General Debate 14 November 2014

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RRM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/9646437/The-women-living-in-Chernobyls-toxic-wasteland.html

Little old Ukrainian women, moving back to their old homes in the Chernobyl dead zone, in defiance of pretty much everything!

Pretty badass…
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November 14, 2014 8:05am
fernglas

Is anyone else sick of hearing about this Smith person? Is there a shortage of news, or do the NZ media simply love to flog dead horses?
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November 14, 2014 8:21am
EAD

In today’s Telegraph – Putin stockpiling gold in preparation for economic warfare:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/commodities/11226240/Putin-stockpiles-gold-as-Russia-prepares-for-economic-war.html

Is there something that Russia, China, the Swiss, Germans and ISIS know that we don’t know like, the debt as money scam is on it’s last legs and about to topple over? http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-12/economic-end-game-explained

LOOK – John Key texted Richie McCaw to wish him luck!! He is going to be cheering on the NZ rugby league team tomorrow and wearing a Kiwi Rugby League jersey!! The fugitive has been captured in Brazil!! So much important news in the World!!
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November 14, 2014 8:29am
waikatogirl

I see the apologists are on TVNZ pushing the need for home leave. I hope they tighten up on home leave on who is eligible first!!!

“Day release is a crucial par of prisoner rehabilitation and is calling for reinstating home release.” So said Ced Simpson of Rethinking Crime and Punishment.
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November 14, 2014 8:29am
waikatogirl

Angela Merkle visiting NZ today. She will be giving a lecture at Auck uni, releasing a Kiwi (bird) and lay a wreath at Auck Museum. Stephen Harper is also in NZ.

Good old Johny getting all the leaders to visit NZ, including Obama before he finishes his presidency. That has got to be good for NZ and the way we are viewed by the big countries… 🙂
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November 14, 2014 8:37am
James Stephenson

I hope they tighten up on home leave on who is eligible first!!!

I’m sure a tracking bracelet is cheaper than flying a copper to Brazil.
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November 14, 2014 8:37am
Simon

“Is anyone else sick of hearing about this Smith person? Is there a shortage of news, or do the NZ media simply love to flog dead horses?”

Yep. It very good they caught the little retard early. (aside from all else of course) Otherwise he would have been emailing MSM for the next few years and they would be breathlessly reporting what Smith had for dinner last night as the “news”.

This scrote had them all lined up the lawyer scum & the MSM. It was gonna be the life & times of clever Mr. Smith in Brazil all played out in MSM. Now MSM are reduced to court reporting.
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November 14, 2014 8:41am
kowtow

Political change coming to Europe.The politicians who flooded the place with Muslims and their friends in the media react by claiming extremism,racism.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/poll-puts-wilders-far-right-party-on-par-with-liberals-1.1998316
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November 14, 2014 8:43am
calendar girl

Sometimes I despair of Government Departments, and especially the ease with which they seem able to be hoodwinked by serious criminals.

It’s not only ‘Corrections’ that needs a shake-up. Now we find that our world-famous tourist in Brazil, Phillip Smith / Traynor, had been convicted only 2 years ago of defrauding Inland Revenue (and Work & Income?) of $47k from inside prison. He conned departments into paying out Working for families, tax credits and student loan repayments: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/63187695/Phillip-Smiths-tax-rort .

Clearly nobody had any intention that Smith / Traynor would actually serve the extra 15 months prison sentence that he received then. Interesting, isn’t it, that the 2012 Court action (over crimes seemingly committed from Springhill Prison) seems not to have seen the light of day until now? Have public servants been at work ensuring that their collective embarrassments are minimised?

It’s now time for an all-of-Government approach is taken to the widespread examples of Departmental mismanagement that have been exposed by Smith / Traynor. That means a decision and announcement, over the next 48 hours or so by PM Key himself, to set up a major inquiry with broad terms of reference and the ability to take evidence under oath (perhaps a Royal Commission of Inquiry?). I’m not particularly interested in Key’s priority of receiving dignitary visitors at the moment. The present scandal goes to the very heart of the public’s confidence in government; it needs to be addressed now.

It may also be time to take the new Minister of Corrections out of the firing line for the time being: From the BBC website: “Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga urged a review of the incident ‘so we can make some decisions as to how we can improve how we have temporary releases done out in the community’, according to Radio New Zealand.” The country has more to be concerned about than ending the present moratorium on temporary prisoner releases.
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November 14, 2014 8:49am
AgentBallSack

I am glad they caught Smith before the little prick had time to release his statement. The guy was doing it to exert control over his victims and thumb his nose at the police….what a pity theyre considering deportation, that prison is the best place for him. Wonder if we can offer Brazil money to serve out the rest of his life sentence there?
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November 14, 2014 8:53am
kowtow

Surely it must be time for people with common sense to stand up to the PC thugs, call them out for the commies that they are and tell them to “Fuck off”

Sydney University calls off Mexican themed party over racism claims.

http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/timblair/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/his_family_has_a_poncho/
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November 14, 2014 8:54am
Keeping Stock

Smith’s bravado was short-lived:

As re-captured killer and paedophile Phillip Smith faces an ignominious return to jail, it can be revealed that he was convicted of defrauding the taxpayer of almost $50,000 from behind bars.

Smith was recaptured in Brazil early yesterday after an eagle-eyed youth hostel staff member tipped off police. As he was clapped in handcuffs, the manipulative psychopath begged: “Please, don’t hurt me”.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/63187695/Phillip-Smiths-tax-rort

All Smith/Traynor’s tough talk came to nowt, and he resorted to type when arrested. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Brazil Phil 😀
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November 14, 2014 8:55am
Manolo

The liar strikes again: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/11/13/pelosi-cited-obamacare-architect-in-push-for-law-now-claims-hasnt-heard-him/

Nancy Pelosi claimed Thursday she didn’t know who ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber is, after several tapes surfaced showing him gloating about how the law was written to take advantage of the stupidity of the American voter.

