General Debate 15 February 2012

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Yvette

Divorce radio stunt backfires on hosts
In the lead-up to yesterday’s call, a woman put herself forward to win the divorce.
Sam registered for the competition saying she had been thinking of getting a divorce for a while, and when the opportunity presented itself, thought it was the right time. …
Sam told the radio station her husband’s name was Andy and when a woman answered the call the hosts seemed taken aback, asking if they had the right number.
“No, this isn’t Andy. It’s never going to be Andy. It wasn’t Andy to start with you f***ing idiots,” said a woman who then revealed she is Sam’s wife, Amber.
“So how does it feel you two – how does it feel like, being on the other end of something?
“We sabotaged you, you dickheads.”
Pryor said although he felt embarrassed it was genius.
“… we’re finally figuring out how you caught us out and we would have got away with it if it wasn’t for you dastardly lesbians.”

– http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/divorce-radio-stunt-backfires-hosts-4723509

Gay marriage a threat to humanity’s future: Pope
Pope Benedict said Monday that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined “the future of humanity itself.”
… He told diplomats from nearly 180 countries that the education of children needed proper “settings” and that “pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman.”
“This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself,” he said.
The Vatican and Catholic officials around the world have protested against moves to legalize gay marriage in Europe and other developed parts of the world.

– http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/09/us-pope-gay-idUSTRE8081RM20120109
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February 15, 2012 8:03am
Lance

Good old shades of Waitakere Ranges Protection horseshit on a stick….

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785612

To paraphrase;
We think your stuff/property is nice so we tell you what you can do with it. Without compensation and with lots of extra compliance costs and if you object to this you are an evil capitalist bastard intent on destruction of all NZ beauty, the enslavement of small children and the embodiment of homophobia.
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February 15, 2012 8:19am
wreck1080

“$700 airport limousine bill ‘prudent'”

Wellington-based Solicitor General David Collins QC spent more than $700 in a single day hiring ministerial BMW limousines to transport him to the “teapot tapes”

These are part of the costs that the TV3 cameraman must pay. Surely there was a responsibility for only ‘reasonable’ expenses to be included. Not everyone gets the government to pay for limos and jets after all.

It is simply ridiculous and not prudent at all. Taking a cab would have been prudent.

This is the arrogance of people sucking off the public tit. They think they are gods and kings.

This clown would have taken a gold plated helicopter running on champagne if he could have done.
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February 15, 2012 8:24am
Keeping Stock

So, is it a mere coincidence that the Mojo Mathers row went public they day before her maiden speech to the House. This has Gareth Hughes’ DNA all over it; why let the facts get in the way of a good smear?

http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/is-it-green-beat-up.html

It’s interesting just how enthusiastically the Greens are prepared to abandon their so-called “principles” when there’s an opportunity for some publicity.
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February 15, 2012 8:29am
Griff

“the education of children needed proper “settings”

I really hate it when other people force their religion down your throat..

Catholic priests are especially good at doing this..
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February 15, 2012 8:35am
wreck1080

This is unbelievable…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6418858/Activists-hacked-McCullys-emails

McCully had been using his telecom xtra account for confidential government business.

This is inexcusable.

In my employment for example, all my confidential email is behind the corporate network. At no point is it permitted to send emails containing confidential material across the internet. Generally this allows internal communication, but you need to be careful when sending outside.
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February 15, 2012 8:35am
flipper

Wreck1080..
A couple of points:
1. Has the judge made a decision on the Crown application for costs?
2. Why was it necessary for Collins, a self important medical insurance specialist lawyer, ,and would be Judge
3. What could he wish to discuss by ‘phone while going to the airport FROM the Court – after the case had concluded?
4. The “cost”of the BMW plus drtiver is absurd. In fact it represents cost transfer from one department to another (at a considerable “profit”) since
A) The drivers are salaried Internal Affrs employees, and
B ) The cars are “owned” by the State
5. The “cost” recovery charges are now under review (JK announced recently).
6. Oh, as an after-thought, how was a car allowed to stand outside gthe Court for all that “waiting” time? The great unwashed would have been ticketed and “moved on” or towed away.

In sum, Wreck1080…the whole thing is a wreck!
Good stuff!
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February 15, 2012 8:42am
tristanb

An extradition I hope happens:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785608

Robert Dahlberg, cuntish stockbroker, beat up some Singaporean guys after because the NZer was pissed off he couldn’t take someone’s prebooked taxi. He chose to forgo his $24,000 bail and ditched the country.

I hope NZ send him back to face trial in Singapore. Random acts of violence against innocent strangers is something that happens too much – I hope he gets 10 years.
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February 15, 2012 8:56am
Manolo

The greedy tribes want more of Auckland’s money: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785644
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February 15, 2012 9:03am
AlphaKiwi

Bloody Anglo-Saxons!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785608
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February 15, 2012 9:04am
Pete George

From Yvettes comment:

Pope Benedict said Monday that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined “the future of humanity itself.”

This has been suggested here a few times.

A couple of signatures on a bit of paper will ruin us! I wonder if the AGW scientists are a married gay couple?

(I realise The Standard sees Key and English as a married gay couple scale threat to humanity but that’s only politics, religion really rules).
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February 15, 2012 9:17am
Brian Smaller

Wreck

This clown would have taken a gold plated helicopter running on champagne if he could have done.

That a ridiculous statement. Champagne doesn’t have the alcohol content to run an aircraft engine. 🙂
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February 15, 2012 9:49am
AlphaKiwi

The more people keep having more children, the more homosexuals there will be.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a beautiful quote:

“Take the risk of thinking for yourself. Much more happiness, truth, beauty and wisdom will come to you that way.” – Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011
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February 15, 2012 9:49am
Luc Hansen

Sadly, Hitch does not present as evidence of any truth in this aphorism – unless one counts vile, unrelenting malevolence as contributing to one’s quotient of happiness.
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February 15, 2012 10:00am
Luc Hansen

A must-listen coming up on RNZ:

10:05 Ragnar Axelsson – Icelandic photographer and author of the book Last Days of the Arctic

With a stunning photo gallery on the RNZ website.

Sick AGW denialists (yes, you are all sick puppies) should not bother.
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February 15, 2012 10:03am
bereal

Hi Luc,
i have to admit that on the odd occaison it seems my comprehension skills let me down.
Either i missed or failed to understand your effort at 6.47 yesterday and now see that you were providing
information that was helpfull to the point.
My subsequent comments to you were uncharitable and undeserved to say the least. Sorry about that.
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February 15, 2012 10:36am
Pete George

David Clark’s maiden speech was interesting. It included quite a bit of political ideology and aspiration, with dollops of ‘opposition of the day’ catchphrases, especially regarding equality and poverty.

A part of the speech caught my eye:

Politicians are elected to a life of public service. The service they are elected to – is leadership.

Leadership involves listening, discerning, assisting and decision-making.

Service should never be confused with servility.

Politicians ought not hide behind the term “service” awaiting a mandate of majority support on every issue, forgetting, or perhaps never realising, that the public have elected the politicians to do a job in good faith on their behalf.

Politicians do not exist to rubber-stamp what the electorate has already decided, but to articulate and share a vision of a better society.

What should an elecorate MP’s main focus be?
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February 15, 2012 10:41am
graham

Oh dear … this is going to end badly … Hone gets stuck into Paul Holmes about his Waitangi Day piece in the Herald.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785544

The headline sums it up quite well: “Hone Harawira: Paul Holmes, Maori have plenty to protest”. Reading through it, Hone rather sarcastically lays out just why he thinks Maori should be protesting. Problem is, he goes back into the history to explain why everything is wrong today – and he may well be historically accurate, I don’t know enough to comment – but sadly he ignores the fact that the vast majority of people in New Zealand today aren’t actually related to “the Governor and his cronies … the untrustworthy Pakeha traders … the dirty, stinking, Pakeha whalers, sailors, thieves and brigands .. and the early Europeans” that he blames everything on. Never mind, it’s still our fault anyway.
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February 15, 2012 11:16am
Lance

@graham
Yes there isn’t enough guilt. More guilt everyone and God forbid we should a national day we are actually proud of.
Misery, hatred, violence and heaped shame….. Hones happy place
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February 15, 2012 11:21am
Paulus

The Greenpeace Party have no morals that’s why who they are. Melons.

All they can see is publicity, provided by a prejudiced media, to increase their seats at the next election, trumping Labour.

And they have started well – the so called media I mean. The media lost the last election and will not make that mistake again.

Gaw’d help New Zealand in 2014.
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February 15, 2012 11:23am
graham

You know, I’d love to hear some ideas from people smarter than me on how we can achieve this, which could be the best outcome for everybody:

Let’s give New Zealand back to Maori.

Let’s say, “Okay Hone and Tame Iti and anyone else who wants it – here’s New Zealand. It’s yours. You run it under Maori customs and protocols, and everyone who’s happy with it, stays. Everyone who doesn’t like it, is free to leave and go to Australia, Europe, England, where-ever.”

The difficult bit is sorting out who’s going to buy all the houses, factories, infrastructure and other assets from the probably three and a half million people that I suspect will want to get the hell out. This is where you need people who are smart to think about it. But once you have those details sorted, then those of use who want to go can, and we will watch from afar with interest to see what sort of a job Hone, Tame Iti, John Minto, Sue Bradford and all the others who stay make of running New Zealand, fending for themselves, feeding clothing and educating the population, dealing with other countries, sorting imports and exports, establishing overseas embassies, etc.

You never know, they might do a great job.

Or not.
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February 15, 2012 11:26am
Pete George

graham – here is something written by someone who may or may not be smarter than you, but I suspect a lot smarter than Tame Iti:

Brian McDonnell: Treaty exaltation has gone too far

Seriously it’s well worth a read.
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February 15, 2012 11:49am
Griff

Hone says
“So perhaps you can understand, Mr Holmes, that 172 years ago Maori weren’t exactly jumping for joy at the prospect of signing a deal with an empire that had already signed and broken treaties all around the world.
But we did, and the record suggests that our tupuna did so for all the right reasons – to protect their lands and their forests and their rivers and their resources, and to provide a solid future for their mokopuna.”

Pretty much sums up the whole debate on the treaty.

Who was threatening the their lands and children?

Remember the 30,000 to 60,000 died in the musket wars!

And its all the fault of the men who sold the guns and Nothing to do with those who pulled the trigger.
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February 15, 2012 11:59am
DavidC

Gareth Morgan finally says something I agree with!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6421878/Gareth-Morgan-I-hope-Norwegian-sinks
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February 15, 2012 12:02pm
Pete George

There was a very well done response to the ‘win a divorce’ nonsense:

Lesbians sabotage ‘win a divorce’ radio contest
A lesbian couple sabotaged the controversial “Win a Divorce” competition – turning the tables on the presenters.

In the lead-up to yesterday evening’s call, a woman called Sam said she entered the competition because things had not been good lately with her husband, “Andy”.

When a woman answered, Taylor seemed taken aback and wondered if they had the right number.

“No, this isn’t Andy. It wasn’t Andy to start with you f***ing idiots,” said a woman who identified herself as Sam’s wife, Amber.

After a couple of seconds of silence, Pryor began to speak but Amber interrupted: “So how does it feel you two – how does it feel like, being on the other end of something?

“We sabotaged you, you dickheads.”

A deserved final description.
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February 15, 2012 12:37pm
RightNow

Bomber gets legless
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2100917/Bangkok-bomb-Iranian-blows-legs-grenade-hurled-police-bounces-back.html
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February 15, 2012 12:45pm
Viking2

A big Black kettles arse talking to the pot.

In a blog, Morgan added: “Let’s hope he sinks.”

In an email to Norwegian media, passed on by Morgan’s staff, the economist also said Andhoey’s real mission was to attract as much press as he possibly could and sell books and sponsorships as a result.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6421878/Gareth-Morgan-I-hope-Norwegian-sinks
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February 15, 2012 12:49pm
Luc Hansen

bereal @10:36 Cheers.

Now for breaking news:

The truth about charter schools exposed by, of all things, league tables!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/feb/13/league-tables-academies-maintained-schools

It pretty much mirrors the Harvard study that proved similarly proved charter schools are just a massive ideological distraction from the job of educating our kids.
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February 15, 2012 1:46pm
Luc Hansen

Say Griff, how is Maori tribal warfare any different than that practiced with much greater killing efficiency by the white man?

And the Musket Wars died down when all tribes gained muskets.

The Gospel according to Griff:

Default status, first do harm to whomever, whenever one can.

Then deny that harm.

if undeniable, blame the victims.

Do not attempt to make amends.

Never.

Most importantly, perpetuate the harm indefinitely with structural victimization of those harmed.

Then blame the victims, again.

Amen.
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February 15, 2012 1:55pm
RightNow

Ultimate Tazer Ball “The future of sport”. Like rugby with tazers.

