Anything which stops the sales is a good thing??
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarStuff reports:
Labour leader David Shearer said anything which stopped the sale of state-owned assets was a “good thing”.
So, for example, another massive earthquake which destroyed half the country’s hydro-dams and hence stopped the partial floats, would be a good thing?
I think it shows how unbalanced Labour have got on this issue.
Related posts:
- United Future and asset sales
- Asset Sales Labour v National
- Fran on Asset Sales
- Thanks to Mana, we have asset sales
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:01 pm
I think ‘unbalanced’ sums this up nicely.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:01 pm
I CAN’T BELIEVE DAVID SHEARER SAID HE WISHED A MASSIVE EARTHQUAKE ON THE COUNTRY’S HYDRO-DAMS!
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:04 pm
No. That’s stupid.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:05 pm
I think this post shows how unbalanced David Farrar has gotten in his partisanship
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:08 pm
OH SO HYDRO-DAMS ARE STUPID NOW GRAEME OMG
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 pm
SOE ,Shearer obsessive expressions.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 pm
You’re inventing scenarios out of the context in which Shearer was speaking.
You might as well have put in an alien invasion scenario as it’s just as relevant.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:09 pm
UR USING ELECTRIC FROM HYDRO-DAMS TO SAY THAT HYDRO-DAMS R STUPID GRAEME U IDIUT LOL
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:11 pm
Quick search on Kiwiblog for “anything would be better than” or “I would do anything” brings up:
ref: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2012/08/of_choice_commitment_sex_desire_and_love.html
There we have it. Straight for the Horse’s mouth/blog! David Farrar would [insert something outrageous here].
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:12 pm
Shearer and the rest of the Socialist Party nutters are unhinged. He and they are economic traitors. They would love to see the economy collapse so they could say ‘told you so”. Loyal Kiwis must stand against the Socialist Party/Greens/NZ1. IF they ever get to occupy the Treasury Benches then God defend NZ cause no one else will
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:13 pm
Last one I gave a test to couldn’t even spell its name correctly!
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Wow. Farrar has turned into a woman on her period.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:16 pm
OH STANDARDISED TESTING 4 HYDRO-DAMS IS IT GRAEME WHY DO YOU HATE FREEDOM
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:17 pm
Ryan and Graeme – LOL
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:19 pm
DPF has mates for whom he would abolish freedom.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:20 pm
So, for example, another massive earthquake which destroyed half the country’s hydro-dams and hence stopped the partial floats, would be a good thing?
That is so insightful.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:27 pm
Come for the cutting edge political analysis, stay for the hillarious pisstaking in the comments.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:30 pm
Yes, but is the partial sales of the assets a good thing? As Bob Jones writes:
“Since the advent of the industrial revolution every business has sought the bliss of a monopoly. The competitive market economy denies that, except in unique situations, such as for example with our hydro electricity generating dams. So why sell them?
Here the Government becomes a little slippery. To reduce debt, says the Finance Minister, despite our public debt being low by world standards and interest rates never being lower. To enable future capital-raising, argues the PM, overlooking that if, as an appeasement to objectors, the Government intends retaining half ownership, it will still be up for 50 per cent of any capital-raising while receiving only half the previous dividend return.
Our existing dams are monopolies, thanks to the greenies’ wrong assertion that they always damage the environment. They certainly can do, such as the ill-considered enormous Mekong dam planned by Laos, which likely will be stopped by the other Mekong nations. But in New Zealand? I don’t think so.”
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10816918
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:32 pm
I am all for the sale of the 49% stake’s but not at any price. The government need to be clear that they will obtain value for the assests. I do not think they have made a good job of that, Is there a floor price for the sale to proceed?
We have already been through a process of giving state assets away. Hopefully this mob can do it better.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:35 pm
> I think it shows how unbalanced Labour have got on this issue.
You’re the one sounding hysterical.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:35 pm
If, perchance, DPF said that he would do everything he could to stop the labour party being re-elected, there are few who would envisage the use of nuclear weaponary as the means of achieving such and end. There is a latin maxim for such an analogy. Something like “reductio ad absurdum”. The maxim is flawed to the extent that the likes of redbaiter may very well resort to nuclear deterence as the first option but I don’t think we can count him as an example. Overall, DPF, you are stretching the boundaries of credulity.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:42 pm
This kind of post belongs on The Standard tbh…
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Yeah, the first thing I thought when I read that is LABOUR WANT THE COUNTRY TO BE DESTROYED BE BIG FUCKING LASER WIELDING ROBOTS.
Vote:Hysterical much DPF?
October 23rd, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Lordy DPF, zombie dawn stops assets sales program, Labour says were glad the undead came?
Put me down for dog whistle hysteria with a side of fries as well please.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 2:50 pm
Trying a bit too hard there DPF. Doesn’t really help the cause
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 3:08 pm
To defend DPF: Coming up with the strawman argument of earthquakes destroying fully 50% of the nations hydro electric dams (by number or by productive capacity?) is clearly a bit over the top.
But Labour are completely unbalanced on this. Something as minor as a government with tens of billions of debt to be selling part of a few commercial operations worth a few billion should never be viewed as a “must stop at all costs” policy (at least by a serious political party). It is a footnote of this governments record, at the most.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 3:18 pm
I can’t think why you would buy something that you already own.
Would you Neolibs buy a car wheel off me straight after I’ve pinched it off your car?
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 3:27 pm
Hamnida (804) Says:
October 23rd, 2012 at 3:18 pm
“I can’t think why you would buy something that you already own.”
Hahahahahahahahaha. How much have you paid towards any SOE? I bet you’re not even a net taxpayer.
Hahahahahahahaha
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 3:33 pm
Hamnida
The electricity generators are not owned by the citizens of NZ. Rather we have a non specific, fluffy cloud category of possession which traditionally means that we give the assets to the Maori elite to atone for some alleged crap that hurt their feelings a couple of hundred years ago.
If we don’t sell them they’ll be given away.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 4:06 pm
Hamnida is now admitting pinching wheels off cars. Why am I not surprised as I have heard about these people on Crime Watch.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 4:25 pm
Only serves to confirm your natural tendencies ham, always thought the left had issues around personal property, now youve confirmed it.
Would I buy it back? No, I would retrieve it from your bloodied grip 2 minutes after I had released the hounds.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 5:01 pm
If Hamnida flogs enough car wheels he can sell them and donate the Funds to Shearer to assist him in his quest to stop the asset sales.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 5:18 pm
RF
You could be onto something there. Meat raffles are a nice little earner but Labour without Dear Leader to enact retrospective legislation legitimatising the theft of public funds, the socialists’ warchest is probably looking a trifle empty now.
Hamnida’s out of the square thinking is just what they need. The scrap metal dealers can probably look ahead to boom times over the next two years.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 5:54 pm
You don’t own it.
Bowl on up to a MRP site and demand access, as you are an owner.
Try to attend and vote at a MRP AGM.
Try to get your hands on MRP dividends.
You can’t, because you don’t own it.
Only a few political elite have the privilege to behave like owners of MRP.
Sure, if you’re a net tax taker rather than payer, then it’s a little bit more in the pot for your free stuff, but you have no direct say on whether the MRP dividends get spent on your free stuff or someone else’s free stuff.
Yeah, you get a vote every three years in the general election, but I can’t believe you would make your voting decision on the details of the governance of MRP.
So no, you don’t own it.
If you bought some shares in it, you’d get a vote on how it’s run, and you’d get a 100% say on how your share of the dividends were spent.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 5:59 pm
Fitting and treasonous words from a socialist working against the NZ economy.
Vote:Expected rubbish from an unexpected “leader”.
October 23rd, 2012 at 6:19 pm
Um BTW how much will each taxpayer get when they sell the shares. Just trying to do some financial planning.
Still waiting for my WFF backpay back to when they abolished the family benefit. Any sign of getting that soon?
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 7:04 pm
And there are those of you out there that are na saying on the zombie apocalypse. Ha, Shearer knows this is imminent because there is a recording of this pending event somewhere out there – he has been told by people whom he really trusts and who admire him.
That’ll stop assets sales we’ll all be far to busy killing zombies to worry for many a year.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 7:39 pm
I can’t think why you would buy something that you already own.
Would you Neolibs buy a car wheel off me straight after I’ve pinched it off your car?
That in essence is what happens with a tax and spend redistributive state…..people get drip fed back their own stolen money yet think they are getting something from someone else for nothing. Its the prime reason the ‘assets” should be sold and the people left with their “wheel” in the first place….
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 7:42 pm
I think Bob Jones has a point, that electricity companies are monopoly assets and they are the wrong asset to sell. I would have gone for the Defence Force myself. I would make the NZDF a private corporation and call it something real cool like “K Force” then market its services to all those countries who plan invading someone in the near future: i.e. the US and Israel at $300k per “consultant,” plus expenses.
Another idea is I wish the govt pledged to put 100% of the money into a productive asset that would generate jobs, like animal and plant genetic research centres. See that would weally confuse the Gweens because on the one hand you had jobs and on the other you had Fwankenstein!
And these mentals can wail and weep to all the young/old foolish activists they want, but show real people real jobs from a world-class facility that perfectly complements our economic and scientific strengths and our national character as well and that would take away their irrational fear about GE plus it make the Gweens weally weally mad. Plus it would make the Maowi weally weally mad because they’d have to wait until our children made the decisions before they’d be able to get any water wights. Plus it would make the free-market-fanatic conservatives really really mad as well, and that’s always a laugh.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 8:40 pm
Marijuana is one of our strengths already Reid, perhaps we could nationalise means of production, legalise it and tax it, and even develop export markets for it. I know it probably wouldn’t make as many people mad, but you can’t win’em all.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Seen this Kiwibloggers?
http://www.3news.co.nz/Switch-power-companies—asset-sales-protest/tabid/1607/articleID/273748/Default.aspx
‘Switch power companies’ – asset sales protest
Tue, 23 Oct 2012 2:23p.m.
The protest on Albert Street (Photo: Imogen Crispe)
By Imogen Crispe
A protest in Auckland today encouraged New Zealanders who use Mercury Energy to switch power companies to help stop asset sales.
Activist Penny Bright set up banners outside the Mighty River Power offices in Albert Street and with the help of about five people handed out leaflets about her ‘switch off Mercury Energy campaign’.
The protest is in response to the Government announcement that Mighty River Power will be the first state-owned asset to be sold as part of the Government asset sales, and coincides with a High Court case held in Wellington this morning.
Ms Bright says if enough people stop using Mercury Energy, which is operated by Mighty River Power, its value will decrease and potential investors will be put off.
“We are recommending people to switch to publically owned companies.”
She encourages people to go to the Government-supported website powerswitch.org.nz to find out how to change power companies.
Ms Bright says the majority of people won’t be able to afford to buy shares in companies like Mighty River Power, and encourages those who can afford it, not to.
“We are looking to thousands of New Zealanders doing the right thing and not buying into this sell off.”
3 News
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
(MY COMMENT – YET TO BE PUBLISHED )
The protest today outside the offices of Mighty River Power, 23-29 Albert St Auckland, was organised by the SWITCH OFF MERCURY ENERGY community group.
Mercury Energy is 100% owned by Mighty River Power – the first of the electricity State Owned Enterprises up for ‘partial privatisation’ under the recently passed Mixed Ownership Model Act (for which this minority National Government – with only 59 out of 121 MPs – was dependent on the vote of John Banks – ACT MP for Epsom Greens and Peter Dunne – United Future MP for Ohariu).
We are calling on Maori and Pakeha – ALL New Zealanders, to UNITE and to STOP the sale of Mighty River Power by ‘switching off Mercury Energy’!
There is precedent for this ‘PEOPLE POWER’ action.
Back in 2008, Contact Energy (already privatised) doubled Director’s fees and raised prices 12%. In 6 months, over 40,000 customers ‘switched’ and Contact Energy’s profits halved.
For more information on how to ‘switch off Mercury Energy’ – and where to ‘switch’
http://switchoffmercuryenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SOME-11-September-2012-Switch-off-leaflet6g.pdf
Penny Bright
A Media Spokesperson
SWITCH OFF MERCURY ENERGY
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 10:33 pm
too long, switched off
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 10:38 pm
“We are calling on Maori and Pakeha – ALL New Zealanders, to UNITE ”
What about Asians- Do they get a say?
Pacific Islanders?
Or don’t they count?
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 10:40 pm
And Gingas. They use power too…
Vote:(Even more so as they don’t often leave the house)
October 23rd, 2012 at 11:18 pm
What would be really funny is if you met some actual socialists and found out what they really think of the NZ Labour Party.
Vote:October 23rd, 2012 at 11:54 pm
jakejakejake: “This kind of post belongs on The Standard tbh..”
Have to agree with you there. The massive leap of inference would be more at home there. It appears that it is not even a direct quote of Shearer’s but the incoherent stream of consciousness recollection of a Stuffed news muppet.
Notwithstanding the above, and if there is any truth in the source, it might be a silly thing for Shearer to say – unless taken out of context (another Standard trick).
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 8:24 am
Labour is going to reincarnate Hitler and he will never allow the sale of national assets
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 8:33 am
Penny at 10:08 pm -
Thanks for pointing that out! I have gone to the site and made an appropriate comment (under one of my other, lesser-known pseudonyms).
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Jesus, that is a hysterical post isn’t it? If anyone things David Shearer was wishing anything like what DPF is suggesting didn’t read the article on Stuff. This shit is straight out of Tumeke!
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 4:49 pm
“So, for example, another massive earthquake which destroyed half the country’s hydro-dams and hence stopped the partial floats, would be a good thing?”
DPF – that remark is so far beneath you that I’m wondering if whaleoil has hacked your blog and posted using your log-in.
I expect better from you than such adolescent “comebacks”.
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 4:52 pm
“What about Asians- Do they get a say?
Pacific Islanders? Or don’t they count?”
Funny thing you should say that. Was talking to someone connected with the anti-asset sale group and she said she was amazed that most of the signatories to their petition seem to be immigrant or ethnic New Zealanders. She said the worst ones (depenbding on your p.o.v.) were white, middle-aged men. Go figure.
Vote:October 24th, 2012 at 9:31 pm
I think it shows how unbalanced Labour have got on this issue.
I think the above shows how fucked the asset sales programme looks. But more importantly how the government completely ballsed the whole thing up. Totally incompetent.
Vote: