State-owned Meridian Energy yesterday announced operating profit was down 6 per cent to $277.1 million for the December half year, and the underlying bottom line profit fell 11 per cent, excluding one-offs, to $88m.
Despite the lower underlying profit, Meridian declared a dividend of $99.8m to the Government, essentially all of its profits.
Essentially all of it’s profits? I would suggest that paying 11.8 million more than the profit is quite a different picture than that.
Would be interesting to see a table of profit versus dividend for each of the SOE’s since National came in – and I don’t have any difficulty with it going back further to see if Labour behaved any differently.
In some respects if successive governments have been taking money out of these entities left right and centre then we shouldn’t be moaning too much about having to pay for infrastructure costs. Can’t have it both ways.
Scams like making one power company sell the other 300 million worth of equipment though and then pay that to the government are just a con. The state owns no more but now has $300 million dollars more debt which is off the governments books.
Would be interesting to see a table of profit versus dividend for each of the SOE’s since National came in – and I don’t have any difficulty with it going back further to see if Labour behaved any differently.
No, Labour weren’t any different. Despite the massive surpluses that they ran they still pulled massive dividends from the SOEs. Either they don’t realise that that profit should be used to upgrade the infrastructure or they just don’t care. For National, I figure it’s the latter – especially as they have to cover the holes in the budget created when they cut taxes for the rich.
It’s remi niscent of the asset stripping indulged in by Brierley et al. The government has finessed this approach in business to the public’s assets that then makes the govt appear as successful financial and economy dealers.
Key won power on selling assets, he inherited
solid Energy, which he planned to sell. Four?
years on solid Energy goes bust,despite him
endorsing lignite development, despite not
seeing a business plan, despite his hands
off approach to asset sales. Key doesn’t know
how much his government will sell them for,
oh but he loves lignite.
Help Steve Keen complete his Minsky Project to reform University taught economics
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Government privatized the print press, allowing banks to increase gearing on deposits and starting the great leveraging boom. Now government globally are heavily restricting gearing and retaking the role of printer of money. National hate the idea that the peoples taxation should be used to control public money or its printing, since they made their fortune in sweet deals with government money and never understood why they got wealthy.
The reality is that self-serving models that have made many very wealthy are false economies, since they create calls on wealth the future, planet, climate, cannot supply. So its about when change comes, and just to be difficult or because they think their self-serving model of capitalism will rebound shortly, they’re for not considering one possible change in course.
Well said…the financialised money flooding the world are calls on the future real wealth that the planet, the climate and that labour will never be able to supply.
There are going to be some very disappointed wealthy people out there, the further they push things in this way.
They are desperate not to be disappointed, thus they steal off with existing wealth.
Sell assets, lower wages, watch while prices rise and quality drops….
The giant vacuum cleaner, formally a trickle down now a massive suction machine misappropriating wealth from the poorest, the most powerless, the least connected.
“NHS everything for SALE; full privatisation revealed”
The Artistic taxi driver
The same process is intended here. assets sales and welfare state demolition as far as they can get away with it. Until we’re financial serfs in our own country. 🙁
Do you think you are being insightful by pointing out that the Labour Party launched the neoliberal shift of public assets to the wealthy and the rich, and that it continues to refuse to reverse almost all asset sales?
I’m pointing out that National are keeping majority ownership in the assets whereas the narrative coming from this site is that National is going to sell it all, which makes you all little scallywags
Mind you its also not bad to point out that Labour sold over 9 billion worth of assets without saying they would whereas National said they would partially privatize assets yet in two terms still haven’t
It’s not National or Labour who sell our stuff, it’s free-market neoliberals.
National is full of them. In the 80s Labour was full of them. By the 5th Labour govt not so much so as they’d mostly buggered off and formed ACT.
Still a few too many for there for my liking, and I’d have liked to have seen a lot more renationalisation from the 5th Labour govt, but that’s the right-wing revolution for you.
But this idea you’re pushing, that the current Labour party are some sort of threat to our assets, it’s a dog. And it can only bite those who do want to sell our stuff.
Three years later, when Labour won the 1984 elections, Goff was elevated to Cabinet, becoming its youngest member. He served as Minister of Housing and Minister of Employment. After the 1987 elections, Goff dropped the Housing portfolio, but also became Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister of Tourism. Later, after a significant rearrangement of responsibilities, Goff became Minister of Education. In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.
Annette King
In the 1984 elections, she stood as the party’s candidate for Horowhenua, and was successful. She was re-elected in the 1987 election.
Trevor Mallard
Mallard joined the Labour Party in 1972, while still at university. He held a number of internal party positions until the election of 1984 when he was elected as the party’s Member of Parliament (MP) for Hamilton West. Although he was re-elected in the 1987 elections, he lost his seat in the election of 1990.
Three years later, when Labour won the 1984 elections, Goff was elevated to Cabinet, becoming its youngest member. He served as Minister of Housing and Minister of Employment. After the 1987 elections, Goff dropped the Housing portfolio, but also became Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister of Tourism. Later, after a significant rearrangement of responsibilities, Goff became Minister of Education. In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.
Annette King
In the 1984 elections, she stood as the party’s candidate for Horowhenua, and was successful. She was re-elected in the 1987 election.
Trevor Mallard
Mallard joined the Labour Party in 1972, while still at university. He held a number of internal party positions until the election of 1984 when he was elected as the party’s Member of Parliament (MP) for Hamilton West. Although he was re-elected in the 1987 elections, he lost his seat in the election of 1990.
I’m pointing out that National are keeping majority ownership in the assets whereas the narrative coming from this site is that National is going to sell it all, which makes you all little scallywags
I’m pretty sure that, if they thought that they could get away with it, they’d have sold the whole lot. In fact, I’m still of the opinion that they’ll sell 50% now and their next time that they’re in government they’ll sell the rest if the next left government doesn’t renationalise them.
Well what you think is all well and good but we can only go what they say and on this subject National have kept their word though I would like them to speed things up a bit
National keeping their word is not something anyone would be wise to place much reliance on. I remember thinking this when the tax cuts came and everybody wasn’t better off and gst was increased. I had a vague idea Jonkey had given people the impression he wouldn’t raise gst during the slick and devious con job that was his first election campaign. Folk here have been pointing out numerous examples of how reliable Jonkey’s word is. It’s about as reliable as his memory when he gets caught out telling porkies.
Yes, you are right – the “old” brigade that knifed Mr Lange in the back is still there. Many, like me, who remember will not vote for labour because of their nasty school yard bullying ways. However, this does not mean that one shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
National has so far shown the same and worse. Mrs Richardson budget comes to mind and man, was that something else. Actually, I belief NZ has never really recovered from this purist capitalist approach. To many casualties, far too many people left in he dust. What an anti social approach in a so called western democracy. So in my opinion, National with their past and recent record do not seem to have a smart and inclusive plan for the future of NZ. The only party that has no negative ballast, is conservatively positive and mindful of the social effect of their policies is currently the Green Party.
Looking at the new shadow Cabernet put out by Labour, I ask the question what’s in it for the Greens if a coalition Government is formed after the next election.
At first blush I can see the role of Transport Minister going the Greens way. A good move if this transpires as the Greens are suitably qualified both in driving a clear vision in Transport and a well credentialed Genter to front this role.
Chris Trotter’s piece in te paper this morning hits the nail on the head.
New Zealand is corrupt.
The New Zealand government is corrupt.
The only reason we record “least corrupt country” is because we refuse to see it or acknowledge it. Because we are, in this sense, a hick town. The evidence is right there in front of us – most recently with the Skycity corruption and our PM John Key. So blatant and up front that even Key probably doesn’t recognise what he has done (Key may be sharp and witty in real life, but ffs he is one shallow arsehole). Then we could look at the Canterbury dictatorship and theft of natural resources by David Carter and others.
Nobody is going to go to jail for CCTV building. It should not have been built, it wasn’t inspected properly, and then to cap it off it was fully tenanted after the first 7.2? Earthquake when geologists know increase chances of aftershocks of size 6 are possible.
Sorry, I need to get this other thing out of my head. If you shoot a person, you can’t see, whose making a noise on the behind the toilet door, maybe on the toilet, it has to be murder or insanity. I get its S.A and the endemic gun crime, and how not letting ever own a gun again (if insanity) would require bodyguards for the rest of his life – but really – why haven’t the media woken up to the reality that gun owners, their kids, kill. Roads would be safer if nobody drove, there will always be an element who do not drive safety, and an element who have accidents, gun owners will always result in increased accidental deaths, in moments of insanity, in intentional acts, so
why should those spouses who are angry, get violent, allowed to keep their guns? Surely if any
good can come about from the tragedy, is that when a spouse cites abuse from their partner, any\guns in the house must be handed in to Police.
It runs much deeper/longer than than this govt VTO – But for those who pay attention, yes its becoming very blatant that NZ’s position as one the *perceived, least corrupt* nations, is the biggest lie attatched to NZ!
I do not believe that he has not a a better way of using Cunliffe’s talents.
David Shearer needs all talents available to him. Cunliffe has done suitable penance for the supposed misbehaviour. The continued sidelining is sending the wrong message to teh party and the public.
Shearer remains afraid of Cunliffe because he knows that he is up against a much better politician. In effect, what Shearer is so condescendingly saying now is “be a good little boy, obey your master implicitly, and one day (who knows when?) you will receive your reward”.
Sorry, I see no references to the fact that Shearer’s recent poll popularity stood at 10 re cent! I guess he hopes the new front bench will do it all for him.
lol
Oh, but Cunliffe was the picture of self-effacing nobility, wasn’t he? Never bucking or kicking out, certainly never threatening to bolt or throw the rider he was supposed to support, and yet Shearer brutally whipped him for no good reason! Terrible behaviour. /sarc
Now he’s a “strong horse” that needed skilled “handling”. Hmmm – the metaphors do shift a bit.
Sure there’s a change of narrative, and it depends on whether Shearer is a leader and a uniter, or whether he’s an overseer and an egomaniac. I’ll give you a clue, he’s been sold to us as the former not the latter.
The best leaders will use people with different skills then they possess themselves. Ooops, forgot – its kindergarten time and the fight for the favorite toy continues (place in the hierarchy).
He certainly was not going to challenge Shearer’s leadership at the conference and we do not know whether or not he would have done so at a later date. That would have depended upon his judgement of things on a number of levels. But get this McFlock. It is not outrageous that a party leader should be challenged. This happens from time to time. Leadership of a political party is not yours by right until you decide to relinquish it.
True enough, it is not outrageous that a leader should be challenged.
But there are ways of doing it, and other ways. For instances, spiking the keynote address at the annual conference with smug smiles and noncommittal answers as to whether the party leadership is stable, that was pretty outrageous to my mind. It was a bit like being in church while loudly planning a visit to a casino and brothel, and the relative merits and abilities of each professional. He couldn’t be a team player for even one weekend.
I agree that the best move would have been for shearer to publicly ask caucus to kick the february vote back to the new methodology. But a straight confidence vote was equally acceptable.
“…spiking the keynote address at the annual conference with smug smiles and noncommittal answers as to whether the party leadership is stable, that was pretty outrageous to my mind.”
As I understand it, Cunliffe did give support of the leader at the time. he simply refused to say how he would vote in a secret ballot 4 months in advance. He kept reiterating that it was a constitutional conference, not a leadership conference. He was effectively ambushed by media friends of the present regime. His refusal to buy into that line of questioning was then interpreted as an attempt to undermine the leader. What is outrageous is the framing of all this as an attempted coup so as to disadvantage a potential and legitimate competitor.
Watching it on telly hit me the other way. Ever hear of “damning with faint praise”? That in a nutshell. It was a party conference for fucksake. The one time of year that everybody needs to be a cheerleader to the public. And “ambushed” my arse – the definition of “ambush” is that you do’t know media will be there or asking. Again, party conference and he was the only other taker for the job.
It might not have been an “attempted coup” at the time, but it sure was a nice way to sabotage the conference. What is so difficult about “Shearer has my full support, and the full support of caucus”? How did the other supposed challengers deal with it, robertson etc?
I think that we have our positions and can only argue in circles McFlock, because neither of us are inclined to concede much ground. However, given that it was a constitutional conference, Cunliffe could have reasonably expected leadership questions to be easily brushed aside. And I do not think he sabotaged the conference. I think that senior caucus members decided that the conference was sabotaged because things did not go their way on the leadership election front.
Dunno about leadership opinions. But Cunliffe could have done his bit to brush aside the leadership questions. Or at least watched the news on day one, gone “oh shit” and issued an immediate clarification (even press complaint, if he was that badly misrepresented) once he saw the spin the journos were taking. Maybe arranged some buddy buddy things with shearer.
Most of the conference coverage was about cunliffe. He could at least have made it coverage about unity, not 3 months of internecine bickering to come. Basically, he should have done pretty much what he actually did just before the caucus confidence vote, but three months earlier.
He would probably agree with you, in the wisdom of hindsight. However, the media were after an A versus B story and would not have let up easily, whatever he had done.
aye, there’s a lot of hindsight at play in the entire year long situation – I’m not sure anyone except gower has come out of it without regret. And he should have, but I don’t think he believes he crossed the line between story reporting and story influencing.
Just listening to te national radio and the issue of building upgrade to earthquake standard right across the country. (firstly, an I told you so, predicted some moons ago post-Chch). The Councils and others are bleating baaah baah it costs too much…. without really thinking. Some anecdote from the depths of real Chch experience….
The buildings in Invercargill and Dunedin and Gore (and every single other comparable town in NZ) will collapse and kill people. Especially down south as more of them are unsupported masonry construction of a form.
What got people in Chch (other than the 2 major flawed building collapses CTV and PGC) were firstly verandahs and facades and secondly, rest of building.
What these Councils and building owners could should do is firstly support the verandahs. You know, those roofs that come off the buildings and extend over the footpaths. Support them, with posts or whatever. This is inexpenisve and easy. Most typical two storey old shop buildings could have this done in a weekend, it is that easy. Voila, lives saved already.
Second, the buildings that collapsed, collapsed outwards. Picture a box and then let the sides fall outwards and down. That is what happenned. So, second job is the facade, the wall that faces the street. This killed many people, including the ones in the buses. Strengthen the facade -a bigger job but still relatively minor compard to doing the whole building. This will save the most lives.
Third, the balance of the building. After step one in the first year, step two within five years, step three could take place in a timeframe after that.
Supporting the verandahs and the facades will save the vast bulk of lives when an earthquake (of mag 5 only imo) strikes at our small towns. This is cheap and easy. The balance of the building can come later.
As for paying for it – perhaps pick up on recent commentary around issuing zero-cost credit for new affordable homes to earthquake upgrade. Voila.
This is a truth. Verandahs and facades. In my opinion building owners should do this without even being required to do so, as it is easy and inexpensive and will save the most lives. Verandahs and facades.
In Christchurch we had six months between September and February. We didn’t do what was needed despite the graphic warning. The rest of the country has so far had a two year warning from an event that was even more graphic.
Establish a Govt Bond paying the going rate and than make that money available to owners for strengthening at 1%. Sure, it looks like a subsidy but the amount of extra tax generated ( wages, fuel, some materials, workers lunches and beers ) would easily cover the shortfall. Materials and labour costs are deductible of course but the increased value and rentals all add to the country’s wealth.
Adrian (assuming you are replying to post above), it is not a subsidy in the usual sense by any means. The works have a massive component of public good. Deeper analysis may reveal that the buildings will appreciate in value from their current position due to publicly funded works but that is, relatively, trifling. Or in reverse view – if the public want it done then the public have an obligation to assist in getting it done.
It’s a bit of a mix but crying “no money” is no excuse given the myriad means of resolution available over this issue.
… Imagine for a moment that another 7 or 8 mag quake is about to strike Southland tomorrow – what would our view then be if hundreds died, again, due to collapsed buildings? Buildings that could have been strengthened? I don’t think the public would be very happy….
Don’t need the government to issue bonds. Just have them create the money. In fact, the government issuing bonds just increases the rate of capital accumulation.
Stop building over three stories. Bexley the land sank & liquified, but central Chch is being pulled down because the higher buildings were harder hit. Economically a huge loss. I believe buildings really get moving between floors 3 and 6.
+1
Mike Williams has lost the facility of self awareness.
Sad at onlelevel, galling that he is on the payroll of the Party (Caucc) still.
Shearer, me thinks, still uses the 90s as his reference point.
He went away on his overseas gigs and lost touch with the changes.
The people and reference points he uses are actually 15ish years out of touch.
That explains to me why he thinks people like Mike Williams, Mike Smith, Tamihere, Jones, King, Mallard and Ian Fraser are current/connected/relevant.
The 16, 17, 18, 19 years olds who will vote for the first time in 2014 must be wondering where these dinosaurs came from.
That is why I’m unsettled by re-hiring King instead of re-instating Cunliffe, promoting Little and other fresh relevant talent.
There is something pre Clark about the profile Shearer has created!
Yeah the horrible thing is that mumblefuck and his careerist cohort could well lose the election for us. But we’re not meant to say anything because that might make him look bad. As if he needed our help!
the fish are escaping upstream to cooler, clearer water from the warm, salty Lake Ellesmere;
a goldfish in the brine?
Kia kaha Jack Makuku (ahhh, the T.A courthouse…) ftp (feed the people)
a quote from a local- “land of the long black retribution”.-Pat Magill
W.A bracing for a Rusty nailing at 250km/h while Ben Barba’s personal life (and challenges) are thrown to the Dogs.
sadly, The Private Lives of Medieval Kings from their Illuminated Manuscripts (some In Bruge) has concluded. Libraries give us power.
anyway “The greatest good you can do for another person is not just show them your riches-but reveal to them their own.” -Disraeli.
13:22: A poor mans field may produce abundant food, yet injustice sweeps it away
or, an oreo,
13:17: A wicked messenger falls into trouble Rumplestiltskin, yet a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
If the conduct was so appalling that a blood thirsty Pashtun like Karzi ordered them out the notion of what was actually going on makes me feel quite ill.
John Key wants NZ to be a place for wealthy people to retire and play golf and for them to not pay too much for gardeners and nannies and cleaners and film crew.
Some thoughts from today’s news.
If we had an upper house, which tends to attract the conservative person, wouldn’t we be worse off than now? This thought after seeing that Berlusconi’s party is strongest in Italy’s upper house and likely to be a negative force on assistance for the ordinary man/woman. The wealthy and powerful do band together successfully to ensure that any goodies are channelled through are directed to themselves. (Berlusconi being an old guy has who pots and has managed to get the laws changed so that he owns or has major interests across all media there. And I bet that’s just part of his power. It seems like democracy fostering the growth of a king.)
And climate. Where can I find discussion on cloud-seeding etc? Can anybody direct me. It seems that if clouds could be encouraged to drop volumes at sea, floods could be alleviated. I have seen pictures of USA planes that fly into storms with antennae poking out in front and this was decades ago. What has been found out that might aid the world? Might have to have a world treaty about it too, so that one region doesn’t steal the others’ rain.
Ain’t that the truth! Especially if you’re one of the ‘new-minority’: the ‘un-assimilated’.
People clamour to get there mainly due to economic benefit, but in so doing, the multicultural nature of Australia morphs into the bland with perhaps the only stark l’etranger being the tribal indigenous.
In the 60s (when once an OZ citizen), the only Aboriginees I saw were those I babysat as a college student during school holidays – down from Mildura. 40-45 years on, the ‘browning’ of OZ and inter-racial mixes are noticeable – such as Aboriginal with Philippino (the result of a mother HAVING to go on the game, and offspring living on the street).
[Incidently – that sort of thing is an inevitable consequence of Planet Key policies here in NZuld. Expect to see a more Maori/Indian mixes in the BOP/ChCh; various others elsewhere].
Hone was correct (re John Howard) – not much has changed in that regard except the veneer of “we’re all immigrants” (JUST SO LONG AS YOU DON’T ARRIVE BY BOAT; or ‘queue-jump’; OR you’re not one of those top-end useless bastards that cause the rest of us so much trouble.
@ CV: Indeed it ain’t gonna be so lucky in the next 20-30 years.
Watch ‘Pull Murray Live’ sometime on SKY 90 to see the level of delusion (you might have to over several days)
You do know I ‘spose… that they actually have a “Closing the Gaps” programme.
Christ! Where did I hear that before!
and worse than that: what a spectacular choice! – not unlike ours: Gillard versus Abbot – the regular gal versus the Kethlik Boy; Shearer versus Key: The good-natured, regular guy with supposed impressive CV, versus the ideologue, feintly fick, used-car-salesman, noice goi Key. Why even Peter Jackson can’t resist the Krusmah
If we had an upper house, which tends to attract the conservative person, wouldn’t we be worse off than now?
Yes, we would be. In a party dominated political system, which representative democracy will inevitably become, then each house will be dominated by a party or coalition of parties. When each house is dominated by parties which are opposed to each other then effective policy making goes out the window in favour of “compromise” deals that are far worse as the right-wing don’t compromise.
It seems like democracy fostering the growth of a king.
No, it’s not democracy doing that but capitalism. As the wealth is channeled into fewer hands the representatives start to represent the rich and powerful instead of the people. As this cycle repeats even more wealth and power goes into fewer and fewer hands. The inevitable result will be an authoritarian state followed by collapse.
Where can I find discussion on cloud-seeding etc?
I’ve heard that China does it occasionally but that it’s not really worth it due to cost.
ropata
Thanks. Should have asked wikipedia. Now I ought to ask wikileaks as to what secret planning is going on. There aren’t many bounds on inventive thinking by governments when it comes to wanting to dominate inner or outer space and the resources therein. They have spent plenty on tech to go to Mars, no prob finding money for that.
Agreed. ABout time the Judiciary actually stood up and called time! I suspect there are a few that think it’s long overdue. Time for them to call bluff
What would it mean for the left? By which I mean left. I guess it would put the current set-up to the test. Key at this time would probably want to win, since he has not completed his mission, so they would probably be faced with a battle rather than a shift change.
Should the Supreme Court decision find against the Government over the question of the prior held water rights of Maori on the Waikato river i would imagine that Slippery will fall all over his feet racing to offer $$$$’s to the various claimants,
i cannot see how the Supreme Court can find anything but Maori will be severely disadvantaged in negotiations over such prior-held water rights if the States assets spanning parts of that river are sold,
As the Government counsel at the Waitangi Tribunal hearing had prior to the Supreme Court being asked to rule had implicitly admitted these prior held Maori rights to this river and it’s waters then the only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that changing anything that could effect such claims until such time as these claims are quantified and settled must disadvantage the Maori claimants,
The reasoning behind this is simply that the State owned assets on the Waikato River are, while the State still has ownership of them, subject to the provisions of settlement of such Treaty of Waitangi claims, and if sold into private ownership they are not…
Contrary to the government’s assertion, none of this information is “commercially sensitive”. It is however politically sensitive, both for the government and for Jackson. But that’s not a good reason to keep it secret. They made their political bed, and now they get to lie in it.
the other version is that governments should be allowed to conspire with prominent individuals to degrade the rights of ordinary New Zealanders, and have such deals kept secret in case ordinary New Zealanders got upset about it.
I was more thinking that some foreign git was trying to jeopardize a major movie deal being filmed in NZ just so he could sign up some more actors and get some more money for his union…irrespective of what damage he was going to be doing
Jackson and the Hollywood studios ready to make hundreds of millions from the movies
But wanted even more subsidies from the NZ tax payer (Jackson who has already profited so much through NZ government activities at the start of his career)
And to stop NZ actors receiving the same benefits as the foreign actors working on the same set
Boy c73 man up please and stand for your fellow citizens OK, not for the elite?
As the actors already acknowledged Peter Jackson treated them well yet some fat aussie comes over looking to swell bank balance and you’ll fall over yourselves sucking up to him, maybe you should try standing up for your fellow citizens and not be duped by foreigners
Shame he didn’t target any of the other foreign productions but then that wouldn’t have given him as much publicity
Yeah, those workers who got jobs out of the production staying here lost out, right. And those taxpayers who didn’t get the GST that wouldn’t have come to us if Warners had pulled out as they were going to, right? And those taxpayers who saw all those other taxpayers working on the project paying tax. They were losers too right?
Yeah those “serfs” who earn five times the minimum wage when they’re extras. And those sparkies and chippies and plumbers who earn more building sets and lighting rigs on contract to the production than they get when building a house.
any residuals deal, now or in the future is run through NZ not Australia. the Australian union has nothing to do with any money generated in NZ, and NZ performers fees go back to the NZ performers union, Equity.actually the Australian union, after the NZ performers voted to merge with it in 2006/07 invested upwards of half a million dollars establishing the office and infrastructure (by infrastructure i mean the one person paid part-time to run admin for Actors Equity) in NZ.
It is nigh on impossible for any individual actor or their agent to run their own residuals deal. the formula for percentages is highly complicated and depends on size of role, screen time, time on set, status of performer and many others, the information required to assess when and how much of a residual the performer is due must come (more often be demanded from) from the studio in good faith, and to accomplish this the actor would most often have to hire a specialist lawyer who’s fee would take most of any remaining residual.
everywhere in the world actors residuals are handled by an organisation affiliated to the actors union or professional body.
additionally, once the residuals deal is sorted, and agreed, who are the producers to say how actors choose to administer that? surely it is the actors who should choose who and how their small slice of future profits is administered…
The little I’ve seen on TVNZ makes Jackson look utterly paranoid and disconnected from reality, although that was merely the line he was spinning to ensure his company didn’t have to pay local actors a decent wage. Luckily for Jackson he had a government department headed by a complete moron who can’t handle complex issues. Like say the positive impacts of higher wages on the NZ economy and government coffers i.e.more taxesss, less ACC costs due to one employer to deal with and workers with more disposable income to buy moar stuff etc.
Oh yeah, there’s only really one word to describe Jackson’s actions in a nutshell – “pathetic”.
Yea well… he is actually pathetic IMO. One of those pathetic of the male persuasion that seeks credibility (and their masculinity) in the arms of their beloved.
OOOOOh Franny Fran …. them union ppl are being mean to me!
There’s a Wairarapa castle that attests to it all.
Pratt with a capital P.
Draco, have been reading too.. It appears the govt at no stage spoke to or with anyone on the other side of the story. Jackson is passionate doesnt mean he is right about other people espesh when he perceives they threaten his toy
As the actors already acknowledged Peter Jackson treated them well yet some fat aussie comes over looking to swell his bank balance and you all fall over yourselves sucking up to him, maybe you should try standing up for your fellow citizens and not be duped by foreigners
Shame he didn’t target any of the other foreign productions but then that wouldn’t have given him as much publicity
Gawd Strewth!… I’m watching Cunliffe at the mo in Parly r mint Debates shovving it too the opposition with such force his colleagues could only dream of. Yet his dear leader doesn’t see reason to include him in anything meaningful.
Stance confirmed! Labour will not get my party vote.
Really, do you know how the Parliament works???, for Cunliffe to be on His feet questioning the Opposition he must have been allotted time via the Labour Whips office,
In other words the Hierarchy has deliberately given Cunliffe time to speak in the House, i know that’s not what you want to hear but that is the reality…
It is being reported on twitter that Louisa Wall has been removed from the Maori Affairs select committee by Shearer. Henare says she was not told beforehand.
If so this is a bad show. Wall is one of the best performing MPs that Labour has right now. Why would he do this?
Some more detail has come out and it is not so bad.
The Herald reports that “[s]he told the Herald that Labour is replacing her with Nanaia Mahuta, the former education spokeswoman, who is now the Maori development spokeswoman after yesterday’s reshuffle.
Louisa Wall, the MP for Manurewa, has become an associate health spokeswoman and will join Annette King on the health committee, which clashes with the Maori affairs committee. She had not realised until today she would have to move.”
Unfortunately not unprecedented (Parker replacing Cunliffe), so I sadly have to conclude that it’s sheer incompetence which Shearer’s office has no desire to actually address.
An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama’s socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.
The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama’s plan”.. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A…. (substituting grades for dollars – something closer to home and more readily understood by all).
After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.
The second test average was a D! No one was happy.
When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.
To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that. (Please pass this on) These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Take this piece of wing-nut propaganda and shove it where the sun does not shine, this is simply tr**lling that has been used here over and over by the wing-nut fraternity and deserves no other answer than derision…
bad12 just to let you that someone posting something you don’t agree isn’t trolling, yes I know you don’t like it when someone offers a differing opinion but that still doesn’t make it trolling
some Pizza on the Q.T;
key-“potential for lignite dev. in NZ
English-‘SOE’s: prices to be revised downwards”
English-talk about extrapolating “increased PAYE to ” mean a whole lot of insulfluff!
Robertson-“net loss of 30,000 jobs; HLFS
concession to key; fudging and casualties aside, he is a “master of his universe” and that is observable
regrettably
though occasionally he gets hung on his own petard, particularly by WP or the “duck”
(Hipkins? w.a.p imo)
TFC-On The Border.
Cosgrove / Ryall: M of SOE’s “took steps in 2009”. Ryally?
(read a lot of “familiar” words in the MSM Paddy 😉 )
“if I were the President of this land, I’d declare War on The Pusher Man”
The Wolf bites back; Shiraz / Grenache, $7.48 (it’s criminal Ned)
wanna re-engrave His-story? siege-machines; manpower and cold steel over the wall.feel me.
consider “outclassed” putting it firmly and politely (mite goin check out you-know-WhO)
kinda’ like Martha Stewart.
meanwhile, back in the bay; Trials all gone to the Dogs (and we may have gone to spectate) due to Drought conditions Allied Farmers are in the drench.
Riddle Me Out On The Street Alistair
Bill from Dipton, ”Solid Energy is all Labour’s fault”,
Perlease cannot the Finance Minister either read or add 1 plus 1???,
id not the Finance minister notice that in September 2008 mere month’s befor He became Finance Minister the international price of coal dropped by a third from $150 a tonne to $111.50 a tonne,
Perhaps Bill from Dipton was too busy with the election at that time but only the dullest of knives in the draw could have failed to have noticed that the price of coal by October 2010, 2 years into this abysmal National Governments first term, the international price had dropped to $71.50 for a tonne of the black stuff,
That’s not a mistake and that along with this Governments failure to address the high NZ$ which has also served to help turn the States coal miner into a basket case can only be described as pig ignorance and a gross dereliction of the member from Dipton’s duty as the Finance Minister…
btw,
“push your old numbers
let your phone ring
It’s not this quiet
slide down your receiver
sprint across the wire
follow her number
slide into her hand
(i take it from your whisper that you’re not that tough)
Debate in the House today included the second reading of the bill which extends the time that the Canterbury Region will be without an elected Governance structure as democracy according to the Slippery National Government is not a right but is granted upon the basis of their whim,
Included in the bill is further provision for Canterbury farmers to suck the life from the regions waterways with specific provision in part to of the Act denying anyone the right of appeal against such mis-use,
i have to wonder here how loud the screams of protest would be if the National Party were abolished by legislation of the next Parliament and specifically within such legislation denied any right of appeal,
That's the only way to describe the government's plans for a Parliamentary Budget Office to allow opposition parties to get an independent costing of their policies. When the idea was first floated back in 2016 as an office within Treasury, I thought that wasn't independent enough and argued that it ...
