Open mike 23/06/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 23rd, 2013 - 124 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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Step right up to the mike…

124 comments on “Open mike 23/06/2013”

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  1. LynWiper 1
    23 June 2013 at 8:09 am

    The country’s private schools are raking in a big share of taxpayer funding designed to help special needs students sit exams.

    The Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand says the system allows wealthy parents at private schools to work the system at the expense of poor parents whose children miss out.

    Applications for funding require parents to pay for a report from an educational psychologist to prove their children have special needs – which critics say benefits those who can afford it.

    The foundation said that contrast ( facts provided in article) “epitomises the current inequality of access to SAC between the haves and have-nots”.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/8830344/Private-schools-snare-special-needs-cash

    • rosy 1.1
      23 June 2013 at 8:37 am

      That’s a bit like nicking the change from the Child Cancer jar on the coffee shop counter, isn’t it? – and I bet they laugh about how clever they are to ‘minimise’ their tax bill then rip off the taxpayer by taking money from kids who need access to this resource, but can’t afford to go get it. I mean it’s pennies to them.

      Why, also, does the NZQA put a financial barrier to financial aid like this? It doesn’t make any sense at all, increasing the disadvantage of the disadvantaged when this resource is meant to improve their lot.

      • David H 1.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 9:01 am

        This is a bit more than the Coffee jar rip off. This is the systematic rip off of to start with the NHS, but how many other countries are getting ripped off ?

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10892350

      • Pasupial 1.1.2
        23 June 2013 at 9:23 am

        I wish I could say this surprised me, but it’s very much what you’d expect from NACT NZ. Is there some kind of; Rorts of the Month Newsletter, that goes out to their supporters? The near tripling of SAC expenditure in a single year (159 000 to 433 000) is most suspicious. Especially given that a quarter of King’s students got assistance, while Otahahu College got nothing.

        If NZQA require educational psychologist assessment before handing over the cash, you’d hope the ministry review will recommend their funding this themself. I suspect it’ll just be a whitewash though, or maybe they’ll even recommend canceling the SAC programme altogether (as the private schools will have gone on to the next scam by then).

    • ghostrider888 1.2
      23 June 2013 at 11:04 am

      this is unfortunate; individuals living with autism and dyslexia are generally gifted in other dimensions, yet if situated in a lower-decile area / school, these qualities are less likely to be revealed, with the children concerned becoming labeled as ‘difficult’. Then there was the revelation on RNZ this week that of the school settings receiving funding to provide a learning environment for ‘difficult’ children, few are meeting Ministry of Education criteria and guidelines. Instead, many children are just warehoused in a holding pattern.

  2. Morrissey 2
    23 June 2013 at 8:10 am

    DUM QUOTE OF THE WEEK
    No. 1: Steve Hansen

    # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

    “The French definitely turned up to play.”

    # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

    —The All Blacks’ dozy coach Steve Hansen, following yet another abject non-effort by the Tricolors.
    Saturday 22 June 2013

    • mac1 2.1
      23 June 2013 at 10:01 am

      In the game I watched, the French led twice, and forced scrum penalties from the All Black scrum. The All Blacks scored a try which a referee could not have allowed without video review and which remained dubious, and prevented a French try only by a professional foul with blatant jersey pulling.

      The score could have been AB 17 FR 16! Rugby watching is like political commentating and poll watching, isn’t it?

      • Morrissey 2.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 1:57 pm

        In the game I watched, the French led twice, and forced scrum penalties from the All Black scrum. The All Blacks scored a try which a referee could not have allowed without video review and which remained dubious, and prevented a French try only by a professional foul with blatant jersey pulling.

        In the second minute of the match, France got perfect running ball a few metres from the NZ goal line. Any team, even the least talented, would have at least had a go at passing the ball in such a situation; a team of France’s calibre would be almost guaranteed of scoring. But instead of spinning it, French flyhalf Remi Tales kicked it into the All Black’s in-goal area, and a chance went begging. Tales’ “choice” of squandering possession so grossly was to be repeated by him and his lackadaisacal team-mates throughout the “game”.

        You can take Steve Hansen’s lead and pretend that France made an effort if you want, just as the clowns in the Herald on Sunday have done. But please don’t pretend to be doing anything other than talking up a hollow win in a friendly match against a team that made only a token effort.

        The score could have been AB 17 FR 16!

        Sure it could, if the French had turned up to play. They did not, and it was another disgraceful lack of effort, on a par with last weekend’s horror show in Christchurch.

        Rugby watching is like political commentating and poll watching, isn’t it?

        Some political pollsters like to pretend things are other than what they actually are. Just like Steve Hansen, actually.

        • mac1 2.1.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 5:48 pm

          Or maybe like you, Morrissey.

          Read your own comments as one who reads them from our side of the internet divide. From what you write in reply, if we disagree with you we are clowns like the Herald or Hansen since we (bad12 and myself) saw that game differently, or pretenders who are dishonest in our commenting.

          Morrissey, there is a large problem of how to communicate or argue here. Did you ever wonder why you get commenters’ backs up here- and this is over (choke) an unimportant thing like a game of rugby, where they play the ball and not the man!

          • Morrissey 2.1.1.1.1
            24 June 2013 at 5:33 pm

            Read your own comments as one who reads them from our side of the internet divide. From what you write in reply, if we disagree with you we are clowns like the Herald or Hansen since we (bad12 and myself) saw that game differently, or pretenders who are dishonest in our commenting.

            I don’t think you are being dishonest, my friend. But I do think you are not looking at that travesty of a match either sensibly or dispassionately. Of course the All Blacks played well, and deserved to win each of the three friendly games. The All Blacks approached those games seriously; the Tricolors, on the other hand, clearly did not. You saw just as clearly as I did that the French team hardly tried to do anything with the ball during any of those matches; even one of that extraordinarily dimwitted commentary team on Prime TV remarked on Saturday night that the French had done nothing other than boot any possession they got down-field and hope for mistakes from the All Blacks, a “tactic” which was never going to succeed, ever. The French showed no commitment, no passion, and not a hint of creativity, in spite of the TV advertisements blathering about “French flair”. In other words, they hardly made an effort. You can either face up to that fact, and condemn them for it, or you can pretend that the All Blacks won against a French team playing football seriously.

            Morrissey, there is a large problem of how to communicate or argue here. Did you ever wonder why you get commenters’ backs up here-

            That’s a mighty big statement. I have got people’s backs up now and again, certainly. But we usually reconcile and I get along well with most of my interlocutors, even if we squabble occasionally.

            and this is over (choke) an unimportant thing like a game of rugby, where they play the ball and not the man!

            Yes, you’re right, mac, I should tone it down a bit. Must try harder….

    • bad12 2.2
      23 June 2013 at 10:03 am

      A non-effort by the French,??? my opinion is that the French turned up at Yarrow stadium last night with a game plan designed to negate the game the All Blacks brought to Christchurch the previous week,

      Considering that the French were for most of last nights game in a position were a converted try could have won them the game their game plan could be said to have been superior to that of the previous week,

      Obviously the French negating the attacking capabilities of the All Blacks last night gave us more an exhibition of thugby as opposed to the brilliant use of the football of the previous week and the old adage about changing a winning team was once again proved as the line-out failed to adequately compete against the French when compared with the previous week and a rusty number 10 in Dan Carter produced what was a pretty lack-luster game by His own standards….

