General Debate 23 June 2011

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Peter

Boom shanka!
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June 23, 2011 8:01am
Rodders

When you cut to the chase, Hone is nothing more than a crude, foul-mouthed piece of trash.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5179852/Harawira-attacks-Maori-Party-tactics
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June 23, 2011 8:04am
Elaycee

@Rodders – I heard that Solomon Tipene most certainly had a crook stomach – he’s had a gutsful of listening to Hone’s crass, vulgar and intellectually corrupt uttering.

The other side effect to be expected is diarrhoea – Hone gives most people the shits.
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June 23, 2011 8:13am
Inventory2

Funny though: Hone is pleading poverty after 5 and a half years on the public teat, and after confirming that his wife is a school principal. If he couldn’t afford to contest a by-election, he ought not have resigned.

http://keepingstock.blogspot.com/2011/06/hone-how-not-to-win-friends-and.html
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June 23, 2011 8:19am
bhudson

I see in the DomPost this morning it is reported that Delahunty believes women should be able to find out what their male counterparts are paid. Apparently this will help close “the pay equity gap.”

What of individual rights to confidentiality of their contract and remuneration? What of their rights to privacy? It appears the Greens are campaigning on only ‘partial privacy’ now – that is the privacy that the Greens deem you are allowed to have
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June 23, 2011 8:25am
Elaycee

@bhudson – I heard an ‘interview’ this morning between Mike Hosking / Alastair Thompson (EMA) and Helen Kelly (CTU) about this topic – Kelly went off on a tangent complaining about the minimum wage / the apparent fact that there were a lot more male Principals than female / etc – all feminist agenda items.

Thompson mentioned that his two highest paid people were female lawyers and they were paid the most because…. they had more productive hours [read: they generated more revenue for the Company]. Funny that.

But Kelly wants the payroll details opened for ALL staff to inspect. Bugger privacy – she has the same daft idea that by someone finding out that someone else is paid a higher salary, then suddenly the CEO will put everyone on the same scale??? Kelly has again demonstrated that she is nothing but an economic dunce.

But why should I be surprised that this fruitloop idea originated from Delahunty – the high priestess of tin hats?
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June 23, 2011 8:44am
Pete George

Another part of the Your NZ interactive democracy is in place – Your Dunedin.

Keeping people in touch, keeping in touch with people. How democracy should be done at an electorate level.
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June 23, 2011 8:46am
Nookin

It looks as though the Government has been able to put together a package that will enable the eastern suburb residents the chance of moving forward. By the sound of it, the package will be a blessing for many although I rather suspect that there will will be those who will never be satisfied (such as the lady on television this morning who said that she would only be happy if “they” build her house as good as she has got somewhere else).

In last couple of days, there has been a some concession on the news media that the government’s task has not been altogether easy. Espiner admitted that he cannot think of any government which has had to come to grips with such a major decision and that it was inappropriate to diminish its bargaining power by fixing a public deadline. Even Duncan Garner acknowledged today that this was incredibly complex.

I think it is high time that somebody actually acknowledged that the likes of Key and Brownlee have put considerable effort into this.

I also think it is time that the likes of Sainsbury, Campbell, Goff and Dalziell receive the serve that they deserve. They have demanded a decision and have played on the suffering of the people of Christchurch. Just about every night Sainsbury interviewed residents who were clearly in a dreadful position and the entire tenor of the interviews was that the government was not doing enough and should be expected to come up with the magic bullet overnight.

These people were in a position to know what was going on in the background and what the Government and CERA were have to resolve. They were in a position to know that the government was not only trying to cope with ongoing earthquakes and changing circumstances it was also having to deal with insurance companies in New Zealand and overseas, banks and the local authority. Despite that, they still conveyed to the vulnerable the clear view that the government should fix a date– regardless of whether the solution was in place. Goff and Dalziell played politics. Sainsbury and Campbell fueled the suffering. These people deserve our contempt.
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June 23, 2011 8:50am
hj

I think “what was going on in the background ” was the missing link, in so far as it was poorly conveyed.
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June 23, 2011 9:00am
swan

Smells like another bailout to me…
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June 23, 2011 9:01am
Pete George

Very good post Nookin.
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June 23, 2011 9:01am
Mick Mac

