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April 28, 2014 8:00am by Kokila Patel

General Debate 28 April 2014

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General Debate

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stigie

Is this the week where we see Liarbore below 28% in the Roy Morgan poll ?
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April 28, 2014 8:04am
ShawnLH

a couple of polls putting them at 24-25% would not surprise me.
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April 28, 2014 8:11am
Pete George

Ross Bell from the Drug Foundation says politicians are playing silly buggers.

An emergency law banning legal highs will lead to binge-buying, fire sales, a boosted black market and addicts withdrawing without support, warns the New Zealand Drug Foundation.

Foundation boss Ross Bell said the political parties were “playing silly buggers” with the issue because they had all agreed to stagger the implementation of the Psychoactive Substances Act, introduced in July last year, meaning a testing regime had still not been developed.

And he points out that the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority that “may, at any time, by notice in the Gazette, revoke an approval of a psychoactive product granted under section 37 if the Authority considers on reasonable grounds that the product poses more than a low risk of harm to individuals using the product.”

Politicians playing silly buggers on drugs? Seems like it.
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April 28, 2014 8:14am
Left Right and Centre

Americans are too funny….

Watch enough Choice TV house renovation programmes and you will hear ‘re-purpose’ used constantly.

I couldn’t work it out for ages – WTF are you talking about repurposing Willis ? You don’t really pay too much attention to TV anyway, do ya ? Shows you how thick I am. ‘Repurposing’ = recycled. Ooooooooh . . .

But you can’t say you took some old disgarded shit and used it in your fireplace – hell no – it was ‘re-purposed’. As soon as I swapped in recycle every time it was uttered – order was restored in my easily confused mind.
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April 28, 2014 8:15am
ShawnLH

LRC,

Most house renovation programs on Choice are from Canada.
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April 28, 2014 8:19am
EAD

The 12 reasons why NZ’s economic bubble will end in disaster:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jessecolombo/2014/04/17/12-reasons-why-new-zealands-economic-bubble-will-end-in-disaster/

When historians look over recent history they will proclaim with wonder how so many could be fooled by so few for so long that the 5th National Government were proclaimed as careful economic managers. The size of our debt they are passing onto future generations is truly shocking. Even more shocking is that some still think they are “right-wing”.
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April 28, 2014 8:24am
tvb

Parliament could be recalled this week to deal with these drugs. There is no need to wait until 8 May. I assume Cabinet will discuss this option today.
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April 28, 2014 8:30am
Left Right and Centre

Shawn – I think it was the one where the contractor (their lingo of course) stalks people at a big hardware shop and follows them home.

Too funny – the couple – married three years – described as ‘newlyweds’ twice at least. They were middleaged too. No. Serial monogamists maybe ? After how long does a married couple no longer qualify as ‘newlywed’ ? How long would it take for the hero to stop describing them as newlywed ? Five years ?
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April 28, 2014 8:34am
griffith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OD-iCopeD4
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April 28, 2014 8:35am
Neil

Great to see Clutha-Southland nominate 24 year old Todd Barclay as their candidate to replace Bill English as likely constituency member.
Gore High School educated Barclay has a good academic record and political background.
Delegates were as usual a cross section of ages,gender,vocations and interests.
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April 28, 2014 8:38am
kowtow

Politicians playing silly buggers?

I’d like to think they’re responding to the concerns of their constituents,isn’t that what we have them for,to represent us?
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April 28, 2014 8:43am
Judith

The Government, in banning legal highs (for the time being) has done what the public has asked for – presuming it to be the majority that want this. I congratulate them for listening – however, I fear they have given a knee jerk reaction, without a great deal of thought, and no doubt received advice from only one or two sectors.

We all want what is best for our young and impressionable generations, however, as has been pointed out by some, the banning will result in young people going to ‘dealers’, and end up being exposed to even more harmful drugs.

I am not sure what the answer is, especially for a quick solve option, but I do know that we need to address at some stage and the sooner the better – why so many Kiwis feel the need to ‘self medicate’ with both legal/illegal highs, and alcohol.

Are we incapable of having fun when sober, or have we just forgotten how? We need to find the answer to that, and show our young people that being high/drunk isn’t the only entertainment choice they have.
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April 28, 2014 8:43am
Judith

@ kowtow (6,760 comments) says:
April 28th, 2014 at 8:43 am

I agree, the government has just responded to what the ‘people’ have asked for. To not respond would mean they are not doing their job. I am not completely convinced their response is the right one – but at least they aren’t sitting around drinking chardonnay and ignoring us.
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April 28, 2014 8:45am
EAD

National have selected a 24 year old “public relations consultant” to contest the Clutha Southland seat.

http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8835994/national-selects-24-year-old-for-clutha

Words fail me
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April 28, 2014 8:46am
Odakyu-sen

“The 12 reasons why NZ’s economic bubble will end in disaster:”

But, but, but…the housing thingy (can’t say “bubble”), it’s just too big to fail…
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April 28, 2014 8:46am
Kea

Judith, yes because prohibition has always worked so well, in the minds of the huddled masses. The fact is it does not work. You are mistaken to believe it is a “Kiwi” thing. Every society through out history has had its drugs in one form or another. It is a very human thing to do.

