Open Mike 27/02/2018

93 comments on “Open Mike 27/02/2018 ”

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1. bwaghorn 1

   27 February 2018 at 6:13 am

   it might be better if Helen Clark stays out of nz politics etc , the tv3 boys are having a ball pushing the meme that clark still runs the labour party.. undermining Ardern she is
   • Antoine 1.1

     27 February 2018 at 6:50 am

     Is this over the petition to ban plastic bags?

     Surely she can support it if she wants to??
     • bwaghorn 1.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 12:16 pm

       I just sold my older hunterway .he’s still use full but now I have a younger better one , he just gets in the way of the younger one reaching it’s potential
       • Antoine 1.1.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 12:22 pm

         Am I missing something here? Is this really just over Helen Clark wanting to get rid of plastic bags? It does not sound like sufficient reason to put some kind of gagging order on her!

         A.
         • bwaghorn 1.1.1.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 12:32 pm

           IMHO Clark should stay out of the press when it comes to anything political .unless asked by Ardern .
           • Antoine 1.1.1.1.1.1

             27 February 2018 at 12:34 pm

             I see what you mean but it really is up to her
   • One Anonymous Bloke 1.2

     27 February 2018 at 6:59 am

     Tv3 are perfectly capable of parroting whatever new attack lines the National Party gives them. A better course of action is to ignore them.
   • Ed 1.3

     27 February 2018 at 7:16 am

     Garner and Richardson would say that.
     They are both Tory bovver boys.
     Ignore them and for your own sanity avoid their ghastly show.
     • tc 1.3.1

       27 February 2018 at 7:29 am

       Better still avoid the entire organisations low brow nuanced coverage of what it wants you to think.
     • Tamati Tautuhi 1.3.2

       27 February 2018 at 12:48 pm

       Right a couple of half witted Tories without two brain cells to rub together ?
   • Incognito 1.4

     27 February 2018 at 7:42 am

     Indeed, Helen Clark should be deleted from the political history books and she (and Sir Michael Cullen) should sever all ties with the NZ Labour Party and all NZ politics for that matter. She should take up painting instead. The same was done with Sir Roger Douglas and the NZ Labour Party has never looked back since. [sarc]
   • Carolyn_Nth 1.5

     27 February 2018 at 8:46 am

     Haven’t heard so much from Clark in the Media, as from Brash these days – is he still running ACT and the Nats?
2. eco maori 2

   27 February 2018 at 6:35 am

   Morning Duncan yea I back the plastic bag bann I would like to see all but the ecential plastic that can’t be replaced by renewable products.
   Alcohol does a lot of damage to OUR WORLD SOCIETY 21 YEARS old min age and advising of the side effects should be legerslated and banned from supermarket
   Alcohol is damageing he tangata more than any other drug. Ka kite ano
3. cleangreen 3

   27 February 2018 at 6:45 am

   Helen Clark was the best PM labour have had since Michael Joseph Savage but the media set about dirty politics on her so she is needed now more than ever as Labour goes through this ‘minefield of National Party antics and attemptd wreck Labours changes to make NZ a more caring transparent, kinder more inclusive Government.

   More heads are better than one, as we see national are wheeling all their old guard out at the same time are still using Don Brash ect’ elk and were using their past PM’s to from 1990’s like the both National PM’s from the 1990’s era so shouldn’t Labour?

   Why pick on Helen Clark when she was at the Auckland Town Hall when jacinda gave her first pre-election speech so did you complain then as that speech is what set Jacinda on the path to victory?
4. eco maori 4

   27 February 2018 at 7:02 am

   Look Duncan no body is perfect.
   If one is getting bombarded with conflicting information get it correct all the time is near impossible.
   ECO MAORI likes some of the bold moves OUR new coalition government is making.
   They benefit the 99.9 %.
   One man has taken on my it’s all in the design house we could set up a factory next door to a wood mill that makes all
   The kit set flat pack houses and wallar you have thousands of houses built obviously Would need more than one factory. We need to get away from concrete floors as there is to much greenhouse gas built in the production of concrete.
   The previous generation got that right in a land that is known for EARTH QUAKEs
   It is not logical to have concrete floors.
   You can recycle a house with wooden floors. If the environment were the house placed become uninhabitable well you put it on a truck and relocation it to a new site. I say that all houses should be legerslated to have a design so one can truck it out.
   Ka kite ano
   • Ed 4.1