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2005874/Breast-best-Hundreds-nursing-mothers-surprise-shoppers-awareness-flashmob.html

I’ve been following the flashmob singing & dancing as they turn up with interest, though it’s never happened in a foodcourt where I’ve been.
Now this might put someoff their food, imagine a 100 mums and babes in the local Westfield.!
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June 23, 2011 9:09am
bhudson

@Elaycee,

“But Kelly wants the payroll details opened for ALL staff to inspect. Bugger privacy – she has the same daft idea that by someone finding out that someone else is paid a higher salary, then suddenly the CEO will put everyone on the same scale???”

Their idea certainly ticks all the boxes:

– increased costs of goods and services (to pay for the wholesale wage increases)
– increased unemployment (increased costs leading to increased prices, leading to reduced consumption, leading to retrenchments and businesses folding, combine with employers looking to reduce labour requirements to manage costs)
– reduced competition in the domestic market (as businesses close)
– reduced international competitiveness (as our costs rise relative to others)
– greater pressure on our Balance of Payments (as we import even more as it is cheaper than buying locally)
– make everyone equal by dragging down the successful (pressure will come on businesses to not reward top performers as it will, in effect, create a contingent requirement to reward the average and under-performers as well)

A great economic growth plan for the Left! Aspiration in action – aspiring to drag everyone to their level of mediocrity.

Of course they have the perfect solution to the problems above – just increase taxes on the wealthy! (Apparently that is the solution for all ills in this ongoing class warfare we are engaged in.)
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June 23, 2011 9:14am
Inventory2

@ Nookin; I blogged my contempt of the media yesterday; Paddy Gower from 3News and Newstalk ZB had Twitter comments asking people who had been briefed by the government to contact them, and the Herald had a request for people to e-mail leading a story which began with Bob Parker appealing for some humanity today. That is an appeal that the MSM should heed. If ever there was a day when people should be given some space by a baying media pack, it is today, when it is confirmed that they have to adandon their homes, and for many, their dreams.

I won’t repeat the link, but it’s easily found.
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June 23, 2011 9:17am
nasska

It’s hard to fault Nookin’s appraisal of the situation in Christchurch. Labour couldn’t resist the opportunity to politically polarise the disaster.

Those who masquerade as reporters in the sound bite sandpit formerly known as the media have gone for the tearjerking emotional claptrap that sells hamburgers & soft drinks for their advertisers. At the same time our Government, responsible for our money, has to negotiate outcomes while dealing with self serving local authorities & insurance companies determined to pay out as little as possible by any means available.

To date I reckon that JK & Co have made a pretty good job……let’s hope they can keep it up.
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June 23, 2011 9:21am
Nookin

Thanks, Pete.
I have been increasingly incensed at the way these people have played on suffering. Goff and Dalziel had the opportunity to make this a non-political issue. They chose not to and set about scoring points. Not once did I ever see Sainsbury analyse that issues with which the Government had to deal. He was more interested in showing the suffering and creating the impression that the government was prevaricating.

IV2
Missed your post but will look for it. Thanks. Reminds me that Brian Gaynor had to issue a press statement the day after his son died reminding the news media that the family was grieving and were not really in the mood to be asked how they felt.
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June 23, 2011 9:22am
joana

I don’t entirely agree but I still think a very good post Nookin.
This whole equal pay thing has been big in the US recently with women from a whole lot of companies wanting to file law suits..As I understand it , the Supreme court has just stopped them..companies like Wallmart , Cosco etc Maybe someone else has a link to an article on this. Kelly will be just following the US trend.
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June 23, 2011 9:26am
Elaycee

bhudson says: “A great economic growth plan for the Left! Aspiration in action – aspiring to drag everyone to their level of mediocrity.”

Kelly / Labour are all about lowering the bar – for sure. Its driven by the politics of envy.

