Open mike 29/05/2015

70 comments on “Open mike 29/05/2015 ”

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1. wyndham 1

   29 May 2015 at 7:21 am

   Long weekend coming up.About time to bring on Honest, Smiling John to clean up the latest McCully shambles. It will be difficult for even him to say “nothing to see”. Or will it?
   • b waghorn 1.1

     29 May 2015 at 7:34 am

     key will be hoping mccully hangs on, the last thing he needs is another unhappy ex minister sitting on the back benches.
     • Sacha 1.1.1

       29 May 2015 at 7:36 am

       McCully is protecting Key who made promises to the Saudis himself.
       • b waghorn 1.1.1.1

         29 May 2015 at 7:45 am

         Yes you’re right but its always the capos who get it to protect the don.
         I’m sure key will smile if it gets to the point of him sacking mccully .
2. riffer 2

   29 May 2015 at 7:28 am

   Well that was sneaky. First dump the $1000, then introduce compulsory enrollment to Kiwisaver.

   While I’m not necessarily against NZers saving, I have to wonder? If the country’s small employers were going to be bankrupted by any kind of rise to the minimum wage, how are they going to cope with the employer contributions to the Kiwisaver for employees?
   • Corokia 2.1

     29 May 2015 at 8:13 am

     Was thinking the same riffer. The same employers who are objecting to Health and Safety changes would surely kick up a stink if their contributions go up.
     • Charles 2.1.1

       29 May 2015 at 8:35 am

       “…kick up a stink…”
       Yeah right.

       Labour Party: “hey, what do you guys reckon about paying wages and setting rostered hours that mean your staff can contribute to the overall value of your business?”
       Employers: PISS OFF!

       John Key: “Hey, um, could you guys maybe eat some of your own shit? That’d look so cool posted on facebook.”
       Employers: “YES SIR HOW MUCH SIR THREE BAGS FULL SIR!”
       • Corokia 2.1.1.1

         29 May 2015 at 9:03 am

         I was referring to the delays caused by lobbying to National MPs by the business owners who don’t want the proposed changes to health and safety to go through. Some of National’s supporters are getting stroppy by the sound of it and those same employers are unlikely to want to pay out more money in kiwisaver employer contributions.
     • RedBaronCV 2.1.2

       29 May 2015 at 8:27 pm

       employer contributions won’t go up – there will just be no pay rises as they hand it over to KS not the employee as a heel of a lot of employment contracts are worded to allow that
       • Craig H 2.1.2.1

         29 May 2015 at 9:02 pm

         I’ve noticed that in my job where I review a lot of contracts (total remuneration packages), but I also know that total remuneration packages can’t be used to drop the wages actually paid below minimum wage so a minimum wage employee gets the employer contributions as extra.
   • Colonial Rawshark 2.2

     29 May 2015 at 8:37 am

     riffer: Kiwi Saver feeds hundreds of millions of dollars of workers money into financial institutions, hedge funds and Wall St casinos.

     That’s what this move is about. Key helping his mates to gamble with other peoples money – clipping the ticket on the way.
     • Corokia 2.2.1

       29 May 2015 at 8:58 am

       +100
   • Atiawa 2.3

     29 May 2015 at 11:58 am

     …….and once they reach a surplus or close to one, give tax cuts rather than restart contributions to the Cullen super fund.
     Sorry my mokopuna’s but my needs for retirement will be your burden.
3. les 3

   29 May 2015 at 7:44 am

   Labour want to get re elected …no need to reinvent the wheel.Just get the party strategists to watch the link someone provided to the Lynton Crosby dialogue…keep it simple…look after your base first,work on the swinging voters with emotive,clear messages,etc,etc.
   • Colonial Rawshark 3.1

     29 May 2015 at 8:38 am

     jeeeez did Labour forget the ABCs somewhere on the way…
     • weka 3.1.1

       29 May 2015 at 8:49 am

       lolz. I really don’t think poor PR is Labour’s primary problem (although I pity the PR firm they do use).
       • Colonial Rawshark 3.1.1.1

         29 May 2015 at 9:17 am

         AGREE
   • Puckish Rogue 3.2

     29 May 2015 at 11:45 am

     You forget discipline, Labour could get the best advice in the world and they still wouldn’t be able to implement it as someone like T. Mallard will bang on about moas or something