Problem is, Gruber’s analysis of the law was cited extensively by her office back in 2009.

Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, tried to downplay Gruber’s role during a press conference on Thursday.
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November 14, 2014 8:56am
kowtow

calendargirl

“Depts hoodwinked” .Yesterday’s news in the afternoon seemed t be all about poor wee absconders “emotional state” His lawyer had told police he might be feeling down and we hear the plice forwrded those concerns to their colleagues in Brazil!

The world of officialdom seems to have gone human rights mad.Everyone’s rights except the long suffering ordinary citizen.
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November 14, 2014 8:58am
Manolo

@kowtow: That bloody dago should be deported from Oz! 🙂
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November 14, 2014 9:00am
Redbaiter

Massey University study shows NZ journalists predominantly left wing with only 16% self identifying as right wing-

We asked respondents to rate their political stance on an 11-point scale, with 1 being strongly left-wing, 6 being the centre and 11 being strongly right wing. Journalists generally regarded themselves as moderately left-wing. Sixty-two per cent of respondents rated themselves as somewhere on the left of the political spectrum, 22 per cent placed themselves in the centre and 16 per cent rated themselves somewhere on the right. The mean rating was 5.0, with a standard deviation of 2.0.

http://ejournalist.com.au/v14n2/Hannis.pdf
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November 14, 2014 9:00am
kowtow

John Key should now announce a review of the Parole Act that allows this injustice to go on.
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November 14, 2014 9:00am
oldpark

Wonder what comments the commie “green” Russel Abnormal and Materialistic Turei will say on the escaped murderer Smith/traynor .After all the commie” greens” and their sycophants , usually embrace all types of bums ,losers and dum fuks.
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November 14, 2014 9:05am
Tauhei Notts

Calendar Girl’s post was spot on.
But one sentence there deserves repeating, as it is so important.
“The present scandal goes to the very heart of the public’s confidence in government; it needs to be addressed now.”
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November 14, 2014 9:06am
IGM

kowtow: You are sure on the money today. These PC scumbags are all left-wing academics that have never done a day’s work in their lives, leeching off taxpayers with their socialist degrees. Sounds like Labour/Green line-up.
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November 14, 2014 9:07am
Keeping Stock

How good is Indian opening batsman Rohit Sharma? 264 off 173 balls versus Sri Lanka, and he was only dismissed off the last ball of the Indian innings. Sri Lanka couldn’t even beat his score in reply, scoring only 251 in total! He hit 33 fours and nine sixes, and his innings progressed thus:

1st 50 – 72 balls.
2nd 50 – 28 balls.
3rd 50 – 25 balls.
4th 50 – 26 balls.
5th 50 – 15 balls.

Given half-decent weather conditions, the ICC World Cup in February/March is going to be an absolute feast of cricket; I can’t wait!
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November 14, 2014 9:08am
tvb

I note that Smith has been moved to a more humane prison. I suppose Brazil did not want International publicity on the Aly Franco prison which the UN wants closed. Now that he is in detention I do not think there is any need to rush things. Smith is a clever person but he misread his status for extradition purposes. He is an escaped convicted prisoner, murderer no less, that is not a difficult situation to deal with.
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November 14, 2014 9:09am
stephieboy

A skeptics comments on the gold standard,

I have always wanted to ask them: “If you invest in gold, where do you keep it?”

“Oh I really don’t have actual gold, just this little piece of paper that says I own it.”

“Oh, and how do you know that there is actual gold backing up that worthless piece of paper?”

“I have faith that the guy who sold it to me was telling the truth.”

“Oh, I see .”

Thus ISIS will carry around these pieces of paper with their gold stored exactly where.?

Swiss Vaults.?

Next.?
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November 14, 2014 9:15am
Manolo

The alternative is to keep paying for the profligate, but not hard-working, Greeks, Frogs and I-ties: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11228886/Sir-John-Major-tells-Germans-Britain-has-a-50-50-chance-of-quitting-EU.html
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November 14, 2014 9:16am
publicwatchdog

Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Good moaning Kiwibloggers 🙂

Since this John Key led National Government railroaded this Auckland ‘$upercity for the 1%’ through Parliament, and forced this corporate takeover upon citizens and ratepayers upon the Auckland region, rates have gone up, Council debt has gone up, but services have gone down and transparency in Council and Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) spending has plummeted.

The mechanism for the corporate takeover of the Auckland region has been the unelected CCO model, which was never , subjected to any cost-benefit analysis, by the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG), the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), the Auckland Transition Agency(ATA), any of the former Councils in the Auckland region, or the NZ Treasury.

(I have the paper trail which proves this).

The voting public never had a vote on whether we wanted this Auckland ‘Supercity for the 1%’, whether we wanted the CCO model, or any say on which unelected business people were appointed to the Boards of the CCOs.

Because CCOs are not ‘local authorities’ – information about ‘activities’ ie: SPENDING by CCOs is not disclosed on Auckland Council Rates Assessment notices.

When all Auckland Council CCOs – with the exception of Auckland Transport – fail to provide the devilish detail of awarded contracts on their websites, that means that citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region have simply NO IDEA where arguably billion$ of public rates monies are being effectively being transferred to private sector consultants and contractors.

Which is why I’m making a stand for transparency which cannot be ignored – by refusing to pay Auckland Council rates, until details of ALL awarded contracts (not just those valued at over $50,000) are made available on Auckland Council, and all Auckland Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) websites, including ‘legacy’ CCOs.

That’s the stand I’m making for transparency at local government level.

What’s the Tax Payers Union doing?

