Open Mike 31/05/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 31st, 2018 - 138 comments
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138 comments on “Open Mike 31/05/2018 ”

  1. bwaghorn 1

    Little better get to work selling his softening of the bail laws the nodding heads on the am are working them selves into a lather.
    All they will be waiting for is someone to die.

    • mauī 1.1

      Saw that too. No balance, no perspective, just mindless lock him up stuff. Then he moved onto pointlessly bagging Russia.

      Oh well maybe someone who wants to make nz a better place will get his platform one day.

      • halfcrown 1.1.1

        Yeah, I saw it also. It is a pity they did not have an in-depth discussion about Bennet and the unnecessary scare this lying person used to empty state houses so they could then be sold.

    • ScottGN 1.2

      There doesn’t appear to be any communication strategy across any government department whatsoever. It’s making me fearful for the future.

      • dukeofurl 1.2.1

        How can you have a strategy when Newshub makes it all up.
        The three strikes law will be repealed in two weeks, Newshub can reveal – and Justice Minister will also push for sentences shorter than two years to be served as home detention.

        Thats the current legislation now. FOR SENTENCES LESS THAN 2 YEARS!

    • Puckish Rogue 1.3

      I personally liked the idea behind the three strikes law but, unfortunately, too many judges decided it was “manifestly unjust” and didn’t impose the maximum sentence

      I think this is a big mistake by Labour and by carrying this out, without any real alternative, will see Labour hit in the polls and rightly so

      Will be interesting to see what NZFirst have to say about it as well

      • Robert Guyton 1.3.1

        Puckish Rogue said: “I personally liked the idea behind the three strikes law”

        Shudder

        • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1.1

          Its not unreasonable to expect someone that commits a serious crime for the third time to be sentenced for the full length allowable for that crime

          • Macro 1.3.1.1.1

            Yes it is.

            • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1.1.1.1

              Why?

            • Baba Yaga 1.3.1.1.1.2

              No, it isn’t. The strikes only apply to serious crime. Three offences is more than enough.

              • Macro

                Yes dear.
                So pinching someones bottom while in prison earns 7 years?
                And how does extending the imprisonment of someone by 7 years for pinching a bottom ensure the safety of society

                • Baba Yaga

                  You’d have to provide an actual example of such an offence contributing to the three strikes rule.

                    • Baba Yaga

                      “Toogood sentenced Campbell to seven years in prison, but Campbell is still able to apply for parole once a third of that term has passed.”
                      So he wont serve 7 years.

                      “Campbell had committed two violent offences previously – and was now on his third strike, meaning he would have to serve out the full term of the maximum available sentence.
                      The maximum for indecent assault is seven years.”
                      So this is a repeat violent offender, who committed a crime that carries a maximum 7 years sentence.

                      “As well as his aggravated robbery, Campbell had been convicted of robbery and demanding to steal in 2013 – offences that earned him a stage one warning to accompany his sentence of community work and supervision.”
                      Nasty piece of work.

                      So even you’re cherry picked example seems fair to me.

                    • dv

                      So how come the hits law didn’t stop this guy?
                      I thought that was the idea.

                    • mpledger

                      I wouldn’t have expected otherwise.

              • adam

                Dumb, dumb, Dumb…

                Baba Yaga thinks robbery is a serious crime….

                • Baba Yaga

                  Dumb, dumb, dumb. Adam supports catch and release.

                  As at 31 December 2013, of the 24 second strike offenders for which we have information:
                  100% have numerous prior convictions as adults. And these are not for minor offences. They include burglary, male assaults female, possession of offensive weapons, robbery, aggravated robbery, indecent assault, theft and many others.
                  46% have prior convictions for ‘strike’ offences before Three Strikes taking effect on 1 June 2010. Because Three Strikes was not implemented ‘retrospectively’ these prior offences do not count as ‘strikes’ against their record.
                  The average age of second strikers is just under 26 years, and all but one are men. The youngest second striker is 19 years old, and the oldest 45 years old, at the time of second strike sentence.
                  67% received a sentence of imprisonment for their first strike offence/s. Of those imprisoned, the average term was 14% of the maximum available. The average term imposed was 20 months.
                  38% committed their first strike offence while on bail, parole or while still subject to sentence.
                  92% received a sentence of imprisonment for their second strike offence/s. Of those imprisoned for their second strike offence/s, the average term was 24% of the maximum available. The average term imposed was 35 months. The term imposed is served without parole or early release under the three strikes law.
                  67% committed their second strike offence while on bail, parole or while still subject to sentence.

                  http://sst.org.nz/our-aims/sst-three-strikes-policy/

                  • adam

                    No prizes for making stuff up.

                    Catch and release – nothing less than a lie from a hard right troll. That said.

                    Dumb, dumb, Dumb… I’d expect nothing less from you Baba Yaga

                    I like your response by the way, nothing about robbery, but more B.S to support a failed policy, backed by idiots who support corporate greed at the expense of society.

                    As you may have read unless your a complete idiot. I see it as the role of society to understand why people feel they have to offend, then offer viable solutions so they don’t offended again. Not lock them up and throw away the key so you can have some sort a revenge orgasim.

                    Thank goodness you have no power, It’s hard to have a conversation with someone who lets their inner two year old take over.

                    • Baba Yaga

                      https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/05/meet_a_second_striker.html

                      Have a read and see the sort of scum you’re suggesting we put out on the streets.

                      [lprent: I read your comments and wonder why I let morally repugnant insane and probably criminal* arseholes like you write comments here. I wonder if I should follow your advice and just lock you out. What do you think about that arbitrary rule?

                      * Moralistic wank hards like you in my experience are invariably commiserate hypocrites who will cheat on anything. It is just a matter of scratching the surface to find the arsehole beneath. Partners, taxes, disabled parking, customs declarations, traffic rules, whatever… I don’t think that such people should be able to be allowed in public. ]

          • ScottGN 1.3.1.1.2

            Except that’s not how three strikes actually worked and you know it.

