Open mike 29/06/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, June 29th, 2016 - 180 comments
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180 comments on “Open mike 29/06/2016 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    29 June 2016 at 6:13 am

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    Selfish, greedy.
    Private landlords.

    ‘Working group formed to combat substandard housing’

    “Horrendous” rental accommodation in Tararua has prompted the community to take matters into their own hands. A working group has been formed to look at the quality of community housing, social housing and pensioner housing in the district.

    Winter told Stuff some people simply struggled to keep their homes warm, dry and safe.
    “Housing is an important issue. It’s a lot more important than people think. When you’ve never had to live in a car or sleep in someone’s garage you don’t understand. Often those people who are in that position don’t have much of a voice.”

    Read more here…
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/81506260/working-group-formed-to-combat-substandard-housing

  2. Paul 2
    29 June 2016 at 6:13 am

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    Uncaring.
    Timaru District Council

    Timaru council report dismisses ‘living wage’ proposal

    A call to raise Timaru District Council workers’ wages has been knocked back in a council report.
    Timaru man Roger Fagg has requested the council pay a “living wage to all those it employs and to those it contracts work to”.
    However, a council report estimates paying at least $19.25 an hour to all workers would cost an extra $200,000 a year and recommends not implementing the measure.
    In fact, an announcement from the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit in February indicates its definition of the living wage for the financial year ending 2017 is $19.80 an hour, or 29.8 per cent higher than the national minimum wage of $15.25 an hour.

    Read more here…
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/81462652/timaru-council-report-dismisses-living-wage-proposal

  3. Paul 3
    29 June 2016 at 6:14 am

    Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
    We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.

    Greedy.
    The rich.

    The top tenth of Kiwis hold well over half of New Zealand’s wealth

    On Tuesday Statistics NZ figures showed the wealthiest 10 per cent of Kiwis now hold close to 60 per cent of the wealth, with their share of the pie increasing.
    In the year to June 30, 2015, the top 10 per cent of individuals held about 59 per cent of the wealth in New Zealand, compared to about 54 per cent in 2009/10.
    The top 5 per cent of individuals held around 45 per cent of the wealth, while the top 1 per cent held about 22 per cent.
    For both groups the share of the nation’s wealth has risen significantly since 2010.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/81539857/top-tenth-of-kiwis-hold-well-over-half-of-new-zealands-wealth-official-figures-show

  4. Peter Swift 4
    29 June 2016 at 6:38 am

    Labour leader confidence vote result, or as it turns out, very much no confidence.
    On these numbers, Corbyn won’t even have enough support to be be named on a leadership ballot, when it actually eventuates. That’s fatally damning.

    172 votes against Jeremy Corbyn
    40 in support
    4 abstentions

    • tc 4.1
      29 June 2016 at 6:43 am

      Just shows how far the Labour Party has strayed from its original remit.

      • Peter Swift 4.1.1
        29 June 2016 at 6:53 am

        That’s one hypothesis

        • Paul 4.1.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 6:57 am

          Seems to be fairly explicit.
          Clause 4 – its original remit.

          To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clause_IV

        • Hanswurst 4.1.1.2
          29 June 2016 at 8:03 am

          How can it be an “hypothesis” when the vote has already taken place, and the original aims of the Labour party are known?

          Sloppy language is often an indication of sloppy thinking.

          • Peter Swift 4.1.1.2.1
            29 June 2016 at 10:15 am

            I’m guessing you’re just looking for a way to discredit. By picking what may, or may not, be the wrong choice of word to use, then so be it. That’s not sloppy thinking, but is evidence of a certain amount of butt hurt on your part for some reason.

            Hypothesis synonyms: theory, theorem, thesis, conjecture, supposition, speculation, postulation, postulate, proposition, premise, surmise, assumption, presumption, presupposition

            As it is, the clause 4 comment wasn’t the addressed reply, and as 80% of the plp not supporting it’s leader isn’t factual evidence of any measure demonstrating how the party has strayed from it’s original remit, I’m not sure hypothesis really is the wrong word after all.

      • te reo putake 4.2.1
        29 June 2016 at 6:57 am

        I’ve always found the Ashburton Guardian to be quite sound on the Blair matter. Sure, they don’t talk about Mr Tony often, concentrating instead on spore counts and sheep kill numbers, but they’re still a lot more sensible than John Pilger.

        • Paul 4.2.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 7:02 am

          The Guardian has changed quite a lot in the past few years…..

          ‘Red Neoliberals: How Corbyn’s Victory Unmasked Britain’s Guardian’

          https://off-guardian.org/2015/09/21/red-neoliberals-how-corbyns-victory-unmasked-britains-guardian/

          • te reo putake 4.2.1.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 7:09 am

            I’d rather read the Guardian. Particularly all their many, many lefty authors who generally don’t call everyone whose views they don’t agree with Blairite Neolibs, because they know how silly that would make them look.

            And there’s always Steve Bell:

            https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2016/jun/28/steve-bells-if-sith-lord-tony-blair-attacks-obi-jez-corbyn

            • Colonial Viper 4.2.1.1.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 8:46 am

              Ahhhh the Chardonnay Socialist Establishment Guardian. They were anti Corbyn the first time around, and they will be anti Corbyn this time around. Not surprised you like them TRP, you are their kind of Labour Third Way reader.

              • Ad …
                29 June 2016 at 8:55 am

                We all just need to be more and more radical.
                And just enjoy extremist things.
                It’s a sure fire winner.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  29 June 2016 at 9:06 am

                  i don’t think you understand Ad, even though the evidence is right in front of your face. Even though regional England just sent a very loud and very clear message. Even though Labour general members sent the very highly paid Labour caucus a very clear message by electing Jeremy Corbyn.

                  Radicalism and extremism is on the upswing in western society. Dissatisfaction with the business as usual establishment is strong. The right understand this and are taking advantage of it. The Parliamentary Labour Party on the other hand are too arrogant to even listen.

                  So the message is going to get louder.

                • mauī …
                  29 June 2016 at 9:14 am

                  People without jobs, homes, proper income is extremist. The state of the environment is extreme too. Looking for answers is not extremism.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    29 June 2016 at 9:25 am

                    whereas a 200 member caucus fucking over a hundred thousand party general membership is seen as mainstream and reasonable by some.

                    • RedLogix …
                      29 June 2016 at 9:59 am

                      When I speak up in favour of sound, sustainable and just governance it’s wrong to think this makes me pro-establishment.

                      Right now it’s absolutely undeniable the establishment is broken, and it’s only conviction is clinging to power and suppressing the voice of ordinary people. Over the past decade every authentic progressive grass-roots political movement has been ruthlessly put down.

                      The inevitable outcome will of course be a radical break-down of the political process and a failure of government, and at that point we all discover that the only thing worse than bad government … is no government at all.

                      The sole issue worth thinking about at the moment, is how do ordinary people take back democratic accountability of the system? It is of course easiest and logical to start personal, work local and progress upward, coalescing with other similar efforts. Top down reform is no longer possible. That door is slammed shut and tightly welded over.

                      But it is a fatal error to only work at the local scope. To my mind the critical factor will be reaching out globally to others of like mind. There are hundreds of millions of us all over the planet. Isolated and atomised by the forces of capitalism we are reduced to irrelevancy.

                      Connect us globally, reach out to progressives in all countries, cultures and political settings – and we would change everything.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      29 June 2016 at 10:10 am

                      And how does one counter the normal human limits of people only being able to establish personal relationships with only 100-200 people max? Let alone a whole planet worth of humans?

                      Kiwis are more socialist and more educated than most.

                      But as a society we tolerate dozens or hundreds of NZ kids in poverty living within just kilometres of us. (For those of us resident in NZ).

                      We can’t even get past this supposedly simple hurdle, let alone talk about connecting with hundreds of millions of theoretical people ten thousand kilometres away somewhere.

                      Yes a few people can visualise an entire city, or an entire country or an entire world (or an entire universe) in their minds eye.

                      But that’s a very few people out of the whole.

                    • RedLogix …
                      29 June 2016 at 10:28 am

                      You nailed it better below “successful mass movements rarely make the compromises necessary to wield formal power, rather they pressure the establishment to do the right thing”.

                      All the big political, economic and environmental problems we face are global in nature. The privileged elites we face have little commitment to any nation, their loyalty lies to their class that owns businesses and property anywhere on the globe, and who fly their private jets around with little to no concern for the lives of us ordinary people.

                      If we are to ever pressure these people to ‘do the right thing’, we must apply a pressure to them everywhere, and leave no place for them to hide. This means we must be everywhere they are.