      • Morrissey 2.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 2:08 pm

        A non-effort by the French,???

        Well at least they actually put warm bodies on the park, even though their hearts were clearly not in it. They did tackle and get in the way, of course, but they tried absolutely nothing on attack, and in fact deliberately squandered chances to score by mindlessly punting away perfect front-foot ball.

        …my opinion is that the French turned up at Yarrow stadium last night with a game plan designed to negate the game the All Blacks brought to Christchurch the previous week,

        What “game plan”? They showed nothing and did nothing. Except get in the way of the All Blacks.

        Considering that the French were for most of last nights game in a position were a converted try could have won them the game their game plan could be said to have been superior to that of the previous week,

        Again, WHAT game plan are you talking about? They did nothing. Possibly this was a good tackling practice for them, and I would not put it past them to have treated it as nothing more serious.

        Obviously the French negating the attacking capabilities of the All Blacks last night gave us more an exhibition of thugby as opposed to the brilliant use of the football of the previous week

        What “brilliant use” of the football? It was virtually an unopposed training run for the All Blacks in Christchurch.

        and the old adage about changing a winning team was once again proved as the line-out failed to adequately compete against the French when compared with the previous week and a rusty number 10 in Dan Carter produced what was a pretty lack-luster game by His own standards….

        And what about the rustiness of the Tricolors’ No. 10? At least Carter never did anything as grossly irresponsible as his opposite number (Remi Tales) did in the first 90 seconds of last night’s debacle.

  3. LynWiper 3
    23 June 2013 at 8:18 am

    A discussion well worth being involved in.

    Worldwide, demand for medicines is outstripping governments’ ability to pay for them, as people live longer and expensive new therapies come to market. But Pharmac CEO Steffan Crausaz said unlike similar bodies in other countries, Pharmac has a fixed budget, forcing it to prioritise.

    Now, for the first time, the public is being asked to give its opinion on whether those priorities need reform.

    Harris told the Sunday Star-Times that funding decisions work best when they are based on a set of principles, rather than ad hoc decisions on what seems reasonable. Deciding just what those principles should be, though, can be tricky.

    The New Zealand system attempts to compare and prioritise, “independently of disease-based lobbying, whether it’s from manufacturers or doctors or patient groups”.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8830368/The-pills-bills-Its-life-or-death

    From Tuesday, Pharmac is hosting a series of free community forums seeking the public’s views on what its decision criteria should be. For details see bit.ly/19m3Jvr

    Pharmac’s consultation guidelines:

    http://www.bit.ly/12PsGzh

    • Jenny Kirk 3.1
      23 June 2013 at 9:37 am

      Thanks for raising this really important issue, LynWiper. Pharmac has been under attack from drug companies for some time now because they’ve been holding prices of meds down, and using generics rather than expensive drug company specialities. I think we need to give them as much support as possible, help them work out those priorities, so we continue to get reasonable costs on our medications and not be subject to the prices of those huge multinational drugs manufacturers.

      • wyndham 3.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 9:54 am

        The TPP negotiations loom large on this issue. The Americans have their eye on Pharmac and one wonders what is the real position of our Nact representatives at these talks.

        • Jenny 3.1.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 10:52 am

          Or indeed their ABC Labour opponents.

        • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.2
          23 June 2013 at 2:06 pm

          …and one wonders what is the real position of our Nact representatives at these talks.

          I don’t. They’ll sell out to US demands.

    • Bill 3.2
      23 June 2013 at 3:14 pm

      For a start they could pay attention to their first 8 decision making criteria and END all funding for the current tranche of Nicotine Replacement Therapies (patches, inhalers, gum etc that all contain nicotine) and save, how many millions of dollars per annum that currently goes to lining the pockets of Big Pharma? Instead, and in line with 1 through 8 of their own criteria, they could provide nicotine in solution to ex-smokers, allowing them to either continue the addiction with far fewer health consequences or to step their dosage down in incremental stages until they were nicotine free.

    • rosy 3.3
      23 June 2013 at 9:15 pm

      I’m hoping to see an interest in what people think about quality of life concerns in Pharmac’s decision-making process.

      From my point of view, decisions are too focused on a narrow medical benefit and cost to the health system. For example there are relatively rare disabling conditions that can prevent people taking part in society. Standard drugs can keep them as functioning invalids, prevent hospitalisation, and slow the course of the disease, but may not allow the patient to resume a life without assistance – financial (including invalid benefit for those who don’t have a partner to rely on) and/or physical – due to disabilities resulting from the illness.

      However, newer, very expensive drugs can allow the ill person to function at the same level as a person without the condition – interacting with family, having a social life, and crucially (in term of other societal/taxpayer costs), able to work and pay tax, play, and physically look after their families. However in Pharmac’s view the new drug does nothing more than the older, cheaper drugs in the reduction of health system costs so is heavily restricted.

      And yet, (for my personal pet rant) Pharmac pay a fortune in omeprazole (Losec) (due to the number of people who are prescribed it) so people can eat spicy chicken (queue Losec ad) when a green prescription may have a greater impact. Rant exceptions, of course, for people with little choice – I don’t intend to dismiss need – e.g. those with stomach ulcers, IBDs or taking anti-inflammatories for a condition that the above example incorporates.

  4. Morrissey 4
    23 June 2013 at 8:27 am

    United States to charge Snowden with Spying.
    Who said the Americans don’t do irony?

    The US justice department has filed criminal charges against a fugitive ex-intelligence analyst who leaked details of a secret surveillance operation.

    The charges against ex-National Security Agency (NSA) analyst Edward Snowden include espionage and….

    Read more, if you can bear it….
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23012317

  5. mickysavage 5
    23 June 2013 at 9:52 am

    I should not laugh but …

    The SST is reporting Truth’s escort service website has been hacked and the phone numbers of escorts replaced by Cam Slater’s number. Imagine the surprised calls he must be receiving …

    • tc 5.1
      23 June 2013 at 10:01 am

      The irony is strong as cammy has an interesting moral compass when it comes to the provision of his services

    • lprent 5.2
      23 June 2013 at 10:09 am

      *funny*. And no, it wasn’t me.

      Note to myself – might have to buy the SST this morning.

      • karol 5.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 5:49 pm

        There is an online version of the main article: “The Truth Was Out There”. pp A11-12 of the hard copy.

        on pA3, there’s a small article, “Official: Truth a bunch of Hacks” about the website hack. SLater says he put his phone on silent, and wasn’t very bothered by “the childish games people play”.

        Slater says he hasn’t heard from the Truth’s owners since the closure was announced, and that he’s now “exploring a digital-only newspaper venture”.

        Should be fun – *yawn*.

    • Anne 5.3
      23 June 2013 at 11:28 am

      I should not laugh…

      Why not. That’s hilarious. Wish we knew who it was…

    • Huginn 5.4
      23 June 2013 at 6:33 pm

      That is very funny

  6. North 6
    23 June 2013 at 10:27 am

    Q + A………to be renamed “Qeue + Adore” (ShonKey Python and National that is).

    In the first 20 minutes:

    – Key given full novelistic reign on QE with nothing from Norman.

    – Big ups to National for protecting vulnerable immigrant workers (oh how
    marvellous……everyone else is implacably opposed to that of course, yeah right).

    – Miller, Mapp and Mei waxing lyrical how wonderful is “Minister” Woodhouse for militating
    against immigrant worker exploitation. Mapp……..the embarrassingly pompous pedant former National Party cabinet minister. On the show to lead the cheering by and for “Woody” ?

    – Oh wow……..Palestine……..thank you lawyer Mei…….”this is a very important matter for which a
    solution must be found…..”. Strangely, no addressing “justice the seed, peace the
    flower”. To do so I guess would be too challenging for the Susan (thick as a piece of) Wood.

    – And on the question of workers rights no mention during the acclaimation for “Minister”
    Woodhouse of the attack on New Zealand workers’ rights promoted by that sleaze the slightly
    cleverer than Gilmore, Jamie-Lee Ross. Parallel to the startlingly innovative focus of
    “Minister ” Woodhouse in boldly enforcing law already on the statute book.

    Qeue + Adore not worth watching I’m afraid. Why not just can it and toss production costs into National Party coffers.

    • ghostrider888 6.1
      23 June 2013 at 11:14 am

      Yes, migrant labour exploitation equivalent to NAct labour law exploitation.
      After a few token prosecutions, where will the resourcing come from to follow up notifications.

      And on New Zealanders returning from overseas? from Tracey Lee , ‘Brand Strategist’ and wastage of a sociology education, “we must smooth the hardship of their transition” (paraphrased) …I shake my head in despair! Lord give us strength, strewth!
      Did I say, I’m feeling disgust about now…

    • Jackal 6.2
      23 June 2013 at 11:17 am

      +1 The bit about Kiwis returning back to New Zealand was particularly naive. Not once was our low waged economy, which is the main reason for the mass-exodus, mentioned. All we had was propaganda about a supposed 25,000 Kiwis returning each year, which morphed into a puff piece with claims that most Kiwis only left for a little while anyway.

      Meanwhile in the real world there’s approximately a million Kiwis permanently living abroad, and the mass exodus continues unabated.

      But whatever, John Key promising that people would waive goodbye to higher taxes and not their loved ones is a distant memory, especially it seems for the deluded spin doctors over at Q+A.

      • ghostrider888 6.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 11:25 am

        a dearth of balanced, objective pundits on the local current faire, yet there is always Colin James and Jon Johanssen 😎

      • phillip ure 6.2.2
        23 June 2013 at 6:54 pm

        http://whoar.co.nz/2013/q-a-a-review-7/

        (excerpt..)

        “….next subject:..returning expats..

        .a ‘brand-strategist’ is up first..(ed::..no..!..really..!..good grief..!’)

        ..who does a ‘brand-strategist’/cliche-stringing-together tour-de-force..

        ..then some returning ice-cream-maker..(!)..

        (ed:..q & a veers into ‘good morning’ territory..again..)

        (ed:..we are halfway thru this show now..and not a moment of that first half would be worth getting up off the couch for..)

        ..(the ‘brand-strategist’ talks of the stigmas from being a returning expat..(!)..(ed:..who the fuck knew..?..)

        ..then her and compere woods seriously camp out in ‘good morning’ territory..both getting over–excited/comfortable with/over ‘connecting’-talk..”

        phillip ure..

    • chris73 6.3
      23 June 2013 at 11:21 am

      Its good theres a counter-balance to the blatantly left Campbell Live

      • Colonial Viper 6.3.1
        23 June 2013 at 11:24 am

        Glad you accept it was the National Campaigning Show through and through.

        • chris73 6.3.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 11:34 am

          Just like Campbell is anti-National, I mean fairs fair right

          • Arfamo 6.3.1.1.1
            23 June 2013 at 11:42 am

            Is Campbell blatantly left and anti-National, or just challenging whatever government is in power?

            • McFlock 6.3.1.1.1.1
              23 June 2013 at 3:02 pm

              Campbell’s sucking up to Helen Clark obviously proves Chris’ point. Oh, wait…

          • Colonial Viper 6.3.1.1.2
            23 June 2013 at 11:52 am

            John Campbell speaks up for disadvantaged people and points out social inequality.

            I suspect that is why you label him “anti National”

            • Saarbo 6.3.1.1.2.1
              23 June 2013 at 1:11 pm

              Spot on CV, Helping the disadvantaged = Anti National. Sums it up!

            • Jenny 6.3.1.1.2.2
              23 June 2013 at 4:04 pm

              I well remember the time when John Campbell broke the investigation by Nicky Hager into Corngate. Senior Labour Party activists I spoke to were ropeable. The air was blue. And the abuse they showered on Campbell and Hager. “They were close friends”, “They were working together to discredit the Labour Party”, “They are rats”, “anti-Labour” etc. etc

    • David H 6.4
      23 June 2013 at 11:48 am

      Yeah I near vomited at the sycophancy that was shown. Shit it’s another program that’s on the why bother list, as it’s been dumbed down, and is at the level of 7 sharp now. and it’s getting worse, the MSM is hopeless. And the so called Current Affairs shows are either dumbed down, or are on at such weird times that the stories are lost to the main stream.

    • tc 6.5
      23 June 2013 at 1:29 pm

      Q + A is part of the NACT spin machine. The nats know how to make the SOE’s do their bidding, it’s all too easy when you stack the board/management and have that mafia style approach to the ‘funding ‘

      Susan Wood as on of the attack dogs..says it all really, just a revolving door of hacks and has beens.

    • tc 6.6
      23 June 2013 at 1:30 pm

      Q + A is part of the NACT spin machine. The nats know how to make the SOE’s do their bidding, it’s all too easy when you stack the board/management and have that mafia style approach to the ‘funding ‘

      Susan Wood as one of the attack dogs says it all really, just a revolving door of hacks and has beens who know how to keep the paymasters happy.

  7. Pascal's bookie 7
    23 June 2013 at 10:32 am

    lol @ Petey George getting fisked by David Fisher on his twitter machine:

    • weka 7.1
      23 June 2013 at 11:25 am

      Is that conversation intelligible to people who use twitter regularly? (couldn’t quite follow it myself).

  8. just saying 8
    23 June 2013 at 10:34 am

    Labour is planning to ‘ take the fight to National’, and will announce new policy imminently, on what it says is one of the most pressing issues facing New Zealand. It asks:

    What are we doing to make Herne Bay housing more
    affordable for young professional first-home buyers?

    Labour leader, David Shearer says he expects this to be one of the key election issues in 2014 and Labour will ‘terrorise’ its National Party opponents in the ferocity with which they will fight for the “hard working children of our own hard working families, who work very hard”.

    http://www.imperatorfish.com/2013/06/i-get-it-now.html

    • chris73 8.1
      23 June 2013 at 11:37 am

      Its just lazy making fun of Shearer and Labour…wheres the challenge?

      • just saying 8.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 12:36 pm

        Can’t argue with that.
        It’s just that sometimes I need an outlet to express my ongoing anger.

    • David H 8.2
      23 June 2013 at 4:12 pm

      ” imminently” Is that like Soon? or Sometime Soon?, or Could Be Soon?

      • just saying 8.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 5:14 pm

        That information is not contained on the auto-cue and will therefore remain unknown.

  9. North 9
    23 June 2013 at 10:50 am

    The Herald this morning – front page online – elderly lady attacked and assaulted in her own home – surveillance camera style photograph of a capped and hoodied young brown guy:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

    Go to the article – photograph of a police car. No picture of the young brown guy and no mention of him.

    Why no mention of him Herald ? Oh I see, the photograph of the young brown guy is unrelated to the article.

    So why then is there a photo of a capped and hoodied young brown guy on your front page under the headline “Elderly victims targeted” ?

    No No I’m not complaining…….racial profiling is just fine with me.

    • andy (the other one) 9.1
      23 June 2013 at 12:07 pm

      The photo is from a cash machine where one of the elderly victims cards was trying to be used by the hoodied young brown guy.

      Its not racial profiling when its a picture of someone using a stolen ATM card.

      Get over yourself.

      • North 9.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 4:33 pm

        I will try Andy. Where’s the Herald at leaving the photo completely unexplained in the article.
        Sensible to link surely ? Oh hang on, maybe the stereoptype is so established as to obviate the link.

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 4:41 pm

          I think they modified the article to make it clearer.

        • andy (the other one) 9.1.1.2
          23 June 2013 at 5:51 pm

          The police have given the Herald footage from a crime to help solve it, evil fucker robbing old folk. Jeeebus they aint perfect (teh herald) but cut them some slack on this.

          Oh look, more photos.

          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892362

          Fuck you and your ‘established stereotype’ nonsense. There is some dangerous dude robbing old people with increasing violence. Colour of perpetrator and old folk not important.

          Dick!!

          • North 9.1.1.2.1
            23 June 2013 at 7:50 pm

            The police have given footage……..

            Dead right Angry Andy as I now know. But who was to know that without any explanation of the photo ? Just in case you blow a fuse Dick !!, give a thought to this: the article has been updated as CV says. My comment was posted at about 11.00 am, before the update.

            If you wanna stay Angry Andy I’ll falsely state “Good on ya young brown fulla, bash those old ladies and steal their money”, just to prove your point and invigorate your strawman

            You who needs a life.

            • andy (the other one) 9.1.1.2.1.1
              23 June 2013 at 8:04 pm

              I give the herald a little bit of credit. Not much but, some. Jumping to conclusions on a Sunday when they have the least staff on board still makes you a dick, when proven wrong by further updates.

              Yeah, I’m angry. Angry at your stupid and angry that some douche bag is robbing old people.

              Press F5 on your keyboard, its called ‘refresh’. Makes you less of a dick sometimes.

              You can falsely state whatever you want, but your still wrong and will not, withdraw and apologise.

              There is no strawman, just facts.

              Dick!!!

              Edit: was updated at 10.40am ish with attribution on photo.

              • North …
                23 June 2013 at 8:27 pm

                Yeah, facts, as presented by the Herald at 11.00 am, and crucially, differently and more instructively, some hours later.

                Careful with your fuse Andy. Happy to cut the Herald some slack aye ? Fair enough. How about some for me since I commented on the appearance of the earlier set of Herald “facts”, not the later set of Herald “facts”.

                Highly unreasonable of you to keep up the insistence that I approve of the criminality and cowardice we mutually detest when you know full well I do not.

                No strawman you reckon ? Huh !

                Again, it’s for you to get a life.

              • North …
                23 June 2013 at 8:46 pm

                Tried to edit the above comment after reading your edit. Understand Andy, not facts that I saw. I read and reread the article, surprised there was no explanation as to the guy’s connection. Then spent 10-15 minutes writing a comment in response to the article as first presented by the Herald which response I submitted at 10.50 am.

                Still not satisfied ? Tough. Be obtuse.

                Yeah right. I applaud the bastard responsible. Of course I do ! Happy now ? How’s the fuse ?

    • Draco T Bastard 9.2
      23 June 2013 at 2:14 pm

      You mean this one?

      This man attempted to use a card taken during an attack in Westmere on Thursday at a nearby money machine. Photo / NZ Police

  10. Jenny 10
    23 June 2013 at 11:00 am

    In scenes reminiscent of the early days of the Syrian protests. Turkish police break up peaceful demonstrations with unprovoked violence.

    Though he didn’t state who they were, following Basher Assad’s lead, Turkish leader Tayip Erdogan blamed Turkey’s enemies.

    Turkish riot police fired water cannon to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators in central Istanbul on Saturday, as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan castigated those behind protests he said had played into the hands of Turkey’s enemies.

    The latest unrest in Taksim Square punctured six days of relative calm in Turkey’s biggest city, although it was a long way frommatching the ferocity of previous clashes there and in other cities that began more than three weeks ago.

    Demonstrators threw carnations at a phalanx of officers carrying shields who slowly advanced towards them, flanked by water cannon, to clear the square.

    “Police, don’t betray your people!” activists shouted after they had been scattered into streets leading to Taksim. Witnesses said police later used teargas to disperse pockets of protesters on a main shopping street nearby.

    Hours earlier, Erdogan had told thousands of supporters in the Black Sea city of Samsun that the unrest had played into the hands of Turkey’s enemies.

    Reuters http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/8830983/Turkish-riot-police-break-up-protest

    Maybe Colonial Viper could help Erdogan out here. And put a name to these unnamed enemies of Turkey

    This shouldn’t be to hard for CV. As CV doesn’t need to have any knowledge at all of conditions on the ground in Turkey. Or even take note of those who do. All he has to do is pull out his tired old Marxist dogmatic script which reliably informed him that the Yankee Imperialists were behind every other Middle Eastern revolt.

    Maybe CV could helpfully suggest to Erdogan, as he did for Assad, that the use of deadly nerve gas against the enemies of his country wouldn’t be a war crime.

    • ghostrider888 10.1
      23 June 2013 at 11:18 am

      maybe Jenny could stop wasting bait on the Viper, and set sights on other fish 😀

      • Jenny 10.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 1:33 pm

        You are probably right. I will stop wasting my time and energy on this supporter of fascism when he stops provoking me.

        What I was responding to was his attack on me.

        I posted a statement in support of Edward Snowden. Which Colonial Viper took exception to. And which I replied to by trying to keep it light. To which Colonial Viper launched an unwarranted attack on me for supporting the Syrian people’s struggle to free themselves of a murderous dictatorship.

        See the exchange here

        I have never used CV’s support for the fascist regime of Basher Assad against him. Preferring to argue the merit of the issue at hand. I had also hoped that CV’s support for the Assad regime, indeed his whole racist dismissal of the validity of the Arab Spring, was some sort of grotesque mistake. Everyone can make mistakes. And so out of politeness I have never used it to beat him up, when discussing other issues.

