Written By:
notices and features - Date published:
7:14 am, October 30th, 2013 - 88 comments
Categories: open mike -
Tags:
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.
Child poverty affects brain development – study
http://tinyurl.com/kllftqx
Parent poverty affects the ability of teenagers with disabilities receiving some assistance when sitting exams. This is having reader-writers, extended time etc.
Money makes the difference – they have to be assessed by a child pychologist and it costs between $400 and $900. The exam people have made it harder of recent years. I have forgotten their acronym, the ones who run the system that is wonderful, not like awful old school certificate with moveable pass marks.
Analysed there were 4 from the lowest decile who received such help, and there were hundreds in the top. Maybe thousands. A lot. This is particularly to assess people with dyslexia apparently. On 9 to Noon today early.
ew..!
..len ‘down-trou’-brown just played the ‘god-card’..on tvone breakfast..
..(i am having a cynicism o..d.-here..!..i’d better listen to some ‘uplifting’-music..or something..)
..so that’s it then..
..’down-trou’ brown..
..has played his last card..
..and now we all wait to see if there is the ‘more’ that has been promised/threatened..
..but really len…the ‘god-card’..?
..whoar..!
..eh..?
..what’s next..?
..’it wasn’t my fault..god told me to down-trou..!..
..and ravish that maiden..
..in that maori-room..”
..eh..?
phillip ure..
here is the musical-antidote to that cynicism-od from browns’ god-card..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/amira-willighagen-hollands-got-talent-_n_4173750.html
..that’ll do it for ya..
..phillip ure..
Thank you Phil…… beautiful.
and thanks for the Rock, Salt and Nails Buddy 😉
Key really has started believing his own bullshit
http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8746762/us-didnt-spy-on-nz-key-says
ha ha ha ha ha funniest thing in ages
what a clown
Actually, it is a matter for him as he’s supposed to be protecting NZers from such surveillance…
Oh, wait, he just ensured that we could be surveilled.
John Key’s approach to this question went like this….
“I don’t know the details”
“I can’t be bothered finding out”
“I’m comfortable with that”
. . .
a s t o u n d i n g
joke of a man and a joke of a prime minister
The Civilian tries to make satire out of it but he basically just retypes the article, because it’s funny enough as is. http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/john-key-appointed-u-s-ambassador-to-new-zealand/
Key is so confident because the GSCB is doing it for the NSA.
+1.
That’d be my bet. The NSA probably sees more data collected by the GCSB than its own director does.
If you never thought that you may read a column by Bob Jones that you agree with well here is a pleasant surprise …
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11147698
Some highlights:
About Len Brown and his affair:
It will soon be forgotten but what will not is the nasty coterie from the city’s political right behind it all. Their glorified pie-cart proprietor candidate can forget future mayoral attempts.
About John Banks and his fall from power:
John Banks is a classic example. Once a Cabinet minister, then Auckland’s mayor, he never knew when to call it a day and seek something different. Thus his career will end in ignominy over ridiculous falsehoods. His story of not looking at what he signed is utterly plausible. On the occasions I go to the office, there’s often dozens of papers with yellow signature stickers waiting. I rip through signing the lot with no idea what they are but as they emanate from solicitors, accountants and management I rely on their appropriateness. But John’s plausible denial of not reading the form became implausible once he unnecessarily added he couldn’t recall a helicopter ride to meet the country’s most conspicuous man in a giant mansion and receive $50,000.
About Tony Blair:
A classic example of Powell’s adage is Tony Blair. Held in huge esteem, he destroyed it all with a blatantly dishonest dossier justifying lap-dogging the Bush buffoon into Iraq.
Maybe Jones is trying to atone for his last train crash of a column.
Yeah MS, i usually ignore Jones but looked today and have to hand it to Bob for at least once a decade saying it like it actually is…
I blame the stopped clock syndrome. I think Bob Jones’s clock stopped about 1962, but is still right twice a day.
Huffongton post today 15 things you ought to know about the US.
Like child birth deaths amongst the highest in the world.
Pricr paid for medicine highest in the world.
Education the US pays more than any other country per head of poulation with the worst out comes.
Link?
Child birth deaths in the US are high for the developed world but not in comparison to all nations
/facepalm
It is astounding how people’s thinking goes out the window when house values rise …
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9339557/More-think-NZs-on-the-right-track-poll
These are the people who say National is on 50%? Just asking…
It’s just the latest version of the fearfaux poll
‘
A great slice of life drama last night with the swearing in of the Auckland Council governing body. A few of the city’s knobs were there in all their finery, a smattering of corpulent CCO mandarins, family and distinguished guests, with the rest of the place packed out with us hoi polloi. Some fringe dwellers from the Mana party were there for additional entertainment, although someone should tell them the best heckling involves humour rather than bile. Their barracking gradually diminished before being completely extinguished when Len Brown fronted up to his city and was welcomed with a sustained ovation; an ovation directed to him personally but also in recognition of his family’s dignified attendance.
