Open mike 27/10/2010

45 comments on “Open mike 27/10/2010 ”

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1. Robert Winter 1

   27 October 2010 at 6:37 am

   Note that, in the Herald today, we are told a) that Warner needs more subsidy and b) above all, they want a chnage in the law on contractor status and c) Mr Key, who is beginning to look like an idiot on this, can’t understand why the issue of contractor status is so important for Warner now, when the relevant Supreme Court case was in 2005. As we move into banana republic status, we are being done like a turkey by a combination of local anti-union business (Messrs Jackson and Taylor), international Capital (Warner etc) and a compliant, craven government. This is truly embarrassing.
   • Bored 1.1

     27 October 2010 at 6:49 am

     Robert, you forget the idiot population as well in this embarrassing mess. Public opinion reflects a total lack of support for unions and craven compliance to the calls of the bosses. What a sick little nation twenty five years of neo liberalism has built.
     • Lazy Susan 1.1.1

       27 October 2010 at 7:08 am

       Also forgotten is the idiot media that has dutifully published the Jackson, Warner’s spin without any critical analysis. That’s been left to IrishBill here and Gordon Campbell on Scoop. Of course weakening the union movement and trashiing employment law could suit the MSM very nicely thankyou.
2. M 2

   27 October 2010 at 7:12 am

   ‘Of course weakening the union movement and trashiing employment law could suit the MSM very nicely thankyou.’

   Until of course the law is used as a blunt instrument against them.
3. ZeeBop 3

   27 October 2010 at 7:27 am

   Actors equity is a global union so nothing National do to stop them getting to the table will help National because Actors Equity will just boycott NZ until National get a gripe of themselves.

   Its interesting, its like the recent tourist killed washing her teeth by the illegal spotlighting shooter. The driver of the car and the person holding the light choose the location next to the campsite and where the shooter would fire. Its has the same sense about it, the old adage that those who have most to gain, most able to solve the problem, most capable of providing the solution are the best to solve the problem. i.e. the government. The problem is we want a movie industry, the government has the money and legislation, the government has most to gain for the nation. So if the government writes a law that forces global equities hand and a global boycott of NZ movies, and consequently consumer boycott, then what is the government thinking! I mean Warner Brothers also makes movies elsewhere, its doesn’t care if the government here give them a once off windfall, they are unlikely to need to base any future movies here, and they also get to take a movie production competitor (NZ) out of the global market as Actors will be boycotting the NZ industry. It was never a good thing anyway, our dollar is higher, our wages aren’t a relatively low any more, and foriegn govts will stump up more to get jobs and their economies working again.

   So yeah, we get the Hobbit, but it was surely likely we won’t have an movie industry.
   • Lazy Susan 3.1

     27 October 2010 at 7:35 am

     What does this mean?
     • ZeeBop 3.1.1

       27 October 2010 at 9:39 am

       What do you mean?

       If National need to save the Hobbit it probably means its not worth saving. If the local movie industry is incapable of adapting in the current global entertainment boom then we should go back to growing wool. Big maybe holding back our talented to support a Titanic like director. Is Jackson the Hubbard of movies?
       • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1

         27 October 2010 at 10:31 am

         OK, so the NATs seem to have thrown the idea of free-trade and industry competitiveness without Government intervention right out the window, along with their neo-con ‘principles’.

         I know plenty of high tech and export industries in NZ, worth several $B per annum (real export income, not Hollywood accounting funny money – I for one want to know how much the wages budget for extras etc are for the Hobbit, bet you its less than 0.5% of the quoted US$500M value of the film), who at this point will be plenty ***ked off with this Govt for fawning all over Jackso and co. for the last two weeks when the Govt has essentially ignored their existence.
         • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1.1

           27 October 2010 at 11:20 am

           so the NATs seem to have thrown the idea of free-trade and industry competitiveness without Government intervention right out the window, along with their neo-con ‘principles’.

