Claims that chances of privatisation of state owned Kiwibank remain low...

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Standard & Poor's assesses the chance of a privatisation of Kiwibank as low and is keeping its AA minus rating of the state-owned bank unchanged as a result.


But it said any change in ownership would trigger a review.



S&P said yesterday its ratings of the bank were unchanged despite speculation about possible privatisation and also the announcement of chief executive Sam Knowles' retirement.



"Our ratings continue to reflect our expectation that notwithstanding the recent discussion on possible privatisation of Kiwibank, the risk of privatisation remains low in the medium term," said the credit-rating agency.



"Nevertheless, in our less likely downside scenario, privatisation of the bank would be expected to put downward pressure on the ratings."



Kiwibank's rating rests on the guarantee from its wholly Government-owned parent, NZ Post.


If the Government wants to privatise Kiwibank it will happen in 2012.



- NZPA

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Is Cabinet Minister Paula Bennett guilty of breaching privacy rights...

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Is Cabinet Minister  Paula Bennett guilty of breaching privacy rights?



A request for a cash settlement to resolve a privacy complaint against Cabinet minister Paula Bennett suggests the politician could have been at fault, a top privacy lawyer says.



John Edwards, who has been a privacy lawyer for 20 years and helped set up the Privacy Commissioner's Office in 1993, says Ms Bennett may have breached privacy rights again in disclosing details of the request.



Ms Bennett revealed the contents of a letter she received from the commissioner's office. In the letter, solo mother Natasha Fuller asked for a $15,000 cash settlement and an apology for the hurt and humiliation she had suffered.



Is Paula Bennett guilty of breaching privacy rights? Here is the latest selection of Your Views:

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Three strikes becomes law - but what about John key and his cronies...

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Three strikes becomes law - but what about John Key and his cronies...




Legislation to remove eligibility for parole for the worst repeat violent offenders has passed through parliament, 63 votes to 58



The controversial three strikes legislation has passed through parliament, 63 votes to 58.



It removes eligibility for parole for the worst repeat violent offenders and imposes maximum terms of imprisonment for people who repeatedly commit crimes.



Police Minister Judith Collins says it ensures the worst repeat violent criminals have less chance to re-offend and sends a message that parole is a privilege, not a right.



Forty serious offences have been named that are punishable by a maximum of seven years prison or more.



There has been much opposition to the bill, with Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party all saying it will do nothing to stop offending.


Who are the worst offenders:  the criminals out there or those ratbags on the government benches?









Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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Plea for a blogger to be arrested. Just the blogger...

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Plea for blogger to be arrested. Just the blogger?



A Wellington lawyer wants a blogger who has breached the name suppression of his client to be arrested for being in contempt.



A Wellington lawyer is calling for an Auckland blogger to be arrested after intentionally breaking name suppression.



The blogger has published the name of a high-profile Wellingtonian currently on trial for assault on a teenager, relating to an incident in central Wellington in August 2008.



The man's lawyer Mike Antunovic has raised his concern about the publication in the Wellington District Court. He asked the judge to consider issuing a warrant for the arrest of the blogger for being in contempt of court.



Meanwhile the wife of the high-profile Wellingtonian has given evidence at his trial. The Crown claims the accused hit the teenager after he had run away and stolen money.



The man's wife has told a jury at the Wellington District Court he had to manhandle and drag the teenager back to the car. She says the events leading up to the incident had been stressful and upsetting.



The trial is expected to continue into next week.


So its alright to beat up drag back, and detain an alleged thief in your car? I thought assault was assault was assault? Is this how things are done in the wonderful new world of John Key and his Nationl administration. Thank Christ I don't have too many years to live in this bullshit world. If somebody steals from you use your cell phone and call the police you bloody dickhead.


Good on the blogger in question for naming names!








Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

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Today is budget day in New Zealand

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Today is budget day in New Zealand...



Today is budget day in New Zealand. An increase in GST from 12.5% to 15% and a reduction in company and income tax. But what will it mean to Kiwis and their families? Will the tax cuts compensate for the increase in GST? Still no exemptions there though.



