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So what are the DPS for ?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 29th, 2010

Hearing that Anne Tolley pleaded for the Diplomatic Protection Squad (DPS) to intervene in the Invercargill creative writing exercise is almost impossible to believe.

These are some of New Zealand’s top cops. Their job is to protect the Governor General, the PM, international political visitors and diplomats when there is a security issue.

It is not their job to run down school kids.

But there is more of an issue with the Nats use of DPS.  And I want to make it clear I’m not criticising them.

It is just the vast numbers that the PM uses. Taking four to Hawaii. Having five escourting him around parliament. Using them as a battering ram around airports. And as personal servants holding his towel in the gym.

Helen had one or sometimes two round parliament. And when we were in UK at the same time she had one.

Of course the PM has to have Police support – but I think that he could do with half the number and real criminals could be caught if the rest of these top cops were turned loose on them.

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Filed under: law and order, national
37 Comments

Nikki Kaye nails “brown noser” Lee

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 28th, 2010

FB NK

I’ve ignored requests from Nat MPs to be facebook friends. But we do have some friends in common who thought this was classic.

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Filed under: humour, national
13 Comments

The privileged few National supporters are frustrated

Posted by Raymond Huo on August 21st, 2010

On our weekly radio show, Minister of Ethnic Affairs and I receive questions and messages from a new form of Chinese social media istars.me. Using cloud computing, it is loosely a combination of a Chinese-language variation of Facebook, Twitter and online broadcasting.

Answering four questions last Wednesday (18 August), the Hon Pansy Wong said that exports had decreased under Labour and have increased since National came into office.

She neglected to mention that it was then Minister of Trade Phil Goff who signed the Free Trade Agreement with China. This opened the trade floodgates with China, making China our second largest trading partner. In the first year of the FTA, trade increased by 62 percent with China – National were in office for less than four months of this period.

On the issue of the spiraling Asian unemployment rate, which has just hit a record high of 10.5 percent, Ms Wong said that “although unemployment is increasing so is the rate of employment, although the speed of job creation is slower than that of the number of people who are losing their jobs.”

I’m not sure whether that statement even makes sense – but it shows you the Minister has no answer to the now more than 23,000 Asian-New Zealanders who are unemployed.

On ACC, Ms Wong stated that ACC deficits had been reversed under National.

Let’s take a look at the figures. In 2009 ACC collected $4.2billion and spent $3.1billion. This equals a $1.1billion surplus, not a deficit. You have to read the Listener article of 24-30 Oct 09 (Vol:220) to appreciate that $4.8B deficit is a farce.

And on minimum wage, she said the country may not be able to afford it should it be increased (the above is not verbatim translation).

Judging by the mood of that social media site, it is becoming increasingly painful for those National supporters that the National government is being exposed on a daily basis.

They try to shut down the quality debate by resorting to abusive comments. For example, here are the comments from the three apparent National supporters:

nzwine , 8964

2010-08-16 14:30

所以鄙视这种拆台的行为

议员是去建设，你可以说你有多少好提案被多数党否决

但别总在墙角里给人家丢石头

CD尔格 2010-08-15 23:17

祸议员！祸议员！！祸议员！！！

****

Receiving criticism and unpleasant comments is part and parcel of being an MP – it’s unavoidable. But watching “the usual business” of those National supporters who can only resort to slanging makes me feel sorry for the National Party.

While Labour supporters have displayed reasoned debate, it is unfortunate that those National supporters choose to shut it down with derogatory and insulting comments which add nothing to the subject at hand.

To translate these comments above softens the meaning. But the way they presented themselves appeared to support the suggestion that they are the same small group of people that have operated consistently and systematically since the 2008 general election.

A reason why I am posting these comments is to also alert the National Party to this. Their reputation and image is being tarnished in the Chinese community by those reckless supporters.

Filed under: Auckland, asian, ethnic, minimum wage, national
6 Comments

National’s double standards

Posted by Chris Hipkins on August 20th, 2010

Since they took office, John Key’s National government have been putting our public services under the blowtorch. Most public servants have been refused pay increases and thousands have lost their jobs. But it seems not all spending of taxpayer money is subject to the same level of scrutiny and restraint.