Someone should remind them: “If you aim to be mediocre, you’ll succeed every time.”
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June 23, 2011 9:30am
Nookin

Thanks, Joanna. I have not lived in ChCh for a long time but have friends, family and clients there. I know it is difficult to comment from a distance but, by the same token, it does not take much to figure out how many loose ends need to be tied to create a fool-proof package. My criticism is not for the residents. When you are in the middle of the suffering it is impossible to be objective. My criticism is for those who knew better. Note the I say “who knew better” not “who should have known better”. There was some pretty cynical point scoring and sensationalism going on there.
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June 23, 2011 9:36am
ciaron

Demo list: http://www.cera.govt.nz/demolitions#TOC-Building-update:-22-June-2011

Demo map: http://www.cera.govt.nz/demolitions#TOC-Map-of-earthquake-damaged-buildings
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June 23, 2011 9:36am
mikenmild

joana

Here’s a good description of the Supreme Court giving the finger to the Walmart women:
http://www.slate.com/id/2297364/

Just weatched made in Dagenham last week, too!
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June 23, 2011 9:58am
Pete George

to figure out how many loose ends need to be tied to create a fool-proof package.

There’s no fool proof package – the media will always be able to find a few dissatisfied fools.

And there are ongoing unknowns – especially how much shaking is still to come, and for how long.
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June 23, 2011 10:03am
Nookin

“There’s no fool proof package – the media will always be able to find a few dissatisfied fools.

And there are ongoing unknowns – especially how much shaking is still to come, and for how long.”

Entirely agree. And there will be loose ends that will push up land and material costs that will increase the difference between what they are getting and what they will have to pay. Price freeze, or large scale buy up of alternative land may have to be considered.
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June 23, 2011 10:25am
Falafulu Fisi

The following could help explain why materials as diverse as graphene and household curtains wrinkle in much the same way.

Introducing the ‘wrinklon’
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June 23, 2011 10:30am
Pete George

Another unknown is how many people end up leaving Christchurch for good. Someone I know in Christchurch said after the Tuesday night 5.4 he heard multiple cars driving off and not coming back – that could mean anything, but the peerception is a symptom of how many people are starting to feel there.

When people are offered a buy up package many may take the money and walk out on Christchurch.
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June 23, 2011 10:34am
AlphaKiwi

I posted this yesterday in the tax gap thread, but it was buried by the debate as to whether the graph was accurate or not.

Maybe we have to be radical in our tax approach.

1. Slash company tax to 15%。
2. New companies setting up in NZ go tax free for the first three years to give them time to get established and employ more people who will then also pay tax and be off welfare.
3. Have a capital gains tax excluding the home you reside in.
4. Have a luxuries sales tax of 25-30%. This should get more tax from expensive imported goods. The rich will still want them for status reasons.
5. The first $30,000 you earn in employment is tax free. This is to help reduce tax churn and bureaucracy.
6. Companies which employ more than 1000 full-time employees have their tax rates reduced to 12%.
7. Phase out WFF.
8. Compulsory super at Australian levels.
9. GST remains as is.

I wonder if this would cause a blow out financially or not in the short-term. In the long term wouldn’t it be good for New Zealand as it create an environment where more people should be able to be employed.

Also, wouldn’t paying not tax up to your first $30,000 dollars of income allow us to keep our current minimum wage levels, rather than going on about upping it to $15 per hour?
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June 23, 2011 10:42am
Julian

I really enjoy kiwi blog and do not comment very often.

But today, I need to vent my concerns
According to EQC, we are in a minor damage zone.
We have never been accessed and are not a priority.
However, 7000 aftershock later, the condition of the house has changed.
Most people in our area have plywood bracing holding the external walls on.

When EQC, finally access our area (they say Sept 11), they will find that many of the minor repairs are now in the major category.

We rich pricks tend to be in more expensive areas and have higher value assets.
Through the calculator out the window, this is going to be a long process and cost more than anyone could predict.
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June 23, 2011 10:46am
ciaron

@ Pete; yes, shortly after the shaking stopped, we heard a bike start up and take off at a fair rate of knots, so much so that we could still hear he was hard on the throttle for a considerable time after.
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June 23, 2011 10:47am
Pete George

Also, wouldn’t paying not tax up to your first $30,000 dollars of income allow us to keep our current minimum wage levels, rather than going on about upping it to $15 per hour

It seems to make sense to leave pay rates to employers and for the government to adjust tax rates to give people the nett income they think they should have.

