, you can generally assume that there will be a NZSAS contingent around as well. It doesn’t mean that they are deployed there. It just means that they are off doing a training (often as a kind of sabbatical) with other forces. It is part of their job.

            • Murray Rawshark 3.1.2.2.1.1
              23 February 2015 at 6:24 pm

              The words “squad deployment” were used. I know they often work with other countries’ special forces, and love telling stories about how bad the Americans are. They are always at other people’s wars, while I believe the regular forces only started doing that via disobeying orders from the Clark government.

    • greywarshark 3.2
      23 February 2015 at 10:13 am

      @ b waghorn
      John Stevens is a musician I think. The person you are referring to from TV1 News is
      Jon Stephenson, and that is a name and spelling to remember. A NZ person of worth
      who deserves to be identified correctly.

      • b waghorn 3.2.1
        23 February 2015 at 5:42 pm

        Doh cheers yes I’ve seen him many times I bet there s not many politicians that send him a Xmas card.

  4. Whateva next? 4
    23 February 2015 at 7:16 am

    Thinking back to last years election, no wonder Key looked tired and weary.knowing about Liu, Sky City fiasco and Sabin whilst telling us all that National were steering us in such a straight line, well, what can we say?

  5. phillip ure 5
    23 February 2015 at 7:32 am

    “..Bill Maher Calls For Marijuana Legalization..

    (ed:..and he makes a very strong case..

    ..and not just for legalisation of pot..

    ..but also for the freeing/pardoning of all non-violent drug-prisoners..)

    (cont..)

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/21/bill-maher-weed-legalization_n_6726842.html

    • bearded git 5.1
      23 February 2015 at 8:35 am

      Boring

      • phillip ure 5.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 8:38 am

        u clearly need some good pot in yr life..there..bored git…

        ..i quite liked how maher said the last time he smoked pot..

        ..was ‘just before the show’..

        ..it’s also quite boring how bored-git doesn’t define just what aspect of the clip he found ‘boring’..

        ..the content..?..the execution..?

        ..or is he just verbalising a deep/irrational hatred of the ‘umble ‘erb’..?

    • Clemgeopin 5.2
      23 February 2015 at 10:51 am

      That is such a funny and insightful video! He is so clever! Enjoyed it.

      I don’t indulge myself, but I do support decriminalisation of marijuana and medical marijuana.

    • David H 5.3
      23 February 2015 at 12:34 pm

      Yeah Bill Maher, he’s worth listening to. And this interview was a bit of an eye opener.

      It’s an hour long.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WoERqJBMPE

  6. AsleepWhileWalking 6
    23 February 2015 at 7:42 am

    It’s official: Fracking causes quakes. Check out the graph – really….graphic.

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-21/usgs-confirms-oklahoma-quakes-are-due-fracking

  7. adam 7
    23 February 2015 at 8:31 am

    Interesting stuff from Ireland – and the on going simmering revolt.

    http://www.anarkismo.net/article/27889

    And this is a nice piece – which basically sums up my take on elections – add the appearance of the last two elections being dirty tricked by national – I think you should take some time to read.

    http://libcom.org/blog/alternative-voting-systems-are-no-alternative-21022015

    On the above link there is three more in the series, which are well worth reading.

  8. dv 8
    23 February 2015 at 9:03 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406245
    Fourth fruit fly found in Grey Lynn, Minister confirms

    This from yesterday deserves a repeat.

    ;“We’ve had four finds in our traps over three years. In the previous 14 years when we had the 100 percent screening in place, we didn’t find any.”

    “Sure that’s going to cost some money, but we also have to look at every time we’re responding here is between $1 million to $1.5 million for the response that we’re putting in place.”

    So how much has been saved by not screening 100%

    Note no flys for 14 years with 100% screening
    Now 4 infestations since reduced screening 3 years ago TO SAVE MONEY!!!!!

  9. Anne 9
    23 February 2015 at 9:14 am

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/266763/act-hopes-to-halt-plunge-in-support

    Well, it’s now 0.0% so it can hardly plunge any lower. Does that mean they’re going to hail their current leader as a success because he stopped them falling any further? I wouldn’t put it past them.

