Blog Bits
Poneke has had Wellington Mayor Kerry Predergast comment on on of his posts regarding public transport. Excellent to see Kerry being responsive.
The Hive has a leaked confidential e-mail from the CEO to the Chair of the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development regarding potential conflicts of interest.
Not PC disapproves of my lack of purity on wanting free to air TV delivered on all platforms, or to specifically quote him:
Jawohl, Herr Farrar!
Sheesh. At least when Jim Neanderton insists on a “right” to free-to-air TV he’s honest enough to call himself a socialist.
Whale Oil’s family gets bigger.
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February 15th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Huh! Regarding Kerry Prendergast’s worries about Transmission Gully, what REALLY bothers her is that the region’s retail trade will all head North once it is built and Wellington will end up a ghost town.
It is all very well for her to agonise now over the need for action on Nguaranga-Airport, but where was she when the green lobby stopped this happening 20 years ago?
If you ask me, Wellington deserves to die a natural death by strangulation, given their attitudes to roading over the last 20 years. The apathetic majority is just as much to blame as the green activists.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
And on the cost of trains: HIGHLY RELEVANT:
http://www.publicpurpose.com/ut-trchoice.htm
Key point: a bunch of economists designed an ideal city crisscrossed by railway lines and dotted with stations, that everybody would use rather than cars. COST OF RUNNING THE RAIL SYSTEM:? MORE THAN THE TOTAL EARNING CAPACITY OF THE CITY’S POPULATION!
Cost of typical systems today are covered by: Fares; 20% approx…..
Subsidies; 80% approx……
So we want MORE of this, do we…….?
DUHHHH! DUHHHH! DUHHHH!
February 15th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Peter Nielsen was my boss briefly a number of years ago. It is rather unlike Peter to notify people of such a possible COI…but good on him for saying something. it seems a little strange to a be CEO of supposedly independent entity of whether emissions trading comes in and then to be an investor (no disclosing what level of investment) in an entity that will benefit from it. It looks to me that it is a letter written post a conversation with the Chair on the topic.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Not much commenting here, so I’m hoping I’m forgiven for this somewhat off topic post.
Do many subscribe to McCully’s newsletter? Brilliant stroy on government waste in today’s edition. Needs further exposure, so I’m posting it here. Man, this country is just so fucked up.
(I’d recommend McCully’s newsletter. You can subscribe here)
http://www.mccully.co.nz/
Story-
———————————————-
Our Productive Public Service
Wondering why the size and cost of the public service is blowing through the roof? Well, a small indication may be discerned from emails, thoughtfully leaked to the worldwide headquarters of mccully.co by frustrated public servants in recent weeks, outlining the lengthy process by which Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) chief executive Brendan Boyle was to be farewelled by that department and welcomed into the same role at Internal Affairs.
Staff of LINZ received a memo advising that on 4 February “LINZ manuhiri” would “gather at 9.15 am at DIA for welcome at 9.30 am. The Internal Affairs Office is across Lambton Quay from LINZ,” the memo helpfully informed.
The programme then provided for:
“Department of Internal Affairs Tangata whenua (staff) welcome Brendan and LINZ staff. Speeches (Whaikoreo) and waiata (songs) in Te Reo.
“LINZ response – speeches and songs in Te Reo
“Transfer of Brendan from LINZ to Department of Internal Affairs at 10.05ish. Speeches.
“At 10.30ish the formal part of the process will close, and the proceedings will open for English to be spoken. Speeches to follow from Kevin Kelly the GM Policy LINZ, Annette Offenberger the Acting CE DIA and Brendan Chief Executive DIA.
“Conclusion with morning tea (Kapu ti/Kai) at 10.45ish, followed by farewell (Poroporoaki), Informal mixing of LINZ/DIA staff.”
So that’s the whole morning cut (and probably the early part of the afternoon) for a bundle of senior public servants (all of whom are no doubt drawing salaries in excess of those paid to our elected representatives, but let’s not be churlish). But wait, there’s more:
“In preparation for this,” the memo advises, “you have already been advised of a number of waiata practice sessions.” These are listed as being from 12.30 to 1.30 on the 18th, 23rd and 25th of January. Then there’s the “rehearsal for the Powhiri” scheduled from noon to 2.00pm on Tuesday 29th”.
“If you intend going to the welcome, attendance at these is recommended,” staff are advised.
But, dear taxpayers, never fear. The nation’s public servants are ever sensitive to the prospect that large numbers of highly paid public servants might be diverted from their important duties. The note advises:
“Due to a limit of 60 LINZ people that can be accommodated at Internal Affairs, would you please register attendance..”
Isn’t that reassuring?
February 15th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Kerry Prendergast:
Gosh, I bet the thousands of commuters jammed onto the Wellington “motorway” are thinking “Well gosh, at least this trail of bumper-to-bumper cars stretching from Wellington to Petone and Johnsonville produces a pleasing urban form”.
And carbon emissions?! How much carbon is emitted by thousands of cars idling in a jam versus running at optimum speed up Transmission Gully?
PhilBest is right. There are so many errors going back so long on Wellington roading… like idiots who thought three lanes of laughably short “motorway” could be funnelled through a one lane tunnel and then stopped at a set of traffic lights. That used to provide overseas visitors with a good laugh.
Years ago I recall Wellington MPs forming a cross-party “action group” to deal with the problem, with Peter Dunne strutting and puffing about how they were going to solve the “crisis”. Anyone know what astonishing solutions they produced?
February 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Bloody hell Redbaiter that’s a classic! “Transfer of Brendan from LINZ to Department of Internal Affairs”. I get this image of them wheeling in a huge cake and him popping out wearing a sash and singing (in Maori of course).
But I need more info… did the “waiata practice sessions” cover hand and body movements? Is the DIA CE now adept at the poi? Or is his skill with the taiaha such that more junior staff cower when summoned to his office?
What happened to the days when you packed your cardigan collection and spare grey plastic zip-up shoes and traipsed up Lambton Quay with your stuff in a cardboard box?
February 15th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Why do all Whale’s sponsored kids look so damned depressed about it?
Anyway, in the spirit of Friday afternoon absolute thread randomness: PETA says Britney’s problems are all down to meat and dairy products. Hopefully they’ll recruit some Hollywood drug dealers for their next campaign: “Got coke? (and we don’t mean the soda)”.