But how many low earners effectively pay no tax now, taking WFF into account. They got a big boost with that.
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June 23, 2011 10:49am
mikenmild

AK

Thanks for having another go at that. I’d be interested in some analysis of what the overall effect would be on revenue. One of the comments yesterday made a case for no exemption from a capital gains tax.
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June 23, 2011 10:55am
Manolo

Do not worry about Delahunty’s utterances. It’s nothing but the same rubbish that has made her infamous and elevated to a high place on the list of accomplished loonies in the Luddite Green Party.
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June 23, 2011 10:59am
Manolo

Sellman, the self-appointed chief wowser, continues his campaign: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10733941
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June 23, 2011 11:00am
ciaron

Julian, If you are unsatisifed with the EQC response, may I suggest you engage your own structural engineer. At the very least s/he would be able to answer your questions about the structure in a more detailed manner than the EQC teams, as they simply do not have the time to do so. Surely for peace of mind, it would be money well spent.
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June 23, 2011 11:01am
backster

CIARON………Thanks for the links, it sets out the processes and locations but how many buildings have actually been demolished.
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June 23, 2011 11:17am
mikenmild

Manolo

That would be calling for action to reduce alcohol-related harm, right?
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June 23, 2011 11:31am
bhudson

Who is that gentle soul perambulating across my bridge?
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June 23, 2011 11:37am
ciaron

backster, From my wanderings through the red zone, I’d say that those on the list are still (just) standing, and you’d need to cross reference with earlier lists to find out whats gone.

something else to look at:

https://picasaweb.google.com/RossBeckerNZ/ChristchurchTheImpactOfJune13Aftershocks#5618419364500069266
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June 23, 2011 11:37am
Put it away

It’s the calling for action to reduce freedom that’s the problem, mikenmild.
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June 23, 2011 11:38am
mikenmild

bhudson

That would make you the troll, right?
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June 23, 2011 11:38am
bhudson

@mikey,

Nice try, but the obvious reference was that while you might be softly spoken and polite, you are trolling nonetheless
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June 23, 2011 11:41am
mikenmild

Put it way

Controlling alcohol would reduce freedom? Ok, so legalising all drugs would enhance it.
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June 23, 2011 11:42am
mikenmild

bhudson

But you got the story a bit backward, so that would make me the Big Billy Goat Gruff.
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June 23, 2011 11:43am
Manolo

That would be calling for action to reduce alcohol-related harm, right?

Not at all. Dr Sellman is a zealot who would like to see alcohol overpriced, if not banned, and out of reach of the law abiding citizen. He, as any other do-gooder, uses the plight of those who cannot help themselves as an excuse to control a perfectly legitimate substance. If you extend the rational to fast food, you get the food-nazis, and so on.

People like this despicable doctor believe they know better, and are prepared to tell you what and how much you drink and consume. They love to control your ability to decide what to do with your own existence.

To each and every one of them I’d say: get out of my life, eff off.
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June 23, 2011 11:43am
bhudson

@mikey,

“But you got the story a bit backward…”

Only in what passes for your mind I suspect Mikey
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June 23, 2011 11:46am
mikenmild

Manolo

Nowhere have I seen Alcohol Healthwatch, or anyother organization calling for alcohol to be banned. That would be about as sensible as banning cannabis.

They seem to call for our law to be in line with WHO recommendations, based on principles that support harm reduction.
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June 23, 2011 11:52am
Elaycee

Is there a race to see who can post the most number of inane, clueless and waffle based posts in the shortest space of time?

Hold it! We have a winner…..

😉
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June 23, 2011 11:56am
mikenmild

Elaycee

Don’t tempt Penny out.
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June 23, 2011 11:58am
Elaycee

Hold it! We have our winner…..

🙂
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June 23, 2011 12:15pm
voice of reason

” Goff and Dalziell played politics. Sainsbury and Campbell fueled the suffering. These people deserve our contempt”

Nookin – what do you really expect Dalziel to do? She is a polictician. She lives in Bexley and is the lcoal MP. People obviously voice their concerns to her and they expect and ask her to raise the issues. The media seek out her and other and ask questions. Of course they play politics on the matter – they are politicians ffs.
If she said nothing then no doubt the cry would be – “She is the local MP and we dont hear squat, why are we paying her?”
In fact if she said nothing she’d be playing politics as well, by trying to take the high ground.
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June 23, 2011 12:18pm
holysheet

So I understand that the govt is going to buy out all the condemned houses in CHCH. Then they will negociate with the insurance companies to recover the insurance monies.