I don’t know why, that is just an observation.
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April 28, 2014 8:48am
Kea

Odakyu-sen, I find it absurd that people think overpriced houses are a good thing and show a positive economic trend. Over priced housing has bankrupted the biggest economy on earth and caused a global crisis.

People can not think clearly on this issue due to greed and self interest.
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April 28, 2014 8:51am
Judith

@ Kea (10,625 comments) says:
April 28th, 2014 at 8:48 am

Good Morning Kea,

Yes, I realise other countries have similar problems, however, my concern at this stage is primarily for New Zealand. – that I can influence (even if it is with just one vote). The rest of the world I’ll save later 😉
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April 28, 2014 8:53am
stephieboy

EAD,the 12 reasons why N Z’s economic bubble will end in disaster .?
I’d like to here from you , your 12 solutions.?
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April 28, 2014 8:55am
EAD

It takes a special kind of economist to tell a story that a rise in the cost of living (inflating house prices) is good for an economy.
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April 28, 2014 8:57am
Left Right and Centre

(1) Len’s taken a lot of Aucklanders for a ride. On their new trainset sample. Those seats look to have mighty generous dimensions. Did the Spanish factory brass see pictures of actual fattened up New Zealanders during the design phase ? You wouldn’t want Metiria Turei and Moira Coatsworth on either side of you. It would look like this: OIO. Shane Jones’ neck flab would need its own seat.

(2) ‘Essential Mums’ – editor’s picks . . .

The case for separate beds
Why even happily married people cheat
Women want as much sex as men
Growing call for condoms for the women
Headaches 101: What you need to know
Work-life balance: Stop leaning in
Motherhood changes you – and that’s ok
‘Confessions of a mediocre widow’
Your sex life and your crying baby
Tame your housework
What to wear when you are pregnant
11 ways to flatter your tummy
Is gender equality ruining your sex life?
How much exercise do you really need?
Stop looking at my chest
Are you happier with kids?

hahahaha – holy shit – seriously – are you happier with kids ? No – I fucking hate the little bastards – worst thing I ever did. Is this shit for real or what ? Who reads this frickin dumbarse bulldust ? Oh yeah – there’s no ‘Essential Dads’ bollocks. Sexist !!
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April 28, 2014 9:02am
ShawnLH

“New Zealand manufacturing sales volumes rose in the fourth quarter last year, driven by dairy and meat and adding to evidence of strong, export-led demand for the nation’s soft commodities.

Sales volumes climbed 5.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, the biggest gain since the first quarter of 1995 when petroleum and coal manufacturing was added to the series, according to Statistics New Zealand. Excluding dairy and meat, sales rose 0.9 per cent.

Meat and dairy manufacturing volumes rose 15 per cent in the fourth quarter, the biggest increase since March 2009. That comes after government figures last week showed New Zealand’s terms of trade rose to a 40-year high in the fourth quarter, edging closer to an all-time high reached in the June quarter of 1973. The nation recorded a record trade surplus for January, driven by sales of dairy products to China.”

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11217087
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April 28, 2014 9:04am
Pete George

the government has just responded to what the ‘people’ have asked for.

They have responded to what some people have asked for. And other people have asked them not to do.

It may well have popular support, but I dispute Cunliffe’s claim of “all New Zealanders”.

But we elect MPs to look beyond populist election year decisions and think things through properly and use expert advice and evidence.

Unfortunately this looks more like a rush to join the ban bandwagon. I hope they have good plans in place to deal with all the addicts falling off the wagon and getting trampled by all the political hooves.

And when Campbell Live shows the resulting mess next month what then?
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April 28, 2014 9:04am
dime

“a couple of polls putting them at 24-25% would not surprise me.”

that will probably be a bad thing for national.. cause they will no doubt jump a couple of points and the media narrative will be – labour building to election! john key worried as labour reverse the trend! etc etc etc
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April 28, 2014 9:05am
dime

“The size of our debt they are passing onto future generations is truly shocking.”

fuck em! – im pretty sure thats the thinking. let that generation make the hard calls.

we should be able to do that as individuals. borrow a shit ton of cash and say “grandkids will pay it off”. then when they are born they owe the bank 500k or so that needs to be worked off.

same shit. just on an individual scale.

oh, we also say – you cant dig shit out of the ground to pay off the debt! that shit needs to stay in the ground for “future generations”
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April 28, 2014 9:06am
dirty harry

bugger…thought we mite of had a shawn free day…
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April 28, 2014 9:07am
wf

. . . . . It takes a special kind of economist to tell a story that the rise in the cost of living (inflating house prices) is good for an economy.

Is there someone who is so saying?

The sooner they get those pre-fabs up the better. And cut immigration from ALL sources. And NZers who have been away for all their working lives so far, can join the waiting list.

How about that?
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April 28, 2014 9:07am
iMP

Todd Barclay…a good academic record and political background…

At 24?? Y’mean he’s mates with Bill, Gerry and Hekia and comes from Dipton.
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April 28, 2014 9:09am
Reid

no doubt received advice from only one or two sectors

Only one sector I’m picking Judith. The polling industry. I think they’re simply clearing the decks of anything their internal polls have shown up as being potentially contentious vote-losers because they could have taken this move at anytime: why now?

Another thing is: given Dunne’s son is the legal rep for some of the industry players, how willing is he going to be to criticise his own Dad in the court of public opinion? It’s just there’s fertile ground for such criticism on various PR grounds which would appeal particularly to the internet generation and Dunne Jnr, being steeped in politics from a young age, would no doubt know at least some of those grounds. So if it doesn’t happen, is that because Dunne Jnr is inexperienced or for some other reason?
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April 28, 2014 9:10am
iMP

Peter Dunne (legal highs) flip flopping so rapidly he could be a generator on the electricity grid with a massive positive credit.
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April 28, 2014 9:15am
Kea

Judith, the war on drugs has been a disaster. That is not a statement about drug use nor does it minimise the harm done by drugs. It is a simple fact. It has been a hugely expensive and ineffective waste of time.

The motivation for continuing it appears to come form a fuzzy headed notion that we must “do something”. Even if that something is damaging and ineffective.
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April 28, 2014 9:15am
EAD

@ Stephie,

The cause of the 2008 GFC was too much debt and how have governments around the world responded – by taking on even more debt! It’s Alice through the looking glass ponzi-nomics!

The way I would solve it would be a complete reformation of the monetary system – the root cause of the problem is that our monetary system is debt-based & fractionally reserved meaning that 97% of our money is created as a debt by private banks. To have money, we must go into debt and to pay interest on that debt we have to create even more debt elsewhere in the system to pay the interest as only the principle is created. If all the debt was repaid – we would have no money. Shocking as that sounds, that is the ugly truth of our monetary system.

Below are a few words lifted straight from an article by James Delingpole about booms, busts and our monetary system.

“In reality, economics is not the fiscal rocket-science you make it sound. Capitalism itself is based on good old-fashioned honesty. The money at the heart of it must be both an honest store-of-value and an efficient medium of exchange. It ceases to be so when the inherent deceits of fractional reserve banking allow trillions of false credit to be pumped into the system, thus forcing up prices (booms) which inevitably lead to over-valued commodities (busts).

What happens next is that the banks, having privatised their gains in the good times, simply socialise their losses onto the tax-payer. It’s a crime. Simple as that really”

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100171475/red-pill-blue-pill/
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April 28, 2014 9:15am
Judith

@ Pete George (21,843 comments) says:
April 28th, 2014 at 9:04 am

Yes, I’m aware it is only some of the people, which is why I put ‘people’. The old squeaky wheel syndrome works well!
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April 28, 2014 9:17am
dirty harry

imp@915am

LMFAO !
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April 28, 2014 9:18am
Neil

I have no time for legal highs etc. However banning them is not the answer.
As happened during prohibition here in NZ and the USA we saw organized crime get into the action. That will happen with this measure.
People are always looking for that one shot that solves all the crime – that never seems to work. A long hard process of education,pricing and technical research would be far better than the bans. Driving things underground is not the way to go!!!!
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April 28, 2014 9:23am
minus

Dunne will introduce the legislation to Parliament under urgency on May 8. “It had been my intention to hold the announcement to much nearer the time to prevent panic-buying and stockpiling.”
He admitted his decision to bring the announcement forward was a political one, sparked by Labour’s planned announcement.
“The consequence is going to be there will be a period now of binge-buying over the next couple of weeks and they have to bear the responsibility for that.”

Dunne, and those advising him, have fucked up here
They should have avoided the “stock-piling” that will likely occur.

[And what addict can actually “stock-pile” any temptation, without increased use because “it is there” – so the ban for some will be from a higher point and nastier in consequence, urging greater need for a substitute]

Dunne could have said “No comment at this stage”, “We are working on our own measures”, or “Labour will talk about it, but we will do it when we are ready” without giving a date for Urgency.
They may have lost a few brownie points before Labour has to announce some other policy and probably muck that up.

The new law will take effect as soon as it is given royal assent by the Governor-General, which would happen within a few days of it passing. At that point, all retailers would have to remove the products from shelves.

What National have lost here could be partly regained by the immediacy, perhaps a taxi trip there and back, to get the Governor’s signature.
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April 28, 2014 9:23am
kowtow

“Plans in place to deal with the addicts falling off the wagon…….”

Come off it. Talk to anyone dealing with the fallout from the full slather sale of this poison and they’ll tell you what a scourge the so called legal high industry is. Police, probation ,mental health.

This is a new problem ,why legalise it and main stream it. We don’t need it. The drop kicks will still be able to get their cannabis ,so save your false concern.

Talking of which ,I suspect some campaigning for banning this shit are using it as a Trojan horse to decriminalise cannabis….

…..they can fuck off too.
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April 28, 2014 9:23am
georgebolwing

Questions I would like the promoters of the ban on legal highs to answer:

a) what is the public policy problem this measure is designed to address?

b) what evidence is there that this is a public policy problem that should be addressed by government action?

c) what is the evidence base that support the contention that the proposed solution is the best avalaible to the problem?

I would venture that a thruthfull answer would be:

a) middle-class fear;

b) none.

c) none.
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April 28, 2014 9:24am
Kea

I’d like to think they’re responding to the concerns of their constituents,isn’t that what we have them for,to represent us?