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Image Credit: Wild Rose College A new study reporting the ranges of values for kidney and liver parameters in a healthy population is being actively misrepresented by anti-fluoride campaigners. The Fluoride Action Network’s (FAN) latest ...
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This handy Queer Theory Glossary is from thetranswidow.com In case you’ve had trouble keeping up with the spate of new queer theory terms, here’s a handy glossary for your reference. Queer – A straight person with an interesting haircut. Non-binary/genderqueer – A chubby young female, typically 16-28, who has ...
by Daphna Whitmore US social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt spoke on 1 August in Auckland to a crowd of around one thousand people. He is best known for his bookThe Coddling of the American Mind which examines the new climate of trigger warnings and acute sensitivity of Gen Z. ...
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by Don Franks Way back when British guitar virtuoso Joe Brown was a beginning session guy he got to back a visiting American artist. Young Joe was an able technician but had yet to learn some points of professionalism. Part way through “Five foot high and rising” Joe tired of ...
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The New Zealand Maori Council has called on the nation to address all forms of racism and not to shy away from an honest conversation about where it’s taking hold. The call comes after the Nelson Club decided to keep a member after his comments became ...
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Drs Say No agree with Chris Penk’s amendment to protect vulnerable patients from coercion, although the organisation still maintains that no safe euthanasia legislation can ever be drafted and continues to urge MPs to defeat the End of Life Choice Bill. ...
The Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says the Northland Regional Corrections Facility is persisting with policies that are preventing it from achieving its full potential. ...
The second national hui in the Māori-led Inquiry into Oranga Tamariki concluded yesterday ahead of schedule after a capacity audience formally ratified the terms of reference that determines the scope and purpose of the independent investigation ...
Forest & Bird says WWF-NZ's plan for protecting Māui dolphins is based on testing unproven methods on a species that is almost extinct, and is urging the Government to reject the proposal. ...
Primary and intermediate school principals have voted to accept a new settlement from the Ministry of Education, which includes entrenched pay parity with secondary principals. ...
Police acknowledge the findings of the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) report into the 2014 search of a property belonging to Nicky Hager. ...
The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that the Police's unlawful search of Nicky Hager's property in October 2014 resulted from an unwitting neglect of duty and did not amount to misconduct by any individual officer. Police policy at the ...
Tuesday, August 20: Greenpeace has labeled an overnight announcement by fishing company Sanford as a danger to Māui and Hector’s dolphins, and is calling on the Government to reject the ‘Sanford Plan’ immediately. ...
World Animal Protection describes an overnight announcement (19 August, embargoed until 6am 20 August), by fishing company Sanford as a cynical move to undermine growing support for full habitat protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins. They called ...
When the combined tax on fuel hits over 50 percent in some parts of the country, it is hypocritical for the Government to blame corporates, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union . ...
A leading expert in suicide prevention has urged MPs not to confuse suicide with assisted dying as they consider the second reading of the End of Life Choice Bill. ...
Over the weekend Māoridom arrived in the Waikato for the annual Koroneihana Celebrations. Yesterday almost 300 attended a Hui in Hamilton to continue the Oranga Tamariki Review led by an independent Māori panel to coincide with the Koroneihana. The Hui confirmed ...
The Council of Licenced Firearm Owners (COLFO) says the newly issued ‘price list’ for compensation of banned firearms reveals that haste in preparing the ban has led to an underestimation of the number of affected firearms and their value. ...
Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has admitted parts of the prison system are “extremely racist” and says that’s why the Government is asking Māori to work with it to make changes. ...
Ongoing drug-test sanctions contradicts Government’s rhetoric on drugs Reports that two-thirds of beneficiaries who fail drug tests are still having their benefit sanctioned contradicts the Government’s so-called health approach to drugs. Auckland ...
An Auckland Homelessness Collective is optimistic extra government support for sustaining tenancies signals a commitment to a multi-pronged approach to tackling homelessness. ...
Wanaka-based trust ONE New Zealand will be hosting six days of talks, workshops and hands-on activities with local and national experts to educate, inspire and enable grassroots action towards a sustainable future. ...
In last week’s episode of Politics in Full Sentences, David, Brooke and Ruwan discussed why Jacinda Ardern has been lecturing our friends overseas, why Andrew Little called ACT's three strikes law “fascism”, whether he will give prisoners the right to ...
“Community safety must be the paramount consideration when releasing an offender, and the only way for that to be achieved is for the offender to acknowledge their crimes.” ...
“District Health Boards are failing to foster a culture of distributed clinical leadership, despite its demonstrated benefits to the sector,” says Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS). ...
Ratepayers around Auckland were spitting out their morning coffees listening to Phil Goff’s incredible claims on breakfast radio today that this election is about ‘honesty’ and that Aucklanders can trust him on his promises. Auckland Ratepayers’ ...
By Michael Andrew Journalists across Papua New Guinea have spoken out in support of EMTV news director Neville Choi after his “unacceptable” termination from a role he had held for six years. A public statement released on Monday listed the reasons for his termination, one of which was his ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Camellia Webb-Gannon, Lecturer, University of Wollongong Last weekend, the Indonesian police took 43 West Papuan students into custody for allegedly disrespecting the Indonesian flag during an independence day celebration (an allegation the students deny). Police stormed the students’ dorm and used teargas ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Natalie Klein, Professor, UNSW Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that Australia will lend military support to protect shipping in the Middle East. The commitment has been long expected, with Australia sending a frigate, an aircraft and some headquarters staff as part ...
By Johnny Blades of RNZ Pacific Protests are spreading in Indonesia-ruled West Papua in response to harassment of Papuans during explosive incidents in Javanese cities last week. Indonesia’s president has urged calm after some of the protests turned violent, but he’s been criticised for not directly addressing a festering ...
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the karaoke game that introduced an entire generation to the horrors of ‘Downtown’ by Petula Clark. Jordan Hamel ranks all 30 songs from SingStar v1, from worst to best.Before my generation was old enough to get smashed on reasonably priced Merlot and wander ...
After a decade of making music, Sons of Zion are still refusing to settle into a genre. They sit down to talk about the joys of pop music and te reo Māori, and why a “reggae” band can do both.In 2009 Sons of Zion released their debut album, a self-titled ...
The government is directing councils to loosen up their planning rules, allowing cities to grow both up and out, in a bid to solve the housing crisis. ...
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia will commit a frigate, an aircraft and some headquarters staff to an American-led freedom of navigation operation in the Middle East. Scott Morrison, announcing the long-expected commitment at a Canberra news conference on Wednesday, ...
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Sometimes, less is more. Even when it comes to Quentin Tarantino (Warning: Contains mild spoilers).Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an impressive film. It’s got great acting, stunning visuals, and a twist ending, all laced with the sort of attention to detail you’d expect from the nuttiest of film ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Beeson, Professor of International Politics, University of Western Australia Populism and environmentalism are words seldom seen in the same sentence. One is associated predominantly with nationalists and charismatic leaders of “real people”, the other with broadly-based collective action to address the ...
Who makes up the royal ‘we’? Lana Lopesi reviews a massive show at ST PAUL St Gallery in Auckland that investigates questions of community, culture and conflict.How to Live Together at ST PAUL St Gallery could hardly have been better timed, opening just days before the protection of Ihumātao in ...
The first week of Celebrity Treasure Island had it all – mud, vomit and coconut brassieres. Alex Casey ranks the celebrity contestants vying to win $100,000 for their chosen charity. It’s 2019 and mostly everything is bad, so I am choosing to focus on the positives of Celebrity Treasure Island NZ. ...
The government is directing councils to loosen up their planning rules, allowing cities to grow both up and out, in a bid to solve the housing crisis. ...
Australia's big banks may have to make do with less money from their New Zealand operations, as Australia's banking regulator moves to improve their financial strength. ...
The anti-1080 lobby has made a martyr out of kea, but that ignores another salient fact: kea survival in large part depends on pest control. Dave Hansford explores on the challenge to balance pest control with conservation.In April this year, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) announced that two kea had died ...
Fletcher Building has posted a solid full year profit but continues to be dogged by a weak Australian housing market and underperformance in some of its businesses there. ...
Work obsessed drone Alex Braae assesses whether shutting himself up in a dark room will allow some semblance of normality on a day off.It is a sad fact of life that many of us spend alarmingly large chunks of it working. The relationship is like quicksand: as we spend more ...
Inspired by the ethos of food-rescue organisation Kaibosh, chef Kelda Hains looked to the past to champion unloved ingredients and showcase clever waste-minimising techniques at her All Taste, No Waste dinner during Visa Wellington On a Plate. Ever glanced at those supermarket bags of pre-cut broccoli florets and wondered what happens ...
Dr Bryce EdwardsCould the most interesting aspect of the current local government elections turn out to be generational change? At the moment, there is a surge of media and activist focus on younger candidates standing for office. It suddenly seems to be “cool” again to want to be a ...
Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage.New Zealand Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand.Today’s content by Dr Bryce Edwards.Petrol prices Tom Pullar-Strecker (Stuff): Don’t be surprised if petrol study ends in a deal, ...