     27 February 2018 at 7:18 am

     Eco you will improve your day if you switch off Garner and Richardson’s toxic propaganda.
     • bwaghorn 4.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 12:12 pm

       Yes He should live in a dark little echo chamber next to yours a?
   • eco maori 4.2

     27 February 2018 at 7:48 am

     Duncan when one Reads the book on
     Te Ropata WahaWaha it was written over 150 years ago our society was totally different the settlers were trying to establish them selves.
     So what better why to sway the minds of te tangata whenua that a story on a Great Maori man that supports the Queen and the settlers.
     Over 70% of tangata could read and write and who who wrote this book a settlor.
     He used this story to boost the Mana of the settlers religion to stop the other religions taking hold of tangata minds.
     There are a couple of sentences that are designed to boost the settlers religion.
     So a intelligent person will add this information into how they decifer this book into reality. Ropata WahaWaha is The most important man who shaped how OUR Atoearoa society is today.
     We do not have a native class all living in squallar in the most unsophistical environment in Atoearoa like other colonised country’s have its not perfect but we have it better than most tangata whenua.
     Kia kaha P.S I will support Radio NZ new channels I see why John Campbell stayed there. Ana to kai
     • eco maori 4.2.1

       27 February 2018 at 8:00 am

       Duncan Ropata WahaWaha was not just advised by his Whano the Missionary advised him on the reality of Atoearoa and Papatuanukue he new how much MANA Britain had so they made choice to leave to there mokos a bright prousperious future like ECO MAORI is doing. Ka pai Ka kite ano
       • eco maori 4.2.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 8:07 am

         Many thanks for the great post on Thestandard from the true Leftys I support your views as they are the same as
         ECO MAORIs. You good people are putting up a lot of good links and intelligence post to back OUR views of a equal society for all the creations on Papatuanukue. Kia kaha.
         Protesters. P.S I’m a bit busy at the minute with my own battle Ka kite ano
         • eco maori 4.2.1.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 9:37 am

           Morning Rumble Rock radio I get the big picture I will support you I see you get burn left and right I will be watching radio NZ news show.
           And Mulls on channel 4 news.
           There you go ECO MAORI just has to fart and the sandflys are spinning it out that I walk around with a _____in me pants all day lol.
           . P.S I got a plan and its as cunning a a snake as black addar use to say
           Kia kaha guys Ka kite ano
           • eco maori 4.2.1.1.1.1

             27 February 2018 at 10:15 am

             Morning Rumble I’m a bit late look like the sandflys have tipped 3 dosen Tui big
             bottles of beer on one of my LAWNs every time I got to mow it it is half cut lol Ka kite ano
     • Tamati Tautuhi 4.2.2

       27 February 2018 at 12:52 pm

       Any clues on where I can get a copy of this book the old families had ties to the East Coast, when Major Ropata was alive ?

       Maybe Auckland University Library may have a copy ?
5. savenz 5

   27 February 2018 at 7:06 am

   “Following the collapse of the TPPA in the wake of the US withdrawal, the election of the new Government put a spring in the step of many. The Labour Party, New Zealand First and the Green Party had all said they would not support ratification of the TPPA. During the parliamentary examination of the text, Labour cited concerns about sovereignty, secrecy and inadequate economic modelling leading to uncertainty in projected outcomes; the Greens added that the TPPA is “inimical to the imperative of sustainability”; and New Zealand First focused on the anticipated dangers of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).

   What on earth happened? Labour has done a full U-turn, New Zealand First has joined in on the spin, and the Greens are very lukewarm in their disagreement.”

   https://itsourfuture.org.nz/nationwide-day-action-tppa-11/
   • red-blooded 5.1

     27 February 2018 at 7:39 am

     I’ve posted links here lots of times to the Labour Party policy (still on the website unchanged) that lays out the 5 bottom lines for the party. These are the things worked on since the election and either solved (eg control of land and housing sales to non-resident foreign buyers) or improve (eg limiting ISDS through side deals).

     You might prefer it if Labour hadn’t signed the CPTTPA but that was never what was promised. Go back and check the record.
     • Molly 5.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 7:58 am

       The Labour Party bottom-lines were strawmen, easily winnable, and not the issues that people were protesting about.