Katie thinks we need more Nanny State to save us from the drug addled hoardes of prog-heathens. He must think micro managing by the State is what keeps us safe. This type of thinking made North Korea the success it is today.
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April 28, 2014 9:25am
Kea

georgebolwing, but but but…… we must DO SOMETHING !!!!! [GaSp !!] 😉
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April 28, 2014 9:27am
wikiriwhis business

I probably echo most on this site when I say if addicts want to kill themselves that’s their business and they would be the role models for every would be junkie to learn from.

Casualties are a lesson and if dopers continue they have no one to blame but themselves.

All prohibition does is create a black market and marijuana etc is still easily obtained. The gangs are beside themselves.

Young girls are still going to prostitute themselves for a high. Nothing has changed. snafu.
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April 28, 2014 9:32am
Reid

People are always looking for that one shot that solves all the crime – that never seems to work.

I think you’ll find most people are looking to manage the uptake rate. That’s not my concern but I think that’s most peoples. My concern is the crime in particular destroying the revenue base the illegal trade generates and the only thing we haven’t yet tried to manage that particular issue, is the decriminalisation route. The main argument against that is the uptake rate but if you have a look at Portugal’s now ten-year old experiment, you’ll find that uptake hasn’t increased there and why should we be any different?
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April 28, 2014 9:36am
Pete George

“This is a new problem”

Depends on what you call ‘new’. Synthetics have been a growing problem around the world for years. Pushing cannabis users to more addictive synthetics is good for business – for gangs.

Drug abuse and abuse of people’s lives by pushing drugs is not new, and it’s not going to suddenly be fixed by an election year feel-good reaction to a TV programme.
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April 28, 2014 9:37am
igm

Another morning of left-wing diatribe on Newstalkzb, starting with loaded news, finishing with Woods, airing her pro-Clark ideas, even her pathetic sayings. This medium is a effen disgrace.
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April 28, 2014 9:42am
wikiriwhis business

Seatbelt call after five killed

» Five people are dead and one is seriously injured after a horror weekend on South Island roads.

Safety advocates are calling for greater public awareness of the importance of wearing a seatbelt, as at least two of the victims were unrestrained

Police believed no-one in the car wore a seatbelt and that the driver had been drinking.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9983403/Seatbelt-call-after-five-killed

This evidence is not factual. We only have the police word for it. Typical strategy to put seat belt fines up.

Let’s not forget the Abbot govt has just announced tax payers willed be paying extra to pay off the state deficit. No doubt soon to be seen here.
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April 28, 2014 9:44am
kowtow

Pete talks of cannabis users “pushed” to to more addictive synthetics…….

……the availability of this rubbish pushes cannabis users to it?

Cannabis users don’t exercise personal choices?

Gangs? What have the gangs to do with the synthetics. These are being produced and peddled by “legitimate” business men and retailers.

By the way ,there’s no such thing as addiction. Just poor choices.
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April 28, 2014 9:45am
Keeping Stock

Kudos to the NBR for taking the mickey out of David Parker’s “one new big tool” comment on the Nation. But if his “one new big tool” is actually Russel Norman, we should all be very afraid…

http://keepingstock.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/unfortunate-statement-of-year.html
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April 28, 2014 9:50am
mikenmild

kowtow
‘there’s no such thing as addiction’
Is that your clinical opinion, Dr kowtow?
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April 28, 2014 9:53am
Left Right and Centre

Todd Barclay…a good academic record and political background…

At 24?? Y’mean he’s mates with Bill, Gerry and Hekia and comes from Dipton.

– iMP

I was watching TV the other day. This girl came out – expert . . . in feng shui.

When you’re twenty-two you’re not an expert on any-fucking-thing

– Billy Connolly
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April 28, 2014 9:57am
kowtow

Once again the racist President of the USA weighs in on a minor issue,the LA Clippers owners’ private opinions.This has made world headlines, because it’s a race issue.

Will we get world headlines and a comment from the Racist in Chief on this appalling act of police brutality? Of course not. The victim is white so it doesn’t count.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614386/Tennessee-police-photographed-choking-unresisting-college-student-passes-out.html

The MSM are cultural marxists ,they hate themselves and the west.We must all be held to account for black slavery.
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April 28, 2014 9:59am
OTGO

igm 9.42 I was listening to that left wing crap this morning too. I flicked over to Radio Sport. Won’t be going back to ZB until the school hols are over.
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April 28, 2014 10:00am
RightNow

Serial litigant Graham McCready has set his sights on Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and Labour MP Shane Jones, saying a job offer to Jones amounted to bribery.
…
McCready has fired a warning shot at both politicians, saying today that activist Penny Bright had referred the allegations to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), and he would launch a private prosecution against the pair if the SFO did not investigate.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9984611/Serial-litigant-eyes-Jones-McCully

A match made in heaven. Or the other place?
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April 28, 2014 10:06am
doggone7

OTGO:

Left wing crap on ZB? Until the school hols are over? I guess Mike Hosking’s on his school holidays then!?
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April 28, 2014 10:06am
Kea

Gangs? What have the gangs to do with the synthetics. These are being produced and peddled by “legitimate” business men and retailers.

By the way ,there’s no such thing as addiction. Just poor choices.

