tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post1355828623518980289..comments2024-03-29T03:41:12.499+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: National's Love-Affair Is With The Right - Not The Centre.Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-1726314740103160602015-09-29T13:30:03.698+13:002015-09-29T13:30:03.698+13:00Naughty bus drivers needing to go to the bathroom
...Naughty bus drivers needing to go to the bathroom<br /><br />Yeah…keep on complaining…with autonomous vehicles arriving inside ten years this problem will go away…with the bus drivers.<br />....<br />What a wonderful human being!<br />http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2015/09/keep-complaining-driverless-buses-dont-need-bathroom-breaks/#more-210836Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15607028751724602829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-41468027445974066242015-09-26T22:27:38.990+12:002015-09-26T22:27:38.990+12:00that was a wishlist wasnt it John?...not an accura...that was a wishlist wasnt it John?...not an accurate summary of this administration<br />http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Government-fails-to-invest-in-health-workforce_163636.3.pdf<br />pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08727942156598555852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-35372793270681251042015-09-25T15:01:40.370+12:002015-09-25T15:01:40.370+12:00John
Cherry picked examples of National's time...John<br />Cherry picked examples of National's time in orifice. Most examples you give were forced on them to darn over the holes in our society's fabric. <br /><br />And your thoughts on the 90 day debacle are specious. There is no reason to have such draconian measures included in this welcome-to-work policy. <br /><br />The brew that National cooks up for anything has a hellish chilli level. Good cooks know when to stop heaping in the sensitive ingredient before it reaches critical burning stage. National aren't good cooks, and you show no finesse of taste or imagination or knowledge in running your business and your employees.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-37868113470806006802015-09-25T14:03:39.869+12:002015-09-25T14:03:39.869+12:00Oh my John!
Firstly the free doctors visits was p...Oh my John!<br /><br />Firstly the free doctors visits was put in place by NZ First. Nas increased it by 2 years.<br /><br />Benefit increase is very selective and only for those who have 2 children or more. And only was a panic response to the reports of poverty.<br /><br />Maternity leave has been in the pipeline for some years now.<br /><br />Health and Education increases have been going on for many years.<br /><br />Minimum wage is still far too low for some-one to live on.<br /><br />Pre-school education needed more spent on it.<br /><br />The vaccinations were a knee-jerk response to the reports of un-vaccinated children.<br /><br />Food in schools was another reactive response to reports of poverty.<br /><br />Increase in school infrastructure was simply because they closed many schools and did nothing for over 6 years.<br /><br />The WFF was never a left wing policy, it's simply a targeted tax shift toward those with children (except beneficiaries).<br /><br />Now there is the state of State Houses and why do they require the State Housing to pay a profit margin to the Govt? $88 million in the last year while some houses are a mess and no-one should ever be living in them. Cold, damp and mouldy.<br /><br />As an employer myself I make the judgement at the workers interview as to whether he/she can do the job properly. You should be able to do the same. It's not rocket science.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bushbaptisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09657695593141243969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-52665650526849712822015-09-25T13:56:52.044+12:002015-09-25T13:56:52.044+12:00"As an employer, if the governemnt makes it e..."As an employer, if the governemnt makes it easier to employ people, like the 90 day trial law, I will employ more people, and take a risk with someone who may not be getting many chances. "<br /><br />Yes, we've heard all that before, but actual research shows that there is either very little to no influence on employment, or that there isn't really enough information to know if there is any influence on employment. And in fact according to the government's own figures, or at least figures paid for by the government, very few employers actually employed people who "may not be getting many chances." For all we know you're the only one :-).And although employers seem pleased with the legislation – perhaps something we should worry about – most of them just use it to keep down the costs of hiring and firing. In fact, both hiring and firing went up after this legislation was introduced. So is not exactly a panacea for workers is it?Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-77460635872183263132015-09-25T10:25:54.764+12:002015-09-25T10:25:54.764+12:00Not all the current government's are so right ...Not all the current government's are so right wing. In fact many are more left wing than policies of the last Clark govt. Like<br />- free doctors visit for older children<br />- first increase in benefits in 42 years<br />- more maternity leave<br />- minimum wage increased much faster than inflation increase<br />- 40% increase in health spending<br />- 40% increase in education spending<br />- big increase in preschool education budget and numbers attending<br />- big increase in getting unvaccinated kids vaccinated.<br />- food in schools<br />- big increase in spending on school infrastructure<br /><br />As well as leaving significant left wing policies like working for families intact.<br /><br />As an employer, if the governemnt makes it easier to employ people, like the 90 day trial law, I will employ more people, and take a risk with someone who may not be getting many chances. <br /><br />Without policy like that, there is a huge risk in me taking someone on as if they don't work out, it can effect the whole business and be a huge cost, in keeping them, or letting them go. So as small employers, we are far less likely to take people on. <br /><br />It all comes down to making it easy to give people jobs, very risky and expensive to give people jobs. It doesn't take a rocket surgeon to figure out which policy results in higher employment, and lower unemployment.<br /><br />Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07804058257305163292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-49650721924997484842015-09-24T18:09:57.417+12:002015-09-24T18:09:57.417+12:00It doesn't really matter if pig gate is true o...It doesn't really matter if pig gate is true or not. It's hilarious, and these are the people we should be laughing at. And I guarantee if it was a left-wing politician, Charles wouldn't be nearly so fussy about evidence :-).Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-62609022307019333802015-09-24T13:48:47.504+12:002015-09-24T13:48:47.504+12:00Charles you really need to do your research. Corby...Charles you really need to do your research. Corbyn was a member of Young Socialists which was part of the Labour Party. Yes he says Marx is worth reading; what Socialist wouldn't? If your brain is up to it I would challenge you to deconstruct and refute Marx's model of relations to production. He calls a pig a pig.<br /><br />Talking pigs the Cameron pig story is an allegation of unproven veracity. What is well proven is that the young Cameron belonged to a well known club (Bullingdon) whose favourite activities were drunkeness drug taking and deliberate obnoxious behavoir. He was a leading light and exponent. Leopards unchanging spots perhaps?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789254334079198636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-91839726465107398962015-09-24T13:45:59.514+12:002015-09-24T13:45:59.514+12:00@Wayne Mapp
The idea that National has just altere...@Wayne Mapp<br />The idea that National has just altered 'on the margins' law that Labour originally introduced is just another sort of 'they did it too'. 90 days trial period for workers is about right on the OECD average. ACC has not been privatised, but it sure as hell has been radically altered into a pre-paid money-accumulating fund, with present people going without to allow that money mountain to accumulate for the future. A good way for government to have a Clayton's tax, and add a national asset to the books which then enables National to borrow more at a better rate, for its own purposes.<br /><br />We are lucky that government does still run ACC, because it is akin to a pension fund and we know how the rich and wealthy like to dip into those, or push them out of sight on the never-never. When it is needed by the people as agreed, it has often been found to be solvent, as in spirited away into thin air, so the fund could be said to be solvent and insolvent at the same time. Is that how quantum theory works? Naturally we trust our government not to unrighteously use our nation's assets. We would notice if our government were being asses, wouldn't we. Wouldn't we?<br /><br /><i>Chris, you are going to have to do better than your article to show that John Key and his team are ravenous right-wingers only interesting in crushing everyone other than the elite.</i> Really that's pathetic. There is a trend and it is downwards as far as low-middle income and their unions are concerned. The pace can vary, the talk may be for change, the commentary that Key is 'socialist' but observers know what the truth is. This last workers bill about zero hours etc. indicates that National today are ravenous right-wingers and it seems that you are just another of the cannibals.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-10033611877832784962015-09-24T11:27:52.721+12:002015-09-24T11:27:52.721+12:00To: Wayne Mapp
You are either a fool or a knave.
