Open mike 25/03/2012

76 comments on “Open mike 25/03/2012 ”

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1. millhouse 1

   25 March 2012 at 6:24 am

   Does anyone find it slightly suspicious that a National Party “insider” and former National Party President have become the key figures in an ever widening privacy scandal?
   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/6633165/ACC-tries-to-plug-another-breach

   Is it not also suspicious that bloggers widely thought to be in the direct employ of the National Party have been either calling for more exposure on the matter or whipping it up further?

   Finally, has anyone noticed that there has been a sudden rise of opinion favoring the dismantling and privatizing of ACC in various commentary forums (from bulletin boards to Campbell Live last friday)?

   What is it to bet that in the next year to 18 months an aggressive push toward the privatization of ACC is made citing various privacy breaches and client dissatisfaction?
   • Carol 1.1

     25 March 2012 at 7:45 am

     Yes, I’ve noticed the incease in calls for privatisation. However, as an ACC client, it seems to me the problems go back to the NAct government trying to cut funding to ACC, not putting the necessary money into upgrading systems, and the related lack of real interest in rehabilitation.

     I noticed this comment a the end of the Stuff article:

     Brown said Paul had been treated appallingly by ACC. He claimed staff weren’t interested in rehabilitation, people, or their privacy. “In her criticisms of ACC, I don’t think [Pullar] was being over-the-top, I think she was being gentle. As one of my clients has told me, if he was a dog, the SPCA would have been prosecuted over his care.”

     I agree with the lack of interest in rehabilitation in view of my on-going struggles to get further physiotherapy – something my specialist keeps recommending. My case manager seems quite interested in my rehabilitation, but it seems he/she can only go with the judgement of the advisor. Also, each time further physio is rejected, more than one ACC person I’ve talked to on the phone have said in defence of the advisor’s decision,”you’ve already had X amount of physio sessions and people don’t usually get much more”…. side-stepping the issue of how much my rehabilitation might need.

     I can’t see privatisation improving access to rehabilitation, in fact, I’d fear the opposite as the private provider pushes for more profits.
     • Descendant Of Smith 1.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 8:04 am

       Agreed.
       Reminder of my wife’s experience of CRM who had no interest in rehabilitating her back to 40 hours per week because working part-time around our kids disabilities was a “lifestyle choice” and also breached privacy by giving her information about other people’s employers and wages pre-accident and also information regarding a co-worker undergoing psychiatric treatment.

       http://thestandard.org.nz/more-christmas-surprises/#comment-282599

       By way of contrast we found ACC, under a Labour Government, extremely good to deal with. They clearly understood the legislation they were working under.
        
     • lefty 1.1.2

       25 March 2012 at 5:53 pm

       Yes, I’ve noticed the incease in calls for privatisation. However, as an ACC client, it seems to me the problems go back to the NAct government trying to cut funding to ACC, not putting the necessary money into upgrading systems, and the related lack of real interest in rehabilitation.

       No, the problems go back to the last Labour government deciding ACC was an insurance scheme and needed to be fully funded.

       This piece of nonsense gave National the excuse to claim it was broke, cut back on the quality of service etc.

       ACC was designed before the neo liberal colonisation of the political elite and as such the principles behind it are total incomprehensible to the neo liberal National and Labour parties.
   • ianmac 1.2

     25 March 2012 at 9:54 am

     If it ain’t broke don’t fix it Millhouse.
     So maybe the Machivalian plan is to break it thoroughly at least in the Public mind.
     Get the pet bloggers and compliant MSM to spread stories of failures and doubts, and elevate the sterling quality of Privatisation.
     It worked for action against those pesky dole bludgers especially the promiscuous lazy men on DPBs and even some DPB women, didn’t it?
     From this morning’s Media program it seems that the ever lurking Cameron Slater is the weapon of choice
     In short Millhouse, I think you are right (from a leftish point of view.)
     • muzza 1.2.1

       25 March 2012 at 6:10 pm

       People might recall the attempts to sell the ACC as being ‘not economically viable’ using the lies the nact got caught out on….After a few years letting that die down, it certainly seems they have moved to another attack mode. The past weeks stories are starting to stink of strategy!
   • Campbell Larsen 1.3

     25 March 2012 at 9:57 am

     The privacy breaches should be a clear warning to all about the risks of information sharing between government departments.

     Think of how much worse these leaks would be if the files contained all of the information on a individual held by Govt.

     The onus is on the Nats to prove that the risks can be mitigated – the ACC incidents have shown us entrusting our privacy to the Government is a very risky proposition indeed.

     And as for the shills calling for privatisation as a ‘solution’, this is plainly laughable as the private sector has absolutely no hesitation in selling whatever it can to the highest bidder – and the information that the state holds has the potential to be very valuable indeed – Insurance companies stand to save big $$$$ if they can manage their risks by accessing for example peoples complete medical histories, their families history of cancer, etc etc, or are able litigate their way out of payouts on the basis of non compliance with medical advice.
     • Draco T Bastard 1.3.1

       25 March 2012 at 12:26 pm

       The privacy breaches should be a clear warning to all about the risks of information sharing between government departments.

       No, really, it isn’t.

       Think of how much worse these leaks would be if the files contained all of the information on a individual held by Govt.

       Which they wouldn’t have done as each government department would only have access to the information that they need.

       …the ACC incidents have shown us entrusting our privacy to the Government is a very risky proposition indeed.

       Over the last few years I’ve heard of more such leaks from private businesses. All that’s needed is proper procedure that makes such accidental leaks highly unlikely.
       • Campbell Larsen 1.3.1.1

         25 March 2012 at 12:58 pm

         Draco – I think you are missing my point – which is that a privacy breach should be generating discussion of how to avoid a repeat, not generating speculation about general unspecified mismanagement in ACC – I’m sure we can agree on that.

         You will find that the privacy commission has also hightlighted the risks of info sharing and has proposed strategies to address these risks, ie case by case or category by category share between specific agencies on the basis of justified need (I have the links at home and will dig up for you later) …an approach which I support, but which the govt has not necessarily decided to adopt.

         Wholesale info sharing has great potential for abuse and it is a concern that this is potentially still on the table with the proposed roll out of the so called e – govt interface.
         • Campbell Larsen 1.3.1.1.1

           25 March 2012 at 3:10 pm

           Some links to peruse:

           From the Law Commission:
           http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/2011/03/chapter_x_-_information_sharing_v2.pdf

           I dislike the title of this one but the summary of risks is still worth a read, and it contains comments from the Privacy Commissioner:
           http://www.chenpalmer.com/news/publications-and-presentations/big-brother-is-here-to-help-the-privacy-information-sharing-bill/

           From the US:
           http://www.privacilla.org/releases/Government_Data_Merger.html
         • Campbell Larsen 1.3.1.1.2

           25 March 2012 at 6:32 pm

           Edit:

           You will find that the Law Commission has also highlighted the risks of info sharing and has proposed strategies to address these risks, ie case by case or category by category share between specific agencies on the basis of justified need

           Interestingly the quoted comments from the Privacy Commissioner and the Chen Palmer article which highlights the downside to separate data bases (ie the difficulty of amending or accessing information) do not mention the fact that the physical and network independence of a data base acts as a natural privacy safeguard and actually ensures that any breach is not catastrophic…
           • Campbell Larsen 1.3.1.1.2.1

             25 March 2012 at 7:49 pm

             See also the ‘i’m not policy’ policy which coincidentally endorses the highly controversial TPSEPA, also known as the P4 Free Trade Agreement or the TPPA:

             http://www.ict.govt.nz/library/offshore-ICT-service-providers-april-2007.pdf
             • Draco T Bastard …

               25 March 2012 at 8:31 pm

               The way I see it is that the government should just have a single database with everyone’s relevant information on it. Each government agency then has access to a subset of the data which is relevant to it. There would be no more sharing as such and unnecessary and expensive duplication is removed. This database would, of course, be maintained by a dedicated government IT department.

               IMO, security is actually less of a concern as it reduces the number of possible breaches, the people maintaining the database are more likely to be permanent staff rather than consultants brought in on an ad hoc basis and processes for access would be identical across departments meaning that when someone transfers from one department to another they don’t have to learn entirely new processes.
               • McFlock …

                 25 March 2012 at 8:51 pm

                 Wow. I had an almost visceral reaction against placing that much faith in any organisation, consultants or not.
                  