What happens to those houses NOT INSURED? Some in the areas will not be insured. Will they get the same offer as the insured ones?
I bloody hope not.
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June 23, 2011 12:24pm
mikenmild

voice

Good call. You can’t really expect some of the politicians to let their opponents get on with it, take all the photos ops and be the only ones involved. Some seem to take the view the earthquake is too big an issue to be political about. Well, politics should be about big issues. The earthquake recovery is a huge deal locally and nationally and can’t be immune from criticism. That said, politicians have a fine line to tread between offering views, representing constituents and seeking the publicity they crave (and need).
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June 23, 2011 12:26pm
Put it away

This week I purchased alcohol twice at the supermarket – one bottle of Belgian cherry beer ( pretty sure that’s never been implicated in any alcohol crimes, and yes, I drank a WHOLE 330 mls all by myself!) , and one bottle of nice Pinot Gris to go around three middle aged adults during a quiet night in watching DVDs. Since the chance of these leading to rioting, drink-driving, domestic violence or alcohol poisoning is absolutely zero, why should I be punished because of the actions of some teenage retards, bogan troglodytes, and jake the muss wannabes? Sellman can gargle my balls.
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June 23, 2011 12:26pm
mikenmild

Put it away

You shouldn’t be penalised (well, maybe for drinking cherry beer!). Alcohol causes immense harm, and measures to reduce that harm are needed. We already have most of those measures in place. All measures to reduce harm will have some effect on people who are not the problem. A good example would be the thousands stopped randomly so a handful of drunks can be arrested at checkpoints. Restrictions on advertising and price increases are probably the most effective tools. The balance between measures that reduce the harm without unduly penalising all is a difficult one for politicians to strike. I don’t want my Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc to be more expensive (gee, it is cheap at the moment), but some might accept higher prices if they saw a connection with lowering costs that are borne by all of us (health and law enforcement).
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June 23, 2011 12:34pm
nasska

Elaycee

I agree with your decision but to be fair to (both) contestants maybe in future, prizes could be awarded to both disciplines of waffle. We could have:

Category A… Awarded to the contestant who disturbed the most electrons & made the most use of cut & paste.

Category B… The award to be made to the commentator with maximum number of comments containing ingratiating drivel.

In these PC times we don’t want to create any losers.
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June 23, 2011 12:39pm
mikenmild

nasska

And everyone else gets a certificate to show they participated.
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June 23, 2011 12:41pm
Elaycee

@nasska… Ha ha – very good.

Category B ‘winner’ is a stand out – to go alongside the award for participating in the sack race at the 1968 Boy Scout Camp at Brookfield, Wainuiomata.

🙂
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June 23, 2011 12:48pm
Paulus

I understand NO INSURANCE POLICY _ YOU ARE NOT IN THIS DEAL.
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June 23, 2011 1:01pm
ciaron

Mike, do you think it is fair and right that the government impose higher prices on items like this and this When the likelihood of these items being the root cause of the harm you mention are practically nill? Because let’s face it; any aditional cost would be implimented across the board, instead of being targeted at the specific products which are abused.
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June 23, 2011 1:04pm
joana

PG/Nookin
My feeling after the 13 June quakes was that so many people in CHCH were just really, really weary. The 10.30pm 21 June was really terrifying in our area getting up there with last Sept 4 and worse in areas close to Halswell. There are more empty houses in our neighbourhood so I am sure more are leaving; just sick of it. It seems hard to get accurate figures on how many have left.
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June 23, 2011 1:05pm
mikenmild

ciaron

I don’t know how feasible it would be to target price rises at the products most abused. Hey, I don’t want to pay more for my piss either, but I might be persuaded if I were convinced of the net benefit.
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June 23, 2011 1:12pm
ciaron

Hey, I don’t want to pay more for my piss either, but I might be persuaded if I were convinced of the net benefit.