                      And how does one counter the normal human limits of people only being able to establish personal relationships with only 100-200 people max? Let alone a whole planet worth of humans?

                      Fair question. The answer is … this is what we have formal organisations and institutions for. Too many on the left have real issues with the notion of authority, but without it humans never achieve anything of lasting value at scale.

            • KJT 4.2.1.1.1.2
              29 June 2016 at 6:56 pm

              As opposed to characterising all who voted for Brexit as xenophobic, misogynistic uneducated rednecks.

        • Ad 4.2.1.2
          29 June 2016 at 7:33 am

          Top work trp

        • Pat 4.2.1.3
          29 June 2016 at 8:12 am

          sheep?…what are they?

        • Colonial Viper 4.2.1.4
          29 June 2016 at 8:31 am

          “but they’re still a lot more sensible than John Pilger.”

          Always ready with the establishment point of view TRP. You won’t shed a tear when Corbyn is run over by the UK Labour neoliberals.

          • te reo putake 4.2.1.4.1
            29 June 2016 at 8:52 am

            Hey, at least I have the advantage of having met John Pilger a few times. I found him to warm, pleasant, intelligent and often wrong. But he’s bright enough not to characterise the alternative ideas of other people as being cast iron evidence of them being establishment tool, neo cons, Blairites etc. In other words, he’s grounded and sensible, which makes his opinions valuable, even if they’re not always on the money.

            • Ad 4.2.1.4.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 8:56 am

              How would you compare John Pilger to Oliver Stone?

              • Colonial Viper …
                29 June 2016 at 8:59 am

                or Michael Moore. Or Glenn Greenwald.

              • te reo putake …
                29 June 2016 at 9:09 am

                I wouldn’t compare them. They all contribute positively, though in different ways.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  29 June 2016 at 9:23 am

                  yes Pilger is bright enough to understand the mechanisms and actions of western imperial empire. No wonder he has to publish this via socialist Venezuela media. The UK establishment media finds this kind of truth radioactive.

                  Pilger writes:

                  The most effective propagandists of the “European ideal” have not been the far right, but an insufferably patrician class for whom metropolitan London is the United Kingdom. Its leading members see themselves as liberal, enlightened, cultivated tribunes of the 21st century zeitgeist, even “cool”. What they really are is a bourgeoisie with insatiable consumerist tastes and ancient instincts of their own superiority. In their house paper, the Guardian, they have gloated, day after day, at those who would even consider the EU profoundly undemocratic, a source of social injustice and a virulent extremism known as “neoliberalism.”

                  People should read the full link that Paul provided

                  http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/John-Pilger-Why-the-British-Said-No-to-Europe-20160625-0022.html

            • KJT 4.2.1.4.1.2
              29 June 2016 at 6:44 pm

              Pilgar is, most of the time, entirely correct, which is why he is so often marginalised by self appointed pundits.

      • Molly 4.2.2
        29 June 2016 at 8:23 am

        Thanks Paul. I also enjoy reading John Pilger, and that article is a good explanation of how the referendum result occurred.

        Watching the British Labour Party act so badly, is like watching the true colours of butterflies emerge. The analogy may be pretty, but the reality is not.

    • te reo putake 4.3
      29 June 2016 at 6:58 am

      He’ll be on the ballot by right, apparently. Assuming he doesn’t resign, that is.

      • Peter Swift 4.3.1
        29 June 2016 at 7:03 am

        He should be on, but there are two schools of thought on that, both apparently with legal advice claiming to support their positions.
        Another wait and see.

      • Colonial Viper 4.3.2
        29 June 2016 at 8:33 am

        with any luck the general membership will tell this disloyal Labour caucus to march themselves in to the Channel.

        • Ad 4.3.2.1
          29 June 2016 at 8:57 am

          Cunliffe redux.

          • Pasupial 4.3.2.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 9:39 am

            I like this line from Monbiot (not specifically about Labour, but it is apt):

            Let’s sack the electorate and appoint a new one: this is the demand made by MPs, [and] lawyers

            https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/28/brexit-disaster-crisis-changes-left

          • Peter Swift 4.3.2.1.2
            29 June 2016 at 11:41 am

            Not really. With Cunliffe, he was (probably still is) disliked by a large number in a small caucus.
            With Corbyn, most of the resignation letters, like a lot of statements I’ve seen from plp members, have said he’s a nice guy, but is never going to win.

            If they’re to be taken at their word then it’s about winning the next election, so not like Cunliffe and NZ labour at all.

            • KJT 4.3.2.1.2.1
              29 June 2016 at 6:49 pm

              Note. The Labour Caucus was OK with Cunliff until his “cut off your leg” speech signaled a tilt towards real Labour values outside the comfort zone of the majority of smug, entitled, time serving Labour MP’s.

        • Hanswurst 4.3.2.2
          29 June 2016 at 9:48 am

          +1

          Even if the consequences are a great and permanent schism in the Labour Party, the best possible result would be the membership re-electing Corbyn to present a great middle finger to the parliamentary Labour Party. If that splinters the left-leaning electorate into arguinging factions, at least an argument is a debate in the sense of being an open competition of ideas. Nothing could be worse than than the capture of an inert leftist voting public by the those third-way neoliberals who for so long have taken the left vote for granted without doing much at all to earn it. A Left which makes itself unelectable in the short term is still better than an electable Left that was never worth electing in the first place.

          • RedLogix 4.3.2.2.1
            29 June 2016 at 10:08 am

            A Left which makes itself unelectable in the short term is still better than an electable Left that was never worth electing in the first place.

            Jeeze that’s grim … but perfectly expressed.

            • Colonial Viper 4.3.2.2.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 10:17 am

              Chris Hedges frames it slightly differently but the message is the same: effective mass movements rarely make the compromises necessary to seek formal power – instead they have applied powerful pressure to the establishment to do the right thing.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.3.2.3
          29 June 2016 at 12:42 pm

          From what I’m reading if the UK Labour caucus manage to force a leadership challenge and then force Corbyn off of the ballot then the membership have no power to do anything at all. This seems to be the problem with a lot of political parties – the only people that the membership are allowed to vote for are the people that the leaders choose.

          • KJT 4.3.2.3.1
            29 June 2016 at 6:39 pm

            The political system were those in power get to choose their successors, is called a Dictatorship.

    • mauī 4.4
      29 June 2016 at 8:38 am

      From the Guardian article:
      Corbyn’s support among members is the reason that Labour MPs, desperate to oust him, want just one candidate to stand against him.

      Shows how fucked up this is, lucky they passed that new party cannibalism bill last week.

      • Peter Swift 4.4.1
        29 June 2016 at 12:11 pm

        We’ll have to see, if Corbyn doesn’t see sense and resigns after he realises he can’t credibly lead a party where 80% of the plp publicly reject him, whether a unified plp candidate will do the business when the leadership election happens.

        Of course if 80% of national mps all of a sudden voted no confidence in Key, we all say he should stay put, right?

        • KJT 4.4.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 6:36 pm

          Will never happen.

          The National parties owners will decide when Key has done his dash.

          And give him a knighthood and a directors position to leave.

        • Colonial Viper 4.4.1.2
          29 June 2016 at 6:38 pm

          Time for the general membership to deselect those Labour MP shites.

          • Peter Swift 4.4.1.2.1
            29 June 2016 at 7:25 pm

            Is that Vlad’s message for today? Thanks for that, Tiddles. lol

            • Colonial Viper 4.4.1.2.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 7:36 pm

              I’m serious. These careerist MPs have now outed themselves.

              Their electorate membership should now move to deselect every single one of them.

  6. Ad 6
    29 June 2016 at 8:24 am

    If anyone knew Margaret Jones from Auckland, she was the staunchest and best activist I’ve seen in Auckland. She was also the aunt of Lindsay Perigo, and this is his tribute.

    Submitted by Lindsay Perigo on Mon, 2016-06-20 05:14

    “It may seem incongruous, if not downright blasphemous, to pay tribute to an avowed communist on an Objectivist/libertarian site, but, ex-communist that I am, I am going to do exactly that.

    My aunt Margaret Jones passed away overnight at the age of 96. I pay homage not because of our polar opposite political views but because she was an exemplary human being. She belonged to a species that has now all but died with her: someone prepared to stand up ferociously for what she believed in without giving a damn about the consequences or the opinions of others (whom she routinely described as “boneheads”).

    This trait ran (runs) in the family, of course. Margaret’s father, Leo Sim, was a World War One veteran who converted to Marxism as a result of reflecting on his wartime experiences and an encounter in Ireland with the legendary revolutionary, James Connolly. Her mother, Mary (May) provided tireless back-up both for Leo’s proselytising and in raising their five children.

