Bits and Bytes
Lots to cover in brief. First the Australian political party leader who told off his 17 year old daughter on Facebook, exposing her drunken party photos to the world! Also wonderful is the conversation between two of Alexander Downer’s children on Facebook about why he was so pompous in a photo 
Bernard Hickey complains (as I often have done) that we are paying $79 million into TVNZ6 and TVNZ7 yet they won’t make them available on Sky TV. He quotes former TVNZ Head of News Paul Norris in support – they have a reponsibility to make them widely available and could extend them with a flick of a switch to 700,000 households overnight.
Andrew Bolt has a fascinating exchange with an academic over the “stolen generation”. While there certainly is much in Australia’s past that was deplorable (as in NZ), it is apparent that certain portions of it such as the “stolen generation” have been over-hyped. He cites the example of one Aboriginal leader who claimed to be part of the “stolen” generation who was “taken from my family” but in fact was put up for adoption by her father who could not cope with five children.
Lindsay Perigo writes a moving account of his last face to face meal with Anna Woolf, who is dying of brain cancer. Even just reading his account makes the eyes water – I can’t imagine how hard it is for those who are close to Anna, let alone Anna herself.
The Telegraph points out that if Michael Phelps was a country, he would be coming 5th on the Olympic medal table – ahead of Italy, Russia, Australian and Great Britain.
Frog Blog joins Nick Smith on wondering why DOC is spending so much money on a new corporate brand, when it has just laid off 60 workers to save money.
Liberty Scott exposes Sue Kedgley’s scaremongering over cellphone towers. Good God, this debate was settled over a decade ago in terms of science. I’d be more inclined to take Sue’s campaign against the towers seriously if she’d give up her cellphone.
Lindsay Mitchell covers the launch of a second Maori based party. The Hapu Party is led by David Rankin, and three policies to date:
- To have Maori eligible for the pension at age 56, because of the lower life-expectancy of Maori
- To introduce a flat rate 18% personal tax and GST rate.
- To immediately allocate all treaty settlement money directly to hapu and marae
They have me with policy No 2. Policy No 3 is between Iwi and Hapu to resolve in my opinion, and Policy No 1 has no chance. Worryingly for the Maori Party, Rankin also talks of financial irregularities with a Maori Party MP and a SFO complaint.
August 14th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Now, if we could get Michael Phelps to shack up with Jennifer Thompson (has won 8 gold medals for swimming) imagine the children. They’d have fins and gills and propellers. woohoo.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
One should get a financial estimate of how much value would be lost from TVNZ as a company if sole satellite delivery platform was Sky ( freeview would die without unique channels ), it would give Sky massive advertising leverage over TVNZ.
But in the end why should the taxpayer own a major broadcaster, Maori TV does a better job of public broadcasting than TVNZ & NZ Onair covers the rest, flick it off & let Murdoch fight whoever buys TVNZ.
Maybe I’m biased I bought a 6k TV which Sky has deemed inadequate to use for HD so I’ll be damned if I want any of my tax dollars subsidising their advertising/subscription revenue.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
On the Aussie “Stolen Generation”:
Roger SANDALL: “Downunder Dilemmas: Intellectuals, Indigenes, and Denial”
http://www.rogersandall.com/Spiked_Downunder-Dilemmas.php
Keith WINDSCHUTTLE: “Don’t let Facts spoil the day”
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23182149-28737,00.html
Theodore DALRYMPLE: “Why Intellectuals Like Genocide”
http://www.newenglishreview.org/custpage.cfm/frm/8744/sec_id/8744
August 14th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
“To have Maori eligible for the pension at age 56, because of the lower life-expectancy of Maori”
Not a bad idea, smokers could be eligible for the pension at 45 using the same logic. Tee-totalling wowsers would have to wait till 75, and Winston would have to wait till 150 because he will never die.
August 14th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
No tax for Maori – it wasn’t in the Treaty. On a pro-rata basis of course – full blood Maori = 0%, etc.
August 14th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
LC , No tax for Maori, whats a bet the Maori population grows by 3.5 million people, it would be one of those unexplained miracles.
August 14th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
“No tax for Maori ”
really? – how many are paying it now?
August 14th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Yeah I’d join a tribe – maybe Ngati Brisbane
August 14th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
I think Sky could probably get TVNZ 7 tomorrow if they put prime on free view… but hey, with freeview I’m enjoying tvnz 7 a whole lot more than I miss prime so no big loss to me. And I second whoever said above that Maori tv is better than TVNZ, it’s a damn fine channel. Code is the best sports discussion show on tv, a lot better than the rehashed and desperate looking Sports Cafe. That’s like watching your father trying to play junior representative sport, you’re too far gone mate!
August 15th, 2008 at 2:14 am
I agree with Bernard Hickey sentiments. TVNZ6 and TVNZ7 should be made available to Sky TV.
$79 million for TVNZ6 and TVNZ7 is a complete waste of taxpayer’s money. I’d scrap the allocation and sell off TVNZ.
August 15th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Talking about bites and bytes,,
I have jst found out I am a non being on kiwi blog
I don’t apear on the members list and my comments aren’t registered.
I really am a Ghost who walks (gww)
David also won’t delete D4J’s lies about me that came up on Google
So I’ve become a non entity that’s allowed to have slander published about him
I’m just like a unique rabbit,, I neek up on you.
Thanks David .