Red Alert

Fuzzy signals from the copper dome

Posted by Brendon Burns on September 4th, 2010

What has happened to Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman’s Think Big plans for public service broadcasting? (See various past Broadcasting posts)

It would seem matters have bogged down at  Cabinet. The dark, powerful trio of  English, Joyce and McCully are not buying in.  Perhaps having to find $1.7b for Mr Hubbard’s cupboard is not helping. Not that there are many in a Nat Cabinet who,at the best of times, would defend PSB. Some think that local production and public broadcasting are the same thing, and besides,  SKY and all that money the Government is pumping into the broadband future will take care of it

Coleman had Treasury and Ministry of Culture and Heritage put up options on what to do once funding for TVNZ’s non-commercial channels 6 + 7 runs out early in 2012. (with little if any reference to anyone with broadcasting experience.)

Cabinet may have added another alternative to officials’ three options of  do nothing; leave TVNZ to run Ch7 under a separate governance arrangement (most likely outcome); merge with RNZ (either using Parliamentary Channel or CH 7 or both)

Now the time-honoured solution; have an industry/officials committee review everything and assesse a a preferred option.If this involved genuine public consultation, fine but much more likely it is a  kick for touch

Perhaps looming decisions may just cause Cabinet to focus. A date needs to be announced soon on Digital Switch On (and analogue switch off.) And also announcements on any extension to Freeview terrestial coveage, currently only received by 75% of homes and excluding many provincial cities.- all but one Nat held.  And there is the  TVNZ Amendment Bill now at submission hearings at Commerce Committee. It does away with the TVNZ Charter and begs the question of the Minister: what will you replace it with?  He would hope his options paper would provide a part-answer  but signals are reception is poor inside the copper dome.


Christchurch Earthquake

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 4th, 2010

Most of us will have friends and relatives that have suffered losses in Christchurch.

I’ve been following events since 6am on National Radio – what a great service.

I haven’t tied up cell phone lines talking to Chch colleagues because they have more important uses. And colleagues have more important things to do.

This post is not to be used to attack the government. Today is a day for sympathy and practical suggestions.

Later on we can assess how the system worked.


Will English survive the Hubbard scandal ?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 4th, 2010

At some stage an inquiry is going to have a look at the government’s actions in the Hubbard group case.

Back in June when contrasting Hubbard and the Auckland wideboys I counselled caution until facts were known.

I don’t want to get into too much detail while there are ongoing investigations, and hopefully even new investigations to be opened.

and on Power :-

don’t think he had a real choice. Received advice. Could not ignore it in my opinion. Needed to pass regulation. Then it must be announced and he was Minister responsible. Statutory management can never be a secret.

Bernard Hickey got into the Hubbards yesterday. He asks some fair questions.

But the blogger who has got closest to the core issue is Cactus Kate. She points out :-

Bill English is incorrect (well let us face facts – teling porkies) in this interview. The taxpayer did not have to pay SCF anymore than they would have had to for Hanover or Blue Chip. SCF took deposits for and moved $700m (or 41% of total) of their lending to more risky criteria even into the the hyper-risk of mezzanine lending. They breached the guarantee and their own CEO said so.

It seems that English knew that SCF did not meet the criteria when its guarantee was renewed. If that is the case he is gone.


Decider in Auckland – go the Silver Ferns

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 4th, 2010

Those who know me know that netball is my favourite spectator sport – with the exception of any game that involves my kids. Helen told me back in 1993 to go – I did and loved it. There were times that Dallas Seymour and I were the only males at Walter Nash stadium. I’ve had our best expert (Dame Lois Muir) as a tutor and now a friend. I’ve been to about 90% of tests in NZ since then as well as seeing about a dozen offshore. Helen sometimes arranged her John Howard meetings around aussie tests as she grew to love the game as well – and that was as far back as 1996.

I’ve got to know generations of ferns, taken them on tours of parliament including members only areas, helped talk Irene into immigrating, drunk a bit of post series wine, had a few cry on my shoulder over the years, watched romances and babies grow and made some lifelong friends -  I’ve been exceptionally lucky. They are really wonderful women. If the aren’t – or can’t change – they don’t last long. Wish it was that way at work.

