Greenhorn Rodney Hide's motives questioned...

Greenhorn Rodney Hide's motives questioned, and so they should!

Andrew Williams, North Shore mayor, claims privatisation plans for Auck region's assets behind MP Rodney Hide's super city push -- we all know what he stands for?

An Auckland mayor has blasted Local Government Minister Rodney Hide, over the way he is pushing plans for a super city.

North Shore's Andrew Williams is accusing Mr Hide of misleading Prime Minister John Key about the shake-up.

The Government is planning to put in place one central authority, with up to 30 smaller community boards. Mr Williams says Mr Hide has told Mr Key he has got support from the existing councils for his proposals, when in fact that is not the case. He claims the super city plan is being hijacked.

"I think we're being hoodwinked here by a local minister who has got very little experience in local government and unfortunately people are listening to the false information that he's putting out there."

Mr Williams believes the ultimate aim is to take control of the region's asset base and privatise it.

"Farm it of to council-controlled organisations with private boards of directors, controlling the water, controlling the waste water, controlling the transport."

Mr Williams says his opinions are shared by the other councils, with the exception of Auckland City. He says it will cost some ratepayers another $500 a year. For the North Shore, he says the change will have the same impact as a five percent rates hike. Check out just what the political "Mr Hyde" is up to?



Acknowledgements:
© 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Big Brother is alive and well, and trawling social network sites...

Big Brother is alive and well, and trawling social network sites...

I was just reading a weekend paper here in Wellington, New Zealand, where an article reveals how "Big Brother" is alive and kicking and trawling social network sites to gain possible information on their members.

The article discussed how NZ government departments are trawling these sites for information that can be used against people on social welfare benefits for fraud purposes. One woman had been caught, redhanded you might say, because she admitted a relationship on the social networking site, and the department took a fraud case against her.

Even employers are in on the act looking for information to use against employees: In one case an employee was caught bragging on the site that he was taking a "sickie" from work because he still had a massive hangover.

If this is happening in a little country like NZ, just imagine on what scale it is being used in larger countries like Australia, Britain or in North America and Europe?

In my opinion they are just a pathetic and despicable bunch of Sebastians!

Don't expect National to support levies on plastic shopping bags...

Well, the National Party really showed their real colours over the plastic shopping bags story.

They claim to care about the environment but when the time comes to put their money where their cavernous mouths are, they shie away!

Well, they claimed the Labour -led government and their Greens supporters were creating a 'nanny-state' because of the eco-lightbulb fiasco, so we shouldn't really expect anything different from these rightwingers.

The Irish have levied retailers over the use of plastic shopping bags, and have raised millions for environmental projects. Would National follow siut? Yeah right!

Employers have been exploiting workers in this fashion for ever...

CTU says employers hiring contractors to exploit loophole in law which allows less than minimum wage to be paid. They have been doing it for years and nine years of a Labour-led government didn't change it - do you really believe National will do anything about it? Yeah right!

The Council of Trade Unions claims employers are using contracting arrangements to get around paying the statutory minimum wage rates to people doing work such as leaflet delivery.

The CTU has contributed to the redrafting of a bill that will be debated in Parliament today aimed at closing the loophole.

Secretary Peter Conway says the downturn in the labour market has seen an increase in subcontracting work.

"The minimum wage is a really important protection and this loophole allows people to be employed as contractors and their piece rate does not add up to effectively the minimum wage. So we'd like to see that loophole closed."

Mr Conway says some businesses are evading the law concerning minimum wages by farming out low-skilled work to individual contractors who have little or no choice about work available to them.



Acknowledgement:
© 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Looking like a one term government...

Oh dear oh, dear! They are just a bunch of Tories and proving it. The first hundred days of the new government is over, and they are now looking like a one term government.

The 'nine day fornight;; the 'cycle track' from the Cape to the Bluff.

Labour oriented people are getting kicked off all the boards - they want Tories. Except Mike Cullen of course, but Mike is giving up politics anyway, so will be the exception. Why kick a person out just because of their politics? Jim Bolger, former Tory prime minister was actually head-hunted because they wanted a person of ability to run KiwiBank, and other boards.

Give them another year and their incompetence will be obvious. Its Labour in 2011, without Helen and Mike too! They say PhilGoff is just a "fill-in", we'll see!

Is the nine day fortnight just a have...

Will it realy save jobs, create more? Is the nine day fornight just a have?

The nine-day working fortnight begins at the end of the month, but it is unclear how many businesses will adopt it.

The scheme, which involves the Government paying workers $12.50 for five hours in their tenth work day, starts on March 27 and is estimated to cost the country $20 million. It will apply to large companies at risk of having to make staff redundant. The workers will effectively have the day off and will not be required to undergo training as was previously mooted.

Business New Zealand says businesses are investigating how they can use the shorter fortnight to save jobs and businesses. Air New Zealand has indicated it may adopt the scheme.

But employment relations policy manager Paul Mackay says it is too early to say whether there will be a big uptake of the scheme. He says some employees have already taken the initiative, by opting for a four day week and the difference will be that they will now be subsidised by the Government for a lost day.


© 2009 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

The ACC controversy is a National government red herring...

The ACC controversy is a National Government red herring. It is not our fault millions of dollars of investments were lost on the stock market!

National have wanted privatisation of the ACC for a decade or more. They have to look after their supporters by having a fire sale of the ACC, one way or another!

If they do not retain a universal no-fault scheme, we should have our rights to sue our employers or those responsible for our non-work accidents returned to us!