1. Gangs will welcome the ban. It provides another income stream. Just as other banned substances currently do.

2. If drugs are not addictive, then it is something in their favour.

3. Why reference choices while demanding choice be removed ? It seems a contradiction.

Poor Katie, she is not cut out for all this thinking. 🙂
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April 28, 2014 10:07am
wikiriwhis business

South Korean PM quits over ferry disaster response

South Korean Prime Minister Chung Hong-won announced his resignation today (NZ time) over the government’s poor response to the April 16 ferry disaster, in which it was first announced that everyone had been rescued.

The Sewol ferry sank on a routine trip south from the port of Incheon to the traditional holiday island of Jeju.

More than 300 people, most of them students and teachers on a field trip from the Danwon High School on the outskirts of Seoul, have died or are missing and presumed dead.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/9982801/South-Korean-PM-quits-over-ferry-disaster-response

This honourable response would never happen in NZ. Our govts never apologise for anything let alone resign.

I remember the aftermath of Cave Creek when the head of Doc offered to resign and Jim Bolger wouldn’t accept that honourable gesture. too much fear of public repercussions on govt leading by example. which of course is never, ever the case. Kiwi’s can’t even get consulate help overseas. Disasters involving Kiwi’s overseas do not merit even counselling for survivors from our govts. Our govt’s are privatisation monsters.
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April 28, 2014 10:07am
georgebolwing

Kea.

You might recall Sir Humphrey Appleby’s description of how most public policy’s are actually chosen. It involved three simple steps.

1. Something must be done.

2. This idea is somethng.

3. Therefore, this idea must be implimented.
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April 28, 2014 10:08am
Nookin

“This evidence is not factual. We only have the police word for it. Typical strategy to put seat belt fines up.”

I have seen some stupid comments on Kiwi blog but this one takes the cake.

Do you have any evidence at all to suggest that this driver was wearing a seat belt? You say that it is not factual. What is “factual”? If those attending the scene of the accident observed that the deceased was unrestrained, is that not factual or do you simply take the position that nothing the police say can be correct if there is an income oriented interpretation to the contrary?

Do you really think that the police are going to prosecute the driver or his estate for failing to wear a seatbelt so that it can collect $200 in fines? Can you point to any empirical evidence at all that shows that the police fabricate reports on an accident for the sole purpose of generating income?
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April 28, 2014 10:09am
Tictactoe

How can a bankrupt afford court proceedings, anyways?!

Maybe Penny Bright is paying for it once the Council gives her the leftovers of the proceeds from selling her house…
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April 28, 2014 10:09am
Kea

Police believed no-one in the car wore a seatbelt and that the driver had been drinking.

So Nanny State law did not keep them safe. Well I never !

Of course this can be fixed with more Nanny State law. That should fix it.
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April 28, 2014 10:10am
Albert_Ross

Legal highs ban – The work of people who think the law is supposed to be a portrait of what the world ought to be like, rather than seeing the law as something which, when brought into contact with reality, might stand some chance of delivering an improved outcome.
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April 28, 2014 10:14am
Kea

Albert_Ross, brilliantly worded 🙂
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April 28, 2014 10:15am
OTGO

Yes doggone the main hosts at ZB have all have negotiated to have the school hols off. I’m a channel surfer on both radio and tv so if there is stuff I don’t like it is so easy to change channels or turn it off.

My theory is that because there is such an ineffective opposition to the current government the MSM has filled that vacuum.
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April 28, 2014 10:18am
jcuk

Wiki ….They can increase the fines for not wearing a seatbelt as much as they like … it will not affect me becuase it is a naturaal reaction to getting in a vehicle and I remember when I did a trip from Pictobn to CHCH sitting behind the driver of a bus feeling quite ‘Naked’ without a belt. That was several years ago so today I would be even more so affected.

??? … my wife said she would like to visit relations in colorado and try the weed …. I said NO WAY! after I was permitted to overdose on pain killer following an operation some years back I learnt my lesson … funny thing was the doctor in charge was not aware of the side effects of using this drug and it took our MD son calling about my condition to advise him … LOL.

I managed to quit smoking after around 25 years so I know how hard it is … so even just ‘trying a little bit’ doesn’t appeal now … that is how I started smoking originally … it was an “in” thing back in those days 🙂
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April 28, 2014 10:19am
doggone7

“Great to see Clutha-Southland nominate 24 year old Todd Barclay as their candidate to replace Bill English as likely constituency member.”

Todd Barclay is undoubtedly a fine, capable chap. He is the Clutha-Southland National candidate, ergo he is brilliant.

“…24-year-old former tobacco company lobbyist Todd Barclay. He has already spent time in Parliament working for (Bill) English and cabinet ministers Hekia Parata and Gerry Brownlee. He left Parliament to work in public relations, before taking on a role as Corporate Affairs Manager for tobacco company Philip Morris.”

If a Labour candidate had the same credentials there would have been a tsunami of criticism and a torrent of comment on here about needing to have had a real job, being a callow youth, being destined to be a trougher, questions about “what the hell would he know?” etc., etc., etc. Cameron Slater would have worn out his keyboard, his fingers would be red raw with the number of posts he’d started in condemnation.
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April 28, 2014 10:19am
georgebolwing

There is, I understand, evidence that the introduction of seatbelts has done two things:

a) reduce the severity of injury in accidents (this was intended); but

b) increased in incidence of accidents (this was not intended).

The reason b) happened is a), combined with people responding to incentives. If people come to understand that they are less likely to be injured in a crash, then they will do less of the things that will prevent crashes.