Its great to see Auckland getting back to the job of being Auckland. Not very happy with the Tory influence in council and its role in such important positions. Still, gotta say, George has done some good things out South so, well, I guess, I dunno okay then, give him a go. Webster is still a worry, though. Mike Lee seems the obvious and best choice for that new “Infastructure” committee. I like how it indicates a trend towards strengthening and consolidating of reporting lines from the generally unaccountable CCOs, especially that bunch of crims over in Transport. It’s gotta be tricky handing out the various chairs, portfolios, and so on, but every one looked happy enough. Everyone except poor widdle Cameron Brewer who’s brave face on-stage was only given away with an occasionally quivering bottom lip. He now has special responsibility for exactly nothing which, I guess, is what happens when your best friends are dirty disgusting despicable people doing dirty disgusting despicable things.
Speaking to a few of my elected representatives afterwards, I did detect an air of forgiveness. Len is on two strikes now so he’s got no choice, really, but to deliver his best effort. Brewer will, no doubt, slime his way back into some sort of favour, but he’s been tainted by the company he keeps as well as his support for the National Party’s attempt to corrupt the political process by exporting John Key’s mountain of sleaze and lies from the Beehive to the town hall. Hopefully, lessons have been learned on both sides and there’s now a realisation that time to focus on delivering positive results to all of Auckland has arrived. If the councillors and Mayor live up to the promise I heard them make last night, I’ll be happy.
[lprent: Guest posted that. ]
“If the councillors and Mayor live up to the promise I heard them make last night, I’ll be happy.”
How naive can you be ? Len Brown is an embarrassment to himself and Auckland, nothing will change the city will still be run and controlled by over paid morons, their assorted cronies and the elites behind them pulling the strings.
…. edit .. moderation… what naughty word did I use ?
[lprent: Beats me. Akismet appears more vigilant than ever after the attacks of spam over past weeks and Monday’s spasm of auto-spam after they upgraded their algorithms. ]
‘
Len Brown’s foolish behaviour has had an odd but positive effect. The John Key-led National Party’s injection of sleaze in an attempt to create a divide based on faux moral outrage has, as it turns out, given Auckland a chance to demonstrate that, collectively, its people are above such adolscent prurience. Many of those who didn’t support Len, do so now, on principle. Those who continue to see the situation as an embarassment can carry on giggling behind the bike sheds, the rest of us will smile benignly and nod hello while wondering which province you came from.
I accept that, today, Auckland is being run by bunch of overpaid white trash baldheads on the jobs-for-the-lads gravy train. However, I don’t accept that situation is a permanent one. The CCOs can be brought into line with the needs of all Aucklanders, and not just their corporate mates. In fact, if the councillors and the Mayor live up to the promise they made last night, that will happen and, as I said, I will be happy. Perhaps its a big “if” but I prefer an optimistic outlook these days. An acidic fatalistic cynicism, such as yours, is just what the elites want you to have. The whole “its useless” and “they’re all the same” and “government is just a sham” paradigm is that which enables banksters like John Key to get away with his “Solid Energy would be fine if it was a private company” spin. Buy into it, if you must, surrender your rights as a citizen in return for the false consciousness of the consumer but, really, its not going to deliver what you think it will.
No I think you’re mistaken, what the elites want to have is the current faux left right divide at a local level like Auckland or in Wellington this keeps them and their mates sitting pretty while useful idiots wave the flag for team red or team blue.
Nothing will change until we have a strong green or mana block leading Auckland or the country.
I smiled at the red/blue=pointless, green=good thing. It sounded too close to the Dickensian “Boodle and Coodle are driving the country to ruin, but Doodle is the one to lead us”…
I reckon that at worst the tories have a tiered paradigm of defense, in descending order of preference:
a population focused on kim kardashian singing on x-survivor
a population focused on the sexcapades of politicians
a population focused on which politician has the nicest hair
a population focused on neoliberal policies
a population focused on real-world injustice and inequality
I see the usual suspect (Farrar, Jordan Williams) are launching yet another right wing astroturf ACT-in-another-name organisation.