       • Vicky32 1.3.1.2

         25 March 2012 at 5:56 pm

         Over the last few years I’ve heard of more such leaks from private businesses. All that’s needed is proper procedure that makes such accidental leaks highly unlikely.

         Not strictly relevant – or maybe it is? I am having a plague of telemarketers atm, and one on Saturday, a low-grade moron by what she said, started the call by saying “Can I speak to Mrs Surname, First name”?
         That told me two things. She was reading off her lead sheet and didn’t have the wit to understand which name comes first in addressing someone, and second, Telecom sell their directory information to telemarketers!
         • Draco T Bastard 1.3.1.2.1

           25 March 2012 at 8:05 pm

           …and second, Telecom sell their directory information to telemarketers!

           Actually, that’s more likely to be that the telemarketers have bought the electoral role or that they’re reading from the phone book.
   • ianmac 1.4

     25 March 2012 at 10:25 am

     Oops. Another breach in today’s Dom.:
     “The latest breach came about when ACC claimant Garth Paul asked to see his file – he had to make repeated requests to get the file as ACC sent only some documents. In the end, ACC sent him a file belonging to a different person. ”
     http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/6633720/ACC-tries-to-plug-another-breach
     Incompetency or strategy?
     • KATY 1.4.1

       25 March 2012 at 10:46 am

       Another hole in a leaky boat, no wonder smith said he would welcome an inquiry to clear his name.
   • marsman 1.5

     25 March 2012 at 1:57 pm

     I did wonder why Judith Collins very readily decided not to push to privatise ACC accounts. She probably thought a sneaky way would be more effective i.e. make ACC look bad through leaks get the Slater Farrar lapdogs to go ‘woof, woof privatise’ and hey presto a ready platform to plunder from.
   • Fortran 1.6

     25 March 2012 at 2:00 pm

     I think you will find, should you bother to look, that the privatisation of ACC, as envisaged, has been cancelled.
2. Pete George 2

   25 March 2012 at 8:08 am

   Otago student events have had some bad coverage in the past. Yesterday’s Hyde Street Keg Party has had minimal news coverage after the event, which suggests few problems. It was uber organised, very well attended and hopefully was a good day for many.

   ODT and TV1 reported that it was “shut down” and “forced to close” but the one way policy put in place mid afternoon was a planned strategy.

   Hyde Street Keg Party 2012 – roundup.
   • Kevin Welsh 2.1

     25 March 2012 at 8:35 am

     So is this another link to your site PG or to the original stories?
     • Pete George 2.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 9:10 am

       It’s a compilation of reports Kevin, it’s what blogs often do. It’s not the done thing to do a Penny and load a heap of stuff in someone else’s blog.

       Do you have a point? Or have you been assigned the “keep drawing attention to PG” task this week? If so, thanks. So far most hits are coming from Facebook, unusual on a young person topic at this time on a Sunday morning.
       • felix 2.1.1.1

         25 March 2012 at 9:14 am

         “It’s a compilation of reports Kevin, it’s what blogs often do.”

         Indeed.
       • Kevin Welsh 2.1.1.2

         25 March 2012 at 10:44 am

         Then be a little more clear on where your links lead. I have no problem with what Penny does because her links clearly point to their source.

         If I want to read your blog I will. I don’t need to be lead there with a blindfold on.

         And to be fair, you are not the only one on here who does it. Its tiresome and doesn’t do you any favours.
         • Pete George 2.1.1.2.1

           25 March 2012 at 10:54 am

           you are not the only one on here who does it.

           No. Eg
           http://thestandard.org.nz/give-way/
           http://thestandard.org.nz/wont-somebody-think-of-the-children-2/

           It’s fairly normal not to “be a little more clear on where your links lead”.
           If you don’t like following links I suggest you just don’t click on them.
           • Te Reo Putake 2.1.1.2.1.1

             25 March 2012 at 11:12 am

             Do you want to have another crack at writing that comment, Pete? It doesn’t make any sense and the links you provide don’t illustrate anything relevant.
              
             Kevin is correct. Others, including myself, do occasionally put one sentence teasers and a link (eg. PB’s Finland link below). The difference is that I trust PB’s judgement, so clicking on his link is not likely to be a waste of time. That’s not the case with your self promotion, of course.
             • Pete George …

               25 March 2012 at 11:22 am

               Are you suggesting a statement of trust with every external link? Not everyone has your history of reason here.

