Open mike 24/02/2021

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 24th, 2021 - 102 comments
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102 comments on “Open mike 24/02/2021 ”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    24 February 2021 at 7:30 am

    What happened to the concept of walking—or even jogging—to school?

    https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/children-barred-from-school-bus-by-117-year-old-law/

    • dv 1.1
      24 February 2021 at 7:45 am

      Not safe, as no footpaths and traffic including trucks on a narrow country road.- so the parents take a car

      It is odd cause the school bus goes past their gate, and an extra stop would not be difficult.

    • weka 1.2
      24 February 2021 at 9:00 am

      did you not even read your own link Morrissey?

      • Incognito 1.2.1
        24 February 2021 at 9:02 am

        Can he read??

      • Morrissey 1.2.2
        24 February 2021 at 9:06 am

        Yes I did. I wasn't endorsing it—particularly as it came from the site of the world's most egregious radio station.

        I was using it as a springboard for discussion.

        • Incognito 1.2.2.1
          24 February 2021 at 9:10 am

          the world's most egregious radio station

          Your most compelling argument by far here on TS.

  2. Jimmy 2
    24 February 2021 at 7:46 am

    Holy S#$t! The Westpac economist on One ZB saying he thinks house prices will increase more this year than they did last year!

  3. Treetop 3
    24 February 2021 at 8:11 am

    Secondary students need to live 4.8 km from the college to be eligible to board the bus. The weather would be changeable, students could be approached and a traffic accident could occur.

    What an outdated piece of legislation, it is like asking students to do a 10 km sponsored walk each day.

    How long would it take to a walk 3.8 km distance?

  4. mac1 4
    24 February 2021 at 8:46 am

    Remember Filbert Bayi? As a school boy he ran from home some 12 km to school, and then back, – a 120 km week, minimum.

    At 5000 feet above sea level aiding blood oxygen carriage and running on surfaces that also helped develop leg strength.

    Bayi is still the fastest Commonwealth Games 1500m runner.

  5. Siobhan 5
    24 February 2021 at 8:49 am

    For that small group of us with an interest in actual comprehensive human rights, decency and the rule of law….disturbing news from the UK…where…with Boris in charge…and Starmer being a "good boy" , are about to pass a law that will have a myriad of terrible consequences…I've taken this from the Jacobin…I know the Guardian would seem a more credible source of information…but they seem to have very little to say about the bill…beyond small scale reporting of "peers debating' and crimes that may or may not have been committed…The Guardian who are also being "Good Boys and Girls" and not actually interested in upsetting the apple cart of power..

    "……Covert Human Intelligence Sources bill (CHIS) will “authorise conduct by officials and agents of the security and intelligence services, law enforcement, and certain other public authorities, which would otherwise constitute criminality.”

    In essence, the law would allow officials in a myriad of government departments and agencies to approve officers, agents, and assets to commit criminal offenses without any risk of being sued or prosecuted. The particular offenses that could be authorized are not listed in the bill. However, repeated amendments that sought to ensure at least some constraints — such as prohibiting the authorization of rape, torture or murder, or restricting the use of children and the vulnerable as assets authorized to commit crimes — have all been defeated."

    https://jacobinmag.com/2021/02/chis-bill-uk-criminal-conduct-national-security?fbclid=IwAR0zbv4xOn-dCz-xNpX8t3cR21QRJzfyf-IwEhdi7lECtdjZAiT5-60_Nq4

    The article goes on to say…

    "Starmer’s Silence

    Labour Leader Keir Starmer supported the bill, despite being critical of certain aspects of it. Starmer, a former human rights barrister turned chief prosecutor, “whipped” his MPs into abstaining on the bill even when amendments that they supported failed to garner enough votes. Seven members of his Shadow Cabinet stepped down from their positions last October so as to defy the whip. In the end, a small core of Labour MPs, such as former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, and John McDonnell, defied Starmer and voted against the bill before it headed to the Lords. These rebels were accompanied by forty-six Scottish National Party MPs and one Tory.

    But most Labour parliamentarians (166) abstained, along with forty-six Tories, the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas, and a few independents."

    I apologise for the massive quotes…but I believe that this is a terrible bill with broad, and ultimately international consequences…and yet another example of Labour and the Greens, world wide, compromising our future in the name of appearing "reasonable", benignly Centrist (no such thing) and "broad church"…as if thats a good thing…and as if that will save us all…

    • Incognito 5.1
      24 February 2021 at 8:57 am

      Good comment except for your very last words, which lack any sense of perspective on reality and are a broad-brush fidget of fantasy:

      …and yet another example of Labour and the Greens, world wide, compromising our future in the name of appearing “reasonable”, benignly Centrist (no such thing) and “broad church”…as if thats a good thing…and as if that will save us all…

      • Siobhan 5.1.1
        24 February 2021 at 10:30 am

        No need to repeat my quote…but thank you anyway Incognito.

        If you have some words of your own as to in what way this is a "broad-brush fidget of fantasy" given the actual reality of what is happening in regards to laws and policy…and the reality of how the Greens and Labour (UK…and NZ) sell themselves at Election time…I'll be more than happy to read them.

      • aom 5.1.2
        24 February 2021 at 2:44 pm

        No surprises with Starmer. He is the human rights lawyer who embraces Shafting Assange and supporting his wife's Zionism, Regarding the latter, he seems quite content to stand back with his hands in his pockets while Palestinians suffer the outrageous abuses of the Israeli government. To him, people labelled antisemites for opposing Israel's human rights abuses commit greater sins than 'settlers' and the IDF murdering Palestinians – and the odd Iranian scientist of course.

        • Incognito 5.1.2.1
          24 February 2021 at 4:22 pm

          Ah, but you talk about one specific single individual only with a little reference to his spouse. Very different comment. That said, I know nothing about the Sir in question and his reasoning re. Israel and Palestine but you’re undoubtedly correct and accurate in your characterisation of the fine Sir.

    • Morrissey 5.2
      24 February 2021 at 8:59 am

      The Labour Party continues its slide to the grave….

      https://twitter.com/Socialist_Chris/status/1364205245270753280

    • weka 5.3
      24 February 2021 at 9:02 am

      the quote length you used along with your own commentary is how to do it yes

    • Rosemary McDonald 5.4
      24 February 2021 at 10:15 am

      Thanks for reminding us of this seemingly innocuous piece of legislation Siobahn, and it is time well spent reading at least the UK Government Factsheet.

      https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covert-human-intelligence-sources-draft-code-of-practice/covert-human-intelligence-sources-bill-factsheet-accessible-version

      It's a bit of a worry that it is being marketed as merely '..making legal that which is already being done in order to keep us all safe from The Bad People'.

      Participation in criminal conduct is an essential and inescapable feature of CHIS use, otherwise they will not be credible or gain the trust of those under investigation. This enables them to work their way into the heart of groups that would cause us harm, finding information and intelligence which other investigative measures may never detect.

      The number of public authorities able to authorise this conduct has been restricted from those who can authorise the use and conduct of CHIS generally. Only the intelligence agencies, NCA, police, HMRC, HM Forces and ten other public authorities will be able to authorise criminal conduct.

      No real surprise that so-called left wing/progressive parties are failing to adequately challenge this Bill. Trust in Governments generally has been declining for some time and it is clear from our own government's performance that keeping the Middle and the Business classes on side is of greater importance than properly and transformatively addressing the issues that often lead to "crime" and "disorder".

    • Gabby 5.5
      24 February 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Is Sturmer a plant?

  6. Treetop 6
    24 February 2021 at 8:59 am

    My first year at intermediate I used to run home for lunch nearly a block away every school day. It included a moderate hilly street in Wellington. It took me 5 minutes. I used to be a good middle distance runner. I do have a regret that I was over looked as I did not know what to do to see if I was good enough to run competitively.

    Running to school has a dual purpose if you could be a competitive runner.

  7. Peter chch 7
    24 February 2021 at 9:06 am

    This is brilliantly funny (just waffly at first but sums up Boris towards the end).

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/23/boris-johnson-dog-dilyn-prime-minister-spad-no-10

  8. Morrissey 8
    24 February 2021 at 9:29 am

    This is brilliantly funny….

    ????

    Marina Hyde is about as funny as mass murder.

    https://www.medialens.org/2019/mirthless-laugh-the-persecution-and-torture-of-julian-assange/

    • Peter chch 8.1
      24 February 2021 at 10:22 am

      Actually I agree with her views on that narcissist predator wiyh a messiah complex Assange. Having 'leftists' views, as I consider myself to have, does not mean one should automatically worship at the feet of someone like that loathsome person

      • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.1
        24 February 2021 at 10:59 am

        "Loathsome" because he's a "narcissist predator wiyh a messiah complex" – intriguing opinion. Yet he's done some good too – "A good act does not wash out the bad, nor a bad act the good. Each should have its own reward."

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange#Honours_and_awards

        Recently:
        [2019] Julian Assange wins EU journalism award
        https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6065261/julian-assange-wins-eu-journalism-award/

        [2019] On Saturday, Mr Shipton will accept the Gavin MacFadyen Award outside Belmarsh prison on behalf of his son.

        The awarding body, which recognises and supports whistleblowers, describes Mr Assange as a “courageous truth teller”.
        https://inews.co.uk/news/julian-assange-solitary-confinement-human-rights-gavin-macfayden-award-344528

        [2020] Julian Assange, Australian investigative journalist, political activist and founder and spokesperson of WikiLeaks
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart_Peace_Prize

        • Peter chch 8.1.1.1
          24 February 2021 at 11:19 am

          True, after all Mussonini did make the trains run on time; Hitler solved Germanys inflation and unemployment problems; Mao did wonders for literacy by introducing Simplified Chinese.

          Guess we could worship them as well for their very real achievements. Would not recommend it though.

          • Drowsy M. Kram 8.1.1.1.1
            24 February 2021 at 11:38 am

            Intriguing that the suggestion Assange is not all bad would cause you to reach for Musssonini [sic], Hitler and Mao…. any others spring to mind?

            I'm sure you’d agree that we're each entitled to our opinions, but why my effort to counterbalance your demonisation of Assange caused you to go so far off the reservation is a mystery to me.

            • Sabine 8.1.1.1.1.1
              24 February 2021 at 11:42 am

              I guess one can agree to the notion that someone can do a little good despite being a major asshole.

              And one can also agree that the little good that one did may not outweigh all the other times that one was a major asshole.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                24 February 2021 at 11:52 am

                Guess one can Sabine – "good" and "arsehole" unquestionably apply to us all; where we might differ is in the use of "little" and "major".

                For example, I would suggest that Hitler did little good and was a major arsehole, whereas neo-Nazis might argue Hitler was a major good and not that much of an arsehole at all.

                I would suggest that Assange did a lot of good (for which he was both recognised and punished) and is a bit of an arsehole.

                One thing we can agree on; Assange (like Hitler) polarises opinion.

                • Sabine …
                  24 February 2021 at 11:56 am

                  ah, you see there also comes in personal preference to what is minor and or major. Some have a capacity to overlook a lot of manure in order to see the turd blossom, others will never see the turd blossom for all the crap they leave behind.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    24 February 2021 at 12:10 pm

                    Some have a capacity to overlook a lot of manure…

                    You're not wrong there Sabine, as the numerous awards that Assange has received attest. But I wouldn't worry too much – we can all rest easy as long as Assange remains locked up.

                    • Sabine …
                      24 February 2021 at 1:01 pm

                      Yes, i know, people getting awards and such, what glory!

                      We have this guy here in NZ who is a Sir………..and an ass, his name is John Key. Again, as i said, one can be a ass and still get awards. And these awards may point to a good deed or two, but they say very little of character. And this is the last i have to say on that.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    24 February 2021 at 3:06 pm

                    And yet that arse Sir John remains at large – no justice for some, eh?

