BILL WILSON MILLION DOLLAR GONEBURGER

Wow! who would have thought.... Well we did- we always felt that Bill Wilson's position was untenable. This was not tidy and all credit to NBR and Phil Kitchin at the Dom and even the Herald for keeping up the pressure on this one.

here's some more stories on the saga

and there's more here

and here's some as well

All we can say is that we hope that a good woman - Sue Grey - opens a bottle of bubbles tonight.

She was the David who took a swing at the legal fraternity's Goliath.

It took a long time but in the end Justice, as they say has been seen to be done - even if it comes with a $1million price tag.

Cheers to you Sue.

PITCH IT HERE

Well we did say that the " tent " rumoured to house Party Central for the Rugby World Cup was a bit grander that the teepee that the Herald reckon was going to be ptiched on the Queens Wharf in Auckland - and we were right...

So if the Aucks aint interested we would be more than happy for the   "tent"  to be pitched at our place.

BEST INNY GOSSIP OF THE WEEK..

Janet Wilson has the low down on how low down the Herald is likely to go under the guidance of Shane Currie.

Its delicious reading.....

FRAN O'SULLIVAN

We have to confess, Fran is a mate. We like her solid, no nonsense approach and the way her moral compass is set. If we had stayed in the media we would have been more than happy to be half the journalist she is.

Now these days we listen to Sean Plunket and Geoff Robinson first thing on RNZ and that's about it. We are too busy to listen during the day.
However we have been alerted to this -click here . Fran O'Sullivan gave a great commentary, lucid, a touch of humour and topical with some insight for the plebs.

Dam good radio it is - So why is it that RNZ still persists with the dry as toast Rod Orum who's very tone is the best sleep pill anyone could ask for? Rod Orum's style is British boring and he has none of the contacts or insights wit or wisdom of O'Sullivan. Everything his says shrieks lefty bias.

Fran, on the other hand, has no problem dishing out a cuff around the ear to business and political leaders across the spectrum, if she thinks they warrant it. She isn't feared but she is respected.

And thats what RNZ commentary needs - a lack of bias and and some steely resolve.

So we reckon its time for a change of gear and that O'Sullivan should be awarded a regular spot on the state broadcaster. Makes good sense and very good radio.

PORTHOLES

Our father, who is relatively well known for his un PC take on life often refers to sunglasses as Maori portholes. Now cos he is a Maori he can get away with it.

Today we wore our flash 5 year old Maori portholes with pride after they rated a mention in the NZ Herald on an article on Bob Jones.

Our encounter with Jones a week ago is documented here.

However despite the fact that Jones can be a rude and obnoxious old git, we are absolutely delighted he is going to stir up next years Wellington City Council race.
Hell- a bloody loo - ya.

We have been hearing that a good team is being readied. Excellent. We want to see business savvy, creative people who can take the city to the next level.

We also agree with Jone's idea to ban all cars in the central city and turn it into a bloody great promenade and mall.

Wellington local body elections are always so bloody boring and Jones is just the bastard to spice them up. Hell we might even take off our sunglasses to attend the launch..

WHAT SHE SAID

Yip. a fair few of us round the Wellington traps have been thinking what Fran has so deftly and bluntly written this morning.. Key and his government need better management.

No more cluster fucks. The country can't afford them.
Simple.. Read her column at the Herald here

JOYCE - THE DE FACTO DEPUTY???

We have spent the afternoon lounging about in the provinces, checking on the lamb chops, and the river, as you do in the provinces. And we got to thinking.

We think that while Bill English is doing okay as Finance Minister, it is clear that Joyce is the De Facto Deputy Prime Minister. We haven't seen a bad word written about him or his policy decisions and strategies for some time. He is setting the economic transformation agenda. Patrick Gower says he is Keys right hand man but we think that he is more than that. He is a leader. He is inspiring many business leaders by his pragmatic approach and easy manner. He is not just a politicians politician , he is a businessman's politician. And he is not a gloaty noter. Just a very smart, slightly nerdy good bugger. He, like Key know all about the real world and business and it has created a very strong bond between them , on an intellectual, social and political level. And they like each other. Partnerships like that are rare.

We reckon odds on, he will one day lead the country..

KEY JOYCE AND ENGLISH

Patrick Gower wrote an interesting yarn his morning on the rise and rise of Steven Joyce. He is on the money. As is Fran O'sullivan. And is Transtasman. Keys appears to be about to line this country up for some big changes. He relies on Joyce. Joyce has delivered as we have seen with broadband and transport. English has since the election stumbled here and there and many party insiders question his absolute loyalty to Key.

Labour sees English as a wounded animal after the Ministerial Housing debacle. He did himself no favours..

So with the governments rise in popularity will we see Key and Joyce along with Brownlie, Groser, McCully, and Finlayson who all understand the transformational changes required to get this country moving at pace, starting to rev things up a bit?

If they do, we think that English's long term position is at risk as he does not have the same strategic sense as Key and Joyce and there is still the question of his loyalty that currently rests on a sand wall built by the the promise that he keeps finance and the Deputy PM positions.

The cynics would say that if Labour continue to pick on English then that could ultimately speed up the transformation agenda.

The tranformational change we need is Keys game to play. He needs to start playing it soon.

FRAN GIVES GOVT A NUDGE ON BIZ SUPPORT

We admire the work and musing of the primo financial and political commentator Fran O'Sullivan. Today she does a " tut tut" get on with it column to the govt

We think its worthy of a leisurely read.

NZX - COMMAND AND CONTROL ?

We like Cactus think that there is a fair degree of whiffiness about the purchase of CountryWide Rural publishing by NZX. Yesterday we put up a post about the concerns Australian regulators are having over the merging of advertorial and editorial, the greying of the media. Trans Tasman is asking ComCom to take a look a the purchase.

Fran O'Sullivan has done a very considered piece on the NZX media purchase but she too wants ComCom to take a look at just what they are on about after leaked memo indicates that NZX is heading towards " world dominance" of rural information.

We think that the last few paragraphs of this story are the most pertinent. Fran asked Weldon if the new stable of publications would have editorial independence - of course says Weldon. Then she asked him about the feisty Alan Robb who has written some pithy articles in Diary Exporter about Fonterra and NZX's wimpy attitude to some disclosure issues.

""One intriguing factor is that NZX Rural will now own NZ Dairy Exporter, which has published some vigorous articles by accountancy expert Alan Robb questioning why the exchange did not compel Fonterra to restate its recent interim accounts to directly marry up with the 2007 financial year interim result.

Robb has taken a gutsy approach on this score.

Weldon maintains that Fonterra disclosed the nature of the changes to the market, and the NZX had communicated with the co-op and was comfortable that there was sufficient disclosure to meet the needs of bond investors.

Herald: "Would the exchange protect the editorial integrity of its publications?"

Weldon: "The answer to that is, without question, yes. There is, I have to say, a fair degree of disappointment from myself and internally that we've got this person Alan Robb whom we now pay who apparently has issues with presuming what our level of integrity about editorial is."

Speaks volumes.""

Yip we agree, ComCom needs to have a look and it reiterates our point in running the post about the merging of editorial and advertising. If Weldon doesn't get it then he has no business buying an independent media stable.

WHAT'S UP DOC ?

We noticed the NBR having fun with the fact that Hanover Finance King pin Eric Watson had a very fancy fiftieth birthday party recently. The Herald has followed up with some expected outrage from investors still waiting for their dosh.
We just want to ask one question of the former Mr NickyWatson,------>
<-----with all your money why didn't you get your teeth fixed you bucked tooth git!

ON THE SCRAP HEAP IN FIJI

This is almost comical - Frankie Boy has decided that all civil servants will retire at 55. Yip 55. Now we are staring the big 50 in the face. Five years and in Fiji terms we would be an old trout.
( BB's son is convinced she already is)
Funny thing is, this edict does not extend to the Military. What a bloody silly arsewipe.

FIJI RELAXING MEDIA BAN?

It looks like it, according to the Australian but we suspect it will only be for tame journalists.

And interestingly some of the Fijian Blogs are not loading sometimes - so we wonder if they are being censored.

But boy are they staying staunch, as this story by James Ihaka in The Herald points out.

BUGGER

The Herald has the lastest change to the rural landscape - dogs are being phased out at meat processing works owned by Silver Fern. Anyway we asked Lamb cut to proffer some wisdom on the issue.

The issue of working dogs in meat processing plants is an old one. There was talk maybe a decade ago, of dogs being banned from the yards on the grounds that Tescos and its ilk, (fair enough) but also, because various animal rights lunatics didn’t approve. Though, in the Lamb’s view, Tesco’s underlying reason for this was almost certainly driven by pressure from the animal rights nutters, resulting in changing consumer perceptions, and not really driven by meat quality or genuine animal welfare concerns.

The alternative to dogs in the yards, is either the far less efficient set of rattles (not the baby kind; the metal, very loud, could be used as overbloated knuckle dusters kind), or the method the company preferred, the even less efficient plastic shopping bag tied to the end of a length of alkathene pipe.

Sheep and dogs have a long history. They are hard wired to respond to each other as predator and prey. This is not the case with plastic shopping bags, which Lambcut understands are also in danger of being banned by supermarkets. Where will we be then? You must understand that sheep can be frustratingly and spectacularly uncooperative animals, and, its certainly not a good thing for them to stand around in the yards, being jossled by one another, without easy access to food and water for any longer than necessary. The efficiency differential between a good yard dog and a piece of a shopping bag tied to alkathene cannot be overestimated.

Lambcut remembers when legendary Southern dog dealer, Ginger Timms was working at the Alliance Mataura plant. It was maybe 10 years ago when the company was first trying to get shepherds to give up their dogs. Ginger worked in the plant’s sheep yards and always had a big team of dogs about him, some of whom at any given time were inevitably for sale. Some wagg at the works, decided to take the lemon liquor out of Ginger by putting an ad on the company notice board advertising a dog on Ginger's behalf. The advertisement included a representation of the “dog” underneath. It was a piece of alkathene sporting a plastic bag.

A NEW DISGRACE FOR NGAI TAHU

This story in the Herald about Ngai Tahu here is absolutely appalling - for three reasons.

The first reason is that Ngai Tahu chief Mark Solomon pulls in about $200 thousand dollars a year - his deputy Donald Crouch gets a fair wack as well- combined about $390 thousand between them. While all around them New Zealanders are standing up and showing leadership and financial prudence in the face of an economic tsunami, they voted them selves another slice of the Ngai Tahu financial pie. Pure greed.

The second reason is that they are basing their financial future and security on more settlements from the crown.

They have had 10 years to lay the foundation for a secure future for Ngai Tahu. It appears our tribe led by Mark Solomon is still in grievance mode. This, more than his involvement in the ousting of Wally Stone, or his temerity at giving himself a pay increase when the people he serves are asked to tighten their belts, is the reason he should go.

The third reason is Mark is also presiding over an organisation that can find less that 1% savings while government departments are being asked to prune at least 10% percent from their budgets.

If Ngai Tahu beneficiaries want a sound future for their mokopuna then the woolly thinking, lack of financial acumen and the selfish actions of those led by Mark will not deliver it.

What Ngai Tahu does need is a leader who has vision and forsight, who leads by example.

We remember when over ten years ago the tribe was dumbfounded and disgusted when the media revealed the amount that Sir Tipene was paid. He was angry but the tribe was angrier and it is time once more for beneficiaries to show their displeasure and ask for the resignation of Mark Solomon and those who do his bidding.

Ngai Tahu bosses take pay rises amid cost-cutting

By Yvonne Tahana

Leaders of one of the country's richest iwi have taken a huge pay increase while asking the tribe to cut costs.

Mark Solomon, kaiwhakahaere (chairman) of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, his deputy Donald Couch and their assistant are in line to receive $386,885 between them this financial year, 35 per cent more than last year.

The Weekend Herald understands the runanga - the South Island tribe's governing body - asked its office in December to assess how much money it could save this financial year. The office reported it could cut $262,000 from its $24 million budget.

Robin Wybrow, a Ngai Tahu leader from Wairewa runanga, is angry he has had to find out about the increase through the media. He said it was "appalling" that the smaller runanga who made up Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu were never consulted.

"I'm staggered. It's hard to justify at any time but it's harder to justify in the present financial environment. Many Ngai Tahu are going to be facing job losses, not pay increases. It shows a lack of sensitivity to iwi members who are going to be suffering."

While other large iwi such as Tainui state in their annual reports how much their leaders receive, Ngai Tahu, which is worth $600 million, does not. Pay structure - and who is getting what proportion of the total sum - is also not mentioned.

Another Ngai Tahu leader said the pay increase was sickening. "Are they embarrassed to have their salaries public? Of course they are - it's obscene."

Last night, Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu would not comment.

The spending review does not take into account the tribe's $52 million investment in its cultural centre, The House of Tahu.

Ousted Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation chairman Wally Stone believes the centre is an investment that is not in the tribe's best interests, given the economic outlook.

The tribe's executive leadership is banking on "significant" sums from further Treaty settlements to guarantee a strong financial future for Ngai Tahu.

RUDMAN GETS IT WRONG

Normally Brian Rudman gives a reasonable view of the world. He's not the best writer or the best analyst but his points of view are nearly always well reasoned.  But todays column he says that  Maori putting their hands up to run prisons on the back was not an ethical investment .  That raised our ire.

Its plain crap. running drugs is not an ethical investment. Running stand over operations is not ethical. Running casinos is not ethical. All leave Maori worse off.

Running prisons would show that Maori are willing to own the problem. They can institute some of the tough love, restorative justice type programmes that they know work. They will be much harder than pakeha running jails simply because they will have so much to prove. It is very ethical for Maori to run prisons. And if they make money doing it good on them. It is no less ethical that they get paid than any multinational private prison company.

Rudman seems to contend that Maori should not be making money out of the sorrow of their own people. Wrong, to coin a much used phrase  - If they own the problem they will be better placed to find  the solutions to the high incarceration and recidivism rates of their own people


 

DON'T MESS WITH US - WE'RE NATIONAL

It is now very obvious that National has the mettle to take us through the tough times - first we have the PM John Key slip and break his arm and then go on the shake the hands of a few dozen burly rugby players who are not known for their pussy grips and he doesnt grizzle or whinge.

Then the Herald reports that Paula Bennett, the proud westie, goes into " mum mode " and breaks up a big cat fight among some girls outside a shopping centre - a fight that was so bad shop keepers had to close their doors to protect their customers.

So we have a PM who shows he is a tough bloke and a Minister who shows she ain't a bad bloke for a sheila. Noice....

SUMMER HOLIDAY

Well everyone round town is gasbagging about the perception that the government is on holiday at a critical time. What crap.
And its more than a little precious of Labour to get all pious about Key taking a break. They were always missing in action around Christmas New Year. In fact it was hard to get sense out of any Labour ministers office till the end of January, so the fact that Key has his boys fronting up this week definitely puts him ahead in the readiness stakes.

We were with a senior journalist the other day and she wasn't impressed about Key being ensconced in Hawaii. She wondered if his kids were missing their mates and their kiwi holidays and that his first Xmas should have been in NZ on holiday with the masses. Part of Keys appeal is that he is one of us who's made good and that he hasn't lost touch with who he really is but she reckoned buggering off to Hawaii for secluded Xmas set him apart. We think Clarks cold mountain expeditions at the height of summer set her apart from the rest of NZ as a odd fish.
But the biggest problem that the Nats have had over this issue is one of Perception. Labour used to ensure that it appeared busy over Xmas and it did it very very well. While McCully did a stirling job of fronting the main political issues all the other Ministers should have had announcements to make over the holiday period. That was the trick the Labour used. Low level announcements that became the breathless focus of the bored and often junior Xmas reporters on the xmas roster. Key should have also granted one really good in depth interview for Tv1 while on Holiday. Again its all about perception.

Now we have Key looking like he is reacting to the media over their perceptions of his lack of activity by announcing the meeting of his powerful economic team which we knew about weeks ago. A bit more pro active media activity is needed by the Nats to ensure that the government is not just working, as we know they are, but are Seen to be working.

But hell what do we know? ;-)

FONTERRA STILL DROWING IN SEA OF CONTAMINATED MILK

Fran O'sullivan is one of our favourite columnists. shes not boring like Colin James and todays missive is one of her best. In many ways its a brave column. Fonterra is the white backbone of the economy and her critical analysis should be read with concern by all farmer shareholders. What we still want to know is how many babies have really died. Epidemiologists we have talked to reckon that there have been waaaay more deaths that the four reported. Ferriers lack of intel on what was happening around the guilty plea by the San Lu company chair made him look like a dick.

We also reckon that Fonterras handling of this issue will be used as a PR example of what not to do by all tutors of the dark arts.

update - this from Macdoctor

Your epidemiologist friends are certainly right. At one point China reported 158 babies were in acute kidney failure. Given that this is a serious condition needing a lot of specialised equipment, it is unlikely all of them survived.

A neonatologist friend reckoned that 20-30% would die within a month or two and about half of the survivors would die within the next 10 years from complications of chronic renal failure.

Yes. You did read that right. 30-40 babies are already dead. Another 50-60 will not see their teens.

Feel free to be sick. I know I will.

TIME TO REVIEW THE COMMERCE COMMISSION

While we agree with the need for a body to keep everyone in the commercial world on the straight and narrow - oppressive picky police state crap needs to be reigned in. Comcom's performance over the Shell fuel additive issue is woeful. It has taken ComCom two years to investigate the Shell fuel additive issue- meantime the Advertising Standards Authority chucks out a complaint by rival BP - ( funny that ) over the same issue - their inquiry takes less than a month and the venerable institution of consumer protection Fair Go gets AA to do a trial and finds that the claims that Shell makes about its fuel stack up. So why is ComCom spending tens of thousands of dollars investigating a complaint that everyone else has seen fit to dump?

Makes you wonder who made the complaint. And Why?
Now we are Blonde but even we get it.
Shell has made a bold move by stepping up and standing up for its product. Bloody good on the Dutchies we say - Go buy Shell.

And National needs to reign in CommComm chair Paula Rebstock. No more spurious nanny state crap.