Open mike 26/10/2014

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, October 26th, 2014 - 93 comments
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93 comments on “Open mike 26/10/2014 ”

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  2. phillip ure 2
    26 October 2014 at 8:30 am

    i am finding it quite strange how parker is poor-bashing/marginalising..

    ..campaigning on ‘labour cannot just care for the vulnerable’..

    ..when doing a basic factcheck – when you look at the nine-year record of the clark-govt..(a record of ignoring/marginalising/stigmatising/cutting-benefits of the poorest..

    ..the ‘unworthy’ families..remember..?..i haven’t forgotten..eh..?..)

    ..and then when you look at the policies offered by labour in 2014 to help the poorest/most vulnerable..

    ..(namely s.f.a..)

    ..it is clear that it actually has been a very very long time since labour actually really ‘cared for the vulnerable’..eh..?..(decades even..)

    ..so w.t.f. is parker banging on about..?

    ..just so so much poor-bashing bullshit..

    ..and parker was on tangata pasifika..

    ..and was asked what drives him/what means most to him..?

    ..his answer:,’do unto others as you wd have them do unto you’..

    ..(except for the poorest/most vulnerable..eh mr parker..?

    ..’cos there is no fucken way in hell way you would want to be treated..

    ..the way you/labour treat/have treated them…

    ..eh mr parker..?..)

    • BM 2.1
      26 October 2014 at 8:46 am

      If you want more money, go get a job.

      • phillip ure 2.1.1
        26 October 2014 at 8:55 am

        some insightful/illuminating analysis of a complex social issue..from the far right there..in the form of bm..

        ..eh..?..

        • BM 2.1.1.1
          26 October 2014 at 9:02 am

          What do you want then.

          What would make you happy Phil, if money isn’t the answer, what is?.

          • phillip ure 2.1.1.1.1
            26 October 2014 at 9:11 am

            the restoring of a level of basic income..for all new zealanders..

            ..that allows them a life of basic dignity..

            ..(what form that takes..be it tax-free income/benefit-raises/a universal basic income..i don’t care..)

            ..but just continuing with our world-beating rates of inequality/poverty/misery..and doing nothing..?

            ,.as parker/labour 2014 promised..?

            ..yeah..!..nah..!..eh..?

            • BM 2.1.1.1.1.1
              26 October 2014 at 9:17 am

              Ok, so the answer is more money.

              Righto, so you’d be most happy if your benefit was increased by whatever amount you thought was necessary and the state left you alone to do whatever you wanted.

              Sounds like a pretty sweet life there Phil, I can see why you’d be pushing hard for it.

              The only fly in the ointment I can see would be the NZ taxpayer, I’m not sure how they’d take it seeing people such as yourself, waving them off to work each morning while you sit in the sun getting baked.

              Selfish bastards.

              • phillip ure …
                26 October 2014 at 9:30 am

                factcheck:..bm..

                ..those children that labour did lift out of poverty..the ‘worthy’ poor..

                ..they did by giving them yes..brace yrslf..!..more money..!..shock..!/horror..!

                ..it was called working for (some) families..

                ..so you..and the rest of the right..and a horrifyingly large number of ‘the left’..(we’re looking @ you parker..!..)

                ..just want to continue out current and growing world-beating rates of poverty/inequality..?..eh..?

                ..just do nothing..!..in fact..cut benefits even more..!..eh bm..?

                ..or are you a true far-right nutter…?

                ..yearning for that victorian era of fabulous wealth stepping over/on the poor sleeping in the gutters..?..eh..?

                ..and another shock/horror for you..bm..being the self-centered/selfish rightwing-prick that you are..

                ..my writing/arguing on this is not driven by self-interest..

                ..i think it is called empathy for those who are doing it really hard..

                ..not an emotion/feeling a heartless-arsewipe like you wd have that much experience/knowledge of..eh..?

                ..and how to pay for this..?

                ..try googling financial transaction tax..eh..?

                ..i am not proposing high tax rises for those working/middle-class who are working..and also struggling..