            • Puckish Rogue 1.3.1.1.2.1

              So why not use it as it was supposed to be used instead of getting rid of it

              • Macro

                Why don’t you ask a few professional lawyers who work with the current batshit crazy law to find out?

              • Brigid

                Because it has no useful purpose.

                • Puckish Rogue

                  I think its very useful, if you’ve broken three of the three strikes laws then you get to be taken out of society for a good number of years

                  Thats quite useful

                  • Macro

                    No it’s not – it’s a waste of human potential.
                    And it costs you and I around $100,000 per year for each person incarcerated.

                    • adam

                      He’s saying it’s good for the corporations he worships. Who cares about society in Puck’s world.

        • greywarshark 1.3.1.2

          Personally I think that the three strikes law should apply on this blog to RW nutjobs. Three comments a day and finish. Heaven. They would make sure that they said something pungent so as not to waste their opportunities to vent. And within the smelly stuff there would be something real and worth taking note of. Instead we get flaccid minds idly airing their prejudices that have done them so well during their lives.

      • mauī 1.3.2

        There’s probably a job for you on a redneck breakfast tv show. Like tv3.

      • Craig H 1.3.3

        The Sentencing Act 2002 still has the option for Preventive Detention.

      • McFlock 1.3.4

        You personally like the idea of a manifestly unjust justice system?
        How odd.

        • Puckish Rogue 1.3.4.1

          Yes I am in favour of criminals serving their entire sentences

          • Robert Guyton 1.3.4.1.1

            No credit, at all, for Good Behaviour and Signs of Real Rehabilitation?
            No reduction in Time Owed for changes in behaviour or realisations of responsibility – make them “see it out”, regardless of changes they have made to their lives and world-view?
            Pucky, I hate to say it, but you come across as ..a fool.

            • Puckish Rogue 1.3.4.1.1.1

              Time off for good behaviour should be earned not a given. Rehabilitation is something that should have more money put towards but is separate to three strikes.

              But if you’ve gotten upto the third strike it means changes in behaviour or realisations of responsibility hasn’t occurred so yeah you want to have that discussion on their first or second strike then I’m fine with that but third strike means they haven’t learnt so maximum sentence fully served should be what they get

              • mpledger

                So you think the third strike law is better at choosing the correct sentence length over a judge who has heard all the evidence and heard all the context?

          • McFlock 1.3.4.1.2

            But they do.
            You just want them to do it without parole or supervision – serve the full sentence in an institution, then dump them on the street with no followup or evaluation as to whether they were actually rehabilitated.

            • Puckish Rogue 1.3.4.1.2.1

              Where’d you get that from? I want them to serve the full sentence yes but i also want them to recieve rehabilitation while they’re inside as I’m guessing a large majority probably don’t know how properly read, write or do basic arithmetic

              However I believe you can have vocational training, basic literacy, social skills training while serving a full term, I don’t believe its a choice between one or the other

              • McFlock

                Part of rehabilitation is learning to live in society.

                • Puckish Rogue

                  I think you can have rehabilitation and the three strikes rule

                  • mac1

                    Part of rehabilitation is hope.

                    Part of good behaviour within a prison is the knowledge that good behaviour earns remission. Hope comes and is strengthened with that knowledge.

                    Age has a lot to do with the realisation that there has to be a better way than prison, crime, court, prison recycled.

                    So do good prison programmes.

                    I was lucky enough to facilitate nine such courses for inmates in three prisons including Paremoremo. The men I met were more motivated to do the course, and were not therefore typical. But they mostly made changes, understood a bit more, realised that people outside of prison had not abandoned them.

                    I can’t see three strikes helping those men.

                  • McFlock

                    All well and good while they’re inside (except for them), until you put them back into society without the supervision given by parole.

                    Sort of like teaching someone to swim right up until they enter the water.

              • alwyn

                You propose that
                ” I’m guessing a large majority probably don’t know how properly read, write or do basic arithmetic”.

                You would be right. From a recent speech from Mike Williams, who repented his sin of having been a Labour Party President and became CEO of the Howard League we are told –

                “Tests of prisoners on entry show that as many as seven out of ten are functionally illiterate.
                This means they cannot read or write well enough to comprehend basic texts like the Road Code or tenancy agreements. Illiteracy means that employment is difficult to find and it is, in itself, a driver of offending.”

                That was in March this year
                https://www.adls.org.nz/for-the-profession/news-and-opinion/2018/3/23/the-new-zealand-howard-league-%E2%80%93-driving-down-illiteracy-in-our-prisons/
                The other thing the League concentrates on is getting the prisoners a driving licence.
                Basically if you can’t read and can’t drive you have no chance at all of getting work.

    • Cinny 1.4

      NZ would benefit from more rehab and treatment centres with an emphasis on education/training and a focus on helping any with mental health difficulties.

      Yes some should be locked up and throw away the key, but the majority need help.

      Educate the people and lift our whole country up.

      For example….
      The person stealing cars, probably loves cars and knows a little bit about them, should be encouraged and supported to train as a mechanic.
      Sure lock them up at night (via the big house or a tracking anklet), but don’t waste opportunities.

      Wasted opportunities is a waste of taxpayer dollars (if you want to look at it from a monetary angle).

      • Gosman 1.4.1

        Or perhaps they could train as a racing car driver as they obviously like to drive fast….

      • greywarshark 1.4.2

        Good thoughts Cinny. I think too we need to put a large number through some sort of learning problem. That 80/20 mix often quoted is probably about the proportion of those who would be deflected from crime or be largely free from law-breaking except at the lower end. And then how many of us have done something wrong and never been caught out or officially ‘spoken to’?

