Stopping Key’s dirty deal with SkyCity

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, May 15th, 2013 - 40 comments
Categories: corruption - Tags: ,

National’s trying to do something unprecendented – they want to give a private company a 35 year indemnity against costs arising from law changes. No-one else gets this. You don’t get money from the government when they make a law that costs you. Nor does any other business. Just SkyCity as part of their dirty deal with Key. Sign the petition to stop it here.

And have no fear. An unconstitutional agreement to compensate a single company for law changes can itself be revoked by law.

40 comments on “Stopping Key’s dirty deal with SkyCity ”

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  1. One Anonymous Knucklehead 1
    15 May 2013 at 10:17 am

    When the law is for sale the first thing to be sold will be legislators.

    • The Gormless Fool formerly known as Oleolebiscuitbarrell 1.1
      15 May 2013 at 10:57 am

      Is that an OAK original? It sounds a bit familiar.

      • One Anonymous Knucklehead 1.1.1
        15 May 2013 at 10:59 am

        I’m paraphrasing someone, but I can’t remember who: it might be PJ O’Rourke.

  2. ianmac 2
    15 May 2013 at 10:47 am

    Petition above quick, easy and worth doing.

  3. ghostwhowalksnz 3
    15 May 2013 at 11:12 am

    How come there is no outrage over the overturning of existing relicensing arrangements for Sky City.

    They would had had to face public hearings, and go through the mill to get their license exteded – if at all ( yeah right)

    But instead what was a legal requirement when they obtained their casino license is now just a piece of scrap paper.

    Of course, when the reverse is suggested, that their ‘heads of agreement’ and law changes that go with are scrapped by some future government, that somehow is now a very bad thing.

    Hello ! Consistency !

    You cant have the law overturn previous arrangements in one case , and then say you cant overturn the ‘latest ‘ arrangements

    • Colonial Viper 3.1
      15 May 2013 at 11:20 am

      Of course you can. That’s why National can help their friends so quickly and efficiently, and why when the Left is in power, it can get sweet f.a. done before losing power again.

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    15 May 2013 at 11:14 am

    A petition? How about some gutsy Opposition Party coming forwards and saying that they will scrap the legislation ASAP?

    Oh yeah, that already happened good on you Greens.

    • tracey 4.1
      15 May 2013 at 11:16 am

      Exactly. And the Greens and Labour need to start showing up the centre for the crock of shit it is. I never met an aucklander who didn’t want the waterfront stadium yet I can’t find any who believe we need this convention centre and can tell me why?

      • mac1 4.1.1
        15 May 2013 at 11:27 am

        Metiria Turei said in question time in the House yesterday that she and every one else supported a convention centre in Suckland. oops! Auckland.

        • tracey 4.1.1.1
          15 May 2013 at 11:32 am

          She didnt happen to say why? Aotea centre is almost never full. There’s the new waterfront place the name of which I can’t recall and is on the North Wharf. As I say it might be needed but haven’t spoken to anyone who knows how this desperate need crept up on us so. More people talk about the CRL.

          • mac1 4.1.1.1.1
            15 May 2013 at 12:10 pm

            It was a chance comment tagged onto a series of questions she was directing at Joyce from memory. She didn’t say why, but again from memory, it was a comment to say that everyone wanted the convention centre, it was a question of who and how it was funded it. Sorry, don’t know how to access for you, but question time yesterday Metiria Turei should get the link.

          • tc 4.1.1.1.2
            15 May 2013 at 12:13 pm

            Viaduct events centre to go with other underused facilities like Aotea, Epsom showgrounds ASB whatever it’s called, Ellerslie Racecourse could do more and it’s got the carparking/motorways/hotels etc etc

            This is pure crony corruption at it’s most obvious but why wouldn’t you with a feckless DS under the old guards thumb and a media in your pocket.

      • framu 4.1.2
        15 May 2013 at 11:44 am

        im an aucklander and believe me – there were plenty who didnt want a waterfront stadium

        mainly because it wouldve been yet another visual blocking of the harbour

        • tracey 4.1.2.1
          15 May 2013 at 2:24 pm

          and you know many who said “we could really use anew convention centre” or “thank God we are getting a convention centre, we’ve been lost with the ones we’ve got”?

          The people who mythically come tot he conventions will gamble and schmooze at skycity, increasing its profits, so the idea that all they get fromt he deal is more pokies and a table plus extended licence is untrue.

  5. tracey 5
    15 May 2013 at 11:15 am

    Now I see that there is a suggestion the resouorce consent application wont be open to submitters. I hope Auckland City show some testicles over this.

    Anyone know an Aucklander who knows WHY we so desperately need the convention centre? many of still recall the Aotea centre (white elephant) we also “needed”.

    “You cant have the law overturn previous arrangements in one case , and then say you cant overturn the ‘latest ‘ arrangements”. get hold of John Bank’s latest mailut and questionaire to get your answer to this one… these guys appear to be oblivious to anything that happened longer than an hour ago.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      15 May 2013 at 11:23 am

      They’re not “oblivious” they are ‘objective focussed’.

      Maintaining consistency with former process and policy is irrelevant; consistently helping out their special interest friends is the only consistency they believe is important.

    • ghostwhowalksnz 5.2
      15 May 2013 at 12:23 pm

      Its pretty hard to see how they can stop the resource consent process, unless they throw out the laws regarding that as well when its all passed under urgency for the budget.

      Who would think National would stoop so low ?- and to make it all a matter of “Supply” so as to lock in Dunne and MP as well.

