Kiwiblog

An excellent blog by David Young at Pundit:

On Friday, all of New Zealand’s main online media outlets reported the news, with headlines like “New Zealand forest ecosystem crisis” and “New Zealand’s forests disappearing“. The rationale for the story was that US environmental group Conservation International had concluded that our forests are currently “the second most threatened in the world”.

Radio New Zealand reported, “Only Myanmar is reportedly worse than New Zealand and countries often criticised for deforestation – such as China and the Philippines – fare better.”

The media’s attention appears to have been directed to this startling news by the Green Party’s Kevin Hague, who issued a press release (“World’s eyes focus on New Zealand’s disappearing forests“) that said, “New Zealand stands at the brink of losing some of our most precious plants and animals unless the Government works smarter to protect them”.

Sounds awful doesn’t it. Only nasty old Burm is worse than us.

I went in search of what Radio New Zealand and Mr. Hague called the “report” that sparked this reportage. It turned out not to be a new research paper, but a press release issued by Conservation International to bring attention to the launch of the International Year of Forests.

I always try to read the source report also, when something comes out ranking NZ. Unless you know the criteria they use, the ranking is useless.

First of all, I thought this might be because of Conservation International’s measurement criteria. in determining which forests in the world are the most at risk of disappearing, Conservation International didn’t measure anything as obvious as current deforestation rates. It didn’t count the percentage of forest that was protected.

What it claimed to have done was to calculate New Zealand’s “original” forest cover. Which it considered to be 100% of New Zealand. Then it claimed that only five percent of the “original” cover is left.

Another criteria for inclusion in the list was that forests have at least 1,500 endemic plant species.

And that combination was apparently how we ended up second.

So the ranking was not based on any current deforestation rates. It is all based on the fact we have lots of plants and 150 years ago lots of trees got chopped down. We’d have that ranking regardless of anytthing we are currently doing.

But even setting this objection aside, the numbers appeared plain wrong. About 6.5 million hectares of New Zealand is covered in native forest. That’s close to 25 percent, and a long way from 5 percent. Even Conservation International’s own figures don’t match the claim.

So. even on their stupid criteria, they also got the data wrong. Will they admit this? they they have said:

CORRECTION: The press release distributed originally in February 2nd reported erroneously that New Zealand was #2 in the ranking, when New Caledonia is actually #2.

So it turns out that we are not even in the top ten. Will mainstream media report this correction?

It’s disturbing that neither the Green Party MP who trumpeted the news in New Zealand, nor the media who reported it, seemed to spend any time looking at the “report” itself.

Neither Mr. Hague, his press secretary, nor a series of reporters and sub-editors stopped to think that the figures might be just a little counterintuitive. They just shared the grim news.

Well done David Young for actually reading the report.

Debbie Monahan, the .nz Domain Name commissioner, blogs:

If Kiwis needed any further evidence of the value of a .nz name, hosted in New Zealand, recent stories about US Homeland Security seizing domain names held by non-US organisations should provide it. The most recent of these is a Spanish name which the courts in Spain had declared legal at the end of their legal process but which was seized by Homeland Security anyway.
http://www.expertulpc.com/tech/homeland-security-seizes-spanish-domain-name-that-had-already-been-declared-legal-01028101

This is a worry. The domain name is question was rojadirecta.org and it is registered to a Spanish company, was found to be legal by two Spanish courts, and was hosted on Spanish servers.

However the .org registry is in the United States, and even though it is meant to be a generic global domain (the US has .us), a US government agency has managed to get the domain name yanked.

In addition to the benefit of a .nz domain name identifying New Zealand, .nz Registrants also have a policy framework that protects Registrants rights and ensures that organisations like the US Homeland Security can’t just come in and seize a .nz name.

I never thought of this as a benefit of .nz, but freedom from US Homeland Security can now be added to the list.

(Note I am a director of the .nz Domain Name Commission Ltd)

The Daily Telegraph reports:

Tom Hunt in the Dom Post reports:

Now there’s another reason to get dressed up for next year’s NZI Sevens – a proposed $50,000 prize pool for the best dressed.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown is calling on business leaders to contribute to the pool, with Museum Hotel owner Chris Parkin already pitching in $5000.

