Open mike 24/10/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 24th, 2024 - 20 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

20 comments on “Open mike 24/10/2024 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Patricia Bremner 1
    24 October 2024 at 6:59 am

    Thank you to all who turned out yesterday. You represented a large group of aged who did not feel physically able, and those 80 000 + who moved to Australia, as their skills were not wanted by this austerity government. You are brave in the face of this governments’ nastiness towards any opposition.

  2. tWig 2
    24 October 2024 at 8:02 am

    This opinion piece in the Guardian sums up perfectly the real-world effects of Conservative austerity policies on the UK. Predictable effects here for NZ, too.

    'From the start, under David Cameron, the Conservatives were on an explicit mission to wean the public off debilitating reliance on the state…Underfunding the public realm, hollowing out local authorities and withdrawing benefits saved money in the short term but quickly generated higher social costs – a poorer, more miserable and less healthy society.

    'Cutting the supply of government did not reduce demand. Chancellors were compelled to raid contingency funds and throw cash at every passing problem, most commonly in the NHS. Cash was burned up in crisis management, not invested in long-term mitigation. Taxes crept up without any dividend in improving services. The worst of both worlds.'

  3. Reality 3
    24 October 2024 at 9:30 am

    Ironic that Luxon has had to say Bayly calling someone a loser was unacceptable, given he has used a similar derogatory word – bottom feeder.

    • aj 3.1
      24 October 2024 at 10:44 am

      Must have been choking on his words, I don't believe for a moment he means it. He's transparently insincere.

  4. Ffloyd 4
    24 October 2024 at 10:30 am

    My thoughts exactly Reality. There’s something malignant with that lot. Very disturbing.

  5. Subliminal 5
    24 October 2024 at 12:09 pm

    It is becoming even more apparent that the Democrat support of Israeli genocide in Gaza will probably cost them the election. And its not just an issue for large Arab population states like Michigan.

    It is the height of arrogance to believe that these actions can be swept aside with the simple mantra of "lesser evil". Whatever "lesser evil" means, it is obvious for most people that it is not acceptable and will no longer be consented to.

    Just in Pennsylvania: 57% of Biden 2020 voters who are undecided/voting for another candidate say they'd be more likely to vote for Kamala Harris if she pledges an arms embargo to Israel

    https://x.com/prem_thakker/status/1848909757949575666

  6. Dennis Frank 6
    24 October 2024 at 1:00 pm

    Public/private partnerships are often a load of fun, even when used by the left & right to divest cities of annoying infrastructure assets. Ka-Shing is cashing in: we're entertained.

    Like New Zealand as a whole, Wellington has an unhappy history when it comes to selling public assets. The city’s electricity company used to be council-owned. So was its rubbish collection system. Both these essential services are now owned and run for private profit by the Chinese billionaire Li Ka-Shing. If that name sounds like a cash register, so be it: Bloomberg News lists Li as the 61st wealthiest person in the world. https://werewolf.co.nz/2024/10/gordon-campbell-on-dissing-wellington-and-porridge-radio/

    But here’s the thing. Of late, the GCSB has wittered on about the alleged security risks posed by sister city relationships, most of which involve China. Yet at the same time, the GCSB and Overseas Investment Office are ignoring the elephant in the room. We talk a lot about the juggling act involved in fostering our trade with China, while pursuing closer defence ties with the US and Australia. Both of those defence and security allies seem to regard war with China as inevitable.

    On that point, New Zealand is widely expected to join the second pillar of the AUKUS military pact. Yet if push ever came to shove i.e. if AUKUS was ever put to the test, this country’s electricity supply to central government, to the banking system, to the HQ of our armed forces and to every household in our capital city would all be in the hands of China’s richest man. Guess which side he would take.

    Ah, Aotearoa? "Hey man, I'm invested there. Stakeholder, y'know?" Some may worry that he would pull the plug in time of war, but a capitalist baron in HK with an independent stance won't necessarily toe the regime's line…

  7. SPC 7
    24 October 2024 at 1:53 pm

    Maybe the Consumer Affairs Minister, should be questioned in the House about the rise of insurance premiums.

    1.do we lack competition?

    2.do we lack a process for contesting unreasonable increases in premiums?

    3.is this impacting on the domestic inflation?

    4.has the government looked at creating competition via "Kiwi Insurance" (using Kiwi Saver Funds, NZSF, Kiwibank and EQC)?

    Insurance premiums have "increased horrendously", a Consumer NZ insurance expert says.

    Rebecca Styles told Morning Report the lack of competition was one reason for the high cost of insurance.

    House insurance premiums in New Zealand increased by 97 percent in the last 10 years, and over 30 percent this year, Styles said.

    "While it looks like there's choice and you can shop around, there's not really… they're sort of different brands, but they'll sort of go back to the main company," she said.

    Another challenge specific to house insurance was getting the individual assessment required for each quote, which discouraged people from comparing prices, Styles said.

    In Australia customers can contest premiums that seem unreasonable, however, consumers in New Zealand do not have the same option, Styles said.

    Australian insurance giant Suncorp has been ordered to ditch a whopping 60 percent hike of a home insurance premium following a complaint from a disgruntled customer.

    New Zealanders should have the same rights as they do in Australia, Styles said.

    "There should be some avenue for New Zealand consumers to be able to complain or contest the premiums that they're charged."

    The insurance and financial services ombudsman, which generally deals with insurance complaints does not consider complaints about premium costs.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/531769/insurance-premiums-increased-horrendously-consumer-nz-expert-says

    • tWig 7.1
      24 October 2024 at 7:47 pm

      The insurers have experienced their own steep price rises according to RNZ in April.

      "Part of [the sizeable increase] was due to construction inflation, which had pushed up rebuild costs by about 30 percent over the last two years…[plus] a jump in costs for reinsurance – essentially, insurance for insurers in the event of a major natural disaster.

      That had increased by 25 to 40 percent for many insurers in the last year as a response to multiple severe weather events around the world, including Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary floods, Grafton said."

  8. SPC 8
    24 October 2024 at 2:18 pm

    The old guard right on the Wellington City Council now reveal why they changed their vote on the airport shares – to force a change to the LTP/Golden Mile Project.

    The project has bus lanes and cycle ways. It costs $140m and is half funded by government.

    The Minister of Transport and Local Government opposes it and he and Bishop tried to get the Mayor to change/end it (any change would result in the end of the authorising of funding for it by the previous government).

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360462575/wellington-mayors-non-negotiable-project-risks-murdering-businesses-councillor

    • SPC 8.1
      24 October 2024 at 5:01 pm

      The term used by the National Party scion, Nicola Young, was

      murdering businesses

      Presumably the sort of language used to justify betrayal of her duties as a councillor in service to her preferred central government and "business", their God of mammon.

  9. aj 9
    24 October 2024 at 2:43 pm

    This article is very timely given the current CHOGM in Samoa. Not sure if it's 'The End' of the British Empire but relevance in the modern world is fading.

    https://www.politico.eu/article/british-empire-king-charles-keir-starmer-monarchy/?origin=serp_auto

    The fight for relevance

    The rows over reparations at least give the Commonwealth some sort of relevance in the modern age.

    Outcomes from these grand gatherings are otherwise notoriously hard to pin down.

    The vague-sounding theme of this year’s event, “One Resilient Common Future: Transforming our Common Wealth,” will do little to dissuade critics who paint CHOGM as a platitudinous talking shop of increasingly disinterested members.

    Indeed, the next iteration of the Commonwealth Games, a kind of post-colonial Olympics, has already been dismissed as an albatross by the Australian state of Victoria, which scrapped plans to host the sporting championship in 2026. (Glasgow eventually picked up the baton.)

    Meanwhile, largely out of sight in our media because of the preoccupation with the Middle East and the US elections, the BRICS are meeting and the first link below summarises the 'Difference Between the G7 and BRICS?'