A better approach would have been to provide a stringer incentive to good driving. One solution is that instead of seatbelts, cars should be fitted with a sharp spike in the middle of the steering wheel, connected to the speedo. As th car goes faster, the spike moves closer to the drivers throat. This would make bad driving much more obviously dangerous, thus leading to less bad driving.
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April 28, 2014 10:20am
jcuk

As for Kea writing against the seat belt law as ‘Nanny State-ish’ …. confirms my opinion he is an idiot 🙂 same as when I rode a motorbike/scooter I wore a helmet and other protective stuff long before it became the law.
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April 28, 2014 10:26am
Lucia Maria

Reid,

Is this a “Matrix Operation” as well? Topless German Feminist Tries to Ruin Christmas Mass With Altar-Jumping Protest

This is the beginning of my answers to Reid from previous conversations.
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April 28, 2014 10:29am
Kea

jcuk, I wear a seatbelt and a helmet. I just don’t demand my choices be imposed on others by the armed state. That is the point of difference little man.

————————————————————————————————————————

CHOICE

Choice consists of a mental decision, of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one or more of them. While a choice can be made between imagined options (“what would I do if …?”), often a choice is made between real options and followed by the corresponding action. For example, a route for a journey is chosen based on the preference of arriving at a given destination as soon as possible. The preferred (and therefore chosen) route is then derived from information about how long each of the possible routes take. This can be done by a route planner. If the preference is more complex, such as involving the scenery of the route, cognition and feeling are more intertwined, and the choice is less easy to delegate to a computer program or assistant.

More complex examples (often decisions that affect what a person thinks or their core beliefs) include choosing a lifestyle, religious affiliation, or political position.

Most people regard having choices as a good thing, though a severely limited or artificially restricted choice can lead to discomfort with choosing and possibly, an unsatisfactory outcome. In contrast, a choice with excessively numerous options may lead to confusion, regret of the alternatives not taken, and indifference in an unstructured existence;[1] and the illusion that choosing an object or a course leads necessarily to control of that object or course can cause psychological problems
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choice

choice noun \ˈchȯis\ : the act of choosing : the act of picking or deciding between two or more possibilities

: the opportunity or power to choose between two or more possibilities : the opportunity or power to make a decision

: a range of things that can be chosen
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choice
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April 28, 2014 10:31am
kowtow

jcuk……I have little common cause with you ,but kea is more than an idiot.kea is a troll who posts for the sake of argument and attention.

I dread to think what she did for amusement while banned.
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April 28, 2014 10:31am
Kea

I dread to think

Obviously Katie.
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April 28, 2014 10:37am
stephieboy

EAD, your extensive quotation of James Delingpole is interesting .The fellow is an extreme Libertarian and Climate denier .He strongly believes in an unfettered and totally deregulated market.The proposition that capitalism is some how inherently honest is a dubious one to say the least.The recent debt crises and Alan Greenspan’s deregulation of the financial and sub prime sector is adequate testimony to that.Of course, as well, the way numerous bankers and financiers profited hugely out of it is yet another.
Delingpole courts Conspiracy theories and paranoia as his appearances with that doyen of Conspiracy/ Paranoia Alex Jones demonstratively shows.,

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/James_Delingpole

In future could you present something rather more rational and coherent instead of your Delingpole babble.Apart from closing
Public Libraries ( Delinghole advocates this ), what in terms of practical measures would you introduce that the present
government is not doing.?
For my part, the present government and it’s strong center right policies has got the mix about right.You.?
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April 28, 2014 10:38am
mikenmild

What did you do Kea when you couldn’t comment here 24/7? Was it tough going cold turkey?
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April 28, 2014 10:39am
All_on_Red

Jcuk
The legalised resellers in Colorado and Washington apparently do a roaring trade in Vaporisers, which pretty much negate any smoking risk. You can buy them as small as a large Pen. It’s becoming common for people to use them at places like football games and without causing attention or offence from others.
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April 28, 2014 10:39am
Crusader

Graham McCready is considering using the courts of law in an attempt to restrain Shane Jones from taking up a new career. That will go down like a cup of cold sick with Shane. Mind your own F’ing business would be the legitimate reply.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/9984611/Serial-litigant-eyes-Jones-McCully
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April 28, 2014 10:39am
Kea

He strongly believes in and unfettered and totally ~~deregulated~~ self-regulating market.
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April 28, 2014 10:40am
doggone7

OTGO

Your surfing will prove that the msm is not an effective opposition. I know that because I do the same. In the huddle around the PM questions are asked and the bite on the tv news presents only a snide, smarmy put down from our leader about some other party. UnPaid political broadcast. The PM and ministers are now more available on National Radio in the mornings. Election year.

The msm has it’s own agenda. Being an opposition is not it. I’ve been rubbished on here for suggesting there is feigned interest in the Opposition and having a strong opposition. Only intelligent people think we need a healthy opposition and do something constructive towards that. The strongest will on here is to destroy opposition parties, get rid of them so that we end up with a regime similar to a dictatorship. Do what you want when you want because you know best.