The series for the first name on the new Constellation Cup (donated by Aussie and NZ Guvs – good on them) is tied one all. Asked Lois if she thought the Aussies could come back after their 19 point loss on Thursday night. “Of course they can” she said.

There aren’t any seats left for tomorrow. But it is televised at 4pm. We produce better netball TV than anyone else. Our camera people know the sport and can mainly anticipate where the ball is going. If you’ve never watched give it a go.

And go the ferns.

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Filed under: sport

Credit where it’s due

Posted by Darien Fenton on September 3rd, 2010

I have to acknowledge that the government did a good thing in formally recognising (today) September 3 as Merchant Navy Day. I’m presuming there were discussions during Labour’s tenure in office, but it was the NACTs who got the remembrance day over the line.

I’ve been to a few Merchant Navy commemorations, and seen the huge memorial in Sydney Harbour. Merchant Seamen played a critical role during wartime, transporting troops, food, military equipment and vital cargo around the world, under the constant threat of enemy raids.  But their remembrance days have been quiet affairs, compared to Anzac Day.

These seamen put their lives on the line and faced enormous risk. Their work was so essential to the war effort that the Merchant Navy became known as the fourth service, alongside the army, navy and airforce.

At least 130 New Zealand merchant seaman lost their lives during the Second World War and around 140 were taken prisoner.  Internationally, around 80,000 merchant seamen lost their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic, which lasted 2074 from 3 September 1939 to 7 May 1945, when Germany finally capitulated.

These are untold stories that must be told to our children and grandchildren. Even if it means I have to say something nice about the NACTs, these sailors need to be remembered.


Not good enough Mr Hide

Posted by Grant Robertson on September 3rd, 2010

(This post is in part by way of explanation to passengers on board Flight NZ410 from Wellington to Auckland this morning, some of whom might have witnessed a somewhat odd exchange between me and Rodney Hide.)

Since Heather Roy was dumped as Minister responsible for special education I have been trying to find out what is happening with the review of Special Education.  Heather had said publicly that it was due out in July or August, and my understanding was that it was before Cabinet the very week she was dumped.  I have put in written questions asking for information about the review which were due for reply on the 26th of August but I have not had a response.

So this morning when I was on a plane to Auckland to visit, among other things, a couple of special schools, it was timely to see Rodney Hide get on the plane.  As we stood up to disembark I asked if Rodney was indeed taking on the special education portfolio (he confirmed he was) and when the review was to be released.  He responded by saying “when the government is ready.”  Before I could go any further he said we could not expect cooperation from him on the review due to his issues about Labour’s approach on the super city. I said I was not asking about the Super City and that the review was important to a large number of parents, schools and students.

What followed was a tirade from Rodney as we walked up the air bridge about the Super City and related issues. I kept saying that I was interested in the review as many others are, and that Rodney really needed to be able to seperate out his portfolio issues.   As he stopped and I walked on his tirade continued.

I would not normally report on an exchange like this,  but his approach is not good enough.  The whole special education community is waiting for the review to be released. As I was told today on my visits, it is holding up planning and development in schools.  Parents and students involved in special education deal with enough stress and pressure as it is. They deserve far better than a Minister who can not deal with his anger about a completely unrelated issue.


Radiographers v DHBs = System failure

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 3rd, 2010

Spent more time than normal listening to National Radio today.  A parade of medical professionals all declining to discuss “industrial issues” but dumping on colleagues who are asking to work 5 hours longer a week and get time in lieu for a couple of days professional development a year – the way others at the hospitals do.

A DHB paid liar made a hash of attacking the union.

But the whole situation is horrible. Patients are caught in the middle and while there won’t be life lost delays will cause pain and add to the the waiting lists for elective procedures for months to come. And the costs of private Xrays and scans are too high for most families.

It is a classic case of an uneven relationship leading to out of proportion consequences when labour is withdrawn.

Similar to situation pre 1893 when we introduced legislation that included arbitration.  Law based on fairness and ability to mount a case – not out muscle the other side.

Maybe it is time to revisit arbitration as a tool for sorting disputes.


Silly idea number 15 – what do you think?

Posted by Pete Hodgson on September 3rd, 2010

Trumpet “work place skills” as one of the BIG SIX economic drivers. Establish a skills forum to drive the skills strategy. Announce that the forum will meet five times in 2010, starting in March, so that early progress can be made. Then forget to call the March meeting, or any others, so that yet another leg of the Governments economic plan turns out to be a hologram.

I think this idea is –

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The news is crap #2

Posted by Clare Curran on September 3rd, 2010

I want to believe in our media. I believe the craft of journalism to be an extraordinarily important thing.

It is a critical part of our democracy. And it distresses me that I am so critical and that it has so deteriorated.

I believe that most journalists believe in their craft. And many are good. The institutions they work for have morphed and twisted so much to adapt to a changing world without being able to catch up, that the quest for market share has become so much more important than reflecting back and challenging our society, our culture and the issues that beset it.

So I am heartened tonight to discover this piece, a speech written by Mark Scott, the managing director of Australia’s ABC TV and radio. He is reflecting on the Australian election and the role played by media. By social media. How it could change. For the better.

It gives me hope.

Though we have to focus on our media.

Here’s an excerpt. I urge you to read the piece

The ABC hosted Jay Rosen for a day while he was recently in Australia. He is always good value on the role of social media and the nature of politicaljournalism – in some ways quite a contrarian – and full of encouragement about things we could do better.

He had two suggestions for the ABC, which we are exploring and will likely pursue.

The first is to provide more background, detail and context for members of our audience who are coming fresh to complex stories: like an ETS, or the NBN, or the operations of a hung parliament. The ABC has a role as a patient explainer of these complexities, to help people catch up with the conversation, understand what is being said and to make a contribution if they wish. It plays nicely to our Charter role to provide an educational service to the community. It makes policy more accessible and can bring important issues into the mainstream.

And Rosen said we should plan more thoroughly and consult more widely around what national issues are at play in an election campaign. Long before the campaign starts, talk with the community, engage with experts, undertake polling, think about national challenges: the immediate and the far-reaching.

Charter? What’s that? Planning? Backgrounding, education? Explaining complex issues? making policy accessible? Conversation? Golly. Doesn’t really feel like our media.

Hat tip @abcmarkscott (twitter)


Income Splitting verdict from Brian Fallow

Posted by Stuart Nash on September 2nd, 2010

Brian Fallow’s verdict on Peter Dunne’s income splitting idea in today’s Herald… “Unfair, unaffordable and unlikely to happen”

He concludes with the following “And at a time when [National's] policy is to encourage welfare beneficiaries into the workforce it would find it hard to justify dispensing middle-class welfare to make it easier for the partners of the well-paid to stay home”

Says it all really.

Filed under: Tax

From Best Australian Poems 2005. A rather prescient view of things to come . . . I

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 2nd, 2010
— The Labor Party –

A zoo animal that no one visits
but needing feeding. A cuddle
carried like a rancid parcel
to polling day, nowhere to put it.
A howling muddle with no middle.

Plumb out of soul to sell,
fratricidal rumblings in its tract,
factions or stones in its stomach.
Left, right, pacing like a swell
with a pauper on its back.

Bored, frantic, shaggy and bereft
this beast was once a star:
powerful, nearly moral, popular.
When the leopard has no spots left
we in cages mourn from afar.

— Tony Lintermans
Hat tip Daily Poem Service.
Filed under: Australia

OpenLabourNZ: View live footage and contribute

Posted by Clare Curran on September 2nd, 2010

Open Labour Logo

Recap
Labour has begun a new experiment in communicating with the public. A new way of developing policy, using online technology, involving citizens and committing to more open and transparent way of running government.

Called OpenLabourNZ, this is the first time a major New Zealand political party has opened up our policy development to the public in this way.

An OpenLabourNZ conference held in Wellington last weekend was a uniquely New Zealand event, drawing on similar processes used in Australia, the US and the UK.