     Labour don’t have any discipline
4. philj 4

   29 May 2015 at 7:54 am

   180 FAIFAX journalists to be restructured, jobs possibly lost. Sad but ironic that as the print media has turned to rubbish, the people involved may lose their jobs. Perhaps if there was a quality newspaper to read in NZ, readership may have increased ? Alt media is the only worthwhile media left. Perhaps TS could morph into a quality center/left linked media channel? Occasionally TS does offer this opportunity which is appreciated.
5. Cave Johnson 5

   29 May 2015 at 8:04 am

   9 ha of land in West Auckland “previously set aside for a new secondary school which is no longer needed” is one of the planned new housing blocks that Nick Smith is talking about.
   Q. With the population growing steadily, how does it happen that a planned new secondary school is no longer needed? Maybe it won’t be needed for 10 years and by then the current politicians figure it will be someone else’s problem? It would be nice if the journalists on the bus tour today asked questions like this.
   • Charles 5.1

     29 May 2015 at 8:37 am

     How can we expect journalists to be concerned with journalism when the future of their gossip and disinformation industry is on shakey ground? Please, have some thought for the self-interest of the media!

     [sarc]
6. Colonial Rawshark 6

   29 May 2015 at 8:39 am

   Brief bio of Xi Jinping

   This is what it takes to direct an ancient country of 1.4B people.

   http://russia-insider.com/en/politics/why-xi-jinping-best-man-lead-china/ri7476
   • weka 6.1

     29 May 2015 at 9:31 am

     Very interesting, thanks.
   • vaughan little 6.2

     29 May 2015 at 1:19 pm

     Good content on his reading.

     the article doesn’t mention how his family was torn apart in the cultural revolution, or the massive sense of entitlement instilled into the children of the elite in the leafy Beijing compounds that were inherited from the Qing imperial regime. however zealous for communism zhongxun’s generation was, their offspring are red aristocrats. so the sense in the article that there’s an intergenerational continuity of forged-in-fire commitment to the communist cause doesn’t really stack up. the more pertinent continuity is between the current entitlement-fueled absolutist political culture and the political cultures that preceded it in China’s classical period.

     no time now but hopefully later i’ll get back and link to some stuff by geremie barme, who’s the total shizzles on china.
7. Colonial Rawshark 7

   29 May 2015 at 9:15 am

   After checking out info from Robert Atack, Guy McPherson, Dmitry Orlov etc (who are all on the mildly pessimistic end of the scale IMO) I think that a 50% reduction in world population (relative to today) by 2100 is a realistic scenario to be considered.
   • The Murphey 7.1

     29 May 2015 at 11:27 am

     With existing establishment choking life from the organic world I would say it is an absolute certainty

     Variables of time-line and numbers

     Regrettably too many have no idea the ‘war’ they are involved in which is why the distractions will continue to accelerate ultimately leading to a truncated time-line
     • Colonial Rawshark 7.1.1

       29 May 2015 at 12:47 pm

       The Extinction Survey

       Interesting post from Dmitry Orlove. Find out if you are willing to contemplate the fall of human civilisation.

       http://cluborlov.blogspot.co.nz/2015/05/the-extinction-survey.html
   • maui 7.2

     29 May 2015 at 11:44 am

     McPherson is talking about a 100% reduction by 2040 though, you would have to put him on the extremely pessimistic end of the scale.
     • Colonial Rawshark 7.2.1

       29 May 2015 at 11:50 am

       indeed, the very pessimistic end of the scale.
   • Draco T Bastard 7.3

     29 May 2015 at 12:50 pm

     The realistic scenario involves a drop to a global population of ~2b by around mid century. I’ve seen nothing to indicate that that number has changed any since the publication of Limits to Growth in the 1970s.
8. Michael 8

   29 May 2015 at 9:19 am

   http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/27/labour-spain-podemos-winning-streak-inspiring-people Good article in the guardian about Podemos, Labour, the left, and communication.
   • Bearded Git 8.1

     29 May 2015 at 11:26 am

     @ Michael This bit in particular struck me as apposite to NZ:

     “You can see how the already inward-looking left could become ever more insular, with leftwing meetings serving as group therapy rather than a means to win over the unconvinced or the unreached, and activists retreating into online “safe spaces” free of those who think differently.”