I don’t understand, are you saying that you are happy to pay more if someone can convince you it is better that you pay more because some other people have little self control?
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June 23, 2011 1:17pm
KiwiGreg

“Controlling alcohol would reduce freedom? Ok, so legalising all drugs would enhance it.”

Correct. As would abolishing a lot of repressive laws and reducing if not eliminating the forceable expropriation of personal property by the government. Of couse freedom of individuals is anethema to the left.
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June 23, 2011 1:20pm
Longknives

Re the alcohol issue: It astounds me that because a few kids die of misadventure that may (or may not) be booze related- (and sorry but the media is only latching onto these kids because it is a posh school- Teenagers die from accidents/suicide all the time, it’s reality) Some wowser is suggesting that my quiet few beers after work on Friday are hiked in price to the extent that they are unobtainable. Raise the drinking age if necessary, Pump money into education about responsible drinking, come down on liquor suppliers who sell to kids like a ton of bricks but please DO NOT punish the law abiding, tax paying responsible drinker who enjoys a pint or Pinot after a hard weeks work.
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June 23, 2011 1:23pm
Nookin

Is there also an award for the un-PC comment of the year?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5182270/Employers-boss-must-go-union
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June 23, 2011 1:26pm
KevinH

Longknives(252) says:

“Raise the drinking age if necessary, Pump money into education about responsible drinking, come down on liquor suppliers who sell to kids like a ton of bricks but please DO NOT punish the law abiding, tax paying responsible drinker who enjoys a pint or Pinot after a hard weeks work.”

I totally agree, it’s dissappointing that because of the irresponsibility of some out of control teenagers that the government responds by placing additional taxes on alcohol, penalising the rest.
It’s flawed thinking because it doesn’t achieve the desired outcome of moderating alcohol consumption of teenagers.
Also at the moment because of the record harvests of the last three seasons, wine is at an all time low price wise. It’s possible to get a bottle of Marlborough savvy and some farm salmon for about $20, which is fantastic value for money.
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June 23, 2011 1:32pm
mikenmild

KiwiGreg

I’m with you on legalizing drugs – it’d reduce the prison bill for starters.
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June 23, 2011 1:33pm
mikenmild

Nookin

What a jerk – women only have themselves to blame for menstruating and looking after sick kids. Yeah, they should harden up!
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June 23, 2011 1:36pm
ciaron

If we are proposing to make alcohol unobtainable to irresponsible young people by means of a price adjustment, it seems to me the best way to effectively isolate the target demographic is not to increase the price of alcohol, but reduce the income of the problem group.
now before anyone kicks off about youth rates remember that we are happy to penalise people who use alcohol responsibly, so there should be no problem penalising a smaller group of individuals who have one factor in common with the “at risk”… (swapping those who buy alcohol – the larger group, for those of the same age group – a smaller group) After all, it’s for the greater good.
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June 23, 2011 1:38pm
mikenmild

ciaron

It’s not just young people; we need to reduce benefit rates and wages for lower income groups to ‘target’ those most likely to use alcohol irresponsibly!
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June 23, 2011 1:42pm
Mark

Nookin (926) Says:
June 23rd, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Is there also an award for the un-PC comment of the year?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/5182270/Employers-boss-must-go-union

This has to be the dumbest comment by an industry spokesman I’ve heard. An idiotic statement, what the hell was he thinking. I expect the next Board meeting of the Employers association could be a little tense.
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June 23, 2011 1:46pm
ciaron

Mike, I endorse the coupon benefit model, where the beneficiary has either a card or coupons that cannot be used for cigarettes, alcohol, lotto, etc.

Nookin, I wonder what would happen if he produced employment records that fit his statements. And as usual toward the end of the article, the money statement can be found:

The EMA supports and promotes equal pay for equal productivity no matter a person’s gender, age, or ethnicity, his statement said.

“It should not matter if a man or a woman is off work on sick leave more than others if their output is high they should be paid highly,” he said.

“And if a person’s productivity is more or less than someone else, that will be recognised in their pay. It’s a pity if saying this is not PC.”
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June 23, 2011 1:49pm
Rodders

Mike & Mark – Don’t be too hard on Alasdair Thompson. He used to be an advocate of A+B Theorem 😉
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June 23, 2011 1:55pm
wreck1080

It is reported as this…

Alasdair Thompson, the chief executive officer of the EMA (Northern) and a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council, said he was amazed with the enormous response he’d had via email since making the comment that women get paid less than men because they take sick days ‘once a month’.

