Open mike 24/11/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 24th, 2012 - 36 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…

36 comments on “Open mike 24/11/2012 ”

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  1. Dv 1
    24 November 2012 at 8:02 am

    PPTA has settled for 2.66% over 30 mths

    What is interesting is the ministry caving on the clawbacks of teaching conditions.

    http://www.ppta.org.nz/index.php/resources/media/2497-media-attacks-off-table

    Attacks on teaching and learning conditions off the table

    The ministry’s claw-back claims reflected a total lack of knowledge and experience of schools – increasing workload for teachers, gutting parental leave provisions and allowing the ministry to set the criteria for salary progressions, Duff said.

    But last week the ministry withdrew all those claims “suggesting the government campaign to reduce teachers’ terms and conditions has been effectively derailed,” he said.

    Duff said members at the PUMs took a pragmatic approach, agreeing that when dealing with such a hostile ministry the priority was to preserve the collective agreement and fend off the claw-backs.

    • aerobubble 1.1
      24 November 2012 at 10:30 am

      In 2002 Labour agreed with Australia to stop welfare payments to future kiwis who left for OZ. Basically in effect it watered down choice for employees, making it harder to jump the ditch.
      Now that would drive down wages here, as it distorts the market in favor of employers.
      But worse, the idea that Australia would disenfranchise ta paying kiwis without NZ agreement is offensive, there are two options probably, one NZ Labour party did so with full understanding of what it meant, or NZ Labour party was stupid enough to swallow the idea that two comparable cohort of Australians and Kiwis paying taxes in working (and taxes in non-work) were so signifacantly different that they could accept one group should not receive welfare. Its well noted historically that over time citizens have moved to and from the two countries due when their economies were out of phase, like now with the ChCh rebuild. Were a lot of Australia builders, building accessors, insurance assessors, even OZ lawyers, are going to pay a lot of tax and then return to Australia without any need of the welfare system.

      So when it comes to the NZ parliament and its short cutting of parliamentary oversight (no upper chamber) that would have nullfied the attack on kiwi citizens who happen to live in Australia but could not as we don’t have any stop and consider the consequences upper chamber in NZ. And then to watch the Australia minister bitting his tongue, basically not saying but obviously would jump at the chance to give kiwis the dole if only Key could pull his head out of his behind.

      The Labour party has a lot to answer for, Shearer has yet to answer the integrity questions surrounding Labour alliegience to neo-liberalism, and why so many just didn’t vote for Labour at the last election. Labour can find a way without drifting to the left and refuting neo-liberalism it should do so soon, because its looks like the labour right is still locking out real reform. A CGT will on set us back to the norm for world economies, just as building a highway system 50 years to late, means the majority of the wealth creation has happened.

      This is why we need the Green party to lead, the Labour needs to live in the wilderness for a decade.

      • Fortran 1.1.1
        24 November 2012 at 1:56 pm

        aerobubble

        It is a shame that the Aussies treat Kiwis as second class citizens in many things that we do not do in reverse.
        However having said that if you join any club there are rules you know in advance – if you do not like them then you do not join the club, surely.

        • aerobubble 1.1.1.1
          26 November 2012 at 1:19 pm

          the argument as I can understand it, was Australia noticed a lot of kiwis on the welfare rolls in OZ but few Australians were on welfare in NZ. Now anyone with half a brain would have argued that Australia also gets lots of kiwis who are in work paying, and so the ratio would be the same for Oz and NZ, so kiwis income etc would cover their own social welfare for other kiwis. But somehow that did not wash. Maybe kiwis were being discriminated in the Aus workplace and so more were on welfare, and this problem had an easy solution blame individuals rather than deal to the systematic discrimination.

          As for the club argument, it does not make any sense, since kids born to Kiwis in australia are kiwis but not australia, so we have an interest in their welfare. Now Australia will pick the best, who will get citizenship, and the worst with criminal records will be returned to NZ. and technically they may never have been here, so the ‘they choose to move there’ is oxymoronic.

          We have a open border to benefit both economies, that does not mean its an opportunity to target some groups adversely and so reward the richest who are unaffected. There is no perfect solution. Kiwis in work in AU are funding just Australian welfare recipients!!!!
          think about that and ask yourself why we allow that. if there is discrimination of kiwis
          in the Australian work force meaning more proportionately end up on welfare then
          thats a obligaiton on australian authorities.

  2. Dv 2
    24 November 2012 at 8:05 am

    AND

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/schools/7992041/Sacked-CGHS-principal-Taylor-reinstated

    In his findings, authority member David Appleton said: “Having read carefully all of the material put before the authority, I am unable to identify a single specific incident that is alleged to have taken place in respect of which any of the three senior managers could reasonably (or at all) assert that Mrs Taylor has behaved unprofessionally towards them.”

    • Daveosaurus 4.1
      24 November 2012 at 12:34 pm

      Torah Torah!
      see ya tomorrow my sun

      You wouldn’t be suggesting that the Japanese economy is in Dire Straits, now, would you?