           They never had them. Free trade destroys profits so they don’t want that and they most definitely want government intervention as that can be used to prevent competition. For NACT it’s all about throwing taxpayer money at the rich as they have to try and maintain the illusion that it’s the rich that produce wealth and not everybody else.
   • Bored 3.2

     27 October 2010 at 7:45 am

     I have some concerns that the whole movie industry in its present form does not stack up financially. I heard somewhere that the direct costs of LOTR exceeded the income to NZ for the film (as opposed to tourist publicity etc). Can anybody confirms this?

     My take is that the whole movie industry if we are to have one needs to be scaled to what we can afford (which if targeted might mean more off shore income). What is obvious is that when times are tough we cannot give movie funding preference over real long term income generation for those who have the least.
     • ZeeBop 3.2.1

       27 October 2010 at 9:30 am

       I don’t know, but we already won by making NZ middle Earth. Having a second Hobbiton in the UK
       won’t hurt the Hobbiton in Matamata because if the fans want more they are going to have to come here.
       Its like a mall that has anchor shops that attract enough consumers that the owners of the mall can then
       on sell the passing traffic to other retailers as higher rents.

       I totally agree that we need income generation jobs, and althought I can’t stand the prick on TV he
       did have a point, that if we lose the big hitters, like Jackson and the movies he makes, then we
       lose the underlying talent and resources that make such movies possible. Though he did exaggerate
       a bit since we are now moving into a more entertainment industry globally, where smaller media
       companies can quickly go viral spreading making huge profits for themselves. Movies might be seen
       like the large cruise liners, they have their place in a niche but other boating and flight have long since
       expanded the underlying industry to not have to worry about government’s backing the movie industry.

       So if we lose all movies and never have another made, all that equipment and talent might get
       released into a huge new economic windfall to NZ in producing fast, stunning media products
       and services. Is Warner Brother the great Northern Irish Chip Builder of the past economy?
       And Key just the British government trying vainly to drum up more work for them?

       Are 3D movies the titanic of that by gone era?
       • Lanthanide 3.2.1.1

         27 October 2010 at 10:10 am

         Except this time they’re talking about making the Hobbiton set more permanent – last time they gutted it after filming.

         So losing out on that, potentially to have it recreated permanently in the UK with a much greater tourism market (all of continental europe), could dry up tourism at the shell of Hobbiton that we have in Matamata.
     • prism 3.2.2

       27 October 2010 at 10:03 am

       Key made a comment on the line that NZ hadn’t made anything from govts past investment in film and I think he meant LOTR. But I don’t remember the exact comment and the question he was replying to. It is possible that the multiplier effect hasn’t been added in. With tax deductions at each level of money circulation each $ still goes on to provide a portion for three further transactions. He can’t afford to be relaxed about this project and the very worthwhile jobs and skills it carries.

       Also of course there is consciousness raising and profile of NZ in the world. We can do pr stunts like shearing a sheep on an iceberg which was amazing. But we need to be known for more than farm animals. And the sheep industry did not receive a magic boost to prosperity and stability from the iceberg stunt, it is taking hard work and thinking to pump up this industry. Key needs to attend to encouraging and getting behind more businesses than just farming and monopoly money.

       An item on Radionz about French businesses shedding workers over 50 points out that the lack of jobs for this age group means a scary gap before reaching retirement pension age. Businesses must not be thought of like weeds that arise from every bit of bare earth. They need nurturing like trees so they will grow strong and last for decades at least.
     • Draco T Bastard 3.2.3

       27 October 2010 at 11:31 am

       If the government wanted to boost our movie making capability then what they’d do is print the necessary money and buy up the rights, hire the right people (PJ etc) and then let them make the movie. Similar deal to what Warner Bros has for the employees and the government (us) is the one that gets the multi-billion dollar profits. These profits can then be fed back into the industry and elsewhere (say another few hundred million into R&D).

       We don’t need Warners Bros or anyone else to produce movies in NZ. We’ve already proved that we have the talent now it’s just putting in the needed resources and we have those as well.
     • Bill 3.2.4

       27 October 2010 at 11:35 am

       How about the creativity of talented storytellers gets encouraged rather than proponents of necessarily expensive hi-tech candy coated plastic (c.c.p.) fx guys?