       What is clear is that Labour is not being hypocritical by signing the revised TPPA. They were never against it in the first place. Which is one of the primary reasons I voted Green last election.
       • Peter 5.1.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 2:06 pm

         Same here
     • solkta 5.1.2

       27 February 2018 at 8:48 am

       Labour have been talking utter bullshit in regard ISDS. If this issue had been sorted the Greens would be supporting TPP also.

       When is a “bottom line” not a bottom line?
       • Tamati Tautuhi 5.1.2.1

         27 February 2018 at 12:55 pm

         So what is the reason for Winston & NZF doing the big U Turn on the TPPA Agreement as they were vehemently opposed to it in recent years ?
     • savenz 5.1.3

       27 February 2018 at 9:50 am

       Labour hacks can tell themselves that but it’s not to late to do a u turn and save themselves as a political party in terms of public trust. It’s about perception in politics so I don’t think weasel words will work, nor will it when overseas people own more of the houses, drive around in Mercedes and bring in their own workers from high wages to low wages.

       The media is being quiet so keep the pressure for Labour and NZ First to hang themselves on TPPA. Once they are committed guess what the favourite attack line will be!

       On the new TPPA

       “What’s different?
       Let’s be crystal clear. The “new” text is exactly the same, the only change being that 22 of the 1,000-plus original provisions have been suspended. These 22 provisions – mainly concerning intellectual property – have not been removed so that they can be revived if and when the United States comes back on board, as the Trump administration has indicated it is willing to do. When pushed on this point, the Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker said that New Zealand could veto any attempt by the United States to join if that would compromise the Labour Party’sfive bottom lines. That, of course, would not stop a different government from giving up important aspects of New Zealand’s sovereignty simply to reduce tariffs for a trifling increase in GDP. And what was the Minister’s response to that serious concern? “Time will tell.””

       https://itsourfuture.org.nz/nationwide-day-action-tppa-11/
6. savenz 6

   27 February 2018 at 7:19 am

   The “free” market can’t even build a bloody hotel?!

   https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/02/26/the-free-market-cant-even-build-a-bloody-hotel/

   “In the case of Fu Wah and the Hyatt hotel project, at least one construction company disclosed to Radio NZ that they had attempted to tender for the contract;

   However an Auckland company, which did not want to be named for fear of losing out on future work, told RNZ they had voiced their interest at the start of the project in 2016.

   A staff member said soon after Hawkins and China Construction were appointed as the main contractors, his company was contacted about what the programme of work would be and asked whether they would be able to do it.

   “We went back and said ‘yes, everything’s fine, things are going to be a little bit tight here, things will be fine here’, but nothing major that would lead us to believe we’d been crossed off as a potential subcontractor.”

   He said while it was emphasised that they should lock in subcontractors early because of a busy schedule to meet the deadline, it was never an issue of lack of skills.

   “At that point in time we more or less had a year or two to lock in labour resource, to build up the labour teams that we have if necessary. But we heard nothing for a couple of years, in fact we never even heard back in the end on whether we could tender for the main package.”

   When asked whether they had the staff to do the work now, he said they did.”
   • Ad 6.1

     27 February 2018 at 7:44 am

     Bomber Bradbury should go and find something to complain about.

     CSCEC and Hawkins are a good combination and are delivering to time, cost and quality.

     Different specialist teams are brought in all the time on jobs like this.
     Finish line will be tight, but then again, it always is.

     Bomber would I am sure like to bring back the Tourist Hotel Corporation, because every ‘radical’ like him adores are really, really, really powerful state.

     If Bomber would care to visit the Auckland International Airport information centre, he would find you can’t get a hotel room or rental car unless you go out as far as Rotorua or Whangarei. That’s because we need more hotels built faster.

     Bomber would be complaining even louder if there was a gang of 200 tilers roaming the country looking for work. Instead, the crew will be sent back straight after they are done, minimising local employment market distortion as intended.
     • Molly 6.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 8:08 am

       ” That’s because we need more hotels built faster.”
       Is this satire? You know, along the lines of…

       First accommodation failure came for the beneficiaries,
       Then it came for the state home tenants…
       Then it came for the working class….
       Then it came for the middle class…
       And now it comes for the tourists!

       Something must be done!

       The import of labour diminishes the impetus to ensure that the NZ labour force is trained and provided with skills to take us into the future. It also reduces the leverage gained that allows for better wages and work conditions.