    • Gabby 8.2
      24 February 2021 at 3:55 pm

      What has that to do with being funny?

      • Morrissey 8.2.1
        24 February 2021 at 4:15 pm

        People who sneer at the suffering of the victims of the state ain't funny. They ain't got no rhythm, neither.

        • Gabby 8.2.1.1
          24 February 2021 at 4:39 pm

          Sez yew.

          • Morrissey 8.2.1.1.1
            24 February 2021 at 4:53 pm

            You have made a fair point, Gabby. There are some apologists for state crimes who are funny at most times—but not when they're making light of state crimes. For example, David Letterman was funny and sharp most of the time—but not when he kept saying, in 2004, "Where do you think you are—Fal-LU-jah?" His asinine studio audience dutifully laughed, but I doubt many others did.

            Sasha Baron Cohen can be funny too—but he wasn't when he labeled a Christian peace activist in the Occupied West Bank as an Islamic terrorist and thus put his life in danger. That wasn't funny, although a certain mentality thought it was.

            DAVID LETTERMAN: You interviewed a terrorist. 

            SACHA BARON COHEN: Yeah, I interviewed a terrorist.
            
LETTERMAN: How’d you do that? It can’t be EASY to find a terrorist! 

            BARON COHEN: Well it’s not easy to get in touch with a terrorist. Your 
government has been trying to find one for the past nine years! [turns and mugs to audience, repeatedly raising eyebrows Groucho Marx-style]
            AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

            LETTERMAN: Ha ha ha ha ha! You’re right! 

            AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

            BARON COHEN: To get in touch with the terrorist, I used a CIA contact. 

            LEITERMANN: [spluttering with laughter] Bruno has a CIA contact!?!?!? 

            AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! 

            BARON COHEN: Yes. These were really nasty terrorists, from the Al Aqsa 
Martyr’s Brigade, the world’s leading suicide bombers.
            
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
            
LEITERMANN: Ha ha ha ha ha! Okay, now, what’s this clip we’re going 
to see from the movie?
            
BARON COHEN: Here’s where I talk to the terrorist, and insult him, and 
he hasn’t got a CLUE what I was saying!
            
AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! 


            [Cue clip from show] 

            BRUNO: Here’s a tip, you guys should lose the beards. Your King Osama 
looks like a dirty Santa Claus! 

            CONTEMPTIBLE ARAB FALL-GUY: [to interpreter] What’s he saying?
            [End of clip]

            AUDIENCE: Ha ha ha ha ha!

            [Hearty, sustained applause, general mirthfulness]

            
LETTERMAN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! So funny, and so brave! Bruno 
opens this Thursday. Sacha Baron Cohen!

            —The Late Show, CBS, August 2009

            Marina Hyde is simply not in the same league as either Letterman or Baron Cohen. She should stop trying to be funny, pronto.

            • Incognito 8.2.1.1.1.1
              24 February 2021 at 5:58 pm

              Let’s see, you commented here @ 9:29 AM to inform us all that a certain Marina Hyde had offended your sense of funny.

              @ 4:53 PM you have come a long way and conclude that said Marina Hyde is not funny and “simply not in the same league as either Letterman or Baron Cohen”.

              Wow! You need a hobby; maybe join Alwyn who also seems bored.

      • Peter chch 8.2.2
        24 February 2021 at 5:06 pm

        I guess we all have different sense of humour. Or in the case of many self righteous left wingers, absolutely none.

        • Morrissey 8.2.2.1
          24 February 2021 at 8:28 pm

          What do you find so funny about the suffering of those targeted for destruction by the state?

  9. Pat 9
    24 February 2021 at 11:25 am

    "Only half of the “new” public housing places sourced by the Government in its bid to stem a burgeoning waitlist are additional, newly-built homes."

    "The rest of the “places” will have been leased, bought in the private market, or sourced from councils and community providers and reclassified – a move called a “redirect”

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/124306169/half-of-new-public-houses-not-actually-new-stock

    So the inadequate response is even more inadequate than presented.