       Good stories told through visual formats such as film can be extraordinarily entertaining without any need for hi-tech c.c.p. If visual trickery is required, then imaginative creative strategies far surpass the ‘realist’ efforts of current computer efforts. And all the current computer efforts in the world cannot disguise the fact that most of the stories being told are either crap or are good stories that we have heard before simply being expensively repackaged…in Jacksons case, King Kong, LOTR, Hobbit…

       Is it only me who would rather something new above remixed, remade, remodelled, really yawn repeats?
       • prism 3.2.4.1

         27 October 2010 at 11:39 am

         We had a clever smart capable knowlegeable wildlife film entity here doing NZ stuff well and didn’t it get sold off. NZ government – sells off the family silver for what they hope is magic beans.
         • Bill 3.2.4.1.1

           27 October 2010 at 11:49 am

           To Murdoch of all people, from memory.
           • Bored 3.2.4.1.1.1

             27 October 2010 at 12:06 pm

             Bloody typical….sell off the non commercial stuff and watch it asset stripped and sent to the wall.

             Putting on my company managers hat the most important thing about running my businesses is to provide some degree of stable continuity in a sea of discontinuity (the market). To date I have been successful in that I try at all times to ensure that our major advantages are amplified to the customer base and that we dont take on work that exposes our ability to deliver to our core strengths. Where ever possible we have either an annuity revenue base OR in the straight sales area a continuity of new products to market.

             When I question the set up of the NZ film industry the above criteria appear somewhat absent, it seems (from a distance) very boom bust, anybody out there who has a contrary view?
4. travellerev 4

   27 October 2010 at 8:02 am

   Update on the Kevin Brackens stand on 911, Afghanistan and the military industrial complex.

   When Kevin burst on the stage last week with his views on 911 and the need for a new and independent investigation the MSM, Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard and every Tom Dick and Harry from all over the political spectrum who had access to the MSM were quick to dismiss him as a fringe conspiracy nutter but the reality is as follows: In the OZ Herald poll more than 75% of the voters agreed with him. It also turns out that the Victoria labour council had voted in 2008 for a new and independent investigation of the events of 911 making Kevin a far less isolated individual than the MSM wanted to paint him.

   Here is a link to an interview with the man himself in which he get a proper stage to inform us of his ideas and the interview makes clear rather than being a wild eyed Conspiracy nut Kevin Bracken is an intelligent well informed individual worthy of the support he was able to generate for himself as a labour leader and his drive for a new and independent investigation of the events of 911 as shown in this statement:

   Hello all,

   For the record on the 28th of March 2008 the Victorian Trades Hall Council passed this motion after lengthy debate supporting a thorough and independent inquiry of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. From the minutes of the meeting on the 28th of March 2008;

   “That this meeting of VTHC Executive Council calls for a thorough, independent enquiry into the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11.

   The events of that day have been used to start pre-emptive wars “that will not end in our lifetime”. They have been used to attack civil liberties and legal principles that have been the cornerstone of civilized communities.

   There is an urgent need to reassess the way we view the world after September 11 and we call for proper investigation into the events around that day.”

   While I agree that they have not officially supported any theory around the events of 9/11 they do agree a new investigation is warranted!

   It might be prudent to remind the VTHC and the media of this fact!

   Victorian Trades Hall Council

   Telephone: (03) 9659 3511
   Fax: (03) 9663 2127
   Email: hatkinson@vthc.org.au
5. prism 5

   27 October 2010 at 10:56 am

   A collection of inconvenient and unsavoury facts about police standards from Dominion Post, the first relating to a woman JP, who is a Pacific Islander, wrongly accused of arson and the findings against the police involved, and the new senior appointments they have been endowed with. Below an interesting link relating to a report not released by the IPCA independent police conduct? authority –
   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4266201/Shamed-cop-given-plum-London-job

   1 Mrs Teokotai, a respected member of the Pacific Island community, lost her job at the St Lukes Tamariki and Mokopuna learning facility when police told them she was being investigated. (This about 2005.)
   The police case collapsed when no evidence was produced and the charge against her was dismissed. Tokoroa woman Odile Johnson-Ackerman was jailed for the arson.
   The IPCA said Mr Smith, former Bay of Plenty police professional standards boss, Garth Bryan, and former Taupo area commander Bob Burns, totally mismanaged a complaint by Mrs Teokotai’s son-in-law, Dave White, about the botched investigation and arrest. The report said by failing to alert Commissioner Broad and the IPCA to the complaint, Mr Smith and Mr Bryan acted unlawfully. The IPCA did not release the report, saying it did not believe it was of public interest.
   In December 2007 Mr Bryan was made investigation and review officer at Police National Headquarters and in December 2008 Mr Burns was appointed Southern police district commander.
   Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope, a leading contender to take over from commissioner Howard Broad, chaired the panel that rewarded Mr Smith with the promotion.
   Police said the panel that appointed Mr Smith was aware of a report that found Mr Smith acted unlawfully and totally mismanaged a string of complaints into the unlawful arrest of Tokoroa justice of the Peace Mii Teokotai.
   Six senior police applied for the two-year London posting, including at least two other superintendents but police said Mr Smith was the preferred candidate. (So what has Tokoroa got for leverage over the leading chief police?)

   Police said the review into their appointments process was being done at the top levels of the police hierarchy. The review was “ongoing” and “will be the subject of discussion with the wider police executive”. (What effect will top level overview have when they seem complacent and relaxed about serious behaviour in some officers and assist them into sinecures after leaving the Force? I don’t think we can say that the Force is with us.)

   2 It comes after revelations in August that police promoted Detective Inspector Dave Archibald to head the investigations and intelligence school at the Royal New Zealand Police College.
   Four years earlier Mr Archibald was caught accessing the police computer for information for a private investigator working for convicted rapist Brad Shipton during the Mt Maunganui pack rape trial.

   3 In July [2010] it was revealed Deputy Commissioner Viv Rickard, another senior officer who could have been in the running for Mr Broad’s job, was a referee for disgraced former police professional standards boss Jon Moss.
   Mr Moss resigned from police while under investigation for having an affair with a junior officer but went straight into a top taxpayer-funded investigator’s job in the justice sector.
   When first asked whether he was a referee, Mr Rickard declined to answer, saying: “We need to get our ducks in a row in this place [Police National Headquarters].”
   Mr Broad announced a criminal inquiry into Mr Moss after it was revealed that a senior government official received a death notice as Mr Moss allegedly stalked her when he was applying for a job with the Real Estate Agents Authority paying at least $150,000.
   The name Rickard seems to be concerned in many police and justice matters.
   So much coming from the central North Island. Hmmm

   Could be that this is a time for importing a police officer of high reputs from another country to break these collegial connections.
6. The Chairman 6

   27 October 2010 at 11:46 am

   Rates rises appear likely to help cover the looming cash crisis, assets could be sold, and millions could be added to the council’s debt.

   New mayor Celia Wade-Brown said she was keen to involve the community to find a solution to leaky homes funding besides rates [increases] and borrowings.

   http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4275109/Jobs-on-line-as-Wellington-council-cuts-costs
7. prism 7

   27 October 2010 at 11:49 am

   Transparency international put us high on the low corruption list. I wonder. After all it is based on the perceptions of the people they poll. Perhaps it is growing around our ankles and not noticed by NZ with a put up or shut up mentality.

   A sound clip from a Kaiapoi meeting of people concerned about their living conditions and their future and little things like that had an ending that stayed in my mind. A older man spoke in measured tones to bring his idea of commonsense to the whole proceeding and said that the authorities were doing the best they could and should be allowed to get on with it. And received agreeing claps. What?

   Some NZs haven’t got enough interest in other people’s difficult conditions or are in such a torpor that they believe that voicing dissatisfaction about legitimate problems matches unreasonable complaint. People like that would accept corrupt practices as the norm, mustn’t complain, be grateful, she’ll be right. If we have corruption in the police would we recognise and name it?
8. joe90 8

   27 October 2010 at 1:06 pm

   After reading America – The Grim Truth I’m more than happy that old “smile n wave” and whether or not a fucking movie is made here is all we’ve got to wind us up.
   • Colonial Viper 8.1

     27 October 2010 at 2:09 pm

     Both true and at the same time completely depressing. Mojito’s anyone?
     • joe90 8.1.1

       27 October 2010 at 2:37 pm

       Aye, the glass is half full CV but watching Nactional smirking their way through question time, that is depressing although this evenings piece of pig*, done in the Weber to accompany the coldies, will certainly help ease the malaise.