    Leo went to jail during the 30s for distributing “seditious” literature. He went on to become General Secretary of the New Zealand Communist Party, in which capacity he spent more than a year in the Soviet Union learning how to be more seditious. Back home, however, he fell out with his comrades over their support for the Hitler-Stalin pact, and was expelled. Never one to let a good excommunication go to waste, he founded his own Bolshevik Party with its own organ, The Spark—whose “seditious” contents promptly got him jailed again. Margaret, meanwhile, notwithstanding her notorious pedigree, was accepted for teacher training and embarked upon her lifelong career. As an educator she was more enamoured of the theories of A. S. Neill as practised at his Summerhill school in England than of the conventional state school orthodoxy of which she was part, but unlike her father never fell cataclysmically foul of The System.

    In retirement she continued to do relief teaching for many years, and shared with her libertarian nephew a horror at declining standards, in education in general and of speech in particular. She was vocally supportive of my fledgling quixotic plan to save spoken English from barbarism when I outlined it to her in 2010. (Her husband Neville, who died in 1993, was one of the most beautifully-spoken men one could ever hope to hear.)

    Margaret Jones also made a name for herself in the world of organic foods and alternative medicine. Believing that the medical profession were little more than legalised drug pushers who killed more people than they helped, she must have been deeply gratified in her last few weeks to know that she was slipping away because of nothing more than simple unmitigated old age, after a very long, doctor-free life lived in vibrant good health.

    Wherever she was, she was the life and soul of whatever it was, often bedecked in outfits that made the word “colourful” a hopeless understatement, as it was of her. When I spoke to her by phone a few days ago and asked if there were many people taking care of her she shot back, “Too bloody many!”

    Among her siblings, Margaret was predeceased by her sister Rita and brother Karl (C. F. Goldie, the “Foxton Forger”). She is survived by her sisters Erica (“Peach”) and Leomay (“Baba”)—my mother—and by her sons Marx (the “Eden Park flour-bomber”), Rhys and Brodie.

    Abandoning communism in my twenties, I ceased to share the political beliefs that Margaret retained, while continuing to admire the flair and passion with which she espoused and lived all her values. I’m delighted that she died exactly as she would have wished, peacefully in her sleep, with family keeping watch. No expectation of anything hereafter (“Bullshit!” she would have said), just a tranquil release into infinite oblivion.

    There are few people in the world now who know what “socialism” and “capitalism” mean, let alone are capable of debating the merits of either. “Socialism” to moronnials has something to do with Faecesbook, but they’re not sure what. And this is part of an even bigger contemporary catastrophe: not just an incapacity to deal in abstractions but complete indifference to any values of any type whatsoever.

    Margaret Jones, passionate valuer, was part of a world that has gone … and was far, far better.”

    A great challenge to live a life as passionately and resolutely as that.
    If anyone was at the Te Atatu farewell, or has good stories on her, would be great to hear them.

    • Penny Bright 6.1
      29 June 2016 at 11:32 am

      I went to Marg Jones’ funeral and this is what I said:

      “Well-behaved women rarely make history.

      I first met Marg Jones as I did a number of others here during the 1981 Springbok Tour.

      Activists get things done.

      We will all remember Marg for her energy and enthusiasm.

      Marg has had 95 years of getting things done.

      Have a rest Marg – you deserve it. ”

      Penny Bright.

    • left for dead 6.2
      29 June 2016 at 11:45 am

      Thanks Ad. that puts a smile on my face.

  7. Greg 7
    29 June 2016 at 8:28 am

    Does Britain’s Labour party need to re-brand itself.
    Its infighting is worse than NZs, with competing ego’s, competing interests, no clear future policy directives, it wants to be a lot of things, for many people, from Rainbows to Feminism, to the dispossessed, and marginalized.
    Representing the economics of all workers is the last cause on its list,

    • Colonial Viper 7.1
      29 June 2016 at 8:35 am

      rebranding; an excellent neoliberal response for a deeply neoliberal organisation.

      • Greg 7.1.1
        29 June 2016 at 8:50 am

        it could be the Rainbow party, clearly Labour it isnt.
        Again, its like the Presidential race in America, just tired, old geriatric, one term wonders.

        How is Canada progressing with its Feminist Prime Minister.

    • Ad 7.2
      29 June 2016 at 8:51 am

      Avert your eyes away from the old English dog for a while – it’s just chowing down and licking its own balls for a couple of years.

  8. Penny Bright 8
    29 June 2016 at 8:46 am

    FYI – a significant development in the fight for transparency and accountability within Auckland Council and Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs).

    28 June 2016

    Request for Speaking Rights at the Auckland Council Governing Body meeting, 30 June 2016.

    My subject matter is the recent Report of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee, regarding my petition:

    http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51DBSCH_SCR69296_1/924613ec7fb831c4e74bd062f73287ac2ceb5081

    Petition 2014/33 of Penelope Mary Bright and 55 others, and Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Governance and accountability of council-controlled organisations

    Recommendation

    The Local Government and Environment Committee has considered Petition 2014/33 of Penelope Mary Bright and 55 others, and the report from the Controller and AuditorGeneral, Governance and accountability of council-controlled organisations, and recommends that the House take note of its report.

    Introduction

    The petition from Penelope Mary Bright and 55 others requests

    That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the cost-effectiveness, transparency, and democratic accountability to Auckland Council and the majority of Auckland citizens and ratepayers, of all Auckland Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs).

    We decided to consider this petition alongside a report from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) which covers similar issues about the governance and accountability of council-controlled organisations (CCOs).

    …..

    Accountability and transparency of Auckland’s council-controlled organisations

    The petitioner told us of her concern that the public was unable to have a say on the model of Auckland’s CCOs after the 2009 Auckland “super city” merger.

    She stressed that the public is also unable to have a say about the directorship of CCOs or to have any direct say in CCO statements of intent.

    She believes that this is because CCOs are not classified as local authorities for the purposes of the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002.

    The petitioner strongly believes that CCOs need to be more accountable to Auckland ratepayers because a percentage of rates goes towards the operations of CCOs.

    She told us that she is defending her “lawful right as a citizen to know where my money is being spent”.

    The petitioner questions how the efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of Auckland CCOs is monitored.

    She is particularly concerned that information about the financial transactions of CCOs is unclear and difficult for the public to access.

    For example, she would prefer that contractor transactions were easily available in a written format for public scrutiny.

    The petitioner also asked why Auckland Transport does not provide open access to information about transport subsidies, given that much transport in Auckland is privately operated.

    We were also told that Auckland rates have increased to pay for a transport levy.

    The petitioner believes that the transparency of CCO operations would be improved if the Public Records Act 2005, specifically section 17 (Requirement to create and maintain records), was “implemented and enforced in a proper way”.

    The petitioner acknowledged that some Auckland CCOs have made progress towards providing more transparent information.

    She praised Watercare Services Limited for acting on some of her concerns.

    However, she says that more needs to be done.

    In particular, she believes that all Auckland CCOs should clearly and uniformly display information on their websites about the procurement of their awarded contracts.

    She suggests that the following standard information be made readily available to the public:

     the unique contract number
     the name of the consultant or contractor
     a brief description of the scope of the contract
     the start and finish dates for the contract
     the monetary value of the contract (including subcontractors)
     whether the contract was awarded by direct appointment or public tender.

    To require all CCOs to clearly display this information—given that, according to the petitioner, they are not classed as local authorities for the purposes of the Local Government (Rating) Act—the petitioner sees value in making minor legislative changes to one or more of the following Acts: the Local Government Act, the Local Government (Rating) Act, or the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009.

    We asked the petitioner whether she had tried using the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 to obtain information about contracts.

    The petitioner said that she has not received the level of information that she has requested.

    Usually, this is on the grounds that the information is commercially sensitive.

    The petitioner considers that this information should not be classed as commercially sensitive once a contract has been awarded.

    We note that CCOs are subject to the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act and if people are dissatisfied with the information provided as a result of requests they should seek redress through the Ombudsman.

    Conclusion

    We would like to thank the OAG for its report on the governance and accountability of CCOs.

    The report provided us with useful information that helped us consider Ms Bright’s petition.

    We also would like to thank the petitioner for coming down from Auckland to speak to us about her petition.

    We agree that ratepayers should be able to easily access information about how public money collected through rates is spent.

    We support the petitioner’s plea for transparency and standardisation of the information that Auckland CCOs provide to the public.

    We note the petitioner’s desire for legislative change, as well as for an inquiry into the cost effectiveness, transparency, and democratic accountability of Auckland CCOs.
    …”

    __________________________________________________________

    (My bolding).
    __________________________________________________________

    If this Select Committee of ‘law makers’ has asked Parliament to ‘take note of this report’ – which clearly affects the current governance of the Auckland region, then in my view, it is of significant and urgent ‘public interest’, that the Auckland Council Governing Body not only equally ‘takes note’ of this Report, but takes immediate action to effect the following concerns of the Local Government and Environment Select Committee:

    “We agree that ratepayers should be able to easily access information about how public money collected through rates is spent.

    We support the petitioner’s plea for transparency and standardisation of the information that Auckland CCOs provide to the public.”

    The simple way of doing this is as I have outlined, and as stated in the above-mentioned Local Government and Environment Select Committee Report:

    Please ensure that (Auckland Council) and all Auckland CCOs clearly and uniformly display information on their websites about the procurement of their awarded contracts, as follows:

     the unique contract number
     the name of the consultant or contractor
     a brief description of the scope of the contract
     the start and finish dates for the contract
     the monetary value of the contract (including subcontractors)
     whether the contract was awarded by direct appointment or public tender.

    Please also ensure that Auckland Council Controlled Organisation – Auckland Transport (AT) provide full transparency and details of the public subsidy of private passenger transport services – particularly given that road tolls are now being considered.

    SUPPLEMENTARY EVIDENCE PROVING THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY REGARDING AUCKLAND COUNCIL CCO – AUCKLAND TRANSPORT ON PUBLIC SUBSIDIES OF PRIVATELY OWNED, OPERATED / MANAGED PASSENGER TRANSPORT PROVIDERS:

    http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51SCLGE_EVI_51DBHOH_PET66634_1_A494427/9aa813e65f89372033c648c285010dec9ff0b40f

    PRIVACY ACT REPLY FROM AUCKLAND COUNCIL CCO AUCKLAND TRANSPORT – WHICH PROVES THAT THE PRIVATE PASSENGER TRANSPORT PROVIDERS DID NOT WANT THE AMOUNT OF PUBLIC SUBSIDY THAT THEY RECEIVED, REVEALED FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY:

    http://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-nz/51SCLGE_EVI_51DBHOH_PET66634_1_A494428/9b31a5acc867353077952bd23648be429134bbf6

    Penny Bright
    _______________________________

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.
    ‘Activists’ – get things done.

    • Greg 8.1
      29 June 2016 at 9:10 am

      Hello Penny,
      Just a question, What has happened to the million dollars donated by Barfoot n Thomson , for a state house art work for the Wharf, the council had reported spent over a million dollars for extra’s. I called it a great privy for the homeless.
      The Herald blocks any mention of the donation.

      Or is it under investigation by the serious fraud squad.

    • Colonial Viper 9.1
      29 June 2016 at 9:13 am

      the English strongly backed UKIPs BREXIT agenda. The undemocratic assembly there were never going to be keen on that.

      • The Chairman 9.1.1
        29 June 2016 at 9:44 am

        Indeed.

        Nevertheless, it was a good speech.

      • Chooky 9.1.2
        29 June 2016 at 9:53 am

        John Pilger was for Brexit

        http://21stcenturywire.com/2016/06/27/brexit-john-pilger-explains-why-the-british-said-no-to-europe/

        “The majority vote by Britons to leave the European Union was an act of raw democracy. Millions of ordinary people refused to be bullied, intimidated and dismissed with open contempt by their presumed betters in the major parties, the leaders of the business and banking oligarchy and the media.

        This was, in great part, a vote by those angered and demoralised by the sheer arrogance of the apologists for the “remain” campaign and the dismemberment of a socially just civil life in Britain. The last bastion of the historic reforms of 1945, the National Health Service, has been so subverted by Tory and Labour-supported privateers it is fighting for its life.

        A forewarning came when the Treasurer, George Osborne, the embodiment of both Britain’s ancient regime and the banking mafia in Europe, threatened to cut £30 billion from public services if people voted the wrong way; it was blackmail on a shocking scale.

        Immigration was exploited in the campaign with consummate cynicism, not only by populist politicians from the lunar right, but by Labour politicians drawing on their own venerable tradition of promoting and nurturing racism, a symptom of corruption not at the bottom but at the top. The reason millions of refugees have fled the Middle East – first Iraq, now Syria – are the invasions and imperial mayhem of Britain, the United States, France, the European Union and Nato. Before that, there was the wilful destruction of Yugoslavia. Before that, there was the theft of Palestine and the imposition of Israel…

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.2.1
          29 June 2016 at 10:03 am

          TRP doesn’t think that Pilger made convincing points in that essay. Personally I think Pilger hit the nail on the head.

          • Chooky 9.1.2.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 8:33 pm

            +100…doesn’t surprise me about TRP

            …and yes Pilger is a famous journalist for fearlessly seeking out and unerringly banging in the truth nails…rarely missing his mark

  10. Observer Toke 10
    29 June 2016 at 9:17 am

    .
    . Let’s keep the Corbynites

    . The Labour Parliamentarians – 172 of them – want to crush what all of them label “as a very decent man”. Et tu brutus by 172 murderers.

    So far, Jeremy Corbyn has taken the daggers hurled into his very decent head and body. An impossibly skeleton crew of 40 parliamentarians, to their eternal credit, have stayed to protect him against the parliamentary murderers.

    These Loyals may not succeed. But Hundreds of thousands of citizens will avenge the “very decent man” they voted in as Leader just nine months ago.

    For Jeremy stands for the very sacred principles that they have always stood for.

    The 172 traitors who belittle the citizens with every living breath, don’t like a Leader who lives on the same street as that of the jobless, the lowly waged, the over rented, the poorly nursed, the fathers and mothers of families. People without equal opportunity or adequate wealth. The present and the future denied them by the wealthy Tories.

    The 172 scheming labour mob have only one fault. That is, they are a watery thin facsimile of the Tories. A pity that there is room for only one Tory Party in the House.

    Stay Jeremy, Stay !
    .

  11. Jenny Kirk 11
    29 June 2016 at 9:19 am

    Andrew Little is under attack again – this time by Shewan. Obviously the right-wing think they’ll shut him up with threats of defamation – and of course those very threats distract the sheeples from the real issue – that the PM lied about foreign trusts.
    Edit – story online in Herald this morning.

    • Tarquin 11.1
      29 June 2016 at 9:29 am

      Why doesn’t he just apologise? That’s all Shewan has asked for. Let’s face it he did a very good job and is definitely not a government puppet. Little is looking like a fool yet again.

      • I Feel Love 11.1.1
        29 June 2016 at 9:56 am

        Much like when Key refused to apologise to Red Cross or Amnesty International. Infact Key often looks like a fool remember the shower/soap debacle? Prancing on the catwalk, the merp face, tugging little girls ponytails. Doesn’t seem to affect his fanbois affections, each to their own I suppose.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 11.1.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 10:56 am

          The Prime Minister’s gutter ethics are no model for the leader of the opposition. If Little feels he’s done something wrong he should apologise for it. What he doesn’t have to do is apologise for the state of Shewan’s mind.

          That this is the only apology Shewan wants is revealing.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 11.1.2
        29 June 2016 at 10:41 am

        Apologise for what? Shewan wants an apology for his hurt feelings, which is by definition a Clayton’s apology, a back-handed insult.

        If Little has anything to apologise for it would be for something he said or did, not the internal monologue in cry-baby Shewan’s mind.

        • Hanswurst 11.1.2.1
          29 June 2016 at 4:10 pm

          Little should say, “I apologise for hurting your feelings, John. Have a biscuit.”

      • Stuart Munro 11.1.3
        29 June 2016 at 4:30 pm

        Oh yeah? – when is full disclosure not full disclosure? When it’s a Shewan construct. Little was on the money – Shewan is only taking the money.

    • Ad 11.2
      29 June 2016 at 9:48 am

      As should all commenters on this site who jeered at Mr Shewin’s appointment.

      I recall that I complained that the IRD should have done the investigation. Mr Shewin has done the job. So for what it’s worth, I owe him an apology.

      Know them by their work.

      • Pasupial 11.2.1
        29 June 2016 at 10:07 am

        Ad
        No apology from me. I think I’ll continue jeering at Sherwan’s appointment, and also regard his report as; the least he could get away with in the circumstances, even though it isn’t a total whitewash. But Godon Campbell says it much better:

        Inadvertently, Shewan’s report can be blackly humorous at times. Tax havens? Here? Shewan’s discussion (circa page 45-46) suggests that the modern, sophisticated folk at the OECD just don’t find that term very useful anymore. Blame the media – and its excitable ‘tone’ – though, for alarming the public unduly on that score…

        this new, proposed way of handling foreign trusts remains a regulator-to-regulator system that will still be entirely reliant on overseas authorities sensing that New Zealand could be harbouring a miscreant, and lodging a search request. (There’s no real enhancement of the domestically initiated oversight – such as might have been gained from a full public inquiry.)

        Essentially Shewan has, at considerable expense, suggested pretty much what IRD was advocating back in 2014, before the department got blocked by the lobbying of the lawyers most heavily involved in this dodgy line of business.

        http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2016/06/28/gordon-campbell-on-the-inquiry-into-our-tax-haven-rules/

        Bradbury puts it well, although without the rigorous research backing up GC’s article:

        While Shewan hilariously declares NZ isn’t a tax haven, he then goes on to describe a tax haven…

        “The rules are not fit for purpose in the context of preserving New Zealand’s reputation as a country that co-operates with other jurisdictions to counter money laundering and aggressive tax practices.”

        …if it quacks like a tax haven, walks like a tax haven and avoids tax like a tax haven – it’s a bloody tax haven!

        http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/28/keys-tax-haven-whitewash-report-and-the-politician-about-to-have-a-panama-paper-meltdown/

      • I Feel Love 11.2.2
        29 June 2016 at 10:23 am

        IRD should have done the report, like they were wanting to do, before the Nats scrapped it because of lobbying from the tax haven enablers.

    • Puckish Rogue 11.3
      29 June 2016 at 10:00 am

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11665006

      In my always humble opinion Andrew Little (who probably is an intelligent guy) still hasn’t quite grasped the idea that what works on the picket line or in the smoko room doesn’t work when you’re the (some may argue this point) leader of the opposition

      Andrew Little, for whatever reason, seems to have a real issue with apologising. Its pretty straight forward really, did Shewan do a fair job?

      If he did then Andrew Little should apologise, if he didn’t then Andrew Little can say he told you so

      Trying to second guess Andrew Little I think hes betting that people will believe his version of events over John Shewans

      • Observer Toke 11.3.1
        29 June 2016 at 10:10 am

        ..@ Puckish Rogue

        I think you will have a problem with Andrew Little.

        His honesty. Plain simple standout honesty.

        Have you ever tried it?

        • Jenny Kirk 11.3.1.1
          29 June 2016 at 10:21 am

          PR probably doesn’t know what “plain simple standout honesty” is, OT.

          • Puckish Rogue 11.3.1.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 10:35 am

            If you keep telling yourself that Andrew Little doesn’t smear people and doesn’t have issues that need to be sorted sooner rather then later then you’re going to get quite a rude shock the night of the 2017 election

            • Robert Guyton 11.3.1.1.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 11:08 am

              I see you’re back onto your scripted message, Puckish Rogue:
              “Little is hopeless, Labour will lose the election”.
              Your epiphany didn’t last long, did it – leopard, spots, indelible and all that.
              Oh, and in anticipation of your response, yawn

              • Puckish Rogue …
                29 June 2016 at 11:17 am

                Same back at you, Little is wrong on this. He now has a history (short though it is) of smearing people for political gain, of grandstanding and of drawing things out to gain publicity

                Just because I’m trying to remain positive with other posters on here, mainly by not being disrespectful, doesn’t mean I’m not going to comment on when Andrew Little does something bone headed and his supporters blindly support him

                • Muttonbird …
                  29 June 2016 at 11:30 am

                  He’s following Key’s lead, for better or worse.

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    29 June 2016 at 11:42 am

                    If that’s true I don’t think it’ll work because that’s comparing apples with oranges

                    The voters of NZ have elected John Key PM since 2008 yet Andrew Little has failed both times he stood for election as an MP and John Key has built up a considerable amount of goodwill with the NZ voters (that’s rapidly diminishing) whereas the voters of NZ barely know Andrew Little

                    Its a risky strategy, if true, and not what I’d be advising him to do

                    • Muttonbird …
                      29 June 2016 at 12:29 pm

                      Are you saying John Key is a liar and smears people for political gain? Interesting.

                    • Puckish Rogue …
                      29 June 2016 at 3:01 pm

                      Yes he does however NZ is going well under John Keys watch so for me its a choice choice between the devil you know and the devil you don’t

                      Lesser of two evils if you prefer

                    • Macro …
                      29 June 2016 at 9:23 pm

                      NZ is going well under John Keys watch so for me

                      FIFY
                      Unfortunately NZ isn’t doing so well for the remaining 90% although many have yet to wake up to the fact.

            • reason 11.3.1.1.1.2
              29 June 2016 at 10:31 pm

              I remember puckish saying he would try to clean up his troll shit …..

              he should apologize for being a liar.

              Why should anyone apologize to shewan who should be in jail ……….

              Or are you impressed by his $2.2 billion tax theft vehicle that he hocked around to the aussie banks to use against New Zealanders ?

              Rt Hon Winston Peters: Is this highly independent John Shewan the same John Shewan at National’s caucus party, held at Premier House, hosted by the Prime Minister?

              He is shameless ……………. and you are a fuck-wit.

        • Puckish Rogue 11.3.1.2
          29 June 2016 at 10:27 am

          I don’t have a problem with that, I don’t have a problem with him opening his gob before he engages his brain but I do have a problem with his supporters trying to tell me that the sky is green, the grass is blue and Andrew Little has never smeared anyone

          Heres the thing, Andrew Little probably is, like most people, quite honest. The problem is he’s been busted more then once smearing people to score a political point.

          All politicians do of course but Andrew Little is trying to sell himself as the next leader of the opposition so he needs to be careful about what he says and does

          • One Anonymous Bloke 11.3.1.2.1
            29 June 2016 at 11:03 am

            “Busted”.

            No. The people whose actions have come under scrutiny are upset and embarrassed, and yet have failed to rebut any of his criticisms.

            That’s why they’re all about their hurt feelings. Little’s honest opinion of their behaviour isn’t the sort of thing they hear at Cabinet Club.

            The leader of the opposition doesn’t respect them enough for all the work they do for the National Party. Sob sob.

            • Puckish Rogue 11.3.1.2.1.1
              29 June 2016 at 11:20 am

              That may well be true but Andrew Little is in a position where he can’t just throw out allegations and smear people he doesn’t agree with

              When called out on it he either needs to apologise and move on or provide proof of what he says

              • One Anonymous Bloke …
                29 June 2016 at 11:53 am

                I’m sure his office will be glad to file your well-meaning advice under “sincere concerns”.

                • Puckish Rogue …
                  29 June 2016 at 2:59 pm

                  People can listen or not, its all good, but that’s what I think he should be doing

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    29 June 2016 at 4:35 pm

                    I doubt you thought about it at all – your script is to white-ant Little and you haven’t deviated from it at all. Shewan is still a poor choice to regulate tax havens – it should be a long-suffering and embittered IRD prosecutor. The bad trust owners include criminals and terrorists – you usually try to conceal your support for your disreputable colleagues better PR.

      • Pasupial 11.3.2
        29 June 2016 at 10:13 am

        He pointed out that Mr Shewan had effectively advised the Bahamas – a country known for tax haven activity – on how to protect its offshore financial services industry and maintain its haven status.

        However, he later withdrew those comments after Mr Shewan took offence and said he was incorrect.

        Following the release of Mr Shewan’s inquiry yesterday, Mr Little said he did not need to go further.

        “He explicitly said I don’t need you to apologise, I want a correction of a statement, and that’s what I’ve done,” he told reporters this morning.

        http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11664887

        • cricklewood 11.3.2.1
          29 June 2016 at 10:22 am

          Why on earth would Andrew say he wasn’t asked for an apology when it was expressly requested in writing? His office didn’t tell him about the letter or he thought Shewan wouldn’t go public?
          Either way its an all to familiar shambles.

          “I now request the statement I sent to you yesterday be issued with the following additions: ‘I apologise to Mr Shewan for any embarrassment I have caused him through my statements’.”
          http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11665006

          • I Feel Love 11.3.2.1.1
            29 June 2016 at 10:26 am

            Meh, BFD.

          • Puckish Rogue 11.3.2.1.2
            29 June 2016 at 10:31 am

            I think Andrew Little may be listening to a little too much Elton John:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2e4NlnLr28

            • I Feel Love 11.3.2.1.2.1
              29 June 2016 at 10:34 am

              http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/girl-in-tears-after-john-keys-maori-language-week-remark-2015080218#axzz4CurifRPg

              Must have missed this apology. Had a good laugh & googled “John Key Says Sorry”…What is it with the PM picking on young girls?