               What you (and possibly Kevin) really mean without openly saying it is you only want things posted that you agree with and you want to shut down anyone you are hissy about by dissing them off, don’t you?

               Otherwise you’d do what most people do, pick what they want and ignore the rest.
               • Te Reo Putake …

                 25 March 2012 at 11:31 am

                 Boy, you’re having a bad day. Pete! All I was asking was for you to clarify your strange comment above, which seems to be based on your mis-reading of the following line:
                  
                 you are not the only one on here who does it.
                  
                 Then you go on to bizarrely repeat my point in your final sentence, as if I hadn’t just said it. 
                  
                 
                 
                  
             • Carol …

               25 March 2012 at 11:38 am

               I rarely follow links when it’s not clearly stated what the link is to, and/or why I should follow it. It’s also why I never use a link code, but paste the URL directly into the comment. It usually makes the website clear & often adds the title of the article.
               • Pete George …

                 25 March 2012 at 11:42 am

                 I sometimes use raw links but they can be a bit long and messy.

                 All you need to do is point at a link to see the website and title.
               • Draco T Bastard …

                 25 March 2012 at 12:30 pm

                 FireFox tells me where the link is going to before I click on it and URLs pasted direct into the editor don’t always work due to special characters or just being too long.
                 • Chris …

                   25 March 2012 at 5:20 pm

                   Pretty sure all internet browsers tell you where the link is going. Just hover over it and it will tell you down the bottom of the page what the destination is.

                   I’ve used 4 of the main browsers and from memory they all do this. 
                   • Draco T Bastard …

                     25 March 2012 at 8:33 pm

                     Was pretty sure that was the case but I’ve been exclusively using FF for the last few years and so was caging my bets 😀
     • Pete George 2.1.2

       25 March 2012 at 10:15 am

       Kevin, I don’t know what your intention was here but I’ll explain mine. First some background.

       Otago has had some major problems in the past with parties gone bad, big time. Some of the huge number of students in Dunedin make dicks of themselves. Outsiders also used to come in and deliberately cause trouble – many of the arrests were non-students (and non Dunedin residents).

       This year it haas been proposed to make all of Dunedin North (the area around the Universiry and Polytechnic) alcohol free. That’s obviously controversial.

       OUSA is working hard on finding better solutions. They are promoting a ‘no glass’ zone. They were heavily involved in then organisation of the Hyde Street party, trying to prove that students can have a heap of fun without draconian restrictions.

       Personally I think New Zealand needs to address serious problems around our piss as chooks culture. I have experience, I have been pissed as a chook more than a few times in Dunedin North (rarely this century). I’ve learnt to drink much less, I’d like New Zealand to learn to drink much less too, but that’s only a peripheral issue with Hyde Street.

       My blog posts on Hyde Street (and links to them) have been supporting the rights of students to organise a good rave, and promoting the positive aspects and what seems have worked very well.

       I think this is a good change in the right direction for Otago culture so I have chosen to highlight it. Fun with responsibility is something a lot more people would be better for learning.

       It’s got nothing to do with politics, most of what I do has nothing directly to do with politics.
       • McFlock 2.1.2.1

         25 March 2012 at 3:01 pm

         Fun with responsibility is something a lot more people would be better for learning.

          
         Fun with being watched like hawks and cornered like rats in a trap is something a lot more people would be better for learning.
         FIFY.
         Glad to see you’re down with the yoof of today, pg
         • Pete George 2.1.2.1.1

           25 March 2012 at 3:18 pm

           Generally, and specifically on this, the response from the yoof of today has been very good. They are more open to what works rather than the same old failures and theoretical ideologies that never work in practice.

           Feedback has been positive, eg
           Richy Anderson: “Bloody good mate.”
           Manea John: “The efforts of OUSA and all the other groups and organisations who contributed was soo worth the effort!”

           Most Otago students, like most people, don’t like being shat on by people trying to stir up trouble. So what if it takes a bit of organisation to help things work and keep party poopers (campus crappers) out.
           • McFlock 2.1.2.1.1.1

             25 March 2012 at 3:43 pm

             Five years of 24hr patrolling and ever-increasing punishments for students who do such things is not “a little bit of organisation”. But keep looking at things in isolation – saves having to come up with solutions yourself.
         • Vicky32 2.1.2.1.2

           25 March 2012 at 6:07 pm

           Fun with being watched like hawks and cornered like rats in a trap is something a lot more people would be better for learning.
           FIFY.