     While the Standard is marvellous (we should all be using this word in our posts today) the level of infighting and navel -gazing gets to me sometimes. Policies and means of communicating them to potential Left voters needs to be the main focus.
     • Marvellous Bearded Git 8.1.1

       29 May 2015 at 11:27 am

       I changed my name for today.
       • Chooky 8.1.1.1

         29 May 2015 at 4:33 pm

         what a marvellous name you have now…do keep it…it suits you
     • Colonial Rawshark 8.1.2

       29 May 2015 at 11:30 am

       I think policies should be a secondary focus.

       Rebuilding and redefining a cultural connection with NZers as well as creating properly resourced left wing infrastructure needs to be the primary focus.
     • The lost sheep 8.1.3

       29 May 2015 at 1:20 pm

       Yes ‘Marvellous BG’, you’d think the writer had been reading TS wouldn’t you!
       It’s worth quoting on a bit…

       ” Social media abounds with activists attacking others on the left for failing to abide by the strict rules of communication.
       Not speaking or writing in the correct way can be seen as suspicious at best, treacherous at worst. For millions of people who are not au fait with the latest queer theories, that means being written off……
       How ironic that the right preaches rampant individualism but often displays great solidarity, while the left professes collectivism, but often operates in the most rampantly individualistic way.
       Voices on the left who achieve any prominence whatsoever are castigated for careerism or other ulterior motives, or for failing to use their platform to promote the correct form of politics. Rather than seeing different strategies as complementary, an advocate of a different approach risks being accused of not acting in good faith.”

       But can you honestly see this behavior changing among the NZ Left?
       Because to change, you first of all need to accept that there is something wrong with the way you are acting, and I don’t see any evidence of the current Left being open to any significant level of genuine self examination.
       The trend is in fact exactly as the writer suggests, to turn inwards, and go in the opposite direction altogether, actively retrenching and putting up barricades to protect the status quo.

       The Left is facing death by dogma in other words.
9. weka 9

   29 May 2015 at 10:58 am

   I have a student loan from a long time ago. I don’t bother reading the statements because I’m under the repayment threshold and the interest gets written off. But I just looked at the one this week and see they charge a $40 admin fee, so the total is creeping up slowly. No idea how long they’ve been doing that, or how frequently the fee is applied, but am considering the sense of IRD sending out statements to someone who is not making payments and who will most likely never pay the loan back, and charging $40 for that service, which is essentially being covered by the government/themselves. Weird. Why they’re not using emailed, automated accounts by now is also very weird.
10. Morrissey 10

    29 May 2015 at 11:19 am

    Qatar’s BBC-lite is firmly on message with the dictatorship which funds it.
    Al Jazeera, Friday 29 May 2015

    Here’s the topic for discussion on Al Jazeera’s The Stream today:

    “Baltic states and their concerns over Russian military activities in the area.”

    No doubt we can look forward to a discussion as fair and balanced as its coverage of Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.
11. Colonial Rawshark 11

    29 May 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Official non-response responses to the climate and energy crises

    John Michael Greer hits the nail on the head again.

    What unites the era of pretense with the era of impact is the unshaken belief that in the final analysis, there’s nothing essentially wrong with the existing order of things. Whatever little difficulties may show up from time to time may be ignored as irrelevant or talked out of existence, or they may have to be shoved aside by some concerted effort, but it’s inconceivable to most people in these two eras that the existing order of things is itself the source of society’s problems, and has to be changed in some way that goes beyond the cosmetic dimension. When the inconceivable becomes inescapable, in turn, the second phase gives way to the third, and the era of response has arrived.

    This doesn’t mean that everyone comes to grips with the real issues, and buckles down to the hard work that will be needed to rebuild society on a sounder footing. Winston Churchill once noted with his customary wry humor that the American people can be counted on to do the right thing, once they have exhausted every other possibility. He was of course quite correct, but the same rule can be applied with equal validity to every other nation this side of Utopia, too. The era of response, in practice, generally consists of a desperate attempt to find something that will solve the crisis du jour, other than the one thing that everyone knows will solve the crisis du jour but nobody wants to do.

    http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.co.nz/
    • Draco T Bastard 11.1

      29 May 2015 at 5:46 pm

      Actual link
12. Chooky 12

    29 May 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Now for something very cheerful…

    Tony Blair is gone!