      • Rosemary McDonald 1.4.3

        https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/104327451/lock-em-up-overlooks-the-reality-of-my-neighbour-the-future-gang-member

        Well worth a read…and the comments beneath offer a cross section of opinions.

        Not quite a simple as ‘educating’. The twelve year old girl killed in the car chase the other day was supposed to be at her ‘course’. (As opposed to conventional school)

      • Ankerawshark 1.4.4

        Can’t we have an evidenced based approach? Recently read a critique of psychological interventions for violent offenders in prison. We have strategies that work……

  2. Jenny 2

    Just woke from a terrible nightmare

    2019, After her losing her popular ratings topping show in 2018, Roseanne Barr enters politics.

    2024, Roseanne Barr becomes the 46th President of the United States of America

    • Macro 2.1

      She couldn’t be any more demeaning than the 45th. Here he is in Nashville

      “This is why we call the bloodthirsty MS-13 gang members exactly the name I used last week. What was the name? [Crowd: “Animals!”]
      Trump has turned a controversy over his referring to people — even gang members — as “animals” into a call-and-response with the crowd at a campaign rally. This is politics in 2018.

      But I get what you say Jenny.
      Fortunately only the bigots (“Trumpians”) would vote for her. The top viewing of her show maxed out at around 27 million and was dropping off, and she would get no support from Afro-Americans. But the fact that she has no bigotry filter, and is a conspiracy theorist bar none, puts her right up there as a replacement for #45.

    • alwyn 2.2

      You really are imagining the worst of both worlds.
      For her to be the 46th President when elected in 2024 would require that Trump be re-elected in 2020.
      Please cheer yourself up a little. Imagine that she is elected in 2020 or that she becomes the 47th President. That would at least make Trump a single term POTUS.

    • Cinny 2.3

      Jen, she’s now blaming her racist tweet on sleeping pills.

      Drug company has come out saying racism is not a known side effect of sleeping pills. Lmao… true story.

      “A spokeswoman for Sanofi, the pharmaceutical company that makes Ambien, said in response to Barr’s tweets about taking the sedative:“While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

      https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/358603/roseanne-barr-blames-racist-tweet-on-sleeping-pills

      • alwyn 2.3.1

        I hope the person who thought up that response for the Drug company gets a pay raise. It is a truly beautiful reply, displaying just the right amount of scorn.

      • greywarshark 2.3.2

        Cinny
        ROL

      • Barfly 2.3.3

        ““While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

        Reduction of inhibitions is a well known side effect to many drugs – as in she may well believe what she tweeted but without a reduction in inhibitions via a drug source may never have tweeted it – /devils advocate

  3. ScottGN 3

    Minus 6 at my place this morning. A pretty impressive frost going on outside this morning.

    • alwyn 3.1

      That temperature cannot be true.
      In Vino assured me that it was a May was incredibly warm and would set records for the highest average temperature.
      It is still May so it must be warmer than that?
      Are you in the deep South by any chance?

      • ScottGN 3.1.1

        You were banging on about that last week?
        I tell you what though Sarah Dowie better hope she doesn’t have to face the people of Invercargill in 2020 promising them that National is going to scrap their recently acquired Winter Fuel Allowance.

        • Daveosaurus 3.1.1.1

          The silly fool is already going to have to face the people of Invercargill in 2020 promising them that she’s going to tax them more to pay for Auckland’s roads…

      • Incognito 3.1.2

        Today is the 31st of May, which means there are 31 days in the month of May. Thus, it is entirely feasible that the monthly average is high despite the very last day being quite cold.

        Lift your game, Alwyn, you can do it!

        • alwyn 3.1.2.1

          “Today is the 31st of May, which means there are 31 days in the month of May”.
          My God. You are clearly a man who thinks he is a logician.
          Actually, if that is all the information you have you cannot deduce the conclusion you so blithely trumpet.
          The most you can say from the single fact that it is the 31st of May is that there are at least 31 days in May this year.
          There could be 32, or 33 or more.
          You would also need to say that “No month can have more than 31 days” and that “May always has the same number of days” and, and, and.
          I really can’t be bothered explain all the flaws in your statement. You simply aren’t smart enough to understand.
          I am tempted to say
          “Lift your game Incognito, you can do it”.
          Unfortunately you routinely demonstrate that you can’t do it.

          • Incognito 3.1.2.1.1

            I was so wrong, obviously; it is blatantly clear now that you cannot lift your game and you’re sliding deeper and deeper into a hole filled with self-absorbed gibberish and pseudo-witty ripostes. Quite sad, actually …

            The point is that the May average is made up of 31 days – and it will always be 31 days – so the last day, or any single day for that matter, makes only a small contribution to the average.

            • greywarshark 3.1.2.1.1.1

              The fact that we interact with obvious RW idiots and trolls, or both, gives an unfortunate appearance that we are on the same level. The old saying ‘Birds of same feather flock together’ applies. Every time they are responded to, it weakens the educational, informative standards of this blog.

          • Robert Guyton 3.1.2.1.2

            “There could be 32, or 33 or more.”
            I’d love to hear more about this; “32 or 33 or more”.
            Seriously; I thought I knew my calendar but now…I’m not so sure…

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4

    Another rest home maggot story.

    Palms Lifecare, Pukekohe

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12060058

    He found his voice when Corina and her brother spoke of the need to keep raising problems with staff at Pukekohe’s Palms Lifecare rest home.

    Nothing had been done about the flies, for example. As they spoke, Evan lifted his head and locked eyes with Corina.

    “He said, ‘They know when you are coming, change your time.’ Then he put his head back down. My brother and I just looked at each other.”

    When Corina’s brother arrived the next morning a nurse was soaking Evan’s feet. He groaned and cried as tweezers plucked maggots from under his big toenail and between his toes.

    • Psych nurse 4.1

      Maggots, best known treatment for painless debridement of necrotic tissue, Palms Lifecare should be praised for their innovation.

      • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1

        “Maggots, best known treatment for painless debridement of necrotic tissue, Palms Lifecare should be praised for their innovation.”

        I can just imagine the wound care meeting….carefully documented plan…and oh! So cheap!

        • Exkiwiforces 4.1.1.1

          It was quite common for the Allied POW medical staff in the Japanese POW Camps to use maggots to treat wounds on their patients because of the treatment that the Japanese dished out to the poor bloody POW’s in camp or during force labour work like build the Thai Burma Railway etc.

          • Rosemary McDonald 4.1.1.1.1

            Well, that’s all ok then?

            Maggots for wound debridement, good? Confused elderly person with open wounds left daubed in shit, good?

            Because, really….think about it for more than a minute. In conjunction with this guy being left in his own excrement….the maggot in the wound thing looks a deal less like a wound management decision and more like neglect.

            • Exkiwiforces 4.1.1.1.1.1

              Using Maggots as a treatment in a so called 1st world health system to be quite frankly bloody disgusting and is something I’ll expect to see on a Peacekeeping Op somewhere in the boonies before any of the NGO’s turn up like SMF etc. The likes Dr D Wearly that was all they had at Hell Fire Pass or in Changi Prison at the time.

              I’m in no way condoning the action of what happen and quite frankly whoever authorise that treatment should get a kick up the ass followed by a notice to show cause! Also why wasn’t the RN’s or the other nurses etc speaking up at such a treatment plan???? Or was Palms Life using cheap imported labour because of the so-called labour shortage ie they were paying minimum wages that only overseas workers would work for?

              • greywarshark

                Maggots – you are prejudiced against them. Why do you accept penicillin then? It’s a fungus isn’t it. Some of the beastly things around us do have uses for us. Now leeches, they are a bit like maggots. I think they are bred to a high standard for medical purposes and keep bleeding down in some crucial way.

                • Exkiwiforces

                  Using maggots should be a last resort in any modern health care environment, but if that’s all you’re got like the poor buggers in those Japanese POW camps then people like Rosemary should be asking a hell of a lot of questions on what’s going on and she to know more about health issues than me where my basic medical training is CPR, plugging bullet/ slashing/ burns or explosive wounds etc, pulling the odd tooth, put an IV bag up your cracker and delivery the odd baby in a IDP camp/ Village.

                  • greywarshark

                    Sounds like MASH. Did you see it?

                    You were doing wonders with what you knew. But researchers are looking at the use of measures that have fallen out of fashion. They have their uses, just as certain herbs are said to be good.
                    Have you heard of the curative powers of dock leaves? They are supposed to be a bushman’s friend. Some tough bird that I got talking to said so. I don’t know from other sources.

                    • Exkiwiforces

                      There is an ex chicken strangler by the name of Loffy Wiseman has all that in one his SAS survival books and it’s a ripping read, but I go by the teachings of the bush tucker man Les Higgins and lovely bush tucker maps.

                      One of the baby delivery episodes was done via the radio and between us five rock apes we managed to come up cunning plan to bring this wee tot into this crazy **** up world. The IDP camp happened was an interesting one as well as it was a breach birth anyway it was one those weird ones and luckily some medics from an NGO turned up to take over as we were way out of our depth with this one. But at least they did say thank you for doing a great job unlike some NGO’s I’ve work alongside and they offered us job after our tour if want one and the look on their face was priceless when we told them are not medics, but we are Airforce Infantry lol.

                • Rosemary McDonald

                  you may be taking the piss greywarshark, but to be really, really clear…

                  If maggots were there because of some well thought through wound management plan then I’d have no problem. I’ve had to deal with the odd obstinately sloughy wound on a limb with vascular deficiencies and sending in the tiny munchers (from a reputable source, not from the stinking rubbish bin!!!) sounds like a valid option.

                  BUT….this was NOT part of a well thought through wound care plan…the clue being the fact that this poor old sod was smeared with faeces…hopefully is own,because in those places you might never know.

                  This is shit poor care…pure and simple…and whoever is running that place should be keel hauled.

                  • greywarshark

                    That’s the point Rosemary that you made, that we should be aware of. Faeces over the old person. The maggots were just the last straw from previous neglect. We just don’t realise how far the welfare system has been destroyed until people who know draw everyone’s attention to it. We are not thinking and talking about the policies needed to manage present day social problems, particularly from increases in population numbers of aged and bed-ridden people.

                    Thanks for bringing these things up. There is so much distraction all the time from Trump, crime, sexuality, technology and its constant changes, genetics, climate, weather bombs. People and their problems at an individual level get by-passed.

    • Rosemary McDonald 4.2

      I heard, many years ago, of how it was the standard summer mealtime practice in a private dementia ‘care’ home to spray the residents with flyspray to deter the little black bastards. In their faces and onto their meals.

      The whole place stank of urine and faeces…didn’t help that the carpet had a brown/cream/yellow pattern so it was damn near impossible to see when a clean up was required. Restrictions on incontinence supplies and shortage of spare bedding ensured mattresses were stained and added to the smell. The smell was atrocious first thing in the morning. Lino in the toilets and showers had bubbled up through poor installation. There were no gloves.

      Some of the residents were sleeping four to a two person room… made possible only by them sleeping in short, narrow beds that were only slightly larger than camp stretchers.

      Some of the staff…well…what can I say? Rough as fucking guts. When they did speak to the residents it was patronising baby talk at best. Not all the staff were like that…but enough to bring the standards down. Physical neglect and abuse were almost normal. And if a resident needed medical attention? You’d better have organised with management to pay the extra for a doctor to visit or Nana would have to wait until the routine visit day.

      And the bastards thought they could get away with it because the residents were doolally.

      But like Evan, some of them didn’t miss much. Like the enrolled nurse who thought it was ok to use the same toothbrush to clean the dentures of all four residents in the room. Took a few minutes to figure out what the howls were about. Or the residents who couldn’t speak but would fight off one particular staff member while being happy for others to do the cares.

      Complain to management??? Hah! The shit staff were the ones who would work the extra shifts so they were practically immune to censure. Plus…they would find ways of exacting payback…

      Back then,many of these outfits were owned by registered nurses who had trained or worked with the registered nurses who did the checks so the facility qualified for hospital board funding. Some of these people owned two or three…such good business it was.

      Oh, and yes…knowing this, and working in one of these joints, I did compile a written report and handed it to the authorities who made a snap inspection. Shit got real and stuff had to be rectified and I was blacklisted from working in those particular homes when later I worked for a temp agency. Grudges were born. One of my former co workers, who trained as a registered nurse berated me for making this complaint…”You just don’t understand the realities of running a facility like this, the expenses, the tight budget…” Hah. Some tight fucking budget when the owner takes off on a six week European holiday with the family in the middle of expanding her second facility.

      They did treat us staff like we were as bewildered as the residents.

      And this happened thirty years ago.

      SSDD

  5. Hanswurst 5

    Angela Merkel speaks in favour of taxing the use of data, calls for suggestions on how to make it practicable.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.1

      The situation raised the question of whether traditional corporation tax models were still appropriate, or whether policymakers should instead resort to revenue-taxing to ensure a level playing field between digital and non-digital companies.

      We should always be questioning the tax model and if it delivers what it needs to. ATM, I think it’s fairly safe to say that it doesn’t as it’s been designed to make a few people rich while keeping others down.

  6. Ad 6

    Saudi Arabia is passing a law banning sexual harassment:

    https://www.afp.com/en/news/23/saudi-arabia-seeks-criminalise-sexual-harassment-doc-15g6q52

    That will be helpful, i guess, given the amount of crap Saudi women are going to get from men once they legally start driving cars.

    Which is kind of weird when only a few days ago, some of the most senior female activists in Saudi Arabia were arrested, identified, and called traitors to their country:

    http://www.dw.com/en/international-rights-groups-condemn-arrests-of-saudi-women-activists/a-43855027

    Four of those detainees were freed last week.

    Saudi authorities continue to perform arbitrary arrests, trials, and convictions of peaceful dissidents. Dozens of human rights defenders and activists continue to serve long prison sentences for criticizing authorities or advocating political and rights reforms. Authorities continue to discriminate against women and religious minorities.
    https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2018/country-chapters/saudi-arabia

    There is almost zero freedom of expression, association or belief in Saudi Arabia. There is zero freedom of religion.

    There’s no due process when you’re arrested. There’s no penal code. Children can be tried for capital crimes and sentenced as adults if there are signs of puberty.

    It would be great to be able to separate their tyrannical monarchy from their tyrannical religion and its practices, but why bother? It’s one of the most vile theocracies on earth.

    I am sure at some level we should all be grateful for any reform at all.

    Or: the world should hold Saudi Arabia to account.

  7. alwyn 7

    I see one of our former Prime Ministers is giving an extremely rose-tinted view of some of her actions when she was directly involved in New Zealand Politics.
    She says, now she is retired, “abortion should be “simply a decision made between a woman and her doctor”.”
    That is fine. However she then went on to claim that she fought this good fight for woman 30 years ago but was prevented from accomplishing it.
    “she tried to update the Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act when she was health minister in 1989, but met too much opposition. ”
    Here she is claiming that she was unable to bring this about, implying that it was more senior MPs in the Cabinet who wouldn’t go along.
    That may be but if she really believed in the policy why didn’t she implement it between 1999 and 2008, when she couldn’t have been stopped from doing whatever she wanted to do, particularly in the early years?
    I suspect that her beliefs remained very well concealed at that time because she took the pragmatic view that it might hurt her popularity and in that she always took the line that her own preservation was always more important than doing the thing that was right.
    At least she could now come out and admit this fact rather than try and pretend she really, truly, honestly tried to achieve the change but couldn’t persuade the people above her to go ahead with it. She stood well back from this for 9 years when PM and it is too late to claim anything else.
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/104284178/helen-clark-says-abortion-laws-need-updating-something-she-failed-to-do-when-in-power

    • dukeofurl 7.1

      labour party was always a minority government then, as they do now. Of course in 1989 was before MMP when the government had a majority
      Heres the numbers
      1999: 49 out of 120
      2002: 52 out of 120
      2005 50 out of 121
      Any fool like you can see that! N’est pas?

      Sometimes even within labour there may a small number of ‘moral conservatives’ who wouldnt go along with any changes to abortion rules.

      • alwyn 7.1.1

        As far as I could find, and at that time I knew a number of MPs, there was no attempt to try to change the abortion laws during the Clark ascendancy. Maybe there was and they didn’t know about it but I doubt it. I was very disappointed at the time.
        The impression I got about the Clark Government was that it was very cautious about getting ahead of public opinion. The primary aim seemed to be to maintain their power, not risk it doing things that they believed in.
        This may have been caused by seeing how Roger Douglas worked. He thought a short term but a glorious one was much better than just sticking to the baubles of office.
        Labour of course have fewer members of Parliament now than they did in any term of the Clark Government. Ardern appears willing to try and make a change that Clark was never willing to push for. Helen is of course willing to push it and try and claim some of the credit today. After all, what does she now have to lose?

  8. alwyn 8

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12061895
    Can we please scrap the waste of money involved in the Government and Auckland financing this ridiculous yacht race?
    Why should we waste hundreds of millions of dollars on something the world is no longer interested in?
    Dump Dalton, and the dinghy races he wants. Let someone else promote it somewhere else in the world if they want to but don’t make us pay.
    It may put the nose of the Team New Zealand patron out of joint but it would leave the money available for far more important activities.

    • cleangreen 8.1

      Alwyn,

      for oce I heartily agree with you on this one 100%.

      This was a vain attempt to show “the rich folks sport” using public money!!!