“The fans bring so much energy, colour and fun into the city,” Ms Wade-Brown said.

“They volunteer their time and creativity and the result is marvellous costumes and a carnival atmosphere that adds considerable value to Wellington’s brand, so I think it’s time we recognised the contribution of the fans.”

Mr Parkin said though it was too early to say how the prizes would be divided, he imagined the first prize would be about $10,000.

That’s a great idea. If they announced the winners just before the cup final, it would give the stadiuma a huge buzz. And a great incentives for people to stay fun and creative.

Five Thirty Eight have done this very useful graphical representation of the GOP potential candidates (none have yet formally declared).

The size of each bubble is related to their current chances to win on Intrade. The colours are what region they come from, and the two axises are labelled.

I’ve had the view for a while that Pawlenty could win the nomination, as other candidates get knocked out, and this graph shows he is positioned quite well. Being an insider helps in some regards but if you look like a total insider, then grassroots support may be harder to get.

Romney’s major problem is he is seen as not conservative enough.

Haley Barbour is in a pretty good position also, and could do quite well. Time will tell.

It didn’t get reported much, but it was quite significant. John Key said that if National is returned to office, then it will offer the Maori Party a role in Government – even if they are not needed to govern.

This will of course upset some on the right, but it does set up an interesting dynamic if the Maori Party do hold the balance of power.

Labour’s stance on the Maori Party used to “haters and wreckers” and then “last cab off the rank”, and even in this election, Labour is trying to win seats off them and presumably would only offer the Maori Party a role in Government if it has to do so, to gain the numbers.

So if the Maori Party do hold the balance of power, they’ll have a choice between a party which says you are welcome in Government even if we do not need your support to govern, and a party which says we don’t want a bar of you unless we need you.

Jonathan Marshall in the SST reports:

Auckland Mayor Len Brown said last year he’d start commuting to work by train – and he did. But while he rides, his mayoral car, a V6 Holden Commodore, kept in his home garage, makes the same trip via the motorway with no passenger.

Critics claim his ticket to ride is a PR stunt that’s doing nothing about pollution or congestion.

On Friday the super city’s first mayor completed – for the fourth time – his $5.10 journey from Papatoetoe to the downtown Britomart transport hub, travelling with mayoral aide Jansje Tobeck, and walking 1.1km from Britomart to his office.

But with his driver on the motorway into Auckland at the same time, comparisons are being drawn with New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was caught in 2007 boasting of catching the subway from his home when he was having his limousine drive him from his home to a station closer to his destination.

On Friday Brown’s driver Ronald Showler arrived at the mayor’s home around 7.40am, having travelled the 11km from his house in his own car.

Moments later Tobeck arrived in her car, driving 19km from her east Auckland home in order to car- pool with Brown to Papatoetoe station, while Showler began the 25km trip to the city.

Len seems to not understand how most people use public transport. It sort of defeats the purpose to have your car follow the train to work. The idea of public transport is you walk to a bus stop, bus to the train station and then take the train to work, and do it in reverse in the evening. That way you leave the car at home.

An original, sent in by a reader. Very good.

The Herald on Sunday editorial:

Key’s announcement has not necessarily spiked Peters’ guns, but it has given voters a stark choice. “If Winston Peters holds the balance of power,” he said this week, “it will be a Phil Goff-led Labour government.”

In fact, voters already had a stark choice: do they want to return to the style of politics that Peters represents? For a return it would be, in the sense of being a seriously retrograde step. …

He is a skilled practitioner of divisive demagoguery, using alarmist and inflammatory language, in particular to cynically foment feeling against immigrants.

A 2005 NZPA article reminds us of some of them:

“There is a significant percentage of Asians in Auckland. That’s my view. If you don’t like it, vote for another party and let race relations go into chaos.” – Peters, in 2005.