    ​’Hallelujah!’ Blair’s resignation as Middle East peace envoy prompts internet celebration’

    https://www.facebook.com/ajplusenglish/videos/vb.407570359384477/566518196823025/?type=2&theater

    http://rt.com/uk/262729-tony-blair-internet-reaction/
    • miravox 12.1

      29 May 2015 at 4:19 pm

      Then there’s this:

      Tony Blair has pointed to stretch of land between Oman and UAE as proof that his time as Middle East envoy was a resounding success.

      “Aside from a few angry expats on a visa run, this border was otherwise untouched by sectarian violence, highlighting the efforts my team and I have made to bring peace to the region.”

      Blair also highlighted 20 square kilometres of uninhabited desert in Saudi Arabia that had been “untouched by war” during his term with the UN.
      • Chooky 12.1.1

        29 May 2015 at 4:27 pm

        lol
13. b waghorn 13

    29 May 2015 at 1:30 pm

    http://i.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/68957290/Jenny-Shipley-among-Mainzeal-directors-facing-legal-action
    What a dodgy nat !! Surely not??
    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      29 May 2015 at 4:49 pm

      Shipley facing legal action over Mainzeal collapse

      Former Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley says she will “vigorously defend” legal action she is facing from the liquidators of collapsed property group Mainzeal.

      Liquidators confirm they have filed a court claim involving allegations of a breach of directors duties.

      Just another run of the mill National Party MP.

      If she’s found guilty I do hope that she loses the dame and rt honourable bit. Would be strange to call her rt honourable after she’s been found guilty of a crime.
      • b waghorn 13.1.1

        29 May 2015 at 7:01 pm

        Unfortunately there is no chance of justice being done people like her always get off.
      • RedBaronCV 13.1.2

        29 May 2015 at 8:31 pm

        Hopefully she’ll get some of the grief back that she handed out?
14. adam 14

    29 May 2015 at 1:33 pm

    Because it’s friday, and well, we could do with a laugh. Mind you has been some good sheep jokes the last couple of days. I blame Mickey Savage for that – he should really keep it up.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H-cQySsoMk
15. mac1 15

    29 May 2015 at 1:49 pm

    And in other news, Auckland restauranteurs get home detention for over $1 million in undeclared income, undeclared worker’s wages and benefit fraud of some $40K in overpaid working for families payments.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/curry-house-owners-fail-declare-1million-cash-sales-6324945

    At the same time, benefit fraud cost New Zealand $22 million in 2010, or around $5 for each New Zealander. While it is difficult to get accurate figures for tax evasion, the Tax Justice Network estimates New Zealand missed out on more than $7.4 billion of tax revenue in 2011, or around $1,500 per New Zealander.

    Dr Lisa Marriott, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Accounting and Commercial Law at Victoria University, has analysed court data on the most serious offending from 2008–2011 showing that 22 percent of people found guilty of tax offences received a custodial sentence while 60 percent of benefit fraudsters were imprisoned.
    Tax crimes are more costly, with those given custodial sentences committing offences valued at just over $800,000. Benefit fraud averaged $67,000 per offender.

    Is this one sentencing for the rich and another for the poor?

    http://www.victoria.ac.nz/research/expertise/business-commerce/fraud-sentencing
16. mac1 16

    29 May 2015 at 2:00 pm

    What a country we live in!

    Not only is there ‘pie in the sky when you die”, but also now if only you donate to the Destiny Church.

    Massey University history professor Peter Lineham, who wrote the 2013 book Destiny: The Life and Times of a Self-made Apostle, told the Herald on Sunday last weekend that Destiny annual conferences normally netted the controversial church leaders up to $500,000 in offerings.

    He expected Destiny to again cash in, telling the Herald many followers would heed to direct money messages linking potential blessings to what they offered the church financially.

    Professor Lineham said under the Destiny Church philosophy “if you give generously to the church you can expect great prosperity in the coming year”.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/time-you-overtaken-destiny-church-conference-could-wellspring-6325574
    • Colonial Rawshark 16.1

      29 May 2015 at 10:40 pm

      A potent mix of desperation, hope and greed.
17. hoom 17

    29 May 2015 at 2:01 pm

    The Great Auckland Tree Purge continues unabated with yet another big old tree in my immediate neighbourhood being progressively dismantled with a chorus of chainsaws.
    • mickysavage 17.1

      29 May 2015 at 2:26 pm

      Where abouts Hoom?
18. Puckish Rogue 18

    29 May 2015 at 4:03 pm

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/opinion/68812151/Unlikely-source-of-inspiration-for-Campbell

    This bit made me laugh:

    If just 50,000 of those who signed the various “Save Campbell Live” petitions agreed to pay a small monthly subscription then you would expect Campbell’s team would have enough to get a show going. And without network interference, they would be free to make exactly the kind of show they wanted.

    The left putting their hands in their own pockets is just too funny
    • Gangnam Style 18.1

      29 May 2015 at 4:10 pm

      like the loan to mediaworks?
      • Puckish Rogue 18.1.1

        29 May 2015 at 4:13 pm

        Paid back with interest

        But onto more serious matters all the people need to do is put their money where their mouths are and Campbell can do what he likes about anything he likes

        and isn’t that what you want?
        • Colonial Rawshark 18.1.1.1

          29 May 2015 at 5:41 pm

          Paid back with interest

          Its not the government’s job to give non-credit worthy corporations sweetheart loans. If the corporation could not get financing through a retail bank it should have gone under. It’s called fiscal discipline.
          • Draco T Bastard 18.1.1.1.1

            29 May 2015 at 5:44 pm

            +1
          • Stephanie Rodgers 18.1.1.1.2

            29 May 2015 at 8:05 pm

            Funny how it’s the left who actually understand how the profit/loss/risk motivations of capitalism are meant to work.
        • Paul 18.1.1.2

          29 May 2015 at 8:28 pm

          Is that the best you can do.
          Puppet of the corporates.
      • Draco T Bastard 18.1.2

        29 May 2015 at 5:18 pm

        I’m going with PR here. I’ve said time and time again that if the Left got together and paid in $1 per week we’d have better finances than National and the RWNJs in general. It’s something that we used to know and have forgotten since the 1980s with the death of mass political parties.
        • weka 18.1.2.1

          29 May 2015 at 6:15 pm

          I agree. I’ve been mulling over what Campbell could do if he was backed to do his own show.
19. te reo putake 19

    29 May 2015 at 5:54 pm

    NZ Football puts the boot into Blatter! Nice work, people.

    http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/nzf-to-vote-for-change/
20. weka 20

    29 May 2015 at 6:01 pm

    The Greens are live streaming parts of the their AGM, of special interest is the new male co-leader announcement/speech.

    Kia ora Green Party whānau,

    Do you want to be part of your AGM first hand? And see all the action as it
    happens?
    This year there has been unprecedented interest in our annual conference
    so we are doing something special to bring the conference to all of you,
    our members.

    For the first time we will be live streaming large chunks of the action.
    You can watch our new Co-leader be elected, as if you were here – head over
    to https://livestream.com/nzgreens [2]

    Watch my opening speech at 10am Saturday 30 May.

    Watch the our new Co-leader be announced at 2pm Saturday 30 May.

    And last but certainly not least – watch our new Co-leader’s first speech
    where he will set out his vision for our party at 11.30 Sunday 31 May.

    It’s all on this weekend, if you can’t make it in person, make sure you
    tune in and join us for this special occasion.

    I’m excited and I hope you are too.

    Arohanui,

    Metiria Turei

    Green Party CO-leader
    • Stephanie Rodgers 20.1

      29 May 2015 at 8:09 pm

      Cheers for that, I’ll definitely tune in for the announcement.
      • weka 20.1.1

        29 May 2015 at 8:25 pm

        Looks like they’ll be interviewed on Q and A too (“first in depth interview”)
21. Ron 21

    29 May 2015 at 8:30 pm

    Forget all this petty argument the only question worthy of pondering this weekend is Who is on the honours list.
    Maybe John will get his knighthood early because he was so nice to HM. when he visited her.
    Then there is that nice man at Sky City who surely deserves a gong for stepping in and paying a little more for the Convention Centre.
    Maybe another John to make up for all the nasty problems the Crown Prosecutor’s Office caused him.
    Any other suggestions
    • millsy 21.1

      29 May 2015 at 10:35 pm

      Sir Mark Weldon?
      Sir Jonah Lomu?
      Dame Ruth Richardson — or would that be too toxic even for Key?
22. Anne 22

    29 May 2015 at 8:35 pm

    “Dame” Julie Christie for services to the corporate media?

Links to post

1. New Greens co-leader elected today « The Standard: posted on 30 May 2015 at 9:15 am

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