Since National came to power the number of Beehive staff earning over $100,000 a year has more than doubled. Under Helen Clark’s leadership there was only one Beehive staffer who earned over $150,000 a year. John Key seems to think he needs at least 10 of them.

It seems different rules also apply when it comes to pay increases within the Beehive. Questions I asked of Key earlier this year revealed that a number of Beehive staff had been given pay rises, but he refused to release any further information on how big the pay rises were. I asked him again recently and here is his answer:

“I am advised that a small number of ministerial office staff received pay increases, primarily as the result of promotion to new roles in the period 9 February to 5 August 2010. I am not prepared to release specific details about the individual increases.”

Why not? I haven’t asked for any information that would identify individual staff members. All I’ve asked for is information on the scale of the increases and the number of staff who are getting them. National is telling hard-working Kiwis they aren’t allowed pay rises, why should their hired helpers get different treatment?

At a time when many New Zealanders are struggling to pay for the basics like electricity and food, they will find Key’s refusal to front up, justify and explain why he thinks his own staff should be subject to different standards pretty disappointing.

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Filed under: national, parliament
21 Comments

Silly idea number 6 – what do you think?

Posted by Pete Hodgson on August 20th, 2010

Change the law so that anyone working for an employer in a small business can be fired in the first three months without notice and without reason. Justify the change on the basis that employers will be more likely to employ people.

Wait a year. Ask officials whether it worked. Receive a paper saying it seems not to have increased employment opportunities.

Claim the exact opposite and extend the fire-at-will provisions to all employers, with the result that for most employers nothing will change but for rat-bag employers things will get abusive.

I think this idea is -

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Filed under: national, value of work, wages
18 Comments

Goff does English (with a little bit of help from the ref)

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 18th, 2010

Part 1:

Part 2:

From yesterday and doesn’t need much comment but there must be a limit to how long the Nacts will let English reply on behalf of the Prime Minister.

For those without broadband Hansard is below :-

(more…)

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Filed under: Cost of Living, economy, national, parliament
15 Comments

Kiwibank forces Aussie banks to drop rates

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 14th, 2010

Radio NZ reporting that Aussie banks are dropping their mortgage interest rates for a second time in a week to try and match Kiwibank. Can’t get link yet.

Doesn’t bode well for economic expectations but makes nonsense of Ralph Norris’ (NAB/BNZ) claim earlier this week that Kiwibank rates were too low.

About time Key gave Kiwibank the small capital boost it needs to move business lending rates down in a similar way.

I’m sick of the one way funnelling of cash west over the ditch.

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Filed under: Cost of Living, business, economy, finance, monetary policy, national, privatisation
30 Comments

Friday poll – how much did bill english double dip

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 13th, 2010

How much has Bill English, his family or trusts collected in cash and services as a result of him telling speakers he lives in Dipton ?

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Is Bill English continuing to collect money and services either directly or through his family or trusts from telling speakers he lives in Dipton ?

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Filed under: business, democracy, economy, jobs, low pay, national, poll, value of work, wages
45 Comments

Armstrong lambasts National

Posted by Chris Hipkins on August 7th, 2010

John Armstrong has unusually harsh words for National in today’s Herald column.

“Shame on National. That party’s behaviour in Parliament over the past couple of weeks has on occasion veered close to being a disgrace both to itself and the institution … National has ended up being done like a dog’s dinner over one of its most fundamental planks – the closing of the gap between what New Zealanders earn in comparison to Australians … such has been the comprehensive mauling of the concept by Labour over the past week or so that National will now be loath to resurrect it. It is now a loser for National and looks like remaining so through to next year’s election”

“What has been disturbing in this debacle, however, has been the way National has responded to parliamentary questions about the income gap. The low point came on Wednesday when Steven Joyce briefly deputised for Brownlee … A week earlier, Brownlee had told the House in response to a question from Labour that “yes”, the Government did have milestones by which it would measure the progress it was making towards closing the income gap … So eyebrows shot through the chamber’s ceiling when Joyce made the startling admission that there were, in fact, no such milestones. Even more startling was what Joyce said next. Brownlee had given Labour what was technically known as a “brush-off”…”

“Brownlee’s gaffe about the income gap having narrowed since National came to power prompted a desperate search by National for anything that served as evidence, however questionable, of that being the case. Much of the evidence is to the contrary – including some of the material National has dug up. The upshot is that Labour – almost by accident – has given National an old-fashioned hiding on that most fundamental of all questions: which party can be can best trusted with the reins of economic management. The one compensating factor for National is that all this has happened largely out of public view.”