                .(.f.t.t..and yes..!..wealth-taxes..will do the job..)

                ..that is the other leg of the tree-legged stool labour left as their heritage after nine years..

                ..the/our low-wage economy..

                ..where workers cannot even eke out any of the afore-mentioned ‘dignity’..

                ..take a bow labour..!

                • BM …
                  26 October 2014 at 9:44 am

                  .just want to continue out current and growing world-beating rates of poverty/inequality..?..eh..?

                  World beating poverty?.

                  Fact check
                  1. Poverty

                  2. Not Poverty

                  • phillip ure …
                    26 October 2014 at 9:51 am

                    you walk off with todays’ simplistic-thinking-award..

                    • felix …
                      26 October 2014 at 2:20 pm

                      Simple is as simple does.

                      BM implies that people living in garages don’t count,

                      people living in caravan “parks” don’t count,

                      people living in vehicles don’t count,

                      people living on the street don’t count.

                      BM implies that anything other than the conditions shown in his first link doesn’t count as poverty.

                      I wonder why he doesn’t just come out and say it?

                  • Dialey …
                    26 October 2014 at 10:14 am

                    Instead of fatuous comments and irrelevant trite pix, you might care to read the following UNESCO definitions of poverty:

                    Absolute poverty measures poverty in relation to the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The concept of absolute poverty is not concerned with broader quality of life issues or with the overall level of inequality in society. The concept therefore fails to recognise that individuals have important social and cultural needs. This, and similar criticisms, led to the development of the concept of relative poverty. Relative poverty defines poverty in relation to the economic status of other members of the society: people are poor if they fall below prevailing standards of living in a given societal context. An important criticism of both concepts is that they are largely concerned with income and consumption.

                    To further develop the definition of the concept of relative poverty or relative deprivation, three perspectives are relevant; the income perspective indicates that a person is poor only if his or her income is below the country’s poverty line (defined in terms of having income sufficient for a specified amount of food); the basic needs perspective goes beyond the income perspective to include the need for the provision by a community of the basic social services necessary to prevent individuals from falling into poverty; and finally, the capability (or empowerment) perspective suggests that poverty signify a lack of some basic capability to function.

                    http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/poverty

                  • felix …
                    26 October 2014 at 10:28 am

                    BM, I realise you don’t have much time for reading, what with all your various trooling identities to keep track of all over the blogosphere, but what did you think your second link was a picture of?

                  • karol …
                    26 October 2014 at 10:31 am

                    You know this blog is not a place for advertising for commercial entities, don’t you?

                    Are you being paid for doing such promotions?

                    • BM …
                      26 October 2014 at 10:38 am

                      What do you mean?

                    • phillip ure …
                      26 October 2014 at 10:47 am

                      @ bm..y’know..!..money..!

                      ..that stuff you think you should have more of..

                      ..and the poorest should have less of..

                    • felix …
                      26 October 2014 at 2:11 pm

                      Seriously, BM?

                      You still aren’t reading the pages you link to?

                      lprent, what’s the word for someone who posts links promoting a commercial enterprise with no indication given (or a misleading indication given) as to why anyone should click on them?

                  • Murray Rawshark …
                    26 October 2014 at 11:53 pm

                    Ooh look, council housing in São Paulo. Mustn’t be any poverty in Brazil either.
                    http://www.flickr.com/photos/rafaelzukauskas/4277583781/

              • Draco T Bastard …
                26 October 2014 at 9:48 am

                The point that you’re missing is that the majority of people without a job actually want one. We have unemployment because the government has been doing the bidding of the corporations and keeping unemployment high so as to keep wages down. We could have full employment as we did in the 1960s/70s if the government chose to.

                We have lots of work that needs doing especially in shifting our economy from one based upon fossil fuels to one based upon renewable energy. The rich don’t like that idea though as it means that they won’t be able to make as much profit as the government will have to bypass the private sector to get all that needs doing gets done efficiently and cost effectively.

                You want to get rid of unemployment then you need to lobby the government for full employment and for them to stop borrowing money and to just create it as they need it.

                • greywarshark …
                  26 October 2014 at 10:34 am

                  Another aspect about unemployment that has been recognised by governments, but not acted on and that is unemployment saps a person’s self worth and hold on to a life plan. How can you plan anything when you live in totally precarious times.

                  Government could stem this result in unemployed by keeping lines of employment open eg building infrastructure, tackling long term problems like weeds strangling native trees, hunting pests, right now could be planting riparian strips, learning building skills – always useful life long, and so on.

                  What needs doing? What could offer permanent improvements, a garden established here, or there flowers, vegetables learning plant culture, it’s not something that just happens or overnight, the ability and process has to be learned.

                  • cricklewood …
                    26 October 2014 at 5:26 pm

                    That said I have had great difficulty getting even applications for 3 month full time positions paying $19 per hour in Auckland. Physical work in the outdoors granted but nothing untoward.
                    Does make me question what is happening that there is close to zero interest in these entry level type roles that I banged on doors to get when I was starting out 17 years ago.
                    I wonder if people have either given up looking or there is little appetite for physical type roles where working up a sweat is a common occurrence.

                    • BM …
                      26 October 2014 at 5:41 pm

                      Thing is these days, compared to 20 years ago is that there’s so much more entertainment for the unemployed.

                      You can play on the play station, you can chat on line, you can watch movies all day for free.

                      If you feel like getting out can you can jump on the public transport and go for a bit of a tiki tour around the malls for next to nothing.

                      That’s why it’s hard to get workers for your type of jobs, sure it’s extra pay but is it enough to tempt the unemployed of the couch and away from the x-box?

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      26 October 2014 at 11:46 pm

                      If you feel like getting out can you can jump on the public transport and go for a bit of a tiki tour around the malls for next to nothing.

                      Yeah, I think that proves how disconnected you are from reality. When you’re on the UB you pretty much can’t afford to use transport at all.Technically, they can’t even afford to look for work.

                    • greywarshark …
                      27 October 2014 at 4:25 pm

                      Hi cricklewood
                      I was replying to your comment but the site was blocked to me yesterday. This is what came to mind on reading your comment.

                      The Standard comment for when it comes on line again
                      That would be worth following up cricklewood. Though I don’t mean by you. Just that someone in the serious study of social conditions line of work would do well to get some anecdotal background about the viewer’s thoughts and reasons for not going further with such work offer.

                      The bennie may be in such a precarious position with WINZ that they are afraid to move at all. Cut-off of benefit may at all times be imminent, and they must keep in touch at all times to maintain. They can only just manage in the conditions they now enjoy (not), and may prefer to exist on casual work that keeps them within the WINZ purview and ensures they at least have access to help with necessities like food and shelter. This would be particularly important if there are children to be cared for.

                      Say they found a job for 3 months, and couldn’t save any money, at the end would they be able to get onto the benefit again – straight away, after a set period, or only possibly after a reassessment?

                      It is possible that what sound like extremely stringent policies by WINZ could have a freezing effect on anyone accepting what they would consider permanent employment. Their attitude might be, that if the bennie could find work once, then he/she could find it again – so don’t come back to us.

                      I don’t know the situation, but this is the type of burden of unhelpful demands that could be made. Kafka wrote about bureaucracy and its tendency to screw the citizen. I think we have a lot of prancing ponies drawing up types of legislative policies, I think they call it ‘deemed legisation’, which impacts on citizens yet doesn’t get scrutinised by anyone with a modicum of social responsibility and practicality.

    • millsy 2.2
      26 October 2014 at 9:17 am

      If you want Labour to be National-lite, then Parker’s your man.

      Unfortunately, I am picking that he will be leader in a month’s time.

      • Clean_power 2.2.1
        26 October 2014 at 9:21 am

        No, I do not think so. Either Little or Robertson will win. I pick Grant to become leader.