  1. Thanks for participating in the event on Saturday
  2. You can now view the footage from Saturday’s event. It’s in chunks so you see what each participant said. There are some great contributions
  3. You can read Phil Goff’s speech here
  4. There’s been some good media coverage of OpenLabourNZ so far including a thoughtful piece from Colin James and this piece in ComputerWorld
  5. If you have any notes generated during the day, please email them to open@labour.org.nz 
  6. Given the volume of content generated, my office is now compiling all of the input into a draft document, to be published on the OpenLabourNZ wiki on Thursday 16th September. There is already a lot of content on the wiki so go and have a look.
  7. You can still edit the wiki before 16 September and we’ll take that content into account, but it might be easier just to email any ideas/comments to open@labour.org.nz
  8. Anyone interested will then have two weeks to edit the wiki to help improve and add to the final document. This will then be submitted to the Labour Party at the end of September.
  9. The Labour Party conference in October will hold a workshop on open and transparent government and consider the report
  10. The Labour Party Council will work with all MPs to develop Manifesto commitments on Open Government policy
  11. The twitter hashtag #olnz is still active so make use of that as well
  12. If you want to follow me on twitter I am @clarecurranmp
  13. If you don’t know much about OpenLabourNZ and want some more background, go here

If you have any suggestions, questions or issues, please email me  clare.curran@parliament.govt.nz


The Treasury Board and the agenda for public services

Posted by Grant Robertson on September 2nd, 2010

Sometimes its hard to get across why some of the more seemingly mundane announcements made by government are important.  The idea that the Treasury has decided to create a Board to help run it might sound good. Get a bit of outside help in to make sure it is doing the right thing. Nothing wrong with that?

But when the Treasury Secretary John Whitehead slipped into a speech ten days ago that he was going to establish a “governance” Board with representatives of the “private sector” alarm bells rang for me.

Firstly, in the context of purchase advisors, politically appointed working groups on everything from tax to regulation, welfare to housing, a review of policy advice  led by Graham Scott, the role of Murray Horn leading the National Health Board, this Board, and Tony Ryall’s enthusiasm that it could be used by the rest of the public sector this is clearly part of  an agenda to fundamentally change our public sector.  That change amounts to a privatisation of advice.

Why does this matter?  It matters because our system of government is based on the idea that the public service will provide free and frank advice to Ministers. They are in effect the taxpayers representatives in making and implementing policy and ensuring the governments get the best advice possible. Privatising advice undermines that assumption of neutrality.  Those Ministers are then responsible to Parliament and the public. Handpicked policy and governance groups can lead to governments hearing what they want to hear and to reducing accountability.  And that will be bad for all of us in the long run.

If people think I am over dramatising this- take a look at the media release from Treasury yesterday.  The role of the Board is described as “setting the strategic direction” for Treasury.  John Whitehead has said he will only veto the group in ‘extremely rare’ circumstances.

Chris Eichbaum has a great article in the Dom Post today on this issue (not on-line as far as I can tell). As he says

We need responsive and responsible public servants. Injecting a new third element into our existing governance arrangements may well be a step too far. It is most certainly the kind of proposal that should be the subject of public scruitiny and debate- not just announced.

As Chris is alluding to, the process for establishing the Board is not good. There are no terms of reference, and we only have the vaguest idea of how they will work.  Again John Whitehead said after his speech ten days ago that  the Board will have “community and private sector” expertise.  No sign of the community sector in the Board members announced yesterday.  No sign of a voice for the vulnerable people who are most effected by Treasury’s policies.

I am certainly not against government agencies getting advice from the community and stakeholders.  In fact I strongly support a closer connection between agencies and the people who use services.  But not when it undermines the neutrality of public services and not when it is used to reinforce the agenda of one political party.


Morale suffers while McCully makes the cuts

Posted by Phil Twyford on September 2nd, 2010

A telling excerpt from a document released under the Official Information Act quotes Foreign Affairs CEO John Allen telling staff:

I understand the impact on morale of the challenges that staff have faced in the past year. I understand that the decisions that have been made are tough and they impact on people, on organisational identity, and on staff morale. It is legitimate for people to have strong feelings and views on these issues. Given that these decisions are unpopular and impact on morale then why have they been made? Cabinet mandated a change from a stand alone agency to closer integration with the Ministry….Allen goes on to explain the changes.

Morale is low at the aid programme formerly known as NZAID.  In what was once an energetic and innovative organisation staff now spend their time trying to stay out of the Minister’s way and repackaging work so it fits within the Minister’s narrow prescription for economic development.

They are embarrassed by his continuing campaign against the NGOs.  By all but ending the $900,000 a year funding to the NGO umbrella group Council for International Development. By changes to the funding arrangements for NGO projects made without consultation. And by the recent cut to the excellent Wellington-based Global Focus which provides information resources on development issues.