    The G7 and BRICS are two important but fundamentally different international blocs that represent distinct economic and political interests on the global stage. The G7, composed of the world’s wealthiest democracies, focuses on maintaining economic stability, addressing global challenges, and promoting a liberal international order. Meanwhile, BRICS, consisting of emerging economies, seeks to reform global governance, promote multilateralism, and provide an alternative voice for developing nations.

    https://scientificorigin.com/whats-the-difference-between-the-g7-and-brics

    https://www.visualcapitalist.com/economic-growth-forecasts-for-g7-and-brics-countries-in-2024/

  10. Dennis Frank 10
    24 October 2024 at 2:50 pm

    Neck & neck in the US still…

    Veteran pollster Nate Silver said his “gut” right now is that former President Trump will win the election in less than two weeks, but he cautioned against putting faith in anyone’s gut feeling. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4948792-nate-silver-donald-trump-2024-election-essay/

    Silver wrote in a guest essay published Wednesday by The New York Times that calling the race a 50-50 toss-up is the “only responsible forecast,” with polls showing the race as razor-tight in all seven key battleground states that are likely to determine the outcome. But, the 538 founder added, if people press him to give an answer on who is favored, he will say Trump.

    While the race has remained mostly neck and neck between Trump and Vice President Harris, the GOP nominee’s chances have seemed to tick up in recent days. He became slightly favored in The Hill/Decision Desk HQ’s forecast for the first time Sunday and has closed in on a polling deficit that he had in swing states including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

    The mood of the undecided crowd isn't clear. He did include a caveat re polling:

    “Don’t be surprised if a relatively decisive win for one of the candidates is in the cards – or if there are bigger shifts from 2020 than most people’s guts might tell them,” he wrote.

  11. Ad 11
    24 October 2024 at 3:52 pm

    So what we could have had was long term platforms and networks delivering offshore wind power off Taranaki.

    But with the Government accelerating seabed mining that had been successfully denied all the way to the Supreme Court, what they've done is keep the super-high impact investment with zero public good, instead of the renewable energy one.

    https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/10/24/offshore-wind-developer-pulls-out-of-nz-amid-seabed-mining-concerns/

    “Following a global strategic review, BlueFloat Energy has taken the decision to cease the development of offshore wind projects in New Zealand. Going forward, BlueFloat Energy will be focusing its attention on the most advanced projects in its portfolio,” country manager Nathan Turner told Newsroom.

    “BlueFloat Energy continues to believe that offshore wind offers a strategic opportunity for New Zealand, in terms of both decarbonisation and economic development. However, our decision to cease developments here reflects a number of key uncertainties about how the market for offshore wind will develop in the country – including both route to market and allocation of seabed.

    “We encourage the New Zealand Government to continue its efforts to establish an enabling regulatory regime for offshore wind and to support the industry in overcoming these uncertainties.”

    Morons.

    • SPC 11.1
      24 October 2024 at 3:56 pm

      The most inept government we have ever had.

      They knew that Taranaki was the ideal place for offshore wind farms.

      They knew we needed such a major new source to renewable power to meet 2050 obligations.

      They knew that seabed mining was incompatible with offshore wind farms.

      Fast track sound-bite slogans in place of real governance. Then there is Shane Jones who works from this to that thought, without activating his brain, this leads to real dumb outcomes.

  12. SPC 12
    24 October 2024 at 4:43 pm

    America reaches its Turning Point (post March 4 Constitutional Republic into the order of Project 2025) into a realm of King Charles Kirk.

    Where those who know nothing, high school graduates who diss an education not based on the reckons of King Charles and the bible, reign.

    The so called "white bros" who vote Trump, without going all the way and becoming "Proud Boys".

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/24/just-vote-trump-speaks-at-rally-organised-by-charlie-kirk/

  13. SPC 13
    24 October 2024 at 5:19 pm

    First the Human Rights Commission, now the Waitangi Tribunal, organisations that ACT wants removed, trashed by National's appointments process.

    Meanwhile ACT’s bill is before parliament.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360464194/former-act-leader-richard-prebble-appointed-waitangi-tribunal