Summer service: open mike 10/01/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 10th, 2012 - 30 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

As usual, it’s reduced service over the summer break, unless anything big happens. We hope you’ll get a good break with those dear to you, and that we’ll have some decent weather to enjoy. And if you still need your politics fix… Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. Step right up to the mike…

30 comments on “Summer service: open mike 10/01/2012 ”

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  1. Pete George 1
    10 January 2012 at 8:01 am

    Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis has kicked off a delicate debate – how much of Christchurch should be rebuilt in Christchurch? And should some of the shaky city be relocated elsewhere in the South Island – Vandervis is proposing Dunedin but obviously there are other southern options.

    Individuals and businesses should be free to choose for themselves – as they are – but what about public services that have been ripped out of the rest of the South Island and centralised in Christchurch over the past few decades?

    Post-quake rebuild – Christchurch or Dunedin? Or elsewhere? Or not?

    • tc 1.1
      10 January 2012 at 12:40 pm

      About time this was raised especially as the science is now saying there will be years of aftershocks and liquefaction, makes sense and something the govt should’ve suggested if they had any vision and bollocks.

    • millsy 1.2
      10 January 2012 at 11:15 pm

      From what I have read, Lee Vandervis is a right wing library and park closing crackpot, but his thoughts about this should be considered, given the stability (or lack) of Christchurch City.

      For a start, the proposed ferry terminal at Clifford Bay should go ahead as a replacement for Lyttelton…

      • McFlock 1.2.1
        10 January 2012 at 11:29 pm

        I wouldn’t even call him “right wing”. And similarity between what he says and a good idea, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

    • Colonial Viper 1.3
      10 January 2012 at 11:39 pm

      I reckon Christchurch will have a population 25% smaller than its peak, and it will be realised in the next 5 years.

      Further there will be minimal rebuilding of destroyed areas in 2012 largely because no one will be able to obtain insurance on new buildings (commercial or residential) at anything like affordable rates.

      what about public services that have been ripped out of the rest of the South Island and centralised in Christchurch over the past few decades?

      The private sector has done this too.

      • millsy 1.3.1
        10 January 2012 at 11:42 pm

        The biting feeling on people’s rear is the privatisation of the state owned insurance companies (and the MOW) in the 1980’s-90’s…

        • Colonial Viper 1.3.1.1
          11 January 2012 at 12:24 am

          Yep that privatisation of public sector capability has taken the resiliency out of this country and basically fucked Christchurch.

  2. Colonial Viper 2
    10 January 2012 at 8:33 am

    firm fucks over couple’s wedding plans – and defends its decision as being the sensible one

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10777717

    I bet the prick business owner extracted a higher rate out of his bigger client as well, at the same time as screwing the young couple. This is what our society has turned into, fuck for a buck.

    • mikesh 2.1
      10 January 2012 at 8:55 am

      The business owner should have hired a couple of suitable cars from someone else and onlent them to the couple.

      • Pete George 2.1.1
        10 January 2012 at 9:05 am

        Or at least arranged for an alternative hire with someone else (and paid any difference if there was any) – that’s commonly done by good companies, it’s generally good for business.

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.2
        10 January 2012 at 10:33 am

        Yes that would have been an alternative mikesh, but it appears that it was not given as an option. No money in it for the business owner you see. I hope he enjoys this media attention.

        • Tigger 2.1.2.1
          10 January 2012 at 11:46 am

          Film company shooting in the lower North Island…? How many films are shooting here now? Odds are on it being a Jackson production…

          • prism 2.1.2.1.1
            10 January 2012 at 12:27 pm

            Thank god for Peter Jackson eh! Something commercial happening in New Zealand bringing jobs for NZs and keeping money here. Great.

    • millsy 2.2
      10 January 2012 at 11:46 pm

      Even in the most deregulated economies in the world, our business sector still has to act like arseholes to their customers (and their workers).

  3. deuto 3
    10 January 2012 at 10:24 am

    Great cartoon in the Herald today re privatising of state assets.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10777662

    • prism 3.1
      10 January 2012 at 12:32 pm

      Great cartoon. Should we all get boards and back into the sea prepared for when we need to return to our original roots as we quickly turn back our intelligent civilising ‘humanising’ culture to the simple and primitive?

  4. Tigger 4
    10 January 2012 at 11:44 am

    So Rena is sinking, oil everywhere, containers washing up down half the coast and where is John Key?

    A tragedy kills 11 of us and where is John Key?

    • Jim Nald 4.1
      10 January 2012 at 12:21 pm

      The mesmerising ‘Cheshire Cat’ phenomenon is away on holiday
      and his spokesman sends you all best wishes and snoozes
      … z z z Z z z z Z Z z z z …

    • Colonial Viper 4.2
      10 January 2012 at 2:14 pm

      Why the frak were there still hundreds of containers on the Rena?

      • Pete George 4.2.1
        10 January 2012 at 3:00 pm

        It’s been too hard to remove them faster probably. I’d expect it was in the salvager’s interest to get them off as fast as they could.

      • millsy 4.2.2
        11 January 2012 at 12:00 am

        I also hope that the parties concerned don’t think that if they close their eyes a magical pixie fairy is going to take the wreckage of the Rena away…

  5. prism 5
    10 January 2012 at 12:25 pm

    Hot news. The Swiss have just devalued their franc. Why can’t we have this ability? The Swiss aren’t dumb. We are. End of story.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      10 January 2012 at 11:42 pm

      We do have this ability. Announcing the gradual nationalisation of Contact Energy and Telecom would do it.

  6. Jackal 6
    10 January 2012 at 1:31 pm

    Mining industry spin

    I happened across a pro mining article today, written by an obvious industry hack calling themselves Teresa Clifford. You really have to dig deep to find any truth in the article at all…

  7. randal 7
    10 January 2012 at 1:47 pm

    congrats to JH on the POAL post for calling Radio New Zealand to account for their lack of objectivity. their holiday coverage has been jejune, infantile and bordering on the inane.
    no wonder POAL tried it on in the season. The only msm outlet with any gumption has gone to sleep.

    • tc 7.1
      10 January 2012 at 2:56 pm

      Please direct me to the MSM outlet with gumption…..the R in RNZ stands for Right wing nowadays as the nat’s have ever so cleverly got it marching to their tune via Griffin.

  8. Willie Maley 8
    10 January 2012 at 2:31 pm

    The future of education in New Zealand?
    http://tinyurl.com/7dcjtjy

    • Dave Kennedy 8.1
      10 January 2012 at 3:36 pm

      I wonder if the curriculum taught in these schools will lead to an enlightened population or one that becomes even more immersed in neoliberal and fundamentalist christian beliefs? Heaven help us….

  9. Dave Kennedy 9
    10 January 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Three more years of a National Government may inflict more damage than we realize:
    http://localbodies-bsprout.blogspot.co.nz/2012/01/nz-report-card-reveals-much.html

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