Open mike 29/10/2024

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 29th, 2024 - 45 comments
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45 comments on “Open mike 29/10/2024 ”

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  1. Sanctuary 1
    29 October 2024 at 9:26 am

    RNZ is running an "America decides" special next week. America won't decide, a few swing states in a deliberately anti-democratic system will decide. Trump runs a hate rally designed to rally the most loathsome of his base and RNZ leads with Trump media stocks soaring. Both Woefully bad pieces of eye popingly lazy editorial decision making at our supposed flagship news outlet. Survey after survey shows woefully bad public understanding of the level of crime, where most government money goes, the state of education – the list goes on. Meanwhile, the owner of Stuff secretly joins a secret right wing pressure group and uses her newspapers to deliberately undermine the democratically elected council with a secret editorial agenda. Sure, the MSM has some good journalists (although to date none of The Posts or Stuffs journalists have had the guts and ethically integrity to resign and denounce the abuse of public trust by their boss Sinead Boucher) but when are we going to deal with the reality our senior media ownership and editors seem to see their job mainly as one of myth making and misleading stories and peddling misinformation for clicks?

    • Bearded Git 1.2
      29 October 2024 at 10:46 am

      Any links, sources or more info on the Boucher links to the RWPG Sanc?

      That is disgusting if true. The MSM has had it in for Tory Whanau from the start.

      Meanwhile dinosaur-mayor Brown in Auckland gets a free ride.

      • Muttonbird 1.2.1
        29 October 2024 at 11:04 am

        Joel MacManus does a good explainer here:

        On Friday, The Post splashed its front page with the headline: “We have lost our shine: Capital’s power brokers want city back on track”. The story, which didn’t have a reporter’s name attached to it, read like a press release for the launch of a new local political group, Vision for Wellington.

        Vision for Wellington describes itself as a “voice advocating for Wellington and calling for change” and also claims to be “politically neutral”. Those are mutually exclusive concepts.

        I've been complaining recently about the number of press-release like articles appearing all over the media with no reporter byline. Someone has written them, or been forced to write them, but are unwilling to, or stopped from, putting their name to them.

        I'm glad that at least one reporter has noticed this.

        https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/29-10-2024/windbag-wellington-city-council-isnt-dysfunctional-theyre-just-politicians

        • Incognito 1.2.1.1
          29 October 2024 at 11:26 am

          So, The Post is a new Platform?

          When transparency and accountability start disappearing it often makes way for the murkiness of dishonesty and manipulation.

        • Bearded Git 1.2.1.2
          29 October 2024 at 11:58 am

          Thanks Mutton…that says it all. This article should be the subject of a major post on TS.

        • SPC 1.2.1.3
          29 October 2024 at 8:30 pm

          Well that explains the lack of criticism in the Post as to the 4 councillors who changed their vote on the airport share sale.

          Like the government ministers Brown and Bishop, who tried to coerce the mayor to end the GM project (funded by the previous government), they also wanted a ruse by which to block the plan which (once) had majority support on council.

          Their own motive might include affinity with the well to do middle class – property/business owners. And discomfort at change (their own conservatism while they rail against little Brexit, Hunn era assimilationism, neo-biological realism and Peterson's evolutionary patriarchy under God as the natural order psychology of others).

          It is said that progress is in the eye of the beholder, but Karl du Fresne's shadow remains hanging like a sheet on an old Dominion masthead. Mr Magoo still lives among us. And Long too drifted onto that right wing cloud to prevent light.

          • Muttonbird 1.2.1.3.1
            29 October 2024 at 8:46 pm

            Same old shit from the Wellington ratepayers. We have nice houses and don't need public amenities because we have nice houses. Those who do need public amenities should have worked a bit harder and made better decisions. We are not paying for anything.

          • Dolomedes III 1.2.1.3.2
            30 October 2024 at 10:04 am

            What is "neo-biological realism"? Googling the term didn't get me anywhere useful.

      • Koina 1.2.2
        29 October 2024 at 1:27 pm

        How on earth Brown and Whanau became Mayors of Auckland and Wellington

        respectively is from the Far Side.

        But then Ardern and Luxon were obscure nobodies who

        after 3 bland years in Parliament suddenly became Prime Minister.

        With that in Mind I am tossing up between becoming Mayor of our City

        next year or Prime Minister in 2029.

        Reckon I can do both standing on my head

        Better start looking for an apartment on the Terrace.

        I'll keep y'all iupdated on X and Tik Tok.

    • Macro 1.3
      29 October 2024 at 4:35 pm

      Hear! Hear!

      I could hardly believe my ears this morning tuning in to RNZ morning report this morning and hearing that!

      Trump runs a hate rally designed to rally the most loathsome of his base and RNZ leads with Trump media stocks soaring.

      🙄

  2. newsense 2
    29 October 2024 at 12:39 pm

    Oh god we need satire for this government.

    Please start a post- ‘They’re idiots’and not above the law’ which brilliantly describes this governing arrangement, with its laser focus on a poem written years ago and providing cigarettes to everyone it can while claiming to be stopping the trade.

    With thanks to Mark Mitchelll.

  3. Subliminal 3
    29 October 2024 at 12:44 pm

    From the eternal grief that is Gaza:

    Tragically, 9-year-old Zaina Al-Ghoul was killed yesterday by an Israeli airstrike while waiting to receive a biscuit at Asmaa School in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

    https://x.com/palinfoen/status/1850855031161131374

  4. newsense 4
    29 October 2024 at 2:30 pm

    Bella Donna

    This either translates as beautiful lady or refers to

    Deadly Nightshade which is highly poisonous

    Give you two guesses which

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • Belladonna 4.1
      29 October 2024 at 4:13 pm

      When you can't even muster up a response to an argument – and simply resort to ad hominem attacks about someone's username – it says a lot about your intelligence level (none of it good).

      I'll refrain from a cheap pot shot at your handle – though it would be oh, so easy.

      • newsense 4.1.1
        29 October 2024 at 7:37 pm

        It’s a statement of fact about the name you’ve chosen.

        It has multiple meanings. It’s simply reading the name. It’s the kind of thing a smart alec politico would enjoy.

        Given that you like to derail a thread on Labour day to tell us how happy Uber drivers are with their rights, it’s my mistake not to see that as the gracious words of a beautiful lady, but as someone who likes adding some venom to the discussion.

        As for my name, yes it’s a joke on people in the comments who think they’re adding to the sum total of human knowledge and of the amount of use any of us is, but particularly me, commenting here.

        I apologise for misreading your intent with your name- as well as the reasoning above I’ve found it unusual for New Zealanders to comment on their appearance too, even in jest, so that too led to me being duped.

        • Muttonbird 4.1.1.1
          29 October 2024 at 8:54 pm

          A user's handle is a deliberate choice and part of the user's psyche and so a legitimate point of discussion.

          We don't post in a vacuum.

          Haven't thought much about the handle Belladonna beyond the fake centrist guise, but that person does write like a man rather than a woman.

          In that respect it’s more poison, less lady.

        • Obtrectator 4.1.1.2
          30 October 2024 at 12:24 am

          The first three lines of the original comment are a "statement of fact". The last is not.

          • newsense 4.1.1.2.1
            30 October 2024 at 2:22 am

            Yeh fair enough Obtrectator. I also apologise for that. That’s out of line snark.

        • Belladonna 4.1.1.3
          30 October 2024 at 9:45 am

          It's a statement of fact that you are apparently more engaged with my user handle that with the actual argument.

          That says a lot about you, none of it good.

          If you actually read my comment it said nothing about Uber drivers being happy.

  5. thinker 5
    29 October 2024 at 3:00 pm

    MP sets sight on scrapping West Auckland licensing trust monopolies
    https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/10/28/mp-sets-sight-on-scrapping-west-auckland-licensing-trust-monopolies/

    Talk about a nanny state… Every referendum those who live in the Trust areas voted to keep the Trust and stop the unfettered growth of liquor stores.

    So ACT says, following the principle of less government intervention, they want to pass legislation to overturn what the community said it wanted.

    I don't get it. Isn't that MORE government intervention, not less?

    • KJT 5.1
      29 October 2024 at 3:17 pm

      "Libertarians" are only for "small Government" when it restricts their increasing their wealth.

      When it comes to them making more money, getting more public money, keeping the commons they have stolen. Their "small Government", principles fly out the window.

      Exposing their total hypocrisy.

    • Incognito 5.2
      29 October 2024 at 3:22 pm

      The operative word here is monopoly.

      • KJT 5.2.1
        29 October 2024 at 3:49 pm

        Which there is a local ballot on every election.

        • Incognito 5.2.1.1
          29 October 2024 at 6:07 pm

          The concept of monopoly is anathema to unfettered free-market competition and inhibited personal access & choice.

          Every local elections new board members are elected, not to continue or dissolve the Trusts as such. The last time they tried to dissolve the Trusts in West Auckland was in 2003.

          • KJT 5.2.1.1.1
            29 October 2024 at 6:58 pm

            Libertarians love monopoly. So long as it is theirs. Preferably with tax payer support.

            Democratically controlled monopoly, for the benefit of the local community, not so much!

            • thinker 5.2.1.1.1.1
              30 October 2024 at 7:43 am

              …like when they privatized telecom to introduce competition but gave telecom a monopoly on the lines …

              I think it took a left-wing coalition to bring an end to that gravy train…

  6. dv 6
    29 October 2024 at 3:59 pm

    GEEZ

    Government reveals new self-certification scheme for builders, businesses

    What could possibly go wrong!!!

    • Rosielee 6.1
      29 October 2024 at 4:31 pm

      Nothing, as long as it is clear that those builders and businesses are responsible for making right/compensating for any faults, defects and shoddy or incompetent workmanship.

      • Belladonna 6.1.1
        29 October 2024 at 4:37 pm

        I would argue that builders and developers should be required to take out insurance on their builds. Which gets around the very common practice of setting up a company for a specific project, and then winding it up, once the project is complete – leaving no one liable for any defects.

        If insurance against shoddy workmanship was mandatory (as it is in Switzerland, for example) – owners would be able to be compensated. And repeat offenders would be unable to get insurance, and therefore unable to continue their poor practice (some of which is literally scamming people).

        While making an insurance claim is no fun – it sure beats the zero chance of getting any compensation at all – which we've seen from some of these fly-by-night operators.

        • KJT 6.1.1.1
          29 October 2024 at 5:20 pm

          Self certification and private building inspections was a costly failure before. Why would you expect it to work better next time?
          Note that building defects can take decades to become apparent.

          We did offer defect and construction insurance for our house builds anyway.
          Never had a claim BTW.
          It does cost the homeowner, but was only thousands on a 100k house.

          Interesting that we could get 10 years from the insurance company as one man bands whereas at the time many big companies were only allowed 5. To many big companies hiding shoddy work in bankruptcy.

          What will happen without the base line of building code and inspections keeping the quality up is, insurance will become prohibitively expensive. Also the problem of the builder being held responsible for things he has no control over. Like the sub standard designs and materials in the leaky homes era.

          • Belladonna 6.1.1.1.1
            30 October 2024 at 9:53 am

            Having build insurance also protects the builder. Since it's then up to the insurance company to pursue the government (or local government) over standards failure, or the manufacturers over poor quality materials.
            Insurance companies are a lot better at doing this than ordinary homeowners or builders.

            • KJT 6.1.1.1.1.1
              30 October 2024 at 3:57 pm

              If you take away the "floor" of inspections and regulation, insurance will become way too expensive for most builders and homeowners. Transferring the cost of the cowboys onto everyone else.
              That happened after the 90’s,

              You will find that insurance companies, rather than going to the bother of persuing the culprit, will just pay in individual cases and simply put everyone’s premiums up.

              And yes, insurance did protect me as well. Especially for things such as faulty materials. When we had proper building inspectors employed by councils insurance wasn’t too onerous.

              But I don’t see insurance companies taking a class action against cladding manufacturers, for one example.

        • KJT 6.1.1.2
          29 October 2024 at 5:31 pm

          Homeowners and developers wanting to flick houses off within five years for a quick capital gain were/are a big part of the problem.

          Houses just have to look good to the initial buyer.

          A repeat of the deregulation will again be a bonanza for cowboys. Leaving everyone with the fixup costs and the consequent insurance premiums.

          We are still paying the price of National’s last “unfortunate experiment” with building deregulation.

          I would suggest that if a builder cannot offer a 10 year insurance backed guarantee now. Avoid them.

          • Belladonna 6.1.1.2.1
            30 October 2024 at 9:56 am

            I would suggest that if a builder cannot offer a 10 year insurance backed guarantee now. Avoid them.

            ATM, only masterbuilder (or equivalent) offer anything like this. Absolutely the top end of the market.
            'Ordinary' buyers aren't buying at that end.
            Mandating insurance for builds requires everyone to deliver at that level (or go out of business)

            • KJT 6.1.1.2.1.1
              30 October 2024 at 3:55 pm

              Master builders tend to be cowboys joining the organisation to give themselves credibility, at least locally. Not at all the top end of the market as anyone can join Master builders who pays their fee.

              When I was building I, as basically a one man band, could offer a 10 year warranty through an insurance company. At the time ""Master builders", who should never have been allowed to appropriate that term, (a " Master of your trade" are a time served and qualified experienced tradesperson which most Master builders members were not!) were cut to 5 years as they had too many claims.

              Certified builders on the contrary have to be qualified and show evidence of workmanship and builds to join.

            • KJT 6.1.1.2.1.2
              30 October 2024 at 5:14 pm

              I reckon insurance companies and banks will scotch the idea of self certification anyway.

              Insurance costs will be too high. The reason why civil engineers and the like charge thousands hourly, is to pay their insurance.

              Banks will not like the uncertainty with the values of assets they hold a mortgage on.

        • Rosielee 6.1.1.3
          29 October 2024 at 7:46 pm

          yes

    • Mike the Lefty 6.2
      29 October 2024 at 8:37 pm

      Another item to add to the list of National's dumbass ideas.

      The fly-by-nighter tradesmen will likely be supportive.

    • SPC 6.3
      29 October 2024 at 8:46 pm

      They expect people to buy these homes at their own risk?

      Is it of a design to block trust in small fly by night builders and encourage people to buy off the plans of the big developers – the ones they are underwriting?

      We will need some body to provide information to the public as to the standing of those in that industry – given the government won’t do its job.