    • Treetop 9.1
      24 February 2021 at 11:43 am

      This is the sort of exposure that public housing needs. The same can be said with rent increases creating homelessness.

      A public housing levy is required so more homes can be funded. Outrageous to some.

      • Barfly 9.1.1
        24 February 2021 at 3:25 pm

        Start with a "ghost house " tax

        • Treetop 9.1.1.1
          24 February 2021 at 4:46 pm

          Barfly you can't use the word tax, it scares the home investor.

          • Barfly 9.1.1.1.1
            24 February 2021 at 5:38 pm

            Mmm "ghost house levy?"

          • Incognito 9.1.1.1.2
            24 February 2021 at 6:09 pm

            Exactly! From now on, when referencing to property porn, use Capital Gains Sex or Wealth Sex. Sex sells, Tax does not, we all know that. A well-designed PR campaign should inform and advise first-home buyers AKA property virgins and aspiring investors AKA insells about the risks of unprotected property sex with scantily clad or even unpainted properties. For the more risky promiscuous or polygamous folk who like to play with multiple properties simultaneously, there will be gang banks and auction orgies.

            I think I’d better stop here and cool off …

            • Sacha 9.1.1.1.2.1
              24 February 2021 at 7:41 pm

              sex evasion

            • Treetop 9.1.1.1.2.2
              24 February 2021 at 8:13 pm

              There is a lot in your comment, I am trying to unpack it.

              • alwyn …
                24 February 2021 at 9:38 pm

                "I am trying to unpack it".

                Don't even think about. I suspect that incognito is simply a pseudonym for Pandora and we all know what opening Pandora's box entailed.

                Leave it severely alone.

              • Incognito …
                24 February 2021 at 9:45 pm

                I tried to dress it up and didn’t want to open the kimono too much but it may need a robust Freudian analysis to get to the bare-naked truth. Don’t get too excited or you might be in for an anti-climactic experience.

                Too late, Alwyn came with a pre-emptive stroke, what a downer blush

      • Chris 9.1.2
        24 February 2021 at 4:33 pm

        The emergency/transitional housing rort needs to be investigated, too. MSD contracting with community groups stacked full of incompetent, officious, bullying monkeys, half of them with weet-bix packet so-called social work qualifications gifted to them from a bums-on-seats provincial polytech pretending to be a university. These clowns spend their days policing transitional housing complexes to see if residents are complying with more-than-over-officious restrictions which if there's less than a sniff of the problem the person or their family are out on the street, forced back again to apply to MSD for emergency housing to be thrown through the same fucked up process that they've just gone through and which nobody appears responsible for apart from the thugs contracted by MSD operating under the guise of transitional housing providers. This government stripped the skerrick of protection people had by removing emergency and transitional housing from the RTA. If people complain to MSD they say "don't talk to us, go see the transitional housing provider – they decide who stays and who goes". Next minute it's back at MSD applying for emergency accommodation which, in many parts of the country, there's none. So, where those people go who knows. Back to family in already over-priced overcrowded flats, houses and garages run by scum landlords people without homes are either reliant upon or escaping from. What a complete and utter fuck up this has become.

        • Treetop 9.1.2.1
          24 February 2021 at 8:07 pm

          I looked up emergency housing the other day. After 7 days there is a charge of 25% of your income.

          To pay 25% of your income you need to be on a benefit or recieve other income, have a bank account and to get a bank account you need Photo ID.

          Documents are required to be attached to a benefit application. Work and Income will help with costs for documents and ID.

          It is not an easy process to get emergency housing.

          I did say a day or 2 ago that emergency housing needs to be for 28 days at a time. 7 days at a time is to disruptive.

          Some homeless people could prefer a night shelter. The choice of one needs to be there until the right housing is available.

          • Chris 9.1.2.1.1
            24 February 2021 at 11:20 pm

            "It is not an easy process to get emergency housing."

            And once you've got it it's not easy to keep it, even if you still need it.