           Glad to see you reacting without thought McFlunk! 😀
           What on earth is wrong with responsible drinking?
   • Sookie 2.2

     25 March 2012 at 7:17 pm

     Thanks for the Hyde St info, PG. I was wondering how everything went as I’m opposed to the proposed liquor ban and didn’t want paternalistic wowsers being gifted more ammo for their ban crusade. I did a drive by with hubby yesterday in search of the zombie flat and while there were many pissed scarfies in little clothing, I saw no broken glass or grouchy cops 🙂
3. Carol 3

   25 March 2012 at 8:54 am

   As a lifetime renter, who is happy to live in accommodation that is at the low end of the range and located out in the suburbs of Auckland’s west, I was appalled by this news item on TV3 news last night:

   http://www.3news.co.nz/Housing-shortage-leads-to-rent-hikes/tabid/423/articleID/247934/Default.aspx

   Renters are jostling for homes in a housing shortage that has deepened in central Auckland and is now spilling out to the suburbs.

   Some areas have seen rents rise by up to $100 a week and more increase are on their way next month as new tax laws hit property owners.

   …And the jostle for homes is now spilling to the suburbs: A Waterview property about 15 minutes from the city just had 30 applicants.

   “With the lack of development funding and restriction on the supply of property the inevitability is there is simply not enough to go round and in an area where there is desirably, those prices will continue to rise,” says property investor Mark Withers.

   So as people with the most money to spare keep paying higher rents for increasingly meagre properties where demand is far outstripping supply, what is going to happen to those who can only afford very meagre rents out in the burbs? More people living in garages, cramped into unsuitable accommodation, or camping out?

   This issue needs urgent attention.
4. Pascal's bookie 4

   25 March 2012 at 9:38 am

   Gerry Brownlee eh.

   http://t.co/BihdAtL4
   • Jester 4.1

     25 March 2012 at 10:38 am

     Cheers for the link. I never knew that Finland’s murder rate is double that of NZ. That it also has worse unemployment and health provision. Chuck in it’s privatization policy, it’s really grim reading.

     I thought we were aspiring to be like Finland. What’s with that?
     • Kevin Welsh 4.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 10:47 am

       Well, Finland on one side and Ireland on the other, take your choice.
       • Jester 4.1.1.1

         25 March 2012 at 10:56 am

         Sorry I didn’t realize we needed to aspire to countries that are in a worst position than us. I’m sure we can agree on a country that meets all of our aspirations?
         • Pete George 4.1.1.1.1

           25 March 2012 at 11:04 am

           Yep, simple really. We can learn of things that seem to work in other countries but the country to aspire to should be an improived version on New Zealand.
         • Kevin Welsh 4.1.1.1.2

           25 March 2012 at 11:28 am

           John Key thinks we should be like Ireland. Makes it a tough choice.
5. Anne 5

   25 March 2012 at 10:38 am

   I imagine these revelations are going to cause some angst. It looks like Helen Clark and former police minister Annette King were hung out to dry by Solicitor General, David Collins. Q&A interview not online yet.

   http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/annette-king-solicitor-general-changed-mind-terror-act-4795583
   • Bill 5.1

     25 March 2012 at 11:06 am

     Annette King – “And so then to find that in fact the law we were told was incoherent and they weren’t able to proceed. and in fact much of the evidence was not able to be used, now that was a big disappointment.”

     So…what’s that saying? We’re just pissed off we couldn’t pin the fuckers? What I want to know in all this is where all those white dude ‘survivalists’ fit in the scheme of things? Haven’t seen any of them and their guns and their camps jumped on.
     • Pete George 5.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 11:16 am

       “All those”? How many are there?

