Open mike 26/09/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 26th, 2012 - 84 comments
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Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

84 comments on “Open mike 26/09/2012”

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  1. Morrissey 1
    26 September 2012 at 6:17 am

    NEWSFLASH!!!!

    UNITED STATES PUBLICLY CONDEMNS ISRAEL
    National Radio, Wednesday 26 September 2012

    In a great rush a few minutes ago, I turned on National Radio for the news and could hardly believe my ears: the U.S. has finally come out and condemned Israel, just as it eventually did with other protégés such as Suharto’s Indonesia, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, and apartheid South Africa.

    This is the only part I heard from the news broadcast: “President Obama said that if there is a case that should arouse protests across the world today, it is a regime that tortures children and fires rockets into apartments.”

    No doubt we’ll be hearing more of this remarkable political and moral volte-face as the day goes on.

    Meanwhile, back to the books….

    • Jokerman 1.1
      26 September 2012 at 9:24 am

      wotta u like? u satirist u.

      • Professor Longhair 1.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 12:12 pm

        “u satirist u”.

        Nothing satirical about it. It seems our friend Morrissey took the president’s words as genuine.

        The satire on view here is entirely by President Obama.

        George W. Obama.

        • Te Reo Putake 1.1.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 12:20 pm

          Pur the pipe down, Prof, Mozza was clearly being satirical. Obama was talking about Syria, obviously.

          • Professor Longhair 1.1.1.1.1
            26 September 2012 at 12:25 pm

            Here’s what our friend Morrissey transcribed from the radio: “President Obama said that if there is a case that should arouse protests across the world today, it is a regime that tortures children and fires rockets into apartments.”

            “A regime that tortures children and fires rockets into apartments.” That’s the Israeli regime.

            • Te Reo Putake 1.1.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2012 at 1:25 pm

              No kidding! It’s also the NZ regime and every other country on the planet bar Switzerland. Obama was referring to Syria, Mozza was riffing on that. I’m starting to think you’re not really a Professor.

              • Professor Longhair …
                26 September 2012 at 2:20 pm

                “It’s also the NZ regime and every other country on the planet bar Switzerland.”

                That statement is either deliberately nonsensical, or simply dishonest.

                “Obama was referring to Syria,”
                The president was talking about “a regime” that “tortures children and fires rockets into apartments.” That describes Israel, which has done those things for a much longer time than Syria has.

                “Mozza was riffing on that.”

                To any non-ideologue of good faith who was listening, the condemnation of a regime that tortures children and fires rockets into apartments would have to be a condemnation of Israel. Of course, after the statement has been fed through the filter of hypocrisy, it only applies to officially designated enemies.

                “I’m starting to think you’re not really a Professor.”

                By gad, sir! I have a good mind to thrash you with a horse-whip, on the steps of your club.

                • Te Reo Putake …
                  26 September 2012 at 2:37 pm

                  Horse whipping eh? It’s the only language the likes of me understand!
                   
                  Like it or not, it was a direct quote from Obama about Syria, not Israel, though as I pointed out, it could apply to pretty much any country. NZ, for example, did the first in Samoa, Parihaka, the Ureweras and elsewhere and that SAS soldier chappie who’s just retired got a VC for the latter.
                   
                  (Just for the record, I’m anti-zionist and I believe in a two state solution, with the Palestinion people having a country with contiguous borders and a working port)

                  • Draco T Bastard …
                    26 September 2012 at 9:25 pm

                    …though as I pointed out, it could apply to pretty much any country.

                    Yep.

                  • Professor Longhair …
                    27 September 2012 at 12:11 pm

                    Some very good points there, my man. I think I’ll shelve the horse-whipping for the time being, seeing as you seem to be someone who might enjoy it a little too much for your own good.

                    Would you like me to put you in touch with like-minded people?

                • McFlock …
                  26 September 2012 at 3:25 pm

                  here’s a link to what he said and what he was talking about. Welcome to realpolitik. 

    • Clashman 1.2
      26 September 2012 at 10:21 am

      The relationship is definitely changing, this sort of thing would have been unheard of not very long ago.
      US Envoys Stay Seated For Ahmadinejad’s UN Speech, Israel Walks Out Alone!
      http://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2012/09/25/us-envoys-stay-seated-for-ahmadinejads-un-speech-israel-walks-out-alone/

    • BernyD 1.3
      26 September 2012 at 10:55 am

      God bless Israel and Lebanon , let’s hope they finally recognise each others’ existence.

    • Dr Terry 1.4
      26 September 2012 at 11:45 am

      And before long, Israel will be condemning the U.S.?

  2. BLiP 2
    26 September 2012 at 7:28 am

    .

    Can I just check that I’ve got Joyce and Blinglish right: basically, give up your legal rights, forget about protecting the environment, forsake the conservation estate and National Ltd™ will, maybe, provide some extra jobs . . . blackmail, divide and rule, with a touch of “serves you right”, is that how it goes?

    Thanks National Ltd™ – I’m lovin’ it.

    • Te Reo Putake 2.1
      26 September 2012 at 7:43 am

      Yep, but the important thing is the newly announced extension to the John Key Memorial Cycleway which will Joyce reckons will create at least a million jobs on the West Coast. I understand the route will now terminate inside the Spring Creek Mine, echoing the NZ economy’s disappearence down a deep, dark hole.

    • Uturn 2.2
      26 September 2012 at 8:40 am

      If you read the report, you’ll see that we at National Ltd cannot just “make some jobs” for you people. The only exception is when we say we can make some jobs. Those jobs are not jobs that can be worked, per se, they are ledger jobs for reporting purposes only. We have not read the report and don’t intend to, since we take our word. It’s about integrity. You see, it’s about the economy. We cannot go on redistributing tax payer money. This does not exclude us selling thing you own to our friends.

      If you have any further questions, please make an appointment for Tuesday. We will be unexpectedly unavailable on Tuesday while we watch softball overseas. Nothing will happen between then and now, except for the stuff that is already happening, of which we have no knowledge.

      • Bored 2.2.1
        26 September 2012 at 9:52 am

        Dear John,

        Whilst watching the softball overseas can you please consider this “redistribution of taxpayer money”. If I stop paying tax do I still qualify? As a “citizen”. Do I have rights as a “citizen” or only as a taxpayer? Can you redistribute it to “citizens” or only those paying taxes? I really need to understand where I fit into your governments re distributive plans.

        Most humbly,
        Mr Bored

        • Uturn 2.2.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 10:24 am

          Dear Mr Bored,

          You are right to be humble, or at least meek. However, our lawyers have instructed us to tell you that this is no gaurantee you shall inherit the earth or the profits of your time under the National Ltd administration.

          If you stop paying taxes, we will have you arrested, though this action may not be taken depending on the evaluation of your personal valuation you have yet to supply. We of course cannot view your valuation ourselves, or consider it’s contents. It is a matter of integrity. You will have to supply a certified viewer who will give us the signal by running over a person poorer than you, in a town of your choosing.

          Going forward, we encourage your intent to not pay taxes, in principle, and this alone may enhance our reading of your personal valuation. As a Tradeable Work Unit, you qualify to pay us tax, but the rights of citizenship are unsure. What is citizenship? A ship made of buddhist cities? I bet I could find a lawyer who could say the opposite. Obligations on our part remain strictly defined. It is a matter of integrity, except in the case of you being unable to arouse our interest in your personal fortune or the poor person you run down surviving.

          Stay humble, bottomfeeder,
          National Ltd

          • Bored 2.2.1.1.1
            26 September 2012 at 12:13 pm

            Dear John,

            To avoid arrest the money has been ETed (I figured habeus corpus was at risk if I said it “was in the mail”. Recent events indicate the NZ Police dont quite “understand” the law). The IRD when presented with the extra payment charged me interest on not declaring this as provisional tax at the beginning of the FY, thereby defining my relationship as a taxpayer rather nicely (from their viewpoint). What was intriguing was that they had a copy of all my emails to you via GCSB, maybe they are watching you because you still talk to foreign criminal types who you used to work with.

