General Debate 14 May 2015

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Pete George

If Andrew Little can’t carry The Standard with him where will he get the support he needs to succeed?

Apart from some PR and party faithful Little’s pre-budget speech has failed to impress even the Labour left.

Reaction to Little’s speech from the left
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May 14, 2015 8:02am
EAD

The Conservative Party being investigated for election fraud in the UK seat where Nigel Farage was standing:

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/05/13/police-investigate-electoral-fraud-in-south-thanet/#disqus_thread

No surprises really that they’d stoop this low given, they spent all their time attacking Farage (who in theory is on the same side of the spectrum as the so called CONservatives) instead of Labour, their on paper, ideological opposites.

All I can say is watch this space
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May 14, 2015 8:07am
Nukuleka

I do so much admire John Key and I do so very much want him to lead National to a 4th term but what a hash he is making of his ill-judged flag campaign. His traditional supporters in the main don’t want a change in the flag because they appreciate history and tradition, and his opponents, who do indeed want to change the flag, oppose it because he is the one proposing it and they will even cut off their noses to spite his face!

As for the noxious StandforNZ campaign, which purports to encourage debate but is simply an exercise in pro flag change propaganda… It is providing a platform for the most virulent of John Key haters.

It will all end in tears, John, it will all end in tears. And to what end? A pointless ‘debate’, a pointless waste of money, and a needless case of egg on the face for you personally.
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May 14, 2015 8:11am
OneTrack

Nukuleka – It’s unclear what the standfornz web site is even for. As you said it seems to be primarily a platform for KDS statements.
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May 14, 2015 8:15am
jp_1983

Actually this is a master class by John Key, if the Flag Change fails that means we will have the current flag for at least another 25-30 years.

If there is a change of government, mark my words Labour and the Greens would love to change it in a heartbeat but they wont be able to do it.
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May 14, 2015 8:16am
ciaron

jp,
I hope it is. But it just seems like such a pointless endeavor. Would we even be having this conversation if it had not been slipped into the election manifesto? I think not. The opposition are too busy cannibalizing each others vote to come with such a suggestion, and are in no position to do anything about it if they did. Surely there are other more worthy reforms that would be a better use for the political capital being expended on this?
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May 14, 2015 8:23am
Tarquin North

I hope you’re right jp. I have been wondering why he did this and haven’t been able to work it out. Far to subtle for me!
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May 14, 2015 8:24am
mandk

What will actually happen in the flag referendums is that the Kyle Lockwood design will emerge a strong favourite in the first vote. It will then defeat the current flag in the second referendum because it is a bright and recognisably NZ design, free from echoes of colonial rule.

We didn’t choose the current flag. It was imposed on us by colonial masters who shafted us at Gallipoli and then shafted us again over EEC membership.

In any case, the Union Jack will become a meaningless relic when the Scots seize independence.
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May 14, 2015 8:27am
EAD

The UK is not unfamiliar with 3rd world type electoral practices over recent years, particularly in their vibrant and diverse communities.

The main issue (of several) surrounding the count in Farages electorate is that ballot boxes went missing for six hours before mysteriously reappearing.

Like the ludicrous campaign for electronic voting, postal votes should never be allowed except in rare circumstances.

Democracy, like justice, has to be seen to be done. Nothing beats a supervised count in front of others.
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May 14, 2015 8:29am
EAD

Griffin won’t be happy with Delingpoles latest expose in the ongoing climate change scandal:

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/05/13/what-the-bbc-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-polar-ice/
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May 14, 2015 8:31am
Paulus

The Flag change movement will not change.
Imagine the fallout if Key changed his mind and cancelled the referenda – He broke an election Promise !!! – can you see the medias reaction to that – just what they would like.

Any change would lead to a Republic.
No Crown. No Treaty of Waitangi any more -no wonder the Maori will vote against any change.
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May 14, 2015 8:32am
kowtow

“We didn’t choose the current flag.”

Or the country’s name, let’s change that too, too colonial, too European…….Aotearoa fits perfectly.

Jeez, let’s just change everything!
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May 14, 2015 8:33am
James Stephenson

The Conservative Party being investigated for election fraud in the UK seat where Nigel Farage was standing:

You’re jumping to conclusions a bit there aren’t you? I’d lean towards a specifically anti-Farage effort by someone left-leaning, trying to “encourage” tactical voting by Labour supporters being a more likely scenario.
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May 14, 2015 8:38am
Colville

jp.
A few of us had this exact debate in a pub a few nights ago, views ranged from Key will get his way and change it to Key doesnt want to change it and this is his way of making sure it never gets changed.
The most subtle idea was that Key was putting this out there as a issue for Labour to focus on for the 4th term election because Key knows whichever way the referendum goes then Key can smile nicely into the camera and tell us all that he will comply with the peoples wishes. But in the mean time Labour will have made no substantive hits on National or Key himself.
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May 14, 2015 8:38am
mandk

@ kowtow

If you’re so opposed to change, you should be campaigning for us to return to being administered from New South Wales.
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May 14, 2015 8:41am
Griff

No evidence” of electoral fraud has been found in the Thanet South seat contested in the general election by Nigel Farage, police have said.