       Other than http://rwrnz.blogspot.co.nz/
     • Anne 5.1.2

       25 March 2012 at 3:36 pm

       Hi Bill… Q&A interview.

       http://tvnz.co.nz/q-and-a-news/solicitor-general-back-tracks-terror-act-king-video-4795700
6. randal 6

   25 March 2012 at 11:22 am

   Accordi ng to media watch this morning on RNZ Radio Rhema is now host to dumbell slater and it looks like he has God on his side now too.
   The christians are overstepping their mandate but nobody will call them to account.
   why is that?
   • Morrissey 6.1

     25 March 2012 at 5:42 pm

     Well, Media Watch has certainly called them to account, for one. What is needed now is a concerted writing campaign. Contact them via THIS site….
     http://www.rhema.co.nz/index.php/contact-us

     Or, even better you can write to them…

     Private Bag 92-636
     Symonds Street
     Auckland
     NEW ZEALAND

     Or personally visit them at their HQ….

     53 Upper Queen Street
     Auckland
     NEW ZEALAND
   • Vicky32 6.2

     25 March 2012 at 6:17 pm

     The christians are overstepping their mandate but nobody will call them to account.
     why is that?

     I don’t listen to Rhema, and never would, and I loathe Slater, but I would like to ask you to elaborate.
     What mandate do you think ‘the Christians’ have, and in what way are they overstepping it? I suspect your thin king in something such as “Christians should be made to STFU and never express any opinions, ever”.
     I am sure you don’t even realise that there are Christians that would be and in fact are, completely opposed to Slater and his mob?
   • KATY 6.3

     25 March 2012 at 6:31 pm

     Don,t tell me. he has seen the light.
     • McFlock 6.3.1

       25 March 2012 at 6:38 pm

       He assumes it shines out of his arse.
7. Anne 7

   25 March 2012 at 11:30 am

   Bill, I think you will find she was referring to the Solicitor General’s assurance the night before the raid that the terrorsim act was the correct legislation to use in this case.(I had the impression he was closely questioned by both Helen Clark and Annette King.) One month later (and I paraphrase) he refused admittance of much of the evidence on the grounds that the police had acted under the wrong legislation. I might add, the police did not give them – nor did they seek -any knowledge of how the police proposed to carry out the raid.

   Watch the interveiw when it’s up online. Fascinating stuff.

   Edit: damm I forgot reply – again. Replying to Bill 5.1
8. Treetop 8

   25 March 2012 at 3:59 pm

   There was a cabinet resuffle on 12 December 2011.

   Does anyone know the date of the Pullar, Boag ACC meeting in December 2011?

   Boag has stated that ACC did not inform the ACC minister when ACC was told about the 6700 breaches of privacy in December 2011. I find this to be remarkable. I also believe that if ACC went to the PM’s office the PM would have had to have gone to the ACC minister. If Key was informed and the Boag, Pullar meeting was before the cabinet resuffle I think that Key would have dropped Smith and that he appointed Collin’s as she has legal expertise.

   What Key actually knew about Smith writing to support Pullar would be interesting. I believe that Key knew about one of the support letters and this alone would have been enough for Key to not reappoint Smith as the ACC minister. (Wong and the other National MP could have told Key as they referred the letter onto Smith).

   I think that Pullar’s name appearing in the media is minor compared to what the government are covering up about having knowledge of Smith’s supporting letters with his signature at least two). Key seems to think that one lapse was excusable but two were not.

   Smith did the honourable thing and resigned to take the heat off Key when Smith’s letters became public. Key has not done the honourable thing and ordered an independent inquiry to establish that ACC knew that Smith had breached cabinet guidelines and if ACC informed anyone in the government? Were I Key I would push for an independent inquiry as I would want my name to be cleared of any manipulation e.g. keeping an experienced minister on until it became public who had breached cabinet rules.

   If ACC informed the PM about Smith breaching cabinet guidelines and the PM did nothing this was a coverup. Either or both, the PM and ACC have covered up Smith’s letters.

   I don’t know who I give 1st prize to this week, the Ports of Auckland Board or the ACC board when it comes to not being transparent or functional?
   • ianmac 8.1

     25 March 2012 at 5:31 pm

     Might John Key have mislead Parliament in saying he knew nothing until the week of Smith’s resignation? If the re-shuffle in December was because of the pending storm then Key already did know.
     I think Winston is onto this aspect and next week when the PM returns could be interesting
     • Lanthanide 8.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 5:44 pm

       They have the excuse of “new government term” for the reshuffle, though, as well as exposing people to new challenges etc etc.
     • Anne 8.1.2

       25 March 2012 at 6:46 pm

       What is most likely to have happened: the pending storm contributed to the reshuffle in December and ensured that Nick Smith was divested of the ACC portfolio.
   • Anne 8.2

     25 March 2012 at 6:00 pm

     Does anyone know the date of the Pullar, Boag ACC meeting in December 2011

     December 1st from memory.
     • aotearoean 8.2.1

       25 March 2012 at 7:26 pm

       Yep, December 1.
9. William Joyce 9

   25 March 2012 at 4:34 pm

   Cheney got a heart transplant.- Link
   I didn’t know he had one. It must have been as black as the oil he coveted!
   Where would you get another evil heart to replace it? Wall Street? Perhaps Halliburton has a subsidiary that engineers them. Lets hope it fails like their blowout preventers.
   Still, the end of Cheney would be of little comfort to the hundreds of thousands of family members of dead Iraqis and US service personnel.
   • Morrissey 9.1

     25 March 2012 at 5:34 pm

     No doubt about it: Cheney was a coward and a draft dodger, a brutal and shameless liar, a hypocrite and a bully. But I don’t think you should personalize the destruction of Iraq to Cheney. Just as culpable are the Democrats who gave carte blanche to Cheney and his puppet, George W. Bush.
     • Pascal's bookie 9.1.1

       25 March 2012 at 6:54 pm

       “Just as culpable…”

       nah, that’s bullshit bro.You can argue that they share culpability, along with a shit load of other people, but the lion’s share of culpability for the shit Cheney did, lies with Cheney. I’d put it somewhere in the high 80%s
       • Morrissey 9.1.1.1

         6 April 2012 at 6:43 pm

         You can argue that they share culpability, along with a shit load of other people,

         The Democratic Party “leadership” (profiles in courage such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) could have demanded the Bush regime show some evidence to back their fantastic claims in the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq, and they could have demanded that Cheney appear before the 9/11 Commission by himself instead of in tandem with Bush. They lacked the courage to confront the regime at every step. Contrary to what you seem to be trying to say, there is no “argument” about that.

         but the lion’s share of culpability for the shit Cheney did, lies with Cheney.

         The lion’s share of what pops into Cheney’s head lies with Cheney; the lion’s share of culpability for his crimes lies with those who could have stopped him, or at least curbed some of his worst excesses. That was, and still is, the Democratic Party “leadership”.
10. burt 10

    25 March 2012 at 5:22 pm

    Isn’t it ironic.

    From Stuff: Agents reap quake bonus

    Insurance agents are creaming it after the hike in general insurance premiums following the Christchurch earthquakes.
11. Morrissey 11

    25 March 2012 at 5:30 pm

    “The test of a democracy is how you treat people incarcerated, people in jail, and especially so with minors”– Mark Regev, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

    http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/blog_comments/new_report_palestinian_children_systematically_ill_treated_and_tortured

    New Report: Palestinian children tortured and “systematically” ill-treated

    A major new EU-funded study documents ‘a systematic pattern of ill-treatment, and in some cases torture’ of Palestinian children detained by Israel. Drawing on 311 sworn testimonies, collected over a period of four years, the report by Defence for Children International (DCI) finds that most children passing through Israel’s military detention system suffer multiple forms of ill-treatment and abuse, much of which amounts to ‘cruel, inhuman or degrading’ treatment as defined by the
    UN Convention against Torture. It’s pretty long, but important, so I thought I’d post a condensed summary.
    —
    Most children are arrested in the middle of the night. Israeli civil law restricts the times when children can be interrogated, which in turn influence the times when they are arrested. But Palestinians are subject to military law, which contains no such provision. Most have their hands ‘painfully tied behind their backs and are blindfolded’, before being transported to an unknown location—usually neither children nor parents are informed where, or on what basis—for
    interrogation. This process is ‘often’ accompanied by ‘verbal abuse and humiliation, threats as well as physical violence’. Palestinian children are not accompanied by a parent and are usually interrogated without legal advice or being informed of their right to silence.

    Nearly a third of the children who testified to DCI reported experiencing violence during their arrest, usually punching, slapping or kicking. A former Israeli military commander, describing this
    process to the BBC, confessed that after leaving the army, his dreams were haunted by children ‘screaming’:

    “You take the kid, you blindfold him, you handcuff him, he’s really shaking… Sometimes you cuff his legs too. Sometimes it cuts off the circulation.