Now, if you had have listened to the radio , it was nothing like this. The media in their clamour to sell stories have taken him out of context in my opinion.
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June 23, 2011 1:56pm
Elaycee

wreck1080 says: “Now, if you had have listened to the radio , it was nothing like this. The media in their clamour to sell stories have taken him out of context in my opinion.”

Agree 100%.

As I posted at 0844 today, the interview in real time was nothing like that portrayed by the sensationalists. Thompson was trying to explain that productivity has a major effect on the salary a person can command. He gave as an example the fact that two lawyers working for him received the biggest salaries because their billables (revenue) were the best in the Company. Nothing wrong with that principle at all.

But if someone else’s billable hours are less (for whatever reason), then there’s no way they should receive the same salary as the ‘top’ employees. Oh, and for the record, Thompson’s top employees are females.

Some idiots in the media never allow the facts to get in the way of a ‘good’ story.
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June 23, 2011 2:09pm
AM2

Hey does anyone know who this Labour Staffer is? How come his name is not mentioned in the article??

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10732419
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June 23, 2011 2:10pm
voice of reason

Wreck – it is quoted he said this :
”Why do they take the most sick leave? Women do in general. Why? Because once a month they have sick problems, not all of them but some do,” he said.

In what context do you think it can be taken as being acceptable?

”They have children that they have to take leave of therefore their productivity…(it’s) not their fault. It may be that they have not got it sorted with their partners where the partners take more responsibility for what happens outside work.”

Frankly they are just stupid statements.
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June 23, 2011 2:12pm
KH

Iwi are contracting out the fishing quota to overseas operators and exploited Asian labour. That benefits Iwi just a tiny bit and other New Zealanders not at all. A disgrace and also stupid.
At the same time there is a mounting concern about the Oceans, including fisheries just disappearing.
New Zealand’s fishery area is the fifth biggest in the world.
Why not just cancel that quota and give the ocean a chance for a decade or two. As we work out how to sustainably fish it, with the greatest benefit to New Zealand.
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June 23, 2011 2:15pm
mikenmild

KH

Is it only iwi contracting out quota to overseas operators?
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June 23, 2011 2:22pm
mikenmild

Elaycee

I’m sure Alasdair Thompson must have sounded quite reasonable live in his novel explanation of the gender pay gap. I’m looking forward to hearing his views on whether the Earth is round.
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June 23, 2011 2:24pm
Rodders

…or whether he still support Social Credit policies (economic equivalent of flat earth.)
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June 23, 2011 2:27pm
starboard

why dont the iwi ( I-want-it) engage the use of their own people ( I thought we were all one? ) to man the fishing boats? Sure its harder than growing dope , robbing banks and assaulting people but hey , an honest hard days work never killed anyone, and shit… they might even enjoy it.
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June 23, 2011 2:38pm
Elaycee

milkmilo: Post your bank account details and I’ll deposit 50 cents – you can then ring up someone who cares.
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June 23, 2011 2:38pm
Rodders

AM2 @ 2.10pm – There is a suppression order
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/5166437/Parliament-worker-accused-of-theft-in-court
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June 23, 2011 2:41pm
mikenmild

starboard

I think you might find that the iwi-owned fishing companies do employ many Maori.
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June 23, 2011 2:42pm
tom hunter

So in one brief response Alasdair Thompson has:

– pissed of many woman managers in private sector businesses.

– reinforced the left-wing image of private sector employers as variations on Mr Burns.

– failed to take the opportunity to describe all the factors that can account for gender pay differentials – especially the “lifetime averages” arguments so beloved of the left when pushing for clunking, all-encompassing regulations that simply fuck things up without addressing real gender discrimination cases.

– Failed to explicitly condemn such specific cases where they are found.

– Failed to explain that private sector employers would, in this day and age, be nuts to deliberately crap on 50% of their potential workforce.

– Destroyed his own ability to ever be taken seriously on this issue again.

– Left the field wide-open for the Helen Kelly’s of the world to push their demand for ever more laws and regulations.