Really, how irrelevant can you be? David Farrar was part of Shipley’s appalling administration, he clings to failed 1980s dogma, and clearly learns nothing and forgets nothing, while Jordan Williams is just Simon Lusk lite, principally known for for being the failure behind the anti-MMP campaign, for which he got pleanty of money for not a lot of return.
Yes, I have a completed post on it, queued up. After the slow day yesterday, there seems to be a lot of TS posts coming up today.
Thankfully, they have been sidelined as an irrelevance already:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9339514/Tip-line-to-expose-waste-and-extravagance-opens
Mental Health, on and off pitch.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11148350
Collins on Justice in Ontario, oops, China
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11148305
(according to recent BBC commentary, Justice in China is “of the Party, by the Party, for the Party”).
“the goofball antics of Dr [Jonathan] Coleman”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11148347
and his lack of concern over privacy in NZ
Good interview with David Cunliffe on tv3. http://www.3news.co.nz/Key-would-sell-his-own-mother—Cunliffe/tabid/1607/articleID/319345/Default.aspx
Thanks Matthew. An excellent easily understood set of answers and delivered with clarity and confidence. David Cunliffe for PM! Yay!
Hmm, did you actually listen to his answers or just hear them?
“They’ve barely broken even by the time they’ve taken the lost dividends”
Really? $1.8B on the sale, $120M cost of sale, so $1.68B nett. Dividends for 2012 were $244.6M, if these continued (big IF based on the Labour/Greens power policy which is set to rip the arse out of power profits), they would still recieve $124.75M/year leaving $119.85M lost dividend. So yes, in 14 years time they will have barely broken even, but until that point Cunliffe sounds like an idiot.
Secondly, “the number of Kiwis that own Meridian has gone down from 100 percent to barely 2 percent”…..really? The Government still owns 51% so that means by his maths, 100% of Kiwi’s still own Meridian, the just own half as much. This doesn’t take into account the fact that ACC, the Cullen Fund and Kiwisaver providers would all have bought into Meridian meaning an even higher share for Kiwi’s.
If you ask me, Cunliffe come out of that looking like an uninformed idiot that can’t do basic maths!
interestingly, BBC World covered findings yesterday, that despite falling wholesale electricity prices in the UK, the powerco’s are reaming as much profit as the market can sustain.
Matthew +1 …thanks for that ….Cunliffe is great!
…I think the Labour Party , as well as selling itself as the socially just and caring Party, should also sell itself as the Party best for BUSINESS….because the MYTH amongst common men is still out there that the National Party is the business party and Labour is not.( This MYTH makes National seem the winner and Labour the Party for losers)
In fact Labour and the Greens both need to emphasize how they support Business better than National does ie
* research and development
* intraprepreneurial start up companies
* IT companies and the IT industry , which is rapidly becoming NZ’s biggest export earner ( even surpassing dairying)
* export led economy
* self-sufficiency…economics and full employment objectives
…and how the National Party has undermined NZ businesses/entrepreneurial start ups, an export led economy….and just plundered the family silver ( sale of State Owned Assets)
(btw…i am not trying to tell the Labour chooks how to suck eggs…merely giving my opinion based on feedback I have received regarding the MYTH of National as being the pro-business Party and Labour not)
Lest we forget – finally watched “Beneath the Shroud” last night. This was a sobering reminder of the extent that our so called public servants (especially politicians and the surveillance agencies) go to when supposedly protecting our best interests. Ahmed Zaoui’s trials and tribulations were a wake up call to us all – and the likelihood of history repeating itself , or even worse, now seems even worse with the passing of the recent legislation re GCSB. This should be compulsory viewing for all Labour/Green MP’s as they work to put in place more appropriate legislation and monitoring oversight when they are elected next year.
I continue to shake my head about New Zealand when we can’t learn from good practice from overseas, such as in the oversight of our security services (or even in lowering the blood alcohol levels for drivers.
I am very surprised at the lack of scrunity of the American mining company Andarko. Their record in America is truly apalling, yet they seem to be getting a free pass from the media here in the run up to deep sea drilling starting shortly . Contrary to what Andarko say,they were found to be culpable in the Gulf of Mexico disaster. They were involved in all the decision making around the structure and the failures that lead from those decisions. Not to mention the numerous law suits they are fighting at the moment from both the US government and communities. One of these is for 25 Billion alone. And what is their liability if there is a spill here. $10.000.000 total. What a joke. This company is a disaster waiting to happen and our government has rolled out the welcome mat for them.
1. congrats to Len Brown. he makes the knuckledraggers choke on their self righteousness.
2. what about the bees. The NZ economy is based on botanical fertility but all the idiotes are out every night sneaking around in the twilight with ttheir spray and wipe away busy killing everything.
why isn’t someobdoy doing something about this indiscriminate poisoning of our country.