“We have now reached the point where you can wander down Queen Street in Auckland and wonder if you are still in New Zealand or some other country.” – Peters announcing “flying squads” to search for potentially risky immigrants.

“The government’s lax immigration laws are changing the face of our country forever. At this rate, it won’t take long for New Zealand to be unrecognisable.” – In a statement headlined “New Zealand — The Last Asian Colony”.

“We are being dragged into the status of an Asian colony and it is time that New Zealanders were placed first in their own country.” – In July 2004, following a government decision to increase the number of new migrants in the coming year.

It bemuses me that so many activists on the left are putting all their hopes on Winston – they should be the ones demanding that Labour also rules out dealing with him. Power before principles though.

How many protesters at Waitangi were not relatives of Hone Harawira? Any?

Matt McCarten writes in the HoS:

In two quick simple decisions John Key transformed this year’s election, turning the tables on his opponents.

Setting the election date for November 26 was signalled well in advance. But I can’t remember any time when an incumbent prime minister didn’t keep the opposition (and the country) guessing on an election date right up until he or she popped up to the Governor-General to resign.

This one small perk of power was to keep your opposition off guard about dates. As someone who has had to run a few campaigns, it matters.

Not knowing when you can book venues, travel and events does matter.

The assured manner Key has gone about his announcement shows a confidence that should unnerve Phil Goff. To most voters Key has merely made a practical and transparent decision without any apparent political advantage.

The ones who will most be grateful to Key for the early announcement will be the Electoral Commission – they get nine months to organise an election, instead of six weeks. It means venues for polling places can be booked with certainity.

But the real stinger that deserves high praise was Key’s kneecapping of National nemesis Winston Peters.

Over recent months Peters has been slowly but consistently gaining support in the polls to the point where he could quite possibly once again have become the kingmaker in any post-election negotiations.

In one swipe Key has almost certainly dealt Peters a mortal blow. More importantly he got Goff as well. It’s a bold and gutsy move. Key made his fortune by taking calculated risks and he’s made what I suspect is a winning chess move. …

In one swoop Key gives us two choices of government after the election – a government led by him or a Labour/NZ First/Greens alternative. Voters make your choice.

I was astonished Goff and Peters claimed Key was naive and arrogant. It was a masterstroke.

And even better it was the right thing to do.

Goff has no choice but to accept Peters as his ally and this will hurt him. Any votes NZ First now gets won’t come from anyone who wants Key as prime minister.

Indeed. A vote for Winston is a vote for Goff to be PM, and a vote for Labour is a vote for Winston to be a Minister.

Key is positioning himself as the forward-looking positive leader and Goff is saddled with the old bodgie. Given the fact Goff was first in cabinet 36 years ago, to say he’s looking a bit tired is an understatement.

26 years ago. But it has been 42 years since Phil Goff joined the Labour Party.

Goff’s cautious reshuffle of his frontbench reinforces the problem. Only one change in the front bench at the same time as every old Helen Clark hack keeps their job.

It signals Goff does not have control of his caucus, he is timid by nature or he hasn’t got enough talent in his caucus. I suspect it’s all three.

I think it is more the first.

The SMH reports:

Have you ever Googled your name and come up with a Canadian porn star, a Chilean accountant and a Scottish chicken farmer? And none of them was you?

These people are your googlegangers, a term named yesterday the Macquarie Dictionary word of the year.

It’s a noun, meaning ”a person with the same name as oneself, whose online references are mixed with one’s own among search results for one’s name”.

Dictionary editor Susan Butler said it was a neat and witty blend of the words Google and doppelganger.

I like it. I have a fair few Googlegangers. There’s the former English actor. Also the Provost of the University of British Columbia. And an Appeal Court Judge in Nova Scotia. Oh yeah sadly a David Farrar was also a murder victim a while back in the US.

And also in the news a bit, is the East Baton Rouge Parish Library Director.

.

The Australian reports:

THE Commonwealth Bank has threatened its employees with disciplinary action, including dismissal, if they do not report criticism of the bank made by others on social media channels, including Facebook.