    • Chooky 2.3
      26 October 2014 at 9:19 am

      interesting that in a National radio doc this morning on why Labour failed to win the Election…it came across loud and clear from people in South Auckland that they wanted another strong Labour leader like Helen Clark

      ….what also came across loud and clear from Jim Anderton is that you dont bring in controversial policies for your own voting constituency while in Opposition

      eg raising the age of Super … many in South Auckland wanted to retire back to the Pacific Islands…and raising the age of Super by two years was not a winner!..(.and they dont read the detail on implementation)…Nor was Capital Gains Tax a winner!…according to Anderton you do this while in government where you can explain and cushion such policies with others

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/20154673/insight-for-26-october-2014-turning-labour-around

    • travellerev 2.4
      27 October 2014 at 8:36 am

      Phillip Ure +1 Thank you!

  3. odysseus 3
    26 October 2014 at 8:59 am

    Mr Parker is the only candidate that I know of who explicitly states he wants more than equality of opportunity, that he wants much more equality of outcomes.

    • phillip ure 3.1
      26 October 2014 at 9:13 am

      and cd you try..y’know..!..in plain english..understandable by most..

      ..to translate just w.t.f. that particular nugget of aspirational-bullshit means..?

      • lurgee 3.1.1
        26 October 2014 at 9:26 am

        It’s pretty obvious if you haven’t spent your life destroying your brain cells with marijuana.

        He wants children of working class families to do as well at school as upper class ones. He wants the same proportion to go to university. To become doctors, politicians, business leaders or scientists. He wants life expectancy to be the same. He wants either more white people, or fewer brown people, going to jail. And so on.

    • Chooky 3.2
      27 October 2014 at 11:02 am

      you can not have equality of outcomes ( Parker is talking through a hole in his hat).. people have different abilities…this has long been recognised in philosophy and the social sciences

      …but you can strive for equality of opportunity ( a good egalitarian socialist society will do this)

      …i doubt whether Parker is the best person for this

  4. millsy 4
    26 October 2014 at 9:05 am

    David Cunliffe — Auckland Mayor 2016?

    Discuss.

    • phillip ure 4.1
      26 October 2014 at 9:18 am

      if gracinda win the race..a definite career-possibility..you’d think..?

      • millsy 4.1.1
        26 October 2014 at 9:23 am

        Im talking about regardless of who became Labour leader. Cunliffe as mayor of Auckland would at least give him the change to change things for the better, and be a redder mayor than that Brown joker.

        Though he would have to have to have like minded people on the council.

    • Molly 4.2
      26 October 2014 at 4:19 pm

      You ignore Penny Hulse, who has done a superb job as Deputy Mayor.

      Not only is she adept at handling different factions, her in depth knowledge of the current form of Auckland Council provides her with the experience that is necessary to do the job well.

  5. James 5
    26 October 2014 at 9:09 am

    Not a hope.

    I think the rates increases from a “left” mayor (not to mention he is hardly seen these days) will drive Auckland to a right wing mayor next time. cameron brewer would my guess.

  8. Morrissey 8
    26 October 2014 at 9:39 am

    It’s Epsom’s drones who do as they’re told;
    Tino Pereira’s “joke” about Pasifika voters was wrong, as well as unfunny
    Radio New Zealand National, Sunday 26 October 2014

    One of the less inspiring guests on Jim Mora’s light chat show The Panel is the former radio journalist Tino Pereira. He touts himself as “a prominent and experienced Pacific consultant on public sector issues and a leading conference facilitator”; in fact he’s a deeply reactionary, National Party-supporting kiddie-whacking advocate not much different from the likes of Christine Spankin’ Rankin, Denise L’Estrange-Corbet and Julia Hartley Moore. His appearances on Mora’s show are marked by generally inoffensive, anodyne comments and, in the long established tradition of the programme, vacuous supporting laughter…..
    http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-04022013/#comment-583990

    On this morning’s Insight programme, about the failure of the Labour vote in last month’s election, Tino Pereira indulged in a particularly unfunny and inappropriate slur against the integrity and intelligence of Pasifika voters. Infuriated, I sent the following e-mail to Jesse Mulligan, this morning’s host of the Sunday programme…..

    Nasty and inaccurate quip on Insight this morning

    Dear Jesse,

    In an otherwise excellent Insight documentary this morning, the right wing Samoan commentator Tino Pereira quipped that, in the past, the Labour Party “could have dressed a dog in red” and Pasifika voters would have supported it.

    Actually, that scenario of credulous, biddable stooges doing whatever they are told applies to the National Party and its cynical manipulation of the voters in Epsom and Ohariu-Belmont.

    Yours sincerely,

    Morrissey Breen
    Northcote Point

    • phillip ure 8.1
      26 October 2014 at 9:46 am

      i have also given him the title of dumbest/thickest panelist on the panel..

      ..and the competition for that title is fierce..

      ..(we’re looking @ you..!..rag-trade-lady..!..)

      ..but he takes it by a country-mile..

      ..he just spouts utter mindless-crap..(and that grating fake fucken laugh..!..).

      ..it is actually gobsmacking how he maintains that constant..

      • Morrissey 8.1.1
        26 October 2014 at 9:51 am

        Actually, phillip, although I don’t rate Tino Pereira very highly, I think the thickest panelist ever was Garth “Gaga” George.

        The nastiest ever Panelist was Dr Michael Bassett.

        • swordfish 8.1.1.1
          26 October 2014 at 12:14 pm

          Very Strange-Corbet must surely come a very close second for Thickest and I would have thought first for a kind of “Let the Poor eat cake” Arrogance/Self-Absorption.

  9. Chooky 9
    26 October 2014 at 9:53 am

    In Episode 671 of the Keiser Report …sassy economists and business journalists Stacy Herbert and Max Keiser show that New Zealand’s problems are international problems.

    They discuss:
    …the implications of the TPP and TTIP global trade deals …which will undermine countries’ democracy…also the remedy for the ‘too many poor people’ for democracy problem …and the media problem

    …in the second part the “Economics of Happiness” Max interviews Helena Norberg-Hodge of LocalFutures.org about the Economics of Happiness in a time of rising inequality

    ….as the Greens say – think small, think local, ignore the media and the importance of your sovereignty and democracy

    http://rt.com/shows/keiser-report/198980-episode-max-keiser-671/

  11. Morrissey 11
    26 October 2014 at 10:01 am

    Trolls target Queen’s first tweet

    Apparently, one troll tweeted: “Fuck off and die”.

    To which Liz replied: “Oh, do bugger orf, Charles.”

    http://home.bt.com/techgadgets/technews/trolls-target-queens-first-tweet-11363939346871

    http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1414268462.html

  12. les 12
    26 October 2014 at 10:47 am

    great News..the Kiwis had a rare win over the Kangaroos,and a dominant one too.Bit of revenge for the netball eh what!

    • Murray Rawshark 12.1
      27 October 2014 at 12:11 am

      Great game. Hope it doesn’t go to their heads like in 91, because last night was the worst I’ve ever seen the Kangaroos play.

  13. Karen 13
    26 October 2014 at 10:49 am

    Worth a watch is a small documentary made in 1986 about the support given by the London based gay community for striking miners in 84/85. The story has been faithfully portrayed in the film “Pride” currently in cinemas now. Go and see the movie – it’s great fun and really uplifting. But also have a look at the doco the movie is based on. It’s available on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHJhbwEcgrA

    At 12:20 one of the participants says “you can unite and fight.” There has to be a way that the various left factions can work together to oppose some of the policies being implemented by the Nats. There needs to be a way of organising mass protest and media management that various groups could contribute to make it more effective.

    • karol 13.1
      26 October 2014 at 10:55 am

      Yes. I was in London at the time, and was part of those support networks. I have in the past cited such support of workers by gay and feminist communities as an example of what was happening on the left before “neoliberalism” really became entrenched and demolished/fragmented such networks.

  14. les 14
    26 October 2014 at 10:57 am

    just saw Helen Kelly on the Nation…get this woman into Parliament…has it all…an absolute STAR!