EAD says all I can say is watch this space.
I say is brietbart is fox on the interweb.

The UKIP leader failed to win the seat, losing out to Conservative candidate Craig Mackinlay.

Kent Police said initial investigations were prompted by contact from outside the county expressing concerns over social media speculation.

Thanet District Council said it was not under investigation for fraud.

In a statement it said police had an obligation to follow up the complaint.

“The council’s returning officer is satisfied that the correct processes were followed and a member of the Electoral Commission was present at the election in Thanet,” it said.
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32725167
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3079925/Kent-Police-investigate-electoral-reform-claims-South-Thanet-Farage-failed-MP.html

Try looking a little further than your propaganda outlets next time EAD
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May 14, 2015 8:42am
EAD

Gotta laugh at all the Key worshippers above thinking this is some masterstroke or subtle plan. Talk about clutching at straws!

Do you actually think he likes NZ’s European origins?

There are so many observations that he doesn’t give a flying fig about our European institutions. Most are probably too old here but I’m guessing you haven’t observed the changes to the syllabus under the National regime. Main cultural points summarised :

– NZ always referred to as an “Asian nation”
– European settlers described as “colonisers” who destroyed Maoris traditional way of life living in harmony with mother earth
– recent settlers described as “enrichers” who add “vibrancy” and “colour” to NZ
– TOW now always referred to as NZs “founding” document that governs “race relations”
– Aoteroa the name given to any historical reference to NZ except in foreign affairs (I.e when referring to the World Wars)

If he doesn’t ram through flag change now, you can be sure the next generation will be sufficiently indoctrinated enough to do so.
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May 14, 2015 8:48am
James Stephenson

I say is brietbart is fox on the interweb.

Slightly right-leaning and more trusted than it’s lefty competitors…you’re probably right, even if it’s only accidental due to the amount of sand you’ve got in your mangina over Delingpole.
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May 14, 2015 8:48am
Griff

EAD
Delligpole has admitted that he doesn’t know what he is talking about.
Following ignorant idiots make you a bigger one.
You sea ice graph stopped at the end of 2014 its now May 2015 wounder why ?”
http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/
Arctic sea ice extent for April 2015 averaged 14.0 million square kilometers (5.4 million square miles), the second lowest April ice extent in the satellite record. It is 810,000 square kilometers (313,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 long-term average of 15.0 million square kilometers (6.0 million square miles)
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May 14, 2015 8:48am
Griff

James Stephenson

Watch him make a total dick of him self .
um um but are are but um

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0wmuhKzYp4s
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May 14, 2015 8:52am
EAD

Greif – talk about quoting out of context! Investigations are ongoing for a start and do you seriously believe the BBC (I know they are climate change propoganda pushers so perhaps that explains it ?)

If it eases your anti Breitbart mind, The Telegraph also ran the same story and of course the returning officer will say everything is OK – it is their oversight of the election that is being investigated!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11602620/Police-probe-allegation-of-electoral-fraud-in-Thanet-South.html
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May 14, 2015 8:53am
waikatogirl

Kim Jong Un, The Dear Leader of North Korea has killed 15 of his senior officials this year. The latest poor sod, who had questioned Kim’s decisions, and fell asleep in a meeting, has been disposed of while standing in a paddock and shot at with an anti-aircraft gun!
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May 14, 2015 8:53am
James Stephenson

We need more sand on our new beach in Onehunga, Griff, go and rinse it out in the Manukau harbour and that should sort it.

There are plenty of actual scientists, in relevant fields that doubt the IPCC predictions and/or the blame being levelled at human activity. None of them could write with Delingpole’s entertainingly acerbic, pomposity-pricking style.
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May 14, 2015 8:56am
Manolo

Once a community organiser…: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4234594912001/obama-calls-wealthy-americans-societys-lottery-winners/?intcmp=obnetwork#sp=show-clips
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May 14, 2015 8:59am
Griff

😆
We was robed.
Whining like the left in NZ

UKIP is politically the UK equivalence of whinny first.
A populist party without a sound ideology behind it.
if it ever gets into the government benches it would self destructed under the weight of its own lunacy.
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May 14, 2015 9:02am
kowtow

mandk

Why stop at NSW, why not go back to tribalism? That would be far more Aotearoan, and in keeping with the “cut the ties” bullshit your camp keep pushing.
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May 14, 2015 9:03am
Inandout

Nukuleka: The Flag Consideration Panel and TV promotion will do its job and cloud the issue so much that we will beg the whole thing to finish, especially after all this palava:

TIMELINE

Feb 2015 – Flag Consideration Panel appointed
Mid 2015 – Public engagement process (inc flag suggestions approx May – July)
Late 2015 – First referendum (to choose a preferred alternative design)
Early 2016 – 2nd referendum (to choose between winner of first referendum and current flag)

“That propaganda is good which leads to success, and that is bad which fails to achieve the desired result. It is not propaganda’s task to be intelligent, its task is to lead to success.”
Joseph Goebbels

Mr Key is learning from history, as he knew a simple Yes/No would not realise his dream.
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May 14, 2015 9:04am
freemark

I’m at a Solar Conference/Trade show in Melbourne. Very little discussion anymore of AGW etc, just a lot of people wanting to harness & use all that Energy in the best
way possible. Of course there are a few booths with earnest looking Lefty students or Activists spouting that the sky is falling and the end nigh..unless of course we tax someone, ban something, subsidise everything. A questioner at a Storage Seminar wanted to know how we can make sure that the poor don’t miss out on the benefits of someone else saving money on their power bill. Stunned silence from the audience & panel ensued..with much rolling of eyes. I’ll share the very good response later…
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May 14, 2015 9:05am
James Stephenson

if it ever gets into the government benches it would self destructed under the weight of its own lunacy.

At a local level they already control some councils and are doing very nicely, the EU referendum where they will be the only political party on the “No” side, will only cement their position with voters sick of the same old “LibLabCon”. UKIP will be a fixture in UK politics for a generation now.
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May 14, 2015 9:09am
Griff

There are plenty of actual scientists, in relevant fields that doubt the IPCC predictions and/or the blame being levelled at human activity.

97% of published science that gives a cause for the warming agrees with the IPCC.
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/8/2/024024/article
Every major scientific body on the planet supports AGW.
Your “plenty” is a fringe group of very noisy loons who have conflicted ideas that do not stand up to scrutiny.

or the blame being levelled at human activity

Green house effect denial is way out there in utter nutter land along with 9/11conspiracy and moon landing hoaxes.
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May 14, 2015 9:11am
Griff

poor don’t miss out on the benefits of someone else saving money on their power bill.
The biggest hurdle for the worlds poor is the cost of a network grid freemark
Viable storage of solar energy makes the grid obsolete the same as cellphones made copper net works obsolete in the third world for communication.
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May 14, 2015 9:17am
EAD

@ James Stephenson,

as far as I’m aware, local councils are responsible for administering the general election count in the UK. As the South Thanet council was previously Conservative, they’d have been responsible for ensuring the integrity of the count.

Historic declaration times for Thanet South

1997 3:12
2001 3:33
2005 4:44
2010: 4:00
2015 6:00 (predicted); 10:36 (actual)
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May 14, 2015 9:18am
Viking2

The flag.
On reflection I think there is a good case for having a long and thoughtful conversation about changing the Flag.
We go oversea’s as Kiwi’s, we fought in a bunch of wars in many places as kwiw’s,we change the world as Kiwi’s, the Air force, before it was dismantled had a Kiwi in its roundell. The world knows us as Kiwi’s where ever we go.
Our war Graves are inscripted with a Fern.

Our diverse population come from probaly 150 countries but once naturalized they become known as Kiwi’s. Its probably fair to say that the standouts are known as Maori who claim other titles but whne offshore still claim the Kiwi label.

We can dream up all manner of fancy swirling things and so on but to me the essence of being from New Zealand is that we are Kiwi’s.More recognised than any other name or term.
To the design, well IMHO it needs to be simple, reversable, colourful (definitely not black with a silver fern. A death flag.) and most importantly recognizable.
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May 14, 2015 9:22am
James Stephenson

97% of published science that gives a cause for the warming agrees with the IPCC.

…and the relative ease with which one can get funding for climate research to reinforce or challenge the orthodoxy?

I might be prepared to listen if people were asking for donations to build sea defences on Britain’s East Coast or soemthing, but as they appear to be simply looking for an excuse to put their hand in my pocket for some kind of international wealth redistribution, all I can hear is the ringing of my bullshit detector.
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May 14, 2015 9:22am
Jack5

Taxpayers are now funding Islamic studies in universities.

Do NZ universities have Christian studies?

What sort of a suicidal society are we becoming where we not only spurn, but frequently ridicule our traditional main religion, Christianity, while we bankroll the religion of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Taleban?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11448269
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May 14, 2015 9:23am
UglyTruth

In Pier Co. v. Hannam, 3 Barn. & Ald. 266, ABBOTT, C. J., quotes from Lord Coke as follows: ‘Acts of parliament are to be so construed as no man that is innocent or free from injury or wrong be, by a literal construction, punished or endangered.’

http://vftonline.org/TestOath/HolyTrinityOp1-2.htm
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May 14, 2015 9:23am
Viking2

A corpse strapped to a gurney fell from a hearse at a busy Auckland intersection as shocked onlookers watched in disbelief.

