Sell Air New Zealand-- a brilliant move----why?---read on.

Yes, the goverment should sell Air New Zealand. We can get a few hundred million (My definition of few is an 'extended' one.) and then---hey, when it all goes to custard, again, we can buy back Air New Zealand for ONE DOLLAR.  Didn't we do that last time? Gosh, what a gravy train this could be. Sell, buy, sell, buy, pocket the profit each time, all good capitalism at its best. Bottom line for me.-----DON'T SELL ANY STATE ASSETS! We, the tax payer should continue to own them, not some 2.5% of the population. Shame on you National and your 'suck it up' little friends.

Thats a good idea! Converting State houses into larger houses.

Good on you Government. I know that many will still say that the proposal to convert some State Houses  to reflect large family needs is too little, but it is a start and an acknowledgment that things need to chnage. Sure, there is need for more, but if making better use of exisiting stock and adding capacity is followed through then that is something to build on. If Labour and the Greens wnat to extend that in next years election, good on them too. I am often very critical of Government moves, but this one receives my support. Now, just lets see more of them, even if they can be a cynical repsonse to a real need at times. It is the result that counts and I don't particularly care who brings that about. It is about people, people, people. Mmm---I am sure I have heard that before.

Is Aaron Gilmore going to have one last balst at his 'colleagues?

‘Utu,’ he said. Aaron Gilmore may well have a last blast at his colleagues today in Parliament as he tries to put his perspective on the vents that have finally led to his downfall. I think that most of us would like to forget him and move on and maybe hope that our politicians will address real issues, like selling of Sate assets and getting NZ onto a fairer footing for all. Maybe they will look at training NZers for the jobs in Christchurch or addressing the Charter Schools issue. By that I mean, just forget about CSs.

However if things go like we expect in parliament today, we may be on for a bit of petulance on a grand scale. I may of course have to pull back because it could all just be another fizzer.

Hey Aaron, why not use your vote and stay in a bit longer and get some real Utu-----vote against the Government and stuff up their asset sales programme and the CS initiative!  Damn, that’s way too much to hope because deep down, you are just another Tory party hack without a party now.

Brits are most welcome but what the hell are we doing in NZ about training our own people?!

The Brits are coming. Doesn’t that sound familiar? From the beginning of European settlement of New Zealand this has been so. For a long time the vast majority of NZ’s European population was made up of ex Brits (and Irish). Lately the numbers of arriving Brits have taken a downturn, but in the last few weeks we have been seeing evidence that this downward trend is reversing. This is all due to the sad events of the Christchurch earthquake. Now that the re-build of Christchurch is underway, Immigration New Zealand, along with prospective employers has been holding job exhibitions in the UK. We hear that thousands of Brits are lining up to try their luck in NZ. This is good and NZ can only benefit from this influx of skilled, ‘easy to fit in’ arrivals, but it also throws up some other questions.

What the hell is NZ doing, sitting on its hands and not providing the leadership in training its own people? What is it about our Government that misses the point that we need to spend large amounts of resources in training our own people? We have so many unemployed, sitting around, lacking the skills to take up these opportunities. Surely some of them can be trained. That may entail a change of attitude on the part of some of them about learning good work ethics and perhaps some make-up time to fill the gaps that occur around literacy and numeracy, but start we must.  Let’s get on with re-training and building the skills of NZers.

In the meantime, the Brits are welcome and hopefully, once here they will stay and become new Kiwis. This is not the first time that we have had an influx from the ‘Old Country’ and I dare say it won’t be the last. Let’s have some balance though and encourage our own to up skill and take part in the life of our wonderful country.

The Sushi shop in Opotiki--- Come on Immigration New Zealand---these people are needed in NZ!

There is a great deal of support for the Korean couple who run a Sushi shop to be allowed to stay in NZ. Opotiki has plenty of other food outlets, most of which can be hardly classified as healthy food options. The locals have taken this couple to their hearts and seem prepared to go out on a limb in order to change the minds of Immigration New Zealand. Both main news channels showed a rare unity of Pakeha and Maori opinion, solidly behind the couples attempt to stay on in Opotiki. Why not view that support as a form of 'community sponsorship?' The couple represent exactly the virtues we seek in new New Zealanders; hardworking, ready and willing to be part of our society. Share this blog, people and get it to Immigration New Zealand and the Minister in charge of that department. Let's hope that for once, our politicians take a lead and listen to the people who matter---those who live in Opotiki. I hope the result is one that makes the couple feel welcome in the land of their choice.

This time I don't support giving any money to the America's Cup fiasco.

In the past I have supported any Government giving money to the America's Cup campaign, even though quite a few of my friends and associates thought that the money would be better spent on other important sectors. My belief was that the goodwill and real money generated went beyond the pockets of the 'rich boys' alone. It created jobs in boat building and tourism along with quite a bit going to the hospitality industry when we hosted it.
I have changed my mind with the advent of the stupidly dangerous catamarans. I believe that the money is wasted this time, even if the event actually happens. There is some doubt about that now after we witnessed the tragedy in the USA. These catamarans are nothing short of dangerous 'big boy toys' and the fact that the challenge series may well only have two boats says a lot about what has happened to this once wonderful competition. The death bells are sounding in more ways than one. We must see a return to the classic races and the participation of many more countries, when the drama filled us with pride as we watched our team battle those who would write us off as a tiny nation at the bottom of the Pacific. Lets end this now, before more lives are lost and return to sanity and a position that I know more of us can support. 

You have to be joking, CNN news, when you suggest there is a call to bring back Mubarak!

Why on earth even bother reporting on the tiny number of misguided (probably part of Mubarak's cartel) people who have demonstrated on the streets of Cairo, for the 'return of the 85 year old imprisoned ex-president of Egypt. One can only assume that these people are completely out of touch or at best dissatisfied with the 'Egyptian Spring.' Let's face it, the result has been the installing of an Islamic Party that given the chance will institute Sharia Law. Egypt's people deserve so much better; freedom from the past abuse of a dictator and the idiocy of extremist parties. Like most people, Egyptians want peace, a liveable wage and freedom from corrupt leadership. They have a long way to go before they achieve this state. In the meantime, I guess we will see desperate citizens on the streets of Cairo and Alexandra.