            I did take your advice: I ran down a rather rotund man with a German accent, injuring myself in the process. ACC state that they wont pay for my injuries because the gent was rather too large and should have been avoidable. My counter claim is that he was too big to avoid. Either way they are checking out my ACC levy via the aforementioned IRD. The vehicle went to the panel beater who suggested that I flag the insurance excess claim because the said German gent represents a credit risk and cant pay me for the “accident”. He was apparently formerly rich but by some dint of misfortune he met up with bad company (an MP from Epsom) and its been all downhill since. The insurance claim came back nicely, good riddance Mr B, we went bust with Christchuch, thanks for your money……

            So in summary thank you for the explanation of my relationship with the state as a taxpayer: I keep paying, you transfer to your mates in Reemers who dont pay tax. With regard to citizenship I am now more informed: it is off to Greenland where plenty of new land becomes available weekly.

            Yours far less humbly

            Mr B Esq.

            • Uturn 2.2.1.1.1.1
              26 September 2012 at 12:34 pm

              Hello Mr. B Esq.,

              Thanks for your note. John is out of town and has left me in charge of correspondence and crises. If we could keep this on the hush hush, that would be good. Don’t worry about GCSB. Those guys are all pinstripes and salad lunches. Sorry to hear about the damage to your car. Germans, what have they ever given us?

              Will be driving the new BMW home for Christmas. Plan to start a boutique brewery making Doppelbockbeir. Could be fun. Have you considered The South as a holiday destination? I could hook you up. Call me maybe?

              Bill E.

              • Bored …
                26 September 2012 at 1:11 pm

                Dear Bill,

                Maybe the South will be good for a holiday: currently the beach in Greenland is unseasonably balmy. Even the bears have left. Do you still have penguins?

                B Esq

      • Dr Terry 2.2.2
        26 September 2012 at 11:48 am

        Uturn – key words, “of which we have no knowledge” – message for the day?

  3. felix 3
    26 September 2012 at 7:39 am

    Shearer did some really good straight talk on the Key/Banks/English scandal just now on Morning Report.

    If he keeps this up he could be leader of the opposition some day.

    http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/mnr/mnr-20120926-0714-pm_under_pressure_over_dotcom_spy_scandal-048.mp3

    • Tiger Mountain 3.1
      26 September 2012 at 8:10 am

      Thanks for that felix, ‘Dottie’ has really got them dazed and confused. Blinglish takes the fall? don’t think he likes Key enough to do that.

      Shearer did way better than usual in terms of knowing his subject.

    • BernyD 3.2
      26 September 2012 at 10:53 am

      Could be?, that’s mean.

    • LynW 3.3
      26 September 2012 at 10:59 am

      Thanks for the link as I missed it live. Yep, he’s definitely getting better. Agree re clear straight talk. Good to give credit where credit due 🙂

      • Professor Longhair 3.3.1
        26 September 2012 at 12:17 pm

        “Yep, he’s definitely getting better.”

        In the same manner, Mr John Banks, who has not told any ooutrageous lies this week, is also “getting better.”

        You are without doubt a man of infinite generosity, LynW.

    • Dr Terry 3.4
      26 September 2012 at 11:49 am

      felix – great, Shearer finally showed after nearly one year!!

  4. ad 4
    26 September 2012 at 8:18 am

    Pretty galling to hear last night the Minister of Economic Development blame the Forest and Bird Society for holding up jobs on the west cost because apparently they are stopping the whole of a plateau from being strip-mined. Actually encouraging the quarry-enclave economy to continue in New Zealand is no economic strategy and should simply embarrass him. But doubling down on making the West Coast more vulnerable to global unprocessed commodity prices such as coal is mind-spinningly dumb, and then offloading the blame to environmental defenders is just nasty.

    Even worse for Minister of State owned Enterprises for not topping up Solid Energy to keep the Springfield Mine open. Not even bothering to run the ruler over social welfare and wider economic benefit costs vs keeping the mine going is bad. But holding out a cruel hope to turn miners into carpenters on the Christchurch rebuild that will never happen is reprehensible.

