Open mike 30/05/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 30th, 2016 - 84 comments
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84 comments on “Open mike 30/05/2016 ”

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  1. Paul 1
    30 May 2016 at 6:13 am

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

    DoC funding cut by $40m – independent expert
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/305139/doc-funding-cut-by-$40m-independent-expert

    • Stunned mullet 1.1
      30 May 2016 at 7:24 am

      Another day and most people get on with their lives quite happily.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 1.1.1
        30 May 2016 at 7:30 am

        …most people…

        The notion that New Zealanders don’t give a fuck about the environment or say, child poverty, while it suits the National Party’s owners, and certainly applies to the sociopath wing of the party, simply has no foundation in reality.

        That’s because “most people” have a thing called “empathy”.

        • Adrian 1.1.1.1
          1 June 2016 at 4:15 pm

          Except when it effects their house values or share portfolio it seems.

      • Paul 1.1.2
        30 May 2016 at 7:41 am

        That says a lot about you.
        Empathy.
        Google it.

      • Blue 1.1.3
        30 May 2016 at 8:01 am

        Ignorance is bliss stunned mullet. You must be exceptionally happy.

      • mary_a 1.1.4
        30 May 2016 at 1:01 pm

        @ Stunned mullet (1.1)

        “Another day and most people get on with their lives quite happily.”

        Now try this one … another day and far too many Kiwi families struggle in silence, in absolute misery, attempting to get on with their lives trying hard to survive … living in the back of a car, a garage, shed, tent, hovel etc!! Or they can rent a motel room and be in debt to WINZ for the rest of their wretched lives!

        But then I guess if you are comfortable, well fed, warm, surviving on a very good income and happy with your lot, why give a big rat’s backside about the suffering of others?

      • Reddelusion 1.1.5
        30 May 2016 at 6:07 pm

        Another day and another moronic posting by Paul

    • Wayne 1.2
      30 May 2016 at 2:12 pm

      Paul,

      You make this, or a similar comment every day. While I accept that there are things that could be done better, and that there are social problems to be solved, surely you are rather overstating it.

      Most people in New Zealand do not think they are living in a nightmare. The right direction/wrong direction polls consistently show that a substantial majority think NZ is going in the right direction, which for instance is unlike the US.

      By most OECD measures New Zealand is doing pretty well. Among the higher levels of economic growth, and among the highest levels of employment and one of the lowest levels on unemployment. Welfare rolls generally shrinking. The fact that we have such a high level of inwards migration, much of it being returning kiwis, shows that for many people they see good opportunities here.

      In the Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay for instance they are struggling to increase cool store capacity because of the good prices for kiwifruit, apples and other horticulture.

      In short, overstating the severity of the issues facing the country will have people thinking that you are crying wolf a bit too often.

      • DoublePlusGood 1.2.1
        30 May 2016 at 4:15 pm

        “Welfare rolls generally shrinking” – yes, because people are being kicked off welfare into destitution.
        Meanwhile, the country is what, $120 bn in debt now? Hospitals are being steadily underfunded, with massive waits for ‘elective’ surgeries. Schools rely on donations just to keep afloat. Funding across many areas of government isn’t keeping up with inflation and population increases. Benefits don’t keep up with inflation. Numbers of homeless are burgeoning. Many people can’t even afford to rent a garage in Auckland. People are being forced into debt as they get shoved into motels as emergency accommodation because there aren’t enough houses for people in need, because the government is utterly failing to provide any solutions in this area.

        So while things seem rosy to you, that’s only because you’ve ignored all the serious issues facing this country.

        • infused 1.2.1.1
          30 May 2016 at 5:24 pm

          All you guys bitching and moaning about 120bn of debt: what do you want the alternative to be? slash and burn? because that’s what a traditional nat govt would have done, and what many other countries have done.

          Increase taxes I hear you say? Well nope. Business were already doing it tough. This would have just made it even tougher.

          I think many of you need a reality check.

          • Lanthanide 1.2.1.1.1
            30 May 2016 at 5:28 pm

            Not have implemented the unaffordable “tax switch”.

            Labour’s tax cuts were already pretty generous, and more than we could really afford.

          • DoublePlusGood 1.2.1.1.2
            30 May 2016 at 6:12 pm

            Yeah, I’d have increased taxes to be more inline with western European social democracies. Businesses would have been just fine, particularly since I wouldn’t have raised GST (and indeed would move toward getting rid of GST).