Don’t try this at home (go to a friend’s house and do it)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/02/09/taser-ball-league.html
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February 15, 2012 1:56pm
Griff

This is about the history surrounding the treaty. To ignore the forty years of history before its signing and look at the treaty from a modern perspective is not a valid stand point in discerning the principles enshrined

The “Settlers” in New Zealand in the late 1830s were made up of less than 2,000 whalers woodsmen, adventures, missioners, traders and riff raff .
Not something that would scare 20,000+ well trained, experienced, well armed warriors is it?

War fare with more than half the population exterminated, enslaved or displaced would be the most likely reason for signing the treaty
Hence as hone said “tupuna did so for all the right reasons – to protect their lands and their forests and their rivers and their resources, and to provide a solid future for their mokopuna.”

To think that the Musket wars were not continued into the1880s is revisionist The so called new Zealand wars were a continuation of the musket wars. Maori took both sides remember the result of utu from pre 1842
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February 15, 2012 2:24pm
RightNow

Cool pictorial representation of all earth’s water (1386000000000000000000 litres)

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/2010/gallery/global-water-volume.html
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February 15, 2012 3:04pm
Pete George

RN – doesn’t look big enough, it would have to be spread very thing to cover all the oceans, lakes rivers etc plus what’s on the atmosphere.
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February 15, 2012 3:34pm
RightNow

Apparently it covers all that, plus the water inside you and me and all the plants and animals Pete:

“The sphere includes all the water in the oceans, seas, ice caps, lakes and rivers as well as groundwater, atmospheric water, and even the water in you, your dog, and your tomato plant.”
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February 15, 2012 3:36pm
wat dabney

Luc,

Your Guardian link says “Many, including several already entering the English schools market, fail to meet national standards and end up closing their schools or having them transferred to other providers.”

So inferior private schools are closed down. That’s precisely what should happen.

What happens to bad state schools? Nothing: the children forced to attend them are condemned for life by your ideological fixation with state-controlled education.

And as at least one commentator points out, any improvements seen in the state sector must surely have something to do with the fact that they now face competition.
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February 15, 2012 3:45pm
tom hunter

It’s ironic that images from the Great Depression that sparked the whole Keynesian/Social Welfare state, have now led countries to images like these from Greece.
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February 15, 2012 4:10pm
publicwatchdog

Interesting that neither the old Securities Commission, the SFO, the Finance Markets Authority (FMA), or the Police have lifted a finger to apply ACT’s ‘one law for all’ to either the ACT Party MP for Epsom, John Banks, or the former ACT Party Leader Don Brash?

In fact, I have it in writing from the the SFO, the Finance Markets Authority (FMA), and the Police that they will not lay charges against Banks or Brash, which, in my considered opinion, is a form of political protection, which I believe is corrupt.

Both John Banks and Don Brash were equally former fellow Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, whom, along with Peter Huljich equally signed Huljich Kiwisaver Registered Prospectuses which contained untrue statements.

Under the Securities Act 1978 s.58 (3) that is an offence.

Where is the ZERO TOLERANCE for ‘white collar’ crime in New Zealand?

In my considered opinion, in NZ – ‘perceived’ to be the least corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International’s 2011 ‘Corruption Perception Index’ – the balance of power is arguably being held by a yet-to-be charged or convicted ‘white collar’ criminal – John Banks ACT MP for Epsom.

However – all is not lost.

When one door closes, another door opens.

Currently there are signatures being collected for a petition which requests:

“That the House conduct an urgent inquiry into the decisions regarding prosecutions relating to the Juljich Kiwisaver Scheme registered prospectuses dated 22 August 2008 and 18 September 2009.”

I do not anticipate any major problems in getting an MP to present this petition to the House.

For more background information, check out http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz

Penny Bright
waterpressure@gmail.com
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February 15, 2012 4:52pm
Elaycee

AHOY PENNY – Have you completed your course yet on how to read Financials attached to an Annual Report?

Or do you intend to continue the bullshit / the lies about the POA director remunerations?

Bwahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa 😀
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February 15, 2012 4:54pm
graham

I agree, Penny. Let’s have one law for all.

Let’s start with you being prosecuted for advocating the STEALING of power from the Auckland Citly Council.

Let’s continue with you advocating STEALING water which you have not paid for (and indeed, demonstrating to others how to do it).

Let’s go on to investigate the defamatory signs you attached to election billboards, accusing John Banks of being a criminal.

ONE LAW FOR ALL – EVEN YOU!
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February 15, 2012 5:02pm
DavidC

Pete George, remembering that the sea is “only” 7 miles deep at best and averages about half that on a world that is 8000 miles in diameter. its about 1% of earths volume.
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February 15, 2012 5:17pm
publicwatchdog

Remember Kiwibloggers – when some of us were ‘blowing the whistle’ about criminal negligence at Pike River Mine??

History has a habit of proving who was right and who was wrong?

🙂

publicwatchdog (894) Says:
April 16th, 2011 at 10:51 am

Don’t spin and misrepresent my position ‘Sofia’.

‘Murder at Pike River Mine, which Penny Bright would have you all read and believe,..’

err… NO – what I said was :

Penny Bright –

“I have helped to forward the information that he [author Dr Jacob Cohen] specifically sent to me because he had heard that I was also a ‘Whistleblower’ also, in order that others could read these ALLEGATIONS for themselves. I believe that the families and the public have the right to a full and thorough independent investigation, so that the FACTS can fully emerge without whitewashing or coverup.”

Dr Jacob Cohen is a ‘whistleblower’ who has made some extremely serious allegations.

Journalists don’t reveal information about their ‘sources’ – neither am I.

A full and proper independent of inquiry, which meticulously checks the FACTS and evidence, should prove whether there is substance to these allegations.

But how can this happen – if the Pike River Mine Company isn’t going to front in a proper way?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pike-river-mine-disaster/4854892/Govt-says-no-to-Pike-River-legal-help

“Pike River Coal lawyer Stacey Shortall said the company could not afford to fully participate in the inquiry.

She said the company did not have the money to prepare the documents and witness statements the commission had requested and would have legal representation at only some hearings.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Whistle-blowing’ author of “Murder at Pike River Mine”, Jacob Cohen, sent me hard copies of his work, with additional hard copy evidence to support his extremely disturbing claims.

Essentially, the allegation is that the Pike River mining disaster was deliberate, that the 29 miners were murdered, in order to help build support for open-cast mining, which can then be argued to be ‘safer’ than underground mining, thus help open up New Zealand for international mining companies.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47745564/Murder-at-Pike-River-Mine-SECOND-EDITION-With-Postscript

Here are some excerpts, which focus on Jacob Cohen’s allegation of ‘safety negligence’ at Pike River Mine:

“CHAPTER TWO PIKE RIVER COAL MINE EXPLOSION & SAFETY NEGLIGENCE

According to news reports, the giant methane explosion in the mine occurred around 3.15pm± 3.30pm on Friday,19 November 2010. Quite simply, it was massive.
The force of the explosion blew out of a 110 meter deep ventilation shaft and blackened the surrounding bush 60 meters away from the shaft portal.

It also blew over 2km down the main access tunnel and was recorded by a CCTV camera at the portal blasting outwards for 52 seconds, so remarkably, there must have been an enormous, undetected buildup of methane in the mine prior to the explosion, but no warnings or alarms for the miners ever sounded.

Clearly, there was no proper fixed methane gas detection monitoring system in the mine connected to alarms, or if there was the system was not working. It seems there also was no monitoring system to the office outside for 24 hour constant surveillance either.

All this is rather strange, since strategically located gas detectors are now a standard requirement in all Australian and US underground coal mines.

There are strict requirements to provide extensive gas monitoring, safety and health management systems in all Australian mines in which the CEO, Peter Whittall, has been trained and worked.

Why were there none working?

The first reports of an explosion were at 3.45pm and management was not even aware that there had been an explosion until around 4.10pm, nearly an hour after the estimated time of the explosion!
This is much more than extreme negligence.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4368031/Mine-explosion-timeline
……………………………………..
11
Gas Detectors are also available for miners as well that are lightweight, shock and vibration resistant, simple to operate, self calibrating, will not ignite coal dust, provide instant gas analysis, and provide REMOTE PROTECTION UP TO 500 FEET AWAY!

These detectors are also invaluable in mine rescue operations.

Today there is simply ³no excuse´for any, properly run, safety conscious, coal mine company to have any explosion at all!

http://www.methanegasdetectors.com/info/coal-mining-and-the-risk-of-methane-gas-e

For example, there are strict requirements for alternative electricity supply, continuous gas monitoring of both portable and fixed methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and oxygen gas detectors in all underground coal mines in Queensland, Australia, and they are all clearly outlined in the Queensland Coal Mining Safety and Health Regulation 2001 (still in force as at 1st October 2010).

These regulations also specify precise locations of detectors and alarms,an underground mine manager who is designated to acknowledge alarms, and at least one person must be on the surface at all times monitoring the situation when at least one person is underground.

The regulations also provide precise safety requirements for the site senior executive to follow, including the monitoring of auxiliary or booster fans which are to be protected by methane detectors connected to audible and visible alarms that trip the electricity supply to the fans when the gas concentration exceeds 2%.

See: http://www.legislation.qld.gvt.au/legisltn/current/c/coalminshr01.pdf

According to all news reports, the Pike River Mine explosion was discovered by a mine electrician, Russell Smith, who went into the mine to investigate a power outage, and was hit by the mine blast about 1km into the access tunnel. In the United States, it is well known byall executives in the coal mine industry that Federal Mining Regulations require that all personnel must begin evacuating a mine within 15 minutes of a fan stoppage.

Since the power stoppage had occurred long before the explosion, it may have caused the ventilation fans to stop, causing the methane gas levels to build up to dangerously explosive levels very quickly, thus causing the explosion.

Had the workers stopped and evacuated the mine immediately the power outage had occurred as they should have within the well-known recommended safety period, they would never have been killed, and probably there never would have been an explosion.

All underground coalmines in the US and Australia must have secondary power supply.

According to reports, remarkably, Pike River Mine Ltd had no proper gas monitoring system, no auxiliary power supply, and obviously no safety plan to evacuate the mine following a power failure, accident or explosion. ”
_______________________________________________________________________________

This is just for ‘starters’!

There is more………. a whole LOT more!

I strongly recommend that you make the time to read the whole report, from beginning to end with an ‘open mind’.

Then ask yourself if there may indeed be good reasons other than alleged ‘financial hardship’, behind the Pike River Mine company not wanting to ‘fully participate in the inquiry’?

Penny Bright
(waterpressure@gmail.com )
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February 15, 2012 5:19pm
Nookin

Penny
I have referred you on a number of occasions to ss2 of s58. You have deliberately ignored this subsection on numerous occasions. I am going to cut and paste it in isolation. I would like you to address this defence and explain, with empirical fact, why you believe that the defence is unavailable to the directors that you name. Does the letter that you have received state that the police/SFO/FMA did not feel as though they could secure a conviction? If so, what investigations have you undertaken that have revealed information not available to the police and which discounts that defence?

“No person shall be convicted of an offence under subsection (1) of this section if the person proves either that the statement was immaterial or that he or she had reasonable grounds to believe, and did, up to the time of the distribution of the advertisement, believe that the statement was true.”

You see, the reason why Hulijich was convicted is that he withheld the fact that the Diligent shares transferred to the fund belonged to him. He did not tell anybody. That is why neither Brash nor Banks knew about it. They had no reason to suspect that information conveyed to them was incorrect. That is why there is no prosecution. Is there something that you cannot understand here?
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February 15, 2012 5:25pm
Scott Chris

“It’s ironic that images from the Great Depression that sparked the whole Keynesian/Social Welfare state”

Not as ironic as the MacDonald’s advert juxtaposed with the headline “Pictures From A Greek Soup Kitchen”
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February 15, 2012 5:25pm
Griff

Why @waterpressure P Tarnish did you piss your self thinking of jail the other nite?
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February 15, 2012 5:26pm
DavidC

But I dont want to read your drivel Penny I just want to read a report on your sentencing 🙂
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February 15, 2012 5:27pm
publicwatchdog

How come John Banks never made a complaint to the Electoral Commission ‘Graham’?

I was REALLY looking forward to testing that in Court!

http://www.pennybright4epsom.org.nz

Let’s get the story right shall we?

I NEVER advocated Occupy Auckland ‘stealing power’ – in fact I was one of those who filled out the ‘application’ form, in order for Occupy Auckland to be properly invoiced.

Also – what I have done is showed members of the public how to restore their water supply if it has been tampered with, in defence of the basic human right to water.

(Good to see (some) Kiwibloggers biting! 😉

You have a LOVELY evening – you’ve certainly helped to make mine!

Kind regards,

Penny Bright
waterpressure@gmail.com
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February 15, 2012 5:27pm
RightNow

Davidc @ 5.17 – even less than 1%:

Volume of earth: 1,083,210,000,000 km^3
Volume of water in the picture: 1,386,000,000 km^3

About 0.128%
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February 15, 2012 5:30pm
publicwatchdog

So Nookin – where was the ‘due diligance’ of these two Directors of Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, Don Brash and John Banks, who purported to have SO much commercial expertise, which is why all those ‘Mum and Dad’ Huljich Kiwisaver investors could supposedly ‘trust them – because they knew what they were doing’?

Oh bugger – they DIDN’T know what they were doing?

John Banks wants to help run the country when he arguably couldn’t competently run a Kiwisaver Scheme?

🙂

Penny Bright

waterpressure@gmail.com
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February 15, 2012 5:34pm
bereal

Another brilliant idea from the left.
We know best what is good for you.
By the same token, why not tax to buggery any food that WE, the food police deem bad for you.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2101233/Cheap-booze-outlawed-Cameron-signals-new-crackdown-battle-binge-drinking.html

i seem to remember some proven liar (Lianne from Christchurch) comming up with a similar idea recently for NZ

What happened to YOUR common sense ? People of Christchurch ?
Guess what. that doesn’t matter.
Liars like Lianne know better than you . You fools. You idiots.

Listen to the superior intellect of a proven liar like Lianne.

Now there is someone with the right credentials to be mayoress of the Peoples republic of Christchurch.
Do the people down there need someone to tell them what to do?

Looks like it. Looks like they can’t think for themselves.

They cant seem to organise a bounce back from the earthquake.
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February 15, 2012 5:37pm
graham

Penny:

Firstly, you ask “How come John Banks never made a complaint to the Electoral Commission ‘Graham’?”

I would guess, probably because he’s far more mature than you …

Secondly, you say, “I NEVER advocated Occupy Auckland ‘stealing power’ – in fact I was one of those who filled out the ‘application’ form, in order for Occupy Auckland to be properly invoiced.”

I can’t get onto the “Occupy” website – it returns a 404 error for some reason – but I have previously posted here the links to a GA meeting held in November, I think from memory, where a “Penny” proclaimed something along the lines of “let’s apply for power, if they don’t give it to us WE’LL TAKE IT”. So are you claiming this wasn’t you, but some other Penny?

Thirdly, you say “what I have done is showed members of the public how to restore their water supply if it has been tampered with, in defence of the basic human right to water.”

You have shown members of the public how to STEAL water if they choose not to pay for its supply from one particular source. If you were truly concerned about the “basic human right to water”, you would show people how to install a water tank and connect it to their house plumbing. You don’t have to get your water from the town water supply – I don’t – but if you sign a contract to get water from there, and you then neglect your side of the contract, then the contract is null and void. Hence, taking water under these circumstances is STEALING it.

Having a lovely day, thank you! 🙂
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February 15, 2012 5:49pm
Nookin

Penny
Instead of engaging in baseless rhetoric, why don’t you answer the specific question that I asked. Where is your evidence to the effect that there was no foundation for the defence that they believed the information to be true.
We are not talking about competency. We are talking about liability for criminal behaiviour. You go one step further and say that there is a corrupt cover-up. I know that this will come as some surprise to you but in this country allegations of criminal behaviour, including corruption, usually require proof from the person making the allegation.
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February 15, 2012 5:59pm
Monique Watson

Did she just say it was a conspiracy to commit moider to benefit the cause of open cast mining?
Penny. Some people are just dicks at work; sucking on the teat of the employer and getting all casual about work safety because it’s mostly admin bullshit anyway. Under zealousness more likely killed the miners than Al Pacino.
Ever heard the saying: ” if you hear hooves in the night, it is more likely to be horses, than zebras”?

What happened in court?
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February 15, 2012 6:10pm
Put it away

Luc Hansen at 10:00 am

Sadly, Hitch does not present as evidence of any truth in this aphorism – unless one counts vile, unrelenting malevolence as contributing to one’s quotient of happiness.

Luc Hansen at 10:03 am

Sick AGW denialists…

Geez luc, your dislike of vile unrelenting malevolence managed to last a full 3 minutes before you call people “sick” simply for having a different opinion to yours.
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February 15, 2012 6:32pm
bereal

Forget global warming,
forget Pike Mine,
forget Occupy and some nonce called Penny

Remember a bloke called Michael Fay and his mate Dave Richwhite
He is back from Switzerland and manipulating you once again,

Does anyone remember how he sucked billions out of your pockets because he could ? You let him.
You were so fuken dumb you gave him a knighthood.

He is manipulating you once again, the only reason why he can is because you are going to let him.

How dumb can you be New Zealand ?

Why is your attention span so short ?

If ‘Sir” michael and his mates bends us over again we all deserve to be fxxxed up the arse.
That is what will happen again.

Watch them do it before your very eyes.
While we argue about global warming and so on…..

Why do you let him be your pupetmaster ?
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February 15, 2012 6:36pm
bereal

Michael Fay and his mate Dave Richwhite make Kim Dotcom look like a sook.
Problem is, its you, people of New Zealand , that are paying for Mike Fay.
When will we wake up ?
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February 15, 2012 6:46pm
Manolo

Theodore Dalrymple, exceptional writer: http://www.spectator.co.uk/essays/7620933/diamond-jubilee-debate-has-britain-declined-under-elizabeth-ii.thtml
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February 15, 2012 6:48pm
fatnuts

For crossword fans; free puzzle inside USA today app runs on pretty much any tablet.

http://www.usatoday.com/ipad/
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February 15, 2012 7:06pm
Scott Chris

Manolo, what a fearful old snob that Theodore Dalrymple is. Did you read Ross Clark’s counterpoint following Dalrymple’s maudlin lament? A much more balanced perspective.
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February 15, 2012 7:22pm
Monique Watson

There is a real problem with outsourcing to the rest of the world what Kiwis can do at home :

http://nowoccupy.blogspot.com/2012/02/creating-more-jobs-in-silicon-valley.html
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February 15, 2012 7:30pm
nasska

A man returns from safari and tells his friend about a narrow escape he had.

‘I was by the water hole when a lion jumped out at me, so I ran for the tents, says the man. ‘It had just about caught up with me when it slipped and I managed to vault over a log. The lion jumped over the log too, but then it slipped and landed on its back. By that time I was almost at the tents and I could see the safari guide with his gun, so I called out and he took aim. But he couldn’t fire because the lion was only a few feet behind me. It bounded up at me, then it slipped again, and I had just enough time to duck in the camp before the guide shot it.’

‘Bloody hell,’ says the friend. ‘If that had happened to me, I’d have crapped myself.’

‘I did’ replies the man. ‘Why do you think the lion kept slipping.’
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February 15, 2012 8:00pm
bereal

Meanwhile…. new Zealand bends over
and Michael Fay does his work. (for the community)

Now there we have a true deserving recipient of his honour. “Sir” Michael Fay.

He would rank right up there with, say, Jonothan Hunt.

What about Michael Fay for Governer General ?

If not ‘Sir” Michael, what about David Bain ?
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February 15, 2012 8:00pm
Griff

Researchers tell us that only about 25 percent of what is said can be understood by lipreading.

For example:

Suppose a woman says:
“This place is a mess! C’mon,
You and I need to clean this place up,
Your stuff is lying all over on the floor
and you’ll have no clothes to wear tomorrow
unless we do the laundry right now!”

Her lipreading husband will get:
blah, blah, blah, blah, C’MON
YOU AND I blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah, ON THE FLOOR
blah, blah, NO CLOTHES blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah, RIGHT NOW!
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February 15, 2012 8:03pm
Pauleastbay

On the 25th of November 2011 Snow White was sound asleep when she was woken by the local police banging on her door.

When she answered she was told ” The mine has caved in and buried the seven dwarfs, come and help find them.”

She went into the mine with the police and once inside she heard from beneath the rubble ” Vote for Winston, vote for Winston”

She turned to the copper and said ” At least Dopeys still alive”.
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February 15, 2012 8:07pm
Nostalgia-NZ

So, generally speaking bereal, you approve of Michael Fay?
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February 15, 2012 8:11pm
nasska

A rabbit one day managed to break free from the laboratory where he had been born and brought up. As he scurried away from the fencing of the compound, he felt grass under his little feet and saw the dawn breaking for the first time in his life. “Wow, this is great,” he thought. It wasn’t long before he came to a hedge and, after squeezing under it he saw a wonderful sight: lots of other bunny rabbits, all free, having fun and nibbling at the lush grass.
Hey,” he called. “I’m a rabbit from the laboratory and I’ve just escaped. Are you wild rabbits?”
“Yes. Come and join us,” they cried. Our friend hopped over to them and started eating the grass. It tasted so good, unlike his tasteless food he grew up with. “What else do you wild rabbits do?” he asked. “Well,” one of them said. “You see that field there? It’s got carrots growing in it. We dig them up and eat them.” This he couldn’t resist and he spent the next hour eating the most succulent carrots. They were wonderful. Later, he asked them again, “What else do you do?”
“You see that field there? It’s got lettuce growing in it. We eat them as well.” The lettuce tasted just as good and he returned a while later completely full. “Is there anything else you guys do?” he asked. One of the other rabbits came a bit closer to him and spoke softly. “There’s one other thing you must try. You see those rabbits there,” he said, pointing to the far corner of the field. “They’re girls. We shag them. Go and try it.” Well, our friend spent the rest of the morning screwing his little heart out until, completely knackered, he staggered back over to the guys. “That was fantastic,” he panted. “So are you going to live with us then?” one of them asked. “I’m sorry, I had a great time but I can’t.” The wild rabbits all stared at him, a bit surprised. “Why? We thought you liked it here.”
“I do,” our friend replied. “But I must get back to the laboratory. I’m dying for a cigarette.”
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February 15, 2012 8:12pm
Griff

FROGS:
There once was this mad scientist. One day, being curious of the nature of frogs, he propped a frog up on his desk, opened his log book and carefully observed the animal. After staring at it for a considerable amount of time, the scientist finally said: “JUMP!”
And the frog lept.
The scientist then quickly jotted down in his log book: “Frogs can jump.” The following day, the mad scientist entered his lab, checked his log book, put the frog up on the table and, again, stared at it. Finally, he took out a scalpel, removed one of the frog legs and said: “JUMP!”
And the frog jumped.
The scientist quickly added to his log book: “Frogs can jump with three legs.”
The next day, the scientist, upon entering his lab, went through the same routine, cutting off another of the frog legs. As he was staring at the wretched animal who now was missing two legs, he said: “JUMP!”
And the frog jumped.
The scientist then added to his previous observations: “Frogs can jump with two legs.”
On the fourth day, the scientist behaved according to his habits and removed a third leg from the frog. He then expectantly said: “JUMP!”
And the frog jumped.
Well, by now, the scientist was quite excited about all this. He wrote down in his log book: “Frogs can jump with only one leg!”
Finally, on the fifth day, the scientist entered his lab, already thrilled by what new discoveries he might make. As usual, he checked his log book, placed the frog on the table, stared at what was left of the animal, reached for his scalpel and removed the last of the frog legs. He then said: “JUMP!”
But alas the frog did not leap.
“JUMP! JUMP!” exclaimed the scientist.
Still, the frog did not leap.
“JUMP!” yelled the scientist.
The frog did not leap.
The scientist, then wrote down in his log book: “Frogs when deprived of all legs become deaf.”
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February 15, 2012 8:14pm
nasska

Otara girl in bed with her boyfriend says, ‘How dare you call me an easy lay,
get out of my bed right now and take your fucking mates with you’
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February 15, 2012 8:21pm
wat dabney

“what I have done is showed members of the public how to restore their water supply if it has been tampered with, in defence of the basic human right to water.”

As usual, the lefty doesn’t have the first clue about what human rights are.

Perhaps that’s why the history of the left is one of unending human rights abuses.
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February 15, 2012 8:42pm
Griff

“I promise to work hard for my fellow New Zealanders. I promise not to raise taxes. I promise to balance the budget. If you vote for me, I promise, I promise, I promise…”

A devilish predicament for a dastardly scalawag
…While walking down the street one day a corrupt MP was hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the MP.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really? I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the MP

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules,” says St. Peter.

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

The door opens and he finds himself in the middle of a beautiful golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while holding down the poor at the expense of rich folk.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar, and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the MP realizes it, it’s time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, “Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

The MP joins a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, you’ve spent a day in hell and day in heaven. What eternity do you choose?”

The MP thinks for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
The doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees his friends dressed in rags, picking up trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the MP. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced. We had a great time!

Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil smiles at him and says, “yesterday we we’re campaigning, today you voted.”
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February 15, 2012 8:42pm
nasska

A man wanted an attack dog to protect his business, so he
visited a kennel that specialized in attack dogs.
The man explained to the kennel owner that he wanted the
biggest,meanest, most vicious dog in the kennel, and the
owner offered to take the man on a tour of the premises.

After they had been walking for a few minutes, they came
upon a large dog. He was snarling loudly and biting and clawing
at the cage.

“He looks like he’d be a pretty good attack dog,” said the buyer.

“Well, he’s not bad,” replied the owner, “but I have something
better in mind for you.”

They continued walking around the premises, and after a while
they found an even larger,meaner dog than the first.
He snarled at the two men and tried to bite them through the wire
on his cage.

“Ah,” said the buyer. “This must be the dog you were referring to
earlier.”

“Well, no.” said the owner. “I have something better in mind for you.”

The men continued their tour. Eventually, they came upon a fairly
large dog that was lying quietly on his side, licking his arse.
He did not seem to notice as the men approached.

“This is the dog I had in mind for you,” said the owner.

The buyer was flabbergasted. “You’re joking!” he exclaimed.

“This dog seems quite tame; he doesn’t act at all like an attack
dog at all. Hell, he’s just lying there, licking his arse!”

“I know, I know,” said the owner. “But you see, he just ate a
politician, and he’s trying to get the taste out of his mouth.”
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February 15, 2012 8:53pm
Sofia

Penny Bright – ‘Whistle-blowing’ author of “Murder at Pike River Mine”, Jacob Cohen, sent me hard copies of his work, with additional hard copy evidence to support his extremely disturbing claims.
… I believe that the families and the public have the right to a full and thorough independent investigation, so that the FACTS can fully emerge without whitewashing or coverup.”

Penny, have you forwarded copies of the additional hard copy evidence, supporting Cohen’s claims, to the appropriate authorities or Pike River families?
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February 15, 2012 9:03pm
Luc Hansen

Pui it away 6.32pm

ma·lev·o·lence [muh-lev-uh-luhns] Show IPA
noun
the quality, state, or feeling of being malevolent; ill will; malice; hatred.

None of those words apply to my goodself, sorry. Sick people have my sympathy, not malice.
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February 15, 2012 9:14pm
Luc Hansen

Griff

To ignore the forty years of history before its signing and look at the treaty from a modern perspective is not a valid stand point in discerning the principles enshrined

Yes it is and this is why the cry of full and final settlement is such a crock.
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February 15, 2012 9:21pm
Griff

Why? The treaty as I see It was signed between the maori tribes and the crown. Maori gave up sovereignty for citizenship and the rule of law. Land was confiscated due to on going rebellion this land was forfeit for a legal reason
The terms used in the treaty vary between copys and translations in existence As such NZ is justified and legally entitled to nullify it. Let the historic land grievances be settled. However no new claims for water airways the flora and fauna or extra entitlement and other such nonsense should be entertained. They signed into a democracy and common law were individuals or tribal groups do not own the sea,or the water the New Zealand government only has rights over these things

A treaty is under stood from the situation on signing not from the wishes of a minority 172 years in the future.

If this country is to move forward we must stop looking back
Separatism is apartheid it is separate developmental
From some comments we should have denied Maori access to technology and kept them as ignorant as possible so they were not corrupted 😕 apartheid again

Who is racist those saying we are different because of race or someone saying no we are all equal?
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February 15, 2012 9:49pm
Luc Hansen

Griff

Maori did not give up sovereignty, it was taken from them.

I’m afraid that “as I see it” is irrelevant.

It’s how they see it.

If we are not different because of race, and I agree, why is our male prison population 50% Maori when all Maori are only 15% or so of our population?
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February 15, 2012 10:41pm
Luc Hansen

And explain this:

http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/facts_and_statistics/prisons/march_2012.html

The fifth graphic down the page.
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February 15, 2012 10:50pm
Griff

“Maori did not give up sovereignty, it was taken from them.”

The treaty in English artical 1

cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty which the said Confederation or Individual Chiefs respectively exercise or possess, or may be supposed to exercise or to possess over their respective Territories as the sole sovereigns thereof.

This is the establishment of English sovereignty and law over New Zealand.

The Chiefs signed a document so did the crown. This is Supposedly wot the crown signed. If its meaning is incorrect the treaty is void as the person signing did not understand it. if the Maori translation is incorrect then as it was not ratified by the crown sue the translator because again it is not a valid treaty Most of the debate centers around the meaning of the word rangatira. I have read the word described as meaning citizen as opposed to slave in early literature published prior to 1840. The meaning was not consistent all around the country

historian Ruth Ross listed the various (and variable) treaty versions dispatched overseas
“A comparison of all five English versions with the Maori text makes it clear that the Maori text was not a translation of any one of these English versions, nor was any of the English versions a translation of the Maori text”
The threat of warfare if you do not give into the separatist demands is a threat to sovereignty The answer for that is not to buckle to unfounded demands

Then you have the OTHER copy of the treaty that is suppressed

Article first

The chiefs of the Confederation of the United Tribes and the other chiefs who have not joined the confederation, cede to the Queen of England for ever the entire Sovreignty of their country.

Article second

The Queen of England confirms and guarantees to the chiefs & tribes and to all the people of New Zealand the possession of their lands, dwellings and all their property. But the chiefs of the Confederation and the other chiefs grant to the chiefs Queen, the exclusive right of purchasing such land as the proprietors thereof may be disposed to sell at such prices as shall be agreed upon between them and the persons appointed by the Queen to purchase from them.

Article Third

In return for the cession of the Sovreignty to the Queen, the people of New Zealand shall be protected by the Queen of England and the rights and privileges of British subjects will be granted to them.-

Signed,
William Hobson
Consul & Lieut. Governor.
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February 15, 2012 11:54pm
graham

Penny says: “Essentially, the allegation is that the Pike River mining disaster was deliberate, that the 29 miners were murdered, in order to help build support for open-cast mining, which can then be argued to be ‘safer’ than underground mining, thus help open up New Zealand for international mining companies.”

That is one HELL of a claim, Penny. You are on VERY thin ice there, potentially causing untold grief to the families, accusing people of murder, and claiming New Zealand’s own version of the Twin Towers 911 conspiracy.

I really hope you aren’t doing this just for publicity, or to make mischief. Because these are VERY serious claims you are making. I advise you to tread very carefully, and just think about what you are claiming and the implications, before you start a huge number of problems and cause immense pain and anguish to the families involved.
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February 16, 2012 12:00am
Viking2

Mallard. What can you say?

Is the man silly, stupid, thick or going senile.
How dumb could you be. Not for selling the tickets. Its you priviledge to do that but doing it this way and getting outed.

Mallard sells festival tickets online at profit
JODY O’CALLAGHAN
Last updated 05:00 16/02/2012

Labour MP Trevor Mallard has been accused of scalping tickets to a Wellington music festival.

The tickets to Saturday’s sold-out Homegrown festival have a face value of $95 each.