The latest casualty of the Minister’s red pen is a Pacific regional programme doing village-based disaster risk-reduction work in four countries. It helps communities reduce the impact of cyclones, floods and tsunamis through preparedness training and working with local government. It is run by the Foundation for the Peoples of the South Pacific out of Suva.

The three-year $2.5 million effort was set up in close collaboration with NZAID, with a commitment of $500,000 a year from New Zealand. McCully has pulled the funding after one year, with no assessment of its impact.

No wonder MFAT aid staff are suffering from low morale. They are the ones who have to deliver this sort of news.


Silly idea number 14 – what do you think?

Posted by Pete Hodgson on September 2nd, 2010

Get serious about rebutting the mounting criticism that the Government has no plan for the economy. Rush out a one pager to prove that an economic plan really does exist. Discover that there isn’t really enough hard facts to fill a page. So add in ‘more elective surgical services, more hips, more cataracts ‘as an identified driver of economic growth!

I think this idea is –

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Filed under: economy

Innovation in Alicetown

Posted by Trevor Mallard on September 1st, 2010

David Shearer is encouraging Labour MPs to focus on innovative businesses.

Dazza and I went to see a Green Diesel group in Alicetown. Great business with  chance of making it big. Good experience in international oil. Into recyling.

Most important is the ability to massively reduce pollution from diesel – and to use their fascinating testing system to prove the results.

The first bus company or owner of service station chain that gets into this will win big.


Cleaners get a reprieve

Posted by Darien Fenton on September 1st, 2010

Last week, Grant Robertson wrote about the Massey Uni cleaners who were facing massive cuts to hours or dismissal due to redundancy which was due to happen today.

Yesterday, Chief Judge GL Colgan issued a judgement which requires the parties to bargain for redundancy “entitlements”, but not including monetary compensation for redundancy.  He has also said that the cleaners should not be dismissed today so that the statutory processes arising from their entitlement to redundancy can take place.

It’s an interesting judgement.  It confirms that workers have an right to redundancy entitlements, despite there being specific requirements in the cleaners’ agreement that there be no redundancy compensation.

Of course all of this could be avoided if there were minimum redundancy entitlements in law.  But that’s a story for the next Labour Government (and a sorry tale about redundancy under the NACT government).


The news is crap

Posted by Clare Curran on September 1st, 2010

Last night on TVNZ or TV3 (can’t remember which and was probably on both) there was a story about Paris Hilton being arrested for possible possession of cocaine and changing the story she gave to police.

You know the story because no doubt it’s in all our heads. She told the police she thought the cocaine was bubble gum.

I watched the newsreader read the story. Was difficult to know whether her wry smile was because she thought it was funny, or because she thought it was crap.

Crap to be presenting the nation with such pap on a week night under the guise of the evening news.

If I want to know that stuff I’ll buy a woman’s magazine. When I switch on the news I want to learn about what’s happening in our country and our world. Things that matter. That are shaping our world.

Paris Hilton’s cocaine habits are not news.

Don’t see a lot of focus in our news on things like the shitty state of housing across the country, the lack of govt action on doing anything about that and child poverty.

I see political stories that are all about conflict and about personalities. And a lot of fluff. We used to have really good international news coverage. Don’t have much any more.

Our news is infotainment. It’s based around ratings and it needs to change.


Mary Holm’s advice – Dunne’s plan a bad deal for kiwis

Posted by Charles Chauvel on September 1st, 2010

I enjoy Mary Holm’s articles. Generally speaking, her advice is straightforward and focused on the long term (who else could conceive of a more appropriate book title than “Get Rich Slow”?)

Mary’s reputation for prudence and rational advice is well deserved.

I’ve just read her thoughts on Peter Dunne’s attempt to misdirect half a billion dollars of scarce taxpayer dollars in the name of ‘income splitting’. Mary’s article reinforced my view that while income sharing might sound fair at first blush, it’s a bad prioritisation of spending that will do nothing to help low, fixed and middle income kiwi families.

Filed under: Tax

Silly idea number 13 – what do you think?

Posted by Pete Hodgson on September 1st, 2010

Have another brain wave. Declare New Zealand has a future as an important international financial hub. Then do, ummm, well nothing really.  So…

I think this idea is –

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Filed under: economy