       If the hotel takes longer to build, then that is the consequence of that business not taking into account the scarcity of labour.
       • Ad 6.1.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 9:02 am

         If you want to complain about a lack of skilled tilling, roofing or stonemason workforce in New Zealand, you are dead right.

         I can just assure you that every construction company in the entire country is aware about the impact of scarce skilled labour on the deliverability of their programmes.

         And each construction company is also watching its margins even more closely than before after watching the great falling satellite of clusterfuck called Fletcher Building.
         • Molly 6.1.1.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 10:07 am

           I don’t want to complain. The building companies are doing that just fine.

           What they are not doing – is setting in place apprenticeships in order to alleviate the lack of skills. They expect skilled workers to appear out of thin air. There is a decided expectation that the pool of workers in NZ is something to extract from, not contribute to.

           Allowing companies to import workers for jobs, ensures that the shortage of skilled workers will continue into the future, and it removes any financial impetus or political pressure to sort out the problem effectively.
           • savenz 6.1.1.1.1.1

             27 February 2018 at 11:01 am

             @Molly – “They expect skilled workers to appear out of thin air’ they do, air New Zealand, air China, Korean Air!

             Know a lot of people in construction. One of the issues is that when building firms do apprenticeships there is a lot of red tape, a lot of training and then what was happening is that someone poaches the worker for a higher salary once trained or they leave and go onto higher wagers overseas in Australia. Therefore it has put off many firms from offering apprenticeships but it also has decimated the whole industry into a downward spiral of lack of staff, lack of training, lack of wages, lack of experience.

             So not many people were able to enter the sector, they also had to pay and get in debt to do the polytechnic course and then even if they did many local firms were not getting the contracts to provide regular work and salary.

             What the government need to do for qualified builders is to regulate that any building firm over 3 staff has to have to train apprentices on a ratio (aka for every 10 staff they train 1 apprentice, to keep their industry going) so that all the firms have to do it and you don’t get the greedy firms not doing their share.

             You would hope that the firms could organise it themselves but generally many are too busy making money to bother training when they can just poach off another firm or these days like hire an illegal worker or get someone from Asia.

             The problem with the current approach of bringing in overseas workers is that NZ is not creating any wealth it’s destroying it, by taking out jobs, skills and experience for locals, lowering wages and not getting the taxes from the booming construction industry and people are just illegal (note in the current bust, the guy was a permanent resident under a false identity and pulling in more and more illegal workers and the scam continues all of whom are taking up houses to live in, transport and health care in NZ)

             With skills like stopping and tiling, it’s crazy to have a shortage as they are fairly easy skills to acquire. It’s a rout for an immigration scam.

             If they want to get the provinces employed – a months training in the careers above obviously would not go a miss.
             • Molly …

               27 February 2018 at 11:44 am

               I agree with the red tape etc. leading to aversion of businesses to engage apprentices.

               Also, I think the changes made to the apprenticeship pathway a couple of decades ago, is why the current situation has occurred. We are now feeling the long-term effects of those changes.

               There are many builders who provide extensive apprenticeships, but there are others that do the bare minimum and don’t have the scope of work to cover all the techniques and skills that earlier tradespeople would be exposed to. A better pathway and support system needs to be created and implemented.

               For that to occur, political pressure needs to be applied. And construction companies even if they do not want to run apprenticeships themselves, need to apply that pressure to government to sort this out. If we allow short-term labourers in for this purpose, that pressure will not happen.

               I’m also not convinced that a hotel build is such a necessity that it requires importing labourers.
         • Stuart Munro 6.1.1.1.2

           27 February 2018 at 10:54 am

           It’s a curiosity when a party built on and ostensibly dedicated to the interests of workers trots out the employers’ weaselly ‘reasons’ with such facility.
         • greywarshark 6.1.1.1.3

           27 February 2018 at 12:21 pm

           If the companies are aware of the lack of skilled workforce then it is their fault. The ITOs were supposed to be ensuring training in the areas of work that were wanted. Government stepped back because business knew what it was doing, had complete confidence in its efficacy, and were supposed to step forward to oversee the training.
         • Tamati Tautuhi 6.1.1.1.4

           27 February 2018 at 12:58 pm

           Shame we don’t train New Zealanders for employment, easier to import labour from overseas and leave New Zealanders sitting on the scrap heap ?
     • savenz 6.1.2

       27 February 2018 at 9:22 am

       AD before mouthing off as usual it might pay to read the link and work out the correct author.

       Clearly your neoliberal cheerleading leaves a lot to be desired in the real world because we have multiple crisis in this country from wages, health, jobs, housing, etc etc

       It kept Labour out of parliament for nearly a decade as they have not only embraced globalism but they also thought that getting the little guy to pay for it locally was the way to keep it all going, while banks, financial industry and big business were wooed.

       Labour campaigned on TPPA being a dog and reducing immigration. They finally got back into power.

       The neoliberal legacy is that people have got poorer, or their house earns more than they do. The next generation though, will be left with nothing as slowly but surely more individual wealth becomes eaten up with costs of day to day living as they struggle to pay for the welfare system that subsidises multinational corporations employers wages, tourist health costs and more.

       The neoliberal policies and cheerleading of outsourcing as a good idea is clearly not working for NZ and many other countries like the UK and USA that started them.

       Free market only works if you want to go back to a more feudal style of living. The average person doesn’t.
       • Draco T Bastard 6.1.2.1

         27 February 2018 at 1:53 pm

         +111
     • patricia bremner 6.1.3

       27 February 2018 at 2:35 pm

       So, we are like Spain and Greece were way back when they brought in Brits at piece rates to do jobs, and sent them back to Britain at jobs end?

       I can’t help thinking how Spain and Greece ended up.

       Rich retirees buying up places cheaply, (including so called investment hotel apartments suites and rooms) locals paid very low wage rates, no or low GDP, high borrowings, market shift… and….crash!!

       Sure you don’t currently have trades out of work, so then you can’t find tradies or apprentices. No security at all. The contractor’s death spiral.
     • Peter 6.1.4

       27 February 2018 at 2:44 pm

       I don’t know if you know but the reason the THC was formed was because the private sector would not take the risk in building hotels in out of the way places.
       • patricia bremner 6.1.4.1

         27 February 2018 at 4:12 pm

         Yes Peter, Public money used to provide tourist infrastructure.

         Fine ’till greedies sell it to their friends.
         • savenz 6.1.4.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 5:12 pm

           Tourism was wonderful in NZ and contributed to the economy – that is until they sold much of it off and now the money is going offshore to some international tax dodge to avoid taxes or park some ‘gold bricks’.

           Now it’s neoliberalism 3.0 – they don’t even employ the Kiwi workers so there is actually nothing beneficial about tourism at all, it’s a loss because the locals are providing roads, health, ACC and environmental counters free to offset it all.

           Then providing the welfare for the growing unemployed.

           Then providing the welfare for the growing aged population due to the parents clause in immigration so that new residents can bring their parents over to ‘retire’ here.

           We earn averagely $20 p/h – even the illegal Malaysian workers are better paid by their masters!
7. Ed 7

   27 February 2018 at 7:24 am

   Bomber nails it again.

   Be outraged.
   About sea ice levels in the Bering Sea.

   https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2018/02/26/that-gross-60minute-interview-and-twitter-offence/
8. cleangreen 8

   27 February 2018 at 7:30 am

   China wants to eventually take over NZ, and build it in their dream to be their strategic “base of the south Pacific”

   National Inc’ had already planned for this and invested for this also.
   • Grantoc 8.1

     27 February 2018 at 11:49 am

     CG

     Evidence for these frankly ludicrous claims?
     • Ed 8.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 11:53 am

       Professor Brady
       • Stunned Mullet 8.1.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 11:55 am

         🙄
         • Ed 8.1.1.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 11:58 am

           She talks of China’s influence on our political parties.
           Did you not read that?
           • Stunned Mullet 8.1.1.1.1.1

             27 February 2018 at 1:02 pm

             🙄
             • adam …

               27 February 2018 at 1:54 pm

               Is it just me, but using an emoticon just a perverse way to enter a debate?

               Actually it’s not having a debate, but more than bit like swing a phallus around.

               Just an observation using words.
               • greywarshark …

                 27 February 2018 at 2:53 pm

                 adam
                 +1 Agree (but a short code is all right for that I reckon.)
             • Draco T Bastard …

               27 February 2018 at 7:06 pm

               Ah, so like all RWNJs, you’re ignoring the evidence because it doesn’t suit you.
               • Stunned Mullet …

                 27 February 2018 at 7:39 pm

                 There is no evidence that china wants to take over NZ and make it into their strategic base in the South Pacific nor is there any evidence had planned for and invested in such a scenario…..hence 🙄
                 • Draco T Bastard …

                   27 February 2018 at 9:09 pm

                   Except all the research done by an academic that you’re ignoring because it doesn’t suit your ideology.
           • Tamati Tautuhi 8.1.1.1.1.2

             27 February 2018 at 1:05 pm

             New Zealand is strategically very important for China, one as a source of food supply and protein but also strategically from a military point of view especially if it comes to military action with Australia & the USA.

             Also a very cunning move getting an ex-spy strategically placed inside one of New Zealand’s leading political parties, to make contacts and understanding how the country operates ?
   • Tamati Tautuhi 8.2

     27 February 2018 at 1:00 pm

     Shame we don’t train New Zealanders for employment, easier to import labour from overseas and leave New Zealanders sitting on the scrap heap ?
   • Peter 8.3

     27 February 2018 at 2:49 pm

     They won’t need to invade there buying it bit by bit and farm by farm.
9. savenz 9

   27 February 2018 at 7:38 am

   The reason that many of these companies can’t get skills is that they lack planning and rely on getting cheap exploitable labour in to compensate because they want to cut out local construction firms and workers.

   The government should have a condition that the salary of workers being bought in for temporary or permanent construction labour needs to be $100,000 plus. There should also be a hefty fee, to cover the administration of these permits.

   I know two migrants working in the construction industry. As soon as one got residency he quit because he hated the job and now seems to just work for cash in an unrelated industry as an odd jobs man, the other is just waiting to quit his job when he gets residency as he is paid well under the going rate in a high demand skill.

   So the poor conditions and wages for locals and residency workers is biting the unregulated construction industry in the butts.

   And the lies of more local jobs with foreign investment construction should be laughed at. It’s quite the opposite, foreign owners have no intention of employing local firms, who struggle to get contracts and therefore pay their staff poorly (often to compete with cheap overseas tenders with cheaper labour) their staff don’t get the skills on bigger projects. It’s a downward spiral.
   • Ad 9.1

     27 February 2018 at 9:07 am

     There are definitely a few shoddy subbies of subbies of subbies. There usually are in a boom.

     Buyer: don’t commit off the plans, and watch the construction take place regularly. If you are going to commit $700-$800k on an apartment, spend $10k for your own regular quality auditor.

     Worker: get NZ certifications or even better a full degree, and join a union.
     Otherwise – as is always the case – the unskilled and un-unoinised and unprepared will risk exploitation.

     Otherwise, your comments are wrong.
     • savenz 9.1.1

       27 February 2018 at 9:39 am

       @Thank you oh wise one, Ad. and where do you think those reading the Standard would get the money for the “$700-$800k on an apartment, spend $10k for your own regular quality auditor.” considering wages in New Zealand averaged 20.83 NZD/Hour from 1989 until 2017,

       https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/wages

       Even the illegal Mayasian stoppers were earning more $20 – $40 cash!
       • Naki man 9.1.1.1

         27 February 2018 at 12:12 pm

         You assume that everyone that reads the Standard is on the bones of their arse.
         • greywarshark 9.1.1.1.1

           27 February 2018 at 1:04 pm

           Naki Man
           All the people that comment on the Standard are expected to be concerned about others’ welfare, and should be making efforts to understand the effects of policy or lack of policy and bad implementation makes on the vulnerable as much as anyone who might be benefitted by it.
     • patricia bremner 9.1.2

       27 February 2018 at 4:28 pm

       “Comments are wrong” Wow!! Rather sweeping Ad.

       Agree you have to watch for short cuts and shoddy subbies.

       In Australia the developer is allowed to change up to 20% of the contract AFTER it is signed. We talked to a couple who missed this small print in their contract.
       Changes to outdoor area, lighting, tiling was very upsetting.

       Always have a lawyer look at the contract before signing…buying off the plan is chancy on many levels.
   • Tamati Tautuhi 9.2

     27 February 2018 at 1:11 pm

     New Zealand Companies do not put the time and resources into training and up skilling their staff, as they are too busy cost cutting and trying to drive wage rates through the floor ?

     Look at all the good companies that did exist here in NZ that have been destroyed or bankrupted and are now overseas owned. Evidently Fletchers is 80% overseas
     owned now ?

     Likewise we have had successive Governments who have sold off $25.6 Billion of State Assets excluding houses and that money has just been squandered ?
     • patricia bremner 9.2.1

       27 February 2018 at 4:33 pm

       Yes…. Where was that money used? Did it fill one of English/Joyce budget holes??
     • savenz 9.2.2

       27 February 2018 at 5:16 pm

       Not only that they destroyed the people too.

       A while ago it was completely different, Kiwi construction workers were considered better and Asian’s struggled to find work, due to the perception that their work was shoddy.

       Now somehow the tables have turned. Asian construction better in the eyes of the government and Kiwi construction workers have a perception that they are drugged out and hopeless.

       Clearly money, talks.
10. One Anonymous Bloke 10

    27 February 2018 at 7:52 am

    A baby-step in the right direction.

    Cabinet has approved, in principle, a move to amend the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 to provide a statutory power for the senior courts to make declarations of inconsistency under the Bill of Rights Act, and to require Parliament to respond.

    It’s not enough. All legislation should conform to the BoRA. That said, the National Party will now be forced to defend one of its core values: that some people have fewer human rights than others.

    They will say that you can forfeit your human rights, by losing your job, for example. They won’t put it that way, of course, but that’s what “name the father” means.

    Take bigger strides, Labour, not just these baby-steps. Expose National for what they are.
    • patricia bremner 10.1

      27 February 2018 at 2:58 pm

      I wonder how the “Spying on NZers bill” would have fared?

      Or the raid on Dotcom and family?
11. Carolyn_Nth 11

    27 February 2018 at 8:48 am

    Amy Adams….. with Bridges the runner up. /myreckons

    Plus Joyce with a key front bench role. Very off-putting line up, tho.
    • alwyn 11.1

      27 February 2018 at 9:54 am

      You are probably correct.
      It is very sad that Nikki Kaye had her bout with cancer.
      I think she would have been right out in front and would make a very good Opposition Leader and Prime Minister otherwise.
      She would certainly have kept her total dominance of Ardern going.
      • Tamati Tautuhi 11.1.1

        27 February 2018 at 1:13 pm

        …nah dizzy blonde methinks ?

        Heard her speak at a few meetings, don’t rate her IMO.
12. greywarshark 12

    27 February 2018 at 10:07 am

    Seems that Norway has trouble with tourists stopping on the road to take photos of stunning scenery. Our problem too.
    https://www.thelocal.no/20180219/norway-road-authority-buys-reflective-vests-for-tourists

    They have taken an innovative way to handle this, rather than our type of thinking which would be to just set laws or give advisory information and talk about the problem.

    Norway is issuing all tourists with safety visibility vests to wear as they travel.
    These will be a silent reminder of the safe way to behave, and if they do wear them they will be seen from a distance and other drivers can beware of the straying gogglers.
13. greywarshark 13

    27 February 2018 at 1:00 pm

    Chinese – two things on the news. One is that they had a two term limit on the President which the leader wants to waive. Dangerous but they are apparently talking about removing this law. Are they thinking of Robert Mugabe; and they are working on tech and genetics – what if they get that technology stretching lives with DNA recovery shots every day??

    An Australian book exploring Chinese influence deep in politics and business etc – well we aren’t free of that, it is something to be aware of.
14. greywarshark 14

    27 February 2018 at 1:01 pm

    Bridges leader and Paula Bennett offsider. Official.
15. adam 15

    27 February 2018 at 1:58 pm

    One more thing we don’t talk about from the impact of cars.

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/351311/large-canterbury-tyre-fire-still-burning
    • patricia bremner 15.1

      27 February 2018 at 4:35 pm

      That is a shocker.
    • Andre 15.2

      27 February 2018 at 5:46 pm

      Still more impact: there’s still a lot of natural rubber used in tyres – massive tropical forest clearance for monoculture plantations.
16. adam 16

    27 February 2018 at 2:26 pm

    Got to be impressed with the hard right totalitarian regime in Burma. Who needs evidence of a crime against humanity – when you can just bulldoze it away.

    http://www.businessinsider.com/myanmar-bulldozes-rohingya-villages-evidence-of-ethnic-cleansing-2018-2/?r=AU&IR=T
17. eco maori 17

    27 February 2018 at 5:14 pm

    Eco Maori will watch the project and see what they are up to I need to sort out a app for radio NZ new channel it will be good to see John Campbell again.
    Ka kite ano
18. Morrissey 18

    27 February 2018 at 5:26 pm

    The British government’s incompetent smear campaign against Jeremy Corbyn
    is the funniest piece of dark comedy since Brass Eye.
19. joe90 19

    27 February 2018 at 5:34 pm

    A militia wingnut arrested last year following a fight that involved his use of a weapon has stationed himself outside high school with an AR-15.