...To: Wayne Mapp<br /><br />You are either a fool or a knave.<br /><br />Only a fool would construe what National has done to industrial relations law since 2008 as "mostly at the margins". Certainly, this is how Key and his colleagues have DESCRIBED the changes, but in their effect they have been anything but marginal.<br /><br />Restricting access to the workplace makes it near impossible to recruit new members. <br /><br />Allowing the employer to walk away from the table makes it near impossible to negotiate anything other than your existing members' surrender.<br /><br />As a lawyer, you undoubtedly know all this - which rather puts paid to the "fool" explanation.<br /><br />That only leaves one other - which rather proves my point.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-60728801100052960482015-09-24T10:37:39.109+12:002015-09-24T10:37:39.109+12:00@Bushbaptist
Thanks for the stats about inflation....@Bushbaptist<br />Thanks for the stats about inflation. I presume they are correct. I tend to remember the time when I was struggling with a no-interest mortgage at about 18%. Then one could apply to the State Advances Corporation for one at a steady price that was affordable. Now of course the CPI is cunningly drawn from a range of items that don't include all housing divisions. Going up at 1% a month, 12% a year exponentially? So overall we are worse off under the sacred free market neo-liberal economic umbrella.<br /><br />A simple saw that sums up the free market umbrella:<br />“The rain it raineth on the just<br />And also on the unjust fella;<br />But chiefly on the just, because<br />The unjust hath the just’s umbrella.”<br /><br />That Judge Bowen, he sounds like a lively fella.<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bowen,_Baron_Bowen<br /> greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-27181350327294634322015-09-24T07:04:51.754+12:002015-09-24T07:04:51.754+12:00Gee Chas, you mean you don't believe lord woss...Gee Chas, you mean you don't believe lord wossname? Shocking. :)He's an aristocrat and surely fully deserving of your trust surely?Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-58524015944743575742015-09-23T21:08:01.601+12:002015-09-23T21:08:01.601+12:00@ Greywarbler: From 1945 to about 1967 inflation w...@ Greywarbler: From 1945 to about 1967 inflation was running at around .02%. In 1968 we had a financial crunch and that caused inflation to rise somewhat rapidly. Then things went from bad to worse. But prior to then it was stable. <br /><br />@Wayne Mapp: please stop inferring that Helen Clarks Govt. was "Left". IT WASN'T! No more than Tony Blair is a 'Leftie". They were rightwingers in disguise.<br /><br />Also the political centre has not shifted at all. It is right where it has always been, right in the middle between Socialism on the left and Capitalism on the right. It has only shifted in the tiny minds of Rightie Wingnuts. Anyone who disagrees with them is automatically a "Leftie" when that is not always the case. <br /><br />Capitalism must be very strictly regulated and controlled. It has no morals or a conscience, it simply is that's all. Those who think it should be "unfettered" are talking about certain restrictions but not others. If it is un-fettered then drugs would be legal and Drug dealers are simply Capitalists. Bushbaptisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09657695593141243969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-27698311093194766532015-09-23T19:27:40.230+12:002015-09-23T19:27:40.230+12:00Oh so witty GS.
Trouble is it turns out you haven...Oh so witty GS. <br />Trouble is it turns out you haven't done your famous research. There's no evidence of Cameron doing such amusing pranks. It was just unattributed hearsay. And that and the drugs just make him more popular anyway. They like party animals here whereas the only one Corbyn would have been to back then was the communist party.Charles Enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-38873391652203656122015-09-23T16:51:52.774+12:002015-09-23T16:51:52.774+12:00There's no such thing as a level playing field...There's no such thing as a level playing field - hasn't been since Douglas. Not when parents can buy advantages for their kids anyway. And of course Labour won't change the laws on unions much. They're too beholden to business, and strong unions means better wages.Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-81126290284540388942015-09-23T13:02:08.636+12:002015-09-23T13:02:08.636+12:00BushBaptist