Penny Bright

Anti-corruption whistle-blower.
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November 14, 2014 9:21am
flipper

It is curious that, notwithstanding overwhelming support for Fernglass’s wish to drop the Traynor (dear folks, get it in your heads that Smith is an AKA) saga, most of the comments revert to him. Then there is the “jimmiest of all dandies” from calendar. Get a life lady, this rates about minus 10 on my list of priorities. If you seriously believe the issues arising from the Traynor clusterfuck are more important than the matters occupying most of JK’s time, you are in need of help. Nothing ad hominem in this, but a sense of reality is essential. Let it drop. 🙂
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November 14, 2014 9:27am
Redbaiter

“Surely it must be time for people with common sense to stand up to the PC thugs”

Yes, one would think so, but cultural Marxists are apparently still succeeding in their aim to make people frightened to speak their mind.
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November 14, 2014 9:27am
Longknives

And the award for the strangest and most irrelevant article I have read all year goes to-

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/63165077/weve-been-forgotten-from-worlds-maps

So let me get this straight? Because Lorde had a hit on the teenybopper pop charts the Classic Board-game Risk needs to update it’s map (to include New Zealand)??
Sheesh- Stuff need to stop letting the work experience kids write their articles….
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November 14, 2014 9:28am
Redbaiter

For fucks sake flip, can’t you recognise this Smith thing as a media driven meme..?? In reality it matters fuck all. So some murdering child abusing parolee took a plane overseas because the system is a farcical soft cock system. They’ll get him back eventually. I just don’t see what the big deal is.

So fuckwits are running the Justice system.. that’s news…????? Fuckwits run most govt services and National are not going to change that. Until we get some decent fucking politicians instead of a bunch of mind fucked progs we’re stuck with the status quo.

NZers are just so easily manipulated by a news media whose main objective is to sell advertising to them.

Look for the meme.

Meme
Meme
Meme.
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November 14, 2014 9:34am
Travis Poulson

Going to be a good summer of cricket that’s for sure Keeping Stock. May even try to convince the Mrs to let me get Sky Sport back.
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November 14, 2014 9:42am
Inandout

I can sense the beginning of a groundswell against PC softness, madness and just plain sticky beaking from our governing officials. Administrators get their rocks off by controlling those powerless to react, and those officials utilise the very laws they have created to keep Joe Public in line. As an example the Privacy Act stymies the sharing of information in almost every aspect of our lives, even when that sharing would help prevent harm to innocent people. Another reason we kiwis are so compliant and malleable is we have been beaten senseless by the Treaty, the cultural bible that is all pervading and is intolerant of criticism; it is as close as possible to our own Sharia Law. We even have our own Treaty Police, in the form of the Human Rights pit bulls, who could discover racism in the very air we breathe.

This Smith fiasco is unsurprising as it stems from departmental decay, endemic in just about any government agency you can name. The voting public are no longer mushrooms Mr Key, they have discovered social media and you will ignore it at your peril if you don’t take heed and sort out your bureaucracy.
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November 14, 2014 9:44am
kowtow

flapper

I think fernglass’ focus was ,as is for many here ,on the trivial pursuits of our media.

This farce exposes far deeper issues with our injustice system.

Issues that our media and your John Key are not going to address.

And what more important matters occupy Keys’ mind that you think should take precedence over the security and safety of the citizens who have elected him to the office in which he represents us?
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November 14, 2014 9:45am
Manolo

Was stephieboy part of the board?

For years, boys and girls at South Arbor Charter Academy have been inspired by Heroes Hall – a corridor featuring murals that honored the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts, Mother Teresa, Betsy Ross and Albert Einstein.

But many parents are furious after the principal had the murals replaced with paintings honoring President Obama, J.K. Rowling and Oprah.

“This is no longer a hall of heroes,” parent Craig Bergman told me. “Now we have a hall of celebrities.”

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/11/13/school-replaces-hall-heroes-murals-honoring-mother-teresa-others-with-oprah-jk/
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November 14, 2014 9:48am
Nostalgia-NZ

I wonder if Tony Abbott is relieved to hear that the Russian ships are testing their “Pacific capability” in case in the future they may need to be deployed to study climate change in the Antartic, or if in fact if he’s a little concerned about the Russian tank parked in his driveway.
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November 14, 2014 9:58am
dime

Dime picked a good weekend to be in Sydney.. Heat warning today. I’m hearing a max of 36..one place said 40 arghh

Off to Potts point for breaky..then some serious pool time.. Cocktails an a huge night tonight.

No hookers though 🙁
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November 14, 2014 9:58am
cha

Barry’s for it so Ted’s against it and damn the torpedoes.

.

Brian T. Perkins Eliminating net neutrality is great if you want slower internet, or if you receive a large campaign contribution from Comcast.
Like · Reply · 1,694 · November 11 at 1:21pm

64 Replies · 3 hrs

Ed Piper As a Republican who works in the tech industry I can say that this statement shows you either have no idea what you are talking about or you are bought and paid for by the American Cable monopoly. This is amazingly an stupid statement and is disheartening.
Like · Reply · 1,828 · November 11 at 1:18pm · Edited

88 Replies · 4 hrs

Keith French Ted, I am as conservative as they come…. I want government out of just about everything… and I hate to say it, really hate to say it, but Obama is right on this one. I do not want my access and internet speed controlled by my ISP. It will be. The i…See More
Like · Reply · 803 · November 11 at 2:15pm

63 Replies · 4 hrs

Eli Jordan Wonder if that massive campaign contribution from Comcast had any clout. You skeezbags should have to wear patches like Nascar drivers.
Like · Reply · 290 · November 11 at 1:43pm

8 Replies · 2 hrs

https://www.facebook.com/tedcruzpage/posts/10152839355922464
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November 14, 2014 10:01am
kowtow

inandout

PC madness.

I love the way every gummint person talking about this scote are at pains to ensure the honorific “Mister” is applied before they utter his surname.

That’s a relatively new “progressive” policy that seems to be applied to the criminal classes by our media and official classes across the Anglo Saxon world.
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November 14, 2014 10:01am
stephieboy

Manolo, now, now please no more of your pouting today.Sorry about the oversight but there wasn’t the room for your heroes Queen Sarah and Princess Michelle ( Bachmann. )
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November 14, 2014 10:02am
deadrightkev

“John Key should now announce a review of the Parole Act that allows this injustice to go on.”