  5. Rogue Trooper 5
    24 November 2012 at 9:51 am

    Softly softly Rachel golden girl Golden Brown…golden brown
    (Standard destabilisation)

    Shearer phoney debate between Left and right; what? class war?
    Mein Ehre Heikt Treue

    “I don’t read blogs, to be perfectly honest but when I do…” 😉

  6. Chalupa Batman 6
    24 November 2012 at 10:29 am

    So are there any Lefties out there that would rather see John Key win instead of David Shearer…

    • QoT 6.1
      24 November 2012 at 10:50 am

      It depends. This is what I wrote on that line of thought back in August 2011. The same principle stands.

      A National Party reliant on a mix of Green/Maori/NZ1/UF support could have far less potential to do huge damage to our country than a directionless, insecure ego-driven Labour Party reliant on the same.

      • Colonial Viper 6.1.1
        24 November 2012 at 11:07 am

        Now you’re playing all the angles…

      • Chalupa Batman 6.1.2
        24 November 2012 at 11:50 am

        I don’t say this very often but your comment has actually made me think…

      • Rogue Trooper 6.1.3
        24 November 2012 at 1:34 pm

        “now we’re spinning spinning spinning in our magic world…”
        Hot sun beating down…

      • seeker 6.1.4
        24 November 2012 at 2:29 pm

        +1 QOT. Find John Key and David Shearer equally repugnant at the moment Chalupa. Never thought I would turn from Labour, but at least Shearer and his clique have managed that while they dictate the rules.Ugh.

  7. gobsmacked 7
    24 November 2012 at 10:30 am

    Shearer on “The Nation” … review

    Style:

    – Better than his usual interviews. Relatively coherent. Still too many stop/start sentences.

    – The “visual” problems are still there (lip-licking, etc) and probably always will be. Most politicians have them, they’re part of who we are, his are worse than most. He’s never going to look great on TV, we’ve just got to accept that.

    Substance:

    – Not too much, beause Rachel Smalley didn’t ask much about policy, it was mostly Labour’s internal stuff. But when she did ask, he was either vague or worrying. The “left/right thing” doesn’t matter? Come on David, you’re the leader of a political party. You should have an answer to the basic questions of politics, preferably from within your heart and head, not what somebody tells you to say.

    So overall, as a “performance” it was OK. The training has made a difference. But only to the point of surviving, not persuading. Now he needs to have something to say. (That would be the left/right thing. It matters, David).

    Suggestion for Shearer – over the summer break, do the Political Compass Test, in private. If you discover that you’re left(ish), say so. But if you’re not, you’re not going to be a convincing front man for something you don’t believe.

  8. ianmac 8
    24 November 2012 at 11:29 am

    Yes:

    Mr Dotcom said Megaupload co-operated with the US Government investigation into copyright pirates NinjaVideo and was legally unable to delete the 39 movies identified in the search warrant.

    Mr Dotcom said: “We were informed by (the US Government) we were not to interfere with the investigation. We completely co-operated.

    “Then the FBI used the fact the files were still in the account of the … user to get the warrant to seize our own domains. This is outrageous.”

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10849627

    2010:Leave that pirated stuff there. Cooperate Megaupload.
    2012:Aha. You are charged with keeping pirated stuff there after we told you about it. Raid Raid!

    • seeker 8.1
      24 November 2012 at 2:40 pm

      Unbelievable isn’t it Ianmac? Good to know that those who are meant to uphold law and order and protect us are so trustworthy, reliable and competent themselves. Not.

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1
        24 November 2012 at 5:29 pm

        Corporate cronyism in US law enforcement and court system. There to protect the people…or to protect Wall St corporates???

    • Huginn 8.2
      24 November 2012 at 11:47 pm

      There needs to be an Independent Commission of Inquiry into this before Key gets us any further into TPPA etc.

      There appear to be at least two US Government Agencies involved in separate but similar actions.
      The Department f Homeland Security, who directed MegaUpload NOT to delete the files, and
      the FBI, who took MegaUpload down because they didn’t. Both of these agencies appear to have a close relationship with Hollywood, to the point that MPAA consultants work with these agencies to script indictments.

      The MPAA gets the confiscated property, which goes some way to explain the keen interest in Kim Dotcom’s ‘extravagant’ lifestyle. It’s not driven by Puritanical disapproval as much as a calculation of the returns.

      Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (OFCANZ) are involved through their support agreements with the FBI.

      Now we hear that a Third US agency, the NSA, may also be involved through it’s very close relationship with the GCSB.

      No-one in these agencies appear to have been able to have question how organisations that were set up to protect us from , the very real dangers of terrorism and organised crime, vicious activities where real people get hurt and killed have managed to shift so much of their attention to Copyright Infringement. Or not – it’s interesting that the SIS were somehow able to come to the conclusion that Kim Dotcom wasn’t of interest to them because he wasn’t a threat to national security.