Clap……clap……clap.

Moron.
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June 23, 2011 2:50pm
wreck1080

If you want to visit the UK – wait a little if you can.

The pound could reach 0.55 soon – the bank of england have indicated they are more likely going to start printing more money.

The NZD is already at a record high against the pound, expect many more records in the year to come.

The aussies are even luckier, maybe they’ll reach parity with the pound.
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June 23, 2011 2:54pm
bhudson

@mikey,

“I think you might find that the iwi-owned fishing companies do employ many Maori.”

Really Mikey? I’d be interested in knowing what percentage of Maori the iwi-owned fishing companies employ…
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June 23, 2011 3:09pm
immigant

I think you will find most iwi owned fishing companies sell their quota overseas for Chinese, Koreans and Russians to fish it out. That is why fish is more expensivethan pork and we live on an Island. Love how the wise Iwiw are lookign after the country’s resources.
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June 23, 2011 3:12pm
immigant

Excuse the typos, I’m still getting to grips with the new phone.
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June 23, 2011 3:18pm
Elaycee

Oh No! Best don’t read this whilst you’re having your coffee…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/capital-life/5176745/Women-flock-to-take-horse-semen-shots
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June 23, 2011 3:20pm
starboard

sure they do milky but in the boardrooms only….
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June 23, 2011 3:21pm
mikenmild

bhudson
Can’t find figures on a quick trawl, apart from reference to specific training schemes. Employment in the fishing industry is about 20,000, so it might be difficult to find much analysis at that scale. Maori have about 50% of the fishing quaota and own about 30% of the industry. Can’t find any evidence that the iwi-owned outfilts have different practices re joint ventures; it would seem odd if they did.
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June 23, 2011 3:29pm
starboard

Mikensomething

whats the unemployment rate in the far north. Yes thats right.. a lot..why arent they out working on the trawlers?…yes thats right..they are too fucking lazy…
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June 23, 2011 3:40pm
bhudson

@mikey,

Contracting quota fulfillment to foreign vessels is not necessarily a joint venture. I doubt the percentage of NZ-nationals on those boats is high.
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June 23, 2011 3:48pm
nasska

A few years back a couple of my mates being short of work in their off season did a few trips on the boats fishing in the Southern Ocean. A trip was about six weeks & basically the boats only docked to unload, fuel up & get a fresh crew before heading back to sea.

The work was hard, no one got much sleep when the nets were coming up full, but the food was good & the pay made up for the inconvenience. Wages were a basic rate plus a share of the catch. In the typical manner of fishermen it was a case of chicken today & feathers tomorrow as they were usually flat broke by the time their next trip was due but for single blokes it wasn’t a bad life.

This was about the time that the Sealord deal was done to settle Treaty fishing claims & part of the agreement stated that crews had to include a certain (small) number of Maori. Fair enough but just about every sailing was held up trying to get enough Maori crew to fulfill the conditions. They simply did not want to work at sea…….Maori activists can make out of my comments what they will.
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June 23, 2011 3:53pm
nasska

bhudson @ 3.48pm

I would go further than you & state that the percentage of NZ nationals employed on the foreign boats would be zero. No NZ worker would get out of bed for the pay & conditions of the poor buggers employed on them & neither they should.
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June 23, 2011 3:58pm
starboard

“whoop whooop”…you’re in for it now Naska, with those clearly racist ( but factual ) comments…” take cover man..incoming!”
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June 23, 2011 3:59pm
starboard

Let me tell you a story. In another life one of my jobs involved refuelling fishing boats at Lyttelton. I did it for 5 years. Not once do I recall seeing a maori deckhand…even on the nz owned and flagged boats. Plenty of chinese , korean , indonesians but no maori. They are just to damn tired.
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June 23, 2011 4:04pm
nasska

starboard

Quite a few Maori worked & even owned & skippered small inshore boats but they were a rare sight on factory ships.
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June 23, 2011 4:09pm
Mick Mac

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/22/nasa-scientist-accused-using-celeb-status-among-environmental-groups-to-enrich/#ixzz1Q3EfLDOI

Go get him fellas.
Transparency is a great thing, pity the warmers don’t apply it to themselves as well.
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June 23, 2011 4:09pm

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