            • Treetop 9.1.2.1.1.1
              25 February 2021 at 8:55 am

              I agree. You cannot have a draining and irritating system when people are already drained and are not feeling that great.

              I forgot to mention that you need to get a quote for the cost of the emergency housing.

              • Chris …
                25 February 2021 at 10:54 am

                I also forgot to mention that nobody gives a fuck about this because everybody knows that if someone's homeless it's their own fault.

                • Treetop …
                  25 February 2021 at 1:19 pm

                  Your point of view is valid and you are not alone in what you say.

                  Labour need to rethink how they deliver emergency and public housing. Not some Bennett solution which is full of fish hooks.

                  • Chris …
                    25 February 2021 at 2:50 pm

                    Yes, and in this case I'd describe what you say are fish hooks as a total abrogation of responsibility by setting up a framework of responsibility that's either non-existent, invisible or run by incompetents. It's likely, in fact, to be all of those things because that's what happens when government shoves core responsibilities over to the community sector. There are tasks that should and are appropriately delivered by the community sector, but emergency and transitional housing as a response to the housing crisis isn't one of them. What it means is that these monkeys have control over whether someone has a roof over their heads and government is allowed to not care. So when one of these idiot providers decides they want to kick someone out they're in effect creating further homelessness from within a system designed to address homelessness. Don't expect this government to do anything about this, though. Just like previous governments, they have enough trouble understanding the problem.

  10. arkie 10
    24 February 2021 at 3:44 pm

    From the desk of the Editorial Board of the Financial Times (20/04/20), presented without comment:

    The Black Death is often credited with transforming labour relations in Europe. Peasants, now scarce, could bargain for better terms and conditions; wages started to rise as feudal lords competed for workers. A thankfully much lower mortality rate means such a transformation is unlikely to follow coronavirus.

    https://www.ft.com/content/bc7b919c-80a5-11ea-8fdb-7ec06edeef84

    • Stuart Munro 10.1
      24 February 2021 at 9:12 pm

      Populations in mainland Europe recovered fairly quickly – but for England it took over a century – setting the stage for a better relationship between the gentry and the workers than prevailed elsewhere.

    • McFlock 11.1
      24 February 2021 at 3:53 pm

      Asked whether it was fair to expect Goldsmith to know when he was standing, Mallard said Goldsmith was supposed to be addressing the Speaker at the time, not the House itself.

      Fair call.

      • Robert Guyton 11.1.1
        25 February 2021 at 7:44 am

        The Speaker also said he believed Goldsmith turned away, strategically, so as not to be able to see the Speaker. I expect he made a correct observation and drew an accurate conclusion.

    • Gabby 11.2
      24 February 2021 at 6:17 pm

      What's the smarmy little gobshite gone and said now.

  12. alwyn 12
    24 February 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Have the Green Party leadership requested the resignation of their MP Mr March yet?

    https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/written-questions/document/WQ_02607_2021/2607-2021-chris-bishop-to-the-minister-for-covid-19

    Or should it be Marx, as in Groucho Marx? I thought that Gilmore was pretty bad but this guy is vastly worse in the "Look at me. Aren't I important" category. Gilmore was completely innocent in comparison with this fellow. Surely the Green Party is not going to put up with the behavior of Ricardo Menendez March for any longer?

    • Red Blooded One 12.1
      24 February 2021 at 5:45 pm

      Are you really asking the question or doing a Gerry Brownlee "just asking the question" type question. I suspect if they had asked for his resignation it likely would have been reported on. While we are asking questions "Have the National Party Leadership requested the resignation of their MP Bridges yet" From supporting Conversion Therapy of citizens to attacking the countries Top Cop with childish Far Right slurs to throwing his toys outta the cot in parliament, I'm not sure we've seen a bigger case of "Look at moi, Look at moi, Look at moi" for a long time (Kath and Kim reference, not Simons speech impediment reference, that would be too un-PC or un-woke)

    • Incognito 12.2
      24 February 2021 at 5:53 pm

      He applied through the official channels, not via the backdoor, twice. He got declined, twice.

      You seem bored.

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