    • Lanthanide 9.1
      23 February 2015 at 9:24 am

      I like the un-named woman saying something like “I think having a young one as a leader is quite good, because the young ones do like someone about their own age”.

      Love her weird phrasing of “young ones”. Sorry Ms Unnamed Woman, but this “young one” actually wants sound and sane policy, not some young toff that’s been elevated beyond his depth and talent.

    • phillip ure 9.2
      23 February 2015 at 1:17 pm

      there was a puff-piece in the herald on wk/nd..

      ..asking ‘what do act want?’..

      ..my immediate reaction was:..who the fuck knows/cares! – they are on 0%’..

      • b waghorn 9.2.1
        23 February 2015 at 5:52 pm

        The obvious answer to ‘what do act want?’.. Is what ever key and his mates tell them they want.

  10. You_Fool 10
    23 February 2015 at 10:00 am

    I may have missed this, but why is Granny Herald up in arms about ATEED postings overseas?

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406141

    Is it just the money being spent? But surely they are there for a reason – creating international economic opportunities? I understand that the london posting has a few other issues but if the posting was made first then I also see no problems. Also isn’t this all ATEED which whilst owned by the council isn’t controlled by the council (thanks Rodney!)

    Is it just me or is the Herald stirring up an issue that isn’t there at all and is failing to ask the right questions or state the facts in a non-biased way?

    • Anne 10.1
      23 February 2015 at 11:43 am

      …is the Herald stirring up an issue that isn’t there at all and is failing to ask the right questions or state the facts in a non-biased way?

      Imo, yes. Just like they did over the now discredited Liu/ non – donations to Labour scandal last year.

      • phillip ure 10.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 1:21 pm

        “..why is Granny Herald up in arms about ATEED postings overseas?..”

        while those postings do seem suss/a scam..

        ..their outrage is extremely selective..

        …and their rightwing anti-brown/labour agenda drives this hissy-fit..

        ..they/the owners want a rightwing mayor in auckland….

  11. greywarshark 11
    23 February 2015 at 10:04 am

    The Spectator putting Putin in the role of Dragon-in-Chief in Europe, and the strains on the EU.
    http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9447782/how-vladimir-putin-is-waging-war-on-the-west-and-winning/

    In google there is mention of NZ Australia NATO and the west but I have done a search of the article thinking it referred to Iraq and matters relating but can’t find a mention. So where that term was lifted from I do not know.

    • Colonial Rawshark 12.1
      23 February 2015 at 10:25 am

      You really are a stirrer.

      Still, Nassem Taleb says that “modern medicine” killed more people than it saved until probably the 1930s and that risk/benefit phenomena is still not well understood in a healthcare context, leading to bad (and sometimes tragic) decisions by both patients and practitioners.

      • northshoredoc 12.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 10:52 am

        ..and you appear to be an unrepentant denier of the proven benefits of modern medicine.

        You continuing sniping at immunisation and other medical interventions and your assertions that the health profession are dupes of the pharmaceutical industry whilst basing your arguments on your own rather flimsy knowledge base is perverse and brings your own profession into disrepute.

        Disclosure – I do recommend patients to osteopaths and acupuncturists for musculoskeletal and other ailments and have a great deal of respect for their abilities in their areas of expertise.

        • Colonial Rawshark 12.1.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 11:34 am

          ..and you appear to be an unrepentant denier of the proven benefits of modern medicine.

          Not at all. But I am an advocate of making sure patients can exercise informed consent before any treatment is provided. There are a very wide variety of situations for which modern western medical care is unparalleled and very necessary. Suggesting that there are other situations where its risks, benefits and unknowns are less clear cut or positive might be considered distateful, however.

          and your assertions that the health profession are dupes of the pharmaceutical industry

          Those are your words, not mine. And when you get entire classes of medical students boycotting medical school professors whom they feel have too close links with big pharma, or medical researchers themselves admitting that big pharma drug trials with positive results are more likely to be published in peer reviewed journals than ones which show the drugs in a bad light, I think that there are valid concerns to be considered.

          • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 11:43 am

            They boycott professors who teach evolution too. In fact that seems to be the main reason. I suppose I missed all the classes in all the schools and all the professors you’re referring to.

          • northshoredoc 12.1.1.1.2
            24 February 2015 at 2:26 pm

            Perhaps i have mixed you up with @chooky,

            One of you has made repeated assertions on this very blog concerning medical professionals being dupes and in the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and that prescribing in NZ was not evidence based, clearly such an accusation is hyperbolic cant.

    • northshoredoc 12.2
      23 February 2015 at 10:42 am

      I must admit to being a bit mystified as to what point you are trying to make, that mistakes are made by medical professionals and that the population have adverse reactions at times to medicines…. that is undeniable.

      The report you link to however is very flawed.

      just as initial example in relation to ADRs a critique was made of the published paper that the report relied upon.

      ‘”…Simple pooling of fatal event frequencies from only those studies specifically reporting the number of fatal ADRs, as was done in the meta-analysis of Lazarou and colleagues, is likely to dramatically overestimate the death rate.

      CONCLUSION:
      Meta-analysis was invalid because of heterogeneity of the studies. Most of these studies did not report the data needed for incidence calculations. The methodology used was seriously flawed, and no conclusions regarding ADR incidence rates in the hospitalized population in the United States should be made on the basis of the original meta-analysis. “

      • Colonial Rawshark 12.2.1
        23 February 2015 at 11:51 am

        I must admit to being a bit mystified as to what point you are trying to make, that mistakes are made by medical professionals and that the population have adverse reactions at times to medicines…. that is undeniable.

        It’s probably the scale of the issues which would be surprising to every day people. Yes, I agree with you that every study (including meta-analyses) has limitations and those limitations mean that you can’t make sweeping or blanket conclusions.

        • northshoredoc 12.2.1.1
          24 February 2015 at 2:22 pm

          Well possibly everyday people would be surprised.

          However most in the medical profession would not find it in the least surprising, for example, that a patient had died in hospital while receiving a cytotoxic cocktail for their cancer and that their death would be listed as drug related.

  13. Colonial Rawshark 13
    23 February 2015 at 10:19 am

    15 year old UK girls outsmart British intelligence, quit school and head to Syria to join ISIS

    Oh dear. I’m sure the intelligence services will be asking for more powers, new legislation and additional millions in money to prevent future occurrences.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/22/uk-counter-terror-officials-criticised-syria-bound-london-schoolgirls

  15. adam 15
    23 February 2015 at 10:42 am

    Old news I know.

    But always a good idea to be reminded of the room needed to be given by car drivers.

    http://cca-actions.org/actions/wood-makes-people-big-cars

    and a action as well – seems we need this in all our major cities

    http://www.designboom.com/design/latvia-cyclists-car-skeletons-vehicle-size-10-10-2014/

  16. Lorraine 16
    23 February 2015 at 11:07 am

    This could end up like the varroa mite where it was put in the too hard basket eventually by the government. Anyone who watches Boarder Security knows that many people do not declare and destroy the food they bring in. In fact many of them try to hide the stuff. Letting people from Oz go through without searching is so dumb it beggars belief that the government would risk millions of dollars in exports in order to avoid an almost negligible inconvenience to passengers. Like the other policies of the national government that allows drilling of oil in the area of the highly endangered Maui dolphin. To many of the rest of us this is just a no brainer to protect NZ export interests, tourism and our environment and quality of life for both people and our forma and flora. Who pays when things go wrong. The tax payer. Like we did when the lack of regulation meant the tax payer spent millions on the Rena cleanup and it’s still not fixed properly.
    Andrew Little please scream from the rooftops about what stupidity this is. Motivate NZers to fight back against these dumb policies. We want a government that cares about our country which it is clear this government does not. We need a great leader and clearly John Key may have charm but not the ethics to look after NZ, it’s people and it’s environment for future generations.