    And if teachers or students don’t like it? Tough.

    ( OAB’s prescience )

    The National Association of School Resource Officers and many school shooting survivors, including those from Parkland, strenuously oppose plans to arm teachers. Teachers may not feel safe wielding arms; students could get ahold of the weapons or get caught in crossfire; law enforcement could mistake an armed teacher or other non-uniformed school staffer for an assailant. The prospect of something going wrong seems even higher with non-vetted, non-professional members of a conspiratorial militia group volunteering services that schools did not ask for.

    Rhodes’ response? “Tough.”

    “If they don’t like it, too bad,” Rhodes said. “We’re not there to make people feel warm and fuzzy; we’re there to stop murders.”

    https://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/oath-keepers-want-armed-members-volunteer-schools-after-parkland
20. Morrissey 20

    27 February 2018 at 5:36 pm

    Tory twit comes unstuck under relentless questioning.
    Andrew Neill at his best!

    Watch and enjoy…
21. eco maori 21

    27 February 2018 at 5:54 pm

    The sandflys search my shed illegally they know who storing there stuff in my shed they are so desperate to damage my Mana they spin that and say that it’s mine ECO MAORI doesn’t need a substitute. It was lucky I tidy up my shed and found the empty box and I clicked watching new at 7 last night what a bunch of turn coats how much did they pay you immature idiot Ana to kai.
22. eco maori 22

    27 February 2018 at 6:18 pm

    TV News it does not matter what culture you are what counts is the way one behaves. If he has policy that benefit the 99.9 % and not just the 00.1% that is the people ECO MAORI wants in power.
    So far Simon Bridge track record is not very good at all with that highway the Eastern link was a project of lineing the Tauranga people pocket at the expense of the Nation.Tom McRae
    Ana to kai
23. eco maori 23

    27 February 2018 at 6:43 pm

    SAMANTHA we don’t need the mokos seeing Alcohol in the supermarket when they are taken shopping at supermarket.
    ECO MAORI Says ban the sale of Alcohol from supermarket that was joyce and his retail association move to line there pockets. Raise the age.
    Rasing the tax will hurt the alcoholics the poor common ones and the mokos will miss out on the basic they need for a happy healthy life come on that is a basic logical equation. As for stats and data unless it is audited by independent practice than it will be minupulated to suite the organisation displays that data. There are a lot of cheats out there. Ana to kai. Ka kite ano
24. greywarshark 24

    27 February 2018 at 7:05 pm

    No understanding of the life of an activist woman in a repressive, hostile country.
    I wonder who is on the tribunal?
    http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/turkish-woman-deported-despite-discrimination-and-sexual-violence-fears
25. eco maori 25

    27 February 2018 at 7:31 pm

    Hi good people from the Project some people are trying to imply that ECO MAORI viewers are from one part of OUR society.
    But know my viewers are from all different age groups of the 99.9% of Common people of Atoearoa. Lisa
    ECO MAORI Says the Lady Niki Kaye was a better candidate but a old dog doesn’t change it spots. We will have 10 good years of Labour so long as they don’t drop the ball good times for the common tangata /people and mokos /grandchildren. Ka kite ano
26. eco maori 26

    27 February 2018 at 7:47 pm

    Men’s fertility rates are dropping because of all the poison and chemicals that are in our food and agriculture sprays wood preservers. You don’t get something for nothing there are allways concerquences. The multi national companies exposing us to these poison say that they are safe in minute quantities. This is how they justify putting these poison in our prosessed food for taste and preserveing OUR food We need to stop this bad behaviour by big businesses.
    I try and eat unpreserved food as much as possible. Ka kite ano
27. Jenny 27

    27 February 2018 at 9:54 pm

    Stop the delay, ceasefire now!

    On Saturday, 24 February, the UN Security Council passed a unanimous resolution for a 30 day ceasefire , to allow food in, and the evacuation of the wounded, to begin without delay!
    But the bombings continue!
    Russia refused to include a specific date that the ceasefire should begin, and are taking advantage of this loophole to continue bombing.

    https://www.facebook.com/events/418615565262180/

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