He should be following Garth McVicars lead and abolish parole. That is what a responsible Conservative would do to address this gross injustice against victims and society. But of course Helen Key is a progressive on a fast track to the UN or similar so nothing will change under his watch.
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November 14, 2014 10:03am
flipper

Kowtow….
“The security and safety of citizens….”.
Get real. Recognise Traynor’s escapade for what it was/is – a carefully crafted scheme that in no way endangered anyone in NZ.

Yes, when originally caught and prosecuted under the aka of Smith, he was dangerous and the Police description of him is clearly based in their last dealings with him.

The temporary release from which he absconded was not his first. The last Police contact in relation to the felon we now know as Traynor, would have been when they checked (on behalf of Corrections) on his “sponsor” prior to Corrections approving his first temporary release. Dozens of similar releases occur every month, every year. Inmates, including a few on PD (indeterminate) or life sentences, are released daily, Monday to Saturday, to work in private industry. The “error” or mistake rate on temporary releases is less than 0001%. Go back and refresh on what Ray Smith had to say two days ago. If you are going to opine on judicial-legal-administrative matters, first acquire some knowledge. Knee-jerks, like donkey kicks, are bovine.

As to what is more important than inquri9ng into butrea
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November 14, 2014 10:07am
waikatogirl

Heard police on their way to Brazil to collect Traynor. He will be departing Brazil sooner rather than later.

As long as they lose the key to his cell once he’s locked up in Pare 😉
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November 14, 2014 10:10am
calendar girl

flipper @ 9:27am- That’s fair enough, no ad hom worries, and I agree with you to a large extent. But John Key needs only a small number of hand-chosen, competent people around him for an hour while he makes a series of 3 or 4 decisions and delegates the action plan and authority to individuals he knows will carry them out faithfully. Then another hour to polish his televised speech and deliver it.

He can then get on with dealing with world leaders, while taking half an hour morning and evening to receive direct, oral reports on how the Smith / Traynor ‘remedial project’ is going.

It’s called crisis management, and it’s the least that we should be able to expect. Or haven’t we got enough (or competent?) civil servants in our over-blown bureaucracy?
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November 14, 2014 10:12am
Keeping Stock

Best you do Travis; even the warm-up to the World Cup is going to be brilliant, with South Africa in Australia, and Sri Lanka and Pakistan touring New Zealand. It’s enough to get this cricket tragic somewhat animated!
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November 14, 2014 10:14am
Redbaiter

When NZ kids can’t be taught because of bad behaviour, what’s the real problem?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11358227
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November 14, 2014 10:17am
Nostalgia-NZ

Of course flipper. Traynor is a fantasist ‘enjoying’ himself in a Brazilian prison, and his best prospect another long spell in a NZ prison. No need for the wheel to be re-invented. Surprised to hear about the fraud charges, probably the reason he hadn’t gained parole. Put him in the Weatherston, Ricardo Saands category – 19 shillings short of the pound.
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November 14, 2014 10:18am
Redbaiter

Huckabee lining up for a shot at the US presidency.

Just what we need, another dipshit dopey big spending big government ex governor.

Fuck off Huck you RINO.

We’re all done with RINOS.
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November 14, 2014 10:19am
kowtow

flipper says

“……first acquire some knowledge. Knee-jerks, like donkey kicks, are bovine.” Which is an asinine sentence.

Donkey: Equus africanus asinus.
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November 14, 2014 10:21am
AgentBallSack

I think Baz McCullum is one of our best one day captains ever, he definitely has a feel for the game but I wonder if it’s time to consider a separate one day/test captain scenario? His success doesnt seem to translate to the test arena (last years extraordinary results no withstanding). Just a thought.
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November 14, 2014 10:22am
Sponge

Flipper@ 10;07 “The “error” or mistake rate on temporary releases is less than 0001%”

Which would be fuck all comfort if this vile piece of filth (or another) fiddled with your kids or murdered a member of your family while on temporary release.
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November 14, 2014 10:23am
Redbaiter

“so nothing will change under his watch.”

Damn right.

Squandered all his political capital on grinning ineffectually.

Do you think this is a funny pic?

http://www.theconservative.co.nz/sites/default/files/newkey.jpg
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November 14, 2014 10:24am
freemark

The highly honourable greatest world champions of the best game in human history will be playing and winning again this weekend. Most of NZ will rightly be cheering them on and basking a little in the reflected glory of our heroes.
Meanwhile, shortsticks & baby bwuv will be building up to their frenzy of hate & jealousy, which will no doubt be inflicted on happy & proud members of any forum or blog they can find.
Just don’t don’t watch it, read about it or even think about it guys(?) & spare the rest of us. I’m sure there is synchronised swimming, tiddlywinks or ballroom dancing you can enjoy…
Go the Mighty AB’s..:)
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November 14, 2014 10:28am
peterwn

See:
http://www.mortgagerates.co.nz/article/976502490/property-investors-maybe-subject-to-new-income-rule.html

The Reserve Bank wants to treat residential landlord mortgages as ‘commercial’ mortgages with associated higher rates. Effectively this just kicks tenants in the teeth – the extra interest will flow through as higher rents.

All these ideas to rein in property investors will have a similar effect. Sure it will encourage some to give up the game and invest elsewhere which means that their properties will be sold to owner-occupiers. There will be fewer properties for tenants to rent and rents will go up. As it is tenants indirectly pay taxes through their rents (ie pay some tax twice) which an owner-occupier does not have to do.
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November 14, 2014 10:31am
SGA

flipper at 10:07 am

Kowtow….
“The security and safety of citizens….”.
Get real. Recognise Traynor’s escapade for what it was/is – a carefully crafted scheme that in no way endangered anyone in NZ.