  15. les 15
    26 October 2014 at 11:00 am

    Banks appeal coming up this week…who is his mystery witness that will exonerate him…Wayne Tempura?

  16. Draco T Bastard 16
    26 October 2014 at 1:22 pm

    SuperPM

    😈

  17. marty mars 17
    26 October 2014 at 1:23 pm

    NZ Herald – propaganda rag.

    The New Zealand Herald has become a National Party propaganda machine its objective of undermining all opposition to the National government, this type of journalism leads to poor government and a lack of accountability. Journalistic integrity or objectivity are not the words one would use in the same sentence as New Zealand Herald. Its strategy of a smear campaign against former MP Hone Harawira denying his Robin Hood status of fighting for the poor and dispossessed and glorifying his defeat is undeniable.

    http://mananews.co.nz/wp/?p=247

    We are not going away.

    • wekarawshark 17.1
      26 October 2014 at 2:08 pm

      interesting use of tense in that 😉

      • marty mars 17.1.1
        26 October 2014 at 2:36 pm

        In what way weka?

        • wekarawshark 17.1.1.1
          26 October 2014 at 2:44 pm

          ‘has become’. More like has been for a bloody long time.

          But agree, they’ve got a distinct Hone-bashing agenda running and are creating very damaging class divides.

          • dave brown 17.1.1.1.1
            26 October 2014 at 4:00 pm

            They are not creating a class divide, just making it obvious which class they serve.

            • wekarawshark 17.1.1.1.1.1
              26 October 2014 at 4:19 pm

              that too, but teaching middle NZ to hate Harawira and by extension Mana is a divisive along class. I was raised in a middle class liberal household. There is no reason for them to hate Mana even if they don’t agree with everything they do or even if Harawira’s personality makes them uncomfortable.

              • marty mars …
                26 October 2014 at 5:08 pm

                It seems to be a continuation of colonialism in that Hone is represented as a ‘bad’ Māori, a ‘divisive’ Māori and an ‘uppity’ Māori and this view is perpetuated across the population, including to Māori. To me this is related to class issues because they need people at the bottom and indigenous cultures all around the world, including here, have found themselves (after colonialism has wrecked its toll, although the past tense is incorrect – the process continues today in many forms) in that position.

    • Chooky 17.2
      27 October 2014 at 11:13 am

      @ marty Mars

      Interesting comment from Isaac Davison on Hone Harawira:

      “On the 20th Oct the NZ Herald reporter Isaac Davison made this comment on the article to the right ( see Marty Mars linked article and photo of Isaac Davison) “Auckland voters played a big role in kicking Mana leader Hone Harawira out of Parliament” Isaac Davison

      Isaac Davison seems to be trying to frame Harawira as someone whom the rather large population of Aucklanders reject and KICKED OUT of Parliament ( note the aggression here…is it racial?..or political?)

      …This is not the case . Harawira lost by only a few hundred votes…despite Labour , NZF, Maori Party and especially John Key Nact strategically ganging up on him in the TTT electorate

      What agenda/motivation is Isaac running here…to so frame Hone?

      ( Hone who stood for the poorest of the poor Maori kids)

  19. Cave Johnson 19
    26 October 2014 at 2:40 pm

    Interesting interview with Kerry Anne Walsh on the background to her book and upcoming movie on the white-anting of Julia Gillard by the Rudd faction, assisted by the media (incl right-wing bloggers) and the conservative right in Australia.
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/20154855/kerry-anne-walsh

  20. Clemgeopin 20
    26 October 2014 at 2:41 pm

    A very nice maiden speech from Jenny Salesa. Worth watching.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=G0Lq1uTbP1o

    Here is another one to think about.

  21. Penny Bright 21
    26 October 2014 at 3:01 pm

    “Where the people lead – the politicians will follow?”

    The public spotlight is now shining upon this Auckland ‘Supercity for the 1%, and their lack of transparency in failing to publish details of contracts awarded to private sector consultants and contractors.

    YAY!