      • Stuart Munro 1.2.2
        30 May 2016 at 4:52 pm

        I seriously doubt Wayne, that you have much to do with ‘most people’. Which explains part of the disconnect that lets you shrug off the manifest dishonesty and non-performance of this disgraceful kleptocracy. The other part must be attributed to that want of character by which lawyers have made themselves notorious.

      • Lanthanide 1.2.3
        30 May 2016 at 4:58 pm

        Wayne, it’s fully possible for “most people” to think we’re going in the right direction, without that being what is actually best for New Zealand.

        But that doesn’t make any judgement about how fast we’re going there.

        It might be under this current government we’re crawling along in ‘the right direction’, but under a different government we’d be zooming away.

      • reason 1.2.4
        30 May 2016 at 5:28 pm

        Wayne Mapp should probably be in jail …………. http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/judith-collins-brazen-cronyism.html

        Nominated yourself for anything else to Judith lately wayne ker ?????

        http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Cronyism

      • North 1.2.5
        30 May 2016 at 6:07 pm

        Ha ! The plump Wayne. “Most people in New Zealand…….”

        Tell that to the kids in cars Wayne……as you scan your financial affairs indicating (educated guess) the best part of half a million dollars gross coming into your small household annually.

        Gets on my wick that a life long gravy trainer like you should invoke his plumpness to say “…….all’s OK, you know, by and large, at the end of the day, and here are some figures and gosh, we must mind our manners etc etc etc. Let’s just be gloriously plump and plompous !”

      • Paul 1.2.6
        30 May 2016 at 6:54 pm

        Highlighting the homelessness issue in New Zealand is not crying wolf.
        I guess you can’t see from your leafy suburb and through the tinted windows of your SUV.

        And the ‘most people’ argument does not wash.
        Jimmy Carter, the last president of the US before the cult of neo-liberalism ( to which you subscribe) took over said.
        “The measure of a society is found in how they treat their weakest and most helpless citizens.
        I am not sorry this upsets you; you need to pay attention. I do not plan to stop.

      • Paul 1.2.7
        30 May 2016 at 7:02 pm

        This sums up your world view, Wayne.
        “I’d love to help, but there’s no moral obligation to do so.”
        Neo-liberalism has rotted your soul.

        https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cjk_CaMVEAAqbNo.jpg:large

      • RedBaronCV 1.2.8
        30 May 2016 at 9:05 pm

        And the NACTS make similar comments every day too. nothing wrong, nothing to see here, everything is going well yada yada.

        But I’m delighted to hear that some of you are doing really well, you’ll be able to pay that $120B debt off for the rest of us? Nope??

        That 70% tax rate on personal incomes over $250k , on all trust income (offshore or onshore trusts ) looks like a more attractive option every day.
        I’d even suggest bringing it in straight away, like tobacco tax hikes, so ther was no time to hide the dosh.

  3. weka 3
    30 May 2016 at 7:46 am

    Stephanie’s on fire at the moment. People stepping up to help with the housing crisis,

    And because New Zealanders are caring, compassionate people, we step up. We open our doors and put our hands in our pockets

    Imagine if we could pool all those resources across the country and had a single organisation with the knowledge and leverage to ensure every kid gets breakfast and every family has a home. An organisation motivated by providing good lives for people, not payouts for shareholders.

    We could call the organisation, “government”. We could call those resources we all chip in, “tax”. We used to know what those things meant, before we got to where we are now. Together, we can decide to go somewhere else.

    https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2016/05/29/how-we-got-here/

    • You_Fool 3.1
      30 May 2016 at 9:24 am

      Actually lets not have the tax be mandatory, but be a true donation but it must be declared publicly – i.e. “Hi my name is John Key and I only care for the country to the tune of 5c”

  4. You_Fool 4
    30 May 2016 at 9:22 am

    With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland; Is there anything stopping the Auckland Council finally zoning all inner suburbs as ultra-high density so we the Natophiles can get on and build nice big apartment buildings nice and close to the city? Save most of the infrastructure costs. Sure the people of Remmers, Ponsnobby and Parnell will have to move, but hey just zone some of that outer fringe land to low density residential so they can have mcmansions on their land-banked land and nice large green areas.