  6. tracey 6
    15 May 2013 at 11:32 am

    I stand corrected 😉

    • Colonial Viper 6.1
      15 May 2013 at 11:47 am

      The slight error I see some Leftys making is that the Right brain does not think like a Left brain. While we moan about lack of due process, meaningful consultation, decision making consistency etc. they are simply getting on with the business of making the changes they and their friends want.

      How did the 4th Labour Government achieve so much change in 2 terms? Douglas and co. knew exactly where they wanted to go and they went there.

      If we had a Labour Government committed to meaningful work and income for all, massive reductions in child poverty and income inequality, and growth of the public commons, it could easily be done in 9 years. Hell it could be done in 6 years. But not if you are going to commission studies and white papers on every single step along the long road.

      • AmaKiwi 6.1.1
        15 May 2013 at 12:24 pm

        “It could be done in 6 years. But not if you are going to commission studies and white papers on every single step along the long road.”

        We (personally) have done some heavy policy research for the Labour party. They got into power, ignored our findings, and rammed through whatever the minister of the day wanted. They made a lot of shoddy mistakes in the process.

        Ram-jam rotating dictators. Do it fast before the other fools get into power.

        Dictatorship does not work.

      • tracey 6.1.2
        15 May 2013 at 1:25 pm

        You only commission studies on things you dont want to do, you use urgency for the things you really want

  7. ghostrider888 7
    15 May 2013 at 11:38 am

    NAct; The Yeah yeah yeahs

  8. Saccharomyces 8
    15 May 2013 at 1:26 pm

    Will this petition be as successful as the asset sales referendum one?

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 8.1
      15 May 2013 at 1:29 pm

      I agree. Screw the petition, repeal the dirty deal. Go one step further, and ban casinos, the money-laundering misery factories that they are.

  9. Rich the other 9
    15 May 2013 at 1:43 pm

    Embrace the sky city deal , it’s good for Auckland and the country.

    In a few years time when the buildings in use people saying this is fantastic and it didn’t cost rate or tax payers anything .WOW.

    Any attempt to alter the agreement is just as futile as the great stop the asset sales petition.

    The Nat’s are on a roll ,Unemployment down , the economy on target ,a new $406 million convention centre (free) ,hospitals in good shape , interest rates down , state housing improvements ,the Christchurch rebuild gaining momentum ,the good news is endless.
    .
    If it wasn’t for the green/labour stalling tactics on many major developments the country would be flying.
    Tourism developments , road construction , mining exploration , oil and gas, and no doubt plenty more worth $billions are being held up by the green/labour opposition in the courts.

    Wake up to these economic saboteurs.

    If you genuinely want to eradicate poverty and improve peoples lives get on with these projects and once again to Auckland ,enjoy your free convention centre, with the complements of the NAT’S.

    • One Anonymous Knucklehead 9.1
      15 May 2013 at 1:46 pm

      The next government is not going to be bound by John Key’s corrupt insider trading. Get used to it.

    • tracey 9.2
      15 May 2013 at 2:23 pm

      Oh really, how will I enjoy “my” convention centre? What are you basing your opinion that it will be good for auckalnd? Are you aware of the unused centres we have now? Please don’t tell me there is a report like Deloittes pre world cup (labour) which imagined up all kinds of fantastical revenue figures which neevr happened? Auckland is still paying for Eden park upgrade FFS.

      • BM 9.2.1
        15 May 2013 at 5:36 pm

        Because in the 2011 labour party manifesto, they’re saying how important a world class conference center is.

        So from that the options are for tax payers
        1. National party – Get Sky city to build us a convention center for free in return for an extension to the gaming license and some more pokie machines and tables.

        2.Greenbour – Borrow or print money to build convention center, tax payer funded.

        What option do you think the voters will want to go with.?

    • DH 9.3
      15 May 2013 at 2:45 pm

      “National’s trying to do something unprecendented – they want to give a private company a 35 year indemnity against costs arising from law changes.”

      Actually it’s not unprecedented. The same compensation clauses are inherent in all PPP & similar contracts. Wiri prison is a 25 yr guaranteed income stream for the lotto winners, Govt can’t do anything to change that without paying compensation.

      A good example of how these corrupt deals undermine our sovereignty is the Papakura water franchise. Despite the so-called Supercity concept they still have to let United Water continue to run it, can’t cancel the contract without paying large sums in compensation. Watercare took over every other council’s water except Papakura, that deal literally prevented the Govt from exercising it’s full sovereignty. That was a 30yr contract signed in 1997.

      You don’t do 20-35 year contracts because no-one knows what the future holds. That’s common sense that anyone with an intellect should be able to grasp.

      • One Anonymous Knucklehead 9.3.1
        15 May 2013 at 3:00 pm

        “you can’t have a centrist social democratic mixed economy when everything has been locked into a neoliberal paradigm by a series of contractual arrangements. Unless you bust those arrangements.”

        IrishBill

  10. Roy 10
    15 May 2013 at 4:44 pm

    They can build as flash a convention centre as they want, it won’t alter the fact that New Zealand is a long, long way to travel to attend a convention.

    • Colonial Viper 10.1
      15 May 2013 at 4:55 pm

      Instead of industry and technology, we’re left pinning hopes on grandiose white elephant monuments.

  11. Huginn 11
    15 May 2013 at 5:51 pm

    Rod Oram has pointed out that the Sky City deal locks in an anti-competitive advantage that will screw Auckland City’s Aotea Center and the Civic.

    Can’t see why Auckland City should roll over on planning consents for this.

    Sorry about the clumsy link. Go here to listen to his argument:
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2554999/business-with-rod-oram

  12. CeeHad 12
    16 May 2013 at 10:13 am

    As far as I’m concerned its a contract with the devil and lives and souls are being traded – national wants the $$$$ – the devil wants the $$$$ and the souls

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