        However I feel that I would be remiss in not responding to CV’s unprovoked attack. IMHO to allow CV’s sick support for the facist style Bashar Assad regime to go unchallenged would be tantamount to agreeing not to challenge this sort of repression anywhere. If he thinks he can bring this up in an attempt to embarrass me every time he disagrees with me, then he is mistaken

        I make no apology for supporting the struggle of the people of Syria fighting for democracy. That that struggle has become brutal and fratracidal, in the nature of all civil wars, was not of their choice but of the dictator Bashar Assad. Bashar Assad could have agreed to grant the protesters the minor democratic reforms that they originally sought. Instead he decided to gun them down instead.

        What I take from CV’s attack on me over the comment on Edward Snowden, is that Colonial Viper hates the sort of political activism that the citizens of Hong Kong are famous for. The courageous political activism that has seen the people of Hong Kong openly defy the Beijing communist regime, and that Snowden has put his faith in, to protect him, from both the Chinese communist and the American capitalist governments.

        And I might add, also the same sort of political activism that New Zealanders too can also rightly lay claim to as a proud tradition of protest practiced here.

        I believe this argument has relevance to what happens here.

        Colonial Viper dismisses the power and the success and validity of all grass roots citizen protest movements protesting against authority and injustice.
        Though it can be seriously argued that such movements have achieved more for human progress and human rights than all the pragmatic top table horse trading that political parties spend their time on.

        I believe that Colonial Viper is of the opinion that we should leave everything up to the high ups in the Labour Party and the Greens.

        If the Greens and Labour decide in their coalition discussions that Deep Sea Oil drilling is OK. Then we must accept it. If these “leaders” decide on our behalf that there is nothing we here in New Zealand can do about climate change, we must accept that too. In fact we must accept everything that the political bureaucracies shove down our throats even if it is killing us.

        I believe that the sort of activism that I talk about, makes people like Colonial Viper uneasy, because it holds mainstream parties to account and decreases the amount of wriggle room that the mainstream politicians have to make compromises and sellouts.

        But it is the tradition that made New Zealand become nuclear free and left no room for compromise for the Lange government. It is the tradition that saw New Zealand reject racially selected sports teams.
        It is the same proud tradition of protest that keeps democracy alive in Hong Kong while surrounded by a communist dictatorship.

        Finally it is the same spirit that moved the people of Syria to take up arms against the state in response to the violence unleashed against them by the regime. (A lesson that Erdogan of Turkey, indeed all autocratic leaders where ever they are, should take note of.)

      • Huginn 10.1.2
        23 June 2013 at 8:20 pm

        That’s good advice from the Ghostrider, Jenny
        Not all reptiles are dragons

    • muzza 10.2
      23 June 2013 at 12:35 pm

      http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/04/16/uk-syria-crisis-turkey-idUKBRE93F0PG20130416

      (Reuters) – Turkey detained 10 people on Tuesday on suspicion of providing weapons and fighters in the name of al Qaeda to Islamist rebels trying to topple the Syrian government, highlighting the dilemma Turkey faces as one of the rebel movement’s biggest backers

      http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/14/syria-rebels-weapons-logistics/2423185/

      The United States has been sending communication equipment to rebels of the Free Syrian Army through Turkey. Rebels have picked up shipments in Istanbul and driven them across the border into Syria along secure routes.

      Turkey has sea ports for larger shipments. Most of the arms rebel leaders have requested are light weapons, chief among them shoulder-fired missiles. The missiles are wanted to shoot down Syrian aircraft or disable Syrian tanks.

      Turkey allowed itself to be used by the USA/UK/France, imperialists in their desire to upend the ME, to control the resources on that region, as well as the continued resource theft in Africa.

      Turkey, has played its part very poorly, and alienated Muslim sects, by being used as an imperialist puppet, and is now feeling the fallout of the administrations corrupted actions!

      Not to hard to understand where these, *enemies* might come from, Jenny!

      The subject of the ME/Africa, is clearly beyond your ability to comprehend, Jenny. Perhaps its a good time to re-focus on those areas you might consider to be, strenghts!

    • Poission 10.3
      23 June 2013 at 12:38 pm

      Maybe CV could helpfully suggest to Erdogan, as he did for Assad, that the use of deadly nerve gas against the enemies of his country wouldn’t be a war crime.

      Maybe we should introduce some facts,which tend to get in the way of Jenny’s story books.

      http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/05/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE94409Z20130505

    • Colonial Viper 10.4
      23 June 2013 at 1:17 pm

      Cheers guys, much appreciated.

      • Jenny 10.4.1
        23 June 2013 at 2:31 pm

        Cheers guys, much appreciated.

        Colonial Viper

        You guys must be kidding?

        Is this some sort of black comedy?

        In your your deadly serious campaign to support mass murder and torture CV you and your mates are so out of touch with reality that you have completely lost your sense of the ridiculous.

        Do you guys seriously expect us to believe this rubbish?

        What you are trying to tell us is that the rebels who can’t even build a safe field hospital. Assembled all the chemical ingredients to make sarin. Not to mention, putting in place all the high tech containment and safety procedures that need to be at the very least a PC1 level containment. According to wikipedia, a task even the nazis couldn’t fully complete in time before the end of the war.

        And having achieved all that, loaded it into a specialised artillery shell. Or did they deliver it in the back of a bread van?

        Maybe you guys have got your scripts mixed up?

        http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-hD3w_VdTG30/john_smiths_bachelor_party/

        • Jenny 10.4.1.1
          23 June 2013 at 2:37 pm

          Got a little nazi frat boy thing going on here CV?

        • Te Reo Putake 10.4.1.2
          23 June 2013 at 2:41 pm

          Jenny, I think your overwrought witterings are the problem. eg Assad and CV are not fascists and not liking the makeup of parts of the Syrian opposition does not make one a fascist. And you are dreaming if you think anyone much is fighting for ‘democracy’. One of the reasons the West has been slow to get involved is exactly that question; is there any point in replacing Assad when an even worse regime will be taking over?

          We went through that scenario in Iraq and look how that turned out.

          • Jenny 10.4.1.2.1
            23 June 2013 at 3:22 pm

            One of the reasons the West has been slow to get involved is exactly that question; is there any point in replacing Assad when an even worse regime will be taking over?

            Te Reo Putake

            TRP Your defence of Colonial Viper’s support for the brutal Basha Assad regime falls down on the fact that from the beginning CV has claimed that the whole thing is an American plot. Including the Arab Spring itself.

            This is not just factually wrong but is actually a racist slur on the Arab people.

            I don’t think that any party that calls itself democratic can long tolerate in their ranks an Islamaphobic racist who openly admires a fascist style dictatorial regime that indulges in mass murder and torture.

            • Colonial Viper 10.4.1.2.1.1
              23 June 2013 at 3:37 pm

              you forgot to add in climate change denialist and proxy for the fossil fuel industry, for gods sakes can you get my credentialling right

              • Jenny …
                23 June 2013 at 3:48 pm

                No I got it right. You have consistently argued in the past to do nothing about climate change. I have never called you a “climate change denialist“. What I did term you as, and I think I was being accurate at the time, was a “climate change ignorer“. (something you share in common with David Shearer). However on saying that I have noticed of late, a positive change in your position. It just goes to shows me that no one is irredeemable. I play rough but you are learning.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  23 June 2013 at 3:55 pm

                  What have you got right exactly, Jenny? Your Arab Spring working out for ordinary people in Egypt and Libya is it? Your Syrian “popular revolt” still importing a lot of foreign Islamic fighters just to keep going? Green party coming around to your way of looking at the world?

                  What exactly is it that you have got right?

                  It just goes to shows me that no one is irredeemable. I play rough but you are learning.

                  You’re not a valkyrie, Jenny, just mistaken.

                  • Jenny …
                    23 June 2013 at 4:18 pm

                    Thankyou for the back handed compliment. I may take up Voice of Reason AKA Te Reo Putake’s suggestion that I change my call sign after all.

        • Poission 10.4.1.3
          23 June 2013 at 3:22 pm

          And having achieved all that, loaded it into a specialised artillery shell. Or did they deliver it in the back of a bread van?

          Mr Whippy would be a reasonable delivery mechanism.

          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarin_gas_attack_on_the_Tokyo_subway

  11. xtasy 11
    23 June 2013 at 11:12 am

    New information about the drive to place sick and incapacitated WINZ beneficiaries with mental health issues into employment:

    Learn a bit about some of the possibly leading “pigs at the government trough”, who are likely contenders for MSDs contracts to outsource employment services for getting mentally ill (and other incapacitated) WINZ beneficiaries into work, for nice fees paid that will be based on referrals, duration of employment and so forth (more to come):

    Press Release – Wise Group, 10:15 May 16, 2013:
    http://business.scoop.co.nz/2013/05/16/employment-and-mental-health/
    describing a new “tool” for doctors and mental health service providers, to “assist” and “motivate” clients to move back into work, developed by ‘The Wise Group’ – more on them further below!!!

    See what was already done last year to prepare for the push to get mentally ill assisted back into work in last year:

    “Engage Aotearoa”:
    http://www.engagenz.co.nz/?tag=employment-support-as-a-mental-health-intervention-forum

    Employment Support as a Mental Health Intervention Forum: 9 March 2012

    Quote:
    “This is your invitation to a forum for clinicians and others that will focus on this developing field of practice. International research andthe experience of practitioners, signals that evidence-based supported employment is emerging as a significant intervention to help people into paid competitive work.This symposium with is focus on employment is timely as the Government has indicated a comprehensive review of the benefit system.”

    …with information on a forum last year, at the Ko Awatea Centre for Education & Innovation, Otahuhu

    attended by speakers:
    Rob Warriner, CEO of Walsh Trust: http://www.walsh.org.nz;
    Warren Elwin, CEO of Workwise, Employment Agency: http://www.workwise.org.nz;
    Helen Lockett, Strategic Development, Wise Group: http://www.wisegroup.co.nz;
    Clive Bensemann, Director of Mental Health, Auckland District Health Bd;
    David Codyre, Clinical Director/ Consultant Psychiatrist, ProCare Psychological Services …
    And –
    John Zonnevylle, Capital Coast DHB
    Magdel Hammond, Edge Employment,
    Dale Rook, Occupational Therapist, Auckland District Health Board

    More information: http://www.engagenz.co.nz/?p=1677
    Main website: http://www.engagenz.co.nz/

    Also to take note of:
    http://grow.co.nz/real-value-helen-lockett/
    (another “UK expert”, but I am a bit unsure whether she is one of those supporting Prof. Mansel Aylward’s and Dr David Bratt’s particularly hardline philosophies on “work capacity” and the “health benefits of work”)

    See Workwise’s “information” on “evidence based supported employment”:
    http://www.workwise.org.nz/about-us/EBSE
    http://www.workwise.org.nz/news/2012/02/27/new-zealands-first-primary-care-partnership-in-evidence_based-supported-employment
    http://www.workwise.org.nz/news/2012/02/27/analysis-shows-strong-financial-returns-from-employment

    The Wise Group – a major player, who own/operate ‘Workwise’:
    http://www.wisegroup.co.nz/page/5-Home
    http://www.wisegroup.co.nz/page/24-The-Wise-family
    http://www.wisegroup.co.nz/page/14-who-we-are+our-history

    http://www.socialangels.org.nz/about
    (see ‘The Wise Group’ being a “charitable trust” and “Social Angels” a registered “charity”)

    Workwise on the Charities Register:
    http://www.register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=8f8b356e-320f-dd11-99cd-0015c5f3da29&searchId=291abede-5d72-4bbc-a693-165e621a71ce

    Workwise Trust Group on the Charities Register:
    http://www.register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/ViewCharity?accountId=8febe8e5-290d-dd11-99cd-0015c5f3da29&searchId=291abede-5d72-4bbc-a693-165e621a71ce

    Charities Register – last filed return:
    http://www.register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/PublicAnnualReturn?nocId=797d3395-4749-e211-84ab-00155d0d1916&charityRef=WOR18206&accountId=8f8b356e-320f-dd11-99cd-0015c5f3da29&searchId=291abede-5d72-4bbc-a693-165e621a71ce&nocRef=WIS18147AR005

    So there we have it – more “corporate welfare” in the form of generous employment schemes for the well paid running of such services, and for perhaps a bit less generously paid bulk of the remaining “staff”. All likely to be part of the planned outsourcing and privatisation of welfare.

    One thing is sure for the Wise Group:
    $ 61,277,236 government grants and contract payments, out of $ 65,412,195 total income of that “charity”!!! Not bad really, especially for the ones running it.

    I had some personal experiences with “Workwise” some time ago, as a former flatmate with some mental health issues tried to find work through the help of two of their staff. She got “stuff all” in real, effective support, and was rather disappointed by the “service” delivered by at times very unreliable and not all that motivated staff!

    ***When thinking of “charities” “Sanitarium” comes to mind again, owned by a church that can run the business as a “charity”, paying no tax on earnings. ***

    See other organisations and agencies involved in this approach:
    http://www.platform.org.nz/
    http://www.tepou.co.nz/
    http://www.tepou.co.nz/news/2013/06/13/employment-is-a-health-intervention
    http://www.tepou.co.nz/story/2011/01/01/supporting-people-with-mental-health-issues-to-return-to-and-stay-at-work
    http://www.pathways.co.nz/page/21-support-services+real-jobs+real-jobs

    http://carenz.co.nz/
    http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/1003540
    (Dr David Bratt, one of the directors at Care NZ Ltd!!! Only indirectly involved, but participating in the same “drive” to get sick back into work the “Bratt way”)

    Remember also:
    The whole agenda is being pushed strongly, and familiar people are behind it:
    http://www.wellnz.co.nz/about_us/press_release_details.asp?pressID=36&bhcp=1

    Paula Bennett’s speech to medical professionals in Sept. 2012, indicating work capacity assessments UK style (remember ATOS, DWP and the scandalous developments):
    http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-medical-professionals

    I presume much is just “illness belief” (e.g. imagination), I suppose:
    http://awdpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Models-of-Sickness-Disability-Waddell-and-Aylward-2010-2.pdf
    (Publication by Prof. M. Aylward from 2010: ‘Models of Sickness and Disability’, or perhaps rather “blurring the lines, to open up attack lines on sick and disabled with incapacities – for state welfare agencies or insurance companies to dis-entitle beneficiaries and claimants”)

    In contrast the more widely known and well-established agency used by MSD and Work and Income to place people with physical disabilities into employment:
    http://www.workbridge.co.nz/?page=121
    (this is harmless, the more conventional approach, not covering mental health though)

    • Rosetinted 11.1
      23 June 2013 at 12:09 pm

      Some visuals to go with the information on job finding!

      They’ve got pens – The League of Gentlemen – BBC
      Pauline turns up for her new start session with the unemployed but is quite shocked to find that the tables have turned. Contains adult humour. Watch more high quality….

    • just saying 11.2
      23 June 2013 at 12:29 pm

      Good to check out the prospectus webpages of the ‘Wise’ outfit, especially the cvs of the main players. I’d love to know what sort of salaries they are pulling in for caring so deeply.

      There are sharks competing for funding with the little fish in the NGO/charity world.
      No prizes for guessing the winners in that particular battle for survival.

      • ghostrider888 11.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 2:27 pm

        Had a lovely experience this morning, knock at the door, and a lovely maori lady from a local iwi social services and education trust, -initiated by a blind maori gentleman, Jim (last name escapes me) – invited me (and every other whanau in the street) to a sausage sizzle and a check out of some surplus winter clothing. They had parked up with a trailer at the end of the street and when I had to go out, most folk had wandered down and were catching up. Excellent after the cold spell.

  12. Penny Bright 12
    23 June 2013 at 11:12 am

    WHO’S COMING to “Presentations on Palestine, building support & links from NZ?”
    It’s FREE, VERY informative and ABOUT TIME!

    Sunday 23 June from 12.30pm
    Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber, Queen St:
    Presentations on Palestine, building support & links from NZ.

    4pm: special screening of Oscar-nominated Palestinian documentary “5 Broken Cameras”.

    5.30 – 6.30pm: meal break.

    6.30pm: talk by Palestinian teacher/blogger Yousef Aljamal on ‘Life under occupation’.

    7.30pm – 8.30pm: powerpoint presentation by author Miko Peled (“The General’s Son”).
    _____________________________________________________

    http://www.conferenceonpalestine.co.nz

    Organised in cooperation with Kia Ora Gaza, Students For Justice in Palestine (Auckland, Hamilton & Wellington), Palestine Human Rights Campaign, Wellington Palestine Group, and Global Peace & Justice Auckland.

    PROGRAMME:

    Saturday 22 June 10am to 5pm
    Leys Institute Hall
    20 St Marys Rd, Three Lamps, Ponsonby.
    Including workshops on promoting boycott and divestment campaigns, lobbying for sanctions, political prisoners, other solidarity actions. PARTICIPANTS MUST REGISTER AT OUR WEBSITE IN ORDER TO ATTEND DAY ONE or registration form available here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1vHZw3H-KVD07vECOTilP_t23qH3BjCL3kXY_AwNEPvY/viewform.

    Sunday 23 June from 12.30pm
    Auckland Town Hall Concert Chamber, Queen St:
    Presentations on Palestine, building support & links from NZ.

    4pm: special screening of Oscar-nominated Palestinian documentary “5 Broken Cameras”.

    5.30 – 6.30pm: meal break.

    6.30pm: talk by Palestinian teacher/blogger Yousef Aljamal on ‘Life under occupation’.

    7.30pm – 8.30pm: powerpoint presentation by author Miko Peled (“The General’s Son”).

    Copies of ‘The General’s Son’ will be available at the conference at $25 (retail price about $30). You can request a copy now by emailing us at: conferenceonpalestine@hotmail.com and send $25 + $4 postage to bank account below.

    FREE ADMISSION – donations & pledges welcome.

    This important event depends on your generous support.

    HOW TO DONATE:

    Make a direct payment to our bank account:
    Conference on Palestine,
    03-0211-0447718-000,
    Westpac Bank, Onehunga branch.

    Afterwards, send an email to: conferenceonpalestine@hotmail.com with your deposit details so we can send you an e-receipt.

    Or write a cheque to ‘Conference on Palestine’ & post to:
    Conference on Palestine
    PO Box 86022, Mangere East,
    Auckland 2158, New Zealand.
    [Include you email or postal address for a receipt.]

    Or paypal via our website:
    http://www.conferenceonpalestine.co.nz

    • Huginn 12.1
      23 June 2013 at 8:07 pm

      Miko Peled’s an interesting guy.

      Argues for:

      – The amalgamation of Occupied Territories with pre1967 Israel (ie the ‘Two State Solution” is dead on the ground)
      – Full citizenship for Palestinians, including per-1967 exiles
      – Right of return and compensation for Palestinians
      – South African style Truth & Reconciliation process

      Here’s a link to Miko Peled’s interview with Kim Hill

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/remote-player?id=2559559

  13. Rosetinted 13
    23 June 2013 at 12:05 pm

    There is a great item on Chris Laidlaw Radionz this a.m. on spy-ring etc. Thinking about Edward Snowden et al.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday
    A couple or more of speakers. The last I heard before putting this was a quip from a Hong Kong dignitary. She said that ‘The reason that the sun never set on the British Empire is because God doesn’t trust the British.’ Good eh!

    This is after remembering how Brits organised spying on foreign dignitaries at I think one G8 meeting, even organising special internet cafes that were set up so they could get access to all their emails. Another bit of negative information is that they sent a top diver under a Russian vessel with advanced propeller technology but unfortunately his head was cut off. The comment was made that the English speaking countries were heavily into spying and we have been involved, along with Australia, in the ‘Five Eyes’ system since the Eighties I think.

  14. Chooky 14
    23 June 2013 at 12:17 pm

    Yes great interview: “God doesn’t trust the British…… in the dark !”….(end of quote , i think)

    Also praise for Winston’s peace making role in Fiji….from previous interview.

    ( Why does everyone pick on the bugger…..He has always stood for not selling NZ assets!…unlike the two major parties( and he brought National down over selling public assets) …and why is it always assumed he will join with National?…)

    • Jim Nald 14.1
      23 June 2013 at 1:50 pm

      Hah! If only my father and grandfather were alive to hear that quote with that punchline!

  15. Rosetinted 15
    23 June 2013 at 12:24 pm

    Thanks Chooky for FIFY
    I was just rereading mine and thought I missed the punchline on that quote. It reads even better when you see the whole thing Olwyn.
    And it was interesting to hear how staunch and reliable Winston Peters had been at the Fiji time of change and the high respect of the diplomatic staff for him.

  16. johnm 16
    23 June 2013 at 12:34 pm

    “New Zealand government fast tracks domestic spying laws”

    “In an interview with TV3 on June 11, Key fell into step with the international vilification of Snowden, sharply denouncing him as a “criminal”, and saying he should face the “full force of the law.” While Key has flatly refused to comment on any aspect of NSA activities and its links with New Zealand spy agencies, he has not denied that they exist.”

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/06/22/nzin-j22.html

  17. jcuknz 17
    23 June 2013 at 1:56 pm

    40,000 plus some more perhaps?
    Listening to Radio NZ ‘Arts on Sunday’ I learnt that movie film processing will stop shortly at Miramar, Wellington.

    The outfit started life in 1941 as a result of a reccomendation to the NZ Govt by John Greirson the British documentary film-maker which had the National Film Unit established. Reputedly the only time the NZ Govt acted on a commissioned report
    Later taken over by Television NZ and recently back at Miramar thanks to Peter Jackson but sadly[?] closing due to lack of throughput in the digital age.
    Seemingly the last Australasian lab to go under as apparently Aussies are sending last minute film to Miramar and they are very busy in their last days, just next week left before the gear is dismantled.

    Don’t quote me on this as it is just what I think I heard from the broadcast and memories, often not very accurate

  19. ghostrider888 19
    23 June 2013 at 2:16 pm

    “When I first came to New Zealnd there were hardly any homeless people but now there are heaps, so where have we gone wrong?”
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10892330
    -Simon Buckingham, Lawyer.

    • Draco T Bastard 19.1
      23 June 2013 at 5:24 pm

      That’s an easy one to answer – we had governments believing the economists and business people and thus put in place policies that rewarded the business people at everyone else’s expense. This has, quite predictably, resulted in a massive increase in poverty for the many while a few got immeasurably richer.

    • Populuxe1 19.2
      23 June 2013 at 5:46 pm

      Much of that would have to do with many ‘homeless’ actually suffering from mental illnesses that manifests for various reasons in homelessness. Once upon a time they would have been institutionalised.

  20. ghostrider888 20
    23 June 2013 at 2:21 pm

    Supermoon , again. 😀

  21. Morrissey 21
    23 June 2013 at 2:40 pm

    “Almost unprecedented slobbering”
    Irish parliamentarian speaks out against fawning treatment of war criminal

    http://xrepublic.tv/node/3893

    Ms Daly, MP for Dublin North, hit out at the “almost unprecedented slobbering” over the Obama family’s visit. “It’s really hard to know which is worst, whether it’s the outpourings of the Obamas themselves or the sycophantic falling over them by sections of the media and the political establishment,” she said. “We’ve had separate and special news bulletins by the State broadcaster to tell us what Michelle Obama and her daughters had for lunch in Dublin, but very little questioning of the fact that she was having lunch with Mr Tax Exile himself,” she said in reference to U2’s Bono.

    She described Mr Obama as a “war criminal”, having “just announced his decision to supply arms to the Syrian opposition, including the jihadists, fuelling the destabilisation of that region, continuing to undermine secularism and knock back conditions for women”.

    Ms Daly said: “This is the man who is in essence stalling the Geneva peace talks by trying to broker enhanced leverage for the Syrian opposition by giving them arms – and to hell with the thousands more who’ll lose their lives, or the tens of thousands who will be displaced. This is the man who has facilitated a 200 per cent increase in the use of drones which have killed thousands of people, including hundreds of children.” […]

    http://xrepublic.tv/node/3893

    • Colonial Viper 21.1
      23 June 2013 at 4:01 pm

      Shit she’s definitely on the GCHQ monitoring list now.

      http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/22/gchq-spying-catastrophe-german-politicans

      • ghostrider888 21.1.1
        23 June 2013 at 6:57 pm

        the GCHQ have been spying on eurozone governenment and private corporations.

        In a related thread 😉 , St Johns are continuing to bear the increasing “brunt of an ageing population”, coupled with “increases in minor incident calls” (yes Pop. , including for mental illness, and sheltered villages are much more protective) ; the stress is being piled on the organization, who are losing $15M a year.

        These attacks on the elderly in Auckland has the police “very concerned about the escalation of violence”- Malthus.

    • Bill 21.2
      23 June 2013 at 6:09 pm

      NZ Parliamentarians should take a long hard look at that link.

      I just saw an exchange between two politicians that contained actual information and that wasn’t sliced and diced by bullshit ‘points of order’…I saw an absolute absence of glib ‘one liners’…and I saw speakers allowed to offer their opinion and ask/answer questions without any childish braying from any opposite benches.

      Add to that, a politician calling a spade a spade, well…when was the last time I had the pleasure?

  22. Pascal's bookie 22
    23 June 2013 at 5:43 pm

    Questions are being asked about the advice the government received on the $2.50 offer price and share allocations, considering the drop in Mighty River’s share price and the relatively low target prices in broking firm research reports released on Wednesday – at the end of a research blackout. (Mighty River [NZX:MRP] closed Friday at $2.20).

    Market sources suggest the government – on Treasury’s advice – may have over-egged the price based on the possibility of strong international demand which has not materialised.

    A senior broking firm source asks: “How does it follow that the Treasury, which had insight and banned the research from public consumption, priced the shares above where the analysts were saying?

    “It’s now trading at a level that the local institutions were saying was probably where the good demand was at….

    …Questions over the offer price come as documents released to NBR by the Treasury reveal the direct hand cabinet ministers played in setting the price – with one cabinet paper suggesting Prime Minister John Key and cabinet ministers Bill English, Steven Joyce and Tony Ryall all be physically present in the “bookbuild room” in Wellington when key decisions were to be made on May 8.

    State-owned Enterprises Minister Mr Ryall’s press secretary Jackie Maher confirms the ministers were present during the “appropriate parts of the bookbuild process” and Mr Key was consulted by phone.

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/questions-surround-mrp-float-price-ck-141888

    • Draco T Bastard 22.1
      23 June 2013 at 7:59 pm

      $1.7b raised @ $2.50 = 680m shares. If the shares had been sold at $2.20 it would have raised slightly less than $1.5b

      At what point, if there was such a point, would the government not have sold?

      More importantly though, do NZers in general feel that they got a good price for the sale?

  23. ghostrider888 23
    23 June 2013 at 7:01 pm

    meanwhile, farmers request “armies of volunteers” to help clear snow-trapped stock in the Maniopoto and Millers Flat areas. sigh.

    • weka 23.1
      23 June 2013 at 7:12 pm

      I thought that’s what woofers are for 😉 (‘cept you have to be organic-ish).

    • chris73 23.2
      23 June 2013 at 7:31 pm

      I’d tell them to plant some shelter belts

      • Draco T Bastard 23.2.1
        23 June 2013 at 8:00 pm

        I’d just tell them to fuck off. It’s their problem that they can’t plan for perfectly reasonable expectations such as inclement weather.

  24. weka 24
    23 June 2013 at 7:16 pm

    Ghostrider888 mentioned this in another thread. Slingshot are offering a new free Global Mode service for their customers, supposedly for international visitors staying with them, but it really looks like it’s giving NZers access to international content that was previously blocked.

    Anyone tried it?

    http://www.slingshot.co.nz/products/global-mode/support/

  25. Poission 25
    23 June 2013 at 8:23 pm

    BREAKING NEWS

    Snowden is on a plane to Moscow.

    http://www.scmp.com/

    US are powerless to stop him having recently lost Maxwell Smart.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-15/accused-u-s-spy-s-tools-get-a-laugh-from-russians.html

  26. Colonial Viper 26
    23 June 2013 at 11:14 pm

    Holy Frak: HK Govt allows Snowden to leave for Moscow

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