If National wins ...

[POSSUM THE CAT]

el Zorro Iron man competitors were each asked to pay a fee for the swim leg. As it was regarded as a commercial enterprise as an entry fee was being charged. Apparently they have full rights to charge any commercial venture that wishes to use the lake. When the power company is privatised it becomes A commercial enterprise so could it charge for the water or divert it elsewhere. I would like to know all the legal infrastructure of this. I Suspect this could be an absolute legal minefield.

[janner]

Thank goodness the govt will be able to go ahead and sell off part of the assets previous generations worked hard for (MRP), to secure cheap power for the country in later years. They need the money so desperately (of course they could simply print it instead).

But not before National had to restate their position on water rights. So it's a small win for common sense and respect for the Treaty.

EZ.. Where did you get the information that the ..

" previous generations worked hard for (MRP), to secure cheap power for the country in later years " ..

EZ..
They borrowed the money.. Not to provide " cheap power for the country in later years " ..

They borrowed the money to provide themselves ( The greedy self centred bastards ) with POWER.

For their " Radios ".. " Milking sheds ".. " lights " .. " Pumps ".. Jobs...

You and I ( well maybe I as a none State tit sucking person ) have helped to repay those borrowings..

Are we .. The majority .. Not alllowed to use and direct the investments made by our Fore Fathers ( sexist statement ) for greater use.. ??..

[Major von Tempsky]

Seems to have totally escaped EZ that the Gummint will still own 51% of MRP....

[janner]

Seems to have totally escaped EZ that the Gummint will still own 51% of MRP....

Could it be because he thinks ( loose use of the word ) His Government paycheck may be reduced by 49%.. ??

[elZorro]

Russell Norman put Bill English on the spot today: the state asset sales will in fact make the govt books worse, technically. I told you they do their homework, the Greens. The return on all the asset sales is going to be less than 5-7 Billion. Less than 10% of one year's tax take. If National knew what they were doing, they'd have made this amount in extra taxes over the last 4 years. But they're just plonkers. The tax take has drifted down from Labour's high point.

Janner, Labour did their level best to repay old debts a few years back, and anyway we did really well in the 60s and early 70s, when all the hydro assets were being built. Your problem is that you're in a generation where energy costs are higher. Hold onto your hat, because unless some stuff gets sorted out, it'll get a lot worse. That's partly why we're all struggling.

At last, some hope for local manufacturing. Part of the reason is the high transport costs to ship goods to market.

http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar...YKuaTGE.mailto

[slimwin]

Russell Norman is a clown. Made another mention in an opinion piece by Brian Fallow.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/ne...ectid=10868175

[iceman]

Russell Norman put Bill English on the spot today: the state asset sales will in fact make the govt books worse, technically. I told you they do their homework, the Greens. The return on all the asset sales is going to be less than 5-7 Billion. Less than 10% of one year's tax take. If National knew what they were doing, they'd have made this amount in extra taxes over the last 4 years. But they're just plonkers. The tax take has drifted down from Labour's high point.

He did not put English on the spot at all. English simply replied that owning Solid Energy has not made the books look better in the last couple of years and if it was as simple as Norman claims, we should just adopt his policy of printing endless money and buy up all the supermarkets and other businesses in NZ. Based on what you and Norman say, the way to balance the books is for the Government to own all businesses in NZ.

I am surprised you haven't mentioned the good news we've had this week EZ. A few examples:
FPA creating 100 new high tech jobs in NZ,
ANZ business outlook survey the most optimistic for a long time,
large increase in building consents,
economists forecasting on average 2.5% growth PA for next 3 years.
And King Salmon adding 4 new salmon farms creating an estimated 170 new jobs, which is a direct result of current Government's changes to the law, removing the nuts moratorium policy of Labour that saw NOT ONE new aquaculture farm built between 2000-2010 and almost killed the industry.

[elZorro]

From NZResources/RadioNZ:

English puts some truth serum into SOE debate

1 March 2013
Finance Minister Bill English told Parliament yesterday that the Government books could be worse off if it proceeds with its plan to sell off part of State-owned power companies.
However, Radio New Zealand said English told Parliament the partial sale of shares will help boost the capital markets and impose private sector disciplines on the State owned enterprises (SOEs).
During Question Time Green Party co-leader Russel Norman asked English whether the half-year economic and fiscal update revealed the operating balance before gains and losses would be $441 million worse off over the next five years if the sales went ahead.
English said it did, but argued that other measures show the Government would be better off.
He warned against putting too much confidence in the forecasts, saying last year the Treasury had predicted that Solid Energy would make a profit and got that spectacularly wrong.
Source: radionz.co.nz

Yes, that's very good news that Haier/FPA will employ about 100 engineers to work on new R&D projects here. Haier have been as good as their word so far. Now it's up to current and new staff to come up with some suitable results.

Salmon farming projects - sounded like a lot of cash to get through the hearing stages, for a project where the sea would clean up any problems if the farms ceased operating. According to King Salmon anyway. Fish are much better at converting food to flesh, than land animals in general. I didn't know there was a moratorium. It's taken 4 years into a National term for anything to happen, so maybe it's not as simple as it sounds.

[iceman]

From NZResources/RadioNZ:

I didn't know there was a moratorium. It's taken 4 years into a National term for anything to happen, so maybe it's not as simple as it sounds.

Yes it has been a long and expensive process for King Salmon to get this through and they did not get all they wanted. But I think the decision now is a fair compromise between the opposing views and allows economic growth in a very sensitive and beautiful environment , without undue environmental risks. My next door neighbour is a marine biologist and did some of the research about effects of salmon farming in the proposed areas and agrees with KS that nature would fairly quickly clean any residual effects left from the farm should it be discontinued.
I think we can both agree that this decision has been a good compromise.

[Major von Tempsky]

"Another opinion poll has shown National riding high and holding a big lead over Labour.

The Roy Morgan poll released on Friday puts National on 47.5 per cent, up 3.5 points, and Labour down four points to 30.5 per cent.

A One News Colmar Brunton poll on February 17 gave National 49 per cent and Labour 33 per cent, followed by TV3's Reid Research poll a week later showing National holding 51.4 per cent and Labour 32.6 per cent.

In all three polls National's support is higher than its election night 47.31 per cent.

Labour is also up on its 27.48 per cent election result but the gap between the main parties is still close to the 20 point mark.". :-)