      So where the hell is “the user pays” ideology.?????

      Now it seems the best way is to ‘rort’ the system and get the poor taxpayer to fund their vain sport.

      • Puckish Rogue 8.1.1

        Look at that, something we can all agree on 🙂

        • Dv 8.1.1.1

          Me too!!!

          • alwyn 8.1.1.1.1

            My God. A protest group.
            I don’t know whether any of you are old enough to remember Arlo Guthrie’s song Alice’s Restaurant. It was a protest song about the Vietnam War and the Draft. Some of the lyrics in the song was an appeal to his audience to join in the protests.

            He proposes that
            “if your in a Situation like that there’s only one thing you can do and that’s walk into The shrink wherever you are, just walk in say “Shrink, You can get
            Anything you want, at Alice’s restaurant. “. And walk out.
            You know, if One person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and They won’t take him.
            And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, They may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them.
            And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
            Singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an
            Organization.
            And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said
            Fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and
            Walking out. And friends they may thinks it’s a movement.

            And that’s what it is, the Alice’s Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and
            All you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come’s around on the
            Guitar.”

            I won’t give you the full song. It goes on for about 20 minutes. Great song and I recommend it if you’ve never heard it.

            Well we are already up to four so we have an Organisation. Should we all turn up at Goff’s Office and start a Movement protesting the race?

            • Puckish Rogue 8.1.1.1.1.1

              Well I’m in the South Island so while I won’t be there in body i’ll be supporting you in spirit 🙂

            • Naki man 8.1.1.1.1.2

              alwyn
              I dont think you realise just how popular yachting is in NZ.

              https://media.newzealand.com/en/story-ideas/fact-file-new-zealand-a-sailing-nation/

            • OncewasTim 8.1.1.1.1.3

              I still have the vinyl

              • alwyn

                So do I.
                Even when I bought CDs in the 90s for almost every album I owned I could never make myself discard the vinyl or the old Pioneer direct-drive turntable and antique Shure cartridge I owned. The turntable is still reasonable although the cartridge is well out of date in its technology.
                My living room therefore remains cluttered with about a thousand old LPs. I’m pretty lazy though and they hardly ever get played.
                Very fashionable nowadays of course to have vinyl.

      • Draco T Bastard 8.1.2

        So where the hell is “the user pays” ideology.?????

        User pays was only ever to apply to poor people. In fact, it was an ideology used to get the poor paying more to the rich for nothing.

        • cleangreen 8.1.2.1

          Yes Draco, – quite true sadly.
          it’s always the poor that get shafted.

    • dukeofurl 8.2

      National had committed to it , plus APEC before the election. Thats why

      Im over these sort of circuses, they dont even rate as a blip on the world radar.

    • mary_a 8.3

      For the first time I can remember I couldn’t agree with you more Alwyn (8). Well said and spot on.

  9. Bill 9

    Babchenko unmurdered the day after headlines about his murder, and Bill Browder unarrested because Interpol won’t execute his arrest warrant because they deem it political – or something not to do with an arrest warrant at all.

    And still it was Russia that what done it, though what it is, is nebulous and murky as all hell – something bad. Anything will do. Keep the faith.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/30/arkady-babchenko-reveals-he-faked-his-death-to-thwart-moscow-plot

    • adam 9.1

      The Russia bot’s did it!!?!

      Putin is watching YOU!

    • Ad 9.2

      How on earth did the Ukranian state think they would help establish any truth about anything done by the Russians by faking someone’s death?

      Did they think it would increase the standing of their Police forces compared to those of Russia?

      The Ukranians may well be fighting fire with fire when it comes to parodic investigative theatre, but setting the fire this way is only going to burn their house down.

      What next? Competitive mime?

      • Bill 9.2.1

        Not quite getting the thought process behind the “pre-emptive murder” of a journalist, unless we’re looking at reporting from beyond the grave. Who knows – an exclusive with Houdini? That would be a scoop. 🙂

        • dukeofurl 9.2.1.1

          What sort of journalist would even agree to work with state agencies on something like this.
          Maybe the sort of journalist that has been working with state agencies…

          • Bill 9.2.1.1.1

            Journalist of no particular note (is he?) get’s “murdered” in the Ukraine. Media immediately grabs it and does its usual Russian angle. So far, so nothing.

            It’s the number of reasonably detailed stories they managed to spin off within the 24 hours of his death being revised that has me raising my eyebrows.

            Either they are very good at their job of gathering and collating good quality info very fast – except when reporting a murder that wasn’t even a death – or stories were somewhat prepped.

      • Macro 9.2.2

        Ad since 2012 12 Russian journalists have been killed in suspicious circumstances (one as recently as April this year). All of those killed have been openly critical of Putin. Babchenko has also been critical of Putin in his reporting and fled from Russia to the Ukraine in 2017 following a massive protest against him demanding the withdrawal of his Russian citizenship.
        I can understand his desire to assist the Ukrainian authorities to apprehend the people responsible for the planned assassination – it is said that there were up to 30 other targets.
        So some think this was a foolish act – if it really was done as a sting operation and the person behind the planned murders has been apprehended – then is that not a good thing?

        • Ad 9.2.2.1

          Any arrests?

          You won’t see me supporting Russia, because they are a rogue, unconstrained and unaccountable military-intelligence state.

          But that doesn’t make Ukraine’s action sensible.

          • Macro 9.2.2.1.1

            I gather that the man arranging the proposed murders has been arrested.

            The middleman was now in custody, Hrytsak said, showing video of a middle-aged, white-haired man being bundled by officers into a van. Hrytsak added that phone intercepts had revealed his contacts in Moscow. Dozens of contract killings had been averted, he suggested, claiming that the list of potential victims in Ukraine stretched to 30 names.

            The Ukrainian suspect was supposed to buy a large quantity of weapons and explosive, including 300 AK-47 rifles and “hundreds of kilos of explosives”, Hrytsak alleged.