Jacinda Ardern’s election campaign was high on hope but this Government should remember that those who encourage what cannot be achieved are quickly found out. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Professor Tim Bentley, Director of Research, professor of Work and Organisation, Massey University According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the workplace can be a positive force for improving mental health. But many workers are exposed to work environments that are damaging ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Denis Muller, Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Advancing Journalism, University of Melbourne Alan Jones’s political power is to a large extent based on a self-fulfilling prophecy: politicians believe he can shift votes, so they pay homage to him, which adds ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosemary Stanton, Visiting Fellow, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Research Checks interrogate newly published studies and how they’re reported in the media. The analysis is undertaken by one or more academics not involved with the study, and reviewed by another, to make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Associate Professor Ralph Brougham Chapman, Director, Environmental Studies, Victoria University of Wellington CC BY-NDClimate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change.If you have a question you’d ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Salvatore Babones, Associate Professor, University of Sydney Australia’s leading universities are now looking to India in search of new sources of international students. This comes amid worries they may have reached a “China max” – no more room for growth in Chinese ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jen Couch, Senior Lecturer – Youth Work and International Development, Australian Catholic University One of the biggest challenges young people of refugee background face in their new country is finding safe, affordable and appropriate housing. Yet this is central to social inclusion ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Sheil, Visiting Senior Fellow in History, UNSW The results of the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics biennial survey of income and wealth met have met with an uneven response, perhaps in part due to a slipshod press release. Released with the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Lee, Senior Lecturer in Literary and Cultural Studies, Curtin University This story contains spoilers for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While promoting Once Upon a Time in Hollywood at the Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was asked why Margot ...
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: National cries foul over parliamentary costing unit idea, Ngawha Prison heavily criticised in report, and fuel market study confirms prices are high.The government have announced a recommendation to create an official, independent parliamentary costing unit, reports the NZ Herald.The aim is to ...
Phil Goff and John Tamihere are into round 10 of 23 debates planned before the mayoral election in October, and they're punching hard, not resting on the ropes or pulling eachother into dull political clinches. ...
Open mike 26/02/2013 
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Maths and reporters clearly don’t mix.
State-owned Meridian Energy yesterday announced operating profit was down 6 per cent to $277.1 million for the December half year, and the underlying bottom line profit fell 11 per cent, excluding one-offs, to $88m.
Despite the lower underlying profit, Meridian declared a dividend of $99.8m to the Government, essentially all of its profits.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/8350206/Outcome-unclear-in-Meridians-Rio-Tinto-talks
Essentially all of it’s profits? I would suggest that paying 11.8 million more than the profit is quite a different picture than that.
Would be interesting to see a table of profit versus dividend for each of the SOE’s since National came in – and I don’t have any difficulty with it going back further to see if Labour behaved any differently.
In some respects if successive governments have been taking money out of these entities left right and centre then we shouldn’t be moaning too much about having to pay for infrastructure costs. Can’t have it both ways.
Scams like making one power company sell the other 300 million worth of equipment though and then pay that to the government are just a con. The state owns no more but now has $300 million dollars more debt which is off the governments books.
No, Labour weren’t any different. Despite the massive surpluses that they ran they still pulled massive dividends from the SOEs. Either they don’t realise that that profit should be used to upgrade the infrastructure or they just don’t care. For National, I figure it’s the latter – especially as they have to cover the holes in the budget created when they cut taxes for the rich.
It’s remi niscent of the asset stripping indulged in by Brierley et al. The government has finessed this approach in business to the public’s assets that then makes the govt appear as successful financial and economy dealers.
Key won power on selling assets, he inherited
solid Energy, which he planned to sell. Four?
years on solid Energy goes bust,despite him
endorsing lignite development, despite not
seeing a business plan, despite his hands
off approach to asset sales. Key doesn’t know
how much his government will sell them for,
oh but he loves lignite.
Help Steve Keen complete his Minsky Project to reform University taught economics
He’s made his initial fundraising target of US$50K but could easily use thousands more to refine the Minsky modelling system his team is developing.
With this software, central banks and academics the world over will finally have a tool which will let them model the financial economy in a realistic way, instead of using false neoliberal models which exclude the impact of money, banks and debt in the macroeconomy.
The sign up process to donate is a bit of a pain in the ass, but this project is so worthwhile I urge you to consider supporting it, even if you can only donate US$5 or US$20.
To learn more about Steve Keen’s debt deflation perspective, try this:
A worthy cause indeed.
I’d be surprised if any organisation took it up by choice. The models they use are self-serving, so why would they change?
Government privatized the print press, allowing banks to increase gearing on deposits and starting the great leveraging boom. Now government globally are heavily restricting gearing and retaking the role of printer of money. National hate the idea that the peoples taxation should be used to control public money or its printing, since they made their fortune in sweet deals with government money and never understood why they got wealthy.
The reality is that self-serving models that have made many very wealthy are false economies, since they create calls on wealth the future, planet, climate, cannot supply. So its about when change comes, and just to be difficult or because they think their self-serving model of capitalism will rebound shortly, they’re for not considering one possible change in course.
Its all good, smile and wave, look no hands.
Well said…the financialised money flooding the world are calls on the future real wealth that the planet, the climate and that labour will never be able to supply.
There are going to be some very disappointed wealthy people out there, the further they push things in this way.
They are desperate not to be disappointed, thus they steal off with existing wealth.
Sell assets, lower wages, watch while prices rise and quality drops….
The giant vacuum cleaner, formally a trickle down now a massive suction machine misappropriating wealth from the poorest, the most powerless, the least connected.
+ a big kaleidoscope
“NHS everything for SALE; full privatisation revealed”
The Artistic taxi driver
The same process is intended here. assets sales and welfare state demolition as far as they can get away with it. Until we’re financial serfs in our own country. 🙁
Absolute fucking drivel.
Protecting the nations assets absolutely fucking drivel? Yeah, a privateer would say that.
Ok so how many assets has Labour sold vs how many assets have National partially sold
Do you think you are being insightful by pointing out that the Labour Party launched the neoliberal shift of public assets to the wealthy and the rich, and that it continues to refuse to reverse almost all asset sales?
Smart man A+ for you dude
I’m pointing out that National are keeping majority ownership in the assets whereas the narrative coming from this site is that National is going to sell it all, which makes you all little scallywags
Mind you its also not bad to point out that Labour sold over 9 billion worth of assets without saying they would whereas National said they would partially privatize assets yet in two terms still haven’t
It’s not National or Labour who sell our stuff, it’s free-market neoliberals.
National is full of them. In the 80s Labour was full of them. By the 5th Labour govt not so much so as they’d mostly buggered off and formed ACT.
Still a few too many for there for my liking, and I’d have liked to have seen a lot more renationalisation from the 5th Labour govt, but that’s the right-wing revolution for you.
But this idea you’re pushing, that the current Labour party are some sort of threat to our assets, it’s a dog. And it can only bite those who do want to sell our stuff.
I don’t know, Kings been around for awhile, Mallards still there, Goffs still there and Shearer certainly has some good ideas in the area…
King Mallard and Goff were in govt for 9 years from 1999 to 2008.
What did they sell?
What have they said they’ll sell?
What indication of any sort do you have that they want to sell anything?
Are you at all serious about this? Because I’m starting to think I’m being pranked…
Seriously?
Phil Goff
Cabinet minister
Three years later, when Labour won the 1984 elections, Goff was elevated to Cabinet, becoming its youngest member. He served as Minister of Housing and Minister of Employment. After the 1987 elections, Goff dropped the Housing portfolio, but also became Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister of Tourism. Later, after a significant rearrangement of responsibilities, Goff became Minister of Education. In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.
Annette King
In the 1984 elections, she stood as the party’s candidate for Horowhenua, and was successful. She was re-elected in the 1987 election.
Trevor Mallard
Mallard joined the Labour Party in 1972, while still at university. He held a number of internal party positions until the election of 1984 when he was elected as the party’s Member of Parliament (MP) for Hamilton West. Although he was re-elected in the 1987 elections, he lost his seat in the election of 1990.
Don’t think me thank wikipedia
Seriously?
Phil Goff
Cabinet minister
Three years later, when Labour won the 1984 elections, Goff was elevated to Cabinet, becoming its youngest member. He served as Minister of Housing and Minister of Employment. After the 1987 elections, Goff dropped the Housing portfolio, but also became Minister of Youth Affairs and Minister of Tourism. Later, after a significant rearrangement of responsibilities, Goff became Minister of Education. In the disputes between Roger Douglas (the reformist Finance Minister) and other Labour MPs, Goff generally positioned himself on the side of Douglas, supporting deregulation and free trade.
Annette King
In the 1984 elections, she stood as the party’s candidate for Horowhenua, and was successful. She was re-elected in the 1987 election.
Trevor Mallard
Mallard joined the Labour Party in 1972, while still at university. He held a number of internal party positions until the election of 1984 when he was elected as the party’s Member of Parliament (MP) for Hamilton West. Although he was re-elected in the 1987 elections, he lost his seat in the election of 1990.
Don’t thank me thank wikipedia
yes.
They learned at least some lessons from the fuckup that was rogernomics – what did they sell 1999-2008?
Key is following 200 year old out of context principles to repeat 30 year old mistakes.
crihs73 pls
I’m pretty sure that, if they thought that they could get away with it, they’d have sold the whole lot. In fact, I’m still of the opinion that they’ll sell 50% now and their next time that they’re in government they’ll sell the rest if the next left government doesn’t renationalise them.
Well what you think is all well and good but we can only go what they say and on this subject National have kept their word though I would like them to speed things up a bit
What they don’t sell, they destroy: solid energy, NZRail. Although one could argue that Hillside Workshops is an asset strip and sale, too.
Most people wish they wouldn’t
Stop positioning their destruction of NZ assets as some kind of sick virtue
National keeping their word is not something anyone would be wise to place much reliance on. I remember thinking this when the tax cuts came and everybody wasn’t better off and gst was increased. I had a vague idea Jonkey had given people the impression he wouldn’t raise gst during the slick and devious con job that was his first election campaign. Folk here have been pointing out numerous examples of how reliable Jonkey’s word is. It’s about as reliable as his memory when he gets caught out telling porkies.
Yes, you are right – the “old” brigade that knifed Mr Lange in the back is still there. Many, like me, who remember will not vote for labour because of their nasty school yard bullying ways. However, this does not mean that one shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
National has so far shown the same and worse. Mrs Richardson budget comes to mind and man, was that something else. Actually, I belief NZ has never really recovered from this purist capitalist approach. To many casualties, far too many people left in he dust. What an anti social approach in a so called western democracy. So in my opinion, National with their past and recent record do not seem to have a smart and inclusive plan for the future of NZ. The only party that has no negative ballast, is conservatively positive and mindful of the social effect of their policies is currently the Green Party.
Sorry, should read:
this does not mean that one should throw the baby out with the bath water.
c73aiD
You are naive about business if you think that having a majority automatically means that shareholder has control of it.
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/government/assets/saleshistory
Go and educate yourself
Didn’t know Warren Buffet bought some…well, well, well
Have you watched the video link ?
Hi higherstandard
You should rename yourself as deludedstandard. You haven’t a clue what’s happening in the World.