    • Te Reo Putake 4.1
      26 September 2012 at 9:07 am

      Not to mention claiming the miners’ union opposed the new Denniston mine proposal, when the opposite is true.

      • Bored 4.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 10:00 am

        In reality mining on the West Coast will eventually become a thing of the past. We are at a point with the planets climate where we cant continue to burn fossil fuels regardless of the economic circumstance. As a consequence would it not be a clever move from a far sighted society to transition to a solid state economic model that does not rely upon depleting resources. Something todays and future generations can aspire to as viable and rewarding. Starting with the West Coast. Any ideas?

    • millsy 4.2
      26 September 2012 at 11:29 pm

      You know, I wonder if SE’s retrenchment is more because union membership at the SOE’s is greater than among the privately owned coal companies?

  5. Urban Raskal 5
    26 September 2012 at 9:03 am

    Latest MediaLens report released today. Follows the events of the protests across the ME.
    Poses the question was the initial Embassy attack a concerted attack…
    If so are the Mainstream media responsible for setting off a chain of religiously motivated protests around the world in an attempt to cover up an obvious failure in the Western intervention in the Middle east. What does this mean for the Syrian situation??

    Quoted:
    reporting suggested that the initial media consensus blaming a provocative film was false. The Telegraph noted:

    ‘A security guard wounded in the attack… has insisted it was a planned assault by Islamist fighters, and not a protest that got out of hand.
    ‘The guard, who works for a British firm, said there was no demonstration over a controversial anti-Islamic film before extremists stormed the compound in the eastern city of Benghazi.’

    Matthew Olsen, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: ‘I would say [the four Americans] were killed in the course of a terrorist attack.’

    FULL ARTICLE: http://www.medialens.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=697:us-consulate-killings-spontaneous-religious-or-planned-political&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69

  7. William Joyce 7
    26 September 2012 at 9:26 am

    Feel free to add to this lists…

    What National have not been able to achieve…
    Roads of National Significance – reduced, delayed and not wanted
    Ultra Fast Broadband – not going to hit target dates
    National Standards – up shit creek
    Keeping NZdrs in NZ – record numbers moving to Australia
    Thousands upon thousands of new jobs – increasing unemployment
    Reaching parity with Australian wages – the gap geting wider
    Restore integrity to government – John Banks is still a minister
    Sale of assets to mum and dad investors – in a slow, uncontrolled decent into failure
    Fiscally responsible government – increased government debt
    Push to get people to invest in business – house prices increasing again
    Earthquake recovery – people still living in damaged houses while slap-up dinners for business people and unqualified people/friends paid large sums for unskilled work.

    What National have been able to achieve…
    Restrictions on beneficiaries – affects the poor
    Tax cuts for the rich – makes our country poorer
    Reduced public service – makes public servants unemployed and poorer
    Restrictive labour laws – forces the poor to stay in work and keep there mouths shut
    Halved the Kiwisaver member tax credit
    No national cycleway but disjointed cycleways
    Fraction of the jobs promised by the national cycleway
    ECE subsidies changed
    Thousand more children living in welfare dependant homes
    More children in poverty
    Used our money to pay people sell our assets that we don’t want sold
    Shifted $2 billion in wealth from taxpayers to SFC investors
    Increased GST to remove more wealth from taxpayers
    $400 million taken away from Working for Families
     
     

  8. Jokerman 8
    26 September 2012 at 9:49 am

    thanks for sorting out linking tidiness for luddites like me guys 🙂

    hookie; please forward me a blank cheque. today i am gonna try and find a free scholarship in my “field” of interest

    NZ- a kiwi-Fruit Republic, dayo…dayaayo…daylight come and me wanna go home…

    Obama startin to pound those war drums on Assad and Iran; catch a few more disillusioned Republicans i spose,

    now Joyce wants to leverage Spring Creek losses to ‘get on up’ on the Denniston Plateau; what a callous, transparent, blind, optimist.

    See! any body can intercept IT information in transit according to Martin Cocker of Netsafe.