Part of the reason this escapade has attracted so much attention is that it was so unusual. Sure we should look at ways to avoid similar things in the future, but we shouldn’t overreact either.
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November 14, 2014 10:32am
Rachael Membery

Curious? Has Nigel Latta done a Darklands on Traynor? Or would he like that? (In which case I would rather he didn’t) I can think of other sickos that should be featured alongside his other subjects, especially double killers!!!

Are all or most killers narcissists who think they are important and their opinions wanted?
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November 14, 2014 10:34am
Rachael Membery

James Stephenson (2,207 comments) says:

November 14th, 2014 at 8:37 am

I doubt a anklet would set off an airport alarm and by the time the police responded or the security company the offender could still be long gone. As I have said previously the home unit has battery back up in case of power failure so are portable to a degree.

They are also removable. From a GPS point of view Traynor had the right to move around so no need to track him until he didn’t show up. If the sponsor had lied Saturday we would not have been any the wiser. I still do not think it would alert at the airport.
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November 14, 2014 10:41am
dime

Ballsack.. Mccullum took over the Captaincy in dec 2012.. And you want to leave out his 2013 record? Seems harsh.

The Aussies just got slaughtered playing on the Arab highways as well.
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November 14, 2014 10:42am
kowtow

Red,Kids being taught?

Yesterday RNZ had a teacher spouting on about “Equality of outcomes” in relation to a discussion on decile ratings and school funding.

So schools aren’t about giving an education so students can get ahead ,they’re about equality ,socialism and the lowest common denominator.

That being the case why would high standards matter?
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November 14, 2014 10:42am
J Bloggs

Has anyone been over to the Standard yet to see if someone there has accused John Key (who apparently tortures baby kittens before eating them for dinner) of engineering Traynor’s escape, just so he can use it as an excuse to gut the Privacy Act to allow government departments to share all NZ citizens private information with each other and Multinational corporations?
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November 14, 2014 10:44am
Lucia Maria

Redbaiter,

When NZ kids can’t be taught because of bad behaviour, what’s the real problem?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11358227

Actually, I think the real problem is the curriculum. I have teenagers that are currently being taught Maths at high school level, and the biggest problem they experience is learning maths in isolated chunks that don’t relate to each other. My oldest boy went into college with an incredibly high maths ability due to an interleaved type of maths curriculum (Saxon Math) that I taught at home, and it helped him for a couple of years, to about the end of Year 10. Last year he started to have issues because his maths teachers left in the middle of the year and the new teacher was from England and didn’t have the background understanding of what kids are being taught in NZ. This year, he has been really struggling.

Having had a look at how mathematics is being taught at Year 12 level, I can see why he’s having problems – it’s definitely the isolationist nature the curriculum, and the lack of practice with formal concepts.

Here’s an article on interleaving mathematics in the classroom – it’s being rediscovered: Cognitive Science Meets Pre-Algebra
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November 14, 2014 10:46am
SGA

Rachael Membery at 10:34 am

Are all or most killers narcissists who think they are important and their opinions wanted?

Not all or most, I’d guess – it’s more that there’s less reason for most of them to be as newsworthy.
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November 14, 2014 10:46am
Redbaiter

“So schools aren’t about giving an education so students can get ahead ,they’re about equality ,socialism and the lowest common denominator.”

Yep, to be more accurate, they’re about the Progressive state replacing parents as the main mentors of children.

Children sleep and eat at their birth parent’s house, but their real parents are progressive teachers.
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November 14, 2014 10:48am
RRM

1st 50 – 72 balls.
2nd 50 – 28 balls.
3rd 50 – 25 balls.
4th 50 – 26 balls.
5th 50 – 15 balls.

Sounds like he reduced the Sri Lankan bowlers to a demoralised, probably crying heap! 🙂
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November 14, 2014 10:57am
RRM

So schools aren’t about giving an education so students can get ahead ,they’re about equality ,socialism and the lowest common denominator.

In our experience, the state schools are about teaching to the middle of the bell curve.

Kids that need extra help are out of luck.

Bright kids that need extending can just go sit in the corner and amuse themselves.
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November 14, 2014 10:58am
Lucia Maria

To continue on with what I said on my mathematics comment above, the isolationist nature of maths teaching is reinforced by the NCEA marking system which tests sections of curriculum throughout the year. So there is generally a highly concentrated effort into teaching a subject over a matter of weeks or a month or so, and then the students are tested and marked on it. And then they’ve done that section and they may not even look at anything like that at all until the next year when they effectively have to relearn just about everything because they’ve forgotten last year’s learning. Algebra seems to suffer from this more than geometry, and algebra is essential to high school mathematics.
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November 14, 2014 10:59am
Ryan Sproull

Yesterday RNZ had a teacher spouting on about “Equality of outcomes” in relation to a discussion on decile ratings and school funding.

So schools aren’t about giving an education so students can get ahead ,they’re about equality ,socialism and the lowest common denominator.

Inequality of outcomes is a good way to measure inequality of circumstances. Certainly some students will always do better than others, but when you can predict who’ll do better on the basis of factors that should bear no relation to success, it raises flags.
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November 14, 2014 11:02am
Ryan Sproull

To a be a bit more clear, “equality of outcome” doesn’t mean uniformity of outcome. It doesn’t mean that the goal is for every student to perform identically well (or poorly).

It means that there’s the same spread of success and failure across all schools (while, at the same time, trying to increase the success and decrease the failure).
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November 14, 2014 11:04am
Longknives

“Has Nigel Latta done a Darklands on Traynor?”
“Are all or most killers narcissists who think they are important and their opinions wanted?”

Much like Nigel ‘I want alcohol banned’ Latta himself….
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November 14, 2014 11:05am
publicwatchdog

Here you go Kiwibloggers – FYI

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2014
Charting risky waters

We are pleased to invite you and your organisation to participate in Deloitte’s second Bribery and Corruption Survey.
Our first survey received recognition across industry and government. This survey is an initiative supported by Transparency International (TI) Australia and New Zealand.

Below is a link to a short video setting out the background and purpose of the survey and why the 10 to 15 minutes this survey will take to complete is a valuable investment of your time:

Bribery and Corruption video – Frank O’Toole >

After providing some basic demographic information, you will be asked to respond to 10 questions on your organisation’s past experiences and opinions on the challenges and key risks your organisation faces in relation to domestic bribery and corruption. This will be followed by 12 questions on your understanding of the applicable foreign bribery and corruption legislation, your organisation’s bribery and corruption compliance programs and your view of the risk that foreign bribery and corruption poses to your organisation. We look forward to the release of the survey results and analysis in February 2015, a copy of which will be available on our website.

The survey is confidential and all responses will be anonymous and reported in aggregate. Any information provided by you will not be used for any purpose other than the compilation of the Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Report.

If you are not the best placed person within your organisation to complete this survey, we ask that you forward this email to the appropriate person(s).

Please click here to begin the Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2014 >

The survey closes on 28 November 2014 and we would greatly appreciate you completing the survey by this date.

Please email aileenng@deloitte.co.nz with any questions or feedback.

We look forward to sharing the results with you.

Kind Regards
Barry Jordan
Partner, Deloitte Forensic

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kind regards,

Penny Bright
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November 14, 2014 11:24am
Lucia Maria

Then there’s what happens at primary school. There is too much emphasis on problem solving strategies and not enough on the grunt work of just learning mathematics.

My youngest boy who also home-schooled with Saxon Math was convinced when he went to school at Year 7 level that I’d taught him badly and he wasn’t good at maths because of the type of stuff they were doing at Year 7. Imagine his surprise when he gets to college this year (Year 9) and tests really high for mathematical ability and gets put into the top Maths class. I wasn’t surprised, as when I was teaching him at home I found that he grasped concepts very quickly, and demonstrated a clear innate mathematical ability. It’s just the way mathematics is being taught at primary and intermediate is bizarre, making him think he wasn’t any good at it, when he most definitely was.
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November 14, 2014 11:29am
Kea

The UK, once again, resists German Socialists taking over Europe

Sir John Major tells Germans: Britain has a 50-50 chance of quitting EU

Sir John also warned that ‘our small island simply cannot absorb the present and projected numbers at the current speed: it is not physically or politically possible without huge public disquiet’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/11228886/Sir-John-Major-tells-Germans-Britain-has-a-50-50-chance-of-quitting-EU.html

They can thank Nigel Farage.
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November 14, 2014 11:36am
Kea

It would be interesting to learn Frau Schutzstaffel Unterscharführer Lucia’s reasons for home schooling. 🙂
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November 14, 2014 11:42am
EAD

Stephie – don’t invest in paper gold, invest in the real thing. Prices are being kept artificially low by selling paper contracts that make the market appear 100x bigger than it really is. Cut out the middleman, buy physical and guard it with lead.

and here is an article you might enjoy: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-13/isis-unveils-its-new-gold-backed-currency-remove-itself-oppressors-money-system

the reason ISIS want to get on the gold standard is so they can remove themselves from the “oppressors money system”.

The same usurious monetary system operated by the same people that goes back to biblical times which caused Jesus such anger he kicked the money changers out of the temple.

Matthew 21:12-13
“Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.”
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November 14, 2014 11:52am
ross411

publicwatchdog (2,661 comments) says:
November 14th, 2014 at 9:21 am
Good moaning Kiwibloggers 🙂

…

That’s the stand I’m making for transparency at local government level.

What’s the Tax Payers Union doing?

Why do you continually list a whole lot of things you are doing for YOURSELF and then ask why the taxpayer’s union isn’t doing stuff for YOU? They do stuff for all of us. It’s not all about you Penny.
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November 14, 2014 12:06pm
Kea

” Prices are being kept artificially low by selling paper contracts that make the market appear 100x bigger than it really is. ”

And right there my friend is the big problem with the Gold Standard. The value is arbitrary, same as with fiat currency.

“Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple..”

Yeah and look what – they – did to him 🙂
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November 14, 2014 12:08pm
wikiriwhis business

Six banks have agreed to pay $4.33 billion in fines to global regulators to resolve allegations that they attempted to manipulate foreign exchange rates.
Citibank (C), HSBC (HSBC), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), RBS (RBS)and UBS (UBS) will collectively pay $1.4 billion to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and about £1.1 billion ($1.75 billion) to the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority. UBS will also make a payment in Switzerland.

The fines are the largest ever imposed by the British regulator, which said it will continue to investigate potential wrongdoing at Barclays (BCS).

In addition, the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said Bank of America (BAC), Citibank and JPMorgan Chase will pay a combined $950 million in penalties.

Some $5 trillion is traded in the global currency market each day, much of it in London. Foreign exchange rates affect the price of imported goods, company earnings and many investments held by pension funds and others.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/11/12/investing/banks-currency-fx-probe/index.html

As you will note this financial piracy conspiracy includes the foreign exchange where our Natinal Socialist gangster PM comes from. Must only be a matter of time when the karma of justice comes to bite J Keys butt and a true financial terroist will get his come uppance 🙂
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November 14, 2014 12:08pm
EAD

I wouldn’t normally share an advert but Sainsburys in the UK have released a Christmas ad that is simply the most stunning advert I’ve seen in my life. True story from the trenches on Christmas Day 1914

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWF2JBb1bvM
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November 14, 2014 12:09pm
Sponge

Oh God, this is going to result in yet more apartheid….

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/63196127/Maori-did-not-give-up-sovereignty-Waitangi-Tribunal
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November 14, 2014 12:16pm
Rachael Membery

Great legacy Judith Collins

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11358182
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November 14, 2014 12:24pm
wreck1080

@sponge: the whole maori thing is heading towards a vicious fight between liberal white academic apologists / maori and the rest of us.

