General Debate 18 May 2009

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goodgod

I watched Simon Power on Q+A yesterday. Is there an online translator for the language he speaks? He talked intelligently for a long time about not much, but at the same time sounding ingenuine and evasive – as if to even acknowledge the basic elements of a problem would be a slight against his personal status, let alone the party strategy. However that may not be a big problem since developing law and order policy is about as far from a democratic process as you can get.

Personally I was a bit lost as to why he was talking about gun registration as an issue arising from the Napier incident as the two things do not have any common links. His angle of approach to drinking law was also odd. Saying twice “that’s an area for serious consideration” and “cabinet agreed so I agreed line” is not convincing.

No elective jury trials for people facing under 3 year sentences seems to me to be cutting edge thinking though – bordering on almost going over the edge. No show in court and conviction can be entered I though was a good idea. And his comments on the lawyers gaming the system is going to cause a nasty scene! Overall I though his better ideas were almost negated by his evasiveness.

Guyon Espiner. Hmmm, would have prefered Paul Holmes to do the interview. And that “panel”! God almighty what a collection of leftwing liberal whiners! Ditch the panel or at least change it completely from week to week. IF TVNZ love unexamined opinion and regurgitated ideology so much, why not put sports celebrities and shortland street stars in the panel from time to time. Then we’d see how average NZ interprets the ideas on offer.
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May 18, 2009 7:29am
wreck1080

Hey, I see the hydro dams are spilling water at the moment.

Does this mean my power bill will go down?

Simple law of economics, in a competitive environment.

If my power does not come down in price, I want the government to fix the power infrastructure business mode.

It’s about time. There will be an investigation sooner or later, so why don’t we make it sooner?
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May 18, 2009 7:39am
peterquixote

farra most of your work is looking like diatribe now,
fwog is doing better,
and tumeke and cactus Kate are foaming,
my next film will be even better farrar
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May 18, 2009 7:39am
siobhan

limp noodle.
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May 18, 2009 7:57am
Ryan Sproull

Sudden unprecedented respect for Mike King. Very unusual sensation on a Monday morning.
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May 18, 2009 8:43am
lofty

What ever happened to the thieving little labour scrotes who stole the piss????
Just wondering.
Someone must know!
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May 18, 2009 8:51am
senzafine

Sudden unprecedented respect for Mike King. Very unusual sensation on a Monday morning.

Yup. The state of pig farming is pretty much the reason I’ve boycotted pork for the last 15 years.
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May 18, 2009 8:55am
stephen

Sudden unprecedented respect for Mike King. Very unusual sensation on a Monday morning.

Very much so. Nice guy, but you sorta would’ve expected him to tell those activists to ‘go screw a tree’ when they asked him to go take a look at a pig farm. Sunday interviewed the Minister about all this last night too, did not impress with his knowledge of what’s going on and passed the buck to a review later in the year.
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May 18, 2009 8:57am
virtualmark

wreck1080 … the spot price will come down, as those dams with too much water run at full capacity and displace more expensive thermal generation.

But I doubt you pay the spot price … retail power contracts use a fixed charge per kWhr. So you miss out in the times when the spot price is low, but you don’t pay any extra when the spot price goes high.

So nope, your power price won’t go down, because you signed away your rights to get cheap electricity when the spot price is low.
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May 18, 2009 9:03am
wreck1080

Yes, thats one of the problems. It is not a truly competitive market. The reverse is true, retail customers are shielded from high spot prices too.

Power price rises are consistently higher than New Zealands economic growth. If this were to continue indefinitely, then the power companies would basically own the entire country.

So, at what point are the power companies told to pull their heads in?

How is it that power prices are decreasing in the UK due to the recession? NZ is in recession yet our prices continue to climb.
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May 18, 2009 9:24am
virtualmark

wreck, I don’t totally disagree with you … personally I think the electricity industry structure needs a total rethink. Only problem is that after having had lots of discussions with (very informed) mates about it we can’t think of a structure that works for everyone.

The big problems at the moment are that:
* It’s very hard to get security of fuel supply for thermal plants. We’re always going to need thermal plants, but right now it’s very very hard to get a 30-year fuel commitment for a 30-year life plant. So there’s increased pressure to recoup the investment in the plant in a shorter timeframe … which doesn’t help prices.
* The gentailers have pretty much matched their generating & retail customer bases, so that they don’t need to buy electricity on the spot market to feed their retail customers. They all saw what happened to Transalta in 1999/2000, and no one wants to go there again. So there’s very limited competition at the retail end.
* The transmission network puts “soft” restrictions on just how much electricity can flow from A to B, which limits true competition further.
* The Government owns 3 of the 5 big gentailers, and has been happy to pressure them to pay big dividends. Contact and TrustPower have been very happy to let that happen, since it eases pressure on their own prices/profits.
* It’s very hard to consent new generating plant, so old generation is quite a valuable asset (and so returns on capital have to be higher) and any new generation is expensive to bring online (cause we have to drop wind turbines from the farm, or move snails, or whatever).

If you figure the two biggest priorities are to have security of supply (ie enough generation to meet demand even on a still windless day in a cold dry winter), and to maintain a strong investment motive (ie to ensure companies still build new generation to meet growing demand) then there’s not that many options to squeeze prices.
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May 18, 2009 9:35am
Paul Marsden

What’s the motivation behind Bob Clarkson’s half page ad spread in Friday’s NZH, touting progressive home ownership??
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May 18, 2009 9:50am
virtualmark

Of course, one simple thing we could do is manage demand a lot better by moving the retail customers to time of use metering.

But metering is another part of the industry that has fucked investment incentives. I’ve seen lots of proposals for how we could replace all the current old meters, even tried to get a few off the ground myself. But the way the industry is currently structured makes it very very hard.
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May 18, 2009 9:53am
MyNameIsJack

virtualmark (727) Vote: 0 0 Says:

May 18th, 2009 at 9:03 am
wreck1080 … the spot price will come down, as those dams with too much water run at full capacity and displace more expensive thermal generation.

But I doubt you pay the spot price … retail power contracts use a fixed charge per kWhr. So you miss out in the times when the spot price is low, but you don’t pay any extra when the spot price goes high.

So nope, your power price won’t go down, because you signed away your rights to get cheap electricity when the spot price is low.

And thus is exposed the pretence of competition in electricity “markets”.

I don’t recall signing away my rights to cheap electricity, nor do I recall the optioon of buying at spot prices.

And no market is competetive when consumers are locked into contracts. It would be a competetive market if I could choose, at the point of switch flicking, who I wanted to supply the electricity. Or maybe, to better guarantee continuityu of supply i would like to buy every first electron from contact and every second electron from Meridian.
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May 18, 2009 10:16am
Owen McShane

The news has an item about a rock singer (from the Sex Pistols I think) attacking Anchor butter because it is not British but from New Zealand.

Although the advert does not spell out the food miles issue it is there by implication.

Radio NZ I think it was played the Anchor 1990s add which talking about green grass which grows all year long etc (ie perennial grasses which as the Americans know are carbon sinks).

Trouble is we currently ignore this because NIWA has decided we should focus on atmospheric gases – and especially the methane belched by our animals.
If we were using our science correctly we would boasting about our farms being carbon sinks not “a greenhouse problem”.

See my last Digest on submissions to the ETS select committee at the Centre Web page.
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May 18, 2009 10:24am
jcuknz

It seems some lefty is getting their knickers in a twist about about a generously proportioned person weasring a t-shirt saying “GST off food”. I found it being attacked in another blog which was kind of humourous too http://ideologicallyimpure.wordpress.com/

The Anchor butter situation is just another example of how capitalism has no morals when it suits them … not to say all of them are irresponsible all the time or that the left is much different .. the baser side of human nature.
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May 18, 2009 10:37am
MyNameIsJack

Just came accross these great words from Bertrand Russell: [“T]here is to me something a little odd about the ethical valuations of those who think an omnipresent, omnipotent and benevolent deity, after preparing the ground by many millions of years of lifeless nebulae, would consider himself adequately rewarded by hte final emergence of Hitler, Stalin and the H-bomb.”
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May 18, 2009 11:37am
MyNameIsJack

How very interesting.