       *home grown
   • Draco T Bastard 8.2

     27 October 2010 at 2:35 pm

     The Handmaid’s Tale
     Awesome book and bloody scary as you can see how the US (and NZ because we’re following the US) is on the path to the society described in the book.
   • Bored 8.3

     27 October 2010 at 4:34 pm

     Fekk. Its is real worry when the words of Wormtongue are laid bare, and Theodenexposes in true words the corrupt state of Edoras (to use a LOTR analogy)…great article.
   • KJT 8.4

     27 October 2010 at 4:59 pm

     That is what we are heading for unless our Government is made to wake up and work for us.
9. Draco T Bastard 9

   27 October 2010 at 2:05 pm

   Ian Fletcher: Free trade theories based on dubious assumptions

   Unfortunately for free traders, it is riddled with holes, some of which even Ricardo acknowledged. If they held true, the hypothesis would hold water. But because they often don’t, it is largely inapplicable in the real world.

   And, as those assumptions don’t hold, the free-market is irrational
   • Colonial Viper 9.1

     27 October 2010 at 2:10 pm

     Now, what the hell is Granny Herald playing at. It may have started with Hickey, but all of this is looking far too much to be simple coincidence.
     • KJT 9.1.1

       27 October 2010 at 4:50 pm

       Well they could not really apologise and say they got things wrong. Maybe this is the mea-culpa for giving NACT too much ammunition.
   • Jim Nald 9.2

     27 October 2010 at 4:03 pm

     The time is nigh for us Kiwis to re-evaluate and firmly close the chapter on unthinking laissez-faire policies.

     To risk a pun and a rhyme, laissez-faire policies are leaving us lazy & bare … in terms of economic strategies and financial base.
10. bobo 10

    27 October 2010 at 2:20 pm

    Any idea why Matt McCarten is going to stand as an independent in the Mana bi-election and possibly split the left vote?
11. Pascal's bookie 11

    27 October 2010 at 3:55 pm

    Any lawyers in the house want to help me get my head around some international law stuff?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Geneva_Convention

    For starters it would seem that torture is illegal under the Geneva conventions in ways that apply to the recent wikileaks stuff in iraq. Specifically an order given to coalition troops in June 04 that allegations of Iraqi on Iraqi ‘abuse’ not be investigated. Beyond that there are the various conventions on tirture and domestic laws both here and in the US based on international treaties.

    Given that the current US admin is not investigating these issues where there is clear evidence to warrant such investigation, and given the treaties require such investigation, what are our obligations under the treaty re the forthcoming visit by the US Secretary of state?

    Any?
    • KJT 11.1

      27 October 2010 at 4:23 pm

      The US has vetoed any attempt in the UN to make their troops subject to international law. Including this one.
12. KJT 12

    27 October 2010 at 4:24 pm

    The Parnell story today.

    Mr Parnell. “I am going to refuse to work more than an eight hour day and the other tradesmen and labourers are going to support me with a similar refusal. Anyone who breaks ranks will be ducked in the harbour”.

    Employer. “If you do that I will get a fit of the pip and use it to threaten to take my ball away, as an excuse to get a bigger subsidy/Labour laws changed so you have to negotiate singly/longer working day legislated”.

    Paul Holmes et al. “The sky is falling”.

    Labour and the Greens. “We believe in freedom of association and the right to withdraw your labour for better wages and working conditions, but do not ever do it because the media will run around like headless chooks, and the public will blame us”.

    Legal expert. “Independent contractors’ cannot band together talk to each other about prices or working conditions. It is illegal”.

    Labourer. “How come contracting workers in other countries are allowed to negotiate collectively, while we cannot”.

    CTU. “We tried to get both parties to come to an amicable solution (which is our job) but after a deal was made the other party publically stabbed us in the back”.