3. Production was they key at fonterra but all the rugged individualists were so busy arguing about the $7,500 cost for botulism testing that the ignoramuses nearly sunk the whole deal.
what the fuck is wrong with this country?
Bad hybrid of cover-ass, absent leadership and narrow self interest.
It just keeps getting better.
Work on Transmission gully will start next year, the poisonous greens have tried to stop it as they have tried to stop most things that are beneficial to all of us.
The remarkable thing is how labour continues to conspire with them , they are very slow learners.
What a great job National is doing.
[lprent: Banned for a week for stupid trolling. If you want to comment here then let the blood rush to your actual brain rather than being a simple dickhead spraying graffiti. Read the policy.
Updated in reply to your comment: You made assertions stated as fact and your ‘explanation’ is simply stupid. FFS Winston works with National – Key even commented on it a month ago, National works with the Greens – they even had a memorandum of agreement in the last term, etc etc. Of course Labour works with the Greens. Labour has even worked with National. Coming out with that basic of parliamentary politics as if it was a revelation really does place you at the bottom of the pile in understanding politics.
Adding an extra week to your ban for having to point out the frigging obvious. And you obviously need it to catch up on how politics works before you can become a better troll. ]
Having acquired some dosh by foolishly selling assets, the Nats proceed to squander it on white elephants.
You’re a try-hard fucktard mate. How much is being spent to provide a road with a terrible ROI ratio when traffic volumes are going down?
Your economic ignorance surprises noone..
DFTT
So, Obama’s man for Wellington Embassy: ex baseball player, ex-Lehmann Bros, ex-Goldman Sachs…. seriously!
Yep, simply beggars belief. Notice how no CxO level or Board level execs from any of the big banks have been prosecuted over the GFC. The message is clear – the rules apply to us, not to them.
@ karol…how diplomatic and subtle is this?…looks more like the the scoping advance guard of a corporate raid
US Fed tapering…tapering…tapering….get the point
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/asia-stocks-rise-hopes-fed-stimulus-continue-20699582
yeah, its all going to end badly. Kyle Bass has got it right, as usual:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-10-29/kyle-bass-warns-fed-has-made-stocks-only-game-town-so-rich-will-get-richer
Why do I keep listening to Jim Mora’s programme?
Jordan Maxwell..another special guest.
Paul
Was that Jordan Williams? Famous for being obssessed about something is it RW?
Palino is going on Campbell Live tonight, in case ya’ll wanna watch a train wreck.
I’d be keen on seeing that
It may have just been the camera angle, but that man looked awful guilty.
ps, since when is Slater a journalist?
I don’t know – was a pretty shit ‘interview’. To establish his looking guilty I’d rather see him front up as opposed to being stalked outside a post office
Agree. But he’s not going to front. So you know. Makes your mind up.
I have no personal animosity towards Americans but his voice had that whinny Woody Allen like intonation which grates my nerves.
LEST WE FORGET
This is why they’re persecuting him….
“Tony Blair said MPs should work normal jobs before entering politics to give them a better overview of how the world works.”
– Many may not agree with his views on a lot of things but this seems sensible
Many people say Tony Blair should be in prison for the rest of his life. Why are you approvingly quoting a disgusting, discredited war criminal?
I agree with that. We tried a currency trader and that’s been pretty shit.
The problem is who to replace him with…Judith Collins maybe
To your first statement about working normal jobs I’d say agree.
To your second regarding Collins, that’d be all types of awful. Besides – I’d wager she’s totally unelectable.
“I’d wager she’s totally unelectable.”
I think so too. She’s been in parliament for quite a while, still can;t get through speech well without reading it. Has impulse issues.
I’d actually back Shearer against her in a live debate, ffs.
She’d go toxic, and do that fake laugh thing she does.
I just find her very grating and, like you say, very awkward in public speaking. John Key is a smooth political operator whereas Collins is like sandpaper.
Ok so you don’t agree with JC (and fair enough) but you agree that politicians should have normal job experiences, I guess the question is how to bring that about because I don’t know how tto make that happen
A month assisting the cops, a month in the courts, a month as a teachers aid, a month as a ward orderly, a month killing possums for DOC, a month cleaning the toilets in Parliament…
As someone pursuing higher office Tat, I wonder have done the jobs you have listed? From what I have ascertained your a chiropractor and have lived quite comfortably off your in-laws (I’m sorry if that is incorrect – just going from what I remember from previous posts).