      It’s something that has happened incrementally, pushed along by a well resourced interest group working behind the scenes with no interest in coherent policy. We’ve ended up with scope-creep.

      We need a Commission of Inquiry to step back and look at how this came about and to give some guidance about where to set some limits.

  9. David H 9
    24 November 2012 at 11:38 am

    And just to keep Kim Dot Com in the lime light, could it be that the FBI was a little shall we say duplicitous in the Arrest and search warrants used to kick off the whole thing. Another can of worms opened.

    • seeker 9.1
      24 November 2012 at 2:35 pm

      Quite David H. What with Huhu Grubs and worms not to mention ‘snakes’ we have all the makings of a cold blooded zoo collection wriggling and slithering about.

  10. Rosie 10
    24 November 2012 at 12:50 pm

    Kia Ora folks.

    In Pacific news:

    PM and dictator Bainimarama has been selected to chair the International Sugar Organisation. Dirty deals done dirt cheap?

    http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=727

  11. Rogue Trooper 11
    24 November 2012 at 1:30 pm

    I love Rachel Smalley, if only I had behaved my self but the there was always 5 bedrooms full of shit from Farmers on the tv to choose from as I walked the Telegraph Road

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      24 November 2012 at 3:01 pm

      You’re a DS fan?

      • Rogue Trooper 11.1.1
        24 November 2012 at 5:21 pm

        Sultans of Swing as I turned a dozen sacks of potatoes into chips while a schoolboy.
        I know what Labour is and what we would be like under without her

        (the “owner” was a Robertson who introduced me to Ecclesiastes; vanity of vanities)

        Nothing new under the Sun. Been on this planet
        Long Time.

        “Harmless” the Mothers described me as
        feared nonetheless

        bean. an education.

        • Colonial Viper 11.1.1.1
          24 November 2012 at 5:26 pm

          Yeah, screw these frakkers for fucking with the legacy. This isn’t a game. The next 10 years are going to be hard bitter ones globally, and if NZ doesn’t have the right leadership in place it won’t be good.

  12. JazzaBelle 12
    24 November 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Hooton has a silly Cunliffe smear attempt over on the NBR. Hooton calls Cunliffe and his supporters Miserable Failures!

    I look forward to seeing Hooton trying to get into PM Cunliffes first Press Conference.

    I’m told Hooton grovels magnificently.

  13. Rogue Trooper 13
    24 November 2012 at 2:03 pm

    oops, Patti Smith: Land. Free Money? or Pissing in a River. Oh Well, whata ya goin be doin next year…
    No Lies you’ll Go Insane (live 1977), if you break The Chain searching for a Gold Dust Woman,
    personally, I’ve always been a Storm; It’s a Trick with a Knife Strawpeople and we are doing a World
    Service. Everybody Knows this is Nowhere, Butler, when you’re on The Losing End and Running
    Dry. California’s Waiting for some Holy Roller Novocaine. Look in the rearview mirror and see who is the fairest of them all; Black is.Yellow Ledbetter. I’m goin thru Changes, I lost women, I love them so
    but is it too late now? Under The Sun my Snowblind friend. Everybody’s Fool as a Tourniquet to stem
    the bleeding cos you were a vampire and I am nothing at all, holding My Last Breath as we Break On
    Through to the other side, guess I’ll always be a Soldier of fortune.

    -Back Door Man

  14. Rogue Trooper 14
    24 November 2012 at 5:40 pm

    AS SOON AS YOU’RE BORN THEY MAKE YOU FEEL SMALL
    BY GIVING YOU NO TIME INSTEAD OF IT ALL
    TILL THE PAIN IS SO BIG YOU FEEL NOTHING AT ALL
    A WORKING CLASS HERO IS SOMETHING TO BE

    THEY HURT YOU AT HOME AND HIT YOU AT SCHOOL
    THEY HATE YOU IF YOU ARE CLEVER
    AND THEY DESPISE A FOOL
    TILL YOUR’E SO FREAKED OUT
    YOU CAN’T FOLLOW THEIR RULES
    A WORKING CLASS HERO
    IS SOMETHING TO BE

    KEEP YOU DOPED WITH RELIGION SEX AND IE
    AND YOU THINK YOU ARE SO CLEVER
    CLASSLESS AND FREE
    BUT YOU ARE STILL CONSUMERS
    AS FAR AS I CAN SEE

    -JOHN. long live plurality.Word

  15. tc 15
    24 November 2012 at 7:11 pm

    Yeah KD gets slammed for indulging in the trickle down we’re all told the wealthy elite practice every day….how much of Shonkeys everyday spend is:
    A: his own
    B: is spread outside his trusts on measurable economic activity

  16. Dave Kennedy 16
    24 November 2012 at 8:32 pm

    A money trader and business lobbyist are now defining the value of science!
    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/mike-joy-traitor-or-martyr.html