    JK. “Thanks for the union bashing opportunity. Now we will reward employers, with some more anti worker legislation and with some more taxpayer dollars, for helping with our election campaign”.

    Onlooker. “Why is everyone so up in arms about a, possibly, 200 mil benefit to NZ going after they happily waved goodby to billions in employment and manufacturing over the last 30 years”.

    Where was the public outrage, to keep Skellerup, Firestone, Fisher and Paykel, boat building, coastal shipping, rail way and marine engineering, shoe making and all the other industries, as successive Governments did their best to remove employment and productive business from NZ.
    • Draco T Bastard 12.1

      27 October 2010 at 4:45 pm

      Where was the public outrage, to keep Skellerup, Firestone, Fisher and Paykel, boat building, coastal shipping, rail way and marine engineering, shoe making and all the other industries, as successive Governments did their best to remove employment and productive business from NZ.

      Buried in irrationality?
13. Bored 13

    27 October 2010 at 4:54 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/world/4277113/More-species-slide-to-extinction

    The good old Dim Post runs a prop up the adverts story…this should be front page everywhere. We all rent our hair at ethnic cleansing in Serbia, the concentration camps in Nazi germany, Gulags, Cambodian killing field etc etc. The deliberate killing of homo sapiens.

    Meanwhile through our own wanton actions species become extinct, and its not news. Is it not equivalent to homicide / genocide?
14. jimmy 14

    27 October 2010 at 5:14 pm

    Excellent analysis of the private prison rort,

    http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/10/profiteering-from-prisons/

    Just the blocking of information due to ‘commercial sensitivity’ is enough to make the whole justification for public private partnerships fall to bits.
    • Draco T Bastard 14.1

      27 October 2010 at 5:44 pm

      Just the blocking of information due to ‘commercial sensitivity’ is enough to make the whole justification for public private partnerships fall to bits.

      All government contracts should be open to the public view. I don’t care about “commercial sensitivity” – I want to know exactly how our money is being spent.
    • millsy 14.2

      27 October 2010 at 10:29 pm

      Quite frankly, private prisons are a throw back to the 19th century slave trade. They have no place in an enlightened society.

      But then again, mercenaries private military contractors are coming back in vogue, so what the hell.

      ++++++++

      And while we go on about the Hobbit (frankly I am sick of it), Bill English is going to do what Reagan, Thatcher, Douglas, Richardson, Gingrich, etc have never even come close do down. Completely and utterly shrink the state so it can drown in a teaspoon. (let alone a bathtub)

      Be very afraid people.
      • Draco T Bastard 14.2.1

        27 October 2010 at 11:28 pm

        Well, hopefully we kick the RWNJs out of government next year and we can start the repairs.
15. Draco T Bastard 15

    27 October 2010 at 6:47 pm

    Innovation just a “buzzword”

    The question of just what is being referred to, and measured, is problematic. The problem is not just one of definition, but is inherent in the topic itself. As noted in the key OECD Oslo Manual, “the complexity of the innovation process itself makes it difficult to establish absolutely precise guidelines.”

    So, innovation is a meaningless term used to make something sound good. Gotcha

    Bruno was burned at the stake in 1600 for championship of Copernicus, and Galileo was forced to retract his advocacy of Copernican theory by the Inquisition.

    It is no different today. The major scientific – and indeed existential – question of our time is the overcrowding of the planet, the massive use of resources by humanity, the destruction of other species and the subsequent threat to modern civilisation and humanity. That issue is far more serious and much more important than any of the past. The question is not philosophical and religious – it is one of survival.

    Such interdisciplinary science is denied in New Zealand by the scientific establishment. The mission of the major funding agency (FoRST) is “Actively growing value for New Zealand by investing for results from research and development”.

    So, the biggest questions of our time aren’t being addressed by our scientific community because of the ideological need for growth.

    Welcome to Hell where reality is dismissed in an endless search for higher profits.

Links to post

1. The Standard: posted on 26 October 2010 at 4:59 pm
2. Key’s announcement « The Standard: posted on 27 October 2010 at 7:30 pm

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