General Debate 16 February 2009

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Ross Miller

You heard it first folks …. a friend who attended the Winston First conference tells me it was not an overly happy occasion.
The hot goss was that relations between Winston and Mark are cool going colder and that he (Mark) is said to be contemplating a switch to Labour with a view to contesting the Wairarapa seat.

Can’t dismiss this OOH. Mark came from Labour and has strong law and order credentials which appeal to many. He certainly would be a better candidate for Labour than the lady who causes James Sleep to get his rocks off.

Have candidature, will travel, both electorates and parties.
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February 16, 2009 8:18am
Pita

MPs back Wanganui name correction…You can’t cet better humour than the “compelling” logic contained in the article of todays Dom Post…Ken Mair and Tariana Turia at their best! A must read!
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February 16, 2009 8:27am
beanee

What’s the fixation TV One News has with the weather lately? There’s a weather piece before the news actually starts, then there’s another update part way through, and then there’s the forecast at the “normal time” (just before the end of the news). On top of that, there’s often a news item about the weather and they “interview” the weather person from the newsroom.

Why can’t we have it all in one go like we always have?

[OMG – I’m talking about the weather???]
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February 16, 2009 8:33am
Inventory2

Good to see Key rule out any support for a plumb off-shore job for Peters

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/02/no-job-for-winston.html
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February 16, 2009 8:41am
peterwn

DOC greenmail

See:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556964

“Meridian paid DoC over wind farm – report”

So it seems that Meridian found it cheaper to buy DOC off than have DOC ‘stonewall’ the project. This sort of thing may be done with the best of intentions to start with is then used a a handy little money spinner for managers under tight budgetary pressure. It would seem that DOC’s opposing submission was flawed to start with if DOC can so readily backtrack on it.

Some years ago, it seemed that DOC ‘heavied’ a small District Council in North Canterbury since DOC had virtually unlimited resources to go to the Environment Court whereas defending the action would have been financially crippling for the Council and its 5000 long suffering ratepayers.

I think Tim Groser should be calling in Al Morrison for a wee chat.
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February 16, 2009 8:58am
aardvark

Yeah, I blogged about that “secret deal” this morning.

Something smells at Meridian and DOC

If it wasn’t all above-board, why the secrecy?

And what right do two taxpayer-owned organisations have to engage in “secret” under-the-table deals when they’re dealing with *our* environment, *our* energy generation and *our* money?
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February 16, 2009 9:10am
Banana Llama

Yuri Bezmenov, he’s an Interesting guy.
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February 16, 2009 9:22am
Redbaiter

Two stories from the Australian which are food for thought. Gummint, a religion to some people-

In one story-

“VICTORIA’S fire chiefs knew they were powerless to stop the fires rolling towards Kinglake on Black Saturday, but were unable to relay warnings to the residents in time.”

In another story-

“THE federal Government spent $60 million on early warning for tidal waves over the past four years, while cheaper phone alert systems for bushfires and floods went unfunded.”
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February 16, 2009 10:03am
PhilBest

I am becoming more and more convinced that the underlying source of all our economic trouble, is all the disincentives to real, productive business that have built up and built up over the decades.

It would not be a problem, to have easy credit and money flowing into a country, if these were resulting in increases in actual solid capital, productivity, economic growth, and income. But who’d bother to invest in this direction, when tax rates are so high, costs and delays are so great, and politically, you join a pariah class to be attacked and bled and hindered?

The only way out of our bind now, is to wind back those disincentive taxes, wind back those obstructions to development, wind back those disincentives to employing people. It is all very well to “protect the worker” and “protect the environment” and “redistribute income”. When your no.1 requirement is to eat, you would rather a factory was built next door and you got a no-guarantees job there; compared to continuing a subsistence existence. Billions of people all over the world would tell you that.

It is all very well to tell ourselves that we are so wealthy now that we can reap dividend after dividend from our wealth; the trouble is, we end up destroying that wealth and the means of creation of it, and refusing to face this reality, so that by the time the crunch comes, we need to make much, much harsher decisions than if we had been realistic in the first place.

The Nats “hidden agenda” actually does not go anything like far enough, let alone the Labour Lite stuff that was the basis on which we conceded that “we” the voters would give them a shot at government. We have actually left it so late to tackle this stuff, that the measures that would have been a stimulus a few years ago won’t be anything like as effective now because the whole economic system has siezed up. Cutting corporate tax rates won’t have anything like the same effect now that they would have had once.

I fear the worst, for “our” ability to rightly recognise the causes of our problem and face the hard decisions, rather than fall for populist rhetoric and still more socialism, which will deliver us into far greater catastrophe far more rapidly, than the lefties worst fears of businesses completely free and unhindered to start up, use land, use resources, build premises, hire and fire employees, and make money. (“Dark Satanic Mills”, blah, blah, blah…..).

I know that the wide boys in the finance sector have brought about “the death of capitalism”, blah, blah, blah. They are not the people I am talking about, they never created real wealth and they would never have got the traction they got if the returns to the people who DO create the real wealth had been allowed to be commensurate to their value to the economy, and if governments hadn’t set up the conditions where everybody was forced to jump on board a speeding train before they got left behind altogether. Investors were less greedy than merely looking for worthwhile returns, especially people looking for a decent retirement income. Why would you invest in anything that leaves you well behind the rate at which your money loses value?

Government: Get. Out. Of. The. Way. Of. The. Real. Wealth. Creative. Productive. Sector.
Sometime, before it is too late.
Throw the Greens and the Socialists under the bus.
Educate the people why this is necessary; they will be more receptive the tougher things get. The crucial thing will be to win the battle of ideas against the populist socialist rhetoric, that will take the scapegoating of the very people who are our only hope, the entrepreneurs, to new extremes, and land us in the next nightmare for humanity.
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February 16, 2009 10:05am
aardvark

If anyone was tuned into NatRad this morning they’d have heard Katherine Ryan talking to the former conservation Minister (I think). He was berating the new government over the Meridian/DOC secret deal — until she pointed out to him that it had been struck under a Labour Government. He changed his tune *really* quickly. Can you say “egg on face”?

ROTFL.
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February 16, 2009 10:15am
Komata

I received this this US-sourced ‘mail this morning from a friend – it might be of interest . . .

‘Important Information on the Stimulus Payment

“This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a
very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format:

“Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?

“A. It is money that the federal government will send to Taxpayers.

“Q. Where will the government get this money?

“A. From taxpayers.

“Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?

“A. Only a smidgen.

“Q. What is the purpose of this payment?

“A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV
set, thus stimulating the economy.

“Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China?

“A. Shut up.”
_____________________________________________

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the Economy by spending
your stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at K-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If you spend it on petrol it will go to the Arabs.

If you purchase a computer it will go to India.

If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to South East Asia or New
Zealand (unless you buy organic).

If you buy a car it will go to Japan.

If you purchase useless cr@p it will go to Taiwan.

And none of it will help the economy.

We need to keep that money here. You can keep the money here by spending it
at garage sales, going to a football game, or spending it on prost!tutes,
beer or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still here.’
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February 16, 2009 10:45am
s.russell

Anyone else spotted this delicious quote from the Dom Post story on private prisons?:

A spokesman said the [Labour] party would oppose any move to open prison management to competition.

“Labour believes that it is the role of the public sector to deprive people of their liberty and not the role of the private sector. Prisons are a core public service along with defence and police.”
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February 16, 2009 11:35am
baxter

KOMATA……….You have summed up my thoughts exactly everytime I hear some expert urging us Plebs to spend instead of saving.

According to the news MERIDIAN didn’t just pay Blackmail to DOC but also a couple of hundred grand to Ngai TAHU to stop their objections and also to another party. I can’t help wondering if they also pay out to have the likes of DOC and other Protest groups to lodge a protest whenever one of the competing energy companies apply for a resource consent
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February 16, 2009 12:14pm
peterwn

a. Re Meridian and DOC. Meridian is a commercial organisation, and like any commercial organisation may well consider paying ‘greenmail’ to have an opposing submission or legal action dropped. Factors taken into account are the costs of defending the project and the costs of potential delays in getting a project under way – these can often be far greater than the amount of ‘greenmail’ offered. This is a fact of commercial life. DOC on the other hand is acting immorally by demanding or accepting greenmail. As far as ‘confidentiality’ goes, lawyers stick in a ‘confidentiality’ clause as a reflex action. In this instance if the leak was on DOC’s side, Meridian is would be entitled to sue for the refund of the money. IMO the Minister should be telling Al to pay it back forthwith.

b. Privately run prisons – Labour is consistent here – Margaret Wilson was spouting that line back in 1999. The practical reason for that high sounding ideal is to put it bluntly union appeasement. As long as Corrections have a monopoly on running prisons, the more power the unions have. The high sounding ideal in practice works the opposite way to that intended, private enterprise runs prisons strictly in accordance with the book, whereas it seems there is a maverick attitude among public sector people running prisons as there is very diminished accountability compared with private sector operation.
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February 16, 2009 12:20pm
side show bob

Komata, very true words, it would be bloody funny if it wasn’t so true.

