Open mike 26/10/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 26th, 2012 - 140 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…

140 comments on “Open mike 26/10/2012 ”

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  1. ianmac 1
    26 October 2012 at 7:28 am

    Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”. Wonder if there is significance in that given the awful exposure of stuff-ups re Christchurch School Reorganisation last night on Campbell Live?

    • vto 1.1
      26 October 2012 at 8:33 am

      Yep, useless. In fact so incompetent that the suspicioun of ulterior motive is now paramount.

      Ministry of Education – liars and incompetents.
      Minister John Banks – liar and law-breaker.
      Prime Minister John Key – liar and incompetent.
      Minister David Carter – liar and deceptionist re Ecan and destroyer of democracy. Can’t even look his community in the eyes
      Nick Smith – liar re Wyatt Creech report on Ecan
      Wyatt Creech – liar.
      Winz – complete incompetence
      ACC – complete incompetence.
      Police force – liars, law-breakers and committers of perjury. Utterly untrustworthy.
      Spy agencies – liars and law-breakers

      Is there anything left?

      Deceptive liars and utterly untrustworthy is this government.

      edit: I forgot Bill English but he is so far gone he sort of gets forgotten. Let’s see – double dipping the system for personal gain. And today in the Press lying about the Christchurch City Council and its finances – bare-faced lie (as Mayor Parker confirms) to suit this govts agenda. Liar.

        • Clashman 1.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 10:37 am

          Actually that Brownlee article is quite reassuring, in a sense – they clearly run their personal business lives as badly as they run the country.
          Perhaps they are just totally incompetent and not corrupt after all.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 1:22 pm

            That would certainly be true of most of them. Unfortunately, the truly corrupt ones are directing the incompetent ones.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1.2
            26 October 2012 at 5:22 pm

            Idiot/Savant raises some good question in his post Fools

            But what is also gives us is another insight into National’s patronage network. This was first exposed in the ACC / Bronwyn Pullar saga, where Michelle Boag and other National party figures were deployed in an effort to gain a payout from ACC. And now we’re seeing more of it: a tight little oligarchy which sorts out board positions for its mates, no matter how questionable the business. In this case, its blown up in their faces. But you really have to wonder how many of our business decisions are made like this, on patronage, not merit – and whether its a factor in the overall poor performance of our business community.

            Uneconomic RoNS perhaps?

        • ianmac 1.1.1.2
          26 October 2012 at 10:53 am

          “left after a few weeks.” Wonder how long is a few weeks and why did he leave. Often a vague “few weeks” used to hide from much longer bigger involvement.

      • ak 1.1.2
        26 October 2012 at 9:24 am

        Crikey. Worrying list, veets. Wee Dunnokey better watch out, only a short step…. if he signs a painting for charity or sits in the back of a speeding car, the Farrascists will start endlessly shrieking the most corrupt govt in history and the herald will run a red front page comparing him to Adolf…..

    • David H 1.2
      26 October 2012 at 10:35 am

      And how long before the Nats ‘need’ an Education Minister ? Are they going to let her anywhere near that portfolio again, or give it to someone else ? Now who in that Nats has a political death wish, as it looks like that’s what Education has become. A far cry from what it used to be.

      • ianmac 1.2.1
        26 October 2012 at 10:50 am

        David. Bring back Trevor Mallard. He was a seriously good Minister.

        • alwyn 1.2.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 11:16 am

          Thank you for giving me a good laugh on a Friday morning.
          Trevor is far to busy as an aspiring professional cyclist to waste time on politics.

    • Dv 1.3
      26 October 2012 at 1:01 pm

      >>Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave
      Where did you get that Ian?

      Parata has written to the 38 schools most affected by the proposals, offering to meet parents and the schools’ communities over the next three weeks.

      That is 38 schools in 15 days, O r 2 to 3 schools a day.

      So that is about 2 hours per school.

      She hasn’t got time for personal leave.

      • David H 1.3.1
        26 October 2012 at 2:34 pm

        So maybe she has a convenient mini breakdown (personal time) for a month, and ooppss sorry no time to see the schools.

      • QoT 1.3.2
        26 October 2012 at 10:06 pm

        Yes, because I’m entirely sure all those letters were individually hand-crafted. And she has no staff to do these things for her.

  2. mickysavage 2
    26 October 2012 at 8:14 am

    A thought about the recent disclosure of the police committing forgery, making a false declaration and conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

    I wonder if consideration is being given to the enactment of urgent legislation to permit that which has been ruled illegal? 

    • tc 2.1
      26 October 2012 at 8:32 am

      Why not mickey they’ve done it before and are often having to rush through patches under urgency to gaps in prior legislation.

      The question is do they have the skill to slip it under the radar like they tried with alot of the supershity shonks.

      Between the police and the judiciary’s ugly side lately WTF is going on ? It never used to be this bad with these usually reliable bastions of the state.

  3. AsleepWhileWalking 3
    26 October 2012 at 8:41 am

    http://livenews.co.nz/2012/10/state-of-it-with-selwyn-manning-wtfmsd-a-systemic-failure-or-acceptable-human-error/

    Work and Income privacy issues

    On the page above you can find:
    – article on privacy issues and MSD
    – radio interview (12mins) about the same
    – invite to share your story with Selwyn Manning about your experience with WINZ and privacy

    • millsy 3.1
      26 October 2012 at 10:40 am

      Needs to be a royal commission on this ASAP. Not just into WINZ, but the public service in general. Seems that every second week there has been a case of public sector workers ‘looking people up’ in their databases. I personally know of several instances of this happening.