It’s not that I don’t agree with Collins (I don’t for the record) it’s that even if I did she would unelectable as she lacks warmth and an ability to connect with people.
Not bad, I particularly like the killing possums bit and I’d add in something like 2 years in the military as well (preferably including a deployment) and some farm work wouldn’t be a bad idea either
Rebecca Wright – onya!
Posted elsewhere, but here it is anyway: latest poll.
http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/5269-new-zealand-voting-intention-october-2013-201310300521
Consistent message in all polls bar the Stuff joke: Labour and the Greens ahead overall, but not by much. All to fight for next year.
Just for fun, I put the Conservative Party in the calculator at 2.5%, with an electorate seat, instead of ACT winning Epsom.. They get 3 seats. Assuming the Maori Party hang on to their 3 seats and Dunne is still an MP, it’s a 60 all draw. Anything less and it’s a progressive Government.
Palino looked like a deer in headlights tonight. Surprised he hadn’t already rehearsed his responses a bit better?
Heh. Yes, Rebecca Wright is persistent.
Had a brief moment featured on TV One tonight, looking after a bright young patient who has some developmental and behavioural challenges.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152021149166663&set=a.10152021151906663.1073741825.693501662&type=1&theater
Link doesn’t work, Tat. What was the news item?
It was the warm family friendly piece on One News tonight – featuring the journey of a young patient of mine, and his family, who have been looking in NZ and around the world for treatment which can help him.
Ah. This one – cool
I use to work with children with those kinds of difficulties.
Yep thanks for finding it karol. I was still in practice when it screened so this is the first chance I’ve had to watch it.
I had acupuncture from my national Health GP in London, for migraines. Needles in the tops of my feet. Hard to know if the migraines retreated because of that, or if they would have done so on their own – but certainly the cluster migraines and full blown migraines generally stopped for a few years after that. Rarely get them these days.
Sounds about right. Even if the acupuncture merely acted as a ‘better placebo’ it may have helped trigger the change. (One also has to ask why the pain killers weren’t as good placebos…heh) I’ve had acupuncture myself previously for various things, and I usually find it excellent in combination with chiropractic care.
Hmmm link might work now…
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152021149166663&set=a.10152021151906663.1073741825.693501662&type=1&theater#
JOHN BANKS UPDATE:
First call for a High Court Judicial Review of District Court decision ordering John Banks to stand trial for filing a false electoral return.
http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Judgement-Judge-Gittos-16-Oct-2013.pdf
As the Solicitor-General has taken over the private prosecution, Banks’ lawyer(s) will be facing Crown Law.
WHEN: Thursday 31 October 2013
WHERE: Auckland High Court, Waterloo Quadrant
TIME: Protest banners outside High Court from 9am
Court starts 10am.
http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/article.aspx?id=176090&fm=newsmain%2Cnup
Banks to face Crown Law Office
Solicitor-General Michael Heron’s decision to take over the case against John Banks is being praised by the man who privately prosecuted the MP.
26 October 2013
The man who privately prosecuted ACT leader John Banks is praising Solicitor-General Michael Heron for taking over the case.
Retired accountant Graham McCready succeeded in the District Court and Banks has been ordered to stand trial charged with filing a false electoral return.
Mr Heron confirmed on Friday he was taking over the case, which means Banks will face the Crown Law Office when he goes to trial – unless he succeeds with a High Court judicial review of the District Court ruling which will be heard on Thursday next week.
As well as prosecuting the case, the Crown Law Office will defend the judicial review.
“I’m very pleased, it’s a win not only for myself but for the New Zealand public that a private prosecution can have a defendant committed for trial and then the solicitor-general takes over and puts the full weight of the Crown behind it,” Mr McCready said on Radio New Zealand.
Mr McCready says the judicial review could mean Banks faces further scrutiny.
“He has the right to remain silent but if he files an affidavit, as he has probably done, then it is open to the Crown Law Office to call him in and cross-examine him on it,” he said.
When Banks told media he was seeking a judicial review of the ruling by District Court Judge Phil Gittos, he said it contained a myriad of factual inaccuracies and flawed legal decisions.
Banks is accused of knowingly signing a false election return for the donations he received for his 2010 Auckland mayoral bid.
Donations from SkyCity and internet mogul Kim Dotcom were recorded as anonymous.
The prosecution alleges Banks knew where they came from.
NZN
_____________________________________________________________________________
Kind regards,
Penny Bright
“Omega Speedmaster price” says:
“I create a”
…according to google translate.
I cannot understand what you have written. Please say more. This would help me to understand.
http://translate.google.com/#en/ja/を創造する
[karol: reply to spam]