  17. Lorraine 17
    23 February 2015 at 11:19 am

    Facts About Fruit Flies
    – Mother fruit flies lay about 200-300 eggs at a time
    – The most likely place for a mother fruit fly to lay her eggs is in a piece of rotting fruit
    – As soon as the babies hatch, they start reproducing about 24 hours later
    – From the time the mother fruit fly lays her eggs until you see the fruit flies buzzing around is about 7-13 days.

    • freedom 17.1
      23 February 2015 at 11:51 am

      the expert on RNZ today said they only laid “about twelve eggs” – which seemed a ridicuously small number for a fly

      relevant bit 1:08

      • greywarshark 17.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 1:02 pm

        They apparently have about 7,500 traps in Auckland checking for these blighters and it sounds a lot – did I hear right? HortNZ CE Peter Silcock said that the action taken on commercial consignments of fruit in Oz and the border controls here are probably sufficient to mean good coverage. It is more likely that they come in travellers bags and they would like 100% screening. PRIM (Primary Industries Ministry) have increased surveillance – for fruit flies – but not to the extent which is needed.
        http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/rural/266475/fruit-fly-crackdown-continues

        Something that I notice is that yachties are never mentioned – there seems quite a floating population swanning around these days. They should be equally targeted for compliance with regs.

  18. Tautoko Mangō Mata 18
    23 February 2015 at 11:30 am

    This is yet another example of the dangers of Investor-State Dispute Settlement Systems (ISDS) and another reason for rejecting the TPPA. This illustrates the lengths that these multicorporations will go to in order to evade their responsibilities and the moral and ethical vacuum in which they operate.
    Imagine a similar scenario in NZ with respect to deep sea drilling!
    It is better to read the whole article dated Feb 16, 2015 but here is an excerpt from the Chevron v Ecuador case.

    “Unfortunately for Chevron, its expensive retaliation strategy against Mr. DeLeon and others has failed to end the litigation, has only increased the resolve of the affected villagers, and has not diminished the company’s risk from collection actions targeting its assets to ensure compliance with the judgment,” it added.

    After an eight-year trial, an Ecuador court in 2011 found Chevron liable for deliberately dumping billions of gallons of toxic waste into the rainforest, decimating indigenous groups and causing an outbreak of cancer and other diseases. The case – litigated in Ecuador at Chevron’s request — was funded in large part by Mr. DeLeon, a successful businessman in the internet gaming space and a law school classmate of Donziger’s.

    Two layers of courts in Ecuador unanimously affirmed the trial court judgment, including the country’s Supreme Court in a 5-0 ruling. Chevron still refused to pay the judgment and retaliated by suing numerous supporters of the villagers, including Mr. DeLeon but also lawyers, environmental groups, bloggers, and scientific consultants.

    Mr. DeLeon fought Chevron’s pressure campaign for years, but finally threw in the towel this week after it became clear he would face years of additional expensive litigation in Gibraltar’s courts. Gibraltar is the headquarters of many of his various businesses.”
    http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/37689-Chevron-DeLeon-Settlement-In-Ecuador-Case-Will-Lead-to-More-Funds-for-Environmental-Clean-up-Villagers-Say

    Just another short excerpt:
    “Chevron also continues to face the likelihood of a devastating setback in the appeal of its controversial racketeering judgment in New York, now scheduled to be heard the week of March 30. The facts in that case prove the company corrupted its star witness with more than $2 million in payments to testify falsely in the trial, according to multiple reports.”

    Despicable!!!!

  19. North 19
    23 February 2015 at 11:48 am

    Still looking out for the right wing scum on this latest Liu moment. Where are these scum ? But for the fact it’d take 11 years to arrive I’d send them a letter of invitation to contribute……..

    • Clemgeopin 19.1
      23 February 2015 at 12:44 pm

      I am curious to know if this issue has been exposed on the TV1 and TV3 news at 6? I don’t think so, but I did not watch the news in full over the weekend. Those who did watch could you please let us know. TIA.

      • b waghorn 19.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 8:49 pm

        Three did a story on it to night made key look like a liar not that it matters honesty is not important to right wing voters.

    • Weepus beard 19.2
      23 February 2015 at 4:02 pm

      right wing scum

      Harsh…but fair.

  20. Rodel 20
    23 February 2015 at 11:59 am

    Glad to hear that Green party is not contesting the by-election.
    Dunno about NZ first. I hope not. ACT please contest.

    The Australian experience gives a glimmer, just a glimmer of hope that the Key govt could be toppled.

    • Skinny 20.1
      23 February 2015 at 1:46 pm

      Yeah ACT are fronting with Robin Grieve, a particularly nasty character who attended an election forum as a candidate and bemoaned ‘it was a lefty love feast.’ He got booed on stage and off, very entertaining value 🙂

      • Clemgeopin 20.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 2:09 pm

        Good on ACT to be fronting with Robin Grieve. I hope someone prominent from the Conservatives will stand also. May be Colin Craig himself?

        • swordfish 20.1.1.1
          23 February 2015 at 6:01 pm

          Yep, from a Left point of view, it’s far more important that the Conservatives stand a candidate in Northland to split the Tory vote as much as poss.

          ACT’s support is just a tiny drop in the ocean – It’ll make little if any diff. As inconsequential as the day is long.

          • Clemgeopin 20.1.1.1.1
            23 February 2015 at 11:35 pm

            Oh dear! You gave the game away!

            2014 General election results – electorate candidate votes

            Candidate Valid Votes Share (%)

            SABIN, Mike (NAT) 18,269 52.74
            PRIME, Willow-Jean (LAB) 8,969 25.89
            CLENDON, David (GP) 3,639 10.51
            RINTOUL, Ken (FNZ) 1,661 4.8
            TAYLOR, Mel (CNSP) 1,555 4.49
            NELSON, Craig (ACT) 200 0.58
            WILSON, David Angus (NZDSC) 173 0.5
            ROBERTSON, Murray (IND) 96 0.28
            TIMMS, Glen (MFP) 75 0.22
            Total Valid Votes 34,637 100
            Total Votes Cast 36,112 104.26

            Winning Candidate: SABIN, Mike – margin 9300

  21. Clemgeopin 21
    23 February 2015 at 12:39 pm

    NATIONAL’S CALLOUS AND CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE OF NATION’S BIO- SECURITY!

    You won’t believe this!

    The fruit fly outbreak is a damning indictment on the Government’s systematic destruction of border security with the inefficient and money pinching Minister in charge, Nathan Guy.

    Now the $6 billion fruit and vegetable industry is at risk and the Government is squarely to blame.

    This is very serious. Guy should be a goner for this.

    See why:
    http://www.3news.co.nz/opinion/brook-sabin/opinion-national-to-blame-for-fruit-fly-outbreak-2015022311#ixzz3SWHxCjnB

  22. Visubversaviper 22
    23 February 2015 at 1:10 pm

    When I returned from a visit to Japan in 1998 I was pulled up at Customs because the Xray of my bag had shown a round object. I was happy to unpack it and show the round wooden doll I had been given in Tokyo, and Customs was happy that it was not an apple or an orange. I was happy that they had screened my bag along with every other bag on the flight. They have stopped doing that and only Xray “at risk” individuals. It is cheaper – they say. Tell that to the fruit and vege shops in Grey Lynn today and who knows to whom tomorrow?

    • tc 22.1
      23 February 2015 at 7:14 pm

      Another impact of reckless tax cuts in 09, they went through penny pinching across the board to eek every potential ‘saving’ in an effort to smudge the wealth transfer.

      Border security in an agricultural economy isn’t a luxury to be tweaked it’s a necessity that needs bolstering and vigilance.

      Haters and wreckers.

  23. weka 23
    23 February 2015 at 1:41 pm

    “If U.S. land were divided like U.S. wealth…” a graphic divvied up by 1%, 9%, and the remaining 90%. Would love to see a NZ one (including foreign ownership, renter/owner, and unoccupied households).

  24. Stuart Munro 24
    23 February 2015 at 1:45 pm

    A government that can’t even take on the fruit fly has no business going after Daesh.

  25. weka 25
    23 February 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Sweet anti-neolliberal slam from Tourettes at Splore (h/t Russell Brown)

    “he tells me there is a part time job waiting for everyone at the milk powder factory”

    “he tells me global warming’s not so bad, we might never have Australia’s economy but we got bush fires now”

    “and the media stands impotent, seagulls parroting his nonsense, and the headlines read, John Key’s Son’s a DJ”

  26. greywarshark 26
    23 February 2015 at 3:05 pm

    Chinese are flocking to holiday in Japan to get away from their horrible air pollution, where you not only can see the air you breathe, you can cut it with a knife and fork, or in their case hold it between their chopsticks. But the Japanese are quietly saying, because they need the Chinese money after many years of recession, that the Japanese are lacking cultural sensitivity. They are too loud, and if there is anything free they take it in sackfuls, their children stand on seats in their shoes, and they eat their own food in cafes.
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-tourists-flock-to-japan-for-the-sushi-the-shopping-and-the-fresh-airdespite-tensions-10061720.html

    Queenstown is stuffed to the gills with tourists. Perhaps they are Chinese tourists. If they don’t watch out down there they will spoil the attraction of their Queenstown attractions. Probably they will go mad and treat it like a gold bull to be milked. When you’ve got dosh you can make everything happen to suit yourself.

    Richard Attenborough has a question for China about their lack of restraint – on using illegal ivory and threatening the world’s elephants. Perhaps they can collect their own teeth and use them as delicate features in art forms.
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/david-attenborough-calls-on-chinese-president-to-end-ivory-trade-and-halt-extinction-of-the-african-elephant-10062229.html?icn=puff-7

    • greywarshark 26.1
      23 February 2015 at 5:53 pm

      Oh dear me. What a bad case of cultural myopia. I meant to say that the Japanese were saying quietly that the Chinese were a bit louder than they are used to, but my fingers went and put Japanese not Chinese, which doesn’t make sense when it is read. I don’t know what happened there.

  27. greywarshark 27
    23 February 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Dunedin’s city hospital is suffering badly. Bad leaks had to be patched and still there is more to be done.
    The College of Intensive Medicine of Australia and New Zealand has withdrawn the hospital’s intensive care unit’s training accreditation, with the main issue being the state of the unit. A $2 million refurbishment, which could well be the barest minimum, is planned but has not begun yet.

    Now, comes a report from Beca consultancy group that up to
    $50 million will be needed to keep the clinical services building at Dunedin Hospital going for another 10 years.
    In addition, nearly $75 million will have to be spent on the ward block over the next 10 years.
    http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/331153/dunedin-hospitals-catch-22

    I diagnose a serious and debilitating affliction ‘political invisibility syndrome’. Those regional patients with this indisposition looking unhealthy may be subjected to triage.
    If their condition is exacerbated by a raging state of ‘regional-extensioning-flew’ the prognosis is not good. This is a sad case where the patient glides further and further away from the source of its nourishment, and will stretch till its supply-lines are woefully thin and then inevitably breaks down.

    • Colonial Rawshark 27.1
      23 February 2015 at 5:28 pm

      Maybe we can get SkyCity to set up pokie machines at the hospital, and get them to pay for a new ward or two in the process. You know, because this country can’t fund anything decent any more without kowtowing to the corporates.

  28. marty mars 28
    23 February 2015 at 4:03 pm

    Oil spill

    Vigorous seas are reducing the chance of tar balls washing ashore after a split pipe at an offshore platform caused 250 litres of oil to spill into the sea.

    The slick has spread 10km from the Raroa platform site off the Taranaki coast since Friday.

    The spill happened when oil company OMV was transferring oil from Raroa to the oil tanker Nectar.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11406521

    Okay could have been a lot worse – get ready for more of these spills if the gnats have their dirty exploitation way. I agree with Jean quoted below

    Jean Kahui of Frack Free Kapiti said her organisation was concerned about the “disgusting” spill and said it raised wider concerns about offshore oil operations.

    “We can feel extremely lucky that this was a small spill. Imagine if it was a larger spill. Our coast [would] be devastated for generations,” she said.

    I hope this can be used to test our systems of readiness for the inevitable disaster just around the corner.

  29. greywarshark 29
    23 February 2015 at 4:09 pm

    Did someone discuss the women on Radionz talking about how everything she has trained for soon has no jobs for her? She has had to look for months to find anything else. This was around the Precarieat discusion with Prof Standing.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20168197
    10:06 Rhonda Samoa – The Precariousness of Work
    Rhonda Samoa is a truck driver, a graduate of the New Zealand Film School, and the sister of Mark Samoa who was killed in a work accident on the Wellington waterfront in 2013. Rhonda knows a thing or two about the precariousness of work in the 21st Century, having been made redundant twice in the last six years, but she remains optimistic about the ability of workers to negotiate safe and fair work conditions as long as they stick together.

    There were a few stories on Sunday around wage workers.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday

  30. freedom 30
    23 February 2015 at 4:29 pm

    lPrent:
    small tech issue that’s been popping up the last few days
    The edit function is denying permission to edit at around 4 mins remaining.

    test edit 3/3 (seems intermittent whatever it is ) 😮

  32. Paul 32
    23 February 2015 at 5:19 pm

    Be afraid New Zealand, be afraid.
    The Herald attempts to whip NZ into the necessary frame of mind to accept war in Iraq.
    This make it more than a rag.
    It’s a danegerous rag.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11406528

    • McFlock 32.1
      23 February 2015 at 5:28 pm

      the thought that immediately sprung to mind was that demolishing all shopping malls would be a serious blow for civilization.

  33. Paul 33
    23 February 2015 at 5:22 pm

    It’s amazing which stories Fearfax Media regard as more important than the fact the government is deciding today whether to go to war in Iraq.

    These were some of the stories the editor of Stuff thought more important!

    Boys stomach pumped
    Tourist ignored police lights
    It’s a rainy Monday
    Students trapped in overloaded lift

    • Colonial Rawshark 33.1
      23 February 2015 at 5:30 pm

      Our MSM will be complicit in many deaths.

      • Paul 33.1.1
        23 February 2015 at 5:34 pm

        For Messrs Murphy and Roughan at the Herlad and the others mmebers of the complicit media.
        Read the last verse in particular of Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’

        Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
        Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
        Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
        And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
        Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
        But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
        Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
        Of disappointed shells that dropped behind.

        GAS! Gas! Quick, boys!– An ecstasy of fumbling,
        Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
        But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
        And floundering like a man in fire or lime.–
        Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light
        As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

        In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
        He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

        If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
        Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
        And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
        His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
        If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
        Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
        Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
        Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,–
        My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
        To children ardent for some desperate glory,
        The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
        Pro patria mori.

  34. Colonial Rawshark 34
    23 February 2015 at 6:04 pm

    One Mews just interviewed a NZ commentator on the Iraq Civil War deployment and how we have boxed ourselves in over there, with the caption “Person’s Name.”

    Seems like our MSM are really on top of things.

    • tc 34.1
      23 February 2015 at 7:19 pm

      Reminds me of an old not the 9 o’clock news sketch…and now the news brought to you by the conservative party.

  35. felix 35
    23 February 2015 at 8:27 pm

    Garner on radio live today: (a few hours ago so I’ll have to Morrissey it)

    “Gee I dunno, I just can’t get that excited about this whole fruitfly thing, ya know? I mean it’s not like a TSUNAMI or an EARTHQUAKE, ha know? I mean I DRIVE HOME through the affected area and I’m like NOT SCARED AT ALL. Like, it’s just a FLY, ya know? Anyway there’s important news I have to tell you about. I went for a ride on a waterslide yesterday and guess what? It was SHIT!”

    He then spends the next hour talking about how shit the waterslide was.

  36. Stuart Munro 36
    23 February 2015 at 10:43 pm

    Sometimes war is justified.

    They’re not from here. They breed like flies. They have no respect for our culture. They have no humanity. They are a major threat to NZ’s wealth and wellbeing. Everything they touch becomes a writhing, maggoty mass of corruption.

    Fruit flies must be exterminated – Death to the gnats!

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