All very well when you’re the one in the driver’s seat!
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April 28, 2014 10:41am
twofish

A man who thought his boss did not like him was surprized to be promoted.
But the situation only lasted a month before he was in fact fired as he originally expected.
“Oh, I always disliked you,” said the boss, in explanation “I just wanted to fire you from a higher position”

Has any addict ever successfully “stock-piled” the substance they are addicted to?
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April 28, 2014 10:41am
All_on_Red

Stephieboy
“Climate denier”
Dellingpole is not a climate denier. Stop telling lies and trying to put labels on him to denigrate his argument.
He just doesn’t believe we will see CATASTROPHIC temperature rises.
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April 28, 2014 10:42am
Kea

Milky, I read.

Did you know it is actually possible to form your own ideas and not simply parrot the narritive of your chosen peer group ?

Who da thunk ? 😉
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April 28, 2014 10:43am
wikiriwhis business

30th banker dead in six weeks. Including a Kiwi and a banking legislator from China

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMCnxdb1LXU
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April 28, 2014 10:43am
mikenmild

Graham McCready has raised an interesting point when he alleges the appointment of Jones would be in breach of the State Sector Act, which requires appointment on merit and notification of vacancies. I am not sure how this has been got around in the case of previous political appointments to the public service. Does anyone know about this?
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April 28, 2014 10:45am
igm

Why are Labour MPs the only ones being interviewed by Newstalkzb talkback? It is disgusting to hear a lying, good-for-nothing Mallard getting air time to distort and mislead listeners trying to get traction for his now dicey seat!
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April 28, 2014 10:47am
All_on_Red

Mikey
I thought the position was Ambassadorial? They don’t advertise those do they.
Let’s face it. McCready is a moron and the courts should brand him as a serial litigant and stop him from wasting ur money with this nonsense. Penny Bright too.
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April 28, 2014 10:49am
Lucia Maria

Russia has banned swearing in public performances

Russia’s rich tradition of vulgar slang has long been a matter of pride for its authors and poets; Fyodor Dostoevsky once claimed a Russian could express his entire range of feelings with the swearword for the male sexual organ.

But a new ban on explicit language in public performances means that some of the country’s best known directors, musicians and actors could face fines, and classic works of literature and cinema could be sold in special packaging with a warning sticker.

The lower house of parliament passed a law last week implementing banning “foul language” in public performances including movie showings, plays and concerts. Audio, video and books containing swearwords are required to be sold in special packaging featuring an explicit language warning.
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April 28, 2014 10:50am
UglyTruth

Will we get world headlines and a comment from the Racist in Chief on this appalling act of police brutality?

Homeless man shot to death by police while ‘illegally camping’ in the foothills of NM
http://www.policestateusa.com/2014/james-boyd/
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April 28, 2014 10:52am
mikenmild

All_on_Red
Yes, it is an ambassadorial post. I’m just wondering how such posts avoid being covered by the State Sector Act. There is a specific exemption for ministerial staff, but not for anyone else. Maybe ambassadors are appointed directly by the Governor-General and are not officially classed as state sector employees.
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April 28, 2014 10:52am
ShawnLH

I assume that the State Sector Act covers civil servants, so is an ambassador a civil servant?

I’m not sure about that either way.
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April 28, 2014 10:56am
Kea

Lucy, you should consider moving to Russia. You have a lot in common with them.

I did not make it Sunday sorry. I realised I needed to commit some fresh sins for forgiving or it would not be worth it.
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April 28, 2014 11:01am
fernglas

Graham McCready seems to have gone too far this time. “…he would launch a private prosecution against (McCully and Jones) if the SFO did not investigate.”

s237 Crimes Act 1961 defines blackmail as being committed where someone threatens to make an accusation against any person with intent to cause the person to whom the threat is made to act in accordance with the will of the person making the threat.

The backstop of private prosecution is an important right in our society. It needs to be exercised with care to avoid being debased.
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April 28, 2014 11:02am
twofish

Serial litigant Graham McCready and serial rates arrearant Penny Bright say a job offer to Jones amounts to bribery.

McCready said that while Jones had done nothing wrong yet, “his alleged offences will be complete if he accepts that position”.

So what can McCready and Bright be charged with, if Shane now changes his mind and stays in Parliament?
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April 28, 2014 11:05am
stephieboy

Kea, no surprises there with your so called ” self ” regulated markets .You seem to apparently, like Delingpole ,love to consort with his Conspiracy theory,.paranoia and libertarianism.
In your fanciful and misguided promotion of so called ” choices “, I take it your a fan of allowing us to take our chances with health and food safety when we go to a restaurant, leaving it entirely up to “self ” regulation and the whim of the “free ” markets.
This ” choices” thing, is in many instances , an infantile form of stubborn self centeredness that commonly afflicts our local fun Libertarians and CT crew.IMO
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April 28, 2014 11:06am
Nukuleka

Am I the only person tired of hearing the term ‘prohibition’ used by folk wanting open slather on drug use? To say that we should not be aiming as a society to reduce social dependence upon drug use of any kind is cynicism taken to the nth degree. As a society we are working hard and spending a great deal of money to make NZ a tobacco-free country. Why cannot the same degree of commitment be dedicated to making NZ a drug-free society as well? Sadly there are a large number of drug-addled bloggers contributing to this debate. People who have no concept of Browning’s maxim that ‘a man’s reach should exceed his grasp or what’s a heaven for’. It matters not if it is an idealist goal. It is a GOOD goal.
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April 28, 2014 11:10am
Kea

stephieboy, yeah thats right. Because I believe in a degree of personal freedom and do not think the state should force the choices of a few on the many, I must be into conspiracy theories and have no regard for the welfare of others.

Nothing hysterical there. Just common sense really. Idiot.
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April 28, 2014 11:14am
Kea

Nukuleka , I have only one question for you:

What degree of force do you think acceptable for the State to use when forcing your views on others ?
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April 28, 2014 11:16am
Weihana

Kea (10,635 comments) says:
April 28th, 2014 at 10:40 am

He strongly believes in and unfettered and totally ~~deregulated~~ self-regulating market.

What happens if the average rate of return from capital is greater than the average rate of economic growth?
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April 28, 2014 11:17am
Reid

Why cannot the same degree of commitment be dedicated to making NZ a drug-free society as well?

Because it can’t be done. Look around the world. Where has it ever worked?

And it’s not for lack of trying, is it.

(IMO actually, it is, but that’s a conspiwacy theowy based on the revenue generated by drugs which is appropriated for black budgets. Air America was a doco, not a movie and it still happens. The intel agencies have divided the trade – Mossad gets ecstasy, CIA gets heroin, MI6 gets cocaine, etc. Don’t believe it? Look at large ecstasy busts over the past decade and see how many times the accused have been Israelis. Look at the Afghan poppies that were wiped out by the Taliban then reached record levels only two years after the US invaded. Etc. But that’s not the point.)

The point is, even if you chose not to educate yourself and live in the matrix, even according to that “reality,” it hasn’t worked. Not ever. Not anywhere. Despite the vast resources of the intell, defence, law enforcement and border agencies, it hasn’t worked. Evidently. Clearly. In your face obvious. Not arguable. Period.

So what’s the answer?

Keep doing the same thing, only this time, even harder?

What’s that called again?
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April 28, 2014 11:19am
mikenmild

Nukuleka
It is interesting that you contrast the approach to drugs with that adopted for tobacco. So far as I know, no one intends to make tobacco products illegal although the aim of public policy is certainly to reduce, possibly even eliminate, tobacco use. Surely the same approach could be applied to other psychoactive substances?
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April 28, 2014 11:20am
Kea

Weihana, Dunno. What do you reckon ?

I will say our current system is not working so well that we should be so attached to it.
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April 28, 2014 11:20am
Fletch

Governments meddling with the IPCC report (which is supposed to be independent) to make it say more what they want it to say. Damn the facts! One climate expert who was there says that three-quarters of the original report ended up being deleted, while governments shaped it to better suit their interests.

A top US academic has dramatically revealed how government officials forced him to change a hugely influential scientific report on climate change to suit their own interests.

Harvard professor Robert Stavins electrified the worldwide debate on climate change on Friday by sensationally publishing a letter online in which he spelled out the astonishing interference.

He said the officials, representing ‘all the main countries and regions of the world’ insisted on the changes in a late-night meeting at a Berlin conference centre two weeks ago.

Three quarters of the original version of the document ended up being deleted.

Prof Stavins claimed the intervention amounted to a serious ‘conflict of interest’ between scientists and governments. His revelation is significant because it is rare for climate change experts to publicly question the process behind the compilation of reports on the subject.

Prof Stavins, Harvard’s Professor of Business and Government, was one of two ‘co-ordinating lead authors’ of a key report published by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) earlier this month.

His chapter of the 2,000-page original report concerned ways countries can co-operate to reduce carbon emissions.

IPCC reports are supposed to be scrupulously independent as they give scientific advice to governments around the world to help them shape energy policies – which in turn affect subsidies and domestic power bills.

Prof Stavins said the government officials in Berlin fought to make big changes to the full report’s ‘summary for policymakers’. This is the condensed version usually cited by the world’s media and politicians. He said their goal was to protect their ‘negotiating stances’ at forthcoming talks over a new greenhouse gas reduction treaty.

Prof Stavins told The Mail on Sunday yesterday that he had been especially concerned by what happened at a special ‘contact group’. He was one of only two scientists present, surrounded by ‘45 or 50’ government officials.

He said almost all of them made clear that ‘any text that was considered inconsistent with their interests and positions in multilateral negotiations was treated as unacceptable.’

Many of the officials were themselves climate negotiators, facing the task of devising a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol in negotiations set to conclude next year.

Prof Stavins said: ‘This created an irreconcilable conflict of interest. It has got to the point where it would be reasonable to call the document a summary by policymakers, not a summary for them, and it certainly affects the credibility of the IPCC. The process ought to be reformed.’

MORE –
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2614097/Top-climate-experts-sensational-claim-government-meddling-crucial-UN-report.html

So, you can pretty much regard the last IPCC summary for policymakers as pure propaganda.
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April 28, 2014 11:21am
stephieboy

Ugly Truth, Racist in Chief .? Are you referring to President Obama.? If so, a timely reminder that New Mexico like all other US states is responsible for it’s own local law enforcement and in this instance conducted by the Albuquerque Police force.The FBI only become involved in the case of interstate crime or in cases of major security breaches of national significance.
Try and keep a lid on your disinfo today please.
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April 28, 2014 11:25am

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