The government have had an easy reign so far, but as Armstrong has pointed out, the shine is starting to come off. National is reverting to type with their ‘born to rule’ attitude. They brush off serious questions by making wise cracks. Up until now that strategy has served them well, but people (particularly journos) are getting a bit sick of it. Questions are now being asked about what exactly National’s plan for New Zealand is. The answer seems to be they don’t have one.

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Filed under: democracy, economy, national
26 Comments

There can’t be targets or milestones because there is no plan- Gerry version X

Posted by Trevor Mallard on August 6th, 2010

Yesterday in the House Brownlee made it clear the government is getting close to throwing in the towel on Key’s fundamental purpose of government.

Hansard below.

(more…)

Filed under: Australia, economy, inequality, national
34 Comments

A question of priorities

Posted by Chris Hipkins on August 3rd, 2010

John Key may not have a plan to catch up with Australia. Gerry Brownlee may not have a plan to achieve the government’s supposed goal of having 90% of our electricity generated from renewable sources. Bill English may not have a plan to pay for the looming baby boomer retirement. Paula Bennett may have no plan for reducing the number of people on benefits. Judith Collins may have no plan to reduce the rate of violent crime in New Zealand… BUT … John Key does have a plan to make himself sound more important. Not content to be merely honourable, he is henceforth to be referred to as the “Right Honourable Prime Minister”. Good to know they’ve got such a clear set of priorities…

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Filed under: national
107 Comments

Key’s lie puts free trade deal down US agenda

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 31st, 2010

I don’t agree with her emphasis but Fran O’Sullivan has highlighted a less obvious outcome of John Key’s employment relations reform.

Helen Kelly last year initiated contact between Tim Groser, the Nact Trade Minister, and Richard Trumka, President of the AFL-CIO, in an attempt (and in itself a risk on Kelly’s part) to get the US union support necessary for a free trade deal through congress and to push it up the Obama agenda.

Trumka, who is not a natural supporter of free trade, agreed to visit NZ and talk with unionists as well as politicians.

Kelly’s intervention was based on a fairly co-operative arrangement with the Key government, involving a large degree of trust. It resulted from some undertakings – especially relating to consultation.

Key broke his word, co-operation finished and Trumka was told that the positive working relationship no longer existed and he pulled the pin on the visit.

Nice one John.  Just to be seen to give wage and salary earners a bit of a kicking at your party conference.

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Filed under: agriculture, business, coalition management, national, union
23 Comments

Tyre Kicker in Chief

Posted by Grant Robertson on July 29th, 2010

Interesting to read Duncan Garner’s take on John Key’s answering on the wage gap between Australia and New Zealand

Yesterday’s performance in Parliament was too selective and too slippery for him to get away with. All the statistics show the gap between Australian wages and Kiwi wages is growing – but Key refused to accept it. He refused to admit it. In fact he went the other way – he said the gap is closing. It’s not, no matter which figures you focus on.

It was an interesting insight into the sensitivity of the government on this issue that Key would try to argue that black was white, when the numbers, even under his chosen construction pointed to the gap widening. It was a bit more than slippery too- it was a very deliberate attempt to mislead.

All of this began as a result of questioning on the absence of an economic plan from National to achieve their stated objective of catching up with Australia. This is a vitally important issue for the country. Concern about this is not only coming from our side of the political spectrum but also from those more closely aligned with the Nats.

Trans-Tasman, the political newsletter today devotes a significant amount of space to concern about the lack of courage in the Government’s programme noting that the obesession with a safety first approach is raising questions about the willingness to take the hard calls and saying poll driven leadership is raising questions about policy intentions.

Many months ago on this blog I described Mr Key as being ” all map and no compass”.  As they say in the House, I stand by that statement.

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Filed under: Foreign Affairs, economy, national, wages
17 Comments

McCully 1 Joyce 0

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 27th, 2010

Last year Steven Joyce described the allowable blood alcohol limit of 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres  as ridiculous.

He got together a plan which he took to Cabinet.

Yesterday he found out what Murray McCully can do when he decides to.

The old dog gave the bright new puppy a lesson in politics.

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Filed under: national, politics
29 Comments

What happens when you cross a chicken and a penguin ?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 18th, 2010

You get Kiwiblog.

It is now 50 hours since the story on John Key  banning  Whaleoil was broken here.

And still not a word from that arch liberal supporter Farrar.

I suppose it is what one comes to expect from Nats. Given the choice of principles or money they take the money every time.

Filed under: #OpenLabourNZ, national
30 Comments

All workers to suffer while Key pretends to pander to Act

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 18th, 2010

John Key has today announced a stinging attack on people who work for a living.

While it is being characterised as anti union it goes much further and is designed to suppress wages and reduce working conditions including holidays for all workers whether or not they are union members.

Remember Key’s promise to close the wage gao with Australia – this policy will do exactly to opposite. It is a sign of Key dropping the “Mr Nice Guy” approach and reverting to old form.

And don’t be taken in by John Key’s lies about this reform being radical in order to get Act party votes. Act will vote for any reform that reduces salaries and working conditions. It didn’t need to be this radical to get their vote.

I think John Key knows that and is a liar – a more generous person might just call him stupid.

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Filed under: Holidays, act party, jobs, low pay, national, union, value of work, wages
24 Comments

Book burning and now Key uses harpoon on whaleoil

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 16th, 2010

John Key was encouraged by Anne Tolley’s success at suppressing a research report on national standards.

Now he has apparently gone another step – pulled Cameron Slater’s media accreditation for the National Party conference this weekend.

I don’t like much of Cameron Slater’s work. The arachnephobic blowhole is sometimes a good case for the reintroduction of criminal libel.

But banning him for telling the truth about Key’s mate the party president and caucus attempts to engineer his re-election is not the good old liberal national party of Ralph Hanan and John Marshall and won’t be that way when Simon Power is the leader.

Update – now The Nation is being pressured to stop Slater appearing.

And btw what has happened to Kiwiblog’s defence of Whaleoil. Interesting values that lets the penguin blog on lunch but not stand up for his mate when the boss puts the boot in.

Update II  Slater has now confirmed see below:-

Boy have I upset some peo­ple. per­haps I have hit too close to the bone.

Today has been full of hurly-burly, lies and bullshit.

I applied to go to National’s con­fer­ence as Media. I used the same accred­i­ta­tion that has seen me reg­is­tered as media for two Daivd Tua fights and a num­ber of other func­tions. It was rejected, I then reg­is­tered as an observer mem­ber, which I am enti­tled to do.

When I was asked to go on The Nation again this week­end I called the new Gen­eral Man­ager to enquire as to the broad­band facil­i­ties that were avail­able for the media. I was then told that I wasn’t media and there­fore any facil­i­ties that were pro­vided to the media were off-limits for me. I told him that I was appear­ing on The Nation, blog­ging from the con­fer­ence and they could be help­ful or not, and pointed out that not wasn’t going to be a good look for any­one, but I didn’t care about my look so it was up to him. The ban was re-iterated to me.

(more…)

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Filed under: #OpenLabourNZ, Attorney-General, Social media, blogs, civil liberties, human rights, internet, journalism, media, national, whaling
46 Comments

Friday poll – who should replace English as Nat MoF ?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 16th, 2010

Much of the more open discussion leading into the Nats conference has been the apparently failed attempt to drop Goodfellow the President.

The failure of Bill English to regain credibility, especially in the business community, following exposure of his double diptoning has been widely but more quietly discussed. His shocking (dis)approval figures have also been circulating.

Of course the best thing for Labour would be for English to stay in his job until the election. But there are now real doubts about this. Key didn’t get his smiling assassin title for nothing.

So to be generous I thought it would be good to give people a chance to nominate a successor and have included all front bench and a couple of others as options.

Who should replace English as national's Minister of Finance ?

  • Anne Tolley (26%, 42 Votes)
  • Steven Joyce (24%, 39 Votes)
  • Simon Power (23%, 37 Votes)
  • Lockwood Smith (9%, 15 Votes)
  • Tony Ryall (7%, 11 Votes)
  • Gerry Brownlee (5%, 8 Votes)
  • Judith Collins (3%, 5 Votes)
  • Nick Smith (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Chris Finlayson (2%, 3 Votes)
  • Murray McCully (-1%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 164

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Filed under: finance, national, poll
No Comments

Downright ungrateful

Posted by Darien Fenton on July 12th, 2010

Well, PM Key said it :  Pete Bethune is “downright ungrateful” for the support he had from NZ when he was locked up in a Japanese jail.

That’s a question that has already been hotly debated on Red Alert.  But it set me thinking, especially after a day out in the community (that’s Key’s, McCully’s, Coleman’s, Mapp’s and Lockie’s (electorate) community) about what we should be downright ungrateful for:

  • We should be downright ungrateful for having a PM that no-one challenges (much) because he smiles and waves and everyone forgets to ask the hard questions;
  • We should be downright ungrateful for having a government that is attacking ACC, but hardly anyone notices, because after all, we’re just talking about the injured, the sexually damaged and older people;
  • We should be downright ungrateful that our older people have had their home care and/or their meals on wheels cut, even although it meant they could continue to live at home, rather than costing a fortune elsewhere;
  • We should be downright ungrateful for Anne Tolley, who is the worst Education Minister ever, and who has left the early childhood education sector completely bemused about why her government thinks it’s more important to spend money on prisons than our children;
  • We should be downright ungrateful for the PM’s exhortation that we should all learn Mandarin, even although his government has cut Adult and Community Education – and there’s now no chance to learn anything, let alone Mandarin;
  • We should be downright ungrateful for the vehicle regos going up on 1 July, the increase in ACC levies and power and petrol prices on the up and up, and that’s before we factor in the GST increase coming our way;
  • And we should be really ungrateful that most middle and  lower income people won’t get tax cuts that go anywhere compensating for all of the cost increases either here or ahead of us.

I don’t want anyone to get the wrong message.  There’s a lot I am grateful for, but that’s nothing to do with John Key and his NAct government.

How about you?  Are you an ungrateful b*st*rd too?

(PS, glad Pete’s home safe).

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Filed under: humour, international, national, protest, whaling
106 Comments

Farms for foreigners?

Posted by Trevor Mallard on July 10th, 2010

The Herald has an article which goes into a bit more depth on the question of overseas ownership of land. While we are short of capital and have relied on foreigners since the days of the whalers and sealers the time has come to tighten up. It is now almost impossible for a kiwi to buy farmland from scratch.

The Landcorp Crafar bid is one I supported and in fact called for Landcorp to run the farms in two postings on Red Alert one Landcorp Should take over Crafar farms in October last year and the other use Lancorp for orderly disposal of Crafar farms in May.  I’m pleased the government has accepted my advice.

As far as foreign land ownership generally maybe the line should be that there is to be significant benefit to New Zealand that could not be gained any other way?

A Weekend Herald investigation of consents granted under the Overseas Investment Act shows at least 24 countries have been given approval to invest in the agricultural sector, covering 154,855ha and a wide range of sectors from sheep farming to viticulture.

The Overseas Investment Office is currently assessing seven applications involving land totalling about 3678ha.

Under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 any non-urban land of 5ha is deemed “sensitive” and needs approval, while farmland must be offered on the open market before consent can be granted.

Westpac chief economist Brendan O’Donovan says foreign investment generally has been an integral part of New Zealand’s growth.

“Because we’ve always had a capital shortage and we’ve been very dependent on foreign funding and foreign firms,” O’Donovan explains.

Foreign direct investment in New Zealand is currently about $92 billion in total, he says.

“By and of itself there’s nothing that you need to be particularly scared of.”

New Zealanders buy into foreign companies and land, he says. “If you expect to be able to buy land in other countries then you’ve got to be prepared to sell it here.”

Although it is notable that New Zealanders cannot buy land in China, O’Donovan says.

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Filed under: agriculture, economy, environment, national
63 Comments

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