    China’s first aircraft carrier enters service-TWP

    Christian Conservatives? – i pray they get a LIFE. Dawks! (stumbling blocks) who the freak do they think they are? God?
    Christ was the most radical man the world had ever seen until the next great prophet (blessings and peace be upon his name)

    and now, when i go to NEWS NOW .co.uk, i get a freakin Herald ad; ggod thing my breakfast had settled; too early int the day to throw up.

    u can read all the herald has to tell in one front webpage; it sorta goes like this

    crime
    sex
    corruption
    sport
    violence
    social deterioration
    gossip
    celebrity
    the worst government in my lifetime
    health epidemics
    poverty
    blame the parents
    tar the unions
    crime
    sex
    corruption
    sport
    violence
    gossip
    drugs
    celebrity
    crime
    sex….

  9. weka 9
    26 September 2012 at 10:31 am

    An post about Chch from the inside…

    Ultimately, the fading of democracy comes as little surprise. Neoliberal capitalism, already ascendant before the earthquake, has little interest in community participation, the environment, or very much besides economic gain. Rod Carr, a year on from his talk at TEDxEQCHCH, was telling staff members at the University to ‘dob in’ underperforming colleagues. A department strongly critical of the earthquake response, American Studies, has now been disestablished. Further cuts are ahead. Westfield, the owners of Riccarton Mall, has recommended to the City Council that it sells off its stock of social housing; the National government has recommended that the CCC sell its other assets. Brownlee has mobilized anti-Council sentiment to broaden the powers of CERA, an unelected body. The BNZ Tower, on the edge of Cathedral Square, has gained approval to rebuild to thirteen storeys, eliminating the possibility of a low-rise central city. The principles of the Draft Central City Plan, namely ‘community involvement’ and ‘business investment’, have never been placed in starker opposition. Government and business—the TEDxCHCH crowd—have staged a counter-revolution, using the language of ‘disaster capitalism’ to lock out the hopes and dreams of those who took part in the performance of democracy at CBS. Gerry Brownlee now fronts the advertising campaign for TEDxEQCHCH: Uncontained, which is scheduled for this September. 

    http://keaandcattle.com/cultureandsociety/goodbye-letter-to-christchurch 

  10. travellerev 10
    26 September 2012 at 11:08 am

    It seems the SAS needs a brand spanking new training facility South of Auckland. To be build by a foreign designer and ready to train our boys to work through battle scenarios on buses, trains and oil rigs. We are not allowed to know the budget and how big it’s going to be but it will be ready in 2015. Can you say US bases?

    • grumpy 10.1
      26 September 2012 at 11:27 am

      Great, just what we need to guarantee New Zealand remaining a free country.

    • muzza 10.2
      26 September 2012 at 1:28 pm

      Ardmore is nicely convenient to Auckland too, which means when we have the “event” which will allow the permanent stationing of the mercenaries, they will be here quick smart.
      High tech tooled up choppers, and jacked up psychos who love to blow things up and kill people, all just a stones throw away!

      And right next to the commercial airport too, gee I hope all the live munitions in the area will not bother the jumbo jets!

      I feel much safer already knowing that this facility will be so close by.

      Commercial sensitivities = BS, and an open cheque!

    • Draco T Bastard 10.3
      26 September 2012 at 3:53 pm

      WTF are they looking offshore for designers? I’m sure that any competent architect could do it after speaking with the SAS about they want in such a facility.

    • William Joyce 10.4
      26 September 2012 at 8:03 pm

      How to throttle protests.
      How to storm a social housing complex.
      How to breach a citizen advocacy clinic.
      How to protect state property from the citizenry.
      How to recover occupied assets of trans-national corporations.

      • BernyD 10.4.1
        26 September 2012 at 8:09 pm

        Look stop telling them what to do bud, I want u too write out ten times ….
        “I will not speak Evil to National” 🙂

    • Murray Olsen 10.5
      27 September 2012 at 1:04 am

      The SAS have been based at Ardmore as long as I can remember. What is it exactly that’s “brand spanking new” about this base?

  11. travellerev 11
    26 September 2012 at 11:59 am

    “I frankly think that crisis initiation is very tough and it’s very hard for me to see how the US president can get us to war with Iran” says Israel lobbyist Patrick Clawson, who continues with a call for the mass murder of Americans, along the lines of the USS Maine, Lusitania, Pearl Harbor, USS Liberty, and (by implication) 9/11 orchestrated war-trigger events to get the President of the US to help Israel to start a war with Iran.

    Not that he’s advocating a false flag of course! Well… maybe a sinking sub or something like that I mean “We’re in the game of using covert means against Iranians, we could get nasty about it”!!


     

  12. Dv 12
    26 September 2012 at 11:59 am

    This is worth a look at Interest.co

    http://www.interest.co.nz/opinion/61291/wednesdays-top-10-nz-mint-tax-avoidance-protesters-black-tie-pain-spain-mainly-around-

    Some well-dressed and well-spoken young protesters in Britain gatecrashed a farewell dinner for the boss of Britain’s Inland Revenue Department recently to protest against his close links with the regulated.
    He was accused of signing off on a deal that saved Goldman Sachs £20m in tax payments and another which cut Vodafone’s tax bill from £8bn to £1.25bn.

  14. starlight 14
    26 September 2012 at 12:23 pm

    Miners loose jobs, next day joyce is telling enviromentalists to pull their protests out of
    the court system,to allow bathhurst to mine,there is something shonkey about this,
    shonkey has shares in bank of america which funds loans to bathurst,shonkey opened
    the bathhurst conference,why? this also needs some investigation,perhaps another
    shonkey deal to be bought out into the public arena.

    • muzza 14.1
      26 September 2012 at 1:12 pm

      Indeed, it comes under the – Who are the major shareholders in Bathurst file…

      followed by

      Who has shares/interest in the major shareholders of Bathurst!

      SNAFU

  15. aerobubble 15
    26 September 2012 at 1:42 pm

    China now see Japanese aggression, the same aggression
    Japanese for decades has used in whale hunting in
    the southern oceans, as if Japan had a historical
    right to hunt Whales in the Southern Hemisphere.
    Atleast with European Whalers they came, and stayed,
    married, and settled, what has Japan done but aggressively
    seized resources.

    • lostinuburbia 15.1
      26 September 2012 at 3:26 pm

      Japan’s plans ran into problems off Midway in 1942

      • Colonial Viper 15.1.1
        26 September 2012 at 6:05 pm

        Yeah Japan was pretty much screwed from the time the US managed to break their naval code.

        Choosing war against the USA was never going to work out well for Japan.

        • Reagan Cline 15.1.1.1
          26 September 2012 at 6:51 pm

          It has worked out pretty well for them I reckon. And the loss of carriers at Midway was bad luck, fortunes of battle – but guaranteed in the long run Uncle Sam would pay for Japan’s defense while Mitsubishi, Toyota, Sanyo etc etc got on with the job. Ever read about a crooked Jap firm or product ???
          Jap = quality and reliability.

          • Colonial Viper 15.1.1.1.1
            27 September 2012 at 1:51 am

            Jap = quality and reliability.

            Hmmmmm I think your memory is a little short. “Jap Crap” was a pretty accurate description of most Japanese manufactured consumer products up until the late 60’s/early 70’s.

            And the loss of carriers at Midway was bad luck, fortunes of battle

            Nope – the Americans knew the exact date and target of the Japanese attack, as well as the exact disposition of the enemy forces and order of battle.

            The Japanese also decided to split their fleets up into smaller groups which could not support each other.

            It has worked out pretty well for them I reckon.

            Uh, you gotta be kidding. Hiroshima and Nagasaki for starters. What do you consider that acceptable collateral damage?

    • prism 15.2
      26 September 2012 at 8:58 pm

      aerobubble 15
      Different culture and tightened borders now – can’t compare with previous history. Also I understand there is some power group that wants to catch whales that has influence with their political leaders. Sort of like the SCF investors that got everything they wanted in NZ. Or did they? Near enough anyway. And the oil industry etc..

  16. aerobubble 16
    26 September 2012 at 1:53 pm

    given the large number of state agencies with
    search powers, one does need to ask the question
    if evidence say discovered about ACC clients was
    safe if the same ‘legal’ understanding has been
    used to that against Dot Com.

  17. Jackal 17
    26 September 2012 at 5:28 pm

    Spooks – a law unto themselves

    It’s apparent that the GCSB routinely spies on the electronic communications of New Zealand citizens and residents. In doing so it grossly breaches our right to privacy and ignores the well defined laws it’s meant to adhere to. The lack of proper oversight and avenues for redress when things go wrong shows that the current system is not operating in the best interests of the country or its people. But what’s going to be done about the problem? Absolutely nothing while John Key is in charge…

  18. prism 18
    26 September 2012 at 5:32 pm

    Roll up and enjoy a great left versus right argument between Red Logix and Tighty Righty on
    “Work” and the false economy of Bennett’s welfare reforms. Some good stuff gone down there.

    • karol 18.1
      26 September 2012 at 6:12 pm

      Yes, prism. Some comments have made a very good read, with various people, including RL & DTB providing some very good arguments and evidence.

  19. karol 19
    26 September 2012 at 7:28 pm

    Pete, stand up. Your stats on blog readability as posted on the Standard,

    http://thestandard.org.nz/bloggers-and-ripping-off-content/comment-page-1/#comment-525184

    are getting some comment on other blogs. Tim Selwyn over at Tumeke put up a post on it this afternoon:

    http://www.tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/and-you-thought-national-standards-were.html

    The Whale has been doing some spouting about this analysis:
    —–
    [WO said:]
    I am proud that I am easier to read than other bloggers. But very upset to lose to Pinko in these ratings and ask for a recount.
    …
    Mr Bradbury’s legendary stream-of-conciousness, fifty line, single sentence paragraphs on the blog would have completely munted those stats. I’m guessing it wasn’t one of those days. I find them easy to read though – but that’s me.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly Wha***** and Kiwib*** find themselves in the special class/remedial learners end of the spectrum. Indeed 🙂

  20. Jokerman 20
    26 September 2012 at 7:49 pm

    well, heres my summary of a day through the looking glass;

    ‘in the house; 400 notifications to CYPFs a DAY-do the math

    (poverty and poor human education; REPARENT)

    I very comfortable listening to David Cunliffe speak; he speaks to the Worker.

    Hollande requests UN enter Syria

    Greece; Poverty takes hold of the middle classes, the middle classes disappearing
    the “New Poor” coming to a bungalow near you.

    see Key on 3; “ahhh, (residency publicity) that runs to the heart of the matter”; wotta Dick

    Spain; ” load up…load up …those rubber bullets..”

    Fonterra; “drop in forthcoming capital projects, farmers to hunker down”
    fortunately at present,
    a “hungry market” for arable crops, yet very climate contingent

    btw, Tolley the Trolley did come to carry Key’s excuses

    and it’s Good Night from Him, and it’s Good Night from me. 😉

  21. Te Reo Putake 21
    26 September 2012 at 8:00 pm

    The latest Roy Morgan is out (hat tip Gobsmacked on the ‘Polls’ post).
     
    National 43.5, Maori Party 2.5%, ACT NZ 0.5% and United Future a big fat duck egg. Totalling 46.5%.
     
    Support for Labour is 33% (up 2%); Greens are 11.5%, New Zealand First 5%, Mana Party 1.5%, totalling 51 percent. And this before the Dotcom cock up hit the news stands.

    • rosy 21.1
      26 September 2012 at 8:31 pm

      …and before the job losses in the mines and Nuplex? Labour may have just hit the ‘there is an alternative to doing nothing’ button at the right time.

    • Jackal 21.3
      26 September 2012 at 8:49 pm

      …And only 3% of New Zealanders think the Prime Minister has done a good job trying to sell privatisation. Dotcom also inferred there was more to come that will no doubt further discredit John Key… Talk about Hoist with his own petard.

      • Anne 21.3.1
        26 September 2012 at 9:08 pm

        Dotcom also inferred there was more to come that will no doubt further discredit John Key…

        I was quite taken aback at Key’s appearance on TV tonight. He looked almost a shadow of his former self – drawn and hollowed out looking eyes. Methinks he’s not been getting his beauty sleep…

        I wonder what he was really doing in the USA when he wasn’t watching his son’s base ball game.

    • Te Reo Putake 21.4
      26 September 2012 at 8:56 pm

      Electorally, assuming the MP get 3, UF 1 and ACT 1, its game on.
       
      55 seats Lab + Greens. Add in two seats for Mana (Tiger Mountain will be pleased!) for 57 positive votes. The lukewarm puddle of piss that passes for a Government right now can only muster 58.
       
      Winston has the casting vote with six.
       
      Note that I’ve assumed ACT win Epsom. If the Nats run a candidate who passes the critical test of a) being alive and b) no, that’s it, breathing and upright should do it, then Key only has 57. Lab/Green/NZF have a comfortable 4-6 seat majority.
       
      It’s this kind of polling that will see the Maori Party wondering if its best to start cuddling up to Shearer. After all, Government’s where its at for them. What would be the point of the MP in opposition? It would be a death sentence to go down with Key.

    • Murray Olsen 21.5
      27 September 2012 at 1:12 am

      I read that poll as saying that up to 85% of kiwis want a government somewhere between the centre right and the far right. I don’t feel encouraged by it at all.

  22. R 22
    26 September 2012 at 11:31 pm

    not sure if anyone else has drawn this comparison yet: Paula Bennett = Dolores Umbridge.

    http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Dolores_Umbridge

    Also, every time she talks about ‘wrapping around’ all I can think of is the face-hugging alien in Alien.

  23. Jenny 23
    27 September 2012 at 4:49 am

    Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has launched a broadside against the environmental opponents of The privately owned Denniston mine project. To do this Stephan Joyce has tried to draw a bow linking those who wish to stop the opening of the Dennistion mine, with the closing of the Spring Creek mine.

    Minister Blames environmentalists for the closing of Spring Creek

    The Forest and Bird Protection Society has branded Joyce’s comments as “mischievious” and “opportunistic”.

    Let’s get this clear.

    Everyone has been told this, including the Minister. Spring Creek is being closed because to the falling global price of commodities, especially coal, due to the recession and falling global demand.

    The Minister is drawing a very long bow to suggest otherwise, and he knows this.

    But he is doing it for a reason and his target is very clear.

    For those of us concerned about climate change, to which burning coal is the single greatest contributor, it is an inescapable fact that we need to work with the West Coast communities that currently rely on coal as their mainstay industry….

    On the other side….

    Joyce and his fossil fuel mates are opportunistically trying to take advantage of the suffering of the West Coast workers and their communities to remove all environmental safeguards. Listen to his complaints about environmental “mitigations”, specifically his complaint against raising climate change. Joyce is a liar. The Minister is trying to get these workers on his side when it is he who is attacking them.

    Blaming environmentalists for these job losses is a lie. This is clearly not the position in this case.

    For misleading the public, the Green Party should be demanding that Joyce be forced to apologise in the house.

    Because Spring Creek and Denniston are both coal exporting mines in competition with each other in a shrinking market, It is in the interests of the Spring Creek mine and the Greymouth community that Denniston never open.

    Opening Denniston in the hope that coal prices will eventually recover. (dubious as this argument might be). Is the same argument being put by the workers and their union for keeping Spring Creek open. With the world slump in coal demand, to have in existence an already producing mine competing in the same area of the market, is a dagger in the heart of the Denniston project.

    The publicly owned Spring Creek mine is in direct competition with the privately owned Denniston project.

    The question must be asked;

    With Solid Energy on the market – has possible private investor in Solid Energy, namely Bathhurst Resources, requested as a condition of sale that Spring Creek be closed?

    Would an Official Information Request, if granted, reveal this?

    Is Spring Creek being closed because it makes the Denniston project unviable?

    Do, the underground workers of Spring Creek and the anti-coal lobby have a common interest in seeing that Denniston never opens?

    Does the minister know this?

    Is this the reason the Minister is trying to turn the Greymouth community’s anger against Solid Energy against the environmental opponents of Denniston?

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