    Would be much cheaper than the opposite way round, and the sooner we got on with becoming a real city the better…

    • dv 4.1
      30 May 2016 at 9:42 am

      AND
      the 17Billion for the infrastructure upgrade for the green fields development will cost the average rate payer in Auckland about an extra $2000 per year for 20 years.

      • Sabine 4.1.1
        30 May 2016 at 10:21 am

        so?
        the only ones that could not pay for that would be those on a fixed income, and i am sure that Paula Bennett and Blinglish will have no issues giving our retired people in akl some cash to move the fuck outta town and leave their homes to some more deserving people.

        economical warfare is the game.
        economical cleansing is the final desired solution

        The cities of NZ, gated communities with swipe cards for the maids, chefs, baristas and gardeners.

        • dv 4.1.1.1
          30 May 2016 at 10:36 am

          The cities of NZ, gated communities with swipe cards for the maids, chefs, baristas and gardeners.

          Not to forget the teachers and the nurses for example.

          And I can’t imagine the aucklanders being pleased about a 50% rate increase. They get exercised about a 5% incase

        • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.2
          30 May 2016 at 11:30 am

          This http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/80391585/reids-farm-could-close-due-to-complaints.html popped up on a forum for motorhomers the other day.

          Reactions ranging from outrage at the “ferals” ruining freedom camping for those with self contained vehicles to mild concern and ‘what are we going to do about it?’ from forumites living locally.

          What most failed to read in the Stuff article was..

          “Taupo’s Emergency Accommodation Facebook page manager Renee Grey said many of the people she has helped have used Reid’s Farm when times go desperate.

          “I think it would be devastating as Taupo has no emergency accommodation shelter and thats where most homeless in Taupo use it temporarily,” she said. ”

          and the forumites also neglected to read the other articles about the impending accommodation crisis in tourism hotspot Taupo.

          http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/77452043/The-rental-crisis-creating-Taupos-homeless-community

          http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/75936619/competitive-taupo-housing-market-forcing-one-family-towards-homelessness

          This is a repetition of what has happened in Queenstown.

          Rich buy up property, many don’t reside year round, property prices rise and rise and the low wage workers on whom the tourism industry depend cannot afford to live in town.

          Towns people and privileged indigenous travelers refer to the homeless as ‘ferals’.

          I commented in the distaff…but methinks the mods will remove the comment or perhaps ban me from the site.

          Reality.

          • weka 4.1.1.2.1
            30 May 2016 at 11:52 am

            That Stuff article doesn’t tell us 2 critical things. How much is this an issue of tourism, and what are the complaints being made? Pretty hard to understand the issue or what could be done without knowing those things.

            “privileged indigenous travelers”

            Who do you mean?

            • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.2.1.1
              30 May 2016 at 12:17 pm

              Probably pay to read all three articles to get the picture weka, then maybe trawl the archives for articles along a similar vein that came out of Queenstown about three years ago.

              “Indigenous travelers”….those of us who own our own self contained motorhomes. The ‘privileged’ part comes in when some…maybe most….demand the ‘right’ to freedom camp wherever and whenever based on the theory that spending a few dollars in that region affords them entitlement. Any real or perceived threat to freedom camping results in (yet another) venting of outrage at the ‘ferals’ in non self contained camping vehicles spoiling it for us.

              Few ever engage with the ‘others’, seldom learn the whys and wherefores of their individual circumstances.

              • Rosemary McDonald …
                30 May 2016 at 12:35 pm

                Natrad has done some good work on trying to highlight the issue….

                http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201801465/queenstown-warned-it-could-become-like-exclusive-aspen

                “A delegation of Queenstown community leaders received a shocking warning of what their resort town could become.

                Queenstown/Aspen Queenstown/Aspen Photo: Wiki commons
                The Chamber of Commerce delegation visited the Colorado ski resort of Aspen last month.

                It’s geographically similar to Queenstown, and both are suffering serious housing affordability issues, with those working in the service industries having to live further and further out of town.”

                Tourism…the raison d’etre of Queenstown , is losing ground to the now greater industry of real estate investment.

                Taupo is going down the same road.

          • Sabine 4.1.1.2.2
            30 May 2016 at 12:49 pm

            The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.

            When people need to go they need to go. And now you have about 4 million more that need to go. Add an extra million people over summer, and they all flush at least thrice a day.

            Public facilities need to be upgraded and more numerous that is for sure, however i don’t hold my breath.