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/10662900/Council-tiptoes-to-open-door
    Council tiptoes to open door

    ROB STOCK
    Last updated 05:00 26/10/2014

    The veil of secrecy has been lifted by Auckland Transport – the super-city’s roading, rail, ferry and cycleway arm – which has begun publishing details of commercial contracts given to private businesses.

    Auckland Council, which controls Auckland Transport, is poised to follow suit.
    Self-styled anti-corruption campaigner Penny Bright believes if the super-city does, a domino effect will begin around the country.

    Many councils have long held back from publishing lists of contracts and contractors despite government departments publishing such lists regularly.
    Auckland Transport is now publishing the cost of each contract awarded on its website, the work to be done, the date it was awarded, and the method of award – whether by tender or direct appointment (see p4).

    And in a brief statement to the Sunday Star-Times, the council said it intended to be “proactive in publishing council information, including matters which are frequently requested via the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act [LGOIMA] by the media and others”.

    This, a council officer said, included lists of contracts similar to those Auckland Transport is now posting.

    “The parameters of that are being worked through,” the council statement said.

    Bright has refused to pay her rates for seven years in protest at the council not revealing where the ever-expanding rates-take is being spent.

    She has been demanding contract lists be published, and now faces a bill for over $30,000 for unpaid rates and penalty fees. Auckland Council has also begun court proceedings to seize and sell her home.

    She’s tried to use LGOIMA requests to get the information she believes should be published.

    The most recent attempt, in 2011, was turned down, with the council citing the cost and difficulty of getting the information. Previously she was also told the information could not be released because it was “commercially sensitive”.

    Auckland Transport has shown it is possible, Bright said, and that there are no legal bars to prevent the council following suit.

    Lawrence Yule, head of Local Government New Zealand, says publishing contractor lists has become “best practice”, and he expects councils will increasingly follow the example of Auckland Transport but, he stressed, some councils are already doing it.

    Yule’s local council, Hastings District Council, already publishes the information, he said, and it allowed proper scrutiny of the governance around procurement.

    He said just because some of the 78 councils nationwide had not taken the step of publishing contractor details yet did not mean they were unwilling to do so.

    Bright says the only way she is going to back down on her rates protest is if Auckland Council begins publishing contractor lists, though she says the council has now offered her the option of a “rates postponement” rather than her being forced to sell her home.

    “Until I see the same details on Auckland Council’s website, and all the council-controlled organisations’ websites, I will not consider their offer of rates postponement,” she said.

    Bright maintains councils that don’t publish contract lists are breaking the Local Government Act 2002, which is unequivocal about the obligations to open government that local councils are under.

    It states that: “In performing its role, a local authority must . . . conduct its business in an open, transparent, and democratically accountable manner.”

    “I get $20,000 in penalties for not following the law. Where are the penalties for the councils not complying with the law for all these years?” Bright asked.

    For Bright, the contract lists would be a step in the right direction, but she wants even more transparency. She was successful in prompting the council to begin publishing a public register of councillors’ pecuniary interests, something MPs have long done, but she believes that must be extended to include council executives tasked with handing out contracts. ”
    __________________________________________________________________________________

    FYI

    https://at.govt.nz/about-us/procurement/awarded-contracts/

    Auckland Transport is committed to ensuring its procurement activities are undertaken in an ethical and transparent manner.

    The attached lists detail all of the contracts awarded in the previous six months that are valued over $50,000.00. Details include:

    the contract number,
    the contract name,
    the supplier, and the
    award value.
    View the latest awarded contracts list (PDF 64KB)

    ( https://at.govt.nz/media/618879/NZTA-Awarded-Contracts.pdf )

    Disclaimer: we endeavour to list all contracts awarded above the value of $50,000.00 in the previous six months. Whilst all possible care and effort has been taken to ensure accuracy in this list, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions. Accordingly, this list should be used for reference only.
    ___________________________________________________________________________________

    Kind regards

    Penny Bright

    (Who’s put her freehold home on the line to defend ALL citizens and ratepayers LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government).

    http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

    • Skinny 21.1
      26 October 2014 at 3:33 pm

      Good on you Penny. At least the rise in Auckland property values should see you well above the ledger if you have to sell your home and re-buy in the Mangere Bridge area.

    • Chooky 21.2
      26 October 2014 at 4:32 pm

      +100 …Good on you Penny!…you are a hero!…all you are asking for is, as you say, business transparency…so the ordinary rate payer and citizen can see there is no corruption and cronyism going on….it is the very least Councils can do!…I am shocked they don’t already do so!

      ….So thanks for not only putting the spotlight on this …but also putting your house on the line!

      “For Bright, the contract lists would be a step in the right direction, but she wants even more transparency. She was successful in prompting the council to begin publishing a public register of councillors’ pecuniary interests, something MPs have long done, but she believes that must be extended to include council executives tasked with handing out contracts. ”

    • les 21.3
      26 October 2014 at 5:02 pm

      you’re getting there Penny…slowly but surely.Respect.

  22. greywarshark 22
    26 October 2014 at 3:19 pm

    Just had some idle thoughts that actually connect into an unpleasant scenario. Slavery was a strong economic tool, service and driver in pre-industrial days.
    Opponents were taken to task for interfering with the efficiencies of business. It was part of a very profitable trade in people, the slaves became part of a very profitable work force in sugar and rum and other good selling items, and to interrupt that supply of resources and profitable goods in demand was a bad thing.

    Worse it would impact heavily on the British and USA economies and some businesses might have to close if slaves becwere an integral part of their business. The fact that business would be limited or lost, was important and people degrading other people using and breaking them and their lives, and injuring and killing them in an organised fashion, was an unfortunate but unavoidable outcome to this profitable business.

    When energy from oil is no longer easily procurable, then robots operating on electricity or battery minerals will no doubt take up the slack. But the demand will be high, supplies might be strained, and the price will rise, and so people will be needed again. To make money from the items produced there will have to be people earning credits that they can spend, or the wealthy will be selling to a very elite market. What happens to the mass of the people? Will they have jobs with reasonable human working hours and conditions and providing decent incomes? The moves right now seem to be towards stripping people of these worthy outcomes. Will people be pushed into forced manual labour and treated badly as some work animals are?

    There is already an unwillingness in government and the big business community, to press for and support measures to produce a balanced working economy with a place for everyone to participate and earn and have enough credits to enjoy life even at an inexpensive level. Are they hoping for an easy answer so they can keep the benefits of modernisation for themselves, perhaps they would like an ebola outbreak to reduce the number of ‘too ordinary to live’ people? Or failing that a military dictatorship organising the populace as in The Triffids. So very different from the satisfying communal style of living that people evolve towards and can enjoy while it remains simple and manageable, until some divisive, aggressive ideology comes along with its manic and devious followers with their spiel and ultimately destructive agendas.

    With human beings most things that can be imagined are possible to be created. If
    that seems debatable and even crazy, just read past history. If we can get objective and not mired in the limited thinking of vocationally educated citizens – we have never been taught to think beyond our silos. Aristotle (born 384 BCE – Before Christian/Current Era) said “‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’ So deeper thinking has not filtered down yet to us everyday current people.

    We have conducted our education in parts, just learning enough to match whatever the new technology or fashion is, but not including it in our main secondary education to attempt to even look at, or understand, the whole. I guess the ideology of reductionism won. But common sense might have triumphed here through mere observation of Aristotle’s truth.

    • phillip ure 23.1
      26 October 2014 at 5:23 pm

      @ murray..that is v.good..and like a lot of good/clever humour..contains its’ grains of truth..

      ..and if you think for five seconds..

      ..it is about how removed most people are from the realities of what they eat..

      ..and most wd be grossed out of their minds..

      ..if they saw their pork-sausages/any meat..from sow-crate to finished product..

      ..and the ongoing horrors of that short/brutalised journey..

      ..chrs 4 that..

    • Chooky 23.2
      27 October 2014 at 12:57 pm

      lol!…where are the Vegan sausages at the supermarket?

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