S.russell, yeah typical socialist bullshit and don’t think for a moment it was a slip of the tongue, I’m sure this one would be on the first page of the socialist’s little red handbook.
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February 16, 2009 12:41pm
cha

On January 26 two Pennsylvania judges were charged with taking $2.6 million in kickbacks to send teenagers to youth detention centers run by PA Child Care and Western PA Child Care
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February 16, 2009 1:01pm
philu

and how about this..?..righties..!

http://whoar.co.nz/2009/conservative-republicans-urge-obama-to-nationalise-the-american-banking-system/

phil(whoar.co.nz)
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February 16, 2009 1:59pm
fredinthegrass

Komata – try giving that advice to spend locally to “er indoors”. You might get the Garage sale past her
but I dont like your chances with the others!!
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February 16, 2009 2:43pm
greenfly

In today’s news – Corrections Minister Judith Collins has told officials to draw up law changes that would allow private companies to tender for jail management contracts. Hooray! That’s a step in the Right direction. That’ll work! No more ‘dead fish’ to swallow now, Lockwood!
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February 16, 2009 2:54pm
Carole

I was shocked to see a large truck on the North Shore, Auckland, showing in large letters “Halal Chicken”. Personally I am most unhappy about this, we have moved on to more humane methods, and I object to immigrants bringing their barbaric customs from the 3rd world into NZ. Anyone else care about this ???
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February 16, 2009 4:17pm
AG

“I object to immigrants bringing their barbaric customs from the 3rd world into NZ.”

Absolutely. Bloody British settlers and their failure to recognise concepts of tapu and noa. Send them all home, I say!
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February 16, 2009 4:21pm
dad4justice

“Send them all home, I say! ”

Can’t, because the motherland is already over crowded with Muslims! Got ya AG!
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February 16, 2009 4:24pm
LUCY

Its February. And for the second time in a week I have the heater going full blast. Where the hell is global warming when you need it? I am freezing!
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February 16, 2009 5:53pm
Banana Llama

No just send you home AG.
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February 16, 2009 6:33pm
heathcote

Recently gd claimed that Richard Fuld (disgraced boss Lehmans) was a Kiwi. When challenged to name his source, he quoted an article in the Independent dated 29 January 2009. Sure enough there it was, and when I challenged the author of the article today she apologised, said she got it wrong. When asked where was the correction in the ensuing week’s (weeks’?) article, she admitted there wasn’t one.

Shoddy, shoddy journalism. What can you believe in the press these days?
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February 16, 2009 9:07pm
Komata

AG

A not unreasonable question:

Your comment about sending the ‘British settlers home. . .’ would seem by inference to show that you are of Maori extraction.

Given that, according to the last two censii there are no ‘pureblood’ Maori still living, and that those calling now themselves ‘Maori’ invariably have European ancestors somewhere back down the line (even though they would perhaps rather not acknowledge the fact – it’s ‘inconvenient’), my question has to be:

“Which part of YOURSELF would you propose to export back to ‘the Old Country” (which could be Europe rather than the UK per se’)?

This is NOT a ‘trick’ question, (there are no politics involved) – I really am genuinely interested, and so I await your reply with interest (though what the other readers of this blog do with your reply I cannot, of course, say) Thanks.
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February 16, 2009 9:14pm
fredinthegrass

Not a thing, Heathcote, not a thing. Be sure to check the date as well.
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February 16, 2009 9:19pm
Jack5

On immigration, does anyone know anything about the Refugee Status Appeals Authority and its head A R Mackey?
The finding on the “Christian convert” Iranian Ali Pahah today is intriguing, especially when an American couple have been turned down because the wife is obese. The latter case used the body mass index, which is absolute crap as any weightlifter will tell you. It measures muscle as though it were fat.

I’m not saying this lady wasn’t obese, but could it be that this authority is a bunch of politically correct, lefty, multiculturalist wimps?

We have refugees coming here with stories they say can’t be substantiated because, they say, of oppressive regimes at home. Well maybe they are playing us like a harp. An article in the Ottawa Citizen (Feb 16) cites a researcher who says a researcher who has done work on men in Canada’s prisons, found that psychopaths play the system so well that they’re the most likely prisoners to be granted early release.

Couldn’t it be the same with refugees? The ones most likely to con the multiculturalists are those most devious and determined rather than the most deserving.

The only answer would be to have an appeals authority made up of worldly cynics. I doubt we’ve got one.
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February 16, 2009 11:46pm