The Finance Sector Union yesterday demanded the suspension of the bank’s new social media policy, accusing it of trying to restrict freedom of expression.

Bank employees have been told they must immediately notify their manager if they become aware of “inappropriate or disparaging content and information stored or posted by others”, including non-employees, in the “social media environment”.

It says the content may damage the bank and its reputation.

“For example, your friend could post an inappropriate comment about the group on your Facebook page or create a blog about the group,” the policy says.

As well as notifying their manager, employees must assist the bank with any investigation into the material, and its removal.

This goes way way too far, and on this issue I’m all with the union. You absolutely should not slag your employer off on Facebook, but you have no duty at all to report online criticisms of your employer to them. Employees are not the Internet Police in their spare time.

I mean it really is so stupid to be almost laugable – requiring you to nark on your friends if they criticise your employer online.

Chris Trotter is very sceptical of a new left party:

No, the people I worried about (and I was not alone) were the 50 to 60 Trotskyites, Maoists, “Permanent Revolutionaries”, Treaty fanatics, hard-core feminists and uncompromising environmentalists who would climb aboard this new political vehicle like Baader-Meinhof terrorists boarding a jet-liner.

Chris is referring to the founding of the New Labour Party.

A crucial element in the success of Jim Anderton (ex-Labour) and Winston Peters (ex-National) was the large number of experienced election campaigners who rallied to their side. These people didn’t have to be taught how to fund-raise, organise a canvassing drive or run an election-day system – they already knew.

“No worries,” say the promoters of a New Left Party, “we’ll just game the MMP system by recruiting Hone Harawira. That way we can avoid the necessity of winning 5 per cent of the party vote. If it’s good enough for Rodney Hide in Epsom, it’s good enough for us.”

Hmmmm? Not sure that’s the slogan you’re looking for, Comrades. Besides, if you really think an electorally poisonous bunch of eco-anarchists, Maori nationalists, unreconstructed 80s feminists and hard-core Marxist-Leninists are going to attract anything like ACT’s vote in 2008, then you’re away with the fairies.

However they will have McCarten, who is a very good organiser.

Just consider the stats: The combined 2008 vote of New Zealand’s Centre-Left parties (Labour Party, Greens, Progressives) was 975,734 or 41.62 per cent of the party vote. Altogether, the Far-Left parties (Alliance, Workers Party, RAM – Residents Action Movement) attracted just 3306 votes or 0.14 per cent.

It’s nowhere near enough, Comrades. Even if he won every vote in Te Tai Tokerau, Hone would still be on his own.

I think Chris overlooks one key thing. The number of activists on the left who are dismayed by Goff-led Labour.

Famous in Kuwait, a chap named Mark, main author of the popular 248am.com blog, is being sued byJapanese chain restaurant Benihana for giving a bad review of the food.

http://www.248am.com/mark/kuwait/im-being-sued-by-benihana/

The offending blog post (http://www.248am.com/mark/kuwait/my-benihana-experience/) appears incredibly mild in comparison to what might be found in New Zealand (isn’t that right, WhaleOil?) -  he even praises the staff.  Reading through the comments, you’ll find fake posts lauding the restaurant, followed eventually by threats from the restaurant manager, one Mike Servo, including the bizarre and seemingly racist query “BTW, are you Lebanese?” (which, incidentally, Mark is).

Mark’s lawyer has advised it will take two years for a court decision, but it seems to me that’s an optimistic opinion.  I’m curious as to how things will go from a second point of view also – Kuwait’s legal system is a bit behind the times and will not  admit emails as evidence, so I’m wondering how they will deal with the admissibility of blog posts and comments.

It’s well known in Kuwait that you want to avoid publically critising the State, but since when did we have to keep quiet about a bad meal?  Even the attempt to sue sets a disturbing precedent, but it’s fantastic to see just how much support Mark has received from both blogs and mainstream media.

Friends who dine at my house, watch out!

3 News has a story on Julie Tyler who is facing the sack from Burger King after she said on Facebook “Real jobs don’t under pay and over work people like BK does!”.