The body, covered in a green sheet, lay on the road in the rain at the intersection of Great South and Puhinui Rds in Papatoetoe, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The hearse belonged to funeral company Pacific Memorials and co-owner Carina Zhang said the body fell out as it was being transported by the firm on Tuesday.

The driver of the hearse had reported the incident, which she blamed on a faulty latch on the rear door.

The corpse was unharmed, but the family of the deceased had not been told of the incident, Ms Zhang told the New Zealand Herald.

Pacific Memorials is based in Great South Rd.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/68535280/Body-rolls-out-of-hearse-at-busy-Auckland-intersection

Oh dear.
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May 14, 2015 9:24am
Jack5

We frequently see posts suggesting DPF set up a religious thread on Kiwiblog.

How about one, too, for global warming v the next Ice Age.
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May 14, 2015 9:26am
Inandout

EAD: I would like to know if Key was behind Harry’s tour, as any overseas observer would think we were primarily a Maori nation. Powhiris, hakas, hangis galore.
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May 14, 2015 9:26am
James Stephenson

Historic declaration times for Thanet South

Yeah, but an additional 5% on the turnout this time and a final majority of what, 2000 ish in a very high profile race? I’d be taking my time and making sure of no mistakes if I was the returning officer.
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May 14, 2015 9:27am
Inandout

Jack5: Or Penny’s fantasy thread?
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May 14, 2015 9:27am
Old.Mickey.Blue.Eyes

EAD (2,331 comments) says:
May 14th, 2015 at 8:07 am
The Conservative Party being investigated for election fraud in the UK seat where Nigel Farage was standing:

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/05/13/police-investigate-electoral-fraud-in-south-thanet/#disqus_thread

No surprises really that they’d stoop this low given, they spent all their time attacking Farage (who in theory is on the same side of the spectrum as the so called CONservatives) instead of Labour, their on paper, ideological opposites.

All I can say is watch this space
___________________________________

EAD your are startign to sound more and more like Penny Bright with each and every post…..please get back on the meds.
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May 14, 2015 9:30am
Ed Snack

Trust Griff to keep pushing that 97% meme that has been utterly discredited. But that’s his way,m too downright stupid to actually understand what he rants about he just keeps repeating what he is supposed to like the good sheeple he is.

Griff, for heavens sake educate yourself about the issues, after all 97% of commenters agreed that the result last weekend in the UK would be a hung parliament, there was a consensus on it !
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May 14, 2015 9:31am
Weihana

James Stephenson (2,503 comments) says:
May 14th, 2015 at 9:22 am

…and the relative ease with which one can get funding for climate research to reinforce or challenge the orthodoxy?

A proposal for research funding would specificy an area of interest to research, it would not specify in advance what the observations and conclusions would be. That would defeat the purpose of the research if you already knew the results. And if it’s all just a big conspiracy to put their hand in your pocket, why would they waste your money on research the results of which they could just make up, as you seem to think they do?
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May 14, 2015 9:34am
mandk

@ kowtow: “Why stop at NSW, why not go back to tribalism? That would be far more Aotearoan, and in keeping with the “cut the ties” bullshit your camp keep pushing.”

But, it’s you who is opposing change, not me. I’m all in favour of constitutional change, if the population favours it.
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May 14, 2015 9:34am
Andrei

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E38VdiFiC-g
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May 14, 2015 9:36am
Lance

@waikatogirl
He sounds lucky… an AA would pretty much disintegrate him instantly.
Whereas some poor sod previously was killed by flamethrower.

Evil little shit
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May 14, 2015 9:38am
Weihana

freemark (843 comments) says:
May 14th, 2015 at 9:05 am

I’m at a Solar Conference/Trade show in Melbourne. Very little discussion anymore of AGW etc, just a lot of people wanting to harness & use all that Energy in the best
way possible.

Swanson’s law in action.
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May 14, 2015 9:46am
IGM

Fairfax are really good; who has heard of Harward Terrace in Lower Hutt? Seems a preoccupation with discrediting current government and no eye for detail anywhere. This morning’s socialist publication is once again a disgrace.
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May 14, 2015 9:47am
Dave_1924

Seems we may soon have a media frenzy in NZ along the Bali 9 executions….

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/68536020/kiwi-drug-accused-peter-gardner-may-know-verdict-in-weeks

“I thought I was carrying peptides”…. hmmmmm. Methinks Chinese Courts don’t do stupid is a valid excuse.

It will be interesting to see if the Chinese find him guilty and impose the death penalty what David shearer says the Foreign Affairs minister and the PM should be doing, given his little hissy fit about McCully saying don’t talk to Falun Gong to Nat MP’s. I’m sure the MP for Mt Roskill will be banging the bring our man back home to the media.
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May 14, 2015 9:54am
kowtow

Swanson’s law? More like swan song for AGW . Good riddance.
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May 14, 2015 10:01am
kowtow

I’m all in favour of constitutional change, if the population favours it.

I’m in favour of constitutional change, if it’s needed. Top down, agenda driven , personal legacy elitism doesn’t meet that criteria.
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May 14, 2015 10:04am
wikiriwhis business

Economist: Ban Cash and Force Everyone to Have a Government-Controlled Bank Account
National newspaper features brazen call for economic fascism

A former Bank of England economist has called for a total ban on cash and its replacement with credit accounts controlled directly by governments.

In a column for the London Telegraph, fund manager Jim Leaviss all but advocates economic fascism as a means of enabling authorities to respond to financial crises better by implementing a “cashless society.”

“Forcing everyone to spend only by electronic means from an account held at a government-run bank would give the authorities far better tools to deal with recessions and economic booms,” states the introduction to Leaviss’ article.

If you think that sounds authoritarian enough, it gets worse. Leaviss then suggests that your hard earned money be “monitored, or even directly controlled by the government,” with authorities then working to “encourage us to spend more when the economy slows, or spend less when it is overheating.”

Once wonders what form this ‘encouragement’ will take. A tax on bank deposits? Negative interest on savings? Limits on how much you can spend each month?

That’s precisely what Leaviss advocates when he calls for a “transaction tax” that would penalize people for spending their own money.

Under this system, commercial banks would stop taking any money from depositors, instead relying on central banks to provide all their funds. The black market would also cease to exist.

http://www.infowars.com/economist-ban-cash-and-force-everyone-to-have-a-government-controlled-bank-account/
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May 14, 2015 10:09am
Maggy Wassilieff

I can’t figure out how I managed to survive in Wellington for 40 years.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68535256/flooding-slips-cut-link-between-wellington-and-kapiti-coast
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May 14, 2015 10:11am
Viking2

So Wellington cut off again.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/68535256/flooding-slips-cut-link-between-wellington-and-kapiti-coast
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May 14, 2015 10:14am
wikiriwhis business

Why Bitcoin Matters

Editor’s note: Marc Andreessen’s venture capital firm, Andreessen Horowitz, has invested just under $50 million in Bitcoin-related start-ups. The firm is actively searching for more Bitcoin-based investment opportunities. He does not personally own more than a de minimis amount of Bitcoin.

Eventually mainstream products, companies and industries emerge to commercialize it; its effects become profound; and later, many people wonder why its powerful promise wasn’t more obvious from the start.

What technology am I talking about? Personal computers in 1975, the Internet in 1993, and – I believe – Bitcoin in 2014.

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/why-bitcoin-matters/?_r=0
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May 14, 2015 10:19am
Griff

Ed Snack
For Fucks sake educate your self. it is obvious from you comment you have no idea about what you are talking about .
The 97%paper is not an opinion poll it examined 12,000 climate abstracts from peer-reviewed journals.
Cook et al is only one of a number of study’s that come to the same conclusion.
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May 14, 2015 10:21am
Jack5

Re Andrei’s 9.36 clip of Putin.

Didn’t realise Vladimir was a short guy. He would be at most 5ft 7in.

Why are so many of the stirrers of history little guys: Napoleon (5ft 6in), Hitler (5ft 8in), Stalin (5ft 4in), Mussolini (5ft 6.5in).

To be fair, on the other hand, Pol Pot was 5ft 9in and Bin Laden was 6ft 4in or more.
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May 14, 2015 10:27am
Fletch

From what I can make out, the IPCC doesn’t “do science” either… It’s all crystal ball gazing and prediction.
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May 14, 2015 10:37am
mandk

@ Maggy/Viking

I can’t imagine how are those poor souls in the rest of NZ are going to cope with being cut off from Wellington.
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May 14, 2015 10:44am
Dennis Horne

The level of CO2 has gone from 270 to 400 ppm, a 40% increase in an important greenhouse gas. The effect of greenhouse gases is well understood.

On the face of it, one would expect some effect on the climate. Those who deny there are questions to answer are anthropogenic climate change deniers, pure and simple.

Down tick here to find out if you are a denier…
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May 14, 2015 10:46am
Griff

Here Fletch a simple course on the green house theory.
http://scienceofdoom.com/2009/11/28/co2-an-insignificant-trace-gas-part-one/

We can not attribute a single event to climate change.
but
One of the effects that has been forecast and confirmed by measurement is more intense rain storms.
What is happening in Wellington at the moment is going to happen more frequently and get far worse.
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May 14, 2015 10:54am
EAD

When does the homosexual campaign go from mere tolerance to militant activism and conformity of thought?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/austria/11599189/Vienna-replaces-pedestrian-traffic-light-figures-with-gay-couples.html
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May 14, 2015 11:06am
stephieboy

wiki, it will help you to get into and understand the mind of the Prince of Paranoia ,

“Field Guide to the Conspiracy Theorist: Dark Minds

When does incredulity become paranoia? Radio personality and filmmaker Alex Jones believes an evil cabal of bankers rules the world.”

https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200909/field-guide-the-conspiracy-theorist-dark-minds

He is as you will see not a well fellow !
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May 14, 2015 11:12am
G152

I’m relieved that the corpse who fell out of the hearse was unharmed…
Who in the MSM writes that crap?
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May 14, 2015 11:16am
Manolo

Will he be the one? http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/05/13/rubio-shows-jeb-how-foreign-policy-is-done.html

The student has now become the teacher.

Sen. Marco Rubio, once viewed as a protege of presidential competitor Jeb Bush, schooled the former Florida governor Wednesday evening in the first national security address of his national campaign. As compared to Jeb Bush, who fumbled and stumbled through his first major national security address, Marco Rubio delivered a master class on foreign policy that spoke to the soul of the right’s hawkish neoconservatives.

In New York City, before the Council of Foreign Relations and their foreign policy experts, Rubio showed himself to be a peer.
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May 14, 2015 11:20am
Inandout

Oh my goodness, the goat track to Wellington is closed, and rail similarly affected. Wellington must be the only capital city in the western world that is so miserably served by highways.
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May 14, 2015 11:28am
Dennis Horne

I too relieved the corpse falling out of a hearse was unharmed. Luckily wasn’t un-armed, rolling along like that…
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May 14, 2015 11:30am
Inandout

Viking2 9,22: Can we be truly inclusive and include the 150 different cultures on the new flag? There will be lots of pushing from certain groups to have their stamp on any flag, and it will be entertaining to watch.
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May 14, 2015 11:36am
Dave_1924

RadioLive news @ 11:40…. G McCready case against PM Key over ponytail gate thrown out by a Judge…. Flipper et al any details why???
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May 14, 2015 11:43am
wf

Listening to an earnest discussion on RNZ about children learning to read. It’s all about apps and simple words. Someone has written 800 children’s books (really?) and is now considered an international expert in literacy.
Whatever happened to talking to your kids? The more words a kid uses in speaking, the easier it is for them to read and grammar comes naturally. You can tell in 2 minutes if a kid has parents who talk to them in a way that presupposes they are intelligent and can understand what is said to them.
Likewise the kids who are monosyllabic, and grunt. Not a lot of parental input there.
My grandson lived in Japan and his Japanese mother spoke her language, and his father spoke English but his first language was Japanese. When he was 3 he came to NZ. He didn’t say a word in English until one day he got all excited and pointed to an ivy covered house “LOOK! A tree-house!” Never looked back, and very seldom mixed the two languages in one sentence after that.
For their sake, talk seriously to your children and appreciate their intelligence.
eta: grammar, lol.
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May 14, 2015 11:51am
Maggy Wassilieff

@Dennis Horne 10:46am

I didn’t downtick you…. because that would be admitting that I’ve got no friends
http://joannenova.com.au/

Now if we can turn to your National anthem. of yesterday…. I notice it seems to have met with general approval (only 3 downticks),

but I’m wondering if it needs a second verse full of pithy platitudes about verdant hills, azure skies, majestic maunga, happy sheep, rugged individuals, one people (many faces), etc… and less of the horrors of our recent history.
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May 14, 2015 11:59am
holysheet

Kim Jong Un, The Dear Leader of North Korea has killed 15 of his senior officials this year. The latest poor sod, who had questioned Kim’s decisions, and fell asleep in a meeting, has been disposed of while standing in a paddock and shot at with an anti-aircraft gun!

Waikato girlie, thats why liabore got rid of our airforce. They knew that someday there would be a day of reckoning, an uprising of the masses and didn’t want the chance of being in the firing line.
Good on kim for showing us how to deal with backstabbers.
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May 14, 2015 12:02pm
Dennis Horne

The best flag would be white on one side — to surrender quietly, since we have no defence to speak of — and red on the other — to wave at all the bull…

Since we are going to get the Maori flag, can we please have blue at the top — to replace the ghastly black — and can we abolish the race-based seats as a trade-off, please? Thanks.
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May 14, 2015 12:02pm
oldpark

The bludging parasite Mc Cready and all his blood sucking sycophants have just got a bloody nose by a judge. The case against John Key by such a bunch of losers has been booted out . He might have more luck if he goes to court on the Darren Hughes coverup by LIEBOUR.The sexual incident allegations about a naked boy running down Annette King’s Haitaitai street.
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May 14, 2015 12:04pm
Dennis Horne

Maggy, there’s only so much I will do to get your attention and approval. At my age.
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May 14, 2015 12:05pm
Ed Snack

Griff, yes, and the authors of many of the papers disagree with Cook’s “assessment”. He also had one person doing assessments who “assessed” 600 papers in a very short time. Cook’s a charlatan, he lied about what he did and how he did it, and you’re lying about what the survey actually covered.

The major issue with much of the climate “debate” is certain parts of it have been hijacked by science fraudsters and charlatans and the pro-alarmist camp cannot bring themselves to critically assess papers that badly need it. Cook et al are making a good thing off the backs of fools like Griff.

Griff, only 41 (0.3%) of the papers said to have been assessed by Cook actually make claims that support Cook’s “analysis”. But face it, if Cook claimed that Nostradamus predicted dangerous Global Warming you’d be a Nostradamus supporter for ever. Because for you it’s not a science, it’s a religion. Science is about investigation and needs skepticism, not blind belief, so, like I said, educate yourself. Don’t just trawl the alarmist websites like Skepticalscience, Realclimate, and others, and I wouldn’t take anything on most of the climate websites of any stripe at face value without checking it out yourself as it has become too political. When you do, you just might find the more extreme claims on both sides are, let’s say, a little over-egged.

Why is it so hard to even question findings that appear to support what you want to be true, Richard Feynmann once famously said that you should look even harder at claims that appear to support your view as the easiest person to fool is yourself. Try it once, look hard at some of these things you proclaim as “truths” in this field, and by that I mean actual data and criticisms from both sides, and evaluate them fully. You just might be surprised just how shoddy some are.
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May 14, 2015 12:06pm
stigie

Got to agree there oldpark, the Darren Hughes fiasco was far more entertaining !~
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May 14, 2015 12:07pm
waikatogirl

The judge has thrown out McCready’s private prosecution against John Key and the ponytail ‘assault’ because the woman wouldn’t supply a complaint.

Hope McCready is paying for his private prosecution. Good job!
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May 14, 2015 12:15pm
Dennis Horne

I see three down-ticks for making a simple self-evident statement, the opposite of which is: an increase of 40% in CO2 — an important greenhouse gas — cannot have any effect on the climate.

Three readers either proud to be deniers or too stupid to comprehend simple English.
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May 14, 2015 12:29pm
Inandout

What do you do when you losing around 8,000 customers..well if you are Sky you up your prices. The newbies like Netflix are rubbing their hands at this commercial folly.
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May 14, 2015 12:33pm
Keeping Stock

@ waikatogirl – stand by for faux outrage, hot air and conspiracy theories galore from you know who. In my considered opinion, she won’t take this lying down – meant in the nicest way, of course
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May 14, 2015 12:34pm
Griff

Give a reference for your information Ed or you are just a whacko pulling facts from your arse .

If its many out of 12000 papers you should be able to give me hundreds of dissenters not just vague waffle.

From the abstract
In a second phase of this study, we invited authors to rate their own papers. Compared to abstract ratings, a smaller percentage of self-rated papers expressed no position on AGW (35.5%). Among self-rated papers expressing a position on AGW, 97.2% endorsed the consensus.

This directly contradicts your 41 (0.3%) of the papers said to have been assessed by Cook actually make claims that support Cook’s “analysis”.

All papers were rated by more than one person so 600 in an hour is again pulled out your arse and shows you are ignorant of the papers content. Especially as the actual information on who rated the papers and the timing has never been released as it has nothing to do with the ratings value .

The paper was elected by the journal as the best paper for 2013 is referenced by NASA on their web site hardly a totally discredited paper ED except in the alternative universe of denial echochamber blogs.

All you do Ed is make unsupported claims you can not back and bullshit handwaving .
You are just another ignorent wingnut rabbiting crap from some nutter blog.
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May 14, 2015 12:42pm
G152

Now what I’d like to see is Key taking McCready to court and suing his scrawny arse off.
And then John Banks lines him up, puts the acid on Crim dot con
and includes the non rate payer Penny in his sight..
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May 14, 2015 12:43pm
stigie

You may not see her for a while KS, this disappointment might have her thinking…. where do i now go for shelter.
She will be back later down the track hoping everyone has forgotten about the prosecution being thrown out with her considered selfish dogmatic opinions !~
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May 14, 2015 12:47pm
Lance

So like with Wellington being cut off…….

Is that good or bad?
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May 14, 2015 12:48pm
Griff

The buggers can still fly out at our expense lance .
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May 14, 2015 12:58pm
Manolo

A coded Russian gift: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11601554/Why-did-Russia-give-US-secretary-of-state-John-Kerry-potatoes.html
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May 14, 2015 1:04pm
IGM

McCready says he needs money to go higher. Last time he needed money I wonder who stumped up? Some say there was a whip around at Fairfax, others say it was Parliamentary hacks and some MPs. Would love to find out!
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May 14, 2015 1:16pm
Hugh Pavletich

BRITISH RATHOLE URBAN PLANNING … WHY COPY THEM ?

THE BRITISH HOUSING POVERTY CREATION PROGRAMME …

Bedroom for rent complete with cooker, fridge and saucepans – UK Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/11601882/Bedroom-for-rent-complete-with-cooker-fridge-and-saucepans.html

‘You’ll always find me in the kitchen at parties,’ as the Jona Lewie song goes, but probably in bed, in the case of this Kingston flat.

A listing has appeared online advertising a single bed in a house where the mattress is located in the kitchen.

• Rip-off rents: The priciest place to room share

Hugh Pavletich
Co-author Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey
http://www.performanceurbanplanning.org/ & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Hugh_Pavletich & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Performance_Urban_Planning & http://info.scoop.co.nz/Demographia
Christchurch
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May 14, 2015 1:38pm
Manolo

stephieboy and UT will mourn the demise of this beast: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32726646

The second-in-command of Islamic State has been killed in a US-led coalition air strike in northern Iraq, the Iraqi ministry of defence says. Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohammed, also known as Abu Alaa al-Afari, was at a mosque near Tal Afar that was targeted, spokesman Brig-Gen Tahsin Ibrahim said.
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May 14, 2015 1:39pm
Nostradamus

Graham McCready craves public attention.

He said he intended going back to court to overturn today’s ruling. His first step was to ask the District Court to hear the application again, and if that failed he would apply to the High Court.

We should call him Graham McGreedy.
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May 14, 2015 1:54pm
G152

Or McNeedy
McWeedy
McSeedy

Any of the above
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May 14, 2015 2:27pm
UglyTruth

stephieboy and UT will mourn the demise of this beast:

Nah, Manolo is just talking shit as per usual.
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May 14, 2015 3:29pm
wellygirl

I am glad to see that McCready has had his case rejected, but the sheer arrogance of the man is astounding, that he thinks he has the right to take a case on behalf of someone without their consent, and to persist to the High Court with this is just bullying of the person he puports to be doing it on behalf of. In my opinion anyone who actively supports this continued action by Mr McCready is as much of a bully as he is, and I would go so far as to question the moral compass of people who think this is okay. I don’t see how anyone can justify this action, when you take into account an alleged victim who won’t cooperate and the waste of taxpayers money on it. The courts should not just chuck this out, they should make McCready pay the costs!
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May 14, 2015 4:02pm
wellygirl

“McCready says he needs money to go higher. Last time he needed money I wonder who stumped up?”

Perhaps the ‘Public Watchdog’ should investigate, after all she believes in transperancy…..

though I won’t hold my breath!
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May 14, 2015 4:07pm
Nostradamus

No inquiry into former MP Katherine Rich’s alleged conflict of interest

Conflict of interest claims against former National MP Katherine Rich will not be investigated by the Office of the Auditor-General.

The Green Party had asked the Auditor-General to investigate what it called “serious conflicts of interest” over Mrs Rich’s roles as chief executive of the Food and Grocery Council, and member of the board of the Health Promotion Agency.
…
This afternoon a letter from the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) to Dr Lee Mathias, the HPA chair was released.
…
“We consider it would be too simplistic to assume that the aims and activities of the HPA and FGC are incontrovertibly opposed and utterly incompatible, such that a person who was associated with one organisation was impossibly compromised from any association with the other. “Similarly, it would be too vague and indirect to conclude that it is impermissible for Mrs Rich to participate in any matter relating to a broad general subject-matter, such as alcohol or tobacco.”
…
“The people who wrote to us also mentioned allegations in Nicky Hager’s 2014 book Dirty Politics about things Mrs Rich is said to have done in her private capacity. However, those are not matters we would investigate. They do not relate to Mrs Rich’s conduct on the HPA.”

I have six questions for Mr Hague and other Green Party MPs:

1. Why does he disagree with the Auditor-General’s reasonable position (that it’s “too simplistic” to assume that Ms Rich has a conflict of interest merely because she’s associated with both organisations)?

2. What evidence did Mr Hague obtain (dealing with more specific matters than mere association – noting that the Auditor-General reviewed meeting minuets) before he went public with his allegations?

3. Did Mr Hague discuss his concerns with Ms Rich before he wrote to the Auditor-General?

4. Is Mr Hague happy for the same low benchmark standard for conflict of interest investigations to be applied to his own personal financial affairs (as disclosed in the MP pecuniary interest register)?

He apparently has three family homes. Applying the same low benchmark standard, should we call for an urgent inquiry when he votes for legislation that is likely to increase the value of those properties?

5. Is it entirely coincidental that concerned members of the public just happened to write to the Auditor General at the same time, raising the same allegations, and requesting the same investigation?

6. What’s the supposed relevance of Nicky Hager’s 2014 book Dirty Politics?
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May 14, 2015 4:14pm
jcuk

Over a Billion dollars bid at Christie’s Art Auctions in a week …. how obscene can the world get with so much money floating around matched to so much poverty.
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May 14, 2015 4:15pm
thedavincimode

Wellington must be the only capital city in the western world that is so miserably served by ~~highways~~ the people who work there.

That’s wot ya meant to say Inandout.
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May 14, 2015 4:21pm
Reid

Good questions Nosty.

Let’s all wait expectantly for our vigilant Fourth Estate who do this kind of thing for a living, to publish similar, in a searing expose.

I’m sure we won’t be kept waiting.

Anytime now.

Just. About. …

Now!
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May 14, 2015 5:23pm

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