            The general prosecutor, Yuriy Lutsenko, appeared alongside Babchenko, who was dressed at Wednesday’s press conference in a black hoodie. Lutsenko said it was necessary to fake the journalist’s death so the organisers of the plot to kill him would believe they had succeeded.

            https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/30/arkady-babchenko-reveals-he-faked-his-death-to-thwart-moscow-plot

    • Stunned Mullet 9.3

      With the complicated, often violent and at times even genocidal relationship between the Ukraine and Russia since the early 18th century I’m surprised that anyone is surprised with these kind of goings on.

      What is clear is that both countries relations are appalling at present and the level of distrust and hatred and unlikely to improve under the current leadership of either country.

      • dukeofurl 9.3.1

        The mid 1600s the Coassack Hetmahate ( the precusor to Ukriane)was in conflict with the Tsardom of Moscovy, the Ottomans, and the Lithuanian-polish Commonwealth.
        It essentially came under Russian control by the late 1600s. I dont know what you mean by ‘since early 18th century’

        • Stunned Mullet 9.3.1.1

          I should’ve written early 1800s, early 19th century when they started to stop any teaching of Ukranian in schools in the region.

      • cleangreen 9.3.2

        Yes maybe;

        And, the Germans in mass did settle in Ukraine years ago also we all know.

        So we knew German settlement heritage groups in Ukrane were behind the past uprisings against the russian backed administration.

        So here we have two seperate high powered political movements Russia/Germany fighting for control theren historically.

        We shouldnt forget that the wife of Nicolas Romanoff the ruling famly leader of Russia till 1917 was murdered with his german born wife by the Communist movement.

        So again perhaps the germans always hated Russians for murdering one of their own who was the wife of the ruling leader of Russia.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Germans_in_Russia,_Ukraine_and_the_Soviet_Union

        33,300 Germans lived in Ukraine (2001 census).[10]

        In the Russian Empire, Germans were strongly represented among royalty, aristocracy, large land owners, military officers and the upper echelons of the imperial service, engineers, scientists, artists, physicians and the bourgeoisie in general. The Germans of Russia did not necessarily speak Russian; many spoke German,

  10. adam 10

    I love this video, it shows how to smartly respond to continued attacks by right wing loon bags. I’ll let the tagline from youTube do the explaining the video – 9 minutes long.

    Playboy recently attacked Ana Kasparian and The Young Turks, Ana responds to the article, discusses being Armenian and working at The Young Turks

  11. cleangreen 11

    The cat (micoplasma bovis) is completely out of the bag for good ‘looks like’

    Why are we now spending a Billion + on stoppingit when no one slse has been able to?????

    That billion could have saved the whole regional NZ Rail system and they did not care to commit to Winstons NZF “Rails of National Importance” (RONI) policy did they?

    So much for promises from Labour towards their coalition partners.

    Anyway they need to take the case for saving the most of NZ from micoplasma bovis should be handed by the environment ministry as they are a agency that does a better job.

    We callled MPI today to suggest that they begin a “hotline” for farmers and citizens to call to advise of issues and cows looking sick or truck loads of cows going everywhere unchecked. MPI’s reply was “Have you heard of the privacy Act”?????????

    We are truly fucked aren’t we just? -See the map of affected abd under suspicion sites spreading here.

    https://mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/28785/loggedIn

    here is a very responsible “Farmers Federation” website qwhere they warn to contain the animals in the same farm now and not send them outside to other regions to spread it!!!!!!

    http://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/28488/loggedIn

    MPI are intentionally killing our export meat indiustry and our economy now.

    • Janice 11.1

      There will be no calves at school calf club day this year, or perhaps never again. The older children don’t want to go back to lambs as they are for the little kids. Very sad end of an era, but what farmer would let his prime stock off the farm.

  12. greywarshark 12

    A troubling news report this morning on Radionz about suicides and bullying at Tauranga. It’s on The Wireless in full..
    http://shorthand.radionz.co.nz/tauranga-hospital-investigation/index.html
    Avis spent years working in hospitals in the UK and travelling Europe helping perform heart valve replacements. Eventually he decided to move home, closer to his aging parents.

    In 2013, Avis landed a job at Tauranga Hospital. By the time he left in early 2016, he was a shell of his former self, his family say.
    In his first year, Avis was hit across the face by a coworker. When he complained, his family say the Bay of Plenty District Health Board (DHB), which runs the hospital, told him the coworker had a medical problem and nothing else was done.

    In 2015, Avis felt punished after foregoing normal protocol to save a man’s life. He was put on supervision for six months, during which, his family say, he felt belittled and bullied by management. In an email to a former colleague before he died, Avis said he was avoiding his manager “like the plague”.
    “I could see he was losing confidence in himself,” says Mary. “He became distant,” adds Jim.

    On 26 July 2016, nearly 11 years to the day of the London bombing, Avis committed suicide.

    For other news of a less important type –
    http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/craft-beer-or-bust

  13. Herodotus 13

    Why does our Min of Housing dis areas like Pokeno, I thought an area that can provide a 3-4 bedroom house for $600-$650k would be an ideal area that fits into the “affordable housing” parameters ? “If you don’t want to have affordable housing or quality density housing in your neighbourhood, you go and live in Pokeno or Dairy Flat,” he said.”
    And I see it is on the main rail line that can service all Auckland stations to Britomart, so ready made public transport exists without additional infrastructure required.
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12060628
    Most of the talk around affordable housing relates to appartments , not the traditional stand alone land and house package, and with the volume that the govt talks about should not the “economies of scale” reduce the retail cost dramatically down further ?

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1

      Most of the talk around affordable housing relates to appartments , not the traditional stand alone land and house package

      That may be because the ‘traditional’ stand-alone house is remarkably expensive and inefficient. The ‘suburb’ was always a bloody stupid idea.

      • Herodotus 13.1.1

        Then why is a 200m2 4 bedroom place on 650m2 section at the same price or cheaper than an apartment. try searching on trade me. If what you say is the case- why are appartments delivering less than a traditional land and house package ??
        https://www.trademe.co.nz/browse/categoryattributesearchresults.aspx?cid=5748&search=1&134=1&rsqid=4655cb6148294d118e85
        Also who is paying the price for Auckland inner city ‘s infrastructure to be brought up to date?We all are, whilst the inner city still is able to send sewage into the waterways.
        Who pays for the suburbs ? Developers ensure our waterways are kept in their pristine state, water, gas etc upgrades.

        • Draco T Bastard 13.1.1.1

          Then why is a 200m2 4 bedroom place on 650m2 section at the same price or cheaper than an apartment.

          That would be the market being wrong.

          Also who is paying the price for Auckland inner city ‘s infrastructure to be brought up to date?We all are

          That’s how a city works. Higher density drops the charges person.
          And that’s also why low density suburbs are more expensive. They cost more per person.

          whilst the inner city still is able to send sewage into the waterways.

          Citation needed for this tripe.

          Who pays for the suburbs ?

          Mostly the city.

          Developers ensure our waterways are kept in their pristine state, water, gas etc upgrades.

          No they don’t.

        • saveNZ 13.1.1.2

          @ Herodotus,

          not only that, but the apartment also normally has body corps which suck the person dry in fees, going up 5 -10% like clockwork yearly with not much to show for it in many cases. Then there is what happens when it leaks or needs repairs, generally starts costing a lot more than traditional houses, takes much longer etc etc.

          Highrises cost a lot more per square meter to build as so much more to plan for fire, repairs, floods, security, etc etc, there is a lot more complexity.

          Terraced housing is the best way to go if you want to intensify. Have a look at cities like London, a lot of terraced housing and much better for families too.

          • Draco T Bastard 13.1.1.2.1

            not only that, but the apartment also normally has body corps which suck the person dry in fees, going up 5 -10% like clockwork yearly with not much to show for it in many cases.

            Yes. They need proper regulating which NZ doesn’t have.

            You’ll note though that apartments are still more popular than stand alone housing.

            . Then there is what happens when it leaks or needs repairs, generally starts costing a lot more than traditional houses, takes much longer etc etc.

            Which is why you have insurance.

            Highrises cost a lot more per square meter to build as so much more to plan for fire, repairs, floods, security, etc etc, there is a lot more complexity.

            And despite all that are still cheaper per person.

            Terraced housing is the best way to go if you want to intensify. Have a look at cities like London, a lot of terraced housing and much better for families too.

            Lots of high-rise apartments as well and that latter part is just you talking out your arse.

            Actually, all of what you wrote was you simply talking out your arse.

    • Janice 13.2

      The commuter trains stop at Pukekohe. There has been a push to get them to Pokeno but no luck. Perhaps if they start going to Hamilton it will be better.

    • Ad 13.3

      Twyford has nothing to lose attacking Remuera and Epsom.They will never vote for Labour.

      He’s coming for the Remuera Golf Course …

      …and hell’s coming with him.

      • Muttonbird 13.3.1

        That would be amazing to watch. The Remuera golf course is the biggest waste of space. It’s used by elites and inaccessible to 99% of Aucklanders.

      • cleangreen 13.3.2

        Ouch; – Hit a nerve there!!!!!

  14. Herodotus 14

    I sometimes wonder why plants both in producing O2🤢
    Developers have to ensure thru off line ponds that NO waterways are adversely affected by runoff.
    Have a look with he help from google to see where stormwater and sewerage combine during rain events.

  15. AsleepWhileWalking 15

    Must be missing something here… What is stopping HNZ tenants affected by the METH scare going to the tenancy tribunal or similar for compensation?

    Surely the State is not immune.

  16. DB 16

    Very nice interview with artist Stan Yarramunua on ABC.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0DQgohTEcw

    7 mins.

    • Eco Maori 16.1

      Good morning The AM Show many thanks to the Auckland Council for introducing Aotearoa first true carbon tax it will be a bit harder for some but it will benefit the region emencly when the grid lock traffic jam are minimised money will be saved. On the way into Auckland we have 2ks of 70 kl a hour and 2 km of 30 kl this is not on all the fuel wasted in traffic jams is not very efficient is it. It took me 1 1/2 hours to get to Hamilton last Friday.????????????.
      John Thurston does not mince words does he come on guys have some respect for the man.
      An toa kai to Harvey Weinstein he is getting pay backs for his bad Karma. Everyone needs to respect the Neighbours we are one race the human race and treat Lady’s equally.
      Jispy Day was a day that was very busy for my whano you have to book moving trucks a month in advance it was hectic.
      With global warming our highs and low will be getting more extreme this was predictabted by OUR scientist and so has sea level rising it was good to see one new house in Tauranga orientated /in the right way to getting the best sun in winter and shading in summer turn a house just a 50 to a 100 degrees and your in the sunshine and money saving are great. Ka kite ano

  17. Eco Maori 17

    The AM Show Nice shirt Mark Duncan the NZ property market will be fine and it will carry on getting more expensive for property over time every intelligent person knows this Ka kite ano

  18. Eco Maori 18

    The AM Show I agree with William Jackson Paula Bennett should be grovelling and asking people for forgiveness.
    I can say what Garth Morgan said to Paula Bennett and not get a back lash so that’s what I’m implying trying to take more right from people just to try and get her poll rates up. Ka kite ano P.S good to see that Labour made a good call with the guest of the AM Show

  19. Eco Maori 19

    Different sandflys but they play the same intimerdation games so easy to see. Ana to kai here’s a link below to show how OUR justice system works link below

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/104355347/christchurch-mens-prison-illegal-spying-a-can-of-worms
    Ka kite ano