They also have a copy of the official letters from BK.

Sometimes an employer can over-react to comments on Facebook, but in this case I don’t think Burger King is over-reacting. She directly slagged her employer off in a public forum.

If she had not named the employer, then that would not be an issue. Likewise if an employee just posts about a bad day at work, then an employer might be over-reacting to take action. But the comments made by Tyler undermine the good faith needed in the employer/employee relationship.

As it happens, she was also on a final warning for swearing and customer relations.

3 News has a copy of the Flavell complaint about Hone Harawira. Extracts:

Firstly, while it is totally acceptable that we as a caucus have different views about various matters within the Party or caucus, it is appropriate that these issues are discussed internally.

This is standard in all parties. Hone has done nothing but attack his own party and colleagues for several weeks – he can’t really expect there to be no consequences for that.

This statement is made by one of our members who actually shaped the Bill, contributed to the discussions, heard the debate, saw the briefing papers and had direct access to the Minister. When I questioned him myself about why he was against it, he raised issues which I suggested he should take to the Minister. He decided he would not, in fact he stated that he had no intention of seeking any answers. He went on to issue a statement about the short comings of the Bill some of the points of which were incorrect.   And to be quite frank, this Bill is our Bill – there is no question in my mind that unless we had negotiated as we did in our coalition agreement, that National would never have considered there to be any need to repeal the 2004 Act and develop an alternative legislative framework.

It is interesting that Harawira turned down opportunities to work within the system – he just does the easy option of mouthing off in public.

And Flavell is right that without the Maori Party asking for it, the Foreshore & Seabed Act would probably have not been reviewed or replaced.

I have lost trust and confidence in Hone to work as a part of our team and relationships have disintegrated to the disadvantage of our Party. For us to continue in this way is to see the situation worsen and have a huge impact on the long term future of our Party.

As Hone has shown not one ounce of compromise, I think it is inevitable he will be expelled – not because they want to, but because they have to. If he really wants to stay within the Maori Party, he has to gve them a reason to trust him.

Jo Gilbert in The Press reports:

Joelee Waszczak was excitedly preparing for the start of student life with a $5000 Emerging Leaders’ Scholarship from Canterbury University and UE under her belt.

But her plans were stymied, Waszczak said, when the university told the Christchurch 18-year-old she could not enrol as she had not fulfilled all entry requirements in 2010.

She hadn’t done a couple of literacy credits my mistake, but she then gained the credits in January.

When she spoke to the university, she said she was told she would now have to apply to enrol in the second semester, which would mean she would miss the benefits of her scholarship.

The UC Emerging Leaders’ Scholarship recognises secondary school pupils for their top academic achievement, potential leadership and sporting/cultural involvement.

Aside from the $5000 fee scholarship, students are involved in an 11-month leadership programme, which starts just before the academic year begins on February 21.

“I really want to start in the first semester and I need to because of my scholarship,” Waszczak said.

“That’s why I dealt with it [the credit gap] as quickly as I did.”

You’ve got a bright high achieving student who wants to start attending university in February. There are times where the strict procedures should be waived to do the right thing, and this is clearly one of those times.

Stuff has 62 photos here. Some of the costumes I like best are below:

Very cool butterfly costumes.

Very original.

One has to be hot in those costumes.

I think the Aussies have invaded.

Scoop also has some great photos – Part I and Part II and Part III and Part IV.

Some angels

and devils to counter the angels

And the NZ Herald also has a collection of 39 photos.

Trish and the Gingerbread Men.

Andrew Little was on Morning Report today. I can’t recall which of his hats he was on as, but anyway he was talking unemployment. He said the Government needs to invest mreo in infrastructure to create jobs, specifcally:

“It complains about debt, it doesn’t make a distinction between public debt and private debt, actually the Government does have the means to continue at least spending on infrastructure projects that are about building assets and that are about creating real work. It is the very role the Government should be playing at the time of an economic downturn and it appears to have stepped aside from playing that role.”