              • Puckish Rogue …
                29 June 2016 at 10:45 am

                Fair call, John Key has issues around honesty but it doesn’t seem to be hurting his re-election chances all that much

                Andrew Little though is third behind Winston for preferred PM and under him Labour is stuck in the mid to late twenties

                • I Feel Love …
                  29 June 2016 at 11:57 am

                  All good, you hold Little to a higher standard than the leader of the country, fair enough I suppose.

                  • Puckish Rogue …
                    29 June 2016 at 4:04 pm

                    Nope, I’m more interested in what he needs to do to become leader. John Key is already the leader, he doesn’t need to change much of anything but Andrew Little needs to make some changes fast

                    Unless you think its ok that hes the leader of the second largest party but is third most preferred PM

                    • McFlock …
                      29 June 2016 at 4:17 pm

                      It’s fine. It’s not a presidential race, it’s MMP.

                      To put it another way, the All Blacks captain can be the best rugby player in the world, but if they’re a shit captain, the team will lose and lose badly.

                      I’m happy that Labour is looking more stable than it’s been since 2008, more energetic than its been since at least 2007, and is working better with the Greens since, well, fuck, whenever.

                      Polls are largely irrelevant at the moment, and even so the opposition parties are sliiiiightly improving over the last few months, and that’s not even including NZ1.

                    • Robert Guyton …
                      29 June 2016 at 4:46 pm

                      Puckish Rogue said:
                      “Fair call, John Key has issues around honesty…”
                      and
                      ” John Key is already the leader, he doesn’t need to change much of anything …”

                      When asked, “Are you saying John Key is a liar and smears people for political gain? “, Puckish Rogue said:

                      “Yes he does however…”

                      There you have it. Puckish Rogue.

                    • North …
                      29 June 2016 at 4:51 pm

                      Well you’re actually being a concern troll PR. Sticks out like the proverbial……..

          • One Anonymous Bloke 11.3.2.1.3
            29 June 2016 at 10:33 am

            Too funny: Shewan wants Little to apologise for the embarrassment in Shewan’s mind.

            “I’m sorry you are a thin-skinned cry-baby”.

            • I Feel Love 11.3.2.1.3.1
              29 June 2016 at 10:36 am

              Should tell him to ‘Zip it sweety’, did Shewan apologise to the country after encouraging the big banks to rip us off? Must have missed that one too.

          • Observer Toke 11.3.2.1.4
            29 June 2016 at 10:47 am

            .
            . Cricklewood

            As you are a friend of the highly competent and sensitive Mr Shewan, could you ask him if he found any depositers from overseas who:

            a) either deposited laundered money
            b) paid no income tax to the appropriate authority.

            If he found either of those two things, and has not reported them – then he is protecting Fraudsters. Is he not?

            Possibly Mr Shewan was not given adequate staffing to assist him and was unable to find much detail. If so why didn’t he report to our Parliament that he found out sweet all?

            Thanks Cricklewood

            • cricklewood 11.3.2.1.4.1
              29 June 2016 at 11:16 am

              Which part of my comment intimated that I am friend or for that matter foe of Mr Shewan?

              I simply ask if there is any plausible reason why Andrew Little would make a comment “He explicitly said I don’t need you to apologise” that’s demonstrablyfalse.

              My worry is he wasnt informed of the letter that was sent and that there is an active white anting campaign in action.

              • Pasupial …
                29 June 2016 at 11:41 am

                This whole thing has the appearance of a beatup smokescreen. Shewan’s had nearly a fortnight to go to his lawer to demand an apology, but waited till just after the release of his tax haven whitewash to whinge to the Herald about the meanness of the Labour leader. Better a clear correction than an insincere apology, to my mind.

                “I wasn’t asked to provide an apology. I was asked to provide his assurance that the media report I relied on was wrong.”

                He added: “[Mr Shewan] explicitly said ‘I don’t need you to apologise, I want a correction of a statement’, and that’s what I’ve done.”

                When asked again to confirm that Mr Shewan had not asked for an apology, Mr Little said: “That’s my recollection of the first face-to-face discussion that we had.”…

                Mr Shewan said today that he originally only asked the Labour leader to retract his “defamatory” comments…

                he wrote back to Mr Little’s office on June 10 and asked for the retraction to be expanded to include an apology… the Labour leader’s office rejected this request. He was also told that any further correspondence should be sent to Mr Little’s lawyer.”

                http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11665006

              • Naki man …
                29 June 2016 at 7:54 pm

                “My worry is he wasnt informed of the letter that was sent and that there is an active white anting campaign in action”

                That is one possibility, i think it is more likly that Little is so arrogant he thought he could get away with his lies.

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  29 June 2016 at 8:41 pm

                  I note that Little has now supported his position with Shewan’s own words. In writing.

                  You are wrong about everything else you reckon, too.

    • Greg 11.4
      29 June 2016 at 3:43 pm

      You can bet Shewan got paid a nice fat bonus for releasing what Key wanted.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

    • One Anonymous Bloke 12.1
      29 June 2016 at 10:27 am

      Do you always give such credence to Republican committee reports? And yet I doubt you would do the same for the National Party. Perhaps your rote-learned hatred of Hillary Clinton is showing.

    • Peter Swift 12.2
      29 June 2016 at 11:45 am

      I’d vote Clinton over Trump, any day. Just like I’d always vote for a NZ labour led government, no matter how imperfect, over national every time.

    • AsleepWhileWalking 12.3
      29 June 2016 at 2:45 pm

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZSD2cUjGOE&feature=youtu.be

      “There’s many examples that I site in my book where she blows up at people,” Byrne said. “Like I’ve said, she has blown up at me before, and agents, and her staff. At one time, I saw her staff so afraid to tell her about a mistake that was made. They weren’t upset about the waste of the mistake, ordering the wrong invitations, they were terrified that someone was going to have to tell Hillary Clinton that there was a mistake made.”

    • AsleepWhileWalking 12.4
      29 June 2016 at 2:47 pm

      http://www.thedailysheeple.com/the-real-reason-hillary-clinton-wont-allow-her-corporate-speeches-to-be-published_062016

      “In other words: As President, she would aim to sign into law a program to provide subsidies from U.S. taxpayers to Monsanto and other biotech firms, to assist their PR and lobbying organizations to eliminate what she says is “a big gap between the facts and what the perceptions are” concerning genetically modified seeds and other GMOs. In other words: she ignores the evidence that started to be published in scientific journals in 2012 showing that Monsanto and other GMO firms were selectively publishing studies that alleged to show their products to be safe, while selectively blocking publication of studies that — on the basis of better methodology — showed them to be unsafe. She wants U.S. taxpayers to assist GMO firms in their propaganda that’s based on their own flawed published studies, financed by the GMO industry, and that ignores the studies that they refuse to have published. She wants America’s consumers to help to finance their own being poisoning by lying companies, who rake in profits from poisoning them.”

  13. Bearded Git 13
    29 June 2016 at 10:28 am

    Today’s Herald explains the overseas Trust/Company issue here well:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11665089

    It appears that Labour did a good job when it set up the existing overseas trust/company regime after all, because it stopped kiwis from hiding their taxable income in trusts/companies, a practice that was common pre 1988.

    However, back in 1988 it wasn’t anticipated that overseas people would use the regime for hiding taxable income and money laundering. Because of this in 2013 the IRD told the current National government to change the regime to include disclosure of financial accounts and details of beneficiaries for all overseas trusts/companies. National ignored this advice because its mates were making $23m a year (or more?) administering the overseas trusts and it didn’t have any qualms about rich overseas people fiddling their taxes or money laundering.

    This situation would still be going on today except for the leaking of the Panama Papers. Key’s initial reaction was to lie through his teeth saying that disclosure requirements were fine and they were recognised as such internationally. However, the Shewan report found the opposite; disclosure requirements were woefully inadequate thus affecting NZ’s reputation abroad. Julie Anne Genter’s Bill was right all along.

    However 2 issues remain that the Shewan report has been weak on. Firstly, as the article says, under the Shewan recommendations:

    “The problem remains that trusts would not be transparent to foreign tax authorities unless they know what to ask for. Some users of foreign trusts will have good reason to hide wealth from criminal extortionists and corrupt regimes but we have to ensure we are not serving the criminal and corrupt.”

    And secondly, as Andrew Little says, the trusts/companies need to be searchable by the general public; this has also not been recommended by Shewan. Why should this information be hidden from the public? We should be able to see if our country is being used to syphon overseas money.

    There is no danger of confusion here with legitimate domestic trusts set up by NZ residents/citizens as this can be sorted out by making the disclosure requirements for overseas trusts/companies dependent on the beneficiaries proving they are either NZ residents or citizens. Failure to prove this should subject them to an overseas trust/company regime that includes the financial disclosure requirements recommended by Shewan and to searchability by not just the IRD but by the NZ public too.

    Labour should have this requirement in its manifesto.

    • ianmac 13.1
      29 June 2016 at 1:42 pm

      Gordon Campbell has a good take on the Shewan report:
      “What to do? Well, as Bernard Hickey points out on the same site, Shewan had given himself four possible options :

      1. Some increase in information disclosure to include details of settlors and beneficiaries in trust deeds,

      2. A significant increase in disclosure with a register of foreign trusts searchable by authorities, including details of settlors, persons with effective control, non-resident trustees, beneficiaries, coupled with an annual return, expanded application of Anti-Money Laundering rules and a register searchable by authorities,

      3. The same significant increase in disclosure coupled with a fully publically searchable register,

      4. The full repeal of the foreign trust regime.

      Shewan chose option two. Note that the rejected third option would have enabled the public – and the media – to play a useful monitoring role. That potential has been snuffed out.
      http://werewolf.co.nz/2016/06/gordon-campbell-on-the-shewan-inquiry-into-our-tax-haven-rules/

      • Bearded Git 13.1.1
        29 June 2016 at 3:25 pm

        Thanks ianmac.

        As expected Key’s mate Shewan has gone for what can be got away with, Option 2, rather than what is really needed, Option 3. Key will opt to implement only parts of Option 2. Labour can sort this out with a press-release offering a cast-iron guarantee it will implement all of Option 3 if elected.

  14. marty mars 14
    29 June 2016 at 10:33 am

    Where is Paula Bennett and what ACTIONS have been made over the last week to help the homeless and desperate?

    I for one am over brexit, over the eu, over trump and Hilary – there are people suffering here today – what have we done about this today.

    • Olwyn 14.1
      29 June 2016 at 11:27 am

      My impression is that they are seeking ways to make the problem go away, without sacrificing what they are gaining from it – the $5,000 to get out of Auckland was a move in that direction. Last night on the news a man suggested buying a defunct cruise ship or two as a temporary solution while houses are being built, but Paula did not seem to warm to the idea. Twyford thought it was at least worth exploring. Meanwhile, you have a Mr Bell of the drugs foundation saying that “… Housing New Zealand has been suckered in and is evicting tenants unfairly. “I think that it’s deliberate,” he says. “They know the truth [and] they’re using the lies to kick people out.” Which Ms Bennett denies. http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/housing-nzs-meth-testing-is-overzealous—drug-foundation-2016062819#axzz4CqulmvVR?ref=newshubFB

    • Rosie 14.2
      29 June 2016 at 3:55 pm

      Ummm. Maybe she’s hiding somewhere, worried that a reporter might ask her another question about climate change and what her thoughts are on the fact that NZ has just recorded the hottest first 6 months of a year, since records began approximately 100 years ago, (TVNZ news last night) and the fact that the planet is on f – ing fire

      It’s all the hard questions see. Perhaps she’s thinking why do I get the hard portfolio’s? This sucks. I’m gonna nick one of these vans that people seem to want to live in these days. I’ll just turf them out and stick this mattress against the window so no one can see me. I’ll go park up at Piha (hmmm, if the brakes on this old dunga don’t give out going down the hill) and sip on some bubbly, something decent I think. Problem solved darlings!

    • Rosie 14.3
      29 June 2016 at 4:02 pm

      Well she definitely wasn’t here:

      http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/06/28/park-up-in-wellington-people-speaking-against-the-scourge-of-homelessness/

      Nice bunch of caring people there attending that event. Good to see out northern ward candidate, Peter Gilberd there too. I always appreciate Frank Macskasy photographing political events and rallies.

  15. weka 15
    29 June 2016 at 11:46 am

    Mr Allen said: “I will not be participating in today’s vote of no confidence. It has no standing in our party’s rules. I will not give it, or any faction, any legitimacy by voting today.

    “If MP’s wish to remove a leader there is clear provision in the party’s rules for 51 MPs to nominate a named alternative. If such a step is taken, you and I and every other party member will have the opportunity to assess the records of the candidates and make our decision.

    “It is important however that everyone should then accept the decision of our party and support the Leader whoever it is.

    “In the meantime we should follow due process and cease all the orchestrated activity which is destroying the possibility of our party coming to government in 2020.”

  16. Observer Toke 16
    29 June 2016 at 11:53 am

    , Dear Cricklewood
    .
    Andrew Little did as he was asked by Mr Shewan, and corrected his statement that Shewan had been an advisor to Bahama tax Havens. Shewan definitely said that he was not seeking an apology. Just a correction. An important correction.

    Andrew Little made that correction. An apology not having been sought and expressly not required by Shewan, made an apology unnecessary.

    Now it appears that Mr Shewan has gone back on his word and threatened A Defamatory Action.

    I am wondering whether MR Shewan will write another letter demanding that Mr Little cleans and polishes Mr Shewans shoes.

    It is a pity you have not answered my question as to whether MR Shewan found overseas Depositers who have avoided their financial responsibilites.

    It seems to me that he has pretty much followed, in different words ways, the view of NZ IRD as sent to the current Prime Minister 2013 to fixup the serious Frauds that Depositers may have made and are are still making. Making New Zealand a Tax Haven. Just as reported by the Panama Papers.

    MR Key ignored the IRD in 2013. He subsequently lied about the recent release of the Panama Papers. He has not apologised for that.

    • Ben 16.1
      29 June 2016 at 2:16 pm

      You are missing the bit where Shewan requested (in writing) an apology from Little. Even after receiving this letter, Little stated to RNZ that Shewan did not request an apology. I suggest you go and read the full Herald article.

      If Key had acted in the same fashion, he would be accused here of being an outright liar.

  17. LXXI years too old 17
    29 June 2016 at 12:27 pm

    Roger, Roger, We’ve got clearance Clarence. What’s our vector Victor ? . . . . .” (“Flying High” Hollywood, USA,19xx?).

    “Sometimes it is more important to ask the right question than to get the right answer.” (Werner Herzog, interviewed by Kim Hill, RNZ National, 25 June 2016).

    And now THIS from a (justifiably angry) commenter named Kaiser Sousa on “Zero Hedge”:
    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-28/brexit-hedge-unwind-sparks-volumeless-dead-cat-brounce:
    NB: (This is in the COMMENTS section. I have modified some of the expletives, but the SENTIMENT EXPRESSED is about right IMO.

    (Quote from the Zero Hedge Commenter):

    “Some of you may recall this from almost 2 weeks ago when the Globalist’s & their assortment of LameStream propaganda mouth pieces were assuring us all THERE WOULD BE NO BREXIT?????
     
    “gee whiz! I must have missed the fantastically wonderful macro-economic data or news that were the catalysts for todays 200 point ramp of the Dow Jones Propaganda Index…
    Surely me and the other “simple folk” around here just don’t understand that theres a perfectly logical “technical” explanation for another FRAUDULENT F***G STICK SAVE OF THE PHONY DJPI AND S&PISS BY THE FED, BOE, AND EXCHANGE STABILIZATION FUND ON YET ANOTHER DAY HEADING INTO AN IMPENDING VOTE BY BRITS, WHO DESPITE THE OBVIOUS DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN BEING WAGED, JUST MIGHT DECIDE TO TELL THE KHAZAR LED MONEYCHANGER EUROPEON TECHNOF***S TO F***K THE F** OFF…”
    Well now, with that all in the books what’s up with todays Fraud Market activities now that IN FACT those brave Brits HAVE told the EuroPEON puppets and their money masters to F***K OFF???
    before & after Brits seized back their independence what has the MoneyChangers propaganda machine been telling us –
    “all hell will break loose”…
    “cats & dogs will be holding paws while singing Kumbaya…”
    “the seas would part and the Krackens would be released…”
    And so today with U.K. banks facing downgrades, the U.K. itself as a nation facing downgrades,
    Jean Claude Drunker & every EuroPEON puppet talking shit to Britain & Farage as to how much more their economy would become F***D, you’d expect further deterioration in these manipulated Fraud Market’s – WOULDNT YOU????
    Oh no…never that….instead we get treated to an EuroPEON/AmeriDUMB market rampalloza on both openings, the predictable “sideways shuffle” for 4 straight hours, and then the “grand finale” . . . . . ALL YET AGAIN ON NO VOLUME & ABSOLUTELY NO POSITIVE MACRO-ECONOMIC DATA OR NEWS WHATSOF****GEVER…

    . . . . .
    Oh and how you guys like the little game these assholes are playing with the phony paper prices of the ONLY 2 forms of REAL MONEY??? I mean really, are you Khazar f**ks that afraid of $1320 Gold & $18.00 Silver???
    Yeah – i thought so…Could this be the reasons why???
    * “As the price of gold has soared, funds that track the precious metal are also reaching new heights. Following Britain’s vote to exit the European Union, the third largest U.S. gold ETF, ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares, announced on Monday that its assets have surpassed $1 billion. …”

    * “Chinese investors are rushing to gold as a haven after the U.K.’s vote to quit the European Union. . . . . “
    . . . . .
    . . . TO THE F****G MONEYCHANGERS.”

    Well, as a retired academic, I wouldn’t have put it QUITE like that, but I have to say I agree with the general sentiments expressed therein, somewhere around about 100%.

    [lprent: seems to have little to do with the post topic and more of a personal rant. Moved to OpenMike. ]

  18. Sabine 18
    29 June 2016 at 12:49 pm

    Donald Trump – or better one of his sons – illegally fundraising overseas.
    Ahhh, what a champion he is. All truth and such.

    https://twitter.com/NatalieMcgarry/status/747559880723161090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

    • Colonial Viper 18.1
      29 June 2016 at 6:52 pm

      Interesting, Sabine. It shows that Trump is a rank amateur. He needs to take lessons from Hillary Clinton on how to bring in real money from foreign donors. Especially from China and Saudi Arabia.

      From a Clinton Foundation document revealed by a hacker. (Please forgive the caps, they were in the article).

      Here are some of the section titles:

      *THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED DONATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS TIED TO SAUDI ARABIA WHILE CLINTON SERVED AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      *AN EMBATTLED BUSINESSMAN WITH “TIES TO BAHRAIN’S STATE-OWNED ALUMINUM COMPANY” GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION

      *A VENEZUELAN MEDIA MOGUL WHO WAS ACTIVE IN VENEZUELAN POLITICS DONATED TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION DURING CLINTON’S TENURE AS SECRETARY OF STATE

      *GERMAN INVESTOR WHO HAS LOBBIED CHANCELLOR MERKEL’S ADMINISTRATION GAVE BETWEEN $1 MILLION AND $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, SOME OF WHICH WAS DURING MRS. CLINTON’S TENURE AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT

      *THE CEO OF AN AMSTERDAM BASED ENERGY COMPANY DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION AND LATER ANNOUNCED AT THE 2009 CGI MEETING A $5 BILLION PROJECT TO DEVELOP ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY POWER GENERATION IN INDIA AND CHINA

      *INDIAN POLITICIAN AMAR SINGH, WHO HAD DONATED AT LEAST $1 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION, MET WITH HILLARY CLINTON IN SEPTEMBER 2008 TO DISCUSS AN INDIA-U.S. CIVIL NUCLEAR AGREEMENT

      *THE CLINTON FOUNDATION RECEIVED ADDITIONAL DONATIONS FROM INDIAN BUSINESS INTERESTS PRIOR TO HER BECOMING SECRETARY OF STATE

      *BILLIONAIRE STEEL EXECUTIVE AND MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT COUNCIL IN KAZAKHSTAN LAKSHMI MITTAL GAVE $1 MILLION TO $5 MILLION TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION BEFORE CLINTON BECAME SECRETARY OF STATE

      *SOON AFTER SECRETARY CLINTON LEFT THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE CLINTON
      FOUNDATION “RECEIVED A LARGE DONATION FROM A CONGLOMERATE RUN BY A MEMBER OF CHINA’S NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS”

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-06-21/clinton-foundation-vulnerabilities-document-leaked-after-foundation-says-it-was-hack

  19. Ad 19
    29 June 2016 at 1:48 pm

    Hey Lyn,n what’s up with Cameron Slater leaving Whaleoil?

    • Ben 19.1
      29 June 2016 at 3:48 pm

      He is going on sabbatical after 11 years of non-stop blogging. Don’t worry, he will be back in a month or two to stick it to the new Labour leader.

  20. ianmac 20
    29 June 2016 at 3:44 pm

    Question Time today.
    David Parker had a question for McCulley re a person “double dipping” while McCulley was Minister of Rugby World Cup.
    What is interesting that, as the Minister of the Rugby WC no longer exists, no questions can be asked of McCulley. Or for that matter of Brownlee as Minister of Earthquake repairs as that position does not exist either.
    A lot of debate re this in Q 11 @
    https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=176810
    (Trevor reckons that such questions should be referred instead to the PM.)

    Q11 “What part did he have in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s engagement of Alex Matheson or his consultancy company to work on Middle Eastern issues, and what other roles has Mr Matheson, or his consultancy companies, previously carried out for Hon Murray McCully or other entities he has been responsible for?”

  21. ScottGN 21
    29 June 2016 at 6:25 pm

    I just watched Maiki Sherman’s piece on Newshub about the time it take Housing NZ to find homes for people. 155 days or nearly half a year. Paula Bennet’s excuse; the problem is because the applicants aren’t reachable. In other words it’s the homeless’s own fault because they aren’t immediately available on a fucking iPhone. That woman is becoming a major liability.

  22. reason 22
    29 June 2016 at 11:18 pm

    Is John Key pissed in parliament ?

    Or are there other reasons for his inability to understand simple english when it comes from Winston.

    Its almost like he can see winston claiming his head ………………… and putting it in a wine-box.

    Theres three of them trying to sledge winston at one point …… he wiped the floor with them.

    *****************************************************

    “Rt Hon Winston Peters: How does he reconcile his Government’s comments that the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will be worth $5 billion, year on year, by 2025 when no other proponents have made such extravagant claims?

    Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The member should table the quote where I said that.

    Rt Hon Winston Peters: I seek leave to table two quotes, one from Minister Groser and one from Gerry Brownlee.

    Rt Hon JOHN KEY: The Rt Hon Winston Peters just misled the House. He said that that was my quote. It was not my quote—

    Speaker: order order wank wank wake up john,

    Rt Hon Winston Peters: Despite the fact that I never said they were, Prime Minister—and obfuscation and deviation will not work in this House—why is the Government blocking a free-trade deal with Russia and pouring massive taxpayer support into the Hollywood film industry, Skycity Casino, Rio Tinto, and now the TPP agreement campaign when the Democrat and Republican campaigns’ leadership in the United States thinks it is a real dog—

    Hon Steven Joyce: What’s your question?

    Rt Hon Winston Peters: —no, not you; the TPP agreement—and a big corporate protection racket against the interests of its workers and its farmers?

    Chris Bishop: How’s that Northland office going?

    Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Then, of course—how is the Northland office going? The Northland office is going the same way it was when you turned up at one of our campaigns in Kaipara. We took that poor lad Chris Bishop to the cleaners. We gave him a lesson in heartland politics. They were so embarrassed that they were skulking at the back door, hiding behind the tea ladies, and the tea ladies were trying to get away from them. They did not want to be contaminated. But instead of saying “Thank you, Winston. Is that how it’s done?”, no, no, he is still as arrogant. He is still not telling his next-door neighbour Sarah Dowie that she is gone next time, and still not telling the next-door neighbour from Whangarei that he is gone next time. Oh, believe me, I tell you what: I know from the communications from National Party stalwarts that it is all over, Rover. They know that there is one party that understands heartland New Zealand. It is in our name—it is New Zealand First.

    Rt Hon Winston Peters: Despite Tim Groser and Gerry Brownlee’s comments, how is his response that the TPP agreement is a financial relief for New Zealand dairy farmers, when US free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and Korea took more than 4 years to receive congressional approval after signing? In short, how will the dairy industry in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 expect any relief at all from his flippant comments?

    Rt Hon JOHN KEY: This is going to come as a great revelation, but Panama, Colombia, and Korea are not part of the TPP “

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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Freshwater farm plan systems to be improved
    The coalition Government intends to improve freshwater farm plans so that they are more cost-effective and practical for farmers, Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay have announced. “A fit-for-purpose freshwater farm plan system will enable farmers and growers to find the right solutions for their farm ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Fast Track Projects advisory group named
    The coalition Government has today announced the expert advisory group who will provide independent recommendations to Ministers on projects to be included in the Fast Track Approvals Bill, say RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. “Our Fast Track Approval process will make it easier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pacific and Gaza focus of UN talks
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his official talks with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York today focused on a shared commitment to partnering with the Pacific Islands region and a common concern about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.    “Small states in the Pacific rely on collective ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government honours Taranaki Maunga deal
    The Government is honouring commitments made to Taranaki iwi with the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its first reading Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the commitment the Crown made to the eight iwi of Taranaki to negotiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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