In the good old days inflation was som...BushBaptist<br />In the good old days inflation was something that only happened to car tyres. A puff piece? Makes a good statement but of course not true.<br />Inflation got away, and we ended up with car tyres with a slow leak, always getting additional air - the wheel went round but it was a vicious circle.<br /><br />Now we have the austerity inflation target of middle-way 2%, which keeps the depreciation of money value down. And wages, they must be kept down too because low inflation is the nirvana of the neo liberals. Capital accretion is the game and wages are just an expense on a screen. <br /><br />People are just not-very-amusing animals. An internet site on the Highland Clearances and the unfortunately powerful Duchess of Sutherland repeats her comment about the hapless crofters observing their animal-like natures. Today, well we are less interesting than pandas to the powerful.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-27453830595930984582015-09-23T12:10:37.093+12:002015-09-23T12:10:37.093+12:00I agree also, that the Red Alert blog was dreadful...I agree also, that the Red Alert blog was dreadful. It did Labour more harm than good, and surely did bring to light their holier than thou tendencies. Mallard was often an arrogant jerk on it, and that commentator 'Spud' was truly sinister. But that's Labour isn't it, can dish it out but sure as heck can't take it!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-52798341029882695742015-09-23T11:04:49.239+12:002015-09-23T11:04:49.239+12:00Chris,
You describe a different National party to...Chris,<br /><br />You describe a different National party to the one that I am a member of. <br /><br />Now I appreciate that I might be seen as partisan as you are, but I basically see myself as centre-right rather than right, whereas I am pretty sure you would describe yourself as left, rather than centre-left.<br /><br />Anyway, back to your thesis that National in its current iteration hates workers and unions and I guess anyone other than a privileged elite. Lets look at the evidence.<br /><br />On unions, the ERA as enacted by Labour in 2000 has been pretty much kept as it was. There have been changes mostly on the margins. And of course the 90 day law, which I was the principal author of (though not as Minister of Labour who was Kate Wilkinson). Ninety days was chosen because it was among the shortest trial period in the OECD. There is simply no desire to go back to the divisiveness of the ECA. <br /><br />ACC has been kept, no privitisation there. <br /><br />Top tax rate of 33%, which I suspect will not change. Given the delta between Labour and National on the top tax rate in the last election was only 3%, (and 6% when Labour was last in office) it is hardly a radical difference.<br /><br />Chris, you are going to have to do better than your article to show that John Key and his team are ravenous right-wingers only interesting in crushing everyone other than the elite. You will have to do more than show that small employers, including farmers, do not have to allow workers to choose their own health and safety reps before it can be seriously argued that National hates workers and unions. If this is the smoking gun, well all I can say is that it is a popgun.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />Wayne Mapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12906396523791648270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-65900593556268303032015-09-23T10:39:35.879+12:002015-09-23T10:39:35.879+12:00Ayn Rand wasn't the only 'libertarian'...Ayn Rand wasn't the only 'libertarian' to bludge off the state at the end of their life. Present day libertarians excuse this by saying they'd be mad not to. Some logic I guess. Incidentally I was just modded for saying " say what you like about Corbyn he probably never put his penis in a dead pig's mouth" on the Guardian :-).Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-37835056958264275242015-09-23T10:05:54.860+12:002015-09-23T10:05:54.860+12:00Yep you're right Peter. The Gnats formed from ...Yep you're right Peter. The Gnats formed from the Country Party (Farmers) and the New Zealand Party (business). <br /><br />After they each got hammered in the early thirties by Mick Savage they re-grouped and combined.<br /><br />Regardless of the endless waffling of rightwingers here, people want and need a choice. Something that they haven't got presently. <br /><br />The Neo-Libs have had 50 years to show how well their ideology works yet it isn't working. Those old canards: "Level playing field," "Trickle down," "Rising tides lift all boats'" etc. Simply are not working for many people. <br /><br />We have the greatest in-equality since the thirties, we have desperate poverty, high un-employment etc. All caused by those failed policies. We have a small elite getting richer by the hour whilst most working people can barely pay their rent. <br /><br />Something drastic needs to be done to fix the problem or it will get worse not better. The very fact the Corbyn got in as the UK Labour Leader shows that people are taking notice. Who knows if he will win the next election there, and guessing is often completely off the mark. A lot can and will happen between now and then. The same applies here too.Bushbaptisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09657695593141243969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-82726567297659071382015-09-22T23:26:38.294+12:002015-09-22T23:26:38.294+12:00The National Party was formed by a coalition of fa...The National Party was formed by a coalition of farmer and city business groups, back in the 1930's to keep Labour out of power.