    • The Invisible Meerkat 3.2
      26 October 2012 at 10:43 am

      Who is Selwyn Manning and why would a beneficiary want to talk to him? What privacy/anonymity guarantees is he giving for people that share their story?

  4. travellerev 4
    26 October 2012 at 8:44 am

    Fonterra projects a price drop of around $ 0.50 per litre of milk next year leaving countless Farmers facing ruin.
    Here is an Infograph showing why that might be. Imagine a breadline of 45 million people and you are beginning to get the drift.

    • tc 4.1
      26 October 2012 at 8:55 am

      Whatever happened to the farmer who used to plan for the rainy day ?

      Price fluctuations for primary industry products is older than we all are. Am I missing something ?

      Watched a few country calendars that clearly show a better model of dairy farming is to be more hollistic and run a closed system rather than push the land and herds to the point of diminishing returns.

      • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 9:48 am

        Whatever happened to the farmer who used to plan for the rainy day ?

        At a guess, I’d say too busy speculating on asset prices.

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 10:11 am

          Banks pushing easy debt hold the majority of the blame.

        • travellerev 4.1.1.2
          26 October 2012 at 11:48 am

          Here is the link L, my bad!

          The farmer voting for a bankster thinking that banks were his best friends was busy buying fraudulent Derivatives thinking they were and insurance against a rainy day and is now finding out that with the LIBOR rate kept artificially low to help the speculating banksters, he is being robbed by John Key’s mates except he is so woefully underinformed by the corporate owned MSM and pushed on his toxic shame button, he actually thinks he’s to blame for his demise and judging by TC that is what a lot of really ignorant people are going to think.

          Here is what is happening with small and middle size businesses in England who bought into the CDO/CDS Derivatives scam by the most dangerous financial journalists Max and Stacey

          • Lanthanide 4.1.1.2.1
            26 October 2012 at 12:13 pm

            Thanks for the link. I didn’t realise it was to your blog.

            I also don’t know why you assume that all 44 1/2 million people with the SNAP cards shop at Walmarts. Walmarts are quite common in rural and lower socioeconomic areas, but not nearly as common in the bigger cities, where actually quite a few of the SNAP card people will be living (since everything is expensive in the big cities and you need lots of money to survive).

            • travellerev 4.1.1.2.1.1
              26 October 2012 at 1:21 pm

              Did you bother to check the Infograph? This is one from a group who specialising in making clear how bad the situation is in v.e.r.y s.i.m.p.l.e pictures.

              So far with every single one of them they were right on the money. (no pun intended)

              It is they who used the Wall mart connection to make the size of the Bread line in America easy to understand. But it appears nowhere near simple enough for you.

              For those of you interested in other Infographs on the financial Armageddon we are facing here is the link to more terrifying statistics made easy.

    • Lanthanide 4.2
      26 October 2012 at 9:19 am

      Your link doesn’t go anywhere.

    • Colonial Viper 4.3
      26 October 2012 at 10:08 am

      Yep. It’s going to be very shit next year, for a lot of farmers, and consequently for a lot of provincial centres.

      • Clashman 4.3.1
        26 October 2012 at 10:40 am

        Add the kiwifruit industry in there too.

      • The Invisible Meerkat 4.3.2
        26 October 2012 at 10:46 am

        Colour me cynical, but if a whole lot of dairy farmers go bankrupt in the next year, who will be buying the land/taking over the farms?

        • travellerev 4.3.2.1
          26 October 2012 at 11:50 am

          American Film directors and banksters hoping to get out of the way when their scams implode?

          • muzza 4.3.2.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 1:23 pm

            Sweet arrangement, bankrupt the producers who make up the primary exports of NZ, then come swooping in buy cheap, keep the farms going, repatriate profits offshore, and have control of yet more resources, which would keep NZ from being self sustaining.

            Couldn’t feed ourselves – Dont own it
            Couldn’t power ourselves – Don’t own it
            Couldn’t sell mineral/oil/gas resources – don’t it
            Water, what about the water – who owns that
            Manufacturing – Not much here

            Nothing happening, toddle along….

        • Draco T Bastard 4.3.2.2
          26 October 2012 at 12:44 pm

          The people that rigged the market so that they could buy up all the land and resources making everyone else dependent upon them – the banksters.

          • McFlock 4.3.2.2.1
            26 October 2012 at 1:04 pm

            although to be fair our rivers might get a bit cleaner

            • Bill 4.3.2.2.1.1
              26 October 2012 at 1:08 pm

              How does a concentration of ownership equate to cleaner rivers? You thinking dairy farms are going to be bought and converted to something else? Not bloody likely.

              • McFlock …
                26 October 2012 at 2:38 pm

                The less profitable dairy farming is, the more likely the land will go to other uses.

                • Bill …
                  26 October 2012 at 2:43 pm

                  Uh-huh. Maybe. Or then again, maybe some deliberate loss making facets of a business covering ‘x’ number of farms to shuffle profits around in (or however it’s done) with the intent of avoiding tax payments or whatever?