THE woman at the centre of the Matthew Johns sex scandal has since married a rugby union player.

Wonder when he found out?

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25497760-661,00.html
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May 18, 2009 12:01pm
Jack5

Re MyNameisNJack’s 11.37 post re Bertrand Russell….

Well then under Godwin’s law, Russell loses, and debate over.

God Squad 1, Atheists 0.
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May 18, 2009 12:28pm
Owen McShane

Why are we the only suckers?

Dear Owen,

I was very interested to read your article in the NBR May 15th.

I am founder managing director of a major meat chicken growing and chicken farm builder in Australia. We were a major chicken grower in New Zealand but have migrated to Australia mainly due to double tax reasons. We still have 99% New Zealand shareholders.

I was most interested in the US scientists measuring CO2 from west to east and the Rangeland Soil Carbon Offsets Program.

We grow 25% of NSW chickens and 10% of Australia’s chickens. We have been faced with a liability of buying carbon offsets [20,000 tonnes] when Australia brings in its Emissions Trading Scheme at a starting point $10 /tonne and perhaps rising to $20 or $30 costing us up to $600,000.

We use an environmental company to help us in obtaining Development Approvals when we build new farms called GSS Environmental. They are environmental, land and project management consultants. They have done a lot of work on soil carbon uptake. They have come up with a proposal to us to offset this liability by using our spare land in one of the areas we grow chickens which is at Tamworth NSW. We are going to let them do a trial on 2000 acres of land we have at Tamworth surrounding our chicken farms. They will run the trial which involves no cultivation and controlled grazing.
GSS has done a lot work on soil carbon and they are sure they can prove by measuring the carbon uptake under this farming regime that it will more than offset our liability. They are expecting over the trail period of 5yrs that the soil carbon levels will increase to around 25 tonnes per ha. This would more than offset our liability for all of our chicken farms which are based in Tamworth, Griffith Perth and Bendigo.

If this can be proved which GSS is sure it will be it will have huge ramifications for rural New Zealand and Australia.

Regards
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May 18, 2009 1:01pm
Rakaia George

@ the Jacks. What baffles me is the fact that such a large percentage of those decrying the forces of socialism for trying to control their lives, then abdicate personal responsibility to a random bunch of desert nomads…WTF?
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May 18, 2009 1:07pm
Captain Crab

Lots of interesting stuff coming out in the David Bain trial. The contrast between David and Robin is becoming quite marked and more importantly our own “experts” seem to be a bit wanting. As does the extent of the Police investigation. Judging by the comment they made to the family about “getting” David Bain, it seems they just stopped investigating whether Robin did it.
Not convinced yet though, personally I still have some questions over where blood was found and who did Stephen injure in his fight?
Tragedy aside its a good whodunit
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May 18, 2009 1:11pm
Ryan Sproull

Rakaia George,

It’s because one is voluntary and the other is com…

OHHH, I get it. Like Rakaia Gorge.
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May 18, 2009 1:28pm
Inventory2

Why on earth would SAFE be refusing to co-operate with MAF and give them the location of the pig farm they filmed at so that their allegations can be investigated? Has SAFE perhaps overplayed its hand? Is the footage the real deal? Should you trust “animal activists”? Ah, so many questions ….

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2009/05/safe-pork.html
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May 18, 2009 2:02pm
francis

Amusing: http://www96.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=kiwiblog
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May 18, 2009 2:13pm
goodgod

Prime Minister John Key says Christine Rankin should continue in her role at the Families Commission as long as she can carry out her responsibilities to advocate for abused children.

Is this code for: must support amendment to S59? I guess it must be since Simon Power would give no reassurance that the postal referendum due June-July would be binding.
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May 18, 2009 2:28pm
Paul Marsden

Captain Crab (250) Vote: 1 0 Says:

May 18th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Lots of interesting stuff coming out in the David Bain trial. The contrast between David and Robin is becoming quite marked and more importantly our own “experts” seem to be a bit wanting. As does the extent of the Police investigation. Judging by the comment they made to the family about “getting” David Bain, it seems they just stopped investigating whether Robin did it.
Not convinced yet though, personally I still have some questions over where blood was found and who did Stephen injure in his fight?
Tragedy aside its a good whodunit

Make no mistake, at the very worst, it will be a hung jury. My predict is a ‘not guilty’ verdict, and which is really going to undermine the competency of the NZ judicary, and direct the attention onto Scott Watson’s incarceration.
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May 18, 2009 2:43pm
AG

Owen McShane:
“I am founder managing director of a major meat chicken growing and chicken farm builder in Australia. We were a major chicken grower in New Zealand but have migrated to Australia mainly due to double tax reasons.”

Hah! Another example of Australia’s chickens coming home to roost … .
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May 18, 2009 2:56pm
dime

90 day probation act – does this have to be written into every contract now? im googling and cant find what i need.

we are employing someone this week. a newly created full time position. screw the recession 😛
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May 18, 2009 3:24pm
Trevor Mallard

wreck1080 (398)

Hey, I see the hydro dams are spilling water at the moment.

Does this mean my power bill will go down?

Not sure what other companies are charging but Powershop has spring power @ under 20c unit and June just over – no line charges. Worth a look.
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May 18, 2009 3:35pm
Trevor Mallard

And i see iPredict (proxy for DPF’s Curia) now has gap in Mt Albert @ over 11% up from under .5% just before the selections. Amazing what a difference a fortnight can make in politics.
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May 18, 2009 3:39pm
dime

Trevor – what is a good win for you guys? Id suggest a majority of 5000 votes wont please Labour.

Then again, im not sure what the split in the party vote was.
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May 18, 2009 3:57pm
alex Masterley

Dime, ring your lawyer, or the local chamber of commerce or the employers and manufacturers association.
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May 18, 2009 3:58pm
Colonel Masters

Sudden unprecedented respect for Mike King. Very unusual sensation on a Monday morning.

‘King was still under contract with the Pork Board when he was made aware of the situation. He says he felt relived after they terminated his contract. “They did me one huge favour,” he says.’

I look forward to Mike’s returning his fee.
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May 18, 2009 4:02pm
Ryan Sproull

I look forward to Mike’s returning his fee.

Or donating it to an animal-rescue organisation.
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May 18, 2009 4:06pm
dime

alex – guess ill have to 😛
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May 18, 2009 4:10pm
Viking2

Better, he could donate his fee and some effort into supporting the right type of pork. And to boycotting the super markets that import so much pork.
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May 18, 2009 7:52pm
burt

From the arts and culture department.
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May 18, 2009 11:19pm
Owen McShane

AG,
I think you should read the whole story.
Unlike our farmers he is able to count the carbon credits from his topsoil management to offset against his chickens.

Presumably a beef or dairy farmer in Australia will be able to as well.
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May 19, 2009 5:17pm
AG

Owen,

I just thought chickens migrating to Australia was funny.
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May 19, 2009 5:31pm
Tuija

So you bitched about banning pies, banning lightbulbs but not a word about banning democracy in Auckland Bit of a double standard here guys eh ?
If the Labour party had rushed the TA bill through parliament and handing over power to effectively one man for 1.2 mill voters, you would all be frothing at the mouth
People would be erecting up huge billboards comparing the Pm to some or other despot.And stting up save democracy websites and asking for donations etc
But no, the silence is deafening
And btw the excuse that Labour supposedly did XYZ doesn’t cut any ice either . You are either principled or you are not
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May 19, 2009 5:42pm

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