<br /><br />Nothing has changed.<br /><br />There have been and still are (very very much reduced)tensions between "townies" and farmers.<br /><br />Labour lost credibility post 1984/87.<br /><br />The Richardson/Shipley years gave Labour a chance, with no union baggage, to grab the mythological centre. There were enough fair minded kiwis remaining to vote them in.<br />The trouble with being in the centre it is diffficult to know where to go (it took Blair into Iraq). Being in the centre took the Clarke/Cullen govt into listening to focus groups and abandoning its own traditional support base. Where do you think all those non voters came from?<br /><br />The egotistic condescending arrogance of the LP caucus was truly displayed in the now (mercifully) defunct Red Alert. I once posted a polite and reasoned argument along the lines that over reliance on focus groups had lost them the election.<br /><br />The post was banned.<br /><br />I protested (impolitely) and was told off by Claire Curran for being rude.<br />Apparently something called "Spud" did the censoring.<br /><br />That Labour thinks it can open a blog site and not recieve criticism beggars belief.<br /><br />Capitalists find non capitalists an irritating cost detracting from their profit. Paying wages or (gasp) benefits is bad enough but taxes are intolerable.<br /><br />Wall Street(and Washington)rule our puppetPM,who as Minister of Tourism NZ, holidays in his country of choice, USA.peterlepaysanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14707848102966641049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-13141156655790084302015-09-22T22:22:05.214+12:002015-09-22T22:22:05.214+12:00Ranters the lot of you.
Left and right, except for...Ranters the lot of you.<br />Left and right, except for some extremes is so lacking definition as to be meaningless. It's not a metric measure Chris. And you cannot sensibly compare parties long ago with those today. They are no longer on the same spectrum because such measures are not linear. Only current comparisons make sense and only relatively, like say Key with Peters (which I would say is left cf right) or Little with Russell (right cf left).<br />Generally I would say Key is a liberal in the classical sense, not a Tory or a neo. Based on the book Liberalism I'm reading currently , so am I, somewhat to my surprise. I thought I was more a conservative but see like socialists they fear liberty, for others.<br />Charles Enoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-3214339484823051202015-09-22T19:35:32.141+12:002015-09-22T19:35:32.141+12:00OMG...St Ayn. Did read years back..what a bleak na...OMG...St Ayn. Did read years back..what a bleak nastiness; bitch was so selfish she took the citizens taxes in welfare . She must have persuaded her acolytes so strongly against charity they gave her none. <br /><br />Socialism is my preference within bounds: the real concern which transcends "isms" is how prevent any individual exploiting others.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789254334079198636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-4099133584203584572015-09-22T18:03:33.772+12:002015-09-22T18:03:33.772+12:00All of this because Chris Trotter is sure that HE ...All of this because Chris Trotter is sure that HE knows where the centre of politics is-when of course it stands to reason that the electorate is the only thing that really knows where the centre is and it's a constantly moving position. <br />Chris can judge it to be wherever he wishes-doesn't make it so. Jeremy Corbyn I would suggest is about to find that elections cannot be won from you imagine the centre to be - no matter how hard you wish.<br />The centre in 1951 was in a different place that it was the year before and where it is now so to once again go back to time before most of the people who comment here were even born is pretty pointless. Sure the powers that the government took were draconian and probably counter-productive and wrong but that ignores the mood of the time. You can read the history and what people said but it doesn't catch the mood at all. My memory of it as a 10 year old and in the years immediately after was that most working people resented <br />the privileged position of the wharfies and the miners. While they wanted their own conditions to improve they resented the easy conditions and high pay of those strikers and had little sympathy with them and nor of course with National at the time. Sid Holland was the most hated name not just ion our house but in the entire neighbourhood.Jigsawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13906156865367357834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-56331688468310710252015-09-22T17:54:56.394+12:002015-09-22T17:54:56.394+12:00It's called 'freedom from the poor' bu...It's called 'freedom from the poor' bushbaptist :). Gated community style.Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.com