                  • McFlock …
                    26 October 2012 at 2:55 pm

                    Possibly.
                           
                    But e.g. if a movie star buys the land to farm alpacas and saffron close to their mcmansion, the nitrate/faecal contamination would dwindle.

              • The Invisible Meerkat …
                26 October 2012 at 3:26 pm

                Agreed. Most likely the smaller, family-owned farms that go under will be bought up by agribusiness* and dairying intensification will continue.
                 
                *locally owned or foreign.

  5. marsman 5
    26 October 2012 at 8:54 am

    Been thinking about the Warrant of Fitness changes that National want to bring in. Where is the scam? Must be the trucking Lobby via Friedlander, more trucks on more roads and a relaxing of the regulations re safety of these trucks. Mayhem in the making. Money first, people second.
    Have National done anything to benefit all of NZ? Have National done anything that is not a scam?

    • tc 5.1
      26 October 2012 at 8:58 am

      Agree, we actually need to be tougher rather than more lax. I got a WOF the other week in a garage where I’m pretty sure they didn’t have the right gear to do a proper brake test.

      Going down a steep hill over the weekend under braking that steel on steel sound confirmed my suspicions.

    • Rosie 5.2
      26 October 2012 at 9:17 am

      I’ve been struggling with the logic of reducing the safety checking, ie WOF checks on cars older than 6 years. So far when interviewed (I think it was Simon Bridges) and questioned as to why they would want to change the current regulation the only answer was a feeble “its expensive for people to get a WOF every 6 months”. What the? The cost of living is expensive and is increasing , our wages are low – do something about that then!

      The MTA are running a campaign to keep the the WOF requirements as they are. You know when a conservative industry group like that has to run a campaign against national govt intended regulation changes that there is something very odd going on.

      • Lanthanide 5.2.1
        26 October 2012 at 9:20 am

        I actually think it’s a sensible idea, but I don’t think extending out to cars of 12 years is a good idea. I’d go mid-way at 9, and make the WOF checks a bit more stringent to help offset it a bit.

      • prism 5.2.2
        26 October 2012 at 9:34 am

        Changing the WOF for older cars? That would be suicidal for some unfortunate travellers.

        This NACT government is determined to reduce all regulations until death or horrific damage occurs, then consider having some standards that are checked and enforced. The precautionary principle just doesn’t measure up on a cost-efficiency basis to them. We are watching (helplessly?) the degradation of our society by this cursed RWNJ machiavellian mob.

      • millsy 5.2.3
        26 October 2012 at 10:56 am

        A $50 WOF check and a $210 brake repair isn’t that much compared with the costs incurred when your car ends up plowing into a pole because aforementioned breaks dont work. We may grumble about the costs of getting a car warranted, but the costs are much greater when you have an accident.

        Probably better to reduce people’s dependence on cars anyway, ie more public transport, decentralised cities with amenities within walking distance, perhaps even bring back long distance passenger trains.

        • Vicky32 5.2.3.1
          26 October 2012 at 6:11 pm

          Probably better to reduce people’s dependence on cars anyway, ie more public transport, decentralised cities with amenities within walking distance, perhaps even bring back long distance passenger trains.

          Absolutely right! Especially the trains…

      • alwyn 5.2.4
        26 October 2012 at 11:12 am

        The only reason that the MTA is running their campaign is that their organisation makes hundreds of millions of dollars from the present system.
        You do know that the MTA owns VTNZ don’t you?
        “Murph”, who fronts the campaign, lives in Australia where they have vastly simpler requirements.
        There is also evidence, and I’m sorry but I can’t find a link, that the majority of cases where the car’s condition was to blame for the accident were cars that didn’t have a WOF in the first place.

        • Lanthanide 5.2.4.1
          26 October 2012 at 12:17 pm

          Yes, like most things, the worst offenders are those who opt out of the system anyway. Time and money are both contributing factors to people opting out, so an argument could be made that by reducing WOF requirements, we’ll increase the likelihood of people getting WOFs.

        • The Woodpecker 5.2.4.2
          26 October 2012 at 4:56 pm

          I wonder how many guys in coveralls are going to be made redundant. Nats putting more people out of work since 2008.

    • muzza 5.3
      26 October 2012 at 9:17 am

      Yes this is yet another decision which will be horrible for commuter – The mind boggles at the ferocity and genuine hatred that the current government have for human life.

      NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time between check, and as you point out the safety of the cars from trucks on our raods, given the carnage they create is set to be lowered, should this scenario play out.

      One can’t help but think that there is some plan sitting behind what will lead to a rise in the road toll, accidents and general road safety. The toll has been falling in real time, and there would be “benefits & opportunities” to derive from it rising again!

      Also given the attack on the ad campaign featuring Greg Murphy, one can be certain, there is more going on than face value!

      • Rosie 5.3.1
        26 October 2012 at 10:07 am

        Hey Muzza.

        “NZ’s car fleet is already old enough without putting even more time in between checks………”

        Exactly. I’ve got a 1994 model and the last WOF check with a new mechanic showed up some real horrors. We’re saving up to get brake hoses replaced and some thingo replaced in the steering column. (Among other less serious issues) They will hold out to the next WOF but what if it had been left a year? I’ve already been involved in a serious crash (caused by a drunk driver, not a dodgy car)so I’m really keen on being safe on the road. Like you say, to paraphrase, it makes you wonder if they’re tryting to kill us off, at a time when our road toll is decreasing.
        Apologies for repetitive posting of this “are you serious” meme image but time and again it sums up my response to anything that has come out of the mouth of the PM or his ministers since 08.

        http://makeyourmeme.ru/default/instance_18/556488/original.jpg

        I’m actually printing this image on to a t shirt.

        • muzza 5.3.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 1:34 pm

          Hi Rosie, yeah since I heard about this one, I thought it over, and was like, sure the AA, and other inspection companies are making money from the frequency of the checks, and that is likely a large reason they have the campaign, but at the end of the day its about making environments safe for all who use the roads, cars, bikes, trucks, motorbikes, pedestrians etc.

          The state of cars on our roads is awful by n large, in akl I have never seen so many cars missing a front headlights, which to me signals that people don’t have the money, don’t care, or are not getting their cars tested as it is..

          Why would the govt, who are supposed to provide environments which allow the people of this country to be “safe and secure”, are dismantling these structures at pace. They are actively attacking so many people now, its crazy!

          This will lead to more people dying, its as simple as that!

          • Rosie 5.3.1.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 2:13 pm

            Indeed.

            I’ve taken on board comments re the MTA responding to a potential loss of income (via VTNZ) but they DO provide an important safety service – its not in the same order as British American Tobacco having an insidious emotionally charged framed argument for opposing a govt proposal to get them to plain package their product. One organisation is in the business of reducing risk and the other is in the business of killing people.

            Incidentially AA members were polled on this question: “Do you think the Warrant of Fitness for vehicles over six years of age should be reduced from six-monthly to annually?” 86% said YES, 14% said NO. How about that? So much for safety conscious AA members.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.4
      26 October 2012 at 9:49 am

      Have National done anything to benefit all of NZ? Have National done anything that is not a scam?

      Nope, they’ve only done things that benefit rich people. They really don’t a stuff about anybody else.

  6. Rosie 6
    26 October 2012 at 9:00 am

    Oh Look. Pete George manufacturing conflict where there isn’t any. I receive the Greens weekly newsletter. There is nothing underhand at all about their “take the step to end child poverty” campaign. Its very clear that they are asking for donations to fund their campaign – as it is quoted in this article. I don’t know how you could twist that, but PG did.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/7865387/Greens-say-funding-ploy-is-Obama-style

  7. marsman 7
    26 October 2012 at 9:16 am

    Brownlee “I did no research”. Pretty well sums up his performance as a so called Minister.

    Brownlee was on fraud-accused’s board | Stuff.co.nz

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/7866958/Brownlee-was-on-fraud-accuseds-board

    • freedom 7.1
      26 October 2012 at 11:45 am

      A Minister on the Board of a Company wanting to roll SkyCity. SkyCity being a Company the PM decided needs to build a massive new Casino. No, nothing to see here.

    • Chris 7.2
      26 October 2012 at 12:05 pm

      So,look out if your clothes aren’t up to scratch and your shoes are scruffy, you will immediately be under suspicion of ,oh, I don’t know, anything?Bu–er, will have to stay indoors now until I upgrade my wardrobe.

      • McFlock 7.2.1
        26 October 2012 at 1:08 pm

        not our sort of person – i.e. not a tasteless oik who masturbates to conspicuous consumption.

  8. prism 8
    26 October 2012 at 9:44 am

    Another example of this NACT government lacking in integrity. Trying to ignore the real needs of their interpreters and guides in Afghanistan, then only offering a home to those presently working with a cap on 76 people for the 26 allowed to come here. The interpreters will have extended family, perhaps up to ten for an individual.

    And those who have been working for NZ there for years, one to a decade, are being denied any opportunity to escape the Taliban. They already receive threats to their safety. NZ is putting them in an intolerable situation. It makes us look despicable not noble helpers of a poor war-torn country. We should be acting in a real-world way not doing the minimum that allows us to make self-satisfied comments about fair behaviour which will happen even if we only brought two people here. We see this sort of low behaviour from govmnt all the time.

    One man who is living here was interviewd on Radionz Nine toNoon this a.m. and explained the situation.

  9. prism 9
    26 October 2012 at 9:49 am

    And Youth One Stop Shops to support the young people in our community who have many troubles and uncertainties and can be helped through free health services with some advice as well. NACT is allowing these and other helpful community services to die away because of lack of funds.

    Can we ever get back to a government that gives more than just a damn for all the people, especially those who are struggling with the crappy conditions that successive governments have themselves facilitated through past and ongoing bad decisions?

  10. Jackal 10
    26 October 2012 at 10:20 am

    The devil’s in the detail

    The real stupid thing is that after the raid, the police were declaring Operation Explorer the most successful undercover operation to date. How things have changed…

  11. gobsmacked 11
    26 October 2012 at 11:44 am

    Another week of Labour’s media strategy – keep the leader away from the national spotlight, get him into the local press instead. It’s nice and light, no interviewers eating him alive.

    Unfortunately he still manages to put his foot in it …

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapiti-observer/7863210/Labour-unlikely-to-put-brakes-on-Kapiti-expressway

    So, a clear shift in Labour’s position since the last election. Decided by who? When?

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      26 October 2012 at 11:54 am

      Need. More. Roads. Way. Of. Future.

      • vto 11.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 12:54 pm

        Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great. It is the most dismal stretch of all – the Wellington hills all the way through the Manawatu and past Wanganui. If you are ever going to get rained on or blown over between Wellington and Auckland it is along this stretch. It should be expresswayed all the way through. But then I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder blah blah…

        • Rosie 11.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 2:40 pm

          Hi vto. “Somebody prove me wrong but an expressway through this part of the country would be great”
          I reckon “Save Kapiti” might want to prove you wrong:)

          http://savekapiti.co.nz/

          Check it out.

          The plans have changed several times over the years but either way the expressway would involve bulldozing a number of homes through the Kapiti region. As well as that owners and tennants of properties affected whose homes aren’t being bulldozed have issues about the proximity of their houses to the 4 lane expressway and have legitimate concerns for their health and well being. Its not an just an expressway out in the country. It goes through coastal neighbourhoods.

          No one on the coast denies theres a problem with traffic congestion and major delays at holiday times but many feel that the expressway isn’t the wisest or most necessary way of dealing with it.

    • Draco T Bastard 11.2
      26 October 2012 at 12:53 pm

      Actually, it’s a reasonable position just not well put forward. He should have said that Labour would can it depending upon if it was started or not. I have NFI where he gets the idea that there’s any natural justice involved in continuing it because consents had been granted. Consents are nothing.

    • Bill 11.3
      26 October 2012 at 5:49 pm

      Roadworks aside – ffs, tell me the last two lines of that link weren’t an indication that Hughs was going to be taken back into the fold.

  12. captain hook 12
    26 October 2012 at 11:55 am

    speak for yourself gobsmacked.
    why are you hiding behind a link.
    cant you frame a proper argument?

    [lprent: Huh? What in the hell are you talking about? Can I presume (FFS: use the bloody reply!) that you are talking about

    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-26102012/comment-page-1/#comment-538666

    He did provide an argument (in fact two arguments) and provided a link for others to see what he was talking about. All you did was to waste a few precious minutes of my moderating time. I’d suggest that you do not do that again. ]

    • gobsmacked 12.1
      26 October 2012 at 12:00 pm

      How does one hide behind a link? That’s a neat trick.

      It’s called “evidence”. As opposed to just making things up.

      So now you know what Shearer said. Do you agree or disagree with his comments?

      I disagree. They are confused and waffly and at best unhelpful, at worst a flip-flop.

      You?

      • Lanthanide 12.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 12:19 pm

        +1 to agreeing with all your comments, gobsmacked.

        Shearer really sucks 🙁

        • Jim Nald 12.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 12:31 pm

          He said what?? That is truly bewildering!!
          He should be locked in his office with his guitar.
          But, with his strumming, I fear he would be Killing Me Softly With His Song.

          Well, Grant Robertson had a hand in installing him.
          Now, Grant can help get him replaced.
          With someone who has real calibre.

          • prism 12.1.1.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 1:30 pm

            Jim Nald 12 1 1 1
            Can’t think who to replace Shearer with. But your words seem to indicate a Country guitar stringing, gun slinging singer of great calibre. Is it one of the David’s?

      • McFlock 12.1.2
        26 October 2012 at 1:18 pm

        Hmmm.
                 
        The comments, surprise surprise, don’t match the headline. 
               
        But basic lessons for Shearer et al:

        familiarise yourself with local issues before doing a local photo-op;
        a leader being non-committal will be printed as a party flip-flop;
        complex answers need to be book-ended with clear and concise commitments to current policy. 
                
            
        I really do recommend reading Yes Minister (as I recall it takes the form of Woolley’s memoirs). Cynical as hell, but it’s gotten me out of one or two scrapes even in office or institutional politics 🙂 

  13. ianmac 13
    26 October 2012 at 1:28 pm

    “Hekia Parata is reportedly on “Personal Leave”” This morning on Morning Report about 7:15am the discussion was about Education: Drugs in Schools. They phoned the Ministers Office for comment but the Minister’s Office said that. “Minister Parata was on Personal Leave today.” Could be a tangi, Health problem, or perhaps stress. Maybe just a day off? Who knows

    • Dv 13.1
      26 October 2012 at 3:44 pm

      In the next 15 days (3 weeks) she has to visit 38 schools which spins out to 2 to 3 hours per school.
      Parata hasn’t time to have time off.

      On the Campbell live report school are being refused OIA request for the info that the ministry holds.
      One school was told don’t put in a request and you will get it faster!!!

      I do not understand WHY were/are they not just given to the schools?

      Another principal in a meeting with the ministry, said nearly every question they asked the ministry person had to leave the room to get the answer!!!!

      And you have the bizarre ‘don’t release what you have to the schools’ ‘instruction’ the CCC.

  14. Pete 14
    26 October 2012 at 1:33 pm

    So the State Services Commission’s Human Resources Capability Survey 2012 (PDF) has been released and shows a core unplanned turnover rate of 11.4% – an increase on last year’s rate. As I commented in February:
    ________________________

    There’s not a lot of sympathy out there for public servants. The general impression of them seems to be either they are a bunch of do-nothings engaged in cushy Glide-Time or a load of Sir Humphreys undermining the representatives of the people. They are dismissed as bureaucrats whose sole purpose is tie-up progress.

    That’s the general background animosity that public servants have learnt to live with – after all, the terms of their employment demand nothing more than silent, stoic endurance, and they do hold to the ideal of impartially carrying out the policies of the government of the day. Often they really are working out of a sense of vocation, in the true spirit of public service. Public servants, like anyone else, look to find meaning in their work. It’s a hard time to be one, though – be they in Greece, the United Kingdom or New Zealand. It’s not a good feeling when the government you serve regards you and your colleagues with more disdain than something you might find on the sole of your shoe. This has the unsurprising effect of jading many of the best of the public service, who are already looking to move on. Figures from the State Services Commission already show that core unplanned turnover – the number of state servants who are quitting their jobs rather than being made redundant – has already recovered from its historic low of 9.2% in 2010 to 10.9% in 2011. This departure of talent, combined with a de-facto sinking-lid policy will result in a downward spiral resulting leaving behind an ineffective and demoralised public service. A vortex of suck.
    ________________________

    So the vortex has grown as more staff get fed up and decide it’s time to move on. It’s particularly evident in Women’s Affairs (39%), Science and Innovation (29%), Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (25%) and Ministry of Defence (24%). These weren’t redundancies, these were people deciding their jobs weren’t for them any more. Something is going wrong when so many choose to leave, despite a poor economy. Further, the loss of talent damages the effectiveness of government administration.

  15. ianmac 15
    26 October 2012 at 3:52 pm

    Thanks to No Right Turn who found the Campbell Live program from last night over the OIA and the MOE. NRT has a good write up of the importance of this issue. (MOE told the Christchurch City Council to lie that they had no information about the school closures.)
    http://www.3news.co.nz/Too-many-mistakes-with-Christchurch-schools/tabid/367/articleID/274105/Default.aspx
    and NRT http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/10/the-purpose-of-freedom-of-information.html

  16. Ad 16
    26 October 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Speaking of rats, to all the rat-bastard capitalist scum who tell us all to “reach out and touch someone” or “be there” – these love crafty suckers are trying to turn us into a scrunched-up blood-drained pathetic crippled little cog in the death-machine of the human soul;
    Fight them this weekend I urge you – simply by meeting with friends, not visiting a mall or a supermarket, not consuming even media – but to enjoy friendship –

    – do that and you will have triumphed over the most pernicious conspiracy in society today

    – the conspiracy to turn us into a living corpse overcaffeinated by the terror of scarcity and envy – to turn us into ghosts haunting our own brains…

    Actual personal analogue friendship and contact and conversation, in the next 48 hours, will form a little bubble of freedom and relief around you.

    • ropata 16.1
      26 October 2012 at 4:54 pm

      the national bank is changing over to ANZ systems this weekend so customers won’t be able to use their accounts … that should reduce rampant commercialism a bit

      • Clashman 16.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 5:52 pm

        I am a Nat bank customer, you’re joking, right?

      • Vicky32 16.1.2
        26 October 2012 at 6:22 pm

        so customers won’t be able to use their accounts …

        Oh dear! Thanks for the warning… Lucky I always make sure I have plenty of cash.. and this should be a lesson for whoever it was (months ago!) who insisted here that cash was unnecessary!

        • Olwyn 16.1.2.1
          26 October 2012 at 6:46 pm

          Vicky I rang them and they said that you can still use your eftpos card or draw cash from an ATM, but you can neither get a balance nor set up an automatic payment.

          • Vicky32 16.1.2.1.1
            26 October 2012 at 6:54 pm

            but you can neither get a balance nor set up an automatic payment.

            But I suppose one that is already set up is okay? I hope so…

            • ScottGN 16.1.2.1.1.1
              26 October 2012 at 7:23 pm

              Auto payments probably don’t go out (or in) on weekends. I was in the National Bank today to close an account (just switched to Kiwibank as I’m not that keen on ANZ and anyway it’s well past time to put my money where my mouth is re banking profits staying in NZ etc) the teller told me the whole thing is more of a reverse takeover with ANZ adopting much of National Bank’s systems. But what was most interesting was the attitude I encountered as news that I was closing my accounts due to the merger and moving to Kiwibank (who have been excellent with the switchover by the way) filtered along the line of tellers. Without exception they all sneered and said “Come back and see us when you’re sick of the queue next door” (Nat Bank and Kiwibank are next door to each other in Queenstown).

              • Vicky32 …
                26 October 2012 at 9:39 pm

                Auto payments probably don’t go out (or in) on weekends.

                It’s my rent, which for some insane reason goes out after midnight Friday/Saturday, to Housing NZ, who are likely to throw a giant wobbly if  it’s so much as a day later than their system expects.

              • Colonial Viper …
                26 October 2012 at 11:57 pm

                NZ’s National Bank’s systems were by far the better ones years ago, when ANZ took them over. It was simply a matter of ANZ having the deeper pockets.

        • Draco T Bastard 16.1.2.2
          26 October 2012 at 7:54 pm

          and this should be a lesson for whoever it was (months ago!) who insisted here that cash was unnecessary!

          That would have been me and, guess what, cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we get rid of it completely.

          • felix 16.1.2.2.1
            26 October 2012 at 8:32 pm

            I’m working on that all the time.