Whitireia music student Laura Signal, 19, and her three friends were desperate to attend so they bid for four tickets on Trade Me, paying a final price of $656.

Miss Signal was surprised when the trader turned out to be the Hutt South MP, who used his parliamentary email address for the auction.

She and her friends went to Mr Mallard’s Naenae office to collect the tickets from him in person.

“He came out and gave us the package really quickly and he kept saying: ‘It’s not what it looks like; it’s not what it looks like,’ to random passers-by.”

The students said they asked Mr Mallard about a “buy now” price during the auction, but he replied that he would let the auction run.

In November 2006, Mr Mallard initiated legislation – now the Major Events Management Act 2007 – to protect event sponsors from people making money out of major events with which they had no formal association.

He said at the time: “When there is bulk-buying of tickets to such events simply for the purpose of profiteering, scalping is a ripoff that could deny many people the opportunity to see an event.”

Homegrown is not covered by the legislation and there is nothing illegal in on-selling tickets. Homegrown director Mark Wright said was up to Mr Mallard to decide whether he believed it was “appropriate behaviour”.

On-selling was a problem the festival organisers faced every year once tickets sold out.

“They are profiteering off the work that my team and I are putting in to it. What can I do about it? We set a ticket price that we see as a fair price.”

Mr Mallard told The Dominion Post yesterday that the sale was neither scalping nor dodgy. He bought the tickets last year but now had another engagement.

“I’m slightly surprised if promoters with whom I spend several hundred dollars a year on tickets complain when I sell some I can’t use to someone who wants them using a Kiwi-based online auction.”

He listed the tickets at face value, but let the auction run above $500 because he “knew that they were worth more”.

He believed the students had breached his privacy by revealing him as the ticket trader.

IT’S LEGAL

Trade Me allows the on-selling of event tickets after a poll showed 81 per cent of its traders in support.
Ad Feedback

The Major Events Management Act was passed in 2007, and was initiated by Trevor Mallard while he was economic development minister in 2006.

It protects events such as the Rugby World Cup, the World Rowing Championships and the 2015 Cricket World Cup from scalpers and ambush marketing. It is illegal for tickets to be on-sold for such events under this act.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6426246/Mallard-sells-festival-tickets-online-at-profit

– © Fairfax NZ News
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February 16, 2012 6:32am
Viking2

Herte we go again and its all ok according to he boss. Well no its not.

Homeowner’s handling by police terrifies wife
NICOLE MATHEWSON
Last updated 05:00 16/02/2012

BRUISING ENCOUNTER: Iris and John Bennett have raised the issue of the heavy-handed way police treated John one night in December and the matter has been referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

A Christchurch woman says she will never forget the fear she felt at seeing her husband being forced by armed police to lie face-down, a rifle against his face.

“The humiliation and the fear was terrifying. I’ll never forget it,” Iris Bennett said.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6426458/Homeowners-handling-by-police-terrifies-wife

This sort of stuff is now becoming everyday. At what point does it get controlled or does a black suit and a gun rulke NZ these days?

Now watch the bullies turn up.
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February 16, 2012 6:41am
Viking2

So the gamekeeper is also the poacher.
How many others are in the same boat?

What fun, Dotcon is lilly white compared to these fraudsters.

Kenny Rogers is suing Capitol Records, claiming the company has not properly paid him for digital downloads, ringtones and other uses of his songs.

Rogers, who lives in Atlanta but maintains offices in Nashville, claims the company owes him at least US$400,000 ($478,000).

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10785753
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February 16, 2012 6:47am
Viking2

So the Nats. are rolling over to have their tummy tickled byMaori once again. Who would be surprized?
Govt ‘gets the message’ on Treaty clause
5:30 AM Thursday Feb 16, 2012

State Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall has effectively acknowledged it will be difficult for the Government to ignore a strong consensus among Maori for a long-standing Treaty clause to cover state-owned assets in which shares are sold.

At a Government hui in Wellington yesterday, several high-powered Maori voiced strong support for using section nine of the State Owned Enterprises Act in new legislation to cover the four state-owned energy companies tagged for partial sale.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10785835
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February 16, 2012 6:51am
Manolo

Rats leaving a sinking ship? http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/09/us-obama-clinton-worldbank-idUSTRE7586P720110609
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February 16, 2012 7:09am
Manolo

Sue Kedgley’s wet dream and nightmare: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/14/preschoolers-homemade-lunch-replaced-with-nuggets/
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February 16, 2012 7:11am
bhudson

So, it would appear, that Trevor Mallard is profiting by the on-selling of event tickets:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6426246/Mallard-sells-festival-tickets-online-at-profit

The story alleges that he listed the tickets to Homegrown at face value and then let the bidding go higher. It is also alleged that he refused a ‘Buy Now’ price and wanted to let the auction run – which can only be to maximise the price of course.

I don’t think there would ordinarily be a problem with this free market approach, but this is the man who championed anti-scalping legislation for major events. Although Homegrown is not covered by that legislation, it really seems to smell of double standards.

He is reported as claiming that the purchasers who bought the tickets have breached his privacy by naming him. I can’t see how they might be under any privacy obligation – Trade Me perhaps, as the service provider around the auction, but not them as the buyers. The transaction is between them and him is actually outside of Trade Me – he owes Trade Me a fee for a service to set up the transaction, not for the transaction itself I would think.

It would also seem a less than proper use of his parliamentary email address and facilities to use that for his contact details for the auction.

While it may not be illegal, I think the public expect more from MPs. As they do from judges and police.

Still, as a loyal Labour member, I am sure he will be voluntarily paying 15% tax on the profit on the tickets, to reflect Labour’s policy on taxing capital gain!
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February 16, 2012 7:31am
Manolo

But bhudson, we’re talking about Mallard: the lowest of the low.
What else can we expect from thus thug? Nothing better, I’m afraid.
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February 16, 2012 7:48am
DavidC

V2 @ 6.41
You are very wrong on this.
The guy was carrying a firearm (and a baseball bat) with intent to harm a person.
The AOS made a call when they spotted him not to shoot him and just disarmed him and put him on the ground.
The jerk is lucky to be breathing still.
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February 16, 2012 7:51am
DavidC

Manolo, but its funny. Whale is going to have a ball with this. 🙂
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February 16, 2012 7:52am
Elaycee

@bhudson – no surprises.

As we all know, Trevor Mallard and the term ‘hypocrisy’ are not exactly strangers.
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February 16, 2012 7:52am
Put it away

Dear Santa, all I want for christmas is for trevor to run labour’s next election campaign.
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February 16, 2012 8:27am

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