            As for the spreading of the disease. The disease is Growth, this is our current Growth, selling the country to the highest bidder quarter acre by quarter acre, – us in Akl can tell you, that we told you so. Its time that NZ wake up. As elsewhere Paula Bennett will have no issue offering those with houses in high impact – err, high value areas. Here have 5 grand, now fuck off.

            • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.2.2.1
              30 May 2016 at 12:58 pm

              “The lack of public facilities in NZ is astounding. You can literally drive form AKL to Wellington without seeing one Highway Rest Ground with appropriate Facilities.”

              Not quite…but the public facilities are often not obvious.

              In Taupo, after 7pm, it appears you have to use the ones in a local fast food joint…after making the appropriate purchase of course. ;-( .

              • Sabine …
                30 May 2016 at 1:09 pm

                thats what i mean. there should be appropriatly marked rest places that offer public facilities. Not fast food joints or dairies where on has to buy something.

                thats a private facility 🙂

                • BM …
                  30 May 2016 at 1:15 pm

                  There’s a heap of public toilets.

                  http://www.toiletmap.co.nz

                  • te reo putake …
                    30 May 2016 at 1:39 pm

                    Interesting website. It does kinda confirm that you can drive a long way on SH1 without finding one. And how obvious the toilets are is another question.

                  • Macro …
                    30 May 2016 at 6:34 pm

                    7553 individual public toilet pans spread over the whole of NZ does not equal “there are heaps” and many of them are a heap of shit!

                    • BM …
                      30 May 2016 at 7:03 pm

                      Add every petrol station,library and shopping center to that number.

                    • Macro …
                      30 May 2016 at 9:13 pm

                      Libraries, Petrol stations, and shopping centres are not at beaches or scenic sites or National Parks. Most of the public toilets are listed in towns anyway. The concern if you don’t already understand – is not that there are no toilet facilities in towns – the concern is that places of beauty are being spoiled by people defaecating on roadsides and reserves etc because there are little or no facilities. For instance in the Coromandel the permanent population of 30,000 are required to provided toilet facilities for up to 130,000 transient people (many of whom are tourists). The total number of toilet pans outside of the towns is about 3 dozen (including 2 at the top to “The Pinnacles”).
                      I thought you as a neo-lib junkie were all for user pays? Why should rate payers subsidize the tourist industry?

      • save nz 4.1.2
        30 May 2016 at 11:01 am

        And just like the UK experience (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/25/sadiq-khan-condemns-foreign-investors-london-homes-gold-bricks-housing-policy) – it will produce houses for the wealthy many of whom do not live in NZ while the locals running Auckland will be commuting for hours, paying more rates and unable to buy a house or spending more to own a home.

        With rents or the new term, ‘social housing’, the current ‘mums and dads’ landlords will be gone, and in it’s place unwieldy companies and corporations with big rental portfolios who can price fix, decide not to rent at all or whatever. We can see it coming with the Chinese and Australian interest. Then NZ rentals or ‘social bonds’ will be put into shares by banks and money traders and traded by the wealthy. All the this is Bill English and Keys wet dream for NZ like the financial hub (aka tax havens).

        For those that seem to think more houses and zoning changes will mean “for the poor’ – at current rates – very unlikely. We may get more of Paula Bennett’s famously vacant facts and figures, the increase in emergency housing which under scrutiny does not even make sense, like $5000 to leave Auckland or $3000 to come back.

        The more the government and council loosen up planning rules the less affordable the houses in Auckland are becoming as people use the rules to make houses bigger and less affordable.

        NZ has to lose the neoliberal rubbish and go back to what worked previously, state house being built and retained by the government and wages in line with the price to build a house to get back to our previously 74% home ownership figures.

        The irony of all this, is that under neoliberalism the super rich are not even expected to pay tax (hence Key’s tax havens) and now the poorest are expected to keep the coffers going in our taxes increasingly spent on corporate welfare, with cigarette tax and beneficiary ‘fraud’ (i.e. over payments or being deemed to be a relationship) as assets in the latest budget!

        With the super rich and corporations quasi legally not paying and seemingly out of the equation to get more taxes out of, it is up to the declining middle class to both pay for the corporate welfare and the social system. No wonder middle class are between a rock and a hard place vote wise if their choice is framed between more taxes vs less taxes from political parties.

        We really are at the bottom of the barrel!