    “He doesn’t understand a word of what’s going on around him. He doesn’t know what you’re going to do with him. He just knows we are soldiers with guns. That we kill people. Maybe they think we’re going to kill him…..

    Read more of this horrifying report by clicking HERE….
    http://www.newleftproject.org/index.php/site/blog_comments/new_report_palestinian_children_systematically_ill_treated_and_tortured
    • Vicky32 11.1

      25 March 2012 at 6:23 pm

      Read more of this horrifying report by clicking HERE….

      Thanks, Morrissey…
    • tc 11.2

      25 March 2012 at 9:42 pm

      Israel lives in defiance of most humanitarian ideals, they thumb their nose at the peace process, keep settling in occupied territories and generally have a ‘screw you’ atitude.

      Without the US behind it the arab nations would like to wipe if off the map, this is one reason why.

      Netanyahu is a much more dangerous and inflammatory leader second time around who has a growing problem within his own state with the haredi but that doesn’t stop him opening it up on other fronts.
12. muzza 12

    25 March 2012 at 6:23 pm

    There are some real messed up people in this country who have far too much say over our lives

    I wonder what makes them believe their lives are better of for behaving this way
    • ianmac 12.1

      25 March 2012 at 6:55 pm

      Do you mean the $1million in insurance over loss of income? That is separate from injury questions.
      Perhaps you mean the publication of her details that is so bad? Not sure which bit you mean Muzza.
13. Randle 13

    26 March 2012 at 11:42 am

    70 more jobs to go from a government department…..

    Govt fishery observers told to get ready to pack up

    Published: 6:23PM Sunday March 25, 2012 Source: ONE News

    A leaked email from the Ministry of Fisheries reveals that observers on commercial fishing vessels will have their jobs outsourced by the end of the year.

    The observers are stationed on commercial fishing vessels to monitor the catch and conditions on the boats.

    The leaked email reveals that around 70 Ministry of Fisheries observers have been told their jobs are being outsourced by December.

    Industry insiders say that the move will rob the watchdogs of their independence.

    One former observer says that they play a vital role.

    “No-one has questioned the quality of their information and it shouldn’t be compromised for money, and certainly not when the fisheries are under pressure.”

    Critics argue that outsourcing will allow fishing companies to pick observers who are prepared to turn a blind eye in order to keep their jobs.

    Currently observers are employed by the Ministry of Fisheries on short term contracts while they are at sea.

    The Ministry recoups their pay and administration expenses from the fishing companies.

    Glenn Simmons from the University of Auckland told ONE News he cannot see the logic in the change.

    “I really can’t see any cost savings in it, so I really wonder what is driving this, particularly from the Ministry’s point of view.”

    But documents show the fishing industry has been pushing for outsourcing for at least six years.

    The Ministry of Fisheries would not be interviewed for this story, and refused to give an explanation of the benefits gained by outsourcing the observer roles.

    The Minister of Fisheries, David Carter told ONE News that observers are not likely to be outsourced by December.

    “At this stage there’s still a lot more work to be done as to how best to deliver observer services on foreign charter vessels and other vessels no decision has been made about outsourcing.”

    Nevertheless, one former observer says that the decision seems fixed.

    “They’ve already decided, it appears they’re not asking any questions here.”

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/govt-fishery-observers-told-get-ready-pack-up-4795996
14. aerobubble 14

    26 March 2012 at 4:00 pm

    71 and got a heart transplant. For a moment I though WTF. Cheney gets a heart transplant, there must have been younger people….

    …but then I don’t know all the details, second hearts don’t necessarily last, they are second hand, and they are unlikely to have put a ???young heart in him???. i.e. they would not put a old person’s heart in a young person. There are certainly more older people who donate…
    • Vicky32 14.1

      26 March 2012 at 5:10 pm

      71 and got a heart transplant. For a moment I though WTF. Cheney gets a heart transplant, there must have been younger people….

      That’s America! Where you can get whatever you want if you can pay for it. Larry Hagman, the man who carries a portable fan so he can harass smokers by blowing air in their faces, has had three liver transplants, although he’s ruined 3 livers through being an alkie…
      In NZ, I am sasured, they’d say he wasn’t a candidate after wrecking the first transplanted one through refusing to stop drinking alcohol to excess.

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