Seriously this could become quite nasty and I just don’t understand why NZ wants to head down this road.
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November 14, 2014 12:25pm
Longknives

Was there ever any doubt the laughably biased Waitangi Tribunal would rule any other way??
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November 14, 2014 12:29pm
Sponge

wreck1080 – I completely agree. There is no way in the world that this is going to be a positive development for anyone in this country other than the usual leeches of the treaty gravy train.
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November 14, 2014 12:32pm
Kea

The Treaty was signed by two parties. We hear an awful lot about the obligations of one signatory, but nothing at all about the obligations of the other.

What exactly did the Maori agree to do & are they meeting their obligations under the Treaty ?

We never hear this discussed.
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November 14, 2014 12:34pm
Redbaiter

Suckholing Key mugs frantically downticking a joke about their lovely little Johnny boy and then whining about the Waitangi Tribunal.

Remember Key was going to do away with the Maori seats and then like just about everything else he promised went back on it. Worse than that, he formed a gratuitous alliance with the race based Maori Party thereby giving strength and prominence to the kind of events you complain of above.

John Key is sucking up to racists and selling New Zealand down the river in return for achieving his selfish ambition of being NZ’s most popular PM.
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November 14, 2014 12:40pm
kowtow

wreck 1080

There’ll be no fight.’The rest of us” will just keep working and/or paying our taxes to keep the permanent political class and its agents ,in this case the part maori permanent political class,who benefit from all this guff, living in a standeard to which they have become accustomed.
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November 14, 2014 12:44pm
publicwatchdog

Cute that it is Deloittes that have been engaged to do this above-mentioned ‘bribery and corruption’ survey?

(Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey 2014)

Seems that Deloittes may have some ‘insider’ knowledge as to how these sort of things work?

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/comment/article-2827741/Number-s-Big-Four-accountants-tax-avoidance-schemes-duff-audits-banks.html

THE PROFESSOR’S VIEW: Number’s up for Big Four accountants behind tax avoidance schemes and duff audits of banks

The UK is drowning in a tide of greed and complacency, not least among wealthy, educated people occupying city offices.

Examples of this can be found amongst the big four accountancy firms: Deloitte & Touche, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young and KPMG, which audit 99 per cent of FTSE 100 and 96 per cent of FTSE 250 companies.

Their global income is around £75billion, of which £25billion comes from tax advice.

They have escaped retribution for their role in tax avoidance and duff audits of banks, some would say because they are ‘too big to close’ and wield enormous political power.

The UK’s tax revenues are under attack from major corporations that use ingenious schemes to dodge taxes.

Behind the headlines is a tax avoidance industry often involving the big four firms.

………………………………

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Penny Bright

Anti-corruption whistle-blower
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November 14, 2014 12:47pm
Yvette

What else can be expected when an extremely badly written bi-lingual real estate agreement between a stone age tribal groupings and a 19th century colonial power is treated as a founding document of a later nation 🙂
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November 14, 2014 12:48pm
publicwatchdog

Miss THIS Kiwibloggers?

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/accounting-forum/call-for-papers/special-issue-on-corruption/

Special Issue on Corruption

Corruption has become a feature of daily press headlines. It is commonly associated with secretive attempts to rent favourable access to economic and political processes either directly or through intermediaries. This may appear as bribery, fraud, abuse and manipulation, giving unfair advantage to some at the expense of others.

The practices categorised as ‘corruption’ can skew political and economic decisions and erode the space for citizens to express their preferences.

Public concern about such processes has heightened as the state and policymaking institutions are increasingly colonised by economic elites and corporate interests, and distinctions between ‘private’ and ‘public’ spheres continue to be reformulated.

Popular media often portrays corrupt practices as unjust, unfair and unethical which can negatively affect distribution of income and wealth, competition, economic growth, human rights, equality, citizen participation and social stability.

One strand of research is legitimised by the Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International.

This offers an almost racialized account of corruption where individuals and countries from Africa, Asia, South and Central America are classified as most corrupt, and countries from the Northern Hemisphere or those embracing neoliberal values are portrayed as least corrupt.

Transparency International’s favourite solution to urge liberalisation of trade, privatisation of state owned enterprises and a general roll back of the state. The difficulty is that the networks of tax havens, banks, lawyers, accountants and other experts associated with the movement of gains from corruption are primarily located in the western world.

That access is not occasionally rented but is deeply institutionalized.

Corruption is not a prerogative of developing countries; it is routinized in almost every sphere in developed countries as corporations compete to maximise shareholder wealth, meet profit targets and increase performance related executive remuneration.

Daily media reports point to the capture of legislators by elites, tax avoidance, price fixing, cartels, money laundering,
mis-selling of financial products, manipulation of interest and foreign exchange rates, fake sales by supermarkets, selling horsemeat as beef and hacking of phones by journalists, to mention just a few examples.

Companies continue to publish glossy social responsibility reports as they offer no ex-ante admission of any of the anti-social practices. Accounting standards do not require any explanation of the profits from corruption.

Accountancy firms are key players in corruption.

As auditors, they are expected to notice red flags and draw attention to anti-social practices but there is little incentive to do so.

They are commercial organisations serving their clients.

They have also demonstrated their corruptibility by willingly participating in money laundering, tax avoidance/evasion schemes, bribery, cartels, insider trading and even falsification of financial statements to enable clients to camouflage the financial state of their affairs.

……….

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Penny Bright

Anti-corruption whistle-blower
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November 14, 2014 12:51pm
Redbaiter

“What else can be expected when an extremely badly written bi-lingual real estate agreement between a stone age tribal groupings and a 19th century colonial power is treated as a founding document of a later nation>”

What else can be expected when a bunch of lazy spineless white dumbarses are too stupid to stand up for themselves?

Colin Craig wanted to address this issue.

Where was the support for 1LAW4All?

Where’s the support for Muriel Newman’s new movement.

Anyone takes a stand against any of this shit all they get is mocking and derision from the lame suckholing Key fan boys. Two ticks for National?? Yeah that’s right. Two ticks for more separatism, socialism and progressivism.

Well, you voted for it, so enjoy it.
8 4
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November 14, 2014 12:59pm
Yvette

Just as the last settlements come into view, a finding is made that from 1840 – for 174 fucking years – the signatories of one of histories most badly written real estate agreements, hadn’t a fucking clue what exactly they were signing, which of course should negate the so-called “Principles of the Treaty”, all references in New Zealand Law to it, and all the settlements ever made for perceived wrongs.
DO PASS “GO” AGAIN – MOST DEFINITELY PICK-UP $200

174 years of corruption, Penny, and not a bloody peep out of you 🙂
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November 14, 2014 1:03pm
stigie

Really Penny…who gives a fuck !~
14 1
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November 14, 2014 1:20pm
cricko

And on a more serious note.

For anyone who watches TV1 @ 7 pm.

How many times on average does Mike Hoskins adjust his jacket by grabbing it below the lapels and
pulling it tighter each evening ? (this is a habit he caught from the TV1 weather man but Hoskins has caught it bad)

What is the record number of times he has adjusted his jacket in one 30 minute show ?
and…
Will his blonde co presenter lay an egg one evening as she giggles out of control at his witty remarks ?
9 3
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November 14, 2014 1:23pm
AgentBallSack

Redbaiter says:

Remember Key was going to do away with the Maori seats and then like just about everything else he promised went back on it. Worse than that, he formed a gratuitous alliance with the race based Maori Party thereby giving strength and prominence to the kind of events you complain of above.

John Key is sucking up to racists and selling New Zealand down the river in return for achieving his selfish ambition of being NZ’s most popular PM.

As opposed to Labour who rely on Maori electorate seats and the pinheads in the unions who are the real power in the party? Still prefer the Government we have to the one we could have got. You would be bitching a blue fit if it was Helen Kelly writing the policy that we have to live by. JK may not be every mans perfect PM but he runs a steady Government.
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November 14, 2014 1:26pm
AgentBallSack

Penny, NZ is one of the least corrupt countries in the world as proved by Deloittes FIRST Corruption and Bribery survey.
15 1
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November 14, 2014 1:35pm
stigie

You are right AgentBallSack, but anytime soon there will more skreeds of shit coming our way so we can scroll straight to the bottom of the said shit to give it a down tick !~
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November 14, 2014 2:05pm
stephieboy

EAD, your argument about the Gold standard is based on the illusory idea that Gold has some kind of intrinsic value based largely on its mystical and physical properties that has attracted people’s down the ages .Its colour, intrinsic beauty ,malebilty to work by goldsmiths and it’s relative scarcity etc.Today value added includes it’s industrial and medical applications.

That is all .Nothing magical at all except what people ascribe to ii and it simply won’t change anything at all.You might as will have a precious metal industrial metal like Titanium or an alloy of it.That’s the fallacy of it Anyway ISIS would need to back up their Gold by the ability to produce goods and services that people will need and want.I can’t see that happening at the rate their going at the moment.All they really have is captured oil fields and the real uncertainty of holding onto them.

We can see that in reality is no differnt to paper currency and especially if iwill be have to be backed up by the ability to produce and make products and services to sell on the world markets .Common sense actually something that gold bugs like zero hedge etc totally lack.
NZ
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November 14, 2014 2:07pm
Manolo

This guy should talk to stephie: http://online.wsj.com/articles/burke-beu-this-democrat-is-giving-up-on-obamacare-1415919619

This Democrat Is Giving Up on ObamaCare. The disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Act was the catalyst for my party’s midterm thumping.
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November 14, 2014 2:18pm
cha

Wondering why Russia is running with the jaunts into the Atlantic and proposing long distance flights to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico most probably resulting in US interceptions?.

Nah, couldn’t be a distraction for popular consumption…..

//

The Russian economy is near stagnation, with continued lowered domestic demand leading to growth of 0.8 percent in the first half of 2014, similar to 0.9 percent in 2013. It was operating on the threshold of recession in the first half of 2014 with quarterly seasonally adjusted growth for the first two quarters close to zero. As a result, Russia’s growth dipped in the first quarter under that of all other relevant comparator country groups. Consumer and business sentiments were already weak in 2013 due to lingering structural problems and contributed to the wait-and-see attitudes of households and companies and leading to a slowdown of the Russian economy to 1.3 percent from 3.4 percent in 2012.

http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/russia/overview
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November 14, 2014 2:36pm
Manolo

Another excellent article by Karl du Fresne: http://karldufresne.blogspot.co.nz/2014/11/when-whanau-places-itself-above-law.html
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November 14, 2014 2:37pm
Odakyu-sen

Well, if the Maori chiefs never ceded sovereignty, then the Treaty must be declared null and void.

Let’s go back to the drawing board, shall we?

Do we want to be one nation or not?
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November 14, 2014 2:49pm
Rightandleft

Having studied the Treaty at uni and taught it for years I have to agree with the Tribunal on this one, the Maori definitely didn’t understand what they were signing away in the English version because the Maori version said something totally different. It promised Kawanatanga to the British, which Maori certainly didn’t understand to mean sovereignty. The Declaration of Independence had promised them all their mana and tino rangatiratanga (sovereignty) and nothing in the Maori version of the Treaty removed that.

However the Tribunal has also now affirmed that the British thought they were acquiring sovereignty in the Treaty. They were just as much in the dark about the meaning of the Maori version as the Maori were about the English one. In other words the two parties never actually came to an agreement and the whole thing is thus null and void. It certainly can’t be called a founding document now and definitely cannot be included in some kind of written constitution.
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November 14, 2014 2:57pm

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