        • Colonial Viper 4.1.2.1
          30 May 2016 at 11:19 am

          Should we make the super rich poorer? An inheritance tax, a wealth tax, a land/property tax, and high income tax can all be designed to do just that.

          But that’s a separate aim from funding the government. Government can fund itself by borrowing NZD, or by issuing NZD or by a combination of all these methods including taxation.

          • save nz 4.1.2.1.1
            30 May 2016 at 11:46 am

            The problem is, under globalism many of these super rich people not only avoid the rules they have armies of lobbyist putting loop holes into legislation so that they don’t pay. If you are rich enough you can just tie the whole thing up in legal wranglings (like TPPA) so that those with least money pay i.e. middle class (and therefore become poorer hence middle class decline in the West) while the super rich using alias, corporations, trusts, tax havens and what have you become richer and less catchable.

            Taxation needs to come into the 21st century, When the current tax laws were made people did not have multiple passports, private air and boat travel and ability to lobby to create the laws, media and government in their favour.

            That is why I favour micro taxes at source, like stamp duty and transaction taxes. Both do not care about how much money you have or where you live, if you make the transaction – you must pay a set amount. So a person buying a $10 million house vs a person buying a $300k house will pay different amount of taxes each time they buy. Likewise if you are a currency trader and trading million of trades per day, you pay each time you trade vs someone who has a kiwi bank saver is hit only once unless they are buying and selling constantly.

            • Colonial Viper 4.1.2.1.1.1
              30 May 2016 at 12:07 pm

              FTT type taxes are important

              Notice how the financial services industry in NZ got itself exempted from GST

              • save nz …
                30 May 2016 at 12:22 pm

                It is interesting that the biggest group using the Panama tax haven through Mossack were politicians (followed by Hollywood). They make the rules so that they have given themselves exemption from paying tax!

                In my view the opposition which has been obsessed with income figures with taxation instead decides, how do you stop someone wealthy who does not want to pay tax and may not even reside in this country to pay their fair share? Anything to do with income is a waste of time these days as the rich seem to live on nothing and aka Sky City casino there are plenty of places to money launder here for those people who pay in cash! As for capital taxes they will not work for Kiwis on a fixed income and again completely avoidable by the rich shuffling global money around.

                Tax those that are buying up and moving money around each time they do it. Surprisingly we might have a bit more stability if those speculating were taxed each time! And if tax were unavoidable, we would have funds to pay for state houses again!

                And I would like to see a gambling tax put on Sky City and they become legally liable if they contribute to money laundering.

              • Wayne …
                30 May 2016 at 2:15 pm

                CV,

                In practice it is borrowers who get the majority of this advantage.

                • Colonial Viper …
                  30 May 2016 at 2:18 pm

                  Hi Wayne. I’m sure that Auckland housing speculators with multiple sets of mortgage approvals and fees are very thankful.

              • mikesh …
                30 May 2016 at 4:55 pm

                The lending of money is presumably not considered a service. It is therefore difficult to see why interest should be charged.

    • ianmac 4.2
      30 May 2016 at 11:59 am

      “With John Key’s ultimatum last week over housing in Auckland…”
      This morning Key muddied the waters over the Auckland Council threat. I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
      http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201802550

      • Rodel 4.2.1
        30 May 2016 at 9:36 pm

        – Don’t worry ianmac- you are not alone.

        The prime Minister was saying nothing, attempting to sound authoritative, sincere and convincing.
        He has replaced ‘ at the end of the day’ with his latest buzz word, ‘fundamentally’ which is a bit like Brash’s, ‘basically’ and ‘frankly’..

        Jane Bowron in the Press (Monday) sums it up well…in her column referring among other stupidities, to the Govt’s smugness “…..the prime minister sets out to grab the sound bite and appear the action man tough guy…”… ..convincing to some I guess.

  5. joe90 5
    30 May 2016 at 11:22 am

    The Dutch resist efforts to criminalise dissent.

    In a huge blow to Israel, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders announced Thursday that calls to boycott the Jewish state fall within the limits of free speech, undermining intensive Israeli diplomatic efforts to sway European capitals to outlaw the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment Movement.

    “Statements or meetings concerning BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Dutch Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights,” Koenders said Thursday during a debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the Dutch parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee in The Hague.”

    http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/In-huge-blow-to-Israel-Netherlands-declares-BDS-free-speech-455162

    • ianmac 5.1
      30 May 2016 at 12:29 pm

      Some think that the crimes by Israeli Government against their enemies are similar to the crimes against Jews committed by Germany. How does that happen?

      • te reo putake 5.1.1
        30 May 2016 at 1:07 pm

        Same way as a beaten child will go on to beat his children.

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1.1
          30 May 2016 at 6:20 pm

          Nope:

          On 21 June 1933, the Zionist Federation of Germany sent a memorandum to the Nazi Party that contains the following insight into Zionist psychology:

          “On the foundation of the new [Nazi German] state, which has established the principle of race, we wish so to fit our community into the total structure so that for us too, in the sphere assigned to us, fruitful activity for the Fatherland is possible… Our acknowledgment of Jewish nationality provides for a clear and sincere relationship to the German people and its national and racial realities. Precisely because we do not wish to falsify these fundamentals, because we, too, are against mixed marriage and are for maintaining the purity of the Jewish group…” (Lucy Dawidowicz (ed.), A Holocaust Reader, pp. 150-155.)

  6. save nz 6
    30 May 2016 at 12:42 pm

    A different approach to affordability in Auckland, that is sustainable. I would not be against density if it was low rise and stylish and sustainable. It costs the same in the most part to have something beautiful than something that is an eyesore which is a lot of Auckland housing!

    http://www.treehugger.com/tiny-houses/jutland-denmark-cabin-simon-steffensen.html

    How about set designs like tiny houses from Architects that require no building consents under certain conditions and approved designs? A bit like State houses, designed for living in and built quickly and affordably.

  7. Karen 7
    30 May 2016 at 12:59 pm

    Evidently Hooton was misleading Nine to Noon listeners (again) this morning in order to criticise the Auckland Council. He claimed the council hadn’t included the cost of the City Rail Link but actually they have. It is the Nact govt. who haven’t. If they had there would have been no surplus.

    Patrick Reynolds
    ‏@pv_reynolds
    @MatthewHootonNZ completely wrong on #CRL: Council share IS budgeted for gov share is in no budget @ninetonoon Council/AT are funding it now

  8. mikesh 8
    30 May 2016 at 1:26 pm

    It looks as though the Clinton’s may be indicted on charges relating to money laundering, bribery ,etc. These charges arise from investigations by the FBI of Hilary’s deleted emails, which now been recovered.
    See entry in http://www.globalresearch.ca

  9. Penny Bright 9
    30 May 2016 at 1:52 pm

    Press Release Auckland Mayoral candidate Penny Bright.

    “Hit the streets Aucklanders! Tell Pm John Key to back off and butt out!”
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    “Today, I ‘locked in’ with Auckland Central Police, the date, time and route of a march of potentially thousands of Aucklanders, to tell PM John Key to ‘back off and butt out’,” said Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    MARCH! Queen Street – Britomart to the Auckland Town Hall.
    WHEN: Saturday 11 June 2016.
    TIME: 12 noon till 2pm.
    ASSEMBLE: 12 noon outside Britomart.
    ___________________________________________________________________________

    “The reason for this march, is the veiled threat from PM John Key to appoint unelected Commissioners to run Auckland, if ‘Auckland’ doesn’t do what ‘Wellington’ says, (effectively on behalf of developers), regarding housing in Auckland.”

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11646100

    “Prime Minister John Key has given a strong hint that the Government could go as far as appointing commissioners to run Auckland if the council refuses to free up more land for housing.

    “Mark my words,” he told reporters today after being asked about the possibilities for dealing with an uncooperative council.”
    ____________________________________________________________________________________

    “For the Prime Minister to even hint at the threat of appointing Commissioners to run Auckland, four months out from the Auckland local body elections – is simply obscene.”

    “In my view, every time ‘Wellington’ (central government) interferes with ‘Auckland’ (local government) – it makes things worse for thousands of ordinary Auckland ratepayers and citizens.”

    “It was the John Key led National Government that forced this Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%) upon us in 2009, by railroading legislation under urgency through Parliament.”

    “Pivotal to this Auckland ‘Supercity’ was the ‘One Plan’ for Auckland, which, in my view, has been delightful if you are a property developer, speculator, overseas investor, bank, land banker and/or money-launderer, but disastrous for thousands of Aucklanders.”

    “Why does all this ‘growth’ have to come to Auckland?”

    “Where is the national population growth, migration and regional development and employment strategy?”

    “What is ‘local’ now about ‘local government’ in Auckland?”

    “While PM John Key promotes ‘democracy for developers’, and his Government ‘land banks’ empty State houses, decent New Zealanders are appalled at the plight of vulnerable fellow citizens trying to sleep on cardboard in Queen Street, and little kids and their families ‘living’ crammed into cars, garages, caravans and already over-crowded houses.”

    “As someone who helped organise the thousands on to the streets, opposing the TPPA investor and corporate control, I call upon those people, and more, to oppose investor and corporate /developer control of Auckland.”

    “Stand up and be counted Aucklanders, and give PM John Key the message that can’t be ignored!”

    “ENOUGH!”

    Penny Bright

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    (Activists – get things done.)

  10. Puckish Rogue 10
    30 May 2016 at 1:53 pm

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/us-will-refuse-to-confirm-or-deny-if-nukes-on-ship-visiting-nz-2016053010#axzz4A6EtjlGz

    I’d like to see how many people participated in this poll but its not a bad poll for those that are pro-American (yes that includes me)

    • Stuart Munro 10.1
      30 May 2016 at 4:55 pm

      Why are we not surprised. Only the extreme right are blind to America’s failings – you’d probably support Trump. Or Palin.

  11. Adrian 11
    30 May 2016 at 2:50 pm

    Could someone please explain how Mike Williams gets to be ‘the Voice of the Left’ on National Radio..sorry iHeartRadio.

    • mac1 11.1
      30 May 2016 at 5:26 pm

      I nearly threw more than a few well-chosen words of advice at Mr Hooton as he continually spoke over both other speakers. He has a habit of speaking over the others to interrupt or take over. The result is that the thread and the listener’s comprehension are disrupted. He’s ekshully quite good at it.

      Williams is too well mannered, and Ryan has learnt to keep on going but Hooton’s interruptions are very unhelpful to good debate and listening.

      • Anne 11.1.1
        30 May 2016 at 5:41 pm

        Williams is too well mannered,

        Williams doesn’t have it any more. He should step down and let someone younger take it on. Several times this morning he let Hooton get away with blatant twists and outright lies and all he could do was giggle. Hooton’s attempt to shout both Williams and Ryan down was particularly bad this morning. Ryan doesn’t let him get away with it but Williams is useless. It’s almost as though he’s too scared to stand up to Hooton.

        • Tom 11.1.1.1
          30 May 2016 at 5:44 pm

          Self respect…….. A man with self respect faces his fears and doesn’t live a lie.

      • Reddelusion 11.1.2
        30 May 2016 at 6:14 pm

        The issue is what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking, the left comment normally whinging and nonsense, thus Matthew gets more air time

        • Anne 11.1.2.1
          30 May 2016 at 6:43 pm

          Oh, craven bullshit. 😀 Matthew shouts over everybody else that’s why he gets more air time. RNZ should be shot of him because he doesn’t even tell the truth most of the time.

          • Reddelusion 11.1.2.1.1
            30 May 2016 at 6:46 pm

            Debatable but irrespective he is entertaining, I doubt many would listen otherwise

        • Macro 11.1.2.2
          30 May 2016 at 6:46 pm

          “what Matthew has to say is interesting and thought provoking”

          🙄

          Yeah the thought that runs through my mind whenever I am unfortunate enough to hear him is “what shit are you on Matthew? and how come you’re not sea sick with all that spinning?”

          He gets more air time because he is an empty vessel and they are the ones that make the most noise.

      • Gabby 11.1.3
        30 May 2016 at 9:47 pm

        Hootie blows extra hard when he’s fibbing. He sounded quite angry that he couldn’t blame Labour so he did anyway.

  12. Shane 12
    30 May 2016 at 3:31 pm

    Medical Cannabis on One News tonight, thanks to HK for hooking the charity up with a Reporter.

    • mauī 12.1
      30 May 2016 at 6:22 pm

      Good stuff, the item came over well I thought, and that this is an urgent issue.

  13. Gangnam Style 13
    30 May 2016 at 3:57 pm

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11639758
    You would think with all these P users contaminating HNZ houses there would be a bunch of benes getting kicked off welfare for drug use, but yeah, doesn’t seem to be the case…”Last year, there were 31,791 referrals for drug testable positions nationwide and just 55 sanctions for failing a drug test, according to Ministry of Social Development (MSD) figures.”