But this is exactly what the Government is doing. It has not put a lot of money into social spending programmes like in the US, but it has increased and acclerated its infrastructure programme. Specifically:

• The Government has embarked on the single biggest infrastructure investment programme ever over the next five to seven years.
• It is spending $7.5 billion through the Budget process over five years. In addition it has increased spending on State Highways to over a $1 billion a year and is spending more than ever before on upgrading the National Grid. All up the Government is spending about $6 billion a year and rising.

Without this unprecedented level of investment in infrastructure, the construction sector would be in a bad way.

Andrew is also quoted as saying by the presenter:

While John Key insists there is an improving economic picture, Andrew Little says there is little change on the horizon to a flat market for New Zealand’s products and he says that in the next few weeks between 200 and 250 will be made redundant from the manufacturing sector with employers reviewing other positions as well.

The manufacturing sector though is actually a growing sector. The HLFS has the total number of manufacturing jobs growing by around 12,000 in the last quarter and 17,000 in the last year.

The job losses are in the financial and education sectors, not manufacturing.

Bernard Orsman writes in the Herald:

Just one in four of Mayor Len Brown’s “100 projects in 100 days” are new projects initiated from scratch, according to a Herald analysis.

The mayor yesterday released a list of the 100 projects he promised in his first 100 days, which ticks over on February 8.

Mr Brown, who promised “we will see things really fly” when he began his programme, has acknowledged many projects were already in progress in one way or another.

The Herald has counted 25 projects that appear to have been initiated from scratch by Mr Brown. Of the 25, Mr Brown has made visible progress on five – removing graffiti from the historic Yates Building in Auckland, beginning regular Mayor in the Chair meetings at town centres, rotating council meetings around the region, establishing an Auckland First XV for the Rugby World Cup, and organising a bus tour of the region for councillors.

I think Len Brown has been silly with his 100 projects boast. There was no need to make the claim, and the end result has been that the areas in which he has made good progress, get overshadowed by the inclusion of the dubious stuff on the list.

I don’t think Len has done a bad job to date. Sure a couple of decisions I disagree with, but overall a reasonably solid performance. But if he gets a perception that he is more about the spin, than the substance, it will harm him.

Citizens & Ratepayers co-leader Christine Fletcher said nearly 100 days into the council, councillors and local board members were still waiting to know what the strategic priorities were for the council.

“I hope in the next 100 days, the mayor gives priority to establishing the role of our local boards and to establish what the key priorities of the council are going to be,” she said.

I have to agree with Chris. It would be great to get the role and powers of the local boards finalised – so most decisions can be made locally, not regionally.

The Taranaki Daily News reports:

A campaign urging Waitara people to boycott a new food outlet has backfired, with the business posting its busiest day yet.

Town and Country Food owner Hoyt Khuon said yesterday was one of his busiest days since the shop opened one month ago.

About 100 people had phoned him offering their support and apologising for Ms George’s behaviour, he said.

“I say `don’t worry about it. I’m just loving what I’m doing here’.”

I love it that this campaign backfired. It might make a more intelligent person reconsider the wisdom of what they are doing.

Mr Khuon, 31, came to New Zealand as a refugee in 1998 and lived with his grandmother in Hamilton before he moved to Waitara six weeks ago.

“I’m a Kiwi, I have a New Zealand passport.

This was the first time he had owned his own business.

I think it is great that someone who came here as a refugee, could become a small business owner. That is the Kiwi way.

Ms George said she apologised to the council and the community “for bringing them into disrepute”.

She also apologised for saying she would investigate the immigration status of Mr Khuon and his employees.

“It was in the heat of the moment. I’m not playing the race game.”

On Wednesday she accused Town and Country Food of being a franchise which was “sucking the community dry”.

Mr Khuon said that Town and Country was not a franchise.

Recently Mrs George spent $20,000 fitting out half of a shop she owned in Waitara for an Indian restaurant franchise Masala Express, which was owned by a New Plymouth resident.

So she is landlord to a franchise – while arguing against franchises.

I have an idea for Mr Khoun. Why doesn’t he stand for the District Council at the next election. I suspect he would romp in.