We will learn about the benefits, if any, over the next few hours, days and weeks. We will find out in due course as the experts dissect the budget and discuss just what it really means. Benefits for the rich the opposition party has already claimed. But it doesn't look like a Robin Hood budget to me though.  The tax increases on cigarettes of about 30% over 18 months will hurt the poor more than John Key's supporters.

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A foolish prime minister and his cannibal joke...

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PM makes Tuhoe cannibal joke - just a foolish man...




Prime Minister John Key has joked about Tuhoe being cannibals during a speech to a tourism audience in Auckland.



Mr Key angered Tuhoe this week when he ruled out the return of the Urewera National Park as part of the iwi's proposed treaty settlement.



The row has dogged the Prime Minister all week, with Tuhoe accusing him of betrayal and Maori Party Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia accusing the Government of acting in bad faith.



In a speech on Thursday to about 200 people from the tourism sector, Mr Key alluded to the dispute in a joke.



"The good news is that I was having dinner with Ngati Porou as opposed to their neighbouring iwi, which is Tuhoe, in which case I would have been dinner," he said, "which wouldn't have been quite so attractive."



Asked about the comment after his speech, Mr Key said he was sure Tuhoe will get the joke, but Tuhoe negotiator Tamati Kruger says it was in poor taste, and that the relationship between the iwi and Mr Key is getting worse each day.



"I'm just astounded that the Prime Minister can make light of what we regard as a very, very serious situation regarding ... our future relationships with the Crown.



"I don't think it's becoming at all of a Prime Minister."



Tamati Kruger says Tuhoe is still waiting for contact from the Crown, following John Key's decision to rule out the return of Te Urewera.



The Maori Party MP for Waiariki, which includes Tuhoe country, says the joke is unfortunate.



"Well the first thing to say is, it's probably correct, and the second thing is (it's) probably not wise in the current climate," says Te Ururoa Flavell.



Mr Flavell says Mr Key is generally a happy-go-lucky person and uses humour in a good way, but he's underestimating the treaty discussions with Tuhoe by treating it as a joke.



The Prime Minister has defended the Government's decision on the Urewera National Park, saying vesting it in the iwi would be a step too far for most New Zealanders.


The fact of the matter is John Key is a fool and not a prime minister's backside!

Acknowledgements: Radio NZ

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The NZ National Party show their true colours, tinted with racism...

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The NZ National Party show their true colours, tinted with racism. The Tuhoe claim for the Urewera National Park has been rejected by John Key - might get part management of the lands?

The credibility of the so-called Maori Party has to be questioned too!  How can they continue to prop up these racists in the National Party?

Ngapuhi should also get the message - they will get  nowhere with their inverted racist claims as well.

There is only one nation - New Zealand - and only one New Zealand Government. Its just the National and Act parties which are so rotten!

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Give the train work to New Zealand railway workshops...

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We'd love to see New Zealanders make the trains we need for Auckland's new electric rail system. It would create hundreds of jobs in Dunedin and Lower Hutt, improve our balance of payments by $114 million, and make our economy more resilient.



We should at least bid for the job, but John Key's Government doesn't have much faith in our manufacturing abilities. I've talked to the men and women from the Hillside workshop and know we have the skills and the ambition.



You can drop a line to the Transport Minister and ask him to have a bit of faith. Let's have a go and at least encourage KiwiRail to tender for the work.



The Green Party

http://www.greens.org.nz/


All Kiwis would support this if the workshops have the facilities and expertise. Why Not? If it creates jobs for Kiwis here, it has to be a great thing for New Zealand. But no, National wants their ideological mates overseas to get the work and make profits out of us here. I support the Green Party totally in this matter! It would create jobs in Lower Hutt and Dunedin; two areas which have suffered economically and from unemployment in recent years.

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But the bad news is...Key came home...

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So New Zealand Prime Minister John Key made a secret flying visit to meet the Kiwi SAS contingent in Afghanistan. He says he sent them, so should visit them. Big deal!

But the bad news is...Key came home!

Key with his stupid boyish  grin, has long lost any credibility, as has his rightwing government. They still top the polls. But NZ has a high marijuana usage anyway; so its not really surprising.

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