          • Vicky32 16.1.2.2.2
            26 October 2012 at 9:46 pm

            cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day,

            In tnis case, luckily, it seems that eftpos and ATMs will still work – but what if there was another 6 week powercut such as there was in Auckland in 1998?
            Fortunately for us, we lived just outside the zone (Pt Chevalier) and didn’t use eftpos anyway, but if we had, we’d have been seriously affected.
            No, I always make sure that I have sufficient cash squirrelled away in case of any necessity, for instance, about a year ago, I lost my card, and was without it for a week. I’d done the clever thing, and reported it lost within 15 minutes, only to find it an hour later… too late, she’d cancelled it and I had to wait a week for the new one.
            Lucky I’d withdrawn  my cash just before losing the card (I thought someone had half-inched it from the ATM, it had actually fallen into an open book in my bag!)

          • muzza 16.1.2.2.3
            26 October 2012 at 10:28 pm

            That would have been me and, guess what, cash is still unnecessary and I still look forward to the day, hopefully soon, when we get rid of it completely.

            This has to be one of your more ignorant comments B

            • Draco T Bastard 16.1.2.2.3.1
              26 October 2012 at 10:44 pm

              Nope. Done through government so that it’s accountable and it becomes a way to prevent the fraud and other BS that goes on in the high finance sector.

              • Colonial Viper …
                26 October 2012 at 11:58 pm

                You view fragile systems way too optimistically.

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  27 October 2012 at 1:09 am

                  Systems are only fragile if they’re made that way.

                  EDIT: What you and others don’t seem to understand is that cash is just as fragile and may be even more so – just in different ways.

      • millsy 16.1.3
        27 October 2012 at 1:38 am

        Actually ANZ customers are changing over to National’s system.

        Not really keen on being a ANZ customer myself, enjoyed being with National Bank, the only bad thing about it as that if you lost your eftpos card, you had to have one mailed out to you, whereas TSB give you a new one on the spot. And the overdraft facility leads to an end of being caught short at the supermarket checkout.

        Thought about joining the Co-op bank, I like co-ops, Shearer should put them at the front and centre of his party’s economic poilicy, but they salami slice fee after fee after fee.

  17. mickysavage 17
    26 October 2012 at 6:09 pm

    Hmmm.

    Labour down to 29% in the latest Roy Morgan.  Not good … 

    • McFlock 17.1
      26 October 2012 at 6:15 pm

      Nah, what would be “not good” is if it didn’t bounce back a bit next time, contrary to the trend.

      • Jim Nald 17.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 9:16 pm

        Time to let Shearer loose with that guitar to save the polls !

        • fatty 17.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 11:47 pm

          Its time for a rethink of Shearer’s strategy…maybe Parker on the side with a tambourine?

          • Vicky32 17.1.1.1.1
            27 October 2012 at 12:11 am

            rethink of Shearer’s strategy

            As a change from the relentless Shearer hatred to be found here, I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public, on Facebook tonight. Very refreshing!
             

            • fatty 17.1.1.1.1.1
              27 October 2012 at 12:17 am

              matthew hooton’s trolling facebook now?

              • Vicky32 …
                27 October 2012 at 12:47 am

                matthew hooton’s trolling facebook now?

                Neither funny nor clever. Whereas the chattering classes hate Shearer, the public like him, and I don’t care if that hacks you off. The guy in question is a teenager and pretty left-wing.

                • blue leopard …
                  27 October 2012 at 11:55 am

                  …I thought it was really very funny and clever.

                  Come on Vicky32 You say:

                  “I came across some praise of the man from a member of the public,”

                  A member of the public? One?

                  “Very refreshing”

                  Don’t you think that getting one person praising a leader of a political party occurring being a “refreshing event” is somewhat cause for concern?

                  I was happy with Mr Shearer being voted in as leader and considered him to have a lot of good qualities for the job. It is clear he needs time to settle into the role, and that he likely would be good at that point, however, it has been a year now and are we prepared to risk more time trusting that in the fullness of time, he will start to draw numbers? What if that doesn’t occur? Would it perhaps not be better to get in someone with more experience from the outset?

                  I am sorry to take this line of reasoning, and be a bit critical of Mr Shearer, however, I am really genuinely concerned that we get a left-wing government in the next election and we don’t even know that it won’t be an early election; judging by the chaos surrounding our governance at present, I believe this is a real possibility.

      • Colonial Viper 17.1.2
        27 October 2012 at 12:03 am

        Nah, what would be “not good” is if it didn’t bounce back a bit next time, contrary to the trend.

        Labour sitting between 28% and 32%. For the last year. Great trend to look out for.

    • Anne 17.2
      26 October 2012 at 6:59 pm

      Poll taken between Oct. 8th – Oct. 24th.

      That takes in the period when David Shearer – and presumably his strategy team – had a brain fart and went public about… what JK said to the GCSB staff in their cafeteria. It doesn’t matter it was likely to be true. Shearer did it without back-up evidence. Very disappointing.

      • Colonial Viper 17.2.1
        27 October 2012 at 12:06 am

        Relevant quote from Napolean Bonaparte:

        Do not interrupt your enemy, while he is making a mistake.

        Please forward to Labour HQ.

    • Te Reo Putake 17.3
      26 October 2012 at 7:12 pm

      Second poll in a row where Roy Morgan states that a Labour/Greens/NZF coalition would be most likely to form a government. So that’s nice.
       
      Labour? Well, Shearer’s just had his ‘show me the money’ moment. Unlike Goff, he has time to put it right. But not too much time now, I reckon.
       
      Dunnokeyo knows he’s not just dead behind the eyes, he’s dead in the water. Just drifting aimlessly along, springing leaks every time a Cabinet Minister has to go on telly apologising for some fresh incompetence.
       
      Labour and National are both 5 points short of where they need to be to be sure of leading the next government. My bet is that Labour can lift to mid thirties a lot easier than National can get to the high forties.

      • Colonial Viper 17.3.1
        27 October 2012 at 12:06 am

        Second poll in a row where Roy Morgan states that a Labour/Greens/NZF coalition would be most likely to form a government. So that’s nice.

        Thanks to the Greens, and especially to Winston, for pulling their weight.

    • Bill 17.4
      26 October 2012 at 7:37 pm

      Yeah, maybe ‘not good’. But entirely predictable. Dead ducks to the right of us, dead ducks to the left of us and a lot of open water. People want a bird that can fly ffs. And we ain’t got none at the moment.

    • Lanthanide 17.5
      26 October 2012 at 7:51 pm

      Looks like under-sampling of Labour coupled with oversampling of MP and maybe NZFirst. So I’m not too concerned.

      • Chalupa Batman 17.5.1
        26 October 2012 at 9:23 pm

        Probably just a rogue poll

        • Rhinocrates 17.5.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 10:20 pm

          It would be great if that were true, but is that enough justification for hope? Beware wishful thinking. If we have to start making excuses for the polls, especially when this government is so vile, so incompetent and so visibly vile and incompetent, then something is very wrong with the opposition.

          I remember people here looking at the polls and saying “It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen” all through the last term – and then Labour under Goff was still unable to form a government.

        • Redbaron77 17.5.1.2
          26 October 2012 at 11:53 pm

          The dip is very steep which by itself its something to be concerned about given the Government is continuing by default to present itself as weak and incompetent. I am not sure Shearers “Show me the money” moment whilst embarrassing in fact provided much public traction for the Government. If the pattern is not repeated in the other polls then this is probably a one off. However the fact that John Key and National are still able to garner a good 40% level of support should be of concern…

    • Pete 17.6
      26 October 2012 at 11:25 pm

      Is it just me, or are there a lot more polls these days given where we are in the political cycle? There seems to be one every fortnight or so.

    • millsy 17.7
      27 October 2012 at 1:43 am

      At last, a Labour supporter who is not doing a ‘victory lap’ in the face of entrenched low polling.

      Something has to be done about this. The thing about Labour is that it isnt even coming up with any fresh ideas that can even be seen as viable to the mainstream.

      The Greens seem to be holding their own at 13%. While there are legitamite concerns about the Reserve Bank Act — ie strict inflation targets = low wages and hospital closures, Russel Norman going on about QE was probably the same as Jeanette Fitzsimons 10 years earlier going on about how her party would pull the rug out from Labour if it allowed GE.

  18. Draco T Bastard 18
    26 October 2012 at 7:58 pm

    Now this is the type of story we should be aiming to produce:

    You see, Swedes are big on recycling. So big in fact that only 4 percent of all waste generated in the country is landfilled.

    Except for the bit about having to import waste.

  19. blue leopard 19
    26 October 2012 at 10:44 pm

    Unsure if this article has been posted and discussed yet

    It is about a proposal for a new plan written for the IMF

    …is to replace our system of private bank-created money — roughly 97pc of the money supply — with state-created money….Specifically, it means an assault on “fractional reserve banking”. If lenders are forced to put up 100pc reserve backing for deposits, they lose the exorbitant privilege of creating money out of thin air.
    The nation regains sovereign control over the money supply. There are no more banks runs, and fewer boom-bust credit cycles. Accounting legerdemain will do the rest. That at least is the argument.

    ~IMF’s epic plan to conjure away debt and dethrone bankers

    • Draco T Bastard 19.1
      26 October 2012 at 10:47 pm

      It’s been posted a number of times (by me) but I haven’t yet seen anyone comment on it.

      It is about a proposal for a new plan written for the IMF

      Yep, a new plan written in 1936.

      • blue leopard 19.1.1
        26 October 2012 at 11:17 pm

        Ah! I have viewed a number of good articles over the last couple of days and hadn’t noted where I got them from; which I must learn to do 🙁 Great article: I would have probably got it from you thanks!

        Am I noticing a shift that something like this could be proposed to the IMF, or do the IMF get a range of papers written for them all the time, I wonder?

        I left the link hoping to hear others’ views on the substance of the report.

        • Draco T Bastard 19.1.1.1
          26 October 2012 at 11:34 pm

          I have viewed a number of good articles over the last couple of days and hadn’t noted where I got them from;

          I’ve done that a few times :mrgreen:

  20. blue leopard 20
    26 October 2012 at 11:19 pm

    I also found this article heartening, for similar reasons (as above): that experts are coming out and saying such things:

    Iraq War and Afghan Conflict Harmed The Economy

    Are the worms beginning to turn?

    Hope so