Looking at the new shadow Cabernet put out by Labour, I ask the question what’s in it for the Greens if a coalition Government is formed after the next election.
At first blush I can see the role of Transport Minister going the Greens way. A good move if this transpires as the Greens are suitably qualified both in driving a clear vision in Transport and a well credentialed Genter to front this role.
What say you on this and other postings?
* Cabinet
Chris Trotter’s piece in te paper this morning hits the nail on the head.
New Zealand is corrupt.
The New Zealand government is corrupt.
The only reason we record “least corrupt country” is because we refuse to see it or acknowledge it. Because we are, in this sense, a hick town. The evidence is right there in front of us – most recently with the Skycity corruption and our PM John Key. So blatant and up front that even Key probably doesn’t recognise what he has done (Key may be sharp and witty in real life, but ffs he is one shallow arsehole). Then we could look at the Canterbury dictatorship and theft of natural resources by David Carter and others.
David Carter is corrupt. John Key is corrupt.
The New Zealand government is corrupt.
+1
Took me a while to realise that but, yeah, once you start to see it becomes obvious fairly quickly.
Nobody is going to go to jail for CCTV building. It should not have been built, it wasn’t inspected properly, and then to cap it off it was fully tenanted after the first 7.2? Earthquake when geologists know increase chances of aftershocks of size 6 are possible.
Sorry, I need to get this other thing out of my head. If you shoot a person, you can’t see, whose making a noise on the behind the toilet door, maybe on the toilet, it has to be murder or insanity. I get its S.A and the endemic gun crime, and how not letting ever own a gun again (if insanity) would require bodyguards for the rest of his life – but really – why haven’t the media woken up to the reality that gun owners, their kids, kill. Roads would be safer if nobody drove, there will always be an element who do not drive safety, and an element who have accidents, gun owners will always result in increased accidental deaths, in moments of insanity, in intentional acts, so
why should those spouses who are angry, get violent, allowed to keep their guns? Surely if any
good can come about from the tragedy, is that when a spouse cites abuse from their partner, any\guns in the house must be handed in to Police.
It runs much deeper/longer than than this govt VTO – But for those who pay attention, yes its becoming very blatant that NZ’s position as one the *perceived, least corrupt* nations, is the biggest lie attatched to NZ!
outa sight
link pse ?
Here you go.
There must be something more to Shearer’s plan.
I do not believe that he has not a a better way of using Cunliffe’s talents.
David Shearer needs all talents available to him. Cunliffe has done suitable penance for the supposed misbehaviour. The continued sidelining is sending the wrong message to teh party and the public.
Shearer remains afraid of Cunliffe because he knows that he is up against a much better politician. In effect, what Shearer is so condescendingly saying now is “be a good little boy, obey your master implicitly, and one day (who knows when?) you will receive your reward”.
Sorry, I see no references to the fact that Shearer’s recent poll popularity stood at 10 re cent! I guess he hopes the new front bench will do it all for him.
Doing a Blair/Gordon Brown you mean?
“up against a much better politician”?
But Cunliffe was never going to challenge Shearer’s leadership, so Shearer’s vicious treatment of Cunliffe was completely unprovoked… /sarc
Leaders who can’t handle a stable of strong horses without putting some down aren’t really leaders, are they.
lol
Oh, but Cunliffe was the picture of self-effacing nobility, wasn’t he? Never bucking or kicking out, certainly never threatening to bolt or throw the rider he was supposed to support, and yet Shearer brutally whipped him for no good reason! Terrible behaviour. /sarc
Now he’s a “strong horse” that needed skilled “handling”. Hmmm – the metaphors do shift a bit.
Sure there’s a change of narrative, and it depends on whether Shearer is a leader and a uniter, or whether he’s an overseer and an egomaniac. I’ll give you a clue, he’s been sold to us as the former not the latter.
So let’s fucking see it.
We might have done, depending on whether Cunliffe was divisive or not.
the 5th labour; clean the Augean Stables
The best leaders will use people with different skills then they possess themselves. Ooops, forgot – its kindergarten time and the fight for the favorite toy continues (place in the hierarchy).
He certainly was not going to challenge Shearer’s leadership at the conference and we do not know whether or not he would have done so at a later date. That would have depended upon his judgement of things on a number of levels. But get this McFlock. It is not outrageous that a party leader should be challenged. This happens from time to time. Leadership of a political party is not yours by right until you decide to relinquish it.
Shearer should have been confident in his caucus numbers and the votes from the membership and affiliates.
He clearly wasn’t.
True enough, it is not outrageous that a leader should be challenged.
But there are ways of doing it, and other ways. For instances, spiking the keynote address at the annual conference with smug smiles and noncommittal answers as to whether the party leadership is stable, that was pretty outrageous to my mind. It was a bit like being in church while loudly planning a visit to a casino and brothel, and the relative merits and abilities of each professional. He couldn’t be a team player for even one weekend.
I agree that the best move would have been for shearer to publicly ask caucus to kick the february vote back to the new methodology. But a straight confidence vote was equally acceptable.
“…spiking the keynote address at the annual conference with smug smiles and noncommittal answers as to whether the party leadership is stable, that was pretty outrageous to my mind.”
As I understand it, Cunliffe did give support of the leader at the time. he simply refused to say how he would vote in a secret ballot 4 months in advance. He kept reiterating that it was a constitutional conference, not a leadership conference. He was effectively ambushed by media friends of the present regime. His refusal to buy into that line of questioning was then interpreted as an attempt to undermine the leader. What is outrageous is the framing of all this as an attempted coup so as to disadvantage a potential and legitimate competitor.
Watching it on telly hit me the other way. Ever hear of “damning with faint praise”? That in a nutshell. It was a party conference for fucksake. The one time of year that everybody needs to be a cheerleader to the public. And “ambushed” my arse – the definition of “ambush” is that you do’t know media will be there or asking. Again, party conference and he was the only other taker for the job.
It might not have been an “attempted coup” at the time, but it sure was a nice way to sabotage the conference. What is so difficult about “Shearer has my full support, and the full support of caucus”? How did the other supposed challengers deal with it, robertson etc?
I think that we have our positions and can only argue in circles McFlock, because neither of us are inclined to concede much ground. However, given that it was a constitutional conference, Cunliffe could have reasonably expected leadership questions to be easily brushed aside. And I do not think he sabotaged the conference. I think that senior caucus members decided that the conference was sabotaged because things did not go their way on the leadership election front.
Dunno about leadership opinions. But Cunliffe could have done his bit to brush aside the leadership questions. Or at least watched the news on day one, gone “oh shit” and issued an immediate clarification (even press complaint, if he was that badly misrepresented) once he saw the spin the journos were taking. Maybe arranged some buddy buddy things with shearer.
Most of the conference coverage was about cunliffe. He could at least have made it coverage about unity, not 3 months of internecine bickering to come. Basically, he should have done pretty much what he actually did just before the caucus confidence vote, but three months earlier.
He would probably agree with you, in the wisdom of hindsight. However, the media were after an A versus B story and would not have let up easily, whatever he had done.
aye, there’s a lot of hindsight at play in the entire year long situation – I’m not sure anyone except gower has come out of it without regret. And he should have, but I don’t think he believes he crossed the line between story reporting and story influencing.
Just listening to te national radio and the issue of building upgrade to earthquake standard right across the country. (firstly, an I told you so, predicted some moons ago post-Chch). The Councils and others are bleating baaah baah it costs too much…. without really thinking. Some anecdote from the depths of real Chch experience….
The buildings in Invercargill and Dunedin and Gore (and every single other comparable town in NZ) will collapse and kill people. Especially down south as more of them are unsupported masonry construction of a form.
What got people in Chch (other than the 2 major flawed building collapses CTV and PGC) were firstly verandahs and facades and secondly, rest of building.
What these Councils and building owners could should do is firstly support the verandahs. You know, those roofs that come off the buildings and extend over the footpaths. Support them, with posts or whatever. This is inexpenisve and easy. Most typical two storey old shop buildings could have this done in a weekend, it is that easy. Voila, lives saved already.
Second, the buildings that collapsed, collapsed outwards. Picture a box and then let the sides fall outwards and down. That is what happenned. So, second job is the facade, the wall that faces the street. This killed many people, including the ones in the buses. Strengthen the facade -a bigger job but still relatively minor compard to doing the whole building. This will save the most lives.
Third, the balance of the building. After step one in the first year, step two within five years, step three could take place in a timeframe after that.
Supporting the verandahs and the facades will save the vast bulk of lives when an earthquake (of mag 5 only imo) strikes at our small towns. This is cheap and easy. The balance of the building can come later.
As for paying for it – perhaps pick up on recent commentary around issuing zero-cost credit for new affordable homes to earthquake upgrade. Voila.
This is a truth. Verandahs and facades. In my opinion building owners should do this without even being required to do so, as it is easy and inexpensive and will save the most lives. Verandahs and facades.
+1 Couldn’t agree more.
smart and focussed
wished our pollies could be half as lucid
Very good suggestion.
In Christchurch we had six months between September and February. We didn’t do what was needed despite the graphic warning. The rest of the country has so far had a two year warning from an event that was even more graphic.
The clock is ticking.
Establish a Govt Bond paying the going rate and than make that money available to owners for strengthening at 1%. Sure, it looks like a subsidy but the amount of extra tax generated ( wages, fuel, some materials, workers lunches and beers ) would easily cover the shortfall. Materials and labour costs are deductible of course but the increased value and rentals all add to the country’s wealth.
Adrian (assuming you are replying to post above), it is not a subsidy in the usual sense by any means. The works have a massive component of public good. Deeper analysis may reveal that the buildings will appreciate in value from their current position due to publicly funded works but that is, relatively, trifling. Or in reverse view – if the public want it done then the public have an obligation to assist in getting it done.
It’s a bit of a mix but crying “no money” is no excuse given the myriad means of resolution available over this issue.
… Imagine for a moment that another 7 or 8 mag quake is about to strike Southland tomorrow – what would our view then be if hundreds died, again, due to collapsed buildings? Buildings that could have been strengthened? I don’t think the public would be very happy….
many landlords / commercial property investors “crying no money” apparently
review the building stock across the entire country and dynamite any that aren’t up to code
The direct method. I like it.
Or, just nationalise the buildings at scrap value and upgrade them to full strength, and turn them into low cost socialised apartments.
Don’t need the government to issue bonds. Just have them create the money. In fact, the government issuing bonds just increases the rate of capital accumulation.
Stop building over three stories. Bexley the land sank & liquified, but central Chch is being pulled down because the higher buildings were harder hit. Economically a huge loss. I believe buildings really get moving between floors 3 and 6.
Easy to build 30 story buildings with no problems with earthquakes of course.
NZ pioneered some of the technology
We just wanna do everything on the cheap cutting corners.
Mike Williams on RadioNZ says that John Armstrong is ‘the guru of political commentary in NZ’.
Fuck off, Mike.
+1
Mike Williams has lost the facility of self awareness.
Sad at onlelevel, galling that he is on the payroll of the Party (Caucc) still.
Shearer, me thinks, still uses the 90s as his reference point.
He went away on his overseas gigs and lost touch with the changes.
The people and reference points he uses are actually 15ish years out of touch.
That explains to me why he thinks people like Mike Williams, Mike Smith, Tamihere, Jones, King, Mallard and Ian Fraser are current/connected/relevant.
The 16, 17, 18, 19 years olds who will vote for the first time in 2014 must be wondering where these dinosaurs came from.
That is why I’m unsettled by re-hiring King instead of re-instating Cunliffe, promoting Little and other fresh relevant talent.
There is something pre Clark about the profile Shearer has created!
Wrong direction boys and girls!
Indeed, it’s pretty laughable. Let’s do the Time Warp.
It’s not just a jump to the left.
More like a step to the right.
Yeah the horrible thing is that mumblefuck and his careerist cohort could well lose the election for us. But we’re not meant to say anything because that might make him look bad. As if he needed our help!
He can’t lose the election “for us” if he’s not actually acting on our behalf.
The real guru should be the ever-persevering John Minto, but I fear he is hated for his honesty.
good old Ak aye; a brighter future eh?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867719
the fish are escaping upstream to cooler, clearer water from the warm, salty Lake Ellesmere;
a goldfish in the brine?
Kia kaha Jack Makuku (ahhh, the T.A courthouse…) ftp (feed the people)
a quote from a local- “land of the long black retribution”.-Pat Magill
W.A bracing for a Rusty nailing at 250km/h while Ben Barba’s personal life (and challenges) are thrown to the Dogs.
sadly, The Private Lives of Medieval Kings from their Illuminated Manuscripts (some In Bruge) has concluded. Libraries give us power.
anyway “The greatest good you can do for another person is not just show them your riches-but reveal to them their own.” -Disraeli.
13:22: A poor mans field may produce abundant food, yet injustice sweeps it away
or, an oreo,
13:17: A wicked messenger falls into trouble Rumplestiltskin, yet a trustworthy envoy brings healing.
John Key is a cunt.
nah, if he’s a bodily organ he’s an arsehole.
Used as a disparaging term for a person one dislikes or finds extremely disagreeable.
This is the meaning I intended.
Freud would write a book about it. Probably did.
Personally, I think you malign one of the most agreeable bits of anatomy around.
You’re a dick.
Also not very comparable to John Key, given that my dick gives me immense amounts of pleasure, where as John Key is just a pain in the arse.
It seems like there is a shuffle of ideas in that sentence that I am assuming you would not be in to, McFlock
🙂
The speech from Team America World Police. At the end… you know the great one.
So we wonder if the rumours are right around Hawkins following Mainzeal down the dunny ……
wouldn’t the consequences be something ….
some “wishful” chinking
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10867690
If the conduct was so appalling that a blood thirsty Pashtun like Karzi ordered them out the notion of what was actually going on makes me feel quite ill.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17076037-afghan-president-orders-us-forces-out-of-key-province?lite
here we go again?
http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/israel-fears-new-palestinian-uprising-could-erupt
fittin’ the Battle of Jericho (“and the walls, came tumblin’ tumblin'”; Mother do you think they’ll drop the bomb…mother will they put thee in the firin’ line…ooh baby, ooh baby baby, momma’s gonna make all of your nightmares come true!)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matriarchy
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10867876
seriously ? 25c per hour increase min wage ? can’t think of how these Gnats could be more callous or inept or corrupt.
John Key wants NZ to be a place for wealthy people to retire and play golf and for them to not pay too much for gardeners and nannies and cleaners and film crew.
I’m expecting a bigger rise in election year…possibly even to $14.50/hr
Yes, yeshe, “seriously” – it is tempting to think it a shocking attempt at a joke.
I thought it was a typo when I read the headline ….
Some thoughts from today’s news.
If we had an upper house, which tends to attract the conservative person, wouldn’t we be worse off than now? This thought after seeing that Berlusconi’s party is strongest in Italy’s upper house and likely to be a negative force on assistance for the ordinary man/woman. The wealthy and powerful do band together successfully to ensure that any goodies are channelled through are directed to themselves. (Berlusconi being an old guy has who pots and has managed to get the laws changed so that he owns or has major interests across all media there. And I bet that’s just part of his power. It seems like democracy fostering the growth of a king.)
And climate. Where can I find discussion on cloud-seeding etc? Can anybody direct me. It seems that if clouds could be encouraged to drop volumes at sea, floods could be alleviated. I have seen pictures of USA planes that fly into storms with antennae poking out in front and this was decades ago. What has been found out that might aid the world? Might have to have a world treaty about it too, so that one region doesn’t steal the others’ rain.
Australia ain’t gonna be so lucky in the next 20-30 years.
Ain’t that the truth! Especially if you’re one of the ‘new-minority’: the ‘un-assimilated’.
People clamour to get there mainly due to economic benefit, but in so doing, the multicultural nature of Australia morphs into the bland with perhaps the only stark l’etranger being the tribal indigenous.
In the 60s (when once an OZ citizen), the only Aboriginees I saw were those I babysat as a college student during school holidays – down from Mildura. 40-45 years on, the ‘browning’ of OZ and inter-racial mixes are noticeable – such as Aboriginal with Philippino (the result of a mother HAVING to go on the game, and offspring living on the street).
[Incidently – that sort of thing is an inevitable consequence of Planet Key policies here in NZuld. Expect to see a more Maori/Indian mixes in the BOP/ChCh; various others elsewhere].
Hone was correct (re John Howard) – not much has changed in that regard except the veneer of “we’re all immigrants” (JUST SO LONG AS YOU DON’T ARRIVE BY BOAT; or ‘queue-jump’; OR you’re not one of those top-end useless bastards that cause the rest of us so much trouble.
@ CV: Indeed it ain’t gonna be so lucky in the next 20-30 years.
Watch ‘Pull Murray Live’ sometime on SKY 90 to see the level of delusion (you might have to over several days)
You do know I ‘spose… that they actually have a “Closing the Gaps” programme.
Christ! Where did I hear that before!
and worse than that: what a spectacular choice! – not unlike ours: Gillard versus Abbot – the regular gal versus the Kethlik Boy; Shearer versus Key: The good-natured, regular guy with supposed impressive CV, versus the ideologue, feintly fick, used-car-salesman, noice goi Key. Why even Peter Jackson can’t resist the Krusmah
great doco ’bout “assimilation” on Maori TV last evening
Yes, we would be. In a party dominated political system, which representative democracy will inevitably become, then each house will be dominated by a party or coalition of parties. When each house is dominated by parties which are opposed to each other then effective policy making goes out the window in favour of “compromise” deals that are far worse as the right-wing don’t compromise.
No, it’s not democracy doing that but capitalism. As the wealth is channeled into fewer hands the representatives start to represent the rich and powerful instead of the people. As this cycle repeats even more wealth and power goes into fewer and fewer hands. The inevitable result will be an authoritarian state followed by collapse.
I’ve heard that China does it occasionally but that it’s not really worth it due to cost.
@noseviper
There are some wacky schemes outlined in wikipedia’s list of geoengineering proposals.
ropata
Thanks. Should have asked wikipedia. Now I ought to ask wikileaks as to what secret planning is going on. There aren’t many bounds on inventive thinking by governments when it comes to wanting to dominate inner or outer space and the resources therein. They have spent plenty on tech to go to Mars, no prob finding money for that.
Apparently, Key isn’t ruling out a snap election if the court’s decision on water rights this week does not go his way.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/398717084-key-not-ruling-out-snap-election-over-water-rights
This’ll be very interesting
the PM not so subtly putting pressure on the judiciary too
Agreed. ABout time the Judiciary actually stood up and called time! I suspect there are a few that think it’s long overdue. Time for them to call bluff
What would it mean for the left? By which I mean left. I guess it would put the current set-up to the test. Key at this time would probably want to win, since he has not completed his mission, so they would probably be faced with a battle rather than a shift change.
Should the Supreme Court decision find against the Government over the question of the prior held water rights of Maori on the Waikato river i would imagine that Slippery will fall all over his feet racing to offer $$$$’s to the various claimants,
i cannot see how the Supreme Court can find anything but Maori will be severely disadvantaged in negotiations over such prior-held water rights if the States assets spanning parts of that river are sold,
As the Government counsel at the Waitangi Tribunal hearing had prior to the Supreme Court being asked to rule had implicitly admitted these prior held Maori rights to this river and it’s waters then the only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that changing anything that could effect such claims until such time as these claims are quantified and settled must disadvantage the Maori claimants,
The reasoning behind this is simply that the State owned assets on the Waikato River are, while the State still has ownership of them, subject to the provisions of settlement of such Treaty of Waitangi claims, and if sold into private ownership they are not…
And then we would be rewarded with Shearer as P.M. Oh, my God, if people will not vote Green, what a fix we are in!
Well, that would be the end of this government. Would be interesting to see what we get if he does call a snap election.
The Hobbit Files have been released:
Thats one view of it
the other version is that governments should be allowed to conspire with prominent individuals to degrade the rights of ordinary New Zealanders, and have such deals kept secret in case ordinary New Zealanders got upset about it.
I was more thinking that some foreign git was trying to jeopardize a major movie deal being filmed in NZ just so he could sign up some more actors and get some more money for his union…irrespective of what damage he was going to be doing
lol boy you are gullible
Jackson and the Hollywood studios ready to make hundreds of millions from the movies
But wanted even more subsidies from the NZ tax payer (Jackson who has already profited so much through NZ government activities at the start of his career)
And to stop NZ actors receiving the same benefits as the foreign actors working on the same set
Boy c73 man up please and stand for your fellow citizens OK, not for the elite?
As the actors already acknowledged Peter Jackson treated them well yet some fat aussie comes over looking to swell bank balance and you’ll fall over yourselves sucking up to him, maybe you should try standing up for your fellow citizens and not be duped by foreigners
Shame he didn’t target any of the other foreign productions but then that wouldn’t have given him as much publicity
Someones bank balances was swollen by this incident certainly.
Peter Jackson’s. And some Hollywood moguls.
The losers: workers and the NZ tax payer.
Yeah, those workers who got jobs out of the production staying here lost out, right. And those taxpayers who didn’t get the GST that wouldn’t have come to us if Warners had pulled out as they were going to, right? And those taxpayers who saw all those other taxpayers working on the project paying tax. They were losers too right?
Yep. Jackson reduced them to serfs without union protection.
The same union protection he likes to enjoy himself, and which he allows foreign actors (but not NZ actors) to enjoy.
Yeah those “serfs” who earn five times the minimum wage when they’re extras. And those sparkies and chippies and plumbers who earn more building sets and lighting rigs on contract to the production than they get when building a house.
And are forbidden by their paymasters from forming a union to negotiate their pay and conditions, yes.
you do realise that one persons opinion of another doesnt equal facty things dont you?
you do realise that one persons opinion of another doesnt equal facty things dont you?
Chris, that’s not the way it works.
any residuals deal, now or in the future is run through NZ not Australia. the Australian union has nothing to do with any money generated in NZ, and NZ performers fees go back to the NZ performers union, Equity.actually the Australian union, after the NZ performers voted to merge with it in 2006/07 invested upwards of half a million dollars establishing the office and infrastructure (by infrastructure i mean the one person paid part-time to run admin for Actors Equity) in NZ.
It is nigh on impossible for any individual actor or their agent to run their own residuals deal. the formula for percentages is highly complicated and depends on size of role, screen time, time on set, status of performer and many others, the information required to assess when and how much of a residual the performer is due must come (more often be demanded from) from the studio in good faith, and to accomplish this the actor would most often have to hire a specialist lawyer who’s fee would take most of any remaining residual.
everywhere in the world actors residuals are handled by an organisation affiliated to the actors union or professional body.
additionally, once the residuals deal is sorted, and agreed, who are the producers to say how actors choose to administer that? surely it is the actors who should choose who and how their small slice of future profits is administered…
Yes but it’s not unusual for tories to want to negotiate both sides of a deal.
The little I’ve seen on TVNZ makes Jackson look utterly paranoid and disconnected from reality, although that was merely the line he was spinning to ensure his company didn’t have to pay local actors a decent wage. Luckily for Jackson he had a government department headed by a complete moron who can’t handle complex issues. Like say the positive impacts of higher wages on the NZ economy and government coffers i.e.more taxesss, less ACC costs due to one employer to deal with and workers with more disposable income to buy moar stuff etc.
Oh yeah, there’s only really one word to describe Jackson’s actions in a nutshell – “pathetic”.
Yea well… he is actually pathetic IMO. One of those pathetic of the male persuasion that seeks credibility (and their masculinity) in the arms of their beloved.
OOOOOh Franny Fran …. them union ppl are being mean to me!
There’s a Wairarapa castle that attests to it all.
Pratt with a capital P.
Draco, have been reading too.. It appears the govt at no stage spoke to or with anyone on the other side of the story. Jackson is passionate doesnt mean he is right about other people espesh when he perceives they threaten his toy
Better hope theres a smoking gun…people supported The Hobbit and they don’t forget
They should have supported NZ actors receiving the same protections and union membership as foreign actors
As the actors already acknowledged Peter Jackson treated them well yet some fat aussie comes over looking to swell his bank balance and you all fall over yourselves sucking up to him, maybe you should try standing up for your fellow citizens and not be duped by foreigners
Shame he didn’t target any of the other foreign productions but then that wouldn’t have given him as much publicity
What the hell is this tr**lling doing here,making the same comment numerous times is not debate…
bda12 pls…
It is interesting that when National supporters claim that we are providing misinformation, they never specify what it is. http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2013/02/blind-support-for-failing-government.html
Gawd Strewth!… I’m watching Cunliffe at the mo in Parly r mint Debates shovving it too the opposition with such force his colleagues could only dream of. Yet his dear leader doesn’t see reason to include him in anything meaningful.
Stance confirmed! Labour will not get my party vote.
Really, do you know how the Parliament works???, for Cunliffe to be on His feet questioning the Opposition he must have been allotted time via the Labour Whips office,
In other words the Hierarchy has deliberately given Cunliffe time to speak in the House, i know that’s not what you want to hear but that is the reality…
It is being reported on twitter that Louisa Wall has been removed from the Maori Affairs select committee by Shearer. Henare says she was not told beforehand.
If so this is a bad show. Wall is one of the best performing MPs that Labour has right now. Why would he do this?
IF this is true, then the spitefulness of the Shearer/Robertson camp knows no bounds. Who’d they put on instead – Shane Jones?
Some more detail has come out and it is not so bad.
The Herald reports that “[s]he told the Herald that Labour is replacing her with Nanaia Mahuta, the former education spokeswoman, who is now the Maori development spokeswoman after yesterday’s reshuffle.
Louisa Wall, the MP for Manurewa, has become an associate health spokeswoman and will join Annette King on the health committee, which clashes with the Maori affairs committee. She had not realised until today she would have to move.”
Whew. A shift sideways; just sounds like some communications issues which could have been handled a bit better.
Unfortunately not unprecedented (Parker replacing Cunliffe), so I sadly have to conclude that it’s sheer incompetence which Shearer’s office has no desire to actually address.
Something for the lefties:
An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama’s socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.
The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama’s plan”.. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A…. (substituting grades for dollars – something closer to home and more readily understood by all).
After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.
The second test average was a D! No one was happy.
When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.
To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that. (Please pass this on) These are possibly the 5 best sentences you’ll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:
1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.
Take this piece of wing-nut propaganda and shove it where the sun does not shine, this is simply tr**lling that has been used here over and over by the wing-nut fraternity and deserves no other answer than derision…
bad12 just to let you that someone posting something you don’t agree isn’t trolling, yes I know you don’t like it when someone offers a differing opinion but that still doesn’t make it trolling
Silly silly douche, don’t you realise google is so totes easy to use to cluebat/fact check with?:
http://www.snopes.com/college/exam/socialism.asp
Downloading stuff via steam seems to stuff up the comment editor, anyhow:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×6117657
trololololol, turns out the basic premise was also in the doorstop/toilet paper known as Atlas Shrugged.
It seems you have no idea what “wealth” and “prosperity” actually are. Clue: its not the printed linen put out by the Federal Reserve.
some Pizza on the Q.T;
key-“potential for lignite dev. in NZ
English-‘SOE’s: prices to be revised downwards”
English-talk about extrapolating “increased PAYE to ” mean a whole lot of insulfluff!
Robertson-“net loss of 30,000 jobs; HLFS
concession to key; fudging and casualties aside, he is a “master of his universe” and that is observable
regrettably
though occasionally he gets hung on his own petard, particularly by WP or the “duck”
(Hipkins? w.a.p imo)
TFC-On The Border.
Cosgrove / Ryall: M of SOE’s “took steps in 2009”. Ryally?
Mojo-“Kiwi Rail cutting 2-300M 2013-2015
Horan-Ambulance Chasing (suplise suplise)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0163988/
Bringing Out The Dead
or Leaving Las Vegas
(read a lot of “familiar” words in the MSM Paddy 😉 )
“if I were the President of this land, I’d declare War on The Pusher Man”
The Wolf bites back; Shiraz / Grenache, $7.48 (it’s criminal Ned)
wanna re-engrave His-story? siege-machines; manpower and cold steel over the wall.feel me.
consider “outclassed” putting it firmly and politely (mite goin check out you-know-WhO)
kinda’ like Martha Stewart.
meanwhile, back in the bay; Trials all gone to the Dogs (and we may have gone to spectate) due to Drought conditions Allied Farmers are in the drench.
Riddle Me Out On The Street Alistair
Carry On. as you were.
I have an edit button.
Thank you very much.
use it or lose it
Of course it didn’t work, not bringing up my comment to edit, but it’s nice to have it all the same.
“use it or lose it”
The curse of married men everywhere.
Variety is the spice of life, up to point, then it’s time to Settle Down
(be good, and if you can’t be good, be safe, and if you can’t be safe, Name them after me) 🙂
Take Care out There Everybody, she’s a Hill Street Blues.
Apparently, the agency did tell me it was a solo mission before I signed up.
“be good”
Sage.
Bill from Dipton, ”Solid Energy is all Labour’s fault”,
Perlease cannot the Finance Minister either read or add 1 plus 1???,
id not the Finance minister notice that in September 2008 mere month’s befor He became Finance Minister the international price of coal dropped by a third from $150 a tonne to $111.50 a tonne,
Perhaps Bill from Dipton was too busy with the election at that time but only the dullest of knives in the draw could have failed to have noticed that the price of coal by October 2010, 2 years into this abysmal National Governments first term, the international price had dropped to $71.50 for a tonne of the black stuff,
That’s not a mistake and that along with this Governments failure to address the high NZ$ which has also served to help turn the States coal miner into a basket case can only be described as pig ignorance and a gross dereliction of the member from Dipton’s duty as the Finance Minister…
btw,
“push your old numbers
let your phone ring
It’s not this quiet
slide down your receiver
sprint across the wire
follow her number
slide into her hand
(i take it from your whisper that you’re not that tough)
A new set of talking points in… 3…2….
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/news/press-releases/weather-extremes-provoked-by-trapping-of-giant-waves-in-the-atmosphere
Interesting joe90
Debate in the House today included the second reading of the bill which extends the time that the Canterbury Region will be without an elected Governance structure as democracy according to the Slippery National Government is not a right but is granted upon the basis of their whim,
Included in the bill is further provision for Canterbury farmers to suck the life from the regions waterways with specific provision in part to of the Act denying anyone the right of appeal against such mis-use,
i have to wonder here how loud the screams of protest would be if the National Party were abolished by legislation of the next Parliament and specifically within such legislation denied any right of appeal,
i could really begin to like that idea…
+
FFS. Mark Mitchell, National mp, horrible bogan and former policeman struggles to get to grips with the world around him
Phone, Mark. It’s called a phone.
it’s witchcraft I tells ya!