Why is the PSA silent?
April 26th, 2011 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarStuff reports:
Labour has called on the govermnment to halt all decisions on the broadband roll-out because the man responsible for designing it is at the centre of anti-competitive findings against Telecom which resulted in it being fined $12 million in the High Court yesterday.
Labour Communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran says a cloud now hangs over the whole of the government’s broadband scheme as Bruce Parkes was named at the centre of the so-called ”two tails” case.
”The Government is trying to legislate for a 10-year regulatory holiday for Telecom, and Mr Parkes has been involved in the design. An independent review must be urgently conducted of both the process and system of the rural broadband initiative (RBI) and the Ultrafast Broadband scheme (UFB,” she says.
Curran says the review should be undertaken by an international expert as the New Zealand industry is too involved and inter-connected on these issues.
I think it is highly regretable that Labour have attacked a public servant in this manner, on the basis of something he did ten years ago when working at Telecom. Bruce worked diligently for Telecom when he was there, as his job was to get favourable outcomes for Telecom. So through my work at InternetNZ, I often oppossed Bruce and his arguments at fora such as the Commerce Commission.
But he left Telecom, went out to work for Contact Energy, and also became a board member of Citylink. And some time after that got hired by the Chief Executive of the MED to head up their telecommunications section. At the time I commented I thought it was a good appointment – poachers often make the best gamekeepers. People are hired to do a job to the best of their ability, and it is silly to assume you know a person’s views on the basis of their previous jobs.
I am glad Telecom got pinged $12 million for their behaviour over data charges. I recall the days when they charged $1900/month for a product which today is under $100/month. This is why things had to change, and artly resulted in the operational separation of Telecom.
But to suggest that because of something that happend over a decade ago, that Bruce has some how contaminated the UFB and RBI process is unworthy. I’ve been critical of aspects of those processes myself, but smearing a public servant who can’t defend himself is not appropriate behaviour.
The PSA normally publicly defends public servants who get attacked by politicians. Why have they not spoken up on this case?
Tags: Bruce Parkes, Clare Curran
April 26th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
I doubt Bruce is a member of the PSA!
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Regardless they should stand up for the principle.
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
“Regardless they should stand up for the principle.”
Vote:Oh I think they are doing that very well with their silence.
April 26th, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Dear Labour Party
If you want us to pick up the phone again, you need to realise that using your researchers to dig up dirt just doesn’t sit well with most of us, and certainly won’t incline us to vote for you.
Come up with a positive vision for what you would to for New Zealand, and we’ll start listening again.
We really miss having a competent opposition.
Best regards
Some random non-partisan guy
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 5:00 pm
who sold telecom anyway .. lets buy it back. what say you Clare?
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
Yes Rick.
Think they’ll listen, nah me neither.
They ought to have a bit of a think though, because if anything anyone did in their career is now fair game for a political hit job, there are far far more labour leaning public servants than those who might lean right.
Does the PSA want public servants to be political footballs?
Or do they only care when its being done by Nats?
Yes, as M@tt pointed out, they are clearly standing up for a principle, and its handy to have this revealed.
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 5:04 pm
PSA are probably busy tidying up their website after the weekends hilarity.
Vote:I agree with Curran that a 10 year holiday is just stupid and once again another NZ government looking after producers and not consumers. You only have to look at the appalling cell phone charges we have here to realize how dangerous the creation of yet another duopoly, oligopoly at the expense of the taxpayers who are funding this thing.
April 26th, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Sorry don’t agree about Bruce Parkes. He did that and it reflect upon him. The ‘only doing his job of the time’ argument does not wash. He could have chosen not to do it. Where else have we heard “I was only following orders’ .
Vote:Do agree about not giving Telecom free rein.
April 26th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
Well let’s hope Bruce is a PSA member and if so, why doesn’t he actually approach them and see what they do?
That would be entertaining.
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
PSA isn’t that a front for the Labour Party?
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
MM
Re: ‘PSA isn’t that a front for the Labour Party?’
No – it’s their main financial supporter (they’re not exactly short of money for some reason. . . . )
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
The disgusting rape of Telecom and the violation of its property
Vote:rights in the shameful name of the “common good” is a damming indictment of so called freedom loving classic liberals.
April 26th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
No – it’s their main financial supporter
Yes ever since the dasterdly Douglas sold all that stuff, the EPMU has never been the same. I mean it used to work really well, the taxpayer would pay taxes, the govt of the day would assign a shitload of that tax toward paying the public servants and both the PSA and the EPMU would lap up a small % and give it straight back to their Liarbore masters.
It was a perfect virtuous circle, for them. And then all the electricity workers went private, all the railways, all the telecom workers, Air NZ, you name it. The main loser was the poor ole EPMU. Douglas broke the virtuous circle of cradle-to-grave bludging at the highest possible level.
Awwwwwwww.
Vote:April 26th, 2011 at 10:48 pm
Really? When I was a member of the PSA at IRD and got treated like shit, and kept telling the PSA about it, nothing happened. I was even a delegate. All the PSA ever did was send me junk mail trying to get me to apply for an AMEX card. I ended up having to join NUPE.
Vote:April 27th, 2011 at 2:20 am
How about a statutory requirement for a publicly-available ‘Register of Interests’ for ALL central and local government employees involved in property and procurement?
Doesn’t the fact that NZ is ‘so small’ and so ‘interconnected’ make this even more necessary?
Oh yes – not to mention that as NZ is ‘perceived’ to be the ‘least corrupt country in the world’ – therefore arguably we should be the most ‘transparent’, and logically have such safeguards anyway?
Penny Bright
Vote:http://waterpressure.wordpress.com
April 27th, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Bruce worked diligently for Telecom when he was there, as his job was to get favourable outcomes for Telecom.
Wonder how many thousand Telecom shares were part of his renumeration. Wonder where Bruce will be working next year.
[DPF: I am pretty certain that Bruce would not be able to hold shares in any telco company in his current role]
Vote: